U.N. aid chief seeks ceasefires at Syria talks

By Stephanie Nebehay MONTREUX, Switzerland (Reuters) – The United Nations hopes that political talks between the warring sides in Syria will clinch local ceasefires to allow vital food and medicines to reach millions of civilians, the U.N. humanitarian chief said on Thursday. Valerie Amos, in an interview with Reuters a day after an international conference on Syria, said mediator Lakhdar Brahimi would press the government and opposition on these humanitarian issues at meetings due to start later in the day. The two sides, meeting for the first time, vented their mutual hostility on Wednesday but Brahimi said the enemies may be ready to discuss prisoner swaps, local ceasefires and humanitarian aid. And as we saw yesterday, there are big differences between the parties," Amos said in an interview in Montreux, Switzerland.