Ban scolds world powers on Syria as fighting rages

ALEPPO, Syria (AFP) - United Nations (UN) chief Ban Ki Moon told world powers on Friday they must overcome their rivalries to put an end to the "proxy war" in Syria, as deadly fighting raged in Damascus and the country's second city Aleppo.

Dr Ban spoke ahead of a UN General Assembly vote that overwhelmingly condemned the Security Council for its failure to act and condemned President Bashar al-Assad's use of "heavy weapons" in the nearly 17-month civil war.

Shells rained down on rebel positions in Aleppo as fighting was reported in Syria's commercial capital and in Damascus, with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reporting at least 70 people killed across the country.

At the same time, new weekly anti-regime protests were held across Syria in solidarity with the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, which troops have pounded for weeks.