In Syria, at least 46 more people have been killed in Eastern Ghouta, as pro-government forces continue to pound the rebel-held enclave with airstrikes and rocket fire.

More than 400 people are believed to have died in the brutal assault which began last Sunday. The troops are now gathering around the enclave ahead of a likely ground offensive to flush out the remaining rebel fighters. Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council is expected to vote on Friday on a draft resolution demanding a humanitarian truce to allow aid deliveries and medical evacuations. The resolution does not cover ISIL, al Qaeda and the Nusra Front, which Moscow and Damascus say they have targeted in eastern Ghouta.