Afghan Elections: Voting Begins amid Threat of Taliban Attacks


Afghan elections

Afghans wanting to vote queue in the rain outside a polling station before it opened in KabulReuters



Historic elections are under way in Afghanistan that could lead to the first democratic power transfer in the strife-torn country.


Scores of Afghans are braving the Taliban threat and lining up since early morning to cast their vote.


Afghan officials are using mules and other modes of transport to ferry polling materials to remote areas of the country.


Incumbent President Hamid Karzai is barred from contesting the elections as he has already completed two terms, but he is widely expected to wield influence through proxies.


In all, eight candidates are contesting for the presidential post and former ministers Abdullah Abdullah, Zalmay Rassoul and Ashraf Ghani are considered frontrunners.


At least 12 million Afghans are eligible to vote in the landmark elections. The results are expected to take months to be out because of the complex nature of the election process which involves a run-off on 28 May if no candidate secures more than 50% of the vote, according to Reuters.


More than 7,000 polling stations have been set up of which nearly 400 have been identified as vulnerable to militant attacks, officials said.


A heavy security blanket has been thrown over most parts of the country and nearly 400,000 security forces have been deployed.


In the run-up to the voting, the Taliban, which is determined to uproot the democratically-elected government, has carried out several attacks in a bid to disrupt the elections.


On the eve of polling day a German photojournalist was gunned down while a Canadian reporter was wounded. Both were working for the Associated Press news agency.


The new leader will face a huge challenge in maintaining the security and stability in the landlocked south Asian nation in the wake of the Nato forces' withdrawal by the end of 2014.


Karzai's successor will also have to deal with the increasingly tense relations with the western world.



Chinese Actor Wen Zhang's Grovelling Apology for Adultery on Social Media Breaks Online Records


Chinese actor Wen Zhang pictured with his wife Ma Yili

Chinese actor Wen Zhang pictured with his wife Ma YiliGetty



Social media is fast becoming the favoured way for celebrities 'coming out' about their extra marital affairs and saying sorry to their loved ones.


Chinese actor Wen Zhang became the latest celebrity taking to Sina Weibo, China's version of Twitter, offering a toe-curling apology to his wife.


"I have brought this upon myself. A mistake is a mistake. This has nothing to do with anyone else ... I'm sorry.


"Please accept the deepest apology and regret from the bottom of my heart.


"Yili and the children could have had a comforting and beautiful life but I have ruined it all." Zhang's wife is currently pregnant with the couple's second child.


Within 12 hours, his posting of abject contrition had reached 2.4 million. After two days, Zhang had received more than 3.9 million responses in total.


Zhang was photographed holding hands with actress Yao Di, his co-star from the television drama Naked Wedding.


The topic trended above the missing Malaysian plane and a protest against a petrochemical plant in Maoming that turned violent. Censors had blocked searches relating to the Maoming protests.


This breaks the previous record for the biggest trending post on Sina Weibo, held by Chinese pop singer Faye Wong when she announced her divorce from husband Li Ya Peng last year.


Sina Weibo said on its site that most of the people discussing Wen's post were educated women and girls aged 24 and under.


Many comments expressed anger toward Wen, who has more than 52 million followers.


Other celebrities have attempted to bare their souls via social media.


Olivier Giroud, the Arsenal striker, apologised after a picture taken of him in his underpants by model Celia Kay appeared in a national newspaper.


The footballer at first denied anything untoward happened, saying via his Twitter account: "Ultimate precision with respect to my apologies...Yes I made a mistake but I have not committed adultery! Things are clear..."


But he was forced to backtrack and admit what he had done. "I apologise to my wife, family and friends and my manager, team-mates and Arsenal fans," he said on Twitter.


"I now have to fight for my family and for my club and obtain their forgiveness. Nothing else matters at the moment."



Pictures of the Week: Best Photos of Past Seven Days


A rugby fan adjusts his latex mask at the rugby sevens tournament in Hong Kong

A rugby fan adjusts his latex mask at the rugby sevens tournament in Hong KongAFP



A young Balinese couple kiss during the annual Kissing Festival at Sesetan village in Denpasar, Bali

A young Balinese couple kiss during the annual Kissing Festival at Sesetan village in Denpasar, BaliGetty




"Darth Vader", the leader of the Internet Party of Ukraine, looks at a child in a pram at a market near the Ukrainian Central Elections Commission in KievReuters



A woman carries her crying child as she queues to receive her polling card at a voter registration centre in Kabul. The Afghan presidential elections will be held on April 5

A woman carries her crying child as she queues to receive her polling card at a voter registration centre in Kabul. The Afghan presidential elections will be held on April 5Reuters



People walk along a large crack in a road in Iquique, a day after a powerful 8.2-magnitude earthquake hit

People walk along a large crack in a road in Iquique, a day after a powerful 8.2-magnitude earthquake hitAFP



The Shard casts a shadow across the morning haze in London

The Shard casts a shadow across the morning haze in LondonReuters



Amphibious assault vehicles of the South Korean Marine Corps throw smoke bombs as they move towards shore during a U.S.-South Korea joint landing operation drill in Pohang

Amphibious assault vehicles of the South Korean Marine Corps throw smoke bombs as they move towards shore during a U.S.-South Korea joint landing operation drill in PohangReuters



A bag of rubbish bursts as a demonstrator throws it towards riot police during a European trade unions protest against austerity measures in Brussels

A bag of rubbish bursts as a demonstrator throws it towards riot police during a European trade unions protest against austerity measures in BrusselsReuters



Anti-government demonstrators throw petrol bombs during clashes with the National Guard in Caracas

Anti-government demonstrators throw petrol bombs during clashes with the National Guard in CaracasAFP



Riot police and demonstrators clash during a bailout protest in Athens

Riot police and demonstrators clash during a bailout protest in AthensAFP



Supporters of Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan turn on their mobile phones as they celebrate his election victory in front of the party headquarters in Ankara

Supporters of Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan turn on their mobile phones as they celebrate his election victory in front of the party headquarters in AnkaraReuters



An African migrant is lowered down from the border fence between Morocco and Spain's north African enclave of Melilla during the latest attempt to cross into Spanish territory

An African migrant is lowered down from the border fence between Morocco and Spain's north African enclave of Melilla during the latest attempt to cross into Spanish territoryReuters



Members of the paramilitary police elite unit patrol the Favela da Mare complex in Rio de Janeiro

Members of the paramilitary police elite unit patrol the Favela da Mare complex in Rio de JaneiroAFP



Fake mayoral election campaign posters with fictitious candidates are seen in Toronto. Rob Ford (bottom right), who is running for re-election as Toronto Mayor, made global headlines last year after admitting he had smoked crack cocaine

Fake mayoral election campaign posters with fictitious candidates are seen in Toronto. Rob Ford (bottom right), who is running for re-election as Toronto Mayor, made global headlines last year after admitting he had smoked crack cocaineReuters



US President Barack Obama poses with David Ortiz for a

US President Barack Obama poses with David Ortiz for a "selfie" as he welcomes the 2013 World Series Champions Boston Red Sox to the South Lawn of the White HouseReuters



Pupils take mobile phone 'selfies' with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as she arrives for a visit at Robert-Jungk Europe high school in Berlin

Pupils take mobile phone 'selfies' with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as she arrives for a visit at Robert-Jungk Europe high school in BerlinReuters



Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff poses for a selfie with workers during a visit to the construction site of the Sao Conrado metro station in Rio de Janeiro

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff poses for a selfie with workers during a visit to the construction site of the Sao Conrado metro station in Rio de JaneiroAFP



A koala that was born with a damaged eye looks at a camera on a branch in its enclosure at Wild Life Sydney Zoo. Images from the camera, which is triggered by movement, are displayed on a nearby small screen. The zoo is promoting this as a koala selfie

A koala that was born with a damaged eye looks at a camera on a branch in its enclosure at Wild Life Sydney Zoo. Images from the camera, which is triggered by movement, are displayed on a nearby small screen. The zoo is promoting this as a koala selfieReuters



Felix, an eight-year-old male polar bear, shakes off water after swimming in a pool for the first time this year, at the Royev Ruchey zoo in Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk

Felix, an eight-year-old male polar bear, shakes off water after swimming in a pool for the first time this year, at the Royev Ruchey zoo in Russia's Siberian city of KrasnoyarskReuters



A child runs alongside a polar bear during the opening day of a new area at the zoo in Mulhouse, France

A child runs alongside a polar bear during the opening day of a new area at the zoo in Mulhouse, FranceAFP



A six-month-old Indian white tiger cub plays with its mother Sameera at the Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad, India

A six-month-old Indian white tiger cub plays with its mother Sameera at the Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad, IndiaAFP



A child watches as Civa Sumac, a white Bengal tiger, explores her new glass-fronted enclosure at Huachipa zoo in Lima

A child watches as Civa Sumac, a white Bengal tiger, explores her new glass-fronted enclosure at Huachipa zoo in LimaReuters



A Southern White Rhino named Bella walks with her one-day-old baby at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola, north of Uganda's capital Kampala

A Southern White Rhino named Bella walks with her one-day-old baby at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola, north of Uganda's capital KampalaReuters



Japanese macaques eat cherry blossoms at Tokyo's Ueno zoo

Japanese macaques eat cherry blossoms at Tokyo's Ueno zooGetty



A fifteen-day-old orphaned baby monkey breast feeds from a goat at the Asha Foundation animal shelter and hospital in Hathijan, India

A fifteen-day-old orphaned baby monkey breast feeds from a goat at the Asha Foundation animal shelter and hospital in Hathijan, IndiaAFP



A couple of frogs sit in a pond during spawning season in Leipzig, Germany

A couple of frogs sit in a pond during spawning season in Leipzig, GermanyAFP



It's raining men, Hallelujah! The New Zealand team perform the Haka after winning the Cup Final between England and New Zealand during the 2014 Hong Kong Sevens

It's raining men, Hallelujah! The New Zealand team perform the Haka after winning the Cup Final between England and New Zealand during the 2014 Hong Kong SevensGetty



Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid celebrates his goal against Borussia Dortmund during their Champions League quarter-final first leg match at Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid celebrates his goal against Borussia Dortmund during their Champions League quarter-final first leg match at Santiago Bernabeu stadium in MadridReuters



Travis Hamonic of the New York Islanders is hit by Nick Bjugstad of the Florida Panthers during their ice hockey match at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York

Travis Hamonic of the New York Islanders is hit by Nick Bjugstad of the Florida Panthers during their ice hockey match at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New YorkGetty




House of Fraser Falls to China's Sanpower for £450m


House of Fraser has been sold to Sanpower for £450m.

House of Fraser sold to Sanpower for £450m.House of Fraser



British department store House of Fraser is to be sold to China's Sanpower Group in a deal worth about £450m.


The Nanjing-based conglomerate, which was founded by Chinese Business tycoon Yuan Yafei, will purchase an 89% stake in House of Fraser, the BBC reported.


The store has a 164-year history in Britain. It started life as a small drapery shop opened by Hugh Fraser and James Arthur in Glasgow in 1849.


There had been talks between House of Fraser and France's Galeries Lafayette, as well as discussions with Sports Direct founder and current Newcastle United chairman, Mike Ashley, but both failed to materialise.


Across its 61 stores in the United Kingdom and Ireland, House of Fraser has had annual sales of £1.2bn (€1.5bn, $2bn) on average in recent years. The group had also been mulling a share sale while looking for potential buyers.


According to its website, Sanpower controls 100 companies in sectors including banking, retail, media and property. It has a market cap of about £4.8bn.


Yuan Yafei set up Sanpower in 1993 when he was still in his early twenties. The former government official also owns sizeable chunks of consumer electronics firm Hiteker and Nanjing Xinjinkou Department Store.


House of Fraser is the latest British company to find itself in Chinese hands, following Weetabix and luxury yacht manufacturers Sunseeker.



Singapore Police Ask Seven Firms to Assist in Trading Irregularities Probe


Singapore: Police Ask Seven Firms to Assist in Trading Irregularities Probe

Police ask Singapore-listed firms to assist in trading irregularities probe.Reuters



Seven small-cap companies listed in Singapore have been asked by the police to assist with investigations into potential violations of the nation's securities laws, after three commodity firms together lost over $6bn in market value last October.


Telecommunications investment firm Innopac Holdings, diversified group IPCO International, ISR Capital and electrical-appliances wholesaler ITE Electric confirmed that they had received police requests, seeking access to electronic data and hardware used by senior officials and employees.


Similar disclosures were made on 2 April by three other firms: Blumont Group, LionGold and Magnus Energy Group.


The requests came as Singapore police initiated a criminal investigation into possible trading irregularities in the shares of commodity companies Asiasons Capital, Blumont and LionGold, whose stocks tanked in October 2013.


Singapore's police force and the nation's central bank said on 2 April they were jointly investigating suspected trading irregularities in the three commodity firms – they are under investigation for potential breaches of the Securities and Futures Act, according to a statement on the website of the Monetary Authority of Singapore.


Many of the aforementioned companies have invested in each other, reported the Wall Street Journal.


Asiasons is LionGold's second-largest shareholder with an 8.9% stake, and it also owns more than 25% of ISR Capital, according to company filings.


IPCO owns 9.74% of Blumont and 7.2% of Innopac, according to corporate filings.


Blumont and LionGold both hold stakes in Innopac, at 5.06% and 3.43% respectively.


ITE Electric's independent director Goh Hin Calm owns 3.85% of Innopac, states Innopac's latest annual report.


Magnus owns a 1.99% stake in LionGold, states LionGold's latest annual report. LionGold Executive Director Wira Dani Abdul Daim is a significant shareholder in both Magnus and ISR Capital, according to company annual reports.


Blumont has a 1.35% stake in ITE Electric, according to corporate records.


Trading in Asiasons, Blumont and LionGold came under scrutiny in October 2013, when the firms lost over 8bn Singapore dollars ($6.33bn, £3.81, €4.62bn) in combined market value in just two days.



UBS Resists Plan to Move Puerto Rico Bond Fund Cases to US Mainland


UBS Resists Plan to Move Puerto Rico Bond Fund Cases to US Mainland

UBS resists plan to move Puerto Rico bond fund cases to US mainland.Reuters



A subsidiary of banking major UBS is resisting a plan that will allow hundreds of investors, who lost money in closed-end Puerto Rico bond funds, to settle claims against the Swiss firm on the US mainland.


UBS Financial Services in Puerto Rico, which sold the funds, wants the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (Finra), a Wall Street-funded watchdog, to hold arbitration trials in Peurto Rico, a US territory in the Caribbean, Reuters has reported.


Lawyers claim that hearing the cases in Puerto Rico will benefit UBS – it will make it easier for the Swiss firm to work with witnesses such as its brokers and branch managers and will probably make the entire process more difficult and expensive for investors.


However, a flood of cases will mount pressure on Finra's limited infrastructure in Peurto Rico, where the regulator employs just nine arbitrators, and several cases might have to be moved to Florida or Texas.


Finra had been expecting about 500 cases but that number could have shot up to 750, unnamed sources told Reuters. About 200 bond fund cases have already been filed, according to Finra.


"UBS believes that FINRA's existing rules on venue should be followed," a UBS spokesman told the news agency.


"I don't think there's any question that UBS wants to make this process as long and as painful for burned investors as possible," said Andrew Stoltmann, a Chicago-based lawyer who represents investors.


Lawyers have also filed other claims against Bank of America's Merrill Lynch unit, Santander Securities, Popular Securities and Oriental Financial Services.


A sharp drop in the value of Puerto Rico municipal bonds in 2013 led to huge losses for investors in closed-end bond funds, as portfolios were mostly made up of those bonds.


Lawyers representing investors have accused UBS and other brokerages of wrongly investing clients' money into those funds.



Dancehall Star Vybz Kartel Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder


Vybz Kartel

Dancehall artist Vybz Kartel was found guilty of murder.sweetlyrics.com



Jamaican Dancehall star Vybz Kartel has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of murder.


The popular musician was convicted of killing of Clive Lizard Williams in March by Kingston's Supreme Court. He will not be eligible for parole for 35 years.


Kartel, who real name is Adidja Palmer, was found guilty along with three other co-defendants.


Williams was beaten to death at the entertainer's Kingston home in a row over two missing illegal guns back in August 2011, the court heard.


During the high-profile 65-day trial, which is the longest-running in the history of Jamaica's judicial stystem, the jury heard that the star boasted that Williams was "chopped up like mincemeat" and that his remains would never be discovered.


A key piece of evidence in the case was a text message sent from Kartel's phone unearthed by investigators which revealed his involvement in the crime.


Kartel, who is one of the biggest names in dancehall reggae, has worked with big names including Jay-Z, Rihanna and Eminem.


He also launched a reality show, Teacha's Pet, and was behind a number of business ventures including a clothing line, alcoholic drinks and condoms.


Kartel was also known for controversially lightening his skin, as well as his apparent feud with fellow dancehall star Movado.



Hot Shots Photos of the Day: Base Jumping, Darth Vader, Baby Rhino


A child watches as Civa Sumac, a white Bengal tiger, explores her new glass-fronted enclosure at Huachipa Zoo in Lima

A child watches as Civa Sumac, a white Bengal tiger, explores her new glass-fronted enclosure at Huachipa Zoo in LimaReuters



A chimpanzee named Viktoria bites into an Easter egg filled with roots and fruits as she sits in her enclosure at the zoo in Hanover, Germany

A chimpanzee named Viktoria bites into an Easter egg filled with roots and fruits as she sits in her enclosure at the zoo in Hanover, GermanyAFP



Polar bear Nanuq plays with an Easter egg in her enclosure at the zoo in Hanover, Germany

Polar bear Nanuq plays with an Easter egg in her enclosure at the zoo in Hanover, GermanyAFP



A Southern White Rhino named Bella walks with her one-day-old baby at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola, north of Uganda's capital Kampala

A Southern White Rhino named Bella walks with her one-day-old baby at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola, north of Uganda's capital KampalaReuters



A man looks at a glass sculpture titled

A man looks at a glass sculpture titled "The Sun", by US artist Dale Chihuly, on display in Berkeley Square, LondonReuters




"Darth Vader", the leader of the Internet Party of Ukraine, looks at a child in a pram at a market near the Ukrainian Central Elections Commission in KievReuters



Activists from the Internet Party of Ukraine, dressed as Star Wars characters, hold a rally in front of the Ukrainian Central Elections Commission in Kiev

Activists from the Internet Party of Ukraine, dressed as Star Wars characters, hold a rally in front of the Ukrainian Central Elections Commission in KievReuters



A racegoer uses the camera on her phone to check her hair on the opening day of the Grand National Festival at Aintree

A racegoer uses the camera on her phone to check her hair on the opening day of the Grand National Festival at AintreeGetty



Gareth Parry, from the Canadian base jumping association, leaps off from the 40-storey World Trade Centre east tower in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Gareth Parry, from the Canadian base jumping association, leaps off from the 40-storey World Trade Centre east tower in Colombo, Sri LankaReuters



An African migrant is lowered down from the border fence between Morocco and Spain's north African enclave of Melilla during the latest attempt to cross into Spanish territory

An African migrant is lowered down from the border fence between Morocco and Spain's north African enclave of Melilla during the latest attempt to cross into Spanish territoryReuters



A student protester wearing a Guy Fawkes mask releases a firework towards police during an anti-government demonstration in Caracas

A student protester wearing a Guy Fawkes mask releases a firework towards police during an anti-government demonstration in CaracasReuters



Firefighters search for survivors after an apartment building collapsed in Fenghua, Zhejiang Province, China

Firefighters search for survivors after an apartment building collapsed in Fenghua, Zhejiang Province, ChinaGetty



A rescue worker takes a break while searching through debris left by a mudslide in Oso, Washington

A rescue worker takes a break while searching through debris left by a mudslide in Oso, WashingtonReuters




AP Female Journalists Shot in Afghanistan, One Dead


Kathy Gannon

Kathy GannonKathy Gannon/Twitter



A veteran photographer for Associated Press (AP) has been shot dead and a long-serving journalist for the news agency has been wounded in eastern Afghanistan by a man dressed as a policeman.


The injured journalist was named as experienced Canadian-born Pakistan and Afghanistan correspondent Kathy Gannon by the Canadian Embassy in Kabul.


She was wounded twice and is receiving medical attention, according to AP. She was described as being in stable condition and talking to medical personnel.


Internationally acclaimed German photographer Anja Niedringhaus, 48, was named as the journalist killed.


The two were in a police station the remote small town of Khost on the Afghanistan border with Pakistan when the incident took place.


"Anja and Kathy together have spent years in Afghanistan covering the conflict and the people there. Anja was a vibrant, dynamic journalist well-loved for her insightful photographs, her warm heart and joy for life. We are heartbroken at her loss," said AP Executive Editor Kathleen Carroll, speaking in New York.


They had been reporting from the Tanay district in Khost province with an official from the Independent Election Commission when the attack took place, an interior ministry source told the BBC.


"Naqibullah, a policeman in Tani district of Khost, opened fire on two foreign journalists. One was killed and one was wounded," a spokesman for the governor of Khost province, Mobariz Zadran, told Reuters.


According to an AP freelancer who witnessed the attack, the two had arrived in the heavily guarded district compound before the incident:



As they were sitting in the car waiting for the convoy to move, a unit commander named Naqibullah walked up to the car, yelled "Allahu Akbar" — God is Great — and opened fire on them in the back seat with his AK-47. He then surrendered to the other police and was arrested.



The shooting came as Afghanistan increases security ahead of presidential elections in response to threats of violence by the Taliban.


The new president will succeed Hamid Karzai who has been in power since 2001.


Nearly 200,000 troops have been deployed across the country to prevent terrorist attacks.


Afghanistan's Interior Minister Umer Daudzai said on Thursday that the election will take place in a "secure environment".


MORE TO FOLLOW...



As Lebanon Reaches One Million Refugee Milestone, Social Strife Gathers Pace


Lebanon Marks Milestone with Millionth Refugee

Lebanon Marks Milestone with Millionth Refugee



As the millionth refugee was registered in Lebanon, thousands of school-aged children were setting off to work in the Bekaa Valley.


There were similar stories in Beirut, Tripoli and any number of Lebanese towns and cities. Syria's three-year war has turned a generation of pupils into providers.


The lack of young men that can support refugee families is striking. Thousands are in Syria, fighting the government and its allies. Thousands more have escaped the conflict as refugees but have been badly injured and are unable to work. Only the Syrian government knows how many are languishing in state prisons.


For the families that have found refuge in a neighbouring country, it often comes down to the children to contribute to the family budget. The legions of Syrian children working in Lebanon are working for a pittance.


Most of the million refugees that have registered with the United Nations have done so because they're in dire need of financial support. If they are lucky enough to find work, they are more likely to accept the wage they are offered.


According to a new report by the International Labour Organisation, the average salary for a refugee in Lebanon is just $277 per month. It's barely enough to provide for one person, let alone a family.


Moreover, the same report showed that the Lebanese minimum wage is $448 per month, which suggests two things.


Firstly, Syrians are being exploited. Lebanese employers have been presented with a vast supply of labour, all desperate to work in any kind of job. They can take their pick of whoever will work at the lowest possible wage. It's a cold calculation but on the whole Syrians are grateful that they are able to work at all.


But the arrival of a huge and desperate labour supply has caused a stir among the resident population, who are finding themselves priced out of the labour market.


Many Lebanese complain that Syrians, especially children, are willing to work for lower wages and are taking jobs in manual labour, agriculture, retails and in the services sector. Construction workers have lost out on work as their employer would prefer to hire a Syrian for three or four times less what they would have to pay a Lebanese man.


The ILO report said that the influx has caused a downward spiral on wage levels that shows no sign of stopping. "The large supply of low-wage Syrian workers causes further deregulation and expands informal employment resulting in downward pressures on wages and the deterioration of working conditions. In turn, this negatively affects Lebanese host communities and refugees who are both increasingly unable to live in dignity or maintain sufficient access to livelihoods," said Mary Kawar, Senior Employment Specialist at the ILO.


The complaints are also common in Jordan, Syria's neighbour to the south, which has registered more than half a million refugees. It has led to public protests and a number of Jordanian MPs called on the King to close the border to any new arrivals from the war-ravaged country.


It's not just displacement in the labour market that has upset the communities hosting Syrian refugees. The huge influx of families has led to a spike in property rental prices. Rents have doubled and even tripled in towns and cities near to the Syrian border in Jordan, while similar stories have come out of Lebanon too.


Syria's neighbours are struggling to cope with the influx and Lebanon is suffering the most. Syrian refugees now make up a quarter of Lebanon's resident population. As it registered its millionth refugee in Lebanon, the United Nations announced that Lebanon has now become the country with the highest rate of refugees per capita in the world.


But in reality, there's little that the international community seems willing to do about it, other than fling more money at the problem. While some European countries such as Sweden and Germany have allowed a limited number of vulnerable refugees to resettle, the vast majority of refugees have been left to survive in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.


For now, the countries baring the biggest burden will have to adapt, as they have been since the crisis escalated in 2011. Tackling Lebanon's labour market challenges remains one of the key issues facing the ILO.


"This report reveals that the response to the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon needs to take on a holistic and comprehensive approach which addresses Lebanon's pre-existing labour market challenges and balances the humanitarian support with the developmental needs of Lebanon's host communities," said Frank Hagemann, Deputy Regional Director of the ILO ROAS.


"The focus should be on creating decent work opportunities through actions that regulate informal labour, protect minimum wages, promote safety at work, provide social protection and encourage sustainable enterprise development," he said.


With the conflict showing no signs of abating and Lebanon receiving 2500 new refugees daily, the challenge is only going to get bigger.