The Latest: US envoy urges Turkey to stop Syria offensive

AKCAKALE, Turkey (AP) — The latest on Turkey's invasion of northern Syria (all times local):

12:45 a.m.

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations is urging Turkey to halt its offensive in northeastern Syria "and declare a cease-fire immediately."

Kelly Craft said Wednesday that a delegation led by Vice President Mike Pence is heading to Turkey "to press for an immediate cease-fire and the conditions for a negotiated settlement."

She told reporters after a closed Security Council meeting on Turkey's military action that the offensive is undermining the campaign to defeat the Islamic State extremist group, endangering civilians and threatening regional peace and stability.

Craft said the U.S. has made clear to Turkey that actions violating international law "are unacceptable," including targeting the Kurdish population, religious minorities including Christians, and civilian infrastructure.

She said Turkey must also ensure no humanitarian crisis takes place.

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11:25 p.m.

China's U.N. ambassador says it is "in the general interest of all countries to stop the military action" in northeastern Syria.

Zhang Jun commented to reporters Wednesday after the U.N. Security Council made no call for Turkey to end its military offensive against Kurds. It instead issued a brief statement expressing concern about the dispersal of "terrorists" from the region and the humanitarian impact.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said after the council meeting that many things preceded U.S. President Donald Trump's withdrawal of U.S. forces from northern Syria, which left the Syrian Kurds without a military ally.

Russia is a close ally of Syria's government and Nebenzia said Moscow had warned the Kurds for a long time that the best thing...