Syria forces 'in Homs massacre'

[dipsydoodle]

More than 200 people have been killed by Syrian government forces in the city of Homs, opposition groups say.

Activists accused the military of carrying out a massacre after a night of shelling in the city. Unverified videos on the web showed many bodies.

But the government denied the claims, saying activists were engaging in a propaganda campaign.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16883911

Arrests at Syrian embassy protest.

Five people have been arrested after gaining entry to the Syrian embassy in London during a protest, police say.

The Met said about 150 protesters had gathered at 02:00 GMT after reports of more than 200 people being killed by shelling in the Syrian city of Homs.

Embassy windows were reportedly smashed and demonstrators say police "kettled" people and prevented them from leaving.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16884126

Tunisia expels Syrian ambassador over Homs dead.

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — A Tunisian official says the country has decided to expel Syria's ambassador in response to the "bloody massacre" in Homs.

A source in the presidential office says Tunisia no longer recognizes the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity Saturday, in line with government policy.

http://hosted2.ap.org/ALDEC/TDWorld/Article_2012-02-04-ML-Syria/id-6212b19098be431e8d8e2b144ef0b266

[pampango]

1. Aljazeera: 'Hundreds of casualties' in Syria's Homs

Hundreds of people have been killed or injured in a major army offensive in the central Syrian city of Homs, activists say. Activists talking to Al Jazeera on Saturday said the army had used tanks, mortars and machine guns in the assault on the Khaldiyeh neighbourhood, which began on Friday night and continued overnight.

As reports of the violence spread, angry protesters stormed the Syrian embassy in Cairo, the Egyptian capital, and staged demonstrations outside the embassies in the UK and the US, demanding an end to the deaths.

In a bid to halt the escalating violence, diplomats at the UN Security Council in New York have for days been debating a draft resolution condemning human rights violations in Syria. ... The latest draft does not explicitly call on Assad to step down or mention an arms embargo or sanctions, though it "fully supports" an Arab League plan to facilitate a democratic transition.

Speaking on conditions of anonymity, the official said: "From our perspective, this meets the objective of supporting the demands of the Syrian people and the Arab League ... providing a peaceful Syrian-led political path forward." Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, said on Saturday, however, that the text of the resolution still did not "suit" Moscow, and warned of a "scandal" if it was put to a vote.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/02/201223231333768854.html