Today.

On 4 February China and Russia blocked a UN resolution backing an Arab plan condemning the crackdown and calling on President Bashar al-Assad to step down.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last week called that veto "despicable" - comments the Chinese foreign ministry said were not acceptable.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said of the latest resolution efforts: "I solemnly appeal to Russia and China that they do not block this new resolution at the Security Council."

Faysal Khabbaz Hamoui said the debate was "fuelling the flames of terrorism"
Meanwhile Syrian opposition activists say the situation in the Baba Amr district of Homs remains dire, with little food, water or medicine.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says some 100 people were killed in the past two days in the continuing Syrian bombardment of Homs.


The UN's new estimate of the number of deaths in Syria came at a meeting of the UN Security Council.

"There are credible reports that the death toll now often exceeds 100 civilians a day, including many women and children," said Lynn Pascoe.

"The total killed so far is certainly well over 7,500 people."