Assad accused of massacre

Armed forces loyal to President Bashar Assad have been accused of massacring at least 30 people in renewed violence in Syria.

Activists said government troops fired on homes with mortars and machine guns. A family of women and children were reported to be among the victims during a day of sectarian killings and kidnappings in the besieged city of Homs.

In an attempt to stop the bloodshed, the UN Security Council was to hold a closed-door meeting to discuss the crisis, a step toward a possible resolution against the Damascus regime.