wood in homs. jim muir has been watching the latest developments in syria. let's see his report. >> video footage posted on the internet after government shelling hit a field hospital in the baba amr district of homs. there was pandemonium. the dead strewn the floors. activists say this is the most bombardment since the uprising broke out last mars. the doctor tries to revive one of the wounded. i watched a 3-year-old rule by after we pulled her of the rubble, this man said. activists say the security forces are using heavier caliber artillery than ever before in bringing up tanks and troops. there has been no attack on the ground so far. syrian state tv had its own version of events. it also showed gruesome pictures from homs in what it called tourist-armed groups have launched attacks there and fi red mortars into other areas. it also reporting clashes to the northwest into the west of damascus. it is beginning to look increasingly like a civil war. that's the way the russians see if. they're sen

the first of which is there is no attack on homs or parts of homs. they're telling people to do things like telling people to light fires on their roofs. we saw them coming in. the other argument is there are armed gangs and they have to restore order. the argument in reply to that from the free syrian army is that they are defending their people. the government finds it hard to target them so engages in some collective punishment, shelling wide areas of homs. certainly we saw civilians bearing the brunt and damage over a wide area. >> the england football manager fabio capelli has resigned. he had been in dispute after they removed john terry as the england captain without consulting him first. fabio capelli publicly criticized the decision on john terry who is facing charges of racially viewing -- abusing a player. >> his face betrayed no emotion, fabio capelli is driven away from wembley having shocked football by resigning as england manager. four years earlier his arrival felt very different. he was supposed to be the no- nonsense italian who wo

and injured british photographer is smuggled out of homs. pier rare glimpse inside japan's took a shima plant one year after the disaster struck -- but she must plant. >> made more difficult by the fact that it is highly radioactive year. >> pumping up the volume on russian politics. critics of vladimir putin are voicing opposition in an unusual way. >> welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the world. the death toll in syria has risen and the conflict increasingly looks like a civil war. that was the assessment from a top u.n. official today and the comments were echoed by secretary of state hillary the ton who said president's actions were that of a war criminal. and injured british photographer has been smuggled into lebanon. we begin our coverage from their rout. -- from beirut. >> homs, as unrelenting today as it has been for three weeks. the regime is killing 100 syrians per day, according to the un. many here. heavy artillery is being used indiscriminately. this little boy's home was destroyed by a shell. incredibly, he i

. >> shelling of homs continues as the u.n. secretary general describes a failed resolution as disastrous. fabio capello quits as england's football manager. an arrest warrant has been issued for the former president of the maldives, but it's not clear what the charges are. welcome to "bbc world news." i'm geeta guru-murthy. also in this program -- china's inflation jumps to a three-month high after the festivities of the new year sent consumer spending soaring. and britain's prince harry qualifies as an apache helicopter pilot and wins an award for his sharpshooting. >> 30 people are reported to have been killed in homs. there's heavy bombardment in its sixth day. the u.n. chief, ban ki-moon, has described appalling brutality. he warns of the dangers of the escalating crisis, saying russia aand china's veto had encouraged damascus to step up its war on its own people. and he reveals plans for the arab league to start its mission with u.n. help. activists estimate that 400 people have been killed in homs in the past week. the b

the bbc's paul wood managed to travel to homs. very difficult to report from there at the moment, but did he bring us up this update. >> it's been pretty constant shelling since about 6:00 a.m. local time, about two hours ago. it sounded like mortars at the beginning, but local people are saying that multiple rocket launchers are now being used against the city. i'm speaking to you now from inside a building, like most people here, we've tried to put as many blocks between us and the street as possible. doesn't appear to be an invasion at the moment. it is a pretty constant stream of artillery fire. there's been at least 10 killed and probably more. this is the sound of the rebel fighters, the free army as they call themselves, replying to heavy artillery with kalashnikov fire, and that is pretty much futile. when the attack started, some people went out on the streets and balconies to start shouting god is great, and free army, as they call themselves, started firing back with small arms. but really, there's absolutely nothing th

bridget kendall starts our coverage. >> under fire in homs. nowhere safe from the shelling. even this mosque. unverified video but the devastation tells its own story. and sharing the people of homs' nightmare the british photographer injured yesterday and today appealed to the outside world for help by the internet. >> i was wounded in a rocket attack yesterday and had three large wounds to my leg. any assistance, i've just been getting by, government agencies would be welcome. >> edith bouvier, the french journalist who also was injured said her broken leg and internal bleeding also needed urgent medical attention. elsewhere in homs, some ventured out for a hurried funeral, a death which apparently left these two small boys without a father. as international dismay mounts, so does the pressure on president al-assad. a new u.n. human rights support blames his troops of gross and systematic violations. tomorrow tunis host as major conference and its central focus is how to trap civilians. >> we hope to see help for syrians caught in assad's stranglehold, and international co

no aid can reach homs also president assad declares a truce and there's no sign he will.ven the russian who could perhaps influence him have refused to come to tunis. there will be an impressive array of countries here to show widespread support for the syrian opposition and denounce president assad's crackdown. but when it comes to immediate humanitarian aid for those people inside homs, that's going to be difficult. bridget kendall, bbc news. >> extremely difficult. well, as this battle stretches, fighting is also taking place in north of syria. the bbc's ian panel has been around the town in the city of iglib to find out what it is like for opposition force there is and sent us this report. >> it's a revolution the world can't ignore anymore. [chanting] >> huddled in a safe house in syria, rebel fighters sing of freedom and defiance and led by a military defector. but many of the men who come to pay their respects are ordinary citizen soldiers, laborers, farmers, and even a graduate in english literature. fed a diet of rebellion and hot, sweet tea. >> i will get a gun

obviously, it is developing faster around homs in particular. these pictures are being streamed live across the internet from homs. smoke in the background. intimate and sound of shelling is coming in. reports of tanks moving through a district with residents describing it as the worst days of our of this offensive that began five days ago. the other side of the corn would be an assyrian state television, which at the moment is broadcasting a very of homs, saying everything is calm in the city and there are accusations that protestors have been using mortar shells to blow up oil depots within the town itself. just giving you a flavor of the way in which we are getting different pictures as to exactly what is happening in this it of homs. -- in the city of palms. models in new york city and are calling for workplace standards in what is largely unregulated industry. the model alliance wants confidential advice on sexual- harassment, better conditions, and more privacy backstage. now a report from manhattan. >> models are glamorous, unattainable f

it doesn't save homs. but i think it's better than doing nothing. >> bottom line, do you think it's possible to really stop the slaughter in homs or do you think it's just a matter of time before the regime has succeeded there? >> i have to say, i am not optimistic for homs. the time to have started trying to save homs was probably a month ago. there's one encouraging sign, secretary clinton said today that the u.s. government was in touch with a number of people or there were reports of many around assad who were really getting very nervous. and that they hadn't signed up for this kind of slaughter. so it's still possible we would see some kind of implosion from the inside, but other than that, my concern is to make sure there are no mome homs or as few as we could possibly mange. >> i think it's going to get a lot worse. i think this is a long haul with syria. the sectarian divisions are what are dividing this country, and there's no easy solution. and it's just not a matter of regime decapitation. it's

fear and despair in homs. residents face the heaviest bombardment yet by government forces. >> it is not clear what the army is targeting but civilians are bearing the brunt and most of them are in sight just as we are. >> political turmoil rocks the island nation of maldives. leaving his mark all over moscow, otestit ngsts with paint. welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. for five days, security forces and surry have shelled the city of -- security forces have shelled the city of homs. this is a day after president assad assured the russian foreign minister that he was ready for dialogue. the people of homs are facing a different reality. our reporter spent several days of side of the besieged city and he sent us this report. >> it began at dawn and for a fifth day, homs was under bombardment. some say it was the worst day of shelling. syrian armor roamed menacingly. people here are afraid that this is a final push to crush the uprising. the casualties are mounting, undoubtedly most a

it doesn't save homs. but i think it's better than doing nothing. >> bottom line, do you think it's possible to really stop the slaughter in homs or do you think it's just a matter of time before the regime has succeeded there? >> i have to say, i am not optimistic for homs. the time to have started trying to save homs was probably a month ago. i mean, there's one encouraging sign. secretary clinton said today that the u.s. government was in touch with a number of people or there were reports of many around assad who were really getting very nervous that they hadn't signed up for this kind of slaughter. it is possible we could still see an implosion from the inside. other than that, my concern is to make sure there no more homs or as few as we possibly can manage. >> i think it's going to get a lot worse. i think this is a long haul with syria. the sectarian divisions are dividing this country. there's no easy solution. and it's not just a matter of regime decapitation. it's a long, long haul. >> because t

you have just come from homs. does a look like civil war to you? >> -- you have just come from homs. does it look like civil war to you? >> it looks like civil war. i have been there with fighters from the free syrian army. on both my journeys, we encountered almost exclusively sunnis. i have places like homs and approaches to what our people withdrawing into the rhone communities. there is this question hanging in the air, rather malevolently, wherever you go, who was a christian, who is a sunni, who is a shiite? they have emphasized they want to have a pluralistic society. i think the impetus for revenge grows greater. todayou're seeing in homs could be serious tomorrow, although we are not quite there yet. >> what about the actions of president assad? do you get a sense that as more international pressure builds up against him, the more intensified his crackdown? >> international pressure has not worked so far. i note the british foreign secretary william hague reiterated today that all diplomatic pressure would be used to get the arab league pl

homs is pounded. some say it was the worst day of shelling. the casualties are mounting. the people here both fear and expect those tanks and ground troops to move and at some point. most of the people who died here were killed because they went out on to the streets. it is not clear what exactly the syrian army is targeting but certainly civilians are bearing the brunt and most of them are inside, just as we are. they have not been out to play since the uprising began. their mothers are in despair. >> the outside world will not help us. but god's vengeance will come down on the syrian president. >> the kalashnikov is of the free syrian army can do little against tanks. they hope the regime's forces will crumble from the inside. the syrian army's morale has collapsed, says an officer who defected a week ago. they know they are killing civilians and they want this bloodbath to stop. the prevailing mood here is one of despair. people feel trapped and they believe that no one is coming to help. >> in res

we are in the city of homs. the death toll is rising as the government uses more to and shells against its opponents -- mortars and shells against its opponents. >> increasing the pressure on tehran -- the u.s. imposes get more sanctions. tensions rise over iran's nuclear program. 60 years after her accession to the throne, we look at the reign of queen elizabeth and the mark she has made on the military. -- martonarchy. welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. for the past 11 months, the syrian government has been trying to crush any signs of rebellion. today, it amounted its bloodiest attack yet. the city has been pounded by heavy and sustained assault. hundreds of shells and mortars have been fired at populated areas. our correspondent, paul woods, and our cameraman have entered homs, from where they filed this report. warning -- it contains some distressing images. >> in daybreak in homs -- >> daybreak in homs, the artillery fire was just beginning. in this part of the city, it is the w

homs is despairing that they will not get any international help. president obama has decried what he called the outrageous bloodshed. there is still no international response. >> the terrifying on slot that homs is under at the moment. no one is immune from the shells and rockets it seems, according to this amateur footage. twisted metal, rubble, and polls bear testimony to the bombardment. the syrian government says that it is fighting armed rebels but what about the civilians? a child carried to safety. some victims were buried in their own homes. these frightened children, parts of the city are virtually under siege and outside action blocked at the u.n.. who is protecting them? a question for the foreign secretary. is it time to help arm the opposition? >> it has never been our approach to arm either side. even in libya where we were in military action. but we provided the opposition was body armor, medical supplies, things that save lives. >> does this mean that this diplomacy will not be enough? >> diplomacy is what we work with unless we wan

the paper came out before news that marie colvin had been killed in homs. there could be a new conflict in the horn of africa. according to britain, other e.u. nations are considering air strikes against pirates and islamic militants in somalia. and the irish times says ireland's leader is traveling to berlin to discuss the long-term future of the euro zone with angela merkel. an anger in afghanistan featured in the tribune focusing america's attempt to apologize over the islamic text at the bagram air base. this is g.m.t. from "bbc world news" i'm david eades. the headlines, the french government stays american journalist marie colvin and french journalist have been killed in the city of homs. a prominent citizen journalist has also reportedly lost his life. four killed and dozens injured in afghanistan over the inadvertent burning of the koran by nato troops. time now to get business news. juliette is here with the extraordinary ipad story. >> yes. in china they are trying to work it out as we speak and the case is being closely followed. one chinese comp

think it's going to break the back of the opposition of homs. the majority of the syrian people are for the revolution. what has happened in the last few months is they have lost all of his iran friends say for iran and all of his international friends and allies say for russia. and in the long term, he's going to pay the price for all these countries. they're going to support the opposition now in terms of real backing. >> you say that's in the long term. but what about now? he says he's friendless, he's got china the veto power at the u.n. so what alternative is the syrian opposition coming up with? >> well, the syrian national council, the main coalition has voiced backing for the free syrian army which is on the ground in syria, fighting against assaad's forces. >> that's the call you made over and over again. whatever the council says is undermined by the fastball that the syrian national council is a fragmented group. >> well, i don't agree that it's a fragmented group. ok, it may be true that it's a coalition of various political forces,

no sign of respect for the residents of the city of homs. the fourth consecutive day it has been attacked in syria. these are live pictures. [gunfire] the situation is very dangerous. most residents have taken shelter indoors. that was the sound of gunfire. attacks in their fourth day. the interior ministry of syria vows to armed terrorist gangs in the city, they say. this is a picture. it is one camera positions in the city. there's gunfire in the background. we are not clear what direction that is coming from. these are live pictures coming from that city. a huge battery of fire. paul wood has been there along with our cameraman fred. their report does have some distressing images. >> daybreak. the artillery fire was just beginning. we steered gently to safety. in this part of the city it is the worst they have endorsured. a man shouts "god is great" in defiance. we are hearing shelling every few seconds. there's also some kalashnikov fire. i witnesses say that a field clinic was hit and injured are being moved. over several days of this,

bbc news, homs. >> paul has left homs and is in beirut.ow people are dealing with shelling by government forces. >> there is little -- very little escape. we managed last night during a pause in the bombardment. and manage to get out of syria this evening. last night we were the only people to get out and i saw on the way in medical supplies and blood donated by people in the villages which was held up. they could not get it in. we're told by people who are in homs it was the worst bombardment they had experienced. and that must have been pretty heavy. we found it each day of the past few days we were there hundreds or shilling -- shelling each state. >> you mentioned the blood. i was going to talk to about whether emergency services arc able to operate orç are they controlled by the government? >> it is a divided city and the big hospitals are outside those areas which defied the government at which support the uprising. we have fireplaces like that neighborhood we were staying in for a few very small, ill- equipped field hospitals with

homs is pounded. some say it was the worst day of shelling. the casualties are mounting. the people here both fear and expect those tanks and ground troops to move and at some point. most of the people who dd becaut out on to the streets. it is not clear what exactly the syrian army is targeting but certainly civilians are bearing the brunt and most of them are inside, just as we are. they have not been out to play since the uprising began. their mothers are in despair. >> the outside world will not help us. but god's vengeance will come down on the syrian president. >> the kalashnikov is of the free syrian army can do little against tanks. they hope the regime's forces will crumble from the inside. the syrian army's morale has collapsed, says an officer who defected a week ago. they know they are killing civilians and they want this bloodbath to stop. the prevailing mood here is one of despair. people feel trapped and they believe that no one is coming to help. >> in response to the assault on homs,

that's the situation in homs. everybody is sitting at home waiting for their death. >> everybody's sitting at home waiting their death? >> yes. exactly. >> what do you hope from the u.n. from the united states, from the arab league? do you have hope that anyone will start to intervene in any way? >> we have been calling the arab community and the international community. please help stop killing people. i mean, this regime is going to kill everyone and just stay at this country with their supporters. they are torturing people to death. they're killing children. and even animals can't do that. we really wonder which mentally are they working with? >> appreciate you talking to us. thank you. >> thank you. >> sneaking supplies back in to homs. >>> coming up, the house passes a bill on insider trading by members of congress. we have been following that for a while but critics say the way it got passed is more insider dealing. >>> also ahead, last time around president obama said he didn't run for office to help out wh

homs has seen some of the worst violence. mortar fire hit a district. diplomats in new york say the united nations security council is expected to vote saturday on a resolution aimed at helping to end the crisis. we spoke to an anti-government activist who told me what he could see. >> security forces are outside this area. they are shooting. >> are they shooting into a residential area? are they shooting into a residential neighborhood? why are they doing that? is there somebody in there they are trying to target? >> no. we do not know the reason why. quite has anything happened on friday that has brought the security forces there to justify why they are shooting? >> oh, my gosh. i cannot hear you. >> i was just wondering, did anything happen on friday to mean that the security forces have come to shoot at that neighborhood. has something happened on friday? >> no. the usual demonstrations on friday like usual. two hours or three hours ago, it started the shelling. there is nothing unusual this friday. >> are you getting any

the evacuations have begun, but only in the city of homs. this is all happening in the middle of the night here after protracted negotiations on the ground and extensive pressure on syria. hours before the evacuation, signs of how desperate syria had become. the free syrian army the rebel brigade tries to fight back. they attack government forces. it's a brave fight, but they're losing it. outnumbered and outgunned by a lot. and this morning, homs itself was once again under attack. witnesses describe neighborhoods on fire. people living on shrubs and onions, bodies unreachable under debris. we managed to reach an activist there via skype. he feared for his life. >> no one can protect themselves from shelling. everyone can be a target. i think i will die now. i don't know. >> reporter: then an explosion, the line cut. hours later we learned he was okay. but pressure on syria to let up on homs may have been too much to ignore. in tunisia today, more than 60 nations gathered to call for an immediate cease-fire to allow humanitarian aid to reac

he was also killed by this shooting. >> the syrian activist in homs. it promised to and -- a prom inent citizen journalist was also killed. he is said to have died after a number of apartment -- a bombardment on the city. there has been limited access for the international media in the country. as the violence intensifies, the united states has warned it is not ruling out what it calls additional measures if bashar al-assad does not stop the killing. russia has said it is working on a safe passage of humanitarian convoys. from beirut, we have been updating -- of dates on the fighting. >> homs has several fighters there. there are other quarters that have come under fire this morning. reports also from the south of the country of attacks on a village down there. a large number of troops are being brought up. also in the east, near the iraqi border, trouble there as well. a little bit everywhere. the main focus was on the bombardment in homs. it is not clear how intensive it is. there has been some video on a youtube suggesting it is intense, showing exp

this is one street today in the city of homs. more than a million and a half people live in homs, but they're in hiding, amidst the distant thunder of assad's artillery. there were reports from homs tonight of hunger and of wounds sewn up with sewing thread. secretary of state hillary clinton is headed to tunisia on a conference on what to do next and wyatt andrews is with the secretary tonight in london. >> reporter: scott, that international conference the secretary will attend has two main goals, the first, getting food and medicine into syria and then getting rid of bashar al-assad. >> but it is clear to me that there will be a breaking point. >> reporter: in london, secretary clinton predicted that assad, by shooting his own people, has already doomed himself. it's a matter of time, the secretary said, before the mostly unarmed rebellion rises to depolls the regime. >> there will be increasingly capable opposition forces. they will, from somewhere, somehow, find the means to defend themselves, as well as begin offensive meas

the city of homs has come under assault. recall the and -- marie colvin and remi ochlik were killed when they were shelled by government forces. >> today's shelling of homs was indiscriminate. it has been like this every day for almost three weeks. syria's regime is trying to crush the resolution. the opposition is running out. houses have been reduced to rubble. this was the base of the few foreign journalists here. among them, marie colvin, one of the most respected war correspondents of her generation. speaking to the bbc yesterday, she described an attack on the city and the hungry civilians. >> it is absolutely sickening. shelling started at 6:30 in the morning. i counted 14 shells hitting civilian areas within 30 seconds. there is a small clinic. you cannot really call it a clinic -- it is an apartment. a baby died today. absolutely terrific. they stripped him and found shrapnel had gone into his left chest. the doctor said they could not do anything. they left him until he died. that is happening over and over and ove

such words are welcome in homs but you must move quickly, begs this activist. the british photographer was injured. there are efforts to get him out with a wounded french journalist. the ferocious bombardment is making that difficult. the international committee of the red cross has called for a humanitarian cease-fire for all the victims of this conflict. the international community has often seemed paralyzed over syria. the demand for cease-fire might attract support from even those nations which backed the regime. with bombs continuing to fall, the question is whether the syrian government is listening. >> a big question in deed. marie colvin was something of a legend among war correspondents. described as one of the most talented reporters of her generation. today, a tribute poured in from colleagues who remembered her courage, her humor, and her style. >> marie colvin was a great foreign correspondent. she was devoted to reporting the news and shining a light in the darkest corners. she wanted her readers to know the truth, especially the truth that powerf

. >> a bloody week in the besieged syrian town of homs. 60 die on wednesday. two fornl journalists are among those killed. >> a rush hour train crashes into a station terminal in buenos aires. 49 people are killed. at least 600 more are injured. former president led not guilt to -- guilty to charges of alleged election rigging. >> it's 10g in the morning here in singapore. >> it's 2:00 a.m. in london. this is news day d. >> australia's prime minister julia gillard has called a leadership election following the resignation of her foreign minister. kevin rudd stood down while on official business in washington. he told reporters he could no longer serve without the confidence ms. gillard and her senior ministers. she ousted rudd in 2010. >> this all takes place at 10:00 on monday morning, sydney time, and is expected to take about an hour or so, just over 100 votes to cast. but already the gloves have come off. we've had julia gillard supporters calling kevin incompetent, disloyal and dysfunctional. supporters for rudd has said she must go before the nex general

these are typical stories in homs.umber of dead if you believe the activists is 100 today and some 300 if you take everything since the weekend but it has been going on for much longer than that. >> what kind of capabilities do the so-called free syrian army have? are they able to mount any real resistance to incoming mortars to rocket fire? >> well, they try but they have rocket propelled grenades and we've been on several actions with them and they end up essentially having to retreat because when tanks are brought up and armors vehicles and you have kalashnikovs, that's your only real choice. i did speak to a senior officer, a member of the military council who had only a week ago been a serving full colonel in the syrian army. he defected just a week ago. he says this is his account. morale has collapsed within the syrian army. people knew they were killing civilians and they wanted the blood bath to stop. this is the slim hope that the free army is putting on things in hrk ohoms that morale will collapse and that

now, the announcement comes as the bombardment of the city of homs just goes on. 13 days of this now. this is the picture for you at the moment, vast amounts of spoken gulfing the city. now, this is believed to have come, well, possibly from an oil pipeline serving a refinery in the city, but there are a couple of views as to what precisely caused it. but government forces have continued their assault on the city. there's been reports from opposition activists of more mortar fire and gunfire. this is coming, the smoke, that is, from the direction of farmland near a residential area. also, opposition activists say it's coming under considerable attack. they said something like 20 people were killed in the course of attacks on tuesday. let's speak now to the bbc's jim muir, who joins us from beirut in neighboring lebanon. can you give us any more, jim, as to what is being said about the referendum at this stage? >> well, a lot of the articles coming out about the constitution, which is quite complicated, bit how you can actually hold a referendum in the current circumstances remains to

syrian government forces show little sign of letting up in their bombardment of the central city of homs. they've been firing rockets and mortars at anti-government forces day after day. residents say the latest attacks are the heaviest they've seen. they say more than 500 people have been killed in the last week alone. one resident of homs told nhk by telephone that tanks have been indiscriminately shelling residential areas. people on higher floors have evacuated their apartments. hospitals in the city can no longer treat the wounded. doctors have run out of essentials, and the government is blocking supplies from getting into the city. he said many wounded aren't getting treated and are being left to die. government leaders say their forces will continue their offensive in homs until they restore order. a group of army defectors, the free syrian army, is fighting back, but they lack weapons and are reportedly being overwhelmed. an international aid organization has condemned the syrian government for not allowing hospitals to treat the wounded. doctors without borders accuse the gover