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BBC news 2012-01-31

BBC News with Fiona MacDonald

The Syrian government has continued major assaults against opposition strongholds in the suburbs of Damascus and other cities like Homs and Hama with at least 40 people reported to have been killed today. Meanwhile, the White House said discussions were continuing with Russia since Moscow still says it will veto any United Nations Security Council resolution calling on President Assad to step down. From Washington, Paul Adams.

Hillary Clinton said the UN Security Council must make it clear to the Syrian government that the world regards its actions as a threat to peace and security. The international community, she said, should send a clear message to the Syrian people: "We stand with you." At the White House, meanwhile, the president's spokesman Jay Carney said Bashar al-Assad's fall was inevitable and governments needed to bear this in mind when deciding where they stood. He didn't point the finger directly at Moscow, but he said that those who prop up what he called a brutal regime would find themselves in a small minority.

The United States has confirmed that several US citizens have taken refuge in the American embassy in Cairo following moves by Egypt against foreign-funded pro-democracy groups. A White House spokesman said the US had made clear its disappointment over the issue to Egypt's governing military council. Jon Leyne reports from Cairo.

This is the latest twist in a growing row between the United States and Egypt. It follows raids in December on organisations in Egypt that support human rights. Two of those organisations are American-funded institutes. As part of the ongoing investigation, 10 American and European citizens who work for the organisations have been banned from leaving Egypt. Washington has already threatened to withhold more than $1bn a year it pays to the Egyptian military because of the row.

At a summit in Brussels, 25 out of the 27 countries in the European Union have agreed to sign a fiscal pact. The Czech Republic has joined Britain in refusing to enter the agreement which sets up stricter budgetary rules to prevent future debt crises. EU leaders discussed ways to stimulate economic growth despite the imposition of austerity budgets in many member countries.

The governor of Warrap state in South Sudan says she's seen the bodies of 74 people who were killed in a cattle raid on Saturday. James Copnall reports.

Among the dead were 45 women and children, according to the Warrap state governor Nyangdeng Malek. They had travelled to two cattle camps to find water, which at this time of the year is scarce. The governor told the BBC 72 wounded people were being treated in hospital and nine people were still missing. She and others say the attackers came from neighbouring Unity state. They apparently stole thousands of heads of cattle. Ms Malek wasn't sure whether the attackers were armed civilians or members of a militia group.

World News from the BBC

A major United Nations report says current economic strategies are unsustainable for the long-term well-being of humanity and the environment. The report says the quest for economic growth is leading to increased social inequality, environmental degradation and economic decline. The report recommends the reform of financial markets.

A judge in Haiti has said he'll recommend that the former President Jean-Claude Duvalier, known as "Baby Doc", should face trial on corruption charges but not for human rights abuses during his 15-year rule. Mr Duvalier returned to Haiti a year ago after 25 years in exile. Here's our Americas editor James Read.

The news that "Baby Doc" Duvalier is likely to be prosecuted for alleged corruption will give some succour to his many critics who feared he might never face justice. But any joy will be overshadowed by the recommendation that he be spared prosecution for the many atrocities committed during his rule. Human rights groups argue that under international law there can be no statute of limitations for crimes against humanity. Mr Duvalier's lawyers have already said they'll appeal against any decision to put him on trial.

The campaign organisation Human Rights Watch says 35 Ethiopian Christians are facing deportation from Saudi Arabia after police arrested them for "illicit mingling" of the sexes at a private prayer gathering before Christmas. Human Rights Watch said 29 of the Christians were women who, according to three of them, were subjected to arbitrary body cavity searches while in prison.

A new study has recommended that doctors take blood pressure readings from both arms rather than just one. In a detailed review of medical literature, researchers in Britain found that measuring a significant difference between the readings from each arm could help doctors more readily detect the possibility of strokes and a range of frequently fatal conditions.

BBC News