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BBC news 2012-02-07

BBC News with Iain Purdon

There's been another onslaught by the Syrian army on the city of Homs with hundreds of shells and mortars fired into populated areas. Paul Wood, a BBC correspondent who's in Homs, says residents are calling it the worst bombardment since the uprising began almost a year ago. He sent us this report.

Mortars and artillery shells fell steadily. Each blast echoed around the narrow streets. People said it was the worst attack this part of Homs had seen since the start of the uprising. But casualties were relatively light as everyone knew to stay off the streets. Syrian state television denied there had been any bombardment. There is no doubt, however, from what we have seen and heard that hundreds of shells and mortar bombs have been fired at this place during the day.

The two main Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas have agreed that the Fatah leader President Mahmoud Abbas will head an interim government to organise elections in the West Bank and Gaza. Fatah has controlled the West Bank while Hamas has run Gaza since they fell out in 2007. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that President Abbas would be abandoning the way of peace if he implemented the deal. Israel sees Hamas as a terrorist organisation.

A British court has granted bail to a radical Muslim cleric alleged to have been a leading al-Qaeda figure in Europe. Last month, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Abu Qatada should not be deported to Jordan because of the risk that evidence obtained through torture would be used against him. Here's Rob Broomby.

It is the latest episode in a saga of cat and mouse. The Islamist cleric Abu Qatada was first arrested in 2002 and held until 2005 when detentions without charge were overturned. He was monitored and re-arrested within months, pending deportation, but that process has been slow. Now he's to be freed again in a matter of days. The Home Office disagreed with the decision saying that Abu Qatada was a dangerous man who posed a real threat to security and that he should remain in detention.

Brazil has awarded contracts worth billions of dollars to upgrade three of its main airports. The concessions were awarded to major Brazilian companies in association with foreign contractors in an auction in Sao Paulo. Here's Paulo Cabral.

Public sector trade unions protested on the streets of central Sao Paulo against the auction that privatised important airports after decades of state control. In addition to the payments to the government, the new operators have committed to investments in excess of $1bn to revamp and expand the airports in time for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.

World News from the BBC

President Obama has signed an executive order tightening sanctions on Iranian assets under US control. The Treasury department said the new sanctions would affect the assets held in the US of all Iranian ministries and state-owned companies and institutions, including the central bank that deals with Iran's vital oil revenues. The US has spearheaded efforts to try to force Iran to stop its nuclear programme.

The Italian government has taken emergency measures to conserve gas supplies as bitterly cold weather grips the country. At least 24 people have died in the harsh conditions, and gas consumption has reached an all-time high. From Rome, Alan Johnston.

Like so much of Europe, Italy has been enduring intense cold and heavy snowfall for days now. At the same time, Italy has received less gas imports from Russia than it wanted, so an emergency plan has now been activated. Some power stations will switch from gas to oil fuel, and some industrial customers will have their gas supplies cut. The aim is to protect domestic users from shortages.

Pope Benedict has called for a profound renewal at every level of the Catholic Church to help prevent child abuse. He said healing for victims must be of paramount concern. The Pope's comments came in a statement to the first-ever Vatican conference on child abuse attended by Catholic leaders from over 100 countries. Some victim support groups have criticised the conference, calling it a PR stunt.

A gas explosion in the Pakistani city of Lahore has destroyed a three-storey factory, killing at least 10 women and three children. Rescuers fear many more may be trapped in the rubble of the factory which made veterinary medicines. Officials say more than 60 workers were meant to be working in the building. Narrow streets have impeded the use of heavy lifting equipment.

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