Syrian army assaults rebel held areas of Homs

Backed by Lebanese Hezbollah militants, Syrian troops unleashed some of the civil war's heaviest bombardments on the central city of Homs on Friday, pounding opposition-held areas with artillery and airstrikes for the sixth straight day, activists said.

In Geneva, the UN agency for human rights said it is "extremely concerned about the human rights and humanitarian impact" of the government offensive in Syria's third largest city. (AP)