The United Nations Security Council is due to discuss the crisis in Syria, as fighting continues around the country. The meeting was announced after talks between council members on a draft resolution which reportedly backs an Arab League call for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, BBC News informs.

Last October China and Russia vetoed a draft which condemned Syria.

Activists say 65 people have been killed in recent fighting, which is now reaching suburbs of Damascus.

The Local Co-ordination Committee, a network of anti-government groups, said 32 had died on Thursday in the central city of Homs, one of the main focuses of unrest.

Rami Abdul-Rahman, head of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said children had been among the dead and called the killings "a terrifying massacre".

Activists also reported a government offensive against Douma just north of Damascus on Thursday - days after security forces were forced out by ex-soldiers who joined the uprising.

The observatory said more than 200 arrests had been made during the assault on the town. Such reports are difficult to verify because of government restrictions on media.

Friday's Security Council meeting, announced by France's UN mission on its Twitter page, will be held behind closed doors.

According to Reuters news agency, the Moroccan delegation on Thursday held talks with Russian and Chinese diplomats to discuss a draft resolution endorsing a call by the Arab League for Mr Assad to hand over power to his deputy.

Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi and the Qatari prime minister are to travel to New York on Saturday to seek the Security Council's support for the proposals.