Activists say there has been a significant spike in violence in Syria as the UN Security Council met to consider a draft resolution against the Syrian government.

The head of the Arab League monitoring mission in Syria, General Mohammed Ahmed Mustafa al-Dabi says, unrest has soared in the country, especially in the central cities of Homs and Hama and in the northern Idlib region.

The Syrian Observatory of Human Rights backs up the assessment, saying it believes about 110 people have been killed in the past two days.

The UN Security Council on Friday met to consider a draft plan outlined by the Arab League calling for president Bashar al-Assad to hand authority to a deputy, who would form a national unity government with the opposition within two months.

The council largely supports a plan, but Russia and China have held up action by opposing any resolution against Mr Assad.

Russia says, it cannot support some parts of the resolution but it is ready to discuss it.

France has taken a leading role in trying to drive forward the diplomatic process on Syria at the UN.