DAMASCUS, Syria ? Syrian government forces launched a mortar and rocket assault on the country?s third-largest city Friday night that activists said killed more than 200 people, intensifying pressure on the U.N. Security Council as it prepares to vote on a measure aimed at ending a bloody government crackdown.

UNITED NATIONS ? Russia and China on Saturday vetoed a U.N. resolution condemning Syria?s violent repression of anti-government demonstrators, effectively quashing efforts to isolate President Bashar al-Assad?s government as it intensifies a nearly year-long crackdown.

MOSCOW ? Tens of thousands of Russians embraced the numbing cold and marched to a frozen riverbank near the Kremlin on Saturday, demonstrating their determination to keep up the pressure on Vladimir Putin for fair elections and honest government.

CAIRO ? At least 12 people have been killed in clashes triggered by a deadly melee at a soccer match in Port Said on Wednesday, Egyptian authorities said Saturday.

At least seven protesters were killed in clashes with security forces that began Thursday night near the Interior Ministry in Cairo, and at least five were killed in the seaport city of Suez, according to state media.