:04:09. > :04:13.The Syrian government says it is confronting an armed insurrection.
:04:13. > :04:22.The opposition insist it is mostly unarmed protesters who are coming
:04:23. > :04:27.under attack. The violence certainly seems to be escalating.
:04:27. > :04:30.Opposition protesters have been out in ever greater numbers. This is
:04:30. > :04:37.now their epicentre of the series of uprisings sweeping the Arab
:04:37. > :04:40.world. They are pleading for international intervention, calling
:04:40. > :04:44.for a no-fly zone like in Libya. Perhaps more troubling for
:04:44. > :04:47.President Bashar al-Assad is the growing international pressure. A
:04:47. > :04:51.delegation of Arab foreign ministers has just issued one of
:04:51. > :04:54.their toughest calls to date for an end to the killing of protesters.
:04:55. > :05:00.If they do not get a response from the Syrian government by Monday,
:05:00. > :05:05.the company could be suspended from the Arab League. That would be a
:05:05. > :05:10.major blow. There is no doubt that the President does still command
:05:10. > :05:16.big respect at home. This was a massive rally staged by his
:05:16. > :05:22.followers on Thursday. A 70-year-old poet and veteran
:05:22. > :05:27.Irish Labour Party politician is said to be confirmed as Ireland's
:05:27. > :05:34.next president. Michael D Higgins is assured of victory after
:05:34. > :05:41.receiving 40% of first preference votes.
:05:41. > :05:46.The 9th president of violent - Michael D Higgins. A poet, a former
:05:47. > :05:56.Cabinet minister and soon to be the Irish head of state. He comfortably
:05:57. > :05:58.
:05:58. > :06:04.beat his closest rival. His opponent's campaign nosedived in
:06:04. > :06:07.the final debate. If he gave me the cheque...
:06:07. > :06:12.He struggled under a question about political funding and never
:06:12. > :06:18.recovered. Martin McGuinness had a bruising campaign, with a constant
:06:18. > :06:23.focus on his time as an IRA leader. He still ended up third bout of
:06:23. > :06:27.seven candidates. Ivies Presidents do not have much power. It is a
:06:27. > :06:34.largely ceremonial role. It is more about shaking hands than making
:06:35. > :06:39.laws. But it is a high-profile job. The outgoing Irish president used
:06:39. > :06:42.the office to forge closer links with Britain. But what can we
:06:42. > :06:47.expect from Michael D Higgins? is a very cultured man, so I think
:06:47. > :06:52.we will probably have a lot of emphasis on promoting the arts in
:06:52. > :06:56.Ireland, which always goes well. He is very much into social inclusion
:06:56. > :07:02.and so on. At a time of economic austerity one of the tasks of the
:07:02. > :07:06.new president will be to give Ireland new hope. The Queen and the
:07:06. > :07:08.Duke of Edinburgh are on their way home after an 11 day tour of