The Security Council has reached a tentative agreement on a resolution that would expand the number of United Nations cease-fire observers in Syria from 30 to 300.

French Ambassador to the U.N. Gerard Araud says the Council would meet Saturday for a vote.

The U.N. action came even as the cease-fire brokered last week by international envoy Kofi Annan showed more signs of unraveling on Friday. Security forces fired shots at protesters and pounded opposition strongholds while the government blamed rebels for a deadly explosion.

Activists say thousands of protesters calling for President Bashar al-Assad's departure demonstrated across Syria under a heavy security force presence in some areas.

Rights groups say Syrian forces killed at least 11 civilians, including several in the flashpoint Homs region.

Hivin Kako, of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told VOA of government shelling in Homs.

“There has been mortar used since the early hours of the morning — this is regarding what is happening in Homs in different area[s]. There has been bombardment by the Syrian regular forces.”

State-run media reports say at least 18 security force members have been killed in a series of attacks across Syria, including 10 in an explosion near the Golan Heights region. The government blamed “armed terrorists” for most of the attacks.

A spokesman for Mr. Annan described the cease-fire as “very fragile” on Friday. He expressed hope that additional monitors would be in place in Syria very soon.

Kako said the Annan peace plan is Syria's last hope.

“This is the last chance to save the country and to move forward towards democracy and a transitional period in a peaceful way. Otherwise, the country will be dragged into a war.”

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said Friday the world cannot afford to wait much longer for the cease-fire and peace plan that Mr. Annan put forward to take hold, warning Syria is on the verge of descending into civil war.

China, which has blocked stronger U.N. action against the Syrian regime, said it was ready to do more to help uphold the truce – saying it is willing to contribute observers to the U.N. mission.

The United Nations estimates that Syria's crackdown on the revolt has killed more than 9,000 people.

The U.S. Secret Service says three more employees have resigned over a scandal in Colombia involving prostitutes, and says President Barack Obama has been briefed on the matter by the agency's director.

The Secret Service said Friday the new resignations bring to six the number of agents who have lost their jobs because of the scandal. They also said that a 12th member of the protection agency has been implicated in the matter.

U.S. officials say Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan came to the White House late Friday to personally brief President Obama.

The Secret Service personnel were stationed in Colombia ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama's arrival for the sixth Summit of the Americas. Pentagon officials have said at least 10 military members also may have been involved in the alleged misconduct.

The ranking Republican on the Senate's Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Senator Susan Collins, says at least 20 foreign women were brought to the hotel in Colombia where alleged misconduct occurred involving Secret Service members, military staff and prostitutes before the president's visit.

U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, said earlier this week that he was “embarrassed” by the alleged scandal. He said the military arm “let the boss down” by causing a distraction to an important regional engagement for the president.

The Secret Service has said none of the personnel involved was assigned to protect Mr. Obama.

Sudan and South Sudan are both claiming to be in control of the Heglig oil fields, despite assurances from the southern government that it is withdrawing its troops to avert a return to war.

The countries have given different accounts of the withdrawal. Early Friday, South Sudan said it was commencing an orderly and voluntary pullout from Heglig immediately.

Later that evening, however, South Sudan's ambassador to the United Nations, Agnes Oswaha, told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York that southern forces were still in complete control of Heglig. She did confirm that all southern forces would be out of Heglig within 72 hours.

“The Republic of South Sudan took this decision because it does not wish to see a return to war and seeks an immediate resumption of negotiations between the two parties.”

Meanwhile, Sudan's ambassador to the United Nations, Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman, said earlier that Sudanese forces had retaken Heglig by force.

“It's a pleasure and great honor for me and with great jubilation I convey to you that our heroic Sudanese Armed Forces have chased out the aggressors from Heglig.”

Ali Osman said Sudan is ready to resume talks with South Sudan if, in his words, the south's leaders “come to their senses” and negotiate without conditions.

Noting the withdrawal, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement calling on the governments of both countries to resume negotiations “immediately.”

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the United States is urging South Sudan to fully withdraw all forces from Heglig, and is calling on Sudan to immediately end any reprisal attacks.

“In parallel, we are also calling on the government of Sudan as we have regularly to halt their own cross-border attacks, particularly the provocative Arial bombardments, so that we can get back to a place where these two sides are working together and using mechanisms like the joint-border verification and monitoring mechanism to work through their issues.”

South Sudan seized the Heglig oil fields on April 10, sparking fears of all-out war between the two countries. In a speech Wednesday, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir threatened to crush South Sudan's government like an “insect.”

The South's information minister said Friday that Juba still considers Heglig to be part of its territory and wants the status of that area and other contested regions to be determined by international arbitration.

The two Sudans have been unable to resolve disputes over borders, oil, and citizenship stemming from the south's independence last July.

Chief disputes include the future of the oil-producing Abyei region and the sharing of oil revenue. The south took over three-fourths of Sudan's oil fields when it separated, but uses northern pipelines for export.

The countries have been fighting along their disputed border but the U.S. special envoy to Sudan, Princeton Lyman, said Thursday that both sides want to avoid a larger conflict.

“In the discussions I have had in both Khartoum and Juba, I can say with confidence that virtually everyone I have talked to has said, 'Look we don't want to go to all-out war with the other. We need to find a way out.”

Before their separation, north and south Sudan fought a 21-year civil war that eventually led to southern autonomy and independence.

Sudan and South Sudan are both claiming to be in control of the Heglig oil fields, despite assurances from the southern government that it is withdrawing its troops to avert a return to war.

The countries have given different accounts of the withdrawal. Early Friday, South Sudan said it was commencing an orderly and voluntary pullout from Heglig immediately.

Later that evening, however, South Sudan's ambassador to the United Nations, Agnes Oswaha, told reporters at the United Nations headquarters in New York that southern forces were still in complete control of Heglig. She did confirm that all southern forces would be out of Heglig within 72 hours.

“The Republic of South Sudan took this decision because it does not wish to see a return to war and seeks an immediate resumption of negotiations between the two parties.”

Meanwhile, Sudan's ambassador to the United Nations, Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman, said earlier that Sudanese forces had retaken Heglig by force.

“It's a pleasure and great honor for me and with great jubilation I convey to you that our heroic Sudanese Armed Forces have chased out the aggressors from Heglig.”

Ali Osman said Sudan is ready to resume talks with South Sudan if, in his words, the south's leaders “come to their senses” and negotiate without conditions.

Washington welcomed the withdrawal announcement from South Sudan. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the United States is urging South Sudan to “completely and fully” withdraw all forces from Heglig, and is calling on Sudan to immediately end any reprisal attacks.

“In parallel, we are also calling on the government of Sudan as we have regularly to halt their own cross-border attacks, particularly the provocative Arial bombardments, so that we can get back to a place where these two sides are working together and using mechanisms like the joint-border verification and monitoring mechanism to work through their issues.”

South Sudan seized the Heglig oil fields on April 10, sparking fears of all-out war between the two countries. In a speech Wednesday, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir threatened to crush South Sudan's government like an “insect.”

The South's information minister said Friday that Juba still considers Heglig to be part of its territory and wants the status of that area and other contested regions to be determined by international arbitration.

The two Sudans have been unable to resolve disputes over borders, oil, and citizenship stemming from the south's independence last July.

Chief disputes include the future of the oil-producing Abyei region and the sharing of oil revenue. The south took over three-fourths of Sudan's oil fields when it separated, but uses northern pipelines for export.

The countries have been fighting along their disputed border but the U.S. special envoy to Sudan, Princeton Lyman, said Thursday that both sides want to avoid a larger conflict.

“In the discussions I have had in both Khartoum and Juba, I can say with confidence that virtually everyone I have talked to has said, 'Look we don't want to go to all-out war with the other. We need to find a way out.”

Before their separation, north and south Sudan fought a 21-year civil war that eventually led to southern autonomy and independence.

Authorities say there are no survivors of a passenger plane that crashed near the Pakistani capital with 127 people on board.

The Boeing 737 was en route from the southern port city of Karachi to the capital Friday when it went down near Islamabad's international airport during a thunderstorm.

Officials say the Bhoja Air jet was on its maiden flight from Karachi to Islamabad. They blamed bad weather for the accident, dismissing allegations that the aircraft experienced a technical malfunction.

Witnesses say the plane crashed near a heavily-populated area near the airport and that it may have already been on fire before it hit the ground. Officials say no one on the ground was injured.

Civilian and military rescue teams have been dispatched to the scene. The head of the army rescue team told reporters that 110 bodies have been recovered so far. Authorities are appealing to residents to stay away from the crash site during the recovery process.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has ordered an investigation into the crash.

In July 2010, a passenger plane belonging to private airline Airblue crashed in the mountains near Islamabad, killing all 152 people onboard. It was the deadliest plane crash in the country's history.

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The 10 candidates seeking the French presidency have held their last day of campaigning ahead of Sunday's first round of voting that President Nicolas Sarkozy is expected to lose.

Several new polls out Friday indicate that President Sarkozy is trailing his main rival, Socialist Francois Hollande, by several points. Polls also show that Mr. Sarkozy will lose in an expected runoff May 6, which would make him the country's first one-term president in over 30 years. Another concern for both candidates is the widespread expectation of low voter turnout.

On Friday, Mr. Sarkozy apologized for his actions in the early days of his five-year term. He said his mistake was “not understanding the symbolic dimension of the president's role.” He told a radio interviewer it was a mistake he would not make again, saying, “Now I know the job.”

The conservative Mr. Sarkozy, however, defended his role in curbing French spending to help resolve the European governmental debt crisis. He said France would face more difficulties like debt-ridden Spain if it changes course.

“The minute we relax pressure on spending cuts, on deficit cuts and cuts in indebtedness, France will suffer the same fate as Spain.''

Mr. Sarkozy also headed to the southern city of Nice for a final rally.

Hollande blamed Mr. Sarkozy for France's unemployment rate of nearly 10 percent and called for sweeping changes to improve France's public finances.

“I want to profoundly reform my country: engage in a tax reform for justice, a reform of the banks to dominate the finance world, a territorial reform to create a new decentralization policy, a reform of justice to make it independent.”

As cheering crowds greeted him at one campaign stop, Hollande called for an “irreversible” vote against Mr. Sarkozy.

“What is at stake this Sunday, is to give me the necessary strength to challenge the 'departing candidate' in the second round. What is at stake this Sunday, is to make this victory an irresistible and irreversible one starting on April 22nd. So we don't have to wait 15 more days; no, we have to create this motion, this dynamic right away.”

If Hollande ultimately wins the elections, he would become France's first Socialist president in 17 years.

Under French law, the media are barred from announcing early or partial results before the polling stations close Sunday evening . President Sarkozy has said in interviews that the rule is outdated. The law does not affect foreign-based media and the information is expected to be widely available on Twitter and Facebook well before the official results are announced at about 8 p.m. local time.

Thousands of protesters have rallied across Bahrain in an attempt to use the country's Formula One auto race to draw international attention to their plight.

Activists and witnesses say security forces used tear gas and rubber bullets in an effort to disperse demonstrators as practice for Sunday's race took place on Friday.

Anti-government groups led by the country's Shi'ite majority have called for “days of rage,” coinciding with the three days of action at the circuit in Sakhir, south of the capital Manama.

Jasim Husain, a member of the opposition Wefaq party, spoke to VOA from Manama on Friday. He said demonstrators are seeking greater representation in Bahrain's minority Sunni-led government.

Protesters are asking for, are calling for, an elected government based on parliamentary results, having fair and equal districts. They want to make sure there is no discrimination in the country and we have equal opportunity for all.”

The Force India Grand Prix team pulled out of Friday's practice session citing security concerns. Two members of the Indian team left Bahrain after firebombs landed near the team's race car on Wednesday.

Last year's Bahrain Grand Prix was postponed and later canceled because of demonstrations.

Bahrain's crown prince Salman bin Hamad bin al-Khalifa said on Friday rejected calls to cancel this year's race, saying that that would only empower “extremists.”

The ruling family is eager to host this year's Grand Prix as way to illustrate to portray stability in the strategic kingdom, which is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.

German driver Nico Rosberg in a Mercedes emerged as the frontrunner after a second free practice session on Friday. Rosberg won last week's Formula One race in Shanghai.

The International Monetary Fund says it has raised more than $430 billion in new reserves to combat future economic troubles around the world.

The international lending agency had set a $400 billion goal for a new rescue fund, in part to combat the possible global economic fallout if the European governmental debt crisis worsens again. IMF managing director Christine Lagarde said the agency won several new loan pledges on Friday, including from China, Russia, Australia, South Korea, Singapore and Great Britain.

The new pledges came as finance ministers from around the globe met in Washington for the semi-annual IMF-World Bank meetings. At the top of their discussions is the continuing fear that a renewed European debt crisis could imperil world economic growth, especially if more countries need international bailouts like the ones already handed to Greece, Ireland and Portugal.

But so far, there have been no pledges from the IMF's largest shareholder, the United States. Washington has already set aside $171 billion in available loans to the fund, but has yet to ratify a 2010 commitment to increase funding by $60 billion, and an agreement is not likely in a U.S. election year.

Lagarde on Thursday said the world's economic fortunes have begun to recover from the global recession. But she warned about new threats that could cause further trouble.

“If I was to use a weather analogy, because we are all very fond of weather reports, we are seeing light recovery, and blowing in a spring wind. But we are also seeing some very dark clouds on the horizon, which is another way to tell you there is a bit of a recovery, timid and a fragile situation with still high risks.”

She said the risks include high unemployment throughout the world, renewed economic stresses in Europe for debt-ridden countries and slow economic growth.

The 17-nation European bloc that uses the euro has pledged $200 billion of the new IMF funds, with Japan saying it will contribute $60 billion. Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Poland and Denmark have also said they would loan the International Monetary Fund more money to support its global lending efforts.

Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano erupted Friday morning, sending a cloud of ash towering into the sky southeast of the nation's capital.

Mexico's National Disaster Prevention Center posted images on its website of the plume rising from the 5,450-meter volcano.

Authorities raised the alert level for the volcano earlier this week due to increased activity. But so far, no evacuations have been ordered.

The Popocatepetl volcano, known by locals as “El Popo,” is located about 60 kilometers southeast of the Mexican capital, Mexico City. It has been emitting smoke and volcanic ash since 1994, with a violent eruption in 2000 that forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people living along the base.