BBC News with Jonathan Wheatley

The main contingent of an Arab League observer mission has arrived in Syria to monitor an initiative to end the">the continued violence. It has left thousands dead since anti-government protests began earlier this year. At least 18 people are reported to have been killed in the">the latest

shelling

of the">the city of Homs. The Arab League initiative agreed with the">the Syrian government requires all armed forces to withdraw from the">the areas of conflict. The BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut says it's not clear ther">whether the">the observers' movements will be restricted.

Syrian officials are saying they">they

are committed to

the

protocol

they signed with the Arab League that the observers will have complete freedom of movement, but of course they do have to coordinate with the Syrian authorities because they need to have security; they can't just jump in cars and drive off to a place like Homs. So that in a sense makes them sort of

dependent on

the regime.

Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews have clashed with police near Jerusalem as tensions mount over their campaign of

segregation

between men and women. A police officer was wounded in the town of Beit Shemesh as police were called to remove a sign on a main road ordering segregation between the sexes. Here's Aidan Lewis.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews

pelted

police and journalists with rocks and eggs, and set fire to rubbish bins. They also re-installed a number of placards ordering segregation that had earlier been removed. Beit Shemesh has become a focus of friction between ultra-Orthodox and more secular-minded Jews. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says police will continue to arrest ultra-Orthodox offenders and insists that there's no place in Israel for discrimination.