In Syria, the new cabinet has met in emergency session, after Prime Minister Riad Hijab defected and denounced Damascus's “terrorist regime”. The White House said the defection showed that President Bashar al-Assad's government was “crumbling from within”. But Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said Mr Hijab had not appeared in person and he rejected reports of other ministerial defections. Meanwhile, reports suggest the army has stepped up its bombardment of Aleppo. Government forces are trying to dislodge rebel fighters who have taken control of some areas of Syria's second city. Opposition activists report intense attacks on rebel-held areas on the north-east and south-west sides of the city. State TV said troops had clashed with “terrorist groups” in several places, inflicting heavy losses and recapturing two police stations. Further deaths were reported in Damascus today and an unconfirmed report from Syrian rebels said three of 48 Iranians being held as hostages had been killed by army shelling.