Topic: Homs

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5 big losers in press freedom: Mali and ... Japan?

The annual World Press Freedom Index released today shows gains for Myanmar and others. Japan tumbled due to an informal ban placed on independent coverage of the Fukushima Daiichi disaster. Here are five of the notable winners and losers on this year’s list.

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Human toll of Syria's civil war echoes Rwandan genocide, says UN

Approximately 5,000 Syrians are dying each month, and an average of 6,000 people flee the country every day, UN officials reported Tuesday. Since the war began, nearly 93,000 people are dead, and 1.8 million have fled.
Bombing campaign against Hezbollah claims first casualty in Lebanon

Hezbollah has been expecting Sunni retaliation for its support for the Syrian regime. A slew of roadside bomb attacks shows it has begun.
US lethal aid to Syrian rebels: What's the holdup?

Concern in congressional intelligence committees over the prospects of US small arms falling into the wrong hands has delayed the lethal aid to Syrian rebels. Some say it may arrive too late.
Syrian rebels cling to enclave in eastern Lebanon

The Lebanese town Arsal, a Sunni stronghold surrounded by Shiite villages, is a haven for refugees and a weapons depot for rebel fighters. Its loss would be devastating.
Opinion Best way for Obama to help Syria is with aid and diplomacy – not weapons

Giving military aid to Syria's rebels – however just their cause – will only prolong the civil war and increase the risk of sectarian conflagration in the region. A better way to help the Syrian people is to pursue diplomatic efforts to end the conflict and provide more humanitarian aid.
Syrian Army, Hezbollah bear down on rebels in strategic Qusayr

For the Syrian rebels, Qusayr has been critical to bringing in weapons and fighters from Lebanon. But the regime and ally Hezbollah want the town, which lies at an important crossroads.
With Hezbollah's help, Syrian troops push to regain Lebanese border areas

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 30 people, including 16 rebel fighters and one woman, were killed in Qusair in morning fighting, but that the death toll was expected to rise.
Emboldened by military gains, Assad regime shows resilience

Syrian President Assad has frustrated predictions of his imminent downfall for more than two years. A string of recent Army successes has rolled back some rebel gains and disrupted rebel plans.
Terrorism & Security Buoyed by successes, Syrian regime pushes to retake rebel-held city of Homs

Homs lies along a key highway that connects Damascus with the coastal city of Latakia, a regime stronghold.
Syria chemical weapons: Where did they come from? (+video)

The roots of Syria's chemical weapons program lie decades in the past, perhaps back to the 1970s. Other countries were early suppliers. What's uncertain now is if Syria can make its own chemical weapons.
Terrorism & Security Israel charges Syria with lethal chemical weapons use

The Israeli military says its evidence shows that the Syrian regime used sarin gas during a March clash with rebels, reversing earlier reports that no such weapons had been used.
Two bishops kidnapped by rebels, says Syrian government

Two bishops were kidnapped by 'a terrorist group,' say Syrian officials. Several Muslim clerics have been killed, but the two bishops are the most senior Christian leaders caught up in the conflict which has killed more than 70,000 people across Syria.
Syrian rebels intensify rocket attacks into Lebanon

Rebels fighting the Syrian government are shelling villages on the Lebanese side of the border in order to curb a Lebanese group's efforts to help the Syrian regime.
In rebel fighter's personal story, the arc of Syria's war

When The Monitor first met Syrian rebel fighter Abu Omar last July, he was buoyant and determined to bring down the Assad regime. Now his outlook is a bit more grim.
Were chemical weapons used in Syria? UN team poised for probe.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad called for a chemical-weapons investigation of an alleged March 19 attack, but he’s apparently gotten cold feet. Here's why.
Syrian army launches counteroffensive, calls on rebels to lay down arms

The Syrian army targeted rebels with heavy airstrikes in at least seven cities and regions Sunday, killing at least 20 people. The government also called on rebel fighters to surrender their weapons.
Backchannels From every direction, arms for Syria

France is pushing hard, it seems, for Western powers to arm Syria's rebellion. If they get their way, they'll be joining an already crowded playing field.
Syrian regime battles rebels for control of highway to its safe haven

Lebanon appears closer than ever to getting dragged into Syria's war as the regime and rebels battle just over the border and Hezbollah's growing involvement raises rebel ire.
Syrian rebels battle at military base near Aleppo airport

Rebels have been attacking the civilian airport in the city of Aleppo for weeks, and now appear to have overrun the main defenses around the facility.
Lebanese military seals off a town involved in Syrian rebellion

The Lebanese military has surrounded the town of Arsal after a deadly gunbattle between troops and residents. The tensions are linked to the conflict in neighboring Syria.
5 big losers in press freedom: Mali and ... Japan?

The annual World Press Freedom Index released today shows gains for Myanmar and others. Japan tumbled due to an informal ban placed on independent coverage of the Fukushima Daiichi disaster. Here are five of the notable winners and losers on this year’s list.
Ferocious battle for strategic suburb could hold the keys to Damascus (+video)

Syria's Assad regime appears to be investing all it has in the battle for Daraya to ensure its grip on power. Sixty percent of Army troops are deployed in Damascus.
Syrian activists report 106 killed in raid on civilians, call for UN action

Activists say women and children were among the 106 people killed by forces who stormed an impoverished district on the edge of Homs, where a similar raid happened in 2011.
Syrian troops take back key Damascus suburb, Daraya

The day after rebel forces took a key air base in northwest Syria, the Syrian army announced their control of Daraya, a suburb of Damascus. Each side seems to be alternatively making advances and losing ground, with little progress overall in the Syrian conflict.
Another Syria blast kills 11, state media reports

Syrian officials blamed 'terrorists' for a Damascus gas station explosion that left 11 dead and 40 injured.