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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.
Briefing
Syria conflict: 5 warring factions

Syria is at the nexus of some of the Middle East's most central problems, meaning that fallout from its uprising is likely to ripple, in unpredictable ways, through the region. Here's a brief guide to the actors in the conflict.

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Where's Assad? As grip on Syria weakens, his whereabouts come into question

In the days since key military advisers of Syria's President Assad were assassinated in Damascus, reports have him in the Alawite-dominated coastal region, where he is more secure.
Keep Calm Good Reads: Syria's conflict, hero journalists, and the power of parents

A tribute to war correspondent Marie Colvin, a few tips about Syria from Lawrence of Arabia, and one Indian woman's fight against sexual harassment top this week's list of stories worth reading.
Terrorism & Security Syria's top defector says Assad not afraid to use chemical weapons

Syria is believed to have the Arab world's largest stockpile of chemical weapons. An ex-official warned that Assad would use them if backed into a corner.
Terrorism & Security Syria war deepens: Damascus sees worst fighting yet (+video)

Fighting has intensified in the capital, a day after the Red Cross declared the conflict a 'civil war' and reminded combatants of the rules of war.
Red Cross: Syria now in civil war, rules of war apply

The Red Cross assessment can form the basis for potential war crimes prosecutions in the future.
Syrian army accused of attacking hundreds (+video)

In what may be the worst single incident of violence in 16 months of conflict in Syria, more than 200 people are reported dead. Due to restrictions on journalists within the country, the reports cannot be verified. People in the region say they're 'terrified.'
In Syria: Why is Turkey reluctant to take the lead?

Turks hope that peace between the two countries can be restored. But Syrian refugees hope Turkey will take a more aggressive stance.
Another day, another defector from Assad's Syria

The Syrian ambassador to Iraq defected today, the second prominent Sunni to do so in two weeks. With their departures, Syria's Sunni vs. Alawite conflict hardens.
Syrian ambassador to Iraq abandons Assad regime, defects (+video)

The Syrian ambassador to Iraq announced he was resigning his post and joining the opposition, pointing to signs that Assad's regime may be deteriorating.
Terrorism & Security As Assad talks war, US and UN talk peace

Rapid deterioration of the situation in Syria has given world leaders a sense of urgency, but they seem no closer to finding common ground.
Backchannels What war in Syria looks like: journalist killings, deadlier IEDs

Whatever restraint that was being exercised by the parties to Syria's civil war appears to have been cast aside.
Why Turkey is holding back, for now, after Syria downed its jet

NATO and Turkey talked tough about Syria's shooting down of a Turkish military jet at an emergency summit in Brussels today. But they sought to calm fears of a broader escalation.
Syria's chemical weapons: How secure are they?

Syria has been amassing chemical weapons since the 1980s and is believed to have a larger stockpile than any other country that has faced ethnic civil war.
Turkey aims for NATO help with Syria (+video)

Following Syria's downing of a Turkish jet on Friday, officials in Turkey are looking to NATO for assistance. Syrian officials claim their act was one of self-defense.
Syria insists downed Turkish plane was 'not an attack'

This week NATO leaders will decide how to respond to Syria's downing of a Turkish jet, which Turkey argues was in international airspace.
Terrorism & Security Report: CIA aids in funneling arms to Syrian rebels

According to The New York Times, the CIA is helping to vet Syrian rebel groups for arms shipments paid for by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
Terrorism & Security Report: Russia sending naval ships to Syria in case of evacuation

Russia plans to dispatch two ships carrying marines to its naval base in Tartous, reportedly to protect Russian citizens and evacuate them if needed.
UN Monitors find stench of death in Syrian town

The monitors were only just able to get to the town of Haffa after a week of attempts.
Peacekeepers attacked in Syria as U.S. accuses Russia of supporting regime

The country spiraled closer to civil war as UN forces came under fire; meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asserted that Russia was arming the Syrian regime with helicopters.
Terrorism & Security US: Syria plotting more massacres, but intervening would make it worse

At a State Department briefing yesterday, a reporter asked why the US would not intervene if it knew massacres were likely to occur. The response: 'Do you have a specific proposal in mind?'
Syrian forces shell Homs neighborhood, activists say. Troop assault next?

A rebel-held neighborhood in the Syrian city of Homs was shelled Friday by Syrian troops, according to activists. Also, UN monitors entered the Syrian village where reports of a new massacre have surfaced this week.
Syria: UN observers come under attack

The UN patrol was trying to reach the site of a mass killing when they came under heavy weapons fire.
Syria denies UN observers access to alleged massacre site

UN observers were denied access to the Syrian village of Mazraat al-Qubeir, where opposition activists and UN officials say dozens were murdered on Thursday.
Backchannels Kofi Annan admits Syria plan failing, calls for international action

Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, the UN's special envoy to Syria, essentially admitted his mediation efforts have failed in a speech at the UN and laid most of the blame at the feet of Bashar al-Assad.
Briefing
Syria conflict: 5 warring factions

Syria is at the nexus of some of the Middle East's most central problems, meaning that fallout from its uprising is likely to ripple, in unpredictable ways, through the region. Here's a brief guide to the actors in the conflict.