Syria Emboldened by a diplomatic standstill, forces loyal to President Bashar Assad stepped up attacks in the north, invading the city of Idlib and raining shells on Homs. Rights groups reported a surge of refugees and alleged that the military was planting mines at the borders with Turkey and Lebanon. U.N. envoy Kofi Annan urged Assad to put an end to the crackdown, but the prospects for peace look grim.
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