LATEST NEWS FROM OFF-SITE

• www.bbc.co.uk May 17, 2013
  The Nigerian military says it has launched an all-out assault on Islamist militants in the north-east of the country. […]
• Video Shows Executions By Syrian Islamist Rebels May 17, 2013
  A video distributed by a pro-opposition Syrian monitoring organization purportedly shows fighters from an Al-Qaeda-linked rebel group in Syria executing supporters of President Bashar al-Assad's regime. […]
• www.bbc.co.uk May 17, 2013
  Air raids target a militant training camp in north-east Nigeria as a military plane is hit by anti-aircraft fire, officials say. […]
• Nigerian air force attacks rebel camps in remote northeast - FT.com May 17, 2013
  Nigerian air force targets sites in the volatile northeast of the country in an effort to crush an Islamist rebellion, the military said on Friday […]
• In Nigeria, More Attacks On Militants - NYTimes.com May 17, 2013
  Military officials said attacks were launched against the Boko Haram Islamist group in border areas in a forest south of the city of Maiduguri.      […]
• Security forces detain Syrian actress: lawyer - Daily News Egypt May 17, 2013
  "Skaf made a mobile phone call to her son, to tell him her identity card had been taken from her by members of the security forces at a checkpoint," The post Security forces detain Syrian actress: lawyer appeared first on Daily News Egypt. […]
• Russia 'does not understand' uproar over Syria arms sales - Telegraph May 17, 2013
  Russia was defiant in the face of criticism over arm supplies to Syria after reports that Moscow is supplying improved "ship-killing" missiles to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.      […]
• Syrian rebels demand weapons before talks - The Washington Post May 17, 2013
  BEIRUT —The Syrian opposition is demanding access to arms before planned peace talks next month, amid a growing consensus that it may take a shift in the balance of power on the battlefield before any meaningful negotiations can take place. Read full article >>      […]
• Untitled May 17, 2013
  In an extraordinary attack from a Cabinet minister, he said 'vast numbers of people' had been unnecessarily upset by plans to legalise same-sex weddings. […]
• Obama: U.S. preserves diplomatic, military options on Syria| Reuters May 16, 2013
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Thursday he reserved the right to resort to both diplomatic and military options to pressure Syrian President Bashar al-Assad but insisted that U.S. action alone would not be enough to resolve the Syrian crisis. […]
• Obama: U.S. preserves diplomatic, military options on Syria| Reuters May 16, 2013
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Thursday he reserved the right to resort to both diplomatic and military options to pressure Syrian President Bashar al-Assad but insisted that U.S. action alone would not be enough to resolve the Syrian crisis. […]
• Video shows Islamist rebels executing 11 Syrian soldiers| Reuters May 16, 2013
  BEIRUT (Reuters) - A video published on Thursday showed fighters of the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front in Syria executing 11 men they accused of taking part in massacres by President Bashar al-Assad's forces. […]
• Syrian rebels launch offensive in south to reverse losses| Reuters May 16, 2013
  AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian rebels said they attacked an important military base in the south and checkpoints in the city of Deraa on Thursday, trying to regain ground lost to President Bashar al-Assad's forces near the Jordanian border. […]
• Syria condemned in UN vote doubts grow about backing rebels | World news | guardian.co.uk May 16, 2013
  The UN general assembly has voted to condemn Syria but the number of abstentions suggests doubts are growing about backing the rebels Matthew Weaver Guardian readers […]