My Way News - Syria overruns rebellious village, violence spikes
My Way News reports: "Syrian forces overran a mountain enclave near the Mediterranean coast Wednesday, seizing the territory back from rebels as a serious escalation in violence signaled both sides are using more powerful weapons. With the bloodshed ramping up, France joined the U.N. peacekeeping chief in declaring Syria was in a state of civil war."

Helicopter allegations roil U.S.-Russia ties - The Washington Post:
The Washington Post reports: "While insisting that Iran diplomacy remains on track, officials in Washington and Moscow acknowledged damage to bilateral ties a day after the Obama administration publicly accused Russia of selling attack helicopters to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The allegation drew a chorus of denials and denunciations from Russian leaders, some of whom accused Washington of mistaking a shipment of refurbished or repaired helicopters for new ones. "