Red Cross Begins Evacuations in Syria

A small measure of progress in Syria: The Red Cross managed to convince Syrian troops and opposition forces to allow ambulances into a hard-hit area in the city of Homs. Seven injured people were rescued and brought to a hospital, reports AP. It's unclear whether two wounded foreign journalists—Edith Bouvier of France and British photographer Paul Conroy—were among them.

"It's a step forward," says a spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross. The development comes as world leaders met in Tunisia to increase pressure on Bashar al-Assad. In more bad news for the Syrian president, once-staunch ally Hamas abandoned him, notes Reuters. "I salute the heroic people of Syria who are striving for freedom democracy and reform," said leader Ismail Haniyeh. (More Homs stories.)