The headlines from Syria this hour include:
â€" "Fighting Rages Along Damascus Airport Road." (Al-Jazeera)
â€" "Internet And Mobile Communication 'Cut Off.' " (BBC News)
Syrian officials, Reuters reports, are blaming "terrorists" for the Internet outage. Rebels are pointing the finger at President Bashar Assad's regime.
The fighting, meanwhile, has shut down the airport. Emirates Air is among the carriers who have suspended service to Damascus.
Also today, The Associated Press writes that "the Obama administration is preparing to recognize Syria's new opposition council as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people in the coming weeks, paving the way for greater U.S. support for groups seeking to oust President Bashar Assad's regime, officials said Thursday. Announcement of the move â€" which has already been taken by several U.S. allies â€" is planned on or around a conference of more than 70 nations in Marrakesh, Morocco, on Dec. 12. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is planning to attend the latest so-called Friends of Syria gathering."
