10 things you need to know today: March 15, 2012

Smoke rises as Idlib city is shelled by Syrian government forces Wednesday.

(Image credit: REUTERS)

last updated 8 January 2015

1. ASSAD TAKES IDLIB ON ANNIVERSARY OF SYRIA UPRISING

Thursday marks the first anniversary of the start of the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. National media report that Assad's forces have cleared rebels from the northwest city of Idlib, but the opposition continues to fight throughout the country. Meanwhile, Britain's Guardian claims to have accessed Assad's private emails. They show the leader seeking counsel from Iran on how to handle the uprising, while continuing to enjoy a luxurious lifestyle. According to United Nations estimates, more than 8,000 people, the majority of them civilians, have died in the violence, and nearly 230,000 have been displaced from their homes.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

An Afghan man has died after stealing a truck on Wednesday and attempting to run over a group of U.S. Marines waiting on a runway for Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's plane. The man, an interpreter at Camp Bastion, where the attack took place, was badly burned when the vehicle burst into flames. He died while being treated for his wounds. Panetta has said that he doesn't think he was the target of the attack. [Washington Post]

Legislators in Arizona have advanced a controversial bill that would require women seeking health insurance coverage for their contraceptives to provide evidence to their employers that they need contraceptives to treat medical conditions, not merely to prevent pregnancy. The American Civil Liberties Union says the law could make it legal for employers to fire a woman if it was found that she was taking birth control to prevent pregnancy. [Huffington Post]

On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will unveil a $54 million national media campaign to fight smoking. The paid ads and public service announcements will feature graphic images of former smokers and their severe health problems from tobacco use. The CDC estimates that smoking causes more than 443,000 deaths a year, making it the leading cause of disease and preventable death in the country. [CNN]

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox