(CNN) -- Desperation and a rapidly growing death toll serve as a backdrop for a new effort dozens of countries are launching in hopes of finally stemming the brutal crackdown under way in Syria. At a meeting Friday in Tunisia, world leaders will look to mount pressure against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The meeting of the "Friends of Syria" group is "part of our ongoing efforts with our friends, allies, and the Syrian opposition to crystallize next steps to halt the slaughter of the Syrian people and pursue a transition to democracy in Syria," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.
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"The question is, what do we do?" says State Department spokesman
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About 500 soldiers defect and create an opposition brigade, an opposition leader says
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Two journalists were killed by government shelling in Baba Amr
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Syria says authorities killed and arrested "terrorists"
@placeholder state TV showed a banner Wednesday saying the ministry of information had no knowledge of the presence of the journalists, and it requested that officials in Homs look for them.
"The @placeholder army is shelling the city of cold, starving civilians," she said.