Syria nears ceasefire deadline under Annan plan

On Wednesday, Syria said it would abide by the ceasefire but reserved the right to respond to attacks.
The US said Syria's pledge held "little if any credibility".
The main armed rebel group said it would not stop shooting if government troops continued to attack.
Mr Annan received written assurances from the Syrian foreign ministry that government troops would "cease all military fighting throughout Syrian territory as of 06:00 (03:00 GMT)... while reserving the right to respond proportionately to any attacks carried out by armed terrorist groups", his spokesman, Ahmad Fawzi said.

'Regime won't stop'

Meanwhile, the violence continued on Wednesday, especially in the city of Homs.
Activists said at least 30 people were killed in offensives around the country, including the north and north-west, a valley west of Damascus, and in the south, near Deraa.
A spokesman for the main rebel force, the Free Syrian Army (FSA), said the ceasefire was unlikely to take effect because neither side would stop shooting.

Footage purporting to show clashes in Homs on Wednesday has been posted online

"If the other side stopped, the Syrian people would march on the president's palace on the same day. This means the regime won't stop," Captain Ayham al-Kurdi said in a BBC interview on the Turkey-Syria border.
The BBC's UN correspondent, Barbara Plett, says Mr Annan has been in contact with Iran, as well as Russia, asking them to use their influence.
If he fails, some Council members have said they will push for tougher action - not military intervention, but perhaps sanctions, our correspondent says.
However, there is no guarantee Russia and China would agree; they have already vetoed two Security Council resolutions on Syria.
Mr Annan is due to brief the UN Security Council later on Thursday.
The UN estimates about 9,000 people have died since anti-government protests began in March 2011. In February, the Syrian government put the death toll at 3,838 - 2,493 civilians and 1,345 security forces personnel.