KABUL, Afghanistan

Government reportedly firing Scud missiles at insurgents

Syrian government forces have fired Scud missiles at insurgents in recent days, escalating the 2-year-old conflict against rebels seeking to overthrow the regime, U.S. officials said Wednesday.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, two officials said forces of President Bashar Assad have fired the missiles from the Damascus area into northern Syria. These officials asked not to be named because they weren’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly. One official said there was no indication that chemical weapons were aboard the missiles.

News of the missiles came on the same day that more than 100 countries, including the United States, recognized a new Syrian opposition coalition.

CAIRO

Reject proposed constitution, opposition urges voters

Egypt’s opposition called on its followers Wednesday to vote “no” in a crucial referendum on a disputed constitution drafted by Islamist supporters of President Mohammed Morsi.

The decision came as Morsi’s government forged ahead with its own plan, starting overseas voting in diplomatic missions for expatriates.

The moves reinforced the atmosphere of a nation in crisis, deeply divided over whether Egypt might move toward Islamic theocracy or retain its secular traditions. More opposition protests were planned, judges remained on strike and concerns of further economic disarray arose after Egypt delayed a $4.8 billion IMF loan needed to revive the economy.

NEW YORK

Women senators interviewed en masse by Diane Sawyer

With a record-breaking 20 female senators elected to serve in the next Congress, ABC News’ Diane Sawyer gathered 19 of them for an interview that will air early next year.

One of the senators, Republican Susan Collins of Maine, says that if the women’s caucus were in charge, Congress would already have a budget deal in place.

ABC News said Sawyer’s interview on Wednesday will air on ABC newscasts after the new Senate is sworn in on Jan. 3. Sixteen of the incoming senators are Democrats, four are Republicans.

The only woman missing Wednesday was Sen.-elect Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota. She was attending the funeral of a National Guardsman from her state who was killed in Afghanistan.

GUATEMALA CITY

McAfee bound for Miami after month evading capture

Anti-virus software founder John McAfee was released from a detention center Wednesday and was escorted by immigration officials and police trucks to the Guatemala City airport, where he was put on a commercial flight bound for Miami.

The escort to the airport marked the last chapter for McAfee’s strange, monthlong odyssey to avoid police questioning about the killing of an American expatriate in neighboring Belize.

During his highly publicized flight, McAfee constantly blogged and spoke with reporters about his life on the lam.