The United States released photos today of a big, new crematorium in Syria. It says that 50 political prisoners are being executed each day – their bodies burned to hide the evidence.

Why is the US publicizing this now? The information about the mass slaughter – war crimes – was reported first by Amnesty International in February.

It appears that Washington is turning up the heat on Russia to take responsibility for the brutality of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

In April, President Trump shifted his position on Mr. Assad, ordering a cruise-missile strike in response to a sarin gas attack that killed women and children. The chemical attack “crossed a line for me,” said Mr. Trump at the time.

The secret crematorium may be another line crossed for this administration.

Russia says it wants a peaceful solution to the war in Syria, but a US State Department official said today that “there is no solution without an end to these atrocities.”

The Trump administration is building a case for Russian removal of Assad as a prerequisite to any Syrian peace deal.

Here are our five stories for today.