France’s Appetite for Interference Swelling

Syrian Refugees Flee into Turkey

Syrian Government Forces Launch Fresh Attacks Against Deraa ProtestersTHE OBSERVER: Mosque in Deraa comes under fire as groups opposing President Assad call for army to lead transition to democracyThe Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad sent fresh troops on Saturday to pound the besieged southern city of Deraa, as a new opposition group appealed to the army to help the transition to democracy.Tanks

Syrie: "On a reçu la visite des services de sécurité la nuit dernière"leJDD.fr: Professeur d’anglais de 35 ans, Amina Abdallah tient sur Internet l’un des rares blogs* en activité en Syrie. ExtraitsOn a reçu la visite des services de sécurité la nuit dernière: ils sont arrivés au petit matin. Tout le monde dormait. Le vacarme m’a réveillée et j’ai immédiatement compris ce qui se passait. Notre

Assad's Fall Would Create Shockwaves from Tehran to Tel AvivTHE OBSERVER: Unrest in Syria has greater potential consequences than any other event in the Arab Spring so farAs decades-old dictatorial regimes crumbled around him in January, Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, denied that revolution would spread to his country. Balhermep, the Ba'athist concept of "the ruling of the people", would

Inside Story - Ending Assad's Violent CrackdownInternational action is beginning to take shape, but will it be enough to deter the crackdown on the Syrian protesters?

Mosque Stormed in DeraaAl Jazeera's Rula Amin updates us from Damascus

Royal Wedding: Syrian Ambassador's Invitation WithdrawnTHE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Syria's ambassador to London has had his invitation to the royal wedding withdrawn in the wake of controversy over his presence on the guest list.The Foreign Office said it had decided Dr Sami Khiyami's presence at the royal wedding ceremony would be "unacceptable" in the light of the killing of up to 450 pro-democracy

Syria Crackdown: Hundreds Resign from Ba'ath PartyTHE GUARDIAN: Members of president Assad's ruling party have resigned in protest as uprising claims at least 500 livesHundreds of president Bashar al-Assad's ruling Ba'ath party have resigned in protest at an increasingly bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters which is now believed to have claimed more than 500 lives.News of the resignations

Royal Wedding: Syrian Ambassador Invitation Angers MPsTHE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Syrian ambassador to Britain has been invited to the Royal wedding in a move which threatens to exacerbate an ongoing row over the guest list.Labour MPs said it “bordered on the grotesque” for Sami Khiyami to attend the event when the former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown had been excluded.The Syrian

Syrian Funding Causes Embarrassment at British UniversityTHE GUARDIAN: University of St Andrews to review acceptance of funding arranged by Bashar al-Assad's controversial regime in DamascusA prestigious British university is to review the work of one of its academic research centres because its funding was arranged by the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, the Guardian can reveal.The University

From Sanctions to a Libya-style Showdown in Syria

Inside Story: Syria's Military AssaultOn Monday the Syrian army advanced into the southern city of Deraa. In a statement the government said troops had been deployed on the request of citizens who were worried about "armed extremists".

Inside Story presenter Dareen Abughaida discusses with guests: Najib Ghadbian, a professor of Political Science at the University of Arkinsas; Hassan Nafaa, a

Secret Police Detain More Than 500 as Syria Defies Western ThreatsTHE INDEPENDENT: Brutal security forces move in as government refuses to be cowed by warning of international sanctionsSyria's feared secret police raided hundreds of homes yesterday as authorities stepped up attempts to crush the pro-reform movement amid tentative signs of coordinated action by world leaders against the

US Considers Syria Sanctions

Syria: William Hague Condemns CrackdownTHE DAILY TELEGRAPH: William Hague has condemned the bloody crackdown on protests in Syria and call [sic] for an end to violent repression.Mr Hague confirmed that Britain is working with partners in the United Nations Security Council, the European Union and the Middle East region to send a "strong signal" to Bashar Assad, the Syrian president, that he must

Gunfire and Tanks in SyriaApr 24 - Amateur video purports to show Syrian protesters under fire, with several seriously injured. Deborah Lutterbeck reports

Analysis: West's Caution on Syria Jars with Libya ActionREUTERS: An authoritarian Arab ruler unleashes his security forces and irregular militia gunmen to crush peaceful pro-democracy protests, killing hundreds of people including women and children.Does the West a) issue statements condemning the excessive use of force; b) seek U.N. sanctions and an International Criminal Court investigation; c)

Syria: President Bashar al-Assad Faces Indictment by the International Criminal CourtTHE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: President Bashar al-Assad faces indictment by the International Criminal Court as Western leaders were told on Sunday that the Syrian leader could be held to account for the deaths of 120 anti-government protesters.An influential body of international judges and lawyers called for Mr Assad

Foreign Office Strongly Urges Britons to Leave SyriaBBC: British citizens are being urged to leave Syria unless they have a "pressing need to remain" there, following weeks of unrest.The Foreign Office "strongly advises" Britons to leave because of the "rapid deterioration" in law and order.It says the British Embassy may not be able to provide normal consular assistance if the situation