BBC News with Fiona MacDonald

The former head of the IMF, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, has been released from house arrest in New York, where he's been facing allegations of attempting to rape a hotel maid. The judge said the case against him was not closed, but he released him without bail. Mr Strauss-Kahn's release follows reports that the prosecution had new doubts about the maid's

credibility

as a witness. But the alleged victim's lawyer Kenneth Thompson said his client stood by her account.

"We believe that the district attorney is laying a foundation to dismiss this case. Anyone can see that. They agreed to let Dominique Strauss-Kahn freely

roam

the streets of New York City or any other city in the United States, knowing full well that the victim to this very day maintains that he sexually assaulted her in that room, knowing very well to this very day that the forensic evidence shows that."

Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets across Syria in some of the biggest demonstrations yet against President Bashar al-Assad. Activists say at least 10 people were shot dead by the security forces across the country. Owen Bennett-Jones reports from neighbouring Lebanon.

The stalemate in Syria continues. Reports from the country say there were large protests after Friday prayers with a

particularly

big gathering in the city of Hama, where the authorities were reported to have reduced their security presence in recent days. But in some other places, the Syrian state is still using force to impose its writ. Opposition activists say that in just two days, at least 14 people have been killed in the northwest of the country.