The Syrian government has lifted a national emergency law that has been in place for nearly 50 years, but it announced other measures designed to regulate public protests, which have been taking place in many parts of the country. From Beirut, Owen Bennett-Jones reports.
On Saturday, President Bashar al-Assad pledged to lift the country's long-standing emergency laws within a week; and now it's been announced that the government has ratified an executive order that repeals the legislation. The announcement followed an interior ministry statement couched as both an appeal and a warning. The ministry said stability and security were national goals which should be realised. Unverified video footage said to be from Homs on Monday night showed heavy gunfire ringing through the main square where protesters had gathered.
哈马斯和伊斯兰极端组织交火致1人死亡
Hamas security forces have stormed a house in Gaza, seeking militants suspected of involvement in the murder of an Italian activist, Vittorio Arrigoni. Officials said two of the militants died and a third was arrested. Al-Qaeda-inspired militants were blamed for the killing of Mr Arrigoni, who was a pro-Palestinian activist. Jon Donnison reports from Ramallah.
Mid-afternoon, fierce gunfire erupted as Hamas security forces laid siege to a house in the central Gaza Strip, where the three suspects were hiding. It ended dramatically. According to the Hamas interior ministry, one of the suspects threw a grenade at the other two, killing one of them and injuring the other. The first man then shot himself. Hamas had said it would crack down hard on those behind the murder of Vittorio Arrigoni, the first foreigner to be kidnapped in Gaza since the Islamic movement came to power in 2007.