Thousands continue to take to the streets across Syria, despite reform pledges by president Bashar al-Assad. We bring you the latest news from our correspondents and other sources.
These images, grabbed from video taken on Saturday, appear to show mourners dispersing after hearing gunshots at a funeral for a pro-democracy activist in the town of Barzah. [Photo credit: Reuters]
Two days after President Obama blasted the Syrian government for looking to Iran for guidance, Iran's hardline Kayhan newspaper (via the IRNA state news agency) reports on a peaceful pro-Assad march that took place after Friday prayers.
Starting from the Zeinabia neighbourhood, the rally participants, which Kayhan said clutched Syrian flags and photos of Bashar al Assad, called for upholding or supporting the Syrian president's reforms.
The piece also said that those participating in the march sought security and "opposed the agents of disruption who took orders from foreign entities" and that they considered Obama's statement as being only beneficial to those who "sought chaos in the country".
The piece paraphrases Obama's criticism (minus the bit about Iran) and goes on to say, "All this, as Shias are killed in Bahrain daily, tortured ... but Obama won't speak of these horrible topics".
Expat Syrians are hoping President Obama will take a tough line on Syria's government.
They've been protesting outside the White House, and, as Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halkett reports, they urging Obama to push for regime change.
But is it in the US interest to listen to them?- ad is to deploy the armed forces because clearly the multiple intelligence services are unable to hold the people at bay," he said.
"The moment of truth, the day or reckoning, will come when Bashar al-Assad is forced to deploy the military to the cities to quell the protest ... that's when we'll understand how significant these cracks will be if the conscripts and the soldiers start refusing orders or even joining the protesters."
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