A Catholic attorney tells AsiaNews that the turnout will likely be around 15 per cent because “results are already known before votes are cast” and because few are interested in voting in a country where 80 per cent of the population of 20 million earns just US$ 200 a month.
According to sources of Syria's Internal Affairs Ministry, the trail of the attackers, who named their group after Al Zarqawi, leads to a Saudi imam.
After meeting the Nuncio, the head of Sunni clerics called for respect for the personality of Benedict XVI and urged one and all to pursue the path of dialogue.
For Damascus the failure of Secretary Rice's mission and that of the Rome conference are due to its exclusion. Syrian sources say the US is trying to induce it away from Iran.
Head of fundamentalist movement's political office reiterates his group's demand for prisoners' swap.
The media of Damascus as strictly monitored as ever has contested an appeal of 39 imams against a decision not to teach religion in primary school.
In a press conference yesterday, the Syrian Information Minister said: no mediation from the USA, France and Great Britain; let's respect existing agreements, and internal Lebanese dialogue must close before discussions start about borders and diplomatic ties.
According to the 'Syrian Human Rights Association' the 17 bureaucrats lost their job because of their support for the 'Damascus-Beirut declaration' that calls for the normalisation of relation between the two countries. Making the sacking public is a warning against human rights activists.
For Damascus there is something novel in Assad's statement that his government was wiling to establish diplomatic relations for quite some time. Syrian foreign minister says Lebanese prime minister missed opportunity to visit the Syrian capital.
The regime is targeting activists of human rights organizations. The government lashed out at the EU when it called for the release of political prisoners.
The national organisation for the defence of fundamental human rights accused the regime of "using all manner of illicit means to remain in power"; the national centre for the defence and protection of press and journalists' freedom denounced "continued aggression by the government".
US pressures are the main reason for the two countries' strategic alliance. Iran's former president meets Assad and Hezbollah leader.
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