Syria

May 26, 2012 An image released by the Syrian opposition's Shaam News Network shows an anti-regime demonstration in the Daraa province Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets on Friday as more than 30 people were reportedly killed across Syria, while security forces deployed tanks and helicopter gunships against rebels. The latest violence came as Kofi Annan, the UN-Arab League envoy to Syria

French writer and philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy walks in a Paris street in 2011. Levy will stride the red carpet at Cannes with four Libyan rebels for the premiere of his documentary on the Libyan war, "The Oath of Tobruk". Libyan rebels take position during fighting against regime forces at the Gadayem forest, west of Tripoli in 2011.

0 Syrian opposition forces released on Friday Lebanese hostages kidnapped in northern Syria, an Islamist cleric who brokered their release said. "Thanks to God their transfer is complete..they have been handed to the Turkish authorities," a statement from Sheikh Ibrahim al-Zoaby said. Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati has received confirmation from Turkey that Lebanese hostages who had been kidnapped in Syria have been released

AFP/Damascus Syrian forces tried to storm the rebel bastion of Rastan yesterday under cover of heavy gunfire, shelling and rocket bombardment, reports said, as Damascus admitted sanctions were biting hard. Meanwhile, the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) denied it was behind the abduction of Lebanese Shia pilgrims, an incident stoking tensions in neighbouring Lebanon, divided between pro- and anti-Damascus camps.

Baku-APA. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has invited his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad to visit Tehran and attend the 16th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit, APA reports quoting IRNA. Iran's Minister of Communications and Technology, Reza Taghipour, submitted the invitation message to Assad on Thursday. The NAM Summit will be held in Tehran from August 26-31.