BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Syrian cabinet endorsed legislation on Tuesday to lift the state of emergency, in force for 48 years, but the decision is seen as symbolic since existing laws give wide powers to heavy-handed security forces.

Another decision to “regulate peaceful protests” stipulates that people must get permission from the Interior Ministry to demonstrate in Syria.

BEIRUT (Reuters) – In Tunisia and Egypt, “Facebook” vied with “Down with the regime” on graffiti-filled walls — so central were social media to mobilizing mass protests that overthrew their authoritarian rulers.

But in tightly-controlled Syria, with a pervasive security apparatus, Internet penetration of less than 20 percent and heavy restrictions on foreign media, cyber activists are mostly using the web just to illustrate the extent of unrest.

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has a better chance of surviving in power than the fallen authoritarian rulers of Egypt and Tunisia, provided he moves soon from repression to reform.

Assad has so far followed the well-worn script tried unsuccessfully in several Arab states.

BEIRUT (Reuters) – A Syrian opposition figure said on Monday he expected President Bashar al-Assad would scrap hated emergency laws to try to quell protest but replace them with equally harsh legislation couched as anti-terrorist measures.

“Assad is being subjected to internal and external pressures. He has prepared a plan to give the impression to public opinion that he has begun reforms,” Homsi, who was jailed for five years for demanding broader political freedoms, told Reuters from exile in Canada.

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Seven Estonians riding bicycles in Lebanon’s Bekaa valley were kidnapped by masked gunmen on Wednesday, security sources said, a rare incident of its kind since the Lebanese civil war.

The exact circumstances of the attack in an industrial zone in eastern Lebanon remained unclear.

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Tens of thousands of supporters of Lebanon’s toppled premier Saad al-Hariri rallied in Beirut on Sunday, calling for the Shi’ite group Hezbollah which ousted him to put its weapons under state control.

The demonstration in Martyrs’ Square was intended as a show of strength for the billionaire Sunni politician, who has gone into opposition after the collapse in January of his fractious 14-month unity government, which included Hezbollah ministers.

DUBLIN, Jan 28 (Reuters) – Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen
said on Friday he would dissolve parliament next Tuesday and
announce the date of a general election — in which the ruling
Fianna Fail party is expected to suffer a heavy defeat.

Cowen’s announcement will mark the end of his tumultuous
time as premier, during which he was criticised for mishandling
a financial crisis that sent shockwaves across the euro zone and
forced the former “Celtic Tiger” economy to seek a bailout.

DUBLIN (Reuters) – Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen will dissolve parliament on Tuesday and announce the date of a general election, state broadcaster RTE said on Friday, in which his ruling Fianna Fail party will likely suffer a heavy defeat.

Cowen’s announcement will mark the end of his tumultuous time as premier, during which he was criticized for mishandling a financial crisis that sent shockwaves across the euro zone and forced the former “Celtic Tiger” economy to seek a bailout.

DUBLIN (Reuters) – Two independent Irish lawmakers threatened on Tuesday to vote against a bill central to an EU/IMF bailout, raising the possibility of an immediate dissolution of parliament and accelerating an election.

Such an outcome would shelve the fiscal law until a new government comes into power, casting doubts over the euro zone struggler’s commitments to meeting budget goals laid down in the 85 billion euro ($116 billion) rescue agreed late last year.

DUBLIN, Jan 25 (Reuters) – Two independent Irish lawmakers
threatened on Tuesday to vote against a bill central to an
EU/IMF bailout, raising the possibility of an immediate
dissolution of parliament and accelerating an election.

Such an outcome would shelve the fiscal law until a new
government comes into power, casting doubts over the euro zone
struggler’s commitments to meeting budget goals laid down in the
85 billion euro ($116 billion) rescue agreed late last year.