Syrian forces opened fire with live ammunition on demonstrators in Damascus overnight, wounding at least four, activists said early on Tuesday as unrest continued to spread in the capital.
Demonstrations and clashes with forces have hit Damascus in the past week, undermining President Bashar al-Assad's argument that an 11-month uprising has been the work of saboteurs. International diplomacy showed no sign of finding a solution, as Western powers and the Arab League prepared a meeting of "Friends of Syria" on Friday to pressure Assad to step down, while Russia and China backed Assad's plans.
Yemen votes for post-Saleh era
Yemenis began voting on Tuesday to replace President Ali Abdullah Saleh in an election many hope will give Yemen a chance to rebuild the country shattered by a year-long struggle that had pushed Yemen to the brink of civil war.
Although Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi stands uncontested as a consensus candidate, the election is billed as an attempt to help Yemen turn a new page on a president who ruled the country with an iron fist for 33 years.