The Syrian civil war now threatens to split the Middle East along a Sunni-Shi’ite chasm.

Russian president Vladimir Putin questioned yesterday why the West would want to arm Syrian rebels who he said ate human organs.

Western powers are preparing a tough response in case Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s regime deploys chemical or biological weapons, France’s foreign minister said.

THE main hospital in the southern Syrian city of Deraa has received the bodies of at least 37 protesters who were killed in a confrontation with security forces, a hospital official said.