Chanting crowds of anti-regime protesters in rebellious Damascus suburbs have welcomed United Nations observers monitoring the shaky cease-fire.

A deadline for a United Nations-brokered ceasefire passed today without reports of major violence, opposition activists said, hours after Syria promised to observe a halt in fighting.

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has said increased attacks by government forces on Syrian cities violates the Security Council's demand for an end to hostilities.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned that the crisis in Syria is getting worse and claiming more lives every day even though President Bashar Assad’s government insists it is withdrawing troops ahead of a UN deadline to end the violence.

Syrian troops have launched a fierce assault on a Damascus suburb, days ahead of a deadline for a UN-brokered ceasefire.

Syrian forces renewed their assault on the flashpoint city of Homs as Russia’s foreign minister stressed the need for reform during talks in Damascus with President Bashar Assad about Syria’s escalating violence.

SYRIAN forces have retreated from a rebel-held town under a local ceasefire, residents said, but deadly violence raged on elsewhere as a month-long mandate for Arab peace monitors in Syria was expiring.

SYRIAN security forces opened fire on protesters in several parts of the country yesterday, killing at least eight people and wounding scores, while masked gunmen burst into an apartment in the predominantly Kurdish north-east and shot dead one of Syria’s most prominent opposition figures.

Syrian security forces opened fire on protesters in several parts of the country today, killing at least eight people and wounding scores, while masked gunmen burst into an apartment in the predominantly Kurdish north-east and shot dead one of Syria’s most prominent opposition figures.

SYRIAN forces shot dead 20 protesters despite a pledge by President Bashar al-Assad that a crackdown was over, activists said as thousands marched across Syria, spurred on by US and European calls for him to step down.

Syrian troops backed by tanks have entered a town near the border with Lebanon and are carrying out a campaign of arrests, according to activists.

Defying government guns, thousands of Syrian protesters poured down city streets and a main highway today to press demands for President Bashar Assad’s ousting.

At least seven people have been reported shot dead when Syrian security forces opened fire on anti-government protesters.

SYRIAN government troops backed by tanks yesterday attacked two central towns that have seen intense protests against President Bashar Assad’s regime, while security forces opened fire at demonstrators in several parts of the country causing casualties, activists said.

THE G8 leaders promised $20 billion (€14bn) in aid to Tunisia and Egypt yesterday and held out the prospect of billions more to foster the Arab Spring and the new democracies emerging from popular uprisings.

Syrian troops opened fire on protesters in the southern city of Daraa today as crowds set fire to a bronze statue of the country’s late president, reports say.