Syria to Lift Emergency Rule

Syria’s latest effort to quell anti-government protests appears to be unsuccessful: Protesters hit the streets in Damascus and Baniyas after the Syrian government passed a law lifting the country’s decades-old state of emergency. Changes include the abolition of a state security court, which tried political prisoners, and a new law allowing peaceful protests, which will still, however, require permission from the Interior Ministry. President Bashar al-Assad is expected to sign the law.