Syrian forces fire at Friday prayers protests

Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad fired at protesters demanding his removal in the Damascus suburb of Douma after Friday prayers, as protests flared anew across Syria in a sixth-month-old uprising against autocratic rule, activists said.

"Protesters phoned in to say that two people have been killed, but this is an initial report still to be confirmed," an activist in Damascus told Reuters by phone. (Reuters)