Syrian president forms new government
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Syria's state news agency says President Bashar Assad has formed a new government headed by a loyalist member of his Baath Party.
Assad had promised after the May 7 parliamentary elections to make the government more inclusive to politicians from other parties. But the appointment as prime minister of Baathist Riad Farid Hijab, a former agriculture minister, raised questions about his commitment to that pledge. There was no change on Friday in the key posts at the foreign, defense and interior ministries. (AP)
