As Syria Considers Lifting 'Emergency,' Human Rights Activist Arrested

While The Associated Press writes that:

"The Syrian government says it will consider lifting a state of emergency in place since 1963 and is moving to allow greater political freedoms in response to days of unrest in a southern city."

Reuters reports that:

"Syrian authorities have arrested leading rights activist Mazen Darwish, an outspoken critic of Syria's record on freedom of expression, a rights group said on Thursday." [The group: the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.]

As Korva reported earlier, thousands of Syrians are said to have marched in a funeral today for nine anti-regime protesters killed this week. Copyright 2011 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.