Syria

President Bashar al-Assad has accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Mohammed Naji Otri and his Cabinet and instructed them to act as caretaker pending the formation of a new government, news agencies say. The prime minister and his Cabinet resigned in an attempt to help quell popular unrest that erupted a week ago. The new government is expected to be completed in the coming days and will be in charge of implementing reforms promised by the state as part of its efforts to address protesters’ demands.

The protests in the country took a violent turn in the past few days, earning backlash from some members of the international community, which condemned the use of live ammunition and violence against protesters.