Lebanon: Lebanon's pro-Syrian prime minister, Omar Karami, who resigned last week in the wake of widespread anger over the murder of his predecessor, Rafik Hariri, was renominated for the post yesterday.
A majority of 69 members of Lebanon's 128-seat parliament nominated him in consultations with President Émile Lahoud. President Lahoud, who is also pro-Syrian, appears bound to reappoint Mr Karami.
Opposition MPs did not nominate anyone to lead the government, handing President Lahoud a list of their demands instead. These include calls for the resignation of the country's security chiefs and a demand for the authorities to reveal who was behind the assassination of Mr Hariri.
President Bush said yesterday that the US, which wants all Syrian troops and security agents withdrawn from Lebanon and free elections held, was working with key allies on what steps to take next to pressure Syria to quit the country. He offered no details on whether international sanctions were an option.
"We're working with friends and allies about steps forward, what to do," President Bush said in Washington. "In order for elections [ in May] to be free in Lebanon, the Syrians must remove their troops as well as their intelligence services."
But in Damascus, tens of thousands of Syrians marched through the streets to show support for President Bashar al-Assad.
"With our souls and blood we sacrifice ourselves for Assad," they chanted, waving Syrian flags and carrying pictures of Mr Assad, who has pledged to pull his troops out of Lebanon.
Crowds marched towards the presidential palace, where Mr Assad waved at the crowds from a balcony. Demonstrators burned American flags in another part of Damascus and riot police set up barriers near the US embassy. Many shops and offices were closed.
"I walked kilometres to show Bashar al-Assad that I support him forever," said protester Rana Rankousi.
Some participants said they believed hundreds of thousands had taken part in the march.
The demonstrations, which denounced mounting foreign pressure on Syria and pledged to stand by Lebanon, came a day after hundreds of thousands of Lebanese took part in a pro-Syrian rally called by the Hizbullah militant group in Beirut, dwarfing previous protests demanding that Syria quit Lebanon.