A Syrian newspaper reported that President Bashar al-Assad is expected to lift a decades-old emergency law that restricts public demonstrations and other political freedoms. The move is meant to appease a protest movement that began on March 15 and has resulted in the deaths of more than 220 people at the hands of security forces and police.

The Syrian city of Homs has been the site of the most recent violence. A Hinsdale dentist originally from Homs shares her thoughts on the crackdown there. She asked that we use a pseudonym, Hana, to protect her family in Syria.