The crisis in Syria is developing new and acute symptoms which threaten the region on more levels than were previously thought, which should be of immediate concern, not just for the region itself, but for the international community as a whole. Many readers are already aware that the ‘al Nusrah Front’, one of the dominant ‘al Qaeda’ groups currently being supported by the US and Britain in Syria, is being funded and steered by Saudi Arabia’s intelligence agency.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said India would like to see a “strong, stable and prosperous” Pakistan and that he was happy to see democracy flourish over there as he received a Pakistani parliamentary delegation. Mr Singh also told the delegation led by Senate Chairman Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari that closer relations between parliaments in the two countries was necessary for strengthening bilateral ties.

On Thursday and Friday, Indonesia will host the fifth Bali Democracy Forum. This year’s BDF will focus on the contribution of democratic global governance to international peace and security, the enjoyment of human rights and economic development.