Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 31 May 2013

1. ASSAD: 'WE HOLD BALANCE OF POWER'

The Syrian army now holds the "balance of power" in the country's bloody civil war, President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview on Lebanese TV. He also suggested Syria may have received the first shipment of an advanced Russian air defence system and warned Tel Aviv there was "public pressure" to open a military front against Israel in the Golan Heights.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us