Damascus

DAMASCUS, Syria - Syria has forbidden the country's students and teachers from wearing the niqab - the full Islamic veil that reveals only a woman's eyes - taking aim at a garment many see as political.

DAMASCUS, Syria - Syria has banned the face-covering Islamic veil from the country's universities to prevent what it sees as a threat to its secular identity, as similar moves in Europe spark cries of discrimination against Muslims.

DAMASCUS - Syria has issued a directive banning women who wear full-face veils from attending public and private universities, the state-run news agency Sana reported Sunday.

DAMASCUS,Syria - After delivering a lecture on the increasing role of private banks in Syria, economist Mohammed Ayman al-Maydani got an uncomfortable request from members of the audience to elaborate on a brief reference he made to corruption in the country's private and public sectors.