Syrian government officials deny opposition claim that Jamil Hassan, head of Syrian Air Force intelligence, was killed at his office in Damascus Saturday.  Also Sunday, Vice President Farouk a-Shara, whom the Syrian rebels claimed last week had defected to Jordan, turned up for work at his office in the Syrian capital.

Reporters saw a-Shara walk to his office for a meeting with Alaeddin Boroujerdi, head of Iran’s parliamentary committee on national security.