Syria's Assad appoints new government

DAMASCUS, Syria, April 14 (UPI) -- Amid growing unrest in Syria, President Bashar Assad announced Thursday the formation of a new government led by the country's former agricultural minister.

Assad issued a decree for the forming of a new government with Adel Safar, the former agricultural minister, serving as the country's prime minister, the official Syrian Arab News Agency reports.

Assad in early April appointed Safar to form a new government. That order came less than a week after the president accepted the resignation of his Cabinet under Prime Minister Mohammed Naji al-Otari and days after a committee was formed to examine lifting the country's 48-year-old state of emergency.

Assad was pressured to move swiftly on government reforms after several people apparently were killed by state security forces during protests in Daraa.

The appointment comes as London issued a travel advisory for Syria.

"We continue to advise against all but essential travel to the whole of Syria, and against all travel to the southern city of Daraa, the surrounding towns and villages, including Tafas and Sanamiyn, and the town of Douma," the warning read.

The narrative on the situation in Syria varies, though the international community continues to condemn what appears to be a forceful reaction to anti-government pressure.

"We're still concerned about reports of violence there," Mark Toner, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, told reporters. "And we ask President Assad and the Syrian government to respect the human rights of the protesters."