At least 14 people have been killed and more than 40 wounded in the central Syrian city of Hama as the regime of President Bashar al-Assad continues a crackdown on opposition protesters. Hama residents say they had protested Assad for the last month without government interference until state forces opened fire during street clashes on Tuesday. The violence comes as the Assad government has invited Syria’s top opposition figures to attend a national dialogue meeting in Damascus this weekend.