Wednesday 4 September 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Russia tell US it needs UN approval for Syria strike

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MOSCOW (AFP) - Moscow warned on Wednesday that any US Congress approval for a military strike against Syria without UN approval would represent an aggression and that such action could have far-reaching nuclear security implications.The Kremlins stark language came as it demanded convincing proof that the regime of Bashar al-Assad was responsible for using chemical weapons against its own people.Russian President Vladimir Putin said it would be unacceptable for the West to go ahead with military action against Damascus without UN Security Council approval, according to Russian news agencies.Only the UN Security Council can give approval for the use of force against another state, Putin told members of the board of human rights in the Kremlin prior to a meeting of the G20 in Saint Petersburg.Any other ways to justify the use of force against another sovereign and independent state are unacceptable and cannot be qualified as anything other than aggression.But Syria, as we know, does not attack the United States, it can therefore be no question of defence.Earlier in the afternoon the Russian president suggested Russia could approve military strikes against Syria -- if the West presented watertight evidence of chemical weapons crimes.Putin said the West needed to put forward cast-iron proof of the circumstances of the attack, which some Russian officials have previously blamed on rebels seeking to discredit the regime.If there is evidence that chemical weapons were used, and by the regular army,... then this evidence must be presented to the UN Security Council. And it must be convincing, Putin said.If there was clear proof of what weapons were used and who used them, Russia will be ready to act in the most decisive and serious way, he said.However, on Wednesday evening, Russias foreign ministry warned that military intervention in Syria could have catastrophic consequences for nuclear security.The escalation of the situation around Syria is of particular concern since an action against the country could reach sensitive targets from the viewpoint of nuclear safety, said a statement from ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich.If weapons fell on a mini-reactor in the suburbs of Damascus it could have catastrophic onsequences: a possible contamination of land by highly enriched uranium and other radioactive materials, he said, adding it would be impossible to guarantee control of nuclear material.The United States has indicated it is prepared to go ahead with military action without UN approval, but President Barack Obama is first seeking approval from Congress which will push back the timetable until after the G20 meet which begins Thursday.Speaking in Sweden ahead of travelling to the G20, Obama said he hoped Putin would change his position on Syria.Secretary of State John Kerry and Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel on Tuesday in the Senate defended Obamas announcement of limited punitive strikes on Syria, but not before getting a green light from Congress.The US, along with France, is trying to establish an international coalition for a military response against Damascus, which it holds culpable for a chemical weapons attack that killed hundreds in Damascus suburbs on August 21.The conflict has so far claimed 110,000 lives, according to NGOs, and the UN estimates two million Syrian refugees have left the country.

US Senate panel approve use of force against Syria

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - President Barack Obamas plan to conduct punishing military strikes on Syria passed its first congressional hurdle Wednesday, paving the way for a full Senate debate on the use of force.The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved an amended resolution 10-7, with one senator, the chambers newest member Edward Markey, voting present, that authorizes US military intervention with a 90-day deadline and bars American boots on the ground for combat purposes.Senate leaders have said the full chamber will debate and vote next week on authorization of the use of force in response to Syrian President Bashar al-Assads apparent use of chemical weapons against his own people.The House of Representatives, where a tougher vote is expected, will begin consideration next week but its leaders have not announced the timing.What weve done today is a step in the right direction. I hope it makes a safer world, said Senator Dick Durbin.The chambers number two Democrat voted against the war in Iraq, but he insisted that this is different.I really believe there is a moral component here thats critically important, he said, citing how all members of the committee are horrified by the abhorrent attacks by Assad.Senator Robert Menendez, the committees chairman, said the amended, bipartisan resolution marks a good foundation for passing the Senate.This resolution strikes the type of balance that we are hearing from members on both sides of the aisle in both houses as to what their concerns are.Lawmakers tweaked the resolution to include language sought by Republican Senator John McCain, who had threatened a no vote unless the measure addressed efforts to change the momentum on the battlefield in Syria.Any observer would agree that unless Bashar al-Assad believes that he is going to lose, it will be impossible for him to negotiate a peaceful settlement and departure from Syria, McCain told the committee as it debated and ultimately approved his amendment.McCain voted yes for the resolution, but five Republicans, including two potential 2016 presidential candidates, Rand Paul and Marco Rubio, voted against.

Arab nations offered to pay for Syria strike: Kerry

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Arab nations have offered to help pay for any US military intervention in Syria, Secretary of State John Kerry told lawmakers Wednesday as he sought support for missile strikes.With respect to Arab countries offering to bear the cost and to assist, the answer is profoundly yes, they have. That offer is on the table, Kerry said as he appeared before a House of Representatives panel.The offer was quite significant, he said.Some of them have said that if the United States is prepared to go do the whole thing the way weve done it previously in other places, theyll carry that cost. Thats how dedicated they are to this.But he stressed: Obviously, that is not in the cards and nobody is talking about it, but they are talking about taking seriously getting this job done.He was appearing before the House Foreign Affairs committee on the second day of the administrations blitz on Capitol hill to persuade lawmakers to approve limited military strikes.Washington has led charges that the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad unleashed sarin gas on August 21 against the residents of a Damascus suburb killing what a US intelligence report said was some 1,400 people.President Barack Obama has insisted that Assads regime has crossed a red line against the use of such horrific weapons and should be punished and his military capability degraded.But in a sign of the depth of opposition involvement in Syria, anti-war demonstrators held up red-stained hands behind Kerrys head in a silent protest during his testimony.Lawmakers are now drafting a resolution to go before Congress which would give the US administration a 60-day deadline for military intervention, which could be extended once for 30 more days. It would also bar any American boots on the ground.Asked if the time limit was acceptable to administration, Kerry said it would be preferable to have a trigger in there if Assad used chemical weapons again.He indicated that a move to give the White House a further 60 days every time such arms were used would be acceptable.The Senate Foreign Relations Committee meanwhile held a three-hour, classified session to try to thrash out a draft resolution after Republican veteran Senator John McCain appeared to balk at the plan because he felt it did not go far enough.

Mideast peace talks so far 'futile': Palestinians

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RAMALLAH (AFP) - Middle East peace talks have so far proved futile, a senior Palestinian official said on Wednesday, calling for greater US participation in talks.Until now there has been no progress, the Palestine Liberation Organisations Yasser Abed Rabbo told Voice of Palestine radio, after several weeks of meetings between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators.Despite our decision to take part in talks, were now seeing what we expected -- that there is little hope for their progress, in fact that hope is non-existent and negotiations are futile, he said.Abed Rabbos comments echoed those of another senior official who said on Monday that after several rounds of US-brokered talks there had been no breakthrough.Saving this political process not only (requires) promises of more US meetings with the sides, but also a clear US stance and pressure on Israel, Abed Rabbo warned.Palestinian officials have complained about the lack of direct American involvement in the talks, which began last month after intense efforts by US Secretary of State John Kerry to bring both sides to the table.But ahead of the first bilateral meetings in Jerusalem on August 14, Israel announced plans to build more than 2,000 Jewish settler homes on Palestinian territory, in a move that angered Palestinian negotiators.The last direct negotiations broke down in September 2010 weeks after they had started over the settlements issue.Israel hasnt committed to halting settlement building. Weve seen the continuation of settlement building, which is destroying any chance for this political process, Abed Rabbo said.Either this occupation and all settlement building ceases, or the process is doomed to failure and collapse.The talks have been held under a US-imposed media blackout, with no official announcements of when or where they are to take place.The number and dates of talks are not important. Im not following exactly when the meetings have taken place, and this is not what were interested in, Abed Rabbo said.The fundamental issue is that until now there are no indications these talks have achieved any progress whatsoever.

Russian ships 'able to react' in case of Syria escalation

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MOSCOW (AFP) - Russian naval vessels in the Mediterranean are capable of reacting to an escalation in the Syria conflict, a military source said Wednesday, as Moscow fine tunes its maritime presence ahead of possible US military action.Today we consider our presence in the eastern Mediterranean to be sufficient to solve the tasks. If necessary, together with submarine forces, they (the ships) are capable even today of influencing a military situation, a general staff source told the Interfax news agency.We are ready to solve sudden task. For that, the naval group is being corrected for the corresponding variants of the outcome of events, the source added, without giving further details.According to Interfax, the Russian destroyer Smetlivy will soon join the group in the Mediterranean as well as the destroyer Nastoichivy.The anti-submarine ship Admiral Panteleyev has already entered its zone of operation as the flagship of the current rotation of the naval grouping in the Mediterranean, a military source told the agency.The missile cruiser Moskva, from the Black Sea fleet, has now left its assignment in the northern Atlantic and is now on its way to the eastern Mediterranean. On arrival it will assume the role as the Russian flagship, Interfax said.Already in place in the eastern Mediterranean are the frigate Neustrashimy, as well as the landing ships Alexander Shabalin, the Admiral Nevelsky and the Peresvet. They will be joined by the large landing ships Novocherkassk and Minsk on September 5-6, Interfax said. As previously reported, the reconnaissance ship Priazovye is also on its way to join the group.The US already has a strong naval presence in the region and the possible US military action launched against Syria is widely expected to be launched from the sea.Russia has kept a constant presence in the eastern Mediterranean during the Syrian crisis, rotating its group every few months.Russia also has a naval base in the Syrian port of Tartus, an heirloom from Moscow's close relationship with Damascus under the Soviet Union.According to Russian media reports, Russian naval personnel have largely now been withdrawn from the base, a modest but hugely strategic facility which Moscow calls a point of military-technical supply of the Russian Navy.Moscow vehemently opposes US-led plans for military action against the regime of Bashar al-Assad in response to an alleged chemical attack outside Damascus, warning it risks destabilising the entire region.

Gasquet downs Ferrer to make first US Open semi

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NEW YORK (AFP) - French eighth seed Richard Gasquet reached his first US Open semi-final on Wednesday with a rollercoaster 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 2-6, 6-4 win over David Ferrer, the Spanish fourth seed.Gasquet, whose only previous appearance in the last four at a major was at Wimbledon in 2007, is the first Frenchman to get to the semi-finals in New York since Cedric Pioline in 1999.It was only his second win in 10 meetings with Ferrer, a series which had also seen him claim just two sets out of 20.Next up could be a clash with world number two Rafael Nadal, against whom he has lost all 10 meetings as a professional, although he did beat the great Spaniard in their junior days.Nadal tackles fellow Spaniard Tommy Robredo later Wednesday in his quarter-final.I beat him when I was 13 in a junior tournament. Rafa is a good friend of mine so if I play him it will be great, said Gasquet, who is 2-2 against Robredo.Gasquet had played the longest match of the tournament to see off Milos Raonic in the fourth round but he showed no ill effects from that four-hour-40-minute slugfest as he raced through the first two sets against Ferrer.His majestic one-handed backhand was working overtime as Ferrer, a semi-finalist in 2007 and 2010, struggled.But the 31-year-old Spaniard summoned up his trademark pugnacious instincts to claw his way back.Ferrer, who has made at least the quarter-finals in his past eight majors, levelled the quarter-final, although Gasquet had his chances in a 13-minute sixth game where he carved out three break points.But gallant Gasquet grabbed the crucial break in the sixth game of the decider when Ferrer double-faulted and took the match courtesy of a swinging forehand winner.In a tight contest, Gasquet finished with 52 winners to Ferrers 40 with the 27-year-old Frenchman collecting just five points more.I played a great match at the start despite the wind in the stadium. But David is a great fighter and I was a little tired after a big match with Raonic, said Gasquet.I got the break in the final set and its an amazing feeling to be in the semi-finals. I have played a lot of five sets in my career but I still needed to play big to get the victory.Nadal takes a 6-0 career lead over Robredo into his quarter-final, which will close Wednesdays night session.The world number two, a winner of 12 majors including the New York title in 2010, has a 19-0 hardcourt record this year and boasts a 57-3 match record since his return to the tour in February after a seven-month injury layoff.The 27-year-old French Open champion has held all of his 56 service games in four rounds so far and has been broken just eight times in 14 hardcourt matches this summer in North America.Robredo, who stunned five-time champion Roger Federer in the fourth round, has made the last eight for the first time in 12 visits.The 31-year-old former world number five also made the last eight at the French Open for the fifth time this year.The two remaining quarter-finals will be played on Thursday when top seed Novak Djokovic, the 2011 champion who has not dropped a set so far, takes on Russian 21st seed Mikhail Youzhny, a two-time semi-finalist.Defending champion Andy Murray, the third seed, meets Stanislas Wawrkinka, the ninth-seeded Swiss.

Pennetta wins all-Italian quarterfinal at US Open

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NEW YORK (AP) - Flavia Pennetta made it to her first Grand Slam semifinal and climbed back on top of Italys competitive tennis ladder by defeating 10th-seeded Roberta Vinci 6-4, 6-1 in the U.S. Open on Wednesday.Back in 2009, the 31-year-old Pennetta became the first Italian woman to crack the top 10. But she fell out of the spotlight in her countrys tennis scene after the emergence of Vinci and Sara Errani, combined with a wrist injury that sidelined her during the end of last season.Pennetta came into Flushing Meadows ranked 83rd, but will leave with victories over both of Italys top players.After her win over Vinci, a longtime friend and former doubles partner, the Italians met at the net and hugged. Vinci gave Pennetta a kiss on the cheek and told her, Brava.I know how she plays, she knows everything of me, Pennetta said of her opponent. We get in the court, and I think today was more about inside, not about tennis. It was about how you play, how you feel in the court, and how can you handle the situation.This was Pennettas fourth straight win over a seeded opponent a period that began with a 6-3, 6-1 win over fourth-seeded Errani and also included a victory over No. 27 Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2004 U.S. Open champion.Pennetta hasnt lost a set en route to the final four of the years last major. Her next match will be against either Victoria Azarenka or Daniela Hantuchova.Shes someone who, when she wants something, she wants it all costs, which is the right way to be, Vinci said. It might seem strange to say it, but its great when a person gets back to this level after an operation. She deserves to be in the semifinals.Hantuchova and Vinci are both 30 and among the five thirtysomethings to reach the quarterfinals this year, matching the most in the Open era of Grand Slam tennis.In the lead-up to the match, Vinci conceded it took her a long time to shed the label of doubles specialist and start believing she could beat players such as Pennetta, who she played doubles with on and off through the mid-2000s. Vinci broke through, but didnt have any answers for Pennetta in their latest meeting on a calm, sunny day in Arthur Ashe Stadium.She attacked the net 34 times but won only 18 of those points. She finished with 14 winners and 28 unforced errors. Trailing 5-4 in the first, Vinci saved a pair of set points and had two chances to break, but couldnt convert either. Vinci attacked the net on the last two points of the set, butPennetta hit shots Vinci couldnt handle both times to close things out.The second set took only 24 minutes.

Williams sisters move on to quarterfinals

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NEW YORK (AP) - Venus and Serena Williams overcame two service breaks in the second set Wednesday to advance to the U.S. Open doubles quarterfinals with a 6-1, 7-6 (3) victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Lucie Safarova.The Williams sisters, who have combined for 13 Grand Slam doubles titles, will play the defending champion and top-seeded Italian pair of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci. The Italians beat the sisters in three sets in the Australian Open quarterfinals.We learned from the match in Australia, Venus Williams said. Obviously, they play well, they play often. Theyre a great team, so were going to learn from that and go for it tomorrow.The doubles is keeping Serena Williams sharp during her two-day break between Tuesday nights 6-0, 6-0 victory over Carla Suarez Navarro in the singles quarterfinals and her meeting with Li Na in Fridays semifinals.Vinci, meanwhile, lost to Flavia Pennetta in singles Wednesday and now only has doubles. She and Errani have three Grand Slam titles, including this years Australian Open.Honestly, a different draw would have been better, Vinci said. Well see whether Serena already is thinking about the (singles) semifinals. If we play them, itll be very, very hard. ... They serve well, return well. But Venus is playing a bit less well than (Serena), so well need to go after Venus more.In Wednesdays match, the Williams sisters lost only three points on their serve in the first set, but both sisters got broken once in the second. The second break came against Serena when she was trying to serve out the match at 5-4.The Williams won the first five points of the tiebreaker, lost the next three, then closed it out two points after that on Serenas service winner.I can always blame her if things dont go right, Serena joked in her on-court interview. Shes the older sister so she always takes the blame. Im never wrong.

Usain Bolt to retire after Rio Olympics

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BRUSSELS (AP) - Usain Bolt plans to retire after the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.Bolt said Wednesday he wants to win more gold in Rio, set another world record in the 200 meters next year, and perhaps win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.So far, (it) is after the Olympics in Rio, Bolt said of his retirement plans. I think if I am in great shape, Ill go there and do what I have to do. I think it will be a good time to retire, on top.Winning another three golds in Moscow last month made him the most decorated athlete in world championship history with eight gold and two silvers. He has six gold medals from the Olympics.If I want to be among the greats of (Muhammad) Ali and Pele and all these guys I have to continue dominating until I retire, Bolt said ahead of his final race this season in the 100 at Fridays Van Damme Memorial.Bolt won the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and at last years London Games. He won the same triple at the 2009 worlds before repeating that feat in Moscow last month.At 27, Bolt has the experience to know that a lax season midway between Olympics can hurt him. In 2010, a soft entry into the year and subsequent injury cost him almost a full season.I kind of didnt do much in the offseason and then got injured and had to start from scratch. So this season, I will not make that mistake again, Bolt said.Like 2010, next season has no major championships, but Bolt is forcing himself to think of new goals for 2014.He already owns the 100 and 200 world records and shares the 4x100 with his Jamaican teammates. He acknowledges the 100 record of 9.58 seconds will be extremely tough to better, but he hopes to improve on the 19.19 he ran in the 200 in Berlin four years ago.I have learned, I have mastered the art of running the turn, Bolt said of the 200. So if I can stay injury free and be in good shape, then it is possible for me to definitely go after the world record.As a Jamaican, Bolt can compete in the Commonwealth Games, too, something he has yet to do. Next year, the event will be held in Glasgow, Scotland.I have never been to Commonwealths and so it is always good to add to your collection of gold medals, Bolt said.

Cancellara wins Vuelta 11th stage, Nibali regains lead

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TARAZONA (AFP) - Switzerlands Fabian Cancellara won the 11th stage of the Tour of Spain on Wednesday, a 38.8km hilly time trial, while Italys Vincenzo Nibali regained the overall leaders red jersey.Radioshacks Cancellara, a specialist in this discipline, paced his effort in the early uphill section of the time trial near Tarazona in Aragon and then powered to the finish, completing it in 51 minutes, 37 seconds ahead of Germanys Tony Martin of Omega.Italys Domenico Pozzovivo of Ag2r finished the first and only time trial of this years Tour in third place, 1min 24sec behind the winner.Cancellara said this would stand him in good stead ahead of the time trial at the World Championships in Florence later this month.Im coming into form for Florence. Having said that, I cant really compare myself to Tony Martin today given that the course in Florence is very different to this one, said Cancellara.The time trial in Florence will be largely flat and run over 57.9km.Astanas Nibali, who clocked the fourth fastest time at 1:25, took over the race leaders red jersey from American veteran Christopher Horner of Radioshack.Horner came home in 54:01 and is now fourth in the overall standings, 46 seconds behind Nibali, the 2010 champion.It was a great result for the Italian, who won this years Giro dItalia, as he was stung by an insect on Tuesday and awoke on Wednesday morning with a badly swollen face.But it didnt seem to affect the 28-year-old, who has greatly improved his time-trialling this season.Yesterday I had a little problem with a wasp and this morning I woke up with swollen eyes, explained Nibali.But I didnt really have a problem during the time trial.I knew that Alejandro Valverde could produce a good time trial and that was the case. Purito (Joaquim Rodriguez) found it tougher but they remain my main rivals.Irelands Nicolas Roche moved up to second at 33sec after finishing the time trial in sixth while 2009 winner Valverde finished seventh on the stage and is now third overall, on the same time as Horner.Diminutive climber Pozzovivos stunning, and unexpected, result lifted him to sixth overall, just behind Spaniard Rodriguez, the third-placed finisher at this years Tour de France, who failed to shine in finishing 21st on the stage.Thursdays 12th stage is a 164.2 kilometre ride from Maella to Tarragona. With only one categorised climb just beyond midway and a flat final 20km, it should favour the sprinters.

Oil falls as US weighs Syria action

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NEW YORK (AP) - The price of oil fell Wednesday amid uncertainty over U.S. plans to launch a punitive strike against Syria.U.S. benchmark oil for October delivery fell $1.31, or 1.2 percent, to close at $107.23 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.Brent, the benchmark for international crudes, dropped 77 cents to $114.91 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.During a visit to Sweden, President Barack Obama said the credibility of the international community and Congress is on the line in the debate over how to respond to the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria.The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 10-7 to give Obama the authority to use military force against Syria. One senator voted present. The full Senate is expected to vote on the measure next week.The U.S. says it has proof that the regime of President Bashar Assad was behind attacks that Washington claims killed at least 1,429 people, including more than 400 children. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which collects information from a network of anti-regime activists, says it has so far only been able to confirm 502 dead.Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West Wednesday against taking one-sided action in Syria but also said Russia doesnt exclude supporting a U.N. resolution on punitive military strikes if it is proved that Damascus used poison gas on its own people.While Syria is not a major oil producer, the possibility of a wider conflict could interrupt production and shipping routes in the region, said Chris Faulkner, CEO of Breitling Energy Companies.Syria, he said, is a small, delicate pin in the worlds major oil grenade and it could blow up in the worlds face if the U.S. is not very careful.Investors will later be monitoring fresh information on U.S. stockpiles of crude and refined products.Data for the week ending Aug. 30 is expected to show draws of 2.5 million barrels in crude oil stocks and 1 million barrels in gasoline stocks, according to a survey of analysts by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos.The American Petroleum Institute will release its report on oil stocks later Wednesday, while the report from the Energy Departments Energy Information Administration the market benchmark will be out on Thursday.

Dead scorpion found in school meal

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RAIPUR: (Web Desk) At least 18 students fell ill after consuming midday meal which became contaminated allegedly due to a dead scorpion in food in Chhattisgarhs Balodabazar district on Wednesday, officials said.A girl student in a government middle school at Khamariya village of Sarsinwa region allegedly spotted the scorpion while having the meal, following which she complained to school authorities, district collector Rajesh Sukumar Toppo said.Soon, 18 students, between class 6th to 8th, complained of nausea and started vomitting and were taken to a nearby primary health centre, Toppo said.All students have been discharged after treatment, he said.Officials said Hemant Sahu, who is in-charge of the midday meal in the school, has been suspended following preliminary investigation into the incident, while the self-help group (SHG) involved in cooking the food under the scheme removed.About 45 students attended the school on Wednesday and consumed the midday meal, according to officials..

Syria vows to retaliate if attacked

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DAMASCUS (AFP) - Syria said Wednesday it had taken every measure to retaliate if hit by a feared US-led military strike and would never give in, even if a third world war erupts.In an exclusive interview with AFP, Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Muqdad also insisted that Russia had not wavered in its support, despite comments by President Vladimir Putin suggesting a more conciliatory tone towards the West.Syria has taken every measure to retaliate against an aggression, he said, although he refused to provide any clue as to what that might mean.The Syrian government will not change position even if there is World War III. No Syrian can sacrifice the independence of his country, he added.US President Barack Obama is busy trying to convince Congress to approve a strike against the Assad regime in retaliation for a suspected deadly poison gas attack on August 21 that Washington blames on Damascus.The regime categorically denies any responsibility for the alleged attack in Damascus suburbs and has said it is cooperating with UN inspectors who are currently analysing samples taken from the sites of the suspected incident.Analysts fear that the conflict currently tearing Syria apart will spill over permanently into fragile, neighbouring countries such as Lebanon, where supporters of the Damascus regime are already pitted against its opponents.And allies Russia and Iran have warned that any military intervention would have devastating regional consequences.But in an interview broadcast earlier Wednesday, Putin appeared to strike a more conciliatory note by saying he did not exclude agreeing to strikes if it was proven the regime had carried out the alleged gas attack.Yet Muqdad stressed that Moscow had not wavered in its support of Damascus.The Russian position is unchanged; its a responsible position of a friend that is in favour of peace, he said.In later comments at a Kremlin meeting, Putin appeared to corroborate this, warning the US Congress that it would be legitimising an aggression if it gave its blessing to military action in a vote expected next week.Washington says the alleged chemical weapons attack on August 21 killed more than 1,400 people.Since the Syrian conflict broke out in March 2011 with an uprising against the Assad regime, more than 110,000 people have died, including over 40,100 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

18 of same family among 33 killed in Iraq

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - Attacks around Baghdad and north Iraq left 33 people dead on Wednesday, including 18 members of a Shiite family killed by militants, the latest in a nationwide surge of violence.The unrest came a day after a wave of bombings targeting Shiites in Baghdad and shootings and bombings elsewhere killed 61 people, further raising fears Iraq is slipping back into the all-out sectarian bloodshed that left tens of thousands dead in 2006 and 2007.Authorities, meanwhile, announced the arrest of an alleged senior aide to Izzat al-Duri, the highest-ranking member of executed dictator Saddam Husseins regime still on the run.Wednesdays violence struck towns on the outskirts of Baghdad as well as predominantly Sunni cities in the north of the country, with the deadliest attack hitting south of the capital.Shortly after midnight, militants bombed adjacent houses belonging to Shiite Muslim brothers in the town of Latifiyah, which lies about 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of Baghdad.A total of 18 people were killed, including five women and six children, and a dozen others were wounded, according to an army officer and a doctor at a nearby hospital.Latifiyah lies within a confessionally-mixed region known as the Triangle of Death, so named for the brutal violence that plagued the area during the peak of Iraqs sectarian war in 2006-2007.Last week, another attack on a Shiite family in the same town killed at least five people.No group claimed responsibility for the latest violence, but Sunni militants linked to Al-Qaeda frequently carry out attacks against Iraqs Shiite Muslim majority who they regard as apostates.Separate attacks in Besmaya, Iskandiriyah and Tarmiyah, also on Baghdads outskirts, killed nine people, including seven soldiers.Bombings in two Sunni-majority cities north of the capital killed six people, including five policemen who died in a suicide car bombing against a police station in Mosul, one of Iraqs most restive cities.The latest bloodshed came as Baghdad was still reeling from a wave of car bombs targeting Shiite neighbourhoods on Tuesday evening that killed 50 people, while unrest elsewhere left 11 others dead.Among the attacks was a car bombing in the central commercial district of Karrada where four storefronts were badly damaged.Workers were still picking up the pieces from the previous evenings violence on Wednesday.At one restaurant, where windows were completely shattered by the blast, three men were consoling each other as they tried to clean up the aftermath of the attack.Please, we have cried enough, one of them told another, before himself breaking into tears, while one man held up the clothes of a friend who died in the attack and shouted, These are his clothes -- what should I do with them?Attacks have surged since the beginning of the year, killing more than 3,900 people already in 2013, according to an AFP tally.AKE Group, a risk consultancy, said it recorded an average of 155 deaths per week since April, compared to an average of around 60 per week from the beginning of 2011 until April of this year.This is a clear escalation and AKE expects conditions to remain more hostile than usual for the foreseeable future, it said in a statement.Iraqi officials have trumpeted wide-ranging operations targeting militants in which hundreds of alleged fighters have been captured and dozens killed.On Wednesday, a spokesman for the Counter Terrorism Service announced the arrest of Hussein al-Khazraji, who security forces say is a top aide to Izzat al-Duri, Saddams vice president.Saddams Baath party has said Duri, the king of clubs in the US deck of cards showing the most-wanted members of the ousted presidents regime, died in 2005.But audio messages have been attributed to him in recent years and he is accused of orchestrating violent attacks.Despite the string of operations and arrests, a long-running political deadlock combined with frustrations in Iraqs Sunni Arab minority and concerns that neighbouring Syrias civil war is spilling over into Iraq have fuelled warnings that violence is unlikely to abate.

Sony launches camera phone with add-on lenses

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BERLIN (AP) - Sony Mobile has unveiled a new addition to its Xperia smartphone line-up that sports a massive 20.7-megapixel resolution camera capable of taking add-on lenses.The Xperia Z1 is Sonys attempt to leapfrog rivals such as Nokia and Samsung in the race for the phone with the best camera.The company presented the phone in Berlin on Wednesday, two days ahead of the opening of the annual IFA consumer electronics show in the city.The Z1s standout features are the in-built camera and detachable lenses that can be controlled from the phones 5-inch screen.Its the handsets camera features are supported by dedicated apps and a large image sensor.The Android-powered phone, previously codenamed Honami, also comes with a 2.2 gigahertz processor, waterproof aluminum case and the latest mobile broadband connectivity.
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