| After Qusair, Syrian army sets sights on heartland | | With fresh momentum from the capture of a strategic town in western Syria, President Bashar Assad’s forces have turned their sights to driving rebel fighters from the country’s densely populated heartland, including the cities of Homs and Aleppo. | | Gulf seeks Iran’s word on N-safety | | Arab Gulf states sought reassurances from Iran at a UN nuclear agency meeting this week over the safety of its only atomic energy plant, which is located in an earthquake-prone coastal area, diplomats said. | | Filipino peacekeeper wounded in Golan | | A Filipino peacekeeper in the Golan Heights was wounded Thursday during fighting between Syrian government and rebel forces, a Philippine military spokesman said. | | France sends US chemicals weapons info | | France has sent the United States “all the information it has” on what it has billed as proof that chemical weapons have been used in Syria, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Thursday. | | Pope backs Syria peace bid | | Pope Francis has voiced support for international attempts to convene a peace conference to be attended by Syria's government and opposition. | | Protests unite Turks across the social spectrum | | Office workers in business suits chant anti-government slogans alongside pious women wearing Muslim headscarves. Schoolchildren and bearded anarchists rub shoulders with football fans, well-heeled women in designer sunglasses and elderly couples donating food. | | Rockets launched from Syria hit Lebanon’s Baalbek | | At least five rockets launched from across Lebanon’s border with Syria hit the eastern city of Baalbek Wednesday, including two that landed near the city’s renowned Roman ruins, a security source told AFP. | | 30 lashes for Saudi who slapped wife | | RIYADH — A Saudi man who slapped his wife has earned himself a flogging and jail sentence, in a rare ruling in the Gulf kingdom, a local newspaper reported on Wednesday. | | US to deploy Patriot missiles in Jordan | | WASHINGTON/AMMAN — The United States will deploy Patriot missiles and F-16 fighter jets to Jordan for military exercises this month and may consider keeping them there longer, in consultation with Jordan, US officials said on Tuesday. | |
