Syrian Electronic Army hacks Obama's social media links

Washington, October 29: (Ani): President Barack Obama's social media account has been hacked. An official with Organizing for Action affirmed that the gathering's connection shortening record was quickly traded off by programmers. As per Politico, the Syrian Electronic Army, an expert Bashar al-Assad aggregation, asserted authority regarding the assault on Twitter. As an aftereffect of the security break, the confirmed Obama Twitter and Facebook pages started joining to an online movie holding purposeful publicity about the Syrian common war, the report said. As per the report, connections holding an abbreviated ofa.bo deliver coordinated to a Youtube motion picture about the continuous clash in Syria between strengths faithful to Assad and safety bunches. The White House has declined to remark over the hacking. (Ani)

UN envoy arrives in Syria for Geneva-II preparations

Damascus : Lakhdar Brahimi, the Un-Arab League joint exceptional emissary, touched base in Syria Monday wrapping up a territorial tour pointed at gathering underpin for the approaching Geneva-Ii global meeting on Syria. Brahimi was gained at the Syrian outskirt by Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, Xinhua reported. The visit to Syria points at finalising portions on the Geneva-Ii meeting got ready for the close of November. The meeting is intended to carry the Syrian restriction and the legislature to the transaction table to mallet out a political answer for their long-standing clash.

Syrian refugees in Lebanon exceed 800,000: UN

Beirut, October 27: The amount of Syrians who have fled their war-torn nation to neighbouring Lebanon has surpassed 800,000, the most recent Un exile office report said Sunday. While more than 713,000 exiles in Lebanon have been enlisted, over 87,000 are as of now holding up to finish their enlistment handle, Xinhua cited the Un high chief of evacuees as saying. Many outcasts have been intersection the fringe to come to Lebanon, the report included. More than 8,000 Syrian infants were conceived in Lebanon since March 2011, said the report, including a large portion of them may not be qualified to gain legitimate personality cards. Lebanon has over and over approached the universal neighborhood to help it adapt to the extensive deluge of Syrian displaced people.

Syrian refugees in Lebanon exceed 800,000: UN

Beirut: The amount of Syrians who have fled their war-torn nation to neighbouring Lebanon has surpassed 800,000, the most recent Un evacuee office report said Sunday. While more than 713,000 evacuees in Lebanon have been enlisted, over 87,000 are even now holding up to finish their enlistment transform, Xinhua cited the Un high chief of exiles as saying. Many evacuees have been intersection the fringe to come to Lebanon, the report included. More than 8,000 Syrian infants were conceived in Lebanon since March 2011, said the report, including a significant number of them may not be qualified to gain fitting character cards. Lebanon has over and again approached the global neighborhood to help it adapt to the huge deluge of Syrian evacuees.

Chemical inspectors visit 19 Syrian chemical sites

Damascus : A day after experts visited a site in an undisclosed location, the Organisation for the Prohibition of the Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Friday said the inspectors have so far visited 19 of Syria's 23 disclosed sites. "The OPCW inspectors visited a site on Thursday and verified that all of its previous chemical weapon-related equipment has already been dismantled," reported Xinhua citing the OPCW. "This brings to 19 the total number of sites visited by the OPCW inspectors, out of 23 that have been disclosed by Syria," it added. In an earlier statement, the OPCW said that its teams were working with the Syrian authorities to prepare an initial declaration, which will include a general plan to destroy the country's chemical arsenal. The OPCW noted that inspectors are currently working in three teams with "good access" to sites thus far, adding that state parties are providing the OPCW with lists of former inspectors who are available and willing to be deployed in the Syria mission going forward.

Syrian troops ambush rebel groups

Damascus : Syrian troops have ambushed some radical rebel groups in the eastern countryside of the capital Damascus, killing and injuring more than 50 of them, Xinhua reported Friday citing state-run SANA news agency. The ambush took place at al-Ataibeh suburb, SANA said, publishing a video footage purporting to show scores of rebels' dead bodies tossed and scattered on an unpaved road. "The armed terrorist groups are crumbling under the painful blow of our military heroes," according to SANA. It said the rebels belonged to the Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front and the so-called Islam Brigade group. This new development came as the Syrian army has unleashed a wide-scale operation in the eastern countryside of Damascus, aiming to besiege and eliminate the rebel groups in the surroundings of Damascus to further protect the capital and prevent the rebels from unleashing indiscriminate mortar attacks against districts of the capital. The Syrian army has regained full control of the strategic Damascus suburb of Htaitet al-Turkman, thus completing a full siege against rebels east of the Syrian capital, according to SANA. The army regained control of Htaitet al-Turkman after a 48-hour operation that resulted in the killing of at least 100 rebels, SANA said. Meanwhile, military experts said the new victory is of great significance as the recapture means the road to the Damascus airport is secure and mortar attacks by the rebels against the capital should decrease. By the recapture, the rebels, who are entrenched in the eastern al-Ghouta suburb, are now besieged from all directions and severed from any source of reinforcement. The fresh military push also came as a first step toward regaining Damascus's northern al-Qalamoun area from the hands of the rebels, who have entrenched there due to its geographic importance as the northern entrance of Damascus. Media reports said the battle to recapture al-Qalamoun from the rebels is imminent, underscoring the significance of the upcoming battle there for both the government troops and the rebels. In Damascus itself, the military and security forces' presence has become thick over the past week, as the checkpoints have also increased their inspection measures, causing suffocating traffic jams during the rush hours. The increased inspection has been more noticeable in the countryside of Damascus, including the northern Qudsaya suburb, which has witnessed sporadic security incidents during the country 's long-standing crisis.

Syrian government not to negotiate with 'terrorists'

Damascus, October 20: Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi has stressed on his country's readiness to participate in the planned Geneva II conference without preconditions, while stating that the Syrian government will not negotiate with " terrorists or Takfiris". While stressing that the "political solution has been an original choice for the Syrian government since the beginning of aggression on Syria," al-Zoubi said Syria will not negotiate with terrorists who took part in shedding the Syrians' blood or their supporters, whether they were Syrians or not, Xinhua reported. The Syrian government has, since the beginning of the crisis, accused regional and international powers of supporting the rebellion in Syria, which has turned into a sectarian conflict featuring al Qaeda-affiliated groups which are fighting against the Syrian administration. The minister's remarks were made just hours after Arab League ( AL) chief Nabil al-Arabi said the second Syria peace conference will be held in Geneva, Switzerland Nov. 23-24. Al-Arabi said he was informed of the date by visiting UN-AL joint special envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi at the Pan-Arab body' s headquarters in Cairo Sunday. During their meeting, the two evaluated the regional and international efforts toward a political solution to the Syrian crisis, and discussed the current preparation for the conference and the contacts made with Syria's conflicting sides, especially with the national opposition coalition. Cairo is the first leg of Brahimi's regional tour in preparation for the long-awaited peace conference, which has been delayed multiple times. "The arrangements are being made to prepare for this conference, " Arabi told reporters after his meeting Brahimi. However, the AL chief admitted that "a lot of challenges should be tackled to convene the conference".