- Syria Fires at Israeli Vehicle, Raising Fears
 Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images(TEL AVIV) -- The Syrian military said on Tuesday that it fired on an Israeli army jeep in the contested Golan Heights in the early hours of the morning, destroying it.
Israel said the jeep was slightly damaged and there were no casualties, but the incident raised fears that the long-time enemies could soon once again find themselves embroiled in renewed conflict.
Just after 1 a.m., the Israeli vehicle on patrol was fired upon by Syrian forces, both sides reported. Syria said the jeep had crossed the ceasefire line in the mountainous Golan Heights that divides the two countries and was heading to the village of Beer Ajam, on the ceasefire line. Israel said the jeep hadn’t crossed, but was near Tal Fares, in the Golan Heights area that Israel captured in the 1967 six-day war.
Israel responded quickly to the Syrian fire with precision Tammuz rockets and “reported a direct hit,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement. “Our policy is clear: we do not intervene in what goes on in Syria, or in its civil war,” said Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon on Israel army radio. “We do not and will not allow any Syrian fire to enter our territory. Last night a Syrian army target was destroyed as a result of such fire.”
Israel and Syria are technically in a state of war, but the border has remained relatively quiet during the four decades of rule by President Bashar al-Assad and his father, Hafez, before him.
Tuesday’s incident was the latest in a string of cross-border fire coming from Syria that Israel has largely dismissed as an unintentional spillover from the war raging next door between Syrian forces and the rebels. But for the first time in Syria’s two-year civil war, Syria claimed responsibility for the attack on Israel.
“Whoever thinks that he is able to test our strength, alert and readiness to maintain our dignity and sovereignty is mistaken,” the Syrian army’s statement read. The incident comes just days after what Israel said were two mortars from Syria that landed on Mount Hermon in the northernmost part of the occupied Golan Heights. It was then partially closed to the Israeli public and a group calling itself the “Free Palestine Movement” claimed responsibility for the attack.
Fears that that the war in Syria will spill over and drag in neighboring countries are at their highest point in the 26 months since the uprising in Syria started. Tension between Syria and Israel is particularly high following three Israeli air strikes on Syrian targets in January and May. Israel has sought to tamp down the tension by not confirming or denying the strikes, believed to have been on a research center near Damascus and on shipments of Iranian missiles bound for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
In response, both Assad and Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, warned that a new “resistance front” would be opened in the Golan Heights. “We announce that we stand with the Syrian popular resistance and offer material and spiritual support as well as coordination in order to liberate the Syrian Golan,” said Nasrallah.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
- Hotel Offers 24-Carat Gold iPads
 KARIM SAHIB/AFP/GettyImages(DUBAI) -- A hotel that bills itself as the world’s most luxurious is giving guests the ultimate in over-the-top amenities: a 24-carat gold iPad at check in.
Dubai’s Burj Al Arab hotel claims to be the first in the world to offer the iPads to guests. No, the iPad is not yours to keep.
Burj Al Arab teamed up with London-based Gold & Co. to offer the iPads.
“The Gold & Co. London 24-carat gold iPad is the ultimate in luxury accessories, hence we wanted it to be paired with Burj Al Arab, the world’s most luxurious hotel. The symmetry is obvious, as both the gold iPad and the hotel are unique in terms of extraordinary quality and design,” said Amjad Ali, CEO of Gold & Co. London.
Retail value of the iPad: about ,000, according to The Telegraph.
The hotel, which charges at least ,400 per night -- the lowest nightly rate available over a June weekend on the hotel’s web site -- said guests will be able to use the iPad as a “virtual concierge” and access information about the hotel such as restaurant descriptions, spa services, butler and housekeeping services and more.
Travel enthusiasts might know the Burj Al Arab as the sail-shaped building that’s the only seven star hotel in the world. However, that rating is disputed in travel circles, as there is no organization that gives out seven-star awards. In fact, the hotel makes no such claim on its web site’s homepage, though it does call itself the “world’s most luxurious.” It offers private butler service; four pools; a private beach; Rolls Royce, BMW and helicopter airport transfer service; and free access to a water park.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
- Nearly 100 Deaths in Multiple Iraq Bombings
 Iraqi Prime Minister office via Getty Images(BAGHDAD) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is accusing some lawmakers of fueling the latest sectarian unrest that's responsible for close to 250 deaths in his country over a five-day period.
The Shiite leader also blamed large Sunni demonstrations for counteracting his attempts at achieving national unity almost a year-and-a-half after U.S. forces pulled out of Iraq.
Sunnis and Kurds contend its al-Maliki who's stoking sectarian tensions by marginalizing minorities.
Either way, violence has picked up during the past two months, with reports Monday of at least 95 deaths in predominantly Shiite areas of the country. Two days earlier, insurgents struck largely Sunni regions, killing dozens.
Monday's attacks included explosions reported in 10 separate sections of Baghdad where Shiites congregate in marketplaces and other busy spots. As many as 50 people were killed in the Baghdad attacks, which also left at least 150 others wounded.
Al Qaeda-linked groups in Iraq are believed to be the main culprits, but Sunni and Shiite militants are also suspected of instilling violence.
While al-Maliki has called for calm, some Sunni tribesman, particularly in Anbar province where many of the protests are taking place, are promising to keep fighting back against security forces sent by the Shiite-led government.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
- Did Pope Francis Perform Exorcism on Teen?
 Dan Kitwood/Getty Images(ROME) -- Claims that Pope Francis performed an exorcism on a disabled teenager in St. Peter's Square after mass on Sunday have led to denials from the Vatican.
The Catholic TV2000 filmed the pope blessing children with disabilities, showing the pope covering one teen's head with his hands and pushing back.
The TV network interviewed exorcists who said it was an exorcism, or "liberation prayer" from evil.
The Vatican instead said it was simply a prayer for someone suffering.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
- Hezbollah Heavily Involved in Key Syrian Battle
 Scott Peterson/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- The battle for the Western Syrian city of Qusayr is being described by both sides as the possible turning point of the two-year civil war.
What makes this conflict different from other cities where fighting continues to rage is that it also involves the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which is allied with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his bid to crush opposition groups seeking his ouster.
Even as the Syrian government has been hitting rebel strongholds hard with air strikes in Qusayr, Hezbollah is sustaining heavy losses.
One Syrian watchdog group reports that nearly 30 Hezbollah guerrillas have died so far in the battle for Qusayr, not far from Lebanon's eastern border.
There are conflicting reports about who is gaining ground in the city located in Homs province although there's wide acknowledgement Syrian government forces regained control of more than half of Qusayr since the fight began last Sunday.
Taking back Qusayr in its entirety is seen as crucial for al-Assad as it would give him better footing in western Syria although rebel forces still seem to be holding the upper hand in northern and eastern territories.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
- Oscar Pistorius Will Not Compete As He Awaits Trial
 Herman Verwey/City Press/Gallo Images/Getty Images(PRETORIA, South Africa) -- Oscar Pistorius's agent says the international athlete known as "Blade Runner," who is accused of murdering his girlfriend, will not compete again this year as he fights to clear his name.
The 26-year-old Olympic sprinter is currently awaiting trial after being charged with the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in February. Pistorius maintains he shot Steenkamp, 29, by accident, mistaking her for an intruder on Valentine's Day. He is due back in court on June 4 with a trial scheduled to take place before the end of this year.
In a statement Monday, Peet van Zyl, confirmed Pistorius will not be seen on an athletics track before then.
“There was never any pressure from me or his coach to return to competition. It is his decision and it is his decision not to compete,” van Zyl said.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
- Report: Terror Attack Thwarted in Russia
 Creatas/Thinkstock(MOSCOW) -- Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claims to have cornered a group of suspected militants in the town of Orekhovo-Zuyevo, east of Moscow, thwarting a possible terror attack, according to Russian news reports. The group opened fire, and two suspects were killed in the shootout. A third person was detained.
The reports don’t say when the operation took place.
The FSB claims the suspects were planning a terror attack in Moscow, but reports thus far don’t provide any details of their plans. The three are reportedly from Russia and received training in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
- Anti-Taliban Politician, Civilians Killed in Suicide Attack
 iStockphoto/Thinkstock(BAGHLAN, Afghanistan) -- At least 14 people, including a senior political official, were killed Monday by a suicide attacker in the northern Afghanistan province of Baghlan.
The attacker entered the provincial council compound on foot wearing a police uniform before detonating a suicide vest at the gate of the council's headquarters, BBC News reports.
According to the spokesperson of the governor of Baghlan province, the attack claimed the lives of 14 people, including council head Haji Rasool Khan Mohseni, a key Taliban opponent in the province. Nine others were injured in the attack.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
- President Obama Schedules Trip to Africa
 Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- President Obama will travel to Africa this summer.
The president will take his family to U.S. allies Senegal, Tanzania, and South Africa, where Nelson Mandela lives in retirement.
During the trip, scheduled for June 26 through July 3, the president, "will reinforce the importance that the United States places on our deep and growing ties with countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including through expanding economic growth, investment, and trade, strengthening democratic institutions, and investing in the next generation of African leaders," White House press secretary Jay Carney said in a statement Monday.
As the first African American president, President Obama has wanted to make an extended tour of the African continent, but he cannot go to his father's homeland, Kenya, for the lack of political stability there.
Carney said the president, "will meet with a wide array of leaders from government, business, and civil society, including youth, to discuss our strategic partnerships on bilateral and global issues."
“The trip will underscore the President’s commitment to broadening and deepening cooperation between the United States and the people of sub-Saharan Africa to advance regional and global peace and prosperity,” he said.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
- South Korea Warns North to Stop Missile Launches
 Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images(SEOUL, South Korea) -- North Korea fired a short-range missile into the Sea of Japan on Monday, marking the third straight day the country has launched similar rockets in the area, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.
The latest missile comes after the North launched one on Sunday, Yonhap reports. Three others were fired on Saturday.
North Korea's committee in charge of inter-Korean relations says the recent firing of short-range rockets are part of a regular military drill.
Following Sunday's launch, South Korea called North Korea's action "deplorable" and "provocative." Seoul warned that it had placed "dozen of [Israeli-made] Spike missiles and their launchers" on its border islands, adding, "They can destroy [North Korea's] underground facilities and can pursue and strike moving targets."
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also remarked, "We are very concerned about North Korea's provocative actions." He called on Pyongyang to return to talks on suspending its nuclear program although the regime of leader Kim Jong-un has made no move in that direction.
In April, there were fears that North Korea was ready to conduct another mid-range launch but it's likely China intervened in the matter upon U.S. urging.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
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