BBCNewswithStewartMacintosh
WithfightingintensifyingintheSyriancapitalDamascus,thelatestdiplomaticefforttostrengthenUnitedNationssanctionsagainstPresidentAssad'sgovernmenthasfailed.RussiaandChinaagainvetoedaUNSecurityCouncilresolutionproposingfurthersanctionsasLauraTrevelyanreportsfromNewYork.
TheBritish-draftedresolutionwouldhaverenewedthemandateoftheUNmonitoringmissioninSyriaandsoughttoimposesanctionsagainstPresidentAssad'sgovernmentifitcontinuedtouseheavyweapons.AllWesterncountriessaidthiswasthebestwaytoincreasepressureonSyria'srulers;RussiaandChinadisagreed.Russia,akeyallyofDamascus,saidaresolutionunderChapter7oftheUnitedNationsChartercouldultimatelyleadtomilitaryinterventioninSyria.
TheAmericanambassadorattheUN,SusanRice,saidtheUSwouldnowworkoutsidetheUNSecurityCounciltobringpressureontheSyriangovernment.InDamascus,SyriangovernmenttroopslaunchedsustainedassaultsonrebelsasPresidentAssadappearedontelevisionforthefirsttimesincethebombingkilledthreeofhisinnercircleonWednesday.SyrianstatetelevisionshowedMrAssadswearinginanewdefenseministerwhilehisforcesusedtanks,heavyartilleryandhelicoptergunshipsagainstoppositionfighters.Rebelsourcesreportedmanycasualties.
SyrianoppositionfightershaveseizedbordercrossingswithIraqandTurkeyasJimMuirreportsfromneighboringLebanon.
Perhapssensingthattheregimewastoopreoccupiedwiththebattleatthecenter,rebelfightersstormedalltheborderpostsalongtheeasternfrontierwithIraq.Iraqiofficialssaid22Syrianborderguardsweresummarilyexecutedaftertheirpostwasoverrun.AtleasttwootherpostsonthenorthernTurkishborderwerealsoreportedtohavebeenseized.ThedevelopmentsonthebordersarelikelytomakeiteasierfortherebelstobringinmorearmsandfightersalthoughIraq'sgovernment,whichisdominatedbytheShiitemajorityandissympathetictoPresidentAssad,hasthreatenedtocloseit.
TheIsraeliPrimeMinisterBenjaminNetanyahuhasblamedtheIslamistgroupHezbollahforthesuicidebombingofabusfullofIsraelitouristsinBulgariaonWednesday.MrNetanyahusaidthegroupbasedinLebanonwasbeingsponsoredbyIran.
"Yesterday'sattackinBulgariawasperpetratedbyHezbollah,Iran'sleadingterroristproxy.ThisattackwaspartofaglobalcampaignofterrorcarriedoutbyIranandHezbollah.Iranmustbeexposedbytheinternationalcommunityasthepremierterrorist-supportingstatethatitis."
Iranhasdeniedanyinvolvementintheattack.TheBulgarianauthoritiessayawhitemanwithlonghairseenonvideofootagemayhavecarriedouttheattack.Sevenpeoplediedandmorethan30wereinjuredintheattackintheBlackSearesortofBurgas.
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ThepoliticalpartieswhocamesecondandthirdinMexico'spresidentialelectionearlierthismontharedemandinganinvestigationintoallegationsthatthewinningparty,PRI,usedlaunderedmoneyinitscampaign.ThePRIhasrejectedtheaccusationas'flagrantdefamation'.Thesecondplacedcandidate,AndresManuelLopezObrador,hasalreadyfiledalegalchallengetotheelectionresult.
ThePresidentofGuyana,DonaldRamotar,saystherewillbeaninvestigationintothedeathsofatleastthreepeopleduringclashesonWednesday.DemonstratorsprotestingagainstrisingelectricitypricesinthetownofLindensaidpolicehadfiredbulletsandteargasintothecrowd.Protestersburntdownalocalelectricityplantandtheofficesofthegoverningparty.Theysayrampantpovertyandhighunemploymentmakeitimpossibleforthemtopaymorefortheirelectricity.
BritishimmigrationandpassportcontrolstaffaretogoonstrikeontheeveoftheLondonOlympicsinadisputeaboutpayandjobcuts.TheactionisexpectedtocauseparticulardisruptiontopeopleflyingintoLondonforthegames.Theirday-longstoppagewillbefollowedbyathree-weekovertimeban.TheHomeSecretaryTheresaMaycondemnedthestrike.
"Ithinkthatisshameful,frankly.TheyareholdingastrikeonwhatisoneofthekeydaysforpeoplecomingintothiscountryfortheOlympicGames.Ibelieveit'snotrightforthemtoholdastrike.Theywillriskdamagingpeople'senjoymentofcomingthroughintotheUK.Wewillofcourseputcontingencyarrangementsinplacetoensurethatwecandealwithpeoplecomingthroughtheborderassmoothlyaspossible."
TheOlympictennischampion,RafaelNadal,haspulledoutoftheLondonGames,sayinghe'snotinconditiontocompeteinthetournament.HealsosaidhewouldnotattendtheGameswhenhewasduetobetheflag-bearerforSpainduringtheopeningceremony.RafaelNadalhasn'tplayedsincehewaseliminatedinthesecondroundofWimbledontothe100thrankedLukasRosol.
Andthat'sthelatestBBCNews.
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