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Turkey Tells Assad to Punish 'Murderers' of Opposition Protestors

Turkey urged Syrian President Bashar Assad on Friday to punish the "murderers" of anti-regime protesters and accept observers proposed by the Arab League.

"If he (Assad) is now sincere, he will immediately punish the murderers and accept Arab League observers. He still has such an opportunity," Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters.

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Mosque Suicide Attack Kills 6 in Afghanistan

A suicide bomber on Friday attacked a mosque in eastern Afghanistan, assassinating a district police chief and killing at least five other people, a government official said.

The attack happened as worshippers were leaving the mosque after the main Friday prayers in the Ghazi Abad area of the eastern province of Kunar, which borders Pakistan, said provincial governor Fazullulah Wahidi.

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Juppe Condemns 'Vile' Attack on French Peacekeepers

Foreign Minister Alain Juppe condemned Friday's bomb attack on a U.N. peacekeeping patrol in Lebanon in which five French troops were wounded, saying France would not be intimidated by such "vile acts.”

"I condemn in the strongest terms the cowardly attack that was carried out against UNIFIL this morning," Juppe added in a statement.

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Hamadeh: Syria Orchestrated UNIFIL Attack with Hizbullah Help

March 14 opposition MP Marwan Hamadeh blamed Damascus for Friday's attack on a UNIFIL patrol in the southern city of Tyre, saying it was orchestrated with the help of its ally Hizbullah.

"It is clear that Syria was behind what happened today and the messenger was Hizbullah," Hamadeh told Agence France Presse. "Nothing happens in that region without Hizbullah's approval."

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Syrian Blogger's Plea to Fight for Internet Freedom

A Syrian blogger who said he was tortured for expressing his opinions called on world governments Friday to step up the fight for Internet freedom, saying it makes everyone a reporter.

Access to social media has helped to expose the violent crackdown on dissent in Syria, Amjad Baiazy told a conference hosted by Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal in The Hague.

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Afghan Police Arrest Four over Acid Attack

Afghan police have arrested four suspects in connection with an acid attack on a 17-year-old girl and her family, allegedly for refusing a marriage proposal, the interior ministry said Friday.

The attack in late November attracted widespread media coverage and highlighted the dangers still facing women in Afghanistan 10 years after the U.S.-led invasion ousted the repressive Taliban regime.

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Tribesmen Kill 2 Qaida Suspects in South Yemen

Yemeni tribesmen have killed two suspected al-Qaida militants in the restive southern province of Abyan, a tribal source said on Friday.

"Our armed men killed al-Qaida fighters Abdullah Umeir and Shokri Shaher as they tried to infiltrate Mudia," a town in the province held by tribesmen, late on Thursday, the source told Agence France Presse on condition of anonymity.

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Miqati Condemns Attack on UNIFIL, Says it Won’t Affect its Role

Prime Minister Najib Miqati condemned on Friday an attack on a UNIFIL patrol in the southern coastal city of Tyre, saying such bombings would not affect the mission of the peacekeepers.

“These crimes don’t only target the international (peacekeeping) forces but also the security and stability of all Lebanon and the south,” Miqati said as he headed a meeting of top security officials at the Grand Serail.

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Jordan Warns Israel over Aqsa Ramp Closure

Jordan, the custodian of Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, warned Israel on Friday against closing a wooden access ramp to the sensitive al-Aqsa mosque compound in the Old City.

"Jordan rejects any Israeli attempt to affect Jerusalem's holy sites, identity and heritage, including al-Moughrabi Gate" that leads to the compound's al-Buraq Wall, known to Jews as the Western Wall, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said.

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Israeli Raid on Gaza Kills 1, Injures 12, Including children

An Israeli air strike killed a Gaza civilian and wounded 12 others, including seven children, when it hit a home next to a militant training ground, medics said on Friday.

The Israeli army expressed regret that civilians were hurt but blamed Gaza's Hamas rulers for operating within residential areas.

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