Syrian rights activists say government security forces have clashed with army defectors in several parts of the country, as Syrians voted in municipal elections that are the first test of reforms promised by the government. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the fighting Monday was taking place in the northwestern Idlib province and in the southern province of Daraa. The elections cover more than 17,000 seats on local councils across the country’s 14 provinces. The government has called for a large voter turnout. The poll comes a day after violence killed up to 18 people nationwide. The clashes Sunday included a major confrontation in southern Syria, where army defectors battled loyalist forces backed by tanks near the Jordanian border. Watch Syria video clip: The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said eight people were killed across Syria Sunday, while the opposition Local Coordination Committee put the death toll at 18. It was not possible to independently verify the death toll. Also Monday, Syria denied any involvement in an attack Friday that wounded four French peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. The statement by Syria’s foreign ministry followed accusations from French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, who said Sunday that Syria was probably behind the attack, though he had no evidence. In the flash point city of Homs, an opposition leader said the government has warned protesters to hand in weapons and surrender defecting military members by Monday night or face bombardment. CNN quoted Lieutenant Colonel Mohamed Hamdo of the Free Syrian Army as saying the 72-hour warning was given Saturday. Several regions across Syria observed the opposition’s call for a general strike Sunday, the first working day of the week, as activists push for an end to President Bashar al-Assad’s government through civil disobedience. The opposition Local Coordination Committee has urged citizens to gradually escalate the protests by holding sit-ins, closing facilities and refusing to work in the public sector. Also Sunday, fallout from the anti-government protests spilled over into neighboring Jordan, where a crowd of angry Syrian citizens attacked their country’s embassy. The Syrian mission in Amman has been the scene of several protests since the anti-government uprising broke out in Syria nine months ago. Assad has been facing mounting international pressure to end a crackdown on dissent that the United Nations says has claimed more than 4,000 lives. Join the conversation on our social journalism site – Middle East Voices . Follow our Middle East reports on Twitter and discuss them on our Facebook page.
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Millions Mourn Apple Co-Founder’s Death
Apple stores around the world became impromptu shrines Thursday to the company’s co-founder Steve Jobs. People left flowers and candles at the stores as millions mourned the death of Steve Jobs, a technology pioneer who played a key role in changing the global electronics industry. Business competitors, colleagues, political leaders and fans are paying tribute to Jobs, who co-founded Apple in 1976 and used it to introduce successful products including the Macintosh computer, iPod, iPhone and iPad. Genius Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak told CNN that Jobs was a “great visionary and leader,” and a “marketing genius.” Wozniak said Jobs believed in technology as the future. U.S. President Barack Obama called him one of America’s “greatest innovators.” Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg thanked Jobs for showing that what he built can “change the world.” Jobs died Wednesday at age 56 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. People have since been flocking to Apple stores, where they have laid flowers, pictures, candles and notes acknowledging what Jobs meant to them and how he changed the world. There has also been an emotional outpouring on Internet blogs. Twitter is experiencing record posts in an online tribute that at its peak saw nearly 10,000 comments a second. Reaction in Asia The death of Jobs also is being felt strongly in Asia, where the products he pioneered are largely made and immensely popular. Millions of tributes to Jobs appeared Thursday on microblog sites in China, where members of the world’s largest on-line community routinely line up for days to purchase each new Apple product. Microsoft, Google, Sony and Samsung, all technology competitors of Apple, have paid tribute to Jobs. Praise from tech competitors Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, Jobs’ long-time rival and former business partner, said Wednesday Jobs’ impact on the world of technology will be felt “for many generations to come.” Gates, an early supporter of Macintosh computers, said working with Jobs was “an insanely great honor.” Samsung praised Jobs’ “innovative spirit,” calling him a “great entrepreneur.” The two technology giants have been locked in a series of patent lawsuits since April, when Apple took legal action against Samsung for allegedly copying technology used in the iPhones and iPads to create its own line of smartphones and tablet computers. President Obama said “there may be no greater tribute” Jobs’ success “than the fact that much of the world learned about his passing on a device he invented.” Recently appointed Apple CEO Tim Cook, who took over when Jobs stepped down in August, said Jobs’ spirit will “forever be the foundation of Apple.” A memorial message on Apple’s website says that fans can share their memories of Jobs by sending an email to the organization at rememberingsteve@apple.com. Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. View “My first computer was…” on Storify
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