A8 Friday, May 9, 2014
Rebels level historic Aleppo hotel in Syria HOMS, Syria (AP) — With a gigantic explosion, Syrian rebels on Thursday leveled a historic hotel being used as an ar my base in the northern city of Aleppo by detonating bomb-packed tunnels beneath it, activists and militants said. The blast near Aleppo’s medieval citadel, an imposing city landmark that was once swarming with tourists, killed an unknown number of soldiers. It turned the Carlton Hotel, known for its elegant architecture and proximity to the citadel, into a pile of rubble. The attack was a powerful statement that the rebels could still deal heavy blows elsewhere in Syria even as they withdrew from Homs, surrendering that city to President Bashar Assad’s forces. In Homs, 95 miles south of Aleppo, ar my troops were poised to enter the city’s old quarters after hundreds of fighters com-
plete their evacuation, which was suspended after gunmen in northern Syria prevented trucks carrying aid from entering two villages besieged by rebels. The aid delivery was part of the cease-fire agreement allowing rebels to leave Homs for rebelheld areas farther north. Earlier, footage from Homs broadcast by the pro-Syrian Al-Manar TV showed rebels, many of them covering their faces with masks and carrying backpacks, boarding a green bus, its windows covered with newspapers. An Associated Press jour nalist who visited Homs on Thursday reported massive destruction. Standing near the city’s main square, known as the Clock Square, the streets appeared almost apocalyptic. Even the trees were burnt. Buildings along Dablan street were completely shattered with gaping holes, crumbled facades and flattened upper floors,
HOROSCOPES/WORLD
AP Photo
This image made from amateur video posted by Shaam News Network (SNN), an anti-Bashar Assad activist group, which has been verified and is consistent with other AP reporting, shows an explosion that destroyed the Carlton Hotel in Aleppo, Syria, Thursday.
testimony to what Syria’s third largest city has endured in more than two years of fighting. A cafe and restaurant known as the city cafe was scorched. Rubbish, glass, debris, fallen trees and electricity poles blocked deserted roads that intersected with Dablan street. A policeman wearing a uniform with a picture of an eagle and the words “Syria’s Assad” patrolled a
nearby street.
“Words cannot describe what has happened here,” said Abdel Nasser Harfoush, a 58-year-old Homs resident who lost his business. He said he hoped the agreement will end the bloodshed and restore peace and stability to his city.
The withdrawal, in line with a cease-fire agreement reached last week following a fierce, two-year
Ukraine insurgents to hold vote, despite Putin DONETSK, Ukraine (AP) — In an obscure government office guarded by a man in a red T -shirt armed only with a stick, two photocopy machines chur ned out ballots Thursday for eastern Ukraine’s referendum on secession, as they have been doing around the clock for days. In apparent defiance of a call by Russian President Vladimir Putin to put off the vote, insurgents in eastern Ukraine insisted Thursday they will go ahead with this weekend’s referendum as planned. “Putin is seeking a way out of the situation. We are grateful to him for this,” said Denis Pushilin, co-chairman of the Donetsk People’s Republic, as the pro-Russian rebels call themselves. “But we are just a bullhorn for the people,” he declared. “We just voice what the people want.” Ukraine has in recent weeks grown perilously polarized, with the west looking toward Europe and the east favoring closer ties with Russia. Thursday’s pronouncement was likely to further inflame tensions between the interim government in Kiev that took power amid chaos in February and the armed insurgents, who have seized police stations and government buildings in more than a dozen cities in the east. Support for the referendum is most pronounced among eastern Ukraine’s proudly Russian-speaking working class. Rage against the cen-
Roswell Daily Record
AP Photo
A pro-Russian gunman sets a banner which reads: "Do not forget, do not forgive!" in front of the city hall decorated with flags of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, in the center of Slovyansk, eastern Ukraine, Thursday.
tral government that came to power after months of nationalist-tinged protests is blended with despair at Ukraine’s dire economic straits and corruption. The occasionally violent protests that culminated in President Viktor Yanukovych’s fleeing to Russia were viewed by many in the east as a coup and a portent of repression against the region’s majority Russian speakers. “This isn’t our government. It’s the gover nment of those that destroyed everything,” said con-
struction laborer Galina Lukash, 48, who plans to vote in favor of autonomy.
Along with the vote Sunday in the eastern Donetsk region, a similar and even more hastily improvised referendum is to take place in the neighboring Luhansk region. Together they have about 6.5 million people.
The votes are similar to the one in Crimea in March that preceded Russia’s annexation of that strategic Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula.
battle, is a major win for Assad.
Militarily, it solidifies the gover nment’s hold on a swath of territory in central Syria, linking the capital Damascus with government strongholds along the coast and giving a staging ground to advance against rebel territory farther north.
Politically, gains on the ground boost Assad’s hold on power as he seeks to The Stars Show the Kind of Day You’ll Have: 5-Dynamic; 4Positive; 3-Average; 2-So-so; 1Difficult
ARIES (March 21-April 19) You’ll float into the weekend feeling good, as if you have accomplished a major goal. Take time to make an appointment with the doctor, or perhaps schedule a long-overdue haircut. Do more for yourself, not just for others. Tonight: Happily head home. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Your imagination proves to be a resource, not only for you, but also for a loved one. Some of your wild flights of fancy might make others giggle. Schedule some special time for a child who values your company. Use caution with your funds. Tonight: Let the good times roll. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) You will be sharing your ideas with both willing and unwilling audiences. Somehow, you’ll sense that a financial risk may be worth taking. Take your time in making this decision. Reach out to an older family member. Tonight: You don’t need to go far. CANCER (June 21-July 22) Whatever you blurt out seems to be appreciated. Be reasonable in a discussion with a loved one who is making an attempt to be more open. You might need to relax with a friend a little more often, as this person reflects a novel view of life. Tonight: Visit with a close pal. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) You might want to open a door and change your direction. Right now, your well-being and fiscal soundness need to be your highest priorities. Someone close to you might be encouraging you to let go and give in to your wilder side. Don’t. Tonight: Tap into your intuition. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) You could be more in touch with your feelings than you are aware. Remain confident that you will make the right move at the right time. Whatever you are focused on is where you will succeed. Someone you meet today could be unusually important to your life. Tonight: Out. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) You could be overwhelmed by what is happening around you. As a result, the instinct to pull back and cocoon is likely to emerge. You might have doubts about yourself or another key
add a further claim of legitimacy in June 3 presidential elections, which Western powers and the opposition have dismissed as a sham.
But Thursday’s massive explosion in Aleppo was a power ful reminder that rebels — although weakened in the country’s center and west — are still a potent force elsewhere, particularly in the north.
JACQUELINE BIGAR YOUR HOROSCOPE
person. Make it OK to assume a holding pattern. Tonight: In the limelight. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Emphasize what is positive about a situation. You will need to detach and take a look at what is happening, as you could be distorting what is going on. Some of your assumptions might be coloring your vision. Tonight: Enjoy the moment, and be where the crowds are. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Deal with one person directly, and don’t let anyone or any issue sidetrack you from the moment. Fatigue seems to mark your decisions. You could have an offer that you need to checkout. Refuse to feel pressured. Tonight: Spend time with a favorite person. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Your ability to see past the obvious will make a big difference to several associates. This group seeks unusual yet effective solutions. You are more grounded than you have been in the past. Listen to news openly. Tonight: Be willing to walk into uncharted territory. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) You might want to move in a new direction with the urging of a partner. You could be uncomfortable with what comes up in a conversation. Question your direction and choose carefully, but do not fall back into a rut! Tonight: Chat over a leisurely dinner. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) You are full of fun, and you’ll enjoy yourself no matter which direction you head in. It appears as if a key person might be pushing you to make choices that he or she would prefer. Observe this person’s manipulative style. You will know what to do! Tonight: All smiles. BORN TODAY Singer/songwriter Billy Joel (1949), former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft (1942), actor Albert Finney (1936)