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Agus Ariefandy Syuhada on Tuesday, June 28, 2011
U. S. The Supreme Court struck down California law prohibits the sale or rental of violent video games are under 18 years old.
The court chose to 7-2 in the appeals court ruling that declared the law contrary to the rights of free speech enshrined in the U. S. Constitution to maintain.
Video game publisher challenged the measure in 2005, which was never enforced because of legal proceedings.
Supporters argued the law was needed as violent games could harm children.
Speaking at the Supreme Court on Monday, Justice Antonin Scalia said: "Our cases hold that minors are entitled to a significant degree of First Amendment protection.
"Government has no free-floating power to restrict the ideas to which they may be exposed."
The US video game industry has about $10.5bn (£6.55bn) in annual sales.
'Morbid interests'
The 2005 California law prohibited the sale of violent video games to children "where a reasonable person would find that the violent content appeals to a deviant or morbid interest of minors, is patently offensive to prevailing community standards as to what is suitable for minors, and causes the game as a whole to lack serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value for minors".
Under the law, parents could still purchase violent video games for their children, but retailers caught selling the titles to minors could face a fine of up to $1,000 (£625) for each game.
After a legal challenge by industry groups, a district court and then the court of appeals stopped the law coming into effect.
Courts in six other states have also reached similar conclusions, striking down bans.
There is already a nationwide voluntary system of game classification in the US.
TheAtleticoMadridgoalkeeperhas long been expectedtocomplete themove toOldTraffordafter he wasidentifiedby SirAlexFerguson asa suitable replacementforEdwinvanderSar.
DaviddeGea, 20, arrived at Bridgewater Hospital on Monday following the conclusion of Spain's successful European Under-21 Championship campaign on Saturday and is now ready to put the finishing touches on his move to the Premier League champions.
The deal with both DaviddeGea and Atletico Madrid has been agreed for some time but the conclusion of the move has been put on hold, largely due to a dispute with an agent.
DaviddeGea felt the opportunity to join one of the biggest clubs in Europe was too good to turn down and chose to reject an offer to extend his Atletico Madrid contract beyond 2013.
Ferguson considered a move for Manuel Neuer or Maarten Stekelenburg but is convinced De Gea has the ability to be the club's No.1 for many years.
The deal takes United's summer spending to more than £50m following the the signing of defender Phil Jones from Blackburn and winger Ashley Young from Aston Villa.
Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina believes his fellow Spaniard will be a hit in England despite his relative lack of experience.
“I very much welcome this news because David is a great keeper,” Reina told La Gaceta. “When it becomes official he is going to start working to prove in the Premier League what a good goalkeeper he is.”
DaviddeGea, who has been compared to Real Madrid and Spain keeper Iker Casillas, broke into the Atletico side in 2009 before helping the club to win the Europa League last season and the Uefa Super Cup in August.
A teamchargedwithmonitoringthe skyfornear-Earth Objects (Neos) whichthreaten the planet,the asteroidpassedjust7500kilometers above thesurface of theearthtoday, June 27, around9:30to find, according to theNASAstatement-roughlythe same distancebetweenTuckerandKabul, Afghanistan.
Asteroidnamed after the2011MD, discovered by theLincolnNear EarthAsteroidResearchproject(LINEAR), a programfundedby theU.S.Air Forceand NASA.
A statement posted June 23 on NASA’s Near Earth Object Program website indicates the newly discovered asteroid made its closest approach to Earth in the southern hemisphere over the southern Atlantic Ocean. In those areas, the asteroid should have been bright enough to be seen with a “modest-sized telescope," officials said.
According to the website, “This small asteroid, only 5-20 meters in diameter, is in a very Earth-like orbit about the Sun, but an orbital analysis indicates there is no chance it will actually strike Earth on Monday.”
Though the asteroid was not expected to strike the Earth, the outgoing leg of the asteroid’s trajectory passed “well inside” the planet’s geosynchronous ring of satellites which is approximately 22,000 miles above Earth’s surface. The Moon, by comparison, orbits the Earth at an average distance of 238,854 miles away.
The statement on the NASA’s Near Earth Object Program website advises an object of this size will come this close to Earth every six years on average.
The purpose of the NASA Near Earth Object Program is to identify and track potentially hazardous asteroids and comets. The program is also responsible for alerting the public if any potentially hazardous NEOs are discovered.
As of June 22, 2011, the NASA Near Earth Object Program has discovered more than 8,100 near-Earth objects. Of those, 1,236 have been classified as potentially hazardous asteroids.
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Agus Ariefandy Syuhada on Tuesday, June 21, 2011
President Barack Obama is expected to announce this week that 30,000 U.S. "surge" of troops completely withdrawn from Afghanistan in late 2012, a government official told CNN.
Obama will be the long-awaited speech on troop withdrawal on Wednesday.
The time frame would give U.S. commanders two "against" the season with most U.S. troops are still available for combat operations. Outgoing Defense Secretary Robert Gates called for additional time to reverse the gains of the Taliban in the country before the start of the retreat - a position contrary to the majority of Americans, according to a recent survey of public opinion.
Gates admitted on Tuesday that domestic public opinion and congressional support for continued military involvement should be considered by the Chairman.
"Sustainability here at home" is an important consideration, Gates said. People are "tired of a decade of war."
An estimated 100,000 U.S. troops are currently serving in Afghanistan, some 30,000 of which are part of the so-called surge ordered in late 2009 in a bid to control the rising violence.
Obama has been mulling how many troops should be withdrawn this summer and by the end of the year.
The president is expected, in his remarks Wednesday, to stress the importance of preserving flexibility in force levels on the ground so commanders can adjust as conditions warrant, the official said.
The drawdown will be accomplished by troops returning home and not being replaced as well as cancelling some proposed deployments.
On Monday, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters that Obama had yet to make a final decision on the size and scope of the troop withdrawal, but would do so "soon."
"The president is still in a process of finalizing his decision on the pace and scope of the drawdown that will begin in July of 2011," Carney said . "He's finalizing his decision. He's reviewing the options and the assessments and will have an announcement to make soon."
Obama has said troops would begin coming home in July, and he recently indicated the number would be "significant."
The president has repeatedly said he is confident the United States can meet the self-imposed deadline to begin bringing U.S. troops back from Afghanistan without compromising Afghan security, though military commanders and government officials have raised concern about the readiness of Afghan security forces.
"We have made great strides toward achieving the objectives laid out in the mission that the president articulated in December of 2009," Carney said. "And he will make his decision based on the need to succeed further in achieving those objectives and to transfer authority gradually, security authority, over to the Afghan national security forces, with an eye to the fact that, as agreed to by NATO in Lisbon, we will eventually transfer full security lead over to the ANSF in 2014."
Nearly three-quarters of Americans polled this month said they support the United States pulling some or all of its forces from Afghanistan.
That figure jumped 10 points since May, likely as a result of the death of Osama bin Laden, pollsters said.
The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted June 3 through June 7, with 1,015 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
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Agus Ariefandy Syuhada on Monday, June 20, 2011
Thousands of pages of one of the world's largest collection of historical books, pamphlets and magazines should be made available on the Internet.
British Library has reached an agreement with the Google search engine on the date of the text 250 000-18th century.
This will allow readers to browse, search and out-of-copyright works copied at no cost to both libraries and Google book site.
The library gets more than a million visitors a year.
The works selected to be digitised date from between 1700 and 1870, and the project will take some years to complete, with Google covering the costs of digitising.
Among the first works to go online are a pamphlet about French Queen Marie Antoinette and Spanish inventor Narciso Monturiol's 1858 plans for one of the world's first submarines.
Google has similar partnerships with about 40 libraries around the world.
Library chief executive Dame Lynne Brindley said the scheme was an extension of the ambition of the library's predecessors in the 19th Century to provide access to knowledge to everyone.
"The way of doing it then was to buy books from the entire world and to make them available in reading rooms.
"We... believe that we are building on this proud tradition of giving access to anyone, anywhere and at any time.
"Our aim is to provide perpetual access to this historical material, and we hope that our collections coupled with Google's know-how will enable us to achieve this aim."
Director of external relations at Google Peter Barron said: "What's powerful about the technology available to us today isn't just its ability to preserve history and culture for posterity, but also its ability to bring it to life in new ways."
Google's plan to digitise copyrighted texts has run into serious legal problems in the US. Among critics were the Authors Guild of America and the Association of American Publishers.
The digitised works are just a small fraction of the library's collection which totals more than 150 million items representing every age of written civilisation, including books, journals, manuscripts, maps, stamps, music, patents, photographs, newspapers and sound recordings in all written and spoken languages.
Parris Island, South Carolina military installation that has trained thousands of young marines, the first female commander.
Brig. Gen. Lori Reynolds took a change-command ceremony Friday at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island.
"It's not about male or female, it's about highly qualified officers," Capt. Bernadette Newman told CNN Savannah affiliate WSAV. "The Marine Corps gets it right. It's a performance-based society, and if you look at General Reynolds' bio, she has more than enough experience to add value to this, so it is exciting."
Reynolds recently returned from a year-long deployment to Afghanistan, where she was the first woman in the Marine Corps to command units in a war zone.
The 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group took a base that initially fed, housed and equipped more than 10,000 Marines, and built it up to handle the troop surge of an additional 10,000 Marines and sailors into Afghanistan, the Corps said.
According to news reports, Reynolds did not mention her gender at the ceremony, and declined to make comments afterward.
"As her career progressed, she had different leadership opportunities to mold and mentor officers and enlisted of all ranks, and now she's here where she has the whole gamut of officers and enlisted, and for us it's a great opportunity," Newman told WSAV. "She truly knows from start to finish the Marines, and she knows every level."
Reynolds was commissioned in the Marine Corps in May 1986 after graduating from the United States Naval Academy. She replaces Brig. Gen. Frederick M. Padilla, who received an Okinawa assignment.
Parris Island, near Beaufort, has trained enlisted late Marines since 1915. Enlisted female training began there in February 1949. Reynolds' recruiting area includes the eastern half of the United States.
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Agus Ariefandy Syuhada on Saturday, June 18, 2011
Roma close to signing Bojan Krkic and look forward to completing a deal with Barcelona in the coming days - director Walter Sabatini.
Spain U-21 seem to follow the Stadio Olimpico Luis Enrique, and with Velez Sarsfield winger Ricky Alvarez.
Roma director Walter Sabatini has confirmed that the club hoped the transfer of the Barcelona striker Bojan Krkic will in the coming days.
The 20-year-old has been linked with a move to the Italian capital since Luis Enrique, Bojan's former coach at Barcelona B took over the reigns at Roma a fortnight ago.
Roma will be looking to strengthen their squad ahead of the upcoming season with new owner Thomas DiBenedetto making funds available as the club look to improve on last season's sixth place finish.
Reports emerging from Spain have stated that the Spain Under-21 international has already agreed to join Roma yet the side's sporting director, Sabatini has confirmed this is not yet the case.
"In Spain they say Bojan is a Roma player," Sabatini told Sports Network.
"It's very close and very realistic but the deal has not yet been finalised although we hope to do so on the coming days."
The sporting director also confirmed that the club are looking at a number of possible transfer targets, including Velez Sarsfield winger Ricky Alvarez.
"[Alvarez] is a versatile player and has the ability to do things differently on the pitch," he added.
"Alvarez is a strong player like many others we are monitoring."
Sabatini concluded the interview by stating he hopes to keep Mirko Vucinic at the club, despite the Montenegro international interesting several clubs including Juventus.
"Mirko [Vucinic] is a great player, he can make an impact on any game,", he said.
"He knows he is a Roma player and I consider him as one of the club's best assets."
Bojan looks set to join the Serie A club on a season-long loan deal while Alvarez could cost Roma up to €12 million (£2.6m).
Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Jason Isaacs, Alan Rickman, David Thewlis, Julie Walters, Bonnie Wright and Kelly Macdonald will be returning to the big screen one last time in 3D, 2D and IMAX, Coming Soon reports.
In the finale, an all-out war occurs between the good and evil forces and Harry Potter may have to make the ultimate sacrifice when he comes face to face with Lord Voldemort.
"Yes it is a threat. Anything could happen," said Terry Stemmler, a spokesman for the Southwest Incident Management Team, which is battling the latter of the two blazes.
Stemmler said crews are faced with four straight days of red flag warnings that started Thursday with the return of strong winds to a dry region. A red flag warning means weather conditions -- high winds and low humidity -- pose an extreme risk for fire.
"This whole part of the country is in extreme drought," said Dale Thompson, a spokesman for fire crews. "Grass will take off like gasoline."
The National Weather Service placed such a warning on much of eastern Arizona, from the Mexico border to the Utah state line for Friday.
It issued a red flag alert for much of western and northeastern New Mexico, while the remainder of that state was put under a fire weather watch, where the risk is less severe.
High winds sparked a spot fire Thursday just south of the town of Eagar, Arizona. The incident prompted authorities to issue a pre-evacuation notice to residents of 230 homes on the south side of the city, Stemmler said. That means the residents should prepare to abandon their homes if ordered to do so.
Eagar residents just returned home Sunday, four days after the spread of the so-called Wallow fire forced them to evacuate.
As of Thursday night, the Wallow Fire had scorched 487,016 acres in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico, the vast majority of it in the Apache - Sitgreaves National Forest on the Arizona side, authorities said.
The blaze, which is 33% contained, became the largest wildfire in Arizona on Tuesday.
To the south, the much smaller Monument Fire has burned 11,600 acres and is only 17% contained, according to InciWeb, the online interagency incident database.
The Monument Fire roared in the Huachuca Mountains near the Mexican border south of Sierra Vista, Arizona, on Thursday. Wind gusts of up to 35 miles per hour were reported in the area, and people in 1,700 of approximately 3,230 homes were ordered out.
Some residents did not want to leave their homes.
"We had a situation where a family said they were staying behind," said Carol Capas, a spokeswoman for the Cochise County Sheriff's Office. "We got a teenage daughter who later called us from that home and said she didn't want to be there so our officers went over there and got her out."
The sheriff's office urged residents to be patient.
"Public safety officials are doing everything possible to get people to safety in a timely and professional manner, so the cooperation of the public is critical," the agency said.
Government of the United States are building their own "scale" the Internet to conduct cyberwarfare training.
Several organizations, including defense company Lockheed Martin, working on a prototype of a virtual shooting range. "
This system allows researchers to simulate an attack by foreign forces and US-based hackers.
More than $ 500 million (£ 309m) has been awarded by the Department of Defense to "cyber technology" to develop.
The National Cyber Range project is being overseen by the Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (Darpa), which was also involved in early network research that led to the internet.
When ready, it will function as a test-bed for defensive and possibly offensive technologies such as network protection systems.
Having a controllable mini-internet would allow researchers to carry-out experiments "in days rather than the weeks it currently takes," Darpa spokesman Eric Mazzacone told the Reuters news agency.
Unlike the real internet, the in-house version could be wiped or reset between tests, explained Mr Mazzacone.
Development of the National Cyber Range is currently in the hands of several organisations, including Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and Lockheed Martin.
One of their prototypes will be selected to go into operation later in the year.
Act of war
The United States has been gradually increasing funding for internet security-related projects.
In 2008, the US military was the subject of a serious cyber attack when part of its network became infected by a worm known as agent.btz.
President Obama, in May 2009, declared the cyber threat to be one of the "most serious" challenges facing the country.
Since then, his government claims to have been the subject of several attempted attacks, originating from overseas.
Lockheed Martin, one of the contractors involved in the National Cyber Range project was itself the subject of a security breach in May 2011.
Earlier this month, the Pentagon said it planned to publish proposals to categorise cyber attacks as acts of war.
Chelsea need a player like Tottenham’sLuka Modric, says former coach Ray Wilkins.
Former England man backs Torres to shine next season and denies the Blues squad is too old to compete for the Premier League title after losing out to United this term.
Former Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins has backed the Blues to spend big in the summer to keep up with the Premier League elite, and supports their attempts to sign Tottenham star Luka Modric.
With league winners Manchester United already splashing the cash on Blackburn defender Phil Jones and Manchester City expected to spend big again, Wilkins believes Chelsea need to do the same simply to keep up.
"If you're left behind in the transfer market you'll be left behind in the Premier League," said Wilkins, who was talking at the announcement of the FA Cup's sponsorship deal with Budweiser.
"Yes, there will be money spent I'm sure with all the clubs throughout the Premier League. Luka Modric has been mentioned to Chelsea, he'd be a great addition to any squad. That type of player is what you're looking for."
With Blues stalwarts John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba all the wrong side of 30 there have been suggestions that the three-time Premier League champions need an injection of youth after seeing the league title slip out of their hands to Manchester United this season.
When asked if the Chelsea team was too old, Wilkins, who helped the Blues to a league and cup double in 2010, said: "No, not at all.
"I've been with them, I know their fitness levels and they are quite superb so there's really no problem as far as the age is concerned. It just needs a little tinkering here and there and they will be fine.
"They are a wonderfully gifted bunch of guys and they will be back. They will be pushing for it next year, they have a wonderful desire to win, as a unit they are different class. They just need that little additive [to the squad] and I'm sure they will be fine."
In the last transfer window Chelsea splashed out £50m on Fernando Torres but in 18 games the Spaniard managed just one goal, and Wilkins believes such a hefty price tag can weigh heavy on a player's shoulders, but backed the former Liverpool man to return to glory next season.
"I believe you will see him come to the fore next year, no question about it, he's a wonderfully gifted guy and there is no reason why he shouldn't flourish," said Wilkins.
"Lots of players would say it [a big price tag] wouldn't matter but I suppose at the back of your mind you are still worried about it. You'd want to produce and I think he feels disappointed that he hasn't been able to deliver the type of goals that Chelsea wanted but that will happen next year I'm sure."
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Agus Ariefandy Syuhada on Thursday, June 16, 2011
With the conflict between Libyan rebels and Moammar Gadhafi's forces dragging on with little progress, questions have been raised over NATO's ability to bring resolution to the conflict.
Outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has criticized the air campaign against Gadhafi saying shrinking military budgets have put the mission and future NATO operations at risk. His comments came as other NATO partners questioned their ability to sustain involvement.
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who met British Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday, has said the alliance will extend its mission 90 days beyond the end of June and maintain pressure "for as long as it takes."
But with cracks appearing in the coalition and the comparative lack of progress since early gains when the campaign started in March, is it time to explore other options? If, so, what options are available, and what is the likelihood they will succeed?
CNN has been speaking with analysts to weigh some of these alternatives to ending the conflict in Libya:
1. Continue with the current NATO campaign
It is possible NATO will carry on with few changes to the current mission, but complaints of resources under strain indicate a resolution is needed sooner or later. David Hartwell, a Middle East and North African security expert with IHS Jane's, says this is only likely to result in success if an increasingly unlikely mass defection of Gadhafi stalwarts, a major uprising in Tripoli and a dramatic opposition offensive combine to topple the Libyan leader.
"There are question marks whether this will work because even though there have been a series of defections, that has conversely led to a tightening of the circles around Gadhafi to a point where you've got the hardcore loyalists," he said.
2. Stepping up NATO efforts, including putting coalition boots on the ground or directly targeting Gadhafi
Most analysts agree, NATO's original mission of preventing civilian casualties has expanded to securing Gadhafi's exit, with some claiming the coalition is already directly targeting the Libyan leader. Few, however, believe the mission will be stretched to allow deployment of NATO troops -- other than military advisers -- within Libya, particularly given the lack of interest from alliance partners for stepping up their commitment.
"While the tempo of the onslaught will be ratcheted up, there is no way NATO allies will allow this to spiral into a no-drive zone with troops on the ground," says Barak Seener, a Middle East expert with the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies.
Ben Barry, military analyst for the International Institute for Strategic Studies, says further targeting of Gadhafi could result in a dramatic increase in civilian casualties: "Gadhafi will be straining every sinew not to be targeted. But it seems to me there is a positive point about the campaign in that NATO seems to be making extraordinary efforts to avoid civilian casualties and collateral damage and this seems to have been more successful than in any other air campaign in history."
3. A full withdrawal of NATO
For NATO to pull out of its Libya mission after securing a U.N. Security Council resolution to mandate air strikes would be a disaster for the rebels, says Barry. In addition, Seener argues that such a move would do too much harm to NATO's credibility for it to be an option; particularly as it "risks losing face to Robert Gates' criticism."
4. Negotiating an exit for Gadhafi; perhaps securing exile in a friendly country and immunity from prosecution
While he could theoretically seek exile in a friendly country that does not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, the promise of immunity is key, says International Crisis Group's Hugh Roberts, who writes in a recent report: "To insist that [Gadhafi] both leave the country and face trial in the International Criminal Court is virtually to ensure that he will stay in Libya to the bitter end and go down fighting."
That said, most analysts agree that exile will only be a last resort possibility for Gadhafi. Some believe it can never be an option. According to Seener: "Gadhafi is unwilling to leave the country and -- being a deluded, megalomaniac despot -- he is in denial of his losses and perceives it his right to maintain a position of total power. This is his oxygen and the only alternative is for Gadhafi to die in Libya."
5. Finding a diplomatic solution that allows Gadhafi to remain in Libya in some role
At issue here is whether Gadhafi can be trusted. Hartwell says a solution that sees him retain a role, even in a transitional capacity is unlikely to win support among the rebels and some of NATO's more outspoken members. To this end, efforts by the African Union and South Africa to bring both sides to the negotiating table have had little success.
With Gadhafi having burned bridges with Western allies, there is now no guarantee he will not ignore the terms of any peace deal and revert to his previous role as an international troublemaker, Barry says.
"If Gadhafi remains in power, is there not a high probability he will return to his previous behavior; a serial sponsor of terrorism, including a supplier of the IRA; a serial interferer in the affairs of his neighbors; and of course someone who had weapons of mass destruction?"
6. Bypassing the United Nations
While NATO is currently limited to air strikes by the Security Council resolution that mandated intervention, Barry argues there could be another legal route to deploying international ground troops. This rests on the recognition by other nations of the rebel Transitional National Council as the legitimate government of Libya.
"There's nothing to stop that legal and legitimate government, as they see it, approaching those nations for direct help under the various elements of the U.N. charter that cover the right of self-defense. And there's nothing to stop those countries, whether or not they're members of NATO, from giving lethal or non-lethal aid or deploying their troops to support their new ally. And my interpretation of this is that it wouldn't require a new Security Council resolution."
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Agus Ariefandy Syuhada on Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Syrian troops trying to quash three months of protests are committing "alleged breaches of the most fundamental rights", says a UN report.
The use of live ammunition against mostly unarmed civilians has killed around 1,100 people, says the report.
It also documents arrests on a massive scale. Investigators believe as many as 10,000 people have been detained.
Investigators used evidence from rights groups and people who had fled Syria, but were denied entry to the country.
President Bashar al-Assad is facing the gravest threat to his family's 40-year ruling dynasty, as unrest that first erupted in the south of the country has now engulfed the north - near the border with Turkey - and is threatening to spread eastwards towards its border with Iraq.
As anti-regime demonstrations continued in many parts of the country, the government on Wednesday mobilised its own demonstration of popular support as thousands of people turned out in a Damascus suburb to wave a giant Syrian flag 2.4 km (1.4 miles) long.
Laying siege to towns
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has repeatedly appealed to Syria to let in a humanitarian team make a proper assessment, but the Syrian authorities have refused.
But despite being denied access by the Syrian government, the new UN report documents reliable evidence of widespread violations, says the BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Geneva.
"The most egregious reports concern the use of live ammunition against unarmed civilians, including from snipers positioned on rooftops of public buildings and the deployment of tanks in areas densely populated by civilians," says the report.
It cites "the excessive use of force in quelling demonstrators, arbitrary detentions, summary executions, torture".
The authorities appear to have denied civilians the right to food and medical care by laying siege to towns and preventing the delivery of food supplies and medicines, it adds.
The preliminary report was commissioned by the UN human rights council in April, adds our correspondent. A more definitive account will have to wait until the Syrian government allows UN investigators in to see the situation for themselves.
Tanks in towns
Meanwhile, Syria has called on the people of Jisr al-Shughour to return, three days after an army attack restored government control there.
More than 8,000 Syrians have fled from the north-western town into Turkey in the past week to escape military operations, which the government says are aimed at tackling "terrorist organisations".
Supporters of President Assad have unfurled a 2,000ft flag in Damascus
Officials said the city of around 100,000 people - which has been the focus of large anti-regime demonstrations - was returning to normal, but that army units were still pursuing "militants" through the hills around the town.
Damascus says some 120 security personnel were killed by "armed gangs" in the town on 6 June, and on Wednesday state TV said a "mass grave" containing three bodies had been found.
At the same time, troops and tanks are reported to be massing for an attack on Maarat al-Numan, 25 miles (40km) south-east of Jisr al-Shughour.
Syrian state media have reported attacks on government buildings and security headquarters in the town, which straddles the main highway between Syria's two biggest cities, Damascus and Aleppo.
'Unbalanced' position?
Although it has not yet responded to the UN report, Syria has expressed "surprise" at Arab League Chief Amr Moussa's position that the situation there was "dangerous and worrying".
The UN says more than 10,000 people have fled to neighbouring countries and Syrian rights groups put the overall death toll at 1,297 civilians and 340 security force members.
Refugees arriving in Turkey describe the regime's operation in the northern mountains as a "scorched-earth" campaign, and Syrian soldiers who deserted have said they were forced to commit atrocities.
Syria has prevented foreign journalists, including those from the BBC, from entering the country, making it difficult to independently verify reports from there.
European powers are campaigning for a draft UN Security Council resolution condemning the crackdown, but they face opposition from Russia and China, both of whom wield veto powers and object to UN action against President Assad.
Manchester United-bound David de Gea proud to be replacing Edwin van der Sar but reveals he supported Barcelona in Champions League final.
Atletico Madrid goalkeeper hopes to emulate the Dutchman, who recently bowed out of the game, but admits he wanted Spanish side to beat the club he is set to join.
Manchester United target David de Gea has spoken of his admiration for Edwin van der Sar, but admitted he wanted Barcelona to win the Champions League final.
De Gea is reportedly being lined up to replace the Dutch keeper, who retired at the end of last season.
The Spanish keeper told Gazzetta dello Sport: "The fact they are thinking of me as a replacement for such a great goalkeeper is something I like. But it’s necessary to keep fighting and working hard because we are only at the beginning and to reach that level there is a lot more to be done."
He added: "Let’s hope [I can play like Van der Sar at his age]. At the moment it’s difficult to look so far ahead, but I would like to [be able to]. I need strength, luck and to take good care of my body because football consumes you. But let’s hope so."
United will have to wait until after the Under-21 European Championships to make a move for the Atletico Madrid No.1, with the goalkeeper saying he will not speak about his future until then.
When questioned about potentially becoming the most expensive goalkeeper in history, De Gea replied: "It doesn’t interest me, they are numbers, clauses, prices. The value that really counts is that which is shown on the pitch, not what they say your value is. Money is secondary, being so expensive is not something I like especially; I’m interested in what people think of me on the playing field."
However, the 20-year-old has confessed to supporting United's Champions League final opponents at Wembley last month.
De Gea said: "[I supported] Barcelona [in the final], but without any special euphoria."
