Syria warns rebels' bid to target Aleppo's ancient citadel

DAMASCUS, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Syria's tourism minister Bishr Yazagi on Friday warned against rebels' possible attacks on a 4500- year-old historical site in the country's northern city of Aleppo.

Yazagi said the rebels in Aleppo city are digging tunnels under the old city as part of their preparations to launch attacks on an ancient citadel, adding that "This crime could be the crime of the century."

He said that his ministry has extended many letters to organizations that are specialized in historical sites to stress the need to prevent rebels from terrorist activities in the city.

The remarks came after the rebels' previous bombings that targeted ancient sites in Aleppo. The armed militant groups booby- trapped tunnels underneath the old Carlton Hotel and the Court House, blowing them off completely.

The rebels' pretext was that the flattened structures had been occupied by government troops, according to activists.

In its annual report on the status-quo of archaeological sites, the General Directorate of Syria's Antiquities and Museums (DGMA), the government's arm to protect and promote all national heritage, focused on what had befallen the archeological sites in Aleppo, pointing out that some incidents, including the destruction of the minaret of the Umayyad Mosque, which is one of the most important archaeological mosques in Syria.

It said that hundreds of shops in the markets of the old Aleppo city were burned and the entrance of Aleppo's citadel and its northern tower were damaged by the clashes there.

The report also shed light on the illegal excavation by antiquities thieves whose work has thrived during the country's long-running crisis.

Global Heritage Fund's director of Global Projects, Dan Thompson, said earlier this year that "all of the country's world heritage sites have sustained damage and a great many of the other monuments in the country have been damaged, destroyed or have been subject to severe looting."

UNESCO, UN's cultural agency, believes that five of Syria's six World Heritage Sites, which include the ancient desert city of Palmyra, the Crac des Chevaliers crusader fortress and parts of old Damascus, were affected by the ongoing armed conflict.

The DGMA also stressed that several museums and archaeological cities in Syria were pillaged of treasures or partially damaged.

Modi says India willing to build partnership of peace, stability with U.S.

NEW DELHI, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday told visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel that India is willing to work with the United States to "build a partnership for peace, stability and prosperity in the world".

Modi welcomed the continued U.S. engagement with the new government, saying he was looking forward to his summit-level talks with U.S. President Barrack Obama during his visit to the United States in late September.

It would be not just as occasion to think in terms of what the two countries can do for each other, but also an opportunity to see how the United States and India can build "a partnership for peace, stability and prosperity" in the world, the Prime Minister' s Office officials quoted Modi saying during the meeting.

The prime minister also expressed his desire to see further progress in the area of defense manufacturing, technology transfer, exercises and higher studies in the field with the United States.

Hagel arrived here Thursday evening on a three-day official visit, his first ever to India.

The other topics covered in the discussion included Afghanistan, the threat of terrorism in the Middle East and security issues in the areas comprised by the Indian and Pacific Oceans, said a communique from Pentagon press secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby to the press.

Earlier in the day, Hagel also met Indian Defense Minister Arun Jaitley and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Local media said the United States is offering to co-produce and co-develop high tech Javelin infra red guided anti-tank missiles with India, besides selling anti-submarine choppers, military transport planes and ultralight howitzer cannons.

Mixed fortunes for Spanish clubs in European draws

MADRID, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The draw for the preliminary rounds of the Champions League and the Europa League on Friday has given mixed fortunes for Spanish sides.

Athletic Club Bilbao, who finished fourth in the BBVA Primera Liga have been handed a tough tie against Italian side, Napoli, in order to reach the lucrative knockout stages of the competition.

The tie sees the Basques play a team containing Spanish players in Raul Albiol and Javier Callejon and coached by former Valencia and Liverpool boss, Rafael Benitez.

"It's a big game against a tough rival, but no side wanted to be drawn against us either," said Athletic Club President Josu Urrutia, who highlighted the fact that the return leg will be at home.

That will be the first competitive game to be played in Athletic's new San Mames Stadium after its completion this summer.

Last season saw Athletic play in front of a ground which was only three-quarters finished, but it will be at full 55,000 capacity for the Champions League and can be assured of also having to compete against an incredible atmosphere in San Mames after Urrutia added that the club's 44,000 members would get in free.

There was better luck for Real Sociedad and Villarreal in the play-off for the Europa League. Both of the Spanish outfits were among the seeded clubs in the draw and as a result avoided the tougher sides such as Inter Milan, Olympique Lyon, Tottenham Hotspurs or Hull City.

Nevertheless, although their games are against accessible rivals, both teams face long trips:

Real Sociedad's reward for knocking Aberdeen out of the last round 5-2 on aggregate is a visit to Turkish side 'Krasnodor', while Villarreal, who finished sixth in Spain last season in their first season back in the top flight after promotion from the second division have a tie which takes them to Kazakhstan, where they meet Astana.

Instant messaging companies support tighter gov't controls

BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Instant messaging service providers on Friday voiced support for a new regulation that requires netizens to use their real names when registering and restricts rights to release and retweet political reports.

"The regulation will help the company handle harmful information and standardize the release of news information through public accounts," said Jiang Yang, vice president of Tencent, parent company of instant messaging platform WeChat, which has nearly 800 million users worldwide.

"It will play a key role in promoting healthy and orderly development of the industry," she said at a seminar held by the State Internet Information Office (SIIO).

Under an SIIO regulation that took immediate effect on Thursday, China now requires users of instant messaging services to use their real names when registering, in an effort to hold users responsible for the content they send out.

Only media organizations and news websites can use public accounts to release and retweet political reports. Some public accounts of non-media organizations will be allowed to retweet political reports after scrutiny.

Users must abide by "seven bottom lines": authenticity of the information provided, the law, national interests, public order, the rights of other citizens, social morality and the socialist system.

Tencent has always fought against the spread of rumors, which are seriously polluting cyberspace and disturbing public order, Jiang said.

The company has closed more than 540,000 accounts disseminating pornography and information about the sex trade this year. The owners of more than 400 public accounts have received punishment for spreading harmful information, she added.

Li Lan, vice general manager of Xiaomi, another popular instant messaging tool, said the apps has set up a mechanism to receive public reports about "harmful" information so as to delete it quickly.

Only a few reputable public accounts are allowed to release information on Xiaomi to minimize the risks of rumormongering, Li said.

"As providers of messaging services, we must uphold the responsibilities of maintaining social stability and development," he said.

There are worries that instant messaging users will now face more hassle, noted Zhu Yi, CEO of the ZhuE Media Co., Ltd., which provides consultation for the instant messaging sector.

"But in the long run, the regulation is helpful in creating a healthy cyberspace where the public can be effectively shielded from information relating to violence as well as slander and rumors," Zhu said.

China car probes aim for fair market: association

BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- China's ongoing anti-monopoly investigations into foreign auto makers are aimed at building a fair market, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) said on Friday.

"These moves were taken in accordance with the Anti-monopoly Law and are expected to clean up the auto market and safeguard the legal interests of Chinese consumers," the CAAM said in a statement.

The National Development and Reform Commission confirmed earlier this week that the investigations found monopolistic practices in Chrysler, Audi and 12 Japanese auto makers and will sanction them.

Anti-monopoly investigations into Mercedes-Benz dealers in Jiangsu Province and the company's Shanghai office are still underway.

U.S. starts air strikes against Iraqi Sunni extremist targets: media

Baghdad, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. air force has started on Friday airstrikes against Iraqi Sunni extremist targets in northern Iraq, according to media and Pentagon sources.

The air strikes came after artillery fire near U.S. personnel, the Pentagon said Friday.

U.S. President Barack Obama authorized these air raids in a bid to protect Christians, and prevent "genocide" of tens of thousands of members of an ancient sect sheltering on a desert mountaintop from the so-called Islamic State militants threatening to exterminate them.

Russian food ban affects 70 mln euros worth of Irish exports: local media

DUBLIN, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- About 70 million euros worth of Irish exports will be affected by Russia's ban on imports from the European Union (EU) and other countries, state broadcaster RTE reported Friday.

About 40 million euros of those are in the dairy area, mostly milk powders and cheese, RTE said, quoting Aidan Cotter, chief executive of Board Bia, the Irish state agency with the aim of promoting sales of Irish food and horticulture both abroad and in Ireland itself.

The remaining affected areas are 20 million euros in seafood and 10 million euros in beef. However, a little over 100 million euros worth of exports to Russia are not affected.

About 12 processing plants in Ireland in the dairy, seafood and beef sectors had already had temporary bans placed on them by Russia before these latest restrictions.

"So some exporters already have been seeking out alternative outlets in that period," Cotter was quoted as saying.

Russia announced Thursday it will ban fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, milk and dairy imports from the United States, the European Union, Australia, Canada and Norway.

The move is a retaliatory response to Western sanctions against Russia for its alleged support of the rebels in Ukraine.