Assad Regrets Syria Downing of Turkish Jet
A Turkish newspaper has quoted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad saying he regrets that his forces shot down a Turkish military jet last month.
The Cumhuriyet newspaper published comments from Mr. Assad Tuesday in which the leader insisted the jet was flying in Syrian airspace that had been used by Israeli planes three times in the past.
Turkey says the jet entered by mistake and had flown back to international airspace before Syria shot it down on June 22. The paper quoted Mr. Assad saying he would not hesitate to apologize for the attack if the Turkish account were true.
He also downplayed the possibility of the situation between Turkey and Syria escalating, saying it will not turn into “armed conflict.”
Turkey has increased its defenses along the border with Syria, a move the paper quoted Mr. Assad as saying his country will not match.
Also Tuesday, Human Rights Watch issued a new report accusing the Syrian government of torturing and abusing detainees at 27 facilities across the country.
The group says it interviewed detainees who experienced or witnessed prolonged beatings, the use of stress positions and electricity, sexual assault and mock executions. It also says the detainees were kept in overcrowded cells, and denied adequate food and medical attention.
The report lists torture sites in the capital, Damascus, as well as in Homs, Idlib, Aleppo, Daraa and Latakia.
Human Rights Watch says the ill-treatment amounts to crimes against humanity. It urged the United Nations Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court.
The Security Council is scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss recommendations from U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the future of the currently suspended observer mission in Syria.
The head of the mission suspended operations on June 16 due to safety risks to the 300 observers in Syria. The U.N. said attackers targeted the observer team several times with gunfire and bombs.
Mr. Ban said in a statement late Monday that the Syrian people and the region “cannot afford more atrocities, suffering and chaos.” He also welcomed an international plan for a transitional government in Syria and said he hoped an opposition conference in Cairo will contribute to creating a “meaningful transition.”
China Vows Crackdown on Environmental Protesters
Chinese authorities are vowing to inflict what they call “severe punishment” on organizers of a two-day protest who are concerned about the environmental impact of a proposed heavy metal refinery in their town.
Authorities say unrest broke out Monday when several thousand protesters clashed with police outside a government building in the small central city of Shifang. Police responded with tear gas, and pictures circulated online showed police beating protesters. Officials say 13 people were injured.
Shifang police on Tuesday demanded the surrender of those organizing the demonstrations, saying anyone using the Internet or text messages to organize the “illegal protests” should immediately stop their activities.
The Shifang government said Monday it has suspended the construction of the molybdenum and copper refinery, which citizens say would cause heavy amounts of pollution.
Such localized protests are increasingly common in China, where city officials have struggled to balance rapid urban development with rising public anger over environmental threats.
Michael Phelps targets only seven gold medals
Michael Phelps has opted out of the 200m freestyle at the Olympic Games and will instead chase seven gold medals.
The American is expected to concentrate on two butterfly and two individual medley events as well as three relays.
Phelps, the most successful Olympian ever with 14 golds, swam and won eight events in Beijing in 2008.
He had been expected to target eight golds in London, but coach Bob Bowman said: "No-one should be expected to do that twice. Once was enough."
Phelps won the 200m freestyle in Beijing four years ago but has since been beaten over that distance in the last two World Championships.
His 200m freestyle spot in the US team will go to Ricky Berens, who finished third in the 200m freestyle at the trials behind Phelps and Ryan Lochte.
It was a fun week but there are still a lot of things that need to be perfected," said Phelps after the trials.
Phelps, 27, has won a total of 38 world and Olympic gold medals in his career but admitted he struggled for motivation after Beijing 2008.
He has also faced increasing competition from Lochte, who will now be favourite for the 200m freestyle after Phelps's withdrawal.
The Phelps and Lochte rivalry is expected to be one of highlights of the Games, which begin later this month.
"Neither one of us wants to lose," said Phelps.
"When we get in the water we race as hard as we can, whether we're playing cat and mouse by the end, we're going all out.
"They're fun, exciting races and Ryan has proved he's been the best over the past couple of years."
Lochte sounded a warning to Phelps after the trials. "I'm used to racing against him, I've been doing it for eight years now," he said.
"In the past four years, I've gone a lot faster and I know what my body can handle. This meet was just stepping stones for what I really want to do in London."
Phelps finished first in the 200m individual medley final and the 200m freestyle final at the trials, while Lochte beat him in the 400m individual medley final and also won the 200m backstroke final.
Missy Franklin, 17, is set to become the first US woman to swim in seven events at the Games after she won the 200m backstroke in 2:06.12.
"I felt really strong. It really hurts so bad at the end but if it doesn't then you're not doing it right," she said. "I can't believe I have seven events. It's so overwhelming but so exciting at the same time."
Dwain Chambers set for Team GB selection
Dwain Chambers is set to be selected for London 2012 when the athletics squad is named at 1400 BST on Tuesday.
He can compete after the British Olympic Association policy of lifetime bans for drug cheats was overturned.
Chambers won the Olympic trials on 23 June, but did not run in the 100m at the European Athletics Championships.
Asked if Chambers would be picked for London 2012, UK Athletics coach Charles van Commenee told BBC Sport: "It's a likely outcome."
Chambers, 34, was given a two-year ban after testing positive for the designer drug THG in 2003.
He won the 100m trials in Birmingham in 10.25 seconds - seven hundredths of a second outside the 'A' qualification time required. However, he ran 'A' times last summer, which the selectors can take into account. Team GB can name three 100m sprinters for London 2012.
Adam Gemili, 18, is the only confirmed 100m competitor after running the A-standard and finishing in the top two in the UK trials. The final Olympic place is likely to go to James Dasaolu, 24, who has run the 'A' standard this year.
One of the toughest choices facing UK Athletics is which three athletes from five contenders to pick for the women's 800m.
Marilyn Okoro and Emma Jackson have run the 'A' standard this year but finished fifth and seventh at the Olympic trials, won by Scotland's Lynsey Sharp, who also claimed a European silver medal.
Former world and European 800m bronze medallist Jenny Meadows's hopes suffered a setback when she pulled out of the 800m in Helsinki after aggravating an Achilles injury. She says she will appeal if not selected.
Jemma Simpson did compete in Helsinki but finished seventh in the final.
Van Commenee said he was bracing himself for a "heap of appeals" from athletes after Tuesday's announcement.
"The women's 800m is a very difficult one," Van Commenee said. "There may possibly be some back-up places for the relays to debate too. I can't see many other big issues really."
David Beckham left out for football reasons off GB squad
Stuart Pearce says his decision not to pick David Beckham in his Team GB squad for London 2012 was made purely for football reasons, and stressed he would not pick any player based on sentiment.
Pearce has named his 18-man squad, leaving out Beckham as expected.
"Form plays a big part and I don't think there is a manager around who picks on sentiment," he said.
"I have to be comfortable when I have made decisions based solely on football grounds alone, nothing else."
Pearce also ruled out any possibility of using Beckham in a coaching capacity, although the British Olympic Association (BOA) has been in touch with the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder's representatives about a possible Games role.
"We only have seven passes [for backroom staff]. We have no passes for that," added Pearce.
"The players have to be prepared to come through the door on form alone and that happens to be the case with staffing too. They have their role to play."
BOA chef de mission Andy Hunt said it would be "fantastic" to have Beckham involved in some capacity.
He said: "We'd be delighted and honoured to have David Beckham related to Team GB more broadly.
"That would be fantastic. I've made contact with his representatives over the weekend and we'll see how that moves forward."
It had long been anticipated that Beckham would be included as one of the three overage players in the squad following his prominent role in promoting London 2012.
But Pearce instead opted for Craig Bellamy, Ryan Giggs and Micah Richards - three players the England Under-21 manager believes will give Team GB their best chance of winning a medal.
Pearce said he made it clear when he was appointed that he would only pick players based on merit, and would not have taken the job if he was not in full control over squad selection.
Maria Sharapova and Kim Clijsters beaten at Wimbledon
Top seed Maria Sharapova and Kim Clijsters were knocked out of Wimbledon in straight sets in the fourth round.
Sharapova had been bidding to become the first player since Serena Williams in 2002 to win the French Open-Wimbledon double in the same year.
But the Russian world number one was beaten 6-4 6-3 by German 15th seed Sabine Lisicki on a chilly Court One.
Clijsters, due to retire after the US Open later this year, lost 6-1 6-1 to German eighth seed Angelique Kerber.
Lisicki, 22, secured victory with her third match point, an ace on her second serve, and will face her compatriot Kerber in the quarter-finals.
Lisicki broke Sharapova's serve three times in the first set and, following a rain delay, once early in the second to clinch victory by the same score she lost to the Russian in last year's semi-finals.
"It's unbelievable. I've beaten Maria Sharapova for the first time," Lisicki told BBC Sport. "I just went for my shots from the first point on.
"She is a fighter but I am a fighter too. I fought to the last point. The last game was tough but I fought it out.
"I'm getting better with each match. This is my favourite tournament. I love it here."
The Russian completed a career Grand Slam by winning at Roland Garros last month, but will lose her number one ranking to either Victoria Azarenka or Agnieszka Radwanska when the new list comes out on Monday.
Sharapova said: "She [Lisicki] did many things better than I did and you have to hand it to her. She played very well. I could have done things differently but not on this particular day."
Clijsters , who has won four Grand Slams but never reached a Wimbledon final, struggled to get her serve into gear and committed a string of unforced errors.
The Belgian survived two match points at 5-0 down in the second set but Eastbourne finalist Kerber soon served out for a comprehensive victory.
Clijsters, who made her Wimbledon debut as a 16-year-old and was a semi-finalist in 2003 and 2006, said the fact it was her last match at the Championships had not entered her thoughts.
"I just had the feeling that there was absolutely nothing I could have done to have won that match," said the former world number one.
"My opponent was better on every level. That was all I was thinking about."
The 29-year-old will play in the Olympics at Wimbledon and then the US Open before retiring for the second and final time, having previously taken two years out to start a family.
"I know that every time I've played here I've given my best, and that's the only thing that I can do," she added.
"I'll never say that I didn't work hard enough or I didn't practise hard enough. I don't think I'll feel sorry about anything when I leave."
In the two other matches in this half of the draw, Polish third seed Radwanska beat Italian qualifier Camila Giorgi 6-2 6-3 and will face 17th seed Maria Kirilenko in the quarter-finals.
Russia's Kirilenko broke twice in the final set to win 6-1 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 in two hours and 20 minutes against China's Shuai Peng.
Pena Nieto Wins Mexican Presidential Election
Exit polls in Mexico's presidential election show Enrique Pena Nieto winning by a wide margin.
The polls put Pena Nieto far ahead of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the left-wing Party of the Democratic Revolution, and Josefina Vazquez Mota, who hopes to become Mexico's first female president.
A Pena Nieto win brings the Institutional Revolutionary Party back into power. The PRI ruled Mexico for 71 years until 2000. Its critics blamed the PRI's long hold on power on corruption, electoral fraud and repression. But the party has been bolstered recently by voter fatigue from economic stagnation and a wave of lawlessness that have plagued Mexico under the conservative National Action Party, or PAN.
A large part of that lawlessness has stemmed from the country's drug violence. Since President Felipe Calderon deployed the military against Mexico's drug cartels in 2006, more than 50,000 people have been killed.
The three main candidates have signed an agreement in which they pledged to accept the results of Sunday's presidential election. The agreement also called on Mexicans to respect the result of the election, despite political disagreements.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
Japan's Ozawa and 51 lawmakers resign from ruling party
Japanese power-broker Ichiro Ozawa has resigned from the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, along with 51 other lawmakers.
The exodus, which has been expected for some time, still leaves the DPJ with a majority in the lower house of parliament.
However, the move is a blow to Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, with Mr Ozawa expected to form his own party.
Mr Ozawa said he was unhappy with the sales tax hike passed a week ago.
The prime minister says doubling sales tax from 5% to 10% by 2015 is key to cutting Japan's high public debt and funding rising welfare costs.
Mr Ozawa, who voted against the bill, has been leading the charge against Mr Noda over the hike.
If 54 or more lawmakers had followed him out of the DPJ, Mr Noda would have lost his majority in the lower house, forcing him to call early polls.
Voters in Senegal Pick a Parliament
Voters in Senegal went to the polls Sunday to pick a new parliament.
Newly-elected President Macky Sall needs a majority of supporters to get approval for his legislative agenda, which includes job creation and bringing down food prices.
Witnesses say voter turnout Sunday was low. Results are expected in several days.
President Sall defeated long-time leader Abdoulaye Wade in March in an election marked by violence and controversy over whether Mr. Wade was entitled to run for a third term.
Iran Acknowledges Sanctions have Become Severe
Iran has acknowledged that Western sanctions over its controversial nuclear program have reached their toughest level, as the European Union begins a total ban on Iranian oil imports.
In remarks published Sunday by Iranian state media, Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi said Western powers unfairly have imposed what he called the “most severe” sanctions on Iran to date. He appealed to the Iranian people to help the government fight the impact of those measures.
The EU ban on Iranian oil took full effect on Sunday, after being implemented gradually since the start of this year. The 27-nation bloc also began enforcing a ban on European insurance for Iranian oil shipments to other nations.
The Obama administration welcomed the European moves, which came several days after it tightened U.S. sanctions against foreign companies doing business with Iran. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said the EU sanctions are a “substantial additional commitment” to a diplomatic strategy of forcing Iran to choose between isolation or meeting its international obligations.
Iran has been enriching uranium for what it calls a civilian energy and medical research program, in defiance of several U.N. Security Council resolutions. Western powers that backed those resolutions want Iran to stop enrichment activities that they fear could be used to make nuclear weapons.
Carney said Iran still “has an opportunity” to pursue substantive negotiations to resolve the issue. He said that opportunity begins with expert-level talks in Istanbul on Tuesday. Iran and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany failed to reach any breakthroughs in three rounds of high-level negotiations held earlier this year.
Other Iranian officials tried to reassure the public that they are working to ease the impact of the latest Western sanctions. Iranian central bank governor Mahmud Bahmani said the government has plans to counter the sanctions and has enough foreign currency to meet Iran's import needs.
Oil Minister Rostam Ghasemi said he does not see the sanctions as a problem because Iran has faced similar measures for years and “nothing happened,” as he put it. He said Iran already has found new buyers to replace EU nations who imported Iranian oil. The EU previously bought about 18 percent of Iran's oil exports, which are the main source of that nation's revenue.
In another sign of Iranian defiance toward the West, an Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander said his forces will begin three days of missile tests on Monday — with missiles being fired at desert targets made to resemble enemy air bases in the region. Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh warned that Iranian missiles would “obliterate” Israel if that country attacks Iran.
Israel sees a nuclear armed Iran as a threat to its existence and says it could take military action to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon capability. The United States refuses to rule out military action to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb.