#Syria As death toll from#Damascus bomb blast rises, 90 bodies pulled from rubble of#Aleppo missile attack: http://tinyurl.com/PCOSyria2The death toll from the massive car bomb explosion in the centre of Damascus on Thursday just keeps rising as a number of the more than 200 wounded were critically injured.
Injured Carried From Massive Car Bomb in DamascusUN leaders and countries around the world condemned the blast which is now thought to have killed at least 63, including 6 members of the Syrian Army and a number of children from the nearby Abdullah Bin al-Zabir School and some workers from the al-Hayat Hospital.The explosion occured at a busy traffic interchange on al-Thawra Street in the al-Mazraa district of the capital. Many cars, mini-buses and buildings were destroyed or damaged in the attack, including the Russian embassy where a number of windows were blown out.The Government blamed the bombing on “Al-Qaida terrorists” but the Opposition Syrian National Council and the Military Revolutionary Council in Damascus also denounced the attack, saying it had nothing to do with any organisation connected with them.Nobody has claimed responsibility for the bombing and some activist groups suggest it has the hallmarks of an Assad regime contrivance, even at the expense of its own people, in order to stoke up hatred against the Opposition, to rally its supporters and to get international support against its so-called “war against terror”.
Survivors of the Damascus Bomb Blast Get TreatmentThe Military Revolutionary Council for Damascus also warned that it believed the Assad Government was planning similar strikes against churches and mosques in order to stir up sectarian hatred and division which it could manipulate to its advantage.
#Syria Opposition make more gains in#DeirelZour, while#FSAloses patience & shells#Hezbollah in#Lebanon:http://tinyurl.com/PCOSyria2
Josh Smith trade rumors: Hawks GM focuses on long-term future
PUBLISHED Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 at 11:39 am EST LAST UPDATED 6 hours and 45 minutes ago
It’s not just Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith’s expiring contract that has GM Danny Ferry offering him before the trade deadline, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
True, the Hawks (29-22) have a shot at finishing in the top four in the Eastern Conference, in part because it clearly is the weaker of the two conferences.
Danny Ferry has an important decision to make regarding Josh Smith. (AP Photo)
But if Ferry trades Smith—and the odds appear tilted in that direction, according to the newspaper—it’s because he has asked himself these questions: What are the chances the Hawks win more than one playoff round? What are the chances they upset the defending champion Miami Heat?
If the answers to those questions are slim or none (and they are), then Ferry’s focus needs to be on the future, which means trading Smith for young assets.
But when asked by AJC columnist Jeff Schulz where he believed the Hawks are at the deadline, Ferry responded: "We’re in a unique situation with the current roster being competitive, but also having good cap flexibility going forward. Like most teams, we’re evaluating ourselves and looking at the opportunities that come to us, especially this time of year. If there’s an opportunity that makes sense for us and for the long-term interest of the Hawks, we’ll look at it closely.”
Writes Schulz: “Confused? Focus on this string of words: ‘… the long-term interest of the Hawks.’”
That helps explain why Smith is on the market, with the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics the most frequently mentioned trade partners.
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