Taliban attacks posts in pakistan
ISLAMABAD — Taliban fighters attacked several Pakistani military posts along the Afghan border Saturday, sparking an hours-long gunbattle that included Pakistan launching airstrikes into Afghanistan, authorities said.
Pakistan said soldiers killed 16 militants, while Afghan officials said the airstrikes killed five civilians.
Two Pakistani military officers blamed the local Pakistani Taliban for the attack, saying dozens of fighters from the group crossed into Pakistan overnight to stage the attack. A Foreign Ministry statement later said “over 200 terrorists” took part.
Cyprus gay pride parade draws thousands •NOCOSIA, cyprus — Several thousand people turned out for Cyprus’ first gay pride parade Saturday, exceeding the expectations of organizers who said the event’s popularity shows that Cypriots are shedding their conservative attitudes.
One of the organizers, ACCEPT-LGBT Cyprus President Costas Gavrielides, said he was overwhelmed because he had expected only a few hundred people to attend the event in the heart of the capital Nicosia. Gavrielides urged lawmakers to pass legislation to further gay rights, including a civil partnership law.
Lebanon warns Syrians: Don’t go home ahead of vote •BEIRUT — Lebanon announced Saturday that Syrian refugees registered with the United Nations should not return home as of June 1, warning they will lose their status in this tiny Arab country.
The announcement comes ahead of Syria’s June 3 presidential elections, a vote President Bashar Assad is widely expected to win to secure a third seven-year term.
Damascus sees the elections as a means to end the 3-year-old conflict, while the Syrian opposition and its Western allies have denounced the vote as a farce aimed solely at lending Assad a veneer of electoral legitimacy.
Egypt criminalizes dishonoring anthem, flag •CAIRO — Egypt’s outgoing interim president issued a decree making dishonoring the Egyptian flag or not standing for the national anthem a criminal offense, punishable by sentences of up to one year in prison and a fine of more than $4,000, his spokesman said Saturday.
Egypt is witnessing a rising wave of nationalist fervor following the July military overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi after mass protests against him.
Malawi president sworn in •BLANTYRE, malawi — Malawi President Peter Mutharika was sworn into office Saturday at a brief ceremony in Blantyre, the country’s commercial center.
A larger inauguration is scheduled for Monday.
Mutharika was declared the winner of the election earlier Saturday. The election was marred by scattered unrest and complaints from the former president and others that the vote was rigged.
Tunisia cancels meeting on Libya•PARIS — Tunisia abruptly canceled two days of international meetings on its unstable neighbor Libya on Saturday, a day before they were to start, as authorities said the Libyan situation was too murky to make talks worthwhile. Denver Post wire services
