Twin car bombs kill 20 Syrian soldiers
DERAA, Syria, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Twin bombings at a military base in the southern Syrian town of Deraa killed at least 20 soldiers Saturday and wounded dozens more, officials say.
Two cars loaded with explosives blew up within minutes of each other, the BBC reported.
State-run Syrian media did not give details about the blasts, saying only they produced "victims and material damage."
No groups have claimed responsibility for the bombings, but Islamist groups have taken credit for similar attacks in the past.
The bombings in Deraa were part of the ongoing conflict between Syrian government troops and rebel forces.
Turkish state media reported Friday that 26 Syrian military officers, including two generals and 11 colonels, have fled across the border, Voice of America reported.
During talks Friday in Qatar between opposition groups discussing a possible merger, George Sabra, a Christian and former communist, was elected leader of the one of the largest groups, the Syrian National Council.
The SNC has not yet decided whether it will join a unified group, the Syrian National Initiative.
Sabra said after his appointment that the talks were just the beginning of a process. He called on the international community to provide arms to rebel groups.
17 soldiers killed in Turkish copter crash
ANKARA, Turkey, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Turkish officials have ruled out terrorism as the cause of Saturday's crash of a military helicopter in which 17 soldiers died.
Ahmet Aydin, governor of the southeastern province of Siirt, blamed heavy fog for the crash, Hurriyet Daily News reported.
The Sikorski helicopter carrying the soldiers crashed into rocks in the Pervari district of Siirt, he said.
"We have reached the bodies," Aydin said. "The cause of the crash is a hundred percent the fog."
In a separate incident, Turkish armed forces killed 42 members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party in operations in the eastern province of Hakkari.
In a statement released Friday, the Hakkari governor's office said weapons including rocket launchers, mortars and explosives were seized.
Afghan governor warns civil war possible
KABUL, Afghanistan, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- An Afghan provincial governor warned there is a risk of civil war in his country after U.S. and NATO troops leave in 2014.
Habiba Sarabi, governor of Bamiyan province, told BBC Afghanistan political factions in the country were becoming increasingly on edge about their position once the western combat forces are gone.
Sarabi said leaving a power vacuum in Afghanistan would amount to the same mistake that occurred in the 1990s and gave rise to the Taliban.
A spokesman for the Afghan interior ministry assured the Khamaa Press the Kabul government was capable of maintaining security.
Afghanistan is scheduled to hold a presidential election in 2014.
GOP mulling change in immigration stance
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Republicans are reconsidering immigration policy in light of the role Latino voters played in re-electing U.S. President Barack Obama, political analysts said.
Latinos favored Obama over Republican nominee Mitt Romney by 40 percent, and many within the GOP are reconsidering their tough stance on touchy issues such as amnesty, The Hill reported Saturday.
Right-wing talk show host Sean Hannity said Thursday he had evolved on the issue, while House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said the party was "long overdue" in developing a "comprehensive approach."
Washington Post columnist and Fox News commentator Charles Krauthammer wrote Friday that Republicans must consider "full legal normalization (just short of citizenship) in return for full border enforcement."
Some Republicans aren't convinced that change is needed, The Hill said.
Rush Limbaugh argued on his radio talk show Friday that Hispanics were moving to the Democratic Party because of its positions on taxes and welfare, not immigration.
Rep. John Fleming, R-La, Friday chastised Boehner for "getting ahead" of House Republicans on immigration.
Fleming said there had been "zero discussion" on the issue.
Republican inaction on immigration reform is "unsustainable," said Al Cardenas, president of the American Conservation Union.
"Conservatives cannot advocate the status quo," he said. "It's indefensible."
Statue of Liberty relit after Sandy
NEW YORK, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- A donation from a lighting company helped relight the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor for the first time since Hurricane Sandy, park officials said.
The National Park Service said in a statement the statue was a "bright beacon of hope" for New York and New Jersey residents when its lights went on Friday night. The statue was one of almost 70 national parks affected by the massive storm.
Musco Lighting, which specializes in lighting up large outdoor spaces like stadiums, donated equipment and services to the National Park Foundation, a non-profit group that raises money for the parks.
The company developed a system of lights powered by portable generators, allowing them to be moved around easily as the statue is restored.
"For 125 years the Statue of Liberty has been one of the world's most enduring symbols of our nation and this great city," National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis said. "While we work to do everything necessary to re-open the Statue and every other national park damaged by the hurricane, we are grateful to Musco and the National Park Foundation for turning the lights on Lady Liberty, another step forward in the recovery of this region."
