Storms leave trail of death, destruction across South

Jakarta Forum-CNN - The storm system that plowed through the South left scenes of destruction described as "surreal" and "sickening" by those who saw them. Authorities were working to reach those trapped; some states are facing a long and arduous recovery. Here's a look at the latest confirmed death toll as provided by state authorities as well as reports from some of the worst-hit areas.

OFFICIAL STATE DEATH TOLLS FOR APRIL 27-28 TORNADOES
Alabama - 252
Tennessee - 34
Mississippi - 33
Georgia - 15
Virginia - 5
Arkansas - 1
TOTAL - 340
Source: State officials

ALABAMA
The death toll from the severe weather in Alabama has claimed the lives of at least 252 people, according to state emergency officials. The state Emergency Management Agency reported 14 additional deaths in Marion County, bringing the total number of deaths there to 35.
Tuscaloosa city officials reported 45 deaths as of Friday afternoon, but later revised that to 39 because of a counting error. That change was not immediately reflected in the state's total. Almost 1,000 people were treated for injuries in the city and 446 people were unaccounted for, although not necessarily missing.
President Barack Obama and the first family toured Tuscaloosa on Friday. Obama met with Gov. Robert Bentley and families affected by the storms and promised expedited emergency assistance to the devastated region.
"We're going to do everything we can to help these communities rebuild," he told reporters.
Medical personnel treated more than 1,700 injured people. Thirty-one of the state's 67 counties were affected by the tornadoes and storms.
Bentley declared a statewide state of emergency and mobilized approximately 2,000 Alabama National Guardsmen to provide emergency assistance.
Obama signed Alabama's Emergency Declaration and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts.
-- Tuscaloosa: Mayor Walter Maddox described a surreal scene as the twister plowed through: "There were parts of the city I literally didn't recognize," he told CNN's Eliot Spitzer. "We have hundreds of homes and businesses destroyed, and hundreds more damaged.
-- Birmingham: Severe damage was reported in Birmingham's western suburbs; Hueytown, Concord and Pleasant Grove saw "catastrophic damage," said Hueytown Police Chief Chuck Hagler. "I don't think you understand the scale of the devastation," he said.
-- Hackleburg: Almost 30 people died in this town in northwest Alabama, according to the sheriff. Schools, businesses and homes were destroyed.
-- Cullman: What was thought to be a tornado damaged a hospital, ripped the roof off the courthouse and pummeled a number of residences, authorities said. One person was killed in Hanceville when a tree fell on a car.

Counties reporting deaths, according to state authorities:
Bibb -- 1
Calhoun -- 9
Cullman -- 2
DeKalb -- 32
Elmore -- 6
Fayette -- 4
Franklin -- 27
Hale -- 4
Jackson -- 8
Jefferson -- 19
Lawrence -- 14
Limestone -- 4
Madison -- 7
Marion -- 35
Marshall -- 5
St. Clair -- 13
Tallapoosa -- 3
Tuscaloosa -- 45
Walker -- 14

TENNESSEE
Tennessee emergency officials reported 34 deaths and 107 injuries. Serious flooding was reported in areas of western Tennessee, and more than 130,000 were without power.
-- Chattanooga: A 41-year-old woman was killed when a tree fell on her mobile home, according to WDEF. Her husband and son told investigators they were taking shelter in a closet when she walked over to a window and was crushed when the tree fell. In Chickamauga Lake, north of Chattanooga, no one was injured when a funnel cloud smashed into the Camp Columbus RV park, destroying several vehicles. Resident John Tripp told CNN affiliate WTVC that he saw the massive tornado form, taking up water as it crossed the lake, before it smashed into the campground.
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-- Apison: Eight deaths were reported in this community east of Chattanooga. Twenty-eight people were taken to hospitals.

GEORGIA
The death toll in Georgia stands at 15, officials said Friday. Gov. Nathan Deal has declared a state of emergency in 16 counties. The state reported 115 injuries. The state has concluded search operations, is conducting preliminary damage estimates and has done aerial surveys.
-- Catoosa County: Eight deaths occurred here, according to the Georgia Emergency Management Agency. Three were confirmed in the town of Ringgold, according to the Catoosa County Coroner. The town in northwest Georgia has been hit particularly hard, with some buildings entirely demolished, Major Gary Sisk said. In Ringgold, the storm appeared to pick and choose its targets. Some homes were left virtually unscathed, or perhaps had minor roof damage. Others had no roof at all. Still more homes were simply gone, vanished into a pile of rubble. "It just looks like confetti," emergency management spokeswoman Lisa Janak said Friday, adding 300 homes were lost in the county.
-- Dade County: Two people were confirmed dead in Trenton, according to Georgia's Emergency Management Agency.
-- Spalding County: The sheriff's department confirmed two fatalities. State officials said numerous homes were severely damaged.
-- Lamar County: The state confirmed two deaths.
-- Rabun County: One death.

MISSISSIPPI
The death toll from severe weather in Mississippi has risen to 34, according to state emergency officials. More than 150 injuries were reported. One of the 33 deaths was on Tuesday. Another was a firefighter who died Friday after collapsing while clearing storm debris.
President Obama signed a disaster declaration for Clarke, Greene, Hinds, Jasper, Kemper, Lafayette and Monroe counties, making individuals living there eligible for federal funds.
Damage was reported in 50 counties and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said. Damage assessments were still ongoing, but as of Friday afternoon damage was reported to 1,572 homes. Of those, 551 were deemed destroyed or having suffered major damage.
-- Monroe County: At least 14 people were killed in the town of Smithville. Fourteen people there were still missing Friday afternoon.
-- McComb: A falling tree killed a 3-year-old girl who was asleep in her bed in the southwest Mississippi town, according to CNN affiliate WLBT in Jackson.
-- Kemper County: Three deaths were confirmed in the western Mississippi county, MEMA said.

VIRGINIA
The death toll from severe weather in Virginia was revised downward from eight to five, according to state emergency officials. Severe storms struck the counties of Goochland, Halifax, Shenandoah and Washington, among others. Four fatalities in Washington County and one in Halifax County have been confirmed, according to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

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European Regulators Investigate Banks for Credit Swaps

Jakarta Forum-NYTimes, Ever since the financial crisis, when derivatives were blamed for exacerbating the panic, regulators have been looking for ways to make these complex financial instruments less risky. Now, regulators are also considering whether a small network of big banks unfairly controls the derivatives market itself.

European regulators in Brussels announced two sweeping antitrust investigations into the world’s largest banks on Friday, opening a second front in the battle to rein in a $600 trillion business that until now has operated mostly in the shadows. The regulators are focusing on whether the banks have shut out competitors in recent years in a bid to keep profit margins high.

The European investigations mirror one already under way by the United States Department of Justice, and follow an examination of derivatives market last year by The New York Times that highlighted efforts by large banks to control this lucrative corner of finance.

The European officials said they were investigating whether financial institutions, including international giants like Barclays, JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank, used important industry committees to influence pricing and rules for a product known as a credit-default swap. These swaps provide a type of insurance against the risk of corporations or other borrowers being unable to pay off their debts.

The concern, the European Commission said, was that the banks had “an unfair advantage” in this largely opaque market. None of the banks cited by the European regulators commented on the inquiry.

“Lack of transparency in markets can lead to abusive behavior and facilitate violations of competition rules,” theEuropean Union competition commissioner, Joaquín Almunia, said in a statement. “I hope our investigation will contribute to a better functioning of financial markets and, therefore, to more sustainable recovery.”

Antitrust rules in Europe tend to be tougher in these types of cases than in the United States, experts said, and the efforts in Europe may increase the pressure on Washington to open this marketplace up to more competition. The investigations also differ from other prominent antitrust cases recently because they involve many big players in the industry, rather than a single company, and the outcome will be determined by laws covering collusion rather than monopolies.

“Our big time, famous antitrust cases over the past couple years have involved a single dominant firm, like Microsoft,” said Keith N. Hylton, a professor of law at Boston University. “This is a story of a secretive group that controls the market and they’re excluding competitors.”

The result of the investigations could affect broad swaths of the economy, because banks dominate the market for many sorts of derivatives, not just credit-default swaps.

As in Europe, American regulators have expressed worries that buyers are paying higher prices for these complex instruments than they would in a more competitive market. That can affect products like airline tickets that include the cost of hedges on oil prices or local tax bills that reflect the fees cities pay to manage the risk of swings in interest rates.

The investigation announced on Friday was twofold.

One part focuses on a larger set of banks — 16 in total — that work with a data provider called the Markit Group, based in London, designing pricing procedures and indices related to these swaps. Many of the banks also hold stakes in Markit.

Markit, which the European regulators are also looking at, said in a statement that it “has no exclusive arrangements with any data provider and makes its data and related products widely available to global market participants.” And, the company said, it was “unaware of any collusion by other market participants as described by the commission.”

The second part of the investigation centers on nine banks that play a major role in a procedure called clearing that regulators in the United States and Europe have promoted for several years as a better way to manage the risks posed by derivatives.

The nine banks gained power in part through regulators’ efforts in 2008 to improve transparency in the market. At the time, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York ordered the banks to help build clearing houses for derivatives.

In return for partnering with the Intercontinental Exchange, a publicly traded company, the banks got a favorable deal with ICE that persists today. Not only did they get a major say in ICE’s rules on derivatives, the banks also share in ICE’s profits from clearing and enjoy a cap on the fees they pay for clearing.

The European Commission said the deal between ICE and the nine banks might be unfair to other players in the market. In particular, the commission criticized the cap on clearing fees. The banks are not obligated to pass on the benefits of the caps to their customers and could use part of their savings to undercut bids from new competitors.

“This could potentially constitute an abuse of a dominant position by ICE,” the commission said in a statement.

ICE declined to comment. But officials inside the banks say privately they are entitled to the caps on the fees at ICE because as part of their partnership, they sold a jointly owned clearing business to ICE. The caps, they argue, are part of the payment for that deal.

Alisa Finelli, a spokeswoman for the Justice Department in Washington said on Friday that the department’s investigation of the derivatives market was still underway. Last fall, she said the department was focused on “the possibility of anticompetitive practices in the credit derivatives clearing, trading and information services industries.”

Also late last year, Christine A. Varney, assistant attorney general in the department’s antitrust division, urged the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission to create regulations that spur more competition in the derivatives market.

The banks named in the ICE clearing investigation are JPMorgan, Bank of America, Barclays, Citigroup, Crédit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley andUBS. In addition to those nine, the Markit inquiry also includes Wells Fargo, BNP Paribas, Commerzbank, HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland, Crédit Agricole and Société Générale.

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RI, South Pacific nations to boost eco-tourism

Jakarta Forum-ANTARA News - In line with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Indonesia has offered its expertise in eco-tourism development to small South Pacific island states which have unique natural potentials to attract tourists.

"Indonesia has technical cooperation program to assist other developing nations as we have large assets and experiences in developing eco-tourism," Director General for Information and Public Diplomacy at the Foreign Ministry Andri Hadi said recently.

The foreign affaris ministry is organizing an international training course on eco-tourism for the Pacific from April 25 to May 4, 2011 in Yogyakarta. Earlier, also in Yogyakarta, on April 27-8, an international conference on eco-tourism was held for South Pacific countries.

The ecotourism training course held by the ministry in cooperation with the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University (UGM) is being participated in by 10 South Pacific countries, namely Malaysia, Fiji, Samoa, Marshal Island, Solomon, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Tonga, Papua News Guinea, and Timor Leste.

The two event were conducted in response to the United Nations` appeal regarding the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the director general.

The UN had called for ecotourism development as one of the mechanisms to lower the poverty rate and promote environmental preservation within the framework of the MDG, he explained.

As a donor country, Indonesia has played a role in the area of capacity building and technical cooperation diplomacy by helping other developing states.

"The assistance is given to developing countries in the South Pacific countries to develop their ecotourism as well as to deal with climate change," he said.

Yogyakarta has been chosen to host the training because it has a center for ecotourism studies.

Among the speakers at the conference were former tourism and culture minister I Gde Ardika and Executive Secretary of the University of Gadjah Mada Djoko Moerdiyanto who talked about climate change and its impact on the tourism industry.

Apart from the training course and conference, the University of Gadjah Madah`s Tourism Study Center (UGM Puspar) has initiated ecotourism cooperation with the 11 countries in Asia and the Pacific.

"The cooperation plan is to develop eco-tourism to boost the rural people`s economy on island states in Asia and the Pacific," Head of the UGM Puspar Baiquni said in Yogyakarta on Wednesday (April 27).

"The interesting thing of eco-toursim is that it preserves the environment and can give economic benefits to the people," he stated, adding that Indonesia has been developed eco-tourism since long time ago.

Indonesia is a heaven for nature lovers and adventurers, according to Achyaruddin, the culture and tourism ministry`s director of tourism products when officially kicked off Deep & Extreme Indonesia 2011, a marine tourism and ecotourism exhibition, at the Jakarta Convention Center, Jakarta, from March 31 to April 1, 2011.

Six provinces - West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Yogyakarta, Aceh, Central Kalimantan (Kalteng), North Sumatera (Sumut), and East Kalimantan (Kaltim), took part in the expo, which was also participated in by 125 domestic and foreign companies.

Ecotourism in Indonesia, an archipelagic nation with more than 17,500 islands, can be found in almost every regions, including in Bali, West Java, North Sulawesi provinces, and Yogyakarta offering mountain tourism, agrotourism, and other interesting nature tourism activities.

According to data from the forestry ministry, ecotourism contributed Rp80 trillion to the forestry sector`s earnings in 2008, a 33 percent increase compared with a year earlier.

Ecotourism has good prospects as Indonesia has 530 conservation areas including 245 nature preserves, 77 wildlife reserves, 50 national parks, and 123 nature tourism parks.

The World Travel Tourism Council (WTTC) said in its report issued in 2000 that ecotourism grew by up to 10 percent per year, well above the average annual growth of other tourism industries which reached 4.6 percent.

For Pacific Island countries, tourism is also a major economic activity. According to data from the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), tourism has boosted the growth of travel agents and provided 100 million jobs in 21 countries in Asia and the Pacific.

The World Tourism Organization (WTO)`s 2009 data shows that the number of international visitors in Asia Pacific countries was 182 million in 2007, and increased to 184 million in 2008. For the Pacific countries alone, the number of visitors in 2007 was 11.2 million and 11.1 million in 2008.

Eco-tourism retreats are popular throughout the South Pacific Islands and offer the chance to stay in truly beautiful tropical locations in stark contrast to the palm fringed golden sandy beaches of the glossy brochures.

Samoa has the most extensive community tourism programme in the South Pacific with lots of village communities offering accommodation in traditional thatch bungalows.

Several projects to help protect the natural forests are in progress including the unique forest canopy walkway on Savaii. There`s also excellent coastal scenery on Western Samoa and some beautiful areas of natural rain forest on American Samoa.

Fiji has the best tropical rainforest in the South Pacific, particularly on the main island of Viti Levu and on Taveuni and Vanua Levu. Native trees, waterfalls and exotic bird life are some of the attractions. National Parks operate several excellent trails.

Tonga offers lots of family-stay guesthouses in small traditional villages, notably in the Ha`apai Group and on Vava`u,

"Through ecotourism, we appeal advanced nations and world major industries to help take care of the environment because the climate change impacts have threatened the existence of small island states in Asia and the Pacific," Baiquni said.

Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) are painfully vulnerable to the ravages of climate change as they are in danger of shrinking and being wiped off the face of the earth due to the sea level resi.

The countries most vulnerable to the hazards of climate change include the Maldives, Timor Leste, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.(*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Source: Antara News

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Headline News: Mob burns 7 to death in Ganjam

Jakarta Forum-hindustantimes, Seven people, including a woman, were burnt to death by a mob in Orissa' Ganjam district over a dispute related to the operation of a stone crushing unit, police said on Saturday. The incident took place at Badagada village, some 250 km from state capital Bhubaneswar, late on Friday. Police

said locals were opposed to the small stone crushing unit in their village as it caused pollution, and demanded money from the owners.

However, the dispute escalated Friday when hundreds of villagers attacked the unit and set fire to a room where the seven people, including four workers, were sleeping.

State police chief Anup Patnaik said seven bodies have been recovered from the site.

"We have deputed a team for further investigation," he told IANS.

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China to support RI in ASEAN-East Asia Cooperation Forum

Jakarta Forum-ANTARA News - China is prepared to strengthen coordination and to support Indonesia as the chairman of ASEAN in the ASEAN-East Asian cooperation forum.

The Chinese preparedness to support Indonesia and strengthen coordination was stated by Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao in a joint press conference with President Yudhoyono at the Merdeka Palace here on Friday.

Prime Minister Jiabao said that China was ready to encourage cooperation in the East Asia region so that it would develop healthily and in a stable way.

China, he said, was always ready to encourage the creation of peace and prosperity in the East Asian region.

"China is ready to strengthen coordination with Indonesia and supports Indonesia`s efforts to organize a series of East Asian leaders` meetings this year," Jiabao said.

The meeting of the leaders of the East Asian nations would be held during the ASEAN summit which would be held in Bali on November 2011.

Jiabao acknowledged Indonesia will play an increasingly and important role in the long run, both in the regional and international level.

In his statement, Jiabao also disclosed China`s intention to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN.

He said that China and Indonesia had experienced various kinds of tests in the changing various international situations.

China, he said, is committed to continues increasing friendship and cooperation with Indonesia through a strategic partnership between the two nations.

In the meantime, President Yudhoyono expressed the ASEAN intention to cooperate with China in overcoming turmoil of the world food and energy prices,

"Here is the importance of cooperation in increasing food security and energy security, whether it is increasing the production and productivity or increasing steps to stable prices," he said.

ASEAN according to the president, will increase cooperation with China to increase food resilience in the regional level.
(Uu.A014/H-YH)
Editor: Priyambodo RH

Source: Antara News

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RI chairs ASCC Council meeting

Jakarta Forum - (ANTARA News) - Indonesia`s Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Agung Laksono here Friday chaired the fifth Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council meeting as part of a series of activities ahead of the 18th ASEAN Summit.

"This is an important meeting because it takes place at a time when the world and the region are confronted by challenges that are multidimensional, interlinked and transnational," Agung Laksono said.

He said that the fifth meeting of the ASCC Council was aimed at improving partnerships among ASEAN member states in the socio-cultural field as well as evaluating developments in the implementation of an ASCC blueprint as guidance for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community in 2015.

"This meeting has produced several recommendations and agreements for increasing the ASEAN member states` partnerships in such things as environmental issues, communicable diseases, education and migrant workers," Agung said.

In supporting the disabled persons in regional areas, he also said, ASCC Council also carried Indonesia`s suggestion to create Bali Declaration on the Enhancement of the Role and Participation of Persons with Disabilities.

As the chairmanship of Indonesia in this ASEAN Summit, he said that ASEAN Community was not only responsible for the government of each member countries` work, however the citizens should be participated to get the passion on it.

"In building the ASEAN Community that is people-centered and people-driven, the citizens must also be given every opportunity to participate in ASEAN cooperation and must be encouraged to assume a sense of ownership of the work of ASEAN," he said.

The meeting was attended also by several ministers of Second United Indonesia Cabinet, such as Women Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Linda Amalia Sari, Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik, Health Minister Endang Rahayu and National Development Planning Minister Armida Alisjahbana. (T. KR-FNY/HAJM/H-YH)
Editor: Priyambodo RH Source: Antara News

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Police to question Al Jazeera cameraman

Jakarta Forum-ANTARA News - Police will question Al Jazeera cameraman known by his initial as "B" in connection with terror bombs near Summarecon Cathedral Christian church in Gading Serpong, Banten, last April 21, 2011, police said.

"Investigators are planning to question him as a witness in the bomb terror," Police Spokesman Senior Commissioner Boy Rafli Amar said here on Friday.

Boy said that it was informed that B had rejected an offer by Imam Firdaus, one of the cameramen of a private TV station who had been named a suspect in the case.

"They met several times," Boy said.

At present, 17 suspects are being detained in the terror acts, namely Pepi Fernando, Hendi Suhartono Alias Jakau, Febri Hermawan, Mugianto, Ade Guntur, Darto Irman, M. Maulana Sani, Fajar Dwi Setyo, Watono, Jumi Kurniawan, Rifki, M. Syarif, M. Fadli, Deni Carmenlita, Imam M Firdaus and Watun Maulana.

Police suspected that Pepi, who once joined the Indonesian Islamic State (NII) Movement in 1998, was the main perpetrator of the bomb terror. (Uu.A014/HAJM)
Editor: Priyambodo RH

Source: Antara News

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Syrian forces kill 62, U.S. toughens sanctions

(Jakarta Forum-Reuters) - Security forces killed more than 60 people across Syria on Friday during demonstrations demanding the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad, and the United States imposed new sanctions on key figures.

A medical source told Reuters soldiers in Deraa killed 19 people when they fired on thousands of protesters descending from nearby villages in a show of solidarity with the southern city where Syria's uprising broke out six weeks ago.

Syrian human rights group Sawasiah said it had the names of a total of 62 people killed during protests in Deraa, Rustun, Latakia, Homs and the town of Qadam, near Damascus. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights gave a similar death toll.

Friday's bloodshed occurred as demonstrators across the country again defied heavy military deployments, mass arrests and a ruthless crackdown on the biggest popular challenge to 48 years of authoritarian Baath Party rule.

U.S. President Barack Obama imposed new sanctions against Syrian figures, including a brother of Assad in charge of troops in Deraa, the first diplomatic reprisal for Syria's violent crackdown.

Obama signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the intelligence agency, Assad's cousin Atif Najib and his brother Maher, who commands the army division which stormed into Deraa on Monday.

Shortly after Obama's move, European Union diplomats said they had reached preliminary agreement to impose an arms embargo on Syria and would consider other restrictive measures.

Obama's sanctions, which include asset freezes and bans on U.S. business dealings, build on U.S. measures against Syria in place since 2004, but they may have little impact since Assad's inner circle are thought to hold few U.S. assets.

One official said the White House was "not ready" to call on Assad to step down because Obama and his aides "do not want to get out in front of the Syrian people".

But thousands of Syrians took to the streets across the country after Friday prayers demanding his removal and pledging support for the residents of Deraa.

"The people want the overthrow of the regime!" demonstrators chanted in many protests, witnesses said.

More demonstrations flared in the central cities of Homs and Hama, Banias on the Mediterranean coast, Qamishly in eastern Syria and Harasta, a Damascus suburb.

Damascus saw the biggest protest in the capital so far, with a crowd swelling to 10,000 as it marched toward the main Ummayad Square before being dispersed by security forces firing tear gas, rights campaigners said.

Syrian rights group Sawasiah said this week at least 500 civilians had been killed since the unrest broke out six weeks ago. Authorities dispute that, saying 78 security forces and 70 civilians died in violence they blame on armed groups.

DERAA SHOOTING

State news agency SANA blamed "armed terrorist groups" for killing eight soldiers near Deraa. It said groups had opened fire on the homes of soldiers in two towns near Deraa and were repelled by guards. SANA said security forces detained 156 members of the group and confiscated 50 motorbikes.

But a witness in Deraa said Syrian forces fired live rounds at thousands of villagers who descended on the besieged city.

"They shot at people at the western gate of Deraa in the Yadoda area, almost three km (two miles) from the center of the city," he said.

A rights campaigner in Deraa said on Friday makeshift morgues in the city contained the bodies of 85 people he said had been killed since the army stormed the city, close to Syria's southern border with Jordan, on Monday.

Assad's violent repression has brought growing condemnation from Western countries which for several years had sought to engage Damascus and loosen its close anti-Israel alliances with Iranand the militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas.

The top United Nations human rights body condemned Syria for using deadly force against peaceful protesters and launched an investigation into killings and other alleged crimes.

A U.S. official said Friday's sanctions were meant to show that no member of the Syrian leadership was immune from being held accountable. "Bashar is very much on our radar and if this continues could be soon to follow," the official said.

The new sanctions also target the General Intelligence Directorate and its director, Ali Mamluk. The spy agency is accused by U.S. officials of repressing dissent and of involvement in the killing of protesters in Deraa.

The fifth target is Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps -- Qods Force. A source familiar with the new sanctions said the force is accused by the Obama administration of being the conduit for support Iran has provided to Syrian authorities in their crackdown on protesters. Syria has denied Iran has played any role in confronting the protests.

Security forces shot dead 120 protesters on Friday April 22, according to a Syrian rights group, in the biggest protests Syria has seen since the uprising ignited in Deraa on March 18.

Three days later an army division under the control of Assad brother's Maher stormed into Deraa. That echoed their father's 1982 attack on Hama to crush an armed revolt led by the Muslim Brotherhood, killing up to 30,000 people.

In a sign of rare dissent within ruling circles, 200 members of the Baath Party resigned on Wednesday in protest at the bloody crackdown.

(Writing by Dominic Evans; Additional reporting by Yara Bayoumy in Beirut, Mark Hosenball andMatt Spetalnick in Washington and Justyna Pawlak in Brussels; Editing by Jon Boyle)

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Stocks finish April sharply higher

NEW YORK (Jakarta Forum-CNNMoney) -- Stocks posted gains Friday to finish their best month this year, as investors got a confidence boost from strong earnings out of Caterpillar.

"The market feels a little on the high side, but these good earnings figures are keeping stocks slowly moving higher," said Frank Davis, director of sales and trading at LEK Securities.

The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU) rose 47 points, 0.4%, to finish at 12,811, closing at a fresh multi-year high. The Dow ended the week up 2.4% and finished the month with a gain of 4.3%.

Economic bellwhether Caterpillar (CAT, Fortune 500) helped lift the Dow, after the company said its bottom line got a boost due to strong demand for bulldozers and other heavy machinery. Shares closed up 2.5%.

The S&P 500 (SPX) closed up 3 points, or 0.2%, to end at 1,365. The index finished the week up 2% and the month with a gain of 3.3%. The Nasdaq Composite (COMP) rose 1 point, or less than 0.1%, to 2,874, closing up 1.9% for the week and adding 4.2% in April.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq was weighed down by shares of Research in Motion (RIMM), which plummeted 14% after the BlackBerry makerwarned of weaker sales.

Investors remain nervous about the economy and inflation. The Fed has been pretty clear that interest rates aren't likely to budge this year. Meanwhile, gold and silver continue to hit new highs as the U.S. dollar keeps sliding, falling to a three-year low against the euro.

Despite the nervousness, April was the best month for the three indexes since December.

On Thursday, U.S. stocks rose to , as investors looked beyond a series of mixed earnings reports and disappointing GDP and jobless claims reports.

Companies: Dow components Chevron (CVX, Fortune 500) and Merck (MRK, Fortune 500) reported better-than-expected earnings before the opening bell.

Merck's quarterly profit tripled on strong drug sales, while Chevron reported a 26% jump in quarterly net income, driven by higher energy prices. Shares of both companies closed up roughly 0.5%

Late Thursday, Microsoft reported a 31% surge in quarterly profit, on strong Office and Kinect sales. But not all the news was good, as netbook sales fell 40%. Microsoft's (MSFT, Fortune 500) stock slipped 4% - its worst daily performance since 2009.

Goodyear Tire shares jumped 12% after the company reported better than expected results, mostly because the company was able to raise prices.

Economy: The Commerce Department said Friday that U.S. personal spending rose 0.6% in March, slightly better than the 0.5% expected by economists. Personal incomes rose 0.5% compared with economists' forecast of a rise of 0.4%.

Currencies and commodities: The dollar fell against the euro, the Japanese yen and the British pound.

Oil for June delivery closed up 84 cents at $113.71 a barrel.

High oil prices are here to stay

Gold futures for June delivery settled at a new record high of $1,569.80 an ounce.

Gold prices are benefiting from weakness in the dollar, said David Wyss, chief economist for Standard & Poor's.

"You have to put your money somewhere," he said. "Right now people are afraid because of low interest rates and unsustainable budget deficits."

Bonds: The price on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury slipped, pushing up the yield slightly to 3.32%.

World markets: On Friday, the London Stock Exchange was closed for theroyal wedding.

European markets closed mixed. The DAX in Germany added 0.4% and France's CAC 40 closed mostly unchanged, down less than 0.1%.

Asian markets ended the session mixed. The Shanghai Composite rose 0.8%, while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong slipped 0.4%. Japan's Nikkei was closed for holiday.

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