Iran to produce 41 anti-cancer drugs

Iranian researchers are set to develop 41 types of anti-cancer medications over the next six months.

"Previously a limited number of countries were able to produce these drugs," said Mohammad Mokhber, an Iranian medical official, stressing that Iranian researchers hope not only to produce these chemotherapy agents for the first time in the country but also to reduce their side-effects.

He added that 45 million dollars have been spent on the hardware of the Sobhan Oncology factory, believed to be the largest such a company in the Middle East.

Mokhber went on to say that this industrial unit is equipped with the latest technology.

Some eight of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies have already signed contracts with the Rasht-based factory, Mokhber added.

According to the Iranian medical official, the new drugs are produced based on the global standards and would be marked with the label of Sobhan Oncology Co. and the other eight treaty pharmaceutical companies.

The factory is believed to produce the amount of medications needed to treat all the cancer sufferers in the country, overcoming the need for importing pricey cancer drugs from abroad in the near future.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120211§ionid=3510210.

Iran president wants Russian pilots gone

In reaction to several accidents involving Russian-built passenger planes in Iran, the Islamic Republic sets a two-month deadline for Russian pilots to leave the country.

"Upon an order from President [Mahmoud Ahmadinejad], the Road and Transport Ministry has set a two-month deadline, after which all Russian pilots must leave the country," Fars News Agency quoted Minister of Roads and Transportation Hamid Behbahani as saying on Saturday.

"When our country itself has plenty of competent and skilled pilots, there is no need for hiring pilots from abroad to operate our flights," he added.

Iran has suffered a string of aviation disasters over the past decade, most involving private airlines using Russian-made planes and crew.

Officials have blamed the incidents on a ban on the sale of airplane parts to Iran, forcing it to purchase the parts from Russia and other former Soviet states.

In the worst plane crash in Iran, a Tupolev-154M, crashed shortly after take-off from Tehran en route to the Armenian capital of Yerevan on July 15, 2009, leaving all 168 passengers onboard dead.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120210§ionid=351020101.

Iraqis voting in Jordan going on 'smoothly' on second day

Amman - Iraqis living in Jordan cast their votes for the second day Saturday in three days of expatriate polling as part of Iraq's second general elections since a US-led invasion toppled the regime of President Saddam Hussein in 2003. "The polling process is going on smoothly without any problems," Nehad Abbas, head of the Amman bureau of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), told German Press Agency dpa.

"The turnout on Friday was very good in specific election centers in the capital and moderate in others," he said.

A total of 16 election centers has been set up in four cities across Jordan - Amman, Zarqa, Irbid and Madaba.

The Jordanian authorities are providing external security protection for all polling centers and easing residency rules to enable Iraqis to vote without any interference, officials said.

The IHEC estimated the number of Iraqis eligible for voting in Jordan at between 150,000 and 200,000. About 500,000 Iraqis have fled to Jordan since 2003 in search for security, according to UN statistics.

According to Iraqi research centers in Amman, the majority of Iraqis in Jordan were expected to vote for the Iraqiyah front, a secular coalition of Sunni and Shiite candidates, led by former prime minister Iyad Allawi.

The alliance reportedly seeks to effect change in Iraq and ensure the return of stability and justice to the violence-torn Arab country.

About 2 million Iraqis living outside Iraq are expected to cast their votes in 16 countries - Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Turkey, United States, Germany, Britain, Holland, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Austria and Australia.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312763,iraqis-voting-in-jordan-going-on-smoothly-on-second-day.html.

Iran condemns Israeli raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque

Iran's Foreign Ministry on Saturday condemned recent clashes between Israeli police and Palestinian worshipers in Jerusalem (Al-Quds).

Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast blamed Israel for its "unjust and inhumane" treatment of Palestinian worshipers, calling on the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Conference to prevent Israel from making such provocative moves.

On Friday, Israeli forces stormed the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and cordoned off its premises where dozens of Palestinian worshipers had gathered.

Police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse Palestinians, 60 of whom were injured. Violence also erupted last Sunday following an Israeli decision to include two holy sites revered by Muslims and Christians to its heritage list.

"The Zionist regime's recent impudence shows its real intentions despite recent efforts to normalize ties with regional countries," Mehmanparast said.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120198&sectionid=351020101.

Ahmadinejad sees end of capitalism

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the capitalist system, which has been established by Israel is inching towards its end.

"Depredation, bullying and killing the reality of humanity are the outcomes of the capitalist way of thinking," Ahmadinejad said on Saturday.

He deplored crimes by arrogant powers, saying, "They carry out heinous killings and acts of terror in the world under the guise of [defending] human rights."

"The US attack and NATO expedition into the region were merely aimed at saving liberal democracy and the capitalist thought," said the president.

Ahmadinejad said the September 11, 2001 attacks were part of a "scenario and a complicated intelligence move" and added, "The September 11 incident was a big lie aimed at finding the pretext to fight terrorism but it prepared the ground for adventurism in Afghanistan."

The Iranian president pointed to the arrest of the leader of the Jundallah terrorist group, Abdolmalek Rigi, and said his capture was a disgrace for the intelligence services of the US and Israel.

Rigi was captured by Iranian security forces on February 23. He was aboard a passenger jet flying to Kyrgyzstan from the UAE when his plane was grounded in the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas.

A few hours after Rigi's arrest, Iranian Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi said that the notorious villain was at a US base 24 hours prior to being captured by Iranian forces, adding that the Americans had issued an Afghan passport for him.

In his confessions, Rigi revealed details about his ties with some intelligence agencies such as the CIA and said that he had closely cooperated with the security services of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120195§ionid=351020101.

Iranian artworks greatly received in Rome

Italian art lovers have warmly welcomed the exhibition of Iranian artworks held at the Palazzo Venezia in the capital city of Rome.

The event, which displays 20 Qur'anic calligraphy-paintings and 50 paintings by contemporary Iranian artists, attracts about 100 visitors every day.

Khosrow Roshan, Ali Shirazi, Ali-Akbar Kermani, Mohammad Movahhedian, Ali Jamshidi and Ahmad Ariamanesh are among the artists whose works have been showcased at the exhibition.

The exhibition also presents 2 coffee house painting and 2 works of Hilyah — a 'word picture' in which sentences and phrases are written in the form of birds or animals.

The event, which kicked off on Feb. 19, 2010, is held in collaboration with the Roudaki Cultural Foundation, Iran's cultural office in Rome and the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities.

Persian art enthusiasts can visit the exhibition until March 13, 2010.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120194§ionid=351020105.

OIC calls for intl. action over Israeli raid on Al-Aqsa

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) urges an all-out international effort aimed at ending the Israeli aggression after an Israeli raid on the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

On Saturday, OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu called for "an international intervention effective at every level to end Israeli aggressions and make Israel respect international law," AFP reported.

The Israeli forces on Friday raided the compound of the holy site in the occupied East Jerusalem (Al-Quds) to push out Palestinian worshipers who had gathered for the weekly Friday prayers.

The move triggered protests that quickly turned violent after Israeli police fired tear gas canisters and rubber bullets at demonstrators, leaving 60 Palestinians injured.

Ihsanoglu also condemned the attack as "a sacrilegious act of profanation of the holy Islamic site" and called it "a violation of international law and a flagrant attack on the freedom of religion of the nature that could take the region into a war between religions."

The mosque is revered as the third holiest site in Islam by the OIC whose raison d'être is to "liberate Al-Aqsa from the Zionist occupation."

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120196&sectionid=351020202.

Pro-Israeli lobby behind US 'genocide' bill: Report

Pro-Israeli lobbyists threw their weight behind a US congressional resolution which held Turkey responsible for "genocide" of the Armenians during the World War I, a report says.

The lobbyists stepped in, in response to Turkey's condemnation of the Israeli suppression of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.

The House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday approved the resolution, which backed the claim that 1.5 million Armenian's had been killed as Armenia's then-Turkish rulers were losing power.

Ankara, however, argues that 300,000 to 500,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in what was a civil strife when Armenians rose up against the Turkish Empire and sided with the invading Russian troops.

The vote triggered protests across Turkey, which called back its ambassador to the United States for consultation.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120190§ionid=3510203.

Brits protest anti-Islam Dutch lawmaker visit

Hundreds of people have gathered outside the British parliament to protest Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders' visit, aimed at spreading Islamophobia.

The protest erupted after Wilders, who is visiting Britain upon an invitation by far-right UK Independence Party leader Lord Pearson, screened his anti-Islamic film 'Fitna' in the House of Lords.

The far-right filmmaker sent shockwaves through both secular and faith-based communities when his defamatory film linking Islam to extremism was first posted on the internet in 2008.

In 2009, British officials refused the 46-year-old politician entry into the county denouncing him as a "genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat to one of the fundamental interests of society."

But the ban was overturned in October after he appealed the decision.

Fitna, which means ordeal, also drew strong criticism from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who called the 17-minute movie "offensively anti-Islamic."

Infamous for his anti-Islamic ideas, Wilders has also calls for a ban on the Holy Qur'an.

Last year, also a court appeal in Amsterdam ordered prosecution against Wilder for "the incitement to hatred and discrimination."

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120181§ionid=351020601.

In Kenya, Iran's Mottaki addresses Somali crisis

Sat Mar 6, 2010

Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has kicked off his visit to Kenya by highlighting the importance of finding a solution to the Somali crisis.

Mottaki arrived in Nairobi on Saturday morning after a trip to Uganda. The Iranian foreign minister, who is on a two-day tour of Africa, met with his Kenyan counterpart Moses Wetangula.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mottaki said that he hoped to see the four-way meeting between Iran, Kenya, Somalia and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) raise regional and global awareness about the problem in Somalia.

IGAD is a seven-country regional development organization of East African nations, with headquarters in Djibouti.

Other than the gathering, Mottaki's visit to Africa is also expected to include trade talks.

Commenting on that aspect of the Iranian foreign minister's trip, Wetangula said that Nairobi was eager to multiply its trade with Iran by tenfold by passing the annual one-billion-dollar mark.

He said Iranian companies were already active in Kenya, especially in road construction projects, but added that removing bureaucratic restrictions, such as visa requirements, could further facilitate business transactions between the two sides.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/120179.html.

Berri urges Arab League to reject calls for Israeli talks

The Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has urged the Arab League (AL) to reject calls for indirect talks with Israel.

“The League should follow the examples set by Lebanon and Syria in rejecting indirect negotiations with Israel," Berri said on Friday.

“Once again, we will not rush to condemn Israeli aggression, and state the obvious, since we have already called on Arab [countries and institutions] to take a step that goes beyond condemnation, and get back to the root of facing occupation," he added.

“We should revert to implementing the decisions of the Central Boycott Office of Israel, and take the necessary steps to expose the practices of the occupation forces in all international arenas," Berri emphasized.

The Lebanese official further called for supporting the Palestinians in light of the recurrent Israeli threats.

On Friday, Israeli troops surrounding the Al-Aqsa Mosque since the early morning hours, raided the compound of the holy site in the occupied East Jerusalem Al-Quds and cordoned off the premises to push out the Palestinian worshipers who had gathered for the weekly Friday prayers.

The move triggered protests that quickly turned violent after Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters and stun grenades at demonstrators, leaving 60 Palestinians injured.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120176§ionid=351020203.

Iraq's Hakim: Ties with Iran priority

The leader of Iraq's largest Shia party, Ammar al-Hakim, says Baghdad does not allow conditioning of improved ties with neighboring Arab states to discounting warm relations with Iran.

"We believe that Iraq must establish close ties with Iran, Turkey, and Arab states," the clerical figure, who leads the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, said in an interview with Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency.

"Some sensitive issues exist in relations between Iran and Arab states. The same goes for Iran and the US. [However,] Iraq's national interests make it necessary for us to establish the closest ties with Tehran," he added.

Hakim pointed out that Iran was the first country to recognize Iraq's new government after the fall of former dictator Saddam Hossein, adding that this move showed that Tehran had the interests of the Iraqi people at heart.

Since the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, Iran has played a major role in the country's reconstruction effort.

The construction sector is still the area in which Tehran is most active. Many state companies have invested consistently in the post-conflict reconstruction.

In 2008, Iran offered a loan of one billion dollars for projects in Iraq. Early the next year, Iran was awarded the 1.5 billion dollar contract for the proposed construction of a complex of houses, schools, hotels and shops in Basra.

Several Iranian companies have invested with public participation in the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, pilgrimage sites for Shias worldwide. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who visit the sites every year come from Iran.

The governor of Najaf says close to 20 million dollars have been allocated as an annual sum for projects that involve improving the cities' infrastructure.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120178§ionid=351020201.

Iran, China sign $143mn drilling deal

Iran and China have reached a $143 million deal that allows a Chinese company to set up a drilling rig in the Persian Gulf.

The contract has been signed by Iran's North Drilling Company (NDCO) and China Petroleum Technology Development Corporation (CPTDC), NDCO chief Hedayatollah Khademi said.

"Based on the contract the CPTDC company, which is a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), will be delivering a drilling rig to the North Oil Drilling Company within the next 8 months to be used in the Persian Gulf's oil and gas fields," Khademi told Shana news agency on Saturday

The official added that his company has finalized a deal with another Chinese company for two jack-up rigs, planned to be installed in the Persian Gulf.

China, which now gets more than 15 percent of its oil from Iran, reportedly has commitments of more than $80 billion in the country's energy sector.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120173§ionid=351020103.

CHRONOLOGY: Iraq: The long road to democracy

Baghdad - Iraqis have been struggling to form a new political order since the fall of dictator Saddam Hussein in April 2003. Here are the first key steps in its establishment of a new democracy:

July 2003: The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), a caretaker administration, starts work under US supervision. In September it names a transitional government.

October 2003: The UN grants US-led troops a mandate for military deployment in Iraq.

December 2003: US soldiers find former dictator Saddam Hussein in a hole in the earth near the town of Tikrit.

March 2004: The CPA signs a transitional constitution.

June 2004: The CPA is dissolved. A transitional government led by secular Shiite Iyad Allawi is given the task of preparing free elections. Ghazi al-Jawar becomes president.

August 2004: A national conference elects a national assembly, which is intended to function as a transitional parliament.

January 2005: The Shiite dominated United Iraqi Alliance wins an absolute majority in the elections for the transitional parliament, followed by the Kurdish Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan and Allawi's Iraqi List.

April 2005: The parliament elects Hajim al-Hassani as speaker and Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani as president of Iraq.

May 2005: The new government led by Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jafari (Shiite Dawa Party) is sworn in.

October 2005: Iraqis vote overwhelmingly in favor of the draft of a new constitution in a referendum.

December 2005: Iraqis elect the first regular parliament after the fall of Saddam Hussein. The alliance of Shiite parties wins, but fails to gain an absolute majority. A government is set to be formed with Kurds and Sunnis.

May 2006: The parliament announces its support for the government of Nuri al-Maliki. But the cabinet is not complete. The posts of interior minister and defence minister, both particularly important because of the worsening security situation, are not filled until June.

August 2006: Under al-Maliki's leadership, a conference begins which includes the leaders of Iraqi tribes and clans. The aim is a national reconciliation.

November 2006: A special tribunal sentences Hussein to death for crimes against humanity. He is hanged in December.

August 2008: The US and Iraq agree that US troops will withdraw by the end of 2011. There are still 146,000 US soldiers in Iraq.

January 2009: Iraqi troops take over control of the Green Zone in Baghdad from the Americans. At the end of the month the most peaceful provincial elections to date take place. Al-Maliki's State of Law coalition emerges as the strongest party.

March 2009: British troops leave Iraq. In a ceremony in the port city of Basra, the British military commander hands over control of the southern province to the US military.

June 2009: US troops transfer control of cities and villages all over Iraq to Iraqi security services.

November 2009: The Iraqi parliament approves the long disputed election law and clears the way for parliamentary elections. Some small changes are included to avoid the Sunni Vice-President Tariq al-Hashimi vetoing the law a second time.

January 2010: The electoral commission excludes over 500 candidates from participating in parliamentary elections, now scheduled for March, due to their connections with the Baath Party. Some of those affected by the ban are allowed to stand after all, after examination on individual cases.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312733,chronology-iraq-the-long-road-to-democracy.html.

Egyptian President Mubarak to undergo gall bladder surgery

Cairo (Earth Times) - Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak is scheduled to undergo gall bladder surgery Saturday in Germany, state media reported. Egyptian state television had announced Thursday that Mubarak, who was in Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, would travel Friday afternoon to Heidelberg, Germany, to undergo medical tests and treatment for pain in his gall bladder.

Mention of the medical tests was dropped from subsequent television news reports in Egypt, where public discussion of the 81- year-old president's health is considered sensitive.

Prime Minister Ahmad Nazif will temporarily assume Mubarak's responsibilities during the surgery, state media said.

Mubarak went to Germany in 2004 for back surgery.

Iran picks investors for 5 new refineries

Iran has selected the investors for developing five oil and gas refineries worth $11.7 billion, a report has announced.

"The investors for setting up the five refineries, namely, the Persian Gulf Star, Hormoz, Pars Petrofield, Anahita and Khuzestan refineries, have been selected and it is predicted that the investors for the Caspian and Shariar refineries will be chosen in the near future," Mehr news agency reported on Saturday.

The five refineries for which investors have been chosen are already under construction.

Moreover, Iran plans to build seven new oil and gas refineries worth $17 billion in a bid to diminish its dependence on foreign refineries.

The new oil and gas refineries will allow Iran to meet domestic demand and export oil products, as well.

The report added that Iranian officials have given priority to the construction of the Persian Gulf Star and Pars Petrofield refineries, planned to produce gasoline to meet the domestic demand.

Iran, the world's fourth largest oil producer, lacks adequate refining resources to produce sufficient gasoline for domestic demand, allocates huge sums for imports which burdens the state coffers.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120164§ionid=351020103.

Ahmadinejad: Turkey's role key to regional stability

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says Turkey's global stature has gained prominence due to the wise policies its leader and officials have adopted.

Such policies, said the President in a phone dialogue with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul, has placed Turkey in a position of playing a "very effective role in regional stability and security."

"Of course," he said, "The intelligent people of Turkey also appreciate such policies and support their leader's constructive plans."

Ahmadinejad also said that regional and global development are changing in favor of Iran and Turkey, creating an excellent opportunity for Tehran and Ankara to push harder for the establishment of peace and justice at a global level.

The Turkish president, for his part, urged continued negotiations and collaborations between the two nations, saying that it could benefit both regional and international peace and stability.

The two presidents also pledged to support each other's rights in various international stages.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120161§ionid=351020101.

Togo's opposition, ruling party claim election win

Sat Mar 6, 2010

The main opposition candidate and the ruling-party in Togo have both claimed victory in the presidential election as vote counting continues in the West African nation.

Government spokesman Pascal Bodjona on Friday declared a resounding victory for the ruling Rally for the Togolese People Party and President Faure Gnassingbe, who is running for a second term in office.

A statement by the ruling party also called on opposition leaders to reunite so as to preserve the general calm that existed throughout the vote.

Earlier in the day, opposition candidate Jean-Pierre Fabre alleged widespread irregularities in Thursday's vote, but maintained he was the victor of the presidential polls.

Speaking at a news conference in Lome late Friday, the candidate of the Union of Forces for Change said his party had polled an average of 75 to 80 percent of the vote, a figure that he said would have been higher without manipulations such as stuffing ballot boxes.

But the ruling party has rejected the alleged abnormalities and accused the opposition of efforts to instigate violence.

According to the United Nations, an estimated 400 people were killed in the violence that broke out on the heels of the 2005 presidential election, which, according to the world body, also led thousands of Togolese to seek refuge in Ghana and Benin.

President Gnassingbe is running for re-election after winning that 2005 vote, following the death of his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled Togo for almost two decades.

Final results from the Thursday's vote are expected on Saturday or Sunday.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/120151.html.

Are Arabs Saying "Yalla, Bye" to Arabic?

by Aisha Gawad
3/3/10

By Aisha Gawad
March 3, 2010

There is nothing that irks me more than a self-denying Arab - the kind of person who thinks that “Arab” is a dirty word, a label they don’t care to stoop beneath. I’ve met Egyptians who claim to be a race of their own - the same pure “Egyptian” race that Cleopatra and King Tut belong to. I once even met a girl from Lebanon who bristled with offense when I mentioned something about the two of us being Arab. ”I am not Arab,” she proclaimed. “I am Phoenician.” Yeah right, and I’m the granddaughter of Nefertiti.

This phenomenon of denying one’s “Arabness” is even starting to degrade the Arabic language. Many Arab countries are starting to see their young people speak more comfortably in English and French than in Arabic, as if Western languages are “cooler” than their native one. According to an article in Maktoob News, the Lebanese government allows students with dual nationality to skip required Arabic classes and exams. French and English are stressed more in schools, and oftentimes young Lebanese can’t even read or write properly in Arabic. And when they speak, they use a hybrid Arabic/English/French mix.

There is even a campaign called “Fael Ummer” in Lebanon to preserve the Arabic language and to try and make it popular among young people again. Lebanon was of course under French colonialism from 1920 until its independence in 1943, yet the language of the colonist has never been cast off. Frantz Fanon would probably chalk this up to a nasty side effect of colonialism and the continuing domination of the West in the Arab world where the culture of the imperialist is seen as more “civilized” than the culture of the native.

Why is it that Lebanon is seen as the “coolest” Arab country just because it is the most Western? Does this trouble anyone else? I am not saying that Arabs who speak a second language are traitorous to their heritage, but learning that second language should never degrade or weaken the mother tongue. In a time when presidents, prime ministers, journalists, and movie-makers are all spreading the message that the Arabs need saving from their own culture and traditions, we must do all that we can to resist them. We must be able to say to them, “Our culture is just fine, thank you very much.” And we must be able to say it in Arabic.

Source: Elan.
Link: http://www.elanthemag.com/index.php/site/blog_detail/are_arabs_saying_yalla_bye_to_arabic-nid487931896/.

Debate about bullfighting stepped up in Spain

By CIARAN GILES
Associated Press Writer

MADRID -- Three conservative regions of Spain defended bullfighting on Friday and pledged legislation to enshrine it as a pillar of their cultural heritage, as another area of the country considers banning the sport.

Bullfighting remains very popular in some regions of Spain, but it is no longer the powerful draw it was generations ago. Today's crowds at bull rings are largely middle-aged, while younger generations find their heroes in music or soccer. Some people find the killing and bloodshed of the sport too repugnant.

But in Spain, it is up to each region to decide whether to keep bullfighting legal, not the national government.

In December, a bill to ban bullfighting in the independent-minded region of Catalonia, home to Barcelona, cleared its first hurdle and is now under debate. Another area of Spain - the Canary Islands - made the sport illegal in 1991, but it was never very popular there.

On Friday, Madrid, Valencia and southern Murcia fought back.

The conservative areas said they not only will keep the bullfighting legal, they also will give the sport a protected cultural heritage.

Bullfighting has "formed part of Mediterranean and Spanish culture since time immemorial," Madrid regional President Esperanza Aguirre said. "Look at Goya, Picasso, Federico Garcia Lorca and beyond to Hemingway and Orson Welles. They were interested in bullfighting as an art because it is a cultural asset deserving protection."

The debate about bullfighting in Catalonia has received wide media coverage in Spain and has irked some conservatives, including Spain's Popular Party which sees it as an attack on the bedrock of Spanish values. The party runs the Madrid, Valencia and Murcia regional governments.

Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de La Vega said Spain's Socialist government does not intend to intervene but that it generally opposes such bans.

She said the government recognizes that bullfighting has great social support but also understands the feelings of its detractors.

In Catalonia, the sport's popularity has declined in recent years, and Barcelona now has the region's only active bull ring.

Source: Miami Herald.
Link: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/03/05/1514355/debate-about-bullfighting-stepped.html.

International women's fair opens in Algiers

2010-03-05

International women's fair "Eve 2010" opened Thursday (March 4th) in Algiers, ANSA reported. Some 60 Algerian and foreign companies will showcase cosmetics, beauty products, hairdressing equipment and other items at the 4-day event. The program, which coincides with International Women's Day on Monday, includes a "Miss Eve 2010" contest and workshops on women's health.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/03/05/newsbrief-04.

Uruguay seeks expanded ties with Iran

Amid US efforts to unite Latin American nations against Iran, the newly sworn-in Uruguayan president expresses willingness to expand ties with the Islamic Republic.

In a Friday meeting with visiting Iranian Minister of Cooperatives Mohammad Abbasi, Uruguay's Jose Mujica said his country 'intends to bolster its cooperation with Iran,” IRNA reported

The news comes as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently ended a five-nation Latin American tour in a bid to bolster ties in a region where Iran's diplomatic ties are growing fast.

The trip was also believed to be aiming for support for further sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120148§ionid=351020101.

Mubarak transfers power to PM ahead of surgery

Sat Mar 6, 2010

As Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak prepares to undergo a surgery in Germany, he temporarily transfers his presidential powers to the country's prime minister.

Mubarak, 81, is to undergo medical tests in Heidelberg after he complained of annoying bladder pains on Friday while in Germany for talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel, Egyptian state television reported.

He has temporarily delegated executive powers to Ahmed Nazif until he returns to Cairo in a similar manner he had done in 2004 when he underwent a back surgery, the report added.

The health of President Mubarak, who has ruled Egypt for almost three decades, is usually a taboo subject in the country.

In 2007, rumors on the issue snowballed to such an extent that the president was forced to make an unscheduled public appearance to put an end to the speculations.

A year later, Ibrahim Eissa editor of the independent daily Al-Dustur, was sentenced to two months in prison for writing about Mubarak's health. He later received a presidential pardon.

With Mubarak's fifth six-year term as president ending in 2011, the Egyptian media is filled with speculation that his son Gamal is likely to succeed him.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/120147.html.

HRW slams Israel's detention of Palestinians

The Human Rights Watch has called on Israel to immediately end its arbitrary detention of Palestinians protesting the separation barrier in the occupied West Bank.

Israel has detained Palestinians who advocate non-violent protests against the construction of a 723 km (454 miles) steel and concrete wall.

"The Israeli government should immediately order an end to ongoing harassment of Palestinians who peacefully protest the separation barrier," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.

"The Israeli authorities are effectively banning peaceful expression of political speech by bringing spurious charges against demonstrators, plus detaining children and adults without basic due process protections," she added.

"Israel's security concerns do not justify detaining or prosecuting peaceful Palestinian activists," Whitson said.

Israeli forces have detained scores of Palestinians, including children, involved in protests against the wall.

According to the Palestinian prisoners' rights group Addameer, 35 residents of the West Bank village of Bil'in have been arrested since June 2009, most during nighttime raids. 113 others have been arrested from the neighboring village of Ni'ilin in the last 18 months.

Israeli forces have also repeatedly raided the West Bank offices of organizations involved in non-violent advocacy against the separation barrier.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120141§ionid=351020202.

Khalfan bets job on Israel's involvement in Dubai murder

Dubai's police chief has vowed to resign if DNA tests on Israeli suspects prove that they have not been behind the killing of a Hamas commander in his hotel room in January.

Police Chief Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim said on Friday that Israel should allow the Emirates to conduct DNA tests on Israelis that Dubai identifies as suspects in the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.

"I call on Israel to bring the suspects for DNA tests, so it can be compared to DNA found at the scene," Khalfan said.

"If it turns out that the results do not match, I will resign. You can lie about anything, but not about DNA," he added.

Khalfan said the investigators have collected crime scene DNA samples and fingerprints of some of the suspects.

"There are samples from a number of them (suspects) which they left behind. We have these samples, and when they are arrested ... the fingerprints and DNA samples will be used," the police chief told Al-jazeera.

Dubai authorities have accused Israel's Mossad spy agency of being behind the murder, and have identified at least 26 suspects of a hit squad that traveled to Dubai on fake identities and forged European and Australian passports to kill al-Mabhouh in January.

Israel has so far refused to confirm or deny involvement in the assassination of the Hamas commander.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120138§ionid=351020205.

Turks angry at US genocide claim

People in Istanbul have taken to the streets to protest a US Congressional panel's resolution that labeled the Ottoman-era massacre of Armenians as genocide.

The crowd of protesters denounced the resolution, chanting anti-US slogans on Friday.

In a similar demonstration, people gathered outside the US embassy in Ankara during which a crowd of around one hundred laid a black wreath that read "We did not commit genocide, we defended the motherland."

The resolution which passed by a 23-22 margin in the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday, calls on US president Barack Obama to ensure that US foreign policy reflects an understanding of Armenians' killing as "genocide" and to label the mass killings as such in his annual statement on the issue.

Having recalled its ambassador immediately after the panel's resolution was adopted, Ankara warned Washington against a full vote at the House of Representatives.

Turkey is "seriously disturbed" that Obama's administration "did not put enough weight" behind efforts to prevent the resolution from being passed by the Foreign Affairs Committee, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said.

"We expect the US administration to make more efficient efforts from now on," he said.

Armenians say up to 1.5 million people were killed during World War I as the Ottoman Empire was falling apart, a claim supported by several other countries.

Turkey however argues 300,000 to 500,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in what was a civil strife when Armenians rose up against their Ottoman rulers and sided with invading Russian troops.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120135§ionid=351020204.

Iran wants IAEA to switch concern to Israel

Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has urged the top nuclear body to switch its focus from Syria's atomic work to Israel's nuclear arsenal as the main cause for concern.

Ali Asghar Soltanieh read out a statement in the Thursday meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors on the implementation of the Safeguards Agreements in Syria.

In the statement, Soltanieh said that Iran was "deeply concerned" about the IAEA's verification measures which, he said have shifted focus from Israel's nuclear work as the main source of problem to "secondary technical" issues.

"The core problem is, in fact, the Zionist regime of Israel's offensive against Syria which is a blatant violation of the UN Charter and the international law including the Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency," Fars News Agency quoted Soltanieh as saying on Thursday.

In September 2007, Israeli warplanes destroyed Syria's al-Kibar military site blaming the country for harboring a nuclear reactor there, a claim rejected by Syria.

Soltanieh then accused Israel and its allies of having engaged the IAEA in a made-up scenario by raising "false claims" against Syria.

"Meanwhile, those member states who cry foul over Syria ['s nuclear work] have turned a blind eye to the Israeli regime's nuclear arsenal, which poses a serious threat to both regional and global peace and security," he said.

An IAEA report by Director General Yukiya Amano said in February that uranium particles found at the Syrian complex suggest the possibility of covert nuclear activity at the site.

In response to the report, Syria said that unlike Israel, it was "committed to the non-proliferation agreement," reiterating that its nuclear work is totally peaceful.

Israel, the world's sixth largest nuclear weapons power, maintains a policy known as "nuclear ambiguity" and continues to remain outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120121§ionid=351020104.

OVL discovers oil in Syria

ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) and its partner, IPR Mediterranean Exploration Ltd, have made new oil discoveries in Block-24, in Syria.

In a statement issued here, OVL said two discoveries – Rashid and Abu Khashab fields – in Block-24 had been made. “The two discoveries are expected to hold about 185 million barrels of oil in place. A plan of development (POD) has been submitted for development of both Rashid and Abu Khashab fields,” the statement said.

Sources told Business Line that OVL's investment in the project till now was around $ 24.3 million. “We will now undertake more exploratory work in the block, and this will mean drilling more wells. OVL is looking at an additional investment of about $ 24 million in 2010,” the sources added.

The discoveries of Rashid and Abu Khashab fields occurred back-to-back in 2009. The contract or concession agreement for the block was signed in January 2004 and was effective May 2004. OVL holds 60 per cent participating interest in Block-24, with IPR Mediterranean (operator) holding the remaining 40 per cent.

The first discovery well Rashid-1 tested oil with a rate of 1,343 barrels per day (bpd). The second discovery well Abu Khashab-1 tested oil with a rate 900 bpd. The third well Abu Khashab-2 was drilled deep where oil was found. According to the statement, exploration work was still continuing in the block.

Source: The Hindu Business Line.
Link: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/03/06/stories/2010030653010200.htm.

Former Bosnian leader held in London to stay in jail - Summary

London/Belgrade - A prominent former Bosnian Muslim leader held in London on alleged war crimes charges following a Serbian extradition warrant failed in his efforts to be freed on bail Friday, as his lawyer claimed the arrest was "politically-motivated." The High Court in London adjourned a decision on a bail application for Ejup Ganic, saying it needed more evidence from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) expanding on the reasons why he was wanted by the Serbian authorities.

Meanwhile Clare Montgomery, a high-profile defence lawyer representing Ganic, said his arrest was politically-motivated and holding him in prison any longer would risk "making a mockery of justice."

In Sarajevo, around 1,000 people gathered at the British embassy Friday to protest at Ganic's arrest, before moving on to the Serbian embassy.

Muslims make up around half and Serbs one-third of Bosnia's four million inhabitants. Relations between ethnic groups in the former Yugoslav republic remain tense nearly 15 years after the war there ended.

Ganic, an academic with close ties to the University in of Buckingham in Britain, was arrested Monday on his arrival at London's Heathrow airport on a provisional arrest warrant issued by the Serbian government. He marked his 64th birthday in detention Wednesday.

But the judges, John Laws and Richard McCombe, said they needed to have more details of the nature of the Serbian extradition request before granting bail. Ganic's family has condemned his arrest and is reported to have provided 200,000 pounds (300,000 dollars) for his release.

The court heard that Terence Kealey, vice-chancellor of Buckingham University, had offered 25,000 pounds in bail security, while a "well-wisher" had provided 300,000 pounds.

He was told earlier by a London Magistrate's Court that he would have to remain in custody until March 29, the date set for a formal extradition hearing. His initial request for bail was dismissed by the same court Wednesday.

It is alleged that Ganic was involved in an attack in May 1992 on a Yugoslav army convoy in Sarajevo in which 42 soldiers were killed and 73 injured. He has denied the allegations.

Montgomery told the court that the Serbian government, which has yet to issue a formal extradition request, was abusing the extradition process.

His arrest was politically-motivated, she argued, coinciding with the trial of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic for war crimes in The Hague.

"There is an overwhelming case for granting bail," she said. Holding Ganic for up to 45 days at Wandsworth top security prison in London risked making a "mockery of justice."

Adjourning the case to next Thursday, judge Laws said he "did not like at all" the custodial "limbo" Ganic was currently in.

The arrest of the former leading politician, who formerly served under the rotating Bosnian presidency, has caused uproar in his home country and raised eyebrows in Britain, where former Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher is counted among his friends.

German politician and diplomat Christian Schwarz-Schilling, who served as the international administrator in Bosnia in 2006-07, called Ganic's arrest an "international scandal" and "outrage."...

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312688,former-bosnian-leader-held-in-london-to-stay-in-jail.html.

German diplomat blasts Serbia, Great Britain over Ganic's arrest

Belgrade - The arrest of Bosnia's former president and Muslim leader on a war crimes warrant by Serbia is an "international scandal" and "outrage," German politician and diplomat Christian Schwarz-Schilling said Friday. Schwarz-Schilling blasted Serbia for "refusing to come to terms with its recent past," but also Great Britain, for taking "part in the kidnapping of a distinguished Bosnian academic and participated in Serbia's political ploy."

Ganic, 64, was arrested Monday by British authorities on a Serbian warrant. Serbian prosecutors allege that Ganic commanded an ambush on a Yugoslav army convoy in May 1992 and was responsible for the death of 42 soldiers.

The High Court in London on Friday adjourned a decision on a bail application for Ganic following a Serbian extradition warrant.

Schwarz-Schilling, who served as the international administrator in Bosnia in 2006-07, said charges against Ganic were "an attempt to manipulate history" and pointed out that the attack occurred a day after an all-out offensive of Serbs on Sarajevo.

"Ganic was defending his country from a Serb attack," Schwarz-Schilling told the German Press Agency dpa.

He warned that Serbia's persistence to pursue Ganic even though the United Nations' war crimes tribunal found no evidence against him, "reflects Serbia's refusal to fully come to terms with its own role in wars in former Yugoslavia."

"It also reflects Serbia's continuous attempt to avert the blame for atrocities committed during the war and allocate some of the responsibility to other former Yugoslav republics," he said.

By ordering Ganic's arrest, Serbia will prevent the free travel of people in the region and may provoke countermeasures by other Balkan countries, Schwarz-Schilling warned.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312690,german-diplomat-blasts-serbia-great-britain-over-ganics-arrest.html.

Iraqis in Syria go to the polls

Damascus - Iraqis in Syria began voting Friday in their country's parliamentary elections. The Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has prepared voting materials for 300,000 Iraqis in Syria, where a total of 23 voting stations have been opened...

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312693,iraqis-in-syria-go-to-the-polls.html.

NATO chief fails to win Czech boost in Afghanistan - Summary

Prague - NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen failed on Friday to win over Czechs opposed to deploying more troops in Afghanistan. Rasmussen asked leaders of the largest Czech political parties to send a 19-member air security training team and two medical clinics manned by 32 medical staff.

"I urge all allies, including the Czech Republic, to provide trainers for our training mission," Rasmussen said after meeting the party leaders in Prague.

He said the training mission was key to ending the NATO's Afghan presence. "If we are not willing to do that, then our soldiers will have to stay longer," the NATO chief said.

Rasmussen's plea was in line with a proposal recently put forward by the Czech Republic's caretaker government, which offers to deploy an extra 55 soldiers. But the plan requires approval by parliament, where it faces resistance from leftist parties.

In talks held ahead of a Czech parliamentary election scheduled for May 28-29, Rasmussen failed to persuade the Social Democratic leader, Jiri Paroubek, to contribute the additional troops.

The NATO chief's Prague visit turned into yet another setback to the alliance's efforts in Afghanistan. On February 20, the Dutch government collapsed over NATO's request to prolong that country's mission there.

Paroubek said his party does not wish to pull out the Czech troops, but opposes the contingent's expansion.

"We do not want to increase our contribution," Paroubek told reporters at a joint press conference. "I can imagine that we change the structure of our mission."

Paroubek said that military instructors could replace some of the 535 soldiers approved for Afghanistan for 2010, a proposal which Rasmussen called insufficient. "We also need additional contributions," Rasmussen said.

However, the Social Democratic leader, whose party is currently leading in the opinion polls, hinted that he could revisit his stance after the May election. "We will gladly return to this discussion sometime in the autumn," Paroubek said.

The Czech Republic currently has 466 troops serving with the NATO Afghan mission, according to the Defense Ministry's website.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312707,nato-chief-fails-to-win-czech-boost-in-afghanistan--summary.html.

Ban: Chileans undaunted by strong earthquake's destruction

Santiago - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday praised Chileans for their "courage and resilience" in the face of the historic strongest earthquake ever registered when he arrived in the Chilean capital to offer UN support and comfort. Ban made the lengthy trip to South America to gain a full picture of the scale of destruction so the UN can fashion a package of assistance and coordinate future aid, the UN said.

"I am very moved to see such strong courage and resilience of the Chilean people," Ban said upon his arrival. He was met by Chile's Foreign Minister Mariano Fernandez and Alicia Barcena, head of the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

"Chile has been extraordinary generous in assisting Haiti in its time of need," Ban said. "Now is the moment for the UN and the international community to stand with Chile and its people."

"We are ready to help provide any assistance that the Chilean government requests, immediate and long-term," Ban said.

Ban visited Port-au-Prince, capital of Haiti, a few days after it was struck by a magnitude-7 earthquake on January 12. The quake killed more than 230,000 Haitians and destroyed key areas in the capital.

It is unclear how many Chileans have been killed. The government had taken the toll to 803, but since dropped it to 279 bodies found. The February 27 quake registered at 8.8 on the Richter Scale, the strongest ever registered by seismologists.

Ban held talks with outgoing Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and her replacement, President-elect Sebastian Pinera.

Ban was to travel to Concepcion on Saturday, 300 miles south of Santiago, and the adjacent town of Talcahuano, both near the quake's epicenter.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312718,ban-chileans-undaunted-by-strong-earthquakes-destruction.html.

Clinton promises hard fight to block Armenian 'genocide' resolution

Guatemala City - The government of US President Barack Obama will work very hard to block the Armenian "genocide" resolution now working its way through US Congress, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday in Guatemala. Clinton told a press conference that the Obama Administration will seek to prevent the resolution from coming to a full vote in the House of Representatives.

She had previously met with Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom in the last stage of a Latin American tour that has also taken her to Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Costa Rica.

The US House of Representatives' Foreign Affairs committee Thursday passed the bill which recognizes the mass murders of Armenians during World War I as a "genocide."

House speaker Nancy Pelosi must now decide whether to bring the non-binding resolution to a full vote. Ankara has warned that the bill's further progress could seriously damage ties between NATO allies Turkey and the US.

The Obama administration has opposed the House resolution, saying it could disrupt ongoing reconciliation talks between Turkey and Armenia, which are strongly backed by the United States. In addition, Turkey is a key member of NATO, strategically placed within the Middle East.

Obama telephoned Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday to give reassurances.

The Turkish ambassador to Washington, Namik Tan, was recalled to Ankara for consultations soon after the committee approved the resolution, with a narrow 23-22 vote.

Armenians contend that up to 1.5 million of their own were systematically killed by the Ottoman Turks during World War I. Turkey has long denied the genocide claim, saying the number of Armenians killed was much lower and that the deaths were the result of violent turbulence that also affected other groups at the time.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312719,clinton-promises-hard-fight-to-block-armenian-genocide-resolution.html.

Google to insert captions on YouTube

San Francisco - Google is to add automatic captions to the tens of millions of English-language videos it hosts on YouTube, the web search giant said Friday. The move will make the videos more accessible to deaf viewers but will also help Google index the content and supply relevant ads alongside it, analysts said. Google has been experimenting with the automated captions for several months with a handful of high profile partners like the University of California, Berkeley, Yale University and National Geographic. All other captions on YouTube videos were provided by the videos' producers.

Google has been working on speech recognition technology for some five years, and uses the technology to transcribe audio voice mails through its Google Voice service, and to provide spoken Web searches from smart phones.

However, engineers warned that the technology is far from perfect and that the machine translations are sure to contain mistakes.

"We know it's not perfect, and sometimes it will be funny," said Google engineer Ken Harrenstien, who is deaf. "But it's better than nothing."

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312720,google-to-insert-captions-on-youtube.html.

Virgin Galactic eyes space test next year

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, March 5 (UPI) -- Britain's Virgin Galactic is prepared to launch test flights into space next year and start commercial space flights by 2015, the company's president said.

The Virgin Group Ltd.'s commercial spaceline -- an offshoot of billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic Airways -- is fully funded, now that it sold a 32 percent stake for $280 million to Abu Dhabi's Aabar Investments in July 2009, Will Whitehorn told reporters on the sidelines of a space conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Some 330 people, including 20 from the Gulf Arab region, put down deposits adding up to almost $50 million to be among Virgin Galactic's first space passengers, Whitehorn said.

Tickets are priced at $200,000.

Six commercial spaceships made by Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Scaled Composites LLC, would take passengers from California high enough into space to achieve weightlessness and see the earth's curvature against space's black backdrop, the company says.

Whitehorn said Virgin Galactic might make Abu Dhabi a hub for commercial space flights, but he didn't say when, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Aabar is 71.23 percent controlled by the government-owned International Petroleum Investment Co., which is seeking to diversify away from oil. Abu Dhabi is the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' third-largest oil producer.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2010/03/05/Virgin-Galactic-eyes-space-test-next-year/UPI-37111267824298/.