North threatens force ahead of US-South Korea drills

In response to a joint South Korea-US military drill, North Korea said Sunday it will no longer make efforts towards nuclear disarmament.

North Korea also threatened to use "merciless physical force" in reaction to the annual military exercises due to kick off on Monday.

Pyongyang also announced that it would no longer abide by the armistice that brought a truce to the Korean War fifty years ago.

"The revolutionary armed forces of (North Korea) will be left with no option but to exercise merciless physical force as the rival is set to do harm to the (North)," the military's mission at the truce village of Panmunjom said in a statement carried by the country's official Korean Central News Agency.

The mission said that South Korea violated the armistice by participating in the military cooperation with the United States.

Both South Korea and the US, which keeps about 28,500 troops in the country, insist the maneuvers are purely defensive.

However, on Sunday, Pyongyang condemned the drills as a preparation for an invasion.

The two Koreas are in theory still at war as the Korean War in the 1950s ended with a truce and not a peace treaty.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120296§ionid=351020405.

Iran slams Canada support for Israeli war crimes

Iran deplores Canada's move to vote against a UN-backed resolution extending the deadline for a full and credible probe into Israeli war crimes during its last year assault on Gaza.

"During the tenure of [Canadian Prime Minister Stephen] Harper, Canada followed the policy of turning a blind eye to realities and has always given priority to dual and contradictory behaviors," said Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast on Sunday.

"Canada's vote against the resolution, which supports the rights of citizens, immigrants and religious minorities, was another notable example of such behavior," he added.

On Friday, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a non-binding resolution, backed by the Palestinian Authority's delegation along with several Arab and African countries, in a 98-31 vote.

The move gives another five months for fresh investigations into war crimes committed during the three-week Israeli onslaught, which killed more than 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and left thousands of others wounded.

This is while a UN fact-finding committee led by renowned South African prosecutor Richard Goldstone accused Israel of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Goldstone's 575-page report documented accounts of deliberate killing of Palestinian civilians by the Israeli army which targeted places known to hold civilians and also opened fire on unarmed people fleeing the scene.

The document also charged the Islamic resistance movement of Hamas with indiscriminate targeting of southern Israeli towns with rockets — mostly homemade projectiles landing in unpopulated desert areas.

Mehmanparast condemned Canada's support for Israeli crimes, saying, "Ottawa shows full support for anti-human crimes of the Zionist regime [Israel]."

“In light of such contrary-to-human-rights remarks the Canadian government has unfortunately shown that it is not eligible to comment on such issues,” he said.

Taking the Goldstone report into consideration, the General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a similar resolution demanding credible, independent investigations of war crime charges by February 5.

Goldstone had advised the case be sent to the International Criminal Court at The Hague if plausible probes were not conducted within six months.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120291§ionid=351020101.

US to engage in 'hit and run' war in Somalia

Sun Mar 7, 2010

The United States is involved in preparatory military operations in Somali for a 'major' offensive against Somali fighters, report says.

US is providing military assistance to Somali government in order to retake capital Mogadishu from Somali fighters, a recent report in The New York Times indicates.

The American military is conducting nighttime surveillance in the Al-Shabab-controlled areas of the capital and training Somali intelligence officers and forces in addition to providing logistical supports for the government, the report adds.

All the preliminary efforts, including reconnaissance and logistic operations, are meant to help launch a major assault on what US government dubs the 'al-Qaeda' branch in Somalia within 'a few' weeks.

“It's the Americans … helping us," the US newspaper quoted Somali military chief General Mohamed Gelle Kahiye as saying.

Meanwhile, a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity was quoted in the report as saying that American 'covert forces would get involved if the offensive fails to dislodge al-Qaeda terrorists.'

“What you're likely to see is airstrikes and Special Ops moving in, hitting and getting out,” noted the official.

The report also refers to secret US military and intelligence involvement in the Horn of Africa conflicts in the aftermath of the overthrow of Somalia's junta leader Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.

It also mentions the US Central Intelligence Agency's failed collaborations with Somali warlords to stop the fighters in 2006 which led to a US-backed invasion of the impoverished African state by Ethiopian forces in the effort to kill top leaders of Somali fighters.

In summer 2009, the American government hastily shipped in millions of dollars of weapons in order to save the Somali government, it went on to say.

Recently, there have been reports of the arrival of US defense contractors in Somalia in order to support 'peace efforts' there.

American officials claim that between 6,000 and 10,000 trained Somalia troops would fight in the offensive against an estimated 5,000 Somali fighters.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/120260.html.

'US running intl. network of secret detentions'

A United Nations report on the existence of secret detention facilities in countries around the world puts most of the blame on the US and its Central Intelligence Agency.

The report says that the CIA, under the pretext of fighting terrorism, runs scores of secret prisons in foreign countries where suspected terrorists are held, a Deutsche Welle article read on Saturday.

The UN report charges that the United States has created an "international network" to keep in detention anyone it deems as potential enemies.

According to Deutsche Welle, the secret prisons exist in more than 66 countries.

These countries include Algeria, Egypt, India, Russia, Sudan and Zimbabwe where suspects and dissidents are kept in secret facilities.

Poland and Romania are accused of hosting the CIA secret prisons on their soils.

The report further suggests that the US transfers its prisoners to countries like Ethiopia, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, Syria and even Thailand for interrogation.

According to the UN report, in Israel Palestinian prisoners are kept in secret detention under the "illegal fighter" law.

The UN report says while the existence of the secret prisons around the world violates the human and international rights they introduce a "serious problem on a global scale."

"If resorted to in a widespread or systematic manner, secret detention might reach the threshold of a crime against humanity," suggests the report.

Four UN Special Rapporteurs Martin Scheinin, Manfred Nowak, Shaheen Sardar Ali, and Jeremy Sarkin, have contributed to the report.

The report was due to be examined in Geneva this month; however, the resistance shown by some countries postponed the process until June.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120288§ionid=3510203.

Pakistan MPs end US visit to protest body scanners

A six-member Pakistani parliamentary delegation from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), protesting full body scanning in Washington, decided to end their US visit and return to Pakistan.

Head of the parliamentary delegation Senator Abbas Khan Afridi told reporters that they refused body scanning at the Washington Dulles International Airport, saying it was an 'insult' to parliamentarians of a sovereign country.

Afridi said that before their arrival in the US, they were informed by the US State Department that they would not tolerate any such discrimination during their visit.

“We cannot compromise on Pakistan's self-respect,” Afridi added.

The delegation had reached the US on February 28 for a 15-day visit.

Under the new rules, all citizens of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Algeria, Lebanon, Libya, Iraq, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen must receive an extra check of their carry-on bags before boarding a plane bound for America.

The X-ray machines show naked images of passengers. Muslim travelers criticize the scanning as a violation of their religious beliefs.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120286§ionid=351020401.

Tehran to exhibit visual wall carpets

Tehran's Golestan gallery is set to exhibit a collection of wall carpets woven based on a book by Iranian artist Parviz Tanavoli.

Visual Carpets displays 12 wall carpets based on the designs included in a book of the same name by the world-renowned Iranian sculptor Tanavoli.

All the designs date back to ancient times and the carpets have been woven by 12 craftsmen from Iran's northern cities, ISNA reported.

As Tanavoli says in the introduction to his book, visual carpets mostly depict human beings and animals instead of the traditional and common designs used in Persian carpets.

“The visualization movement in creating Persian carpets was one of the most exciting artistic movements in Iranian history,” he wrote.

The exhibition will run from March 12 to 18, 2010.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120285§ionid=351020105.

Lebanese women wed to foreigners fight for rights

Thousands of Lebanese women prevented from passing on nationality to spouse, children.

BEIRUT - Samira Soueidan thought she had won a major battle last year when a judge ruled she could pass on her Lebanese citizenship to her children, a first for women wed to foreigners in this tiny Mediterranean nation.

Her victory was short-lived, however, as the decision was quickly appealed, highlighting the struggle facing thousands of Lebanese women married to foreigners but prevented by law from passing on their nationality to their spouse or children.

"When my attorney called to say that the judge had ruled in my favor after a nine-year legal fight, I was shaking," recalled the frail 48-year-old widow, who was married to an Egyptian and has four children.

"Our laws are unfair and completely disregard women," said Soueidan, sitting in her modest living room in a working class neighborhood of Beirut and drawing nervously on a cigarette.

Under legislation adopted in 1925, 18 years before Lebanon's independence from France, only Lebanese men can get citizenship for their spouses and offspring.

The measure often leads to surreal situations in which children born and raised in Lebanon to a foreign father face costly legal and social difficulties and in many instances end up rejected by the only country they know.

"Every year I have to get residency permits for my children, I have to come up with the fee and I have to undergo the same questioning" by the Lebanese authorities, lamented Soueidan, who began working as a cleaning lady after her husband died in 1994.

"One year, I couldn't come up with the fee and the authorities threatened to deport the kids to Egypt, where they had never set foot," she added. "I ended up going to a loan shark to borrow the money."

But efforts by rights groups and women's organizations to change the law have gained momentum in the past year, with draft legislation currently pending in parliament.

Similar campaigns in three other Arab countries -- Algeria, Egypt and Morocco -- have been successful in recent years.

Those opposed to an amendment in Lebanon are mainly from the minority Christian camp who argue that granting women the right to pass on their citizenship would upset the country's delicate demographic balance.

The Christian community accounts for less than a third of the population.

There are also fears that changing the law would hand citizenship to many Palestinian refugees who are married to Lebanese women.

Judge John Qazzi, who ruled in Soueidan's favor, said the debate on the issue was politically motivated and illustrated Lebanon's paternalistic approach to women's issues.

"This battle is not about citizenship, it's about women's rights," he said. "Politicians in Lebanon look at women as immature citizens."

Hripsmeh Arkanian, 59, who is married to a Palestinian and has two children, entirely agrees.

"I stopped voting a long time ago," she said at her home in a suburb on the outskirts of Beirut. "If my vote counts, then why isn't it heard?

"And if my vote is equal to a man's vote, then this should also apply in the case of citizenship."

She said the administrative hassles her son encountered in Lebanon when he married a Romanian woman prompted him to leave and seek a job in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.

"I went to visit him recently and I noticed that the ring tone on his cell phone was the Lebanese national anthem," Arkanian said.

"It brought tears to my eyes because I realized how attached he is to Lebanon which, in the end, considers him a stranger even though his mother is Lebanese and he was born and raised here."

Sociologist Fahmiyeh Sharaffedin, who published a study on the citizenship issue in 2008, said she was baffled by the discrimination women face in Lebanon given both sexes are officially equal under the constitution.

"Other countries impose restrictions on citizenship but they apply to both men and women," she said. "I don't understand why concern over the country's confessional balance only applies to women and not men.

"Why can a Lebanese man marry, have children and boost the size of one community, be it Christian or Muslim?" she asked. "Why doesn't this apply to women?

"We are fighting for equality and we won't accept anything less."

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=37665.

Young Arabs want democracy and more jobs

Survey finds majority of Arabs see 'living in a democratic country' as their first priority.

DUBAI - Young Arabs surveyed in nine Middle Eastern countries said they want greater democracy, affordable housing and more job prospects, according to results released on Sunday.

Between 85 and 99 percent of the 2,000 Arabs said that "living in a democratic country" was their first priority, in a survey conducted by the Dubai-based ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller public relations firm.

The firm questioned 18 to 24 year-olds in the six Arab countries of the Gulf as well as in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon last October, said Karen Hughes, the firm's vice chair and a former US under secretary.

"More than two-thirds of respondents were very concerned about the rising cost of living, while the shortage of affordable housing was their second biggest worry, followed by unemployment," she told a news conference.

"Increased public participation was seen as either 'very important' or 'somewhat important' by the vast majority of young people across all the countries surveyed.

The tally varied from 85 percent in Oman to 99 percent in Kuwait, the PR firm said.

Hughes said 28 percent of the total surveyed placed the United States at the top of a list of friendly countries.

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=37676.

Saudi king says determined to fight extremism

Saudi security arrests son of human rights activist, 50 others in northern province of Qassim.

RIYADH - Saudi Arabia is determined to halt extremism and has foiled a number of terror plots inside the kingdom, King Abdullah said on Sunday.

"In domestic policy, the government continues to expend its efforts to strengthen security," the king said in his annual speech to the Shura Council, the country's consultative assembly.

"A special effort has been made to confront the thinking of the group of deviants, extremists and terrorists," he said, using language the government usually employs to identify Al-Qaeda.

"The security services have had repeated successes with preventative actions, and will continue their activities to foil the terrorist plots, eradicate the deviant groups, and dry up the sources of terrorism," he said.

Meanwhile, a Saudi human rights group said on Sunday that security officials had arrested the son of one of its founders and more than 50 other people in the northern province of Qassim.

"Thamer Abdulkareem Al-Khather was arrested Wednesday evening for unknown reasons," the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA) said in a statement.

Thamer, whose father Abdulkareem Al-Khather is one of the founders of ACPRA, Thamer, is a university student and member of "the youth movement that calls for a constitutional reform" in the absolute monarchy, the statement said.

It described him as "interested in human rights" and "an advocate of prisoners' rights."

He was arrested by the interior ministry's General Investigation Directorate (DGI), they said.

"Al-Khather and his son, Thamer, have been constantly harassed by the DGI's clandestine detectives a week before Thamer's arrest."

The same statement reported a campaign of arrests carried out in Buraidah, Qassim's provincial capital, which targeted over 50 people, mainly youths and adolescents.

"We don't know why they were arrested, they arrested entire families and they still have some of the fathers, Mohammed Fahd al-Qahtani, a founder of ACPRA, said.

ACPRA was formed by 11 activists in 2009 to pursue democratic and legal reforms and promote human rights in the absolute monarchy.

Saudi Arabia has two officially sanctioned human rights organizations, both created in 2004. One is fully controlled by the government while the other operates more independently.

The independent groups ACPRA and the Human Rights First Society operate without permission.

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=37675.

EU demands more rights progress from Morocco

2010-03-07

EU president says bloc supports efforts for 'mutually acceptable solution' for Western Sahara.

GRANADA - EU president Herman Van Rompuy called on Morocco during a summit Sunday to make progress in respecting human rights.

Referring to a dispute over the Western Sahara region, Van Rompuy said during the EU-Morocco summit that the European Union supported UN efforts "for a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution".

"We also wish for improvements to the situation of human rights and their defenders on this issue," he said in Spain's southern city of Granada.

Van Rompuy said he sent a "clear and unequivocal message" about this during the summit, the first between the EU bloc and an Arab country.

Morocco in 1975 annexed the Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, sparking a war between its forces and Algerian-backed Polisario guerrillas.

The two sides agreed to a ceasefire in 1991 but the UN-sponsored talks on Western Sahara's future have since made no headway with Rabat pledging widespread autonomy for the region, but ruling out independence.

The Polisario Front wants a referendum on self-determination, with independence as one of the options.

Western Sahara independence activists used the summit to stage a demonstration and their own meeting to highlight their cause.

Among them was high-profile activist Aminatou Haidar who held a 32-day hunger strike last year at an airport on Spain's Canary Islands after Moroccan authorities denied her entry to her native Western Sahara.

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=37673.

Hezbollah disarmament not for discussion

Minister: Lebanon's national dialogue on defense strategy will not address Hezbollah arms.

BEIRUT - A Lebanese minister said on Sunday that disarming Hezbollah was not "a subject for discussion," two days before Lebanon's national dialogue on defense strategy is due to resume.

"Some have implied that the dialogue session seeks to establish when Hezbollah will be disarmed," Administrative Reform Minister Mohammad Fneich, who is from the powerful resistance group, was quoted as saying by the state news agency ANI.

"This issue is not a subject for discussion and will not be debated at the dialogue session," Fneich said.

Politicians from rival parties are due to meet Tuesday for a new session on defense strategy to be chaired by President Michel Sleiman.

The government of Prime Minister Saad Hariri has failed to resolve the thorny issue of Hezbollah's weapons since its formation in November, when it defeated a Hezbollah-led coalition.

The winning alliance headed by Saad Hariri won 71 seats in the 128-member parliament in the election against 57 for the opposition led by Hezbollah.

The Hezbollah opposition had actually secured the majority (52%) of the votes in Lebanon, but could not secure a majority of Parliamentary seats (it won 45%) because of the nature of the sectarian government system in the country.

The Shiite movement has refused to disarm since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war and insists that its weapons are necessary to defend Lebanon against Israeli aggression and occupation.

The so-called national dialogue was launched in 2006, before the devastating Israeli war on south Lebanon, to determine the fate of the weapons held by the Shiite group.

But it has been delayed several times because of the country's successive political crises.

Last month, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah vowed to unleash the group's military might on Israel should Tel Aviv attack Lebanon again.

Hezbollah has participated in government since 2005 and has two ministers in the 30-member unity cabinet.

Israel waged a bloody 34-day war on Lebanon in the summer of 2006 after Hezbollah fighters seized two Israeli soldiers in a deadly cross-border raid that aimed to free Lebanese soldiers from Israeli prisons. The bodies of the soldiers were returned in a prisoner swap.

The war claimed the lives of more than 1,200 people in Lebanon, most of them civilians, and more than 160 Israelis, most of them soldiers.

Hezbollah, originally a resistance group formed to counter an Israeli occupation of south Lebanon, had forced the Israeli military out of Lebanon in 2000. Israel, however, continues to occupy the Lebanese Shabaa Farms.

Israeli flights over Lebanon occur on an almost daily basis and are in breach of UN Security Council resolution 1710, which in August 2006 ended the war.

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=37672.

Martyrdom of Sheikh Sayeed of Buryatia is a defeat of Russia

Russian opposition media outlets have responded to the news of Martyrdom of a well-known Islamic preacher, Sheikh Sayeed of Buryatia (Sayeed Buryatsky). Forum.msk edition particularly notes:

"If before the Sayeed Buryatsky's sermons were supported by those of everyday risk to which this young theologian, exposed himself, then after his death from the hands of Russian infidels and their henchmen, they have got a real aura of sanctity. They will be replicated on hundreds of thousands of computers, they will be heard by thousands of his followers, and the dead Sayeed Buryatsky for the final will be many times more effective then living one. And invulnerable.

Special services have created a new martyr for the Caucasus, and thanks to modern technology, while preserving even his living word, which in earlier times would not have been imagined.

What would happen in Rome if the occupiers crucified Jesus would continued to lecture with his voice, everything we read in the Gospels, each Dokan and with each player? Hardly to say that Rome would have stayed for another couple of hundred years in its eastern provinces".

Meanwhile information about that Sheikh Sayeed Buryatsky's martyrdom (inshaAllah) has caused mass comments and discussions on the Internet, involving all sorts of people. And related to Sayeed Buryatsky usually does not depend on religious or ethnic affiliation of author discussions.

Thus, many Russian nationalists perceive the well-known Islamic preacher, as an example of steadfastness and courage.

"An eternal memory as an example to all. Soon, we will too, take a look at Mendel (AKA Russian formal ringleader Medvedev)'s pigs. Freedom for Russia! Freedom for the Caucasus!" wrote a Russian nationalist in the guestbook of Hunafa website.

Another participant from Ukraine wrote:

"You have become history of Jihad, becoming one of the best and most famous of its representatives. By your sincere Word and Deed you have shown to us, the weak ones, the way of real Warrior who is not afraid of anything, except the Almighty and Merciful Allah..."

Another commentator from Kazakhstan reports --

"We Muslims of Kazakhstan conveying Salam to Mujahideen of the Caucasus. Many brothers in Kazakhstan have been condemned for distributing lectures of brother Sayeed .... We will also, InshaAllah, join the jihad and it is not just words ..."

Department of Monitoring,
Kavkaz Center

Source: Kavkaz Center.
Link: http://kavkazcenter.com/eng/content/2010/03/07/11564.shtml.

Settlers, torpedoes and assassins are highlights of March's PC games

Hamburg - Computer gamers are likely to respond to March's new products in one of two ways: either with a "Finally!" or a yawn and a "This again?"That's because most of March's new games are sequels to existing franchises. The Settlers, for example, will put out its seventh installment. Other continuing series include Assassin's Creed II, Silent Hunter 5 and Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight.

Of course, there are some new games out there, including Prison Break: The Conspiracy. However, it is based on a television series.

Settlers has a long history. The first generation debuted in 1993 for the Amiga, the brainchild of Volker Wertich. A PC version soon followed. The basic principle was and remains to build up a functioning city for a group of digital settlers.

Success - ie creating a city with a working economy - depends on making sure that there are enough raw materials to keep everything from the bakery to the smithy in full production to meet the community's needs. Building up a military is also important, if not central.

That has been the guiding principle for sequel after sequel since. Sometimes the focus was more on settling new territories. Other times - not necessarily to the delight of hardcore fans - it became more of a real-time strategy game.

Settlers 7 is expected to let players focus on their individual style. People who prefer to trade and settle should be able to get along fine without a military, and vice versa. Publisher Ubisoft says the game should be available from March 25 for about 50 euros (68 dollars).

One new PC title has already made the rounds of gaming consoles. It's only been a quarter of a year since Assassin's Creed II was released for the XBox and other gaming machines, but now it's time for the PC version. The new version comes with a new hero: Ezio Auditore de Firenze.

Firenze spends a lot of time at the center of Renaissance Italy's trading capitals, making friends with legends like Leonardo da Vinci - at least when he's not busy ending the lives of other virtual characters in the game. The new version of the assassin's saga, also from Ubisoft, is expected to hit stores on March 4, for about 50 euros.

Command & Conquer is a familiar standby for any fan of real-time strategy games, having premiered in the mid-90s. But only hardcore fans have been able to keep up with its convoluted history.

Basically, Command & Conquer split into three parallel series: Tiberian, Red Alert and Generals. Thus, Electronic Arts is now publishing Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight.

Gone is the standard phase of the game where players have to gather resources to build up their army. Instead, players can operate a new vehicle, a Crawler, which can be used for troop recruitment. The game was also designed primarily for online battling. It is expected to be available in mid-March, most likely for about 50 euros.

Prison Break: The Conspiracy, from publisher Deep Silver, also contains another action-adventure. Based on the popular television series - the show's writers worked on the game - players take over the role of agent Tom Paxton.

In prison, Paxton is charged with finding out why Michael Scofield, the main character, robbed a bank. Members of the show's cast have lent their voices to the game. The game is supposed to hit shelves at the end of March. No price has been named yet.

When it comes to PC simulators, the recent trend has been toward games that let the player pretend to farm or drive a bus, the ultimate in goofing off without getting too immersed or drawn into a complex storyline. But a new game like Silent Hunter 5 shows just how deeply fans can immerse themselves into a well-made simulator.

Released by Ubisoft, the game focuses on submarines. Players take on the role of a captain in the middle of a war who must lead his crew and safely steer his torpedo-laden vessel to its goal without getting sunk itself.

Here, at least, when players exclaim "again!" it might be a good thing, as they make yet another attempt at success, at which point they'll be able to triumphantly shout "finally!"

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312823,settlers-torpedoes-and-assassins-are-highlights-of-marchs-pc-games.html.

Thai elephant gives birth to first known male twins

Bangkok - A Thai elephant has given birth to the world's first known male twins, local media reported Sunday. The twin males were born to Phang Thong Khun, a 35-year-old in the north-eastern province of Surin, The Nation newspaper reported.

A crowd cheered when the twins were born about two hours apart early Saturday morning, elephant trainer Prapai Mokhorn trainer told The Nation.

The still-unnamed baby elephants are the first known male twins. Female twins named Phang Jum and Phang Jim were born in Thailand 15 years ago.

Twin pachyderm births are rare, and the survival rate is low.

Domestic elephants number about 100,000 in Thailand a century ago, when they were employed in logging and transportation in most parts of the kingdom. Their numbers have since fallen to fewer than 4,000 with most working in the tourism industry.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312831,thai-elephant-gives-birth-to-first-known-male-twins.html.

Chileans return looted goods in city smashed by earthquake

Concepcion,Chile - Some residents of the south-central city that was devastated by a massive earthquake began returning looted goods from stores this weekend, military officials said. The repentant looters were apparently fearful of being caught in a series of house searches begun by soldiers and police, according to the senior army officer in the Bio Bio region.

"We are going after the looters in their respective homes, and they must be worried," General Guillermo Ramirez told Radio Cooperativa. "They are voluntarily returning various kinds of stolen goods."

Authorities said many people took advantage of the chaos that followed the 8.8-magnitude earthquake of February 27, and burst into shops to loot items ranging from foodstuffs to washing machines.

Thus far, the returned goods amounted to 20 truckloads, valued at nearly 400,000 dollars.

"I think this situation will continue for awhile and more stolen goods will trickle back, in the measure that neighbors gain the courage to give information and as the law is applied rigorously," Ramirez said.

He said the returns were an indication that public order was returning to the urban epicenter of the powerful earthquake.

Authorities also decided to shorten the curfew, imposed a week earlier to halt the looting, from 18 hours to 14 hours.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312843,chileans-return-looted-goods-in-city-smashed-by-earthquake.html.

Somalian Islamists ban English, science lessons in southern town

Nairobi/Mogadishu (Earth Times) - English and science lessons have been banned in the schools of the southern Somali town of Afmadow by the Islamist Al-Shabaab militia, according to reports by broadcaster Radio Garowe on Sunday. According to the report, teachers at the town's schools had refused to allow their students to be recruited into the militia. However, that meant that teachers at three of the schools were required to teach Arabic and Islamic studies instead.

"They said English is for heretics and their followers," said one teacher.

The al-Shabaab militia, which has taken control of a growing swath of the nearly dysfunctional nation, has previously declared discos, dances, mobile ring tones, movie theaters and sporting events as contrary to Islamic beliefs.

The group, which has been listed as a terrorist organization by the United States for its ties to al-Qaeda, is working to overthrow the more moderately Islamic government of Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

Iran's judiciary denies confirmation of protester's death sentence

Tehran - The Iranian judiciary has denied reports that a death verdict for a protester has been confirmed by an appellate court, the labor news agency ILNA reported Sunday. Opposition websites reported earlier this week that Tehran's appellate court had upheld the sentence of a 20-year-old protester, making him the tenth to be put on death row.

Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said that there has been no appellate court session yet for the protester and, therefore, no confirmation of the initial death verdict, either.

The 20-year-old protester had attended demonstrations in December and was charged with plots against the establishment and having committed "Moharebeh" - or acting against God, which is punishable by death.

The prosecutor accused the opposition websites of distributing false news and said that the protester still had until mid-March to appeal the initial verdict.

Two members of monarchist groups were already hanged last month for conspiring to topple Iran's Islamic establishment.

Nine of the more than 100 protesters arrested arrested during rallies against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after June's presidential election were sentenced to death on charges of "Moharebeh."

The opposition accuses the government of having committed fraud for ensuring Ahmadinejad's re-election.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312853,irans-judiciary-denies-confirmation-of-protesters-death-sentence.html.

Turkish Foreign Minister in Syria for talks with President Al-Assad

Damascus - Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu arrived in Damascus Sunday for talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which diplomats said would focus on the Middle East peace process. Last week, Turkey announced that it was prepared to resume mediating indirect talks between Syria and Israel if both parties agreed.

Negotiations reached a stalemate after the resignation of former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Syria then withdrew from the talks in protest at the Israeli three-week offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Davutoglu is also expected to meet with his Syrian counterpart, Walid al-Moallem, and Assistant Vice-President Hassan Turkmani.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that he was prepared to meet with al-Assad immediately and without preconditions.

Al-Moallem replied, saying that Israel must first declare its intention to withdraw to its 1967 borders before any talks can take place.

The Turkish-mediated talks were the first since 2000. They broke down because of disagreement over Syrian demands that Israel withdraw from the Golan Heights, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312855,turkish-foreign-minister-in-syria-for-talks-with-president-al-assad.html.

Iran launches new Nasr cruise missile

Iran's Defense Ministry has introduced a new domestically-manufactured cruise missile that will significantly improve the deterrence capabilities of the Iranian military forces.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the production line, Defense Minister Brigadier-General Ahmad Vahidi said that the Nasr (Victory) missile was able to eliminate targets of up to 3000 tons.

The short-range cruise missile can be launched from both inland bases and offshore military vessels.

New features will be added to the missile in the near future, he said, making it suitable for launch from helicopters and submarines.

According to the minister, once delivered to Iran's naval forces, the missile would greatly complement the country's defensive power.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120254§ionid=351020101.

Ahmadinejad: 9/11 a big lie, pretext to occupy Afghanistan

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad insists the capitalist system, established by Israelis, is on verge of collapse, adding that the 9/11 was a set-up to occupy Afghanistan and wage a so-called 'war on terror.'

The president described the September 11, 2001 destruction of the twin World Trade Center buildings in New York as a preconceived "scenario and a sophisticated intelligence measure" and emphasized that the 9/11 incident was a "big lie intended to serve as a pretext for fighting terrorism and setting the grounds for sending troops to Afghanistan."

"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."

Dr. Ahmadinejad reiterated that with the advent of the Islamic Revolution the materialistic mentality was challenged and Marxism was destroyed.

"Today," he added, "With blessings from the Almighty, the Capitalist system, founded by the Zionists, has also reached an end."

The Iranian President then noted that "the aggression" by the US government and the deployment of forces to the region by NATO "was merely to rescue the liberal democratic establishment and the capitalist belief."

Referring to the recent arrest of the terrorist leader Abdomalek Rigi by Iranian intelligence forces, Dr. Ahmadinejad also noted that his capture indicates the extreme desperateness of the intelligence agencies of the US, Britain and the Israeli regime.

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.

'World powers will fail to agree on Iran sanctions'

Iran says world powers will fail to reach a consensus on imposing new sanctions against Iran over the country's nuclear program.

"Since the principle of sanctions lacks the legal and logical basis regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran's basic right to peaceful nuclear activities; and since this policy is pursued under the political pressure of certain countries, it is natural that such a consensus [on sanctions] will not materialize," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said on Sunday.

Washington is persuading members of the P5+1 group — the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China, which are the veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council, and Germany — to approve a new round of sanctions against Iran.

China and Russia have repeatedly opposed new punitive measures against Iran with Beijing repeatedly calling for more dialogue with Tehran to resolve the issue.

Despite the IAEA reports reaffirming that it continues to verify the non-diversion of Iran's nuclear work toward any military purposes, the US and its allies accuse Tehran of having military objective in its nuclear work.

Iran, a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), rejects the allegations as politically motivated and says its nuclear work is totally peaceful and within the framework of the NPT.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120276§ionid=351020104.

Germany calls for eurozone stability fund

With Greece under more pressure to cut costs in dealing with its crippling debt crisis, Germany has called for the creation of a European equivalent to the International Monetary Fund.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper that an organization modeled on the IMF could help eurozone countries like Greece, as well as safeguarding and stabilizing the monetary union.

This is while some politicians from German Chancellor Angela Merkel's camp said last week that one solution to Greece's financial woes would be to consider selling some of its uninhabited islands to cut its debt.

Josef Schlarmann and Frank Schaeffler told Germany's Bild daily that the Greek state should sell stakes in all its assets to raise more cash.

Schlarmann, who is a senior member of Merkel's Christian Democrats Union, insisted that when on the brink of insolvency, one must sell everything one has to pay the creditors.

He also advised Ms. Merkel not to promise any financial aid to the country, ahead of a planned meeting with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou in Berlin.

Greece has recently unveiled its third savings package in the past few months which outlines a sweeping new 4.8 billion euro ($6.52 billion) austerity program.

Greece has about 6,000 islands, 227 of which are inhabited and many are a private home to the world's wealthy.

An average Greek island would cost about $2m (£1.3m), the BBC cited a specialized real-estate website, noting that the website said it would be affordable to everyone but the Greek.

Germany's attitude towards the crisis in Greece contrasts sharply with neighboring France where President Nicolas Sarkozy has vowed not to let Greece “fall.”

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120275§ionid=351020604.

Ahmadinejad to discuss Afghanistan in Kabul

Iran's president is expected to discuss the problems facing Afghanistan with Kabul officials during a Monday visit to the war-torn country.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will meet with his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai during his one-day visit to Kabul, Mehr News agency reported.

Finding solutions to the challenges facing Afghanistan and trade talks are expected to be high on the meeting's agenda.

Iran believes instability and insecurity in Afghanistan has its roots in the presence of foreign troops and has repeatedly called for the complete withdrawal of US-led forces from the country.

Iran, which has close ethnic and religious ties with Afghanistan, is a long-time victim of opium production in the neighbor state.

Although Iran has won the praise of the UN for its strenuous efforts in fighting drugs trafficking, its long border with Afghanistan has prompted smugglers to view Iran as a route for drug trafficking to Europe and the West.

Since the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan drug production has surged in the country, making it the source of 90 percent of the world's heroin.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120272§ionid=351020101.

Blackwater charged with stealing Afghan arms

US private security firm Xe, formerly known as Blackwater, has been reportedly accused of stealing over 500 assault rifles earmarked for the Afghan police.

A US Senate committee has revealed the case, the Washington Post reported.

Meanwhile, two former Xe employees have accused Blackwater of over-billing for travel, charging for liquor, spa trips and other leisure activities.

The revelation comes after Pentagon Chief Robert Gates has pledged to review earlier allegations of Blackwater staff's misconduct in Afghanistan.

Earlier this week, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin said that the Pentagon should reconsider awarding contracts to the firm.

Levin was referring to a new contract worth as much as $1 billion that would provide Afghan national police with training.

Levin said Blackwater may have misappropriated government weapons and carried arms without authorization, adding that the firm may have hired unqualified personnel with backgrounds that included drug and alcohol abuse.

Blackwater was thrown into the spotlight after five of its guards killed 14 Iraqi civilians and wounded 18 others during a September 2007 incident in Baghdad.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120267§ionid=3510203.

Colombia's US military pact challenged in court

Colombia's Constitutional Court is to review a treaty that gives US forces access to Colombian military bases, following a legal challenge of its unconstitutionality.

The lawsuit brought by a legal group called "Jose Alvear Restrepo," argue that the October 2009 military accord is invalid since it was signed by the government of President Alvaro Uribe without a prior discussion in Congress, as mandated by the constitution.

They, additionally, accuse Uribe of ignoring the advice of the State Council, the highest court on administrative matters, which has also urged him to allow the congress take up the agreement before it was signed.

The Uribe administration deemed the State Council's opinion nonbinding arguing that the accord was not a new one but merely an extension of a 1974 military pact with the United States, and as such required no legislative oversight.

The military pact, part of what the US-backed Uribe government calls a joint effort to counter drug trafficking and insurgencies, has been denounced by neighboring Venezuela as US interference in the region, raising tensions between Bogota and Caracas.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120239§ionid=351020703.

Turkey's US ambassador arrives home to discuss 'genocide' vote

Istanbul - Turkey's ambassador to the United States arrived in his home country Saturday to discuss with senior officials the recent passage of a resolution in the US legislature accusing Turkey of committing genocide against its Armenian population during World War I. Namik Tan said he is to meet with President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Rayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on the matter before returning to the US.

A committee of the US House of Representatives approved the resolution Thursday by a 23-22 vote. The leadership of the House is considering whether to bring the measure to a vote of the full body, which would please Armenian populations in the US, but rile Turkey - a NATO ally - which is sensitive about the allegations.

Leading politicians, including US President Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, have said the resolution could endanger US relations with Turkey and ongoing peace talks between Turkey and Armenia.

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/312770,turkeys-us-ambassador-arrives-home-to-discuss-genocide-vote.html.

Protesters take to Moscow streets demanding police reform

Moscow - Hundreds of supporters of the Russian opposition held a demonstration in central Moscow Saturday calling for Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev to resign following a series of scandals over police brutality and corruption. "The goal should be that Russia's police would be as respected as police in Western countries," a spokesman for human rights activist Lev Ponomaryov said at the demonstration.

In February Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced a crackdown on corruption in the police and interior ministry, and gave Nurgaliyev one month to submit a plan to that effect.

A poll said that over three-quarters of the Russian population did not trust the police. Medvedev's move followed reports of numerous attacks and rapes carried out by police on people in custody.

The demonstration Saturday was monitored by police special forces, but had been authorized to go ahead.

A number of demonstrators also held placards reading "decent salaries for a decent police."

Supporters of the liberal Solidarnost party, as well as its leader former chess champion Garry Kasparov, were present on Saturday. According to police reports, seven people were arrested who had tried to interrupt the demonstration.

Similar demonstrations in Moscow have normally been prohibited.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312780,protestors-take-to-moscow-streets-demanding-police-reform.html.

North Korean leader attends a factory re-opening rally

Seoul - North Korean leader Kim Jong II attended a large rally marking a reopening of a suspended textile factory, North Korea's state media reported Saturday. In an unusual personal appearance, Kim attended the industry rally, where about 100,000 people gathered and praised Kim for enabling the restart of the factory which produces the polyvinyl alcohol textile. It had closed in 1994.

Textile experts have said that no other country is able to produce this textile made from limestone and anthracite, making this textile factory as a source of North Korean pride, Yonhap news reported.

Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong II is reportedly planning a visit to China this month. It would be Kim's first trip to China, one of North Korea's only allies, in more than four years and his first overseas visit since his suspected stroke in 2008.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312787,north-korean-leader-attends-a-factory-re-opening-rally.html.

Mubarak recovering after gall bladder surgery in Germany - Summary

Cairo/Heidelberg, Germany (Earth Times) - Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak was recovering on Saturday after undergoing surgery for the removal of his gall bladder, the University Clinic in Heidelberg said. A hospital spokeswoman and Egypt's official news agency MENA said the surgery, carried out earlier in the day, was successful.

It was not clear how long the 81-year-old president would remain in the clinic, the spokeswoman told the German Press Agency dpa. She declined to give further details.

Mubarak was recovering in the intensive care unit of the clinic, MENA said.

The president held talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin this week before traveling to the southern city of Heidelberg on Friday.

He underwent medical tests which showed a chronic inflammation of the gall bladder, a non-vital organ that aids in the digestive process and stores bile produced in the liver.

Prime Minister Ahmad Nazif is temporarily assuming Mubarak's responsibilities until his return to Egypt.

Mubarak previously went to Germany in 2004 for back surgery.

Former German chancellor Helmut Kohl, 79, had his gall bladder removed at the Heidelberg clinic earlier this year.

Iran prevents opposition cleric's son from flying to London

Tehran - Iranian police have prevented the son of leading opposition cleric Mehdi Karroubi from leaving the country, opposition websites reported Saturday. Mohammad-Taghi Karroubi, a university lecturer, was leaving Iran on Friday for London for reportedly academic purposes, when the police at the IKA airport in Tehran seized his passport without explanations, the websites said.

In line with the opposition, Karroubi has accused the government of fraud in June's presidential election and not yet acknowledged the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Karroubi, who is the head of the moderate party Etemad (Trust), has gradually turned into one of the leading opposition figures in the post election era.

His other son Ali was reportedly beaten severely by pro-government agents during last month's protest gatherings.

While both his newspaper and website have been blocked for months, a press watchdog affiliated to the culture ministry withdrew the permission of the weekly magazine "Irandokht" whose publisher was his wife, Fatemeh Karroubi.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312795,iran-prevents-opposition-clerics-son-from-flying-to-london.html.

'Myth of imperialism will soon be shattered'

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the myth of imperialism will soon be shattered.

The myth of imperialism will soon shatter as more and more nations are waking up to restore their independence, and military threats and methods of intimidation can no longer benefit the hegemonic powers, Ahmadinejad told visiting Ecuadorian First Vice President Lenin Moreno in Tehran on Saturday.

“Ecuador and a number of other countries are the standard-bearers of honor, justice, and independence in Latin America. This is due to the revolutionary movements which have emerged in them. Tehran and Quito regard the dominant governing system in the world as unjust and seek to create a world alive with justice, peace, and friendship,” he noted.

“Although Iran and Ecuador are geographically very distant from each other, the two nations share the same areas of interest and concern and are determined to develop reciprocal ties in all areas,” the Iranian president added.

Moreno described Iran as a forerunner in the campaign against world imperialism and called for the expansion of ties between the two countries in the economic, cultural, and political spheres.

The Ecuadorian first vice president also said his country fully supports the Iranian nuclear program, adding that Quito regards Tehran's nuclear activities as legal and legitimate.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120238§ionid=351020101.

'Rigi arrest revealed West's hypocrisy on terrorism'

Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar says the apprehension of the ringleader of the Jundallah terrorist group exposed the hypocrisy of the West on the issues of human rights and terrorism.

The arrest of Jundallah ringleader Abdolmalek Rigi revealed the emptiness of the claims of so-called human rights groups and showed the world who the real supporters of terrorism are, Mohammad-Najjar told senior security officials in Tehran on Saturday.

“The captured terrorist mentor of the Jundallah group, Abdolmalek Rigi, has confessed to receiving unlimited military assistance and funding to wage an insurgency against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Without the strong support of Western intelligence agencies, terrorism in the region would not have survived,” he added.

Mohammad-Najjar said, “Rigi's arrest revealed the true colors of Western rights organizations. The enemies of Islam have resorted to sowing discord among Muslims as their main strategy to implement their fiendish plans. We must exercise the necessary alertness in this regard.”

On February 23, the leader of the Jundallah terrorist group was on a flight from the United Arab Emirates to Kyrgyzstan when he was tracked down by Iranian security forces.

Rigi and one of his deputies were captured after Iranian security forces forced their plane to land at an airport in the Persian Gulf city of Bandar Abbas.

Iranian security forces said he was at a US base in Afghanistan 24 hours before his capture.

According to some sources, Rigi had planned to meet US special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke at the Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan for talks on launching terrorist attacks in Iran.

The Iranian interior minister also emphasized the need for constant vigilance in regard to the plots hatched by the arch-foes of the Islamic Republic.

“Over the past three decades, the belligerent enemies of the nation have been looking for a golden opportunity to deal a blow to the Islamic system, but every time they have been driven to desperation thanks to the people's astuteness,” he stated.

Mohammad-Najjar also said that Iran is currently at the peak of its power and prosperity and guaranteed that the country would continue on the path of progress.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120236§ionid=351020101.

'Maoists intend to overthrow Indian govt. by 2050'

An Indian minister has warned that Maoist rebels are planning to topple the New Delhi government by 2050.

Indian Home Secretary G.K. Pillai says security forces are facing a long-term conflict with the rebels.

"We have a long, bloody war ahead," Pillai told a seminar in New Delhi.

He noted that at least 908 people died in Maoist attacks in 2009.

"It's quite likely violence will go up in 2010 or 2011," Pillai said.

In response to the minister's remarks, Maoist leader Koteswar Rao said they would achieve victory long before that date.

"We will overthrow the Indian government much before 2050," Rao told the Press Trust of India late on Saturday.

The Maoists have spread into less developed areas of rural central and eastern India.

There are thought to be between 10,000 and 20,000 armed Maoist rebels in India, active in 13 of India's 29 states and backed by hundreds of thousands of supporters.

Thousands of people have been killed since the Maoist rebellion began in the late 1960s.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120234§ionid=351020402.

Chinese author plans to sue Cameron over Avatar

A Chinese author is planning to file a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against James Cameron over his blockbuster Avatar, claiming that the Canadian film director and producer stole ideas for the science fiction epic movie.

Zhou Shaomou claims he wrote a science fiction novel called Tale of the Blue Crows in 1997 which bears striking similarities to the plot of Cameron's film.

"The book centers around a group of explorers who travel to a distant planet inhabited by blue-skinned beings," he said.

The Chinese writer added, "I wrote in my novel that their space journey took them six years, but in Cameron's movie the journey takes them five years, nine months, and 22 days. I was shocked when I first saw that — it is too close."

Zhou said he never thought he would get a publishing deal for the book, so he released it online, where he claims it has been read by over 10 million people.

He now plans to sue Cameron for $162 million for copyright infringement.

Zhou has reportedly tried twice to get his case heard in China but was denied both times.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120235§ionid=3510212.

Icelandic voters say "no" to neoliberal debt payback deal

Partial results from a referendum in Iceland suggest voters have given a resounding "no" to a deal in which Iceland would have paid Britain and the Netherlands billions of euros.

This would have been to cover the compensation the two countries paid to their citizens who lost money due to the collapse of the Icesave bank.

However, with nearly a third of the votes counted, more than 90 percent of Icelandic voters have rejected the deal.

The British and Dutch governments want reimbursement of $5.2 billion they paid in compensation to customers after the failure of Icesave bank, which folded in 2008.

Talks between the three countries broke down on Friday before an agreement could be reached.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120231§ionid=351020606.

3,000 protest against settlements in Jerusalem Al-Quds

Around 3,000 Palestinians and Israeli peace activists and left-wingers have held a protest against Israel's illegal settlements in East Jerusalem Al-Quds.

In Sheikh Jarrah on Saturday, the protesters waved red flags bearing the inscription "Shalom" (peace in Hebrew) and chanted slogans such as "No to ethnic cleansing" and "Sheikh Jarrah residents don't lose hope, we are blocking the road to settlement."

Israeli police, who first intended to ban the rally that was finally approved by the Supreme Court, watched over the demonstration, the largest of its kind for several decades against the internationally condemned settlements in Jerusalem Al-Quds.

Anger mounted among the Palestinians in recent months after Israeli security forces expelled several Palestinian families of Sheikh Jarrah to make way for Israeli settlers.

The expulsions have led to protests in the past that were harshly put down by Israeli police, who arrested Israeli peace activists as well as pro-Palestinian foreigners.

Israel annexed East Jerusalem Al-Quds after the Six-Day War of 1967 and built new settlements to house more than 200,000 Israelis. However, the annexation has never been recognized by the international community.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120228§ionid=351020202.

Iraq begins counting special voting ballots

Iraq has begun counting ballots of special voting as heavy security measures are being taken for Sunday's parliamentary polls.

The special voting was conducted by the Independent High Electoral Commission on March 4 for military personnel, including the police and army, in addition to prison inmates and patients in hospitals.

The March 7 polls, to open at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) and end at 5 p.m. (1400 GMT), are considered pivotal for the country, which US troops are scheduled to leave by the end of 2011.

About 6,200 candidates from 86 political groups are vying for 325 parliamentary seats in the first national polls since 2005.

Iraq has reinforced security measures in Baghdad, setting up checkpoints and deploying a large number of security forces near polling centers to prevent any sort of trouble.

The country's second full national poll since the 2003 invasion will be a test for Iraq's young democracy.

Iraqis hope the election will bring in a powerful government that will establish security and stability in the country.

However, Al-Qaeda in Iraq has threatened to ruin the election process, warning Iraqis that they risk death if they vote.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120237§ionid=351020201.