Unrest still crumbling Kyrgyzstan

Supporters of ousted Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev continue to hold a government building in the country's volatile south.

Bakiyev Supporters broke into the regional government office in Jalalabad on Saturday. They also briefly seized a local television channel.

Reporters from the region say the government building is being guarded by men identifying themselves as Bakiyev loyalists.

Meanwhile, the interim government says its forces control the whole country and that "the situation is under control."

The chief of staff of the interim government Roza Otunbayeva, Edil Baisalov, told Moscow Echo radio that "the situation is under control, the interim government is refusing to use force on Bakiyev's supporters and we intend to look at such demonstrations with patience."

The interim government has promised to bring Bakiev and his allies to justice for the killing of over 80 people, during the April 7 uprising.

The ousted president flew to Kazakhstan and tendered his resignation through fax.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123685§ionid=351020406.

Japan Islanders reject US military base

Thousands of political activists in Tokunoshima have rallied against the possible re-location of a US military base to the Japanese island.

About 15,000 demonstrators chanted anti-US slogans and expressed their anger over the planned presence of American forces.

Protest organizers say over half of the island's population attended the rally. Tokunoshima Mayor Hideki Takaoka was among the protesters.

"Reports several days ago said the U.S. side is against the idea and so are locals. A plan for relocating the base to Tokunoshima is out of the question," Kyodo quoted Takaoka as saying.

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has been planning to move the US base in Okinawa to a new location.

Media reports say Tokyo is considering Tokunoshima as a potential destination for the US base. Hatoyama has told US President Barack Obama that he will find a new location by the end of May.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123683§ionid=351020406.

Dungans, Uyghurs Attacked In Northern Kyrgyz Town

April 09, 2010
TOKMOK, Kyrgyzstan -- Antigovernment protest actions in Kyrgyzstan's northern town of Tokmok have reportedly escalated into ethnic clashes, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

Groups of protesters allegedly attacked people from two ethnic minorities -- Dungans and Uyghurs -- and their houses, cafes, and shops.

Tokmok is about 30 kilometers east of the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek.

A local opposition activist, Bakyt Nuraalu Uulu, told RFE/RL that 11 victims of the violence were brought to hospital. Five of them had gunshot wounds.

Dungans are ethnic Chinese Muslims and Uyghurs are ethnic Turkic Muslims who originally came from China.

According to 2008 statistics, there were some 60,000 Dungans and 51,000 Uyghurs among Kyrgyzstan's population of 5.25 million people.

Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.
Link: http://www.rferl.org/content/Dungans_Uyghurs_Attacked_In_Northern_Kyrgyz_Town_/2007251.html.

US says Ahmadinejad letter arrived

The White House confirms receiving a letter from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last month but says President Barack Obama has no plan to send a response.

"Yes, President Ahmadinejad sent a letter to the [US] president in March," National Security Council spokesman Michael Hammer said Saturday.

"We are not going to get into details on the content of the correspondence at this time," he added but said there was no plan to respond to Ahmadinejad's letter.

Last week, in a televised interview, President Ahmadinejad said he had sent a letter to Obama, saying the content of the letter would soon be made public.

He said that Iran welcomes change, stressing that Tehran is the "only chance" for Obama to realize his slogan of change.

"Obama only has one way to tell the world that he has created change, and that is Iran," the Iranian president stated.

Earlier, Iranian officials said the letter was in line with the Islamic Republic's general policies.

Meanwhile, head of the Presidential Office Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei said the message questions the so-called US 'War on Terror' and its consequences in the region.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123679§ionid=351020101.

Iran to set up 'Oil Industry Bank'

Iran's Oil Minister Seyyed Massoud Mirkazemi says the country will establish a new private bank to fund its oil industry projects.

"The establishment of the Oil Industry Bank aims to give the private sector a more active role in the [oil] industry and to provide new capital for taking on projects, especially low-stream oil projects," SHANA quoted Mirkazemi as saying.

Mirkazemi made the announcement in a meeting with top officials from investment companies in Tehran on Saturday, adding that the initial capital of the new bank had been estimated as USD 2 billion.

The Iranian minister added that a working group has been set up to accelerate the establishment of the bank.

Last month, Mirkazemi announced that to avoid production decline, the country would need USD 200 billion in oil, gas, and refining investments over the next five years.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123674§ionid=351020102.

Iran marks National Army Day

Key Iranian government figures and top army brass have gathered in Tehran on National Army Day for a glimpse at the country's latest military achievements.

The annual ceremony kicked off on Tuesday with Iran's aerial, ground, and naval forces staging a military parade in front of the mausoleum of the late founder of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Rouhollah Khomeini, outside Tehran.

During the event, the army unveiled its latest domestically-produced military equipment, including a new generation of long-range missiles.

One of the missiles showcased in the ceremony is the Shahab 3 (Meteor-3) ballistic missile, featuring an improved guidance system and a range of 2,000 kilometers.

The military also unveiled its long-range S-200 air defense system, which has been exclusively designed to defend large areas against aerial attacks, including those by high-speed and high-altitude aircraft.

Meanwhile, the Iranian Navy unveiled the country's first domestically designed guided missile destroyer, the Jamaran, which has been hailed as a breakthrough in Tehran's maritime capabilities.

Equipped with modern radar and electronic warfare capabilities,Jamaran is a 'Mowdge' class vessel capable of accomplishing six simultaneous missions.

Iran celebrates Army Day every year on April 18th.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123664§ionid=351020101.

Iran: US summit weakened NPT

Iran's parliament speaker says the US nuclear summit undermined the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) while the Tehran conference strengthened the pact.

Addressing the Iranian parliament on Sunday morning, Ali Larijani said a simple comparison between the two gatherings in Iran and the US shows how Washington is trying to deceive the world with political gestures.

"The conference not only eluded the issue of disarmament but audaciously prescribed the use of atomic weapons," he said, in reference to the recent nuclear summit held in Washington.

"In fact, all the nuclear conference in the US did was weaken the NPT. The use of other weapons of mass destruction was permitted under the pretext of concerns about 'nuclear terrorism'," he added.

The Tehran nuclear disbarment conference, dubbed "Nuclear Energy for All, Nuclear Weapons for No One," opened on Saturday morning.

The two-day event, which brings together politicians, experts and NGO representatives from 70 countries, focuses on global nuclear doctrines, atomic discrimination, and the globalization of the NPT.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123659§ionid=351020104.

Iran's ancient sites host handicrafts

Iran will open handicrafts sale outlets at 107 of the country's cultural and historical sites, a Cultural Heritage official has announced.

Ahmad Balan, the director of commercial affairs at Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO) has announced that the handicrafts markets will resemble the nature of their host buildings.

The official said that ICHHTO's Handicrafts Department has been working with the Department of Registration, Conservation and Restoration of Historical Relics to nominate the short listed venues from an original inventory of 400 ancient buildings.

He added that the selected sites were not in need of restoration and were located in 13 provinces across the country.

He did not elaborate on the exact time for the imminent opening of the markets.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123658§ionid=351020105.

Report: Fatah official spies for Israel

Hamas has accused senior Fatah official, Mohammed Dahlan, of spying for Israel and gathering information on Hamas member's whereabouts, Fars news agency reports.

The Foreign Affairs ministry of Hamas has stated that the former security chief in Gaza and member of Fatah's Central Committee, Mohammad Dahlan, has collaborated with Israel against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, Fars reported on Sunday.

According to the report, a close source to Dahlan who asked to meet with a Hamas official in the ministry on Friday, said that Dahlan had called on him to collect detailed information about some Palestinian fighters in Khan Yunis.

The source, who is said to be a former security officer in the Palestinian Authority, leaked that Dahlan demanded information about the fighters who had killed two Israeli military sources in an operation on March 26.

He said Dahlan had provided a list of Hamas officials and resistance fighters, and asked for the precise location of their homes.

Hamas had formerly accused Dahlan of being involved in the assassination of its commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai.

Hamas official Muhammad Nazal said Dahlan had sent two of his men who worked in a real estate company in Dubai to collaborate with Mossad agents in the January murder.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123653§ionid=351020202.

Britain warns of fruit shortage

A British trade official has warned about the shortage of some imported goods in the country, should an airspace travel ban be extended into next week.

"The longer the UK airspace is closed, the greater the damage, not just to businesses here but also for farmers in the developing countries who rely on exporting their produce to Europe. Their livelihoods are in serious jeopardy," Christopher Snelling, head of global supply chain policy for the Freight Transport Association (FTA) said on Sunday.

Snelling added that by far no major shortage was reported, however, if the situation persists, certain range of food including vegetables and fruits would be affected.

Air traffic remains disrupted across Europe as a cloud of ash released from a recent volcanic eruption in Iceland has forced a number of major airports to ground all flights.

"Where possible we're using alternative routes to bring these products to the UK, for example by road and rail from airports which remain open in Europe," said a spokesman for Tesco, the UK's biggest retailer.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123656§ionid=351020601.

Norway PM runs country with iPAD

Norway's prime minister is using his new Apple iPad to govern his country remotely from the United States as flights are banned across the European continent.

After a volcanic ash cloud grounded trans-Atlantic and European domestic flights for the fourth day, Norwegian officials posted on the Internet a photograph of their Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg using his iPad.

In an interview with CNN, Stoltenberg said "We have the Internet, the mobile phone. I also use an iPad, which is excellent."

Stoltenberg, whose flight was grounded Wednesday in New York, has, like many other travelers grounded by the volcanic ash cloud, sought alternative routes home.

Euro control, which co-ordinates air traffic control in 38 nations, said that some 17,000 flights were canceled across Europe on Saturday, from a total of 22,000 on a normal day.

It is considered the worst air travel chaos since the Sept. 11 attacks.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123655§ionid=351020606.

Chinese president visits quake zone

Chinese President Hu Jintao has arrived in northwestern Qinghai Province following a strong Wednesday earthquake that left hundreds dead.

Hu Jintao made the visit on Sunday to the area to inspect relief efforts, state television reported

The president, who cut short a trip to Latin America to oversee the emergency response, went to visit victims in Gyegu, the largest city in the shattered region.

Hu on Saturday chaired a meeting of China's top leaders, urging all-out efforts for the quake response, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

Hundreds of military trucks, joined by relief convoys organized by private aid groups, rolled across the 1,000 km (600 miles) from the provincial capital to Gyegu, the county seat, where survivors are increasingly desperate for food and shelter.

In Tuanjie village, outside Gyegu, relief workers distributed blankets at the local monastery, but said the high altitude is limiting their ability to fly in food.

"We have never had such a big earthquake before so this is completely unexpected for us and we were not prepared," said He Zhanlu, team leader for aid distribution in the village. "To add to this, aid from all over the country is coming to us now, so traffic conditions on the road are a logistical problem."

The magnitude-7.1 quake killed at least 1,484 people and injured more than 12,000 in high-altitude province.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123651§ionid=351020404.

China 'to give $20 bn to Venezuela'

Beijing has agreed to give $20 billion to Caracas for long-term industrial and infrastructure projects, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says.

"China is going to give financing to Venezuela ... over the long-term and in large volume of some $20 billion," he said at a Saturday signing ceremony with Chinese officials.

The two sides also inked six more accords covering electricity and oil projects, including ratification of a joint venture to develop a block in the Orinoco crude belt.

The Venezuelan president said the new agreement is in addition to a $12 billion bilateral investment fund, without providing details.

Currently, Venezuela sends China 460,000 barrels a day of crude oil to repay an $8 billion loan that finances infrastructure projects in the country.

As the largest oil producer in Latin America, Venezuela is diversifying its export markets and seeking loans from Russia and Japan in a bid to boost oil output.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123648§ionid=351020704.

Iran wants foreign troops out of ME

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the pervasive presence of US-led military forces in the Middle East is the main reason behind regional conflicts.

Ahmadinejad, speaking at a ceremony commemorating Iran's National Army Day on Sunday, said that disunity and strife among Mideast countries stems from the lingering presence of foreign coalition troops and military bases across the region.

"If foreign forces deem themselves capable of promoting security and stability, they should make themselves useful in their own countries," he asserted.

"There is no need, or pretext for foreign forces to prolong their stay in this region," he continued in a reference to the deployment of US and NATO troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Foreign forces should leave this region at once," added the Iranian President. "This is not a request, but a sincere demand of the entire population of the Middle East."

Ahmadinejad singled out Israel as the main instigator of violence and terror in the region.

"The Zionist regime is behind all acts of sedition in the Middle East," he said adding that the regional nations want Israel to be uprooted.

Zionism has begun to collapse under the strain of its "divisive policies in the region," Ahmadinejad added.

The Iranian President also issued a stern warning to foreign powers, saying that while his country has always supported peaceful co-existence with other nations, it is well capable of defending itself in the event of war.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123645§ionid=351020101.

Some ministries to move from Tehran

Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi says that some Iranian ministries and state companies will be moved from Tehran.

"In order to decentralize the capital city, some ministries, organizations and companies will be moved from Tehran," Mehr news agency quoted Rahimi as saying on Saturday.

He noted that Iran's Fisheries Organization will be among the state bodies that will leave Tehran.

Rahimi made the comments in a ceremony held to launch the Farsjin Float Glass Factory in the city of Qazvin west of Tehran.

The factory has the capacity to produce 180,000 tonnes of float glass per year.

Some $300 million has been spent to construct the factory, which has created jobs for 550 people directly and for 7,000 people indirectly.

On Saturday, Ahmad Bozorgian, a senior official at the human resources management department of the Iranian president's office had declared that the government plans to encourage 200,000 civil servants to relocate to other parts of the country, by offering them a 25-50 percent increase in wages.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123633§ionid=3510212.

Iran, Lebanon urge Muslim resistance

Two senior political figures from Iran and Lebanon have called on Islamic countries to take serious steps to resist Israel's expansionist policies.

Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani and the Lebanese Foreign Minister Ali al-Shami, who met on the sidelines of an international nuclear disarmament conference in Tehran, said all Muslim states must try to prevent Tel Aviv from "implementing its hostile plans."

Larijani described Lebanon as 'the symbol of resistance against Israel,' praising the Lebanese people's determination to fight Israeli occupation.

He also said all Muslims around the world have 'a religious responsibility' to oppose Israeli occupation and its 'insulting attitude' toward believers of other faiths.

"The Muslim ummah must take serious and practical steps against the immeasurable number of atrocities carried out by Israel in various parts of Palestine especially, [Jerusalem] al-Quds," said Larijani.

For his part, Shami said the Lebanese would never forget the support the Iranian people and government have shown Lebanon's resistance movement.

The foreign minister said that Israel policies toward the region and particularly Palestine are focused on expansionist policies.

"Islamic and Arab states in the region and around the world need to take a steadfast stance against Israel's evil policies that include the Judization of al-Quds," he said.

Drawing a comparison between the Israeli and Iranian nuclear programs, Shami urged the Arab world to seek punitive measures against Israel instead of trying to impose sanctions on Iran.

As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, Lebanon has constantly believed that the nature of Iran's nuclear program is peaceful, he said, adding that Tel Aviv, however, was armed with all kinds of atomic weapons.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123642§ionid=351020101.

Body of 70-year-old civilian exhumed in IHK after protests

Srinagar, April 18 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, body of a 70-year old innocent civilian, whom Indian troops had shot dead and labelled as a non-Kashmiri militant in a fake encounter in Handwara on April 14, was exhumed after massive protests by the locals and his family members. Hundreds of people including the family members of the victim, raising pro-liberation and anti-India slogans, staged massive demonstration at Handwara to demand exhumation of the body and punishment to the troops involved in the killing.

After exhuming the body of Habibullah Khan of Devar Lolab, the authorities handed over the body to the family. People took the body to his native place, where thousands of people attended his funeral prayers amidst slogans in favor of liberation and against India.

The killing of Habibullah Khan has once again orphaned his three grandchildren, Saneer Ahmed Khan, Nazir and Javeeda. Their father, Ahmadullhah Khan was also killed in a fake encounter by the troops 12 years ago. “We were just three to four years old, when our father was killed by the troops. After his death we were brought up by our grandfather,” said Saneer.

Saneer’s father Ahmadullah Khan, eldest among Khan’s seven children, according to the family members, had gone to nearby forests to collect the firewood on the fateful day. “Troopers killed him in cold blood and dubbed him as a non-Kashmiri militant. His death shattered our family,” said, Raj Muhammad Khan, younger brother of Ahmadullah. He said that after the death of Ahmadullah, his father used to do menial jobs to earn livelihood for his orphan grandchildren.

Meanwhile, the All Parties Hurriyet Conference and other Hurriyet leaders have strongly condemned the killing and demanded complete withdrawal of Indian troops from the occupied territory.

Source: Kashmir Media Service.
Link: http://www.kmsnews.org/news/body-70-year-old-civilian-exhumed-ihk-after-protests.

Peoples League pays tributes to martyred S Hameed

Srinagar, April 17 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples League has paid rich tributes to the renowned Kashmiri liberation leader, S Hameed Wani on the eve of his 12th martyrdom anniversary.

The acting Chairman of Peoples League, Mukhtar Ahmed Waza, addressing a seminar at the party headquarter in Srinagar said that the mission of Kashmiri martyrs would be accomplished at all costs. He maintained that thousands of Kashmiris had given matchless sacrifices to secure their right to self-determination. He added that Kashmiris were determined to continue the ongoing struggle till its logical end.

Other speakers including Mohammad Maqbool Sofi, Ghulam Qadir Rah, Imtiyaz Ahmad Reshi, Ghulam Nabi Waseem, Nazir Ahmad Khan and Ghulam Ahmad Mir urged India to adopt a realistic approach for resolving the Kashmir dispute as per Kashmiris’ aspirations.

S Hamid Wani was arrested by the Indian police and killed in custody on April 18, 1998 at Soura in Srinagar.

Source: Kashmir Media Service.
Link: http://www.kmsnews.org/news/peoples-league-pays-tributes-martyred-s-hameed.

Behenji says she is ready to give any sacrifice for Kashmir

New Delhi, April 17 (KMS): Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Farida Behenji, who has been convicted by a New Delhi court in a false case, has said that she is ready to give any kind of sacrifice for the liberation of Kashmir.

Farida Behenji in a statement said that she was not afraid of convictions, adding that she had been remained in notorious interrogation centers and Tihar Jail of India for more than five years. She reiterated the pledge to continue struggle for achieving right to self-determination till complete success.

The Hurriyet leader also thanked the people of Kashmir for holding protest demonstrations against her conviction and hoped that Kashmiri people, especially the youth, would continue the liberation struggle till its logical conclusion.

Source: Kashmir Media Service.
Link: http://www.kmsnews.org/news/behenji-says-she-ready-give-any-sacrifice-kashmir.

India can't suppress Kashmiris' liberation struggle: JAKAF

Srinagar, April 17 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, the Joint Association of Kashmiri Affected Families (JAKAF) has said that India will never succeed in suppressing Kashmiris’ ongoing liberation struggle through use of brute force.

The JAKAF spokesman in a statement issued in Srinagar condemned the stepped up human rights violations in the occupied territory by the authorities and the continued illegal detention of Kashmiri Hurriyet leaders and activists languishing in different jails and interrogation center in and outside the occupied territory.

He took strong exception to the Indian army Chief’s opposition to the repeal of draconian law, Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which was the real cause of gross human rights violations in the occupied territory. He said that in the presence of the black law human right situation couldn’t be improved in occupied Kashmir.

The spokesman urged India to create conducive atmosphere for resolving the Kashmir dispute by repealing the black laws including the AFSPA in the territory. He condemned the killing of a 17 years old student Zubair Ahmad Butt in Sopore and a 70 years old man in Handwara by Indian troops.

The spokesman also stressed initiation of composite dialogue between Pakistan and India and the inclusion of true Kashmiri leadership in the talks process so that an amicable solution of the Kashmir dispute could be brought about.

Source: Kashmir Media Service.
Link: http://www.kmsnews.org/news/india-can%E2%80%99t-suppress-kashmiris%E2%80%99-liberation-struggle-jakaf.

Use of force can't prevent liberation movement: Yasmeen Raja

Srinagar, April 17 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, the leader of All Parties Hurriyet Conference and Chairperson of Muslim Khawateen Markaz Jammu and Kashmir, Yasmeen Raja has said that the occupation authorities couldn’t prevent the people of Jammu and Kashmir from their liberation struggle through use of brute force.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Yasmeen Raja in a statement issued in Srinagar condemned the killing of Zubair Ahmad, a Kashmiri student, by the troops. “The troopers had also killed Ahasnul Haq, brother of Zubair Ahmad four years back,” she added.

Strongly condemning the massive human rights violation by Indian troops in the occupied territory, she appealed the United Nations and international human rights organizations to take notice and put pressure on India to stop state terrorism in the occupied territory.

The APHC leader denounced the conviction of Hurriyet leader, Farida Behenji by a Delhi court in a false case. She said that India was harassing the people of Kashmir to suppress the freedom movement but it would never succeed in its nefarious designs.

Yasmeen Raja expressed serious concern over the continued illegal detention of APHC senior leader, Shabbir Ahmad Shah and said that the day was not far away when the people of Jammu and Kashmir would get rid of Indian bondage.

She also expressed profound grief and sorrow over the sad demise of a renowned Islamic scholar, Dr Israr Ahmad who passed away in Lahore and prayed Allah Almighty to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved family to bear the irreparable loss.

Source: Kashmir Media Service.
Link: http://www.kmsnews.org/news/use-force-can%E2%80%99t-prevent-liberation-movement-yasmeen-raja.

Iran seeks IAEA suspension of US

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says nuclear-armed states such as the United States should be removed entirely from the IAEA and its Board of Governors.

The “Nuclear Energy for all, Nuclear Weapons for None” disarmament conference kicked off in Tehran on Saturday with President Ahmadinejad outlining his vision of a world free of nuclear weapons.

President Ahmadinejad, in an address to the two-day international conference, said that the United States and its vast arsenal of atomic warheads, is delaying the long-awaited prospect of global nuclear disarmament.

He further added that Washington's ongoing development of atomic weapons as part of a so-called deterrence policy has been the main reason behind the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in recent years.

“Washington has not only applied nuclear weapons against other nations, but has for years threatened to use weapons of mass destruction against world countries in order to gain the upper hand,” explained the Iranian President.

With that in mind, Ahmadinejad said “such countries [which continue to threaten countries with the use of nuclear weapons to this day] should be stripped of their membership to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).”

“They have no place [in the UN nuclear watchdog] or its Board of Governors,” he noted.

Ahmadinejad went on to call for the launch of an independent supervision committee to oversee global nuclear disarmament in the international community.

"What we need today is an independent international body to prevent proliferation and supervise the process of nuclear disarmament," he asserted.

On this note, Ahmadinejad said all nations are entitled to feel safe from the looming nuclear weapons threat, however, such sense of security has been a luxury some countries have yet to enjoy.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123553§ionid=351020101.

Cyprus holding presidential election

Turkey's European Union aspirations hang in the balance over the results of the presidential election in northern Cyprus, which is being held on Sunday.

If the breakaway region elects a hardliner, Ankara's quest to join the EU could be dealt a crippling blow, and it could even shape the future of Cyprus's fragile reunification process.

Some 164,000 Turkish Cypriots are choosing between incumbent Mehmet Ali Talat and challenger Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu.

Opinion polls have put Eroglu, a staunch supporter of Turkish Cypriot independence, in the lead.

The final results of the vote, which have to be ratified by an election council, are expected by 1800 GMT on the same day.

The winner will have to negotiate a settlement on the divided island with rival Greek Cypriots in the south who represent Cyprus in the European Union. Without a deal, the Greek Cypriots will block Ankara's bid to join the bloc.

The enclave owes its very creation to a 1974 Turkish army invasion launched after a militant Greek Cypriot coup seeking union with Greece. Since Cyprus gained independence from Britain in 1960, Turkey has acted as guarantor of Turkish Cypriot interests and is alone in recognizing and supporting northern Cyprus.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123630§ionid=351020606.

Sudanese opposition rejects vote results

Sun Apr 18, 2010

Sudanese opposition parties have announced that they will reject the official results from the country's landmark multi-party elections, saying there was widespread fraud.

President Omar al-Beshir's National Congress Party will most probably be declared the winner of the country's first competitive elections in more than two decades, pundits say.

The Sudanese opposition parties' decision to reject the result further complicates the situation, since the ongoing vote-counting process has already been marred by logistical problems and charges of fraud.

Hatem al-Sirr from the Democratic Unionist Party, who ran against Beshir in the presidential election, said he would not recognize the results of the poll that is likely to see the incumbent president re-elected.

"The result does not reflect real participation," Sirr charged.

Earlier, Hassan al-Turabi, who leads the Popular Congress Party, had described the vote as "fraudulent" and said his party would not participate in the next government.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/123627.html.

Israel fires flares over southern Lebanon

Israeli troops fired at least two flares over southern Lebanon late on Saturday, forcing the Lebanese army to go on alert.

The incident took place as around 50 villagers from the southern town of Abbasiyeh crossed the so-called Blue Line border separating Lebanon and Israel after removing the barbed wire set up three days ago by the Israeli army, the Lebanese army said in a statement.

Last week Lebanon accused Israel of crossing the Blue Line, which was initially demarcated to correspond with the line of the Israeli military's forced withdrawal from Lebanon in May 2000.

Hezbollah said the Israeli move was instigated by the United States' recent statement claiming that Syria had given Hezbollah Scud missiles, an allegation rejected by Syria and Hezbollah.

"With this position, (the Americans) are encouraging Israel to carry out an aggression against Lebanon that they are trying to endorse at the international level," Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad told AFP on Saturday.

"The United States is thus placing itself in a position of complicity in the event of aggression and it will have to take responsibility," he said.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123625§ionid=351020203.

Free all prisoners, Palestinians say

Hamas and Fatah closed ranks to commemorate Palestinian Prisoners' Day on Saturday and to demand the release of all Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

Members of both groups, joined by representatives of smaller groups and relatives of prisoners as well as international activists, staged a sit-down protest and a 24-hour fast outside the Gaza City offices of the Red Cross.

Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya and Fatah representative Raafat Hamdoun paid a brief visit to the protesters. The two called for a Palestinian reconciliation and said that all Palestinians must fight Israeli occupation "by any means" and pressure Israel to free the thousands of detainees in its prisons.

In Ramallah and East Jerusalem al-Quds, several thousand people marched through the streets, carrying pictures of their imprisoned relatives and of Fatah's Marwan Barghuti.

"There cannot be a solution or peace in our region without a final resolution of the prisoner issue and the release of all Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons," acting Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas said in a statement issued to commemorate the annual Prisoners' Day.

Over 7,000 Palestinians, including 270 under the age of 18, are currently being held in Israeli prisons. Of those, 264 are under administrative detention, meaning they are being held without trial, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

Since Israel seized the West Bank and other Arab territories in the Six-Day War of 1967, it has detained over 760,000 Palestinians.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123624&sectionid=351020202.

Israel shuts West Bank borders again

Israel has decided to seal off West Bank border crossings from midnight Saturday until midnight Tuesday.

The Israeli army announced on Saturday that the third closure of the past few weeks would be implemented in a region of the West Bank for the duration of this week's Israeli holidays, the Maan news agency reported.

On Tuesday at midnight the closure will be lifted "in accordance with security assessments," the Israeli army said in a statement.

Toward the end of March and in the first week of April, Israeli authorities closed all the borders of the West Bank for the Passover and Easter holidays, which are usually celebrated for seven to eight days.

The closure sparked demonstrations by Palestinians in Beit Lehm (Bethlehem), al-Khalil (Hebron), and other towns.

At that time, Palestinian political analyst Haldar Eld told Press TV that Palestinians believe the Jewish holidays are only an excuse for Israel to make life harder for the Palestinians.

"I think this is consistent with Israel's policies, which have been practiced against the Palestinian people since 1948," he said.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123622§ionid=351020202.

3 Arab FMs support Iran's nuclear rights

Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon have expressed support for Iran's nuclear program and stated that Israel should be forced to dismantle its nuclear weapons.

Speaking at the nuclear disarmament conference in Tehran on Saturday, the foreign ministers of the three countries insisted that Iran has the right to develop nuclear technology meant for peaceful purposes, just like every other country.

They also called for a diplomatic solution to the dispute over Iran's nuclear program.

"We support Iran's pursuit of peaceful nuclear technology," the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) quoted Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem as saying.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Ali al-Shami said Iran's nuclear program is peaceful and Iran is not violating the terms of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.

"We reject any threat against Iran and insist on Iran's right to use peaceful nuclear energy," Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said.

The three foreign ministers urged Israel, which is the only player in the Middle East with a nuclear arsenal, to sign the NPT.

They also said that all of Israel's nuclear weapons must be dismantled and Tel Aviv must allow IAEA inspectors to visit its nuclear facilities.

It is believed that Israel has a stockpile of at least 250 nuclear warheads.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123619§ionid=351020104.

Ousted Kyrgyz leader on the move again after resignation - Summary

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan/Moscow - Ousted Kyrgyz president Kurmanbek Bakiyev has left Kazakhstan, days after he fled there from his own country, media reports said Saturday.

Bakiyev was pushed from power by bloody protests last week that killed at least 84 people.

There were conflicting reports about his whereabouts Saturday.

The Kyrgyz news agency Akipress reported that he was in Moscow, but there was not official confirmation. The Interfax news agency earlier reported, citing people close to the 60-year-old politician, that he had traveled to Belarus from Kazakhstan.

A presidential spokesman in the capital Minsk said however, he had no knowledge of Bakiyev's reported arrival. Belarus' authoritarian president, Aleksander Lukashenko, had offered Bakiyev exile.

Bakiyev flew Thursday to neighboring Kazakhstan, where he resigned as president in an internationally-brokered deal aimed at restoring calm in his home country.

Since then, the situation has stabilized in the Central Asian republic, where an interim government, led by pro-Western former foreign minister Roza Otunbayeva, has taken over.

It has issued arrest warrants for relatives of Bakiyev on charges that include murder. Among those charged is his brother Shanysh, who is accused of ordering sharpshooters to pick off demonstrators.

The former president's family is on the run. Bakiyev - who took office in 2005 - has immunity from prosecution.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/319205,ousted-kyrgyz-leader-on-the-move-again-after-resignation--summary.html.

Discovery undocks from ISS, heads for home

Washington - The space shuttle Discovery undocked from the International Space Station on Saturday and headed home after a mission to install a new ammonia tank and deliver experiments and other gear.

The Discovery astronauts completed three spacewalks to install the ammonia tank to the station's cooling system. But a problem with a stuck valve needed to get the tank operating caused problems and NASA briefly considered adding a fourth spacewalk to fix it.

The space agency eventually decided the tank could operate as it is temporarily and that the problem can be solved later without another spacewalk on this mission.

Last week NASA extended Discovery's mission by one day to allow the crew to inspect the shuttle's heat shield while still docked at the ISS. The inspection found no problems with the shuttle.

Discovery is now slated to land at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday at 8:54 am (1254 GMT).

The US space agency is scheduled to retire the aging space shuttle fleet later this year after three remaining missions.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/319217,discovery-undocks-from-iss-heads-for-home.html.

Portuguese president leaves Prague by car

Prague - Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva, who was stranded in Prague because of the volcanic ash that closed European skies, headed home by car on Saturday, his spokesman said.

Silva left at 2 pm (1200 GMT) for Strasbourg, where he planned to stay overnight before continuing by road to Barcelona on Sunday and flying from there in a Portuguese military plane to Lisbon, spokesman Jose Carlos Vieira told the German Press Agency dpa.

The president, who originally planned to end his three-day visit on Friday, was forced to extend his stay because Czech airspace was closed to air traffic owing to ash spewed by an Icelandic volcano.

Silva was accompanied to the Czech capital by a 100-strong delegation, which followed his car in three buses, the spokesman added.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/319225,portuguese-president-leaves-prague-by-car.html.

BACKGROUND: Useful websites for Europe's volcanic flight chaos

Reykjavik/Brussels - A look up to the sky is not the best way to get an idea of the Europe-wide chaos caused by the eruptions from an Icelandic volcano.

Instead a click on the internet can easily explain why the closure of European airspace has such dramatic consequences.

dpa lists some links that help:

EUROPE RADAR: Airplane enthusiasts have created a page that shows the ongoing aircraft traffic worldwide. They use the antenna signals sent out by modern airplanes to locate them. There seems to be a gaping hole above Europe: http://dpaq.de/flugradar_europa

WEB CAM: The Icelandic tourism board recommends a link that leads to a web cam providing almost live footage of the eruptions. The pictures are updated every two minutes:http://dpaq.de/vulkan_kamera

MAP 1: The UK's National Weather Service publishes maps showing where the ash cloud is moving to: http://dpaq.de/wetteramt_gb

MAP 2: The German National Weather Service put photos on its website that have been taken by a satellite over Africa. Its special camera can detect clouds containing volcanic ash. Those regions appear orange on the photos: http://dpaq.de/dwd_satbilder

SIMULATION 1: The BBC simulated the normal commercial air traffic over Britain using lines that illustrate the tracks airplanes follow. The short video is on Youtube: http://dpaq.de/bbc_uk_flieger

SIMULATION 2: The university for Applied Sciences in Zurich has collected the data of a normal day in worldwide civil air traffic. A video presents the result in a 24 hour time-lapse showing Europe as a gigantic hub of international travel. It can be watched on Youtube or on the university's website: http://dpaq.de/hochschulehttp://dpaq.de/flugwelt_24std

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/319226,background-useful-websites-for-europes-volcanic-flight-chaos.html.

Teenager crowned King in Uganda

Kampala (Earth Times) - Thousands of well-wishers celebrated with gifts and prayers on Saturday for Omukama (King) Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru as he turned 18 and assumed a kingdom within Uganda, becoming what is believed to be the world's youngest monarch.

King Oyo was actually crowned 15 years ago at the age of three after the death of his father, the traditional ruler of Toro kingdom in western Uganda.

Since then, he has been helped by regents to run the kingdom, one of the many that were revived in the East African country in 1993.

During the ceremony, the teenage monarch draped in a white gown and standing on a leopardskin watched as the traditional leaders including those from Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, and Egypt, shook his hands and offered their gifts.

Oyo has been undergoing a series of traditional rituals since Friday including attending the sounding of the royal drums and the royal milking ceremony.

"This is the only event of its kind in the world and in this century when the youngest king on earth attains the age of consent and begins governing his kingdom," Toro kingdom spokesman Isaiah Rwanyekiro told the German Press Agency...

Hamas vows to kidnap more Israeli soldiers on Prisoner's Day

Gaza City - The Gaza Strip's ruling Islamic Hamas movement's armed wing on Saturday vowed to kidnap more Israeli soldiers to exchange them for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Hamas' threat was made as Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza marked the Palestinian Prisoner's Day on Saturday with rallies and a sit-in in front of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) offices.

Spokesman of al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas armed wing, Abu Obeida said in a press statement faxed to reporters that "the useless absurd peace talks failed to free the prisoners, but our fighters will release them by all means, including the armed resistance."

According to Palestinian and international rights groups, Israel is holding around 7,500 Palestinian and Arab prisoners in 10 prisons and three detention camps in Israel and the West Bank.

Hamas in June 2006 abducted the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in a cross-border raid. It demands the release of around 1,000 Palestinian and Arab prisoners for in return for Shalit.

However, the mediation of both Egypt and Germany had so far failed to bridge the gaps to finalize a prisoners' swap deal between Hamas and Israel.

"The prisoners' deal [with Israel] is not the last and only hope for Hamas to release the prisoners, the hope is with the men of resistance who will continue their struggle until releasing all the prisoners," said Abu Obeida.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/319239,hamas-vows-to-kidnap-more-israeli-soldiers-on-prisoners-day.html.