Iran complains over FIFA ban on hijab

Iran has sent letters to five international sports organizations to complain about FIFA's decision to ban Iranian women footballers from wearing hijab.

"The letters have been sent to heads of FIFA, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)," Iran's National Olympic Committee Secretary General Bahram Afsharzadeh told IRNA on Sunday.

"We have asked the heads of these international sports organizations to review and annul FIFA's decision," he went on to say.

Last week, FIFA banned the Iranian women's football squad wearing hijab from participating in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) which will be held from August 14 to 26 in Singapore.

"Hijab is related to the Islamic culture and Muslim women can't take part in social activities without it," Afsharzadeh concluded.

Meanwhile, President of Iran's Football Federation Ali Kafashian has announced that due to religious beliefs the Iranian women team will participate in the competitions only if they are allowed to observe the Islamic dress code.

A total of 3,500 athletes from 170 countries will partake in the games in the 2010 Youth Summer Olympics.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=122412§ionid=3510211.

Iran int'l nuclear disarmament summit widely welcomed

Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast says Tehran's international conference on nuclear disarmament has been widely welcomed.

According to Mehmanparast, the conference dubbed "Nuclear energy for all, nuclear weapons for none,” will be held in Tehran on March 17th and 18th.

"Officials from various countries, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations have been invited to attend the conference," the Iranian spokesperson added.

"The conference has been widely welcomed by all countries," he went on to say.

Mehmanparast further pointed out that all the countries in the world have the right to use peaceful nuclear energy.

"We believe the world must be free from nuclear weapons," he asserted.

Earlier, Mehmanparast had urged the countries which possess nuclear weapons to destroy their atomic armaments.

"We insist that all countries must be committed to nuclear disarmament," he said early February.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=122408§ionid=351020104.

Blast hits near Iranain embassy in Baghdad

Three massive explosions have struck central Iraqi capital, with one of them rocking the Iranian embassy in Baghdad.

The explosion in front of the Iranian embassy came Sunday around 11:20 (0920 GMT), AFP reported.

The blast shattered the windows in nearby buildings.

The other two explosions hit west Baghdad neighborhood of Mansur.

There was no immediate report of casualties.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=122411§ionid=351020201.

India snubs US, to attend nuclear meet in Iran

The Indian government will stand by its decision to take part in a nuclear meeting slated for mid-April in the Iranian capital, Tehran, in a move that is set to irk the US administration.

According to a report published by The Hindustan Times on Sunday, the conference dubbed “Nuclear Energy for All, Nuclear Weapon for None" will be held on April 17 and 18 in Tehran. The Indian Ambassador to Iran, Sanjay Singh, will represent India at the event, which will be attended by ministers, officials and nuclear experts from over 55 countries.

The decision to participate in the international nuclear disarmament meet comes while Washington continues its efforts to impose new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.

The Tehran event will be held only days after a nuclear security summit between US President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Washington on April 12 and 13.

Earlier, India rejected a call from the US to walk away from pipeline project carrying natural gas from Iran through Pakistan, saying "energy security" is a priority for its rapidly growing economy.

Iran and Pakistan inked a deal in March to construct a multi-billion dollar natural gas pipeline connecting the two neighboring countries, and India is interested in the further extension of the line to its borders if the pipeline's security can be guaranteed in Pakistan. The project is strongly opposed by the US. The deal is part of the long-delayed $7.5 billion Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=122401§ionid=351020104.

Zuma calls for calm after rightist leader's killing

Sun Apr 4, 2010

South Africa's President Jacob Zuma has called for calm following the killing of far-right leader Eugene Terre'Blanche.

"The President appeals for calm following this terrible deed and asks South Africans not to allow agent provocateurs to take advantage of this situation by inciting or fueling racial hatred," Zuma's office said in a statement.

The 69-year-old ultra-right leader of Afrikaans Resistance Movement, who campaigned for a separate white homeland, was reportedly murdered at his farm on Saturday by two of his own employees over purported wage disputes.

Police found Terre'Blanche's bruised body with a machete placed on his corpse and a stick nearby. They have also arrested the two farm workers.

The farm hands have allegedly admitted to arguments with Terre'Blanche over unpaid salaries.

Meanwhile, opposition parties have warned of the likelihood of an 'explosive situation' that the far-right leader's murder has created.

Terreblanche had served a three-year prison term in 2001 for assaulting a black security guard.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/122399.html.

Eight killed in Algeria twin blasts

Sun Apr 4, 2010

Eight people have lost their lives in two bomb attacks which targeted Algerian security guards and soldiers in the north of the African nation.

The attacks happened near Bejaia, around 250 kilometers (160 miles) east of Algiers, the El-Watan daily reported.

The seven private security guards were killed late on Saturday when a bomb exploded as their van was driving past on a mountain road at Tifra, near Bejaia, according to the paper.

The other bomb explosion hit in the same area about an hour later, killing a soldier and wounding two others.

A search operation was immediately launched to find those involved in the attacks as security forces backed by two helicopters sealed off the area.

The security forces killed were in charge of the safety of foreign workers working at the site of a high-voltage transmission line.

Algerian authorities would not immediately confirm the attack, which would be the deadliest by anti-government forces in more than five months.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/122394.html.

Sudan set to go to polls despite boycott threat

Sun Apr 4, 2010

Sudan's electoral commission says the country's general elections will go ahead as planned despite a boycott announced by a number of opposition parties.

"The electoral commission ensures that the elections will take place as envisioned, on April 11 to 13," Deputy Chairman of the National Elections Commission Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah said on Saturday.

The announcement comes in the face of threats of a boycott from opposition candidates who allege the vote is already rigged in favor of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's National Congress Party.

The opposition Umma Party has set several conditions for participating, demanding a four-week delay and the creation of a new body to supervise the electoral commission.

It also asked that the country's strict security laws be frozen for the elections and demanded fair access to state media as well as caps on campaign spending.

In a serious blow to main opposition parties, US envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, said he was confident this month's election would be as free and fair as possible.

The National Elections Committee has “gone to great lengths to ensure that the people of Sudan will have access to polling places and that the procedures and processes will ensure transparency," he said.

This month's election is expected to be the first national multi-party poll in 24 years.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/122395.html.