Largest marine convoy to break Gaza siege in early May

GAZA, (KUNA) -- The Free Gaza Movement and the Turkish Relief Foundation (IHH), in cooperation with Turkish, foreign and European associations in Istanbul, decided to revive the "marine uprising" and form a convoy of ships that would said to Gaza.

Deputy chief of the popular anti-siege committee Jamal Al-Khudari, in a press release, welcomed this move and said that such coordinated efforts would lend technical and logistic support to the campaign.

Around 20 vessels, among them Turkish, Malaysian and European ships, will head to Gaza by the end of April or the beginning of May, depending on weather conditions and technical arrangements, he noted.

Al-Khudari wished that this would break the siege on Gaza, and open a waterway between the Strip and the world to allow freedom of movement of vessels.

A number of political, media and parliamentary figures from various countries will be onboard those ships, which will also carry building material, cement, medical supplies, relief and humanitarian aid, school stationary, electrical transformers and children's food supplements, he said.

A large number of ships set said for Gaza in an express of support to the Palestinian people, but Israel prevents a lot of these from passing through.

Source: Khabrein.
Link: http://www.khabrein.info/news/Largest_marine_convoy_to_break_Gaza_siege_in_early_May_1270303974/.

Iran ready to share demining experience

The Iranian defense minister says Tehran is ready to cooperate with other countries in demining former war zones that still need to be cleared of mines.

Ahmad Vahidi said in a Sunday statement marking the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, April 4.

The declaration, which is an initiative by the UN General Assembly, seeks to raise public awareness about landmines and elicit greater cooperation for their eradication.

Vahidi said Iran could offer to all countries its demining experience obtained during the 1980-88 Iraqi-imposed war, and called for unified efforts to free the world of mines.

According to the annual UN Portfolio of Mine Action Projects, mine action initiatives in 27 countries, territories, and peacekeeping missions will cost $589 million in 2010.

UN data reveals that about 70 countries are affected by landmines or explosive remnants of war, which together claimed nearly 5,200 casualties around the world last year.

Landmines and explosive remnants of war also take a heavy toll on people's livelihoods, the economic and social development of countries, and international peace-building and -keeping efforts.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=122444§ionid=351020101.

In Iran, Parliament vows cooperation with govt.

After the Leader of the Islamic Revolution highlighted the significance of implementing the approved subsidy reform bill, Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani vows to cooperate with the government.

"The Parliament (Majlis) will definitely pay heed to the views of the Leader [of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei] regarding cooperation between the legislative body and the government," Larijani said on Sunday.

Larijani added that Majlis would try to have more friendly cooperation with the government in implementing the laws including those related to the subsidy reform plan.

The speaker's remarks came after the Iranian Parliament rejected President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's plan to save about 40 billion dollars by cutting energy subsidies.

Based on the 347-billion-dollar budget, the government plans to start a major plan to scrape costly energy and food subsidies thereby reducing government expenditure.

However, earlier in March, lawmakers wrapped up 14 long sessions of debate and passed the much anticipated budget bill, permitting the government to eliminate USD 20 billion worth of subsidies — half of the amount requested by President Ahmadinejad.

The president believes a referendum is the best solution to ending the dispute over the proposed economic reform plan.

The government is now obliged to execute the approved bill.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=122440§ionid=351020102.

Senegal retakes all military bases from France

Sun Apr 4, 2010

Marking 50 years of independence from France, Senegal is taking back control of all military bases held by the former colonial power.

President Abdoulaye Wade made the announcement in a televised national address late on Saturday, following an agreement between Paris and Dakar in February.

"I solemnly declare that from 0000 GMT April 4 Senegal will take back all the (military) bases formerly held by France and intends to exert its sovereignty," declared the president.

Under the pact, most of the 1,200 French military personnel are to leave by the end of this year.

France's three permanent military bases in Africa are located in Senegal, Libreville and Djibouti. The Dakar base in Senegal has continued to host 1,200 French military personnel even after independence in 1960.

Earlier, Senegal inaugurated a controversial 49-meter (160-foot) bronze statue called the Monument of African Renaissance, which some of Wade's critics have condemned as a waste of money.

Meanwhile, thousands of protesters decried the 27-million-dollar cost of the statue, which stands higher than the Statue of Liberty.

On Friday, President Nicolas Sarkozy highlighted in a letter that France was "naturally disposed” to maintain military and political ties with Senegal to ensure regional stability.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/122439.html.

India urged to give up intransigence on Kashmir

Srinagar, Aril 04 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, APHC leader and the Acting Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples League, Mukhtar Ahmad Waza, has urged India to give up its intransigent stance on Kashmir and take concrete steps for the resolution of the dispute.

Mukhtar Ahmad Waza, addressing different public gatherings at Qazigund, Achawal and Ashmuqam in Islamabad district, said that the longstanding dispute should be resolved according to the aspirations of the people of Kashmir.

He said that international community had realized that Kashmir was a disputed territory. ”The settlement of the dispute is vital to the peace and stability in South Asian region,” he added.

Appealing to the world powers especially the US to impress upon India to settle the lingering dispute, Waza said that the dispute should be resolved according to the relevant United Nations resolutions.

Source: Kashmir Media Service.
Link: http://www.kmsnews.org/news/india-urged-give-intransigence-kashmir-0.

India not to succeed in continuing its illegal occupation

Indian troops martyr two more innocent Kashmiri youth

Islamabad, April 04 (KMS): Veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani has said that India will not be able to continue its illegal occupation on Jammu and Kashmir through aggressive policies and draconian laws.

Syed Ali Gilani maintained that India had no moral justification to be in Kashmir and was holding the territory forcibly. He said that the illegal detention of Hurriyet leaders despite their release orders by the court was the worst example of human rights violations in occupied Kashmir.

APHC leader, Ghulam Ahmed Mir addressing a function in Jammu said that the sacrifices of Kashmiri martyrs had center-staged the Kashmir dispute at the global level and the world community was stressing the need of resolving the dispute.

On the other hand, Indian troops, in their fresh act of state terrorism, martyred two more innocent Kashmiri youth in Keran area of Kupwara, today, during continued siege and search operations. Two young brothers were critically injured when a bomb exploded at Talka in Nowshera town of Rajouri district. The locals told media men that the device was planted by Indian troops.

Indian police personnel conducted search operations in Lal Chowk and its surrounding areas in Srinagar, subjecting the pedestrians and commuters to frisking.

Source: Kashmir Media Service.
Link: http://www.kmsnews.org/news/india-not-succeed-continuing-its-illegal-occupation.

JKPM vows to continue liberation struggle

Jammu, April 04 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement (JKPM) has reiterated the pledge to take the ongoing struggle for right to self-determination to its logical conclusion, despite all odds.

The JKPM Chairman, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, while addressing a function to pay rich tributes to Kashmiri martyrs, said that the sacrifices of Kashmiri martyrs had center-staged the Kashmir dispute at the global level and the world community was stressing the need of resolving the Kashmir dispute.

He said that India was using different tactics including the use brute force to suppress the indigenous liberation movement but it would never succeed in its designs and the people of the occupied territory would continue their struggle till complete success.

He urged the world community to put pressure on India to stop the continued human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir. He also appealed the international human rights organizations to send their representatives to occupied Kashmir to take stock of the ground situation.

Addressing the function, other leaders of the party demanded of India to withdraw its troops and repeal all the black laws including Public Safety Act (PSA) and Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from Jammu and Kashmir. They included Mir Shahid Saleem, Zafar Khurshid Mirza, Qaisar Sajjad, Farooq Khan and Aslam Khan.

Source: Kashmir Media Service.
Link: http://www.kmsnews.org/news/jkpm-vows-continue-liberation-struggle-0.