Russians stage 'Day of Rage' protests

Sun Apr 10, 2011

In Russia, the opposition has held “Day of Rage” anti-government protests to demand political reform, fair elections and an end to corruption.

Hundreds participated in the rallies held in Moscow on Sunday. Protesters say corruption threatens the Russian society and needs to be stopped before it would destroy the country, a Press TV correspondent reported.

“We want the authorities to see that citizens are angry at lack of self government and lack of control over the action of officials. The situation leads to enormous corruption and social injustice,” Left Front movement coordinator Sergei Udaltsov told Press TV.

After the rally, some attempted to march with their demands towards the Presidential Administration. The march was banned by city authorities and six activists were detained by police, including Udaltsov, Reuters reported.

Protesters say the average bribe in Russia is USD 136,000, while 90 percent of all bribe takers walk free. They are demanding anti-corruption investigations and an independent judiciary, saying that the earnings and expenses of officials should be controlled.

“Corruption has a systematic nature in Russia. It's part of the leaders' policy, and maybe the aim of their policy. Experts estimate corruption is worth USD 300 billion. That's how much our people, country and the economy loose every year,” Gennady Gudkov of the Russia State Duma Security Committee told Press TV.

President Dmitry Medvedev ordered a clampdown on corruption after taking office three years ago. Transparency International has ranked Russia at 154 on its level of corruption out of 178 countries.

The organizers say this demonstration is the first in a series of rallies, marches and conferences to be held in key Russia cities.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/174126.html.

Spaniards protest against ETA in Madrid

Sun Apr 10, 2011

Tens of thousands of protesters have staged a rally in Madrid to show their anger at the Spanish government's "submission" to the Basque separatist group ETA.

Demonstrators shouted "no more lies" and "no more fake ceasefires" and carried Spanish flags and banners reading "ETA barred from elections" after the separatists launched a new party to field pro-independence candidates in May 22 elections, a Press TV correspondent reported on Sunday.

On Feb. 7, the separatists formed Sortu -- a Basque socialist political party -- in an attempt to represent pro-independence candidates in the upcoming regional and municipal elections.

The party's legal status was refuted by the Spanish Supreme Court on March 24 on the grounds that the new political group is just a new iteration of ETA's political wing, Batasuna, which has been banned since 2003.

However, the chances for the Basque separatists are not written off as they can appeal to the constitutional Court and keep their hopes alive to compete in the elections.

ETA on January 10 declared a "permanent ceasefire" to be verified by the international community. The group has called 11 truces throughout its history of separatism.

Meanwhile, the organizers of the rally "Voices Against Terrorism" along with 30 others accused socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of being deferential to ETA and called on him to resign.

They also urged the government to scrap any decision to commute the prison terms for ETA members as well as a ban of any political party that has ETA sympathizers among its members.

Founded in 1958, ETA has been blamed for more than 825 deaths in campaign for independence in the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/174151.html.

France bans burqa but tolerates nudity

Wed Apr 13, 2011

The recent move by France to impose a ban on burqa, a cover-all headdress some Muslim women choose to wear, has come in contrast with the country's tolerance of public nudity.

The ban came into force on Monday and was followed by immediate arrest of nearly 60 women that defied the ban by walking outside the famed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, reported a Press TV correspondent from the French capital.

A recently-surfaced video, meanwhile, featured a naked male running around the country's streets while trying to cut a figure as a pole vaulter.

Kenza Drider, a young Muslim that left the southern city of Avignon for Paris to participate in a television program on the day the ban became law, was among the detainees.

"This law infringes my European rights; I cannot but defend them, that is to say my freedom to come and go and my religious freedom," she said.

"This law breaches these rights," said the mother of four.

Her husband, Allal, said, "According to this law, my wife would have to remain cloistered at home, do you find that normal?”

“They come here for their liberty for their freedom to dress as they want. I thank them to come here to defend this form of liberty,” said a female supporter of the Muslim women.

“I think the law is nonsense. Politicians have nothing better to do than attack our veils,” said another Muslim woman that had taken his child out while observing the Islamic dress code in spite of the restriction.

Advocates of the ban in country that purportedly advocates democracy and basic freedoms say the regulation protects women's freedoms as well as France's firmly-embedded principles of secularism.

“Quite a large part of the people believe that the women are weak. So they think that the republic has to protect the minorities, the people, who are weak and then they thought that it was necessary to make a law,” said Velentine Zuber, religious practices professor at Sorbonne -- the University of Paris.

Based on the procedures dictated by the burqa ban, the police would take the female violators to a police station until they consents to be unveiled for identification.

A spokesperson for the police officers' union warily stated that the police have many other problems to solve.

There are fewer than 2,000 women wearing a full-face veil in France, which is home to five million Muslims -- the largest Muslim community in the EU.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/174611.html.

Iceland rejects debt repayment plan

Sun Apr 10, 2011

Voters in Iceland have rejected the latest plan to repay EUR 3.9 billion (USD 5.6 billion) worth of deposits in a failed online bank to The Netherlands and UK.

Partial results of a national poll show that 57 percent of Icelanders voted against the plan on Sunday. British and Dutch governments had compensated some 400,000 citizens who lost their savings when Iceland's Landsbanki (Icesave) collapsed in 2008, AFP reported.

The Netherlands and Britain expressed dissatisfaction, and said they are prepared to bring the dispute to the European Free Trade Association court.

Icelandic lawmakers in February backed a repayment plan they had worked on for more than two years. It had been agreed upon by creditors, but the president refused to sign the bill, leading to the referendum.

The agreement would have allowed Iceland to gradually repay its debt at a 3.0 percent interest rate for the EUR 1.3 billion it owes to The Netherlands and the remainder at a 3.3 percent interest rate to Britain until the year 2046.

The amount to be repaid by the Icelandic citizens was calculated to be around EUR 12,000 per person before interest, for a nation with a population of 320,000.

Iceland's Finance Minister Steingrimur Sigfusson said the voters' decision would not affect the country's existing debt repayments nor would it derail its efforts for membership in the European Union.

A previous repayment deal was also rejected by a 93 percent majority in another referendum last year.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/174121.html.

Italy urges arming anti-Gaddafi forces

Wed Apr 13, 2011

Italy has called on the international community to arm Libyan revolutionaries in efforts to aid their fight against the country's embattled ruler Muammar Gaddafi.

"The discussion about arming the rebels is definitely on the table ... to defend themselves," AFP quoted Italian Foreign Ministry spokesman Maurizio Massari as saying on Wednesday.

Massari stressed that the measure is not against UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1973, which states that "all necessary measures" should be used to protect civilians.

His comments come as members of the Libya Contact Group gather in Qatar's capital of Doha for talks on the Libyan conflict.

"We want some sort of oil-for-food program like in Iraq," Massari explained.

But Belgium's foreign minister said his country was opposed to the plan and that arms were not covered by UNSC Resolution 1973.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle also lent voice to his Belgian counterpart, saying that he sees no military solution to the crisis in Libya.

Meanwhile, Gaddafi's former allies, the United States, Britain, France, Canada, Denmark and Belgium have launched airstrikes on Libya since March 19, under the same mandate.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/174588.html.

Gbagbo under house arrest: Report

Wed Apr 13, 2011

Ivory Coast's deposed President Laurent Gbagbo has been placed under house arrest, a statement by the government of president-elect Alassane Ouattara says.

The Tuesday statement, however, did not disclose where Gbagbo is being held, Xinhua reported.

On Monday, forces loyal to Ouattara -- backed by French and UN troops -- stormed Gbagbo's residence in Ivory Coast's main city, Abidjan.

Gbagbo was captured by Ouattara's troops after a fierce battle, and moved to his rival's headquarters, the Golf Hotel.

Earlier, the UN said the Ivorian deposed president was still in the hotel and had not been moved.

Meanwhile, Gbagbo's former Army Chief Philippe Mangou has urged Ivorian security and police personnel to back Ouattara.

Ouattara is internationally recognized as the winner of the November 28 presidential run-off last year. However, Gbagbo has refused to cede power.

Tensions further escalated after they both claimed victory and appointed separate cabinets.

Hundreds of people have been killed since the controversial presidential election in Ivory Coast.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/174546.html.

Iran pres. envisions US-Israel free ME

Wed Apr 13, 2011

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has envisaged a new Middle East without the United States and Israel amid the duo's 'ploys to spark an Iranian-Arabian Shia-Sunni conflict.'

“A new Middle East will emerge without the presence of the United States and the Zionist regime (Israel) and their allies in the near future,” said President Ahmadinejad in an address to thousands of people in the southeastern city of Zahedan in Sistan-Baluchestan province.

He denounced the US imperialism in the region and added, “Regional governments and nations should remain vigilant to overcome US plots and to not play in the US court.”

The Iranian chief executive emphasized that Israel is nearing its end and pointed out, “Regional nations have awakened but the global arrogance intends to sow discord among countries in the region.”

He said regional nations, particularly the Iranian nation, are disaffected by the “colonialist and arrogant” plans of the US and its allies.

“The Iranian people and regional nations are unhappy with the existence of the Zionist regime (Israel) and are against it. They will continue their fight until the defeat of the US and Zionist regime in the region,” the Iranian president reiterated.

He said the bullying powers have been the main supporters of all dictators for the past 50 years, adding that they are currently seeking to sow dissension among regional people in an attempt to save Israel.

President Ahmadinejad warned against efforts by the bullying powers to disintegrate Jordan, saying that they are hatching the plot to claim that two governments will be formed.

He called on all regional countries to keep a watchful eye on such conspiracies and emphasized, “You should know that regional nations will never ever recognize the Zionist regime.”

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/174570.html.