|
|
|
|
|
Iran votes for new Parliament
Violence claims 73 lives in Pak’s Khyber region
Suicide bomber attacks NATO convoy, 7 hurt |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
Iran votes for new Parliament
Tehran, March 2 Iran also faces economic turmoil compounded by Western sanctions over a nuclear programme that has prompted threats of military action by Israel, whose leader meets US President Barack Obama in the White House on Monday. The vote in Iran is only a limited test of political opinion since leading reformist groups stayed out what became a contest between the Khamenei and Ahmadinejad camps. “Whenever there has been more enmity towards Iran, the importance of the elections has been greater,” Khamenei, 72, said after casting his vote before television cameras. “The arrogant powers are bullying us to maintain their prestige. A high turnout will be better for our nation ... and for preserving security.” The vote will have scant impact on Iran’s foreign or nuclear policies, in which Khamenei already has the final say, but could strengthen the Supreme Leader’s hand before the presidential vote next year. Ahmadinejad, 56, cannot run for a third term. Iranians may be preoccupied with sharply rising prices and jobs, but it is Iran’s supposed nuclear ambitions that worry the outside world. Western sanctions over the nuclear programme have hit imports, driving prices up and squeezing ordinary Iranians. Meanwhile, Khamenei has told Iranians that their vote would be a “slap in the face for arrogant powers” such as the United States. A US official said Iran had clamped down on dissent since the turbulent presidential election nearly three years ago. “Since then, the regime’s repression and persecution of all who stand up for their universal human rights has only intensified,” U.S. Under Secretary of State Mario Otero told the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. UN human rights chief Navi Pillay said in her report to the council she was alarmed at a “surge in executions” reported in Iran in the past year. She gave no figures. —
Reuters
|
|
|
Violence claims 73 lives in Pak’s Khyber region
Islamabad, March 2 A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a mosque in the volatile Khyber tribal region this afternoon, killing 23 militants of the banned Lashkar-e-Islam group and injuring over 20 others, officials of the local political administration told the media. The attacker detonated his explosive vest near the gate of the mosque as the Lashkar-e-Islam militants were leaving after Friday prayers. The incident occurred in Nakai area of Tirah Valley, located near the border with Afghanistan. The area is controlled by the Lashkar-e-Islam, which is led by a warlord named Mangal Bagh Afridi. Another militant faction led by Tariq Afridi claimed responsibility for the attack. Officials said they feared the death toll may rise as some of the injured were in serious condition. The explosion, which damaged the mosque and nearby structures, occurred in the same area, where an overnight clash left 10 security personnel and 23 militants dead. Dozens of militants attacked three check posts, triggering a clash that began at about 11 pm last night and continued till this morning.
— PTI
|
|
|
Suicide bomber attacks NATO convoy, 7 hurt
Kandahar, March 2 “A suicide attacker rammed his explosives-laden motorcycle into a convoy of NATO troops in Dand district injuring four foreign soldiers, one policeman, one translator and one civilian,” provincial governor Toryalai Weesa told AFP. A spokesman for NATO’S International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed the attack, but would not give details of any wounded soldiers, saying only that none had been killed. The attack bore the hallmarks of Taliban insurgents, who on Monday targeted NATO troops in a car bombing at an airport in eastern Afghanistan, killing nine persons but no foreign soldiers. — PTI
|
|
|
No crackdown on protesters after vote: Putin Moscow, March 2 Tens of thousands of people have turned out for protests in Moscow and other cities since a disputed parliamentary vote in December, the biggest protests of Putin’s 12-year rule. The unprecedented wave of demonstrations has cast a shadow over the powerful Prime Minister who appeared politically invincible throughout much of his rule. In remarks published on Friday, Putin signalled he was confident he could maintain control and popular support without tightening the screws or giving in to opponents’ demands. Asked in a meeting with foreign newspaper editors whether he would move to crack down on the opposition after the vote, Putin quipped: “Why do I need to do that?” “I don’t know where these fears come from. We are not planning anything of the kind,” Putin said at the meeting held on Thursday at his residence outside Moscow. Russian authorities have often used heavy-handed tactics to deal with dissent but have shown restraint toward the recent protests, holding talks with leaders to agree locations. The police has been out in force but have intervened rarely. — Reuters
|
|
|
Red Cross convoy in Homs
Beirut, March 2 The residential district became a symbol of resistance to Assad after government troops surrounded it with tanks and artillery and shelled it intensively for weeks, killing and wounding civilians cowering in its ruined buildings. Rebels withdrew on Thursday in a key moment in the year-old uprising. An official at Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said the army had “cleansed Baba Amro from the foreign-backed armed groups of terrorists.” Activists said Syria’s army had begun hunting down and killing insurgents who had stayed to cover their comrades’ retreat, although the reports could not be verified. They said 10 young men were shot dead on Friday. In Geneva, the United Nations human rights body reminded Assad of his obligations under international law.
— Reuters
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
Iranians voted today in a parliamentary election likely to reinforce Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s power over rival hardliners led by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
