Islamic World

Tehran, July 22: As the controversy over the Iranian first vice presidential choice grows, a top aide to the president rejects his alleged affirmation that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would not backtrack on the issue.

Iranian media outlets quoted Mojtaba Samareh-Hashemi as saying in an interview on Tuesday that there would be no re-examination of the issue of the post granted to Esfandyar Rahim-Masha’i.

“Opposition to his [Mashaei’s] appointment does not have compelling reasoning behind it to prompt a review of his appointment,” the aide had added.

Tehran, July 22: A 5.4-magnitude earthquake has shaken the port of Laft located in the southern Iranian province of Hormozgan.

According to the Geophysics Institute of Tehran University, the quake struck at 8:23 am local time (3:53 GMT) on Wednesday.

No casualties have been reported as of yet.

Iran sits astride several major faults in the Earth’s crust and is prone to frequent quakes.

The worst earthquake to hit the country in recent years devastated the southern city of Bam in December 2003, killing 31,000 people and destroying its ancient mud-built citadel.

Istanbul, July 22: A Turkish soldier was killed in a landmine explosion in southeastern Turkey, said military sources.

The Turkish Army Command announced in a press release that the landmine exploded in the Kupeli region of Sirnak province.

It pointed out that the Turkish Army was continuing operations to hunt down members of the outlawed Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK), adding that the army blocked the crossings usually used by PKK members to return to their bases in northern Iraq after executing attacks in Turkey.

—–Agencies

Tehran, July 21: Iran’s parliament has increased pressure on President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over his controversial appointment of his first vice president, Fars news agency reported Wednesday. The parliament wants Ahmadinejad to sack his new appointment, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly ordered the president to do so.

Riyadh, July 22: The latest dictat from the Saudi Arabia Government that Haj pilgrims, scheduled for arrival in late November, from countries exposed to swine flu should come vaccinated against the disease -may be an indication that the Saudi Government plans to allow only pilgrims from Middle Eastern countries that have been spared from the disease.

Riyadh, July 22: Saudi Arabia has been abusing the fight against terrorism and violating the rights of people by detaining thousands under the pretext of security since 2001, says a new Amnesty International (AI) report.

In a 69-page report, the human rights organization has warned that an unspecified number of detainees are being held in virtual secrecy, without access to lawyers or visitors for months or years and that some people have been killed in ‘uncertain circumstances’.

Tehran, July 22: Iran’s top authority wants President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to dismiss a senior official who has said Iran was friends with everyone, even the people of arch-foe Israel, a senior member of parliament said on Tuesday.

Ahmadinejad has come under fire from fellow conservatives and hardliners for appointing Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie last Thursday as his first vice president.

Tehran, July 22: Iranian riot police clashed with hundreds of pro-reform protesters in central Tehran on Tuesday and detained dozens of them, a witness said, in the latest unrest over last month’s disputed election.

The witness said demonstrators were chanting slogans against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the government, including: “Ahmadinejad — resign, resign” and “Death to dictators”.

Tehran, July 22: Riot police clashed with hundreds of pro-reform protesters in Tehran and arrested dozens of them yesterday, a witness said, in the latest unrest over last month’s disputed election.

Demonstrators were chanting slogans against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the government, including: “Ahmadinejad – resign, resign” and “Death to dictators”.

Kabul, July 22: Male suicide bombers disguised in womens’ burqas stormed government buildings and security headquarters in co-ordinated attacks which killed a dozen people and injured 22 others in eastern Afghanistan yesterday.

Hamid Karzai’s government described the “commando-style” raids as a new tactic being employed by the Taliban in what has been one of the most violent months in the country’s war.

Gaza, July 22: Palestinians have protested against the stop work orders given by the Israeli District Coordinating Office (DCO) on nine structures around the village of At-Tuwani.

The orders were delivered to seven new houses, one cave, and one cistern in the area on Monday.

The Israeli military sometimes delivers a stop work order to a structure prior to a demolition order, and after the order is delivered, the Israeli military demolishes the structure.

Jerusalem, July 22: Israeli settlers are continuing their latest spate of attacks against Palestinians and their properties in the occupied West Bank.

Starting Monday, the settlers have attacked Palestinians’ cars in the West Bank cities of Ramallah and Hebron (al-Khalil).

In Hebron, settlers stoned Palestinian cars late on Monday night, and near Nablus they set fire and damaged crops of Palestinian farmers. At least three Palestinians were injured in the attacks.

Congolese, July 22: A charity employee has been killed in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after being arrested by two men wearing Congolese army uniforms.

An umbrella organization of the French charity Caritas France said on Tuesday the Congolese staff member was shot dead in Musezero in the eastern province of North Kivu on July 15.

The victim was identified as Ricky Agusa Sukaka, a 27-year-old agricultural engineer, Caritas Internationalis said in a statement.

Tehran, July 22: A senior Iranian aviation official says that it will take two months to discover the cause of the recent plane crash in northwestern Iran.

Ahmad Majidi, the head of a working group investigating the cause of the crash of Caspian Airlines Flight 7908, noted that the search teams have not yet managed to find the Tupolev plane’s Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), which is essential for finding the cause of the crash, the Mehr News Agency reported.

He stated that the plane crashed like a missile, and consequently no cockpit parts have been recovered yet.

Ankara, July A Turkish man along with his two sons, armed with shotguns, have raided a village in Turkey’s Baskil district, killing six people and injuring seven others.
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Hasim Yukselen and his two sons raided his own brother’s house on Tuesday. He shot his brother, Mehmet, leaving him for dead. He than shot his wife, who died on the spot. While fleeing, they shot randomly at the people of the village of Karaali, in the Baskil district of the eastern province of Elazig.

Baghdad, July 22: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is beginning a four-day visit to the US, during which he will meet President Obama at the White House.

The visit comes after American troops withdrew from Iraqi towns and cities three weeks ago.

The talks with President Obama on Wednesday are expected to include Iraqi reconciliation efforts.

They will also cover the role of US troops as they prepare for a complete departure from Iraq by the end of 2011.

Cairo, July 22: Saudi Arabia is holding more than 3,000 people in secret detention and has used torture to extract confessions in its anti-terrorism crackdown since the Sept. 11, 201 terror attacks, Amnesty International said in a report Wednesday.

Baghdad, July 22: Twenty-one people were killed in a spate of bomb attacks across Iraq on Tuesday, one of the deadliest days of violence in the country since US troops left its cities three weeks ago.

More than 120 people were wounded in the attacks in Baghdad, Baquba to its north and Ramadi to its west, just a day after seven police officers and a soldier died.

In the deadliest single attack, five people were killed and 21 wounded by a bomb attack in the northeast Baghdad neighbourhood of Husseiniyah, security officials said.

Kabul, July 22: Male suicide bombers disguised in womens’ burqas stormed government buildings and security headquarters in co-ordinated attacks which killed a dozen people and injured 22 others in eastern Afghanistan yesterday.

Hamid Karzai’s government described the “commando-style” raids as a new tactic being employed by the Taleban in what has been one of the most violent months in the country’s war.

Tehran, July 22: Iran’s parliament plans to force President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to sack his vice president, a parliamentary deputy told the ISNA news agency Tuesday.

“The elimination of Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei from key positions such as first vice (acting) president is a strategic decision by the establishment, and (also) the supreme leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) has conveyed this to the president,” Mohammad-Hassan Abutorabi-Fard told ISNA.

“The president should therefore not hesitate to sack him or make him resign from his post,” the deputy said.

Gaza, July 22: A few weeks ago I departed from South Africa for the Gaza Strip in order to take up a short-term voluntary post with a humanitarian organization there. As the Rafah border crossing with Egypt is effectively the only passage in and out of the besieged territory, flying to Cairo was my only option in gaining access to Gaza.

Kabul, July 22: While British and US forces concentrate their efforts in southern Afghanistan, the once-peaceful north is fast spiralling out of control with the Taliban making a number of important gains.

In the town of Chahrdara in Kunduz province, for example, a recent visitor reported that the Taliban have set up their own administration rivaling that of the local government, complete with tax collection and a court system.

Kabul, July 21: Eight suicide bombers attacked several government buildings in two eastern Afghan provinces Tuesday, killing at least five Afghan security forces personnel, officials said.

Six bombers attacked three government buildings in Gardez, the provincial capital of the southeastern province of Paktia, Tuesday morning, killing at least two policemen and three intelligence agents, Rohullah Samoon, a spokesman for the provincial governor told DPA.

Kabul, July 21: Eight suicide bombers attacked several government buildings in two eastern Afghan provinces Tuesday, killing at least five Afghan security forces personnel, officials said.
Six bombers attacked three government buildings in Gardez, the provincial capital of the southeastern province of Paktia, Tuesday morning, killing at least two policemen and three intelligence agents, Rohullah Samoon, a spokesman for the provincial governor told DPA.

Baghdad, July 21: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is heading to Washington to visit President Barack Obama and seek U.S. investment in Iraq despite persistent security concerns.

Iraqi Cabinet official Ali al-Mousawi says al-Maliki left Baghdad Tuesday morning with the defense and interior ministers as well as the head of an investment committee.

The White House says Obama will meet al-Maliki on Wednesday. Press secretary Robert Gibbs says U.S. officials want to keep the focus on the political reconciliation that is necessary for Iraq to make progress after years of war.