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[15 Mar 2013] Syria turmoil spilling over into Iraq - News Analysis - English

[13 Feb 2013] US led war claiming more civilian lives in Afghanistan - English

Asuicide bomber driving a vehicle packed with explosives rammed into a bus carrying Shia Muslim pilgrims in south-west Pakistan on Sunday, killing 19+ people, a government official and witnesses said. Earlier on Sunday, 21 tribal policemen believed to have been kidnapped by the Taliban were found shot dead in Pakistan\\\\\\\'s troubled north-west tribal region, government officials said. Pakistan has experienced a spike in killings over the past year by radical Sunni Muslims targeting Shias who they consider heretics. The violence has been especially pronounced in Baluchistan province, where the latest attack occurred. In addition to the 19 people killed in the bombing in Baluchistan\\\\\\\'s Mastung district, 25 others were wounded, many of them critically, said Tufail Ahmed, a local political official. The blast completely destroyed the bus that was hit and damaged a second bus carrying Shias that was close by. A witness who was travelling in the second bus told Pakistan\\\\\\\'s Geo TV the first bus contained over 40 pilgrims heading to neighbouring Iran, a popular religious tourism destination for Shias. A second witness said the bomber rushed by in a truck, swerved in front of the first bus and braked suddenly. The bus slammed into the truck and then a big explosion occurred. Shias make up around 15% of Pakistan\\\\\\\'s 190 million people. They are scattered around the country but the province of Baluchistan has the largest community, mainly made up of ethnic Hazaras, easily identified by their facial features which resemble those of Central Asians. The 21 tribal policemen who were shot dead were found by officials early on Sunday, in the Jabai area of Frontier Region Peshawar after being notified by one policeman who escaped, said Naveed Akbar Khan, a top political official in the area. Another policeman was found seriously wounded, said Khan. The 23 policemen went missing before dawn on Thursday, when militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons attacked two posts in FRP. Two policemen were also killed in the attacks. Militants lined the policemen up on a cricket pitch late on Saturday night and gunned them down, said another local official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media. Also on Sunday, two Pakistani soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in the North Waziristan tribal area, the main sanctuary for Taliban and al-Qaida militants in the country, security officials said.

At least 19 Shia Muslim pilgrims have been killed by a bomb attack on a bus convoy in southwest Pakistan, local officials say. More than 20 people have been injured in the incident in the Mastung district of Baluchistan province. No group has yet said it carried out Sunday\'s bombing.

[02 Nov 2012] Pakistan in Balochistan government loses constitutional authority - English

It\'s a display of fire power, defense and attack capabilities. This exercise, one of the biggest single-day drills in Alborz Province, is a chance for the Basij volunteer forces to show what\'s in their arsenal. Speaking before the drill, Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said Iran\'s armed forces are fully ready to deter the enemy\'s provocations. Speaking to Press TV, the commander of Basij division of Alborz Province said the annual drill seeks to prepare the forces to deal mentally and physically with the realities of combat. The IRGC commander also said the drills are a way of reassuring the public that the country\'s armed forces, including the Basij, can defend them come what may. The Basij is a volunteer force established in 1979 by the order of the late Imam Khomeini, the founder of Islamic Revolution. The force has millions of civilian volunteers across the nation.

Saudi Arabia silent against insults to Islam - 25SEP12 - English

[04 Sept 2012] Shia killings in Pakistan spark anti sectarian protests - English

[15 Aug 2012] Afghanistan war ending in US failure - English He made the comments one day after an Afghan policeman opened fire on US-led forces in the eastern province of Nangarhar, injuring two soldiers. Last week, seven US-led soldiers were killed over four days when Afghan security forces opened fired on them in another green-on-blue or insider attack, in which Afghans turn their weapons against their foreign allies. According to a NATO count, such attacks have killed a total of 37 US-led foreign soldiers this year, up from 35 deaths in 2011. Press TV has conducted an interview with Conn Hallinan, a columnist for Foreign Policy in Focus, to further discuss the issue.

[12 Aug 2012] Afghan freedom depends on US interests - English More than a decade in Afghanistan the US-led forces are now facing more violence. As many as eight US-led troopers have been killed by locals in southern Afghanistan over the past three days in the so-called "green-on-blue" attacks. In two separate incidents on Friday, three American forces were shot by a man in Afghan police uniform, who had invited them to a meal, while three other troopers were killed by an Afghan, employed in a NATO base. According to a NATO count, green-on-blue attacks, in which Afghans turn their weapons against the foreign forces, have killed a total of 34 foreign troopers this year. The inspector general police of the Helmand province, Abdul Nabi Ilham described the green-on-blue attacks as a new tactic of the Taliban. Thousands of NATO troopers, due to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014, are still in the country under the pretext of 'training and working alongside Afghan soldiers' for the anti-insurgency campaign.

[06 Aug 2012] Saudi Sunnis Shias seek democracy Hisham Jaber - English Protesters have held a demonstration against the repressive regime of Al Saud in Tarout Island of Saudi Arabia. The demonstrators on Sunday condemned the recent killing of a teenager by the Saudi police. The protesters in Tarout also expressed solidarity with prominent detained Shia cleric Sheikh Nemr al-Nemr, who was attacked, injured and arrested by the security forces of the Al Saud regime while driving from a farm to his house in Qatif on July 8. However, the demonstrations have turned into protests against the Al Saud regime, especially since November 2011, when Saudi security forces killed five protesters and injured many others in the Eastern Province. According to Human Rights Watch, the Saudi regime "routinely represses expression critical of the government." Press TV has conducted an interview with Hisham Jaber, director of the Middle East Studies Center, from Beirut, to further discuss the issue.

[05 Aug 2012] Is Saudi Arabia on the edge of revolution - News Analysis - English As revolutions have taken place in the region, the rumblings have been felt in many places and it appears that the next epicenter could be Saudi Arabia. As more demonstrations have taken place in the kingdom, another protester has been killed in the Eastern Province. Also reports say that a Saudi policeman has also been killed. As the violence continues and claims of abuse and illegal incarceration rise, many question what lies ahead in this repressive kingdom as its people continue to seek equality. Are we on the edge of a revolution in Saudi Arabia?

[03 Aug 2012] Pakistani rocket attacks take toll in Afghanistan - English Victims of Pakistani rocket attacks on Afghanistan. These rockets had landed here in Dangam village of Kunar province just twenty minutes before we arrived there. Kunar lies on the border with Pakistan. But now it is under heavy barrage of rockets. These villagers blame the Pakistani forces for these attacks. Once the sun sets, they start firing on us, they said.

[30 July 2012] US backed militia in Afghanistan changing side - English A failed strategy! These local militias were created by the U.S military here in Afghanistan to tackle the Taliban militants. They were first trained and then armed.Their salaries are also provided by the U.S government. But these groups are now changing sides. About 23 of them have recently joined the Taliban in western Farah province. They are now fighting back against the foreign troops there with their U.S-given weapons.

[23 July 2012] Iran is Bandar Torkaman - English In this feature Saman Kojouri will show how people of Bandar Torkaman perform their rituals and traditions when it comes to wedding, carpet weaving and local music.

[22 July 2012] Al Saud crackdown fuel uprising Zayd al Isa - English A cleric who participated in protests for change in Saudi Arabia has been detained and allegedly tortured in custody by the regimes forces. The family members of prominent detained Saudi Shia cleric Sheikh Nemr al-Nemr say he has been badly tortured in jail. On Sunday, the family members were allowed to visit Sheikh Nemr, who has been on a hunger strike since July 19. His sister said the detained cleric had turned weaker and that signs of torture were seen on his head. The family visited him for the second time since his arrest earlier in July. They were allowed to visit him for the first time on July 15. Sheikh Nemr was attacked, injured and arrested by the security forces of the Al Saud regime while driving from a farm to his house in the Qatif region of Eastern Province on July 8. Press TV has conducted an interview with Zayd al-Isa, Middle East expert from London about the incident involving Sheikh Nemr al-Nemr and Saudi government forces.

[21 July 2012] Rising protests in Saudi Arabia - English Saudi protesters have taken to the streets in the Qatif region of Eastern Province to demand the release of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nemr al-Nemr. The demonstrators on Sunday chanted slogans against the repressive regime of Al Saud. Sheikh Nemr was attacked, injured and arrested by Saudi security forces while driving from a farm to his house in Qatif on July 8. He is currently in a military hospital in the city of Dhahran. According to Human Rights Watch, the Saudi regime "routinely represses expression critical of the government."

[11 July 2012] Saudis fear revolution will hit kingdom - English Tens of thousands of Saudi Arabian protesters have held a demonstration against the Al Saud regime in the Qatif region of oil-rich Eastern Province. The demonstrators took to the streets on Tuesday to condemn the Riyadh regime for the deadly crackdown on protests. The protesters were also condemning the detention of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nemr al-Nemr, who was attacked and arrested earlier in the day. Since February 2011, protesters have held demonstrations on an almost regular basis in Saudi Arabia, mainly in Qatif and the town of Awamiyah in Eastern Province, calling for the release of all political prisoners, freedom of expression and assembly, and an end to widespread discrimination. However, the demonstrations have turned into protests against the Al Saud regime, especially since November 2011, when Saudi security forces killed five protesters and injured many others in the province. Press TV has conducted an interview with Kamel Wazni, political analyst, to hear his opinion on this issue.

[11 July 2012] Al Saud tries to scare Sunni population - English Tens of thousands of Saudi Arabian protesters have held a demonstration against the Al Saud regime in the Qatif region of oil-rich Eastern Province. The protester chanted slogans against the Al Saud regime, calling for its downfall. The mass rally comes a few days after Saudi forces killed at least three protesters in the region. The oil-rich eastern province has been the scene of protests after the forceful detention of a prominent Shia cleric. Sheikh Nemr al-Nemr was wounded in an attack on his car and then arrested by Saudi forces. The Eastern Province has been the epicenter of anti-regime protests since last year. The protesters demand the release of political prisoners and social justice. Press TV has conducted an interview with Ali Al Ahmed, director of the Institute for [Persian] Gulf Affairs (IGA) in Washington, to further discuss the issue.

[10 July 2012] Saudi Arabia can stop ongoing revolution - English Security forces in Saudi Arabia have killed three demonstrators in the country's Eastern Province, which has been a major scene of anti-regime protests over the past months. The Riyadh regime forces opened fire on a demonstration in the Qatif region of the province on Sunday. Two of the victims were identified as Akbar Hassan Shakhouri and Mohammedredha Felfel, who were among the protesters demonstrating against the detention of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nemr al-Nemr, who was attacked in his car upon arrest earlier in the day. Several other protesters were also injured in the deadly incident. Since February 2011, protesters have held demonstrations on an almost regular basis in Saudi Arabia, mainly in Qatif and the town of Awamiyah in the Eastern Province, calling for the release of all political prisoners, freedom of expression and assembly, and an end to widespread discrimination.

Tens of thousands of Saudi Arabian protesters have held a demonstration against the Al Saud regime in the Qatif region of oil-rich Eastern Province. The protester chanted slogans against the Al Saud regime, calling for its downfall. The mass rally comes a few days after Saudi forces killed at least three protesters in the region. The oil-rich eastern province has been the scene of protests after the forceful detention of a prominent Shia cleric. Sheikh Nemr al-Nemr was wounded in an attack on his car and then arrested by Saudi forces. The Eastern Province has been the epicenter of anti-regime protests since last year. The protesters demand the release of political prisoners and social justice.

Saudi Ayatollah Nimr Al-Nimr Dares Saudi Regime to Attack Iran and Declares: We Are Loyal to Allah, Not to Saudi Arabia or its Royal Family Following are excerpts from a Friday sermon delivered by Saudi Ayatollah Nimr Al-Nimr, which was posted on the Internet on October 7, 2011. Nimr Baqir Al-Nimr is from the city of Awwamiyah in the eastern part of Saudi Arabia. He is an outspoken Shia cleric known for his criticism of the Saudi government and his constant call for freedom of religion, equality, and justice for the Shia minority in Saudi Arabia. In 2009, Al-Nimr said that the dignity of the Saudi Shia is more precious than the unity of the land, and suggested that Saudi Shia might secede from Saudi Arabia. Fearing arrest, Al-Nimr currently is in hiding. Nimr Al-Nimr: �For the past 100 years, we have been subjected to oppression, injustice, fear, and intimidation. From the moment you are born, you are surrounded by fear, intimidation, persecution, and abuse. We were born into an atmosphere of intimidation. We feared even the walls. Who among us is not familiar with the intimidation and injustice to which we have been subjected in this country? I am 55 years old, more than half a century. From the day I was born and to this day, I�ve never felt safe or secure in this country. �You are always being accused of something. You are always under threat. The head of the State Security Service admitted this to me in person. He said to me when I was arrested: �All you Shi�ites should be killed.� That is their logic. The head of the State Security Service in the Eastern Province said so himself. [...] �They are still plotting to carry out a massacre. They are more than welcome. We are here. Our blood is a small price to pay in defense of our values. We do not fear death. We long for martyrdom. [...] �A few months ago, the flame of honor was sparked in the spirits of the youth. The torch of freedom was lit. The people took to the streets demanding reform, honor, and freedom. There are people who have been held in prison unjustly for more than 16 years. In addition, the Peninsula Shield Force and the Saudi army invaded Bahrain. Then there were more and more arrests. �So who was it who instigated strife and unrest? [...] �The strife and unrest in Awwamiya were instigated by the regime, not the people. [...] �We will continue to defend both the veteran and the new prisoners. We will stand by them. We don�t mind being arrested, and joining them. We don�t even mind shedding our blood for their sake. We will continue to express even stronger solidarity with Bahrain. It is our own kin in Bahrain. Even if the Saudi army and the Peninsula Shield Force had not intervened, it still would have been our duty to stand by the people of Bahrain, our kin, let alone when the Saudi army takes part in oppression, the killing, the violation of women�s honor, and the plundering of money. [...] �[The Saudi regime says] that we are acting �at the behest of a foreign country.� They use that false pretext. By �foreign country� they mean Iran, of course. You can�t really tell if it�s Iran, Turkey, a European country, or the U.S., but they usually mean Iran. In December 1978, there was an Intifada to defend the honor of Awwamiya, when the riot police attacked the town. This was on December 10, 1978, before the Shah was deposed, before the Islamic Republic of Iran was even established. �It was in 1978 � four months before the fall of the Shah. A group of people convened to perform the religious rite of taziyeh for Imam Hussein. It had nothing to do with political or security matters, but the security forces arrived and attacked them, and a confrontation ensued. People were defending themselves, as well as their faith and their honor. That night, they arrested 100 people. This was in December 1978, prior to the fall of the Iranian [Shah]. So how can they talk about foreign interferen

[09 July 2012] KSA Bahrain terrified of revolution - English Anti-regime protesters have once again taken to the streets of Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province after regime security forces arrested a prominent Shia cleric. An interview with Kamel Wazne, political analyst

The 29th International Holy Quran Competitions started at Tehran\\\'s Milad Tower International Convention Center on Sunday. Officials and reciters of Holy Quran from more than 65 Muslim and non-Muslim countries have taken part in the six-day event, IRNA reported. Hojatloleslam Mohammadi Golpayegani, head of the Supreme Leader\\\'s office, Seyyed Mohammd Hosseini, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, and Iranian MPs and ambassadors were present at the opening ceremony of the event. Representatives of 65 Muslim and non-Muslim countries took part in the 29th edition of Iran\\\'s International Holy Quran Competitions. The jury of the contest has 14 members, 5 of whom are Iranian and the rest are from other countries. A Quran memorizer from Isfahan province and a Quran reciter from Khuzestan province will represent Iran in the memorization and recitation sections of the international event. Iranians win first prizes at 29th International Quran Competition An Iranian Quran reciter and a memorizer won the first prizes at the 29th International Quran Competition, the organizers announced in Tehran on Friday. Qasem Moqaddami received the first prize in the recitation category and Hossein Motamedi won the first prize in the memorization category, Persian news agencies reported on Saturday. They were selected from among over 50 reciters and 40 memorizers competing from about 70 countries. Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hosseini, and a number of Iranian officials attended an award presentation ceremony held at Tehran�s Milad Tower on Friday. The second prize in the recitation category was handed to Ezzat Sayyid Rashid from Egypt and the third prize went to Mahmood Salman Ali from Bahrain. Reciter Sabruddin Abdulrahman from Indonesia was selected as the fourth winner and the fifth was Najam ul Hassan from Bangladesh. In the memorization category, the second prize was given to Ainul Arefin Rafiqul Islam from Bangladesh, while Abdullah Omar from Libya got the third prize. The fourth and fifth awards were handed to Mahdi Khair Al-Balil from Sudan, and Abdul Malik Muhammad Rahim from Afghanistan. A jury panel of 14 selected from Egypt, Malaysia, Algeria, Indonesia, Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon and Iran judged the event. Egyptian master Quran reciter Ahmed Naina was among the jury members for this year�s competition.

[23 June 2012] Pakistani traders protest against power outages - English This, otherwise bustling city center in Rawalpindi, is giving a deserted look as traders have shut down their businesses to protest against the long power outages. Normal life has virtually come to a halt in Pakistan's largest province, Punjab, due to crippling strike against the ongoing energy crises. Pakistan is currently in the midst of severe energy shortages with many parts of the country receive only a few hours of electricity a day during the sweltering summer season. Riots have broken out in many parts of the country's Punjab province, which is controlled by the opposition. Angry protesters have attacked and torched public offices and a lawmaker's house in some cities. In his first address to the Parliament after getting elected as the country's Prime Minister, Raja Parvez Ashraf said addressing the energy crises would be his first priority. Prime Minister Ashraf was once in charge of water and power sector and was accused of receiving kickbacks in the rental power projects, a charge he strongly denies. Experts attribute the problem to years of underinvestment and bad management in the energy sector.

[24 June 2012] Yemen facing IDPs humanitarian crisis - English

[13 June 2012] US drones target innocent civilians - English A US assassination drone attack on a house and a car in Yemen's southeastern Shabwa Province has claimed the lives of at least nine people, tribal sources say. Interview with Elias Farhat, retired Army Genera

[09 June 2012] Afghans need sustainable peace - English Commander of the US-led foreign military forces in Afghanistan has apologized over a deadly airstrike which killed 18 civilians in the eastern Logar province earlier this week. "General John Allen flew to Logar to see local leaders and the population to apologize and offer condolences to the families," NATO spokesman Brigadier General Carsten Jacobson stated on Friday. Interview with Mohammed Daud Miraki, author and Afghanistan expert