[21 Oct 2013] Assad sees no obstacles to reelection bid in 2014 - English
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says he doesn\'t rule out running for president in 2014.
In an interview with a Lebanese TV network, the Syrian...
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says he doesn\'t rule out running for president in 2014.
In an interview with a Lebanese TV network, the Syrian president said he sees no obstacle to making a bid for re-election next year. Assad has stated time and again that he is not holding onto power and only the Syrian people will determine the destiny of the nation in elections. Commenting on the proposed Geneva II conference, Assad said -- factors not yet in place for peace talks. He cited the threats from al-Qaeda affiliated groups, fierce infighting among the militants, and the widening divisions in the fractured opposition. The US promptly responded to Assad\'s remarks. Secretary of State John Kerry said any attempt by Assad to be re-elected would extend the Syrian conflict. Kerry added that the Syrian opposition would never agree to Assad staying in power.
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** Iran Today ** Summary of News for Events in Iran - English
After his reelection as Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad extends an invitation to his American counterpart Barack Obama for a debate before the...
After his reelection as Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad extends an invitation to his American counterpart Barack Obama for a debate before the eyes of the world.
Addressing Iranian heads of medical universities on Saturday, President Ahmadinejad offered to debate President Obama at the United Nations headquarters in New York before the eyes of all nations of the world.
President Ahmadinejad had previously urged a debate with former US president George W. Bush.
The Iranian president wrote an 18-page letter to President Bush in 2006 that touched on religious values, history and international relations. The letter was viewed as an offer extended to the United States for dialogue.
However, the Iranian official's letter never received an answer from the former US president.
Under the former US president, Washington pursued a carrot-and-stick policy toward Tehran over its nuclear program and by setting preconditions, snubbed calls by President Ahmadinejad for talks on the long-standing dispute.
Meanwhile President Obama has adopted a new tone for engaging Tehran, drawing a sharp line between his foreign policies regarding Iran and that of his predecessor.
The call for talks come as earlier in February, Ahmadinejad expressed willingness for dialogue but stressed that negotiations should be held "in a climate of fairness with mutual respect."
Earlier in May a report by the Israeli daily Haaretz said the United States had set October as its deadline for engaging Iran in the first round of talks over the country's nuclear activities.
The report quoted the special US envoy on Iran, Dennis Ross, as saying that "unless the US sees a change in Iran's position on its nuclear program, Washington's stance toward Tehran will stiffen at that time."
An Iranian lawyer has said that his client Hossein Rassam, a British Embassy staffer who remains detained over recent unrest, has been accused of "acting against national security."
Lawyer Abdol-Samad Khorramshahi told AFP on Saturday that he was seeking permission to see his client, saying, "I have not met with him yet, but I will ask the judiciary for an appointment."
"I was told by a close relative that he is accused of acting against national security,” he added.
Iran became the scene of violence in recent weeks amidst rallies staged in protest at the outcome of the June 12 presidential election -- which saw Mahmoud Ahmadinejad elected for a second term in office.
After warning other countries against interfering in its internal affairs, the Tehran government arrested nine Iranian nationals working at the British Embassy and said that these people had played a role in encouraging the post-election violence.
The British government said that seven of those arrested in Tehran have been released. However, Iranian state television has said that just one of them remains in detention.
In a statement on Friday, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he was "urgently seeking clarification" from Iranian officials, dismissing allegations that the staffers were involved in any illegal act.
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US approaches $15 trillion debt limit - English
Within days-- the US will hit 15 trillion dollars in debt. That's fifteen with 12 zeroes behind it. The numeric milestone comes at a time when...
Within days-- the US will hit 15 trillion dollars in debt. That's fifteen with 12 zeroes behind it. The numeric milestone comes at a time when Americans as a whole have a distrust of Congress for how it spends their money.
Across the country protests and public discontent is rising over federal spending from conservatives and liberals. Occupy protests that started at Wall Street in New York have spread across the country.
They're angry with banks that received federal funds but insist on charging customers extra fees. They call it bank transfer day.
In the Eurozone, President Obama spends time in Cannes, France, for the G-20 summit that takes place as Europe is trying to determine a bailout package for debt-ridden Greece.
But while the president is overseas-he has to fight for a reelection battle back at home. republican rivals are pointing to the
country's crawling economy and describe it as a result of weak leadership.
And the US' struggling recovery was dealt another blow this week with a lackluster jobs report. U.S. employers hired an estimated 80,000 people last month, worse than economists expected. The unemployment rate only dropped a tenth of a percent down to 9 percent.
Congress is still so divided that President Obama is trying to find ways to get the country moving by using executive orders instead of a preferred legislative process. Meanwhile, as lawmakers squabble the US debt steadily rises with the national poverty rate and the number of dissatisfied Americans.
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MWM S.G. Announcement & Oath Ceremony - H.I. Raja Nasir Abbas...
Hujjatul Islam Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri has been reelected as MWM Pakistan\\\\\\\'s Secretary General for another 3 years.
Hujjatul Islam Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri has been reelected as MWM Pakistan\\\\\\\'s Secretary General for another 3 years.
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