Category: News
Iran builds submarine force in Persian Gulf face-off
United Press International DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, April 20 (UPI) — Iran has been building up its submarine fleet for the last decade, adding mainly indigenously built small boats armed with torpedoes and mines that make them ideal platforms to carry out Tehran’s threat to close the Strait of Hormuz, the gateway to the Persian […]
Iran’s supreme leader embraced concept of nuclear arms, archival document suggests
Washington Post (blog) By Joby Warrick In a speech three months ago, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei repeated his religious edict against nuclear weapons, insisting that his country would never build them. But a newly published document suggests that Khamenei hasn’t always viewed the bomb as a “great sin.” According to an internal U.N. […]
12 Christians in Iran await verdicts after Easter Sunday apostasy trial
Fox News By Lisa Daftari Twelve Christians stood trial Easter Sunday in Iran, where they were called “apostates” in a courtroom and tried on multiple charges, according to sources close to Iran’s Christian community. The Christians had been acquitted on the same charges, including “crimes against the order,” a year ago in Bandar Anzali, a […]
'Alarming' surge in executions, says Amnesty
BBC Amnesty International says there was a surge in the number of executions carried out worldwide in 2011, mainly centred in the Middle East. In an annual report, the group said Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia were most responsible for the increase. But it also noted that China executed more people than the rest of […]
'Sweden has betrayed the Arab struggle for democracy'
Revelations that Sweden has helped the regime in Saudi Arabia enhance its military capabilities amount to a betrayal of the Arab spring and support for a Saudi-backed Arab counter-revolution, argue a group of Arab and Swedish pro-democracy activists. Saab ‘rewarded’ official who drafted Saudi deal (7 Apr 12) Saudi Arabia a ‘family business’: Bildt (4 […]
Democracy behind India’s success: Nawaz
LAHORE – Chief of his own faction of Pakistan Muslim League, Mian Nawaz Sharif on Friday gave away hundreds of laptops to students in Punjab University of Lahore, reiterating his commitment to strive for multiplying opportunities of education for the countrymen. He announced that one million more laptops would be distributed next year, if his […]
US condemns military coup attempt in Bangladesh
Washington: The US on Friday strongly condemned any attempt of a military coup in Bangladesh and said that it would strongly oppose any interruption of democracy in that country. “We strongly condemn attempts by individuals or groups to overthrow democratically elected governments and would strongly oppose any interruption of Bangladesh’s democracy,” Emily J Horne, the […]
Democracy behind India’s success: Nawaz
LAHORE – Chief of his own faction of Pakistan Muslim League, Mian Nawaz Sharif on Friday gave away hundreds of laptops to students in Punjab University of Lahore, reiterating his commitment to strive for multiplying opportunities of education for the countrymen. He announced that one million more laptops would be distributed next year, if his […]
Russia calls US funding of democracy a ‘problem’
MOSCOW – Russia said Tuesday that continued US funding of groups supporting the spread of democracy in the country was turning into a problem in advance of Vladimir Putin’s return for a third Kremlin term. Putin has repeatedly accused Washington of using the programme to bankroll the mass street protests that first rose against his […]
Institutional imbalance and democracy in Pakistan
Democracy is a delicate system of government. It is based on a number of principles that have to be implemented in their true spirit. Much depends how these principles are actually applied. Self-restraint and over all welfare of the society are key determinants for pursuing democracy. The major weakness in a democratic system is that […]