Iran’s Khamenei calls for Iraqi government formation

TEHRAN: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on political factions in Iraq to reach a consensus on forming a new government, state television reported on Monday.

Since Iraq’s election in March, its leaders have been unable to agree on a new government, raising concerns over a revival of violence between once dominant Sunnis and majority Shi’ites propelled into power after Saddam Hussein’s fall in 2003.

Incumbent Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki flew to Tehran on Monday to seek support for his bid for a new term. Shi’ite power Iran has wielded great influence in Baghdad since the fall of Saddam, who waged an eight-year war against Iran in the 1980s.

Iran’s leaders have been lukewarm about backing Maliki, who they are thought to view as overly independent. Many of the Shi’ite political parties that dominate Iraq now were nurtured by Iran during their

Gilgit-Baltistan maiden budget today

GILGIT: The maiden budget of Gilgit-Baltistan will likely be presented today after the formation of new government there, Geo news reported.

The provincial Finance Minister, Mohammed Ali Akhter, will be presenting budget in Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly.

Budget session is due to begin at 10am in Legislative Assembly. Provincial Law minister said the budget will be public-friendly which is nearly 2 billion less than previous budget.

He vowed concrete actions for uplift of poor people and quick completion of development projects after passage of budget and its proposals.

Clinton urges Iraq to form new government quickly

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday urged Iraqi leaders to resolve rows over the March elections and form a new government quickly, as more winning candidates risked being disqualified.

With a major US troop drawdown set for August hanging in the balance, Clinton amplified concerns among US officials over Iraq”s long drawn-out effort to finalize the election results amid factional squabbling.

A judicial panel was set to rule Wednesday on the fate of nine other election-winning candidates who stand to be disqualified in a process that has thrown government formation into disarray.

On Monday the panel eliminated at least one winning candidate and around 50 others who failed to secure parliamentary seats, drawing anger from former premier Iyad Allawi whose secular coalition narrowly won the March 7 vote.

One of those disqualified was a winning candidate from Allawi”s Iraqiya bloc, which has alleged that it is being targeted by officials and religious parties who do not want him to obtain power.

US and Japan vow to boost strained ties

Barack Obama and Japan’s new prime minister have pledged to revitalise their nations’ strained security alliance.
The American leader and Yukio Hatoyama met in Tokyo as their two countries try to adapt to China’s rising economy, which is set to overtake Japan as the world’s number two. But the heads of state left a feud over a US military base on Japan’s southern Okinawa island unresolved.

The matter is damaging Washington’s links with Japan’s new government, which has pledged to steer a diplomatic course less dependent on its ally and forge closer relations with Asia.

After their summit, Mr Hatoyama said: “I told him (Mr Obama) that the US-Japan alliance is the cornerstone of everything. But, given the changing times and global environment, I would like to deepen the alliance and create a new US-Japan alliance that is constructive and future-oriented.”

Mr Obama agreed: “Our alliance will endure and our efforts will be focused on revitalising that friendship so that it’s even stronger and more successful in meeting the challenges of the 21st century.” The president is on a nine-day tour of Asia that will also take him to Singapore for an Asia-Pacific summit, before talks in China on climate change and trade imbalances.

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US and Japan vow to boost strained ties was first posted on November 13, 2009 at 11:50 pm.

Ahmadinejad Sworn in As President of Iran For 2nd Time

TEHRAN: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was sworn in as Iranian president on Wednesday as riot police broke up an opposition protest over an election that triggered the worst turmoil in the Islamic republic’s history.

The 52-year-old Ahmadinejad took the oath of office for another four-year term at a ceremony in parliament, defiantly vowing to resist “oppressive powers” and saying his June election marked a major change in Iran.

But prominent opposition leaders were absent from the ceremony, and outside riot police and Basij volunteer Islamic militiamen used pepper gas against demonstrators who claim his landslide victory was fraudulent, witnesses said.

Wednesday’s ceremony was attended by about 240 of Iran’s 290 MPs as well as clerics, but prominent opposition leaders including Ahmadinejad’s main defeated challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi were absent, as was powerful cleric and former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

After taking the oath, Ahmadinejad has a two-week deadline to form a new government that is likely to remain on a collision course with the West, particularly over Iran’s controversial nuclear drive.