Ahmadinejad: No guarantee on rival’s safety

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declined Sunday to guarantee the safety of his defeated rival Mir Hossein Moussavi in response to a question from CNN Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour. “There is rule of law in this country and all the people are equal before the law,” Ahmadinejad said when Amanpour asked if he would guarantee Moussavi’s safety. She also asked why opposition leaders had been arrested

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Rebels seize 9 foreigners in Yemen

Nine foreigners, including three children, were kidnapped by Shiite rebels in northern Yemen, the state-run news agency reported Sunday. Thousands of demonstrators, shouting “Death to the dictatorship” and “We want freedom,” burned police motorcycles, tossed rocks through store windows and set trash cans on fire on Saturday

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After a Disputed Election, Tehran’s Streets Become a Battleground

It’s way past midnight in Tehran, but this city is not sleeping. Outside on the streets, people are honking their horns in protest and stretching their hands out of cars making peace signs — a sign of support for Mir-Hossein Mousavi, the opposition candidate apparently defeated by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran’s presidential election on Friday

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Iranians head to polls in crucial vote

Iranian voters began casting ballots Friday in a colorful and passionate presidential election pitting incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad against Mir Hossein Moussavi, the leading reformist candidate. The polls opened at 8 a.m. local time (11:30 GMT) and will stay open for 10 hours, but that time could be extended.

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Iran’s Election: Rallies Reveal a Stark Contrast

Tehran’s main squares and streets have been crowded until the wee hours over this past week, as supporters of the upcoming election’s two leading contestants roam the streets on foot and in cars, chanting, honking their horns, waving posters. On Tuesday night, a group of about 100 young men gathered on one side of Parkway Square, waving pictures of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and shouting slogans like, “Ahmadi, you’re my life! You’re my future president!” Facing them — separated by a line of police and plainclothes security officials — stood a crowd of young men at least twice the size

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Iran’s Presidential Debate: Will Ahmadinejad’s Attacks Backfire?

Iran’s voters had been anticipating a heated discussion in their country’s first-ever presidential candidates’ debate, but even then, Wednesday night’s showdown between incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and moderate challenger Mir-Hossein Moussavi was a rough-and-tumble affair that exceeded expectations. And the new season of televised politics could get even nastier

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Ahmadinejad lashes out at Iran’s ex-presidents

It’s a first for Iran: a series of debates televised live ahead of the upcoming presidential elections next week. And Wednesday’s was one to remember. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, known for his fiery attacks on his foes, unleashed a mouthful Wednesday against Iran’s former presidents Mohammad Khatami and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, whom he accused of colluding with his chief rival, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

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