Ahmadinejad to hold victory rally amid protests

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad prepared to hold a victory rally Sunday, a day after he was declared the winner of the country’s presidential election, spurring violent street protests from opposition supporters who claimed ballot fraud. 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. Riot police charged back, spraying demonstrators with tear gas and clubbing many with batons

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Hate groups riled up, researchers say

Hate groups have intensified their rhetoric in recent months, but this new energy hasn’t necessarily translated to an increase in the rate of hate crimes in the U.S., according to some researchers. They also say that many white supremacist groups have been energized by a sour economy and the election of a black U.S

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Pro-West bloc retains control in Lebanon

Lebanon’s pro-Western bloc will retain its control of the country’s government despite a strong challenge from a Hezbollah-dominated alliance, according to official election results released Monday. The “March 14” coalition won 71 seats in Lebanon’s parliament, while the Hezbollah-dominated “March 8” alliance won the remaining 57 seats, Lebanese Interior Minister Ziad Baroud announced

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Hezbollah choice at center of Lebanon vote

Lebanon goes to the polls on Sunday with the main choices a Hezbollah-backed alliance or the U.S-backed coalition to lead their government. U.S. President Barack Obama’s speech in Cairo, Egypt, on Wednesday came at a critical time for Lebanon as it sits amid a power struggle between a weakened pro-Western government and a stronger pro-Syrian Hezbollah political bloc that has gained political momentum in recent years.

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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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