Jordan King names teenage son as crown prince

Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein Bin Abdullah

Fri, 03 Jul 2009, PressTV - Jordan's King Abdullah II has issued a decree naming his 15-year-old son, Hussein, as the country's crown prince, according to a royal court statement.

Hussein will be "vested with all rights and privileges pertaining to this decree," the statement said.

The post of heir apparent in Jordan had been vacant since 2004, when King Abdullah stripped his half brother, Hamzeh, of the title of crown prince.

King Abdullah succeeded his father -- the late King Hussein -- to the throne in 1999.

US forces launch a major anti-Taliban offensive

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 - PressTV

Pakistan deploys hundreds of troops to a stretch of the Afghan border as US forces launch a major anti-Taliban offensive against southern Afghanistan.

Military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said Thursday that the troops would stop militants fleeing from US forces in the volatile region.

"We've mustered more troops from the other areas of the border' to deploy opposite the Helmand region. It is sort of reorganization."

The section opposite Helmand lies near Pakistan's Baluchistan Province, where US officials believe the Taliban's top leaders are hiding.

Operation Khanjar (Strike of the Sword) into lower Helmand River involved nearly 4,000 US forces as well as 650 Afghan soldiers.

The officials in Islamabad believe that an increase of 21,000 US troops in Afghanistan could further destabilize Pakistan by pushing more militants across the border.

Sources said increased US military activity may also spark an influx of refugees from insurgency-hit southern Afghanistan into the border areas of Pakistan.

The latest development comes while the Pakistani army claims it is battling militants in the volatile Swat Valley and Waziristan region in the northwest of the country in a bid to tackle growing insurgency.

More than fifty insurgents and two police officers have been killed over the last 24 hours in northwestern Pakistan.

The US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 prompted Taliban militants to focus their attention across the border in Pakistan, turning the restive regions between the two neighbors into the scene of deadly violence.

New footage shows Basij base attacked

02 Jul 2009 - PressTV

The aftermath of the controversial clash between the Basij members and protesters near a rally supporting defeated presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi in Tehran, Iran on June 15, 2009

Press TV has broadcast newly-obtained footage of a controversial clash between Basij members and protesters, which shows the Basij base under siege.

Tehran 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 re-elected to a second term in office.

People described by Iranian officials as "saboteurs" infiltrated the riots and set fire to a mosque, two gas stations and a military post in western Tehran. At least 20 people were killed and many others were injured in the ensuing violence.

The protests came to worldwide attention when major media outlets broadcast footage of what they described as unprovoked attacks by security forces.

In Britain, Channel Four covered the news by airing a video of a clash between rioters and Basij members in which a man was seen shooting at the crowd.

According to comments broadcast in a video provided by the government in Tehran, journalist Maziar Bahari had provided Channel Four with the footage of the June 15 attack. What was aired by the channel, however, had the scene of the attack on the base censored.

The new footage obtained by Press TV shows a group of people attacking the Basij base with Molotov cocktails.

The building in question has been deemed as a vital structure and has been confirmed by Tehran officials as an armory.

Ex Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia : Anwar's appeal rejected

02 July 2009 - Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim suffered a setback when the Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal for the latest sodomy trial to be heard at the Sessions Court instead of the High Court.

However, what was important in today's decision was the court deeming the Prime Minister incompetent in giving assurances to the public that Attorney-General (AG) would not be involved in the case or any other cases.

Justice Abdull Hamid Embong, who led the three-member bench said the AG was the rightful person to sign the certificate and no one else under section 418 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

"In our view the PM is not the competent authority on matters concerning criminal prosecutions in our country," he said, adding that this authority under Articles 145 (3) of the Federal Constitution is vested solely in the public prosecutor (AG).

"All prosecutions are in his name as the representative of the state and public interest. No member of the executive, not even the PM can interfere or fetter this independent powers of the AG in respect of prosecutions."