Today's Top Stories (May 4, 2009)

Iran vows to expand ties with Latin America
Iran on Monday vowed to continue expanding its ties with Latin America, despite concerns raised by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over Tehrans growing inroads in the region.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hassan Qashqavi, said: Our relations with Latin America are fully active in all fields of culture, politics and economics, and are based on the regions high interests as well as our common interests.
He added that these ties have not and will not be influenced by third parties.
Clinton said on Friday that growing economic and political connections between Iran and Latin America were not in the interests of the United States.
Iran says US sanctions will not curb nuclear program
Iran said on Monday that it will continue with its nuclear program, even if the United States imposes new sanctions on foreign companies that supply gasoline to the Islamic Republic.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hassan Qashqavi, said: Sanctions will have no effect on our nations will to pursue its legal rights, including the right to nuclear energy.
US lawmakers from both parties have proposed legislation giving President Barack Obama unprecedented authority to impose sanctions against foreign firms that export gasoline and refined petroleum products to Iran.
Qashqavi said that Iran had put a series of mechanisms in place, which would make any such sanctions completely ineffective.
Press freedom group presses for US-Iranian journalists release
Four US members of the press freedom watchdog, Reporters Without Borders, on Sunday started a hunger strike outside the United Nations headquarters in New York, to press for the release of Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi.
Saberi, who was sentenced to eight years in jail last month on charges of spying for the United States, has been on a hunger strike since 21 April, in Tehrans Evin Prison.
Irans Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hassan Qashqavi, today dismissed the protests being carried out by Reporters Without Borders.
Qashqavi said: Our judiciary is independent and any kind of imposition of views or interference in its process is contrary to international norms and regulations.

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