NEWSWRAP 8-27-08
1. Miliband: Russia must avoid "new Cold War"
2. Iran again warns its missiles are capable of hitting Israel
3. Clinton calls for Democratic unity in support for Obama
4. Human rights groups condemn Iran on juvenile executions
Miliband: Russia must avoid "new Cold War"
Britain's Foreign Secretary David Miliband today said that Russia had a "big responsibility" not to start a new Cold War, a day after Russia formally recognized as independent.two Georgian breakaway regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia,
Speaking to a group of students in Ukraine's capital, Kiev, Miliband said: "The Russian President says he is not afraid of a new Cold War. We don't want one. He has a big responsibility not to start one."
NATO members today condemned Russia's move and called on Moscow to "reverse its decision."
For his part, Medvedev today discussed the situation with China's President Hu Jintao in Tajikistan. China has expressed "concern" over the move but until now has stopped short of criticizing Medvedev's decision.
Iran again warns its missiles are capable of hitting Israel
Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, warned Israel today that Iranian missiles and Iran's allies in the region would strike at the Jewish state if Iran was attacked.
Jafari said quote: "If the Zionist regime [Israel] makes the slightest move against our interests, either independently or with America ... all the territories under the Zionist regime's control will become insecure."
Adding: "This land is completely in the range of the Islamic Republic's missiles."
This latest threat comes as Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Monday warned that his country would not rule out any option to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
Javad Karimi-Qoddousi, a member of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Affairs Commission said today Iran would also close the Strait of Hormoz if it was attacked,
Clinton calls for Democratic unity in support for Obama
Last night, Hillary Clinton called on her party to unite in support of their nominee Barack Obama last night during her speech at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado.
Clinton said quote: "Whether you voted for me or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose."
Clinton urged her fellow Democrats to "take back the White House" from the Republicans, who "squander the promise for our country." Adding that intervening in the currently flailing US economy is job only a Democrat could undertake.
Illinois Senator Barack Obama is making his way to Denver to formally accept his party's nomination tomorrow night.
Human rights groups condemn Iran on juvenile executions
International human rights groups have again called on Iran to abolish the death penalty for juvenile offenders, after Iran hanged two such offenders in one week.
Behname Zare, who was charged with murder at the age of 15, was executed yesterday in the southwestern city of Shiraz, while Reza Hejazi, who was also 15 at the time of his crime, was hanged one week earlier, on 19 August in the central city of Esfahan.
Clarisa Bencomo of Human Rights Watch said today: "Everywhere else, countries are moving to end this abhorrent practice, but in Iran the numbers of death sentences seems to be increasing."
Iran is party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, both of which forbid the death penalty for those who committed their crimes while under the age of 18.
Iran says that it does not execute minors, but in some cases, offenders are hanged once they reach the age of 18.
Loading...
4:29Israel must go, says Iranian presidentby bonkersc4newsfan51,194 views
All Comments