News

Parliament’s General Assembly has adopted a highly controversial alcohol bill proposed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), tightening restrictions on the sale and advertising of alcoholic beverages, despite strong objections against the bill on the grounds of personal freedom and respect for lifestyle choices.

Members of the Green Party and the People’s Patriotic Movement protest at the White House in Bishkek.

About 80 people have gathered in front of the building demanding denunciation of the agreement with the U.S. on Transit Center at Manas in the nearest future.

As leader of the People's Patriotic Movement Nurlan Motuev said if Almazbek Atambayev and the Parliament start bargaining on the Transit Center at Manas like Kurmanbek Bakiyev, they will hold a mass rally. "It is unacceptable that the Americans poison our air by their planes and coffins fall from the sky," he said.

President Michel Sleiman held talks Thursday with Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam over the Cabinet formation process at the Presidential Palace.

No statement was issued following the 30-minute meeting.

Salam was appointed to form the new Cabinet on April 6 after endorsement by 124 of Lebanon's 128-member Parliament.

The Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) and the National Conscience Front (NCF) have criticised the Egyptian opposition bloc, the National Salvation Front (NSF), for its decision to reject President Mohamed Morsi’s invitation to a national dialogue on the Sinai hostage crisis.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Campaigning for the June 14 presidential election kicked off in Iran early this morning after the Guardian Council released the list of qualified candidates.

Under Iran's Election Law, the Guardian Council, the body responsible for vetting hopefuls, is required to announce the list of approved hopefuls within five days after the end of registration. This period can be extended for another five days if necessary.

La maladie et la longue absence du président Bouteflika accentuent le débat sur «la vacance du pouvoir et la nécessité d’appliquer l’article 88 de la Constitution».

«Nous ne servirons pas de roue de secours à la majorité gouvernementale», a martelé Salaheddine Mezouar, président du RNI, invité au forum de la MAP mardi 21 mai à Rabat. «Mais la décision finale de participer ou non à un gouvernement revient aux instances du parti», a toutefois nuancé M. Mezouar. Présentant une analyse de la situation politique marquée par le retrait du parti de l’Istiqlal du gouvernement, M. Mezouar a indiqué que «la majorité gouvernementale vit aujourd’hui une crise interne qu’il est encore tôt de qualifier de crise politique du pays».

The election campaign office of Esfandiyar Rahim-Mashaei, who was not approved by Iran’s Guardian Council to run in the upcoming presidential election, says it will pursue the matter through legal channels.

In a statement issued late on Tuesday, the campaign office said that it will use “the full legal capacity of the country" to appeal to the Guardian Council to revise and eliminate possible ambiguities in its decision, IRNA reported.

The Wolesi Jirga, or lower house of the Parliament, passed on Wednesday the new electoral law after long debating and with some amendment in it.

Over the past 11 years, parliamentary elections have been conducted under legislative decrees, but five months back, the Independent Election Commission (IEC) prepared the draft law and sent to the Wolesi Jirga after the .