SHAFAQNA

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) Rallies have been planned in Ramallah and Gaza to mark Palestinian Prisoners' Day in honour of the thousands of Palestinians who are being detained in Israeli jails. Al Jazeera's Nisreen El-Shamayleh, reporting from Ramallah, said activists and families of prisoners gathered on Wednesday, calling on the international community to intervene, to release some of the Palestinian prisoners, especially those who are on hunger strike. Central to the demonstrations is the fate of at least five of the prisoners, including Samer Issawi,…

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) – Venezuela's post-election crisis is growing deeper, with seven people killed during clashes between the opposition and police. President-elect Nicolas Maduro has assured Venezuelans that he has proof that the US embassy is financing the ongoing protests. The deaths occurred on Monday, when hundreds of protesters took to the streets in various parts of Caracas and other cities. The demonstrators blocked streets, burned tires, and fought with security forces. The fatalities include two people shot…

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) – There will be a 30-second silence at the start of the London Marathon on Sunday, and runners will be given a black ribbon to wear, organisers say. Race director Hugh Brasher said organisers wanted to show support for Boston, after the bombings which killed three and injured more than 150. The UK Foreign Office said it was following up reports that a British national was among the injured. Met Police chiefs sought to reassure…

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) –As smoke clears from two deadly bombings near the finish line of the Boston Marathon yesterday afternoon, focus turns to identifying those responsible. And that’s no easy task. The massive number of cell phones and closed circuit cameras on the street provide an incredible wealth of video and photo. "This is probably one of the most well photographed areas in the country," said Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis. The wealth of photographic and video evidence…

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) -- Leaders of five UN agencies have appealed to the international community to stop the "cruelty and carnage" in Syria, warning they may soon be forced to suspend humanitarian aid to the war-torn country. The UN leaders said on Monday that their "capacity to do more was diminishing, due to security and other practical limitations within Syria as well as funding constraints". "We are precariously close, perhaps within weeks, to suspending some humanitarian support," the UN…

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) – The UN Security Council is considering a draft resolution to approve the creation of a 12,600-strong UN peacekeeping force in Mali starting on July 1, which would be able to request the support of French troops if needed to combat rebel threats. Experts from the 15 Security Council members are due to meet on Tuesday to discuss the resolution, drafted by France and obtained by Reuters news agency, which would authorise peacekeepers and French…

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) – North Korea’s military supreme command has issued an ultimatum to South Korea demanding apologies for “all the major and minor hostile actions.” It has also threatened an immediate military response to any “insulting” action the South undertakes. “The supreme command of the Korean People's Army Tuesday issued an ultimatum to the South Korean puppet group,” South Korean Yonhap agency cites Pyongyang’s official news agency KCNA. The ultimatum consists of three clauses, RIA reports also…

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) –Venezuelan President-elect Nicolas Maduro has urged his supporters to participate in peaceful demonstrations, as the opposition plans protests against the country’s presidential election’s results. "I continue calling for peace, and I call [on] the people to combat in peace," Maduro said, calling for peaceful protests on Tuesday and Wednesday. on Monday, the National Electoral Council (CNE)’s president, Tibisay Lucena, presented the certified results to Maduro after declaring him "president-elect of Venezuela." Maduro made the remarks…

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) -- Venezuela’s electoral authority has declared Nicolas Maduro the winner of the presidential election with 50.66 percent of the votes against 49.06 percent for his rival Henrique Capriles, who has refused to concede defeat. The National Electoral Council said on Monday that more than 99 percent of the ballots had been counted and the results were “irreversible.” The council also asked the people and the opposition to respect the outcome of the polls.  Maduro said he…

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) -- An Istanbul court found Say guilty of denigrating religion through comments he made on the social networking site Twitter, his lawyer said on Monday. The 43-year-old musician, who has played with the New York Philharmonic, the Berlin Symphony and other world orchestras, was on trial for sending tweets last year, including one that joked about a religious leader and some Islamic practices. "Honestly we were not expecting this ruling, and all I can say is, both legally…