TEHRAN: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hailed his country's armed forces as the "guarantor" of regional security, during a low-profile parade on Saturday marking Army Day in the Islamic republic."Iran's armed forces are the guarantor of security in the region," Ahmadinejad in a televised speech during the parade, refraining from the confrontational tone that has marked previous Army Day addresses. "Today the Iranian nation, with its religious armed forces, is ready to have a wide role in world management and to establish security based on justice across the world," he added. Local media had said that 140 fighter jets and other aircraft would stage an aerial display on Saturday but the show was cancelled due to what the media said was bad weather and poor visibility. In previous years, Iran -- which has long been at odds with the international community over its disputed nuclear drive -- has used army day to display its military might including home-built missiles.
BEIRUT: Thousands of people converged Saturday on central Beirut to mark the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Lebanese former premier Rafiq Hariri.Waving Lebanese flags and carrying pictures of the slain leader, men, women and children gathered under sunny skies in Martyr's Square where members of the parliamentary majority were to address the crowd. The rally comes as final preparations are underway in The Hague for the launch of the international tribunal set up to bring Hariri's killers to justice. It also comes as the country prepares for legislative elections in June that will pit Western-backed political parties against a Hezbollah-led alliance backed by Syria and Iran.Hariri died in a massive car bombing on February 14, 2005 that also killed 22 others. The assassination was widely blamed on then Lebanese power-broker Syria, which has denied any involvement. The attack on the Beirut seafront was one of the worst acts of political violence to rock Lebanon since t...
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