Page 10 - aruba-today-20180106

A10 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 6 January 2018
Pakistan states Zimbabwe’s new president meets with opposition

disappointment By FARAI MUTSAKA his home. Tsvangirai was prime min- But the opposition leader
at US aid cutoff Associated Press It was a symbolic gesture ister in a unity govern- has battled colon cancer

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) by Mnangagwa, whose ment between 2009 and for more than two years.
By KATHY GANNON — Zimbabwe’s new presi- party and the military have 2013 after he beat Mnan- Tsvangirai, who routinely
ZARAR KHAN dent on Friday visited the vilified Tsvangirai for de- gagwa’s predecessor and travels to neighboring
Associated Press country’s main opposition cades, calling him a pup- mentor, Robert Mugabe, South Africa for treatment,
ISLAMABAD (AP) — A se- leader who is battling can- pet of the West. but not with enough votes did not speak to reporters.
nior Pakistani senator ex- cer, but immediately ruled Mnangagwa told reporters to avoid a second round. He looked thinner than
pressed disappointment out sharing power. Tsvangirai “is fine. He is re- He boycotted the runoff, in November, when he
Friday at the U.S. decision President Emmerson cuperating very well.” alleging military-led vio- cheerfully addressed re-
to suspend military aid, Mnangagwa, accompa- The president ruled out the lence against his support- porters shortly after the mil-
saying it will be detrimental nied by a former military possibility of a unity gov- ers. itary intervened to pressure
to bilateral relations, while leader who recently was ernment, saying “currently An opposition alliance has the 93-year-old Mugabe
the government itself said appointed vice president, there is no need.” endorsed Tsvangirai as its to step down after his fir-
it was too early to gauge met with former prime min- He has included no oppo- candidate for 2018 elec- ing of Mnangagwa as vice
the effects of the decision. ister Morgan Tsvangirai at sition figures in his Cabinet. tions expected mid-year. president.q
Nuzhat Sadiq, the chair-
fairs committee in the up- Hard-line cleric says social media fed Iran protests
woman of the foreign af-
per house of parliament,
said Islamabad can man- timed so authorities could
age without the United contrast it against the mass
States as it did in the 1990s, crowds brought together
but would prefer to move for the pro-government
the troubled relationship demonstrations.
forward. The government’s move to
“What the U.S. is doing block Telegram may have
now is not good for its pol- seriously curtailed protest-
icy against terrorism and ers’ ability to organize. The
for a lasting peace in this app boasts an estimated
region,” she said, adding 48 million users in Iran, more
that Pakistan has always than half the population.
“played a vital role in the “Communication black-
war on terror.” outs constitute a serious
The State Department’s violation of fundamental
declaration on Thursday rights,” a group of United
lambasted Pakistan for fail- Nations human rights ex-
ing to take “decisive ac- perts warned in a statement
tion” against Taliban mili- Friday. The White House has
tants targeting U.S. person- acknowledged looking at
nel in neighboring Afghani- ways to help Iranian pro-
stan. U.S. officials have long testers access social me-
complained that Pakistan Iranian senior cleric Ahmad Khatami delivers his sermon during Friday prayer ceremony in dia, but hasn’t made any
tolerates or even encour- Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 5, 2018. The hard-line Iranian cleric has called on Iran to create its own decisions on how to do so.
ages extremists, charges indigenous social media apps, blaming them for the unrest that followed days of protest in the President Donald Trump
denied by Islamabad. Islamic Republic over its economy. has repeatedly tweeted
A statement issued by (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) praise for the protesters,
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry By JON GAMBRELL Iran, a nation of 80 million work that has its key in the infuriating Iranian officials.
nearly 24 hours after the Associated Press people roughly two-and-a- hands of the United States.” Iran briefly blocked Insta-
announced suspension of DUBAI, United Arab Emir- half times the size of Texas, Amid the unrest and anti- gram before restoring ac-
military aid said it’s too ear- ates (AP) — A hard-line cler- online videos and images government rallies that be- cess. Iran also has restored
ly to tell what impact the ic leading Friday prayers in posted by activists have gan last week, Iran has also access to WeChat, a Chi-
U.S. decision will have on Iran’s capital called on the provided some of the only seen three days of pro-gov- nese messaging app. Vid-
counter-terrorism initiatives Islamic Republic to build its glimpses into the dem- ernment demonstrations, eos of protests seen by The
in the region. But it said the own social media, blaming onstrations, the largest in with crowds in the tens of Associated Press purported
war on terror, which is en- popular international mes- nearly a decade, which thousands. A similar rally to show demonstrators in
tering its 17th year, has cost saging apps for the unrest have mainly been held in followed Friday prayers in Tehran on Thursday night,
Pakistan over $120 billion. that accompanied days of the provinces. Tehran. On Thursday, In- some chanting: “Death
The statement said Paki- protests over the country’s Such images only provide terior Minister Abdolreza to Khamenei!” referring
stan’s cooperation had flagging economy. a limited view of events on Rahmani Fazli said about to Iran’s supreme leader,
helped “decimate” al-Qa- The demonstrations began the ground, and can be 42,000 people at most took Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
ida and drive other militant on Dec. 28 and quickly easily manipulated. All of part in the week of anti- On Friday, however, streets
groups out of the lawless spread across the country, Iran’s radio and television government protests, say- were calm ahead of the
regions along the border. prompting the government stations are state-run. ing they went on as long pro-government demon-
Another statement on Fri- to suspend access to the “Cyberspace was kindling as they did because of the strations.
day rejected the U.S. de- messaging app Telegram, the fire of the battle,” Aya- “leniency, restrain, toler- At a soccer match Friday
cision to add Pakistan to which was being used to tollah Ahmad Khatami told ance and interaction” of in Tabriz, a city in Iran’s East
a special watch list for publicize the protests, and thousands of worshippers the government. He did Azerbaijan province some
violations of religious free- briefly block the Instagram gathered in Tehran. “When not elaborate. 525 kilometers (330 miles)
dom, pursuant to 2016 leg- photo-sharing site. Twitter cyberspace was closed Fazli’s comments marked northwest of Tehran, fans
islation. That step does not and Facebook were al- down, the sedition was the first government esti- chanted: “People of Azer-
carry any serious conse- ready banned. stopped. The nation does mate of participation in baijan won’t accept hu-
quences. q With travel restricted across not support a social net- the protests and appeared miliation!” q