"He made the whole world dance"

The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, has died aged 50 at Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Centre, Los Angeles. The star was rushed to hospital by paramedics who were called to his Beverly Hills home in the early afternoon, local time. Doctors attempted to revive Jackson, who had stopped breathing when paramedics arrived, for over an hour. Reports say that he may have suffered a heart attack but a post mortem, to be conducted later today, will reveal the cause of death.

Fans across the world have begun to mourn the international superstar. Crowds have gathered outside UCLA hospital, as well as in Times Square, New York and Harlem, to pay tribute to him. Reports say that groups have joined together in spontaneous sing and dance-a-longs to Jackson hits, celebrating the life of a musical genius.

The star's life has recently been marred by controversy, most notably the child sex allegations. However, many have said that it is Jackson's music that should be remembered. Friend of Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton, said that he hoped that history would be kinder to Michael than the contemporary media had been. Jackson is seen as a revolutionary in the world of pop music, he kick-started the music video and became the first black star of the 'MTV generation'. Some fans of Jackson have commented that his music was a soundtrack to his videos, which were "mini-movies with Jackson as the star". His 'Thriller' album is the greatest selling of all time and it's accompanying video is an international icon.

Jackson had planned a comeback tour of 50 shows starting next month, after a 12 year hiatus from live touring. Despite guarantees of the star's health from his management, concerns had been raised whether the 50 year old could cope with such a demanding schedule. Reports say that he had been rehearsing for his comeback performances the night before his death. Some have speculated that the stress of rehearing and performing for such a highly publicised comeback may have contributed to his early death.

The pop legend, whose physical appearance has changed so dramatically since he began his career with the Jackson Five, has received tributes from fans and fellow celebrities. Madonna has said she couldn't "stop crying over the sad news." Former wife, Lisa Marie Presley commented that Jackson's death was "sad on so many levels". The overwhelming nature of comments, however, is that this music legend should be remembered for his artistic genius and not his tragic and controversy-stricken personal affairs.

Butchery in Tehran's Baharestan square

Further violence has erupted on the streets of Tehran as the Iranian authorities crackdown on demonstrations.

For over a week protestors have taken to the streets in response to the results of the recent presedential election. The Iranian government and the revolutionary guard told demonstrators that they would be dealt with harshly. Despite these threats many people continue to fill the streets and squares of Iran's cities on a daily basis.

Today our sources in Iran have reported scenes of butchery in Tehran. "In Baharestan square we saw militia with axe choping ppl like meat - blood everywhere - like butcher." They also described the scenes elsewhere in Tehran. "Lalezar Square is same as Baharestan - unbelevable - people murdered everywhere...they catch people with mobile - so many killed today - so many injured - Allah Akbar - they take one of us.". Our source went on to say "they pull away the dead into trucks - like factory - no human can do this - we beg Allah for save us". Their recent posts suggests the level of terror within Iran, our source said "we must go...they take 1 of us, they will torture and get names - now we must move fast...thank you ppls 4 supporting Sea of Green - pls remember always our martyrs - Allah Akbar - Allah Akbar...you are the creator of all and all must return to you". Yesterday they sent several reports of what they had seen on the streets across Tehran. "Travelling through Tehran now is worse than Bagdad - any moment you can be beaten or arrested...We saw a 10 years old child die from teargas in his face...could not film because militia everywhere". They added that"some embassys provided protection before but now they are all surrounded by militia..,if you are injured then they arrest you"

The Iranian government has accused the West of supporting the protestors and the UK has be singled out as 'Evil' by Ayatollah Khamenei. Iran has also expelled two British diplomats from Iran leading to the British governments expulsion of two Iranian ebassy staff. British Prime Minister said that the allegations which had been made against staff at the British ebassy in Tehran were "without foundation". This event has seen an escalation in tensions between the two countries with Iran discussing the idea of downgrading relations with the UK. It is thought that as the US has no diplomatic representation in Iran that the UK, seen as America's 'puppet', is being targeted. In a statement President Obama said he was "apalled & outraged" by the use of violence against protestors in Iran but insisted that the US was not interfering with Iran's internal affairs.


The Iranian authorites are maintaining their severe restrictions on the foreign media, who are limited in their movements and are banned from reporting from 'illegal' rallies. Due to this social media and citizen journalism online has become the main source of information out of the country. Iranian protestors have been using sites such as twitter, youtube and flickr, among others, to give updates on the current situation and upload pictures and videos. Iranian authorites are using the internet to track down dissedent and fellow internet users are being advised not to post user names. Our source in Tehran said "rumour they are tracking high use of phone lines to find internet users - must move from here now" They added "dont know when we can get internet".

Reports from Tehran - The latest from our sources

Despite warnings from the Iranian government and the powerful Revolutionary Guard of a tough crackdown, demonstrations have continued today in Iran in response to the result of the recent presidential election.

Iranian authorities have maintained reporting restrictions on foreign media, limiting their ability to move freely and banning them from reporting from 'illegal rallies'. The government has already expelled many foreign journalists including the BBC's permanent Tehran correspondent, Jon Leyne. As a result the internet and social media sites are the main sources of information from Iran. Twitter has seen the 'hashtag' #iranelection 'trending' for over a week and the topic receives around 200,000 tweets per hour.

Several twitter users have been regularly posting from Iran at great personal risk, reports say that the Iranian authorites are using the internet to track down 'cyber-dissents'. As a result the sources in our reports are kept anoynmous.

One source using twitter has recently 'tweeted' these reports. "We are having difficulty getting updates to you as so many of our contacts been arrested - life here is very very dangerous now...also one of us is badly injured and we cannot take to hospital - treating with trusted doctor contacts but needs hospital". Speaking of events yesterday our source said "yesterday we saw a 10 years old child die from
teargas in his face...could not film because militia everywhere". Our source also commented on the current situation in Tehran, "travelling through Tehran now is worse than Bagdad - any moment you can be beaten or arrested" and they added "some embassys provided protection before but now they are all surrounded by militia - also if you are injured then they arrest you".

The source also report that a protest was planned in Tehran's Baharestan Square at 4pm on Wednesday. They also said that "Mousavi will attend too" and cited Mousavi's own facebook page as their source. The also added that "tomorrow Mousavi will annouce start of a new type of protests - peaceful and silent - soon there will be strikes". Another source in Tehran last posted "I'm going to sleep a little before joining with the others, please pray for all people of Iran & wish us peace & freedom" at 5.55am (GMT) 20th June after over a week of regular posting, many other twitter users have raised councerns of the whereabouts of the user.

In other developments tensions have escalated between the UK and Iran after Iran expelled two British diplomats. The British government responded, this afternoon, by also expelling two Iranian diplomats from London. British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, commented that allegations made against embassy staff were "without foundation". This comes just days after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described the UK as "evil" in his speech at Friday prayers in Tehran University. His remarks sparked condemnation from the British foreign office and led to them calling in the Iranian ambassador to discuss the comments. The UK's foreign office has also told British nationals to avoid all non-essential travel to Iran in light of the recent protests but has said that they do not yet advise that Britsh nationals leave Iran.


BOOZHOOZ NEWS WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THE BRAVE INTERNET USERS WHO HAVE HELPED MAKE OUR REPORTS ON THE CURRENT SITUATION IN IRAN POSSIBLE.

Neda - A call for freedom

The video showing the death of this women, Neda Agha-Soltan, after she was shot in Iran on Saturday has been seen around the world.

The footage, posted on YouTube, has circulated on the Internet and has appeared on some mainstream media. The woman's name, Neda, means call or voice in Persian and many view her as a martyr. She has become a symbol of the protestors and many hold candles or pictures of her whilst demonstating.

Neda has been nicknamed online 'the angel of the protestors' and a website has been established for people to leave tributes to her. The site, weareallneda.com, already has several hundred messages in memory of Neda. One person simply posted "why?why?why?why?why?why?" and another said "RIP Neda, such a tragic waste."

Today saw smaller scale demonstrations in Tehran amid threats of a severe crackdown by the powerful Revolutionary Guard. Mir Hossein Mousavi, former presidential candidate, has called for the protests to continue and has announced that he us prepared for martrydom. Reports from Tehran say that a national strike is planned for Tuesday. One twitter user posted "Sorry no business today - we're on strike". Other reports say that on Monday night protestors again gathered in rooftops and balconies shouting Allah o Ahkbar and death to the dictator.

Heavy restrictions are still in place on foreign media preventing them from reporting on demonstrations. As a result, social media sites, such as twitter, YouTube and flickr, retain their importance as the main source of information from Iran.

NEW VIDEO FROM IRAN ---------------------------- NEW VIDEO FROM IRAN

This latest video posted on Youtube from Iran shows several young people injured, apparently by government militia. Due to restrictions on reporting from Iran the video is impossible to verify and the date on which it was filmed is unknown.

Underground newspaper, "The Street", circulates amongst protestors

An underground newspaper which has been circulating amongst protesters has been published online. The paper entitled "Khiaban" or "The Street" gives details of the protests of past days from the perspective of those on the streets of Iran. The copy seen (left) was published on 19th June and tells of how people were enraged by the election out come, leading to the demonstrations over the past week. "Yet since the results were announced, the situation changed and people became angry, and sought the crest of the wave to propel them beyond the ignorance, repression and hundreds of lies. During recent days and nights, the tide has again turned."


The newspaper also says that whilst the youth are on the street, they are advised by older relatives who remember the 1979 revolution. It also says that many people are leaving their doors open for injured protesters to take refuge in their homes. The paper goes on to explain how the deaths and statements from government have only acted to further anger the demonstrators. "Killing us and calls for calm have only made the situation more acute. Now we have more questions; more than just issues with vote counting. We want a different voice."

The paper goes on to say "We do not want to be sacrificed to corruption and graft again, for the nth time, so that our interests are ignored. We do not want a slaughterhouse that would set society back thirty years. We do not want a repeat of the fraud of 1979. We do not have any media but the world has gotten smaller so we no longer experience one thing on the streets yet read something different in world media. We do not want the next generation to be ignorant about what happened on the streets of Tehran, Esfahan, Tabriz, Shiraz, Mashhad, Ahvaz, Kermanshah, and the rest of the cities, large and small. We will represent a new voice in this power play: the voice of the people crying out in the streets. The people who have no delusions about colors and who demand change."

It's publication online comes on the day which saw protests on the streets turn increasingly violent and the deaths of as many as 19 people. Hospitals have been inundated with many injured and are calling on people to donate blood because of a nationwide shortage. In yesterday's violent scenes, all European and many other embassies in Tehran opened their doors to the injured. A source in Tehran said "Tehran is burning with the blood of our Martyrs - The streets are full of dead".


Mir Hossein Mousavi also announced, yesterday, that he was prepared for martyrdom in the fight for freedom and called for an indefinite strike if he was to be arrested. Latest reports say that daughter of Rafsanjani, Faezeh, has been arrested for her own 'protection' by the Iranian authorities. This comes after she appeared on the streets of Tehran speaking for Mr Mousavi and encouraging the crowds to continue to defy government bans on protests.


The Iranian government has maintained it's ban on foreign media reporting from 'illegal' rallies, meaning that social media sites such as twitter have continued as the way for protesters to get information out of the country. Not only have regular updates of events in Iran been posted, but videos have been posted to sites such as youtube and CNN's Ireport along with hundreds of thousands of pictures to flickr, twitpic and other similar sites. Yesterday, saw the upload of the extremely distressing footage of a young women, who twitter users have named Neda (voice or call in Persian), dying after being severely wounded in protests.

("The Street" can be viewed in its entirety at http://moniroravanipor.com/images/stories//xyaban1.pdf If anyone can translate the entire paper or parts of it into English this would be greatly appreciated. Please send any translations to boozhooz@yahoo.co.uk.)

BOOZHOOZ WOULD LIKE TO THANK THOSE IN IRAN WHO HAVE POSTED VIDEOS, PICTURES AND INFORMATION ONLINE. YOUR'E BRAVERY HAS MADE THIS REPORT POSSIBLE.

Latest from Tehran

This video shows a young women dying at today's protests after being severly wounded. As the video is EXTREMELY DISTRESSING we have not uploaded it but it can be viewed at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbdEf0QRsLM

VIOLENT SCENES ON THE STREETS OF TEHRAN, POLICE USING BATONS, TEAR GAS AND WATER CANNONS ---------------------------- PROTESTS BEGIN ON THE STREETS OF TEHRAN IN THE 7th DAY OF DEMONSTRATIONS ---------------------------- IRANIAN GOVERNMENT SAYS THERE WILL BE A TOUGH RESPONSE TO TODAY'S PROTESTS ------------------------ BREAKING NEWS: Witnesses say riot police are preventing people approaching main squares in Tehran ---------------------------- -------- BREAKING NEWS: Reports from Iran - One person shot dead in Valiasr at Enghelab crossing ---------------------------- Reports: Gunshots continuously heard from Ghasr-ol-dasht street ---------------------------- Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks out against the "arrogant" Western countries and calls the UK "evil" ---------------------------- PROTESTS BEGIN ON THE STREETS OF TEHRAN IN THE 7th DAY OF DEMONSTRATIONS ---------------------------- VIOLENT SCENES ON THE STREETS OF TEHRAN, POLICE USING BATONS, TEAR GAS AND WATER CANNONS

LATEST FROM TEHRAN

LATEST PICTURES - Riot police line the streets of Tehran

Thousands of riot police are said to be lining the streets of Iran as further protests begin in Tehran. Defying Ayatollah Khamenei's calls for an end to the demonstrations and his warnings of a tough response to them, hundreds of thousands of Iranians are expected to congregate on the streets of the capital. Today will be the 7th day of protests across the country which were sparked by last Friday's election. So far 8 protestors have been killed and many fear that today's protests will turn violent.

LATEST VIDEO FROM TEHRAN

NEW VIDEO FROM TEHRAN

A REVOLUTION IN PICTURES - TEHRAN UNIVERSITY DAMAGE

These pictures are just in from a student at Tehran's university, they show damage done to the complex in the post-election protests.










Thanks to the photographer for these pictures, the source has been left anonymous to protect their identity and ensure their safety.

VIDEO SUMMARY OF IRANIAN PROTESTS

"140 characters feels like a novel when you're being shot at."

After Iranian authorities banned foreign journalists from reporting from opposition rallies, the role of 'citizen journalism' on sites such as twitter has become the main source of information. The Iranian government has been trying for days to block internet access to prevent this cyber-dissent, however, with the help of international internet users have established proxy servers giving some the ability to log on to post information, videos and pictures. One twitter user said "140 characters feels like a novel when you're being shot at." Others have twittered events as they see them and a regularly updating to the #iranelection hashtag.

The data stream has been flowing since the election results were announced, but in light of today's developments, bloggers and internet users are now the primary source of information. Posters have used social media sites to spread information about rallies and to tell the world of events in Iran.

Despite Mir Hossein Mousavi calling off Tuesday's rally, fearing further violence, reports from Tehran say "Millions and millions of people spontaneously gathered on the streets." Yesterday saw violence throughout Tehran and 8 protestors were shot dead with several others wounded. Huge crowds gathered outside the Headquaters of Iranian State TV and Radio complaining about the bias in reporting and continued with the chants of "death to the dictator" that have been heard across the city for days. The government ordered a pro-Ahmadinejad rally, busing supporters in from rural areas, the numbers were far less than those at opposition demonstrations.

Tonight reports from Tehran say that "1000's on balconies - Tehran is alive with sound of freedom." People are chanting from their balconies in a similar way to the events leading to the Islamic Revolution of 1979. A source says that "now is dark baseej start to make trouble" and reports say that there is "street fighting in Azadi square and surrounding streets -pepper gas and fires".

Ahmadinejad has gone ahead with a visit to Russia, blanking the political turmoil in Iran. Whilst meeting with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Mr Ahmadinejad made no comment on the events currently taking place across Iran. Meanwhile, in Tehran, the guardian council has said that they will be a partial recount in some areas but have ruled out an annulment of the election result.

Current posts online suggest that more rallies are being organised for tomorrow, in what will be the fifth day of demonstrations.

A REVOLUTION IN PICTURES

LATEST VIDEO FROM TEHRAN

"Where are our votes?" - More protesters take to the streets of Tehran

More rallies are planned today following several days of unrest across Iran. Yesterday saw between 500,000 to a million people take to the streets of Tehran, demonstrators holding placards reading "Where is my vote?" and chanted "Death to the dictator".

The protests followed the contested results of Friday's election result leading to the deaths of at least 8 people and many others have been wounded. Organisers, on both sides, have planned further demonstrators today with opposition rallies expected to coincide. This has led to worries of violent clashes between supporters of Ahmadinejad and the opposition candidates.

Unconfirmed reports say that the protestors have spread across the country, with demonstrators taking to the streets in every region of the country. Iranian sources have said that there has been violence at Tehran's University, where dormitories have been vandalised and unconfirmed reports say that over 100 students are missing.
Iran's guardian council has announced that there will be a recount in some areas where the result has been contested will take place. However, sources say that Mousavi has rejected this recount, declaring it "meaningless", and has stressed the need for a full re-run off the vote.

Online services such as twitter are playing a vital role in relaying information from Iran, as conventional communication methods have been disrupted. SMS networks have been down for several days and many ISPs have been blocked preventing internet access. International users have established proxy servers so that Iranian internet users can access the internet and are searching for loopholes in Iranian government webpage blocks. Twitter has rescheduled planned maintenance in light of "the role Twitter is currently playing as an important communication tool in Iran."

Protestors release 7-point demands

Reports say that the following document, known as the Seven Point Manifesto, calling for the resignation of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, has hit the streets of Iran. Sources say that hundreds of thousands of copies have already been circulated throughout the country.

A copy was sent from Tehran to filmmaker and activist Ardeshir Arian, who has translated it.

"The Seven Point Manifesto calls for:

1.Stripping Ayatollah Khamanei of his Supreme Leadership position because of his unfairness. Fairness is a requirement of a Supreme Leader.

2. Stripping Ahmadinejad of the presidency, due to his unlawful act of maintaining the position illegally.

3.Transferring temporary Supreme Leadership position to Ayatollah Hussein-Ali Montazery until the formation of a committee to reevaluate and adjust Iran’s constitution.

4. Recognizing Mir Hossein Mousavi as the rightfully elected president of the people.

5. Formation of a new government by President Mousavi and preparation for the implementation of new constitutional amendments.

6. Unconditional release of all political prisoners regardless of ideaology or party platform.

7. Dissolution of all organizations - both secret and public - designed for the oppression of the Iranian people, such as the Gasht Ershad (Iranian morality police)."

Internet uprising: Iranian protests move online

After several days of unrest in the Iranian capital, Tehran, and the death of at least one protestor the demonstrators have began to spread their message online. Despite the Iranian government's attempt to prevent comunication by disabling ISPs in the city, foreigners have set up proxy servers allowing Iranians access to the net.

One online poster declared ""There is a Cyberwar going on" and encouraged others to overload government websites. Others used internet sites such as Twitter to get news out about the ongoing situation. Others used video and photo sharing sites, such as youtube and flickr, to inform the world of events in Tehran.

Despite, Government filters trying to block sites many are Iranians are able to access banned sites by through the use of proxy servers. Codes and ports for access to these have been plastered across the internet by those who want to help Iranians get information out of the country. Comedian and broadcster, Stephen Fry has tweeted "Our Iranian friends can access Twitter from 148.233.239.24 Port:80 in Tehran. Can avoid govt filters from here." Another tweeter said "I hope that a web service that allows you to tell people that you've just made a cup of tea can also bring down a government."

In a related story popular internet site tweeter and its provider, NTT America, have rescheduled planned maintenance in light of the role the sight is playing in the unfolding situation. "[We] recognize the role Twitter is currently playing as an important communication tool in Iran. Tonight's planned maintenance has been rescheduled to tomorrow between 2-3p PST (1:30a in Iran)." The decision came after huge pressure from tweeters posting on the #nomaintenance, which quickly became the most popular, and #iranelection pages.

However, safety concerns of some users have been raised as the Iranian authorities will be able to trace their internet access. Some, whose regular postings have suddenly stopped, are thought to have been arrested but their have been no confirmed reports of this. Users of sites such as twitter are advising others to leave their sources as anonymous when 're-twitting' their posts.

Across the world people have turned out online and also on the streets in support of the Iranian people. Students in Washington DC are planning a protest on Tuesday and on Monday demonstrators met outside the Iranian embassy in London. Online people are encouraging others to wear green clothes, the colour of the Mousavi campaign, and are helping to establish proxy servers to give internet access to Iranians.

Makhmalbaf, Head of Mousavi Campaign, has urged international governments not to recognise Friday's elections results. Unconfirmed the reports say that more demonstrations are planned tomorrow after a night of violence in Tehran. Sources in Iran have reported that the Tehran University dorms have been vandalised and their are unconfirmed reports of injuries and even deaths.


((Boozhooz News would like to thank those users of twitter and others online for reporting from Iran, their courage in relaying the news to the international community has been vital in reporting this story.)

Latest video from Iran

OUR THANKS TO THE BRAVE CAMERAPEOPLE

At least one dead in Iran and many more injured

After days of unrest across Iran following the results from Friday's poll police have fired on protestors. Reports say that at least one person has been killed and many more injured.

The government placed a ban on protests and warned Mir Hossein Mousavi that he would be responsible for the actions of his supporters. Despite this estimates say that more than half a million demonstrators marched through Tehran in a 5 mile long procession chanting "Down with the dictatorship" and "We want freedom". Many held placards saying "Where's my vote?" and "Ahmadinejad, not my president".

These demonstrations come after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner of Friday's ballot taking 63% of the vote. The results were followed by claims of vote rigging and accusations of electoral misconduct. Mr Mousavi claimed that there were several "obvious violations" of electoral procedure and that a lack of ballot papers had led to millions being denied the right to vote. He said that "The result of such performance by some officials will jeopardise the pillars of the Islamic Republic and will establish tyranny." All three of Ahmidenjad's opponents are calling for a re-run and have asked Iran's Guardian Council, a powerful body of clerics, to cancel the result, calling it "illegitimate and unacceptable".

Reports also say that the government is trying to quash a new wave of cyber-dissent. The online dissidents have posted on blogs, uploaded videos to facebook and have been using online sites such as twitter to make their voices heard. Sources suggest that the government is blocking access to the internet, however, international users have been establishing proxy servers so that Iranians can get news out of the country. Most notably Stephen Fry, comedian and broadcaster, tweeted "Our Iranian friends can access Twitter from 148.233.239.24 Port:80 in Tehran. Can avoid govt filters from here." Others have said "There is a Cyberwar going on" and encouraged others to overload government websites.

One twitter user sent this message from Iran "we only want freedom - we are peaceful - we have no life no future in IRI without freedom". Another said "it is very hard here - we are under big pressure and risk - we are being tracked on twitter". Also online there have been reports of people's homes being invaded across Tehran and satellite dishes confiscated to prevent flow of news, however, these are currently unconfirmed.

The demonstrations are expected to continue and notifications of more rallies are being posted online. One twitter user posted "Tomorrow, tuesday there WILL be another gathering at ValiAsr Sq. 5 PM" and sources inside Iran say that Mousavi is calling for a national strike.

(Boozhooz News would like to thank those users of twitter and others online for reporting from Iran, their courage in relaying the news to the international community has been vital in reporting this story.)

LATEST: Dead protestor photo released online

A photo allegedly showing the dead body of a protestor shot by Iranian security forces has been released on the website, 'twitpic'. The image has been published by a user in Iran has the caption "we wont stay silent , we will react ... crime crime crime".

The pictures have not been independently verified but witnesses report that at least one person has been shot dead and many others have been wounded when security forces opened fire. The crowds had gathered in protest at Friday's election result which saw the re-election of President Ahmidenjad.

The announcement of the result came amidst claims of vote rigging and "obvious violations" of electoral procedure by Mir Hossein Mousavi and his fellow opposition candidates. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Iranians have taken to the streets, with many reports of violent scuffles with police, outraged by the Ahmadinejad's re-election.

Protestor's assembled in Tehran's Revolution square chanting "Down with the dictatorship" and "We want freedom". Demonstrators held placards reading "Where's my vote?" and "Ahmadinejad is NOT my president!"

Advances in technology such as facebook, youtube, blogging and twitter mean that it is no easier for opponents to organise these protests and spread dissent online. The government has tried to prevent this new cyber-dissent by banning webpages and downing SMS networks. Reports say that in response hackers have downed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's website, the site, www.ahmadinejad.ir, now simply displays the message 'The maximum number of user reached, Server is too busy, please try again later...'. One hacker has declared "There is a Cyberwar going on" and encouraged others to overload government websites.

Despite, Government filters trying to block sites many are Iranians are able to access banned sites by through the use of proxy servers. Codes and ports for access to these have been plastered across the internet by those who want to help Iranians get information out of the country. Comedian and broadcster, Stephen Fry has tweeted "Our Iranian friends can access Twitter from 148.233.239.24 Port:80 in Tehran. Can avoid govt filters from here." Another tweeter said "I hope that a web service that allows you to tell people that you've just made a cup of tea can also bring down a government."


The image can be viewed at the following web address VERY DISTRESSING IMAGE http://twitpic.com/7hmx2

Shots fired at Mousavi rally

Reports from Tehran say that shots have been fired into crowds of demonstrators protesting at the results of Friday's election. Some witnesses have said that one person has been shot and many other wounded. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, have taken to the streets despite a government ban on protests.

The Iranian government told Mr Mousavi and his supporters to stay of the street and warned that Mousavi would be held responsible for the actions of those who choose to violate the ban. Zahra Rahnavard, Mousavi's wife, says that they will continue with the protests. In a statement she said "We will stand until the end".

Mr Mousavi claims that there were several "obvious violations" of electoral procedure in Friday's poll, claims denied by Mr Ahmadinejad.

The demonstrators congregated with Mr Mousavi, who was making his first public appearance since the election, in Tehran's Revolution Square. The crowd chanted pro-Mousavi slogans and shouted "Down with the dictatorship" and "We want freedom. These protests follow the violence seen on Saturday following the announcement that President Ahmadinejad had been re-elected to office. Many Iranians believe that voting rigging has occurred and refuse to accept the election result. Mr Mousavi and his fellow opposition candidates have called for a re-run of the polls.

Today's demonstrations were triggered by Mohsen Rezai, a fellow oppostion candidate, filed an official complaint to Iran's guardian council. It is claimed that a lack of ballot papers denied millions of people the right to vote and that elsewhere voting rigging has occurred. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, supreme leader of Iran, was upheld Friday's election result and has urged the 12-member guardian council to "consider precisely" their decision on the ballot. The council has said that they will meet opposition candidates on Tuesday and expect to make a ruling next week.

Mousavi defys protest ban

Mir Hossein Mousavi and his supporters have merged on the streets of the Iranian capital, Tehran, in defiance of a government ban on protests. Mr Mousavi claims that there were several "obvious violations" of electoral procedure in Friday's poll, claims denied by Mr Ahmadinejad.

The demonstrators congregated with Mr Mousavi, who was making his first public appearance since the election, in Tehran's Revolution Square. The crowd chanted pro-Mousavi slogans and shouted "Down with the dictatorship" and "We want freedom. These protests follow the violence seen on Saturday following the announcement that President Ahmadinejad had been re-elected to office. Many Iranians believe that voting rigging has occurred and refuse to accept the election result. Mr Mousavi and his fellow opposition candidates have called for a re-run of the polls.

Despite the government warning Mr Mousavi that he would be held responsible for the actions of his supporters, he has pressed ahead with today's rally. Zahra Rahnavard, Mousavi's wife, says that they will continue with the protests. In a statement she said "We will stand until the end".

Today's demonstrations were triggered by Mohsen Rezai, a fellow oppostion candidate, filed an official complaint to Iran's guardian council. It is claimed that a lack of ballot papers denied millions of people the right to vote and that elsewhere voting rigging has occurred. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, supreme leader of Iran, was upheld Friday's election result and has urged the 12-member guardian council to "consider precisely" their decision on the ballot. The council has said that they will meet opposition candidates on Tuesday and expect to make a ruling next week.

Advances in technology such as facebook, youtube, blogging and twitter mean that it is no easier for opponents to organise these protests and spread dissent online. The government has tried to prevent this new cyber-dissent by banning webpages and downing SMS networks. Reports say that in response hackers have downed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's website, the site, www.ahmadinejad.ir, now simply displays the message 'The maximum number of user reached, Server is too busy, please try again later...'. One hacker has declared "There is a Cyberwar going on" and encouraged others to overload government websites.

Netanyahu sets terms for two-state solution

Israel's Prime Minister has laid out his plans for a two-state solution to solve the Arab-Israel conflict. However, he said that the new Palestinian state would have to be demilitarised.

In his speech at Bar-Ilan university, Mr Netanyahu said that he would back the creation of a Palestinian state only if it had no army, no control over its air space and no way of smuggling weapons into the country. He also said that Palestinians must accept Israel's existence as a Jewish state if there was to be a solution to the problem.

His comments have sparked outrage from Palestinian leaders who have accused him of sabotaging the peace talks. Despite this the Obama administration had praised Mr Netanyahu's endorsement of the two-state solution as an "important step forward" on the road to peace. Hamas, however, has said that the statement from the Israeli PM has shown his "racist, extremist" ideologies.

For Palestinians recognising Israel rules out any hope for the resettlement of Palestinian refugees, displaced in the 1940s when the state of Israel was created. Many Palestinians currently live in asylum in neighbouring Arab nations or in the overpopulated West Bank and Gaza Strip, where the population density is 4,118 per sq. km (10,665/sq mile).

Mr Netanyahu's speech comes just weeks after President Obama set out his administration's plans for relations with the Middle East. Obama's speech urged leaders on both sides to push forward with a two-state solution and also called for Israel to end it's settlement activity.

Whilst Netanyahu did agree to talk with Palestinian leaders without preconditions, he made clear that he would not prevent the "natural growth" of existing settlements and stressed that it was not the settlers who were "enemies of peace".

Iranian election results spark police clashes

The re-election of Mahmoud Ahmedinejad has led to violent clashes between police and supporters of the opposition candidate, Mir Hossein Moushavi. Thousands of protestors have flooded the streets of Tehran causing riot police to use batons and tear gas against them.

The violence, described as the worst for a decade in the city, came after Mir Hossein Moushavi claimed that the election results were a 'charade'. The Obama administration has expressed their doubts about the results, descring them as "not credible". Mr Moushavi has declared that he is the winner of the polls despite Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declaring Mr Ahmadinejad as president. Ayatollah Ali Khamanei has also praised the high turnout of 85% and said that the "sweetness of this event" should not be spoiled. He said that there should be a "real celebration" amid calls for calm in the country.

Mr Moushavi has claimed that the election results are invalid as he said that there were a number of "obvious violations" of electoral procedure. He says that a lack of ballot papers in some polling stations meant that millions were denied their right to vote. He added "The result of such performance by some officials will jeopardise the pillars of the Islamic Republic and will establish tyranny." All three of Ahmidenjad's opponents are calling for a re-run and have asked Iran's Guardian Council, a powerful body of clerics, to cancel the result, calling it "illegitimate and unacceptable".


Electoral officials say that Mr Ahmidenejad recieved 63% of the vote with Mr Moushavi polling 34% and the other candidates 1%.
These results have been met with skepticism by some Iranians leading some to take to the streets in protest. Mir Hossein Moushavi's supporters have made the bulk of crowd shouting "Down with the dictarship" as police reacted violently hitting the protestors with batons and using tear gas.

Iranian election: Ahmadinejad leads in polls

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has recieved 70% of all votes currently counted in the Iranian presidential elections, officials have said.

The current president has faced a tough election race against reformist candidate Mir Houssein Mousavi, who earlier claimed he had one by a substantial margin. Mousavi has also made allegations of voting irregularities, claiming that a lack of ballot papers has led to millions being denied their right to vote.In a statement he said "[We] are waiting for the counting of votes to officially end and explanations of these irregularities to be given,"

Electoral officials have said that Mr Ahmadinejad has recieved over two-thirds of the vote in an election that has held the international media's attention and drawn a large turnout of voters. At many polling stations there were long queues and voting hours were extended to account for the 'unprecedented' amount of voters, estimates say that turnout could be as high as 75%.

With the US pursuing a new relationship with Iran the timing of the election and its result is critical. The current president, Ahmadinejad, is a traditionalist, who has had a hardline approach to the West. He mainly draws his support from poor, rural voters where as his main rival Mir Houssein Mousavi is a reformist, attracted votes from the educated, urban middle-classes. The role of women in the election is being observed closely, as many are expected to vote for moderate candidates who stand for social freedoms and equality.

Four candidates appeared on the ballot sheets with Mehdi Karroubi and Mohsen Razai trailing the two front-runners. To win a candidate needs a clear majority of over 50%, if no candidate achieves this then there is a run-off vote between the top two.

Tough sanctions for N Korea

The United Nations security council has unanimously passed a resolution that will impose further sanctions on the isolated dictatorship. The sanctions come in response to North Korea's nuclear tests last month in clear violation of previous UN resolutions. The new resolution imposes restrictions on the country's arms exports, financial dealings and gives greater powers to inspect, seize and destroy suspect cargo in ports and on the high seas.

All fifteen council members voted in favour of the resolution, which was tabled by the US, Britain, South Korea, Japan and France. Despite Russia and China's previous reluctance to increase the sanctions against North Korea, they both supported this resolution. US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, expressed concerns that Pyongyang may react "in a fashion that would be further provocation,". The British Deputy Ambassador said that North Korea needed to re-engage with the international community in fresh negotiations and added "We urge North Korea to refrain from any further provocative actions,".

This decision came after the country's second nuclear weapons test on 25 May, followed by a series of short-range missile tests. The North Korean leadership has also declared that the 50 year armistice with the South has come to an end. They also commented that they would respond "mercilessly" to any provocation of war including the use of nuclear weapons.


The resolution says that the security council "condemns in the strongest terms" the North Korean nuclear test and "demands that the DPRK (North Korea) not conduct any further nuclear test or any launch using ballistic missile technology" and added that the country "shall abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner and immediately cease all related activities.". North Korea has previously said that it would respond to such measures with "due corresponding self-defense measures" and US intelligence officials expect a further nuclear test in response to the UN's decision.