TresSugar

Speed Read! Family and Friends of Iran's Neda Speak Out

TresSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:30:49 -0800

Family and friends of Neda Agha Soltan, the young woman brutally killed in Iran while protesting, are speaking out about persecution suffered under the Iranian government and Neda's commitment to protesting. - Jezebel
Hillary Clinton is in Afghanistan for President Hamid Karzai's Thursday inauguration.- New York Times
Sports fans appreciate a win more if their team almost loses. - Lemondrop
Australian authorities are investigating whether Scientology is guilty of imprisonment, forced abortion, physical violence, and blackmail. - Times of London
All the vampires in Twilight are kosher. - Jewish Journal
Revisiting Jordan Catalano of My So-Called Life. - Double X
Courtney Love bids $120,000 for date with Bill Clinton, loses. - Culture Vulture
Sarah Palin's Going Rogue and the Gossip Girl books are more alike than you'd think/wish. - Vanity Fair

Front Page: Holocaust Denier Ahmadinejad Might Be Jewish

TresSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:00:41 -0700

The identity papers of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reveal that he probably has Jewish roots. - The Daily Telegraph
A new report suggests that the government misled the public about the $700 billion bank bailout last year. - New York Times
President Obama will not meet the Dalai Lama when he visits Washington DC this week. The move is intended to reassure China. - Washington Post
Zombieland took the top spot at the box office this weekend. - BuzzSugar
Lindsay Lohan made her debut as an artistic adviser for Ungaro at Paris Fashion Week yesterday. - PopSugar

Front Page: Iranians Clash as Ahmadinejad Denies Holocaust

TresSugar — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 08:00:13 -0700

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denied the Holocaust yet again today during a speech on the country's pro-Palestinian holiday. Iranians opposed to his government also demonstrated. - New York Times
More evidence is emerging from the Annie Le murder case showing how Raymond Clark III allegedly tried to cover his tracks. - Hartford Courant
Bill O'Reilly backs a public healthcare option. - Hufffington Post
Michelle Obama plans on giving an emotional pitch to the IOC, urging them to pick Chicago for the 2016 Olympics. - Bloomberg

Three Adventurous Americans Missing in Iran

TresSugar — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:30:40 -0700

Next time you go traipsing around Iraq's Kurdistan, make sure you bring a map and stay far away from the Iranian border. Today, American diplomats with the help of Swiss officials are trying to locate three missing Americans who went hiking in Iraq's Kurdish region and accidentally crossed an unmarked border with Iran.

Iranian TV says the three have been accused of illegally entering Iran. The Swiss, who represent the US interests in Iran since there are no formal relations, met with officials in Tehran today, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave reporters her two cents back in the US:

"We call on the Iranian government to help us determine the whereabouts of the three missing Americans and return them as quickly as possible."

The three missing hikers, who have lived in Western Europe and the Middle East, are being described by friends as "fiercely intellectual" individuals with "wanderlust for travel." I hope they get out of their latest adventure alive.

Source: Flicker User kurdistan كوردستان

Neda's Boyfriend Says She Just Wanted Freedom For Iran

TresSugar — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0700

"She only ever said that she wanted one thing. She wanted democracy and freedom for the people of Iran."

- Caspian Makan, Neda Agha Soltan's boyfriend. Soltan (or Soltani), a 27-year-old philosophy student killed by a sniper this past Saturday during a protest of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's controversial election, has become an icon in Iran.

Jason Jones Gets to the Truth One Joke at a Time

TresSugar — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:17:06 -0700

I've been finding the segments The Daily Show's Jason Jones taped a couple of weeks ago in Iran exceptionally enlightening. His visit with an Iranian family last week did more to reveal similarities between everyday Americans and Iranians than any high-level diplomatic effort could have. Using humor, Jones shows how ridiculous stereotypes about Iranian people are.

Last night, we saw Jones's interviews with the leader of Iran's freedom movement, a Newsweek reporter, and former Vice President Ali Abtahi. Coincidentally, all three of those men were subsequently arrested by the authorities. Check it out above.

To see last week's segments with the Iranian family, which is probably my favorite from Jason Jones's trip, read more.

Iran Bans Prayers For Opposition Martyr Neda

TresSugar — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:10:00 -0700

She's being called the "face of Iran," "Iran's Joan of Arc," and an "Angel of Freedom" - but no matter what she's called, Neda Agha Soltani, who was shot and killed at a protest this weekend in Tehran, will live on as a defining symbol of the segment of Iran's opposition to the controversial election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The young philosophy student was shot in the heart on Saturday, presumably by government snipers. Graphic video and images of her last moments have spread around Iran and the world, making Neda a galvanizing figure for protesters.

The reaction by Iranian authorities is evidence of her power - the government has banned prayers and memorials for the young girl.

On the video of her death, a man cries: "Neda, don't be afraid! Neda, stay with me. Neda, stay with me!" Although she's dead now, it's clear that Neda will stay with Iranians struggling for more political freedoms for a long time to come.

To see a protest poster with a graphic, and now iconic, image of Neda, read more.

Front Page: Seven Dead in Iran as Protests Continue

TresSugar — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 07:59:31 -0700

At least seven demonstrators were killed in Iran Monday, as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad left the country to attend a conference in Russia. Iran's opposition has rejected a recount, calling instead for a new election. - BBC News
Iran has banned international press from protests that continue today, citing a bias. The government has also tried to stop text messages and Twitter. - CNN
Sarah Palin has released a statement accepting David Letterman's apology for making a "bad joke" about her daughter. - ABC News
Former President Jimmy Carter met with Hamas's leader today, calling on Israel to lift the blockade and to stop treating Palestinians like animals. - AFP
Sonia Sotomayor's comments on legal lessons learned from Sept. 11 could draw criticism from privacy advocates. - Fox News

Source

Front Page: Postelection Unrest Rages in Iran

TresSugar — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:00:46 -0700

Following the disputed election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, thousands of Iranians defied a ban to march in Tehran today. Iran's supreme leader has also ordered a ballot probe. - CNN
The Los Angeles Lakers won their 15th NBA championship last night. - ESPN
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu redefined his stance on Palestine yesterday, saying that he does support an independent state. - Washington Post
Michelle Obama took advantage of her special relationship with Queen Elizabeth by having a tour and private visit in honor of daughter Sasha's birthday last week. - Reuters
US birth trends hint at a bias for boys in some Asian families. - New York Times

Source

American Journalist Jailed in Iran Won't Stop Her Fight

TresSugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:00:00 -0700

Roxana Saberi, the Iranian-American journalist sentenced to eight years in an Iranian jail, has told her parents that she confessed to spying for the US after she was threatened with death.

In an interview with George Stephanopoulos, Roxana's parents said the 31-year-old freelancer who has worked for BBC and NPR plans on starting a hunger strike tomorrow from jail. The tactic will surely raise awareness for Roxana's plight and put more pressure on the US to help her.

President Obama has given his personal word that Roxana is not a spy, but Stephanopoulos, who also spoke with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, asked the Iranian president if that would be enough to convince him to release Roxana as a gesture of good will. His response was not promising: Obama, he said, could offer good will by letting Iran's judiciary operate without interference.
Source