Protesters open 2nd day of clashes in Tehran; Ahmadinejad calls unrest ‘not important’

TEHRAN, Iran — Protesters set fires and smashed store windows Sunday in a second day of violence as groups challenging President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s re-election tried to keep pressure on authorities. Anti-riot police lashed back and the regime blocked Internet sites used to rally the pro-reform campaign.

New US commander in Afghanistan meets President Karzai for first time

KABUL — The incoming commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan has met with President Hamid Karzai for the first time.

No fraud in Iranian elections: Ahmadinejad

TEHRAN - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Sunday rejected the opposition’s claims of electoral fraud, saying his re-election was “real and free” and could not be questioned.

Protests over Iran election dispute erupt for 2nd day; Ahmadinejad say unrest ‘not important’

TEHRAN, Iran — Protesters set fires and smashed store windows Sunday in a second day of violence as groups challenging President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s re-election tried to keep pressure on authorities that have responded with anti-riot squads and blackouts of Web networks used to rally the pro-reform campaign.

Biden has doubts about Iran’s presidential vote; says US focused on Tehran’s nuclear program

WASHINGTON — Vice President Joe Biden said Sunday he had doubts about whether Iran’s presidential election was free and fair, though the U.S. must accept “for the time being” Tehran’s claim that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won a resounding re-election.

Obama’s game plan faces setback as Ahmadinejad sweeps Iranian polls

WASHINGTON - With Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s victory in Iran’s Presidential poll, US President Barack Obama’s hopes of blocking Iran’s nuclear programme faced a serious blow.

Governor says Afghan government has no control in 5 districts in Helmand

KABUL — The governor of Afghanistan’s most violent province said Sunday that the government controls only eight of its 13 districts.

Iranian president says election was ‘real and free’ despite violent protest

TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday his re-election was “real and free” and cannot be questioned — despite accusations of mass voter fraud.

Hope - and disappointment - in Tehran (Special to IANS)

Just a few days ago, the same street in Central Tehran where my taxi had to slow down due to joyful opposition supporters, had now turned into an obstacle race as we walked and ran to escape the teargas and passed burning garbage bins. On Saturday, it was a harrowing experience while returning home from work.

Iranian election gives Netanyahu opportunity to put peacemaking on back burner in speech

JERUSALEM — Israel’s prime minister delivers a highly anticipated policy speech Sunday in which he could use the re-election of Iran’s hard-line president to boost his argument that Tehran poses a bigger threat to Mideast peace than his refusal to endorse Palestinian statehood.

Tehran calm but Iran tries to keep lid on reformists after vote fraud claims trigger clashes

TEHRAN, Iran — Tehran was mostly calm Sunday after election fraud claims triggered violent street clashes, but the government maintained fairly tight control of information flow and new details emerged of arrests of high-profile reformists.

Italian TV crew attacked by police in Tehran

ROME - An Italian TV crew covering the unrest in Tehran has been attacked and injured by riot police, Italy’s foreign ministry said Sunday.

EU concerned about post-election violence in Iran

PRAGUE - The European Union (EU) Saturday expressed concern over the presidential election in Iran and the violence that followed the announcement of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s victory.

Muted reaction of world leaders to Iranian election

WASHINGTON - The international reaction to Iran’s controversial presidential election was muted at best Saturday with few world leaders making any statements on the contested result.

Tehran in turmoil: Anger over election fraud claims boils over into violence

TEHRAN, Iran — Opponents of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad clashed with police in the heart of Iran’s capital Saturday, pelting them with rocks and setting fires in the worst unrest in Tehran in a decade. They accused the hard-line president of using fraud to steal election victory from his reformist rival.

Clinton rejects victory claim by Iran’s Ahmadinejad, wants to know Iranians’ choice

NIAGARA FALLS, Ontario — The U.S. on Saturday refused to accept hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s claim of a landslide re-election victory in Iran and said it was looking into allegations of election fraud.

Israel says Ahmedinejad re-election illustrates growing Iranian threat

JERUSALEM — Israel’s foreign minister said Saturday that the re-election of hard-line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad highlighted the urgent need for the West to forcefully act against Tehran’s nuclear program.

Cell phone service appears to have been cut in Tehran, Iran’s capital, after disputed election

Cell phone service down after disputed Iran vote

TEHRAN, Iran — Cell phone service appears to have been cut in Iran’s capital after a disputed election that the government said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won.

EU official holds talks with Hezbollah in bloc’s first high-level meeting with militant group

BEIRUT — The European Union’s foreign affairs chief held talks Saturday with a Hezbollah legislator in the first meeting between a senior EU diplomat and the Iranian-backed militant Shiite group.

White House says US watching for irregularities in Iran’s contested presidential election

WASHINGTON — The White House says it is monitoring Iran’s presidential election results, including reports of voter fraud.

Clinton says US hopes Iranian vote reflects ‘genuine will and desire’ of Iranian citizens

NIAGARA FALLS, Ontario — The U.S. on Saturday refused to accept hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s claim of a landslide re-election victory in Iran and said it was looking into allegations of election fraud.

Clashes erupt in Iran after government claims Ahmadinejad wins disputed election

TEHRAN, Iran — Supporters of the main election challenger to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad clashed with police and set up barricades of burning tires Saturday as authorities claimed the hard-line president was re-elected in a landslide. The rival candidate said the vote was tainted by widespread fraud and his followers responded with the most serious unrest in the capital in a decade.

With nuclear dispute at stake, world reacts cautiously to Iranian hard-liner’s re-election

VIENNA — The U.S. and Canada challenged Iran’s claims that hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won re-election, but much of the rest of the world remained silent Saturday despite claims of fraud and scenes of clashes on the streets of Tehran.

Iran’s President Ahmadinejad moves into big lead, but pro-reform rival also claims election win

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s interior ministry said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad moved into a strong lead Friday with nearly 70 percent of the votes tallied so far, but his pro-reform rival countered that he has clearly won and warned of possible vote fraud. The dispute rose up even before polls closed early Saturday, heightening tensions across the capital where emotions have been running at a fever pitch. Mir Hossein Mousavi, the reformist candidate, suggested he might challenge the results.

Ahmadinejad leads with nearly 70 percent of partial results in Iran vote

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s Interior Ministry has released partial results showing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad leading with nearly 70 percent of votes counted so far in Friday’s election.

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claims he’s won re-election, but rival also claims victory

TEHRAN, Iran — Both President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his main reformist challenger declared victory in Iran’s election Friday shortly after the polls closed. The Interior Ministry then released partial results showing hard-line Ahmadinejad with a strong lead. It said he had 68.8 percent of the more than 10 million ballots counted so far. His main challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi had 28.8 percent.

Iranian expats, children in US line up to vote in Mideast country’s presidential election

LOS ANGELES — Iranian expatriates and their children living in the United States cast ballots Friday in the Middle Eastern country’s heated presidential election between incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his main rival, a reformist who favors greater freedoms and improved ties with the U.S.

Breakdown of Iranian electorate

A look at Iran’s electorate

SIZE: There are 46.2 million eligible voters in a population of about 70 million. About a third of the voters are under 30 — born after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. About 60 percent of the voters are in cities.

Obama says ‘robust’ election debate in Iran means change is possible

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama said Iran’s “robust debate” leading up to Friday’s presidential elections is evidence that change is possible, and expressed optimism that U.S. diplomatic efforts could get a boost no matter who wins.

Campaign.com: Reformist taps social networking in race for Iran’s presidency

TEHRAN, Iran — A dozen young Iranians tap away at computers in a headquarters so new the light fixtures are still being installed. Their mission: to post videos, messages, blogs and anything else to further the Web-savvy campaign that hopes to bring down President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Friday’s election.