Iran Today: Presidential Election --- Rafsanjani Shakes Up The Race

A fistfight in the Minister of Interior after President Ahmadinejad's right-hand man, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai, registered for the Presidential race on Saturday --- Rahim-Mashai is on the right while Ahmadinejad is in the centre of the photograph

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Presidential Election Watch: Rafsanjani's Campaign "Manifesto"

Former President Hashemi Rafsanjani has set out his opening statement for the campaign.

The highlight? A challenge to the Supreme Leader's declaration of the successful "resistance" of the Islamic Republic, with Rafsanjani saying that he is entering race because "the country is in condition equivalent to eight years of war with the Baathist Party in Iraq".

Rafsanjani also emphasised that he chose to run based on the requests of "many senior scholars and clerics" as well as different groups within the society. He continued:

I offer unity, trust, and the ability to bring together all factions within the family of the system and the Islamic Revolution, ensuring compassionate leaders and experienced managers.

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Iran Feature: Inside Story on How Supreme Leader Accepted Rafsanjani's Presidential Campaign

Rafsanjani & Supreme Leader in the 1980sAt 4 p.m., advisors told Hashemi Rafsanjani that if he was not going to register as a candidate, he should write a message to the people and let them know. The former President agreed to draft a satement; however, an hour later, the advisors told others, "Hurry up. Rafsanjani is setting off to the Interior Ministry to register."

What had changed?

Rafsanjani had consulted the Supreme Leader's office. He had received a "not negative" response --- not a definitive green light to run but also not a rejection.

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Syria Today: Turkey Blames Damascus for Car Bombs That Kill 43

Aftermath of Saturday's car bombs in Reyhanli in Turkey

See also Syria Opinion: How to Meet the Challenge of Covering Conflict
Saturday's Syria Today: Russia Holds Off US and British Political Approach

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1755 GMT: Humanitarian Aid

The European Commission has announced an additional 65 million Euros ($84 million) in aid for refugees and internally displaced Syrians, warning the crisis is "already at breaking point".

The announcement came as humanitarian aid commissioner Kristalina Georgieva visited the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan.

"The more atrocities and fighting go on in Syria, the more people run. There are no indications whatsoever that this...is going to go down," Georgieva said after the visit.

She continued, "We have to dig deep into our pockets (to help the Syrians) because the worst is yet to come. The crisis is beyond humanitarian response. We need to do more and we need to do more in a better way."

The UN humanitarian office has put the number of refugees at 1.4 million and displaced persons at 4.25 million --- together, the figures are about one-quarter of Syria's 22.5 million.

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Iran Analysis: What Rafsanjani's Entry Into The Presidential Race Means

After weeks of speculation, innuendo and false starts, Hashemi Rafsanjani delivered the latest blow of his storied political career.

Less than half an hour before the end of the five-day registration period, the veteran Iranian politician and cleric upstaged a controversial appearance by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his anointed successor, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai, at the Interior Ministry.

From his seat just three tables away from Mashai, Rafsanjani signed the forms confirming his candidacy for next month’s presidential elections.

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None of this bodes well for the Supreme Leader, whose role in the election will starts on Sunday.

Amid all this uncertainty, one thing is sure: there is little exaggeration in the claim made by some Tehran dailies that Saturday was an historic day. As often happens, Iranian presidential elections thrust the Islamic Republic into unchartered territory and months of political uncertainty and suspense.

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Syria Opinion: How to Meet the Challenge of Covering Conflict

Dramatic and complex events like those in Syria, with the prospect of further escalations both in and beyond that country's borders, demand careful, dedicated and in-depth coverage and analysis. Yet, on Wednesday, The Guardian announced that after 28 months, it is ending its Live Coverage not just of Syria, but of the entire Middle East. Its reason --- news is slowing to "gradual incremental developments" and it can no longer justify expenditure of resources on the project.

Of course, the decision was probably reached because of "business", not journalism. However, if news is to be effective, media have to find a way out from the financial dead end. An initiative has to put a relatively small investments into high-quality, dedicated work that might stand a chance of building an audience and encourage readers to pay attention to a story on a continuing basis.

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Iran Video of Day: People Chant "Rafsanjani Has Arrived"

The scene in Tehran this afternoon as people learned of the Presidential candidacy of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani: "Peace be upon Prophet Muhammad. The saviour of the nation has come. Greetings to Hashemi, Greetings to Khatami. Viva Hashemi, Viva Reform."

Iran Today: Presidential Election --- Last Day Of Candidate Declarations

President Ahmadinejad and his right-hand man, Presidential candidate Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai, at the election centre today

See also Iran Special: EA's Guide to the Presidential Election
Iran Video of Day: People Chant "Rafsanjani Has Arrived"< /br>
Friday's Iran Today: Presidential Election --- Still No "Unity" Candidate

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Election Watch: Rafsanjani Edition

Former president Hashemi Rafsanjani has told the ISNA news agency that he "has come to serve and the people have the right to elect me or not."

Meanwhile, MP Alireza Zakani, Presidential hopeful and head of one of the factions seeking to fight the election, has said he will support Saeed Jalili --- Secretary of the National Security Council --- to stop the "sedition" of Rafsanjani.

The news agency was suspended, and its head threatened with prosecution, over an April 2012 video report on martial arts training by Iranian women.

The report initially appeared with a headline that the women were training to become assassins.

Rallying Behind Rafsanjani

In another major development pointing to a serious challenge by former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, the "Advisory Council of the Reformists" has put out a statement that --- after a meeting with former President Mohammad Khatami --- all reformists will be formally backing Rafsanjani.

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Syria Today: Russia Holds Off US and British Political Approach

The moment one of two car bombs went off in Reyhanli in Turkey, near the Syrian border, killing more than 40

See also Friday's Syria Today: Turkey "Backs US-Enforced No-Fly Zone"
Friday's Syria Today: Turkey "Backs US-Enforced No-Fly Zone"

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1610 GMT: Deadly Bombing Inside Turkey on the Border

Leading Turkish officials have been issuing statements as the death toll from the two car bombs in Reyhanli, just inside Turkey on the Syrian border, passed 40 with more than 100 injured.

President Abdullah Gul said, "We should be careful against provocations," while Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared:

These actions could have been taken to raise sensitivity in Hatay Province. Twenty to twenty-five thousand refugees live in camps and others are our guests.

The culprits could be those who could not digest this. Or it could be those who want to provoke this fact.

I think we need to be very careful and patient.

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Middle East Today: Bahrain --- Opposition Blogger Emerges After 2 Years

Bahraini opposition blogger Ali Abdulemam has re-emerged in public after two years.

On 17 March 2011, two days after the Government declared a state of emergency and suppressed mass protests, the activist posted via Twitter, “I get tired from my phone so I switched it of no need for rumors plz."

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Syria Audio Analysis: Britain's Big Push with Russia on The Conflict --- Scott Lucas with Monocle.

EA's Scott Lucas talked to Monocle 24 on Friday morning ahead of a working meeting between UK prime minister David Cameron and Russian president Vladimir Putin in Sochi, to discuss the Syria conflict.

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