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Saudi authorities have warned against a campaign to give women the right to drive in the conservative kingdom. The warning comes as Saudi female activists are gearing up against a long-standing driving ban, with more defiant women already getting behind the wheel. More than 50 videos showing Saudi women driving have been posted online over the past two weeks. A video, which went viral on the Internet this month, shows a fully veiled woman driving in the capital Riyadh as passing drivers give her a thumbs-up. Under the slogan, Women\'s Driving is a Choice, female activists have called for a demonstration on Saturday against the ban in the country. One Saudi woman by the name of Manal al-Sharif, who was put behind bars a couple of year ago for posting a video of herself while driving, says Saudi women are determined to drive.

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China has warned the United States to be cautious in its words and actions with regard to territorial disputes involving China and its neighbors. The Chinese Foreign Ministry warning comes amid a diplomatic wrangle over Beijing\\\'s newly announced air defense zone in the East China Sea. Before this, Washington had warned Beijing against imposing an air defense zone over both the South China Sea and East China Sea. US State Secretary John Kerry said recently that Washington would help its regional allies in protecting their territorial waters. China and its neighbors lay similar claims to parts of the strategic and resource-rich seas. The development comes days after Chinese fighter jets chased the US and Japanese military aircraft inside China\\\'s newly declared Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the East China Sea. Chinese defense authorities say they have sent more fighter jets to the zone. The Chinese air force described the mission as a defensive measure in line with international law. China says foreign aircraft passing through the airspace, including passenger planes, will have to identify themselves to Chinese authorities. The zone includes the skies over islands at the heart of a territorial dispute between Japan and China. China is also locked in territorial rows with the Philippines over wide swathes of the South China Sea and has said it might set up a similar zone there. Senior Chinese officials have repeatedly called on Washington not to take sides over the issue.

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A group of US lawmakers have warned the Afghan president against a failure to sign a bilateral security deal. After a meeting with Hamid Karzai in Kabul, a group of American senators, including John McCain and Lindsay Graham, said they expect the agreement to be signed soon. They have also noted that such a failure would pose a threat to Afghanistan and the region. Karzai has so far delayed signing the accord with the United States. The Afghan president says he won\'t sign any agreement that allows continued raids on Afghan homes. Without a signed deal, all U-S and NATO forces would have to withdraw from Afghanistan. The US-led foreign forces are blamed for many civilian deaths in the country. The senators have also warned Karzai about the release of 88 Bagram prisoners in north Kabul. Afghanistan says it\'s found insufficient evidence to continue their detention. But, Washington says the prisoners pose a serious security threat.

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On the war on Syria: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, warned that Saudi Arabia\'s political and religious ideology is \"a threat to the world\". Has Saudi Arabia\'s support for terrorists reached such an alarming level that UN Sec. Gen. Ban Ki Moon has said it will discuss Saudi support for terrorists in Iraq with UN members? In this edition of the debate, we\'ll discuss how isolated Saudi Arabia and its policy in Syria have become. Turkey, that has long called for the ouster of President Bashar Assad, is now calling for a shift in government policy towards Syria. In addition, we\'ll discuss how the U-S has come to recognize that their support for these insurgents has backfired, and further analyze reports of Western intel. agencies wanting to cooperate with Syria, Iran, and Russia in battling these extremists. Guests: - Journalist & Middle East Analyst, Sharif Nashashibi (LONDON). - Author & Historian, Webster Griffin Tarpley (WASHINGTON). Subjects: 1. REAX: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, warned that Saudi Arabia\'s political and religious ideology is \"a threat to the world\". - He was referring to Wahhabism, an ultra-conservative tradition which is predominant in Saudi Arabia, a key backer of insurgents fighting the Syrian government. 2. Saudi Arabia\'s ambassador to Britain wrote an op-ed in the New York Times entitled Saudi Arabia Will Go It Alone: with statements like \"Nothing is ruled out in our pursuit of peace in the Arab World... Act independently by rejecting a seat on the UN. The way to prevent the rise of extremism: is to support the champions of moderation: financially, materially and yes, militarily, if necessary. Saudi Arabia will continue on this new track for as long as proves necessary - This seemed to reiterate the sentiment expressed by Saudi intelligence chief Bandar bin Sultan back in October when he talked of shifting away from the alliance with the U.S.: 3. It appears Saudi support for insurgents from AL Qaeda groups to otherwise, has created havoc in the region: From Syria, to Lebanon, to Iraq: And partly in Jordan, so much so that the UN chief Ban Ki Moon has said it may discuss this with security council members? 4. Turkey, has been a supporter of President Bashar Assad\'s ouster. But now Turkish President Abdullah Gul is now calling for a shift in government policy towards Syria. President Abdullah Gul said on Tuesday that \"I am of the opinion that we should recalibrate our diplomacy and security policies given the facts in the south of our country (in Syria).\" What do you make of Gul\'s call for a change in his country\'s policy? 5. MAJOR DEVELOPMENT: The Syrian deputy foreign minister says Western intelligence agencies have been recently visiting Damascus for talks on combating extremist insurgents. Mekdad: Mekdad said that the contacts appeared to show a rift between the political and security authorities in some countries opposed to Assad. Has the US and other Western countries like France and the UK realized that support for these insurgents have now backfired? 6. If Western intel. agencies are cooperating with Syria, which by default will include Iran, then why is the US then insisting Iran not to participate n Geneva 2, or only participate on the sidelines, a precondition that Iran has rejected? 7. United States, the West, Iran, Russia, Syria and the geopolitical shift, which has left Saudi Arabia isolated: Yet the pattern of global terrorism has been sponsored by the US, Israel, and their Arab partners Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Will the US stop its support for terrorists? 8. How far will the US go to counter Saudi Arabia\'s destructive role at least regionally: Are the 2 countries headed for a clash?

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The 23rd anniversary of the passing away of the late founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran Imam Khomeini. Iranians from all walks of life gathered at his mausoleum southern Tehran to mark the occasion. Multitudes of mourners, among them Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians as well as foreign guests, gathered at Imam Khomeini\\\'s mausoleum to pay respect to a man, who changed history by overthrowing the Shah-regime back in 1979. leader of Iran\\\'s Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei addressing a large crowd of mourners in a keynote speech hailed the role of the founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini in restoring national dignity to the Iranian nation. He said Imam Khomeini set the stage for the progress and prosperity of the country. Elsewhere in his remarks Ayatollah Khamenei said the U-S and its allies are exaggerating the issue of Tehran\\\'s nuclear program and that the U-S-led sanctions against Iran have been counterproductive. Meanwhile, the leader rejected Israeli threats of military strike against Iran as a sign of the regime\\\'s weakness and warned of the repercussions of any wrong action. Ayatollah Khamenei also referred to the recent revolutions in the region and said the revolutionary nations are seeking dignity, freedom and social justice through Islamic values. He cautioned against plots by the U-S and its allies to undermine the wave of Islamic awakening that is sweeping across the region. As the leader of the Islamic revolution Ayatollah Khamenei has once said Imam Khomeini was a reality and reality never dies.

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[08 June 2012] Syria: Annan plan or civil war - Middle East Today - English UN-Arab league peace mediator Kofi Annan has once again warned of the danger of civil war breaking out in Syria; Saying that the peace plan must be implemented as soon as possible. This comes as Syria's president Basher Assad has appointed a new prime minister and tasked him with the formation of a new government is Syria despite a continuous western pressure on hi government. Syria's security and political crisis carries on despite the UN's efforts to bring about a peaceful political solution.

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[13 June 2012] Qatar lacks single shred of democracy - English Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned that Qatar's World Cup stadiums may be built using an exploited labor force of migrant workers in Qatar and urged the country to reform its employment laws. Interview with Ali al-Ahmed, director of the IGA

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Environmental experts are warning of severe changes in the climate. They say the world\'s energy systems need reform to make way for low-carbon emissions. Experts say extreme weather conditions will occur unless such measures are taken. A conference in Brussels is now discussing how governments are dealing with this threat. PressTV\'s Jerome Hughes reports from Brussels.

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Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has warned of the dangerous repercussions of the Syrian conflict. Pointing the finger at Saudi Arabia, Nasrallah accuses Riyadh of being the main obstacle on the way to a peaceful political process in Syria. Mariam Saleh reports from Beirut.

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Iran\'s President Hassan Rouhani has warned that excessive demands could hamper talks on Iran\'s nuclear energy program. On his twitter page, Rouhani referred to his phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Rouhani told Putin that excessive demands could complicate the process toward a win-win agreement. The Iranian president praised Moscow\'s efforts to help negotiate a settlement to the issue. According to the Kremlin, Putin told Rouhani that there\'s a QUOTE real chance to resolve the international standoff over Iran\'s nuclear energy program. Representatives from Iran and the five permanent members of the U-N Security Council plus Germany will sit down for fresh talks in Geneva this coming Wednesday. The meeting will be held under pressure from Israel which seems determined to force Western countries to block a nuclear deal with Iran. The previous round of talks ended without an agreement after France, blocked a deal under the influence of Israel.

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France has warned that the Central African Republic is on the verge of genocide. This comes as the U-N is considering sending African and French forces to intervene in the strife-torn country. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has described the situation in France\'s former colony as total disorder. The Central Africa Republic has faced growing chaos since a coalition of rebels staged a coup in March, forcing president Francois Bozize to flee. Last year, France invaded Mali under the pretext of stopping what it called al-Qaeda-linked militants in the country. The invasion has caused a serious humanitarian crisis in the country, displacing thousands of people.

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US officials have warned that Americans joining militants fighting to topple the Syrian government pose a security threat at home. Federal officials say American militants could become radicalized by al-Qaeda-linked militant groups and return to the US as security risks. The State Department says it has no estimates of how many Americans have taken up weapons in the nearly 3-year-old conflict. But analysts put the number at two dozen. So far this year, three US residents have been charged with planning to fight alongside the terrorist group, al-Nusrah Front in Syria. The US and some of its Arab allies including Saudi Arabia have openly supported an armed opposition in Syria and called for a regime change.

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The European Union\\\'s envoy to the Middle East has warned Israel against the failure of the so-called peace talks with the Palestinian Authority. Andreas Reinicke says support in Europe for sanctioning Israel over its settlement policies is growing and could intensify IF the talks with Palestinians fail. Reinicke, who is leaving his post next week, said he has been in touch with US mediators. The campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel has been gaining momentum for some time. The EU envoy says over a dozen of states are now in support of the idea of labeling the Israeli goods from the occupied territories. This over Israeli violations - including its settlement expansions. Several academic bodies in the US have already decided to boycott Israeli academia over Tel Aviv\\\'s violation of international law.

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The European Union\'s envoy to the Middle East has warned Israel against the failure of the so-called peace talks with the Palestinian Authority. Andreas Reinicke says support in Europe for sanctioning Israel over its settlement policies is growing and could intensify IF the talks with Palestinians fail. Reinicke, who is leaving his post next week, said he has been in touch with US mediators. The campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel has been gaining momentum for some time. The EU envoy says over a dozen of states are now in support of the idea of labeling the Israeli goods from the occupied territories. This over Israeli violations - including its settlement expansions. Several academic bodies in the US have already decided to boycott Israeli academia over Tel Aviv\'s violation of international law.

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Lebanon\\\'s Army commander has warned that the military will respond to any Israeli aggression. The warning was made as General Jean Qahwaji\\\'s visited the headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. Qahwaji says the Lebanese military is committed to the implementation of all United Nations Security Council resolutions, in particular 17-01. The resolution, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, demanded the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from south Lebanon. Earlier this month, Lebanon\\\'s south was the scene of deadly clashes between Israeli and Lebanese forces. The ensuing tensions prompted the Security Council to call for calm and restraint by both sides.

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Putin has called the explosions inhumane attacks and warned that terrorists will face total destruction. More than 30 people were killed in two bomb blasts in Volgo-grad on Sunday and Monday. The first explosion rocked the city\\\'s railway station, with the other one ripping through a bus. No one or group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks. Security has been tightened at railway stations and airports across Russia. Police have started sweeps throughout Volgograd, detaining dozens of people. The bombings have raised fears of more attacks as Russia is set to host Winter Olympics in February.

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Acting Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas has once again warned against Israel\\\'s illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. Abbas has threatened to take diplomatic and legal action against what he calls the cancer of Israeli settlement building. He said that Palestine will use its rights as a UN observer to stop Israel\\\'s expansionist agenda. The statements came ahead of a visit to the Middle East by US Secretary of State John Kerry, which begins on Wednesday. Kerry is making the trip in order to try to convince Israel and the Palestinian Authority to agree on a framework for the so-called peace talks. Tel Aviv\\\'s refusal to stop building settlements is one of the stumbling blocks for the US-brokered direct talks. The international community has long viewed Israeli settlements as illegal.

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The Pentagon chief has warned Afghanistan against what he termed as foot-dragging on the Bilateral Security Agreement with the US. Chuck Hagel says the Afghan president\'s deferring risks leaving Washington no time to plan its post-combat mission there. The US defense secretary admitted however that Hamid Karzai was the elected president of a sovereign nation, and Washington\'s ability to influence the decisions he makes, is limited. US-led forces are due to withdraw from Afghanistan by December 2014. But the security agreement under negotiation would allow for a contingent of American troops to remain on the ground. Washington wants its soldiers to enjoy immunity from Afghan law under the deal. However, Karzai has adamantly refused that condition, saying his successor should make the final decision after the presidential election on April 5.