News in Brief:
TEHRAN (Press TV) - The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) says its observers have witnessed heavy shelling in the volatile eastern Ukrainian village of Shyrokyne despite a ceasefire.
"On April 26, the SMM (Special Monitoring Mission) observed what it assessed to be the most intense shelling in Shyrokyne... since fighting began in the area in mid-February 2015,” the OSCE said in a report on Monday.
"For the last 12 hours, and ongoing at the time of this report, the SMM has observed sporadic to continuous exchanges of fire involving small arms, machine gun, rocket propelled grenade and automatic grenade launcher,” the report added.
The OSCE also reported the movement of tanks and armored personnel carriers through the areas controlled by pro-Russia forces fighting the Ukrainian government in the east.
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KHARTOUM (AFP) - Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir was elected to another five years in office, results showed Monday, despite international war crimes charges and a vote marred by low turnout and an opposition boycott.
Bashir, 71, took more than 94 percent of the vote in the election held earlier this month, the electoral commission said, prompting the opposition to reject the result as a "joke".
National Electoral Commission chief Mokhtar al-Asam announced Bashir's victory to a Khartoum news conference to cries of "Allahu akbar!" (God is greatest) from the long-serving president's supporters.
Only little-known candidates had run against Bashir and his closest competitor -- Fadl el-Sayed Shuiab of the small Federal Truth Party -- took just 1.43 percent of the vote.
Bashir's ruling National Congress Party also dominated results in simultaneous parliamentary elections, taking 323 of 426 seats.
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LOME (AFP) - Togo's incumbent President Faure Gnassingbe appeared set for a third term after a weekend election, with partial results issued on Monday giving him a strong lead.
A victory in Saturday's vote -- described by regional monitors as "free and transparent" overall -- would extend his family's rule of almost 50 years over the tiny west African nation.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) said Gnassingbe had won 62 percent of the vote, far ahead of his nearest rival Jean-Pierre Fabre, who took 32 percent with about 12 percent of ballots counted.
Up to around 55 percent of the country's 3.5 million voters turned out on Saturday, according to the CENI, which has five days to announce the final outcome.
Turnout was significantly lower than in 2010, when nearly two thirds of registered voters took part.
"On April 26, the SMM (Special Monitoring Mission) observed what it assessed to be the most intense shelling in Shyrokyne... since fighting began in the area in mid-February 2015,” the OSCE said in a report on Monday.
"For the last 12 hours, and ongoing at the time of this report, the SMM has observed sporadic to continuous exchanges of fire involving small arms, machine gun, rocket propelled grenade and automatic grenade launcher,” the report added.
The OSCE also reported the movement of tanks and armored personnel carriers through the areas controlled by pro-Russia forces fighting the Ukrainian government in the east.
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KHARTOUM (AFP) - Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir was elected to another five years in office, results showed Monday, despite international war crimes charges and a vote marred by low turnout and an opposition boycott.
Bashir, 71, took more than 94 percent of the vote in the election held earlier this month, the electoral commission said, prompting the opposition to reject the result as a "joke".
National Electoral Commission chief Mokhtar al-Asam announced Bashir's victory to a Khartoum news conference to cries of "Allahu akbar!" (God is greatest) from the long-serving president's supporters.
Only little-known candidates had run against Bashir and his closest competitor -- Fadl el-Sayed Shuiab of the small Federal Truth Party -- took just 1.43 percent of the vote.
Bashir's ruling National Congress Party also dominated results in simultaneous parliamentary elections, taking 323 of 426 seats.
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LOME (AFP) - Togo's incumbent President Faure Gnassingbe appeared set for a third term after a weekend election, with partial results issued on Monday giving him a strong lead.
A victory in Saturday's vote -- described by regional monitors as "free and transparent" overall -- would extend his family's rule of almost 50 years over the tiny west African nation.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) said Gnassingbe had won 62 percent of the vote, far ahead of his nearest rival Jean-Pierre Fabre, who took 32 percent with about 12 percent of ballots counted.
Up to around 55 percent of the country's 3.5 million voters turned out on Saturday, according to the CENI, which has five days to announce the final outcome.
Turnout was significantly lower than in 2010, when nearly two thirds of registered voters took part.