Iran’s leader says arrogant powers cannot stop Iran missile program

Here is a round-up of global news developments:

• Iran’s Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says arrogant powers can do nothing to stop Iran’s missile program. He said Iran’s missile and nuclear programs are just pretexts to force Iran into compliance. The leader made the remarks in an address to military cadets in Tehran.
• Iran, India and Afghanistan have signed a trilateral accord for investment in Iran’s Chabahar port. The agreement was announced during a meeting between the leaders of the countries in Tehran. The project will allow Indian goods to reach Afghanistan through Chabahar without crossing Pakistan.
• The German government says right-wing violence in the country increased more than 40 percent last year. Officials have also registered a 77 percent increase in hate crimes. The violence is attributed to the influx of asylum-seekers into country. Germany has registered nearly one-point-one million asylum seekers only in 2015.
• Austria’s independent candidate Alexander van der Billen has been declared the winner of the country’s presidential election. The far-right candidate Norbert Hofer has conceded defeat. Van der Billen is a retired economics professor and has been backed by Austria’s Green Party.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a French initiative to revive talks with Palestine. Netanyahu repeated his opposition in a meeting with visiting French Prime Minister Manuel Valls. The planned international conference is set to take place in Paris in June.
• Israeli forces have killed a Palestinian woman after an alleged stabbing attack in East Jerusalem al-Quds. The incident happened at an Israeli checkpoint in the town of Biddu. Over 210 Palestinians have lost their lives since violence flared up in occupied territories last October.
• Angry protesters in France have blocked some oil refineries amid ongoing protests against the government’s planned labor reforms. Officials say some 15000 petrol stations across the country have either run out of fuel or are about to go dry. The reforms have sparked outrage among the French.
• Kenyans have held nationwide rallies against the line-up of the country's presidential electoral commission. At least two people have been killed in clashes with police in the western city of Ki-sumu. Demonstrators say the commission has been stuffed with biased and corrupt members.

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