The son of the former Iranian president Hashemi Rafsanjani is being investigated by Oxford University after claims that his successful doctoral thesis proposal was written with the help of others.
Mehdi Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former head of Iran's state-owned gas company, began a five-year DPhil course in the Iranian constitution at the faculty of oriental studies in October.
In light of the news of the opposition advance, supported by coalition airstrikes, across central Libya and the apparent fallback of regime forces on Tripoli, this poster of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi may or may not be appropriate (hat tip to Pundit Kitchen):
Sunday, March 27, 2011 at 16:55 | Scott Lucas in Africa, EA Global, EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran 1842 GMT: Two Reuters television journalists --- producer Ayat Basma and cameraman Ezzat Baltaji --- have been missing in Syria since Saturday night, when they were due to return to Lebanon.
1840 GMT: The opposition advance continued across north-central Libya this afternoon as insurgents re-claimed Bin Jawad. AFP said about 100 fighters danced and fired into the air in celebration in the town centre, singing: "Muammar, you're a dog --- we marched straight into Bin Jawad."
Bin Jawad was the far point of the opposition advance this month before the regime pushed back over the last three weeks, but the insurgents say they have surpassed this, taking the next town along the coast, Nufilia, only 100km (60 miles) from Sirte, a regime stronghold and birthplace of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, 370km (230 miles) east of Tripoli.
Al Jazeera reports that two loud explosions, presumably from airstrikes, have been heard in Sirte tonight.
A witness is reporting at least six explosions heard in Tripoli.
Earlier, French warplanes led air strikes on armoured vehicles and on a large ammunition depot near Misurata and Zintan, cities in west Libya that have been fought over for days by the opposition and regime.
Syria 1525 GMT: Back to the Regime Party. Iranian media have released pictures of regional Presidents being treated by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at Nowruz festivities. Not sure it's a 100% success, however --- Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai appears to be sleeping through the entertainment.
Better news for Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammadov --- Ahmadinejad gave him a two-seater LSA airplane worth $130,000.
Last week, Berdimuhammadov sent a thousand tons of flour to Iran for Nowruz.
Protests sweeping North Africa and the Middle East have transformed Iraq's Kurdish region, where an angry public is awakening to political life beyond the authoritarian leaders once seen as heroic liberators.
In other parts of Iraq, protests inspired by the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia have tapered off over the past month.
In Kurdistan, where two political parties have jointly dominated public life for two decades, demonstrators have remained steadfast, camping out for more than a month in a square in the region's second-largest city, Sulaimaniya.
Photo: John Stillwell (PA)On Saturday, the biggest demonstration in London since the 2003 Iraq War denounced Governments cuts in funding and social services, while more than 200,000 took to the streets in German cities urging the Government to abandon nuclear power.
The Guardian reports on the London protest, while Deutsche Welle brings news from Germany:
Demolition of a Statue of Former President Hafez al-Assad in Daraa, Sparking Clashes with Security Forces
See also Syria Video: Protest, Conflict, and Deaths in Daraa
Security Forces Disperse Crowd in Homs with Tear Gas
Saturday, March 26, 2011 at 16:53 | Scott Lucas in Africa, EA Global, EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran 2045 GMT: Reuters reports that French warplanes have destroyed five Libyan jets and two helicopters at Misurata airport.
2035 GMT: Video from Misurata in Libya of residents surrounding regime tanks:
2010 GMT: Syria's official news agency SANA has claimed that several people who were arrested by security forces during current protests are foreigners. One allegedly has US citizenship and is of Egyptian descent: “[The arrested man] admitted that he had secretly visited Israel and confessed to being funded from abroad in exchange for sending photos and videos about [the current events in] Syria.”
1640 GMT: CyberWatch. Is there an Iran-related blog you quite like? Deutsche Welle's awards, The BOBs, is looking for nominations for "Best Blog Persian".
1630 GMT: In the Skies. Austria's OMV says it has stopped refuelling Iran Air flights.
Several European companies suspended supplies to Iran Air last year, leading to the grounding of aircraft and cancellation of flights in Europe.
1140 GMT: Economy Watch. Workers of the Bandar Emam Petrochemical Plant are protesting against temporary employment contracts.
