News Archive - 27 January 2011

>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama called on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Thursday to make "absolutely critical" political reforms, ratcheting up pressure on a key U.S. ally in the face of street protests seeking his ouster. Weighing in for the first time after three days of Egyptian unrest,...

>HERZLIYA, Israel (Reuters) - An Israeli simulation of reactions to the Palestinian push to declare independence concluded Thursday that it would isolate and divide Israel but that big powers would not rush to recognize a state declared unilaterally. The gathering of academics and ex-officials, playing key political roles, saw Prime...

>BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's former premier Saad al-Hariri and his political allies will not join the government of his successor, Hezbollah-backed Najib Mikati, sources close to Hariri said on Thursday. Mikati started talks on Thursday to form a government to succeed Hariri, who was brought down by resignations of Hezbollah...

>BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A car bomb exploded at a funeral wake in a Shi'ite area of Iraq's capital on Thursday, killing at least 35 people, wounding dozens and triggering clashes between angry residents and police, health and security sources said. The blast capped a bloody two weeks as suspected insurgents...

>"We hope a national unity government will be formed and all Lebanese parties join," Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem told reporters, in the first official reaction from Damascus to Mikati's appointment.Moualem said after meeting British Foreign Secretary William Hague in the Syrian capital that Syria was ready to cooperate...

>PARIS (Reuters) - Falling birth rates will slow the world's Muslim population growth over the next two decades, reducing it on average from 2.2 percent a year in 1990-2010 to 1.5 percent a year from now until 2030, a new study says. Muslims will number 2.2 billion...

>DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia has no plans to forfeit its right to enrich uranium domestically, but is willing to consider alternatives in an effort to better relations with Iran, a key royal said on Wednesday. Sanctions are piling up against OPEC member Iran as the...

>Dmitry Rogozin, Russia's ambassador to NATO, said the virus that hit the computer system at the Bushehr reactor had caused centrifuges to spin out of control."This virus, which is very toxic, very dangerous, could have very serious implications," he said, describing the virus's impact as being like explosive mines.

>PARIS (Reuters) - As Carlos Ghosn stepped onto the stage at the Paris motor show to unveil the near-street-ready version of the Zoe electric car last September, the Renault CEO knew investigators at his company were already probing an attempt to steal its secrets. Digital displays on giant screens counted...

As a result of globalization, a burka-clad girl from some backwater Afghan or Turkish village can now find herself inhabiting the same space as female college student in Paris sporting a bare midriff. What role does Islam play in the West today? Is its influence possible to manage?

THIRTY YEARS AGO this month, the collapse of the Shah's government marked the launch of Iran's Islamic Revolution, and since that point the topic of Islam has rarely been out of the headlines. All too often, we hear about Islam in the context of intolerance and, often, violence -- of...

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Sarah Shourd will be among the performers, singing songs she wrote while in captivity with her fiance, Shane Bauer, and their friend, Josh Fattal, both 28, who remain in Iran.

From huffington post By John L. Esposito Professor of Religion and International Affairs Note: This post was co-authored by Sheila B. Lalwani. Conflicts and killings from Africa to Southeast Asia have brought into sharp relief the significant threat to religious minorities in some Muslim societies. While constitutionally entitled in many...

The U.S. relationship with President Hosni Mubarak's Egypt is full of contradictions and tensions, according to recently published U.S. diplomatic cables, but also underpinned by similar basic interests in a rough and unpredictable part of the world.

CAIRO, Jan 27, 2011 (AFP) - Egyptian Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, who received Egypt's highest honour five years ago, arrived on Thursday to join nationwide protests demanding the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak.

(AP:SAN FRANCISCO) About a half-hour past midnight Friday morning in Egypt, the Internet went dead.

Tehran, Jan 28 : The Islamic Information and Documentation Centre in the Iranian capital, Tehran, has launched the free online Islamic law encyclopaedia, 'Wikifiqh' in farsi. English and Arabic versions are also planned.

Obama administration officials hold differing views on how far these governments should go in granting concessions to demonstrators who may prefer regime change to gradual improvements, officials say. With demonstrations intensifying across the Mideast, Obama administration officials are debating how quickly to push Arab allies toward reforms that could stabilize...

Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown, especially today in the Maghreb and Middle East. For the ouster of Tunisia's Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has sent shock waves from Rabat to Riyadh.

Were there a Santa Clause, the 67-minute, 30-secpnd wish list for America from President Obama would have come in handy.

A couple of fairly expensive compact fluorescent light bulbs went kaput in my house after hardly any use. I checked the package and they were made in China. My first thought was that the Chinese need guidance from a W. Edwards Deming equivalent. My next thought was it would do...

Today is Friday, Jan. 28, the 28th day of 2011. There are 337 days left in the year.

BAGHDAD: A car bomb exploded at a funeral wake in a Shia area of Iraq’s capital on Thursday, killing at least 35 people, wounding dozens and triggering clashes between angry residents and police, health and security sources said.

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian demonstrators fought security forces into the early hours of Friday in the city of Suez, and the Internet was blocked ahead of the biggest protests yet planned against President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.

North Korea Friday made a fresh call for talks with South Korea to reduce what it called the danger of war, urging Seoul to discard "useless misgivings and prejudice."

BRUSSELS : The European Union on Thursday called on the Iranian government to abolish the death penalty after a recent series of hangings in the country, officials said.

Some politicians are concerned this is proof that poor immigrants aren't the only ones infiltrating the Mexico border.

OK, pay attention, because there's going to be a quiz. Syrah and petite sirah are not the same thing, even though they sound alike.

Most of the job seekers have professional work experience and degrees from colleges in their home countries.

Tools near the Persian Gulf date the migration about 60,000 years earlier than was previously believed.

FOREX: Dollar Steady Through Strong and Weak Data, Primed for a Potentially Dramatic GDP Reaction

There is really no need for Malacañang to draft a new responsible parenthood bill for endorsement to Congress as a consolidated bill with identical provisions is now on third and final reading at the House of Representatives, according to Minority Leader Edcel Lagman.

It is a tragically sure bet that a Shi'ite holy day in Pakistan is certain to be marred by a bombing. Why is such a large Muslim group under attack?

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CAIRO: Internet service in Egypt was disrupted and the government deployed an elite special operations force in Cairo on Friday, hours before an anticipated new wave of anti-government protests.

ZURICH (AP) - FIFA says Qatar-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera has bought rights to show the 2018 and 2022 World Cups across the Middle East and North Africa. The deal covers all media platforms in 23 territories and countries, including Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Morocco and Palestine. The value was not disclosed. It's...

The Panthers couldn't get past the 19-2 Chanticleers on Thursday night at home in the Millis Center.

Despite his Nobel Prize, former IAEA head is surprisingly little-known in his home country

The biggest oil refinery in the Middle East will be inaugurated in Iran on the occasion of the 32nd anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution, reports say.

Egyptian government deploys an elite special operations force in Cairo and disrupts Internet service hours before an anticipated new wave of anti-government protests. | Nobel Peace Prize Winner Returns to Egypt Thousands Rally Against Yemen Gov't Turmoil in the Arab World Bush May Have Set Arab Revolts in Motion OPINION:...

Internet service in Egypt has been disrupted and the government deployed an elite special operations force in Cairo early today, hours before an anticipated new wave of anti-government protests.

Making dramatic art of Persian poetry By ben Fulton The Salt Lake Tribune Updated Jan 27, 2011 07:49PM MDT Kathleen Cahill’s play “The Persian Quarter” took more than a year to write, but it spans more than 30 years in the course of her life. Under the light of history,...

The force multipliers escalating events in the Middle East are television and social networking. People in Egypt saw what happened in Tunisia and took heart. People in Yemen were emboldened by demonstrations in Egypt. The net result is that the governments of Yemen and Egypt now hang in the balance.

DAVID LUIZ moved a step closer to becoming a Chelsea player yesterday after Benfica went public for the first time about their negotiations with the Barclays Premier League champions.

Mark Schwarzer's Socceroos teammates could go on for hours talking up the veteran goalkeeper's impact on Australian football but coach Holger Osieck needs only a few seconds to sum up his admiration.

The goal of the lecture series is provide an in depth understanding of hot-button foreign policy issues, said event organizer Susan Piepho, a retired professor from Sweet Briar College.

“President Obama’s 2011 State Of The Union” by NPR Once a year, as mandated by the Constitution, the President of the United States gives an address to Congress updating them on the state of the union. Over time, much ceremony and tradition has been attached to the State of the...

CAIRO - Internet service in Egypt was disrupted and the government deployed an elite special operations force in Cairo on Friday, hours before an anticipated new wave of anti-government protests.The developments were a sign that...

The low-cost airline prides itself on its quick turnaround times. But 20 minutes! Isn't that too fast?

The latest legal battle pitting the family of slain photojournalist Zahra Kazemi against the Iranian government has ended in a draw.

For decades the U.S. has supported allies in the region, regardless of democratic status

Nine people are in a pickle and about $22 million in drugs won’t hit GTA streets thanks to a massive joint-forces undercover operation.

A massive joint-forces undercover operation has stopped more than $20 million of imported drugs from hitting the streets of the GTA.

The European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee has given initial approval for the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with Turkmenistan, a move that is designed to help Europe achieve energy security but that has drawn fire from human rights groups.

In Tuesday night's nationally televised State of the Union address, U.S. President Barack Obama moved toward the political center by giving a little something to everyone.

It's unclear how widespread the service disruptions are and what is causing them.

They cannot be called Twitter revolutions, but the revolts in Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen have been assisted by Internet technology, which has become a 21st century weapon for democracy movements, experts say.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said here on Thursday that he expects Canada's continued support for the F-35 joint strike fighter plane program, which is under fire from opposition politicians.

Israel has been closely watching the unrest roiling its Arab neighbours while keeping a low profile, with top government officials responding cautiously to what one described as “an earthquake” in the region

Washington DC (SPX) Jan 28, 2011 Northrop Grumman has unveiled a new methodology for strengthening data security in the "cloud" at the recent 6th Annual SANS Institute Cyber Defense Initiative conference. Northrop Grumman introduced its Cyber Architecture Reference Series, an approach to building in strong security measures in the highly...

Police agencies worldwide are turning up the heat on a loosely organized group of WikiLeaks activists. On Thursday U.K. police arrested five people, and U.S. authorities said they'd executed more than 40 search warrants in the U.S. in connection with last month's Web-based attacks against companies that...

DOHA : South Korea coach Cho Kwang-Rae has warned his side to expect motivated opponents in Friday’s Asian Cup third-place play-off, as Uzbekistan seek a reaction to their 6-0 humiliation by Australia.

Ken Livingstone, Labour's candidate for London Mayor, is parting ways with Press TV, the English-language news channel funded by the Iranian government. Livingstone has filmed a series of seven monthly book review shows, but claims he'd never planned any further programmes for the channel, which many consider a mere mouthpiece...

WASHINGTON — In the three short weeks since a poor, unlicensed Tunisian fruit-seller set himself on fire after police seized his wares, protests have ousted his country's long-time authoritarian ruler and confronted Egypt's octogenarian president with the greatest challenge of his 30 years in power.

Who said feminists are 'obnoxious bigots'?

Art auction to promote hostages' liberation At 7 p.m. Saturday, SOMArts Gallery in San Francisco will host an exhibition and auction of works donated by contemporary artists to promote the release of the two Bay Area...

LOS ANGELES -- Some unlikely tools unearthed near the Persian Gulf show that our ancestors may have migrated far out of Africa as early as 125,000 years ago -- about 60,000 years earlier than was previously believed. The finding, published online Thurday in the journal Science, also provides evidence that...

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RESTAURANTS in Kuala Lumpur will have to provide WiFi service from next year in line with Information Communication Technology vision for the city, said mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Fuad Ismail.

Egyptian Mohamed ElBaradei has joined protests demanding the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak.

Berlin (UPI) Jan 27, 2011 Germans and exiled Iranians gathered in front of the German Foreign Ministry Thursday to demand that Berlin take a stance against a wave of executions in Iran. Around 60 people, sporting banners and chanting "no more silence," Thursday braved the Berlin cold to assemble outside...

Political science professor Won Paik said more nations will become nuclear powers despite efforts made by the U.S. Paik, an expert on East Asian and international politics, was a panelist at the Speak Up, Speak Out forum “Nuclear Threats?” where the chances of nuclear war were debated Wednesday...

LE TOUR de Langkawi's (LTdL) queen stage with its finish atop Genting Highlands has always provided the drama, but never a surprise of the magnitude of a Malaysian team writing history with a leader after this stage.

DOWNEY – John Oskoui, who came aboard last July as Public Works director, has among other things brought loads of experience as a private consultant serving municipalities and school districts, and thus a large degree of clarity, to his position.

Ronald Reagan left the White House 21 years ago and died in 2004, yet his name is constantly invoked by current politicians...

Can God find a home for Palestinians? Robert Fisk, as always, hits the nail on the head ("A new truth dawns on the Arab world", 26 January). Alas, this exciting new truth will get us nowhere. While we rant, rave and demand our democratic rights which we will not get,...

When last most Americans heard from Mohamed ElBaradei -- if they ever heard of the Egyptian diplomat at all -- he was that guy from the United Nations atomic watchdog, complaining about Iran's failure to come clean about its nuclear program. Now he's positioning himself as the public face of...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed on Thursday to set up a joint commission for reaching out to Afghan Taliban, implying that Kabul has finally assigned a formal role to Islamabad in the reconciliation process — even though only that of a facilitator.

Seven other men and two women were arrested on Wednesday as part of the year-long investigation dubbed Project Khiar.

Finally a movie to write home about! Plus other good things.

U.S. President Barack Obama faces tough diplomatic maneuvers ahead of a March tour of three of the countries the administration sees as potential trade partners.

Historian Robert Wright has written a tight summary of the Iran hostage crisis — this time from a Canadian perspective. When you are tempted by the title Our Man in Tehran, keep that Canadian perspective in mind.

A massive joint-forces undercover drug operation has stopped more than $20 million of imported drugs from hitting the streets of the GTA.

ANKARA [MENL] -- Iran, under U.S. sanctions, has offered Turkey several energy development projects. Copyrights 2008, Middle East Newsline. All rights reserved.

As we've seen in Iran and Tunisia, social networking tools have given activists in authoritarian regimes a powerful voice, which can be heard well beyond their own country. But the use of social networking tools has also given their governments ways to identify and retaliate against them.

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM--(Marketwire - Jan. 27, 2011) - In an international conference on Iran , a bipartisan group of senior former US government officials, joined by prominent Members of the European Parliament, urged the United States to undertake a fresh approach to the Tehran regime.

NICOSIA [MENL] -- Iran has reported the modernization of its fleet of U.S.-origin air defense batteries. Copyrights 2008, Middle East Newsline. All rights reserved.

The new US ambassador to Damascus, Robert Ford, presented his credentials to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday, expressing hopes of improving ties between their countries.

Toronto police say they've busted a sophisticated criminal organization that was smuggling opium into Canada inside cans of pickled cucumbers.

The US government's blurry vision when it comes to the Arab world is a victim of its own simplistic two-bit approach to the region: lust for oil and fear of Islamism.

Issue 4565. Last Updated: 01/27/2011 After 50 years of Russia’s military-industrial complex striving for complete self-sufficiency and dictating its own interests to the army, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov has sent a clear and unequivocal message: The era of its monopoly over the domestic military market has come to an end.

Release Time:  For Immediate Release Location:  James S. Brady Press Briefing Room Please see below for an addition to the transcript. 1:43 P.M. EST      MR. GIBBS:  Go ahead, I’m sorry.      Q    Can you comment on the conclusions of the financial crisis investigatory commission?  And do you...

Harare: Allrounder Sean Ervine pulled out of Zimbabwe’s squad for personal reasons, dealing the team’s World Cup hopes a major blow. Ervine quit English County side Hampshire two weeks ago to play for Zimbabwe for the first time in seven years, but he intended to return to Britain.

You never see the geopolitical bus that hits you. Suddenly, the Middle East is on fire...literally. Stock markets in the region are reeling as the protests against authoritarian rulers in the unsettled hotspot are spreading.

SOUTH Korea coach Cho Kwang Rae says his side paid the price for bizarre officiating after it lost on penalties to arch-rivals Japan in the Asian Cup semi-finals.

Long before Arnold Palmer piloted his first aircraft, in 1956, he was aware of the Newtonian law, "What goes up must come down." On Jan. 31, the rule will have slightly sadder, more literal implications.