News Archive - 28 January 2011

> "A woman smuggler named Zahra Bahrami, daughter of Ali, has been hanged today for the possession and selling of narcotics," Mehr reported, quoting the court. The 45-year-old woman's daughter was quoted by the rights group International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran as saying the drug charges were fabricated...

>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama spoke to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Friday and said he told him to undertake sweeping reforms, while U.S. officials made clear that $1.5 billion in American aid to Egypt is at stake. Obama said he pushed Mubarak to make good on...

>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon urged restraint from Egypt's military in face-to-face talks with a top Egyptian general in Washington, before his delegation was called home on Friday because of massive anti-government protests. Lieutenant General Sami Enan, chief of staff of Egypt's armed forces, abruptly cut short talks in Washington...

>"I think it's great. We have all these banks squirming, thinking maybe it's them," Assange told the CBS television program "60 Minutes" in an interview.CBS released a partial transcript on Friday ahead of Sunday's broadcast of the full segment.Bank of America Corp shares fell more than 3 percent...

>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's push for democratic reforms in Egypt has faced resistance from its longtime leader, in part because President Hosni Mubarak believes Washington's past pressure for change has caused chaos in the Middle East, leaked U.S. diplomatic cables show. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking...

>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Egypt on Friday to rein in its security forces and allow peaceful protests, escalating pressure on an important ally as demonstrations raged across the country. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak imposed a curfew and ordered troops to back up police as they...

>The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) is scrutinizing Huawei's deal for server technology firm 3Leaf, which the Chinese telecom gear maker completed in May, for U.S. national security implications."Huawei voluntarily invited CFIUS review of this transaction," said William Plummer, Huawei's vice president of external...

>LONDON (Reuters) - As protests escalate in Egypt and elsewhere, Western governments are awkwardly trapped between strategic alliances, their own rhetoric on democracy and rights and domestic political sympathy for those demonstrating. Police and demonstrators fought running battles in the streets of Cairo on Friday on a fourth day of...

>Dozens of people were wounded as police and demonstrators fought running street battles on Friday in opposition to Mubarak's three-decade rule.Live television footage showed the ruling party headquarters on fire in Cairo and Al Jazeera television reported military vehicles entered a central square in the capital to cheers from...

>CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt mounted a security clampdown in Cairo and blocked Internet sites and the mobile phone system in a face-off with thousands of protesters who promised a "Friday of Wrath" aimed at ending Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule. Emboldened by this month's revolt that toppled the leader of Tunisia,...

CAIRO, Egypt - Facing the gravest challenge to his 30-year rule, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused to step down early today after mobs set fire to his ruling party's headquarters and state security buildings, stormed police stations and confronted armored military vehicles in defiance of a nationwide curfew.

Iranian caretaker Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has called for joint investments with Malaysia for exploring new East and Central Asian markets.

The biggest oil refinery of the Middle East will be inaugurated in Shazand, Markazi province, during the ten-day celebrations of the 32nd anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution (February 1-11).

CAIRO — Facing a popular uprising, Egypt’s president fired his Cabinet early today after protesters engulfed his country in chaos — battling police with stones and firebombs, burning down the ruling party headquarters and defying a night curfew enforced by the army.

Crackdown on protesters draws harsh criticism from Washington. AP PHOTO/LEFTERIS PITARAKIS An anti-government protester is backdropped by a fire set up by protesters Friday near the Tahrir Square, in downtown Cairo.

Iran will continue to supply oil to India for the time being, Indian company officials said, even though the two countries have yet to resolve a row over oil payments.

A challenging drama about Stalinist labor camps, an unusual take on the problems of plastic bags and an eye-opening journey through social media and revolution are among the offerings of the 2011 Boulder International Film Festival.

President Barack Obama on Friday put Egypt's embattled leader, Hosni Mubarak, on notice that he should not use his soldiers and the police in a bloody crackdown on the protests in Egypt, edging away from a close U.S. ally whose cities have erupted in protest.

The White House threatened to cut off $1.5 billion in annual aid to Egypt if the brutal crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators continues. "Obviously, we will be reviewing our assistance posture based on events now and in the coming days," Presid...

Egypt's embattled President Hosni Mubarak appeared on television early on Saturday for the first time since country-wide protests erupted four days ago, refusing to accede to popular demands that he resign.

Southern California Egyptians expressed concern and excitement about protests in their homeland that threaten to topple the nearly 30-year regime of President Hosni Mubarak.

WASHINGTON -- Hope and Change, it turns out, is all relative. They are a sweet elixir when you are talking about electing as president a smooth-talking street organizer with a fistful of vague promises and no governing experience. But Hope and Change become a noxious gas when you are talking...

New York, Jan 29 : The United Nations refugee agency has welcomed the entry into force of a new law in Mexico on the protection of refugees and asylum-seekers that now gives the country a legal framework that complies with international standards in this area.

In his first response to the unrest sweeping his nation, Egypt's president fired his Cabinet Saturday and promised reforms but refused to step down, setting the stage for perhaps even heavier street battles with protesters calling for an end to his nearly 30 years in power.

The Net Delusion argues that technology isn't necessarily good for freedom – but how else can the oppressed have a voice? Evgeny Morozov's The Net Delusion is the first book from the Belarusian-born foreign policy writer and blogger. Morozov has built a reputation as a sharp and sometimes caustic critic...

America’s Tatyana McFadden and South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius were the shining stars on a bleak and blustery morning on day eight of the IPC Athletics World Championships in Christchurch. McFadden could not have been more impressive in totally dominating ...

EURUSD: Looking to Short at 1.3668

Twenty years ago this past week, despite fears of “another Vietnam,” the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate voted to authorize the use of force against Iraqi troops occupying Kuwait.

A FOX 35 News expert says the current chaos in Egypt has the potential to be good news. Former Homeland Security Official Christopher Hinn believes if Democracy takes hold in Egypt, it could spread quickly throughout the Middle East.

The Threat of an S&P 500 Reversal Offers more than Just a EURUSD Trade

Tehran, Jan 29 : Iran's first nuclear reactor built in the southern city of Bushehr will be connected to the country's electricity generation network by April, Iranian nuclear authority has said.

Copyright 2011 LARZ F. NEILSON WILMINGTON - When “the torch was passed to a new generation” 50 years ago, some Wilmington people were there.

CAIRO — Facing a popular uprising, Egypt's president fired his Cabinet early Saturday after protesters engulfed his country in chaos — battling police with stones and firebombs, burning down the ruling party headquarters and defying a night curfew enforced by the army.

WASHINGTON — Stepping up pressure on a stalwart but flawed Middle East ally, President Barack Obama said he personally told Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak Friday night to take “concrete steps” to expand rights inside the Arab nation and refrain from violence against protesters flooding the streets of Cairo and other cities.

KUCHING, Friday 28 January 2011 (Bernama) -- Sarawak's iconic event, Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) is expected to rake in an estimated RM20 million revenue for the state this year.

Iran has exported $19.18 billion worth of non-oil items (excluding gas condensates) in the first nine months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21 to December 21).

The Chicago-area high-tech community, home to 25 meet-up and incubator groups dedicated to nourishing the next Groupon, Google or Microsoft, has attracted a Silicon Valley-based incubator intent on cultivating 50 companies, creating up to 1,400 high-paying technology jobs and raising $100 million in venture capital in its first two years.

An Austrian lawmaker on Thursday linked Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, pictured, to the 1989 murder of a Kurdish opposition leader in Vienna.

The broadcast images of massive crowds clashing with soldiers and police across Egypt this week come from the other side of the world, too far away to worry most people here.

Russia and Iran plan to conduct joint operations in maritime security to prevent unlawful actions at sea, such as poaching and smuggling.

San Francisco - The old saying goes that the pen is mightier than the sword. The new saying might be that the keyboard is mightier than the bullet. That's one of the lessons of the extraordinary events currently unfolding on the streets of Egypt, and before that earlier this month...

Thousands of miles away from the chaos in Egypt, protests were ramping up across the United States, including right here in Houston. Egyptians living in the Bayou City turned out for a demonstration Friday at the Consulate General of the Arab Republic of Egypt on Westheimer near The Galleria.

President Obama's historic speech at Cairo University galvanized millions of people across the Arab world with its inspiring message of peace and brotherhood among Muslims. And his stirring endorsement of democracy led many Egyptians gave hope to many Egyptians that his words would ring in a new era, helping pressure...

The U.S. sees its interests in the region best preserved by encouraging reform and a gentler regime in Egypt, but its long-term client strongman may have other ideas

Reaction to the uprising from San Diego's Egyptian community has been one of joy-- tempered somewhat by obvious concerns about bloodshed. KUSI's Ed Lenderman has been following the turmoil in Egypt and gives us some perspective on what's going on.

Egypt's military deployed on the streets of Cairo to enforce a nighttime curfew on a day of rioting that was a major escalation in the challenge to the country's authoritarian president's 30-year rule.

For the rocks and other projectiles that protestors are hurling in the streets of Cairo, Egypt's riot police have shields.

South Korea survived a fightback from Uzbekistan to win the Asian Cup third-place playoff 3-2 on Friday and book a place at the next tournament in four years time.

CAIRO - Facing a popular uprising, Egypt's president fired his Cabinet early Saturday after protesters engulfed his country in chaos - battling police with stones and firebombs, burning down the ruling party headquarters and defying a night curfew enforced by the army.

A EURUSD Correction Does Not Guarantee a Reversal

(CNN) – GOP Conference chairman Thaddeus McCotter voiced his support for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Friday in a statement released...

KUCHING: This year’s Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) to be held from July 8 to 10 is expected to generate around RM20 million for the local tourism industry.

Making dramatic art of Persian poetry By ben Fulton The Salt Lake Tribune Updated Jan 28, 2011 06:38PM 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,...

HootSuite, a Vancouver-based website that allows users to manage their social networking accounts, is reporting a seven-fold spike in new users from Egypt in the past two days after Egyptian authorities shut down Internet access and text messaging late Thursday amid mass political unrest.

The B.C. Lions released veteran offensive lineman Sherko Haji-Rasouli on Friday

Listen to the Audio JIM LEHRER: And to the analysis of Shields and Brooks, syndicated columnist Mark Shields, New York Times columnist David Brooks. President Obama has made his statement about Egypt. And we're going to run an excerpt of it in a moment. And, in fact, we're going to...

 Weeks before he left Iran amidst a massive nationwide demonstration against him, the Shah of Iran broadcast his last speech to the people, apologizing for his past mistakes. On Nov. 5, 1978, he pleaded: “I heard the voice of your...

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama dramatically increased pressure Friday on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to overhaul the political system in response to nationwide protests, telling Mubarak it's time to open "a meaningful dialogue" with his opponents.

Stepping up pressure on a stalwart but flawed Middle East ally, President Barack Obama said he personally told Egypt's Hosni Mubarak Friday night to take "concrete steps" to expand rights inside the Arab nation and refrain from violence against protesters flooding the streets of Cairo and other cities. The White...

Hosni Mubarak is urged to expand rights within Egypt, and refrain from violence against protesters

It is tempting to assume that the tide of protests in Tunisia and Egypt that have led to the flight of one dictator and the unsettling of another, could, if taken at the flood, lead to democracy in the Islamic world. There is, however, no historical precedent to support it.

Stephen Zunes, professor of politics and chair of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of San Francisco, answers questions from msnbc.com readers about the Egyptian crisis .

Lebanon’s premier-designate Najib Mikati, who is backed by the Hezbollah-led camp, yesterday wrapped up consultations on forming a new government set to be boycotted by his Sunni rival Saad al-Hariri.

Events in Cairo have been reminding US diplomats of an earlier popular revolution, writes LARA MARLOWE

Egyptians armed with low-tech electronic gadgets like dial-up modems, landlines and old-school satellite phones are finding ways to get their message out, despite efforts by the teetering government to block communication.

Egypt's embattled President Hosni Mubarak fired his Cabinet and promised reforms in his first response to protesters.

Iran’s first nuclear power plant will be ready to generate electricity on April 9, atomic energy chief Ali Akbar Salehi said yesterday, in signs of yet another delay.

It was just weeks before he left Iran forever amidst a massive nationwide demonstration against him that the Shah of Iran broadcast his last speech to the people, apologizing for his past mistakes. On November 5, 1978, he pleaded: I heard the voice of your revolution. As Shah of...

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's embattled President Hosni Mubarak said early Saturday that he had asked his Cabinet to resign, and promised reforms in his first response to protesters who have mounted the biggest challenge ever to his 30-year rule.

Obama's Internet Freedom Agenda has its first big test in Egypt, where it weakens an ally, doesn't help dissidents and gives no one in the region a reason to back the United States.

A leading supporter of Iran’s government predicted that conservative Islamic forces would eventually gain the upper hand in Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen.

President Barack Obama is expected to make a statement from the White House on Egypt soon

The French Consul General for San Francisco spoke to BYU students about the relationship between France and the United States recently. Romain Serman, the youngest consul general in the French diplomatic corps, spoke of the United States’ oldest ally, France, and the role France plays in current international affairs as...

SILENCE: In an effort to quell protesters, Egypt took a step that's rare even among authoritarian governments: It cut off the Internet across the entire country and suspended cell-phone service in some areas.

It took some doing, but Egypt was the first nation in history to largely vanish from the internet on Friday. BGPmon, a monitoring site, estimated that 88 percent of the "Egyptian Internet" had "fallen off" the worldwide internet, which is generally reckoned to have been created in 1969.

COMMENTARY | The Obama administration is in a difficult position regarding the turmoil in Egypt. This is indeed the moment of the 3 a.m. phone call in the middle of the night that Hillary Clinton mentioned in her 2008 campaign ads.

Internet cutoff fails to silence Egypt protests By BARBARA ORTUTAY The Associated Press Updated Jan 28, 2011 07:59PM MDT New York • In its effort to silence protesters, Egypt took a step that’s rare even among authoritarian governments: It cut off the Internet across the entire country. The nation’s four...

Protesters have seized the streets of Cairo, battling police with stones and firebombs, burning down the ruling party headquarters, and defying a night curfew enforced by a military deployment. It is the peak of unrest posing the most dire threat to Mubarak in his three decades of authoritarian rule.

Egyptian leaders had clashed with the U.S. over human rights and government reforms for years before Friday's warning that the situation there threatens U.S. aid to the country, according to a series of leaked U.S....

It was 24 hours ago that Egypt's network links to the rest of the world began to die, and a televised address from the country's president indicates that no end is in sight.

When Egyptian President Mubarak's NDP party headquarters were burned today, and after them the five-star Conrad Hotel, global onlookers worried that the next landmark to be torched would be the world-famous Egyptian Museum, which houses the largest and most important collection of Pharaonic antiquities known to man. But thanks to...

If the $68 billion in U.S. aid to Egypt is seen is an investment in political stability in the Middle East, the question now is: has this investment worked in U.S. interests, and is it now failing, and perhaps even backfiring?

28 January 2010, 06:06 p.m. By Debbie Carlson Of Kitco News http://www.kitco.com/

TEHRAN, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- Hollywood stars have supported an illiterate Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning but critics say her case is diverting attention from real dissidents.

"Dear UK government," the ominous letter begins. "It has come to our attention that you deemed it necessary to arrest five of our fellow anons for their participation in the DDoS attacks against PayPal, Mastercard, and others, that have been carried out in our name in retaliation for those organizations'...

As the smoke clears from Egypt’s most violent political protests in more than 30 years, President Hosni Mubarak still retains power.

Why two leading pro-Israel groups are not embracing the popular upheaval in Egypt

CAIRO - Chaos engulfed Egypt Friday as protesters seized the streets of the capital, battling police with stones and firebombs, burning down the ruling party headquarters, and defying a night curfew enforced by a military deployment. It was the peak of unrest posing the most dire threat to President Hosni...

BENFICA have received an offer from Premier League champions Chelsea for Brazil defender David Luiz, the Portuguese club said on Thursday.

Who did T. Boone Pickens anger more last night, OPEC or fracking victims? Founder and Chairman of BP Capital, T. Boone Pickens visited The Daily Show last night, where he described The Pickens Plan, denied fracking damage, and made many other controversial statements.

>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As it watches the crackdown against the uprising in Egypt, the United States is trying to avoid abandoning President Hosni Mubarak, an ally of 30 years, while supporting the democratic ideals of the protesters. Here are some of the U.S. policy options:BALANCING ACT (MOST LIKELY)The United...

The United States warned Egypt on Friday it would review some $1.3 billion in aid based on Egypt's response to massive protests, urging the government to rein in security forces and allow peaceful demonstrations.

The impasse over the mode of payments to Iran for crude shipments to India could be resolved within a month with the Iranian side giving assurance to India that a `clean' transaction channel would soon be provided for transfer of funds.

As tens of thousands of protesters use social media to challenge governments in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Algeria and Jordan, news coverage of the breaking events has both highlighted its role in sustaining the protests and the power of images, video and reports circulated by the various outlets, mobile phones and...

When protests broke out in Egypt earlier this week, microblogging service Twitter was the first thing to go . The country quickly blocked the service to avoid seeing repeats from other Web 2.0-centric revolutions, such as the recent upheaval in Tunisia . Today, Twitter has come forward and with a pledge...

Protesters in Egypt defy curfew By News Desk CAIRO, Egypt — Tens of thousands of protesters continued to flood the streets of Cairo Friday evening, defying calls for a curfew by the country's president, GlobalPost correspondent Jon Jensen reports. The demonstrators continued their march toward Cairo's Tahrir, or "Liberation," Square...

WASHINGTON (AP)Increasing the pressure o - Increasing the pressure on Egypt's leaders, the Obama administration threatened on Friday to reduce a $1.5 billion program of foreign aid depending on President Hosni Mubarak's response to swelling street protests in Cairo and other cities.

It's a simple song competition. Or is it? The Eurovision Song Contest has long promoted itself as an event where national audiences in Europe and beyond can put politics aside and enjoy a long night of entertainment performed in the spirit of friendly competition, if not necessarily musical mastery.

Today, history is being made in the Middle East. The Arabian streets woke up to the sound of sniper fire as a regime is defending itself, against the people of its own nation. The flames of anger have been fanned by decades of corrupt authoritative rule.

Lebanon's premier-designate, Najib Mikat has wrapped up consultations on forming a new government.