News Archive - 16 February 2011

>JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Two Iranian warships planned to sail through the Suez Canal en route to Syria on Wednesday, Israel's foreign minister said, calling it a "provocation," but the vessels were seen as posing no serious military threat. Israel's state-funded Channel One television said Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, a vociferously...

>DOHA (Reuters) - A journalist throws open the wide front door of Al Jazeera's Doha headquarters, cell phone pressed against his ear. "They were arrested last night," he bellows into his phone. "We can't get through to the producers. All the material was confiscated, and some of the equipment was...

>SEOUL (Reuters) - Satellite images show North Korea has likely completed a second long range missile launchpad, an expert said on Thursday, amid U.S. concerns that Pyongyang's ballistic missile program is fast becoming a direct threat. The launchpad is more sophisticated than the country's first facility and strikingly similar...

>MANAMA (Reuters) - Bahraini police fired teargas to disperse a crowd of people camped out in a central Manama square on Thursday, witnesses said, as they tried to end three days of protests inspired by uprising in Egypt and Tunisia. "Police are coming, they are shooting teargas at us," one...

Last week, I wrote a short piece here on the history of the V for Victory, known to many as the "piece sign," and its usage in the recent Egyptian protests. More recently, demonstrators in Jordan, Iran, and Bahrain have begun displaying the gesture as well. Thus, the "V"...

>SINGAPORE (Reuters) - London crude prices extended gains to hold at 2- year highs of more than $104 a barrel on Thursday, as fresh Israel-Iran tension fed spreading unrest in the Middle East and stoked fears of a disruption of oil flows in the region. U.S. oil also continued...

>CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's new military rulers faced their first unwelcome diplomatic exposure on Wednesday as Israel reported that two Iranian warships were approaching the Suez Canal to pass through for the first time since 1979. The two navy vessels planned to sail through the canal, one of the world's...

> * World stocks gain on earnings optimism * Israel warning to Iran stokes oil, Swiss franc rally * Sterling falls after BoE inflation report (Adds details, updates prices) By Wanfeng Zhou NEW YORK, Feb 16 (Reuters) - World stocks reached 30-month highs on Wednesday on strong corporate earnings, while...

>PARIS (Reuters) - Anti-government protests inspired by popular revolts that toppled rulers in Tunisia and Egypt are gaining pace around the Middle East and North Africa despite political and economic concessions by nervous governments. Clashes were reported in tightly controlled oil producer Libya, sandwiched between Egypt and Tunisia, while new...

>MANAMA (Reuters) - Protesters in Bahrain, inspired by revolts that have toppled Arab rulers in Tunisia and Egypt, poured into the Gulf island kingdom's capital on Wednesday to mourn a demonstrator killed in clashes with security forces. Over a thousand joined a funeral procession for the man, who was shot...

>LONDON (Reuters) - Brent surged to over $102 a barrel on Wednesday as worries about unrest in the Middle East escalated after reports of clashes in Iran, Yemen and Bahrain, raising concerns about disruption to oil flows. U.S. crude prices hovered below $85 a barrel after economic data showed...

> "Students and the people attending the funeral ceremony of the martyred student Sanee Zhaleh have clashed with a limited number of people apparently linked to the sedition movement and forced them out by chanting slogans of death to hypocrites," the website said. Zhaleh was shot dead during an opposition...

Bahraini activist speaks out on the trigger factors behind the protests sweeping the Gulf state

Oil prices hovered near $85 a barrel Thursday in Asia on investor concern political upheaval in the Middle East could spread and disrupt crude supplies.

European stocks could move in a tight range on Thursday, as investors pause for breath following a sharp rise in the previous session. That said, firm Asian cues and optimism over the global economic outlook may keep broader sentiment positive.

Change to democracy in many Arab countries hinges on their people being able to enjoy two basic rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human...

MANAMA (Reuters) - Bahrain police stormed a Manama square on Thursday to clear activists camped out there as anti-government protests in the Middle East and North Africa, inspired by revolts in Tunisia and Egypt, gathered pace.

TOKYO: The dollar eased against the yen in Asia Thursday as positive sentiment driven by upbeat US data and an improved outlook from the Federal Reserve was tempered by worries over Middle East stability.

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi says all the required fuel for Bushehr nuclear power plant has been supplied and that it is currently undergoing a test cycle.

> * Heavy selling in some Asian mkts may be waning for now * Brent crude hits fresh 2-1/2 yr highs on Mideast tensions By Saikat Chatterjee HONG KONG, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Asian shares eked out modest gains for the second consecutive day on Thursday after the Federal Reserve...

>Financial spreadbetters expected Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE to open unchanged to down 3 points or as low as 0.1 percent, Germany's DAX .GDAXI to open up 2 points as much as 0.03 percent or down 3 points as much as 0.04 percent and France's CAC-40 .FCHI to...

The New Zealand dollar stubbornly refused to drop into the US74c zone today despite remaining vulnerable to a dive.

Two people have been killed in Bahrain as riot police unleashed rubber bullets and tear gas to drive panicked protesters out of a Manama square.

The writer, a resident of Wharton, a former Democratic state Assembly candidate, owns an advertising and public relations firm. He can be reached at thestafford@optonline.net. His column appears here the first and third weeks of the month, alternating with columnist Leanna Brown, a Republican.

Tehran, Feb 17 : A group of demonstrators, including students, held protests in the Jordanian capital Amman, calling for constitutional and political reforms as well as limited powers for King Abdullah II, a media report said Thursday.

Manama - Bahraini police broke up a protest camp in a central Manama square early on Thursday, killing at least two people, as they tried to end three days of demonstrations inspired by uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, witnesses and the opposition said.

Will the chain reaction of protests crossing the Middle East now reach Central Asia? Most of the region's nations seem well insulated from the upheaval — but not all of them, writes Martin Sieff, The Globalist's Chief Global Analyst.

Regulatory News:

The Middle East is roiling with calls for democracy, but officials at La Jolla High School in San Diego had the slogan "Freedom for Iran" painted over when it was discovered on three "senior benches" where messages are permitted. School...

Chris Bowen says Australia needs multiculturalism to be free and equal. What do you say?

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned from his position on Friday, Feb. 11, after 18 days of violence and protest of his reign by citizens. As uprisings continue in several countries nearby, it is clear that citizens will not continue to stand for oppressive leadership.

The protests that have occurred in Tunisia and Egypt have been successful in fostering significant political change. In Tunisia popular protests resulted in the ousting of former President Zine El Abidine Ben. In Egypt, former President Hosni Mubarak has been forced to resign, and his National Democratic Party has been...

Two people were killed overnight as Bahrain's security forces moved in to clear protesters camped out in a central Manama square, relatives of the dead said Thursday.

The revolutionary tidal wave (or, if you prefer, the "Tunisami") sweeping the Middle East and North Africa spreads ever wider, as in country after country young protesters take to the streets in an attempt to change their countries' governments. But don't expect an outcome equal to the (mostly) peaceful...

Riot police storm Bahrain camp; 2 reported dead

Anti-government activists call for a 'day of anger' in Libya, with reports of more overnight unrest in two cities.

Many people around the world are happy to see that the Egyptian people have been able to peacefully (for the most part) overturn the 30-year dictatorship of President Hosni Mubarak. Many others, noting how similar revolutions turned to tyranny in places as varied as France and Iran, are worried about...

As Egypt's military moves forward with a plan to enact constitutional reforms, protests continued Wednesday while the country adjusted to its new governing body.

Egypt-inspired unrest spread against Libya’s longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi on Wednesday, with riot police and protesters clashing in the second-largest city of Benghazi, and marchers setting fire to security headquarters and police stations in two other cities, witnesses said.

Pro-democracy fervour is sweeping the North African and West Asian region. First Tunisia. Then Egypt. Now the people of Bahrain are rising. This is the most popular song to emerge from the Egypt and captures the mood of freedom and hope. For English subtitles of the lyrics, click ‘cc’ at...

Two Iranian warships in the Red Sea are preparing to transit Egypt’s Suez Canal en route to Syria, Israel’s foreign minister said, calling it another of Iran’s “provocations.”

President Barack Obama on Tuesday warned autocratic US allies they cannot crush the Middle East's youthful "hunger" for change and offered "moral support" to Iranian protesters defying a crackdown.

If you’re talking about a revolution in Iran, it’s best to hedge your bets.

The Indonesia stock market has finished higher now in three straight sessions, gathering more than 40 points or 1.2 percent along the way. The Jakarta Composite Index remained just above the 3,415-point plateau, and now traders are looking forward to further upside when the market kicks off trade on...

Concrete “senior benches” at La Jolla High School have been painted and repainted for decades with colorful student messages that typically include celebrations of teenage love, birthday wishes or football victories.

MANAMA, Thursday 17 February 2011 (AFP) - Two people were killed and at least 50 injured overnight Wednesday as Bahrain's security forces moved in to clear protesters camped out in a central Manama square, a Shiite opposition spokesman told AFP.

>DUBAI/KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - For oil colossus Saudi Arabia, a shift to renewable energy is as much about preserving its international influence and maximizing its revenues as saving the planet. The world's leading oil exporter and custodian of more than 260 billion recoverable barrels -- around a fifth of...

> * Israel said on Wednesday two Iranian warships planned to sail through the canal en route to Syria and called the move the latest "provocation" by Tehran. [ID:nLDE71F2BQ] * Longer-dated Treasuries rose on Wednesday after the comments by Israel, paring earlier losses caused by inflation worries with U.S.

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) -- Riot police firing tear gas and wielding clubs stormed a landmark square occupied by anti-government protesters Thursday, driving out demonstrators and destroying a makeshift encampment that had become the hub for demands to bring sweeping political changes to the kingdom.

Current revolts in the Middle East are examples of a powerful political phenomenon: the J-curve, or the dip in stability as countries move from closed to open societies. For some, it will be an inescapable trap. 17 Feb 2011 12:18 PM

Cost expected to go higher for spring and summer, but to hold off $4 mark It's been such a steady climb that gasoline prices have reached the highest levels since 2008, when they broke $4 per gallon in many U.S. cities, with little fanfare.

You may not know Navid Khonsari by name, but you've undoubtedly seen his work. Credited as a writer and director (and voice actor ) for Rockstar between 2001-2005 , Khonsari would "establish and pioneer the cinematic feel" introduced in Grand Theft Auto 3's cutscenes and evolved throughout the studio's storied...

The China stock market has finished higher now in five straight sessions, collecting nearly 150 points or 5.4 percent en route to a two-month closing high. The Shanghai Composite Index finished just above the 2,920-point plateau, and now investors are looking for further upside when the market kicks off...

We must ignore the siren calls of fence-sitting cynics and forge a foreign policy based on our values.

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WASHINGTON - A GROUP of US lawmakers on Wednesday unveiled legislation to toughen sanctions on Iran for its nuclear energy program, calling for international companies traded on US exchanges to reveal investments in the Islamic Republic. 'If we can bring greater transparency to any investment being made in Iran, we...

Visiting Turkish President Abdullah Gul said Ankara will not allow the military bases of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Turkey to be used for military purposes against other countries, Iran's English language Press TV reported Wednesday.

JERUSALEM – Two Iranian warships planned to sail through the Suez Canal en route to Syria yesterday, Israel said, calling it a “provocation” by the Islamic Republic.

WASHINGTON – At his first press briefing, new White House Press Secretary Jay Carney admitted that he was not ready for prime time – at least when it comes to getting mocked on live TV. Asked by a reporter if he has “a preference on which member of the cast...

THE mass demonstrations that continue to rock the Middle East are not just a threat to the region’s entrenched despots — they represent an unravelling of the American imperium no less.

The Taiwan stock market on Wednesday halted the modest two-day winning streak in which it had collected more than 110 points or 1.2 percent. The Taiwan Stock Exchange finished just above the 8,710-point plateau, although now analysts are predicting a modest rebound at the opening of trade on Thursday.

NEW YORK, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Crude oil prices climbed past $85 per barrel in New York as traders kept an eye on tensions in the Middle East.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. crude oil inventories rose for the fourth consecutive week, although less than expected, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said Wednesday.

Secretary Clinton's Launch of Strategic Dialogue with Civil Society Special Briefing Tomicah S. Tillemann Special Advisor Senior Advisor for Civil Society and Emerging Democracies Tomicah S. Tillemann Washington, DC February 16, 2011 MS. FULTON: Good afternoon. Welcome to the Department of State. We’re very pleased today to have with us...

McAfee, which will soon be an Intel subsidiary, and Wind River, which already is one, Wednesday announced they are hardening the security of industrial commercial operating systems supplied by Wind River to makers of products such as automated teller machines, medical devices, TV set-top boxes and cameras.

A wave of civil unrest is continuing to spread across the Arab world following the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.

U.S. intelligence agencies believe Iran's leadership is split over whether to use its nuclear program to develop atomic weapons and is immersed in a serious internal debate about how to proceed in the face of international sanctions, Americans officials said Wednesday.

Freshman Congressman William Keating, a Quincy Democrat, is jumping into the fray of foreign affairs. He is in the process of drafting a bill to prevent American technology companies from selling software that could allow authoritarian governments to monitor their citizens.

( American Association for the Advancement of Science ) The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world's largest general scientific society, has named Dr. Glenn E. Schweitzer, a tireless advocate for international science cooperation and the role of science in foreign relations, to receive the 2010 AAAS...

It was the youth of Egypt who brought the country to a screeching halt--who demanded change so relentlessly that one of the world's longest standing leaders was ultimately forced to bend to their request. Youth voices have been loud and clear these past few weeks and they're now echoing...

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton vowed the U.S. will step up support for global Internet freedom, as citizens using social networking sites run by Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. organize demonstrations spreading across the Mideast and North Africa.

Berlin - It normally only takes a handful of well-received movies to help fire up a film festival's main competition.

Libya is to be hit by a "Day of Anger" Thursday as protests mount against the rule of Colonel Moammar Gadhafi, the latest leader to be engulfed by unrest spreading across the Middle East.

The S&P 500 rose on Wednesday to twice its value from just two years ago, a bounce whose vigor has not been seen since the Great Depression.

The veteran diplomat, international lawyer and Nobel Prize winner has emerged as a high-profile opposition figure over the past few weeks and a possible candidate to replace fallen autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

NEW YORK (AP) — Strong earnings results and another round of corporate deals pushed stocks higher Wednesday. The Standard & Poor's 500 index has now doubled from the intraday low set in the 2008 financial crisis.

Washington - The United States is monitoring two Iranian ships in the Red Sea suspected of heading to the Suez Canal and regarded by Israel as provocative.

Government supporters and opposition activists clash at funeral procession for student killed in Tehran.

The exiled heir to the Iranian throne has called on the West to seize an opportunity to assist pro-democracy protests calling for the overthrow of the Islamic regime.

Washington - Noting the political unrest that has spread from Tunisia to Egypt and elsewhere in the region, President Obama says young people are seeking better opportunities and ways to improve their lives.

Iran is moving warships, staging maneuvers, and provoking Israel and Israeli Foreign Minister Lieberman.

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody. Please have a seat. I figured that I'd give Jay one more taste of freedom -- (laughter) -- before we lock him in a room with all of you, so I'm here to do a little downfield blocking for him.

The Toronto stock market headed for its first close above 14,000 in about two and a half years on Wednesday in large part to strong gains in the tech, energy and financial sectors.

The government statistician is set to release the latest producer price index data for the December quarter today, with the previous report showing inflationary pressures were starting to stir in the New Zealand economy.

Tensions in the Middle East is once again heating up. Following earlier reports that Israel would not take too kindly to Iranian warships passing through the Suez Canal, the WSJ now reports that Iran has likely resumed nuclear-research work. "A new classified US intelligence assessment concludes that, even as Iran...

Protesters demanding sweeping political reforms from Bahrain’s rulers held their ground Wednesday in an Egypt-style occupation of the capital’s landmark square, staging a third day of demonstrations that have brought unprecedented pressure on one of Washington’s key allies in the Gulf.

Gasoline pump prices reached a 28-month high Wednesday even though oil and gas supplies in the U.S. continue to grow and demand for gas is weak.

> Brent crude futures jumped above $104 a barrel intraday. Brent crude for March delivery LCOJ1 rose $2.14, or 2.1 percent to settle at $103.78 a barrel, trading from $101.73 to $104.52. (Reporting by Robert Gibbons; Editing by Alden Bentley) Tweet this Share this Link...

CAIRO, Egypt--The contradictory American foreign policy of supporting both democracy and dictators abroad came to an excruciating head in Egypt. President Obama was squeezed...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Unrest surging through the Arab world has so far taken no toll on the American military. But that could change if revolt washes over the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom of Bahrain -- long

Release Time:  For Immediate Release Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden will travel to Finland, Russia, and Moldova during the week of March 7, 2011. In each country, the Vice President will meet with key leaders to discuss the full range of bilateral and regional issues.  In Helsinki,...

MANAMA, Bahrain — Protesters demanding sweeping political reforms from Bahrain’s rulers held their ground today in an Egypt-style occupation of the capital’s landmark square, staging a third day of demonstrations that have brought unprecedented pressure in one of Washington’s most strategic allies in the Gulf. Security forces have pulled back...

Iran is sending two warships into the eastern Mediterranean, Israel's foreign minister said Wednesday, labelling the act a "provocation" that the Jewish state cannot ignore for long.

(RTTNews) - Stocks are holding on to solid gains in mid-afternoon trading on Wednesday after the minutes of the latest Federal Reserve meeting showed an upward revision to the central banks' 2011 GDP forecasts.

>NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar slumped broadly on Wednesday after Israel said Iranian warships were en route to Syria and demand for non-U.S. safe-haven currencies was seen thriving should the situation worsen. Israel's foreign minister said moves by two Iranian war ships to sail through the Suez canal...

Dr. Shirin Ebadi -- the first Iranian and the first Muslim woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize -- will release a memoir in April entitled The Golden Cage. She is a remarkable woman because of her keen intellect, but even more so because of her inbred commitment to,...

About 2,000 demonstrators attacked government offices in a southern Iraqi province, ripping up pavement stones to hurl at a regional council headquarters in a protest over shoddy public services that left dozens of people injured, officials said.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., has joined another Cuban-American lawmaker in opposing plans to ease restrictions on travel to Cuba by U.S. citizens.