News Archive - 20 February 2011

>Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam said in an address on state TV the army stood behind his father as a "leader of the battle in Tripoli" and would enforce security at any price. His comments were the first official reaction from the Libyan authorities since the unrest began.As he spoke,...

> "Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani was released after claiming that she was out shopping for cloths," Fars reported. (Editing by Jon Boyle) (Tehran newsroom, +98 21 8820 8770) Tweet this Share this Link this Digg this Email Reprints...

> "Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani was identified and arrested by security forces in Tehran while ... making blunt statements and chanting provocative slogans," IRNA reported. (Tehran newsroom,+98 21 8820 8770) Tweet this Share this Link this Digg this Email Reprints...

>The draft budget for the next Iranian year, which begins on March 21, was around $177 billion, he said. In addition to that, the budget for state-affiliated companies was $362 billion. Last year the total budget amounted to $368 billion.In an address which was bigger on political rhetoric than...

>CAIRO (Reuters) - Banks opened on Sunday after a week-long closure as Egypt's economy, damaged by the political turmoil caused by the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak and subsequent labor protests, struggled to get back on its feet. New military rulers watched closely as many Egyptians resumed their jobs on...

> "Two Iranian warships have passed through the canal and are heading towards a Syrian port," Al Alam said. Israel has called their passage through the canal "provocative". Tweet this Share this Link this Digg this Email Reprints...

>ISMAILIA, Egypt (Reuters) - Two Iranian navy vessels were approaching Egypt's Suez Canal Sunday before making the first passage through the waterway since Iran's 1979 revolution and Israel said it took "a grave view" of Tehran's move. Egypt's ruling military council, facing its first diplomatic headache since taking power on...

>BERLIN (Reuters) - Iranian drama "Nader and Simin: A Separation" won the Golden Bear for best picture at the Berlin film festival on Saturday, while its ensemble cast also picked up the best actor and actress prizes on a triumphant night. Director Asghar Farhadi's portrayal of a marriage in crisis...

>The vessels, the first Iranian naval ships to sail through the canal since 1979, are due to arrive at the southern entrance to the canal in the Gulf of Suez later on Sunday, the officials said.Earlier on Sunday, Iran's Arabic language state television channel Al Alam TV reported that...

POCATELLO — Cooking spices commonly used in the Middle East, such as ground cloves, tumeric powder and cardamon green, fill the shelves of the Main Street Market located at 556 S. Main St. that is set to open this week.

Why is it when dictatorships are overthrown, expectations are that democracy will flourish?

Tehran - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attended the Majlis session Sunday to submit the budget bill for the next Iranain calendar year (to starts on March 21) to the legislative body.

Three student panelists from Tunisia and Egypt were elated about that happened in their countries, but the four professors who took part in the discussion warned them to temper their optimism.

+ about their favorite presidents from 1929 to present:

Jerusalem, Feb.21 : The Northern Command of the Israel Defence Force (IDF) believes Iran may initiate an attack against Tel Aviv if it feels under pressure due to anti-government protests.

Tehran - Deputy Energy Minister Mohammad Behzad Sunday voiced Iran's readiness to construct power plants in Iraq with the help of Iranian experts. He made the remarks while talking to reporters after his meeting with visiting Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs Hussain al-Shahristani.

(RTTNews) - Two German journalists who were detained in Iran in October for interviewing the son of a woman sentenced to death by stoning have returned home after being released from an Iranian prison, a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry said Sunday.

CAIRO, Egypt — Civilians with weapons seized from overrun army bases fought Sunday for control of Libya's eastern city of Benghazi as residents accused troops and mercenaries trying to crush an uprising against President Moammar Gadhafi of massacring more than 200 people.

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/66b4e7/offshore_oil_and_g) has announced the addition of the "Offshore Oil and Gas in Middle East - Production, Drilling, Rig Activity and Expenditure" report to their offering. Key historical and forecast data for the offshore oil and gas industry in Middle East for the following ...

(AP:SINGAPORE) Oil prices jumped above $87 a barrel Monday in Asia amid investor concern that the violent protests spreading in Libya could disrupt crude supplies from the OPEC nation.

FIFA.com’s review of action across Asia and Oceania looks at the leagues of Iran, United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand and Kuwait in what generally proved to be a fruitful weekend for the respective frontrunners.

Ian Johnson Mohammed Abu Zaid/AP Images Muslim Brotherhood leaders Saad el-Katatni (center left) and Essam el-Eriam (center right) taking part in a protest in Cairo, January 30, 2011 As US -backed strongmen around North Africa and the Middle East are being toppled or shaken by popular protests, Washington is grappling...

CAIRO, Egypt—Libya's second largest city, Benghazi, fell Sunday after a crack army unit defected to the opposition and clashes spread to the capital, Tripoli, as an uprising against Moammar Gadhafi appeared to threaten the Middle East's longest ruling dictator's 42-year grip on power, residents and news reports said.

RIYADH, Feb 20, 2011 (AFP) - Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Sunday he was "stunned" by the spread of Arab protests as he arrived in Saudi Arabia on a Gulf tour to boost Washington's ties with regional allies.

AP file photoGen. Kevin P. Chilton, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, speaks at the activation ceremony of U.S. Cyber Command at Ft. Meade, Md., in May. Chilton, who retired in January of this year, said the U.S. needs to make sure that it pro ...

>In the annual survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit, the Canadian west coast city and 2010 Winter Olympics host scored 98 percent on a combination of stability, health care, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure -- a score unchanged from last year.It has topped the list from 2007.Although...

Sunday's developments in the Mideast and North Africa, as instability and anti-government protests inspired by uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia spread.

Commodities - Energy Crude Rises on Supply Worries Crude Oil (WTI) - $87.30 // $1.10 // 1.28% Commentary: Crude oil prices are kicking off the week to the

MANILA, Feb. 21 (PNA) -- The Centro Escolar University (CEU) will present a Grand Concert, dubbed "Yaman ng Lahi" at the Student Activity Center on Thursday, February 24, at 5 p.m.

Tehran, Feb 21 : Iran witnessed a new wave of anti-government protests in different parts of the country Sunday as demonstrators took to streets in various cities, media reports said.

North Texans from Iran and Libya rally for freedom in their homelands.

Libya death toll rises as unrest escalates.

Protests have turned violent in Jordan, where thousands have taken to the streets to demand more political freedom and lower food prices. Eight people have been injured so far, and this past Friday was the seventh Friday in a row that protesters rallied. The king of Jordan has almost absolute...

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 20 : The body of Olympian Suresh Babu, who died in Ranchi due to liver disease, will be bring here in a special flight yesterday.

LIBYAN security forces shot dead dozens of protesters to try to crush a revolt in the second city Benghazi, and the wave of unrest sweeping the Middle East also pushed Bahrain’s rulers into talks with the opposition.

Libya's second largest city, Benghazi,  has fallen after a crack army unit defected to the opposition, and clashes spread to the capital, Tripoli, as an uprising against Moammar Gadhafi appeared to threaten the dictator's 42-year grip on power. read more

PROTESTERS preparing to march on Gaddafi's compound amid reports of violent clashes with army. Live updates

The decision by Tunisian and Egyptian armies not to crush the pro-democracy movement may be having an effect in an unexpected place: Iran. In a speech last Thursday in Tehran, the chief of staff of Iran's armed forces, Maj. Gen. Hassan Firuzabadi has said that pro-democracy uprisings in the...

CAIRO, Egypt—Libya’s second largest city, Benghazi, fell Sunday after a crack army unit defected to the opposition and clashes spread to the capital, Tripoli.

After anti-government unrest spread to the Libyan capital of Tripoli and protesters seized military bases and weapons Sunday, Moammar Gadhafi's son went on state television to proclaim that his father remained in charge with the army's backing and would "fight until the last man, the last woman, the last bullet.

21 FEBRUARY, 2011: The Israeli prime minister on Sunday accused Iran of trying to expand its influence in the region by planning to send naval ships through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean, CNN reported and published on it's website.

TRIPOLI (AFP) - The son of Libya's strongman Moamer Kadhafi warned Monday the country would be destroyed by civil war if protests end his father's rule, in a speech broadcast as bursts of gunfire broke out in Tripoli.

By John Doe Rev Thomas Phillips, the president of the Malaysian Consultative Council is supposed to represent accurately, all of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism is absolutely correct to say that all religions is not equal. And he is certainly qualified to make such a statement as well. After...

IRAN has freed two German journalists arrested four months ago in connection with a highly-publicised stoning case.

BAHRAIN’S opposition wants the nation’s rulers to guarantee they will back up their conciliatory words with actions, a Shi’ite leader said yesterday as he and other activists weighed the regime’s offer for talks after nearly a week of protests and deadly clashes that have divided the Gulf nation.

Goin’ Down the Road actress Cayle Chernin dies after cancer battle.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has called for strengthening relations between Iran and Ecuador, particularly in the industry and trade sectors.

25 more killed in Sunday's violence in Libya, taking the death toll in recent unrest to 209.

Iran's first attempt in decades to send warships through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean on Europe's — and NATO's — southern flank could further destabilize the Middle East.

Ahead of Friday's market holiday, the Thai stock market had finished higher in five straight sessions, jumping more than 40 points or 4.8 percent in the process. The Stock Exchange of Thailand finished just above the 995-point plateau, and now traders are looking for further upside when the market...

TEHRAN, Iran: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has presented parliament with the proposed budget for the next 12 months.

The Hong Kong stock market has finished higher now in three straight trading days, gathering more than 600 points or 2.6 percent in the process. The Hang Seng Index finished just shy of the 23,600-point plateau, and now analysts are expecting slightly further support at the opening of trade...

Demonstrators in Atlanta held signs and chanted to promote change in Iran.

Oil climbed and gold advanced to a seven-week high, while Asian stocks snapped a three-day rally amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

Muammar Qaddafi’s son called on protesters in Libya to engage in dialogue or face a civil war that risks the country’s oil wealth, as a widening revolt posed the most serious challenge to his father’s 41 years of rule.

(RTTNews) - The Indonesia stock market has finished higher now in five consecutive trading days, surging nearly 130 points or 3.7 percent along the way.

The wave of protests across the Middle East and North Africa don't yet constitute revolution and real democratic change may be decades away, Auckland University associate professor Stephen Hoadley says.Mr Hoadley, who specialises...

JERUSALEM - Israel views the dispatch of two Iranian warships to the Mediterranean with "gravity," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (pictured above) said on Sunday, as the vessels were expected to pass though the Suez Canal.

The Taiwan stock market on Friday snapped the two-day losing streak in which it had shed nearly 40 points or 0.4 percent. The Taiwan Stock Exchange finished just above the 8,840-point plateau, and now traders are looking for continued support when the market kicks off trade on Monday.

Bahrain's Sunni Muslim ruling family came under increased pressure to open in-depth negotiations with the Shiite-led opposition, as protesters erected more tents on the capital's Pearl Square.

Iran has sent war ships down the Suez Canal, causing serious concerns for Israel. Egyptian officials have granted the ships passage, but when they will use it is unclear.

Protesters demanding reforms in Bahrain hold their ground in an Egypt-style occupation of the capital's landmark square. Protests continued in Yemen, Iran and Egypt

Luzerne County residents have had the chance to shout a personal greeting “hail to the chief” numerous times down through the years.

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged restraint in Bahrain on Sunday, blasting as unacceptable any violence by the Gulf kingdom's security forces and calling for immediate political reform.

The Malaysian stock market has finished higher now in four straight sessions, gathering more than 25 points or 1.6 percent along the way. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index finished just below the 1,520-point plateau, and now traders are looking for a slightly higher open at the opening of trade...

Iran's jittery security forces, fearing contagion from uprisings in the Arab world, used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse crowds of re-invigorated opposition suppo

Moammar Gadhafi's forces again fired on thousands of mourners in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi on Sunday, as the death toll in the country over the past five days edged past the 200 mark.

The UN and the U.S. have questioned the UK’s trade links with Tripoli, as British weapons are believed to have been used to murder pro-democracy demonstrators in Libya.

CAIRO — After anti-government unrest spread to the Libyan capital of Tripoli and protesters seized military bases and weapons Sunday, Moammar Gadhafi’s son went on state television to proclaim that his father remained in charge with the army’s backing and would “fight until the last man, the last woman, the...

Seven opposition groups were meeting in Bahrain on Sunday to consider their next steps after an appeal from Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al Khalifa for a national dialogue. Meanwhile, about a thousand protesters remained at the Pearl Roundabout, which has become this island nation's equivalent of Egypt's Tahrir Square.

Melbourne's Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas recently hosted a gala night of storytelling

The largest defence equipment exhibition in the Middle East opened in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi on Sunday, as military spending continues to grow in the region amid rising tensions.

Barcelona needed a late Lionel Messi goal to beat Athletic Bilbao 2-1, Sebastian Fernandez scored to earn bottom side Malaga a 1-1 draw at Villarreal, and Osasuna hammered Espanyol 4-0.

Libyan government intensifies crackdown on protesters as security forces mow down mourners trying to bury victims

Chances are that you have made no money in the last six months by investing in equities of domestic companies. However, mutual funds investing in overseas stocks, either directly or through an international fund, have given a handsome return of over 16 per cent over the same period (see chart) .

Lionel Messi was the hero for Barcelona on his 250th competitive appearance for the club as he scored a late winner to overcome a stubborn Athletic Bilbao side 2-1 at the Nou Camp.

Cairo, Feb. 20 (AP): Libyan forces fired machine-guns at mourners marching in a funeral for anti-government protesters in the eastern city of Benghazi today, a day after commandos and foreign mercenaries loyal to longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi pummeled demonstrators with assault rifles and other heavy weaponry.

Jerusalem - A senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resigned on Sunday after reports of a high-level dispute over whether he would be named the Jewish state's next ambassador to Britain.

U.S. blames Iran and Libya for demonstrations and fall of allies in the Middle East, and in retaliation plans to destabilise Ahmednejad and Khadafy.

Libyan military forces used machine guns and anti-aircraft artillery to strafe protesters in the.

PROTESTS spread closer to the Libyan capital Tripoli as new fighting erupted in Benghazi, with more than 200 people dead in an iron-fisted crackdown.

Security forces loyal to Libya's Moammar Gadhafi unleashed heavy gunfire Sunday on thousands marching in a rebellious eastern city, cutting down mourners trying to bury victims in a bloody cycle of violence that has killed more than 200 people in the fiercest crackdown on the uprisings in the Arab world.

By Dian L. Chu, EconForecat   On Wednesday, Feb. 16 Israel said Iran is sending two warships into the Suez Canal on way to Syria, and that the action is considered a “provocation.”   Due to the long history of bad blood between Israel and Iran, this very possible...

Natural gas is a relatively nascent industry, and there are many issues which need to be speedily resolved for this industry to grow and prosper.

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 2-1 Sunday to move five points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the table in Spain.

COMMENTARY | It is nothing new for the Middle East's brutal regimes to cut off the Internet from their citizens, but when the country is an ally of the U.S., can we remain silent? Having Libya and Iran mentioned in the same breath as our allies in the...

CAIRO – World powers rounded on Libya Sunday as fears grew that hundreds of people had been killed in a brutal government crackdown on demonstrators demanding an end to Moamer Kadhafi's 41-year, ironclad rule.

The Iranian people have been in the streets for decades. The big moments are crystallized in media memory - 1979, 1999, 2009, and now. There are people in the streets in Iran this week, as they were last week. They do not want an Islamic Republic of Iran. They...

AFP/Berlin Two German reporters detained in Iran for four months after interviewing the son and lawyer of a woman facing death by stoning arrived home yesterday after being fined and freed, the foreign ministry said.

The U.S. military needs to better protect its satellites and strengthen its ability to use them as weapons as the uncharted battlefield of space becomes increasingly crowded and dangerous, Pentagon leaders say.

. Expert Roundtable: So far the price of oil has not significantly reflected the turmoil in the Middle East because the oil traders have felt that the petro-regimes will be brutal and crush the protests with superior force.

Investors seem to have forgotten fear and are ignoring some of the most worrying political developments seen in years in the Middle East.

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Sunday highlighted the need for the US government to use Twitter and other social media to connect with young people amid turbulent change in the Middle East and North Africa.

QUESTION: About Bahrain, big trouble there. The authorities are cracking down. How do you assess Bahrain right now? Is it stable?

This is a discussion on Israel eyes Suez trip of Iran warships with worry - The Associated Press within the Current Cruise & Travel News forums, part of the category; Cruise News Reporter Has Just Posted the Following: Israel eyes Suez trip of Iran warships with worry The Associated Press ...

About three dozen protestors demonstrated on State Road 436 outside the Altamonte Mall this afternoon in support of demonstrators in Iran who are demanding more freedom. The Iranian demonstrations, which reignited after the revolt in Egypt, have been met with violence from the Iranian government.

Democracy can turn into "mobocracy", an Auckland professor has warned as unrest spreads across the Mideast.

DUBAI - The three-day Gulf Engineering Conference, or GEC, opened on Sunday to discuss the emerging trends and advancements in technology and engineering.

A massive police deployment in Tehran has prevented large-scale protests.

TEL AVIV, February 20 (RIA Novosti) - The passage of two Iranian warships through the Suez Canal has been delayed by 48 hours or until Wednesday morning, Haaretz reported on Sunday citing a canal official.