News Archive - 28 February 2011

> "The two are currently in their homes and there have only been restrictions on their contacts," Fars quoted an unnamed judiciary official as saying. Tweet this Share this Link this Digg this Email Reprints...

>In a speech to the Conference on Disarmament, she urged the United Nations forum to end its stalemate on fissile talks and indicated that Washington could pursue the issue elsewhere unless there is a breakthrough soon."If we are serious about reducing the possibility that fissile material could fall into...

> The secretary general of the National Olympic Committee said Iran had made the complaint in a letter to the International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge and was waiting for a response. The London logo shows the numbers 2012 in four jagged multi-coloured figures and was launched in 2007. Zion...

>"The two are currently in their homes and there have only been restrictions on their contacts," Fars quoted an unnamed judiciary official as saying. World Tweet this Share this Link this Digg this Email Reprints...

>VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran is believed to have told the U.N. atomic watchdog a broken pump is forcing it to remove fuel from its first nuclear power reactor, a new setback for the $1 billion project, experts familiar with the issue said on Monday. They said it was a...

Each day that the per-barrel price of crude oil hovers near $100, chances increase that the still-sputtering U.S. economy could stall. The situation has the attention of people who watch markets for a living.

A new world order is going to emerge from the Middle East and North Africa through the efforts of the existing regional powers and the future generation of Arab governments, a senior Hezbollah official says.

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi insists his people love him but has been slammed as "delusional" as the US slapped $US30 billion in sanctions on his regime.

New Delhi, Mar 1 (PTI) Sufi music connoisseurs in London have a reason to cheer as cultural festival ''Jahan-e-Khusrau'' will be held there, first time outside India from April 15 to 17.Conceptualised by poet and film director, Muzaffar Ali, the festival will also be held in Delhi from March...

This was the speech by Dr. Gamel Nasser on the occassion of remembering the February 24, 1966 coup dubbed 'Ghana's Day of Shame' at the International Conference center, Accra.

Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has denounced the use of human rights as a pretext to achieve political ends, saying the issue should not be abused.

Egypt's top prosecutor Monday barred former president Hosni Mubarak and his family from leaving the country and seized control of Mr. Mubarak's assets as the new government moved ahead with an investigation into charges of corruption.

WASHINGTON -- Not long after the Pentagon severed its relationship with a private spy network operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the F.B.I. quietly began tapping the same group to help investigate the killing of 10 medical aid workers in northern Afghanistan, according to American officials and private contractors.

KUALA LUMPUR, March 1 (Bernama) -- AirAsia X customers can now grab low fares to all its long-haul destinations, excluding Tehran and Tokyo, through the "Massive Sales" campaign for its economy and premium seats.

Society is not going to go in the right direction on its own. We have to poke it and know when it's doing us wrong. Calling for mass mobilization is not calling for a riot and - it means leaving political apathy behind. ...

The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release February 27, 2011 Statement by National Security Council Spokesman Tommy Vietor on Iran The United States strongly condemns the Iranian government’s organized intimidation campaign and arrests of political figures, human rights defenders, political activists, student leaders, journalists and bloggers.

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Sotong....you can keep on have negative thoughts. Since Merdeka time...we are Malaysians..equal to all Malaysians. Someone wants to make you a servant or a coolie or a slave? What are you going to do?...keep complaining or do something. If you do not have the guts...to...

>BEIJING (Reuters) - Even with Middle Eastern tumult tearing down governments and pushing up oil prices, China will stay a restrained regional player, reluctant to gamble a growing pile of economic chips for uncertain political gains. The Middle East is one part of the world where giddy talk about China...

Oil prices hovered near $97 a barrel Tuesday in Asia as traders watched closely Libya's battered crude exports and whether political upheaval will spread to other oil-rich countries.

"Dancing with the Stars" can welcome its newest crop of athletes to the series. Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, professional wrestler Chris Jericho, retired boxer Sugar Ray Leonard and former college basketball player and rapper Romeo Little ("Lil' Romeo") earned invitations Monday to compete in the the show's latest...

The United States has been preoccupied, as ever, more with the power elite of Pakistan than with the plight of its people.

The mystery over the whereabouts of the two main Iranian opposition leaders, Mir Hussein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi, deepened Monday with contradictory reports over whether they had been jailed on the eve of a nationwide protest or remained under extreme house arrest.

PROVIDENCE -- Continuing unrest in North Africa and the Middle East has pushed up the prices of gasoline and heating oil in Rhode Island and raised concerns that they will remain high for the foreseeable future.

# graphicdesign In the four years since its unveiling, the graffiti-inspired logo for the 2012 London Olympics has been accused of looking like many thing: The Waffen SS insignia, for instance, or Lisa Simpson giving head . And now, because why not, the Iranian Olympic committee has gotten into the game...

Just when Libya, a member of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council, is machine-gunning its citizens....

Iranian opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi and their wives have been arrested and put in a Tehran jail, their websites said Monday in reports swiftly denied by a judicial official.

Listen to the Audio JEFFREY BROWN: And finally tonight, a very unusual window on events in Iran. In Tehran today, the state prosecutor announced that authorities have cut all outside contact with the country's two senior opposition leaders. Mir Hossein Mousavi, the former presidential candidate, and Mehdi Karroubi had been...

Dylan Fouché got a lesson in personal finance on Monday away from the Ridgway High School classroom where he studies the subject.

Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi has insisted his people loved him but was slammed as "delusional" as the United States slapped a record-breaking $30 billion in sanctions on his brutal regime.

With the headlines gone and the arrests made, Armenians in Burbank and Glendale are now struggling with the perceptions of their cultural identity after a massive crackdown on the organized crime ring Armenian Power.

Evidence outlined in a Pentagon contractor report suggests that financial subversion carried out by unknown parties, such as terrorists or hostile nations, contributed to the 2008 economic crash by covertly using vulnerabilities in the U.S. financial system. The unclassified 2009 report "Economic Warfare: Risks and Responses" by financial analyst...

Jane Russell, the brunette who was discovered by Howard Hughes and went on to become one of the biggest stars of the 1940s and '50s, has died at age 89. Related Stories Iran opposition leaders 'in prison' Yemen president's deal rejected MPs call for World Bank shake-up US targets natural...

IRAN threatens to pull out of the London 2012 Olympic Games, saying the event's logo is racist and spells the word 'Zion'.

WASHINGTON: The United States said Monday it has urged Oman to show restraint and press ahead with reforms after deadly clashes in the strategic Gulf ally, which lies on the busy Strait of Hormuz oil shipping lane.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Monday said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will find a "willing partner for peace," if the Syrian leader agrees to peace talks.

Iran's Navy chief Habibollah Sayari attends a press conference in Damascus, Syria, Feb. 28, 2011. Iran's Navy chief Habibollah Sayyari said here on Monday that his country has no hostile intentions towards other states.

South Korean and Japanese teams will look to maintain their stranglehold on the AFC Champions League when Asia's top club competition kicks off this week.

Sam Querrey will miss the United States' first-round Davis Cup tie against Chile because of a right rotator cuff injury.

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN - The NATO force in Afghanistan on Monday spelled out the support it believes Iran is providing to insurgents in the violence-wracked country, warning it was keeping a wary eye out.

For whatever reason, the Obama administration has played a decent hand in dealing with the unrest sweeping the Arab world. The policy of restraint, whether due to inertia, indecision or simply a shrewd appraisal of the situation, has worked for the United States.

Newsnight's Paul Mason has been examining what factors are involved in a modern day revolution.

Iranian authorities have taken senior opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi to a prison in Tehran.

TEHRAN has objected to the official logo for the 2012 London Olympics, claiming it is racist because it resembles the word "Zion."

The United States said Monday it has urged Oman to show restraint and press ahead with reforms after deadly clashes in the strategic Gulf ally, which lies on the busy Strait of Hormuz oil shipping lane.

The idea for the Peace Corps originated on Oct. 14, 1960. Executive Order 10924 was signed by President John F. Kennedy on March 1, 1961 to formally establish the Peace Corps, which celebrates its 50th anniversary Tuesday.

Mike Bibby has reached a buyout agreement with the Washington Wizards, freeing him from the last-place team after just two games.

Anyone previously unbriefed as to whether Craig Oliver was a blue-sky-thinking Steve Hilton-alike or an Andy Coulson-esque attack dog has their answer courtesy of this compelling photograph of Oliver arriving for his first day at work. Number 10's new communications chief, or so his accessories would attest, is a fellow...

OTTAWA - Canada says Moammar Gadhafi should be hauled before the International Criminal Court to answer for attacking his own people.

Iran is capable of spotting the hidden Jewish conspiracy in pretty much anything, so it's not that shocking that the country's Olympic committee insists that the logo for the 2012 London Olympics spells out the word Zion . If you read it from top to bottom on the left side and...

Been off the blogging sphere recently because of travel; now that I’m back home in Colorado thought I would give my thoughts on the Libyan situation. As I write this, according to press reports, anti-government forces are in control of most of the eastern portion of Libya, to include a...

One of my favorite authors is the Albanian,  Ismail Kadare, and there's been a lot of discussion of the Mideast in my home. Trust me, these are related.

FILE -- In this Tuesday Feb. 22, 2011 file photo, a Team GB cyclist passes the Olympic logos during opening ceremonies for the newly completed velodrome at the Olympic park in London.

2012 Olympic Logo Could Force Iran to Boycott 2012 Olympic Games, So Maybe It's Time For a Change When the logo for the 2012 Summer Olympics, which of course will take place in London, was first revealed back in 2007, the initial reaction was something along the lines of, "Really?...

MANILA, Philippines - Smart-Gilas coach Rajko Toroman disclosed the other day his wish list of 10 candidate PBA players to reinforce the national basketball team vying for a ticket to the 2012 London Olympics at the FIBA-Asia Championships in Wuhan, China, on Sept. 15-25.

BANGKOK - A Thai government investigator on Monday said his team has concluded that Japanese cameraman Hiroyuki Muramoto, slain during last year’s antigovernment protests in Bangkok, was not ...

Russia on Monday explained why fuel is being removed from a nuclear reactor in Iran, delaying plans to start up the giant plant this month. The Russian account, the first official rationale, came after experts last week offered theories of the failure ranging from a startup glitch to foul play.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran arrested two leading opposition figures on Monday ahead of a planned nationwide anti-government rally, an opposition website said. Mirhossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi had been forced to stay in their homes in the capital Tehran for more than two weeks. Mousavi's daughters said on the...

The dismantling of the disappointing Ottawa Senators took another step when defenseman Chris Campoli was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for forward Ryan Potulny and a second-round pick in this year's draft.

The Carolina Hurricanes have acquired defenseman Bryan Allen from the Florida Panthersin exchange for let winger Sergei Samsonov.

The popular revolts shaking the Arab have also made their way to Iran with stiff push-back from the government. We took a look at "Parazit," the Voice of America's popular Farsi language television show produced in Washington, D.C,. to see what millions of people in Iran have been watching...

Iranian authorities have taken senior opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi to a prison in Tehran, a reformist website said Monday. A semiofficial news agency denied the report.

We saw it with Yemen, and now we're seeing it again with Iraq: the Obama administration is conspicuously quiet when friendly Middle East regimes use ugly tactics -- including violence and imprisoning peaceful demonstrators -- to quell growing protest movements in their countries. read more

Yemen's president has offered to form a unity government with opponents who want him out of office - provided protests against him stop. Related Stories Youngest quake victim funeral held Sanctions imposed on Libya by EU Pirates take three children hostage Iran opposition leaders 'in prison' Galliano denies anti-Semitic claim

The NCAA has denied Purdue receiver Keith Smith a sixth year of eligibility after a knee injury prematurely ended his 2010 season.

Woohooo!! Teen.com reports that Charice took home the Best New Artist Award at the Tokio Hot 100 Awards beating out other listener favorites such as Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars and Ke$ha! Way to go Charice!! I like both of Justine and Charice though and I am not about to...

Prices for gas and other products will tick up, but the real trouble comes when oil hits $120 or so.

Detroit's Richard Hamilton says he met with coach John Kuester recently in an effort to repair their relationship.

US secretary of state calls for end to what she terms an ‘organized intimidation campaign’ against Iranian dissidents

MUSCAT: Protesters set a supermarket ablaze and gathered in several sites in a seaside town in Oman on Monday in a third consecutive day of unrest that has included deadly clashes in the strategic Gulf nation.

Police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse a violent mob which set a supermarket ablaze in the seaside town of Sohar, in Oman

Saudi Arabiaââ¬Ës King Abdullah did not offer $150 billion to buy Facebook, despite how quickly the "news" spread across the Internet.

Iran has arrested two senior opposition leaders, ahead of protests called by anti-government groups.

More Iraqi demonstrations could blast crude prices to nosebleed levels.

The Golden State Warriors have reached a buyout agreement with Troy Murphy and placed him on waivers.

As Iran's opposition gears up for demonstrations in Tehran Tuesday, the government is allegedly working to undercut the movement. According to websites allied with Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, the two opposition leaders have been arrested .   For weeks, the leaders have been under house arrest but reports from...

>Salehi told reporters in Geneva that Iran has always indicated a willingness to press on with talks with the "P5+1" -- the five permanent U.N. Security Council members and Germany."I hope that the meeting today will facilitate the work for the upcoming meeting with 5+1," he said, referring...

> * Firms are targeted for missile components -security chief * Approaches seem innocent, then escalate -security chief By Walter Gibbs OSLO, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Iran has been trying without success to obtain Norwegian missile technology for possible use in delivering nuclear weapons, Norway's security chief said on Monday.

(RTTNews) - Protesters demanding political reforms and better living conditions have cut off access to Oman's second largest port of Sohar on Monday as unrest in the Sultanate entered the third day, reports said.

Travel bans, criminal investigations, and more anti-government protests – another week of chaos is underway in the Arab world. Here's the latest.

Reformist website says Iran's opposition leaders have been taken to a prison in Tehran.

Iran says 2012 London Olympics logo is racist because it spells out 'Zion,' as country warns of a games boycott

RIYADH - Saudi Arabia, OPEC's largest producer, said on Monday it is committed to the stability of the oil market after Libya's oil production dropped amid unrest in the North African country.

Iran's top diplomat says he hopes his country's judiciary will expedite the case of two Americans charged with spying.

> Speaking to reporters in Geneva, Salehi said Iran has always indicated a willingness to press on with talks with the "P5+1" -- the five permanent U.N. Security Council members and Germany. "I hope that the meeting today will facilitate the work for the upcoming meeting with 5+1," he...

> "Safety for us and reliability is more important than the start-up of a reactor at an earlier time," Salehi told reporters in Geneva. Iran is believed to have told the U.N. atomic watchdog that a broken pump is forcing it to remove fuel from the $1 billion, Russian-built...

RIYADH : Saudi Arabia, OPEC's largest producer, said on Monday it is committed to the stability of the oil market after Libya's oil production dropped amid unrest in the North African country.

Morning in America: One man's Madison timeline MinnPost photo by Jim Walsh A policeman chats with protesters in the Capitol. By Jim Walsh | Monday, Feb. 28, 2011 MADISON, Wis. — I lit out from Minneapolis for Madison Thursday night to bear witness to the protests being staged against Wisconsin...

Libya's oil chief said Monday that production had been cut by around 50 percent, and argued it was "safe" for foreign oil workers to return after a mass exodus sparked by Moammar Gadhafi's increasingly violent...

Speaking before the U.N. Human Rights Council, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi has used 'mercenaries and thugs' against his own people. The Obama administration is considering every option against him, she says. WASHINGTON -- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday denounced...

TEHRAN, Feb. 28 (MNA) -- Syrian Defense Minister Ali Habib Mahmoud has said the presence of Iranian warships in the Mediterranean has surprised the Israelis.

Israel's defense minister says the uprisings sweeping the Middle East pose dangers for Israel, but also opportunities for peace

SOHAR, Oman - Protesters set a supermarket ablaze and rallied at two places in this seaside town on Monday in a third consecutive day of unrest that has included deadly clashes in the strategic Gulf nation.

> *** DATE - LOCAL DATE FOLLOWED BY GMT DATE *** SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19 (SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20 AS PER GMT) BRAZIL - Clocks go back by one hour to GMT-3 in Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and GMT-4 in Campo Grande. SUNDAY, MARCH 6 (SATURDAY, MARCH 5 AS PER...

DAMASCUS, Syria — Iran's navy chief says Iran had "no hostile intentions" by sending two warships to the Mediterranean for the first time in more than 30 years. Adm. Habibollah Sayyari says the voyage was meant to build up Iran's defense capabilities. The ships arrived at Syria's Latakia seaport...

TEHRAN, Feb. 28 (MNA) – Iran’s first international economic report was unveiled here on Monday.

TEHRAN, Feb. 28 (MNA) -- The Mehr News Agency (MNA) is scheduled to officially inaugurate a Russian-language news service Tuesday, bringing the agency’s foreign language services to 7.

The Obama administration is standing ready to aid Libyans seeking to oust their long-time leader, Moammar Gaddafi.

The United Kingdom's Department of International Development and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced they will invest $40 million in a global project led by Cornell University to combat deadly strains of Ug99, an evolving wheat pathogen that poses a dangerous threat to global food security.

TEHRAN, Feb. 28 (MNA) -- Iran set a two-month deadline for Oman Oil Company (OOC) to fulfill its obligations over the construction of Hormoz urea and ammoniac production unit in Assalouyeh, southern Iran, the National Petrochemical Company’s project manager said here on Monday.