News Archive - 22 March 2011

>DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Syrian forces killed at least six people on Wednesday in an attack on a mosque in the southern city of Deraa, site of unprecedented protests challenging President Bashar al-Assad's Baathist rule, residents said. Those killed included Ali Ghassab al-Mahamid, a doctor from a prominent Deraa family who...

>BRASILIA (Reuters) - President Barack Obama has improved ties with Brazil on his Latin American tour but made no breakthroughs on divisive trade disputes and the U.S. military strikes on Libya have soured his charm offensive. The trip has also done little to counter China's growing power in Latin...

Washington DC (AFPS) Mar 23, 2011 U.S. efforts to build effective missile defenses are more important than ever for defending the nation and its deployed forces and for cooperating with allies and partners, a senior defense policy official said. James N. Miller, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy,...

Emphasizing Iran's right to pursue a civilian nuclear programme, India has said that Tehran should reassure the international community that its nuclear project is only meant for peaceful purposes.

Moscow (RIA Novosti) Mar 23, 2011 The Russian Defense Ministry will buy 36 strategic ballistic missiles, two strategic missile submarines and 20 strategic cruise missiles this year, Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Friday. Over 19 trillion rubles ($665 billion) has been set aside for the state arms procurement program, Serdyukov...

India has called for intensification of efforts to address the Iranian nuclear issue through peaceful dialogue.

Morocco's foreign minister warned Tuesday that the current "Arab spring" can quickly end if the transitions in Egypt and Tunisia don't lead to real democracy.

By: JOSEPH CERRONE ’14 The days of grainy radio broad- casts are no more and -YouTube vid- eos and social media are making big things happen all over the world. The new face of technol- ogy has changed the lives of the oppressed in Egypt, and even the life of...

United Nations (AFP) March 22, 2011 The UN Security Council on Tuesday expressed its desire to better enforce sanctions against Iran and reiterated its concern about the country's alleged plans to build nuclear weapons. The United Nations has passed four rounds of sanctions against Iran for its refusal to halt...

Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar says regional solutions are the most appropriate means of fighting off narcotics problems in countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Columbia should have allowed the PETA debate to take place. I write to underscore several points addressed in Derek Turner’s column, “A Debate Aborted,” regarding the Columbia administration’s cancellation of the debate on the ethics of eating meat.

Ambassador urges patience from UN Security Council. 23 Mar 2011 1:43 PM

MANAMA: Traffic flowing into the Bahraini capital's business district appears to signal a return to normal, but the Gulf financial hub faces an uncertain future after police crushed a pro-democracy uprising.

Visiting U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and his Russian counterpart, Anatoly Serdyukov, agreed there had been "certain progress" in military cooperation between their countries, local media reported Tuesday.

Dominique Clarke For a moment, a diverse cross-section of the Penn community – including Caucasians, Iranians, Pacific Asians and African Americans – closed their eyes and tried to imagine what it might feel like if they were imprisoned for doing nothing wrong. The Asian Pacific Student Coalition hosted Iranian-Japanese journalist...

With no less than the defending Asian champion as instructor, local motocross riders and enthusiasts are in for a treat when the National Motorcycle Sports and Safety Association organizes an advanced rider training course as a side event of the opening round of the 2011 FIM Asian Motocross Championships slated...

Rosa Lopez came to Simi Valley from Honduras a few weeks ago and when she started feeling ill, her mother told her to make an appointment to see a doctor at the Free Clinic of Simi Valley.

The trafficking of parts, potentially earmarked for the production of weapons of mass destruction, is again making news in Malaysia.

President Barack Obama said he’s not bothered by criticism in Latin America about coalition attacks on Libya’s air defenses.

For nearly 300 days, Pfc. Bradley Manning has experienced every horror the United States government is able to place on a human being with its newly designed “no-touch torture” policy.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari Tuesday announced in the parliament that war against the militants will continue until they are eliminated. "We will fight the militants to the finish. We will not back down," Zardari told the joint session of the parliament to mark the new parliamentary year.

In reply to Don't Stop Worrying, George : It’s fair enough to criticise Monbiot’s article - he did overstep the mark. However, when I read both pieces - and many others - it’s hard not to take a view that yet again, we waste valuable time and energy arguing around...

In December 2007, The Boston Globe asked 12 presidential can didates about military action aimed at stopping Iran from building nuclear weapons. "In what circumstances, if any," the Globe asked, "would the president have constitutional authority to bomb Iran without seeking a use-of-force authorization from Congress?" Barack Obama responded:...

Reading the headlines about U.S.-China relations might lead one to conclude that current tensions between the two have less to do with political differences than chemical imbalances: “The Chinese Tiger Shows Its Claws” vs. “China Helps Defuse Korea Crisis”; or “America is far too soft in its dealings...

China said on Tuesday that negotiation and dialogue is the right path to address the Iran nuclear issue, calling on relevant parties to remain patient and take proactive measures to push forward the process.

FILM "I'm not stupid." For most filmmakers, that goes without saying, but Xavier Dolan is careful to acknowledge both his talents and limitations. The 21-year-old French Canadian auteur, who wrote, directed, and starred in 2009's I Killed My Mother , returns with the romantic farce Heartbeats . "I honestly did...

Al-Qaeda fighters, mercurial rebels and well-armed secessionists slip through the dangerous deserts and mountains of Yemen, which for years has been held together by President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a cunning tribesman with a dagger-gleam smile and a knack for outwitting his enemies.

David Cameron. British Prime Minister David Cameron has again thanked Malta for its help in the evacuation of UK nationals from Libya. He also confirmed that arrangements have been made for Dr Gonzi to visit London on May 10.

LAST Friday morning, I turned on the BBC at 6.40am expecting more bad news from Japan. Instead, I watched a turning point in history. The French ambassador was perorating and then the president of the United Nations Security Council asked for a quick vote.

In recent days, there has been a marked and sudden escalation in terrorist activity connected to Hamas as well as to Judea and Samaria (the West Bank). Israel has suffered a large-scale mortar attack from Gaza, an attempt to smuggle advanced weapons to ...

Submitted by Daniel Cloud Expanding the Polity American foreign policy theory divides into two main schools. Both have been useful in the past, but neither fits the world we have to deal with now. On one side are realists, who believe that nations try to ‘balance’, try to make sure...

UNITED NATIONS - IRAN is under investigation for new attempts to import items from North Korea and China that are banned under UN sanctions against Tehran's nuclear and missile programs, UN diplomats said on Tuesday. The information emerged on the sidelines of a UN Security Council meeting to discuss a...

Who would have thought it? The answer is nobody. If anyone had said at the beginning of the year that, by March, the Arab world would not only be in uproar but would have peaceably got rid of two of its longest serving autocrats, that the UN would have sanctioned...

Iran is under investigation for new attempts to import items from North Korea and China that are banned under UN sanctions against Tehran's nuclear and missile programs, UN diplomats have said.

LAST Friday morning, I turned on the BBC at 6.40am expecting more bad news from Japan. Instead, I watched a turning point in history. The French ambassador was perorating and then the president of the United Nations Security Council asked for a quick vote.

President Obama may be under attack over Libya, but he knows what he's doing, says Alex Spillius.

BEIJING (Reuters) – China called for dialogue to resolve the international standoff over Iran's nuclear program, reiterating its long-held position that Tehran is entitled to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday.

The United States has grabbed a chance to rebuild ties with a crucial Asian ally that just a year seemed to be flirting with pulling out of Washington’s orbit.

Waad al-Baghdadi, 25, was 'pivotal' in the case against Ali Dizaei yet fresh evidence shows he told a 'series of lies' during the prosecution, a court was told.

Unrest has swept across the Middle East and North Africa, sparked by an uprising in Tunisia that led to the ouster of the country's ruler. Here's a look at the turmoil that has spread across the region.

(2010, U.S.-U.K.) Danny Boyle's thriller starring James Franco, Kate Mara and Amber Tamblyn. Khudozhestvenny. The Adjustment Bureau (2011, U.S.) George Nolfi's thriller starring Matt Damon, Natalie Carter and Jon Stewart.

The security of critical infrastructure is in the spotlight again this week after a researcher released attack code that can exploit several vulnerabilities found in systems that are used at oil, gas and water management facilities as well as manufacturing facilities around the world. The exploits, 34 in number, were...

Russia’s vote Thursday in the United Nations Security Council on Libya Resolution 1973 is more evidence of the changing nature of Moscow’s foreign policy. The trend toward an improved relationship with the United States that has been evident since 2009 has reached a new level.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday took a final personal shot at easing Moscow’s worries over a missile defense shield in Europe and to expand a military relationship that has grown dramatically since his Cold War days at the helm of the CIA.

President Ali Abdullah Saleh has been a key U.S. ally in a turbulent region. If he steps down, Yemen may become a terrorist haven and a proxy battleground for Saudi Arabia and Iran. Al Qaeda fighters, mercurial rebels and well-armed secessionists slip through the dangerous deserts and mountains of...

An official state-run Iranian news agency claims that the country has created the world's first 'flying saucer.' In the official announcement on Fars' website , the news agency claimed the craft was unveiled to Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamene in a special ceremony last week.

Tehran - Iran's ex-president called Tuesday on the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to stop lying and misleading the country with empty slogans.

France has agreed with the US that NATO should take over a coordinating role in the ongoing military operations in Libya amid growing discord among the alliance.

Not that it really needed another trophy. Still, it was a pleasant surprise when the Thai film Loong Boonmee Raluek Chat (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives) won best picture _ again, against most speculation _ at the 5th Asian Film Awards on Monday night in Hong Kong.

One aircraft conspicuous by its absence over the skies of Libya is the Air Force’s vaunted F-22 Raptor air dominance fighter. The Lockheed Martin-built jet was likely benched due to its inability to communicate with other coalition aircraft and its limited ability to hit ground targets, analysts said.

Eight years after the US entered Iraq to topple Saddam and liberate the people, conditions are worse than ever.

Since the U.N. Security Council authorized action Thursday to protect civilians from the effects of Libya's civil war, a vigorous debate has erupted over the U.S. role in the intervention.

What's missing in the media's Fukushima coverage? Thinking the unthinkable

Harrisburg University professor Mehdi Noorbaksh has been closely following the uprisings in the Middle East for professional and personal reasons. His 80-year-old father-in-law has been opposing the Iranian government since the age of 16.

Members of the U.N. Security Council committee that monitors sanctions aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons say they're pleased that more countries are reporting possible arms violations by Iran.

MANAMA, March 23 — Bahrain warned its nationals yesterday not to travel to Lebanon for their own safety after Iranian-backed Shi’ite Muslim group Hezbollah came out in support of weeks of protests by mainly Shi’ite demonstrators. The warning highlights growing tensions in the world’s largest oil-exporting region between Sunni-ruled Arab...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads to Moscow today, where he will cross paths with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as they consult separately with a Russian leadership looking to insert itself into Middle East peacemaking.

Follow Israel news on and .

In recent days we've heard a variety of rationales for military intervention in Libya. One is the simple humanitarian impulse to save lives in imminent danger, which Obama officials insist is paramount. Beneath that are other unstated, or less-emphasized, motivations. One, as Massimo has explained, is the assertion of humanitarian...

The World Affairs Council of Philadelphia presents an important conference on The Rapidly Changing Face of the Middle East and the Arab World. An esteemed group of Middle East scholars, journalists, and policy makers will discuss the wide ranging implications of the recent unrest growing within Tunisia, Egypt, Iran, and...

Obama: Help overthrow "pro-American" Arab regimes (and now, also Libya's dictatorship for humanitarian reasons). Avoid exercising American leadership in the region.

In Chile, Obama stresses Latin America's 'shared responsibility' in the world. That's the same approach he's taking in Libya.

My family had planned an exciting and educational trip to Egypt. We went to see, embrace, absorb and reflect.

American military aid to Japan following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, known as Operation Tomodachi ( WSJ ) (or "friend"), is the most recent instance of the humanitarian mission that U.S. armed services fulfill around the globe, including similar disaster relief efforts in Haiti and Pakistan in 2010.

HYDERABAD: The inaugural edition of the Indian Volley League (IVL) seems well on its way with each of six teams sold at a base price of Rs. 10 lakh.

(BRUSSELS ) - Top EU foreign affairs advisers warned directly Tuesday of Iranian interference in Bahrain's month-long Shiite-led protests and offered to mediate with Sunni rulers.

Former Israeli President Moshe Katsav's sentence to prison on rape and sexual assault convictions shows that not even the country's leaders are above the law, Israeli leaders stressed.

The uprising in Yemen is an unarmed one attracting major political and military defection that could force the ouster of Saleh. The development is a major threat against US and Saudi interests that is unacceptable.

More than three decades into their career The Stranglers are the longest-surviving punk band to have come out of the 70s, shifting more than 30 million records along the way – one of which was inspired by Norfolk. Returning to the county on Friday. Rob Garratt talked to founding member...

Events in Libya and Japan could hamper economic growth to help tip economies back into recession.

Release Time:  For Immediate Release Press Filing Center Intercontinental Hotel Santiago, Chile 6:12 P.M. CT  MR. CARNEY: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Today I'd like to, as part of the briefing, give you Ben Rhodes, the Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications; and Dan Restrepo, the Senior Director...

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's authority to order military action against Libya without congressional approval is being challenged, and congressional critics are using candidate Obama's words against him.

Israeli military shelling aimed at Palestinian militants missed its target Tuesday, killing three children and their uncle and wounding 13 other family members as they played soccer in their backyard in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian officials said.

Attack launched in response to rocket fire from Gaza escalates recent round of violence

An Israeli court sentenced former President Moshe Katsav to seven years in prison on Tuesday for raping a former employee, capping a five-year saga that turned a working-class hero into the country's highest-ranking...

Federal cybersecurity group issues warnings about tools that could be used to attack critical infrastructure systems like power companies and utilities, following release of exploits.

A listing of local community groups and events. Reach your community and publicize non-profit, community, or club activities here and on the Internet, at www.langleyadvance.com.

Israel is returning a tsarist-era landmark in the heart of Jerusalem to Russia, before Israel's leader visits Moscow. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has not disclosed details of his agenda in Russia on Friday. But...

Abbas Kiarostami’s films have long toyed with dramatic structure, but in Certified Copy , the tale of a man unaffected by the attentions of a beautiful woman, that deconstruction is aimless and self-indulgent.

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's authority to order the military action against Libya without congressional approval is being challenged -- and congressional critics are using candidate Obama's words against him.

The revolutions in the Middle East have thrown the imperial powers into crisis. That is because the control of the region has been at the heart of the West’s project for more than 100 years. The great powers have used every means at their disposal to maintain their grip throughout...

An Israeli military strike aimed at Palestinian militants missed its target Tuesday, killing three children and their uncle and wounding 13 other family members as they played soccer in their backyard in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian officials said.

Hollywood pirates such as Jack Sparrow and Blackbeard are glorified characters among uncivilized peers, stealing from the rich and acquiring bounties of gold.

Even in our digital age, change often comes sweepingly, powerfully and from forces far more lasting than 140 characters

Israel's former president, Moshe Katsav, broke down in tears as he was jailed for seven years following a rape trial.

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The sale of DVDs in Iranian supermarkets has stirred controversy, with detractors claiming the cheap-and-cheerful end of the market is delivering the death blow to an already troubled film industry. -Amir Najafi, IWPR

It is customary for Iranians to spend the start of the Persian New Year Norouz by the Haftseen spread. However, some devote Muslims prefer to begin the new year at the shrines of holly figures of Islam. These photos show people praying a the shrine of Massume in Qom, central...

The king of Bahrain says a "foreign plot" against his country has been foiled with the help of Gulf Arab forces. He did not name any specific plotters, but some analysts saw his remarks as a veiled reference to Iran.

Saudi Arabia's massive oil wealth and Sunni solidarity against Shiite Iran is the main reason Arab states remained muted over repression in Bahrain, while loudly protesting over the crushing of a popular revolt in Libya, analysts say.

Shahram Hadian's family left Iran in 1978, when he was 7. Soon after the family's departur

Controversy over the celebration of Norooz, the Iranian New Year, at the site of Persepolis in Shiraz continues to divide the Islamic Republic establishment, causing extreme internal tension in the upper echelons of power.

Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader attacked US policies in the region and countered Obama's Norooz message to Iranian people saying "Death to America!" is what Iranians always chant in their demonstrations. -Zamaneh

A man accused of murdering another man whose burnt body was found on a Brighton golf course has told a court that he had nothing to do with his death, describing him as his "guardian angel".

Bahrain's foreign minister said on Tuesday that the tiny Gulf kingdom would focus on restoring security and pushing ahead with political consultations after Gulf troops quashed one month of protests.

CNN has sifted through WikiLeaks cables and collated SoccerLeaks, a dossier of football information important enough to be mentioned in diplomatic dispatches. General Than Shwe of Burma, for example, plans to buy Manchester United for his grandson, and the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is willing to hire and fire members...

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and U.S. President Barack Obama embrace at the end of a joint news conference in Planalto Palace in Brasilia, March 19, 2011.

Cairo - Bahrain Foreign Minister Khaled bin Ahmed al Khalifa was in Cairo Tuesday for talks with Egyptian officials and the head of the Arab League on the recent unrest in the Gulf kingdom.

Reporter Staff Congressman Stephen F. Lynch: On a trip to Afghanistan in February Congressman Stephen Lynch is speaking out forcefully against the US intervention in Libya this week. Lynch, who represents parts of Dorchester as the Ninth district US representative, was the featured guest on Greater Boston with Emily Rooney...

Myths and truths about America's engagement in Libya - why we're there, and what's ahead