News Archive - 26 March 2011

>President Bashar al-Assad, facing his deepest crisis in 11 years in power after security forces fired on protesters on Friday in the southern town of Deraa, freed 260 prisoners in an apparent bid to placate a swelling protest movement.But the reports from Latakia, a security hub in the northwest,...

A scenic seaside city has echoed with gunfire as protesters defied government forces in Syria's second day of nationwide unrest, burning tyres, attacking businesses and setting the offices of the ruling party aflame. Related Stories Radioactive water worry at plant Zoo house closed after snake escape Flights cancelled after Miami...

CAIRO — Syria was tense and angry Saturday as protesters set fire to a ruling party office, mourners buried the dead and the president announced the release of political prisoners, one day after government forces opened fire, again, on unarmed demonstrators.

Even as the Obama administration tries to explain and defend the NATO-led air war in Libya, the latest violent clashes in Jordan and Syria are raising new alarm among U.S. officials who view those countries, in the heartland of the Arab world, as far more vital to Western interests.

BOSTON — Geraldine Ferraro was a relatively obscure congresswoman from the New York City borough of Queens in 1984 when she was tapped by Democratic presidential nominee Walter Mondale to join his ticket.

Copyright 2011 LARZ F. NEILSON That’s my lifeboat!” said Capt. Woodrow Wilson. “I spent ten days in that thing!” He was pointing at a picture of sailors on the deck of the SS Coloradan, pulling on a line. In the background was a lifeboat.

"You — the young people of Iran — carry within you both the ancient greatness of Persian civilization, and the power to forge a country that is responsive to your aspirations. Your talent, your hopes, and your choices will shape the future of Iran, and help light the world.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has lashed out at certain countries which spread terrorism to “dominate the world,” saying Iran and Pakistan are both victims of terrorism.

WASHINGTON — "The president does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation."

WASHINGTON -- Even as the Obama administration defends the NATO-led air war in Libya, the latest violent clashes in Syria and Jordan are raising new alarm among senior officials who view those countries, in the heartland of the Arab world, as far more vital to American interests.

The mood in Syria was tense and angry Saturday as protesters set fire to a ruling party office, mourners buried the dead and the president announced the release of political prisoners, one day after government forces opened fire, again, on unarmed demonstrators. After more than a week of protests and...

All eyes are on Saudi Arabia which could drive oil prices up $US200 a barrel if tensions escalate.

Global use of the death penalty continues to decline even though China, Iran, North Korea, Yemen, the US and Saudi Arabia still execute thousands of people each year, Amnesty International says.China executed "thousands" of people...

Spain Park High School boys’ track and field team members Joseph Williams and Myles Charley captured individual event championships March 26 at the Homewood Invitational.

The league titleholder Sepahan has blanked Naft Abadan to stand on top of the Iran Premier League (IPL) standings with 55 points.

A nightingale's call competing with the clamour of traffic or the singsong shout of the vegetable seller, these are the sounds Canadian writer Anosh Irani recollects from Bombay, India, the city of his youth.

Alaska Senator Mark Begich is quick to name the issue that's giving him the biggest earful so far in his new post as Chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans, Fisheries, and Coast Guard: "marine spatial planning."

TEHRAN, March 26 -- Deputy Manager of Iran's Red Crescent Society Heydar Heydari said that Iran sent first shipment of humanitarian aid to Libya, the English language satellite Press TV reported on Saturday.

United Nations - 26th March 2011 By APP An OIC ambassadorial meeting, convened to discuss the recent desecration of the Holy Quran in Florida, has decided that Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the U.N. Abdullah Hussain Haroon, along with envoys of Tajiskistan (OIC chair), Morocco (OIC Coordinator for Human Rights),...

Thousands of people marched through the streets of the Spanish capital Madrid Saturday evening in protest against the military intervention in Libya.

Groups cheering for or against the ongoing unrest in four Middle Eastern countries took to the streets outside the White House on Saturday.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for closer cooperation among the member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).

Thousands of mourners at a funeral for a Syrian killed in anti-government protests burned a ruling Baath party building and a police station yesterday as authorities freed 260 prisoners in an attempt to placate reformists.

Reformist presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi (C) speaks to the crowd during a demonstration in the streets on June 18, 2009 in Tehran, Iran.

Germany extended their lead at the top of Euro 2012 qualifying Group A to move closer to the finals in Poland and Ukraine next year with a comfortable 4-0 win over Kazakhstan.

The death penalty continues to decline even though China, Iran, North Korea, Yemen, the US and Saudi Arabia still execute thousands of people each year

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) – A scenic seaside city echoed with gunfire Saturday as protesters defied government forces in Syria's second day of nationwide unrest, burning tires, attacking businesses and setting the offices of the ruling party aflame. At least two people were killed by rooftop snipers in the religiously mixed...

Libyan rebels clinched their hold on the east and seized back a key city on Saturday after decisive international airstrikes sent Moammar Gadhafi's forces into retreat, shedding their uniforms and ammunition as they fled.

FERMANAGH man Darren McCaffrey gives his latest update on his epic journey to Australia by bus. Darren pens his latest blog from Iran - a country where petrol costs less than a penny a litre, alcohol is banned and women are subjected to harsh Islamic laws.

ECOTERRA Intl. and ECOP-marine serve concerning the counter-piracy issues as advocacy groups in their capacity as human rights, marine and maritime monitors as well as in co-operation with numerous other organizations, groups and individuals as information clearing-house.

Instability has spread to nations that the United States considers vital to its interests and to chances for peace in the Middle East.

Do the popular uprisings of 1848, 1917 and 1979 tell us anything about 2011?

UNIVERSITI Putra Malaysia (UPM) has seen an increase of 20 percent in its international student enrolment to 432 students in the second semester of 2011/2012 compared to the same period last year.

LONDON: If the movement of horses and falcons could be tracked by tagging them with an electronic chip ‘to be tracked with Bluetooth,' why couldn't the same method be used to track Guantanamo Bay detainees, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah reportedly asked a senior American counter-terror official.

People in 134 countries and territories including the UK switched off their lights for an hour to support action to create a sustainable future for the planet.

The despots who have ruled the Arab world for half a century are not giving up without a fight. In the southern Syrian city of Dara, security forces last week machine-gunned pro-democracy protesters in a mosque, killing 44 of them, and then faked evidence to pretend they were a gang...

Afghan President Hamid Karzai left yesterday on a visit to Tehran, where he will meet his Iranian counterpart following a row over fuel imports and attend a ceremony to mark the Persian new year.

DAMASCUS, Syria — A scenic seaside city echoed with gunfire Saturday as protesters defied government forces in Syria's second day of nationwide unrest, burning tires, attacking businesses and setting the offices of the ruling party aflame. At least two people were killed by rooftop snipers in the religiously mixed Mediterranean...

Bayern Munich pair Miroslav Klose and Thomas Muller both grabbed a brace in an easy win for Joachim Low's side in Kaiserslautern.

In this file photo, France's President Nicolas Sarkozy (L) and his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy pose before a visit a hospital in Creteil near Paris.

She broke a gender barrier in 1984 -- and she was rewarded with one indignity after another

Among the most important details in President Obama's decision to aid an intervention in Libya is that the President promised not to put boots on the ground in Libya, limiting America's involvement to air strikes. On last night's Freedom Watch , Judge Andrew Napolitano had on a guest arguing the...

The Iranian president has called for more cooperation between Iran and Iraq, saying that the two can promote peace, justice, and freedom throughout the world.

Global and local leaders must ensure that they do not mislead the civilian opposition or the armed revolutionaries by adopting their cause today without paying heed to the consequences of possible disappointment.

BOSTON — In 1984, Geraldine Ferraro was a relatively obscure congresswoman from the New York City borough of Queens when she was tapped by Democratic presidential nominee Walter Mondale to join his ticket. Her vice presidential bid, the first for a woman on a major party ticket, emboldened women across...

TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran Oil Minister Masoud Mirkazemi sees no reason to call an extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Country (OPEC), Mehr news agency reported on Saturday.

More than 134 countries across the world, including the UK, are switching off their lights for an hour today to support action to create a sustainable future for the planet.

Protesters set fire to offices of the ruling party in southern and western Syria on Saturday, burning tires and attacking cars and shops as anti-government protests continue.

Geraldine Ferraro, who in 1984 became the first woman vice presidential candidate on a major U.S. party ticket, died Saturday in Boston, a family spokeswoman said.

BOSTON, Mass - Geraldine Ferraro died Saturday in Boston, where the 75-year-old was being treated for complications of blood cancer. She died just before 10 a.m., said Amanda Fuchs Miller, a family friend who worked for Ferraro in her 1998 Senate bid and was acting as a spokeswoman for...

Armenia 0 Russia 0:The Republic of Ireland can go level with Russia on top of Group B if they beat Macedonia tonight after Dick Advocaat’s misfiring side were held to a goalless draw in Yerevan this afternoon.

THE cracks in the UK's ruling coalition over George Osborne's raid on North Sea oil and gas widened yesterday when another Lib Dem MP condemned the windfall tax.

President Barack Obama on Saturday defended the U.S. involvement in Libya, stressing that a “humanitarian catastrophe” has been averted and “countless” civilian lives were saved.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the Afghan government is capable of providing the security of the country without the interference of foreign forces.

Ten Reasons Why Wall Street Skated Wall Street pulled off a massive financial heist and then made a getaway with nary a legal scratch, notes Danny Schechter.

100th international between the two old rivals went England’s way for the 65th time

The sign, "IT'S ABOUT FREEDOM" caught my eye during the exhausting weeks of protest in Madison. When you agree to work for a well paid union boss, haven't you forfeited many of your freedoms in exchange for that nice paycheck?

Damascus - Thousands of mourners at a funeral for a Syrian killed in anti-government protests burned a ruling Baath party building and a police station on Saturday as authorities freed 260 prisoners in a bid to placate reformists.

Ars Libri, a valued destination for art books in Boston, is heading for a new home

* Russia fail to score for third consecutive game

SANANDAJ, Iran, March 26 (MNA) – Iran’s first consignment of relief aid, weighing 36 tons, has arrived in Libya, the head of Iran’s Red Crescent Society announced on Saturday.

Border officials seized a large quantity of suspected opium earlier this month in a shipment from Iran, leading to the seizure of more drugs and the arrest of two men.

I am watching the Middle East turn into rubble in an ever-widening rebellion led by anti-American radicals. Libya is in total disarray. Egypt has fallen. Tunisia has fallen. Yemen is seriously threatened. Syria is trying to maintain status quo following the change of government in Lebanon. Jordan, Bahrain, Iran, and...

Saturday 26 March: Within hours, people in a record 134 countries and territories across the globe will switch off their lights for an hour in a unified show of support for action towards a sustainable future for our planet.

>Following are some comments on what may lie ahead for Syria.MAHA AZZAM, associate fellow at Chatham House"Frictions will increase between the Assad regime and some in the army. But it is difficult to say what direction the army will take."It has been closely controlled by the regime and...

“Turkey’s foreign policy must become more Russia, Iran and Turkic states-oriented,” former president of the Turkish Historical Society said.

By James M. Dorsey Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz will travel to Tehran later this week to finalize his contract as Iran’s new national coach after pro-longing negotiations for weeks to monitor whether anti-government protests sweeping the Middle East would also shake Iran. Queroz started talks with Iran in February at...

SOLOMON MOORE Associated Press KABUL, Afghanistan A NATO airstrike on two vehicles believed to be carrying Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan accidentally killed and wounded an unspecified number of civilians, coalition forces said Saturday. The international alliance said it was investigating the strike, which occurred on Friday in the Naw...

Libya threatens to become a failed state regardless of how long Moammar Ga­dhafi remains in power. Western allies are in disarray about their objectives.

A two day conference designed to support democratic trade unions in the Middle East closed in Amman, Jordan this week with a commitment to build and sustain democracy and independent trade unionism across the region.

Turkish PM Erdogan phones Assad after scores die in brutal crackdown on spreading protests across Syrian cities Friday. Calls for international intervention to protect anti-Assad demonstrators. Egyptian and Syrian Muslim Brotherhood accused of fomenting inter-factional clashes sweeping Jordan.

The latest security update to Google Chrome includes two blacklisted SSL certificates that may be related to the recent theft of digital certificates from a Comodo reseller.

IDG News Service - A cyber-attack linked to Iran this week is the latest in a string of cyber-events that some say represents a new step in a shadowy and long-running war between the Iranian government and those who criticize it on the Internet.

Miss USA returning to Michigan to attend a benefit for veterans in need of financial and medical help.

Shia protesters have staged rallies in two villages near Qatif in the oil-rich eastern province of Saudi Arabia, renewing demands for the release of prisoners and the withdrawal of Saudi forces in Bahrain in spite of requests from senior Shia clerics to halt protests.

MANAMA, Bahrain -- Security forces using tear gas, rubber bullets and bird shot dispersed antigovernment protesters across Bahrain who defied martial law and a ban on public gatherings.

Troops have opened fire on protesters in cities across Syria as anti-government crowds demand reform.

Thousands of protesters demanding political liberalization marched in cities across Syria Friday, an unprecedented display of public dissent that prompted violent clashes with security forces and left dozens dead and injured, according to witnesses and media reports.

DAMASCUS - TROOPS opened fire on protesters in cities across Syria and pro- and anti-government crowds clashed in the capital's historic old city as one of the Middle East's most repressive regimes sought to put down demonstrations that exploded nationwide demanding reform. The upheaval sweeping the region definitively took root...

Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s security forces clashed with protesters in several cities after his promises of freedoms and pay increases failed to prevent dissent from spreading across the country.

DAMASCUS: President Bashar al-Assad faced the deepest crisis of his 11 years in power on Saturday, March 26 with one city in the grip of anti-government protesters and unrest spreading to other parts of Syria.

Damascus - 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.

SANAA, March 26 — Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh said yesterday that he was ready to cede power, the third Arab ruler who may be forced out by popular protests that began in North Africa and have now spread into the Gulf, Syria and Jordan. Saleh said he would cede...

LIVE: As the coalition strikes on Col Gaddafi's regime continue, follow live coverage of events in Libya and across the rest of the Middle East.

Two men have been arrested after about 18 kilograms of opium in a shipment of tea kettles from Iran was seized by the Canadian Border Services Agency and the RCMP.