News Archive - 5 July 2011

Less than a week after the United Nations Human Rights Council appointed former Maldivian Foreign Minister Ahmed Shaheed as Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Iran, Head of Iran's Judiciary, Sadegh Larijani, in a TV interview said, "accepting the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights is not our policy."...

>Iranian lawmaker Esmail Kosari told Iranian newspapers on Monday that some 26 U.S. officials would be tried in absentia and their files passed on to international tribunals.He did not identify the officials, but it appeared likely they would include the same people listed on a parliamentary bill to...

Yesterday I spent most of the day in the area around the Burj Khalifa , Dubai's newest glitzy icon and the tallest building in the world. This area is certainly among the ritziest neighborhoods in the city -- ultra-modern, stylish, high-tech and extremely pretty. In general, I really like old-fashioned...

Now that Osama bin Laden has been rubbed out and dumped into the sea (as claimed by the Obama regime), it is time to declare victory in the War on Terror and start bringing our troops home from the more than 900 military installations in some 135...

JEDDAH, Jul 05, 2011 (AFP) - British Foreign Secretary William Hague on Tuesday held talks in Jeddah with his Saudi counterpart Prince Saud al-Faisal on hotspots in the Arab world including Libya and Syria.

Wednesday, July 6th, 2011 13:01:00 BERLIN: German opposition parties and even some ruling coalition members were up in arms Tuesday over reports that the government wants to overturn its export rules and sell hundreds of tanks to Saudi Arabia. This followed press reports that Saudi Arabia is about to buy...

Contact: Prof. Raymond Tanter, Iran Policy Committee, +1-202-320-8434, rtanter@iranpolicy.org

Intellectually, I understand the Supreme Court's 7-2 decision that the First Amendment protect ...

While President Barack Obama seeks a world free of nuclear weapons -- by reducing the U.S. arsenal -- other nations are busily bolstering their nuke know-how.

Alum Kuh is Iran's answer to The Diamond on Colorado's Longs Peak: a high-altitude bastion of vertical granite more than 1,000 feet tall.

Tehran, July 4 (KCNA) -- A senior commander of Islamic Revolution Guard Corps of Iran said Thursday the western sanctions have had no impact on Iran's military advancements.

ASTANA, Jul 4 (Reuters) ArcelorMittal , the world's No. 1 steelmaker, said it would invest up to $450 million a year in its operations in Kazakhstan until 2015-16 as it expects other ex-Soviet states to raise demand for the metal.

This prince is a hero, not in a real life of course -- but in a Hollywood movie. This pop culture moment is nothing short of extraordinary. The Saudis have achieved a PR coup.

SIXTEEN-year-old Ian Clark Bautista of Himamaylan City boxing team is already assured of a bronze medal in the ongoing 21st President’s Cup in Senayan Indoor Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia. Bautista, who is fighting in light flyweight division, hails from Barangay Payao, Binalbagan, Negros Occidental. Negros Occidental Boxing Association (Naba) vice...

A young playwright finds humor in cultural dissonance. by Rachel Swan The title All Atheists Are Muslim provoked just about the same reaction as Ruined, that recent Berkeley Rep play about female genital mutilation: A polite "no thanks." At least, this was the response from a former religious studies...

In these hyperbolic times, I like to remind myself of how much of a douche that Regan was. The beginning of the credit bubble, Iran-Contra, and his wife’s dick-move on drugs (nice one Nancy, we won the war!) Generally speaking, I have nothing nice to say about Reagan.

THE sun is setting over the tomb of the great fourteenth-century Persian poet Hafe, and in a city of many sights, this is the most extraordinary.  

Baghdad must ask for it, but Obama administration says it is willing to leave 10,000 troops there after permanent withdrawal

Since the middle of June, Berber rebels based in western Libya's Nafusa Mountain region have launched what is arguably the most successful and sustained rebel offensive action since NATO intervened last March.

Presenting some of the best PHOTOGRAPHS from around the globe in the last 24 hours

From horsemeat baby food to milking jelly, Travel + Leisure magazine takes a look at some of the strangest supermarket items in the world.

Sheikh Hamad Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, a member of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family, is one of the reasons why the Persian Gulf region has become a hot market for luxury cars, even as political turmoil grips other parts of the Middle East.

The foundation of Iran's nuclear program can be traced to extensive Chinese and Russian cooperation in the 1990s, according to a former U.S. intelligence official who specialized on Tehran's program. "Russian and Chinese cooperation in the 1990s with Iran created the foundation of the Iranian nuclear program today," said...

Sony Corporation on Tuesday announced that its PlayStation Network and Qriocity services would be fully restored by Wednesday in Japan. On April 18, personal information on 77 million account holders were stolen from Sony`s PlayStation Network and Qriocity media streaming service databases. In May, Sony announced that an additional 25...

BAGHDAD — The White House is offering to keep up to 10,000 troops in Iraq next year, U.S. officials say, despite opposition from many Iraqis and key Democratic Party allies who demand that President Barack Obama bring home the American military as promised.

Murder victim, Iranian refugee Farasad Razani, was stabbed and cut 59 times by his killer in a frenzied attack which left an inner city Auckland apartment dripping with blood.

RUSSIA and Iran shared honours, collecting three gold each on the sixth day of the 37th Men’s and 17th Women’s World Junior Weightlifting Championship at the Penang International Sports Arena yesterday.

(2009, Russia) Sergei Solovyev's sequel to his perestroika drama starring Alexander Bashirov, Sergei Shnurov and Yury Bashmet. Avrora.

Between 1970 and 2009 per-capita gross domestic product in Madagascar tripled in after-inflation terms  – to a whopping $448, according to the United Nations. Over that same time period per-capita GDP in nearby South Africa rose more than sevenfold to $5,700. A history of military coups, economic mismanagement and steady...

North Korea or its sympathisers were likely responsible for the cyberattack against South Korean government and banking websites earlier this year, according to a new analysis that said it also appears to have been linked to the 2009...

On 23 March, the University of Johannesburg in South Africa cut all ties with Ben Gurion University in the Negev in Israel. Salim Vally is a senior researcher at the Centre for Education Rights and Transformation, lecturer at the Faculty of Education, University of Johannesburg and the coordinator of the...

Bahrain is eager to get back to business after widespread upheaval over the past five months, but the country remains deeply divided.

The federal government has blacklisted the Pakistani Taliban, initially linked to last year's alleged jihadist scheme to bomb Ottawa and to the attempted bombing of New York's Times Square.

The United Arab Emirates joined Saudi Arabia in offering a multibillion dollar economic assistance package to Egypt as it seeks to block the way for Iranian influence in post-Mubarak Egypt, analysts said.

Turkey’s main opposition Tuesday vowed to maintain a parliamentary boycott as the ruling party threatened that its deputies might be expelled from the legislature as fresh violence in the Kurdish south killed two Turkish soldiers.

With the threat of Islamic groups possibly winning power and then hijacking democracy, Egypt needs a bill of rights and other democratic guarantees before an election.

For all the talk among pundits of Mitt Romney’s charisma problem, Romney’s Jewish supporters say what’s most inspiring about the Republican presidential candidate is that he actually does rather than just talk.

North Korea or its sympathizers were likely responsible for the cyberattack against South Korean government and banking websites earlier this year, according to a new analysis that said it also appears to have been linked to the 2009...

Twin suicide bombs ripped through the city of Taji north of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing at least 35 people, officials said, after Iraq suffered the year's deadliest month in June.

Tomorrow, Bumrungrad Hospital is due to sign a memorandum of understanding with St Anna Hospital and Richard Wolf Medical Instruments Corporation from Germany to establish the Bumrungrad Spine Institute as the first "full endospine" training centre in Asia.

Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi,  Israel's military intelligence chief said Tuesday that Iran has exploited the recent unrest in the Middle East to deepen its influence throughout the region, accusing the Islamic Republic of actively intervening in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and beyond.

BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - Failure to curb bombings and attacks by militia groups and insurgents in Iraq could spark a flight of foreign investment from the war-battered country, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq said on Tuesday.

A Bahraini opposition figure said reconciliation talks between the Sunni monarchy and the Shiite opposition started Tuesday for the first time since anti-government protests erupted in the Gulf kingdom.

Most of us amateur astronomers take for granted that we can just go outside and enjoy viewing the night sky without encountering many problems — aside from keeping mosquitoes at bay or fixing equipment malfunctions. But in order for amateur astronomers in Afghanistan to simply set up a telescope in...

MOSCOW — For the first time in years, Iran and its northern neighbor have engaged in a military confrontation. Azerbaijan, regarded as close to Israel and the United States, reported a clash with Iranian security forces along their border on late July 3.

Congress is sending a muddled message on Libya to both U.S. allies and Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.

North Korea or its sympathizers were likely responsible for the cyberattack against South Korean government and banking websites earlier this year, according to a new analysis that said it also appears to have been linked to the 2009 massive computer-based attack that brought down U.S. government Internet sites.

Dorothy Parvaz was detained in Syria when she tried entering the country to cover uprisings. She spent three days in Syrian detention, then was handed over to Iranian authorities. Host Michel Martin continues her conversation with Parvaz about her detainment in Syria and Iran.

Congress is sending a muddled message on Libya to both U.S. allies and Moammar Gadhafi.

BAGHDAD (AP) — The White House is offering to keep up to 10,000 troops in Iraq next year, U.S. officials say, despite opposition from many Iraqis and key Democratic Party allies who demand that President Barack Obama bring home the American military as promised.

Jonathan's Space Report No. 643 2011 Jul 5

WASHINGTON - Congress is sending a muddled message on Libya to both U.S. allies and Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.

Iran and India have reached an agreement to cooperate in fighting piracy as part of efforts by the two nations to expand cooperation on regional and international arenas.

BAGHDAD (AP) - The White House is offering to keep up to 10,000 troops in Iraq next year, U.S. officials say, despite opposition from many Iraqis and key Democratic Party allies who demand that President Barack Obama bring home the American military as promised.

The Guam National Tennis Federation is excited to host the second Davis Cup here on Guam, which will feature the Pacific Oceania team vs. the Iranian team in a regulation play-off match.Games begin 10 a.m. Friday at the Hilton Guam Resort tennis courts.

KATIE MORITZ The Capital of Annapolis ANNAPOLIS, Md. Vanda Savory-Boucher has three big reasons to love her new life in America: The college educations of her three children. The Guyana native, 42, said she moved to the United States with her husband so their children could have opportunities for furthering...

Bolivian President Evo Morales apologized for and called his meeting with Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi a “mistake.” Morales made the apology on July 1 in Buenos Aires during a meeting with Aldo Donzis, head of DAIA, the Jewish political umbrella in Argentina.

The 26th FIBA Asia Championship, also the qualifying event for the 2012 London Olympics, will be held from Sept 15-25 at Wuhan, China. [via] Draw Ceremony schedule: Manila time: July 6, 8:00pm; GMT +8 visit www.fibaasia.net for Draw Results and Latest Updates GROUP A GROUP B GROUP C...

Twin suicide attacks ripped through the city of Taji north of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing at least 35 people, officials said, after Iraq suffered its deadliest month so far this year in June.

TEHRAN, July 5 (MNA) – Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Commander Mohammad Ali Jafari has said that former president Mohammad Khatami’s return to political scene depends on his position towards the seditious movement.

TEHRAN, July 5 (MNA) -- Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for European Affairs Ali Ahani held talks with Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Stephania Kraski in Rome on Tuesday.

Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni said he has turned down a handful of offers for his services to steer the Blue Samurai to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, according to an interview Monday in Italian daily Repubblica. "I had offers from three different national teams and one from a foreign...

TEHRAN, July 5 (MNA) – Former Iranian ambassador to Lebanon has said the March 14 alliance is using the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) as a tool o exert pressure on the sitting Lebanese government.

The commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard all but admitted Tuesday that his elite military branch is overseeing the country's domestic politics, shutting both the country's reformists and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's confidants out of power. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari also opined...

As the theatre of the US-initiated war moves to Pakistan, the Pakistani military feels cornered and its commanders are looking for internal unity and reaching out to new and old foreign friends.

Isfahan river has been dry for the past three summers.

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>NEW DELHI, July 5 (Reuters) - India's HPCL will ask Saudi Arabia for extra crude in August, a source at the state-run refiner told Reuters on Tuesday, following others in the energy-hungry Asian giant who have grasped the OPEC member's offer to boost supply. Three Indian refiners asked for an...

The defense chief at the U.N. tribunal investigating the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri has urged four Hezbollah members indicted in the slaying to come forward.

ARBIL, Jul 05, 2011 (AFP) - The parliament chief of northern Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region said on Tuesday that US troops should stay beyond their planned departure date of end 2011 because security remained tenuous.

FAST food shop worker Homayon Narouzzad who abused 18 girls is jailed for four years

ISFAHAN, July 5 (MNA) -- International Brazil futsal player Jefferson Rodrigues De Brito joined Foolad Mahan Sepahan.

TEHRAN, July 5 (MNA) -- Titleholder Sepahan will host Tehran giant Esteghlal on the opening day of the 2011-2012 Iran Professional League (IPL) season, while Persepolis will play Malavan in its home game.

Saudi Arabia doesn't have a seat at Bahrain's crisis talks, but it carries a critical voice in everything from the tone of debate to the eventual offers on the table.

TEHRAN, July 5 (MNA) – Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has said that regional uprisings, including the Egyptian revolution, clearly signify the fact that divine promises set out in the Quran will certainly come true.

Saeid Mohammadpour from Iran won the gold medal in the men’s 94kg of the World Junior Weightlifting Championships on Tuesday.

An Iranian pastor who was handed the death sentence for apostasy is no longer on death row, his lawyer said Sunday. Iran’s Supreme Court overturned the death sentence of Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani of the northern city of Rasht, the pastor's attorney said Sunday.

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran's latest war games have featured the predictable blaze of missile tests and an unexpected peek at underground launch silos. There's one bit of military showmanship, though, that ties it all together: Promoting the Made in Iran label. Boasting about homegrown defense technology is growing louder...

> India owes Iran for oil imports in recent months due to the payments dispute related to U.S. moves to isolate Iran, which Washington suspects of seeking nuclear weapons. Tehran denies the charge. "There is a problem. We are sorting it out. We are optimistic about finding the solution...

Iran:India Oil Buyers Still Pay Into Joint Account Amid Dispute

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for European Affairs Ali Ahani is scheduled to deliver a speech and hold talks with some of participants.

Sochi, Russia (UPI) Jul 5, 2011 Disagreements between NATO and Russia over the alliance's stepped-up use of airstrikes against Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi have come to the fore. Russia has condemned NATO's strikes, which it says are exploiting the ambiguous wording of the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1970 authorizing...

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's latest war games have featured the predictable blaze of missile tests and an unexpected peek at underground launch silos. There's one bit of military showmanship, though, that ties it all together: Promoting the Made in Iran label.

ISLAMABAD : Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr. Asim Hussain said that construction work on Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline would begin within six months.

Israeli Military Intellignce Head Gen. Aviv Cochavi spoke at the meeting of the Knesset Committee for Foreign Affairs and Defense.

MANAMA (Reuters) - Bahrain is eager to get back to business after widespread upheaval over the past five months, when a protest movement was crushed by the Gulf state's Sunni Muslim rulers, but the country remains deeply divided.

Iran's Foreign Ministry has rejected US allegations that Iran sends arms to Afghan and Iraqi militants, describing the allegation as a blame game tactic.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran's latest war games have featured the predictable blaze of missile tests and an unexpected peek at underground launch silos. There's one bit of military showmanship, though, that ties it all together: Promoting the Made in Iran label.

>LONDON (Reuters) - Iranian Nobel peace prize winner Shirin Ebadi believes Iran's rulers will one day be overthrown even though a crackdown there has prevented the kind of uprising seen in the Arab world. Iran has crushed attempts to reignite Green movement protests that erupted after the disputed re-election of...