News Archive - 10 July 2011

>JUBA/KHARTOUM (Reuters) - North and South Sudanese awoke in separate nations Sunday, relieved at the ease of the split but no closer to solving rows over borders, oil sharing and other issues that may yet spark conflict. Even within the new boundaries, challenges abound. The north, with its restive rebels,...

>BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Leon Panetta arrived in Iraq on Sunday on his first trip there as U.S. defense secretary, saying he would press Baghdad on the future U.S. military presence and to go after militants attacking U.S. forces with Iranian rockets. The United States is scheduled to...

Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has left Tehran for the Slovenian capital city of Ljubljana on the first leg of his European tour that will also take him to Austria.

The IMF forecasts that Iran's oil income will rise $25 billion in 2011 compared to 2010 and will reach $97 billion.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has met his Iranian counterpart in Tehran to discuss the unrest in Syria. It is one of several last minute stopovers of regional hotspots as Turkey seeks to exert its influence.

By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO Bulatlat.com During its 4th International Assembly from July 7-9, the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS) renewed its commitment to defend Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) rights as human rights. In the gathering attended by over 300 representatives of people’s organizations from 40...

Iran Khodro (IKCO), the leading auto-manufacturer in the Middle East, has announced its readiness to mass-produce a new economy car.

At least eight people have been killed in a huge explosion at a naval base in Cyprus, it has been reported.

Based on figures released by the Customs Administration, Iran's non-oil exports excluding gas condensates reached €5.2 billion ($7.4 billion) during March 21-June 21.

A massive explosion ripped through a military base in southern Cyprus, witnesses said on Monday, with the official news agency reporting at least eight people dead.

About 300,000 job opportunities will be generated by the Industries and Mine Ministry in the current Iranian year which stared on Mach 21.

Iran will invest some $18 billion in southern oil-rich part of the country during the Fifth Five-Year Development Plan (2010-15), said deputy oil minister for planning and supervision on hydrocarbon resources.

Remarks Robert O. Blake, Jr. Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Via Interactive Web Chat Washington, DC July 8, 2011 Moderator: Hi, welcome to State Department Live, the State Department’s new interactive web chat platform. I’m your host, Holly Jensen.

With all the talk of flotillas, I’m starting to get in the mood to join one myself — but not necessarily to Israel.

Japan's 11 March catastrophe at its six-reactor Daichi Fukushima nuclear power complex has had global repercussions, hardly surprising given the trillions of dollars invested in civilian nuclear energy over the last five decades.

As the Copa America rages on, we're taking a look at the most intense fan scenes the world over.

An Egyptian politician's execrable statements confirm that his so-called "secular" party differs little from the perniciously Islamist Muslim Brotherhood that's poised to rule post-Mubarak Egypt .

oday, the United States and the United Kingdom imposed visa restrictions on, and Canada announced support for increased measures against, officials of the Government of Iran and other individuals who have participated in the commission of human rights ...

THE continuation of an Iran-Iraq rapprochement is welcome in the interest of stability in the region.

The rollout of national broadband networks for the early-adopter countries is uncovering some very interesting challenges. The least expected is the slow take-up of subscribers to the blindingly fast fiber networks.

Panetta pushes Iraqis to decide about U.S. troop extension

There is a controversial debate on a local state senator's Facebook page. Many are arguing whether a post by Senator Dave Syverson is a funny joke or a racist comment.

Baghdad (AFP) July 9, 2011 A Shiite militant group in Iraq said on Saturday that it would not hand over a British bodyguard it abducted four years ago, in a statement worded to suggest Alan McMenemy remains alive. "The American occupiers did not stop their procrastination and delays in handing...

Baghdad (AFP) July 10, 2011 Anti-US Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has withdrawn a threat to reactivate his powerful Mahdi Army but said an elite unit would oppose American forces if they extended their deployment in Iraq. In a statement posted on his website on Saturday, Sadr said his "Promised Day...

Tehran (AFP) July 9, 2011 Iran said it fired two medium range missile into the Indian Ocean six months ago under the eyes of "American spy planes," local media reported on Saturday, quoting a top military commander. "In Bahman (Iranian month which runs from January 21 to February 19, two...

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird is set to announce Monday that Canada is boycotting the United Nations Conference on Disarmament over North Korea's involvement, a senior government source told Postmedia News.

Up to 20 Chinese PhD students will receive funding to study at Simon Fraser University under an agreement aimed at attracting top graduate students from China. “University education is becoming increasingly international,” said SFU president Andrew Petter, who signed the memorandum of understanding with the China Scholarship Council in Beijing...

Iranian Greco-roman wrestlers have showed a good performance at FILA's Heydar Aliyev Golden Grand Prix in Azeri capital Baku.

BAGHDAD -- Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Sunday that weapons he said were supplied by Iran had become a "tremendous concern" for the United States in recent weeks in Iraq, where more U.

The war against Moammar Kadafi has taken over a long-sleepy mountain region, turning shepherds into fierce fighters, pastures into battlegrounds. Many wonder whether they'll ever return to their old lives. He is a soft-spoken 22-year-old with a massive Belgian machine gun.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has reiterated that Tel Aviv must formally apologize for its attack on a Gaza-bound Turkish aid flotilla last year.

The United States on Sunday opened its first consulate in Iraq's semiautonomous Kurdistan region, a symbol of the normalization of U.S.-Iraqi relations as U.S. military forces withdraw and recognition of the dynamic growth of the Kurdish economy.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Reza Raouf-Sheibani strongly criticized U.S. ambassador's visit to the restive Syrian city of Hama as a clear instance of " interfering in other countries' internal affairs," the local English language satellite Press TV reported on Sunday.

The acting head of ATF (the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) has seemingly blown the cover of both DEA and FBI informant operations in order to spare his own neck and to deflect blame away from a badly flawed operation undertaken by his own agency.

Despite the recent setbacks in the relationship, New Delhi is going all out to convince Iran that it wants to elevate its ties with Tehran to the strategic level.

Iran's foreign minister has called for more interaction among Iran, Turkey and Syria, saying the three countries are members of a family.

Up to 20 Chinese PhD students will receive funding to study at Simon Fraser University under an agreement aimed at attracting top graduate students from China. “University education is becoming increasingly international,” said SFU president Andrew Petter, who signed the memorandum of understanding with the China Scholarship Council in Beijing...

Iran’s political power struggles have brought no shortage of cutthroat intrigue with careers ruined, government officials arrested and even accusations of black magic. And now this — firebrand President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the voice of liberal dissent.

BAGHDAD - US DEFENCE Secretary Leon Panetta arrived in Baghdad on Sunday to urge Iraqi leaders to act against Iran-backed Shi'ite militias, as another American soldier was killed in the south of the country. Mr Panetta, who took office 10 days ago, flew in after visiting Afghanistan and was also...

The Chinese government would like to enrich its strategic cooperation with the new Turkish government and raise bilateral ties to a new high, a senior Chinese Communist Party (CPC) official said here Sunday.

Oil Output climbs 530,000 Barrels Per Day From May on boost by Saudis, Kuwait, UAELONDON -- Platts -...

Shanafiyah - The remains of 222 people, possibly Kurds killed under Iraq's former regime in 1987, were extracted from a mass grave south of Baghdad, the authorities said on Sunday.

The unseemly love affair of some American politicians with the death penalty is bad for justice and bad for our country's standing in the world. It inflicts a wholly unnecessary moral stain on a nation that rightly preaches the rule of law to everyone else.

11 July 2011 - Kobe, Japan - Liu Xiang came and did what is customary for him, win the 110m Hurdles title. This one, his fourth in a row in the Asian Championships, came in a championship record of 13.22 to highlight the final day of competition.

The unseemly love affair of some American politicians with the death penalty is bad for justice and bad for our country's standing in the world, writes E.J. Dionne Jr. It inflicts a wholly unnecessary moral stain on a nation that rightly preaches the rule of law to everyone else.

Iran plans to invest $18 billion by 2015 to boost output in the oil-rich south and expects its Yadavaran field to start production in a few months, the Iranian Oil Ministry’s website Shana said Sunday.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu arrived in Iran Sunday after holding talks in Saudi Arabia focused on turmoil in the region, notably in Syria.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta arrived in Baghdad Sunday to urge Iraqi leaders to act against Iran-backed Shiite militias, as another American soldier was killed in the south of the country.

New Delhi, July 10: The finance ministry is considering the option of allowing the buyers of Iranian crude to open letters of credit in rupee terms which can be used by Iran to purchase Indian goods, mainly tea, machinery and engineering services.

Like any nation, there are limits to our manpower and resources. America should not have to be the world's policeman.

Kobe: Asian Games gold medallist Sudha Singh settled for a silver while Tintu Luka and Ghamanda Ram won a bronze each on the final day as India finished eighth in the Asian Athletics Championships with 11 medals here Sunday.

Al-Jazeera satellite news channel Sunday condemned what it called a campaign of threats against its journalists because of its coverage of uprisings in the Arab world.

AFP/Baghdad The remains of 222 people, probably Kurds killed under Iraq’s former regime in 1987, were extracted from a mass grave south of Baghdad, the authorities said yesterday.

ERBIL, Iraq — The United States on Sunday opened its first ever consulate in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, a symbol of the normalization of U.S.-Iraqi relations as U.S. military forces withdraw, as well as a recognition of the dynamic growth of the Kurdish economy.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. State Department said pro-government demonstrators in the Syrian capital threw tomatoes, eggs and rocks at the U.S. Embassy to protest Ambassador Robert Ford's visit to the besieged rebel stronghold of Hama.

Thailand has triumphed in an international robotics competition for the sixth year running.

IRBIL, Iraq - The United States opened a consulate in Iraq's Kurdish region Sunday in an effort to lure more American investors to one of the most stable and fast-growing regions in the country.

Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi says the Islamic Republic of Iran, given its strategic role in the Middle East, can be a reliable and partner for Ukraine.

Pentagon chief visits Iraqi leaders to decide whether they want a residual American military force beyond the year's end.

The United States opened a consulate in Iraq's Kurdish region Sunday in an effort to lure more American investors to one of the most stable and fast-growing regions in the country.

South Sudan's residents deserve to celebrate but after the celebration comes the hard part. Obama Administration, US Jewish Groups Tells UN: Sack Falk!

Radical anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr threatened Sunday to revive a special armed unit devoted to attacking U.S. troops if the Americans did not withdraw from Iraq by next year.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. says pro-government demonstrators in the Syrian capital threw tomatoes, eggs and rocks at the U.S. Embassy to protest Ambassador Robert Ford's visit to the besieged rebel st

Weapons supplies from Iran have 'really hurt us' in Iraq, says Defense's Leon Panetta. The U.S. may be pushing Iraqi leader Nouri Maliki to request that some U.S. troops remain after the withdrawal deadline. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Sunday that weapons supplied by Iran are behind a...

The United States, Canada and Britain are joining to expand the number of Iranian officials denied visas on suspicion of violating human rights.

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta is the third top American official to raise an alarm about Iranian influence in Iraq in recent days.

The Pacific Oceania boys added another record-breaking performance to their credit. For the first time in Pacific Oceania's participation in the Davis Cup, the team has won more than three matches in a Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Group II Asia/Oceania Zone event.

BAGHDAD - From one war front to another Sunday, Pentagon chief Leon Panetta hopped from a U.S. outpost in Afghanistan's southern desert to Baghdad, where he sought to encourage Iraqi leaders to decide soon whether they want a residual American military force beyond year's end.

Iran's political power struggles have brought no shortage of cutthroat intrigue with careers ruined, government officials arrested and even accusations of black magic. And now this — firebrand President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the voice of liberal dissent.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's political power struggles have brought no shortage of cutthroat intrigue with careers ruined, government officials arrested and even accusations of black magic. And now this — firebrand President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the voice of liberal dissent.

TEHRAN, July 10 (MNA) -- Southern Sudan officially seceded from the north on July 9, 2011, becoming an independent state called the Republic of South Sudan.

>BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Stagnant peacemaking with the Palestinians has not stopped a blossoming of Israel's relations with Balkan states focused on liberalizing their societies and economies, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday. Buoyed by Greece's grounding of international activists who tried to sail to blockaded Gaza, Netanyahu noted that...

Last week, the U.S. ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, made an extraordinary trip to the besieged city of Hama. His visit was meant to support tens of thousands of peaceful demonstrators holding olive branches and roses in a city ringed by troops.

Turkey's leader has "shut the door" on reconciliation with Israel by insisting it end the Gaza blockade and apologize for storming a Turkish ship sailing towards the Palestinian enclave, Israel's top diplomat said on Sunday.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that it was "unthinkable" to normalize ties with Israel unless Israel apologized for the killing of nine pro-Palestinian Turkish activists aboard the Mavi Marmara ship bound for the Gaza Strip last year.

Iran intends to reach a deal to export natural gas to Oman by next March, Iranian government controlled media said Sunday. The gas will be transported via an underground pipeline, to be completed by March.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is set to travel to the Iranian capital city of Tehran on Sunday on a diplomatic mission.

Division of Africa's largest country may be result of a "Sudanese identity crisis" sparked by Khartoum-led power grab. For many directly affected by the world's longest-running civil war, the Sudanese conflict has been over-simplified in the Western press as inter-religious or inter-ethnic strife.

Two members of Iran's Parliament (Majlis) have deplored new travel bans imposed by the US and its allies on Iranian state officials.

Iranian ambassador to Iraq Hassan Danaeefar said that the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to establish security cooperation with Iraq after a pullout of the U. S. troops from Iraq, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported Saturday.

Iran' Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has called on Lebanon to establish a legal team to pursue the case of the four Iranian diplomats kidnapped in 1982 by Israeli elements.

The partnership will give Empire the exclusive rights to distribute Imagenation Abu Dhabi Imagenation Abu Dhabi 's local films across the wider Middle East and North Africa, including in the UAE, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Yemen, West Bank and Gaza, Egypt, Libya, Sudan, Ethiopia, Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania,...