News Archive - 15 July 2011

>AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian forces killed at least 32 civilians on Friday, including 23 in the capital Damascus, in an intensifying crackdown on protests against President Bashar al-Assad, activists said. It was the highest death toll in the central neighborhoods of Damascus since the uprising erupted four months ago in...

> won the Audience Award for Best Drama at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, and will be have a mainstream opening in select theaters Aug. 26. It follows Atafeh and Shireen, whose close friendship becomes increasingly romantic in contemporary Tehran. The pair explore their sexuality under the state’s surveillance, trading...

>PARIS, July 15 (Reuters) - Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei backs offering $5.8 billion in aid to Syria to bolster its economy, a French newspaper said on Friday, citing a report by a Tehran think-tank linked to Iran's leadership. Damascus has long been Tehran's main ally among otherwise...

KUALA LUMPUR -- A decision by Prime Minister Najib Razak to meet with Pope Benedict XVI on Monday signals a wish to mend ties with Malaysia's Christians following a series of incidents, including the firebombing of churches, that have strained interfaith relations in this Muslim-majority nation, analysts say.

LAS CRUCES - It was a red-letter day - or more like red, white and blue - when 162 people from 20 countries became new U.

Two key lieutenants in Rupert Murdoch's media empire resigned Friday as a widening scandal involving illegal phone hacking by Murdoch's...

It took about 50 years, but Asghar Ghahraman, a.k.a. Ray Alvarez of Ray's Candy Store on Avenue A, has finally become a U.S. citizen.

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

Iran's Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi said Tehran is determined to improve ties with European countries, the English language satellite Press TV reported on Friday.

Trucks waste a lot of energy overcoming the drag created by their boxy frames. Designing sleeker big rigs, though, is harder than designing sleeker airplanes given that cargo containers can't be anything other than...

A senior Iranian cleric has called for unity and vigilance among the Iranians in order to foil the plots devised by the enemies of the Islamic Republic.

Syria's opposition movement staged its largest protests yet in the four-month uprising against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad on Friday, as security forces opened fire killing at least 18 people.

A recent Zogby poll asked Arabs their view of President Obama and the United States, and guess what? They're not crazy about either one. America's approval in the Arab world has plummeted in the past two years. Just 5 percent of Egyptians view the US favorably, down from...

The Islamic Republic of Iran and China have celebrated the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Iran and China on Friday celebrated here the 40th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, as a Chinese leader visited to strengthen political and economic ties.

An international manufacturer of cranes has cut its dealings with the Iranian government.

Philosophically there is no more arbitrary milestone then the passage of time, each year we celebrate the passing of another year, see what I mean? That's why Twitter’s second five-year anniversary milestones of 350 billion tweets delivered and 600K users signing up daily fall little flat (Twitter celebrated its first...

Iranian director Asghar Farhadi won the Golden Bear for Best Film at the 2011 Berlin International Film Festival for his drama "Nader and Simin, A Separation."

Twitter opened to the public five years ago today with the boilerplate question: "What are you doing?" and as a bit of a joke to some. As it turns 5, it's having the last laugh.

Today on The Laura Ingraham Show , host Laura Ingraham presented a remix, of sorts, juxtaposing portions of former President Jimmy Carter 's 1979 " Malaise Speech " (also known as his "Crisis of Confidence Speech" or, perhaps, his "Generally Terrible Stuff Speech") with recent comments made by President Barack...

Supporters of the popular uprisings in Syria marched in a small demonstration in Tripoli Friday, chanting slogans against Iran and setting the country’s flag ablaze.

Readers Write 7/17

The most astonishing feature of the past week's astonishing events has been the shock, surprise and disgust expressed by so many in public life, all of whom knew perfectly well what had been going on for years and years under Murdoch's rule.

Iran is a land of not only great empires, but also of great traditions and cultures. The traditions that have shaped Iranian culture come from a variety of ethnic groups and cultures, blessing Iran with a longstanding and strong tradition of diversity that continues to date despite ...

WASHINGTON (BP)--Congress could take four steps that would work rather quickly to combat religious persecution worldwide, a Southern Baptist public policy specialist said at a July 13 conference.

WASHINGTON (BP)--Iranian pastor Yousef Nadarkhani faces execution unless he renounces his faith in Christ, a written verdict from the country's supreme court has confirmed.

The Air Force’s new Long Range Strike family of systems will not consist of multiple aircraft types, as widely believed.

Harvena Richter, an author, poet, scholar whose full life included a scooter trip from Italy to Iran in the 1950s

DUBAI (Reuters) - A young Bahraini poet sentenced to a year in prison told Reuters she had been released but banned from travel, and vowed to continue voicing demands for democratic reforms to the Gulf island kingdom's constitutional monarchy.

(BRUSSELS ) - The European Union is ready to pursue its policy of sanctions against Syria, where the regime in power has imposed a bloody crackdown on demonstrators, a diplomatic source said Friday.

Summer sequels and Hollywood blockbusters are dominating the big screen this season, but a slightly smaller screen in Midtown is offering something of...

More than 100 were also wounded when Syrian authorities fired on the crowds. In a significant show of the uprising's strength, thousands turned out in the capital, Damascus, which had seen only scattered protests. Until now, much of the dissent against President Bashar Assad has been in...

Syrian security forces shot dead at least 20 protesters on Friday as hundreds of thousands of people staged the biggest protests so far against President Bashar al-Assad, witnesses and rights groups said.

The group is aimed at boosting the level of dialogue about national security, with an eye toward 2012.

Nicosia - Cypriot President Demetris Christofias, facing public fury over a munitions blast that killed 13 people and caused a power crisis, apologised on Friday and said the inquiry would scrutinise his own role.

More than 100 were also wounded when Syrian authorities fired on the crowds. In a significant show of the uprising's strength, thousands turned out in the capital, Damascus, which had seen only scattered protests. Until now, much of the dissent against President Bashar Assad has been in impoverished, remote areas.

MANAMA, July 16 — Tens of thousands of Bahrainis shouting “one man, one vote” attended a rally for political reform held by a leading opposition party yesterday, days before the group decides whether to pull out of national reform talks. Bahrain’s Sunni rulers have launched a national dialogue to discuss...

DAYVID FIGLER ON METRO'S DNA SNAFU VIDEO

Four people were killed and 50 injured in a blast last night in a residential building in the square Ha’atzmaut in Netanya. According to official sources, among those killed, three women and one man. The cause of the tragedy called the gas cylinder explosion. Under investigation.

What happens in a world without dollars? Will oil trade in a basket of currencies. Will the Internat

CAIRO -- Among the protest banners in Cairo's Tahrir Square was a hand-drawn map of the Arab Spring with black target symbols covering each country hit by anti-government uprisings since the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt were ousted earlier this year. ...

BRUSSELS, July 15 (UPI) -- Iran can do more harm with suicide bombers than missiles, and a Europe-wide shield is unnecessary, a security expert said Friday.

At the last meeting July 13 in Essentuki Transport, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov agreed to start work on the reconstruction of the runway the airport, “Vladikavkaz”. BelTA BakuToday today, 14 July, the government of North Ossetia.

Hugh Pickens writes "Joe Cirincione writes in the Atlantic that the US government is set to spend almost $700 billion on nuclear weapons over the next 10 years, roughly as much as it spent on the war in Iraq over the last decade. Most of the money will be spent...

Iran's intelligence minister said Friday that his country has found a way to block the so-called "Internet in a suitcase," a program reportedly developed by the U.S. to bring online access to dissidents around the world.

SAN DIEGO — Sean Sala felt so elated when Congress approved repealing the military’s ban on openly gay troops the 26-year-old sailor went on TV and revealed his sexual orientation publicly in what he calls his “Rosa Parks moment.”

ISLAMABAD : President Asif Ali Zardari will visit Iran today (Saturday) to discuss expansion of bilateral relations and situation in the region including Afghanistan with the Iranian leadership.

THE website 88DB.com Philippines is an active online portal that allows service providers and consumers to find and interact with each other.

Iranian American Zohreh Ghahremani's Sky of Red Poppies is one of three books currently nominated for One Book, One San Diego. One Book, One San Diego, a partnership between KPBS and the San Diego Public Library, will soon choose between three books that will contend for the public vote to...

Former Mahmoud Ahmadinejad supporter Emad Afrough has predicted that the elite will not participate in the upcoming Majlis elections thus negating the possibility of change in the next Majlis or massive public participation in the elections. -Mohammad Reza Yazdanpanah, Rooz

Kokabi is a post-graduate student of nuclear physics at Texas University. He was arrested last February when he was about to return to the U.S. and has been held in Evin Prison ever since.

Scantiness, divorce, sex and broodiness were the key elements that had audiences gripping their sides with laughter at Shappi Khorsandi’s typical geopolitical routine.

Iranian authorities finally confirmed yesterday the arrest of Pegah Ahangarani, the Iranian actress and blogger who had been missing for days. Pegah is the daughter of Iranian filmmakers Manijeh Hekmat and Jamsheed Ahangarani.

The trouble comes with Israel’s new anti-boycott bill, which was approved by the Knesset on Monday, and which the Forward says will make “the boundaries of free speech and legitimate expression” in Israel “unpredictably and suffocatingly tight.”

Syrian security forces killed at least 17 protesters Friday as hundreds of thousands flooded the streets nationwide in the largest anti-government demonstrations.

Iranian Ambassador Ghadanfar Rukn Abadi says supports popular movements that are not fabricated by Israel and supported by the U.S.

On June 16, 2011, John Stewart appeared on his popular news program “The Daily Show” to report on one of the most shocking journalistic hoaxes to occur in recent memory. The popular and widely read “ Gay Girl in Damascus ” blog by “Amina Abdallah Arraf,” a young lesbian Syrian...

— Hundreds of thousands of Syrians mounted the largest protests Friday since the uprising began more than four months ago, pouring into areas where the government crackdown has been most intense in a sign that security forces cannot break the revolt.

An actress and blogger is thought to have been detained in Iran after trying to attend the women's World Cup, the latest in a series of arrests of women involved in the arts.

Syrian security forces killed at least 17 protesters as hundreds of thousands flooded the streets nationwide in the largest anti-government demonstrations since the uprising began more than four months ago, witnesses and activists said.

AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian security forces shot dead at least 20 protesters on Friday as hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across the country in the biggest protests so far against President Bashar al-Assad.

CAIRO #8212; Among the protest banners in Cairo's Tahrir Square was a hand-drawn map of the Arab Spring with black target symbols covering each country hit by anti-government uprisings since the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt were ousted earlier this year.

"Political man" is a complicated species. Cultural conditions and history differ widely. Humility in the interpretation and prediction of human nature is the wisest bet. The evolving "Arab Spring," as the media term it, is viewed through Western eyes as if the transformation of Ali Baba and the Seven Thieves...

A 15-year-old Afghan Hazara boy who faces deportation after his refugee claim was rejected says he has discovered his family is no longer in Afghanistan, and believes they have fled to Iran.

Iraqi demonstrators chant slogans as they hold their national flag during a weekly protest at Baghdad's Tahrir Square. Photograph: Getty Images

Contact: Katie Neal, +1-336-758-6141, nealkc@wfu.edu; or Cheryl Walker, +1-336-758-6073, walkercv@wfu.edu

Contact: Kenneth Bandler, AJC Director of Media Relations, +1-212-891-6771, +1-917-449-1259 (cell), bandlerk@ajc.org

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/0ed6a4/iran_telecommunica) has announced the addition of the "Iran Telecommunications Report Q3 2011" report to their offering. This quarter's BMI Iran Telecommunications Report provides an update of the country's mobile, internet and fixed-line forecasts following data published ...

Today, May 26, Tomsk started XIV Innovation Forum INNOVUS. The Forum was opened governor Victor Kress told BakuToday the press service of regional administration.

Iran remains a challenging market for foreign drug-makers. The difficult political situation will continue to deter foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country in general, while the developed local generic manufacturing industry continues to satisfy much of domestic demand.

(Bernd Debusmann is a Reuters columnist. The opinions expressed are his own)

Robert Einhorn, the US State Department’s senior adviser for non-proliferation and arms control, said in March he did not believe the newer centrifuges were ready to be mass produced, according to a transcript of a think tank debate.

Researchers in Iran explain how medical imaging coupled with computer-aided design could be used to create a perfect-fit blueprint for prosthetic dentistry, whether to replace diseased or broken teeth and jaw bone.

(MNA) -- Iran’s number one goalkeeper Mehdi Rahmati joined Esteghlal on a one-year contract on Tuesday. “Rahmati, who is one of the Iran’s best keepers, will have to do his best in Esteghlal. I present him to the Esteghlal fans,” club’s general manager Ali Fatollahzade said.

Former Iran international Ali Daei has signed a one-year deal to take over as coach of Rah Ahan. The 42-year-old, who previously coached the national team, recently re-signed from Persepolis after guiding the club to the 2011 Hazfi Cup.

Campaigners says scientist is falsely accused of gathering information on Iran's nuclear programme.

A gene linked to intellectual disability was found in a study involving the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) – a discovery that was greatly accelerated by international collaboration and new genetic sequencing technology, which is now being used at CAMH. CAMH Senior Scientist Dr. John Vincent and colleagues...

Sliema's deputy mayor Cyrus Engerer has officially resigned from the Nationalist Party and has moved on to join Joseph Muscat's progressive party.

President Barack Obama opposes a unilateral declaration of Palestinian state. He stated this at the White House at a joint press conference with Chancellor Angela Merkel.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and international allies are seeking to ensure that Libya’s opposition is strong enough to fill the vacuum left after the expected departure of leader Muammar Qaddafi.

Reuters/Vienna Iran is stepping up centrifuge development work aimed at making its nuclear enrichment more efficient, diplomats say, signalling a possible advance in the Islamic Republic’s disputed atomic programme.

Iran's Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi says the Islamic Republic remain in total readiness to counter all plots hatched by intelligence services of enemies, particularly the United States and the Israeli regime.

Iraq fatigue has led to a series of critical events in the country being largely ignored.

The Obama administration is preparing to strengthen ties with Libya's main opposition movement as it becomes increasingly clear that the group will govern a post-Gaddafi Libya, senior US officials said on Thursday.

These days America's hyper-partisan debt battle seems like it's going to last forever. Thankfully, we know that can't be the case. Either the Democrats and Republicans agree on a way to raise the country's $14.3 trillion debt limit by August 2, or, according to experts, America falls back into...

LONDON, July 15 — Oil prices fell $1 (RM3) today after ratings agency Standard & Poor’s warned it may cut the credit rating of top energy consumer the United States, capping a volatile week marked by concern about the country’s deficit and the euro zone’s debt. Brent crude for September...

Tehran, July 15 : What if, instead of waiting days or weeks for a cast to be produced, your dentist could quickly scan your jaw and "print" your new teeth using a rapid prototyping machine known as a 3D printer?

Follow Israel news on and . The New York Supreme Court has issued a landmark ruling stating that Israeli victims of terrorist attacks from Gaza may proceed with a lawsuit against the Bank of China (BOC), which transferred cash to Gaza terrorist groups.

Washington, July 15 (ANI): You may no longer have to wait for days and months for dental implants, as soon your dentist will be able to quickly scan your jaw and "print" your new teeth using a rapid prototyping machine known as a 3D printer.

Brent crude slipped today after rating agency Standard & Poor's warned it may lower the credit rating of top consumer the United States, capping a volatile week marked by concern about the country's deficit and the euro zone's debt.

Southern Sudan after the official announcement of the formation of an independent state on its territory to open embassies in 21 countries, including in Israel. This was announced today, June 19, a source in the government of Southern Sudan.

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Detailed review and forecast on vinyl acetate markets can be found in the new market report “Vinyl Acetate (VAM): 2011 World Market Outlook And Forecast” by Merchant Research & Consulting Ltd.

Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi warns of a new 'blame-game' scheme by Americans against the Islamic Republic, saying the US seeks to justify its defeats in the region.

WASHINGTON - The big question looming over United States-Iraqi negotiations on a US military presence after 2011 is what game Shi'ite leader Muqtada al-Sadr is playing on the issue.

Madrid (AFP) July 14, 2011 A Spanish judge will investigate the alleged role of three Iraqi officers, including the head of the army, in a deadly raid last April on a refugee camp housing thousands of outlawed Iranian opponents. Judge Fernando Andreu has called on General Ali Ghaidan Majid, commander...