News Archive - 25 July 2011

>Darioush Rezaie, 35, a university lecturer, was killed by gunmen in eastern Tehran on Saturday. Some media reports said Rezaie was a nuclear scientist but Deputy Interior Minister Safarali Baratlou said this was not true.Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, in a speech broadcast live on Iranian state television, blamed the...

>KABUL (Reuters) - The United States has no interest in creating permanent military bases in Afghanistan and does not want to use the country as a platform to influence neighboring countries, the new U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan said Monday. Washington is negotiating with the Afghan government on a deal...

The Associated Press The Associated Press TEHRAN, Iran Iran on Monday signed a preliminary $10 billion deal with Syria and Iraq to export its natural gas, its latest effort to boost its energy sector that has been targeted by international sanctions. Under the memorandum of understanding signed by the three...

Friends and family of Dorothy Parvaz have created a Free Dorothy Parvaz page on Facebook.

Islamabad, July 26 : Talks are the only way to improve ties with India, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said ahead of talks between the foreign ministers of the two countries.

Hong Kong - The return of Lai Changxing to Beijing at the weekend after 12 years holed up in Canada as a luxury-living fugitive will test China's ability in the coming weeks and months to keep its international promises.

Dubai International registers record passenger traffic

ANDREW DAMPF AP Sports Writer SHANGHAI The Iranian swimmer who withdrew from a heat featuring an Israeli at the world championships says the move was not political. Mohammed Alirezaei tells The Associated Press that he had to wait for a visa and arrived in China a day before the race...

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jaswant Singh tells Aditi Phadnis about his fears for India, various policies and stance taken by the government and the global environment.

SHANGHAI (AP) -- The Iranian swimmer who withdrew from a heat featuring an Israeli at the world championships says the move was not political.

Attracting dust but few prospective buyers in a car lot on the outskirts of Kabul, three saloon cars, a crane and a dump truck sit abandoned due a numerical curse that has swept Afghanistan.

Federal police rescued 12 undocumented immigrants that had been kidnapped and held for two months in Reynosa. Police announced Saturday that two women and 10 men were rescued.

A fifth plunder charge was filed against former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Tuesday for the alleged misuse of P325-million funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

A prominent Iranian legislator says recognized civil liberties are seriously breached in Britain and the United States through full-scale surveillance of people's activities.

KUCHING: Penyampau mensia ke majak nambah nguan dunya nyadi siti penanggul ke deka ditapi ba taun 2050 lalu pengawa nyendiakka bekal kuasa ke meruan patut diperunding berengkah ari diatu.

BEIRUT: The unprecedented revolt threatening the regime in Syria has placed key ally Hezbollah in a tight spot and prompted the Lebanese militant group to adopt a more measured attitude, analysts say.

Washington, July 26 : The US State Department has denied the allegation that Washington was involved in the recent assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist, Xinhua reported.

Though Moody's said a Greek debt default is "virtually certain," it noted that the new measures will increase the likelihood that Greece will be able to stabilize and eventually reduce its overall debt burden.

The U.S. State Department on Monday denied that the country is involved in the recent assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist, urging Iran not to use the incident to "distract attention."

Iran defeated Algeria 36-28 in the Men's Junior World Handball Championship in Thessaloniki, Greece, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Monday.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe will arrive in London later on Monday to meet with his British counterpart William Hague, the ministry said Monday, presenting Libya talks on agenda.

In Iran, many human rights lawyers find themselves jailed or threatened with legal action. At the same time, some are criticized by peers who say they sometimes overlook clients' best interests in their determination to take a stand. When Iranian activist-lawyer Shirin Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in...

World Digest: Libya says NATO killed civilians

Overview from the men's 50m breaststroke heats at the world championship in Shanghai on Tuesday (Q=qualified). 1. Felipe Da Silva (Brazil) 27.19 seconds Q 2. Matjaz Markic (Slovenia) 27.36 Q 3. Damir Dugonjic (Slovenia) 27.47 Q 4. Mark Gangloff (U.S.) 27.49 Q 5. Alexander...

Netflix expects backlash

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia inked a landmark refugee swap agreement with Australia yesterday aimed at combating human trafficking and deterring asylum seekers from making hazardous boat journeys to Australia.

July marks one year since the world learned of Stuxnet, the mysterious computer worm that launched the first successful cyberattack on infrastructure facilities.

THE United States last night rejected Iran’s accusation that Washington was behind the killing of an Iranian scientist and urged Tehran not to use the case to distract attention from its nuclear dispute.

McALLEN — Mexican federal police rescued 12 people who had been severely beaten for two months at a Reynosa safe house Saturday. The 10 men and two women were brought from the Mexican state of Chiapas to Tamaulipas by their captors two months ago,...

An undated image released by Iran's ISNA news agency of Iranian scientist Darioush Rezaie who was shot dead by a motorcyclist in Tehran July 24, 2011.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia inked a landmark refugee swap agreement with Australia yesterday aimed at combating human trafficking and deterring asylum seekers from making hazardous boat journeys to Australia.

TO SHOUTS of “Murderer!”, a smiling Anders Behring Breivik had his day in court yesterday – but had to do without the attention he craved.

THE SYRIAN government yesterday endorsed legislation providing for a multiparty system, four decades after the Baath party seized power.

COLUMBIA — For as long as there have been coins, there have been fake coins — and that's the point of an exhibition through Sunday at the MU Museum of Art and Archeology. "They have been in the world for thousands of years," said Kenyon Reed, the collections specialist who...

Insurgents in southern Afghanistan hanged an 8-year-old boy six days after abducting him, the Afghan government has said.

> Markets Funds News ETFs News...

SHANGHAI: It was a perfect early birthday present for exponent Leong Tze Wai who stunned the big guns en route to bagging the country’s second gold medal in the senior ranks of the Asian Karate Championships at Haixia Sports Centre yesterday.

Tehran and Beijing are in talks about using a barter system to exchange Iranian oil for Chinese goods and services, as US financial sanctions have blocked China from paying at least $20bn for oil imports.

In June, 14 American soldiers were killed from enemy attacks, the most in three years. The three Iranian-backed Shiite groups are blamed for 12 of these deaths, say American officials.

The universitys Open Source Intelligence Exchange Lab tracks social media sites to assist law enforcement officers track and catch criminals.

Persian stringed instrument known as kamancheh is being heard in an unlikely place - mid-western US state of Ohio

Justin Ryan will play classical music, hymns, television and movie themes and children’s songs on his Array mbira, an African instrument based on the Zimbabwe thumb-piano, at a fundraising concert set for 6 p.m. July 24 at the First Presbyterian Church of Matawan, 883 Route 34. A freewill offering...

By Raquel Garcia…. There is one dynamic day each year at South Miami Hospital when the more than 60 cultures represented by the hospital staff awaken. The annual Cultures Come Aliveevent is a unique opportunity for employees from all departments to unite for a celebration of cultural diversity. This year’s...

When Sana, who comes from the West Bank city of Al-Khalil (Hebron), married her Jerusalem-born husband Mohammad 13 years ago, she never imagined their union would lead to a life of fear and hiding.

Iranian forces shelled suspected rebel outposts in Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region, killing two Iraqi civilians, officials said Monday, in the latest in a string of cross-border attacks that have forced hundreds of residents to flee.

Iran's once powerful President Ahmadinejad is now at odds with the Ayatollah who backed him. Stanford's expert on Iran discusses the effects of the tussle on the country's future.

Bahrain has released a detained ex-army captain who joined pro-democracy protests that hit the Gulf island kingdom earlier this year, activists said Monday.

The US rejected yesterday Iran’s accusation that Washington was behind the killing of an Iranian scientist and urged Tehran not to use the case to distract attention from its nuclear dispute. Darioush Rezaie, 35, was killed by gunmen in eastern Tehran on Saturday.

Participants in a Bahraini national dialogue, set up to address grievances after protests earlier this year, have proposed expanding the powers of the kingdom’s elected parliament, the state news agency said.

AFP/Baghdad Fighting between Iranian military forces and Kurdish separatists has displaced hundreds of villagers in the border regions of northern Iraq, the Red Cross said yesterday.

Philippine International Master (IM) Oliver Barbosa, the country's hottest young chess star, will be seeking to clinch third and final Grandmaster result/norm in the forthcoming Raja Nazrin Sha Invitational Masters Championships on September 1 to 9 at the Swiss Garden Hotel and Residences in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Three young asylum seekers have sewn their lips together in a protest at a Melbourne detention centre.

DAVID GERMAIN AP Movie Writer Two hours with Saddam Hussein's psychotic, bloodthirsty butcher of a son. Now there's some true counterprogramming to the big, splashy summer fare out of Hollywood. "The Devil's Double" presents two excellent performances from British actor Dominic Cooper as unhinged party boy and all-around nut job...

Joint-stock company “Uzstroymateriali” within the framework of industrial development in 2011 plans to acquire more than $ 436 million, of which $ 189.5 million in new construction, $ 247.3 million – the modernization and reconstruction.

Warning to Americans: "The Silent Conqueror" has traded in suicide bombings for media spin.

A look at economic developments and activity in major stock markets around the world Monday:

By The Associated Press ___

Iran's top leader on Monday appointed a mediator to resolve an ongoing dispute between the country's president and parliament that has also challenged his own authority.

Iraqi Oil Minister Abd al-Karim Luaybi said here on Monday that Baghdad adopts independent policies and therefore ignores the US imposed sanctions on Iran.

Two people were killed and two others wounded in Iranian artillery shell on border areas in Iraq's Kurdish northern region, Kurdish official website said on Monday.

Iran's Ministry of Energy has announced that Energy shares particularly electricity shares will be publicly traded on the stock market in the coming three months.

The Governor of the Irkutsk region, Dmitry Mezentsev met in Moscow with Secretary of Energy of the Russian Federation Sergey Shmatko. The meeting discussed the establishment of gas-chemical cluster in the Irkutsk region, said BakuToday the press service of the governor.

KABUL, Afghanistan -- The new American ambassador to Afghanistan took the oath of office on Monday, saying in a succinct but personal speech that the United States would start to pull back from its engagement here -- but only gradually.

The estranged father of Anders Behring Breivik said in an interview published Monday that he was shocked and despondent over the news.

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has killed 35 members of the Party for Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK) during a clash with the terrorist group in the country's northwest.

is a new website that delivers English editions of the best foreign-language news and journalism. ZURICH - In the lead-up to the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States, old and new Internet conspiracy theories are cropping up in high places in Switzerland.

Pakistna Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday said talks are the "only way forward to improve ties with India" and Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar's visit to New Delhi will provide an opportunity for the two sides to move ahead with the process of negotiations.

By The Associated Press A look at economic developments and activity in major stock markets around the world Monday:

Syria's government endorses a draft law to allow formation of political parties alongside President Bashar Assad's ruling Baath Party, part of a series of promised reforms that the opposition has dismissed as largely symbolic.

The German Foreign Ministry has kept mum on Iran's request to take legal action against the leader of the Party for Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK) terrorist group.

A senior Iranian lawmaker says Tehran will review Russia's “step-by-step” proposal regarding Iran's peaceful nuclear and offer its response if the plan merits one.

Trailrunner7 writes "Reports that Iran had recovered from the infection of the Stuxnet worm may have been overblown, as a new report suggests the country is being forced to replace thousands of expensive centrifuges damaged by the worm. The report from the website DEBKAfile cites 'intelligence sources' in claiming that...

While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists that the Palestinians recognize the State of Israel as a Jewish state, his policies encourage a mass exodus of...

The United States on Monday denied Iranian accusations it assassinated a scientist and urged the Islamic regime not to use the incident to "distract attention" from its contested nuclear program.

America's new top diplomat in Afghanistan sought Monday to allay the fears of the Afghan people who worry the U.S. is abandoning the nation after the drawdown of American forces began.

source: Joey Villar | philstar.com After a learning experience at the hands of a stellar NBA cast it played in the Smart Ultimate All-Star Weekend at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Smart Gilas Pilipinas has shifted its focus to the William Jones Cup slated Aug. 6-14 in Chinese Taipei. The...

Background Briefing in Hong Kong Special Briefing Hong Kong July 25, 2011 SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Just really fast, to give you just (inaudible) quick context, the Secretary and Dai agreed a while back that they’re going to look for multiple opportunities to spend extended periods of time together...

SHANGHAI (AP) -- The Israeli swim team has expressed disappointment after an Iranian competitor withdrew from a heat against one of its athletes at the world championships.

SULAYMANIYA, Iraq, July 25 (UPI) -- Nearly 200 families in the Kurdish region of Iraq were displaced by fighting between Iranian forces and area rebels, authorities said.

Iran’s judiciary spokesman Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie announced yesterday the release on bail of Iranian actress and filmmaker Pegah Ahangarani and actress Marzieh Vafamehr, Irna news agency said. The two women were arrested separately earlier this month.

Burkina Faso defender Mamadou Tall joined Persepolis on Saturday. The Tehran giant sealed its summer recruitment with the signing of Mamadou Tall for an undisclosed fee. The 29-year-old was a member of Portugal’s Uniao Leiria in the past three seasons.

Iran's Apple Tree troupe is slated to perform a traditional Persian puppet play at the 2011 Al Sur Del Sur International Theater Festival in Argentina.

Iranian vocalist Salar Aqili is slated to perform traditional Persian music pieces accompanied by the Norwegian Radio Orchestra in the capital city of Oslo.

Australia to send asylum seekers to Malaysia in exchange for accepting refugees currently living in Malaysia Malaysia and Australia agreed on Monday to swap refugees in a new strategy aimed at deterring asylum seekers from undertaking boat journeys to Australia. The deal will see Australia send 800 asylum seekers to...

Tehran signed a preliminary £6.1 billion deal with Syria and Iraq today to export its natural gas, in a move to boost its energy sector despite Western sanctions.

> Markets Funds News ETFs News...

ARBIL, Iraq, July 25 (UPI) -- An Iranian artillery bombardment of Kurdish villages killed two civilians and injured three others, officials in Iraq said Monday.

Gold surged 1.4% ($23) from $1,600.90/oz to a new record nominal of $1,624.07/oz within an hour of the open in Asia. Gold reached new highs due to continuing uncertainty and theater regarding the debt ceiling negotiations in Washington.

TEHRAN, July 25 (MNA) -- Director of the Iran National Library and Archives (INLA) Es’haq Salahi has requested that Poland’s ambassador to Tehran Juliusz J. Gojlo collaborate in collecting and restoring documents on World War II.

TEHRAN, July 25 (MNA) -- Iran’s Memphis Grizzlies center Hamed Haddadi said that the most of Iranians prefer football to basketball.

The reality-inverting summer of 1981 laid the foundation for a dissociative political culture that nothing yet has been able to shake, and we're all paying the price.

Heat waves can destroy crop harvests; the effects of higher temperatures on food supply are no less serious. Crop ecologists have found that each 1-degree-Celsius rise in temperature above the optimum can reduce grain harvests by 10 percent.

Dragon Boat racers from around the world and race officials begin to arrive in Tampa for championship competition.

TEHRAN, July 25 (MNA) -- The Syrian ambassador to Iran has said that Damascus completely dismisses allegations that Tehran is interfering in the internal affairs of the country.

LONDON [MENL] -- Iran has reached a level of technology that enables it to help North Korea, a report said. Copyrights 2008, Middle East Newsline. All rights reserved.

LONDON, July 25 (UPI) -- London is "horrified" by the images of three Iranians hanged from a bridge before a crowd of onlookers, the British foreign secretary said.

>GIJON, Spain (Reuters Life!) - Nairi Nahapetian gets her own back on the Iranian regime which forced her into exile by writing a novel about the murder of a powerful religious leader. Nahapetian returned to Iran as a journalist in 2005 but says that she had to turn to...

KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 (Bernama) -- China' Sinopec Petroleum Services Corporation will be taking a major stake in a consortium to undertake the development of a Petronas' marginal oil field located off the coast of Terengganu which may require up to RM2.067 billion in investment.

ASALOUYEH, Iran, July 25 (UPI) -- Iran, Iraq and Syria say they're set to sign an official contract to construct a natural gas pipeline connecting Iran's South Pars field to European customers.