News Archive - 3 August 2011

>LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Different wars for different times. Cofer Black, a former top CIA counterterrorism official, said on Wednesday he sees parallels between the terrorism threat that emerged before the September 11 attacks a decade ago and the emerging cyber threat now. The question of validation -- judging the...

Ayatollah Khamenei has now been promoted by his clerical followers to a super-human status. In certain circles, he is already being addressed as Imam Khamenei. But can combining ultimate religious and political powers guarantee tenure?

PARIS, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Iran has no intention of making an atomic bomb and its nuclear programme is for purely peaceful purposes, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a television interview on Wednesday.

The Islamic Republic would love nothing more than to crush and destroy the opposition, and the MEK has been tirelessly working to do this to posit itself as the only opposition. It is not true that the enemy of our enemy is always our friend. In this case, there is...

>LONDON (Reuters) - Somalia is most at risk from terrorist attack, followed by Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan and the new nation of South Sudan, according to a ranking by global analysts Maplecroft. The consultancy's latest Terrorism Risk Index also assesses threats to be rising in Yemen, Iran, Uganda, Libya, Egypt...

>A huge majority -- 216 of the 246 lawmakers present -- voted in favor of Rostam Qasemi, a Revolutionary Guards commander, a rare victory for Ahmadinejad who has been severely criticized by parliament in recent months.Qasemi takes control of the oil ministry as Iran holds the rotating presidency of...

>SEOUL (Reuters) - Iran could have nearly $5 billion of cash trapped in South Korea by the end of the year as sanctions stop it repatriating money from oil sales, Korean government sources with direct knowledge of the situation told Reuters on Wednesday. Sanctions do not penalize non-U.S. refiners...

About 3.025 million tons of goods were transited via Iran in the first four months of the current Iranian year (started March 21), said deputy Road and Urban Construction Minister.

A member of Iran's Majlis (parliament) says the court trial of former Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak will not be genuine and will act more as deterrent for other dictators.

The second package for supporting industrial units has been implemented and will continue until the end of the current Iranian year in March 2012.

Iran plans to set up three new petrochemical plants soon to increase its profits by producing more propylene, an oil official said.

IT’S a make-or-break bid for Rajko Toroman and Smart Gilas-Pilipinas as they take a crack at an Olympic basketball berth in the FIBA-Asia Men’s Basketball Championship.

More than 23.411 million tons of cement were produced in the first four months of the current Iranian year (started March 21), indicating a 19-percent growth compared to the figure for the corresponding period last year.

Aug 4 (Reuters) - The following were the top stories in The Wall Street Journal on Thursday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

Qeshm Zinc Smelting Complex, southern Iran, exported over 20,000 tons of zinc ingots in the last Iranian year (ended March 20).

Faced with a growing power-struggle and political isolation in Iran, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad struck an unusually moderate tone in an exclusive interview with euronews, answering questions on internal and foreign controversies generated by his leadership.

MUMBAI (Reuters) - The rupee weakened on Thursday as payments for oil imports picked up, while the dollar's rise after Japan intervened to stem the yen's strength also weighed.

After a July 31 hearing, Iranian authorities will announce their verdict for the two American hikers they have charged with espionage by Aug. 7.

share: digg facebook twitter The owners of Casarita Mexican Restaurant has asked the public to join them in a month-long anniversary celebration commemorating 24 years of serving faithful patrons. Tavoosi said Casarita has a handful of regular customers who have been eating at the restaurant since the first week it...

Thursday, August 4th, 2011 13:50:00 LONDON, England: The Philippines is at "extreme risk" from terrorism attacks, placing 13th in a ranking by global analysts Maplecroft. Somalia is most at risk, followed by Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan and the new nation of South Sudan, according Maplecroft. The consultancy's latest Terrorism Risk...

Being dropped into a former Soviet country with minimal knowledge of the language, culture and what might lie in wait would be a scary prospect for many.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad welcomes the expansion of “amicable and respectful” ties with Europe, warning European countries that their relations with Iran should not be affected by the US.

Rape as a Weapon of War: Men Suffer, Too

The Egyptian army has given the public what they wanted: The humiliation of Hosni Mubarak and his regime on live TV. But beyond the court circus, far greater challenges remain.

Far away from the Caspian Sea, sturgeon are raised in ponds cooled in the heart of the Gulf desert of Abu Dhabi, carrying in their wombs a form of black gold strange to these countries - caviar.

Creative roar ends at airport police checkpoint Thursday, August 4th, 2011 11:41:00 SHAH ALAM: Every once in a while a smuggler, whose level of craftsmanship has to be admired, surfaces.

The new United Nations expert dealing with human rights in Iran today appealed to Tehran to fully cooperate with him in addressing issues of concern raised by the international community.

By Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., Ph.D.

In the United States’ recent dance with default, we can see America’s Achilles’ heel. It is the penchant for sectarianism. It leads America to run suicidal risks — repeatedly and unnecessarily, one political cycle after another, generation after generation.

Rediff.com takes a look at some of the most disastrous air crashes that have shaken the world.

Asked why he robbed more than 100 banks, the legendary Willie Sutton supposedly replied: “Go where the money is . . . and go there often.” In the wake of the debt-ceiling deal, the worry now is that Congress and President Obama are going to treat the US defense budget the way...

A son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi says his family had forged an alliance with Islamist rebels to drive out the opposition to his father's rule.

Nicholas Schmidle’s utterly compelling tale in The New Yorker -- on the takedown of Osama bin Laden by an elite Navy commando team -- was revealing in numerous ways. Alas, one was quite troubling -- in that it suggests Team Obama has elevated politics above US security interests. That...

Mark C. Toner Deputy Spokesperson Daily Press Briefing Washington, DC August 3, 2011 MR. TONER: Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the State Department.

BANGKOK, Aug 3 – The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) reduced its April forecast of global paddy production in 2011 by 1.5 million tonnes to 718.3 million tonnes (478.9 million tonnes, milled). Still, world production will be 2.5 per cent over last year’s outcome, striking...

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 — Bersih 2.0 chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan was refused a court order today to challenge the Sarawak government for denying her entry into the state during its election last April. Ambiga’s lawyer Tommy Thomas said High Court judge Datuk Rohana Yusof dismissed the electoral reform...

The term 'hackers' is used in various ways.

Today Microsoft announced a new contest called the BlueHat Prize, designed to spur innovation in computer security protection technology. The company has put up a prize pot worth over $250,000 for the top 3 contestants to split at next year’s Black Hat USA convention.

Pyongyang, August 3 (KCNA) -- India and Bangladesh on Saturday inked a key agreement aimed at enhancing quality of border management and ensuring cross-frontier security through measures like joint vigils to deal with human trafficking and smuggling of drugs and weapons.

Tehran, August 2 (KCNA) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaking at an event on July 30, strongly denounced the big powers for their hegemonic moves.

It may be part of the so-called Axis of Evil but these days the Islamic Republic of Iran is open for business - and the country welcomes foreign visitors.

Tehran, August 2 (KCNA) -- A high cleric of Iran on July 29 scathingly condemned the hegemonic forces and Israel for their base moves to deter the country from developing.

The speaker of the United Arab Emirates Federal National Council describes the issue of Palestine as the great battle of the Muslim world which should not be left in oblivion.

It may be part of the so-called Axis of Evil but these days the Islamic Republic of Iran is open for business - and the country welcomes foreign visitors.

An Iranian woman blinded by a man who threw acid into her face has pardoned her attacker.

A hearing opens in the trial of three US hikers in Iran after they strayed into the country two years ago.

We'd like to think the automated computer networks controlling our most sensitive infrastructure — our power plants and oil refineries and wastewater facilities — are impervious to attack. It took about 45 minutes for a security researcher to dispel that myth.

The Socceroos have been handed a testing draw to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

An Iranian woman partially blinded in an acid attack, pardoned her attacker at the last minute.

The Socceroos will be grouped with Saudi Arabia, Oman and Thailand in the World Cup 2014 qualifying draw.

Gunmen have killed 11 minority Shi'ite Muslims in southwestern Pakistan, police say.

A frail but defiant former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak denied the serious charges against him in a Cairo court on Wednesday, before he was taken to a hospital on the outskirts of the city.

Re: Is opposition always better? (Editor's Letter, Burnaby NOW, Sept. 11).

Booker hopeful Patrick McGuinness on Ceaucescu's Romania

New Yorker article offers revelations about the Navy Seal attack on terrorist leader’s Abbotabad compound

Gunmen opened fire on a bus stand in southwestern Pakistan, killing seven Shi'ite pilgrims.

During the sizzling days of summer in Iran there can be no meal without borani - a cold soup made from goat's yogurt that is seasoned with garlic, olive oil and a few spices. The soup contains sliced raw vegetables and sometimes blanched vegetables.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says that the Islamic Republic's nuclear program is solely aimed at peaceful purposes, and that it is not after a nuclear bomb.

They say some stories are too good to be true – although that has never stopped Hollywood. The Devil's Double is the latest blockbuster to stretch the limits of the phrase "based on a true story". But who cares, if it tells the gory tale of one of the most...

IRAN'S parliament has approved a senior Revolutionary Guard commander as the country's new oil minister, further expanding the enormous influence that the country'

The stakes for the U.S. rises, but this is a time for carefully targeted action.

Don't have time to review the U.S. economic calendar -- what with work, family responsibilities and all? And pouring over the latest, summarized economic research by the U.S.

These five shows are some of the fest’s best bets

By Debbie Caldwell., North Shore News April 15, 2011 Artists for Kids Gallery: 810 West 21st St., North Vancouver. Gallery hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., weekends from noon to 4 p.m. Info: 604-903-3798 or www.artists4kidscom.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has thanked a woman for pardoning her attacker, who inflicted irreparable eye injuries on her and disfigured her face with acid.

Muammar Qaddafi's regime has long portrayed the revolt against its rule as an Islamist conspiracy. But in an interview just published by  The New York Times ,  Qaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, appeared to change course, declared that the regime was secretly partnering with radical Islamist factions among the Libyan rebels...

ABU DHABI [MENL] -- Qatar, fearful of an attack by Al Qaida or Iran, has imported foreigners to guard the emirate's energy sector. Copyrights 2008, Middle East Newsline.

BAGHDAD — Under intense U.S. pressure, Iraqi leaders announced early Wednesday they had agreed to start negotiations on keeping some American soldiers in the country after the current Dec. 31 deadline for all U.S. troops to have left Iraq.

Some residents complain the board lacks geographic, racial diversity Howard County Executive Ken Ulman announced a new commission Wednesday to re-evaluate the county's all-elected school board structure after hearing complaints about its lack of diversity.

Rights to writer/director Ali Samadi Ahadi's "The Green Wave" have been picked up by Red Flag Releasing, the company said Wednesday. The film, which screened at the Washington DC International Film Festival, the Seattle International Film Festival and the Human Rights Watch Film Festival will have a theatrical release timed...

One month ahead of meeting a strong Iranian squad in Tehran in the Asian zone’s third round qualification for 2014 World Cup Qualifiers, the Indonesian team will focus on physical exercise in an isolated training camp in Cilegon, Banten, starting on Thursday.

Tripoli (Libya), Aug.4 : Cornered Libyan dictator Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi’s son and one-time heir apparent, Seif al-Islam el-Qaddafi, has revealed that he is reversing course to forge a behind-the-scenes alliance with radical Islamist elements among Libyan rebels to drive out their more liberal-minded confederates.

Persepolis football team was held to a 1-1 draw by Malavan at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium in the first week of the Iran Professional League (IPL) on Tuesday night.

TEHRAN, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Iran's parliament approved President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's candidate as oil minister on Wednesday, putting a military commander who is under U.S. and EU sanctions in charge of oil and gas in one of the world's biggest crude producers.

BEIRUT - Syrian troops tightened their siege on the city of Hama Tuesday, sending residents fleeing for their lives and drawing a fresh wave of international condemnation against a regime defying the growing calls to end its crackdown on anti-government protesters.

The myth of islamic tolerance - how islamic law treats non-muslims. Edited By Robert Spencer 2005. ( 590 bloddryppende sider). Islamic Jihad. A legacy of forced conversion, imperialism, and slavery.

A spot right off Rutledge Pike is the definition of peace. It's a backyard blooming with the beauty of nature. And it's taken one local man more than two decades to create.

Computerworld - LAS VEGAS --Warnings about emerging cyberthreats shouldn't be treated with the same skepticism that many government officials showed toward the alarms sounded prior to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, warned a leading counterterrorism at the BlackHat security conference here Wednesday.

CMA CGM high-yield bonds dropped sharply in Europewan trading on Wednesday after it reported a lower-than-expected liquidity figure, and reports circulated that it may breach some of its loan agreements.

> Industrials Related Quotes and News Company Price Related News...

Repeated and constant cyber attacks against the United States have turned the country's assessment of national security threats on its head.

MAYPORT, Fla. -- The USS Halyburton has returned home to Mayport after a six-month deployment overseas.

The Sri Lankan Boxing contingent comprising three of the nation’s up and coming pugilists; R.G.S. Kumarasinghe (64kg Weight Category) of Navy Sports Club, R.M.T. Dakshilath (52kg Weight Category) of Slimline Boxing Club and T.D.N.T. Jayakody (54kg Weight Category) of Air Force Boxing Club...

WILMINGTON, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New Iran Sanctions Laws May Cost Companies State Contracts. RDC's Iran Connect Solution helps companies and financial institutions comply with CISADA.

The government is offering $42 million in funding to reasearchers to help develop its Social Media in Strategic Communications program.

The former director of the CIA's Counterterrorism Center raised concerns Wednesday about an impending "code war" in which hackers will tamper not just with the Internet but with technology that runs real-world infrastructure.

GENEVA, Switzerland, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- A U.N. special envoy on human rights in Iran said he'd like permission to visit the country and hopes Tehran views his authority as legitimate.

The problem with summer reading lists has nothing to do with summer and everything to do with fall. By themselves, summer reading lists aren’t that bad – no, really – but they do serve as reminders that sun-filled, carefree days are a finite resource and that the kids of July...

The Assad regime in Damascus has gone on a killing spree against pro-democracy protesters, especially in the city of Hama, bringing moral outrage by world leaders. What can be done to stop it?

DETROIT - MITechNews.Com Editor Mike Brennan will be a guest Saturday at 4:15 pm on WJR Newsradio 760AM to discuss his new cyber crime novella, Cyber Styletto, and how it paints a startling picture of the cyber war raging on the Internet today.

LAS VEGAS — A security researcher has uncovered a slew of vulnerabilities in Siemens industrial control systems, including a hardcoded password, that would let attackers reprogram the systems with malicious commands to sabotage critical infrastructures and even lock out legitimate administrators. The vulnerabilities exist in several models of Siemens programmable...

A 10-foot Gandhi puppet, stolen along with Ignacio resident Jes Richardson’s car, was returned to him thanks in part to the detective work of a 10-year-old.

Syrian troops have tightened their siege on the city of Hama, sending residents fleeing for their lives and drawing a fresh wave of international condemnation against a regime defying the growing calls to end its crackdown on anti-government protesters.

susolarcar /flickr Barely 3-feet tall and plastered with shiny panels, Xenith looks more like a spaceship for miniature aliens than a car. But the tiny vehicle is the pride and joy of the Stanford Sol

Norway's response to the horrific acts which killed 76 people should make us rethink our knee-jerk responses to despicable crimes.

The Pentagon is developing plans to use social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter as both a resource and a weapon in future conflicts. Its research and development agency is offering $42 million in funding to anyone who can help.

American journalist Steve Zind wanted to find out more about his Iranian heritage. To trace his family roots, he met with the 95-year-old patriarch and keeper of the Zand family history, himself a descendent of an 18th century Persian ruler. Zind's search provides an intimate portrait of Iran and its...

The Associated Press ___ EGYPT An ailing, 83-year-old Hosni Mubarak, lying ashen-faced on a hospital bed inside a metal defendants cage with his two sons standing protectively beside him in white prison uniforms, denies charges of corruption and complicity in the killing of protesters at the start of his historic...

NICOSIA — The Lebanese government, amid the decline of its Syrian mentor, has lost control over much of the country. Opposition sources said the government of Prime Minister Najib Mikati has lost control over the military and security services.

BAGHDAD — U.S. officials on Wednesday welcomed Iraq’s decision to negotiate with Washington on keeping some U.S. troops in the country into next year, seeing it as a move toward ending the months-long political stalemate that has complicated U.S. plans for a December withdrawal. Iraq’s top political...