News Archive - 14 August 2011

The tug-of-war phase has entered the danger zone, not only as a result of the military approach which Damascus has so far clung to bleeding the Syrian people, but also in light of the broader choices the regime might resort to in Damascus and Tehran.

>Watched by around 50 riot police, some students threw eggs toward the embassy compound and at the end of the protest they held up masks of Mark Duggan, the man whose shooting by police sparked the protests and riots in Britain.Some protesters carried anti-British placards. One read: "London 2011,...

>A senior Iranian member of parliament said on Sunday that Iranian forces had captured the No. 2 commander of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), without giving a name.Murat Karayilan, the PKK's field commander, told a Kurdish TV channel from his hideout in the Kandil mountains between Turkey and Iraq...

>General Chen Bingde was scheduled to tour an army base and hear security briefings, the Israeli military spokesman said, describing the unprecedented visit as part of "the development and upkeep of international cooperation as a means of facing mutual challenges."Israel and China established ties almost two decades ago, but...

>QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) - A bomb ripped through a two-story hotel in Pakistan's restive southwest on Sunday, killing at least 11 people and wounding nearly 20, police said. No-one claimed responsibility for the attack in Dera Allah Yar, a town in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, although police said they...

> * Confirms Iran now received more than $1 bln euros TEHRAN Aug 14 (Reuters) - Iran hopes oil deliveries to India will return to a normal level now a long-running payment problem has been resolved, the head of international affairs at the National Iranian Oil Co. said in an...

>TEHRAN (Reuters) - Russia will look to revive nuclear talks between Iran and the world's biggest economic and military powers this week, hoping its special relationship with Tehran can help jolt back to life negotiations that some analysts consider "dead in the water." Presidential Security Council secretary Nikolai Patrushev...

The razor-thin margin is a clear victory for Congressman Paul. AMES, IOWA (PRWEB) August 13, 2011 News reports, as well as Ron Paul himself, indicated that the twelve-term Texas congressman was expected to do well in today’s straw poll in Ames. Today’s second-place finish – by a razor-thin margin against...

A Bosnian state-run TV airs an acclaimed Iranian religious TV series, Prophet Joseph , directed by Farajollah Salahshour, during the holy month of Ramadan.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has inaugurated a major project providing thousands of houses to low-income families in southern Iran.

(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) Poultry meat production in the United Arab Emirates went up from 29000 tons in 2002 to as much as 79000 tons in 2008, or 40 per cent annually, according to a recent study ...

In late June, foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi had said that Iran's first nuclear power plant will be connected to the national grid in August.

Shakala Alvaranga Ben Affleck is trying his best to put together an all-star cast for his next big film, in which he believes Scoot McNairy has what it takes. According to Variety , McNairy stars alongside fellow cast members Bryan Cranston, John Goodman and Alan Arkin in Argo . Although Affleck...

The team also recovered Ak-47 rifles hidden in empty fuel tanks.

Make no mistake: U.N. Security Council sanctions and additional U.S. and European pressures are hurt

Most people would rejoice at seeing Iran ’s theocratic rulers kicked to kingdom come and the c

LC: First boxing memory? CE: Watching Muhammad Ali fight George Foreman in 'The Rumble in the Jungle' on our old black-and-white television in 1974. LC: First time you got into the ring?

He was convicted of lying to Congress during investigations into the Iran-Contra scandal.

A number of Iranian computer game companies are to present their productions at the renowned European game industry fair, Gamescom, in the German city of Cologne.

Leading Austrian photographer Kurt Horbst has mounted a photo exhibition in the Iranian capital city of Tehran to display various portraits of people from different nations.

Billionaire Najib Mikati chose to dive into Lebanon’s cutthroat political world.

Malaise among Britain’s urban poor is nothing new. So why did it finally tip into violence?

Credit Suisse Group AG (CSGN) , the Swiss bank facing possible U.S. indictment for aiding tax evasion, will likely settle with prosecutors by admitting wrongdoing and paying a penalty that may exceed $1 billion, tax lawyers said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow is concerned over Israeli construction in settlements. “Once again we urge Israel to stop construction on Palestinian land,” – declared the minister.

KARACHI: Fifteen-year-old Munir Aftab, captain of the triumphant Pakistan under-16 football team that recently returned home after lifting the inaugural South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) U-16 Football Championship title in Nepal, is a living example of motivating the youth stay away from drugs and gang warfare through healthy activity.

Over the last week, it has seemed that the entire British media has focussed on little but the riots that have shaken the country as nothing has for decades. Editorials, letters to the editor, columns, and acres of news reports have discussed nothing else.

AUG 15 — Watching the wild gyrations of the New York Stock Exchange last week, it dawned on me that economically Malaysia really does not matter much to the rest of the world. While in the Nineties the KLSE index may have been important enough for cable networks to cover...

Hong Kong has turned down the Philippine government’s repeated appeals to lift the Special Administrative Region’s nearly one-year-old ban on travel to Manila, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

JERUSALEM, Aug 14 (Reuters) The chief of China's armed forces visited Israel today in what analysts saw as part of a West Asia reassessment by Beijing following the political upheaval of the ''Arab Spring''.

International pressure against the Syrian government's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters is mounting, but a former Canadian ambassador says it will be difficult to bring down the country's "nasty" regime.

Malacañang on Saturday wished the Smart Gilas Pilipinas men's national basketball team the "best of luck" in semifinal phase of the 33rd William Jones Cup tournament in Taiwan.

Seemingly Orwellian moves by Western governments to crack down on the use of technology by citizens are being compared to repressive policies of regimes such as China.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's personal wealth — up to $250 million — survived the nation's economic crisis, according to figures released Friday. But his pledge to sell off interests that conflict with his GOP stances did not extend to some investments in a family charity. The new records make ...

TOKYO, Aug 15 — US crude futures were steady today after settling down slightly on Friday, taking cues from a slump in consumer confidence in the United States. Fundamentals NYMEX crude for September delivery was up 9 cents at US$85.47 (RM256.41) a barrel by 2309 GMT, after settling...

CHINESE TAIPEI – Smart Gilas Pilipinas, foiled in its title crack by Iran, vented its ire on Chinese-Taipei as it fashioned out an 82-72 victory to clinch third place honors in the William Jones Cup here yesterday.

On July 11th, some 2,000 tons of Iranian munitions and explosives, stored in the open at a naval base in South Cyprus for the last two years, caught fire and exploded.

Iranian feature film "Nader and Simin, a Separation" directed by Asghar Farhadi would start screening in the US cinemas early October. The Film which has been screened since early June in France is amongst the 10 best selling movies in the European country. -ISNA

Several Iranian films and documentaries have found ways into the 35th edition of the Montreal World Film Festival that runs from August 18 to 28. -CHN

Our great problem is the difficulty in linking those who produce thoughts and ideas, with a population bombarded with a populist regime's non-stop propaganda. With full force, the government prevents the forging of links between leading intellectuals and producers of thought, and the people. - Roozonline

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the government plans to create about 2.5 million jobs in the Iranian calendar year 1390 (March 21, 2011 - March 19, 2012).

Despite London's claims about supporting freedom of expression, the British police have arrested three internet users as part of a broader clampdown on social networking sites under security excuses. -FARS

MADRID -- Javi Poves finally achieved what most soccer players dream of, getting to taste the riches of the professional game. For the 24-year-old Spaniard, that taste was sour enough to make him walk away from the table. read more

Delta Air Lines and Aerolineas Argentinas announced a codesharing agreement under which DL will place its code on AR flights to Calafate, Cordoba, Iguazu, Mendoza, Rio Grande, Rosario, San Carlos de Bariloche, and Ushuaia; AR will place its code on DL service to Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New...

DES MOINES, Iowa — Ron Paul, once seen as a fringe candidate and a nuisance to the establishment, is shaping the 2012 Republican primary by giving voice to the party's libertarian wing and reflecting frustration with the United States' international entanglements. The Texas congressman placed second in a key early...

SCORES of hardline Iranian university students gathered outside the fortress-like British embassy in Tehran last night to condemn Britain's "savage" suppression of

Social media and legal experts have ridiculed a proposal by British Prime Minister David Cameron to restrict the use of services such as Facebook, Twitter and BlackBerry Messenger to prevent riots.

ISLAMABAD: In an unprecedented move, President Asif Ali Zardari announced civil awards for a number of key PPP members and his close aides, leaving a question mark on the criteria adopted for the prestigious honour.

MONTREAL - Novak Djokovic stopped American Mardy Fish 6-2 3-6 6-4 to win the Montreal Masters on Sunday, capping his competitive debut as world number one with a record-setting title.

A group of militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) have ambushed a military patrol in Turkey's southeastern Sirnak Province, killing three Turkish soldiers.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is the part of the Pentagon that does really cool stuff. It gave us the prototype for the Internet, for example.

Israel’s Defence Minister Ehud Barak shakes hands with General Chen Bingde, chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, during their meeting in Tel Aviv yesterday.

Pakistani police scrambled for leads yesterday on an American aid expert kidnapped at gunpoint from his house in Lahore, interrogating his guards and combing their phone records for clues.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Ron Paul, once seen as a fringe candidate and a nuisance to the establishment, is shaping the 2012 Republican primary by giving voice to the party's libertarian wing and reflecting frustration with the United States' international entanglements.

Five gunmen wearing suicide vests stormed the house of Parwan provincial governor 50 km miles north of Kabul, killing 19, wounding 34 • The assailants some in police uniforms were all killed before they reached governor Abdul Basir Salangi meeting with NATO advisers • Iowans pick US Rep. Michelle Bachmann...

A regional fisheries project of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of Rome will be launched in Sri Lanka shortly.

An international intervention in Syria has not been ruled out, should Syrian government violence against its own citizens continue, Turkish officials. Turkish President Abdullah Gul sent a letter to Syrian President Bashar Assad Tuesday saying that should Syrian troops continue attacking its own people, the country would no longer be...

Iran's first nuclear power plant, built by Russia, will be connected to the national grid in late August, atomic chief Fereydoon Abbasi Davani told the Arabic-language network Al-Alam on Sunday.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa returned to Sri Lanka early on Saturday morning after a successful visit to China where he met a host of leaders, including Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao.

TEHRAN, Iran — Russia will look to revive nuclear talks between Iran and the world's biggest economic and military powers this week, hoping that its special relationship with Tehran can help jolt back to life negotiations that some analysts consider "dead in the water."

BEIRUT -- Syria used gunboats for the first time Sunday to crush the uprising against Bashar Assad's regime, hammering parts of the Mediterranean coastal city of Latakia after thousands marched there over the weekend to demand the president's ouster. At least 25 people were killed, according to activists.

Some 200 students have held a demonstration in Tehran against what they call the "savage" police treatment of people involved in unrest in London.

The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Iranian parliament, Alaedin Boroujerdi, has announced the arrest of the second most senior guerrilla of the Workers Party of Kurdistan (PKK), an armed group Kurdish separatist operating in southwestern Turkey.

The Ames straw vote of 2011 is now in the books and it gives us some indication of where this presidential race may now be heading. There are some interesting takeaways, some of which feel a little Shakespearean.

Also spelled biriani, this dish originally comes from Persia (modern day Iran). It is popular throughout the Middle East, Pakistan, and India as well. chicken biryani has been enjoyed by the people in these regions for centuries and as such has many v...

The Centre is intent on monitoring conversations on social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. It has written to the department of telecom, asking it to “ensure effective monitoring of Twitter and Facebook”, a fact the minister of state for communications and information technology, Milind Deora, acknowledged a few days...

Everyone expects a China, even an Iran and an Egypt, to censor the Internet, ban posts on social networking sites, block websites in their entirety, and attempt other such anti-democratic acts. But when countries like India (the world’s largest democracy), the United States (most powerful democracy) and Britain (oldest democracy)...

The United States, Britain and Saudi Arabia have called on Syria to immediately stop what they describe as crackdown against protesters.

TEHRAN, Aug. 14 (MNA) – Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev pays a visit to Tehran today, reportedly to discuss the “step-by-step” approach toward Iran’s nuclear program.

Iran and Turkey have discussed the recent developments in the Middle East particularly the unrest in Syria as the Turkish military moves to deploy its retired officers to cities along the Syrian border.

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JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The chief of China's armed forces visited Israel on Sunday in what analysts saw as part of a Middle East reassessment by Beijing following the political upheaval of the "Arab Spring".

Don’t expect to see reality star Kim Kardashian on “Dancing With the Stars” again anytime soon.

The “hacktivist” group Anonymous announced its plan this weekend to take down the website of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system. The online group’s press release makes clear that the move is a direct response to BART’s shutdown of cell phone service on Thursday, which was an attempt to...

Coming off her victory in the Ames Straw Poll Saturday, Minnesota Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann took a victory lap on morning political talk shows Sunday where she faced a barrage of tough questions about her record.

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has confirmed the hosts and schedules of six qualifying groups for the 2012 AFC U-19 Championship.

TEHRAN, Aug. 14 (MNA) - A member of Libya’s Interim National Transitional Council, Abdul Monem al-Houni, arrived in Tehran on Sunday to hold meetings with senior Iranian officials.

TEHRAN, Aug. 14 (MNA) - A number of students held a demonstration outside the British Embassy in Tehran on Sunday to denounce the police crackdown of protesters in Britain and to express support to the deprived people in the country.

The future of the U.S.-Russian "reset" could shape President Dmitry Medvedev and U.S. President Barack Obama's legacy in foreign affairs. But their venture is in need of an upgrade to acquire a sense of strategic purpose and direction.

An Iranian lawmaker has dismissed the US threats to toughen sanctions on the Islamic Republic by imposing restrictions on the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) as a “political bluff.”

BlackBerry Messenger fuels the London Riots, putting Research in Motion on the hotseat, while the Verizon workers' strike boils over amid accusations of violence and property destruction.News Under the Sun is a weekly column rounding up all the events on in the mobile industry. Want the news but don't...

CHINESE-TAIPEI. – Smart-Gilas Pilipinas seems to be on the right track in its bid for the 2012 FIBA-Asia Championship in Wuhan, China, next month.

Iranian students have gathered in front of the British embassy in Tehran to voice their protest to the brutal crackdown of the UK police on protesters in Britain.

Nabigo ang Smart Gilas Pilipinas na makarating sa Finals ng William Jones Cup tournament at nakalaban na lamang ang Taipei para sa ikatlong puwesto.

Iran and Hezbollah lose a supply line and place to retreat to if the revolution in Syria succeeds. Newjarheaddean; why is that, are you suggesting that only Assad would allow such a situation to continue. IMO others may allow much more.

ABC News political analyst Matthew Dowd writes: AMES, Iowa -- As I approached the Hilton Coliseum at Iowa State University where the Republican straw vote took place Saturday, I noticed a sign saying the Shakespeare play Macbeth would be here...

Ames straw-poll winner Michele Bachmann said she would likely restore the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that required  gays and lesbians to hide their sexual orientation while in the military. (Bachmann sidelines CNN’s attempts to paint her as an extremist)

TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran's first nuclear power plant, built by Russia, will be connected to the national grid in late August, atomic chief Fereydoon Abbasi Davani told the Arabic-language network Al-Alam on Sunday.

Chairman of Iran's National Carpet Center Faisal Mardassi says the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the main importer of hand-woven Persian carpets from the Islamic Republic.

TEHRAN, Aug. 14 (MNA) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that the 21st century is about knowledge, while nukes are the means of the past and are not going to be a determining force in the world in future.

"Bunny" (archival inkjet print, 2009) by N.C. artist Alice Sebrell. will be among the works on exhibit Aug. 21-Oct. 28 at the Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University.

A number of Iranian lawmakers have condemned the brutal crackdown of UK police on British protesters who have been called "thugs and hooligans" by the British officials.

The year-end pullout of US forces will improve security in Iraq, Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi claimed Sunday, days after Iraqi leaders agreed to talk with Washington over a post-2011 training mission.

TEHRAN, Aug. 14-- Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Fereidoon Abbasi said here Sunday that the first phase of Bushehr nuclear power plant will be commissioned by the end of August if the tests underway are completed, the official IRNA news agency reported.

On Devil's Advocate, Subramanian Swamy says his recent article on Indian Muslims is not hateful at all.

TEHRAN, Aug. 14 (MNA) -- Paintings by Ardeshir Sasani will go on display during a showcase from September 16 at the Dey Gallery.

TEHRAN, Aug. 14 (MNA) – Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, a senior member of the Assembly of Experts, has warned that the enemy is seeking to take advantage of internal dissensions within the principlist camp to penetrate the government.

TEHRAN, Aug. 14 (MNA) -- Asghar Farhadi’s acclaimed film “Nader and Simin, a Separation” is once again in the spotlight within the community of the Iranian cineastes after the issue of selecting Iran’s representative for the Oscars 2012 was broached last week.

TEHRAN, Aug. 14 (MNA) -- Photos by the Iranian photographers Abasalt Bayat and Rasul Oliazadeh depicting mosques in Islamic countries are currently on display during a showcase at the Iranian Photographers Center (IPC).

Iran basketball team on Sunday won the 2011 William Jones Cup invitational tournament in Taipei after beating South Korea.