News Archive - 5 October 2011

>BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The United States and Spain announced an agreement on Wednesday to base U.S. anti-missile warships at Rota on the Spanish coast, strengthening U.S.-led plans for a NATO-wide missile defense system in Europe. The deal is part of U.S. President Barack Obama's so-called phased...

> * United Arab Emirates is to be first foreign buyer * System now has nine hits in nine tries, U.S. says By Jim Wolf WASHINGTON, Oct 5 (Reuters) - A multibillion-dollar missile defense system built by Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) successfully completed its most challenging test so...

> By Patrick Lannin and Veronica Ek STOCKHOLM Oct 5 (Reuters) - An Israeli scientist whose work was once ridiculed for being out of line with received thinking won the 2011 Nobel Prize for chemistry on Wednesday for discovering different ways in which atoms could be packed together in solid...

>Nuclear-armed Indian and Pakistan have been bitter rivals since their independence from Britain in 1947 and they compete to exert influence over Afghanistan to further their security interests.Following are some details of India's involvement in Afghanistan.* INDIA'S CONTRIBUTION TO AFGHANISTANIndia has had good relations with most of the...

>JERUSALEM Oct 5 (Reuters) - Israel has dismissed its deputy ambassador in Washington over an alleged 2009 leak to the media about secret discussions involving the United States, diplomatic sources said on Wednesday. They said that Dan Arbell, formerly the deputy director for North American affairs at Israel's Foreign Ministry,...

Rounding up the Top 10 are Australia, Singapore, Canada, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, Malaysia and Germany.

New Delhi, Oct 5 : A delegation from the Islamic Republic of Iran met with an Inter-Ministerial delegation from India yesterday and today to discuss issues relating to settlement of payments on account of bilateral trade between the two countries.

Jerusalem (AFP) Oct 5, 2011 Israel is to launch a spy satellite which will double the resolution of its images, keeping a close watch on Iran, Channel 10 television reported on Wednesday. It said the satellite, built by Israeli firm Elbit and due for launch soon, would be able to...

In the changing contours of the Middle East, swept along by the Arab Spring, nothing is perhaps as dramatic as the rise of Turkey.

MELBOURNE, Australia — Two men appeared in an Australian court on Thursday charged with being part of a people smuggling ring that brought Iranian and Iraqi asylum seekers to Australia by boat from Indonesia. Ali Haidari, 36, and Lamis Alli Baighi, 34, did not enter pleas when they appeared in...

New Delhi, Oct 5: National award winning film 'I am Kalam' along with acclaimed children's films like 'Chillar Party' and 'Stanley Ka Dabba' are among the Indian films that will be featured at the 17th International Children's Film Festival, to be held at Hyderabad from November 14.

TEHRAN - Mojtaba Hashemi Samareh, a senior advisor to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has stated that the main purpose of the fourth round of the president's provincial tours is to pursue the process of the implementation of the ratifications approved by the cabinet in the previous tours.

September 21 began as an ordinary day in Iran’s Evin Prison for Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer. Their daily exercise time concluded, and they expected the guards to blindfold them and take them back to their cells, as usual.

Crude Oil futures rallied for 5.1% to settle at 79.68 bbl, snapped a 3 session losing streak to post good gains today on the back of this morning's Bullish inventory data.

Series Two Part Two: Security

Maybe you've heard of Billy Hurley III's contemporaries, the current pros who were his amateur teammates on the 2005 Walker Cup team. Guys such as J.B. Holmes, Anthony Kim and Jeff Overton.

Beijing (China Daily/ANN) - Ambassador Sultan A. Baheen says a growing saffron industry is just one bright spot in his country's future, Mike Peters reports.

The news itself was hardly startling. It has been increasingly clear during the last year that the regent (Vladimir Putin) would recover the throne from the dauphin (Dmitry Medvedev).

“Youth development, provision of free school uniforms, free text books, the elimination of schools under trees, control of non-communicable diseases, scaling up of the National Ambulance Service”, etc.

The news itself was hardly startling. It has been increasingly clear during the last year that the regent (Vladimir Putin) would recover the throne from the dauphin (Dmitry Medvedev).

City Leaders Team Up With Military, Businesses To Face New Era Of Terrorism When you think of terrorism, missiles, bombs and other deadly weapons likely come to mind. But local officials say the newest and most devastating type of attack may soon be coming through a computer.

Police allege two Melbourne men charged with people smuggling were key players in an international syndicate.

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was arrested in 2009 and sentenced to death for apostasy in Iran – various Human Rights groups are now pleading for his release. Although the ruling itself is said to be questionable in light of the Iranian civil code, the ruling was passed under the ...

GREENVILLE, N.C. - World famous author Salman Rushdie paid a visit to ECU, to talk about freedom of expression.

When Nazi troops occupied Prague in March 1939, they destroyed the city’s tribute to former United States President Woodrow Wilson. Erected in 1928, the statue commemorated U.S. support and President Wilson’s leadership in shaping the first free Czechoslovakia. After WWII, a plaque served as a placeholder in the statue’s...

A day after agreeing to allow India to train his army and police in large numbers, Afghan President Hamid Karzai sought to quell Pakistani fears over the deal with little success. "The strategic agre .....

By Sharon Chen The Noose, a hilarious satirical news program from Singapore, has been nominated for an International Emmy Award. It will compete against three other shows in the ‘Comedy’ category: Benidorm Bastards from Belgium, Breaking Up from Brazil, and Facejacker from the United Kingdom. The winner will be announced...

An international celebration of Charles Dickens's life and work will take place next year to mark the 200th anniversary of the British author's birth.

Cindy Hickey made whole-wheat pancakes, scrambled eggs with vegetables, and berries with fresh whipped cream for breakfast earlier this week.

Exclusive: For three decades, the United States has undertaken an extraordinary social experiment, incentivizing greed among the richest Americans by cutting their top tax rates in half or more. The results are now in from Ronald Reagan’s bold gamble and Robert Parry says they aren’t good.

Perhaps God has allowed the left to achieve some "success" as a warning. Will we heed it?

The official title of this particular work of literary art, as it were, is “Robert Ludlum’s (TM) The Ares Decision.”

Dylan Moran plays through the Battlefield 3 teaser of Operation Guillotine and likes it. A lot.

TEHRAN, Nov. 19 (MNA) -- All eyes are on Iraq, and that should tell you that’s where they want you to look.

New, conflicting reports out of Iran raise further concerns about the fate of a pastor being persecuted for his Christian beliefs.

riday night will be Ladies' Night at the Givens Performing Arts Center when Kool & the Gang kicks off the Broadway and More Series at UNC-Pembroke. That's not to say that Robert "Kool" Bell doesn't wantallof his band's fans to show up - men and women.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich says bolstering bilateral relations with Iran is part of Kremlin's diplomatic strategy.

ONE of two men accused of being part of a global people smuggling ring has been charged with importing $750,000 of the drug ice.

Tehran, October 4 (KCNA) -- The total amount of Iran's natural gas exports stood at 10.5 billion cubic meters during the first half of the current Iranian calendar year. The gas transfer network would improve in the near future so that the local gas exports would increase to 25...

Relief at her return is due at least partly to Americans' fear of travel in foreign lands. I didn't have a huge investment in the fate of Amanda Knox, the 24-year-old American whose conviction for killing her roommate four years ago in Italy was overturned Monday. I was generally too...

Israel's Foreign Ministry removed its Washington embassy's deputy chief of mission, purportedly for leaking information to the media.

There is good news for Indian exporters whose payments of over $1 billion (around Rs 5,000 crore) are stuck in Iran due to settlement issues in the wake of sanctions imposed on the West Asian country.

American taxpayers contributed a staggering $7.7 billion to the United Nations system in 2010, including 22 percent of the world bodys regular budget. In fact, the United States pays more than all the permanent members of the Security Council combined, 13 times more than Russia and seven times more...

I took the Letters page of this newspaper to confirm my instinctive reaction when I heard that the US government had assassinated Anwar al-Awlaki, a leading figure in al-Qa'ida, in Yemen. The Americans had sent two Predator drones to the area. They fired Hellfire missiles at a vehicle containing Awlaki...

An Iranian pastor Yousef Nadarkhani has been sentenced to hang for converting from Islam to Christianity.

YouTube 'Obama girl' was almost 'Hillary girl' In 2008, America's infatuation with then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama was captured in a viral YouTube music video, "I've got a crush on Obama." It turns out the star of that video, who achieved fleeting fame as "Obama girl," almost landed on Team...

WESTBROOK – Eric Dahms doesn’t think of himself as a crusader, but the Westbrook native, who now makes his living in England as a digital advertising analytics consultant, knows the web. When news of hundreds of protestors taking to the streets in New York City to protest against corporate greed...

Walks in space and on the moon have helped make science teachers feel more grounded in the classroom....

The Washington Post 's Glenn Kessler has a fascinating article today on the six-year dispute surrounding Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's declaration that Israel must be "wiped off the map"--a line that has become shorthand for Iran's belligerent (some would say  genocidal ) posture toward Israel. The quote first stirred controversy in...

The Saudi security forces are pulling back in troubled parts of the oil-rich country's Eastern Province to avoid further confrontation with Shia protesters, say human rights activists, but they warn that any small incident might provoke fresh clashes.

The world has grown accustomed to Iranian bluster. But even by the standards of the Islamic Republic, Adm. Habibollah Sayari’s call last week to deploy the Iranian navy near the U.S. coast is stunning. The Pentagon knows, of course, that Iranian war vessels won’t come near America’s shores anytime...

Carey Schofield's book Inside the Pakistan Army: A Woman's Experience on the Frontline of the War on Terror claims to be a book on the Pakistan army but a more apt description of its subject would be "the world according to Pakistan's military officers."

It's days like today when we are reminded that free weekly papers can still serve a purpose when we find ourselves stranded in a sudden downpour and without an umbrella. If you manage to find a dry spot to wait out the storm, here are the bits of your makeshift...

Khalid al-Serkal has taken over as the country manager of the Emirates Airlines. Al-Serkal, a UAE national, is stationed in Doha and will be responsible for overseeing Emirates’ operations in the country, according to a communiqué from the Emirates.

I'M GETTING SICK AND TIRED of picking up my newspaper every day and seeing Troy Davis' picture blasted across the front page. He's guilty, he's dead, he's gone.

Failure to fund the United Nations-backed court investigating the assassination of statesman Rafik Hariri would be a gift to Lebanon’s enemies, Britain’s new ambassador to Beirut said Wednesday.

Turkey said Wednesday it would impose sanctions on Syria despite the blocking of any U.N. measures against President Bashar Assad for his crackdown on dissent.

A Saudi Shiite village where protesters clashed with police was calm Wednesday as a prominent cleric urged his followers to avoid the use of firearms and fingers of blame were pointed at Iran.

New & notable

Tutelian is a member of the Soorp Khatch Armenian Apostolic Church in Bethesda as well as the Soorp Khatch Ladies Guild. The church is hosting the free "Taste of Armenia," beginning noon Thursday through Saturday with food, kids games and a merchants mall. Is there a large Armenian community in...

Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has branded Israel as a 'threat' to its region.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said yesterday Iran’s enemies were deliberately causing the price of gold and foreign exchange to rise in a bid to undermine the Islamic Republic’s economy.

ABahrain prosecutor has ordered retrials in civilian courts for 20 medics sentenced under martial law for crimes they were accused of committing while treating victims from anti-government protests earlier this year.

Budget cuts mean the U.S. will no longer be able to make up for the significant shortfalls that have plagued NATO's operations in Libya and Afghanistan, warned the U.S. Defense Secretary, Leon Panetta.

AFP/Islamabad Pakistani police said yesterday they had launched a crackdown on Sunni militants, detaining scores of suspects after being criticised for inaction over increased sectarian killings.

On a political level, it was a powerful Middle East nation playing host to a people whose cause it supports.

The violence between the Kurdish PKK and Turkish security forces continues to escalate. Each day there are new victims and the risk of a civil war is rising. The future hinges on Prime Minister Erdogan -- and whether he chooses diplomacy over military confrontation.

> Markets Funds News ETFs News Related Quotes and News Company Price Related News...

Anti-government protesters shouted "Death to the dictator" Monday before the funeral of a top Iranian cleric-turned-critic in the city of Qom, witnesses said.

The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia urged Americans planning to travel to four areas in the eastern part of the kingdom to use caution, following clashes this week between protesters and the security forces.

Iranian musicians Symorgh have performed an adaptation of Shahnameh, in the city of Herleen, in the Netherlands.

Today on indieWIRE, Lars von Trier make a shocking statement, Juno Temple opened up about "Dirty Girl" while remaining tight lipped on "The Dark Knight Rises," a war doc won over the critics and much more. Lars von Trier Questioned by Police; Swears Off All Interviews and Public Statements It’s...

Velvet Bullets and Steel Kisses Rife with rarities from almost every era, The New York Film Festival's expansive celebration of Nikkatsu, the 100-year-old Japanese film studio, kicked off on Saturday with 1968's Retaliation —a tough-hearted chronicle of underworld turf wars...

On Saturday night in Neubrandenburg, Germany, Yoan Pablo Hernandez was awarded the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Cruiserweight Title by split technical decision over 2-time champion Steve Cunningham of Philadelphia after Hernandez's corner and doctor advised the referee to stop the bout in the corner after the 6th round.

Christian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani will avoid the hangman in Iran, it appears, as Iran claims that the reports of death penalty that circulated around the world last week were unsubstantiated.

Although the Security Council has approved the UN sanctions today against the Syrian regime Turkey, former ally of Syria, they will do on your own.

(Reuters) - The European Union is set next week to consider blacklisting the Syrian central bank as well as imposing sanctions against more Iranian individuals, according to sources on Wednesday familiar with the situation.

Harkening back to the grand old days of Sino-Soviet diplomatic chicanery, Moscow and Beijing yesterday jointly vetoed a watered-down United Nations Security Council resolution condemning...

India's abstention marked its divergence with the US on the situation unrolling in West Asia and North Africa. It also shows a consensus building between India, Brazil and South Africa

An Indonesian court has sentenced an Australian man to 20 months in jail for aiding a people smuggling syndicate.

Turkey says a decision by Russia and China to veto a U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria is "unfortunate" but will not stop it from taking further action, as international powers seek to halt the violent repression of pro-reform protests in Syria.

The Festival du Nouveau Cinéma said Wednesday that Abdolreza Kahani's "Absolutely Tame Is a Horse" will not be screening due to a ban on the film's international distribution by the Iranian government. Iranian authorities took issue with the film's denunciation of police corruption in the country. The film begins with...

BEIRUT — A group of military defectors known as the Free Syrian Army is emerging as the first armed challenge to President Bashar Assad’s authoritarian regime after seven months of largely nonviolent resistance.

Duane Bygre Dennis Farina stars in Windy City-shot drama "The Last Rites of Joe May," which begins 47th annual event Thursday. read more

NICOSIA [MENL] -- Iran intends to build aircraft carriers and other large naval vessels. Copyrights 2008, Middle East Newsline. All rights reserved.

A threat to attack Israel reportedly voiced by Syrian President Bashar al Assad is part of a media war against Syria, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

NICOSIA [MENL] -- The president of the Republic of Cyprus, under pressure from Iran and Syria, has been blamed for an explosion at a naval base that killed 13 people.

Turkish PM calls "Israel" out on its assumed possession of nuclear weapons amid already strained relations. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's prime minister, has branded "Israel" as a threat to its region, accusing it of owning nuclear weapons, in a defense of Palestinians.

ANKARA — Turkey, in its first show of force since the revolt against the regime of President Bashar Assad, has launched an army exercise along the border with Syria.

Director Eva Ionesco cast young Anamaria Vartolomei as herself and Isabelle Huppert as her mother in her autobiographical debut film My Little Princess.

A special security court sentenced the 20 medical personnel to prison on charges that included trying to topple the Gulf kingdom's rulers and spreading "fabricated" stories. The verdicts were strongly criticized by the international community. The doctors and nurses are free pending a new trial in a civilian court.

With a 2011 aid budget of over $246 million, it is hard to deny that the United States is a major player in the Lebanese economy. Recent media reports, however, have suggested that this funding could be at risk and may be withdrawn if March 8 goes on to head...

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- Violence in Saudi Arabia's Eastern province has intensified the political jitters as the monarchy tries to fend off the Arab Spring, settle a succession problem and confront Iran.

The Associated Press The Associated Press MOSCOW Russia's intelligence service said Wednesday it has detained an alleged Chinese spy who tried to obtain designs of an advanced missile system as part of Beijing's efforts to update its weaponry. The Chinese national, who worked as an interpreter for visiting Chinese officials,...

Ending the current wars will save trillions of dollars and thousands of lives, but does not guarantee the dawn of a more democratic and equitable America future.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The Russian and Chinese "double veto" of a U.N. resolution condemning Syria highlights the power of a small club of emerging-market nations -- and the extent to which Libya still divides the U.N. Security Council.

Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has branded Israel as a 'threat' to its region.

There is no excuse for the horrific, evil acts of the 9/11 terrorists, but it can’t be denied that many of the world’s people — in the Middle East and the southern countries of the American continent, in particular — have justified anger toward the U.S.

Iranian actress and filmmaker Niki Karimi is slated to serve on the jury panel of the 2011 edition of the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival in Turkey.