News Archive - 13 November 2011

Obama expressed confidence that Russia and China in particular understand the threat of a nuclear armed Iran would pose and said their leaders agree that Iran cannot weaponize its nuclear power and trigger a nuclear arms race in the region.

>SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Brent crude held above $114 on Monday, extending the gains of the previous week on hopes of steady demand growth as concerns over Europe's debt crisis eased, with Italy and Greece putting in place new governments to shore up the countries' finances. Most markets, from Asian stocks...

>"Unfortunately, there are no agreements now and we do not quite understand what our partners are offering us," he said at a news conference after the APEC summit here."I think that in the nearest future Russia will work out reaction to all the problems linked with the U.S.

>* Euro zone woes add to "uncertainty" in global outlook* Lagarde warns of "downward spiral" from Europe* Canada, Mexico want to join Pacific trade talks (Adds quotes and details)By Matt Spetalnick and Doug PalmerHONOLULU, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Asia-Pacific leaders pledged on Sunday to bolster their economies and lower trade...

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency says a man has been detained after broadcasting for the British Broadcasting Corporation’s Farsi-language service about an explosion at an ammunition depot. Fars says Hasan Fathi was detained by security agents after he broadcast a live report Saturday about the blast Revolutionary...

>* Iran says has developed software to neutralise it* Tensions high over Iran's nuclear programmeBy Hossein JasebTEHRAN, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Iran said on Sunday it had detected the Duqu computer virus that experts say is based on Stuxnet, the so-called "cyber-weapon" discovered last year and believed to be aimed...

>"Iran is closer to getting an (atomic) bomb than is thought," Netanyahu said in remarks to cabinet ministers, quoted by an official from his office."Only things that could be proven were written (in the U.N. report), but in reality there are many other things that we see," Netanyahu...

>BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Arab League decision to suspend Syria and impose sanctions after nearly eight months of unrest will encourage tougher international measures against Damascus but is unlikely to lead to Western military intervention. Unlike the Arab group's call in March for a no-fly zone over Libya, which set...

>"We will be consulting with them carefully over the next several weeks to look at what other options we have available to us," Obama said at a press conference after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit where he met with the leaders of China and Russia.Obama said his strong preference...

>"The trade deficit and unemployment problems are not caused by the yuan exchange rate. Even a major appreciation of the yuan would not resolve the problems facing the United States," Hu was quoted as saying on Chinanews.com.Chinanews said Hu made the comments when he met U.S. President...

>AMMAN (Reuters) - Syria has called for an emergency Arab summit in an apparent effort to prevent being suspended by the Arab League, but the organization said it would meet opposition figures this week who are calling for President Bashar al-Assad's overthrow. The Arab League's decision to suspend Syria and...

As a foreign policy-themed debate got underway in Spartanburg, S.C., on Saturday, it quickly became clear that the eight Republican presidential candidates on the stage were more like-minded on how to handle the threat posed by a nuclear Iran than what do with Pakistan.

>By Praveen Menon and Tim HepherDUBAI Nov 13 (Reuters) - Emirates airline placed a blockbuster order for 50 Boeing 777 jetliners at the Dubai Air Show on Sunday, underscoring the confidence brimming among fast-growing Gulf airlines despite growing fears of stalling global growth.The Dubai government-owned carrier, expanding its role...

Oil was higher in Asia today as traders weighed the prospects of renewed Middle East tensions.

US president Barack Obama has said economic sanctions against Iran to contain Tehran's nuclear ambitions have "enormous bite," and he will consult with other nations on additional steps to ensure that Iran does not acquire an atomic weapon.

MANAMA, Bahrain -- Bahrain’s public prosecutor claims a suspected terrorist cell had contact with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and planned to target high-profile sites, including the Saudi Embassy and a Gulf causeway linking Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.The official Bahrain News Agency said yesterday that officials also claim the...

Al-Qaeda militants have freed three French aid workers they kidnapped in Yemen more than five months ago, the French presidency and local officials said Monday.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has paid tribute to military forces who were killed in an explosion at a Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) base in west of Tehran.

TEHRAN, Iran, Nov 14 (Bernama)-- Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said on Sunday that the recent decision by the Arab League to suspend Syria's membership will make the situation more complicated, reports Iranian national news agency (Irna).

U.S. military officials warn that Iran will fill the vacuum created after American troops depart. They are recommending several moves in response, including shifting some of those troops to Kuwait. As the last U.S. troops pack up to leave Iraq by the end of next month, Pentagon officials...

TEHRAN, Nov 14 (Bernama) -- Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani says that the Majlis deems it necessary to revise Iran's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Major news organizations are using Twitter to disseminate their stories but still aren't tapping the full potential of the San Francisco microblogging service to reach their audiences, according to a study released...

Leaders from 19 nations and representatives from two others met Sunday in Hawaii, talking trade and how to jump-start their own and the international economy.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has congratulated the Iranian weightlifting squad on their victory in the 2011 World Weightlifting Championships in France.

Following the release of a recent U.N. report indicating suspicious activities in Iran's nuclear program, Israeli leaders have indicated a more urgent need to impose stricter sanctions against the program.

EU warns euro-area and UK could go into recession next year, as Germany and France reportedly discuss shrinking the eurozone and Greece finally appoints Papdemos as new PM.

The US President, Mr Barack Obama, said economic sanctions against Iran to contain Tehran’s nuclear ambitions have “enormous bite,” and he will consult with other nations on additional steps to ensure that Iran does not acquire an atomic weapon.

The Republican presidential candidates didn’t exactly cover themselves with glory last night , which is perhaps not surprising, given that President Obama’s handling of foreign policy seems generally unassailable (even if he has not always explained and promoted his policies as well as he might, as some critics have complained).

Cybersecurity concerns took center stage Saturday night at CBS/National Journal’s Republican presidential primary debate in South Carolina.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced that he would deliver a complete assessment on the U.S.-backed European missile defense system in the near future.

WASHINGTON -- Herman Cain contradicted himself on torture, Mitt Romney offered a prescription for challenging China that didn't add up and Newt Gingrich seemed to forget about crucial help by Pakistani intelligence in running down terrorists.

TEHRAN, Nov 14 (Bernama) -- The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) approved a 240-million-euro loan for Iran to establish two wastewater treatment facilities in Tehran, reports Mehr News Agency (MNA).

Terrible things tend to happen when Syrian security officials catch their quarry. Dissidents are detained, tortured and sometimes killed.

Two US Republican presidential hopefuls have both said they would reinstate the waterboarding if elected.

The Qatari premier did not spell out the economic sanctions planned against Syria, which is already expected to suffer a sharp economic downturn this year as tourism revenues dry up, trade falls, manufacturing is disrupted, oil output dips and authorities struggle to find buyers of Syrian crude.

Do you feel that the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) should be abolished? TEHRAN, Iran, 14 NOVEMBER, 2011: Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said on Sunday that the recent decision by the Arab League to suspend Syria’s membership will make the situation more complicated, reports Iranian national news agency...

TEHRAN: Iran planned to launch three new domestically manufactured satellites in the future, Iranian Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi announced on Saturday.

TEHRAN, Nov 14 (Bernama) -- Official data show that Iran has exported over 473 kilogrammes of carpet, worth around US$48,000, to the United States in the first six months of the current Iranian calendar year, despite claims of some Iranian authorities that Persian carpet is under the US sanction, reports...

President Museveni yesterday met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem as it emerged his trip took Foreign Affairs ministry officials in Kampala by surprise.

A Taliban letter sounds a newly moderate note while the Haqqani faction puts out a how-to book for jihad.

They were simultaneously shadowy and larger than life—but now they’re gone.

KO OLINA: US President Barack Obama said Sunday that the world was united in opposing Iran's nuclear program and that Washington would consult China and Russia, which oppose new sanctions, on new ways to pressure Tehran.

Oil was mixed in the Asian trade today as traders weighed the prospects of renewed Middle East tensions after the UN nuclear watchdog said Iran had worked on nuclear weapons technology.

The popular Pakistani politician and former cricket player talks about what’s next in Afghanistan, what his country can learn from China, and the fallout from the U.S. raid on Osama bin Laden.

Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Joint Forces General Babaker Zebari has called for the expansion of military cooperation between Tehran and Baghdad.

Defending his efforts to halt the Iranian nuclear threat, President Barack Obama said Sunday that the economic sanctions against the country have had "enormous bite," and that he is united with Russian and Chinese leaders in ensuring Iran does not develop an atomic weapon and unleash an arms race across...

MELAKA: Sazali Abdul Samad, who won the Mr Universe title six times, failed to defend the title for [...]

LAHORE, Nov 13: A display of art works, a book fair and a cultural evening in connection with the ongoing international conference on “Portrait of Lahore – The Capital City of the Punjab” at Alhamra on The Mall drew crowds on Sunday.

Obama says sanctions on Iran have "enormous bite," He'll consult other nations on more steps

Peter MacKay says he will speak to Israeli counterpart

How the Arab Spring shook up the Arab League

Very few Americans approve of public officials accepting bribes, a postal worker rifling through people’s mail looking for items of value, or blackmail. But what if you work for the CIA, where bribery, snooping, and blackmail may be done in the public interest?

Iran has censured the Arab League's decision to suspend Syria, saying the move will complicate the situation.

TEHRAN: Iran planned to exclude wealthy Iranians of receiving subsidies in the near future, said Iran's deputy economy minister who is also the head of the subsidy reform headquarters.

Fargo, ND (WDAY TV) -- A Fargo native who spent 100 days in Iran's Evan Prison continues to share her story.

Syria's embattled government must face the changing dynamics of the region as old alliances fade and new brokers emerge, most notably Qatar. Syrian President Bashar Assad finds himself in the unenviable position reminiscent of the late Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi's: an autocrat who may fall victim to the shifting geopolitical...

Oil rose for a third day in New York amid speculation new governments in Italy and Greece increase Europe's ability to contain a debt crisis that threatens to derail economic growth and curb fuel demand.

Police say "Monty" the police dog helped stop a man who strangled his girlfriend and the barricaded himself inside his apartment. Photo Credit: New Castle PD

TEHRAN, Nov 14 (Bernama) -- Iran planned to exclude wealthy Iranians of receiving subsidies in the near future, said Iran's deputy economy minister who is also the head of the subsidy reform headquarters.

>DUBAI (Reuters) - Boeing (BA.N) savoured an order worth at least $18 billion for 50 wide-body 777 jetliners from host airline Emirates as the Dubai Air Show entered a second day beating the drum for growth despite widespread economic gloom. The largest single order by value in Boeing's history...

As Iran rushes to lock and load with nuclear weapons and the dominoes start to sway in the world economy, I thought it might be wise to see what the NDP has said on the issues.

If there ever was doubt as to whether Iran’s nuclear ambitions are for energy or for bombs, that question has been answered by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Kapolei - President Barack Obama on Sunday tied the hopes of a faster American economic recovery to the booming Pacific Rim region, saying “we're not going to be able to put our folks back to work” unless the Asia-Pacific region is successful as an engine for the world.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay says he plans to ask his Israeli counterpart Ehud Barak about reports that Israel’s leaders have discussed plans to attack Iran’s nuclear sites

China, India Scramble for Afghan Mines

One of the most common arguments advanced against the Football Association’s wish to place a poppy on the shirts of England’s footballers is that matches have always been played in November without this furore.

JAKARTA: National cyclist Mohd Fauzan Ahmad Lutfi is thinking of quitting after his failure in the mountain bike cross-country event yesterday.

The Republican candidates met in South Carolina Saturday night for yet another presidential debate, this time with a focus on foreign policy and national security issues.

Three Americans once jailed in Iran say they're feeling thankful and relieved. They stopped in Minnesota this weekend thanking people for support during their 780 days behind bars.

Interview with Tom Corbett; Panel: Iran's Nuclear Threat.

Release Time:  For Immediate Release Moana Surfrider Hotel Honolulu, Hawaii November 12, 2011 6:12 P.M. HAST MR. CARNEY: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here. Thank you for you patience. I have with me this evening an abundance of policy expertise and intellectual firepower. On my...

Iran’s Kianoush Rostami claimed the gold medal of the men's 85kg division at the World Weightlifting Championships in Paris, France.

Kenya’s military spokesman said Sunday Kenyan and Somali government troops killed nine members of an Al-Qaeda-linked militant group they are pursuing in Somalia.

JAKARTA: Cambodia's under-23 football team lost their final Group A match 4-1 to Malaysia on Sunday at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium. They actually did well against a well-rested Malaysian team.

Last week's earthquake in southeast Turkey killed 40 people, bringing the death toll in two tremors over the last three weeks to 644, the state Disaster and Emergency Administration (AFAD) said Sunday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said he saw no more room for compromise in the battle over Iran’s contested nuclear program, in an interview published Sunday.

Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government Sunday requested an emergency summit aimed at thwarting Saturday’s Arab League vote to impose an imminent suspension from participating in the organization’s meetings.

US president is hosting this year's APEC summit in Honolulu, Hawaii

Jerusalem (AFP) Nov 13, 2011 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called on world governments to waste no time in stopping "Iran's race to arm itself with a nuclear weapon." He was speaking to ministers and the media before a closed-door briefing to his cabinet on a report...

Spartanburg, South Carolina (AFP) Nov 13, 2011 Republican White House hopefuls have slammed President Barack Obama's handling of Iran and vowed a tougher line - even going to war - to stop Tehran obtaining nuclear weapons. "If we re-elect Barack Obama, Iran will have a nuclear weapon," former Massachusetts governor...

Baghdad (AFP) Nov 13, 2011 Twenty people, including 13 Iranian pilgrims, were wounded in bomb attacks in Iraq on Sunday, an interior ministry official said, while insurgents launched rocket and bomb attacks on US forces. A roadside bomb targeting a bus carrying pilgrims wounded 15 people, among them 13 Iranians,...

Bahraini authorities on Sunday explicitly tied the recent arrests of alleged "terrorist cell" members with Iran, claiming the suspects got funding from that Middle Eastern nation and had ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guard and Basij, according to a state media report. A day earlier, a Bahrain Ministry of Interior spokesman...

Republican presidential candidates differed on whether waterboarding should be used as an interrogation technique in fighting terrorism as they debated national security ahead of the early nominating contests.

APEX, N.C. — Police say a University of North Carolina student accused of robbing a bank in Apex has turned himself in to authorities in New Jersey. Atlantic City police say they picked up 22-year-old Gordon Goodwin at around 9:30 p.m.

HALEDON — Authorities in northern New Jersey say five people were injured when a sport utility vehicle struck a utility pole and knocked down several wires. But the cause of Sunday morning's crash on Belmont Avenue in Haledon remains under investigation.

WILLINGBORO — A southern New Jersey high school shuttered for two months by mold is due to reopen on Monday. The cleanup at Willingboro High School initially was expected to take about a week. It was closed Sept.

Chris Johnson ran for a season-high 130 yards and a touchdown, and the Tennessee Titans used a stifling defense to frustrate...

US president fails to win support from Hu and Medvedev at APEC summit as he seeks to rein back Iran's nuclear ambitions.

As President Obama seeks out a reluctant China and Russia to help press Iran on ending its nuclear program, one Republican senator said he'd be willing to take the U.S. into war with Iran to prevent it from attaining nuclear weapons capabilities.

Officials are urging caution in what's already been a deadly deer hunting season for Minnesota hunters.

Iran has developed a software program that can “control” the newly discovered Duqu spyware, the director of Iran's Passive Defense Organization has announced.

A former professional baseball player who suffers from dementia and was accused of assaulting his wife in Duluth has been civilly committed as mentally ill.

Tehran (AFP) Nov 13, 2011 A senior general who pioneered an artillery and missile unit was among those killed in a munitions blast that ripped through a base of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, a Sunday statement said. Major General Hassan Moqaddam was responsible for industrial research aimed at ensuring self-sufficiency...

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts Democratic Senate hopeful Elizabeth Warren is defending comments she made praising President Obama for taking a "nuanced response" to Iran.

AFP/Tehran Iran must review its co-operation with the UN nuclear watchdog due to the hostile nature of a report on the country’s atomic programme, parliament speaker Ali Larijani warned yesterday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday called on world governments to waste no time in stopping “Iran’s race to arm itself with a nuclear weapon.”

A Level Three sex offender that cut off his GPS monitoring anklet and walked away from a halfway house was taken into custody.

Two Kuwaitis have been arrested in Abadan, southwest Iran, on suspicion of spying and illegal entry, a television channel reported yesterday.

Commodities news from around the world

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A group of Republicans and Democrats in the Alaska Legislature are calling for the state's permanent fund to divest itself of stock in companies that do business with Iran. Anc...