News Archive - 21 November 2011

>SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Brent crude held near $107 a barrel on Tuesday as fresh sanctions, and the prospect of military action, against Iran offset persistent worries about the health of Western economies and fuel demand. The United States, Britain and Canada on Monday announced new sanctions on Iran's energy and...

>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States, Britain and Canada announced fresh plans on Monday to sanction Iran's financial and energy sectors, steps analysts said would raise pressure on Tehran but were unlikely to halt its atomic program. The United States named Iran as an area of "primary money laundering concern,"...

>PARIS Nov 21 (Reuters) - France called for new sanctions on an "unprecedented scale" against Iran on Monday in response to Tehran's nuclear programme, urging world powers to halt purchases of Iranian oil and freeze its central bank assets.French President Nicolas Sarkozy sent letters to the leaders of the...

>Clinton and Geithner will deliver remarks at 4:30 p.m. EST (2130 GMT) at the State Department in Washington.U.S. officials have confirmed that the United States will declare Iran, including its central bank, as a territory of primary money laundering concern, prompting new actions to prevent Tehran from...

>LONDON Nov 21 (Reuters) - Britain imposed new financial sanctions on Iran on Monday, ordering all UK financial institutions to stop doing business with their Iranian counterparts and with the central bank of Iran, Britain's finance ministry said.It said the sanctions were in response to the International Atomic Energy...

>VIENNA (Reuters) - Israel and its Arab neighbors sat in the same room on Monday for rare discussions on banning nuclear weapons in the Middle East, although the meeting was marred by the absence of boycotting Iran. Arab states, including Syria and Lebanon, took aim at Israel over the atomic...

Britain took the dramatic step of cutting off almost all ties with Iranian banks yesterday amid growing alarm that the country is pursuing an undercover nuclear weapons programme. Related Stories Five held in body-in-garden probe Press probe to hear comedian Coogan Ex-policewoman's battle for payout after accident I didn’t delete...

>It said the sanctions were in response to the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) latest report on Iran, which highlighted fresh concerns about the possible military dimensions of Iran's nuclear programme.Finance minister George Osborne said Iran's actions posed a serious threat to national security and that the action was...

* U.S. deficit talks stall, may imperil U.S. growth * Euro zone debt spreads widen as crisis drags on * Iran, Egypt, Syria tensions limit price decline * Coming Up: U.S. home sales at 1500 GMT (Updates ...

>(Reuters) - Federal investigators are looking into a report that hackers managed to remotely shut down a utility's water pump in central Illinois last week, in what could be the first known foreign cyber attack on a U.S. industrial system. The November 8 incident was described in a one-page...

>TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's media adviser denied on Monday reports in local print media that he had been arrested after holding a news conference. Iran's conservatives accuse Ahmadinejad of being in the grip of a "deviant current" of advisers seeking to undermine the power of hardliners, including...

Officials say satellite surveillance has shown a recent increase in activity at an Iranian site suspected of secret work on nuclear weapons. One tells The Associated Press that it appears Tehran is trying to cover its tracks by removing any evidence of nuclear research and development.

>* Aims to provide an alternate route as Iran tensions riseBy Stanley Carvalho and Humeyra PamukABU DHABI/DUBAI, Nov 21 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates could soon start pumping oil via a key pipeline that will allow it to bypass the Straits of Hormuz and protect exports if Western powers...

> Financials...

(MENAFN - Qatar News Agency) The 8th G8-BMENA- Forum for the Future- will be launched Tuesday in Kuwait by Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah The Forum for the Future ...

LUANDA, Nov 22 (BERNAMA-NNN-ANGOP) -- The National Director of Angola's Traffic Department (DVVT), Inocencio de Brito, has condemned the sale of alcoholic beverages at filling stations and has advocated that a prohibition on such sales should be passed.

MOSCOW, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Russia's Foreign Ministry denounced new U.S. sanctions against Iran on Tuesday as "unacceptable and contradictory to international law," Interfax news agency reported.

The government's Rs 372-crore 'Mission Saffron' has given Kashmir's farmers every reason to smile. They strive to regain the state's lost glory as the purple blossoms bring back memories of the 15th Century romance between a royal horseman and a Kashmiri poetess, writes Mukhtar Ahmad

The Cheltenham Board of Commissioners presented Elkins Park native Josh Fattal, recently freed after 26 months’ imprisonment in Iran, with a proclamation in his honor at its Nov. 16 meeting.

The US, Britain and Canada hammered out a new set of best-available sanctions against Iran in a bid to force Tehran to halt its suspected nuclear weapons programme.

Christopher Eccleston and Julie Walters took the main acting awards as British TV productions won five International Emmys, including two for the BBC crime drama Accused. Related Stories Allies craft new Iran sanctions Syria accuses UK of diplomatic war Runner loses frost-bitten feet Search engines hit by mortgage scam Egypt's...

The Google Cultural Institute plans to make artifacts from around the world accessible to any Internet user.

Britain, US and Canada impose new financial and energy sanctions on Iran in response to UN nuclear watchdog findings.

TEHRAN, 22 NOVEMBER, 2011 : Iranian Presidential media adviser Ali Akbar Javanfekr was sentenced to one year in prison on Sunday for the publication of articles and pictures in the Aug special edition of a daily, that deemed to be in violation of Islamic and moral principles.

BAGHDAD, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- The departure of American troops from Iraq will likely increase instability and worsen tensions among militant groups, the top U.S. general in Iraq predicts.

A long-distance runner who spent more than two days in freezing winter temperatures without winter gear has had his feet amputated. Related Stories Night-flowering orchid discovered Allies craft new Iran sanctions Syria accuses UK of diplomatic war Search engines hit by mortgage scam Egypt's army 'at war with the people'...

The top U.S. general in Iraq on Monday predicted a period of upheaval in the country as militant groups jostle to fill the vacuum left behind by the withdrawal of all American forces by Dec. 31.

Occupy Keene protesters briefly took control of the Ron Paul town hall at Keene State College Monday night.

Herman Cain will sit for an hourlong taped interview with the New Hampshire Union Leader, Publisher and President Joseph W. McQuaid announced on Twitter on Monday.

Gul warned that Assad's back-tracking on reforms agreed by the Arab League had made international negotiation impossible. -AFP

Egypt's deadly riots, which once again have turned parts of central Cairo into a battlefield, continued into yesterday evening, leaving at least 33 people dead and threatening the viability of next week's landmark elections. Related Stories Night-flowering orchid discovered Allies craft new Iran sanctions Syria accuses UK of diplomatic war...

President Barack Obama returns to New Hampshire today in his first visit to the state since 2010. The President is set to speak at Manchester Central High School to promote his proposed American Jobs Act. A motorcade will take Obama from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport to Central, where he is scheduled...

DUBAI – The $147-million new US Consulate General (NCC) on a six-acre site adjacent to the Dubai Creek, the sixth green building built outside the US was opened on Monday to serve residents and visitors of Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

ABU DHABI — Over 500 food companies from across the world have displayed their tasty food items at SIAL Middle East 2011, a B2B show that kicked off in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

TEHRAN, Nov 22 (Bernama) -- Iranian Presidential media adviser Ali Akbar Javanfekr was sentenced to one year in prison on Sunday for the publication of articles and pictures in the Aug special edition of a daily, that deemed to be in violation of Islamic and moral principles.

A criminal investigation into mortgage swindlers has expanded beyond deceptive advertising on Google's internet search engine to root out con artists who were luring their victims on Bing and Yahoo too. Related Stories Endangered gorilla born at zoo No supercommittee agreement on debt Night-flowering orchid discovered Allies craft new Iran...

Paris, Nov 22 : France has called on its western partners and the European Union to jointly impose new sanctions against Iran to force it to negotiate on its nuclear issue.

The US, Britain and Canada have hammered out a new set of best-available sanctions against Iran in a bid to force Tehran to halt its suspected nuclear weapons programme. Related Stories Endangered gorilla born at zoo No supercommittee agreement on debt Night-flowering orchid discovered Syria accuses UK of diplomatic war...

Norwegian minister Erik Solheim, while speaking in Oslo 11 November at the release of the report evaluating Norways failed peace process in Sri Lanka, tried to hijack the philosophical thrust of the findings of the report and this brought him into confrontation with the evaluation team leader, Gunnar M. Sørbø.

Warlords, spooks and patsies are the chief players in J.T. Rogers’s “Blood and Gifts,” the chilling and utterly riveting drama that opened yesterday in New York.

Pyongyang, November 21 (KCNA) -- China and Thailand on Nov. 18 agreed to deepen cooperation in trade, infrastructure, finance and other fields. That day Iran and Tajikistan adopted 12 MoUs on cooperating with each other in electricity, construction and other fields.

Beijing, November 20 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry in a press conference on Nov. 18 clarified the stand of his country on settling the nuclear issue of Iran through dialogue and cooperation.

The news last week from the Pentagon’s supersecret Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency that it had successfully tested a hypersonic missile capable of speeds up to 3,082 mph caused quite a stir in military circles, and no wonder. Imagine being able to aim at and hit any target...

The car rental agent behind the counter was plump, darkish and content. He also seemed to know more than anyone else about their cars so when he suggested a Lincoln Town Car, I eagerly accepted. It was large he said and I wanted a large car.

Goldman Sachs may just have been early in its prediction of a $US200 oil price rather than simply wrong.

The world’s best volleyball teams are now gearing up for the 2012 London Olympics, as they compete in the FIVB Voleyball World Cup in Japan. Balls (Skycable Channel 34), the home of the world’s biggest sporting events in the Philippines, takes pride in airing the 2011 FIVB Volleyball World Cup.

Pyongyang, November 21 (KCNA) -- Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ali Asghar Soltanieh said Friday that the IAEA's leaks on Iranian nuclear scientists have made them targets of terrorists and intelligence agencies of the United States and Israel.

Rick Perry made a bold policy proclamation Monday night on Special Report with Bret Baier , declaring he supports a no-fly zone in Syria without approval from the United Nations. "Would you do what we did in Libya, which is to institute a no-fly zone over Syria?" columnist Charles...

Record numbers of countries voted in favor of UN General Assembly resolutions condemning human rights abuses in Iran, North Korea and Burma.

Dr. Alizadeh discusses his work to help those in need in Afghanistan.

Restrictions, except for existing contracts, or remittances of less than $40,000 to relatives, will make it nearly impossible to do new business with Iranian firms

A 39-year-old man will appear in a Saskatoon court Tuesday charged with the second degree murder of Ernest Taypotat in 1992.

In May 2008, as crude oil steamed toward a July -- and all-time -- high of $147 per barrel, a Goldman Sachs group predicted that it's price could move as high as $200 within the following 24 months.

Fresh plans to sanction Iran's financial and energy sectors are unlikely to halt its atomic program.

Marilyn Wayne, a witness in Natalie Wood's drowning death, revealed to ET's Samantha Harris what she heard the night Natalie died as well as why she's stayed quiet until now. On the night in question, November 28, 1981, Marilyn was a guest on an adjacent yacht, roughly 90 feet from...

Police refused to identify the firm but said a complaint surfaced on Nov. 7, 2011.

The Obama administration imposed new sanctions against Iran on Monday, coordinating with Britain, Canada and France to pressure Tehran to halt its suspected nuclear weapons program. "Iran has chosen the path of international isolation," President Obama said in a statement. "As long as Iran continues down this dangerous path, the ...

The federal financial intelligence unit is reminding Canadian banks to keep their eyes peeled for suspicious financial transactions coming from or going to Iran.

Record numbers of countries voted in favor of UN General Assembly resolutions condemning human rights abuses in Iran, North Korea and Myanmar.

The US has announced fresh sanctions against Iran's energy sector.

The United States announced fresh sanctions against Iran's energy sector Monday and warned firms against dealing with its banks as it pressed Tehran to abandon its nuclear weapons drive.

Capture of CIA-hired spies jeopardizes national security in Middle East.

In May 2008, as crude oil steamed toward a July -- and all-time -- high of $147 per barrel, a Goldman Sachs group predicted that it's price could move as high as $200 within the following 24 months.

By The Associated Press The Obama administration announced a new set of sanctions against Iran on Monday in an effort to apply greater pressure to get Tehran to halt its suspected nuclear weapons program.

In what was the icing on Congress’ cake of partisan gridlock, the 12-member, debt-reduction “supercommittee” announced Monday that it failed to reach a deal to cut $1.2 trillion from the federal deficit in 10 years.

Nikki Schwab, Katy Adams Ben Affleck's new film "Argo," which he is starring in and director, filmed over the weekend in D.C. at the State Department, but the movie's connection with the State Department is bigger that just that. Writing for DipNote, the State Department's Gabrielle Price explained how...

(Reuters) - The chilling spectacle of Muammar Gaddafi's brutal end last month and the capture of his son Saif al-Islam this week, far from deterring Bashar al-Assad, seem to have energised him into redoubling his efforts to crush Syria's eight-month rebellion.

GIPPERIZED When in doubt, say, "Ronald Reagan." The cachet of the former president continues to fixate Republican presidential hopefuls who are convinced they can win one with the Gipper. Reagan's name has been invoked so many times during the presidential debates that University of Minnesota political scientist Eric Ostermeier...

The US announced fresh sanctions against Iran and warned firms against dealing with Iran's finance sector.

(CNN) - Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, a former Democratic presidential candidate, seemed to be enjoying his chance to bash the Republican presidential candidates Monday, making fun of their national security views and spotlighting what he says are their flip-floppy stances. Clark was joined in remarks by former Navy Secretary Richard...

The federal government has announced $50 million in disaster assistance funding to Manitoba to help cover the cost of widespread flooding last spring and summer.

Iran's High Council for Human Rights criticizes a UN General Assembly resolution, which accuses Tehran of human rights violations, as politically motivated.

WASHINGTON — The United States and its allies on Monday increased financial pressure on Iran with targeted sanctions on that nation's energy sector and central bank as further punishment for pursuing nuclear weapons technology.

The Qikiqtani Inuit Association has suspended its vice-president, George Eckalook, after he was sentenced for drunk driving.

A school bus full of 30 children crashed into a home in Dalhousie on Monday afternoon, according to the Calgary Fire Department.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - A senior Iranian official rejected as "preposterous" a resolution condemning the human rights situation in Iran, which was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly's rights committee on Monday.

Hot on the heels of last week's government announcement of the intention to sell off even more council houses at 50 per cent discount, we now have them guaranteeing new house purchases.

The Pakistani military and its spy agency, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, have an expansive menu of options before them in their endless campaign to subvert democracy.

Even Moore's pretend government has to answer for Tony Clement

Western powers responded to a damning UN report about Iran's nuclear program with a fresh batch of sanctions Monday, targeting the country's central bank and the vital energy sector.

Dinosaurs that lived in New Jersey will be the featured Nov. 28 lecture topic at Brookdale Community College, 765 Newman Springs Road (Route 520), Lincroft. The lecture will be held from 6-9 p.m. in the Warner Student Life Center, lower level, Twin Lights room. read more

President Barack Obama has said he will veto any effort to get rid of automatic spending cuts that would take effect in 2013 if Congress cannot find other ways of trimming government deficits. Related Stories Turks 'come under attack' in Syria Climate gasses 'hit record high' Judge blocks Jackson drug...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In an apparently serious setback for U.S. intelligence against a key adversary, Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shi'ite militia, has succeeded in identifying and arresting informants within its ranks who were working for the CIA, current and former U.S. officials said.

New Sanctions on Iran Fact Sheet Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC November 21, 2011 Today, the United States is taking a series of actions to confront the threat posed by Iran and significantly increase pressure on Iran to comply with the full range of its international obligations and to...

Superfail - The supercommittee can’t reach a bipartisan agreement to save America. But President Obama pledged tonight that he will force Congress to stand by promised “sequestration” spending cuts. Obama: “One way or another we are going to trim the deficit by $1.2 trillion over...

Canada is getting ready to slap new sanctions on Iran over renewed concerns about nuclear weapons in the hands of the Islamic theocracy.

Measures to Increase Pressure on Iran Remarks Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State Secretary of Treasury Tim Geithner Treaty Room Washington, DC November 21, 2011 SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, good afternoon, everyone. I am delighted to welcome Secretary Geithner here to the Treaty Room of the State Department, and I also...

President Barack Obama says that as long as Iran continues down a dangerous path with its nuclear program, the United States will continue to find ways to isolate and increase the pressure on Tehran.

Bahrain’s king asked for an investigation of the country’s protests and crackdown, a complicated task with the goal of promoting healing and charting a way forward.

Public Policy Polling teased the firm's latest survey Monday morning on Twitter: Our national poll, out this afternoon, finds Newt Gingrich taking the lead in the GOP race. A CBS News survey conducted last week showed Gingrich tied for second in the horse race with Mitt Romney at 15 percent.

How do you describe the state of relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia? Yvonne Ridley's comments on war, media and information age. Yuram writes perspectives on Islam, social justice and...

A Cornwall, P.E.I., woman who admitted stealing more than $65,000 has been jailed for six months.

The US CIA was forced to curtail its spying in Lebanon after the arrests of several CIA informants in Beirut this year, reports The Los Angeles Times. According to ABC, CIA spy network has not only exposed in Lebanon but also in Iran.

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday expanded its efforts to isolate Iran and its pursuit of nuclear weapons, announcing new sanctions seeking to limit the supply of goods, services, technology and financial assistance used to support the country's petrochemical industry. "For the first time, we are...

A top Iranian official is rejecting a U.N. resolution condemning his country's human rights record. Mohammad Javad Larijani, head of Iran's Human Rights Council, told the U.N. General Assembly on Monday the charges outlined in the resolution were "totally preposterous."

Arecent purchase by an Iranian airline could prove embarrassing for Berlin. The Theodor Heuss , once an official government jet and used to ferry several different chancellors on trips abroad, now belongs to Mahan Air -- despite German support for greater sanctions against Tehran.

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The Obama administration's harshest step will be a move to identify Iran as a source of 'primary money-laundering concern.' The Obama administration slapped Iran with a new round of sanctions for its alleged nuclear and terrorist activities, but stopped short of the tough economic punishments favored by many in...

The U.S. and Britain are leading a new wave of international sanctions targeting Iran 's banks and oil industry following the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) report earlier this month that said Tehran worked for many years to develop nuclear weapons – and may still be doing so.