News Archive - 22 November 2011

>SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Brent crude fell near $108 on Wednesday as data from the United States and China showed a slowdown in economic growth, stoking fears of weaker demand from the world's two largest oil users. Data showed the United States economy grew slower than expected in the third quarter...

>The debate centered on national security and foreign policy. Here are some of their quotes:MITT ROMNEY, FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOROn U.S. aid to Pakistan"We need to bring Pakistan into the 21st century, or the 20th century for that matter."How to prevent a nuclear Iran:"The right course in America is...

>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's top national security aide said on Tuesday a U.S.-led drive to isolate Iran had slowed its nuclear program and that there was still "time, space and means" to persuade Tehran to abandon atomic weapons ambitions. National security adviser Tom Donilon defended Obama's...

>* HSBC China PMI due around 0230 GMT* Euro edged up to $1.3520* U.S. crude slips 0.5 pct to $97.50By Alex RichardsonSINGAPORE, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Asian shares drifted lower on Wednesday, weighed down by mining and technology stocks after a downward revision of U.S.

>Here are five things to watch during the foreign policy debate at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, the second debate on the subject in the last 10 days.CAN GINGRICH MAINTAIN HIS MOMENTUM?Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has soared into the lead in polls after a series of strong...

>* France presses for stop to imports of Iran oil* Russia says new sanctions unacceptableBy Justyna PawlakBRUSSELS, Nov 22 (Reuters) - The European Union agreed in principle on Tuesday to sanction some 200 Iranian people, companies and organisations, adding to measures imposed by the United States, Britain and Canada due...

>Following are details of major sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States, the United Nations and the European Union over the years.* U.S. SANCTIONS:-- Initial sanctions were imposed after Iranian students stormed the U.S. embassy and took diplomats hostage in 1979. Iranian products cannot be imported...

>LONDON (Reuters) - Iran's nuclear standoff with the West has led to much harsher words and new economic sanctions, but Tehran has yet to cross the red lines that would prompt Israel or the United States to contemplate military action. A report by the U.N. watchdog International Atomic Energy...

>TEHRAN (Reuters) - Grudgingly admired in the past by the West for its negotiating skills and by the Iranian nation for its uncompromising stance, Iran's leadership may have misjudged recent confrontational tactics in its nuclear standoff with big powers, analysts say. Miscalculating both its own bargaining strength and world resolve...

>VIENNA (Reuters) - Member states of the U.N. atomic agency held rare calm, constructive discussions on banning nuclear weapons in the Middle East, participants said on Tuesday, but absent Iran dismissed the meeting as a "waste of time." Israel and its Arab neighbors took part in the November...

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

>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican presidential hopefuls meet on Tuesday for their second foreign policy debate in 10 days, with Newt Gingrich looking to extend a campaign surge that has propelled him to a lead over Mitt Romney in polls for the 2012 race. The debate will shine a spotlight...

>MOSCOW Nov 22 (Reuters) - Russia dismissed new U.S. sanctions targeting Iran's financial and energy sectors as "unacceptable" on Tuesday and said they would hurt the chances of renewing talks with Tehran over its nuclear programme.A sharply worded Russian statement underscored Moscow's longstanding opposition to sanctions beyond those...

>* Russia calls measures "contradictory to international law"* US-Iranian group says will hurt Iranians, help governmentBy Robin Pomeroy and Hashem KalantariTEHRAN, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Iran dismissed a new wave of sanctions on Tuesday, saying the West's attempts to isolate its economy would only serve to unite Iranians behind their...

President Obama has finally put an end to the madness George Bush started — $1 trillion spent and many thousand young...

An angry Iran and its powerful ally Russia have slammed new Western sanctions imposed on Teheran over its suspect nuclear program, saying they are illegal and futile.

A senior Ukrainian prosecutor in charge of the trial of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko left little doubt that an appeal will uphold her prison sentence for abuse of office and said further charges, including that of commissioning a murder, would be pressed against her. More »

Airlines are pressing the European Commission to revamp the 6-year-old rules on passenger rights that guarantee compensation for flight cancellations and delays that typically soar during the chaotic winter travel season. More »

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said it opposes unilateral sanctions against Iran days after several countries announced new measures against Iran's energy and financial sectors. China is always against unilateral sanctions on Iran, let alone the expansion of such sanctions, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told reporters...

U.S. President Barack Obama issued a series of new sanctions against Iran and its nuclear program on Monday, targeting the country's petroleum industry, but avoiding a move against the country's central bank.

>BEIJING Nov 23 (Reuters) - Turkmenistan will increase its planned supply of gas to China by 25 billion cubic metres of natural gas, to a total of 65 billion cubic metres a year, Turkmenistan's president said on Wednesday.Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov made the comments to reporters in Beijing. He did not...

Thomas Donilon predicted that the next blow to Iran would come with the fall of its major regional ally, President of Syria.

When Syrian President Hafez al-Assad crushed a revolt in 1982, killing at least 10,000 people, the Arab League failed to act. A generation later, amid another government crackdown, the group has turned on his son, Bashar.

Embed multimedia (photos, galleries, audio, map):  Ron Paul at the Draft Ron Paul at the Draft Ron Paul was in town yesterday, sweeping into The Draft for a meeting with Patch.com and small-business owners before sweeping out to hop on a plane for last night's debate in Washington, D.

Students don Muslim headscarves at event More than 100 students participated in this university's first-ever Undercover as a Muslim Woman event, which invited students to wear a headscarf and - also known as a

At times, Tuesday night’s Republican presidential debate on nation security gave the unmistakable sensation of deja vu. The audience was culled from major conservative think tanks in Washington and familiar faces from the George W. Bush era such as former Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, ex-speechwriter Marc Thiessen and erstwhile...

Disturbing claims from sources within India's National Informatics Center (NIC) say that the government's IT infrastructure has been compromised by foreign elements and used to attack China.

Washington targeting regime’s energy sector directly for first time (AFP) - 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. "The message is clear," US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton...

PICKET: GOP candidates face off on national security issues in D.C.

On the face of it recent unrest in Syria looks like a battle for freedom and democracy, but beneath the surface lies an ethno-sectarian confict that stretches back through history and brings a complicatied dimension to the situation there.

Former Speaker draws fire for 'liberal' policy towards illegal immigration.

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 12:20:00 Record numbers of countries voted in favor of UN General Assembly resolutions condemning human rights abuses in Iran, North Korea and Myanmar. The Iran vote came only three days after the General Assembly condemned an alleged plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington --...

WASHINGTON - The Republican presidential candidates grappled Tuesday with how to balance civil liberties and security, from the war on terrorism at home and abroad to check-in lines at airports.

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RTS stock futures climbed as Brent crude advanced the most in two weeks, propelling gas producer OAO Gazprom (OGZPY) to its first gain in five days as rising commodities bolster prospects for the world’s largest energy exporter.

Judging from Tuesday night’s Republican debate on national security, the 2012 presidential candidates don’t really think defense is a big issue in the upcoming election. The major candidates don’t like President Obama; they like the military; and they’re wary about withdrawing from Afghanistan. Not a lot of surprises there. In...

Will they or won’t they? As questions about an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities capture world headlines, the Israeli Defense Force faces a more prosaic dilemma: What to do about Gaza? Since August, Israel has experienced a “slow uptick” in rocket fire from Gaza, IDF spokeswoman Lt. Col...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican presidential hopefuls criticized U.S. policy toward Pakistan and called for placing sanctions on Iran's central bank in a lively and substantive foreign policy debate on Tuesday. Newt Gingrich, a former House of Representatives speaker, gave a composed performance in the first debate since he...

Who won? Ron Paul. Opposing the “Patriot” Act, the drug war and the Iraq mess got my vote. From my notebook on Tuesday’s CNN foreign policy debate: Wow seeing CNN’s video of real presidents in history makes you realize just how screwed we are How screwed are we when a...

Tehran, Nov 23 (IANS) Iran has no fear of not selling crude oil to Europe, a top Iranian official has said, following reports that France has urged the European Union to boycott Iran's petroleum as a new step to expand sanctions on Tehran.

WASHINGTON -- Republican presidential hopefuls warned in near unanimity against deep cuts in the nation's defense budget Tuesday night, assailing President Barack Obama in campaign debate but disagreeing over the extent of reductions the Pentagon sho ...

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said nearly $1 trillion in cuts are on the horizon for the Pentagon over the next decade, noting it was the same amount as costs for the nation's new health care law. He blamed Obama for that, adding, "We need to protect America and protect...

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has visited the family of Brigadier General Hassan Tehrani Moqaddam, who lost his life in a recent explosion at a military base.

Tehran (UPI) Nov 22, 2011 The West won't be able to obstruct Iran's pursuit of nuclear technology through further sanctions, Iranian Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani says. Larijani, speaking during Sunday's opening session of the Majlis, or Parliament, said the release this month of a tough report by the International...

CALVIN WOODWARD Associated Press WASHINGTON Michele Bachmann did not intend to be taken literally when she told the Republican presidential debate Tuesday that civil-liberties activists have taken over the interrogation of terrorists from the CIA. But even as a rhetorical point, it didn't hold water. Her hyperbole on the American...

THE recent surge in rhetoric over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, combined with a concerted effort to dislodge the Assad regime in Syria, suggests the Middle East’s volatility, fuelled since the turn of the year by popular rebellions across the region as well as the western military intervention in Libya, will acquire...

As the international community looks for ways to halt the violence, military planners remain mindful of the al-Assad regime’s sophisticated arsenal and its dangerous allies

WASHINGTON — Republican presidential hopefuls spoke up strongly for the anti-terror Patriot Act in campaign debate Tuesday night, saying it should be extended or perhaps strengthened to help identify and capture those who would attack the United States. Only Rep. Ron Paul of Texas among eight presidential hopefuls dissented, arguing ...

U.S. State Department pressed Ottawa three years ago to jail the mostly Iranian and Chinese suspects, remarks obtained by WikiLeaks show

A protest by three Kurdish asylum seekers who have sewn their lips shut continues in Darwin.

Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich says the United States could "break Iran within a year" if allies worked together on a strategy instead of focusing on specific tactics.

> Energy...

Department of Homeland Security says Illinois utility was not hacked and investigates claims of hack on Texas water utility.

NEW YORK, Nov. 22 -- U.S. crude oil price rose on Tuesday as geopolitical tension offset global economic concerns.

Listen to the Audio JUDY WOODRUFF: Next, to campaign politics, and what role foreign policy and national security will play in the race for the Republican presidential nomination and beyond. One thing the Republican candidates do agree on was clear at the last foreign policy debate on Nov. 12 in...

Texas Gov. Rick Perry will address the House at 10 a.m. Wednesday when the House meets to take up Gov. John Lynch's proposed constitutional amendment dealing with education. At 10:30 a.m., former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman will address the body.

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

Eight candidates gather in DC to debate national security

UNITED NATIONS – The UN general assembly’s human rights committee has condemned Syria for its eight- month crackdown on pro- democracy demonstrators in a vote backed by western nations and most Arab states.

A spokes man for the Prime Minister said the High Pay Commission findings, which recommended that corporations reveal the pay ratio between the highest paid executive and the company median, are broadly in line with proposals being considered by the Government.

Hundreds of Israelis protested against a libel law that passed its first reading in the Knesset.

Australian Stock Market Report - 11/23/2011

> Cyclical Consumer Goods Financials Industrials Related Quotes and News Company Price Related News...

If Hayrunnisa Gul was worried about the protocol involved in a visit to meet the Queen at Buckhingham Palace, she did not let it show.

The Israeli president’s recent threat to bomb Iranian nuclear sites focused world attention on Iran’s nuclear program even before the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) shocking report on the country’s efforts to get the bomb was published.

Jakarta - The Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) says it will not extend its naturalization programs to hire more soccer players in an effort to give more opportunities to local talent.

Nearly one year ago, Secretary Clinton spoke with urgency to the ministers gathered at the Forum for the Future in Doha. She warned that, unless governments undertook reforms to meet the aspirations of their people, the region’s foundations risked ...

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s constant Holocaust denial is not only a personal obsession, but also part of a larger policy by the Iranian president, according to Yossi Klein Halevi, the influential Israeli-American journalist, writer and commentator.

TSX Edges Down As Euro Worries Weigh - Canadian Commentary

US stocks fell for a fifth day in a row on Tuesday, having lost more than 5 per cent over that period as borrowing costs in Spain hit another record high.

The former girlfriend of Memphis Grizzlies backup center Hamed Haddadi filed a civil suit today, claiming that an altercation in his Downtown apartment last year left her with scars, post-traumatic stress and bills for medical and psychological treatment.

Tensions between Iran’s president and his rivals in the conservative religious hierarchy play out through a protest at the main government newspaper in Tehran.

A mysterious Iranian ship has been anchored for nearly a month in Indias EEZ

Jimmy Delany dropped back and let the ball fly. A beautiful spiral flew. There were four wide receivers in a single back formation.

NEW YORK: US stock markets traded choppily on Tuesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average squeezed by a sharp downward revision to US growth figures and lingering political concerns in Washington and Europe. The Dow was down 53.59 points (0.46 percent) to 11,493.72 at the close of...

Cast off ye shackles of tyranny and step into the light of a world without math

The euro rose versus the yen to the strongest level in almost a week as demand for safety eased after the International Monetary Fund revamped its credit-line program to help countries facing outside shocks.

While international sanctions continue to mount against Iran and its nuclear program, the Obama administration acknowledged Tuesday the steps have done little to change Iran's behavior.

Do you like this? Tweet The new Lotto-Belisol team, formed from the Omega Pharma-Lotto squad, has revealed its kit for the 2012 season, described in a team press release as "a coherent and sober style, dynamic, exuding class and expertise."

Memories of roaming chickens, blisters and land mines make up Michele Bachmann ’ s early conception of Israel, a Read more...

ANKARA, Nov 23 — Turkey yesterday bluntly told Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down for the sake of his people, tightening regional pressure on Damascus while the wider world condemned Syria’s violent crackdown on protests in a vote at the United Nations. Activists said Syrian forces killed 21 civilians...

Tens of thousands of Egyptians gathered in central Cairo calling for an end to army rule, even as the head of Egypt’s ruling military council vowed to replace the Cabinet and hold presidential elections by the end of June.

Asian Markets are set to open lower after U.S. stocks fell, driving the Dow Jones Industrial Average to its longest slump in almost four months, as slower-than-estimated economic growth overshadowed signs the Federal Reserve may provide more stimulus.

MODERATOR: Hi folks, thank you so much for joining us this evening for this call.

NEW YORK: US stock markets traded choppily on Tuesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average squeezed by a sharp downward revision to US growth figures and lingering political concerns in Washington and Europe.

EDITH M. LEDERER Associated Press UNITED NATIONS A key U.N. committee voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to condemn human rights violations by President Bashar Assad's government and call for an immediate end to all violence, signaling growing international opposition to Syria's eight-month crackdown on civilians. The nonbinding resolution adopted by the...

The United States should throw its "full support" behind French President Nicolas Sarkozy's call to freeze Iran central bank assets and halt imports of Iranian oil, two key US senators urged Tuesday.

Ruling out even a temporary halt in Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme, its ambassador to India S Mehdi Nabizadeh urged India and other countries in the region to look at Iran’s nuclear policy “independently’’ in the wake of a recent IAEA report accusing Tehran of militarizing its nuclear programme.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- In a 21st-century spin on pingpong diplomacy, the United States and Russia, and North and South Korea paired up in a one-day table tennis tournament on Tuesday aimed at promoting peace between rival nations.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell for a fifth straight day on Tuesday, extending losses from across Europe, after worries over U.S. economic growth, while the euro rose on a new IMF initiative to contain ...

Oil prices rose more than $1 in a choppy session Tuesday, driven higher by fears of market instability because of Iran sanctions even as U.S. economic growth figures were revised down more than expected.

Commodities news from around the world

AFP/Damascus Isolated over its deadly protest crackdown, Syria hopes to cash in on support from neighbours Iraq and Lebanon to counter Arab sanctions that threaten to choke its economy.

INDONESIAN police have arrested an alleged Iranian people smuggler they suspect helped organise the doomed vessel that sank off West Java earlier this month, killing at least eight people.

The recent cyberattack on a public water utility in Springfield, Ill. has stoked considerable concerns about the vulnerability of U.S. critical infrastructure equipment.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration on Tuesday sharply stepped up its criticism of Egypt's ruling council for its role in a wave of violence that has left 29 dead in the last four days, and demanded that military leaders hand over power to civilians as promised before July.

A Republican presidential debate on Tuesday focused on national security issues exposed deep fault lines within the GOP over how to grapple with the nation's challenges overseas. The eight Republican candidates who took to the CNN debate stage in downtown Washington differed on a range of issues confronting the United...