News Archive - 29 November 2011

SINGAPORE : Malaysian palm oil futures slipped on Wednesday on euro zone caution and thin trading volumes, but losses were limited by erratic weather that threatens to tighten supply in palm oil producer Malaysia .

>BEIRUT (Reuters) - Pressure is mounting on President Bashar al-Assad, with growing foreign condemnation of his repression of the Syrian uprising and attacks by armed rebels that his forces appear unable to stamp out. European and Arab diplomats told Reuters the top United Nations human rights forum would announce on...

Canada's benchmark stock index was able to profit from rising oil and natural-gas prices on Tuesday, building on the previous day's gains even as U.S. markets erased some or all of their earlier gains by the close thanks to mixed economic news south of the border.

>Echoing earlier comments from Foreign Secretary William Hague, Cameron also warned of "serious consequences" for Iran, adding that Britain would consider what measures it would take in the coming days."The attack on the British embassy in Tehran today was outrageous and indefensible. The failure of the Iranian government to...

>TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian protesters stormed two British diplomatic compounds in Tehran, smashing windows, torching a car and burning the British flag in protest against new sanctions imposed by London. Britain said it was outraged by Tuesday's attacks and warned of "serious consequences". The U.N. Security Council condemned the...

>"We hold the Iranian government responsible for its failure to take adequate measures to protect our embassy, as it is required to do," Hague said in a statement. "Clearly there will be other, further, and serious consequences."Hague said all embassy staff and their dependants had been accounted for. Earlier...

>BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Baghdad on Tuesday in a visit to mark the end of the U.S. war in Iraq as troops complete withdrawal by year-end. Biden's trip spotlights the fulfillment of a key pledge by President Barack Obama as he campaigns...

(Reuters) - Hardline Iranian students broke into the British embassy compound in central Tehran for the second time on Tuesday, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. "Some students and ordinary people managed to break into the British compound again," Fars reported, adding that the Tehran governor was at the scene...

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>Here is a timeline of Iranian-British relations:1953 - Britain and the United States help orchestrate the overthrow of popular Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh and restore Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi to power.1979 - Islamic Revolution overthrows U.S.-backed Shah.1980 - Britain closes its embassy in Tehran.1988 -...

Several Iranian protesters stormed the British Embassy in Tehran, removing the mission's flag and ransacking offices.

>KABUL/LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistan pulled out of an international conference on the future of Afghanistan on Tuesday, its latest angry riposte after a cross-border attack by NATO that killed 24 of its soldiers and plunged the conflict-plagued region deeper into crisis. Islamabad's decision to boycott next week's meeting in...

>TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian protesters stormed two British Embassy compounds in Tehran Tuesday, smashing windows, hurling petrol bombs and burning the British flag during a rally to protest against sanctions imposed by Britain, live Iranian television showed. The attacks followed the rapid approval by Iran's Guardian Council of a parliamentary...

>VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran regards its nuclear program as a source of power and prestige and tougher sanctions look unlikely to alter Tehran's cost-benefit analysis much despite the economic pain they cause. Deep mistrust of Western intentions and security concerns in a volatile region where the United States maintains a...

>WASHINGTON Nov 29 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama strongly urged the Iranian government on Tuesday to take to task those responsible for storming the British embassy in Tehran."All of us are deeply disturbed by the crashing of the ... embassy," he said during a meeting at the White...

>"There has been a incursion by a significant number of demonstrators into our Embassy premises, including vandalism to our property," the Foreign Office said in a statement."This is a fluid situation and details are still emerging," it added. "We are outraged by this. It is utterly unacceptable and we...

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian protesters stormed a second British embassy compound in northern Tehran on Tuesday, as others were still occupying the main building in the city center many miles away, news agencies reported. Without specifying which compound it was referring to, the semi-official Mehr news agency said embassy employees...

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian protesters stormed two British Embassy compounds in Tehran on Tuesday, smashing windows, hurling petrol bombs and burning the British flag in a protest against sanctions imposed by Britain, live Iranian television showed. Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency said protesters took six British diplomatic staff hostage from...

>ISTANBUL/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Turkey Tuesday raised the option of military intervention in neighboring Syria while Russia rejected even an arms embargo as Damascus tries to stifle anti-government protests. Highlighting divisions among foreign powers on how to deal with the bloodshed in Syria, Turkey's foreign minister said Ankara was ready for...

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Britain has evacuated all its diplomatic staff from Iran, Western diplomatic sources told Reuters on Wednesday, a day after protesters stormed and ransacked its embassy and a residential compound. Britain said it was outraged by the attacks and warned of "serious consequences". The U.N. Security Council...

Britain withdraws its diplomatic staff from Iran after protesters ransacked the UK embassy and another building on Tuesday, diplomatic sources say.

LONDON (SHARECAST) - Crude oil futures settled close to $100 a barrel on Tuesday following a better than expected US consumer confidence report and as Italy completed a bond auction.

Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah held an emergency meeting of the Cabinet. After the meeting, the Kuwaiti government media learned of the decision of the monarch to dismiss the government and dissolve the parliament. This time, the Emir sacrificed the prime minister, his nephew.

While Gosling and Williams are nominated for Best Male Lead and Best Female Lead respectively, ' Take Shelter ' and 'The Artist' are competing to win the coveted Best Feature.

TEHRAN, Iran — Hard-line Iranian protesters stormed British diplomatic compounds yesterday, hauling down the Union Jack, torching an embassy vehicle and pelting buildings with Molotov cocktails in what began as an apparent state-approved show of anger over the latest Western sanctions to punish Tehran for defiance over its nuclear program.

Papers dissect Autumn Statement

Japan Mulls Additional Sanctions Against Iran -Kyodo

Two asylum seekers in who sewed their lips together more than a week ago are continuing their protest.

Southwest Missouri gasoline prices are like the weather. They change instantly and you might or might not like the results.

A plane carrying a young killer whale has left the Netherlands and is heading to a Spanish amusement park after conservationists lost a legal battle to have her released into the open sea. Related Stories Four years for Jackson death doctor Laurent Gbagbo extradited to Hague Peru mine project shut...

Existence of uranium enrichment programme first revealed in 2002.

We discuss whether Iran's nuclear programme is effectively under attack and who is behind it.

Guardian Council approves reduction in diplomatic relations, after UK imposes sanctions over Iran's nuclear programme.

The British govt is considering what measures to take against Iran after the embassy in Tehran was stormed.

>SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Brent crude stayed above $110 on Wednesday, holding onto its previous session gains, as Iran's escalating tensions with the West and an agreement by euro zone ministers to ramp up the firepower of their bailout fund helped support prices. Brent crude slipped 32 cents to $110.50...

The British Government is considering what measures to take against Iran after hundreds of protesters stormed the British Embassy in Tehran.

The Associated Press The Associated Press BUSAN, South Korea U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the United States strongly condemns an Iranian mob attack on British diplomatic compounds in Tehran. Clinton says that the United States expects Iran's government to protect the lives and property of diplomats. She...

SYDNEY : Australian authorities said Tuesday they had seized drugs worth Aus$30 million (US$29.87 million) concealed in a shipment of red raisins from Afghanistan, the second major drug bust this month.

New York, Nov 30 : The US stocks ended mixed Tuesday despite optimism over euro zone meetings and better-than-expected Italian bond auction, Xinhua reported.

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‘the Artist,” a silent black-and-white comedy-drama set against the arrival of sound in Hollywood, gained significant Oscar momentum yesterday by winning two top prizes at the first major movie awards of the season. Besides citing “The Artist” as best picture, as well as its director, Michel Hazanavicius, the New York...

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MANDALI, Iraq — Iran's presence is already visible in Iraq, from the droves of pilgrims at Shiite holy sites to the brands of yogurt and jams on grocery shelves. But now Iraqis are bracing for a potential escalation of Persian influence as the U.S. military leaves at the end...

SEVERAL hundred protesters storm British embassy in Tehran and burn the British flag while chanting 'Death to England'

International drug gangs muscling in on Southeast Asia's methamphetamine business. -Reuters

Oil prices dipped in Asian trade today as an unexpected rise in US crude stockpiles dampened market sentiment after an overnight rally, analysts said.

Pakistan's "secret war" - separatist movement in Baluchistan province - and the military build-up by India has been ranked high by the prestigious Foreign Policy magazine for events and trends that were overlooked this year, but may be leading the headlines in 2012.

Do you agree with the new Peaceful Assembly Bill? TEHRAN : Iranian protesters shouting “Death to England” stormed the British Embassy compound and a diplomatic residence in Tehran on Tuesday, tearing down the British flag, smashing windows, defacing walls and briefly detaining six staff members in what appeared to be...

PARIS, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- The Paris-based UNESCO on Tuesday has added 11 new items to the List of Intangible Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding as it concluded the sixth session of its Intergovernmental Committee, according to China's Xinhua news agency.

VIEWED through today’s political telescope, Afghanistan’s future appears as turbulent as it’s past, and ominous for Pakistan.

TEHRAN, Iran — Hard-line Iranian protesters stormed British diplomatic compounds Tuesday, hauling down the Union Jack, torching an embassy vehicle and pelting buildings with petrol bombs in what began as an apparent state-approved show of anger over the latest Western sanctions to punish Tehran for defiance over its nuclear program.

New Zealand has joined the chorus of countries condemning the storming of the British Embassy in Iran yesterday.Hundreds of protesters broke through lines of riot police to launch attacks on two diplomatic compounds in Tehran, smashing...

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Listen to the Audio HARI SREENIVASAN: Standard & Poor's downgraded its ratings today for the largest banks in the U.S. by at least one notch. They included Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo. The ratings service said the shift reflects new criteria that...

The biggest strike for over 30 years has got under way with schools, hospitals, courts, transport and government set to be hit by a walkout involving up to two million workers. Related Stories PM slams Tehran over embassy attack 'No crime committed' in Smiley raid Pay cap announced on eve...

The price of petroleum went back to the $100 level Tuesday before setting at $99.79 a barrel after American consumer confidence went up and rising Iranian tensions, the Associated Press reported. Earlier in the trading day, oil prices jumped on news that U.S. consumer confidence levels were at...

KUCHING: Menteri Pengawa Berumah, Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg merambu ngagai palan pelajar tinggi, injinir enggau saintis ngambi bejalaika pansik ba tanah rau awakka tegap endur nirika rumah.

The British PM has come out angrily at the Iranian government after protesters took six British embassy staff hostage.

Pakistani security forces have arrested five Jundallah militants, thwarting a terrorist plot in Karachi, Press TV reports.

World oil prices surged as traders reacted to news that protesters had stormed Britain's embassy in Tehran.

KUCHING: Nengah serakup pengajar enggau nembiak sereta fakulti pemansik eng gau institute, UNIMAS udah bejalaika projek bepelasarka raban bansa serata menua Sarawak, lebih agi sida ke nguan ulu entigis.

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“IMAGINING OUR JEWISH FUTURE” Hundreds of rabbis and Jewish scholars participate in discussions, panels, text study and presentations during this “Day of Jewish Learning and Culture.” The event concludes with a concert celebrating the words and music of Leonard Cohen.

LONDON, Nov 29 (Reuters) The whereabouts of staff after protesters stormed the British embassy in Tehran was confusing at times, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said today, but he contradicted reports that six embassy staff had briefly been held hostage.

The British embassy in Tehran has been attacked. A mob threw petrol bombs, burned the Union Flag and at least one vehicle and smashed a portrait of the Queen.

TOKYO, Nov 30 (Reuters) The Nikkei share average may tread water near 8,500 on Wednesday, gaining support as it looks more likely that the International Monetary Fund will become more involved in tackling the euro zone debt crisis.

The New York Film Critics Circle on Tuesday named silent film "The Artist" the best movie of the year, and gave its top acting honors to Meryl Streep and Brad Pitt. Michel Hazanavicius won best director for "The Artist," a black-and-white film about Hollywood's transition from silent films to talkies...

Chancellor George Osborne has announced new restrictions on public-sector pay ahead of the national strike as new official forecasts set out a grim prospect for UK jobs and growth in the coming years. Related Stories Women win equal pay claims ruling Woman injured in 'suburban tornado' PM slams Tehran over...

Countries with restricted access to abortion, including the UK, do not have lower termination rates than those which are more liberal, a new study has suggested. Related Stories Women win equal pay claims ruling Woman injured in 'suburban tornado' PM slams Tehran over embassy attack 'No crime committed' in Smiley...

Mideast uprisings pressuring countries’ internal budgets, fuelling need for higher crude prices

Turkey raised the prospect of a buffer zone inside Syria put in place by its own troops and those of other countries for the first time Tuesday, as international tensions over the fighting inside the country worsened.

It's a weird irony that Iranians know the history of Anglo-Persian relations better than the Brits. When the newly installed Ministry of Islamic Guidance asked Harvey Morris, Reuters' man in post-revolutionary Iran, for a history of his news agency, he asked his London office to send him a biography of...

As a rule, the US tends to avoid international treaties to solve big international problem especially when it comes to war, but when it comes to cyber war, America might want to reconsider. That's according to Abraham Sofaer from the Hoover Institution who says in this field of war, America may...

In today's tour of the Middle East, Iran finds its own Occupy movement, Israel sends a message about dating to American expats and a mystery explosion remains.... mysterious. Let's begin the Propaganda Parade.Related: Israel Is Forever Just About to Bomb IranIran Finally Has Its Own Occupy Movement

Iran faces new hurdles to getting paid for its oil as the U.S. tightens financial sanctions to deter buyers from the world’s third-largest crude exporter.

Britain has led a chorus of international outrage over the storming of its embassy in Iran by protesters.

Iran regards its nuclear program as a source of power and prestige and tougher sanctions look unlikely to alter Tehran’s cost-benefit analysis despite the economic pain they cause.

The deadly explosion on Nov. 12 appears to have been far more devastating than Iranian authorities suggested, with images showing vast destruction and chaotic disarray across a sprawling complex.

Russia took its first retaliatory step in response to America's missile defence shield build-up Tuesday by activating an early-warning radar system in an enclave bordering the European Union.

Hamad Medical Corporation has held the Ninth Arab Medicine Transfusion Course as part of its efforts to educate healthcare professionals about blood donor recruitment and address the need for more blood donors in Qatar.

Today saw markets hold their ground after yesterday’s strong performance. The day finished out with the Dow adding 32 points and the S&P 500 jumping 0.22%. 10 year bonds saw a healthy jump of nearly 2%, ...

Drones have had a profound effect on the way America fights its wars, allowing it to fight in new theaters while minimizing the risk to troops. The U.S. has used drones for decades, with early versions flown during World War II and the Vietnam War. But over the past...

The situation of Reza Shahabi has deteriorated in the last few days. Last week protests at his being returned to jail from hospital appeared to have borne fruit: he was allowed back to hospital. But that progress has now been reversed, and he is believed ...

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ahmed Shaheed, will launch a fact-finding mission to three European countries which host Iranian diaspora. Mr. Shaheed will visit France, Germany and ...

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.

Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain is reassessing the future of his increasingly beleaguered campaign in the wake of explosive allegations about a long-term affair with an Atlanta businesswoman.

A German foundation has removed Iran's deputy foreign minister, Mostafa Dolatyar, from its board of trustees.

Drawdown plans announced by the U.S. and more than a dozen other nations will shrink the foreign military footprint in Afghanistan by 40,000 troops at the close of next year, leaving Afghan forces increasingly on the frontlines of the decade-long war.

I have been a proponent of engagement with Iran in the past -- but this kind of thuggishness and…

Iranian protesters screaming “death to England!” stormed the vast British embassy compound in central Tehran today, tore down the British flag, smashed windows and ransacked the offices in what appeared to be an officially sanctioned protest of Britain’s particularly tough econom ...

Hoping to nurture what President Obama called “flickers of progress,” Mrs. Clinton will make the first trip to Myanmar by a secretary of state since early in the cold war.

Crude Oil......................99.79...................+1.58Nymex MTD AVG............96.93Natural Gas.....................3.633.................+0.108Gasoline..........................2.5391...............+0.0210Spreads................... Jan/Feb...

Release Time:  For Immediate Release Oval Office 2:33 P.M. EST PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Hello, everybody.  It is wonderful to welcome Prime Minister Rutte and his delegation to the White House.  Part of the reason we wanted to make this meeting happen is because we have no stronger ally...

LONDON (Reuters) - The storming of British Embassy compounds by Iranian protesters complicates the search for a negotiated solution to the standoff over Tehran's nuclear programme, and appears to reflect infighting among Iranian factions. The incident, a day after Iran's Guardian Council approved a bill downgrading diplomatic relations with London...

Violence flared again in Syria where three more civilians were killed yesterday, one of them in a raid launched after suspected mutinous soldiers shot dead three members of the security forces, a rights group said.

TEHRAN, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Police in Iran fired tear gas Tuesday on protesters who stormed the British Embassy in Tehran and tore down the British flag, state media reports.

Stocks and commodities rose for a second day as U.S. consumer confidence increased by the most since 2003 and European finance ministers discussed efforts to tame the region’s debt crisis. Treasuries pared losses.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Recent events, such as explosions and denials of explosions, underline how Iran is spooked by covert operations against its nuclear program.

TEHRAN, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- British Foreign Secretary William Hague Tuesday warned Iran of "serious consequences" for failing to prevent a student attack on the British Embassy in Tehran.