News Archive - 3 December 2011

>Iraq's Shi'ite leaders are concerned that turmoil in Syria could bring a hardline Sunni leader to power should protests lead to the downfall of Assad, who is facing increasing international condemnation over a crackdown on protesters.Ali al-Moussawi, Maliki's media adviser, said Iraq was ready to receive the Syrian opposition...

>Washington would like Turkey to take a tougher stance against Tehran but Biden did not press the point while visiting Erdogan at his home, where he was spending time after having surgery a week ago."The vice president noted the sanctions were having a demonstrable impact on Iran and the...

>JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Defense Minister Ehud Barak played down speculation on Saturday that Israel and U.S.-led allies were waging clandestine war on Iran, saying sanctions and the threat of military strikes were still the way to curb its nuclear program. Barak was asked in an interview whether two...

>"Democratic revolutions, like the ones in Tunisia, in Egypt and Libya, and the ones still unfolding in Syria and Yemen are imbued. with an entrepreneurial spirit," said Biden, addressing a summit in Istanbul to foster private sector success in the Arab world."It is hard to think different if you...

PARIS France is temporarily downsizing its embassy in Iran and will bring some employees and their families home, a French official said Saturday. The move is the latest fallout from protesters' storming of the British embassy in Tehran and adds to the international pressure on the Iranian government.

>BEIRUT (Reuters) - At least 15 people died in fierce fighting between security forces and army rebels in northern Syria early on Saturday, activists said, as violence intensified in the eighth month of unrest against President Bashar al-Assad. Opposition groups say rebel forces are increasing their attacks on security forces...

>TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran called on the West to avoid a deepening diplomatic crisis following the storming of the British embassy in Tehran, saying it was an issue between Tehran and London alone, Iranian media reported on Saturday. Britain closed its embassy after Tuesday's incursion by hardline youths and expelled...

>Syria would align itself with the Arab League and the Gulf, Syrian National Council leader Burhan Ghalioun told the Wall Street Journal in an interview in France."Our future is truly tied to the Arab world and the Gulf in particular," he was quoted as saying in a WSJ transcript.

>JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Feeling vindicated but vulnerable, Israel is preparing for a more precarious future with neighbor Egypt where Islamist power appears to be a rising tide forecast by Israeli leaders at the beginning of Arab unrest 10 months ago. Already preoccupied with the nuclear ambitions of Iran, the widely...

>TEHRAN (Reuters) -Iranian diplomats expelled from Britain after radical youths stormed the British embassy in Tehran arrived home on Saturday to supporters bearing flowers and chanting "Death to England." "Spy embassy closed for good," read one of the many placards carried by the crowd of some 100 men and...

Panaji, Dec 3 : Colombian film 'Porfirio', dirercted by Aljandro Landes and produced by Franciso Aliure, won the Golden Peacock award and cash prize of Rs 40 lakh in the 42nd edition of International Film Festival of India that came to a close at Kala Academy auditorium here today.

Bangalore, Dec 3: Teen-aged Hossein Vafaei Ayouri of Iran created a history of sort by winning the USD 16,000 IBSF Men's World Championship played at Karnataka State Billiards Association here today.

During a trip to Istanbul, Vice President Joe Biden took part in something of a verbal sparring match with a Turkish politician.

Web extract of Bollywood actor Dev Anand . He made his debut as an actor in 1946 in "Hum Ek Hain"

Russia stormed back from match points down to defeat Poland and win the men's World Cup volleyball tournament on Sunday, also ensuring qualification for next summer's Olympic Games.

When I think about ‘growing up in Karachi’, I start preparing a mental list of all those names, places and things that have otherwise been tucked away somewhere, deep in my memory. As the floodgates of my memory suddenly open, a whole lot of things tumble out.

(MENAFN) Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said that in October, the country's refiners and trading firms imported 8.138 million barrels of crude from Iran, reported Tehran ...

KABUL: The Taliban’s boycott of the Bonn conference on Afghanistan, 10 years after they were absent from its precursor, raises grave doubts about what progress it can make towards peace, experts say.

Web extract of Bollywood actor Dev Anand . He made his debut as an actor in 1946 in "Hum Ek Hain"

BAGHDAD -- Weeks before the U.S. pullout, Iraq's prime minister confidently predicted Saturday that his country will achieve stability and remain independent of its giant neighbor Iran even without an American troop presence.Nouri al-Maliki also warn ...

He questions the Holocaust — and denies his landlord the rent.Anti-Zionist Rabbi Moses Friedman — a pal of Holocaust-denying Iranian President Ahmadinejad and a believer in the destruction of Israel — is a deadbeat who hasn’t paid rent on his two Brooklyn apartments all year, according to court papers.

Tehran - Bahraini Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman dismissed Head of Media Authority Shaikh Fawaz al-Khalifa for broadcasting the news that 300 Shiite intellectuals avoided attending a TV interview.

Today in History

Weeks before the U.S. pullout, Iraq 's prime minister confidently predicted Saturday that his country will achieve stability and remain independent of its giant neighbor Iran even without an American troop presence.

Last weekend’s NATO airstrike on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border was a tragedy. I know how much this has upset the Pakistani people, and I feel deeply for the loss of life and offer my heartfelt condolences. There will be a thorough investigation, which should allow both countries to remain focused on...

The war in Iraq is drawing to a close. President Barack Obama announced in October that all remaining troops would leave by year’s end. Some U.S. military trainers will remain.

This happens every time I consider going to check the News Ltd Eternal Vacuous ALP Leadership Speculation counter in the sidebar.

Hotelier plans 8 hotel openings in 2012, sees China as part of long-term expansion plan

Iran loosed a pack of thugs on the British embassy in Tehran last week — recalling the turmoil of 1979, when Iranian students seized the American embassy and held 52 hostages for 444 nightmarish days. But any comparison between President Obama and Jimmy Carter, the White House occupant at the...

The Sierra Vista Herald/Bisbee Daily Review When exactly did we, the United States of America, turn soft? To be sure it happened in the 1990s.  A period of great economic boom in the sudden absence of a sworn enemy is bound to make any society go soft, and what followed after...

WASHINGTON — Here’s how area members of Congress voted on major issues in the week ending Dec. 2.

State revenues fall short again in October

A vote for Ron Paul is a vote for restoring America as the land of the free.

Anwar Ibrahim told 40 assembled diplomats on July 22 he would either become Prime Minister or end up in jail, "and this time I'm not going to jail." While Anwar put on a brave face for the gathered diplomats, if indeed there are only two possible outcomes, at this...

OIL prices rose more than 4 percent this week after a series of developments suggested that higher oil demand and tighter global supplies lay ahead.

IRAN called on the West to avoid a deepening diplomatic crisis following the storming of the British embassy in Tehran, saying it was an issue between Tehran and London alone, Iranian media reported yesterday.

ANKARA, Dec. 3-- With the politics in the Middle East and North Africa in transition, Turkey seeks to play a leading role in the region's agenda. Some new trends of Turkey's foreign policies toward the Islamic world have brought the country into spotlight.

WASHINGTON, Dec 3: Pentagon chief Leon Panetta has warned there is no guarantee a US military strike on Iran will hit intended targets linked to Tehran’s nuclear programme, saying the sites are “difficult to get at”.

ISLAMABAD, Dec 3: Twelve-year-old Mohammad Ameen living in the SOS village Rawalpindi has no future. Being an orphan with unknown parentage and having no guardian, he will not be given the citizenship of Pakistan.

Today, 4 December, in Chelyabinsk oblast, elections to the State Duma of the sixth convocation. As 08:00 local time (06:00 MEB) in the region are 2.239 polling stations.

The process by which the films are nominated has seen a transformation in the last few years.

Mark Reed, who ran against Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) in 2010 for a congressional seat, is going to challenge him again in an open primary in June. In doing so, he’ll also be facing incumbent Howard Berman (D-Valley Village) and Susan Shelley, who have announced plans to throw their...

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 2 (Reuters) Moscow believes there is no room for further UN Security Council sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said today.

Bangalore, Dec 2 (UNI) Ace cueist and former Champion Pankaj Advani today crashed out going down tamely to Lee Walkar of Wales 7-1 in the semifinals in the IBSF Men's World Snooker Championship played at KSBA Halls here today.

Iraqis are wary on how their country will fare once the Americans leave. The Americans are seen as an occupying force by many but welcomed by others who believe they act as a buffer amid the country's still volatile sectarian mix.

A researcher at Mount Sinai Medical Center was accused of burglarizing a hospital laboratory, twice, after being fired, taking valuable materials and sabotaging lab mice research by switching their name tags.

LONDON, Dec 2 (Reuters) Oil rose above $109 a barrel on Friday as some evidence of a sustained recovery in the United States and rising tension over major oil exporter Iran countered concern about the euro zone debt crisis.

LONDON, Dec 2 (Reuters) All Iranian diplomats left Britain today after being expelled in protest at the storming by protesters of the British embassy in Tehran, a government spokesman said.

The Australian Labor party has reaffirmed its support for the controversial live animal export industry.

In Krasnoyarsk Krai began voting at elections of deputies of the State Duma and the legislature. In addition, as reported BakuToday , in some municipalities of the region shall elect the heads of the settlements and the deputies of local councils.

Supporters filled Bonhoeffer's Cafe on Franklin Street Saturday morning for a cup of java and the chance to meet Republican presidential candidate and former Sen. Rick Santorum.

Can landmark talks secure lasting Afghan peace?

One of the more embarrassing features of the internet is that, from time to time, I find myself being confused with a namesake. Paul E Vallely is not me. He is a retired US major-general who is now the senior military analyst for Rupert Murdoch's outrageously right-wing Fox News. Among...

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has warned that Baghdad would not let any country use its soil as a launch pad for hostilities against Iran.

This is America under President Gingrich: There are two Social Security systems, one old, one new, running side by side. There are two tax systems and two versions of Medicare. Immigration decisions are handled by councils across the country.

Esteqlal has defeated Shahrdari in the 15th week of the Iranian Premier League (IPL), increasing its gap with the second team of the league table, Teraktorsazi.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden made the case for sanctions against Iran in a meeting on Saturday with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

To the old truism that nothing in life is guaranteed but death and taxes, a new certainty has been added in recent years: Grumbling about gasoline prices.

HE is back. A familiar sight — the jovial, affable character in his bright red costume trimmed with white fur mirroring his long white flowing beard. Instantly recognisable! If not, to remind you, his signature tune Jingle Bells resonates through all the shopping malls.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney flexed his campaign?s organizational muscle in New Hampshire Saturday, unleashing hundreds of volunteers to knock on doors and make phone calls on his behalf.

The Muslim Brotherhood's success in the first round of Egypt's elections has added to western fears of an Islamist future for the Middle East. But this does not necessarily mean that democracy and liberal policies face extinction Among the potent symbols of the Arab spring is one that has been...

No single person can read the thousands of new books every year — let alone pick 10 best. Luckily, there are helpers who, like Santa's elves, divvy up the work. Every December, the Post-Dispatch compiles a list of some of the best books of the year after quizzing freelance reviewers,...

So Oxford has been cleared by its own secret inquiry. That's a relief, isn't it? • Difficult times, but the Libyan School of Economics, aka the London School of Economics, can console itself with the thought that at least it had the integrity to set up an independent inquiry into...

TEHRAN, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- Some French diplomatic staff are leaving Iran following the attack by protesters on the British Embassy in Tehran, a French government official said.

The game's creative director and head writer, Ken Levine, explains the philosophy and politics behind this shooter It's a strange sensation, preparing for an interview with Ken Levine. Whereas most interviews with developers in the gaming industry usually revolve around game mechanics and technological innovations, the questions aimed at Irrational's...

The final instalment on how to become a wine connoisseur.

The American airstrikes that killed two dozen Pakistani soldiers last week were called in during a skirmish in which both sides thought they were under attack by the Taliban, American officials said yesterday. ...

Kiev: Michel Platini, the Uefa president, has warned the European game that it will have to accept disruption to its traditional calendar to accommodate a winter World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

The Arab League has given Syria 24 hours to sign an initiative to end its military crackdown on pro-democracy protests. Arab foreign ministers backed the deadline with new sanctions, including an asset freeze and travel ban on 19 top officials and associates of President Bashar al-Assad.

A year after Cablegate, are we seeing the foundations being laid for shifts in foreign policy or disclosure legislation?

Today, 4 December, in the Magadan region elects deputies of the State Duma of the sixth convocation, head of the municipality of Âgodninskij municipal district "and deputies of the Regional Assembly of Âgodninskogo district of the Fourth Convocation.

Is brain of Newt the potion for an anti-intellectual party?

In a single day of voting, on December 4, except the elections of the deputies of the State Duma of the sixth convocation has to elect the heads of the five municipalities of Buryatia: Eravninskom, Ivolginskom, Kabanskom, Mujskom, Okinskom areas.

In Iran, anti-British outrage has burned for generations.

Exclusive: Though the 9/11 attacks occurred more than a decade ago, Congress continues to exploit them to pass evermore draconian laws on “terrorism,” with the Senate now empowering the military to arrest people on U.S. soil and hold them without trial, a serious threat to American liberties, says ex-CIA...

There are still reasons to be hopeful that the so-called "Arab Spring" will transform the Middle East for the better. It took nearly a decade between the first strikes in the Gdansk Shipyard and the fall of communism in Poland.

The word “apology” has become so politicized in our own discourse that no president can admit to doing it.

As Egyptians go to the polls, is sectarianism on the rise in post-Mubarak Egypt?

Earlier today in Istanbul, Vice President Biden addressed the second Global Entrepreneurship Summit, convened by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Vice President is leading the U.S. delegation to the summit, which follows the 2010 Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship hosted by President Obama in Washington, D.C.  This...

At least 23 people were reported killed in Syria on Saturday as violence intensified in the eighth month of unrest against President Bashar al-Assad, pushing the death toll close to 4600, according to a leading activist group.

Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. felt compelled to brush back a challenge from his Turkish hosts.

Qatar will host the global energy industry over the next five days as the 20th World Petroleum Congress and Exhibition begins in Doha today.

When the Republican Jewish Coalition hosts its Republican Presidential Candidates' Forum in Washington on Wednesday, it will be without Texas Rep, Ron Paul. The coalition cited the congressman's "extreme views" as reason for his exclusion, according to the Huffington Post.

Twenty-three people thought dead in clashes between army defectors and govt troops in nth-wst Syria.

Find out how your local legislators voted this week.

Two people are in hospital in critical condition and two others were injured in a car crash on Pembina Highway, police say.

TOKYO (AP) - Russia and Poland earned men's volleyball berths in the London Olympics on Saturday by reaching the final at the World Cup. The third and last qualifying spot from the tournament will be determined on Sunday between Brazil and Japan.

BAGHDAD — Weeks before the U.S. pullout, Iraq’s prime minister confidently predicted Saturday that his country will achieve stability and remain independent of its giant neighbor Iran even without an American troop presence. Nouri al-Maliki also warned of civil war in Iran’s ally Syria if Bashar Assad falls —...

The Cultural Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran will screen films by award winning Iranian artists in its auditorium on the first and last Wednesdays of every month due to the popular demand for Iranian films among Sri Lankan audiences.

A senior Iranian lawmaker says the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement will turn into a major challenge for the US government and police will not be able to control it.

The founder of a pet-rescue group in Surrey, B.C., is lashing out at the RCMP after being accused of stealing a dog.

Tehran holds a conference on the Iranian government's proposed reforms to the country's taxation system, hosting a large group of experts in relevant fields, Press TV reports.

TEHRAN, Dec. 03 (MNA) – Director of Iran’s Passive Defense Organization has said that the organization is fully prepared to defend the country against cyber attacks.

PARIS - Soccer star, fashion icon, ambassador for Britain, friend to Hollywood stars — David Beckham is many things. To that list, he could soon add player in Middle East politics.

Are potential terrorists crossing into Texas from Mexico? HOUSTON CHRONICLE Copyright 2011 HOUSTON CHRONICLE. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Published 06:45 p.m., Friday, December 2, 2011 The potential risk is gaining some traction as the Islamic Republic presses ahead with a...

ISTANBUL — A free political climate is essential to economic innovation, and countries that try to censor the Internet are pursuing a “dead end,” U.S. Vice President Joe Biden told a group of young entrepreneurs gathered in Istanbul on Saturday. The international forum, which drew hundreds of attendees, followed...

TEHRAN, Dec. 03 (MNA) – Russia opposes new sanctions against Iran and believes negotiations with Tehran on its nuclear program can be resumed, Moscow’s ambassador to the United Nations said on Friday, according to the Associated Press.

Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast has condemned the Yemeni government's brutal crackdown on the peaceful protests in the country.

Once leading in the polls, Herman Cain announced moments ago he will suspend his campaign for the Republican nomination. More to follow as this story unfolds here and tomorrow in print editions of the New Hampshire Sunday News.

During a forum in Washington late Friday, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Israel needs to start by getting back "to the damn table" and negotiating peace with the Palestinians. He also called on Israel to mend its fraying relationships with traditional partners like Turkey, Egypt and Jordan.