News Archive - 15 December 2011

>Here are some of their main quotes.NEWT GINGRICH, FORMER SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OFREPRESENTATIVESDefending his merit as frontrunner:"I believe I can debate Barack Obama and I think in seven three-hour debates Barack Obama will not have a leg to stand on."Before answering a question on the Keystone Pipeline:"You...

>SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Brent crude futures rose above $104 on Friday on worries about supply disruption after the U.S. Congress approved a bill imposing sanctions against Iran's central bank, limiting buyers' ability to pay for oil they buy from the Islamic Republic. Yet gains were capped on fears Europe's...

SIOUX CITY, Iowa - Republican presidential candidates Ron Paul and Michele Bachmann are trading barbs over Iran, with the Texas congressman saying the U.S. has no legitimate claim to block Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon and Bachmann calling his position wildly dangerous.

>SIOUX CITY, Iowa (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidates pounced on front-runner Newt Gingrich on Thursday to try to blunt his surge at the last debate before Iowa launches the 2012 U.S. election season. Gingrich is in a tight race with rivals Ron Paul and Mitt Romney in Iowa less...

>LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The fierce debate over anti-piracy legislation currently rocking Capitol Hill is pitting Hollywood against Silicon Valley, and has left some wondering if the latest effort to crack down on illegal downloads will be shot down over free speech concerns. In the wake of scathing series...

Geneva - The UN's top human rights official urged countries on Thursday to abolish legal discrimination against gays, including the death penalty for consensual sex, days after the US government said it would use foreign aid and diplomacy to promote gay equal rights.

>LONDON (Reuters) - The ancient Mayans attached special significance to 2012, possibly the end of time. That has spawned a rush of apocalyptic literature for the holiday season. But you don't have to believe the world is about to end to realize that next year contains perhaps the widest range...

>BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Energy prices helped keep euro zone annual inflation at 3 percent in November, data showed on Thursday, but prices for other goods were unchanged on the month, suggesting the European Central Bank could cut interest rates again. Consumer price inflation was confirmed at the 3 percent level...

>BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military officially ended its war in Iraq on Thursday, packing up a military flag at a ceremony with U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta nearly nine years after the invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein. The last 4,000 American troops will withdraw by the end...

>* S.Korea to announce new sanctions on Iran this week* BNP Paribas seeks BOK approval for Iran money transferBy Ju-min Park and Cho Mee-youngSEOUL, Dec 15 (Reuters) - South Korea would join Japan in seeking a waiver if the United States imposed new sanctions that threaten the flow of...

Considering the turmoil in Egypt, Libya and Syria, our impending pull out of troops in Iraq and the mischief making by Iran, our country ought to be moving ahead at full speed to approve the oil pipeline from Canada and to develop more oil fields inside the U.S. and...

BANGKOK, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Tokyo rubber futures endedhigher on Friday on the back of brighter U.S. economic data andfirm oil prices, but some operators chose to take quick profitsahead of the weekend as the market is still jumpy, dealers said. The benchmark rubber contract on the Tokyo CommodityExchange...

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (Reuters) - Presidential hopeful Ron Paul staged a strong defense of his anti-war views on Thursday in an outburst on foreign policy that might lose him support from fellow Republicans. Paul came into the debate rising in the polls, admired by many Republicans in the early-voting states...

The last full GOP debate before voting gets under way in Iowa leaves Gingrich wounded and Romney sitting pretty

WAR: Military's exit will bring new set of struggles.

Washington — Congressional negotiators reached agreement Thursday on a compromise spending bill to avert a weekend federal shutdown. They also worked toward a deal renewing the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits for another year but prepared a shorter version as a fallback in case talks fell short.

While the Obama administration has shown signs of supporting legislation that would increase pressure on the Iran's central bank, the administration is taking a cautious approach to how the provision should be implemented.

> Financials...

The two national front-runners fend off attacks from their GOP rivals but avoid taking aim at each other in the last full-scale presidential debate of 2011. Acting on their best behavior, the two Republican front-runners essentially called a cease-fire Thursday night in their fratricidal primary fight, using the last full-scale...

One war ends, another is threatened? Peter Beinart on the Texas governor’s shocking Latin America plan.

United States President Barack Obama came under attack from leading Republican presidential candidates over what they called his "weak" foreign policy as they vowed to revamp the country's foreign policy if voted to power in the 2012 polls

Democratic uprisings flourished across the East this year, while established Western democracies stalled in crisis. But how are the two related? 16 Dec 2011 5:37 PM

SIOUX CITY, Iowa: Republicans vying to oust Barack Obama from the White House ridiculed the Democratic president on Thursday for asking arch-foe Iran to "pretty please" return a downed US drone.

Two senior examiners have apologised after appearing to tip off teachers about how they could secure top grades for GCSE students.

Christopher Hitchens, the author, essayist and polemicist who waged verbal and occasional physical battle on behalf of causes left and right and wrote the provocative best-seller "God is Not Great," died tonight after a long battle...

Oil drops below $99 ahead of OPEC meeting Associated Press Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Updated 05:13 a.m., Wednesday, December 14, 2011 Oil prices dropped below $99 a barrel Wednesday amid worries about the eurozone's debt crisis...

Islamabad, Dec 16 (IANS) Pakistan is looking at enhancing trade with Iran, said a minister here.

FILE - Essayist Christopher Hitchens speaks during a debate on Iraq and the foreign policies of the United States and Britain, in this Sept. 14, 2005 file photo taken in New York. Vanity Fair reports Hitchens died on Thursday Dec. 15, 2011 at the age of 62 from complications of...

WASHINGTON — Newt Gingrich overlooked a couple of years of red ink when he asserted Thursday night that he balanced the budget for four years as House speaker. And in claiming sole credit for the achievement, he glossed over the fact that budgets are not a one-man show: There was...

Ancient Persian tales come to life in the new book “Persian Legends”Ijamsville, MD (PRWEB) December 16, 2011 Persia is home to one of the world's oldest civilizations and its storytelling traditions have helped to secure its cultural history. In the new story collection written and illustrated by Persian artist Mehry...

Iran escalated its confrontation with the United States on Thursday over the captured U.S. spy drone, warning Afghanistan to order a halt to such surveillance flights launched from its territory.

Now that we've taught the Americans a lesson and they know we mean business, a question: what next? Our security mavens think they know the answer: to engineer a face-saving exit from Afghanistan the .....

SIOUX CITY, Iowa -- No knockout punches. No game changers. No bloody corpses. The final Republican presidential primary debate before the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses was a safe affair, sort of like two boxers hugging one another to let the final few seconds of a long bout run out.

Coca-Cola spends $980M for half of Mideast's Aujan Associated Press Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Updated 04:28 a.m., Wednesday, December 14, 2011 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Coca-Cola Co. is buying roughly half of Saudi...

The prospect of the war in Iraq being over means the remaining soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen get to come home for good. But there is one prominent local veteran who isn't so sure...

Last week, the United States commemorated the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, 1941. To many outsiders, the country-wide commemorations so long after the event, and an expression of "deep emotion" by Japan's Foreign Minister, might seem a tad overdone.

Tehran, Dec 16 : The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) rejected Thursday an Iranian lawmaker's remarks stating that the country planned to build a new nuclear plant in the central province of Isfahan, the Press TV reported.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Republican presidential front-runner Newt Gingrich clashed sharply with one rival, took pains to compliment another and said it was laughable for any of them to challenge his conservative credentials Thursday night in the last campaign debate before the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses kick off the 2012...

NOW that we’ve taught the Americans a lesson and they know we mean business, a question: what next?

Indian equities are seen opening slightly higher on Friday, mirroring positive Asian cues as positive data on the U.S. jobs market and manufacturing sector signaled the world's largest economy is strengthening.

It's that time of the year again. Tis the season of the blog awards in Pakistan... read more The flash fictions of Hijab Imtiaz Ali. Translated from the Urdu by Aamer Hussein...

Washington • Christopher Hitchens, the author, essayist and polemicist who waged verbal and occasional physical battle on behalf of causes left and right and wrote the provocative best-seller "God is Not Great," died Thursday night after a long battle with cancer. He was 62.

Since the fall of Baghdad, Michael Holmes has spent many months on the ground covering the conflict, from the chaotic aftermath of the invasion and the capture of Saddam Hussein through to the formation of a new government.

The downing of a stealth US spy drone by Iran's Army has resoundingly dented the American intelligence machine, besides humiliating the US officials pursuing anti-Iran plans, a political expert tells Press TV .

Can country really return to status as sophisticated hub of culture or is another bloody struggle just around the corner?

Around 1.4m barrels per day at stake: report. 16 Dec 2011 1:58 PM

Australian Market Trades Higher

Malaysiakini The founders of Google, Twitter, Yahoo! eBay and other Internet giants expressed concern to the US Congress over legislation intended to crack down on online piracy. They warned that the proposed legislation will give Washington the power to censor the Internet, much like that employed by China, Malaysia and...

In the sharply divided 112th Congress, bipartisan support for anything seems rare — but perhaps not as "rare" as has been advertised. The House approved a massive defense bill by a 283-136 vote late Wednesday in a "rare bipartisan vote," according to an Associated Press account. Not to dampen this ...

The Arab uprisings mark a historic milestone in a region long ruled by dictators and have reshaped the political map, heralding the rise of a Sunni Islamist bloc against a waning Shiite axis led by Iran, analysts say.

Japanese Market Edges Higher

NO-one wants to say to soldiers coming home from Iraq, having risked their lives ever since 2003, that the task they were given by politicians has turned out to be a failure.

Reviewed by Peter Hartlaub, G. Allen Johnson, David Lewis and Mick LaSalle RATING: (POLITE APPLAUSE) The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 This documentary features extraordinary, virtually unseen footage from the days of...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15-- The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to pass a massive Defense Authorization Bill that included language to appease the White House on terrorist detainee issue, as well as sanctions on Iran's central bank.

The Sentinel drone that crashed in Iran last week was on a surveillance mission of suspected nuclear sites in the country, U.S. military officials tell CNN.

US Congress has passed a massive US$662 billion (NZ$876.5b) defence bill after months of wrangling over how to handle captured terror suspects without violating Americans' constitutional rights.

By Compiled By Debbie Caldwell., North Shore News November 18, 2011 Artemis Gallery: 104C-4390 Gallant Ave., North Vancouver. Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 12: 305 p.m. Info: 604-929-4354 or artemisinthecove@gmail.com.

Rod Bristow (pictured), the president of Pearson UK, which owns Edexcel, one of England’s biggest exam boards, yesterday admitted that there needs to be an overhaul of procedures.

By Missy Ryan and Patrick Markey (Reuters) – The U.S. military officially ended its war in Iraq on Thursday, packing up a military flag at a ceremony with U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta nearly nine years after the invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein. The last 4,000 American troops...

Persepolis has been held to a 1-1 draw against Rah Ahan to stand on the ninth place on the Iranian Premier League's table following the resignation of the former's manager Hamid Estili.

The Newsroom - As scientists come close to finding the so-called "God particle" (proper name: Higgs boson), some physicists are complaining about its popular moniker. So we set out on Twitter today to find out what people would #renameGod. Here are some of your ideas:

As the U.S. military on Thursday formally ended its intervention in Iraq and prepared to withdraw the last of its combat troops, Chinese were watching warily and with deep concern about where those troops might go next.

No Related Stories at this time! Congress on Thursday passed a $662 billion defense authorization measure for 2012 that includes a provision that suspects linked to al-Qaeda be placed in military custody.

ANALYSIS:THE FLAG of US forces in Iraq was yesterday lowered to mark the withdrawal of combat troops nearly nine years after the US invasion and occupation of that country. The occasion was low key, the departure of troops has been surreptitious.

COMMENTARY | It seems like everything is about war lately. The Iraq War is over. Presidential hopefuls are in battle over who gets to run against Barack Obama next year. Congress is battling over tax legislation. On top of all that there is a quieter war going on that will...

Iran rebuffs skepticism with a detailed description of attack, which experts call "certainly possible"

FORT MEADE, Md. #8212; After months of delay, the U.S. military is set to make its case for court-martialing Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, the soldier accused of endangering national security by engineering the largest-ever leak of classified documents.

NO-one wants to say to soldiers coming home from Iraq, having risked their lives ever since 2003, that the task they were given by politicians has turned out to be a failure.

Wait for another dip in oil prices to buy, commodities trader Dan Dicker said Thursday on "Fast Money" - but beware of shorting it.

A nearly nine-year-long war that affected millions of lives, both at home and in Iraq, is formally over, U.S. officials announced Thursday.

In the past nine years, Fort Campbell has lost more than 220 troops to the war in Iraq. Now that the Iraq War has formally ended, does the Clarksville community believe it was the best time to withdraw?

Michael Deacon watches a Commons select committee interrogate three examiners who have been suspended following a Telegraph investigation into school exam boards.

Dubai - Hundreds of Bahraini protesters confronted riot police for hours on Thursday near a highway leading to the capital Manama, retreating when officers fired stun grenades and teargas but regrouping moments later, residents said.

Imagine one day that suddenly and without warning, every single vehicle in the United States built after the 1970s was totally incapable of running. No going up to the grocery store, in fact no more...

The recent downing of our surveillance drone in Iran reminds me of 1960 when our U-2 spy plane, which also took off from Pakistan, was shot down over the Soviet Union . It was rumored that a Soviet spy magnetized a screw which caused the instruments to give false readings, resulting...

At opposite ends of the country, Basra and Mosul are Iraq's second- and third-largest cities, but with two very distinct populations.

An Iranian newspaper reported plans for an "exhibition" of seven captured drones as an American military report warned of vulnerabilities in their communication systems.

Today, Iran warned Afghanistan that any further U.S. drone missions into Iran would be seen as a hostile act.

Electronic warfare comes of age – in Iran The US stealth drone broadcast last week on Iranian state television was captured by spoofing its GPS coordinates, a hack that tricked the bird into landing in Iranian territory instead of where it was programmed to touch down, The Christian Science Monitor...

U.S. officials told CNN the U.S. drone that crashed in Iran last week was on a surveillance mission to seek out suspected nuclear sites.

The number of people sentenced to death in the United States dropped drastically this year, to levels not seen for years.

Iowa's popular Gov. Terry Branstad hasn't endorsed any of the Republican presidential candidates crisscrossing his state yet. Still, Branstad will eventually be endorsing someone after the Jan. 3 caucuses. As he told All Things Considered co-host Melissa Block Thursday: "I want to work to help unite the party behind the...

PETALING JAYA: Amidst the gloomy monsoon season, cyclist Mohd Fattah Amri Zaid is hoping bring a ray of sunshine to the nation when he competes in the final leg of the Track Asia Cup at the Cheras Velodrome from today.

The Federal Aviation Administration is preparing new rules that could make it easier for law enforcement agencies to use drone aircraft in the U.S., raising concerns about privacy at a time when the aircraft are already conducting surveillance missions in some parts of the  …

Iraq can look forward to a brighter future, says John Simpson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congress on Thursday approved a defense bill requiring the military to handle suspected foreign militants allied with al Qaeda, sending it to President Barack Obama for his expected signature into law.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - As the war in Iraq draws to a close, U.S. President Barack Obama's re-election campaign has quietly enlisted an army of veterans to urge other military men and women to vote for him in November. The Obama campaign has built a network of more than 700...

The Senate gave approval Thursday to a giant $662 billion defense authorization bill, sending it to President Barack Obama for his signature.

FORT MEADE, Md. — After months of delay, the military is set to make its case for court-martialing Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, the soldier accused of endangering national security by engineering the largest-ever leak of classified documents.

If SOPA passes, it will signal the end of this era of open online dialogue that our younger generations managed to create for themselves.

A key US senator lifted his hold Thursday on President Barack Obama's nominee for ambassador to Moscow, paving the way for Michael McFaul's confirmation to the critical post.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US Senate passed a $662 billion defense bill Thursday that also freezes some Pakistan aid, imposes sanctions on Iran's central bank, and approves the indefinite imprisonment of suspected terrorists.

A group of prominent architects of the Internet added their voices Thursday to those opposing legislation in the US Congress intended to crack down on online piracy.

Six weeks after ex-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed he fathered a child with a member of his household staff, Maria Shriver files divorce papers seeking to end their 25-year marriage.

According to Raelia News , Negar Azizmoradi, a leader of the Iranian branch of the International Raelian Movement has been granted asylum in the United States.

A $60 billion US arms deal with Saudi Arabia that raised eyebrows among pro-Israeli lawmakers was expected to be a done deal at midnight Friday."Thirty days are up at the end of today, after which the administration may proceed.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will look into imposing new financial, energy and transport sanctions on Syria over its harsh crackdown on protests but Russia may hold the key to increasing pressure on President Bashar al-Assad, a British minister said on Thursday. European Union countries, including Britain, have slapped several rounds...

They lived by the sword, both inspiring fear and acts of bloodshed around the world. And in the end, they both suffered violent deaths befitting their fearsome reputations. Perhaps no two deaths in 2011 transfixed the world more than those of terrorist leader Osama bin Laden and Libyan strongman Moammar...

ATLANTA - They lived by the sword, both inspiring fear and acts of bloodshed around the world. And in the end, they both suffered violent deaths befitting their fearsome reputations.

U.S. officials have not yet determined what caused a CIA-operated stealth drone to crash in Iran, but reject the Islamic nation’s claims of responsibility for bringing the aircraft down. In the latest claim, an unidentified Iranian engineer told the Christian Science Monitor that Iran exploited a vulnerability in the...