News Archive - 9 January 2012

China has rejected the US trade restrictions on Iran's oil industry, saying it has nothing to do with Tehran's nuclear energy program. A Chinese deputy foreign minister, Cui Tiankai, said on Monday that Beijing is against mixing the issues with different natures, rejecting linking Iran's nuclear program to trade. Tiankai...

IRI and Venezuela released a joint statement Monday in condemnation of an Imperialist-Zionist engineered threat of war against peace-seeking, independent nations. The statement was issued in Caracas following a joint session by visiting IRI President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez. The statement stressed Tehran-Caracas close cooperation against...

Any Iranian nuclear activities are under IAEA watch, including those at a new uranium enrichment bunker at Fordo, IRI Ambassador to International Atomic Energy Agency, Ali Asghar Soltanieh said on Monday. "Any Iranian nuclear activities, notably uranium enrichment at Natanz and Fordo, are under the supervision of the International Atomic...

IRI Oil Minister Rostam Ghassemi said on Monday discovering of Sardar Jangal new oilfield is a great development in Oil and Gas industry. He made the remarks in a ceremony of launching Sardar Jangal Oil and Gas industrial complex in Roodsar in northern Gilan province. Ghassemi said Iran would play...

IRI's Majlis speaker Ali Larijani will pay a visit to Turkey on Wednesday for talks with Turkish high ranking officials. Larijani’s advisor for international affairs Hossein Sheikholeslam told IRNA that Larijani will hold talks with the host officials on regional cooperation, current developments in Syria, Iran and Palestine and especially...

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei said on Monday that lively turnout of the people in the upcoming election will strike another blow to the enemy. Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a meeting with thousands of theologians and students of theological center of Qom to mark...

>TEHRAN/VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran has begun enriching uranium deep inside a mountain and sentenced an American to death for spying, angering the West and undermining hopes that diplomacy could avert further sanctions or war. The start of enrichment at the Fordow bunker near the Shi'ite Muslim holy city of Qom...

The General Commander of Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Mohammad-Ali Jaafari expressed readiness to counter any threat and aggression. He considered the Shohaday-e Vahdat drill conducted by the IRGC ground forces in eastern Iran as the result of hours of experts' work and effort to exercise and implement...

The ground forces of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) plan to launch the key phase of the military drill codenamed Shohaday-e Vahdat (Martyrs of Unity) in eastern Iran. Spokesman of the Shohaday-e Vahdat drill General Hamid Sarkheili said that ground units are scheduled to exercise new tactical strategies, particularly...

>TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's Revolutionary Court has sentenced an Iranian-American man to death for spying for the CIA, the student news agency quoted a judiciary official as saying, a move likely to aggravate U.S.-Iranian tension already high because of Tehran's nuclear work. Western nations have recently expanded punitive...

By Andrew Cawthorne and Brian Ellsworth CARACAS, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez lavished each other with praise on Monday, mocked U.S. disapproval and joked about having an atomic bomb at their disposal.

>LONDON (Reuters) - From Los Angeles to Paris to Tehran, disparate opposition groups with little in common but an aversion to Iran's clerical leaders are struggling to extract political gains from an escalation in Western sanctions. Numerous dissidents have hailed Western agreement on tougher measures to compel the Islamic Republic...

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, facing tighter U.S. sanctions and rising tensions in the Persian Gulf, will turn to his diminished group of allies in Latin America for support this week.

>* 2011 crude imports 5.08 mln bpd, +6 pct on yr* 2011 net fuel imports +49 pct on yrBEIJING, Jan 10 (Reuters) - China's crude oil imports in December rose five percent from a year earlier to 5.16 million barrels per day (bpd), easing off from November when...

LONDON (SHARECAST) - The main US equity benchmarks are now being called to open higher by 0.3% on average. The above ahead of tonight´s quarterly results from aluminium manufacturer Alcoa , who will kick off the earnings result season after the close of today´s session.

>VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran has started refining uranium deep inside a mountain, diplomatic sources said on Monday, a move likely to exacerbate a dispute with Western powers that suspect Tehran is seeking a nuclear weapons capability. The sources said uranium enrichment to a fissile purity of 20 percent had begun...

>* Death sentence likely to worsen U.S.-Iran tensions* Enrichment at bunker the focus of nuclear dispute* Supreme Leader Khamenei says sanctions will not hurt IranBy Parisa Hafezi and Fredrik DahlTEHRAN/VIENNA, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Iran announced on Monday it had sentenced a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen to...

>Financial sanctions signed into law by President Barack Obama on New Year's Eve make it difficult for pay for Iranian oil. The European Union is expected to announce tough measures of its own at the end of the month."The meeting is on finance related matters as far as supplies...

TEHRAN, Iran -- An Iranian court sentenced a Michigan man to death on espionage charges Monday, drawing an angry response from the Obama administration and driving up the temperature in an increasingly volatile feud between the two countries.

>JX Nippon, a wholly owned unit of JX Holdings, declined to give further details about the length of its contract with Iran. It has been in talks with top exporter Saudi Arabia and other oil producers to source crude to replace any disruption to those imports.Japan is considering cutbacks...

>Mohsen Ghamsari, head of the international affairs office at the National Iranian Oil Co. (NIOC), told the semi-official Mehr news agency the debt would be settled in accordance with existing contracts."Based on the buyback contracts, this amount will be paid off to this Italian company," he was quoted as...

Oil prices rose in Asian trade Tuesday with buoyant US consumer spending data and heightened worries over Iran's nuclear program providing support, analysts said.

A promotional photograph of Nazanin Afshin-Jam supplied to the North Shore News in 2007 to promote her CD Someday.

North Korea will issue special pardons for convicts to commemorate milestone birthdays of its two late leaders, state media announced, in the first such dispensations in more than six years. Related Stories Microsoft boss hits familiar chord Immunity law sparks fresh violence Obama imposes Grand Canyon mine ban Chavez backing...

Few people noticed Saudi Arabia’s three-day conference in September on disrupting terrorism financing. For a team at the U.S. Treasury Department, though, it was a long-sought victory in the fight against al-Qaeda.

Ronald Earnest Paul is a physician, author, and twelve term Congressman, who is seeking the republican nomination for President. Birth August 20, 1935 (age 76) . . .

Iran leader defends nuclear program on LatAm trip

If you go through 10 gallons of gas a week, you're now spending about $1.60 more than you did around Christmas. The cost of a gallon in Massachusetts jumped another 8 cents in the past week, and has now soared 16 cents in three weeks.

The West's strategy has sent the currency, the rial, into a tailspin and pushed inflation higher. But the risks are high. The West's campaign to punish Iran for its suspected nuclear weapons program has begun to inflict far more damage on Tehran's economy in recent weeks, spurring a new phase...

Iranian and Venezuelan ministers signed two memoranda of understanding on nanotechnology and economic ccoperation. The documents were signed by Iran’s minister of mines and Venezuela’s minister of science and technology in the presence of the two countries’ presidents. The Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez also...

The International Atomic Energy Agency officially confirmed that Iran has started enriching uranium to the 20-percent level.

Now the bad news.More than one-fifth of all the new jobs created in December were package deliverers — in other words, Santa’s helpers’ positions that probably have already disappeared. The media went orgasmic when the Labor Department reported last Friday that 200,000 new jobs were created during December...

An Iranian court sentenced a former US Marine to death as an alleged CIA spy yesterday in the latest escalation of tensions with America. Arizona-born and Michigan-raised Amir Mirzaei Hekmati was just visiting his grandmothers in Iran when he was arrested in August, his family said. But Iran charges that...

At the beginning of each year, it is often tempting to prognosticate for the upcoming 12 months. Here are some significant...

>* Weak European market keeps price rise in check* Coming up: U.S. API weekly crude stocks; 2130 GMTBy Seng Li PengSINGAPORE, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Brent crude rose above $112.50 on Tuesday as tension over Iran's nuclear programme ratcheted up and on unrest in Nigeria, but gains are...

US Army authorities have ordered about 100 troops on lockdown after night vision goggles and other high-tech gear worth $600,000 was stolen from a base in Washington state, officers said Monday. The lockdown restricts the soldiers to their barracks, showers and work place and bars them from venturing off of...

In a joint raid against an international drug ring, the Indonesian National Narcotics Board and the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Police confiscated 50 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine wort .....

China’s import growth fell to a two- year low in December, underscoring a slowdown in the world’s fastest-growing major economy that deepens risks for the global outlook.

No one should doubt that President Barack Obama is prepared to use military force to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon if sanctions and diplomacy fail, the president’s former special assistant on Iran said.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's Environment Department says a spill of 1,500 barrels of oil from a pipeline near the Gulf coast has been brought under control, and about 40 percent of the oil has been recovered.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer struck familiar chords on Monday in his swan song at the International Consumer Electronic Show. Related Stories Opposition leader runs for office Asian stocks make modest gains Mitt Romney slips up ahead of poll: 'I like being able to fire people' Iran sentences former US marine...

>His trip, starting on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, comes amid mounting tension over Iran, which faces tightening Western sanctions over its disputed nuclear program. China has already cut its oil imports from Iran in January and February in a dispute over contract terms, and has been looking for alternative supplies.

>The Islamic Republic is facing toughened sanctions by the United States meant to force a halt to its uranium enrichment program, which Washington says is aimed at creating weapons. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful."OPEC will not get involved in the issue with Iran," Ramirez told reporters following...

Imperialist powers have failed to achieve their goal to dominate the world, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Monday. He made the remarks on the sidelines of the Iranian president's welcoming ceremony. “World nations advocate peace and justice; Iranian and Venezuelan governments will do their best to support human rights,...

The former TV talk show host says he's enjoying his first foray into congressional politics.

BP, Caltex and Z Energy have raised the price of petrol five cents a litre across the country - but Gull New Zealand says a price increase is unnecessary. This afternoon the price of 91 octane petrol went up to $2.119 a litre at...

According to Iranian state television, a former United States marine who was convicted of spying on Iran and sentenced to death on Monday was also involved in a nefarious plot to brainwash the youth of the Middle East using an unlikely tool: video games.

No description available

Most of the stern section of the MV Rena has slipped off the Astrolabe Reef. As at 10.38am, the foremost part of the stern was still sticking up out of the water, with the rest – including the bridge – submerged. The bow section remains unchanged in place on...

ABU DHABI - The Habshan-Fujairah oil pipeline that would allow oil shipments from the UAE to bypass the Strait of Hormuz will be operational within six months.

Two years after an earthquake flattened Haiti, the country’s children are slowly experiencing improvements in their living standards despite continuing challenges, a United Nations report announced today.

China’s export growth slowed in December, reflecting weakening global demand and the fallout from Europe’s debt crisis.

The head of the United Nations refugee agency today urged the international community to show greater solidarity with South Sudan as it strives to cope with enormous humanitarian challenges as tensions between communities cause internal displacement amid a refugee ...

The United Nations human rights chief today welcomed the lifting of a state of emergency in Fiji, more than two years after it was imposed, calling it a “step in the right direction” for the Pacific island nation.

Repression and state violence is likely to continue to plague the Middle East and North Africa in 2012 unless governments in the region and international powers wake up to the scale of the changes being demanded of them, Amnesty International warned ...

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner faces a challenge as he asks those nations to help Washington use sanctions to pressure Tehran over its nuclear program. U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner faces a stiff challenge this week as he tries to convince China, Japan and South Korea to reduce their...

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon commemorated the centenary of South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), hailing its successes as a key liberation movement in the country but also calling for its continued determination to defend ...

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner visits China and Japan this week as he seeks to narrow differences with the Beijing government on currency and trade disputes while urging officials in both countries to cut back on oil imports from Iran.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican immigration officials and police have rounded up 71 Guatemalan refugees living in a tent camp near the two countries' border since August.

It costs Magan McKinsey $50 a week to drive from her home in Anderson to her job across town at Party City.

President Malam Bacai Sanha, who was elected in the tiny, coup-prone nation of Guinea-Bissau on Africa's western coast about two years ago after the previous leader was assassinated, has died in Paris after a lengthy spell in hospital. Related Stories Beyonce's baby is Jay-Z's Glory Fresh car bombings rock Baghdad...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf chief Imran Khan threatened on Monday to launch protests if the government tried to attack the Supreme Court or the chief justice on the pretext of saving democracy or parliament in a bid to hide its corruption.

The leader of the Party of popular front of Azerbaijan, MP Gudrat Gasanguliev. Illustration: salamnews.org The leader of the Party of popular front of Azerbaijan, Member of Parliament Gudret Gasanguliev made a formal proposal to change the name of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the website "Pia.az".

China is emerging as a naval entity and India cannot turn a blind eye to this, says West Bengal governor and former National Security Advisor M K Narayanan

Presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman made a quick campaign stop out of his SUV at Crosby's Bakery in Nashua, surrounded by a throng of reporters that seemed to outnumber the voters there to see their candidate.

KARAWANG, INDONESIA: Indonesian authorities on Sunday arrested nearly 80 illegal Afghan immigrants at the rest area of a toll road near Jakarta, officials told a local news agency on Monday.

At a campaign stop inNashua on Monday, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich made his last push before Tuesday's primary election, telling voters it will be an historic day.

With the national spotlight beaming down on New Hampshire for the Republican presidential primary today, the Democratic National Committee is trying to grab some of the limelight.

Oil traded near the lowest price in more than a week in New York as investors speculated that increasing U.S. crude stockpiles and signs of weakening growth in Europe indicate fuel demand may falter.

ANKARA, Turkey, Jan 10 (Bernama) -- Turkish Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan has said that six-year ban imposed by Saudi Arabia on exports of poultry products from Turkey was lifted.

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

>Materials counters could see a modest boost after Alcoa Inc , the largest U.S. aluminium producer, gave a more positive outlook for global demand for the metal after posting better-than-expected earnings.China Petroleum & Chemical Corp (Sinopec) said on Monday that controlling shareholder China Petrochemical Corp (Sinopec Group) had...

>FUNDAMENTALS* On the New York Mercantile Exchange, February crude gained 29 cents at $101.60 a barrel as of 0020 GMT.* Brent February crude was not yet traded after settling down 61 cents at $112.45 a barrel on Monday.* U.S. consumer credit surged 10 percent in...

New talks are scheduled this week in an effort to bring MSG sports channels back to Time Warner... - 8:04 pm

New talks are scheduled this week in an effort to bring MSG sports channels back to Time Warner... - 8:04 pm

US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will arrive in Beijing on Tuesday to discuss economic ties and exchange views with Chinese leaders on the global economic situation.

New talks are scheduled this week in an effort to bring MSG sports channels back to Time Warner... - 8:04 pm

 The bill prohibits state contracts with any company or agency that supports Iran's efforts to develop a nuclear arsenal.

Analysis: 8 nations endangered by a weaker America San Antonio Express-News Copyright 2012 San Antonio Express-News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Updated 10:33 p.m., Thursday, January 5, 2012 With the decline of America’s global pre-eminence, weaker countries will be more susceptible...

TEHRAN, Iran -- A former U.S. Marine interpreter arrested while on a trip to visit his Iranian grandmothers has been sentenced to death as a CIA spy, state radio reported Monday, in a case likely to become a new flashpoint in the escalating tensions ...

Coalition tensions surfaced yesterday as the Liberal Democrats blocked David Cameron's attempt to impose an 18-month deadline for a referendum on Scottish independence.

During the first New Hampshire GOP debate, the Republican candidates seeking the presidential nomination were asked whether they would withdraw troops from Afghanistan if they were president.

IRAN- A Monterey Defense Language Institute graduate and former U.S. Marine was sentenced to death in Iran Monday.

ALBANY -- The state's 2012 legislative session got under way Monday with lawmakers passing an Iran... - 6:12 pm

ALBANY -- The state's 2012 legislative session got under way Monday with lawmakers passing an Iran... - 6:12 pm

ALBANY -- The state's 2012 legislative session got under way Monday with lawmakers passing an Iran... - 6:12 pm

Increasing tensions between Iran and the West over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program have raised fears of possible military conflict in the Middle East.

Louisville's Harvest Restaurant is worth the visit.

Click for big version Aerial shot of Rena with the stern section fallen off the reef while the bow remains in place.

ALBANY -- The state's 2012 legislative session got under way Monday with lawmakers passing an Iran... - 6:12 pm

The United States and Germany said on Monday that Iran’s enrichment of uranium to 20 percent at a new mountain bunker site, this would be a “further escalation” that raised concerns Iran’s nuclear program was for military ends.

ALBANY -- The state's 2012 legislative session got under way Monday with lawmakers passing an Iran... - 6:12 pm

The Corbus, LLC teams in its Noida and Gurgaon, India offices banded together to supply those in need with stationery, toys and clothes of all sizes through the GOONJ organization. During the drive that lasted from December 12-31, Corbus collected ...

CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez defended his close ally Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday and warned of "U.S. warmongering threats" amid tensions over Tehran's nuclear program and a death sentence against an American man convicted of working for the CIA.

London, Jan. 9: Iran’s Revolutionary Court has sentenced to death a former US military serviceman of Iranian descent on charges of spying for the CIA, the semi-official Fars news agency reported today.

CARACAS (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez lavished each other with praise on Monday, mocked U.S. disapproval and joked about having an atomic bomb at their disposal. "Despite those arrogant people who do not wish us to be together, we will unite forever," the Iranian...

With a squeaker of a win in Iowa over a late-surging Rick Santorum, an...

Taiwan's hotly contested presidential and legislative elections have drawn the attention of major media outlets from around the world, the Government Information Office (GIO) said Monday.

28-year-old American, who is also an Iranian nationality sentenced to death for spying for United States, the official Iranian news agency. In its judgement the Court States that Amir Mirza Hekmati collaborated with the CIA. How will the sentence was not reported.