News Archive - 12 March 2012

>By Alister BullWASHINGTON, March 12 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama, arming himself against election-year attacks on his energy policies amid painfully high gas prices, received a report on Monday showing a 1 million barrel-per-day decline in U.S. oil imports in 2011.Obama, a Democrat, is stepping up defense of...

[Video] Perspolis Tehran – Mes Kerman Perspolis Tehran 1 – 1 Mes Kerman (W27) 14′ [0-1] Mohsen Khalili Get the Flash Player to see this content. Download 34′ [1-1] Javad Kazemian Get the Flash Player to see this content. Download Match Goals...

The Afghan parliament demanded Monday that a US soldier who went on a shooting spree and killed 16 villagers in their homes should be put on public trial in Afghanistan. "We seriously demand and expect that the government of the United States punish the culprits and try them in a...

Tehran-Baku relations are deep-rooted and brotherly, IRI President Mahmud Ahmadinejad said Monday in a meeting with visiting Azeri defense minister, adding, “These relations would never be affected by events occurring in certain time junctures.” “The Islamic Republic of Iran always supports the independence, grandeur, and territorial integrity of the...

Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar discussed IRI's three initiatives for campaign against narcotic drugs abuse Monday at a UN 55th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) in Vienna. According to IRNA, the first proposal of the Islamic Republic of Iran was “The need for paying due attention to a...

An Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip has killed at least two Palestinians, increasing the death toll from four days of Israeli aggression to 25. “Two Palestinians were killed in a raid by Israeli aircraft east of Gaza City,” Gaza emergency services spokesman Adham Abu Selmiya said late on Monday.

The US military will follow its own prosecution procedures against an American soldier responsible for the murdering of at least 17 Afghan civilians, the Pentagon said, rejecting calls for his trial to be held in Afghanistan. Pentagon spokesman George Little on Monday rejected calls for the prosecutions of the American...

India is committed to develop relations with Iran, President of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO) M. Rafeeque Ahmed said Monday. He made the remarks at the joint economic session between a visiting economic delegation of India and the economic activists of Iran’s East Azarbaijan Province in Tabriz. “Iran...

Visiting Azeri Defense Minister Safar Abiyev paid tribute on Monday to the late Imam Khomeini and laid a wreath of flowers on its grave. According to the Public Relations Department of Iran’s defense ministry, the Azeri defense minister heading a high ranking military delegation is visiting Iran upon official invitation...

IRI's Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission in a statement on Monday condemned killing of 16 Afghans by a US troop in Afghanistan, terming the event as a sign of US helplessness in the region. The statement underlined that such catastrophes will be repeated as long as American troops...

A rights group and a law firm are set to take legal action against British Foreign Secretary William Hague over his alleged the contribution of intelligence in assisting US assassination drone strikes in Pakistan. The London-based charity Reprieve and the law firm Leigh Day & Co. confirmed on Monday that...

IRI’s envoy to the Vienna-based international bodies said on Monday the Islamic Republic of Iran has been playing a unique role in global fight against drug trafficking. Ali Asghar Soltanieh, who is also Iran’s Permanent Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said Tehran is pioneer in anti-drug campaign.

IRI Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi referred to the trend of stability and security in Iraq and hoped that the country will gain its due status at regional and international levels through solidarity and efforts of the government. Saleh made the remarks in a meeting with Iraqi Minister of Communications Mohammad...

IRI Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Monday voiced Iran's all-out support for the Syrian government and nation. Talking to IRNA, he said Tehran believes that those countries backing instability and insecurity in Syria are responsible for exacerbating the critical situation in that country. The Iranian official urged certain countries,...

>* Obama, Cameron to meet, send strong message to IranBy Florence TanSINGAPORE, March 13 (Reuters) - Brent crude rebounded towards $126 on Tuesday as investors awaited comments from the U.S. central bank after the outlook improved for the world's largest economy amid simmering tension between the West and Iran...

>LONDON (Reuters) - United States President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron will step up their support for Syrian opposition groups this week and seek to map out the next phase for military operations in Afghanistan. Cameron will fly to Washington on Tuesday eager to dispel concerns in...

>WASHINGTON, March 12 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday that jitters about the prospect of a military conflict involving Iran were a main factor behind the recent rise in gasoline prices."The biggest driver of these high gas prices is speculation about possible war in the...

Iranian authorities canceled a ceremony Monday in honor of the country's Oscar-winning director even though the government had hailed his win as a triumph over a competitor from Israel.

>"Evidently investors are beginning to feel that the oil price has reached its upper limit and are taking profits while they can," said Carsten Fritsch, commodity analyst at Commerzbank in Frankfurt.Tension between Iran and the West over Tehran's nuclear programme has raised fears this year of a disruption to...

>A move by world powers and Iran to resume stalled talks on Tehran's disputed nuclear program eased concerns about an immediate disruption in Iran's oil supplies, adding selling pressure to oil futures.In London, Brent crude for April delivery settled at $125.34 a barrel, dropping 64 cents, or 0.

The Treasury Department appears to be investigating fees received by former American officials for speaking on behalf of the Mujahedeen Khalq, a group on Washington’s terrorist list.

It’s time for our political candidates to outline their vision of how to specifically improve America and stop tearing down one another.

Professor Robert Mundell is the godfather of the euro. He is the foremost theorist of currency unions.

A religious solution to nuclear disarmament The Ayatollah Seyed Ali Husseini Khamenei, supreme leader of Iran, has issued a fatwa saying the production, stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons is... read more

Mohammad Abdollahi, left, hugs Nicolas Gonazalez after he was released from jail in Montgomery, Ala., in November. Gonzalez was one of 13 people arrested at a protest of Alabama's immigration law.

* Index up 0.74 percent at 0300 GMT * ThaiBev at record high on hopes of better earnings SINGAPORE, March 13 (Reuters) - Singapore shares roseto a one-week high by midday on Tuesday, in line with otherAsian bourses, as a contract win by the world's second-largestrig builder Sembcorp Marine...

Jerusalem (AFP) March 12, 2012 Israel says its unique "Iron Dome" short-range air defence system is performing well, intercepting the vast majority of rockets fired at southern cities in the latest barrage by Gaza militants. So far three experimental batteries have been deployed since March 2011 - around Ashkelon, Ashdod...

A UN human rights expert has warned that a proposed law in Switzerland authorising heavy fines for protesters without official permission to demonstrate would have a “chilling” effect on the rights to freedom of assembly and expression.

ISLAMABAD : Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources has presented four options to the government to arrange funds for the 'controversial' Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas projects, well informed sources told Business Recorder.

>NEW YORK, March 13 (Reuters) - The hiring outlook has improved over the last three months in most large economies, including the United States, but employers could quickly turn cautious if a crisis erupted, according to a survey by employment services company ManpowerGroup. Job seekers in 23 of 41 economies...

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

>* Gingrich battling to keep campaign hopes alive* Romney tries to pull off surprise win in Deep South (Adds Romney, Gingrich quotes, details)By John WhitesidesBILOXI, Miss., March 12 (Reuters) - Republicans Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney battled on Monday for conservative support in Mississippi and Alabama ahead...

When Happy Farshid's father took him to a Turkish bath more than fifty years ago in their home country of Iran, he unknowingly planted in his son's mind the seed of a future business venture in the United States.

Press watchdog group Reporters Without Borders released its annual “Enemies of the Internet” report on Monday, placing 12 countries on the list.

The conflict appeared to inch closer to civil war with the exiled Syrian National Council (SNC) saying it was preparing to arm anti-government rebels with foreign help. But the opposition to President Bashar al-Assad remained fragmented.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama launched the most comprehensive defense to date of his energy policies on Monday, pushing back against election-year attacks from Republicans who say they are to blame for high gas prices that are eroding his popularity with voters.

A former New Zealand Commonwealth Games athlete's appeal against sex abuse convictions has been dismissed. read more

Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ assessment of the threat posed by Iran and the current state of the Middle East came with no sugar coating. “The sad reality is that in any era, there are always those who seek, through violence and crimes against the innocent, to dominate others,”...

A new community foods organization, the Great Local Food Network (GLFN), will host an introductory... - 9:33 pm

>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - What a difference a few weeks can make. Just as President Barack Obama was enjoying the fruits of an improving economy and a bitter fight among Republican presidential contenders, rising gas prices and a massacre in Afghanistan have put a spotlight on potential vulnerabilities for the Democrat's...

MOJAN’s eyes lit up when asked why she chose the International Women’s Day for her first solo art exhibition in Malaysia.

FPM Saad Hariri said that the massacre carried out by the Syrian regime in the city of Homs is an illustration of the international community’s lack of humanity.

The escalation in rocket fire from the Gaza Strip in recent days is presenting Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system with its most critical challenge.

At least 47 women and children, including two three year-olds, have been executed by militia loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad and the death toll is expected to rise, activists claimed last night.

I gave a presentation last month on “Christian Views of War.” It was attended by 35 laity and ministers of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) from across Oklahoma. The first question I asked was, “How many of you have heard a sermon on war in the last five...

Approving the pipeline’s construction would have defused an issue that is reviving the prospects of the President’s Republican rivals

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton went to New York Monday as the United States, Europe and Arab states sought to break a stalemate at the UN Security Council on Syria. Clinton was due to meet separately with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN Security Council...

You've got to hand it to Democrats and the Obama re-election campaign. Like a quarterback who looks ...

George Pyle has been a newspaper writer in Kansas, Utah, Upstate New York, and now Utah again, for more than 30 years - most of it as an editorial writer and columnist.

Military experts practically rule out the possibility of Canada taking part in pre-emptive air strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities.

WASHINGTON - The weekend massacre of Afghan civilians, allegedly carried out by a U.S. soldier, newly undermines the rationale for a war that a majority of Americans already thought wasn't worth fighting. But the Obama administration and its allies insisted Monday the horrific episode would not speed up plans...

The success of Israel’s Iron Dome antirocket missile system has had an impact on the recent outbreak of hostilities with the Palestinians.

Brussels (dpa) - Eurozone finance ministers on Monday asked Spain to cut its 2012 deficit to 5.3 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) - 0.5 percentage points more than authorities in Madrid were planning to do."Timely correction of the excessive deficit should be ensured by...

If Israel has its way, this is how future conflicts with Gaza-based terrorists will unfold: Israeli aircraft launch surgical strikes on rocket launchers; terrorist leaders are assassinated as necessary; Israeli civilians along the southern frontier are protected by advanced technology that shoots enemy rockets out of the sky; and the...

In an auto industry placing increased emphasis on fuel economy in its vehicles, Ford Motor Co. serves as the poster child. The average fuel economy of Ford's sold passenger vehicles and trucks jumped by an average of 4.9 miles per gallon in February from the year-ago period.

Scenes of carnage and upheaval have been playing out for so many decades in the Middle East – car bombings, terrorist attacks, wars, intifadas, and the slightly more optimistic images associated with the Arab Spring – that they are by now well familiar.

Azerbaijan will not allow other countries to use its territory to launch an attack on neighbouring Iran.

Crude Oil is Going to $500 a Barrel (Part 1)

Israeli airstrikes killed four Palestinians on Monday as border hostilities continued into their fourth day.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed shock and sadness Monday at the "terrible, awful" massacre of 16 Afghans by a U.S. soldier in southern Afghanistan Sunday, but she denied the incident would weaken U.S. resolve to the mission in Afghanistan. "This is terrible, awful--I can't even imagine the...

JERUSALEM—Israel's Iron Dome rocket shield has aced its first serious test. Gaza's Hamas rulers have been careful to stay on the sidelines.

Rep. Walter Jones, the Republican congressman who introduced it last week, hopes it will help keep the U.S. military out of Syria.

>GENEVA (Reuters) - Iran executed some 670 people last year, most of them for drug crimes that do not merit capital punishment under international law and more than 20 for offences against Islam, a United Nations investigator said on Monday. The investigator, former Maldives foreign minister Ahmed Shaheed, also reported...

By Dana BlankenhornWhile Bloomberg warns of $160/barrel oil and Brent North Sea prices pass $125/bar...

The U.S. economy appears to be gradually improving -- and the dollar is coming along for the ride. Imagine that.

Bets On Rise In Brent Hit New Record High

Syrian activists claim pro-government gunmen have killed at least 16 civilians including children.

For more than a decade, Israel has systematically built up its military specifically for a possible strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. It has sent its air force on long-distance training missions, procured American-made...

> Basic Materials Energy...

A U.N. human rights expert tasked with investigating the situation in Iran says he has collected "allegations that produce a striking pattern of violations."

TEHRAN, March 12 (MNA) – The families of seven Iranian engineers, who had been kidnapped in Syria in December 2011, met with Kazem Sajjadi, the director general of the Iranian Foreign Ministry department for Iranian expatriates, on Monday.

The warship will be deployed in Navy's 6th Fleet and 5th Fleet areas of operations, which cover EU, Africa and Middle East.

While individual commodities are subject to a lot of momentum-they are a good alternative to stocks and bonds and commonly used for diversification, and hedging investments.

TEHRAN, March 11 (MNA) – Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar has said that the Islamic Republic plays a significant role in the campaign against drugs in the world.

Just because being officially the first broke Eurozone country, having 50%+ youth unemployment, and a collapsing economy is not enough, adding absolutely insult to injury is the following chart from Reuters, which shows that compared to other European economies, Greece now has the highest gas price in the old continent.

With commodities enjoying a robust start to 2012, some traders are concerned that crude oil and other hard assets are ripe for a fall.

American officials are reeling after the shooting rampage by a U.S. soldier Sunday in southern Afghanistan left 16 Afghans dead, including several children. The latest shocking spout of violence threatened to further erode barely restored confidence in the troubled U.S.-led peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan, just as international...

> Stocks Markets...

>* Disputer over Iran licence in 2005 (Adds details, background)JOHANNESBURG, March 12 (Reuters) - South African mobile phone operator MTN Group on Monday accused rival Turkcell of using the threat of a U.S. lawsuit to extort money from it.MTN also said in a statement that talks with Turkcell...

Following its return to Virginia in the fall, tens of thousands are expected to be on hand for a deactivation ceremony Dec. 1.