News Archive - 13 March 2012

Head of Iran's High Council for Human Rights Mohammad Javad Larijani said the UN special envoy must make true reports on the achievements and progress of the Iranian nation. Addressing a session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Larijani said the reports on Iran should not follow...

The U.S. Treasury Department is investigating speaking fees allegedly paid to former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell on behalf of a State Department-designated terrorist organization. Click here for the rest of the article...

Over 130 members of rebel groups have surrendered to Syrian authorities in the northwestern province of Idlib. The armed men surrendered to Syrian authorities in the provincial capital city, Idlib, on Tuesday. The Syrian army also defused 33 bombs planted by armed groups in Idlib on Tuesday.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei urged for promotion of tradition of endowment in society. The IR Leader told director and officials of the Endowment and Charity Organization in Tehran on Tuesday that honesty was the most important issue in endowment affairs. Ayatollah Khamenei highlighted the significance...

An American spy aircraft Tuesday fired missiles into Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal region and killed at least 8 people, security officials in the region said. The U,S. drones fired four missiles on a vehicle in Bermal area of Waziristan, bordering Afghanistan, they said. Tribesmen were quoted as saying that they...

The 4th International Conference on Nanostructures (ICNS4) started work in the International College of Sharif University of Technology in Kish Island on March 12 with the participation of a number of international and domestic researchers active in the field of nanotechnology. According to the executive authorities of the International Conference...

Secretary of IRI Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili said on Tuesday that Iran and Russia will increase the scope of cooperation at the international level. In a meeting with deputy secretary of Russian Federation Security Council, Yugeny Lukiyanov, he referred to regional and international developments and described Tehran-Moscow cooperation...

Islamic Republic has kept announcing readiness for a next round of talks with the group 5+1, IRI Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told reporter Tuesday, adding that a new round of talks would be held soon in light of latest correspondence between Saeed Jalili, Secretary of IRI's National Security Council...

Hundreds of Afghan university students held an anti-US rally in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar in protest at the recent massacre of 17 Afghan civilians by an American soldier, according to Press TV. Shouting anti-US slogans, the university students took to the streets of Jalalabad on Tuesday to call for...

IRI Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said that the US is today suspected of committing evil acts in international scale. Addressing the parliament’s Tuesday morning session, he referred to the crimes committed in Afghanistan and Palestine in the past few days and said the US and the Zionist regime were behind...

>SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Brent crude steadied above $126 on Wednesday as expectations for a build in U.S. crude inventories offset improving economic sentiment in the world's top oil consumer. Brent crude eased two cents to $126.20 a barrel by 0446 GMT, after settling at an 11-month high of...

>Thompson also reported attempts to jam satellite feeds of the British Broadcasting Corporation services into Iran and to swamp its London phone lines with automated calls.In extracts from a speech he will make later on Wednesday, Thompson stopped short of explicitly accusing Tehran of being behind the cyber-attack, but...

>David Albright, founder of the Institute for Science and International Security, said he studied commercial satellite imagery and found a building located on a relatively small and isolated compound at Parchin that fit a description in the November 2011 International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report.The building has its own...

>The quick trip to Dayton to show off one of the country's most popular sporting events was intended to help underscore what has long been touted as a "special relationship" between transatlantic allies, the White House said.Obama, an avid basketball fan, whisked Cameron out of Washington to attend the...

>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A majority of Americans would support military action against Iran if there were evidence that Tehran is building nuclear weapons, even if such action led to higher gasoline prices, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed on Tuesday. The poll showed 56 percent of Americans would support U.S. military...

COMMENTARY | As a 30-ish moderate-leaning New York Democrat, I tend to give the president a healthy amount of slack when it comes to policy changes and national security issues, but current events in Afghanistan has given me pause. A serious reconsideration of American priorities in Afghanistan may be in...

>* Fed seen unlikely to offer QE3 as U.S. economy improves* Coming up: U.S. retail sales at 1230 GMT (Recasts, adds fresh quotes, updates prices, previous SINGAPORE)By Claire MilhenchLONDON, March 13 (Reuters) - Oil prices traded up near $126 on Tuesday as investors awaited comments from the U.

'Israel' and Palestinian combatants in Gaza agreed to a truce Tuesday after Egypt brokered a ceasefire deal following four days of Israeli aggressions that led to martyrdoms of 25 Gazan people. Under the agreement, which came into force at 1:00am (2300 GMT on Monday), both Israel and Palestinian combatants agreed...

Basketball fan-in-chief President Barack Obama gave British Prime Minister David Cameron a front-row seat to March Madness on Tuesday, taking his European partner to an election swing state for an NCAA tournament basketball game. The two leaders sat near one end of the court at the University of Dayton Arena...

Iranian parliament begins questioning of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iranian parliament begins questioning of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Amy Batista, Special Writer MONROE — The Barclay Brook/Brookside PTA hosted its fourth annual Cultural Fair on Feb. 10 for students to come and celebrate cultures around the world.

LONDON, USA: In turning one of its best-known hackers into an informant and breaking open the highest profile elements of the "Anonymous" movement, authorities have dealt a serious blow to a group they found a growing irritant.

CurmudgeonsCornerlogo.jpg “Bastard” is a word most often used as a pejorative when referring to a person –usually a male- with whom we disagree. Many people regard it as a “swear word”. The dictionary defines bastard as “an illegitimate child” or “born of unwed parents”. Of course, political correctness precludes...

Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and President of Dewa Dewa , told media at the opening of the 14th Water, Energy and Environment Exhibition 2012 (Wetex) that Dewa’s financial situation is healthy and there is no plan for the UAE to issue...

Once there were multiple oil cartels, each determining their own production rates and price per barrel of crude.

Reality TV's life lessons tend to be at least as synthetic as the shows themselves.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An Iranian arms broker arrested during a U.S. Homeland Security sting in 2007 was deported back to Iran on Tuesday after serving 4-1/2 years in custody, two American law enforcement officials said.

The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) is proud to announce its membership in the inaugural Council of Councils, an international initiative to connect leading foreign policy institutes from around the world in a common conversation on issues of global governance and multilateral cooperation.Waterloo, Ont. (PRWEB) March 14, 2012...

A LIBYAN militia yesterday released film of two British journalists held on suspicion of spying

Islamabad (Dawn/ANN) - A consortium led by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) has "run away" from providing financial advisory services for the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project apparently because of the US opposition to the plan and forced the government to look for alternative financing options.

The same day the United Nations and Iran sparred over the country’s human rights record, Dr. Abbas Maleki, former deputy foreign minister of Iran, spoke Monday afternoon in Goldwin Smith Hall about its foreign policy and possibilities for future economic development. Abbas Maleki read more

BEIRUT, Lebanon _ Syrian troops pressed an offensive Tuesday in rugged northwest Idlib province after forcing a rebel retreat from the strategic regional capital, opposition officials said. The government assault in Idlib _ which follows an advance in central Homs province, another major rebel stronghold _ suggests that the forces...

# hacking BBC News' outlet BBC Persia was reportedly hacked by Iranian authorities this evening. The news group claims that the cyber-attack is part of an expanding effort by the regime to stifle coverage within the country. More »

New York - World oil prices rose on Tuesday, supported by upbeat global economic data, simmering Iran tensions and a slightly improved outlook of the US Federal Reserve.

TORONTO (AP) - Canada's associate defence minister said on Tuesday his government could back out of a multibillion-dollar plan to buy F-35 stealth fighters from the United States (US). Related Stories Life made as 'difficult as possible' on Falklands: Britain Disney to hire 1,000 US military veterans BBC suffers cyberattack...

ZURICH (REUTERS) - Switzerland's lower house voted on Tuesday to ban the keeping of dolphins in zoo aquariums or for entertainment purposes following the deaths last year of three dolphins at a Swiss theme park. Related Stories Life made as 'difficult as possible' on Falklands: Britain Disney to hire 1,000...

Mumbai, Mar 13 : The women's wing of BJP in Maharashtra today submitted a memorandum to President Pratibha Patil demanding that capital punishment should be awarded to rapists, as incidents of rape are increasing by the day across the country.

WASHINGTON, March 13 (Bernama) -- The upcoming Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul is important to keep up momentum in efforts to operate nuclear facilities more safely and prevent nuclear terrorism, a group of American experts said on Tuesday.

Rick Santorum grabbed an early lead in Alabama’s primary election on Tuesday and battled Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich in Mississippi, in a crucial round in the state-by-state battle for the Repub...

>FUNDAMENTALS* NYMEX crude for April delivery was up 6 cents at $106.77 a barrel by 0009 GMT, after settling up 37 cents at $106.71 on Tuesday.Strong U.S. retail sales data and the Federal Reserve's acknowledgement that it would maintain exceptionally low interest rates until at least...

BEIRUT, Lebanon _ In a media environment where television channels are frequently accused of taking sides, a new station based here and aiming to capture an audience across the Arabic-speaking world is promising a counterweight to the current giants of the industry, which are owned by conservative Persian Gulf governments.

As the world becomes more global, so do the games we play. It's still very much a learning process, but companies are ready to find ways of winning new gamers.

After flirting with Florida primary voters by pledging a moon colony by 2020 and announcing plans to create the first heavens-based U.S. state, Newt Read more...

Obama and Romney are backed by 47 percent of likely general election voters, while the president outruns the other Republican candidates, a Bloomberg National Poll conducted March 8-11 shows.

(MCT) McClatchy-Tribune News Service

by Katherine heerbrandt Staff Writer Is Congressman Roscoe Bartlett getting “soft,” or does he just want to look that way to more liberal Montgomery County voters?

News items from around the world

One message that resonates loud and clear over the U.S. soldier who flipped his lid in Afghanistan and murdered 16 people, is that the U.S. should avoid at all costs getting involved in the Syrian rebellion.

A shaky truce between the Israeli military and Palestinian militants appeared to hold Tuesday, despite reports of rockets being fired into Israel.

A room full of passionate advocates, including several tearful students, left no doubt about what they wanted at a recent Roslindale meeting: To keep a beloved and beneficial English language program running.

The record number of reporters imprisoned in Turkey threatens to extinguish the flame of democratic reform A year ago, police burst into the homes of two of Turkey's best investigative journalists, Nedim Sener and Ahmet Sik, and carted them off to prison where they remained until last night , charged...

The Republicans are synthesizing a higher-octane blend in their bid to fuel Americans' anxiety about higher gas prices. The Republican National Committee sent out talking points instructing party faithful to take up the issue. House Speaker John Boehner urged his caucus to do the same.

Iran's semiofficial ISNA news agency says the country's annual fire festival has cost the life of one person and injured 74 others

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran on Tuesday rejected allegations it attempted to clean up radioactive traces possibly left by secret nuclear work at a key military site before granting U.N. inspectors permission to visit the facility.

According to the latest report from AAA Insurance, the statewide average gas price rose 51 cents over the last month, while Fresno jumped 49 cents.

Over the past month, average gas prices rose 49 cents in Fresno and 54 cents in the Visalia-Tulare-P

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mitt Romney collided with rivals Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich on Tuesday in primaries in Alabama and Mississippi, hotly contested Southern crossroads in the struggle for the Republican presidential nomination.

WASHINGTON — Mitt Romney hoped for a breakout victory in primary votes in America’s conservative deep South on Tuesday, looking for a win in Alabama or Mississippi that would accelerate his campaign for the Republican nomination to challenge President Barack Obama in the November general election.

Rome (dpa) - "The most acute phase of the crisis appears to be definitely over, but this is no reason for us to relax," Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said Tuesday of the euro debt crisis after a meeting in Rome with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.Merkel, for her part,...

A pro-regime militiaman in Syria was hanged from a tree in the northern province of Idlib as masked rebels cheered his gruesome death, according to an amateur video that shows how brutal the uprising has become after a year...

Release Time:  For Immediate Release TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE March 13, 2012 Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:) Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the...

David Cameron has arrived in America for talks with Barack Obama - as the pair pledged to maintain the "essential relationship" between Britain and the US.

Rolling coverage as Cameron touches down in US ahead of meetings with the President at the White House.

Author Salman Rushdie is set to speak at an upcoming media conference in India weeks after scrapping plans to appear at a literary festival there amid fears hed be assassinated The writer who has faced protests over his controversial 1988 book The Sata...

DUBAI - A plan to call Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad before parliament for an unprecedented grilling was in doubt on Tuesday, the eve of his testimony, after some of the lawmakers who summoned him reportedly withdrew their requests.

Rising gas prices have put a damper on President Obama's political fortunes—54 percent of the respondents to a new CBS-New York Times poll said they believe the president can do a lot to control prices at the pump. And nearly two thirds of the respondents to an ABC-Washington Post poll...

President Barack Obama and Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron offer a united front on many global issues, including in Afghanistan, ahead of talks between the two leaders.

OIL FUTURES: US Crude Down Modestly As Market Waits On FOMC

WASHINGTON, March 13 (UPI) -- The U.S.-U.K. alliance is one bound by history, traditions and shared values, President Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron said in a Washington Post op-ed.

A cease-fire along the Israeli border with Gaza appears to be holding, mostly , and now that things have calmed down an Israeli official put the fighting into perspective for the rest of us: The whole thing was basically practice for a war with Iran . The unnamed official called the...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Two years ago, Tennessee State University junior Kristi Roberts wanted to cite a tweet in a paper she was writing about the poem, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised."

OPEC Likely To Pin Volatile Oil Prices On Speculation

Tensions in the Middle East, as well as speculation, are behind recent increases in oil prices, two Gulf oil ministers said on Tuesday.

>* U.S. asks for more oil* EU embargo on Iran oil from July 1KUWAIT (Reuters) - The United States is pressing Saudi Arabia to boost oil output to fill a likely supply gap arising from sanctions on Iran, Gulf oil officials said, adding that an increase in production is...

>* EU court backs measures against Iranian unit in UKBy Justyna PawlakBRUSSELS, March 13 (Reuters) - Europe's highest court upheld on Tuesday a European Union decision to impose sanctions on a UK-based branch of Iran's state-owned Bank Melli as part of EU efforts to pressure Tehran over its nuclear programme.

>* Experts disagree on whether Israel ready for Iran war (Adds detail on missile numbers, Israeli official)By Dan WilliamsJERUSALEM, March 13 (Reuters) - Israel has emerged from the past few days of fighting with Palestinians in Gaza more confident that its advanced missile shield and civil defences can perform well...

TEHRAN, March 13 (MNA) – The visiting deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council has called for the expansion of strategic relations with the Islamic Republic.

Rick Santorum won the Alabama and Mississippi primaries Tuesday, helping him lock up his position as the chief conservative alternative to front-runner Mitt Romney in the race for the Republican nomination to challenge President Barack Obama.

This theme will be coming to you shortly, if it hasn't already, from a right-wing radio show, Fox News and even mainstream sources. A Politico piece asks "What if George W. Bush had done that?" It runs through a list of actions by President Obama on which it suggests...

From the Archive: HBO’s “Game Change” shows John McCain’s presidential campaign recklessly picking Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate and then learning she lacked basic knowledge about the world.

Michael Gerson in The Washington Post on Santorum and teleprompters This week, Rick Santorum said he thought presidential candidates should be banned from reading speeches from teleprompters, because it's less honest than speaking without the help of a speechwriter. Gerson says, "let me rise in defense of 'what's written on...

US competition with Iran has become the equivalent of a game of three-dimensional chess, but a game where each side can modify at least some of the rules with each move. read more

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian forces killed dozens of people near a mosque in the city of Idlib, opposition activists said on Tuesday, and rebels killed at least 10 troops in an ambush in the same area, focus of the latest government crackdown.

China has been accused of breaking world trading rules by limiting its exports of materials vital for high-tech industries. Related Stories Syria 'mining border escape routes' Cyprus downgraded to junk status Le Pen poised for presidential bid Iran rejects nuclear clean-up claim Romney has uphill struggle in South

This is the economy election, right? Tell that to the world.

>* Adds 360,000 bpd of crude refining capacity in Q4 2011* China seeks to fill SPR when crude prices moderateBy Judy Hua and Chen AizhuMarch 13 (Reuters) - The blistering pace of China's crude imports will continue in March as oil firms replenish stocks and new refineries run at high...

>March 13 - In a new presentation, Fitch Ratings' Middle East sovereign team discusses the outlook for the region, covering the following key themes.Fitch regards prolonged closure of the Straits of Hormuz as a low probability event. Iran would likely attempt such an act only as a last resort,...

> Stocks Markets...

NEW YORK (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 surveyed can...