News Archive - 21 May 2012

>VIENNA/DUBAI (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear watchdog chief held extensive and useful talks in Iran on Monday and expects them to have a positive impact on a six-power meeting with Tehran later this week, Iranian media said, but there was no sign of a breakthrough deal. International Atomic Energy...

>April imports are still up 53.2 percent or 134,732 bpd from 253,302 bpd in March after Iran and Beijing resolved disputes over annual contracts.In January-April, China's crude imports from the Iran totalled 355,989 bpd, down 31 percent from a year earlier.Unipec, trading arm of top Asian refiner...

IRI top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili arrived in Baghdad Monday night for an upcoming nuclear talks with the G5+1. I.R.Iran on May 23 is to meet representatives of the Group 5+1 in Iraq's capital for a second round of talks. Mr. Jalili was welcomed by Iraqi Foreign Minister...

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukio Amano met and conferred with Iran's Head of the Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) Fereydoun Abbassi on Monday. Briefing Amano on Iran’s nuclear energy activities in the fields of agriculture, medicine and industry, Abbassi underlined the need for more effective cooperation...

Fresh anti-NATO demonstrations are set to be held in the US city of Chicago at 0330 GMT one day after police clashed with protesters, according to press TV. Thousands of Americans took part in Sunday's peaceful rally to show their anger at the war-mongering policies of the Western military alliance.

IRI President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday that the Iranian nation is well capable of reaching the industrial and scientific peaks in the world. At the inauguration ceremony on a big petrochemical project in southwest of Iran, President Ahmadinejad said the Iranian nation is capable of conquering the scientific territories.

Several suicide bombers blew themselves up among soldiers who were practicing for a military parade in Yemen's capital of Sanaa on Monday, killing some 96 people and injuring 300 others, police officials said. Police officials told Xinhua that at least 96 soldiers were killed and 300 others were injured after...

Commander of the Iranian Army’s Ground Forces Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan announced the army’s plans for a military drill in the central province of Isfahan. “The Beit al-Moqaddas drill will be held in Isfahan’s Nasrabad district,” the Iranian commander told reporters in Tehran on Monday. Brigadier General Pourdastan added...

Iran’s national Greco-Roman wrestling team has won the 2012 Greco-Roman Wrestling World Cup for the third consecutive time. Iranian Greco-Roman wrestlers beat Turkish wrestlers 5-2 in the western Russian town of Saransk on Sunday. The Iranian squad found its way to the finals after defeating Bulgaria, Russia, Belarus, and Azerbaijan.

IRI Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi says the Islamic Republic considers relations with neighbors important and believes that all problems and misunderstandings should be solved through dialogue among regional states. In a meeting with the Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah on Sunday, Salehi said meeting people’s rightful demands is...

Top officials from Fatah and Hamas on Sunday struck a deal to push forward reconciliation efforts between the two Palestinian factions, a Fatah official said. Senior Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmed said the accord, reached under Egytian mediation, was signed between himself and Mussa Abu Marzuk, the deputy of Hamas leader...

>* World powers due for nuclear talks with Iran on Wednesday* U.S. crude stocks up, products unchanged last week - pollBy Florence TanSINGAPORE, May 22 (Reuters) - Brent crude held steady near $109 on Tuesday, awaiting the results of two meetings to tackle Europe's debt crisis and Iran's nuclear...

>WHAT'S HAPPENING IN INDONESIA (GMT)- Shipping Firm Samudra Indonesia shareholders meeting.- Industrial Park Developer Surya Internusa Semesta shareholders meeting.- The central bank is to announce broad money supply for March.- The finance ministry will hold a sukuk auction to raise 1 trillion rupiah ($108.11 million) by...

>* Electronic banking, satellite services also targeted* New sanctions need to be squared with House version (Adds comments from analysts)By Roberta Rampton and Susan CornwellWASHINGTON, May 21 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate unanimously approved on Monday a package of new economic sanctions on Iran's oil sector just days ahead...

SINGAPORE, May 22 (Reuters) - Singapore shares may rise onTuesday, after both Tokyo and Seoul stocks advanced more thanone percent in early trading, with Global Logistic PropertiesLtd (GLP) likely to be ...

>"We held expanded and intensive negotiations in a good atmosphere. Definitely, the progress of talks will have a positive impact on negotiations between Iran and P5+1," Amano was quoted by Iran's state television website as saying.Asked about a framework agreement that would resolve questions over Iran's nuclear programme quickly,...

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The head of the U.N nuclear watchdog met Monday with Iranian leaders in Tehran on a key mission that could lead to the resumption of probes on whether Iran has secretly worked on a nuclear weapon.

>By Marcus GeorgeDUBAI May 21 (Reuters) - United Nations nuclear chief Yukiya Amano started talks with senior Iranian officials on Monday, Iranian media reported, on a one-day visit to Tehran that diplomats say could lead to an agreement for further inspections of Iranian nuclear sites.Hours after his pre-dawn arrival...

>* Jan-April imports from Iran 355,989 bpd, down 31 pct y/y* April imports from Saudi Arabia 1.07 mln bpd, up 14 pct (Adds details, background)BEIJING, May 21 (Reuters) - China's crude oil imports from Iran rebounded more than 50 percent in April from March after resolving pricing disputes over...

Beijing (XNA) May 22, 2012 Iran is planning to launch three satellites in the near future, the Iranian embassy in Moscow said Wednesday. According to a statement posed on the embassy's website, the first launch of a satellite named "Fajr" was scheduled for May 24. The service life of Fajr...

Iran is seeking atomic weapons to destroy Israel and world powers Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says.

New diplomacy by the U.N.'s nuclear chief raises hopes that Tehran might be showing flexibility.

Oil prices have surged as concerns resurfaced over supplies from the Middle East, particularly from Iran.

CAMP DAVID, Md. — President Barack Obama and leaders of other major industrial powers stepped outside discussions of European economic woes and Afghanistan that will dominate a long weekend of summitry for a look Friday at options to solidify world resolve against development of an Iranian nuclear bomb and encourage...

Egyptian rapper El Deeb's song Stand Up Egyptian encouraged protests against the regime of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. / By Jeff White

NATO’s alleged “concerns” over Syria and its anticipated military intervention in that country seem to multiply and interchange like an alchemist’s brew.

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

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While the west looks elsewhere, President Bashar al-Assad's regime is exploiting sectarian divisions In the shadow of the monolith they call the Corner Mountain, Firas Abu Hamza was carefully counting his most prized possessions. He removed a dirty sock from his camouflage vest and spilled its contents, 13 old bullets,...

Former Brazil and AC Milan marksman Ricardo Oliveira is aiming to add to his remarkable tally for Sheikh Mansour's Al Jazira as the AFC Champions League race hots up this week.

Nuclear talks between the major powers and Iran that are to be held in Baghdad on Wednesday have major implications for global security but also mark the latest step in Iraq's emergence from isolation.

Cost of living figures are to provide further evidence that the consumer spending squeeze is loosening its grip as the rate of inflation falls to a 20-month low.

Washington, May 22 : The US senate Monday approved new sanctions against Iran's energy sector in an effort to further pressure Tehran on its disputed nuclear programme.

Cost of living figures are to provide further evidence that the consumer spending squeeze is loosening its grip as the rate of inflation falls to a 20-month low.

ROCKFORD — An unusual summer trend, lower gas prices, appears to be developing as the travel season kicks off this weekend.

>By Bernd DebusmannWASHINGTON May 21 (Reuters) - When U.S. President Barack Obama and the leaders of Germany, France, Britain, Canada and the European Union first issued public calls for Syria's President Bashar al-Assad to step down, the death toll in Syria stood at 2,000. That was on in August...

> Energy...

TEL AVIV, May 22 (RIA Novosti) – Iran continues to pose a nuclear threat to Israel and world powers should not make any concessions to Tehran at the upcoming talks in Baghdad, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

TEHRAN, Iran — The head of the U.N. nuclear agency pushed Monday for a breakthrough pact with Iran to resume inspections into suspected secret atomic weapons work and possibly set in motion further deal-making when envoys from Tehran and several world powers gather later this week in Baghdad.

Intent on weakening Iran economically, the Senate on Monday approved tough new penalties on the Tehran regime to thwart its nuclear ambitions.By voice vote, the Senate backed the measure ahead of talks ...

At today’s post-cabinet press conference, the Prime Minister said that Thursday’s Budget would show that the Government is on track to post a small surplus in 2014-15.

The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog and Iranian officials held a day of high-level talks Monday that both sides described as “positive,” but it remained unclear whether Iran had given ground on allowing access to key nuclear scientists and research facilities. Read full article >>

A gay student who sued his Ohio high school for prohibiting him from wearing a T-shirt designed to urge tolerance of gays will be allowed to wear the shirt to school whenever he chooses.

At least six people have been wounded in clashes in Beirut after soldiers shot dead a Sunni Muslim cleric.

CHICAGO (AP) - President Barack Obama and leaders around the globe locked in place their exit path from the war in Afghanistan on Monday, affirming they will close the largely stalemated conflict at the end of 2014 but keep their troops fighting and dying there for two more years in...

An Iranian man convicted of molesting three women has lost his bid for refugee status and will be deported to the United States where the crimes occurred.

At least six people have been wounded in clashes in Beirut after soldiers shot dead a Sunni Muslim cleric.

Attorney Daniel P. Sheehan will present a four part lecture and discussion series presented as part of a UC Santa Cruz course, Cowell 126: Eight Cases that Changed the United States. While chief counsel at the non-profit Christic Institute, Mr. Sheehan was the first to challenge the Reagan-Bush administration’s illegal...

Regulatory News:

NATO leaders have agreed to launch the first phase of a missile shield to protect Europe.

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has travelled abroad as many as 29 times in 35 months since assuming office: a frequency that translates into a trip nearly every 37 days.

NATO leaders have agreed to launch the first phase of a missile shield to protect Europe.

With the next round of talks between the P5+1 and Iran coming up on May 23rd in Baghdad, we know that the parties have concluded further talks could be useful. But it still appears that the central thrust of the P5+1 (the U.S., U.K., China,...

As an inveterate reader of the New York Times, I woke up on the morning of May 18th to learn that planning for an attack on Iran has been done already. And the implication was that planning has been done between the United States and Israel. How else are...

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron said on Monday not enough had been done to end the euro zone debt crisis but reassured savers worried by a downgrading of Spanish banks that British banks were well regulated and well capitalised. Related Stories Two dead in Beirut clashes after killing...

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - France's Francois Hollande will push a proposal for mutualising European debt at an informal summit of EU leaders in Brussels this week, increasing pressure on German Chancellor Angela Merkel to drop her opposition to the idea. Related Stories Two dead in Beirut clashes after killing of anti-Assad...

Pakistan won its first SAARC Film Award on Sunday night for the documentary “Saving Face” that chronicles the work of a British plastic surgeon who rebuilds the faces of women disfigured by acid attacks.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The chief executives of Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd were summoned for court-directed mediation on Monday over the iPhone maker's claims the Korean firm has "slavishly" copied some of its products. Related Stories Two dead in Beirut clashes after killing of anti-Assad cleric No...

Barack Obama's record of violating basic rights is far worse than George W. Bush's. Read more on the blog... Read more on the blog...

A fire which erupted in a coir fibre processing factory in Pothuwila, Madampe on Friday was doused by its employees with the assistance of neighbours, Madampe Police and Negombo MC fire brigade.

As NATO leaders met Monday in Chicago to discuss the alliance?s exit from Afghanistan and their commitment to the restive nation afterward, Afghans expressed a mixture of optimism, cynicism and… Click to Continue »

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiya Amano says he held “comprehensive” talks with Iran's top nuclear negotiator in a “good atmosphere.”

The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency arrived in Tehran on Monday, two days ahead of Iran's talks with world powers in Baghdad. International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano met with Iran's nuclear chief Fereydoun A...

Apart from photographers and media, I felt as if I was the only non-Jew among the 3,500 sellout crowd that attended the Sony Centre in early May to see, hear and acclaim Israel’s President Simon Peres.

While UN nuclear chief visits Tehran, Netanyahu says Western powers cannot show weakness or give in to Iran on its nuclear program.

By TOM RAUM Associated Press The presidential race is shaping up as a battle between Republican calls for more government austerity and Democratic appeals for more spending to promote jobs and growth with...

Brazil's president says the nation has nearly doubled its high-speed internet connections in the past year.

The Coast Guard says six people are believed missing in the Gulf of Mexico after they abandoned their sinking fishing boat in the waters off Galveston, Texas.

> Energy...

NICOSIA [MENL] -- Iran has reported the close tracking of the U.S. Navy in the Gulf. Copyrights 2008, Middle East Newsline. All rights reserved.

BRUSSELS, May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --The International Committee in Search of Justice (ISJ) draws the attention of the European Union's High Representative at the outset of her upcoming visit to Baghdad ...

The problem with politicians is the good ones move on too quickly or are forced out and the less than stellar ones (insert Rose's name here if you like) hang around forever because of name recognition. The result is bad, lazy government.

NICOSIA [MENL] -- Iran has reported plans for an imminent satellite launch. Copyrights 2008, Middle East Newsline. All rights reserved.

BEIJING: China on Monday criticised a vote by the US House of Representatives last week requiring the United States to sell 66 new fighter jets to Taiwan, describing the measure as interference by Washington.

NATO will hold a summit this week in Chicago. It comes just after a meeting of the Persian Gulf kingdoms. Robert Haddick of Foreign Policy argues that NATO has been one of the most successful military alliances in history — and that the Gulf countries could learn from its example.

Precious metals started the trading week in mixed fashion with initial spot bids showing gold and silver prices marginally lower while platinum and palladium moved higher. The US dollar resumed its upward course this morning after the brief pause on Friday.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Recent, intensifying discussions between countries in the cross-hairs of cyber security signal a heightened need for international coordination in the face of cyber attacks, according to Swift Exchange, an innovator in the facilitation of global commerce. The latest developments amplify concerns raised at a well-attended Cyber Security Forum,...

>By Daniel FinerenDUBAI May 21 (Reuters) - Iran plans a new oil terminal outside the Strait of Hormuz to protect its exports against potential problems in the Gulf and to boost shipments of Caspian oil, the oil ministry news website said on Monday.Tehran had threatened to block the vital...

>SEOUL May 21 (Reuters) - South Korea's SK Energy , the country's largest oil refiner, will not import any crude from Iran after a European Union ban on insuring Iranian tankers comes into effect on July 1, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said on Monday. SK Energy's...

Tropical Storm Alberto is moving southeastward as it spins off the coast of Florida.

The United States has agreed to sell unarmed surveillance drones to Iraq's navy as part of an effort to help protect that nation's oil exports amid growing tensions in the Persian Gulf and to strengthen U.S.-Iraqi ties.

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and one of his senior allies have been summoned to court to face charges of participating in an illegal street protest, his party said Tuesday.

Forensic experts say they have identified the remains of all 45 people on board the Russian plane that slammed into a jungle-clad cliff atop an Indonesian volcano.

Greece's newly installed caretaker prime minister is holding talks with party leaders ahead of Wednesday's European Union summit as campaigning gets underway for next month's elections.

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South African national oil company PetroSA said on Monday it had partnered with China's Sinopec Group to push along the building of its Coega refinery, originally slated to cost $9-$10 billion and produce 400,000 barrels a day. The Mthombo project, in the industrial port of Coega...

A court in Bahrain fines Zainab al-Khawaja, the daughter of a prominent opposition activist, for insulting a government employee.

As Iran continues to grapple with the West over its nuclear ambitions, experts say the nation could double its already sizable oil output if sanctions were lifted to allow foreign investment into its oil industry.

In February, Radhika Sainath flew from New York City to Bahrain with the idea of reporting live Twitter updates on the growing turmoil in the streets of the small kingdom in the oil-rich Persian Gulf, where pro-democracy marchers and security forces have clashed since the so-called “Arab Spring.”

>* Trans-Afghan pipeline to supply gas to Pakistan, India* Sales and purchase agreement requires transit fee deal* U.S. supports ambitious pipeline projectBy Marat GurtASHGABAT, May 21 (Reuters) - Turkmenistan plans this week to sign a long-awaited agreement to supply natural gas to Pakistan and India through an ambitious U.

>* Goldman says recent sell-off "unwarranted"; supply to tighten (Updates prices)By Florence TanSINGAPORE, May 21 (Reuters) - Brent crude rose towards $108 per barrel on Monday, recovering from a 2012 low, on hopes China could take steps to stimulate growth and lift fuel demand at the world's second largest oil...

>* MRPL to continue to use Iran insurer for future cargoBy Nidhi VermaNEW DELHI, May 21 (Reuters) - Indian refiner MRPL secured coverage from an Iranian insurer for a crude cargo that arrived last week, becoming the first Indian firm known to have taken such action as Western sanctions tighten,...