News Archive - 29 May 2012

Ali Akbar Velayati, senior aide to Islamic Revolution Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei said that Group 5+1 should recognize Iran’s rights to nuclear technology in practice. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a gathering on the Middle East developments and the future of the regional order on Tuesday, he...

Bluefin tuna caught off the US coast have been found to contain radioactive material from Japan's quake-struck Fukushima nuclear plant, according to a study carried by AFP. Researchers found "modestly elevated levels" of two radioactive isotopes in 15 bluefin tuna caught off the coast of San Diego, California in August...

Japan and China said Tuesday they will start direct currency trading this week, marking the first time Beijing has let a major unit other than the dollar swap with the yuan. The move, which will scrap the greenback as an intermediary unit, comes as China introduces measures as part of...

Madrid stocks tumbled on Tuesday on fears that debt-plagued Spain could be forced to seek a bailout as state borrowing rates spiked close to the 7.0-percent danger level. In late morning stock market trading, Spain's IBEX 35 index though dived 1.67 percent to 6,295.4 points, as the...

Those who seek instability in Syria are actually seeking ulterior political motives, Ramin Mehmanparast, spokesman of the IRI Foreign Ministry told a weekly press conference Tuesday. He was answering a question about the recent bombings in Syria as well as the UN special representative, Kufi Annan's initiative for Syria. At...

The terrorist Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) is reportedly preparing to launch a massive terrorist operation in Syria amid the recent surge of violence in the Arab state, Press TV reported. Sayyed Mohammad Javad Hasheminejad, the director of the Habilian Association made the revelations in a Monday meeting with Syrian Ambassador...

US terror drones and attack helicopters have killed 31 people in Yemen, Pakistan, and Afghanistan over the course of 72 hours. A US drone strike in the southern Yemeni province of Bayda left seven people dead on Monday. The drone fired missiles on a convoy of three cars near the...

>* Says Flame could possibly attack critical infrastructure* UN agency to issue confidential warning to member states* ITU will also coordinate collection of virus samplesBy Jim FinkleMay 29 (Reuters) - A United Nations agency charged with helping member nations secure their national infrastructures plans to issue a sharp warning about...

>* EU states to impose oil shipment ban in July* Iran wants sanctions lifted as goodwill gesture (Adds sanctions background, quotes)By Marcus GeorgeDUBAI, May 29 (Reuters) - Iran on Tuesday warned Western countries that pressuring Tehran with sanctions while engaging in nuclear talks would jeopardise chances of reaching an agreement.

>SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices fell for a second straight session on Wednesday, with Brent staying under $107 per barrel, as risk aversion gripped markets after Spain's credit rating downgrade stoked fears of a worsening euro zone crisis denting demand outlook. A shaky euro, which hit a near two-year low...

>JERUSALEM (Reuters) - International nuclear talks with Iran have achieved nothing, a senior Israeli official said on Tuesday, suggesting that some Western nations were happy to see the negotiations drag on. Israel, which has threatened to go to war to prevent its arch-foe going nuclear, has fretted on the sidelines...

Peter Van Buren to Hillary Clinton: 'Have you no shame?’ - WATCH VIDEO

The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected the last legal appeal for former U.S. hostages seeking compensation for their captivity in Iran three decades ago, leaving legislation newly introduced in Congress as the last chance to resolve their longstanding grievance.

MIDDLETON — Her U.S. Senate campaign has little cash and no paid staff, and she is virtually unknown to most would-be Massachusetts voters. Yet Democrat Marisa DeFranco, an immigration attorney from Middleton, is on the verge of qualifying for the September primary ballot, denying the party's prohibitive favorite, Harvard...

Twelve-year-old Nickan Fayyazi bumped up against such headtwisters as "pogonotomy" Tuesday - and that was just for starters.

Many western diplomats have lost patience with the Assad government since the Houla massacre. But a peaceful solution to the crisis seems more unlikely than ever, as the regime bides its time.

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Wow, where to start. OK, the obvious: "Iran...constantly calling for other countries to be destroyed" Really? Seems like it's Israel that is constantly threatening to attack Iran, and actually is with the 'constant' murders of their civilian scientists, and 'constant' cyber attacks.

As military hardware uses more off the shelf components, it has become vulnerable to common exploits. A researcher in Cambridge has issued a report claiming that a common sort of reprogrammable microchip (an FPGA, for you gearheads) contains a deliberately-obscured backdoor that would allow anyone with knowledge of it to...

WASHINGTON -- The United States and 10 other countries expelled Syrian diplomats Tuesday, May 29, after blaming government forces for last week's massacre of more than 100 villagers in central Syria but again stopped short of calling for more aggressive action to end the violence.

How can the United States support democracy in Bahrain without damaging American political interests?

Moscow, May 30 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The full capacity launch of Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, the first in the country, may be rescheduled to June from May, a Russian official said.

The White House is ever so reluctantly realizing that subcontracting out its Syria policy when the looming crisis demands mature, steady, imaginative, and alibi-avoiding strategies is doing more harm than good to everyone involved, except Mr. Assad. Administration officials keep gravitating to the simplistic assertion that when it comes...

The world was a different place the last time Aung San Suu Kyi left Myanmar. The Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union still existed. Bangkok, the city Suu Kyi visits this week, now has towering skyscrapers, a subway and elevated rail system and slightly milder traffic jams.

Australia's futsal team qualify for the 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup following dramatic extra-time win over Kuwait.

The World War II-era ship, which arrives at its new home in San Pedro this week, is already attracting the attention of filming location scouts. The battleship Iowa, which once transported President Franklin D. Roosevelt to a summit with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin in Tehran, is embarking on a...

A top Israeli minister yesterday fed speculation that the Jewish state could be responsible for a powerful new virus said to have been used in a fresh attack on computers in Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East. Related Stories Drug arrest Briton pleads for help from Indonesian jail Medal...

Mitt Romney is set to clinch the Republican presidential nomination with a win in the Texas primary. Related Stories Drug arrest Briton pleads for help from Indonesian jail Medal honour for Dylan and Glenn EU's gas emissions rose in 2010 BlackBerry maker warns of job cuts Israel hints it may...

Adelaide United are through to the Asian Champions League quarter-finals.

LONDON — Iran and other Middle East countries have been hit with a cunning computer virus that can eavesdrop on computer users and their co-workers and filch information from nearby cellphones, cybersecurity experts said Tuesday. And suspicion immediately fell on Israel as the culprit. The Russian Internet security firm Kaspersky...

>Egan-Jones Ratings cut Spain's credit rating for the third time in less than a month, which weakened the single currency and rekindled fears of a spreading debt crisis in the euro zone.FUNDAMENTALS* NYMEX crude for July delivery was unchanged at $90.76 a barrel by 2343 GMT, after settling...

>* Japan oil buyers braced to EU ban from July* More closely-watched METI oil data due on Thurs (Adds details)TOKYO, May 30 (Reuters) - Japan's crude imports from Iran fell 65.5 percent in April from a year earlier, ahead of an even deeper fall expected in May and June...

World powers weighed tough options to end brutality in Syria on Tuesday amid the aftermath of the now-infamous massacre in Houla.

Readout of Under Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman's Meeting with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Ambassadors Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC May 29, 2012 Under Secretary Sherman met with GCC ambassadors and Embassy representatives today to discuss the May 23-24 talks with Iran in Baghdad. She underscored...

BEIRUT (AP) - As U.N. officials cited eyewitness accounts of shadowy gunmen slaughtering whole families in their homes, Western nations expelled Syrian diplomats Tuesday in a coordinated move against President Bashar Assad's regime over the massacre of more than 100 people.

LA PORTE — Tom Rosshirt, La Lumiere class of 1977, will present the keynote address at the 45th Commencement Exercises on Friday, May 25 at the Marsch Gymnasium on La Lumiere’s campus.

Driving season begins, as does griping about gas Associated Press Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Updated 12:13 p.m., Sunday, May 27, 2012 "Driving is a symbol of freedom in the U.S.," says Shanjun Li, an...

The relationship between democracy and international security is frequently debated in international circles. It is also said that more prosperity at the international level is conducive for global security. How true are these propositions, in fact?

Efforts to release 11 Lebanese hostages held by Syrian rebels are now restricted to Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Turkish officials, ministerial sources told The Daily Star Tuesday.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The discovery of sophisticated new malware, dubbed "Flame" has made headlines around the world in the last few days, again raising the frightening prospect of cyber warfare. At least one security expert, however, says that at this stage the Flame threat is overblown. "I feel like...

One of the Syrian diplomats expelled today from Canada by Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird calls the decision "unfair" and "biased."

Oil prices fell Tuesday on Spain's debt and banking woes, while losses were capped by the prospect of a disruption to Middle East supplies caused by tensions over Iran, traders said. New York's main contract, ...

A sophisticated malware toolkit has targeted Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Sudan and Israel, and is believed to be part of a cyberespionage operation.

Iran and other Middle East countries have been hit with a cunning computer virus that can eavesdrop on computer users and their co-workers and filch information from nearby cellphones, cybersecurity experts said Tuesday. And suspicion immediately fell on Israel as the culprit.

World powers weighed tough options to end brutality in Syria on Tuesday amid the aftermath of the now-infamous massacre in Houla.

LAHORE: Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts Accessories Manufacturers (PAAPAM), with its main objective of bringing self-reliance and competitiveness in country's auto sector is looking forward to a pro-industry budget which should give support to counter the various issues faced by the SME units including energy crisis and law and order.

Tehran's OPEC representative hit out at fellow cartel member Saudi Arabia for pumping extra oil into the market as Iran's crude exports were targeted by Western sanctions.

Gold climbed almost $10 to $1582.65 by a little after 9AM EST, but it then fell to as low as $1548.10 in afternoon New York trade and ended with a loss of 0.89%. Silver slipped to as low as $27.75 and ended with a loss of...

SAN DIEGO, California (Reuters) - Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney chose Memorial Day to proclaim to the American people his conviction that the world is a dangerous place, and the United States must remain its most formidable military power. "The world is not safe," Romney told veterans on Memorial...

Misguided Narratives There are two competing narratives on how to deal with Iran. But the idea that there are only two narratives or options is misguided. The first dominant option claims that since Iran can't be trusted, they must be producing nuclear weapons and therefore if they don't do...

A massive, data-slurping cyberweapon is circulating in the Middle East, and computers in Iran appear to have been particularly affected, according to a Russian Internet security firm.

A British judge has jailed a woman whose racist tirade toward fellow subway riders went viral on YouTube.

MANILA, Philippines --- WASHINGTON again turned down our request to retain the weapons system in the second second-hand US Coast Guard cutter we purchased. Like the first one, our navy flagship GRP Gregorio del Pilar, the vessel was stripped arm-less before being turned over to us. (At least the original...

AUSTRALIA'S decision to expel Syrian diplomats is an expression of outrage, but also a gesture of impotence.

Facebook's stock has fallen below $30 for the first time since its much-awaited public debut this month.

An elusive songbird that wings its way each year from austere mountaintops of the northeastern U.S. to the steamy forests of the Caribbean has inspired the creation of what conservationists hope will be a new model for...

The Iranian government said Tuesday it has produced an antivirus program capable of fighting what computer experts are calling "the most sophisticated cyber weapon yet unleashed." The data-stealing virus has been infecting computers in Iran and other parts of the Middle East. Iran's Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center...

Russia's support for Sunday night's UN security council statement condemning the Houla killings is the first positive news to come out of the Syrian crisis for months. It opens up the possibility, hitherto remote, that Washington and Moscow may find common cause in easing out Bashar al-Assad and defusing the...

>* No further drop observed in Iranian exports* Libya, Iraq output drop highlights sustainability concerns* OPEC output almost 2 million bpd above official targetBy Alex LawlerLONDON, May 29 (Reuters) - OPEC oil output in May has hit its highest since 2008 as Saudi Arabia kept rates high despite a drop...

Greece's culture ministry says two Roman-era shipwrecks found in deep waters off the country's western coast disprove the accepted theory that ancient shipmasters stuck to coastal routes rather than risking the open...

Maria Sharapova won by a score that couldn't be better - a 6-0, 6-0 "double bagel" romp Tuesday in the first round of the French Open and a step toward a possible career Grand Slam.

HARRODSBURG, KY. -- What did I say about bicycle touring and the kindness of strangers? Forget it. Tonight we're at the Parkview Guest House. When we walked in the front door of the two-story men's-only "guest house," a guy told us to wait right there for the manager who would soon...

Iran's nuclear chief says his country is planning to build at least two more nuclear power plants. The 1,000-megawatt plants are set to begin construction within a year or two. The announcement comes on the heels of a meeting with world powers in Baghdad last week, intended to deal with...

On Antiwar Radio, Flynt Leverett reviewed the P5+1 nuclear talks with the Islamic Republic, noting that President Barack Obama and his foreign policy team seem no more prepared to deal with the major issues that must be addressed to enable a meaningful agreement — accepting internationally safeguarded enrichment in Iran...

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan's government says it will allow the export of hundreds of strategic high-tech goods to China if exporters can prove that North Korea or Iran will not be their final destinations.

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "2012 Worldwide Beer & Wine & Liquor Stores In

After 14 months of daily slaughter, the Syrian crisis has reached a "turning point" since a gruesome massacre left 49 children dead and the international community outraged.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 29 (Bernama) -- Proton Holdings Bhd today confirmed theresignation of Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir as the GroupManaging Director, effective July 4, 2012."Syed Zainal has been with Proton for over six years and we are grateful forhis contributions to the company."He has...

A Russian-based internet security firm says a powerful spyware virus has attacked computers in Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East.

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake which struck northeast Italy on May 29 killed eight people and injured several others

The pope has named Monsignor Samuel Aquila as the new archbishop for Denver, Colorado, filling an important U.S. post left vacant after Archbishop Charles Chaput moved to Philadelphia.

Vice Prime Minister and Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya’alon hinted on Monday at possible Israeli involvement in the Flame bug, which was revealed to have targeted computers in Iran and the West Bank on Monday. Click here for the rest of the article...

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today (times EDT): 1.

French President Francois Hollande says Syria's ambassador is being expelled amid continuing violence by Syrian government forces against civilians and opposition members.

Today's Texas primary will likely lift Romney to the 1,144 delegates needed to secure the nomination. He is expected to mark the milestone while campaigning in Colorado and Nevada.

> Stocks Markets...

>JOHANNESBURG, MAY 29 - African mobile operator MTN said on Tuesday it is working with U.S. authorities to manage compliance with sanctions against Iran, one of its biggest markets.The telecoms giant is facing a $4.2 billion suit in U.S. courts over allegations by rival Turkcell that...

When the Louvre Museum ditched its traditional audio guides last month and launched a new guide system using Nintendo 3DSpocket video game consoles, there was doubtless some hyperventilating among the art world's old guard. But for the Louvre, the new guide had nothing to do with Super Mario Brothers; rather,...

Iran announced Tuesday it has delayed the launch of an experimental observation satellite that was supposed to have happened a week ago, saying it would now take place sometime within the next 10 months.

Grete Faremo jams her office door open in the new Justice Ministry to the north of Oslo. Since moving across town in the wake of the car bomb that destroyed much of the previous headquarters last July, it has a nasty habit of closing on her. As a metaphor for...

ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's long-awaited oil law, when it finally comes, looks likely to be a botched job that gives favourable tax terms to foreign oil firms while doing little to satisfy calls for transparency and reform of a corrupt and wasteful sector. Related Stories Afghan insurgents target safest province...

Cyber security experts have exposed the world's most complex computer virus possessing a range of sophisticated espionage capabilities, which has sought to steal data from computers in Iran and other Middle East countries.

We don't seem to do a lot of Memorial Day parades anymore. Memorial Day sales? You bet. Parades? Not so much. Apparently, there's not enough interest. Too few people, too few organizations in too few places willing to take part.

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - When Israeli economists contemplate their country's untapped natural gas finds far out in the Mediterranean, they dream of energy independence and lucrative export deals. Those charged with Israel's defense, however, worry that the navy - small and long a middling priority in budgets - may be...

TOKYO (Reuters) - Hiroshi Kosaka has an unorthodox pitch for his realty business: instead of pictures of swanky condominiums his website features Japanese debt statistics and budget meltdown scenarios usually left to credit rating agencies.