News Archive - 6 July 2012

>The Islamic Republic has previously accused Israel, the United States and Britain of plotting the killings to set back its uranium enrichment program, which Western powers suspect is being used to develop nuclear weapons capability.Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi spread the blame to France and Germany, after days of hawkish...

>WASHINGTON, July 6 (Reuters) - The United States on Friday welcomed what it said was a decision by Italy's Edison International to withdraw from Iran's energy sector and scrap a multi-million dollar contract to explore Iran's Dayyer natural gas field."We commend the commitments made by Edison International, and we...

>The move, aimed at raising pressure on Syrian President Assad to stop a military crackdown on a popular uprising, was in keeping with sanctions imposed on Damascus by the Arab League, European Union and United States, according to the Khaleej Times, citing a central bank circular issued on Thursday.The...

>* As EU oil sanctions enter force, Tehran talks tough* U.S. Navy boosts forces, says prepared for conflict* But, quietly, both sides work to avoid escalationBy Peter Apps, Political Risk CorrespondentLONDON, July 6 (Reuters) - Iran and the United States might be talking up their readiness for war in...

>* Oslo could put an end to oil strike* Coming up: CFTC positions data 3:30 p.m. EDT Friday (Recasts, updates trading, changes dateline, previous LONDON)By Robert GibbonsNEW YORK, July 6 (Reuters) - Oil prices fell 2 percent on Friday as a report showing tepid U.S. jobs growth in...

>* Demand worries take centre-stage after central bank moves* CME increases NYMEX crude margins by 10.9 pct* Coming Up: U.S. June non-farm payrolls data (Adds increase in margins, updates prices)By Ramya VenugopalSINGAPORE, July 6 (Reuters) - Crude futures fell more than $1 on Friday to stand below $100...

The U.S. State Department will decide whether to remove the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization from a list of terrorist groups based in large part on whether the Iranian dissident group agrees to vacate a camp in Iraq, an official said.

As inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) to South Asia have turned around with an increase of 23 per cent, Pakistan has emerged as third largest country in the region with FDI inflows of US$1.3 b .....

The Philippines has retained its Tier 2 ranking in the US State Department’s human trafficking report for 2012 because of the country’s failure to convict human traffickers and illegal recruiters.

THIRTY-TWO countries have been added to the list of nations where Filipinos can safely work because of their compliance with the guarantees on the protection of the rights of foreign workers provided under Section 2 of Republic Act 10022.

HARRISBURG Pa. accused of violating law The state government is flouting a federal law that requires workers at public assistance offices to distribute voter registration applications to …

Gunmen have killed 18 and wounded 2 in an attack on bus riders in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.

A well-financed lobbying campaign by prominent U.S. politicians and former officials on behalf of a designated terrorist organization is focusing new attention on the group and its influential advocates.

Kofi Annan does the best he can. At least he’s back in harness, doing what he does best: trying to make peace where there is no hope of peace.

Today in History

KABUL (Reuters) - The United States has named Afghanistan a major non-NATO ally, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Saturday, a move that could reinforce Washington's message to Afghans that they will not be abandoned as the war winds down. Related Stories Car bomb kills seven, wounds 20 in...

More states freed from education law SEATTLE Although more than half the states are now exempt

DADAAB, KENYA - A Somali refugee and her child. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images) Copyright Getty Images HONG KONG - It was the third time in two weeks: more than 100 passengers on an ill-fated ship between Australia and Indonesia.

Five months after fears about Iran building a nuclear weapon and blocking oil shipments drove oil and gas prices to painfully high levels, investors are now focusing on growing evidence that the global economy is slowing, and that pushes oil prices down.

By Manish Chand, New Delhi, July 6 : Building upon the success of a regional investors' meet India hosted last month, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Sunday heads to the Tokyo Donors' Conference to pitch for an investment-driven approach to stabilise Afghanistan in the wake of the drawdown of...

Ontario’s new regulatory body for the construction trades should be scrapped because it’s “poised to become a massive bureaucracy with minimal benefit,” says the Ottawa Construction Association.

I was disturbed to see our congressman from the 4th district walk out of a critical vote the other day. In this republic, we elected Mr. Himes to represent us and to exercise our collective right to vote on important issues at the federal level.

A French man convicted of smuggling people into Canada will spend more than three years in prison. Mikael Jim Prone has been sentenced to 48 months, minus eight for time served. Jennifer Bourque with the Canada Border Services Agency says Prone also faces being expelled from this country. "A foreign...

TRIPOLI/BENGHAZI (Reuters) - Libya holds its first free national election in 60 years on Saturday in a vote designed to shake off the legacy of Muammar Gaddafi but which risks being hijacked by autonomy demands in the east and unrest in the desert south. Related Stories U.S. steps up...

Investigators have ruled that freak weather alone was responsible for last year’s horrifying stage collapse at the Ottawa Bluesfest, the Citizen has learned.

One final cross-court forehand and 15,000 people inside Wimbledon's Centre Court, thousands more watching on a giant screen a few hundred metres away up on Murray Mound, and millions more across a champion-deprived tennis nation rejoiced.

Islamabad, July 6 : At least 18 people were killed Friday night when unidentified motorcycle-borne gunmen rained bullets at a bus carrying Shia pilgrims in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province, media reports said.

It is up to each Canadian bank individually to ensure compliance with economic sanctions against Iran, the Canadian Bankers’ Association said Friday.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - An ageing American naval ship converted into a 'floating base' has arrived off the coast of Bahrain to support countermine operations in the Gulf, the United States (US) Navy said on Friday. Related Stories Iraq car bomb against anti Al-Qaeda fighter kills 6 Florida teen's shooter freed...

Are Mossad special agents behind the assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists? And will it be enough to stop Iran from getting nukes?

Paris It’s not often that an international conference produces a pleasant surprise. But the 103 nations that attended a conference of Friends of the Syrian People in Paris yesterday did so. The difference started with French President Francois Hollande’s inaugural address — where he described the crisis in Syria...

After years of denying the prevalence of illegal alcohol in Iran, officials are addressing the issue, while continuing to treat drinking as a sin and a crime. TEHRAN — On most days, Mohsen can be found driving around the capital in his old Peugeot with a hired female relative, trying...

LONDON - Olympic Games medallists don't always live happily ever after.

News items from around the world

British police stop suspected terror plot days before the Olympic games.

Reza Kahlili, living in the shadows with a fake name and disguise, worked from inside the Revolutionary Guard. He warns of terrorist sleeper cells in the U.S. and a plot to destroy Israel. Los Angeles Times

The United States on Friday again urged members of an exiled Iranian opposition group to leave their long-time base in Iraq, saying a move could facilitate their removal from a US terror blacklist.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A United States (US) federal judge has ordered Iran to pay more than US$813 million (S$1 billion) in damages and interest to the families of 241 US soldiers killed in the 1983 bombing of a Marine barracks in Lebanon. Related Stories Iraq car bomb against anti Al-Qaeda...

We do not understand the Arab world. We think we do, we like to think we do, but we don’t.

Bolivian officials say a Quechua Indian was killed and six people injured in a clash with police in a remote region where locals have seized five workers with a Canadian company planning to mine for silver.

Authorities say they've busted an elaborate drug trafficking cell in Arizona that's linked to the deadly Sinaloa Cartel from Mexico.

A retired 75-year-old dentist accused of fatally shooting his wife said Friday that he "screwed up" when he got home after drinking with his friends, saying he doesn't remember details of the night and misses his wife...

DUBAI - The United Arab Emirates central bank has given banks and financial institutions in the country three days to furnish details of any financial transactions or assets deposited with them by the ruling elite of Syria, which has been witnessing civil turmoil and violent action against protestors for last...

Beirut -- Last Friday, there was a meeting in Geneva over the fate of the situation in Syria, attended by the foreign ministers of the five permanent members of the Security Council, in addition to those of Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and Turkey. Also present were the Secretary-Generals of the...

An ageing American naval ship converted into a “floating base” has arrived off the coast of Bahrain to support countermine operations in the Gulf, the US Navy said yesterday.

Middle East Scholar Nadim Shehadi discusses the nature of violence in Syria.

The Israeli army said that it is preparing for the possibility of another war with Lebanon, one which it expects to be much more destructive than the 2006 conflict.

The Iranian Embassy in Beirut condemned Friday the lack of international attention to the case of four Iranian diplomats who were kidnapped in Lebanon 30 years ago.

Iran’s spy chief accused German and French intelligence agencies yesterday of involvement in assassinations of its nuclear scientists, sticking to a hard official line as sanctions imposed over its disputed atomic ambitions bite harder.

For 20 consecutive days in June, the average price of gas in Central Ohio declined. That trend stopped suddenly when prices started going back up on June 30, the day after a severe storm knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of Ohioans. But AAA of Ohio spokeswoman Kimberly Schwind...

After week of prices falling at the pump, some areas are seeing an increase.

Republican-turned-Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson says his campaign comes down to one figure: 15. If he gets 15 percent in the national polls, the two-time Republican governor of New Mexico can appear in debates alongside President Barack Obama and all-but-settled Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney . Without that, he said Friday...

Coordinator for Counterterrorism Ambassador Daniel Benjamin and Special Advisor to the Secretary on Camp Ashraf Ambassador Daniel Fried on the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) Designation and the Current Situation at Camp Ashraf Special Briefing Office of the Spokesperson Via Teleconference July 6, 2012 MR. VENTRELL: Hey. Good afternoon, everybody, and thanks...

The State Department is warning an Iran opposition group that time is running short to vacate an encampment inside Iraq.

A second burst of thunderstorms has knocked out electricity for thousands more Ohioans, including some that had just had their power restored after being left in the dark earlier in the weekend.

By The Associated Press ECONOMIC BLUES: Commodities fell across the board after a weak jobs report brought more evidence that the U.S. economy is struggling. Borrowing rates for Spain and Italy...

The price of oil fell Friday on more signs of trouble for the global economy. More >> The price of oil fell Friday on more signs of trouble for the global economy.

By MICHELLE RINDELS Associated Press A 4-year-old boy is dead after a large tombstone toppled onto him while he and his family were visiting a historic cemetery in a Utah ski resort town.

Former Franklin High School Soccer standout Jenny Chiu will lead Mexico as their captain at the U-17 Women's World Cup in Azerbaijan in September.  Mexico joins the United States with 14 other countries in the Tournament. YouTube Video:  YouTube Off read more

Figures on government spending and debt (last six digits are eliminated). The government's fiscal year runs Oct. 1 through Sept. 30. More >> Figures on government spending and debt (last six digits are eliminated). The government's fiscal year runs Oct. 1 through Sept. 30.

An activist of Awami Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan stands next to a banner featuring US President Barack Obama during a protest in Quetta on July 6, 2012, to denounce the resumption of NATO supplies into Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States warned an Iranian dissident group on Friday that time was running out for it to vacate its Iraqi base camp, and said its hope to be taken off the official U.S. blacklist of terrorist organizations could depend on its compliance. Related Stories Finance...

A pro-Republican group is pouring $25 million into new TV ads that blame President Barack Obama for the sluggish economy and call for lower taxes and less regulation.

QUETTA: Unknown gunmen reportedly shot and killed 18 people and injured two others in Kech Turbat area on Friday. Reports reaching here said that 20 people were eating their lunch at a roadside restaurant when unidentified six armed men riding three bikes came there and opened fire at them.

International human rights groups are rallying in hopes of heading off punishment of a woman facing prison for her role in a women's rights protest in Iran. Delaram Ali, 24, was ordered to be flogged Saturday and start a 2 1/2-year prison term after joining a 2006 protest calling for...

After weeks of steady declines, the retail price of gasoline began moving higher this week. Whether this is a temporary or long-term trend remains to be seen.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A government official says gunmen have killed eighteen people in an attack on a roadside restaurant in southwestern Pakistan. Abdul Razzaq said two people were also wounded in Friday's attack in Turbat, a remote town in Baluchistan province.

Canada joined the U.S. in launching a diplomatic salvo against Russia on Friday, accusing the nation of standing in the way of a solution to the ongoing violence in Syria.

UBS settles DOL claims

KUALA LUMPUR: OSK Property Holdings Bhd plans a mixed development in Damansara Jaya, Petaling Jaya, with a gross development value (GDV) of RM1 billion.

The French auto group PSA Peugeot Citroen reported on Friday a 13-percent fall in its 2012 first-half car sales, sending its shares down by almost seven percent in afternoon trading.The carmaker, which ...

An analyst says the US has pushed the European Union to commit “financial suicide” by boycotting Iranian oil sector, adding that the EU “demise may well come before Iran’s resolve is shaken.”

Female soccer players in Franc...

U.S. employers added only 80,000 jobs in June, a third straight month of weak hiring that shows the economy is still struggling three years after the recession ended.

ISLAMABAD—A government official says gunmen have killed eighteen people in an attack on a roadside restaurant in southwestern Pakistan.

Chinese cars are growing in popularity in countries like Brazil, Russia and Saudi Arabia, where buyers are more interested in low cost than in Western brands.

POLAND, Ohio (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama accused Republican rival Mitt Romney of kowtowing to conservatives when he changed his position on what to call the healthcare reform provision that requires people to buy insurance. Related Stories Sudan police teargas protesters after prayers ANC slams new Zuma penis...

A study of recent gas prices in Warren County concluded that there was no market collusion in regard to setting prices.

ATLANTA - Make Rugnews.com your party planning headquarters for the Atlanta Area Rug market. Check out our list of party places for July 12 to 15, 2012. Don't forget to print the party list, using the printer-friendly button on this page.

Frankfurt (dpa) - Frankfurt Stock Exchange closing prices in euros on Friday at 1555 GMT. In brackets the index/price movement against previous quotation: DAX 6,10.11 (- 125.45) MDAX 10,48.74 (- 157.64) Adidas 57.63 (- 1.40) Allianz 77.88 (- 1.54) BASF 56.10...

U.S. employers added only 80,000 jobs in June, a third straight month of weak hiring that shows the economy is still struggling three years after the recession ended.

The trajectory of the talks between Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers had already twice passed through Istanbul before the two sides convened in the Turkish city again on July 3, for expert-level technical meetings.

A senior Iranian lawmaker says the West's reluctance to reach an agreement with Iran will drive the multifaceted talks between Tehran and the world powers into a stalemate.

Iran says it is willing to lower uranium enrichment levels to end sanctions. But it also set out red lines in PowerPoint presentation at recent Moscow talks.

An Iranian official said the West and Israel should disappear.

Iranian Canadians 'feel betrayed and frustrated' after their accounts frozen to comply with new federal regulations that govern economic sanctions against Iran

U.S. Bluff Called with Last Minute Exemption

TEHRAN, July 6 (MNA) – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that the enemies of regional countries are making every effort to save the Zionist regime.

Weapons supplied to the Syrian govt and oppn are escalating the conflict, UN human rights chief says

Exiled opposition groups have tried to forge a common vision for transition in Syria at a meeting in Cairo.

It’s like Groundhog Day. Every month, the first White House reaction to the latest jobs report comes in a statement from the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers Alan Krueger. For the last six months, as the unemployment rate has hovered just above 8 percent, that statement has...

>* Iran's support for Assad in Syria strains ties with Turkey* Iran losing billions as new Western sanctions curb exportsBy Dmitry ZhdannikovLONDON, July 6 (Reuters) - Turkey has steeply slashed Iranian oil imports in June, dealing another blow to Tehran's stretched finances as its crude exports towards even the most...

The defection of a Syrian general who is a personal friend of President Bashar al-Assad gave a huge boost to anti-government rebels as Western and Arab states met them in Paris on Friday to help prise Assad from power.