News Archive - 10 July 2012

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — International envoy Kofi Annan said Tuesday that Iran must be part of the solution to the bloody crisis in its close ally Syria, and that the Tehran has offered its support to end the conflict.

>SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Brent rose above $98 a barrel on Wednesday, recovering slightly from the previous session's losses, ahead of U.S. inventory data that is expected to show crude stocks shrinking for a third week in the world's largest oil consumer. But another round of cuts by the U.

Diplomacy over the crisis in Syria and what role, if any, Iran can play is looking increasingly like a boxing match between the heavyweight US and the veteran statesman Kofi Annan. When does the bell ring?

>* Norway government halts oil strike, prevents full shutdown* U.S. crude stocks expected to be lower - poll* Coming Up: API oil data 4:30 p.m. EDT (Recasts, updates prices, market activity)By Robert GibbonsNEW YORK, July 10 (Reuters) - Oil prices retreated more than 2 percent on Tuesday after...

>"He made a suggestion of building an approach from the ground up in some of the districts where we have extreme violence - to try and contain the violence in those districts and, step by step, build up and end the violence across the country," Annan said, according to a...

>MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Tuesday it would be ready to host a new meeting of world powers aimed at ending the conflict in Syria and proposed broadening the talks to invite other countries, including Iran. Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said Moscow had made the proposal at an...

>By Peg Mackey and Alex LawlerLONDON, July 10 (Reuters) - Tough Western sanctions are forcing Iran to take drastic action and shut off wells at its vast oilfields, reducing production to levels last seen more than two decades ago and costing Tehran billions in lost revenues.Iran struggled to sell...

'The Iranian Embassy should not interfere in their choices. Canadian security organizations will act to prevent threats and intimidation of Canadians'

Kennedy High School's SkillsUSA team was awarded a gold medal after winning first place in the 48th National Leadership and Skills Conference held in Kansas City, Mo.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Two Iranians accused of planning attacks on Western targets in Kenya shipped more than 220 pounds of powerful explosive into this East African country, and most of it has not been recovered, a police officer told a court Tuesday.

DICOM is now widely used to represent information acquired through CT techniques

>* EIA cuts world oil demand growth forecast for 2012 and 2013* Coming up: EIA weekly oil data 1430 GMTBy Florence TanSINGAPORE, July 11 (Reuters) - Brent rose above $98 a barrel on Wednesday on a technical rebound and ahead of data on U.S. inventories that could show a...

China said on Tuesday it believes Europe can handle its debt crisis. The statement comes only weeks after Beijing announced it will contribute $43 billion to the International Monetary Fund's recapitalization, part of which will be directed to help the EU remedy its dire financial situation.

Here’s a novel notion: Considering what’s at stake in Syria for US interests, how about Team Obama leading for once from the front, rather than from “behind”? After 16 months and nearly 20,000 deaths, it’s past time. Sure, some don’t mind seeing Syrians spar with...

Russia has circulated among UN Security Council members a draft resolution to extend its mission in Syria for three months so it can shift focus from monitoring a non-existent truce to securing a political solution to the conflict.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia circulated among U.N. Security Council members on Tuesday a draft resolution to extend a U.N. mission in Syria for three months so it can shift focus from monitoring a non-existent truce to securing a political solution to the conflict.

UN-Arab League envoy to Syria Kofi Annan says Damascus has agreed to a plan to end the bloodshed in the country, beginning with the areas worst hit by violence.

TEHRAN, July 11 (Bernama) –- The inaugural World Conference on Women andIslamic Awakening opened here Wednesday, with delegates showering praises onhost Iran for taking the bold step of organising a women-only assembly focusingspecifically on women’s role in the era of Islamic awakening. Delegates from among the more than 1,000 professionals, activists andacademia...

Source: Wikimedia Commons Thomas Ricks has an op-ed at the New York Times that arguing that the U.S. government could save money by replacing the volunteer army with an army of slaves: A revived draft, including both males and females, should include three options for new conscripts coming out...

While many world leaders have condemned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the embattled leader has found an ally in Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Here are some of today's top stories from The Associated Press. Egypt's president flexes power but yields to caution CAIRO — The face-off between Egypt's new Islamist president and the old guard military sharpened Tuesday with parliament defying orders to disband and the highest court slapping back at Mohammed Morsi...

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) complained on Tuesday that they have been excluded from international talks on a conventional arms treaty that have now entered a second week. Related Stories White House hopeful Romney says 'nothing hidden' in his taxes Tetra-Pak heir held after wife's death Al-Qaeda supporter...

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States (US) insisted on Tuesday that it sees no role for Iran in resolving the conflict in Syria, in an implicit rebuff to United Nations (UN) envoy Kofi Annan's outreach to Teheran. Related Stories White House hopeful Romney says 'nothing hidden' in his taxes Tetra-Pak...

BOSTON, Massachusetts (AFP) - An American Al-Qaeda supporter plotting to bomb the Pentagon and Capitol using explosives-laden model planes faces 17 years in prison, a federal prosecutor said at the trial on Tuesday. Related Stories White House hopeful Romney says 'nothing hidden' in his taxes Tetra-Pak heir held after wife's...

LONDON (AFP) - British police on Tuesday said they had arrested a 49-year-old man, reported to be the heir to the Tetra-Pak packaging fortune, after his wife was found dead at their luxury London home. Related Stories White House hopeful Romney says 'nothing hidden' in his taxes Al-Qaeda supporter pleads...

Watch Video | Listen to the Audio HARI SREENIVASAN: Eurozone finance ministers agreed today on the terms of a $123 billion bailout package to help Spain's ailing banks. The debt-stricken country will receive its first payment of more than $36 billion by the end of this month. The E.U.

Over the last few months, anti-Israel Representative Ron Paul (R-TX) has been making a serious impact within the Republican Party. During the debate season, he was the crowd favorite and used his televised platform to spout his radical positions -- including his anti-Israel views. As the race dragged into...

LONDON: French President Francois Hollande held talks with Prime Minister David Cameron aimed at smoothing over a slew of recent differences as he made his first official visit to Britain yesterday.

President Bashar al-Assad has agreed to a new United Nations-brokered peace plan which aims to contain the violence tearing Syria apart by focusing of flashpoints before expanding to cover all of his country.

World markets appear to be hovering over a precipice as Europe's sovereign debt crisis, slowdowns in India and China and further bank downgrades threaten to send stocks and commodities down even further.

STILLWATER, Okla. – Oklahoma State wrestling coach John Smith is in Colorado Springs coaching the U.S. freestyle wrestling team as it opens camp for the 2012 London Olympics today. This summer marks the sixth Olympic Games with Smith directly involved.

BAGHDAD — The U.N.’s special envoy on the Syrian crisis sought to build support for his peace efforts Tuesday with the leaders of Iran and Iraq, saying President Bashar Assad has agreed to a plan to quell the bloodshed in the most violent areas of Syria and then...

BAGHDAD - The U.N.s special envoy on the Syrian crisis sought to build support for his peace efforts Tuesday with the leaders of Iran and Iraq, saying President Bashar Assad has agreed to a plan to quell the bloodshed in the most violent areas of Syria and...

The JetBlue airline pilot who went on a frightening in-flight tirade in March, forcing the flight to be diverted, was having a "brief psychotic disorder" because of sleep deprivation , a psychologist testified at a hearing.

Spanning the globe -- including the United States -- for pickup soccer games.

Iran's top diplomat to Canada has dismissed a report that ethnic Iranians are being enlisted to serve Tehran as "baseless" and insists his embassy is following Canadian and international laws in its conduct.

Specialist tells The Guardian in an e-mail that there are about 100 "master hackers" in the world and the U.S. should try to bring them on board.

Gas prices have risen about 5 cents a gallon in the past week to $3.38 a gallon. Drivers shouldn't be surprised if prices continue to go up this month.

Gas prices climbed 17 cents over the past week in the Augusta area, according to AAA's fuel gauge report.

He lacks the toned physique of an Olympian but “dear respected” leader Kim Jong-Un will be the inspiration when North Korea’s athletes go for gold at the London Olympics.

Computer networks are the battlefields in cyberwarfare, as exemplified by the United States' recent use of computer viruses to attack Iran's nuclear program. A computer model developed at the University of Missouri could help military strategists devise the most damaging cyber attacks as well as guard America's critical infrastructure. The...

Nobel Prize-winning novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez is suffering from dementia, which has made him unable to write, his brother says.

Baghdad — The U.N.'s special envoy on the Syrian crisis sought to build support for his peace efforts Tuesday with the leaders of Iran and Iraq, saying President Bashar Assad has agreed to a plan to quell the bloodshed in the most violent areas of Syria and then...

CARACAS - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has slammed US State Secretary Hillary Clinton for threatening China and Russia over their friendly ties with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and standing in the way to oust him.

BAGHDAD (AP) — International envoy Kofi Annan is offering more details of the peace plan that he says Syrian President Bashar Assad is willing to support.

MOSCOW - Russia on Tuesday said it wants to host a meeting of global powers over the Syrian crisis but insisted that the fate of President Bashar al-Assad would not be discussed.

Iran's foreign minister is playing down his country's threat to close the vital Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for Western sanctions over its nuclear program.

BEIJING -- China said Tuesday it believed Europe could resolve its debt crisis as the two sides held a high-level meeting in Beijing that also covered thorny issues such as Syria, Iran and human rights.

Persian restaurants and shops in the New York area are a rare find, which is a shame.

LONDON (Reuters) - The customary red carpet of diplomatic protocol took on added significance on Tuesday when British Prime Minister David Cameron sought to get his relationship with France's new president onto a better footing after an initial faux pas. On his first visit to London as head of state,...

A new campaign to remember the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Buenos Aires Jewish center calls on Argentinians to “feed the memory.”

Deputy U.S. Secretary of State William Burns after meeting with new Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi said the United States was “fully committed” to assistance for Egypt.

BAGHDAD — International envoy Kofi Annan has arrived in Iraq on an outreach tour to Syria’s allies in the Mideast. Annan touched down in Baghdad today after a one-day trip to Iran, a key Damascus ally.

TEHRAN, July 10 (MNA) – Dust storms originating from neighboring Arab countries will envelop 22 Iranian provinces on Wednesday, according to an official at the Tehran Municipality.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.N. peace envoy Kofi Annan waded into big power politics on Tuesday, insisting regional heavyweight Iran should be involved in efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Syria crisis despite the West's firm rejection of a role for Tehran.

>Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said in a response to written parliamentary questions that her department had started an investigation into the allegations against Yusuf Saloojee, currently ambassador to Oman.Johannesburg-based MTN is being sued by Turkish rival Turkcell for $4.2 billion. The Turkish company alleges MTN bribed Saloojee and...

>JOHANNESBURG, July 10 (Reuters) - South Africa is talking to Tehran about the prospect for Iran to insure its crude oil cargoes, which can no longer be underwritten by European insurance firms due to sanctions, Energy Minister Dipuo Peters said on Tuesday. Peters said Deputy Foreign Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim had...

An American military analyst says in case of a possible military strike on Iran by Israel, Tehran will be able to rapidly rout the Israeli military which is already hit by a high rate of internal dissent.

International envoy Kofi Annan said Tuesday he sees Iran as a factor in diplomatic efforts to forge peace in Syria, a stance not shared by the United States. "I think Iran can play a positive role," Annan said during a news conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi in...

An annual campaign to remember the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Buenos Aires Jewish center calls on the public to “feed the memory.” Click here for the rest of the article...

On his way to another round in the U.S.-Israel strategic dialogue, deputy U.S. Secretary of State, William Burns met with the new Egyptian president and said the United States was “fully committed” to assistance for Egypt. Click here for the rest of the article...

Chelsea captain John Terry pointed to his work helping African footballers and their charities as evidence he isn't prejudiced during police interviews heard at his racism trial on Tuesday.

Egypt's Islamist-dominated parliament opened a new front in the country's leadership showdowns Tuesday by meeting in defiance of orders that disbanded the chamber and brought President Mohammed Morsi in conflict with...

Moscow’s announcement on Monday that it was refusing to make new arms sales to Syria came unexpectedly, after top Russian diplomats previously staunchly defended Russia’s right to supply arms to the embattled Assad regime.

>Mahmoud Thiab al-Ahmed spent eight years in prison for his part in the campaign to drain marshes in southern Iraq. He was released on Monday, Deputy Justice Minister Bosho Ibrahim told Reuters.Saddam Hussein accused people living in the marshes of treachery during the 1980-88 war with Iran. His government...

Power is coming back to areas of central and southwest Ohio more than a week after violent storms hit the state. More >>

FBI divers and police officials in New York's Long Island are set to retrieve a yacht that capsized and sank, killing three children.

A Florida teenager has lost his right arm below the elbow to an attacking alligator.

By The Associated Press Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today (all times EDT):

Power is coming back to areas of central and southwest Ohio more than a week after violent storms hit the state. More >>

Seeking an election-year fight over taxes, President Barack Obama is hitting the road to press Congress to extend tax cuts for low- and middle-income earners, framing a debate with Mitt Romney and congressional Republicans...

Punitive laws and human rights abuses are costing lives, wasting money and stifling the global AIDS response, according to a report by the Global Commission on HIV and the Law, an independent body of global leaders and experts. The Commission report, "HIV and the Law: Risks, Rights and Health," finds...

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>* To ease constrictions on imports due to Iran fleet limitations* Limited cover still leaves shippers exposed to spill liability* State-run Shipping Corp of India prepared to run the riskBy Nidhi VermaNEW DELHI, July 10 (Reuters) - India has given state-run insurers approval to provide limited cover to its ships...

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has held talks with senior Emirati officials to discuss ways of enhancing bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest between Tehran and Abu Dhabi.

The latest Iran sanctions came into full effect this week, adding to a byzantine array of unilateral and multilateral measures that prohibit Iranian oil imports, other trade and financial transactions, and freeze Iranian assets by countries concerned that Tehran's nuclear program is intended for military purposes, not civilian ones.

Moscow, July 10 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has criticised US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who he claimed threatened Russia and China while speaking at a Friends of Syria conference.

TEHRAN, July 10 (Bernama) -- Sea water temperature in the Persian Gulf has increased by two degrees from 2003 to 2010, Iran's Mehr News Agency (MNA) reported an Environmental Protection Organisation official as saying.

Damascus, Syria — In this photo released by Syria's official news agency SANA, Syrian troops participate in a live fire exercise in an undisclosed location in Syria. In a show of force, Syria began large-scale military exercises Sunday to simulate defending the country against outside "aggression."

Equally remarkable is whose idea it was, though not exclusively. For decades the Navy has occasionally used big, cheap, mostly empty vessels to stage troops, boats and copters in conflict zones.

TEHRAN, July 10 (Bernama) -- The in-situ reserves of crude oil in Iran's Sardar Jangal gas field, located under the Caspian Sea, are worth over US$50 billion, Iran's Mehr News Agency (MNA) reported the National Iranian Oil Company managing director as saying on Monday.

TEHRAN, July 10 (MNA) – Mass media and governing elites in the West more generally and the United States in particular tend to reconcile their differences when it comes to matters relating to national security and the national interests of their countries.

The Sudanese ministry for antiquities is appealing to the international archaeological community to conduct rescue operations to salvage Sudan’s rich archaeological heritage, which is at risk from a series of dams planned in areas including Kajbar,...

(MENAFN - Qatar News Agency) Qatar will soon start the implementation of reconstruction projects worth $250 million in Gaza Strip, Prime Minister of the defunct Palestinian government Ismail Haniyeh ...