News Archive - 16 July 2012

>* Incident took place near UAE port of Jebel Ali* Dead were all Indian nationals - UAE (Recasts with confirmation of dead, adds background)By Amena Bakr and Phil StewartDUBAI/WASHINGTON, July 16 (Reuters) - One person was killed and three others injured on Monday when a U.S. Navy ship fired...

>The U.S. investigation stems from a Reuters report in March that Shenzhen-based ZTE sold Iran's largest telecoms firm a powerful surveillance system capable of monitoring landline, mobile and Internet communications, the Smoking Gun website reported."We hope it (ZTE) will receive objective, fair and proper treatment from the U.

>Clinton, wrapping up a Middle East trip, said she had discussed the issue with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. She reiterated that Washington preferred a diplomatic solution to end the impasse over what the West fears is Iran's attempt to make nuclear weapons. Tehran denies this is its aim.She...

>JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday the United States and Israel were "on the same page" in their determination to prevent Iran from achieving what the West fears its goal of building a nuclear bomb. In Jerusalem on the last stop of an...

>* Report cites problems at bank and its U.S. regulator* Bank compliance staff overwhelmed - report* Senator Levin says HSBC culture was "polluted"By Carrick MollenkampWASHINGTON, July 16 (Reuters) - A "pervasively polluted" culture at HSBC Holdings Plc allowed the bank to act as financier to clients seeking to route...

>Regular officers and members of the "morality police" raided 87 cafes and restaurants in a single district of the capital Tehran on Saturday and arrested women for flouting the Islamic dress code, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency ISNA.L."These places were shut for not following Islamic values,...

>* Bernanke's semi-annual monetary policy report key this week* Brent to retrace to $101.26 -technicals* Coming Up: U.S. retail sales mm June; 1230 GMT (Updates prices)By Manash GoswamiSINGAPORE, July 16 (Reuters) - Brent crude held steady above $102 per barrel on Monday on optimism over the outlook for...

>JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Israeli officials will discuss on Monday Egypt's political upheaval, Iran's nuclear program and the stymied Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Making her first trip to Israel in 22 months, and only her fourth visit as secretary of state, Clinton's talks will...

A "pervasively polluted" culture at HSBC Holdings Plc allowed the bank to act as financier to clients seeking to route shadowy funds from the world's most dangerous and secretive corners, including Mexico, Iran, the Cayman Islands, Saudi Arabia and Syria, according to a scathing US Senate report issued yesterday.

A U.S. Navy aircraft carrier will head to the Persian Gulf four months earlier than scheduled as part of a Pentagon plan to maintain a beefed-up U.S. military presence in the region, according to Pentagon officials.

(MENAFN - Arab News) Food prices in Saudi Arabia are increasing as Ramadan draws closer, according to the latest NCB report. This is together with reduced oil revenues, and the thriving ...

(MENAFN - Arab News) The ecological footprint (EF) is a relatively new concept, first mentioned academically by William Rees in 1992. Later, the concept and calculation method was developed as ...

(MENAFN - Arab News) Lebanon has long been squeezed between its more powerful neighbors, Israel and Syria. As the fighting in Syria escalates, the violence is spilling over into Lebanon and raising ...

For the first six months of the year 2012 in Armenia as a result of the investigations police revealed 575 cases of drug trafficking, whereas in the same period last year had revealed the case, i.e., 871, their number has decreased by 34%.

One of the world's biggest and most important video news organizations employs no reporters or anchormen, owns no satellite trucks and doesn't even report the news itself.

Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has expressed the Islamic Republic’s readiness to facilitate dialog between the Syrian opposition and government as Tehran has been in contact with both sides for some time.

WASHINGTON - Two lawmakers are angrily reacting to what they say is a lack of cooperation from a U.N. agency that...

JEBEL ALI, United Arab Emirates, July 17 (UPI) -- An Indian fisherman died after a U.S. Navy ship fired on a fishing boat off the United Arab Emirates following warnings that went unheeded, officials said.

The decision to re-open transit routes for Nato supplies can be defended on a single count: Pakistan in its current state — dysfunctional economy, social disarray, worn-out infrastructure and, above all, a fragmented political class disconnected from the people — cannot afford the luxury of international isolation.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the Iraqi government and an Iranian opposition group that was given refuge in the country during Saddam Hussein's rule on Monday to work together to peacefully complete the group's relocation without further delay.

Protesters gathered outside the Iranian Embassy in Ottawa to denounce the actions of a diplomat they accuse of trying to spy on Canada’s Iranian community.

UNITED NATIONS - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the Iraqi government and an Iranian opposition group that was given refuge in the country during Saddam Hussein's rule on Monday to work together to peacefully complete the group's relocation without further delay.

People fled from Syria's capital as rebels exchanged fire with President Bashar Assad's military in some of the worst fighting of the conflict. Thousands of people have lost their lives since the crisis began 16 months ago.

Delta Air Lines Inc said it was working with federal authorities after what appeared to be sewing needles were found in food on four US-bound flights that left on Sunday from Amsterdam, injuring one p... Related Stories Pakistan official issued notice for polishing shoes in India Iran shuts down coffee...

It was not in my schedule to write an article for publication today. But I sensed anticipation by some readers – and perhaps by the Phnom Penh regime itself. To Cambodians cowed by authorities, this article stands to remind that rights and justice ...

PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU: I want to welcome you – shall I say this formally? – Secretary of State Clinton, Hillary, to Jerusalem once again. And I’m – we were just discussing how turbulent and how swiftly changing the world is, in our part ...

>"The pace of economic activity is expected to accelerate, with overall growth close to 7 percent as oil production rebounds," the IMF said in its annual review of the Angolan economy.More specifically, the IMF forecast that growth in Africa's second-largest oil producer will increase to 6.8 percent in...

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(CNN) -- Increasing violence in the Syrian capital is pointing toward a major fight ahead, a rebel spokesman told CNN Monday. YouTube Video:  No YouTube read more

UN-Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan is in Moscow for talks with Russian leaders on the crisis in Syria as Damascus is rocked by violence.

Watch Video | Listen to the Audio KWAME HOLMAN: The day's economic data was less than encouraging, as retail sales slumped in June for the third straight month. Wall Street responded with new losses. The Dow Jones industrial average was down nearly 50 points to close at 12,727. The Nasdaq...

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Washington's recent rewarding of Malaysia for its support to the US-led oil sanction against Iran in the form of an exemption to its financial sanctions showed that independent nations were in reality still colonised.

The Republican National Committee is airing a television ad that says President Obama tried and failed to fix the economy, and that it's OK to make a change. The ad is critical of Mr. Obama, but in milder terms than many other commercials. Instead, it appears designed to persuade voters ...

The Pentagon is bolstering the U.S. presence in the Persian Gulf by building a secret missile-defense radar station in Qatar, sending an additional ...

Oil prices have risen boosted by a high euro and reports that the US Navy fired on a small vessel off Dubai.

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews acknowledged Monday that the Iranian embassy is actively recruiting its nationals who are loyal to the regime.

US SECRETARY of state Hilary Clinton and Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu have promised to co-operate to thwart Iran’s nuclear drive.

The only major to distribute best pic Oscar winners over the past decade bets on Batman's farewell, Ben's direction, Clint's return, and two beloved literary classics. read more

LONDON (AFP) - Australia shooter Russell Mark arrived in Britain an angry man after being told he won't be allowed to sleep with his wife during the London Olympics. Related Stories 90-year-old US man skydives for 1st time Timbuktu man gets 40 lashes for drinking YouTube videos show nurses as...

President Michel Sleiman is expected to travel to Turkey Tuesday to follow up on efforts to secure the release of 11 Lebanese hostages who have been held by Syrian rebels for nearly two months.

Byblos Bank chairman François Bassil expects the combined net profits of the Lebanese banking sector to plunge by 5-10 percent at the end of 2012 due to political bickering and the volatile situation in neighboring Syria.

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian rebels fired grenades at tanks and troops while regime armor shelled Damascus neighborhoods on Monday, sending terrified families fleeing the most sustained and widespread fighting in the capital since the start of the uprising 16 months ago.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, arriving in Jerusalem from Egypt, told a wary Israel Monday to treat the Arab Spring as an opportunity as well as a source of uncertainty convulsing the Middle East.

America has announced the deployment of a US carrier group to the Gulf as it moved to strengthen its forces surrounding Iran while simultaneously embarking on an diplomatic offensive to reassure Israel of its resolve in the Middle East.

JERUSALEM (AFP) - The United States will use 'all elements of American power' to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said late on Monday at a press conference in Jerusalem. Related Stories 90-year-old US man skydives for 1st time Timbuktu man gets 40...

Nothing to See Here

Financial Times in an article entitled "The Sergei Magnitsky bill" published a material to the bill on the Magnitsky list, which is prepared to be adopted by the US Congress.

U.S. Secretary of State meets with President Peres, Avigdor Lieberman on her first visit to Israel in two years; she will meet with Barak, Netanyahu later Monday.

The enthusiasm having embound the democratic world in early 2011, when what was going to be historically remembered as the Arab spring happened – understood as a ‘down-top’ effort for the democratisation of societies in the Arab array – has slowly burnt down.

It remains unclear if the crew of a small vessel that got too close to a U.S. ship were working for Iran or al Qaeda.

NEW YORK - Overriding some bearish new data on U.S. retail sales and weak overall Chinese sentiment, oil prices Monday closed 1.5% higher in anticipation of the U.S Federal Reserve taking action Tuesday to stimulate the economy.

Liberal and Christian groups in Egypt protested U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to the country, alleging Washington had a bias towards Islamist parties and merely wanted to achieve its strategic interests.

DUBAI: A US navy ship fired on a boat off the United Arab Emirates on Monday in the southern Gulf where tension has been rising after it ignored warnings, the navy said.

Amid tensions over Iran and Syria, the United States has brought forward the deployment of an aircraft carrier to the Middle East to shorten the time when a sole carrier is in the region.

Ousted Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak has returned to prison after weeks in a top-line military hospital, a security official said. Related Stories Russia slams 'blackmail' over Syria US-Israeli talks cover Syria, Iran Demonstrators march on parliament One dead as US vessel fires on boat US clears drug to help prevent...

The US has approved the first drug shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection, a milestone in the 30-year battle against the virus that causes Aids. Related Stories Russia slams 'blackmail' over Syria US-Israeli talks cover Syria, Iran Demonstrators march on parliament One dead as US vessel fires on...

Early reports suggest the boat could have been mistaken as a threat in Gulf waters not far from Iran's maritime boundaries.

A U.S. Navy aircraft carrier will head to the Persian Gulf four months earlier than scheduled as part of a Pentagon plan to maintain a beefed-up U.S. military presence in the region, according to Pentagon officials.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran should enrich uranium to new levels close to weapons-grade to produce nuclear fuel for oil tankers, a conservative Iranian news website said Monday.

Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive has plenty of unfinished business.

Egyptian official, hostage-taker say Americans kidnapped in Sinai have been released.

Evangelical Christians are “on the front line of defense for Israel in the United States of America,” the Rev. John Hagee declared at the Christians United for Israel Washington Summit to loud cheering.

Even before its dramatic collapse last week, an Iowa-based brokerage implicated in a $200 million fraud scandal had defaulted on the terms of a $1.24 million state incentives package that helped the firm build a...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - The United Arab Emirates deported an online activist to Thailand on Monday after stripping him of citizenship, part of a widening crackdown on alleged anti-state challenges since the Arab Spring uprisings, a rights group said.

In the past three months, the global recovery, which was not strong to start with, has shown signs of further weakness. Financial market and sovereign stress in the euro area periphery have ratcheted up, close to end-2011 levels.

The digital age offers a new global platform for this ancient form of protest to change the world, writes Stefan Simanowitz.

Psiphon encrypts Internet traffic that is securely funnelled through a server outside the country, allowing Syrian rebels unfettererd online access

A senior Iranian commander has ruled out the possibility of a military conflict with Iran under the current circumstances, stressing that it is the Islamic Republic that will set the rules of battle in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

Gas prices in the Myrtle Beach area rose 2.8 cents in the last week to $3.03 per gallon, according to SouthCarolinaGasPrices.com. This marks the second week in a row that the price per gallon of gas has increased.

For the 15th edition of EHL's strategy challenge, the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne partnered with UNWTO, the United Nation's World Tourism Organization. UNWTO's Silk Road Project aims to support the development of sustainable tourism for countries along the "Silk Road", an ancient trade route between the empires of China, India,...

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HONG KONG - Asian shares edged higher Monday on the back of a strong Wall Street rally, but Chinese stocks fell to a new three-year low after growth in the world's second-largest economy slowed.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is meeting with Israeli and Palestinian officials Monday for talks focused on their peace process, as well as developments in Egypt, Syria and Iran. Clinton met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the beginning of her nearly two-week trip. She wants to continue...

NEW YORK (ETF Expert) -- A wide range of uncertainties caused many investment assets to struggle in the April-June period. Foreign stocks, foreign bonds and currencies suffered sizable declines in the second quarter. While the losses for major U.S. stock benchmarks were not quite as grim, falling prices still...

JERUSALEM: Israel and the United States must think and act together to face the changes sweeping the Middle East, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday after meeting President Shimon Peres.

David Horovitz makes an excellent point in his Times of Israel column: From the American standpoint…

Remarks With Israeli President Shimon Peres Following Their Meeting Remarks Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State President's Residence Jerusalem July 16, 2012 SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you very much, my friend. I am delighted once again to be here with you and to have this opportunity to discuss the issues that...

ALBANY - As state comptroller, Tom DiNapoli is not a member of Albany's exclusive three-men-in-a-room club. But inside the board rooms of some of the world's largest corporations, DiNapoli has come to be a recognized name of influence.

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

The price of oil slipped below $87 a barrel on Monday as the Chinese premier gave a downbeat assessment of the economy, underlining the possibility that demand may drop in the world's second-biggest crude consumer.

>(Reuters) - U.S. consumers have caught a break from the slowing economy as gasoline prices extended their steep three-month decline, but the cost of filling the tank may soon head back up, a widely followed survey said on Sunday. The Lundberg Survey said the national average price of self-serve,...

>* Offering worth up to $636 mln would be S.Korea's biggest of 2012 (Adds details of the offering, South Korean equity deals, bookrunner)HONG KONG/SEOUL, July 16 (Reuters) - Hyundai Heavy Industries hopes to raise up to $636 million selling a stake in Hyundai Motor, as the South Korean shipbuilder...

Oil fell from the highest close in more than a week after Premier Wen Jiabao said China’s economic recovery hasn’t gained momentum, stoking speculation that demand may ease in the world’s second-biggest crude consumer.

Iranian Qur’an reciter Amin Pouya has won the second prize at the 2012 edition of the International Qur’an Competition in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.

Cairo, July 16 : Egypt will not stop transporting Iranian oil through the Suez Canal and internal pipelines despite the EU embargo on Tehran's oil exports, RIA Novosti reported.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Arab Emirates on Sunday inaugurated a much-anticipated overland oil pipeline that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, giving the OPEC member insurance against Iranian threats to block the strategic waterway.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held top-level talks on Monday with Israeli leaders expected to focus on changes sweeping the Middle East, as well as Iran and the stalled peace process.

The president has succeeded in the region through actions like killing bin Laden, imposing sanctions on Iran, and withdrawing from Iraq, says Peter Beinart.

NICOSIA (Reuters) - Two former Cypriot ministers and four other senior officials pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges of manslaughter and negligence relating to a deadly munitions explosion that was the island's worst peace-time disaster. Related Stories Armour heads for Damascus districts after heavy clashes Japan ambassador returns to...