News Archive - 2 October 2012

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>By Mario Naranjo and Daniel WallisYARITAGUA/CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez urged his supporters to vote early at Sunday's election, saying the key to him winning another six-year term as leader of South America's biggest oil exporter was organization and logistics.Chavez, 58, is in a close race with...

>Mansour Haqiqatpour, deputy head of parliament's Foreign Policy and National Security Committee, said 60 percent enrichment would be to yield fuel for nuclear submarines, which often require uranium refined to high levels.But it would also take Iran another significant step closer to the 90 percent enrichment level needed to...

>ABU DHABI Oct 2 (Reuters) - Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said a national dialogue leading to elections was the way towards a solution to Syria's crisis, in remarks broadcast on Tuesday.He told Al Jazeera television that war was not the way forward, adding: "There is another way to find...

>* But Tehran faces big technical hurdles to actual nuclear weapon* Islamic state rejects allegations, says nuclear work peaceful* U.S. sees no Iranian decision yet to pursue nuclear armsBy Fredrik DahlVIENNA, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Iran already has enough low-enriched uranium for several atomic bombs if refined to a...

>DUBAI Oct 2 (Reuters) - Iran has been able to cope with Western economic sanctions and the central bank has supplied enough hard currency to finance imports even though the sanctions have cut Tehran's oil earnings, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday.He was speaking after the Iranian rial plunged...

>Spokesman Rupert Colville cited among others the cases of Ali Akbar Javanfekr, press adviser to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and head of the state-run IRNA news agency, jailed for six months for insulting the Supreme Leader, and Reuters Bureau Chief Parisa Hafezi charged with spreading lies and propaganda."It's certainly a...

>TBILISI (Reuters) - Billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili said on Tuesday he was confident of becoming prime minister of the former Soviet republic of Georgia as partial results put his opposition coalition on course to win a parliamentary election. Ivanishvili's supporters streamed through Tbilisi's streets after polls closed on Monday, waving flags...

>LONDON (Reuters) - Brent crude oil slipped to around $112 a barrel on Tuesday as investors weighed a weaker outlook for fuel demand and sluggish economic growth against the risk of possible supply disruptions. Global economic activity has slowed this year, curbing the growth in fuel demand in Asia, Europe...

>By Yeganeh TorbatiDUBAI Oct 2 (Reuters) - Iran expects its security services to root out speculators who are to blame for a plunge of the rial to record lows, a minister said on Tuesday, after the currency lost about a third of its value in the past week.Western economic...

>* Fed's Bernanke says U.S. growth too slow* Coming up: API weekly oil stocks; 2030 GMT (Updates prices)By Luke Pachymuthu and Manolo Serapio JrSINGAPORE, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Brent crude futures steadied near $112 a barrel on Tuesday as investors weighed a weaker outlook for demand due to a...

Is the U.S. spending enough money on defense, and is it spending it in the right ways? In the aftermath of the 911 terrorist attacks the money spigot was turned wide open, pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and expanding the armed...

By CALVIN WOODWARD Associated Press When you vote for Democrat Barack Obama or Republican Mitt Romney in November, you'll be voting for more than a president. You'll be casting a ballot for and...

As Democrat Suzan DelBene faces Republican Snohomish County Councilmember John Koster in the Nov. 6 election, DelBene has to convince voters that her winding but successful career path prepares her to help working families in a troubled economy — people whose tough times remind her of her own childhood.

By ALICIA A. CALDWELL Associated Press The issue:

Travis Blackley allowed one run over six innings in a strong bounce-back performance that helped the Oakland Athletics move into a first-place tie in the AL West with Texas and set up a one-game showdown for the division...

Ohio authorities are accusing a man of forcing several women into prostitution by exploiting their drug habits. More >>

Economies in the Middle East and North Africa are coping with the aftermath ofthe Arab Spring uprisings and an unstable global environment. Many have boostedfiscal spending to sustain growth and head off popular discontent, putting thegovernment finances of some under pressure, although the budgets of most Gulfoil exporters are still...

Ohio authorities are accusing a man of forcing several women into prostitution by exploiting their drug habits. More >>

Ohio authorities are accusing a man of forcing several women into prostitution by exploiting their drug habits. More >>

Iran's president sneered on Tuesday at Israel's presentation at the United Nations last week, calling the cartoon-style drawing of a bomb held up by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "primitive" and d...

As Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili conceded defeat Tuesday, Russia's Dmitry Medvedev expressed hopes for improved relations between the two countries. The U.S. State Department also views Saakashvili's concession in a positive light.

Iran will press on with its nuclear programme despite the problems caused by Western sanctions, including a dramatic slide in the value of its currency, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — In a reversal, Mike Tyson has been denied entry to the country whose indigenous Maori people he says inspired his facial tattoo.

Protestors Say Constitutional Rights Were Violated In North Augusta

The Issue: President Obama’s UN speech, in which he defended Islam from those who wish to “slander” it. *** Obama’s doublespeak sends our enemies a convoluted message (“Defender of the [Islamic] Faith,” Editorial, Sept. 30). His use of the Holocaust in referencing hate against the Jewish community is superfluous...

Submitted by James E. Miller of the Ludwig von Mises Institute of Canada , To mark the 11 year anniversary of the Afghanistan occupation, the death toll for the U.S. military reached two thousand .  The soldier who had the misfortune of both dying and becoming a stark symbol...

WASHINGTON -- As many as 50 million Americans are expected to tune in tonight for the first face-to-face debate between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, his Republican challenger.

SALT LAKE CITY — Former New Mexico Governor and Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson was in Salt Lake City Tuesday...

An opera-loving philanthropist convicted of a multimillion-dollar fraud will soon be freed from prison on bail after a federal appeals court signaled on Tuesday he might be succeeding in proving his case deserves a second...

Letters from Daily News readers.

Ahmadinejad’s dramatic address was aimed at the teachers, bus drivers, businessmen and others who have been frantically converting their savings into dollars and euros.

When Barack Obama and Mitt Romney commenced their presidential campaigns, Middle East policy was not a top issue.

NEW YORK (AP) — The lawyer for an Iranian cameraman who accompanied President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the U.S. for the U.N. General Assembly and is seeking asylum said Tuesday that his client did so because he was concerned for his safety if he went back to Iran.

TBILISI: Georgia’s President Mikheil Saakashvili yesterday conceded defeat in parliamentary elections to a coalition led by a tycoon promising to ease tensions with Moscow, four years after the staunch US ally lost a war with Russia. Read more...

Offering tax reform ideas before his first debate with President Barack Obama, Mitt Romney says he might be willing to reduce income tax deductions used by millions of families for home mortgage interest and health care costs

It’s official, the Barfoot & Thompson ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Auckland from October 14 to 22nd will be the biggest ever, with 3001 registered to take part in official ITU age group world championship races and a further 760 in fun, participation events (entries open at www.triauckland.

In June, many Google users were surprised to see an unusual greeting at the top of their Gmail inbox, Google home page or Chrome browser. “Warning: We believe state-sponsored attackers may be attempting to compromise your account or computer.”

by Renee Batti Listening to Salman Rushdie tell the story of a desperate man who goes into hiding to save his life, is forced to move from house to house -- sometimes in the dead of night -- and must lock himself into the bathroom whenever the plumber or electrician...

Republican challenger Mitt Romney was preparing for his first debate against president Barack Obama last night, badly needing a podium victory today to turn the tide of polling five weeks before the 6 ­November US elections.

Stabenow has led Hoekstra in recent polls, with the Nov. 6 election about five weeks away.

UN Experts On Iran And Freedom Of Religion Concerned Over Situation Of Religious Minorities In The Country

As the Iranian rial continued to tumble to new lows on Tuesday, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attempted to deflect internal criticism that his policies are contributing to the decline. During a press conference in Tehran, he blamed “psychological pressures” linked to Western sanctions and criticized other politicians who have said...

Experts say Republican Mitt Romney will need to a stellar performance in the first debate to improve polls.

At this time of the year, the Jewish holiday calendar moves nearly as quickly as our 24/7 global news cycle. So Yom Kippur, the major holiday where Jews, like their Muslim cousins during Ramadan, fast and ponder self-improvement, is SO last week. This is, fortunately, like the issue of...

Iraq stopped and searched a Syria-bound Iranian cargo plane for weapons on Tuesday, but allowed it to continue as no prohibited items were found, Iraqi officials said.

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — A first-half brace from Amad al-Hosni helped Saudi Arabia's Al Ahli reach the Asian Champions League semifinals on Tuesday with a 4-1 win over easing past 10-man Sepahan of Iran.

As the bloodletting in Syria carries on, President Bashar Assad's government doesn't have a lot of allies left.

Large crowds of anxious Iranians gathered in Tehran on Sunday and Monday at foreign exchange offices — some of which had shuttered their doors — as Iran's currency continues its free fall . From Sunday to Monday, the rial lost nearly one-third of its value against the dollar — and the...

A summary of trading in key commodities markets overseas:ENERGYOil prices slipped as buyers remained hesitant amid worries about progress in the eurozone and global demand at large.West Texas Intermediate ...

The Syrian army rained shells on rebel bastions in and around Damascus on Tuesday and sent extra troops to second city Aleppo, as a watchdog said the death toll from 18 months of violence now tops 31,000.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq asked Turkey on Tuesday to stop attacking Kurdish rebel forces sheltering across the border in northern Iraq, as Turkey prepares to extend its internal mandate for the raids. Related Stories Analysis - Mexican labour reform signals battles ahead for Pena Nieto Iran's Ahmadinejad says Syria crisis...

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The hackers behind the cyber attacks on major U.S. banks have repeatedly disrupted online banking by using sophisticated and diverse tools that point to a carefully coordinated campaign, according to security researchers.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Oct. 2, 2012 / Christian Newswire / -- The recent release of Pastor Youcef Nardarhani from an Iranian prison has focused international attention on the plight of prisoners of faith in countries hostile to Christianity.

NEW YORK: Oil prices slipped on Tuesday as buyers remained hesitant amid worries about progress in the eurozone and global demand at large.

Remember the bombing of the Buddha statues carved into the cliffs at Bamiyan in north central Afghanistan in 2001? The Taliban destruction of these massive archeological monuments dating back to the 6th century has become emblematic of the cultural and religious intolerance of radical Islam. What is less well...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States praised Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on Tuesday for conceding his party lost parliamentary elections and asking the victorious coalition to form a government. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said she thought that Saakashvili's concession may bode well for cooperation between the new government and...

Some commentators say a local dispute may mark the beginning of a new front against the president – one launched by his own Alawite brethren.

A Middle Eastern hacktivist group appeared to claim responsibility for massive denial-of-service cyber attacks on websites of six US banks. Some experts now say that claim is a 'false flag' to divert attention from the real attackers.

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- Clashes along Lebanon's border with Syria are growing as the tiny Mediterranean country becomes a battle front in Syria's 18-month-old civil war.

GENEVA, Switzerland, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- The U.N. Human Rights Office expressed serious concern over recent arrests in Iran of political activists and human rights defenders.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Google subsidiary Motorola Mobility has dropped a complaint of patent infringement against Apple without explanation. Related Stories Iran may still be years away from any nuclear-armed missile Vatican butler alleges harsh conditions after arrest UBS rogue trader's colleagues weep in UK dock Analysis - Mexican labour reform...

This isn't really the same country I came to so long ago

After countless speeches, meetings and behind-the-scenes discussions, the war in Syria remained the unsolved problem that loomed over this year's gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that Tehran would not back down from its nuclear program despite sanctions and the economic "war" launched by the West. He maded these comments while the Iranian currency is continuing to plummet against the US dollar.

The Iranian Rial on Monday reached 36,000 to the dollar, nearly a 30% devaluation just since last week.

The US nuclear-power industry is seeking to ease export restrictions so it can sell technology to nations including China and Russia as domestic demand for reactors wanes.

The highest-ranking member of Saddam Hussein's ousted regime purportedly says the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Baghdad has ultimately served to make Iraq beholden to Iran.

TEHRAN: Iran will not back down on its nuclear programme despite the problems caused by Western sanctions, including a dramatic slide in the value of its currency, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday.

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Vinyl Acetate : 2012 World Market Outlook and Forecas

The Iranian oil embargo is in force and has been somewhat effective, but not nearly as effective as it might be. The reason was spelled out clearly in the Financial Times headline "Vitol Admits Iran Fuel Oil Cargo Deal." Vitol is the world's largest oil trader with an...

OIL FUTURES: Prices Steady; U.K. Seeks Tougher EU Sanctions on Iran

The Prime Minister's Bureau is trying to persuade the EU to tighten sanctions to increase the pressure on Iran.

The hot new trade seems to be the Mexican peso. The chart below shows long and short positions in the peso over the past year, via the CFTC's weekly Commitment of Traders report.

United Nations — After countless speeches, meetings and behind-the-scenes discussions, the war in Syria remained the unsolved problem that loomed over this year's gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.

Syrian rebels have killed six soldiers in a lethal raid on Damascus after UN chief asks for compassion.

Iraq on Tuesday signed a $14 million deal with a U.S. consortium to modernize a major port in the country's southern province of Basra in a move aimed at developing key infrastructure neglected during years of war and sanctions.

Oct. 02--Iran AirTour will ink a deal today to buy five Airbus passenger planes, the managing director of the airline stated. The airplanes will be delivered by February 10, Sirous Baheri told the ILNA News Agency.

(AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews). Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad fieldsa question during a press conference in New York after addressing the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012.

>"The central bank has provided all the currency for these imports," Ahmadinejad told a news conference after the rial plunged to a record low against the U.S. dollar earlier in the day.He said the country's enemies were waging a "psychological war" against it, adding: "Enemies have managed to...

Maariv workers try to stave off company's purchase while S&P has high marks for Israel.

The prime minister is believed to have decided on an early election, although budget negotiations continue.

Soon to complete 100 days in office, Egypt’s President Muhammad Mursi is still engaged in sifting allies from fair-weather friends, rivals and potential foes, while the powers that be in the US and Israel hover nervously over his shoulder.

EDITORS representing many Asian newspapers stood in a perfect line. They were nervous and giddy at the prospect of meeting Li Changchun, China’s powerful member of the Communist Party’s Politburo Standing Committee.

Four British warships and more than 400 sailors and Royal Marines have played a key role in one of the biggest minehunting exercises ever staged in the Middle East.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Banks should separate their deposit-taking arms from proprietary trading and other risky investment banking work to shield taxpayers from further bailouts and protect savers, an EU advisory group said on Tuesday. Related Stories Iran targets speculators as currency slides UK construction contracts again in September - Markit...