News Archive - 1 November 2012

Iran looks to end 36-year AFC U-19 title drought TEHRAN TIMES – TEHRAN, The Iran U-19 football team will leave Tehran on Thursday for the United Arab Emirates, looking to end a 36-year title drought at the Asian Championship. The 37th edition of the AFC U-19 Championship organized by the...

>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Standard Chartered is close to wrapping up discussions to resolve U.S. investigations into its Iran-linked transactions and nearing agreement on a fine in the $300-million range, mirroring a much-publicized state settlement over similar allegations, according to four people familiar with the matter. The London-based bank agreed...

>But compensation pay-outs for mis-sold loan insurance, plus investigations into interest rate rigging and possible breaches of sanctions on Iran still hang over the bank's recovery.Chairman Philip Hampton said last month that RBS is preparing for the British government to start the process of disposing of its 81 percent...

>SAN ANTONIO Nov 1 (Reuters) - British millionaire Christopher Tappin pleaded guilty in federal court in Texas on Thursday to charges of attempting to sell missile parts to Iran, prosecutors said. Tappin, 66, from Orpington, Kent, who had previously pleaded not guilty, reversed that stance in federal court in El...

>* Supervisors urged to press banks on succession plansBy Huw JonesLONDON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Banks will have to hold more capital after recent hefty fines, trading losses, money laundering and rate-rigging showed that operational risks are not being covered properly.Finance ministers from the Group of 20 (G20) economies...

>* China proposes new initiative after failed truceBy Oliver HolmesBEIRUT, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Anti-government rebels killed 28 soldiers on Thursday in attacks on three army checkpoints around Saraqeb, a town on Syria's main north-south highway, a monitoring group said.Some of the dead were shot after they had surrendered,...

>TOULOUSE, France (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined with French President Francois Hollande on Thursday in remembering victims of an al Qaeda-inspired gunman, with both pledging to fight anti-Semitism in France and around the globe. The ceremony for the seven people shot dead in March in the south...

>* Environmentalists criticise setback for Antarctic wildlifeSYDNEY Nov 1 (Reuters) - Major nations failed to reach agreement on Thursday to set up huge marine protected areas off Antarctica under a plan to step up conservation of creatures such as whales and penguins around the frozen continent.The 25-member Commission for...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney is promising to get tough on China to help American workers, but his plans could backfire. Romney is pledging, on his first day in office, to designate China a currency manipulator, a step no administration has taken against any country for 18...

TOM CRUISE’S NEIGHBOR TASERED FOR TRESPASSING: Next time the kid will just buy a new Frisbee.USHER’S NEW PUPPY COST $12,000: He had it gold plated.

A record number of journalists are behind bars in Turkey as the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan wields draconian laws critics say are creating a climate of fear to silence dissenting voices and promote 'pro-state' journalism.

Pressure for Washington to play a greater role comes from a variety of factors: soaring casualty tolls, hundreds of thousands of refugees flooding into neighboring countries, wholesale destruction of Syria’s infrastructure, the growing presence of al-Qaida-linked fighters, fears that violence will spill over into adjacent nations, and the danger that...

MELBOURNE, Nov 2 (Bernama) -- Another 26 Sri Lankans have been returned to their home country, bringing the total number of returns to Sri Lanka since August to 116.

From the rise of the Tea Party to debt ceiling gridlock, the American public has weathered a rugged political landscape for the past four years. Any many shapers of this presidential term are poised to reoccur. 2 Nov 2012 3:36 PM

U.S. Rep. Steve King, 63, of Kiron, has been representing Iowa's 5th Congressional District since 2003, following two terms in the Iowa Senate. He founded King Construction and has three sons and...

Foreign ministers and high officials from the 19 member nations of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) are meeting in Gurgaon, a suburb of the Indian capital of New Del .....

Israel may be openly hoping that Republican challenger Mitt Romney will end up stealing the presidency from Barack Obama, but for the Palestinians i...

JERUSALEM -- More than 24 years after Palestinian military leader Khalil Ibrahim Wazir was assassinated in Tunisia, Israel has acknowledged for the first time that its spy agency Mossad carried out the killing.

Pars Restaurant specializes in Northern Iranian cuisine, serving unique, delicious dishes with exceptional flavour. by Melissa Buote Pars Restaurant specializes in northern Iranian cuisine, serving unique, delicious dishes with exceptional flavour. by Melissa Buote… [ Read more ] [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

As President Obama returned to the campaign trail, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg endorsed Obama for a second term, citing the importance of his record on climate change.

Christopher Tappin, right, and his lawyer Dan Cogdell, leave federal court Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012 in El Paso, Texas.

URBANA — Two of the three candidates for the 13th Congressional District seat said Thursday that they would oppose an increase in the federal gasoline tax, even to pay for widespread infrastructure repairs after Hurricane Sandy. read more

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan is likely to start importing rare earths from Kazakhstan as early as January as part of its efforts to lower its dependence on China, the Yomiuri newspaper said on Friday, citing unidentified government sources. Related Stories RBS to report profit uplift amid UK share sale hope...

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's economy will return to modest growth in 2013 after flatlining this year, with developments in the euro zone posing the biggest risk, a leading think-tank said on Friday. Related Stories Retailer Comet close to administration - source RBS to report profit uplift amid UK share sale...

NEW YORK/SEASIDE HEIGHTS, New Jersey (Reuters) - Rescuers searched flooded homes for survivors, drivers lined up for hours to get scarce gasoline and millions remained without power on Thursday as New York City and nearby towns struggled to recover from one of the biggest storms to hit the United States.

Geneva, 1 November 2012 – A group of United Nations independent experts called for the immediate release from prison of Nasrin Sotoudeh, a prominent human rights lawyer, and Jafar Panahi, an internationally acclaimed film-maker, both of whom were recently awarded the prestigious Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the...

FRANCE'S Francois Hollande has promised during a visit by Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu that he will "eradicate" anti-Semitism and ensure Jewish security.

Both candidates pursue their agendas in absence of Democrat Dan Maffei in 24th Congressional District debate

BEIRUT – Anti-government rebels killed 28 soldiers yesterday in attacks on three army checkpoints around Saraqeb, a town on Syria’s main north-south highway, a monitoring group said.

Britain is considering stationing warplanes in the Persian Gulf as the confrontation with Iran over its nuclear programme continues amid rising tension in the region, The Independent has learnt.

NOUAKCHOTT (Reuters) - Opposition leaders in coup-prone Mauritania on Thursday called on the army to stay out of politics and demanded more information on the health of the country's absentee president. Related Stories Obama, Romney go back on attack as campaign hits final stretch China struggles for solution to growing...

Detectives investigating allegations of sexual abuse surrounding Jimmy Savile have arrested Freddie Starr on suspicion of sexual offences. The comedian, 69, was arrested in Warwickshire at 5.45pm today as part of Operation Yewtree.

Pilloried and praised, congratulated and condemned, Sri Lanka has received a forthright, but divided, assessment of its postwar human rights record.

If Romney wins, imagine a return to the Bush years, because that's exactly what will be coming.

Is a struggling economy the key ingredient that dooms an incumbent president to a single term?

Outlook By writing a little while ago that Barclays was the John Terry of banks, I was clearly being inflammatory.

The film, a period piece costume drama based on a real Danish 18th-century royal love triangle, stars Danish heartthrob Mads Mikkelsen, among others. read more

India’s oil imports from Iran fell about 19% in the first half of 2012/13 to about 257,000 barrels per day (bpd), even lower than planned, data available to Reuters show, potentially helping New Delhi win a renewal of a waiver from US sanctions.

U.S.-South Africa Senior Officials' Working Group on African and Global Affairs Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC November 1, 2012 On October 30, 2012, South Africa hosted the first meeting of the U.S.-South Africa Senior Officials’ Working Group on African and Global Affairs. The...

A retired British businessman extradited to the US over charges he sold weapons parts to Iran is expected to change his plea to guilty.

by Bill O’Reilly This column was originally submitted on Thursday, Oct. 18. Missed Opportunities read more

U.S. Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Lakeville, and Democrat Joyce Healy-Abrams, the congressional candidates for the new 7th District debated each other at Kenyon College in Gambier Tuesday night. Facing a well-funded incumbent in a Republican-leaning district, Healy-Abrams, who has run out of money to continue running television commercials, sought a...

Europeans are watching the final stages of the U.S. election campaign closely, concerned about how the outcome might affect global issues. Europeans can't vote in the U.S. election, but, like people everywhere, they have a stake in its outcome. From economic issues to Iran and the war in...

Some anti-American Muslim clerics have cast the deadly Superstorm Sandy as divine punishment for a film mocking the Prophet Muhammad or for other perceived ills of American society.

LONDON, Oct 31 (Reuters) Iran and Syria have arranged a gasoline-for-diesel swap, helping each other overcome international sanctions that have cut them off from fuel supplies needed to keep their economies afloat and support their armies.

Israel has acknowledged it killed Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's deputy in a 1988 raid in Tunisia, lifting a nearly 25-year veil of secrecy.

Shiv Sena-backed cable operators in Mumbai continued to be defiant vis-a-vis the digitisation of TV networks Thursday - the first day of the central-government mandated switchover from the earlier ...

As we stagger out of a Great Recession borne by unfunded wars, bailed-out banks, tax cuts for the wealthy and the ongoing predilection of Congress to avoid hard choices in favor of a credit card, the pertinent question on Election Day is as current as ever: Are we better off...

Confrontations abroad. A divided Congress at home. A budget stalemate on the horizon that threatens another recession.

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — A federal judge has scheduled a new plea hearing for a British man accused of trying to buy missile parts from undercover U.S. agents and illegally sell them to Iran. Christopher Tappin had pleaded not guilty after his extradition from the United Kingdom in...

Iran's deputy energy minister for electricity and energy affairs says the country can export 10,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity per year.

Kinuha ng International Shotokan Karate Federation (ISKF) Philippines, Inc. ang local affiliate ng pinakamalaking karate or­ganization sa mundo, ang nangungunang wireless services provider na Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) para ma­ging major sponsor ng 2nd ISKF World Shoto Cup na nakatakda sa Cebu City sa Nobyembre 8-11, 2012.

Paris (dpa) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used a ceremony Thursday in France in honour of the four victims of a Jewish school shooting to deliver a thinly veiled warning to Iran.Every generation brings someone "who wants to destroy us," Netanyahu told the Jewish community in the city...

It is precisely because of my belief in the longtime ideals of the Democratic Party that I feel the responsibility to speak out now.

"The Sessions": Minnesota native John Hawkes gives a sweet, intelligent performance as Mark O'Brien, who was determined to lose his virginity despite being confined to an iron lung for most of his life. R *** -1/2

Republican nominee has pledged to designate Asian superpower as a currency manipulator on his first day

EL PASO, Texas (AP) - A British businessman was set to change his plea Thursday over allegations that he tried to buy missile parts from undercover U.S. agents and illegally sell them to Iran.

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>GENEVA (Reuters) - Turkey is using a vague counterterrorism law to prosecute many activists, lawyers and journalists, often holding them for long pre-trial periods without access to a lawyer, United Nations human rights experts said on Thursday. The U.N. Human Rights Committee said after reviewing Turkey's record for the...

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Channel 4 Dispatches asked award-winning photographer and filmmaker Alison Jackson to create images to sit alongside a special edition of the programme, Nuclear War Games - about the tense relations between Iran and Israel and the possibility of a military confrontation.

TEHRAN, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Iranian investments in the national oil sector should reach $40 billion by the end of the Iranian calendar year next March, the country's oil minister said.

Dispatches asked photographer Alison Jackson to create images to sit alongside Nuclear War Games. Alison used figures who look like Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to provide an engaging commentary on the tensions between Israel and Iran

Oscar nominees Anne Hathaway and Jeremy Renner will host upcoming episodes.

10 things to know for Thursday Associated Press Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Updated 8:10 a.m., Thursday, November 1, 2012 The storm's devastation leaves a blank canvas to redevelop prized vacation towns, but some caution that extreme...

French President Francois Hollande wants 'concrete acts' from Iran to show it is not pursuing nuclear arms.

GOVERNMENT enacts virtual "turn-back" provision for asylum seekers, in a crackdown on boat arrivals who fail credible claims.

by Michelle Rynbrandt Political zingers and talks of elections. Yeah, but these are actually funny. One would never dream that the Oval Office was like this.But with President Charles Smith desperately seeking reelection and the phone ringing off the hook—committee members telling him to give up, his wife asking...

Israel and Iran are trading words and insinuations over whether the Iranian stealth drone which Hizballah launched over Israel on Oct, 6 did or did not obtain images of sensitive Israeli sites.

Syrian warplanes pounded rebel fighters and car bombs went off in the Damascus suburbs Wednesday as the architect of a failed cease-fire huddled with Chinese officials in Beijing.

Romney says Obama has failed to kickstart the US economy since the financial crisis, and pledges to be an “agent of change” to restore the country’s economic health. He wants to create millions of jobs by boosting growth through lower taxes, deregulation, open markets and US oil and gas exploration.

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — A British man accused of trying to buy missile parts from undercover American agents and resell them to Iran pleaded guilty Thursday in a deal that would carry nearly three years in prison but could allow him to serve much of that time in his ...

Syrian warplanes pounded rebel fighters and car bombs went off in the Damascus suburbs Wednesday as the architect of a failed cease-fire huddled with Chinese officials in Beijing.

Grand hopes for a comprehensive peace settlement with the Taliban in Afghanistan have not died, but they have dimmed considerably.

An Iranian opposition website says at least nine female political prisoners have begun a hunger strike in protest of snap body searches and abuse by prison guards.

Different countries may define blasphemy differently but some common elements must be there. There must be a clear intention to wound religious feelings, a likelihood of breach of public order, and an element of religious insult or vilification. America’s actions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Vietnam, Kampuchea, Laos, Afghanistan, Iraq, Gautemala,...

>* 2 New Jersey refineries slow to restart on power, flooding issues* China PMI surveys show economy perking up* Coming up: EIA weekly petroleum stocks and output data at 1100/1500 GMTBy Florence TanSINGAPORE, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Brent crude edged down toward $108 a barrel on Thursday as investors focused...