News Archive - 22 November 2012

>In a case that has sparked international outrage, 35-year-old Sattar Beheshti who wrote a blog critical of the government was arrested on October 30 after receiving death threats and died some days later, having complained of being tortured.Under increasing pressure at home and abroad for an investigation, Iran's parliament...

>JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Just hours after a bomb exploded on a Tel Aviv bus, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to a truce with the very people his government blamed for the blast -- the Islamist Hamas rulers of Gaza. Wednesday's decision to pull back from the brink of a...

>GAZA (Reuters) - Gazans savoured the calm that pervaded their coastal enclave on Thursday after an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire halted eight days of relentless Israeli bombardment that killed 162 people. Despite the death and destruction, many were buoyant, echoing assertions of the Gaza Strip's Islamist Hamas rulers that their rocket salvoes,...

>Tough sanctions have tightened the screws on Tehran, which relies on its shipping trade for imports including food, consumer and industrial goods.Hong Kong's marine department has asked the owners of 19 dry bulk carriers, managed by an Iranian firm, to register their ships elsewhere after the Korean Register of...

>An army statement said the incidents all took place near the southern Lebanese town of Marjayoun, about five km (three miles) from Israel's northern border.On Monday the army dismantled two rockets aimed towards Israel, which fought an eight-day conflict with the Islamist Hamas movement ruling the Gaza Strip. The...

>"President (Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad said the cruelty in Gaza should unite Muslims. He said he welcomes the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, but he seems to not be very optimistic about the ceasefire," a TV anchor for the station said.A ceasefire between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers took hold on...

>On Wednesday Fabius accused Iran of negative intentions in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Gaza and that it bore a "heavy responsibility" for the fighting for providing long-range weapons.Iran has denied allegations it has supplied Hamas with Fajr-5 rockets, which the militant group that controls Gaza said it had fired...

GAMBIT (12A)

Washington — In Egypt we trust. In frantic diplomacy, the Obama administration helped seal a cease-fire that puts heavy responsibility on Egypt's young Islamist government to ensure the end of Hamas rockets from the Gaza Strip.

Hamas's charter includes the aspiration that "the day of judgment will not come about until Muslims fight the Jews [killing the Jews]".

Regarding “Bringing Iran around” (Nov. 3 editorial), let me start by defining who we are dealing with when talking about the Iranian leadership. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a fanatic as someone who is “marked by excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion.”

Two university professors are feuding over whether undergraduate students should have had dinner with the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The camp set up by Australia to house asylum-seekers on the Pacific island of Nauru was "appalling" and likely in breach of its obligations to refugees, rights group Amnesty said Friday.

In the film "Groundhog Day," Bill Murray wakes up each morning and relives the previous day. A similar scenario is playing out in the Middle East between Israel and her enemies.

With the truce in the week-long Gaza war, Barack Obama is being prompted by right and left to re-engage and renew U.S. efforts to solve the core question of Middle East peace.

I made a donation today to the Israel Terror Relief Fund sponsored by the Jewish Federations of North America.

Israel's hand also restrained by the new Egyptian leadership and the costs of a ground war.

JERUSALEM -- The domestic criticism started pouring in almost as soon as Israel's cease-fire with Hamas was signed Wednesday night. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had waved a white flag and left the job unfinished, the opposition howled. A television snap poll found a large majority of the public did not...

Music DVD Review: Stray Cats - Live at Montreux 1981 Seattle Post-Intelligencer Copyright 2012 Seattle Post-Intelligencer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Published 11:19 a.m., Wednesday, November 21, 2012 At a time when punk, new wave, and disco competed for airplay, the...

IT'S a foolish person who speaks of winners and losers in any war.

Iran, which has for years supplied Hamas with weapons, is up against the new Egypt for the militant group's loyalty. Changes in Syria could also weaken Iran. CAIRO — Iran for years has supplied Hamas with weapons as part of its own struggle against Israel, but the conflict in the...

Iran has condemned the latest spate of terrorist attacks which killed 25 Shia Muslims attending processions commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (PBUH) in two Pakistani cities.

Hamas’ exchange of rockets and missiles with Israel over the past week or so was certainly dramatic — but it’s only Act I in Iran’s plan to conquer the region and destroy the Jewish state. In Act II,Israel will be squaring off with a much more formidable enemy...

BEIRUT — Senior Syrian officials lashed out Sunday at foreign governments that have recognized the opposition, while armed skirmishes around the country included a fresh salvo across the border with Israel. Syria's information minister, Omran al-Zoubi, accused France, Turkey and Qatar of supporting “terrorism” in Syria by extending diplomatic recognition...

By PABLO A. TARIMAN " IT is a long arduous wait for justice and freedom." Thus says former UP Collegian editor Ericson Acosta describing his one year and eight months in the Calbayog sub-provincial jail in Samar Island. For the record, he is one of the more than 354...

The army invading the United States in “Red Dawn,” an ill-advised remake of the campy 1984 original, was changed in post-production from Chinese to North Korean. With a few snips here, a few re-dubs there, the filmmakers re-edited and re-shot, fearful of offending China and its increasingly important movie-going market.

The Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center has officially opened its new Women Veterans Health & Wellness Center to better meet the needs of the nation’s fastest-growing veteran population.

A week of Israeli bombardment has pulverized government buildings and militant weapons stores, and left 161 Palestinians dead. But the Gaza Strip’s Hamas leadership has emerged stronger than ever, Palestinians in Gaza said Thursday.

Oil headed for a third weekly gain in New York after fighting in Gaza renewed concern about the threat to Middle East supplies and U.S. crude stockpiles unexpectedly dropped.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Hamas leaders and thousands of flag-waving supporters declared victory over Israel on Gazas first day of calm under an Egyptian-brokered truce Thursday, as Israeli officials flew to Cairo for talks on easing a blockade on the batter...

Dalton McGuinty’s green machine has sprung another leak, courtesy the World Trade Organization.

In assessing events in distant places, it is often helpful to ask a simple question: what would we have done in a similar situation?

Edmonton police are looking for a man with bite marks on one of the fingers of his left hand in a sexual assault near Old Strathcona Monday night.

Hamas militants stand during a Hamas news conference in Gaza City on Thursday. Gazans are celebrating a ceasefire agreement reached with Israel to end eight days of the fiercest fighting in nearly four years constricting the Gaza Strip.

The man who led a public inquiry into the failed police investigation of serial killer Robert Pickton has handed in his report to the B.C. government.

The top leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood denounced peace efforts with Israel and urged holy war to liberate Palestinian territories on Thursday — one day after the country's president, who hails from the movement, mediated a cease-fire between Israelis and Palestinians to end eight days of fierce fighting.

The party that had filled the streets of Gaza City within an hour of the ceasefire being declared on Wednesday evening lasted long into the night.

Nov. 22, 2012, 11:15 p.m. | Op-ed — by Alexander J. Motyl Cypriot president Dimitris Christofias (L) listens to his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovych during a toast at the presidential palace in Nicosia.

So far, Obama has avoided setting many concrete, long-term goals.

GAZA CITY — A week of Israeli bombardment has pulverized government buildings and militant weapons stores, and left 161 Palestinians dead. But the Gaza Strip’s Hamas leadership has emerged stronger than ever, Palestinians in Gaza said Thursday. Read full article >>

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas has emerged from battle with the triumphal sense of a hard-won game change: By stopping its offensive when it did, Israel's hard-line government seems to have grudgingly accepted that the Islamic militant group cannot soon be dislodged from power in Gaza.

As the dust settles between Gaza and Israel, each side is seeking to portray itself in a positive light after the ceasefire deal. In spite of the…

A Pensacola man was arrested this morning after allegedly firing a gun and wrecking his car.

World leaders of the group of eight developing countries have been meeting in Pakistan to discuss trade and forging closer economic ties. The summit…

Muslim leaders pledged to work more closely at a rare summit in Pakistan on Thursday as militant attacks killed 37 people across the country in some of the deadliest violence claimed by the Taliban for months.

A Pensacola man is in critical condition at a local hospital after being struck by a car last night.

Islamabad, Nov 22 (AFP) Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today vowed to complete a mutli-billion dollar gas pipeline to Pakistan on time, downplaying financial woes and US pressure on Islamabad to scrap the project.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — In his last blog entry, activist Sattar Beheshti wrote that Iranian authorities had given him an ultimatum: Either stop posting his "big mouth" attacks against the ruling system or tell his mother that she will soon be in mourning.

Iraq imports 70% of its needs from foreign countries, especially neighboring states, said the head of the Iraqi Chamber of Commerce Jaafar al-Hamadani.

A day after the ceasefire, which brought its jubilant supporters pouring into the streets of Gaza, Hamas, Palestinian militant group — after spiritedly countering ceaseless Israeli air strikes wit...

Costa Rica has been ranked as the best country for real estate investments in 2013, according to the International Real Estate Investments Magazine.

ROUTE 232, Israel (Reuters) - Israel began withdrawing the army on Thursday that had been poised to invade the Gaza Strip to go after Hamas, with both sides declaring they had won their eight-day battle. Dust-covered tanks and armoured bulldozers were winched onto transporters and driven out of the same...

Governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Mahmoud Bahmani has called for the use of local currencies in the global trade system as alternative to dominant tenders.

>* Iran able to defend itself - AhmadinejadISLAMABAD Nov 22 (Reuters) - Israel has a "childish" desire to attack Iran and Tehran is capable of defending itself, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday."They wish to hurt the Iranian nation. They are waiting for the chance. They known that...

As the dust settled over Gaza and Israel on Thursday amid relative calm, analysts were weighing who were the winners and losers from the conflict. How did the main players in the region now stack up? Israel: The conflict represents a qualified victory for the country and its Prime Minister...

ISLAMABAD: The Developing-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation adopted its Charter here in its 8th summit held at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Thursday which was signed by the foreign ministers of each participating country to promote interaction, trade and economic ties between them.

ISLAMABAD: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave a qualified welcome Thursday to a truce deal between Israel and Hamas, mediated by Egypt to end eight days of violence that killed six Israelis and 163 Palestinians.

Head of the Iran Football Federation Ali Kaffashian said on Tuesday that he has not decided to axe Carlos Queiroz. Iran lost to Uzbekistan last week in the 2012 World Cup qualifier and has a difficult task to advance directly to the competitions.

Economic sanctions imposed by the United States and other Western countries have left hospitals in Iran working in "war-time conditions," with many drugs scarce or too costly for most patients. Medical practitioners also allege that the government has mismanaged state funds, exacerbating the health-care crisis. read more

ISLAMABAD: The leaders of Developing-8 Thursday called for practical measures to enhance trade, visa liberalisation, closer cooperation between private sectors, operationalisation of PTA and free flow of goods in a bid to strengthen their economies.

Now that the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas has begun to take effect (at least for now), it's time to begin to assess the outcome of the war, and where we go from here. 1. The big star and game changer is the Iron Dome anti-missile defense system. Without...

WASHINGTON — The US success in helping to broker a Gaza ceasefire shows it cannot turn its back on the Middle East and should perhaps seize the moment to try to rekindle peace talks, experts said Wednesday. With Egypt’s new Islamist President Mohamed Morsi emerging strengthened from his first big...

A Staten Island man is charged with killing three people working alone in New York stores.

Editor: Christopher Wilson + 1 202 898 8457 Global Picture Desk: + 65 6870 3775 Global Graphics Deks: + 65 6870 3595 (All times GMT / ET) Receive this schedule by email: http://mediaexpress.reuters.com TOP STORIES Gaza ceasefire takes hold but mistrust runs deep GAZA/JERUSALEM - A ceasefire between...

Reuters/AFP/United Nations US Ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, broke her silence on Wednesday and defended her remarks on a September attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans, including the US ambassador to the North African nation.

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari launched the D-8 Summit here on Thursday to focus on enhancing economic and trade cooperation among the member countries. The theme of the summit is "Democratic partnership for peace and prosperity".

However crude the calculation, especially amid all the civilian casualties, the winners and losers in the Israel-Gaza conflict are already reshaping political alliances in the Middle East.

As Pakistan's Shiite Muslims prepare for their biggest annual religious congregation on Sunday, commemorating the 'martyrdom' of Imam Hussein, their lives in the predominantly Muslim state are more unsafe than ever.

NEW YORK - A garment salesman was arrested for systematically killing three shopkeepers as they worked alone in their clothing stores after a pharmacy worker recognized him from surveillance footage. Authorities believe the man had been poised to strike again.

The Gaza cease-fire deal reached Wednesday marks a startling trajectory for Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi.

Over 6,000 Indians are currently languishing in foreign jails with maximum of 1,691 being lodged in Saudi Arabia. External Affairs Salman Khurshid, replying to a question in Rajya Sabha, said a total of 6,293 Indians are imprisoned in various countries.

Nov 22 (Reuters) - TOP STORIES ----------- GAZA/JERUSALEM - A ceasefire between Israel and Gaza's Hamasrulers took hold on Thursday after eight days of conflict,although deep mistrust on both sides cast doubt on how long theEgyptian-sponsored deal can last. - - - - TIANYING, China - In ramshackle semi-industrial Tianying...

A SOLICITOR has been accused of attempting to ‘pay off’ a series of witnesses in an alleged £300,000 energy drink scam.

Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi spent long hours mediating among world leaders to produce a cessation of violence between Israel and Hamas. The deal brings him and Egypt high praise. But a key test comes Thursday, as negotiations over the details of the deal begin. read more

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the recent Israeli attack on Gaza was triggered not by expansionist motives but to salvage the Tel Aviv regime.

Pressure group The Free Speech Network has launched an advertising campaign warning of the dangers of press regulation on the day Lord Justice Leveson announced...

A ceasefire has taken hold in Gaza after a week of cross-border violence between Israel and Palestine.

Homeland's Navid Negahban made an appearance on AfterBuzz TV's Homeland edition on Sunday night. Negahban, who plays TV's most popular villain, Abu Nazir, was invited on the network to discuss his perspective on Homeland. Negahban talked about the complex nature of the characters, the concerns he had about portraying a...

Cairo, Nov 22 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Iran supplied Gaza militants with weapons, Khaled Meshaal, the political leader of Islamist group Hamas, has said.

GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A ceasefire between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers took hold on Thursday after eight days of conflict, although deep mistrust on both sides cast doubt on how long the Egyptian-sponsored deal can last. Quiet reigned on both sides of the frontier overnight and during the morning after...

Israelis talk a lot about campaigns, both military and political. This is the language they use.

>AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian warplanes bombed a Damascus suburb on Wednesday in a push to dislodge rebels from a stronghold that threatens President Bashar al-Assad's hold on the capital, opposition activists said. Heavy fighting also raged in other outskirts of the city in the most serious challenge to Assad's seat...

>* IEA says oil market well supplied, but glut not expectedBy Osamu TsukimoriTOKYO, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Asia should benefit from the convergence of global liquefied natural gas markets amid signs of change for its pricing structure linked to oil, the head of the West's energy watchdog told Reuters on...