News Archive - 17 May 2013

>WASHINGTON May 17 (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday Turkey had already significantly reduced its oil imports from Iran, which is under the choke of Western sanctions, and further cutbacks would depend on his country's energy needs."On crude oil, there has been a significant decrease...

>Speaking at the Brookings Institution in Washington a day after discussing Syria with President Barack Obama, Erdogan said a no-fly zone could be discussed at a planned international conference on Syria backed by Washington and Moscow."It is not a decision that could be taken between the United States and...

>* Like "A Separation", "The Past" looks at family, divorce* Only Chinese entry is thinly veiled political critiqueBy Alexandria SageCANNES, May 17 (Reuters) - Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi premiered his latest tightly wound family drama at Cannes on Friday, confirming critics' advance buzz it would prove a contender for...

>Bahrain, where the U.S. Fifth Fleet has its base on Iran's doorstep, has been in violent turmoil since Shi'ite-led pro-democracy protests erupted in 2011.Protests continue and often end in clashes between demonstrators and police. At least two people have died this year.Security personnel forced open the door...

>SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) - A proposed international conference to try to stop Syria's civil war should be held as soon as possible, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday, but no date has yet been agreed for a meeting that appears to face growing obstacles. Ban spoke as U.

>"We should not lose the momentum," Ban said of a U.S.-Russian proposal to bring the Syrian government and opposition representatives to a peace conference."There is a high expectation that this meeting should be held as soon as possible," he said after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei...

>ISLAMABAD May 17 (Reuters) - Islamabad has authorised the export of 100,000 tonnes of wheat to Iran in trade not jeopardised by Western sanctions, to settle dues for electricity supplied to Pakistan's energy-starved border areas, the Commerce Ministry said on Friday. The shipment of 100,000 tonnes was to have been...

WASHINGTON — By Thursday, after a week of fallout from a growing IRS scandal and the Department of Justice's raid on journalists' records, Tennessee's senior senator wasn't the first Republican to link President Barack Obama with President Richard Nixon — he of the enemies list, secret tapes and Watergate.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Iran must take part in a proposed international conference to end Syria's civil war, but that Western states wanted to limit the participants and possibly predetermine the outcome of the talks.

WHEN Finnish singer Krista Siegfrids ended her Eurovision Song Contest rehearsal performance last week by kissing one of her female dancers, few members of the audience raised an eyebrow.

Note to GOP re Benghazi: Stop calling it Watergate, Iran-contra, bigger than both, etc. First, it might well be, but we don’t know. History will judge. Second, overhyping will...

A proposed international conference to try to stop Syria’s civil war should be held as soon as possible, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday, but no date has yet been agreed for a meeting that appears to face growing obstacles.

MARQUETTE - U.S. Olympic Education Center Greco-Roman wrestler Kendrick Sanders helped Team USA defeat Russia in The Rumble on the Rails competition held Wednesday at New York City's Grand Central Station.

BBC Persian's Rana Rahimpour explains how Iran's leadership structure works and what could happen in the upcoming presidential elections.

The first serious Palme D'Or potential hoves into view   Friday morning saw the first heavyweight contender for the Palme d'Or unveiled, with Asghar Farhadi's follow-up to A Separation playing to a packed house in the Lumiere Theatre. Continuing that film's themes, The Past is another story of divorce, this...

International sanctions have piled up against SyrianAir but the carrier is operating at full capacity as civil war has made domestic road travel perilous and Syrian expatriates have few alternatives to return home.

Bahraini security forces raided the house of top Shi'ite cleric Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim yesterday, the opposition said, an act likely to enrage the island's majority Shi'ite population, which is at loggerheads with its Sunni rulers.

Yet another travel writer's award in the bag and a third book on the shelf seemed good enough reason to pin down Timaru-based travel writer and tour guide Jill Worrall for a chat. Features editor Claire Allison fits in around homecomings, Probus Club talks and Marmite.

U.S. stocks closed out the week on strong gains, with the Dow and S&P 500 reaching new highs and all three major averages gaining for fourth-straight week on encouraging economic reports. Dow Jones Industrial Average added 121.18 points, or 0.80 per cent, to close at 15,354.40.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — North Korea is still trying to import and export nuclear and ballistic missile-related items but financial and trade sanctions are slowing progress on development of their prohibited weapons, U.N. experts say in a new report.        

Two men are dead after a desperate act to save their friends, writes Michael Bachelard.        

Exclusive: The 87-year-old ex-Argentine dictator Jorge Videla died Friday in prison where he was serving sentences for grotesque human rights crimes in the 1970s and 1980s. But one of Videla’s key backers, the late President Ronald Reagan, continues to be honored by Americans, writes Robert Parry.

The Obama administration on Thursday imposed a fresh round of sanctions on Syria , targeting four ministers, one airline and one TV station, just as a new peace conference is being broached to end the 27-month conflict in the Arab nation.

(MENAFN) The National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company's (NIORDC) director, Alireza Zeighami, announced that his country will increase its exports of diesel to Iraq to around 5 million ...

I would like to think the actions of British university lecturer and socialist politician Eleanor Jackson were unique and confined to a country 3,000 miles away.

>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The series of cyber attacks that repeatedly knocked major U.S. banking websites offline in the past nine months has been more powerful than the general public realizes, government officials and security experts told the Reuters Cybersecurity Summit. A self-described activist group, Cyber Fighters of Izz ad-din...

In foreign policy, "red lines," or public statements of policy boundaries, are often set by one nation to make it clear to another that, if the red line is breached, there will be consequences. Setting a red line can be a very powerful tool for advancing a particular policy.

Israel's Channel 2 released satellite images of a t least two locations struck in a reported Israeli airstrike at Damascus International Airport on May 3 .

The dangerous brinkmanship pitting Israel against the alliance of Iran, Syria and Hezbollah has brought the region closer to war than at any time since the end of the July-August 2006 conflict

Reigning champion Zhang Jike of China eased through to the last 16 of the World Table Tennis Championships in Paris on Friday after seeing off compatriot Fan Zhendong.

The top U.S. military officer says Russian missile shipments to Syria are "ill-timed" and "very unfortunate." The remarks by General Martin Dempsey were the first U.S. confirmation that Russia made the sale of so-called ship-killer cruise missiles to Syria. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of...

The top U.S. military officer says Russian missile shipments to Syria are "ill-timed" and "very unfortunate." The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, said Friday the missiles will embolden President Bashar al-Assad and prolong the suffering in Syria. He said Mr. Assad could think...

By Erika Solomon BEIRUT (Reuters) - The United States chided Russia for sending missiles to the Syrian government as plans for a peace conference promoted by Washington and Moscow were hit by diplomatic rifts over its scope and purpose. Sectarian bloodshed in neighbouring Iraq during Friday prayers, a hacking attack...

By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council is considering a plea from senior U.N. aid officials to demand aid access in war-torn Syria, a move that could lead to a showdown between Russia and Western states over humanitarian cross-border deliveries, U.N. diplomats say.

Wrestling is heeding the harshest of wakeup calls.Now it's time for the International Olympic Committee to do the right thing.Put this most historic of sports back on the program for the 2020 Summer Games.Assuming the governing body, known as FILA, follows through on major steps Friday ---...

       

Latest VideoMay 17th, 2013     Noghteh Paayan : New song by Googoosh Noghteh Paayan : New song by Googoosh...

ABU DHABI — Iran has pressed its main proxy for full combat troop deployment in Syria, a newspaper said. Kuwait’s Al Rai Al Aam reported that Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei convened an urgent meeting with Hizbullah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah in Teheran.

TEL AVIV, Israel, May 17 (UPI) -- Nobel Energy of Houston, which discovered Israel's big gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean, is pressing the government to decide soon on an energy export policy as the prospect of an undersea pipeline to Turkey gains credibility.

The head of Iran's constitutional watchdog says it may disqualify candidates in June presidential elections who seek full relations with the United States.        

Russian officials on Friday defended the country’s weapons sales to Syria, saying the country is primarily providing defense systems that are in line with international treaties.

THAILAND: Iran’s firebrand President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will address a forum on water security in Thailand next week, an embassy official said on Friday, just weeks before he stands down from the post.

After five years, Jean Claude Gandur is back in the game. The Swiss billionaire made the bulk of his $2.1 billion fortune (as of Forbes' last count) selling publicly traded Addax Petroleum to Sinopec in 2008 for $7.2 billion. And this week he finally returned to the public...

The Iranian national wrestling team returned home Thursday and will not compete against a United States squad as planned Sunday at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

"If you want to pick the right spouse, this is really good," said Farzam Kamalabadi, as he pointed to a list of character and spiritual traits I had shown him in my notebook. He and I would discuss a wide range of topics, mostly related in some way to...

PARIS: France said on Friday it is opposed to having Iran attend a peace conference on Syria despite Damascus's ally Russia wanting Tehran's presence at the event expected in the first half of June.

Two blasts at Iraqi Sunni mosque kill 43 BAQUBA, Iraq (Reuters) - Two bombs exploded outside a Sunni Muslim mosque in the Iraqi city of Baquba as worshippers left Friday prayers, killing at least 43 people in one of the deadliest attacks in a month-long surge in sectarian violence. Attacks...

CANNES, France - Two directors from countries with tough film censorship brought bold and probing movies to the Cannes Film Festival on Friday — one exploring China's social problems, the other delving into the mysteries of the human heart.

TEHRAN, May 17 (UPI) -- Iranian presidential hopeful Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has a history of making "huge" political mistakes, a conservative rival candidate contends.

London (dpa) - The ratings agency Fitch on Friday downgraded Slovenia‘s credit rating to BBB+ from A-.The agency said the outlook for Slovenia‘s long-term debt was negative, adding that the country risked of further downgrades.Fitch specified the rise in Slovenian government budget deficit, the country‘s poor economic outlook...

>Iraq's Elaf Islamic Bank BELF.ISX was first blacklisted by the United States last year for knowingly doing business with the Export Development Bank of Iran (EDBI), an Iranian state bank the United States accuses of being a "proliferator" of weapons of mass destruction.Getting sanctioned by the United States...

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A Tea Party group says the Internal Revenue Service asked about its involvement in efforts to verify signatures in the effort to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

The race to succeed Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad as Iran's president is infused with intrigue and drama. The various political groups are busy promoting their candidates, consolidating their lists and establishing their platforms.

Flint — The sister of an ex-Marine incarcerated in Iran for nearly two years has met with a Swiss ambassador about her brother's case as part of an effort to seek his freedom.

BAGHDAD (AP) -- Twin explosions ripped through a crowd of Sunni worshippers in Baghdad on Friday, an attack which, combined with a second deadly bombing at a Sunni funeral just outside the city, deepened fears Iraq may be headed toward a new round of sectarian conflict.

Latest VideoMay 17th, 2013     Question of a reporter From Obama : You said Bashar Asad shoul go , but when and how ? A report about latest development in Syrian issue and meeting  of Turkish prime minister Rejeb Teyeb Erdoghan with president Barack Obama in Unites States .

CANNES: Iranian Oscar-winner Asghar Farhadi drew enthusiastic applause Friday for one of the most-keenly awaited films at Cannes, with a Paris-set tale about shifting relationships.

Yangon - Myanmar President Thein Sein plans to release at least 20 political prisoners Friday prior to his landmark visit to the United States next week, a prison watch group said. "We heard that at least 20 political prisoners will be released Friday," said Tun Kyi, head of the Assistance...

Thai composite stocks index (SET) opened on Friday at 1,613.97, 3.91 points, or 0.24 per cent in line with most regional shares. Blue chip SET-50 index was at 1,068.59, down 4.27 points, or 0.40 per cent. Top five most active (value) stocks: JAS, TRUE,...

PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut this morning led more than 1,200 people in a mass planting of mangrove trees to honor HM Queen ...

Things can get messy when sports and politics intersect, but they can also motivate to join arms, knees and headlocks into forming a coalition that speaks toward doing more for the greater good as far as all athletes are concerned.

Phnom Penh - The Japanese athletics brand ASICS said Friday that it would push its four Cambodian sub-contractors to join a programme that monitors conditions in garment and shoe factories. The statement followed an accident Thursday at the Wing Star Shoes factory south-west of Phnom Penh, which killed two workers...

PHUKET: Officials in Phang Nga, north of Phuket, yesterday staged a rapid-response exercise simulating an outbreak of bird ...

The computer virus seems to be making a subtle comeback.        

Today’s AM fix was USD 1,376.75, EUR 1,069.15 and GBP 903.62 per ounce. Yesterday’s AM fix was USD 1,377.00, EUR 1,070.01 and GBP 904.32 per ounce. Gold fell $6.00 or -0.43% yesterday to $1,386.70/oz and silver finished +0.71%.

TEHRAN: Women can not contest Iran's June 14 presidential election, a member of the Islamic state's electoral watchdog said in media reports on Friday, dashing the hopes of some 30 female candidates.

Latest VideoMay 17th, 2013     Rahim Poor Azghadi hint : Quran say dont vote for candidates such as Hashemi Rafsanjani ! In a part of his speech aired on state run  Quran TV about election  ,  The famous political figure of Islamic Republic  Rahim Poor Azghadi who is also a  member...

Sleiman urges lawmakers to devote their energies toward finalizing an electoral law for the upcoming polls rather than trading accusations and insults.

An undercover source working for Canada's spy agency and sensitive intelligence from the United States and Britain helped build the case against three terrorism suspects facing criminal charges, court documents indicate.

We are in the midst of the worst Washington scandal since Watergate. That’s Peggy Noonan today in The Wall Street Journal , and no, she will not be laughed out of Washington. There are papers to sell and clicks to harvest.

SINGAPORE, May 17 (Reuters) - Asian gasoil margins recouped the previous session's losses onFriday, boosted by demand from Egypt and Sri Lanka and a crude distillation unit shutdown inIndia, trade sources said. The June gasoil crack gained 85 cents to $16.78 a barrel above Dubai crude, Reuters datashowed. Egyptian...

>KUALA LUMPUR May 17 (Reuters) - The International Islamic Liquidity Management Corp (IILM), which plans to issue its maiden sukuk by June this year, is facing its final hurdle as it aims to secure a network of distributors. The IILM, which was formed to address the shortage of financial instruments...

Latest VideoMay 17th, 2013     Firouz Karimi deny of having racist intention against Dutch player Sendley Bito Firouz Karimi deny of having racist  intention of not shaking hand of Dutch player Sendley Bito and say that he have appoligised from the Dutch player + footage of remarks of Firoozi  in...

Bashar al-Assad's regime has certainly suffered many setbacks during the brutal civil war that shows no signs of ending, but it's clear right now that Assad and his followers have been gaining momentum, writes Derek Stoffel.

"There is a high expectation that this meeting should be held as soon as possible," he said after talks with Sergei Lavrov.

The U.S. government on Thursday blacklisted four Syrian government ministers, an airline and a television station it said helped the Assad government in its two-year crackdown on opposition forces.

New York, May 17 : The top United Nations official in Iraq on Thursday called the relocation of 14 Iranians to Albania from an exile camp near Baghdad, an "encouraging first step."

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is in Russia, where he has said it is important not to "lose momentum" in talks on setting up a peace conference on Syria next month. Mr. Ban is in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin...

JERUSALEM (AP) - An Israeli defense official says the head of the American CIA spy agency has made an unannounced visit to Israel. The official says CIA chief John Brennan met Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon. He did not disclose other details.

>* Brent crude on course to end week little changed* Evidence mounts of slower U.S. economic growth (Previous SINGAPORE, updates prices)By Alex Lawler and Manash GoswamiLONDON, May 17 (Reuters) - Oil slipped on Friday, staying below $104 a barrel on concern about the strength of demand growth and as...

Latest VideoMay 17th, 2013     Rouyanian on TV : Mansour Ebrahimzadeh selected as Persepolis head coach During sport program Varzesh Va Mardom aired on Friday17 May on Iranian television , the managing director of Persepolis FC Sardar Rouyanian announced that Mansour Ebrahimzadeh is selected as head coach of the club .