News Archive - 10 June 2013

>The sole reformist candidate still standing in the election, Aref said he had received a message from reformist former President Mohammad Khatami on Monday evening saying his remaining in the race was not "expedient"."In consideration of Mr. Khatami's explicit opinion, and the experiences of two past presidential elections, I...

>* IAEA reports showed it was shut down in February, MayMOSCOW, June 10 (Reuters) - Iran's Russian-built nuclear power plant has experienced technical problems with its generator and experts are working to resolve the issue, Tehran's envoy to Moscow said on Monday.Ambassador Mahmoud Reza Sajjadi said there was "absolutely...

>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States could make a decision as early as this week on whether to arm Syrian rebels, U.S. officials said on Monday, as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry put off a Middle East trip to attend meetings on the subject. However, the U.

>Haddad-Adel, a close adviser and a relative by marriage of clerical Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had been a member of a coalition of conservative "Principlist" candidates that included Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and former foreign minister Ali Akbar Velayati."With my withdrawal I ask the dear people to...

>* Wants no challengers after turbulent Ahmadinejad years* Hardline leader sees Iran beset by foreign conspiraciesBy Marcus GeorgeDUBAI, June 10 (Reuters) - Five days from Iran's presidential election, these are nervy times for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who as only the second Supreme Leader in the Islamic Republic's 34-year history answers...

>No group claimed responsibility for Monday's attacks, but officials blame most of the sectarian violence that has killed nearly 2,000 people since April on Sunni Islamist insurgents linked to al Qaeda's local wing.Officials said two car bombs exploded and a suicide bomber in another vehicle detonated his explosives in...

>DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's electoral watchdog will consider on Monday whether to disqualify a centrist cleric from running for president, just days before Friday's election, Iranian media reported. The semi-official Mehr news agency, citing an unnamed source, said the Guardian Council would consider barring Hassan Rohani for revealing what it...

London—In what may prove to be a boost for Iran’s beleaguered reformists, the two liberal-leaning candidates for the upcoming presidential election have reportedly agreed to form a coalition to avoid splitting the reformist vote.The two candidates, Hassan Rouhani and Mohammad Reza Aref, were urged to form a common front...

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's presidential election is June 14. Here are five things you should know:

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A hardline Iranian presidential candidate withdrew Monday from the race to boost the chances of fellow conservatives, the media reported.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's eight years in power have isolated Iran internationally because of deep suspicions over its secretive nuclear programme and unwavering support for Syria's Bashar al-Assad, its closest regional ally, analysts say.

>WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Americans accused of divulging secrets to the media have escaped long prison sentences, a pattern that may reassure Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor who exposed the U.S. government's top-secret surveillance programs last week. In the nine such criminal cases in U.S. history, two...

>UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - A senior Iranian diplomat linked to Iran's reformists, who has been detained at Tehran's notorious Evin Prison for three months, has been denied access to his attorney for the entire time, sources familiar with the case told Reuters on Monday. Bagher Asadi, who was previously a...

Latest VideoJune 10th, 2013     Former foreign affairs minister Ali Akbar Velayati promotional video aired on Monday 9 June Promotional video of former minster of foreign affairs and candidate of presidency aired on Monday 12 June on Iranian TV .

Latest VideoJune 10th, 2013     Asgaroladi praise Hashemi Rafsanjani role in economy ! Talking with Iranian TV on Monday 10 June , the fundamentalist Asadollah Asgar Oladi member of Motalefeh Islamic Party praise role of Hashemi Rafsanjani in economy and say that canceling and bypassing sanctions is not a difficult job...

Latest VideoJune 10th, 2013     Former commander of Revolutionay Guard Mohsen Rezaei plans for fixing economy ! The former commander of Revolutionary Guard Mohsen Rezaei who is keen to be known as a skilled economist , explain his plans for fixing Iranian economy during a chat on Iranian TV on Monday...

Twenty survivors of Saddam Hussein’s deadly 1988 chemical weapons attack on the Kurdish town of Halabja have requested a judicial investigation of French suppliers, saying executives knew what they were sending to the Iraqi dictator. Related Stories Court to consider legality of ECB policy that saved the eurozone Russia set...

10 things to know for today, Sunday, June 9, 2013.

Iran is working round the clock to enlarge its nuclear infrastructure with the eventual aim of developing an industry capable of building up to 30 bombs a year, an Israeli minister charged on Monday.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Insurgents struck cities across Iraq on Monday with car bombs, suicide attacks and gun battles, killing more than 70 people in worsening sectarian violence.

FIFTY YEARS ago, President John F. Kennedy delivered a commencement address at American University whose message echoes down the decades to the challenges America faces today — including the challenge of Iran.

When Maryam Ovissi initiated “Love Your Body-Northern Virginia Yoga and Wellness Day” five years ago, little did she realize how quickly this annual event would grow.

The guess here is few Americans took comfort in President Barack Obama's declaration last week that the government wasn't listening in on our phone conversations.

The 18-page directive issued last October states that “The secretary of defense, the DNI [Director of National Intelligence], and the director of the CIA … shall prepare for approval by the president through the National Security Advisor a plan that identifies potential systems, processes and infrastructure against which the United...

Key players and programmes in the National Security Agency's secret operation mining phone and internet data Verizon The US National Security Agency (NSA) has been empowered by a secret order issued by the foreign intelligence court directing Verizon Communications, a mobile phone provider with 98.9 million wireless customers, to...

This past week's revelations about the National Security Agency millions of Americans' phone records (without suspecting any of them of a crime), plus news of secretive data-gathering program called PRISM, has seemingly drawn a rough dividing line between civil libertarians (libertarians, less-hawkish conservatives, anti-war progressives) and establishment types in both...

Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad are massing around Aleppo in preparation for an offensive to retake the city and build on battlefield gains that have swung the momentum of Syria's war to Assad and his Hezbollah allies.

DUBAI— At the global treaty conference on telecommunications here, the United States got most of what it wanted. But then it refused to sign the document and left in a huff. What was that all about?

DAMASCUS - Syrian rebels converged Monday on a military airport in Aleppo, where troops massed for a threatened assault, as the United States said it was considering "all possible options" to help the opposition.

The Iraqi Shiite fighter's family is urging him to stop risking his life by traveling to Syria, saying he's done his part defending the holy shrine of Sayida Zeinab outside Damascus.

The British academic record of an Iranian presidential candidate has come under scrutiny amid uncertainty over where and when he obtained his qualifications.        

NEW YORK, June 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue: Pipeline Industry to 2017 - Rising Global Energy Demand and Increased Shale Gas Exploration Encouraging...

Attack 25 miles north of Baghdad tore through a busy market killing dozens, although no group has taken responsibility as yet.

Hezbollah claimed victory over the Free Syrian Army in Qusayr, but its entry into the war is fueling Sunni-Shia violence at home.

BMW and Bordeaux about to become collateral damage in Brussels vs. Beijing battle over anti-dumping tariffs.

MOSCOW, June 10 (UPI) -- "A common language" on missile defense may be the best way for the United States and Russia to improve bilateral relations, a Russian lawmaker said Monday.

TEHRAN, Iran — An influential Iranian clerical body has announced its support for presidential candidate Ali Akbar Velayati in the June 14 election. A Sunday report by the semi-official Mehr news agency quotes the Association of Teachers of Qom Seminary as saying the association decided to support Velayati, current foreign...

>JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah, may prevail in the more than two-year-old uprising against him, Israel's intelligence minister said on Monday. Though the assessment was quickly disavowed by others in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government, it reflected the difficulties facing Israel...

>DUBAI (Reuters) - A conservative former parliament speaker dropped out of the June 14 Iranian presidential election on Monday in a move to consolidate the hardline vote and lessen the chances of an upset favoring a moderate candidate. The 12-man Guardian Council, largely under the sway of Supreme Leader Ayatollah...

Latest VideoJune 10th, 2013     Saeed Jalili talk about his role in capture of Abdolmalek Rigi In his promotional video named as documentary , aired on Saturday 9 June on Iranian TV , the fundamentalist candidate talk about his role in capture of Baluchi leader Abdolmalek Rigi who was hanged...

DUBAI (Reuters) - Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri has intervened in a dispute between the Iraqi and Syrian branches of his network, telling both to "stop arguing", Qatar-based Al Jazeera television reported. Related Stories Selective justice keeps foreign investment out of Ukraine Analysis - Iran election hopefuls have no quick...

NATIONAL STORIES: CNNMoney: Seniors in 48 states face serious income shortage Seniors in almost every state in the country are falling short when it comes to affording their golden years, according to a study released Monday. Nationwide, seniors are living off of a median household income of $35,107, roughly 57%...

Guardian Council says it is not considering barring any candidate from the June 14 presidential vote.

In many parts of the emerging world, vast and fast-growing populations face a choice between order and economic growth on the one hand, and rights and social justice on the other. Last week’s riots in Turkey, for instance, showed demand for the latter asserting itself over the former. The country’s...

A landmark U.S.-China summit ended without a breakthrough on the thorny issue of hacking.

Zawahri steps into row between Syrian and Iraqi al Qaeda wings DUBAI (Reuters) - Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri has intervened in a dispute between the Iraqi and Syrian branches of his network, telling both to "stop arguing", Qatar-based Al Jazeera television reported. Al Qaeda in Iraq announced in April...

Ideological commitment to Al Assad regime comes at expense of domestic needs