News Archive - 21 January 2014

>The accused man, Mozaffar Khazaee, a dual U.S. and Iranian citizen, was arrested on January 9 at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, after he flew from Indianapolis to Newark, with Tehran as his final destination, prosecutors said.Khazaee, who moved recently from Connecticut to Indianapolis, was charged...

>UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - What was supposed to be one of the biggest diplomatic coups of Ban Ki-moon's two terms as United Nations Secretary-General was nearly his worst disaster. A year in the making, an international peace conference aimed at ending Syria's civil war, which has killed well over 100,000...

>* IMF raises global growth forecast for 1st time in nearly two years* U.S. crude stocks to rise 1.6 mln barrels after record draw -poll* Coming Up: API weekly oil stocks data; 2130 GMTBy Manash GoswamiSINGAPORE, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Brent futures rose above $107 a barrel on...

Latest VideoJanuary 21st, 2014     UN Withdrawal of invitation of Geneva 2 : Who is the liar , Javad Zarif or UN Secretary General ? While  Islamic Republic foreign minister  Javad Zarif express  regret  for  UN secretary General Ban Ki Moon for withdrawing   invitation of Iran for attending Geneva two...

>Lavrov said the Syrian opposition had in effect held the peace conference known as Geneva-2 to ransom by saying it would not attend if Iran was invited, and suggested the confusion had done nothing to boost the standing of the United Nations."It is, of course, a mistake ... But it...

The Pakistani air force pounded militant hide-outs near the Afghan border on Tuesday, killing dozens of people following deadly bombings against security forces in recent days.

Australia has for the first time used one of its new lifeboats to send a group of 56 asylum seekers back to Indonesia in a move that is likely to plunge the bilateral relationship to a new low.        

Baghdad (AFP) Jan 21, 2014 Iraqi forces pressed their attack on anti-government fighters holding parts of a city Tuesday as the UN warned of an "exponential rise" in displacement with 22,000 families having fled their homes. Violence elsewhere killed 10 people, bringing to 700 the number killed in nationwide unrest...

Herndon, Va. (UPI) Jan 21, 2013 On Feb. 1, the memory of the deaths of 241 U.S. military personnel slaughtered in the Oct. 23, 1983, Beirut bombing of the Marine Barracks will be dealt a slap in the face by an Obama administration that still doesn't get it. Barack...

Jerusalem (AFP) Jan 21, 2014 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Iran's atomic drive "will be stopped", a day after an interim agreement bringing sanctions relief for Tehran took effect. "Iran's military nuclear programme must be stopped, and Iran's military nuclear programme will be stopped," Netanyahu said at...

>* President Rouhani fails to deliver promises on democracy, rights* Nuclear deal leaves Rouhani less scope on domestic agenda* Deal seen likely to cement Khamenei's grip on powerBy Parisa HafeziANKARA, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Reformists who supported the election of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani last year fear his focus on...

In an interview with CNN on Tuesday, the family of Robert Levinson urged the U.S. Government to admit that the missing American worked for the CIA. Levinson -- who is now 65 -- disappeared from Iran seven years ago, and his family continues to express their frustration that the...

QUETTA: At least 24 people, women among them, were killed and over 41 were injured when a coach carrying pilgrims from Iran was hit by a suicide bomber in Mastung area, about 55km off here, on Tuesday.

Police block the street for the arrival of Syrian government officials at their hotel in Montreux, Switzerland, on the eve of the so-called Geneva II peace talks.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, currently embroiled in a diplomatic spat with China, takes centre stage at Davos Wednesday as 2,500 political and business leaders kick off their annual brainstorming ...

Islamabad, Jan 22 : At least 28 people were killed and 45 injured when a suicide bomber hit a bus carrying Shiite muslim pilgrims in Pakistan's Balochistan province Tuesday, Xinhua reported.

Tehran, Jan 22 (IANS) The United Nations' World Food Programme's (WFP) executive director gave a call for more funds to support the Iraqi and Afghan refugees in Iran. "We share this (Iranian) government's concern about the insufficient funding of World Food Programme in this country (Iran), " Xinhua quoted Ertharin...

Latest VideoJanuary 21st, 2014     Sardar Rouyanian resigned from Persepolis FC after lost and degraded in super league The controversial managing director of Persepolis FC ex IRGC Sardar Rouyanian  resigned from the club , following  lost of the team  for second time in a week and degraded in super league ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin (POO'-tihn) are discussing how to have a safe and secure Olympics in Sochi. The White House says the U.S. is offering its full assistance.

Bashar al-Assaid reportedly told visiting Russian MPs in Damascus that his future would be decided solely by elections Bashar al-Assad, Syria's president, has indicated that he has no intention of stepping down and insisted his departure will not be up for discussion at this week's long-awaited peace talks, which are...

B’nai B’rith International has issued the following statement:B’nai B’rith International praises Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper for his historic speech before the Knesset, reaffirming his country’s commitment to Israel and declaring the double standard that Israel faces in the international community intolerable. Harper, the first Canadian prime minister to address...

Two former East Haven police officers learned their fate Tuesday. They were both convicted of conspiring to violate and violating the civil rights of members of the Latino community.

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis and Lesley Wroughton MONTREUX, Switzerland (Reuters) - Syria's government and its enemies come face to face on Wednesday for the first time as world powers try to set aside their own differences and push for an end to three years of civil war that is unsettling...

WASHINGTON: Presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin discussed security at the Sochi Winter Olympics Tuesday, amid rising fears in Washington for the safety of US athletes following terror threats against the Games.

Latest VideoJanuary 21st, 2014     Theological graduates received special clergyman turban from Ayatollahs Graduates of theological schools received special clergyman turban – Ammameh  – from Ayatollahs . Watch similar video tiled ” Seminary students decorated with special turban by Ayatollahs in graduation ceremony”...

Latest VideoJanuary 21st, 2014     New deputies of Guardian Council introduced in presence of Ayatollah Janati New deputies of Guardian Council introduced in presence of Ayatollah Janati on Tuesday January 21 .

Here a five-point explanation of Canada’s alliance with Israel, and why Harper has put it into overdrive.

SAO PAULO (AP) — FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke is giving Brazilian organizers only a few more weeks to show that the stadium in Curitiba will be ready in time for the World Cup.

Montreux (Switzerland) (AFP) - Better known for its jazz festival and as the inspiration for rock anthem "Smoke on the Water", Swiss town Montreux is now the hub of efforts to end the war in Syria. As Syria's government, the country's divided opposition and the international community gathered for talks,...

Syria is facing fresh war crimes allegations after "clear evidence" of the "systematic torture and killing" of up to 11,000 people was published. The claims were made by a group of top international lawyers, who were handed 55,000 images of dead prisoners. The lawyers, who are all former war crimes prosecutors,...

Methamphetamine lab seizures in Oklahoma were on pace to fall by half during last year, but the statistic does not equal breathing room in the fight against meth addiction, an official said. Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics spokesman Mark Woodward said statewide 830 meth labs were seized in 2012. At the...

Oklahoma has the nation’s third-lowest state gasoline price average, and AAA expects retail prices to trend lower as 2014 unfolds. The auto club released its weekly fuel price report and analysis Tuesday, and Oklahoma’s average price for a gallon of self-serve unleaded, which has been hovering in the $3.05...

Foreign Secretary William Hague urged both sides in Syria to "seize the chance" to end the civil war as he arrived in Switzerland for the start of peace talks.

Latest VideoJanuary 21st, 2014     New target for cultural revolution in Islamic republic : English learning books ! In a coordinated campaign of different channels of Iranian TV ,the public is warned about the cultural aspects of English learning books in private schools ,  which are  a tool for spreading Western...

Six gay couples filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to overturn Florida's ban on same-sex marriage, the latest in a series of cases across the country that contend such prohibitions are unconstitutional and...

A suicide bomber killed four people in south Beirut Tuesday, in the latest in a string of attacks targeting strongholds of Lebanon's powerful Shiite movement and Syria ally Hezbollah. The blast was quickly claimed by Al-Nusra Front in Lebanon, a group believed to be linked to Al-Qaeda's Syrian arm. Al-Nusra...

Police have a person in custody following a reported shooting at Purdue University in Indiana. More >>

JERUSALEM - Throngs of Israelis literally reached out to touch Stephen Harper on Tuesday as he basked in a hero's welcome at the sacred Western Wall, shortly after he and his Israeli counterpart insisted their countries do, indeed, have differences of opinion. The prime minister's jam-packed second full day in...

CAIRO - Thousands of supporters of Egypt's powerful army chief rallied in a Cairo stadium on Tuesday, urging him to run for president and saying the third anniversary of the country's uprising should be used as an occasion to thank him and security forces for overthrowing the former Islamist president.

In this Jan. 19, 2014 photo provided by the United Nations, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon briefs correspondents at the U.N. headquarters in New York on the decision by the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Armed Forces to participate in the upcoming Geneva Conference on Syria. He also...

A bomb ripped through a bus full of Shi'ite pilgrims in western Pakistan and killed at least 22 people today, police said, extending a spate of sectarian attacks that have shaken the South Asian nation.

MILAN (AP) - The Italian carmaker Fiat says its acquisition of the final Chrysler stake is complete, making the U.S. car company a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fiat.     Fiat SpA said Tuesday that it closed the deal announced Jan. 1 with the cash payment of $1. ...

John Kingston, Global Director of News, Platts explains why crude exports from Iran will likely increase with the lifting of some economic sanctions against the country.

The easing of sanctions on Tehran that has just taken effect is sending Western companies rushing to seek new business opportunities in Iran. A group of senior French executives, including from the energy and automotive sectors, is heading to Tehran early next month.

Opponents of President Bashar al-Assad, pressured to attend Wednesday's first direct negotiations by their Western backers, cited new, photographic evidence of widespread torture and killing by Syria's government in renewing their demand that Assad must quit and face an international war crimes trial. One of three former international war crimes...

       

Long-awaited peace talks on Syria's devastating civil war are set to go ahead this week after the UN withdrew an invitation to Iran, but Tehran said Tuesday they were doomed to fail. Officials have expressed little hope of a breakthrough at the peace conference starting Wednesday in Switzerland, but have...

MIRI: Teenagers and young adults of the Generation Y are urged to explore, learn and respect each others’ cultural practices. “Electronic gadgets like smartphones, tablets and personal computers with easy access to the Internet are convenient but distant people’s interactions with others.

>LONDON (Reuters) - Britain on Tuesday told Iran to stop supporting the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad militarily, urging it to back efforts to broker peace in Syria instead. Iran and its Lebanese Shi'ite allies Hezbollah have long backed Assad, and Western diplomats say Tehran is supplying weapons and personnel...

Latest VideoJanuary 21st, 2014     Explosion in Shia neighborhood of Beirut was not caused by bombing , but mortar shell ! what was reported in the afternoon , today explosion in Shia neighborhood of Zahiyeh in Beirut which killed at least four person , was a result of a mortar shell...

This week in Iran, international inspectors are stepping up surveillance of the country's nuclear program. The inspections are at the heart of a landmark deal that freezes Iran's uranium enrichment in exchange for billions of dollars in relief from sanctions, but they are just a first step.

Washington, Jan 21 : The US is hopeful that all parties can now focus on ending the Syria conflict, State Department said Monday, after UN withdrew the invitation to Iran to attend an upcoming peace conference in Switzerland.

For illustration purposes only. Here are today’s top stories: Stern action awaits traders who refused to follow price mechanism, warns PM Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

JERUSALEM - Canada and Israel have differences of opinion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict despite their cozy relationship, both Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday.

The price of oil crept up toward $95 a barrel Tuesday after China's central bank injected credit into the financial system to offset concerns about slower economic growth, and experts raised their forecast for global crude demand.

Istanbul, Jan 21 : Syria's main opposition group in exile -- Syrian National Coalition (SNC) -- Monday urged UN chief Ban Ki-moon to withdraw its invitation to Iran for the upcoming Geneva II peace conference.

International inspectors check the enrichment process at a plant in Natanz, in central Iran, on the opening day of a six-month interim agreement under which Iran will limit its enrichment efforts while the international community eases punishing sanctions.

Good morning, readers, this is what's happening in your county today:  

Tehran calls Bazn Ki-moon's move "deplorable"; Syrian opposition threatened to stay away from the peace conference if Iran was there

>* Japan had been hardest hit by insurance limitations* Iran crude imports expected to stay steady (Adds further insurer comment, detail)TOKYO, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Japan's main private ship insurer, the Japan P&I Club, said it has resumed normal coverage for tankers carrying Iranian oil, a step in easing imports...

>Tehran wants Western oil companies to revive its giant ageing oilfields and develop new oil and gas fields once sanctions are lifted and is improving its oil investment contract in order to lure them in.The major OPEC producer has started implementing a nuclear deal with world powers, a step...

* IEA raises forecast for global oil demand growth * Call on OPEC increased by 200,000 bpd for 2014 * Rapid rise in U.S. crude oil production to continue (Adds detail throughout) By Lin Noueihed and Christopher Johnson LONDON, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Global oil demand will increase more...

LONDON - European shares hit fresh 5-1/2 year highs on Tuesday, tracking Asian shares higher as Chinese money rates eased, while the dollar got a boost from a report the Federal Reserve would again trim its bond buying next week. Chinese shares .SSEC rebounded from six-month lows and money market...

Tehran, Jan 21 (IANS): Real Madrid have agreed to play Iran's Persepolis football club prior to the 2014-15 season.

KABUL (Reuters) - Unknown gunmen on Tuesday seized more than 60 Afghan workers clearing Soviet-era anti-tank mines in western Herat province, the largest mass kidnapping undertaken in an economically important area now beset by security problems.        

Tehran, Jan 22 (IANS) Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will take part in the 44th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the Swiss city of Davos. Rouhani will leave for Davos Wednesday to attend the WEF, which is the world's biggest and most important annual economic meeting, Xinhua...

Hassan Rouhani, Iran's president. Hassan Rouhani, Iran's president. Close Hassan Rouhani, Iran's president.

Two Iranian warships set sail Tuesday for the Atlantic Ocean on their navy's first-ever mission there, state TV reported.

>* 2013 Iran imports down 2.2 pct vs 2012* Saudi imports flat; Iraq up 50 pct; Oman up 30 pct (recasts, adds imports from Saudi, Iraq, Oman))By Chen Aizhu and Judy HuaBEIJING, Jan 21 (Reuters) - China's daily Iranian crude oil imports fell 2.2 percent to 428,840 barrels...

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>* U.S. follows through on promise, begins Iran sanctions relief* South Sudan says retakes oil state capital Malakal; rebels deny* Brent oil neutral in $105.81-$106.80 range - technicals (Updates prices)By Manash GoswamiSINGAPORE, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Brent futures held above $106 a barrel on Tuesday as immediate...