News Archive - 21 December 2014

>* As the United States moves closer to taking Cuba off the list of state sponsors of terrorism, President Barack Obama said he would "review" whether to return North Korea to the list, part of a broader government response to a damaging cyber attack on Sony's Hollywood studio. (nyti.ms/1zan5yw)*...

>AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian businessmen and trade officials say they are worried the economic lifeline provided by Iran is under strain from plunging oil prices, despite public messages of support from Syria's strongest regional ally. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has relied on oil-producing Iran to help him fight insurgents in...

>Amir-Hossein Zamaninia is a veteran diplomat who was sidelined under hardline former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad before resurfacing as adviser on the nuclear negotiations revived by moderate President Hassan Rouhani.Zamaninia will replace former Deputy Oil Minister for International Affairs Ali Majedi, who left three months ago to become ambassador to...

>"We invite everyone to do what OPEC did and take a step to balance the market through not offering additional products in 2015, and if everyone abides by (the) OPEC decision, the market will stabilise and it will stabilise quickly," Suhail Bin Mohammed al-Mazroui said.He was speaking to reporters...

>ABU DHABI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's oil minister on Sunday defended OPEC's decision to keep output steady despite the biggest market slump in years, saying current prices would help global economic growth and petroleum demand, while Arab states would escape major damage. Ali al-Naimi blamed a price slide to levels...

South Korea have omitted former Arsenal striker Park Chu-young from their squad for the Asian Cup in Australia.

A German steel factory suffered massive damage after hackers managed to access production networks, allowing them to tamper with the controls of a blast furnace, the government said in its annual IT security report.

Pyongyang's threats underscore its sensitivity in row over allegations it hacked Sony Pictures to prevent movie release.

North Korea Sunday accused the U.S. government of involvement in the making the comedy-satire "The Interview," the movie that sparked the cyberattack against Sony Pictures and caused a firestorm. North Korea threatened to "blow up" the White House, the Pentagon and other U.S. targets if any action is...

By David Rohde and Warren Strobel WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Throughout 2012, as signs mounted that militants in Syria were growing stronger, the debate in the White House followed a pattern. In meeting after meeting, as officials from agencies outside the executive residence advocated arming pro-Western rebels or other forms of...

BERLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ITB Berlin 2015: High demand by exhibitors from around the world

The Obama administration has sought China's help in recent days in blocking North Korea's ability to launch cyberattacks, the first steps toward the "proportional response".

Iranian footballer Reza Ghoochannejhad is expected to return to English club Charlton Athletic as he will no longer be used by al-Kuwait.

An undercover video shows sheep being kicked and stabbed, the footage was filmed in 30 farms across the U.S. and Australia. Some British brands offer full traceability on all their fabrics

Putrajaya is setting itself up as a "parent" rather than an elected government, in banning the use of the word Allah among non-Muslims and dictating how Malaysian Muslims should practise their faith, prominent Iranian-American theologian Reza Aslan said. He said that centralised religious authorities should not exist in countries that...

Once noted writer George Bernard Shaw happened to pass by a cemetery and saw these words inscribed on a grave, “Here lies an honest politician.” He immediately said, “I wonder, how could honesty and politics meet.”

With the appointment of Paul Hamilos from the Guardian, BuzzFeed World continues to build on the foundations of hard news to supplement its more light-earted output

President Barack Obama took on critics of his foreign policy Sunday in a year-end interview with CNN, defending decisions to better relations with Cuba and Iran while arguing that "shooting first and thinking about it second" does not project strength.

Iran has seized on Washington's historic rapprochement with Cuba after five decades of Cold War standoff as proof that big power sanctions do not work.

Sony Pictures says The Interview will be distributed, once a suitable avenue to do so is found.

Saudi Arabia's oil chief says that allegations the kingdom conspired to bring oil prices down to harm its neighbours are false.

 WASHINGTON (CNN) -- UPDATE -- 2:37 p.m. 0 0 read more

Cars drive by the Sony Pictures Plaza building in Culver City, Calif., Friday, Dec. 19, 2014. President Barack Obama declared Friday that Sony "made a mistake" in shelving the satirical film, "The Interview," about a plot to assassinate North Korea's leader.

HONOLULU—The United States is reviewing whether to put North Korea back onto its list of state sponsors of terrorism, President Barack Obama said as the U.S. decides how to respond to the cyberattack on Sony Pictures Entertainment that law enforcement has blamed on the communist nation. Obama described the...

WASHINGTON (AP) - Freighters once carried Cuban nickel and limestone to the port of New Orleans and North Dakota beans to Havana. Cuban families ate bowls of American rice, while U.S. tourists flocked to casinos and nightclubs in Havana.

Beirut, Dec 21 (IANS): Iran’s announcement that it will grant a six-month visa extension to 450,000 Afghans is a helpful move to prevent their imminent deportation, Human Rights Watch said Sunday.

NEW YORK - Oil's plunge is spreading both pain and gain across the globe.

Miami's Cuban exiles have long demanded a hard US line against the Castros. But a younger generation is more open-minded than their parents.

Execution at dawn of eleven convicted criminals ends Jordan's informal eight-year moratorium on the death penalty.

German Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr Cyrill Nunn addressing office bearers of DHQ Hospital in Quetta. –PPI Image

Jordan executed 11 men convicted of murder by hanging on Sunday, the interior ministry said, as it ended an informal eight-year moratorium on the death penalty.

BEIRUT (AP) - Al-Qaida-linked and other Islamic fighters captured two key Syrian army bases on Monday in the northwestern province of Idlib after two days of intense battles with government troops that killed dozens on both sides, activists said.