News Archive - 24 February 2012

Pakistan on Friday strongly condemned the burning of Korans at a US airbase in Afghanistan, saying it was important that THE utterly irresponsible and reprehensible things do not recur. "On behalf of the government and the people of Pakistan, we condemn in strongest possible terms the desecration of Holy Koran"...

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has accused some Arab countries of stirring up trouble in Syria by blocking a political solution to the unrest in the country. Nasrallah said on Friday that certain Arab countries are arming and funding terrorist groups fighting against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad...

Saudi anti-government protesters have rallied in Eastern Province, calling for the downfall of the ruling Al Saud family. Chanting slogans against the Al Saud family, hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in Qatif and Tarut Island on Friday to protest against Riyadh’s crackdown on protests and to demand the...

Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Taner Yildiz, said on Friday that Turkey is not obliged to follow US and Europe sanctions against Iran. In a talk with reporters, Yildiz said his country is not a member of the European Union, so legally is not obliged to impose the...

"The world must know that the United States is an anti-Islam government," Tehran's provisional Friday prayer leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ahmad Khatami said on Friday. Ayatollah Khatami referred to the desecration of the holy Qur'an by US occupying forces in Afghanistan and said, "on the basis of some reports, the Americans...

Two military helicopters collided over the California desert during nighttime training exercises, killing seven US marines. The crash happened around 8 p.m. Wednesday and involved an AH-1W Cobra that carries two crew members and a UH-1 Huey utility helicopter carrying five other service members. The aircraft collided in an...

>* Says latest Greek bailout merely buys time* Italy, Spain and Portugal need to push reformsBy David FogartySINGAPORE, Feb 25 (Reuters) - A solid U.S. candidate to head the World Bank would be good for the United States and the bank because the world's largest economy should be represented...

>Last summer, as violence in Libya slashed oil deliveries to consuming countries, the United States released 30 million barrels of crude from the SPR as part of a plan by the International Energy Agency to coordinate the release of 60 million barrels of oil from its member countries.This year,...

>WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has raised oil exports and the United States is considering releasing crude from its strategic reserves as oil prices hit nine-month highs on Friday and concerns deepened over Iran's nuclear program. Brent crude surged to over $125 a barrel after the United Nation's nuclear...

>VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran has sharply stepped up its controversial uranium enrichment drive, the U.N. nuclear agency said on Friday in a report that will further inflame Israeli fears the Islamic Republic is pushing ahead with atomic bomb plans. The nuclear watchdog also gave details of its mission to...

>* Obama says "no silver bullet" for high gasoline prices* Brent close to record high in euros (Previous SINGAPORE, updates prices)LONDON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Oil rose towards $124 a barrel on Friday, heading for a fifth straight weekly gain, as concern over cuts in Iranian supply offset worries that...

>Iran would export iron ore and fertiliser to Pakistan in exchange for wheat, said Syed Naveed Qamar, Pakistan's minister for water and power, according to the state news agency.Qamar added that Iran would also import 200,000 tonnes of Pakistani rice."Some things need to be worked out before we...

>* Iranian envoy hopes for more meetings (Adds IAEA report due later on Friday, quote, detail)By Fredrik DahlVIENNA, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Iran wants more talks with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, its ambassador to the body said, despite what one Western envoy called "very long and fruitless" negotiations this...

>The UK blue chip index closed up 21.34 points, or 0.4 percent on Thursday at 5,937.89, supported by the U.S. data, better economic news from Germany and some robust corporate earnings.U.S. blue chips added 0.4 percent after the weekly jobless data showed the...

QUETTA: Jamhori Watan Party (JWP) President, Talal Akbar Bugti in meeting with a delegation led by Muhammad Jawad at Bugti House in Quetta on Friday. -PPI

Iran nuclear report Iran has rapidly ramped up production of higher-grade enriched uranium during the last few months, the United Nations nuclear agency said Friday.

The UN atomic agency bemoaned "major differences" with Iran after two fruitless visits probing suspected nuclear weapons work, adding that Tehran had substantially boosted uranium enrichment.

A case of international intrigue and connections to surface-to-air missiles in Iran will unfold in El Paso.

U.S. intelligence analysts continue to believe there is no hard evidence that Iran has decided to build a nuclear bomb, The New York Times reported Saturday.

Obama calls on international community to use “every tool available to prevent slaughter of innocents in Syria • "It is time for that regime to move on” • Red Cross reaches Homs for the first time, evacuates seven wounded people from Baba Amr after three weeks of shelling • More...

AZERBAIJAN, BAKU: Iranian Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi said Iranian people want face-to-face war with the Zionist regime, Fars News Agency reported.

Pakistani Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abdul Basit says Islamabad is determined to fully implement the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project. Pakistan is determined to complete the project and hopes that it can be operational by 2014, Basit said during a press conference in Islamabad late on Friday. Asked about the worries...

WASHINGTON - Anyone who has worked at the White House is keenly aware of two gaps. The first is the ...

The Virginia General Assembly is moving forward with a watered-down version of a controversial abortion bill, despite attracting national ire and ridicule because it would have required a woman to have an ultrasound probe inserted into her vagina before undergoing an abortion.

Welcome to All-Star Weekend, a three-day, three-ring extravaganza where young players like Irving and Cavaliers teammate Tristan Thompson are exposed to some of most random questions this side of Super Bowl media day.

U.S. stocks rose this week, driving the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index to the highest level since 2008, after Greece got a bailout and better-than-expected data boosted confidence in the world’s largest economy.

Pyongyang, February 24 (KCNA) -- Political parties, government ministries, organizations and institutions of different countries, regional bodies and personages of various circles sent floral baskets to DPRK missions between February 14 and 16 on the occasion of the birth anniversary of general secretary Kim Jong Il.

Pyongyang, February 24 (KCNA) -- China and Iran on Feb. 20 signed a MoU on export promotion including cooperation in marketing handicrafts and setting up cultural exhibits.

Tehran, February 23 (KCNA) -- The Iranian vice minister of Oil, on Feb. 20, warned that Iran would take additional counter-measures against the West. He said that the government had already stopped oil exports to the U.K. and France.

Once again we have to consider the impact of high oil prices on the US economy. Bloomberg reports brent crude futures are up to $125.47 per barrel, and WTI is up to $109.77.

Skeptics say the Jewish state can’t wipe out Iran’s nukes. Maybe that’s what Jerusalem wants you to think.

Ex-House speaker calls Iran America's No. 1 enemy Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich on Friday defended his statement that Barack Obama is the most dangerous president in American history, saying Obama is "quick to appease” the Iranians at a time they may be pursuing nuclear weapons.

Thursday in Chicago, regular unleaded was running $3.67 a gallon. Friday, it was up to $3.74 – more than 20 cents higher than it was last week.

President Bashar Assad's forces pounded rebel-held areas in central Syria on Friday, killing at least 22 people, activists said. More than 60 nations meeting in Tunisia asked the United Nations to start planning for a civilian peacekeeping mission that would deploy after the Syrian regime halts its crackdown

Netanyahu could topple Assad and weaken Hizbullah by handing over the Golan Heights, says Bruce Riedel.

WASHINGTON - Even as the United Nations' nuclear watchdog said in a new report Friday that Iran has accelerated its uranium enrichment program, U.S. intelligence analysts continue to believe that there is no hard evidence that Iran has decided to build a nuclear bomb.

The week ahead offers enough drama to send stocks into their annual winter pullback. Earnings are due from Lowe's, Costco and Transocean. There are important reports on manufacturing and auto sales. Iran, oil prices and Greece won't go away.

Watch Video | Listen to the Audio HARI SREENIVASAN: The backlash in Afghanistan kept spreading today over the burning of Qurans at a U.S. military base. At least seven more people were killed, making 20 since Tuesday. Today, there were large demonstrations in Kabul, Jalal-Abad, and Khost. Hundreds of...

Political tensions in the Middle East and refinery issues on the West Coast are making drivers see high gas prices.

Maybe we should hold a hearing on prostrate health and invite a panel of all women to testify why they're morally opposed to treating it. You see how ridiculous it sounds when the shoe's on the other foot?

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton blasted Russia and China as "despicable" for opposing U.N. action aimed at stopping the bloodshed in Syria, and more than 60 nations began planning a civ

The IAEA says Iran has boosted production of enriched uranium, but the agency's report does little to resolve Western concern Tehran is seeking to build a bomb. Iran has stepped up production of enriched uranium and has refused to answer key questions about its nuclear development program, the United Nations...

Brent Oil Tops $125; S&P 500 at 4-Year High

The Pentagon is beefing up U.S. sea- and land-based defenses in the Persian Gulf to counter any attempt by Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Marking the first public break with its longtime patron, a leader of Hamas spoke out against President Bashar Assad of Syria on Friday, throwing its support behind the opposition and stripping Damascus of what little credibility it may have retained with the Arab street.

Arab despots are doomed, to be overthrown and hanged or shot, as were Saddam Hussein and Moammar Gadhafi.

>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The world's biggest electronic banking system is ready to block Iran's central bank from using its network to transfer funds, a U.S. congressional aide said on Friday after a briefing from the Belgium-based group earlier this week. Such a move by SWIFT, or Society for Worldwide...

The broad S&P 500 index reacted to better-than-expected reports on home sales and consumer sentiment. read more

Release Time:  For Immediate Release James S. Brady Press Briefing Room Please see below for a correction (marked with asterisks) to the transcript. 11:55 A.M. EST MR. EARNEST: Good morning -- or afternoon -- everybody. I have -- as you may have seen from the pool reports, Mr. Carney...

KUCHING: Vietnam booked the final ticket to the Junior Fed Cup Asia-Oceania qualifying event in Melbourne, Australia after they beat Sri Lanka 2-0 in the play-off for third/fourth place in the pre-qualifying.

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Canada's benchmark stock index posted its second straight weekly gain on Friday even as it dipped slightly on the day due a drop in the price of gold.

Brent crude oil futures settled near a 10-month high above $US125 a barrel on Friday, posting a fifth straight weekly gain.

New US home sales fell in January but upward revisions to the prior months' data and rising consumer confidence add to signs of an economic recovery.

International nuclear inspectors reported Friday that Iran was moving rapidly to produce nuclear fuel at a deep underground site that Israel and the United States have said is virtually invulnerable to attack.

Iran has stepped up efforts to produce enriched uranium in violation of international resolutions to stop, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Friday in a report posted online by a nonproliferation group.

To date, U.S. military tribunals have been reserved for al-Qaida and Taliban suspects. But now the Obama administration is seeking to try a Lebanese man accused of orchestrating the killings of five American soldiers in Iraq. read more

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has accused the West of seeking 'regime change' in Iran.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Here's where the 2012 Republican presidential candidates stand on a selection of issues. They are former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. ABORTION: Gingrich: Platform calls for conservative judges and no subsidies for abortion...

World oil prices surged again to new nine-month highs Friday as traders fretted about the impact of heightened geopolitical tensions over Iran on global crude oil supplies.New York's main contract, light ...

Christopher Tappin was extradited to America today, protesting his innocence and condemning David Cameron for letting it happen. The retired businessman faces up to 35 years in a US jail if convicted of selling missile components to Iran.

The market for unleaded gasoline responded to the drama in oil-rich Iran , reaching its highest level in more than 6 months.   The situation in Iran deteriorated further this week as International Atomic Energy Agency head Yukiya Amano reported that Iran refused to allow him to inspect a military...

War films starring active Navy Seals, Albanian blood feuds, Amanda Seyfried, Tyler Perry, Iranian exposes & The Comedic Cult of Paul Rudd. This weekend's releases have it all! [ more › ]

Virtual absence of the reformists pits increasingly divided conservatives against each other in assembly elections.

For foreign journalists, the Arab Spring uprisings and their aftermaths have ranged from exhilaratingly accessible (Egypt), to mortally dangerous (Libya), to frustratingly off-limits (Syria).

President Obama was worried about the safety of American troops and civilian workers in Afghanistan when he apologized to that country's president, Hamid Karzai, over the burning of Qurans at the largest US military base there, the White House said Friday. "The president believed it was in the best interest...

As Michigan voters cast ballots in their state's primary on Tuesday, President Barack Obama will be trumpeting the success of his rescue of the auto industry at a convention of United Auto Workers (UAW) labor union leaders, the White House says. Spokesman Josh Earnest denied that Obama had accepted the...

TUNIS, Tunisia _ The first meeting of the so-called "Friends of Syria" group concluded Friday, leaving neither Syrian opponents of President Bashar Assad nor his supporters satisfied. Many Syrian activists criticized as more bluster than action the conference's final statement, which called for a peacekeeping mission, tougher economic sanctions and...

NEW YORK — Oil prices are approaching last year’s highs as tensions increase over Iran’s nuclear program. The rise pushed gasoline prices on Friday to a national average of $3.65 per gallon, the highest ever for this time of year.

>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is considering a release from its strategic oil reserves, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Friday, acknowledging the harm that supply disruptions from Iran could have on the global economy. Rising tensions between Iran and the West over its disputed nuclear program have fueled...

The euro zone's hardship might be the only thing keeping oil prices from soaring

Bookreporter.com Bets On... Set in Tehran in 1973, ROOFTOPS OF TEHRAN drops you into the world of Pasha and Ahmed, who while away their summer hours on the roof. They are in that in-between year --- not still a child, but not quite an adult --- where they are...

Risk is back on and some indices are hitting fresh multi-year highs as I write this. Of course the big headline is the Dow Jones hitting 13,000. But the all-important NY close this evening will be pivotal to whether these gains are sustainable.

Turkey’s Energy Minister Taner Yildiz has once again reiterated that his country will not abide by EU and US sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

Thanks to America's overwhelmed oil pipelines, some lucky drivers in the Rockies are getting a big discount on gas.

Parsing the odds for each of the finalists in the foreign-language film category.

The Hamas prime minister of Gaza on Friday expressed support for Syrian protesters seeking to overthrow President Bashar Assad, the first time a senior Hamas leader has publicly rebuked the group's longtime patron.

Frankfurt (dpa) - Frankfurt Stock Exchange closing prices in euros on Friday at 1655 GMT. In brackets the index/price movement against previous quotation:DAX 6,864.43 (+ 54.97) MDAX 10,452.27 (+ 83.65) Adidas 58.75 (- 0.15) Allianz 91.17 (+ 1.07) BASF 64.70 (+...

New U.S. home sales fell in January but upward revisions to the prior months' data and a drop in the supply of properties on the market added to signs of a budding housing recovery.

The United States has offered to help India get alternative supplies for Iranian crude in an attempt to reduce the New Delhi’s dependence on the Islamic Republic.

TEHRAN, Iran — As Iran’s isolation grows more pronounced week after week, so does, it seems, a sense of nationalism among its citizens. Long famous for such tendencies, Iranians are once again asserting their love of what they call "Vatan," or Homeland, as both real and perceived threats from abroad...

The Dow Jones industrial average pushed above 13,000 in morning trading Friday after a measure of consumer sentiment came in stronger than analysts had expected.

The markets struggled to find direction on Friday as traders weighed a round of stronger-than-expected economic data and rising crude oil prices.

Globally, the price for copper has jumped up unprecedentedly in the post-recession period – it demonstrated a four-fold increase in 2010 against the previous year. Deep insights into the copper industry and comprehensive market analysis are covered by the new market research report “Copper Market Review” recently published by Merchant...

Painting a scary picture of a world with a nuclear-armed Iran, the editors of  The Economist  nevertheless argue emphatically against mounting an airstrike against the Islamic sate . It's been a tense week in the Middle East, with U.N. nuclear inspectors  jettisoning Iran after the country refused to grant access to...

Authorities are handling a British man's extradition to West Texas for trial on charges of trying to sell missile batteries to Iran.