News Archive - 27 February 2012

Russia's secret service has arrested two men in connection with a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Vladimir Putin after the March 4 presidential elections, Channel One state television said Monday. The station showed two men who said they were acting on the orders of Chechen warlord Doku Umarov. They said...

Protests to condemn desecration of the Holy Qur'an at a US base in Afghanistan have been held across Pakistan, according to IRNA. Protesters chanted anti-US slogans and demanded the Pakistani government to sever all relations with the United States. The US flag was also burnt in the rallies. Pakistan Tehrik...

A growing scandal around an investment company that has lost $2.3 billion has affected pensions for up to 880,000 people, Japan's government said Tuesday. AIJ Investment Advisors has reportedly been lying to clients for years, boasting of annual returns of up to 240 percent while in fact 185 billion...

IRI Ambassador to Moscow Sayyed Mahmoud-Reza Sajjadi and Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Middle East Affairs Mikhail Bogdanov welcomed a peaceful resolution of Syrian political crisis during a meeting on Monday. The two officials discussed the latest regional and international developments in Middle East and North Africa including the Syrian...

Three days after IAEA Sec Gen Yokia Amano’s latest report on Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, NAM envoys at UN nuclear agency began consultations here on preparing a pro-Iran communiqué. According to an IRNA reporter at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, the Non-Aligned Movement ambassadors during the Monday session...

Qatar's prime minister said Monday his country was in favour of delivering arms to the armed rebels that is fighting against the Syrian government, AFP quoted Qatari Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani. During a visit to Norway, the Qatari minister said his county should do whatever necessary to help the...

Russia and China have criticized the United States for its policies against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. “I strongly hope that the United States… would not try to resort to a forceful scenario in Syria,” said Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Monday, according to a report published...

IRI’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi departed Tehran for the Swiss capital of Geneva to attend a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). Heading a high-ranking delegation, Salehi left the Iranian capital on Sunday to take part in the 19th UN Human Rights Council meeting. The UN Human...

A senior official at Iran’s National Petrochemical Company said Monday that petrochemical products worth dlrs 12 billion have been exported to several world countries since the beginning of the current Iranian year, March 20, 2011. Mohammad Ali Bassaqzadeh said that the products have been exported to 30 Asian, European and...

IRI's Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi and his Lebanese counterpart Fayez Ghosn on Monday started second round of their negotiations. The two reviewed avenues to bolster bilateral defense cooperation and discussed the latest international and regional developments. Prior to the talks, the Lebanese defense minister held a meeting with...

> Read more: Christopher Plummer Backstage at Oscars: Charlie Chaplain Was Older "People in Iran follow the Oscars a lot more than you think they do," he said. "I know for a fact that right now, as the event is happening, it's in the middle of the night, in the middle...

A Taliban suicide car bomber killed at least six people and wounded another seven Monday, targeting a NATO base at Jalalabad airport in eastern Afghanistan, following days of deadly anti-US protests. Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for the blast, saying it was in revenge for the burning of Korans at a...

Yemen's Ali Abdullah Saleh stepped down after 33 years at the helm on Monday at a ceremony at the presidential palace in Sanaa, formally handing power over to his deputy, Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi. "I hand over the banner of revolution... to safe hands," said Saleh, the fourth veteran Arab leader...

>* S&P cuts Greece's long-term ratings to 'selective default'* Brent to revisit a high of $125.55/bbl -technicals* Coming Up: U.S. consumer confidence Feb; 1500 GMTBy Manash GoswamiSINGAPORE, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Brent crude futures extended losses and slipped below $124 on Tuesday, snapping a surge that threatened to...

>(Reuters) - HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBA.L) said on Monday it will likely face criminal or civil charges from an expanding investigation into its ties to allegedly illegal money transactions, including some tied to Iran. The disclosure in a regulatory filing shows the increasingly serious nature of inquiries into the...

>U.S. crude slipped 58 cents to $107.98 a barrel by 0030 GMT, after settling 1.7 percent below, the lowest since Jan. 20. Brent fell $1.30 to settle at $124.17 a barrel.FUNDAMENTALS* The struggling U.S. housing market is a "significant drag" on the overall...

>AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian artillery pounded rebel-held areas of Homs as President Bashar al-Assad's government announced that voters had overwhelmingly approved a new constitution in a referendum derided as a sham by his critics at home and abroad. The outside world has proved powerless to halt the killing in Syria,...

>* Euro off recent highs, yen off 9-month lows vs dollarBy Chikako MogiTOKYO, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Markets consolidated on Tuesday as investors remained wary of the impact from high oil prices on growth and hoped the European Central Bank's upcoming second liquidity injection will support sentiment and revive risk...

>Qatar marked the opening of the Council's annual four-week session by asking for an urgent debate on Syria on Tuesday, a request that was backed by most Arab League members, as well as the European Union (EU) and the United States.A resolution passed by the main U.N. human...

>* U.S. weighs release of oil reserves as world frets about Iran* Brent's upside limited to $126.53/bbl -technicals* Coming Up: U.S. pending homes index at 1500 GMT (Updates throughout, changes dateline, previous SINGAPORE)By Christopher JohnsonLONDON, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Brent crude slipped below $125 on Monday, flagging...

Islamabad (Dawn/ANN) - In the absence of credit lines from the international lenders during the last two to three years, Pakistan's total domestic borrowing has exceeded its foreign debt.

The drama, winner of the Academy Award for best foreign language film, prompts feelings that its success might lessen tensions surrounding the country. The drama, winner of the Academy Award for best foreign language film, prompts feelings that its success might lessen tensions surrounding the country.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Wearily accustomed to being the focus of bad news, Pakistanis celebrated on Monday after a filmmaker from Karachi won the country's first Academy Award, for a documentary about the victims of gruesome acid attacks.

WASHINGTON -- With President Barack Obama under fire from Republicans over the rising cost of gasoline, the White House moved quickly Monday to trumpet a Canadian company's decision to build a section of the Keystone XL pipeline from Cushing, Okla., to Houston after Mr. Obama blocked a longer path...

Dubai The Oscars dazzled with a red-carpet flourish of diamonds and a song-and-dance show straight from the heart of American showbiz, but yesterday the Academy also opened the door to the world with a series of international firsts, recognising the UAE, Pakistan, Iran and France with awards.

WASHINGTON -- The recent acceleration in hiring may have brightened consumers' spirits and the recovery's outlook, but professional forecasters still see just moderate growth ahead for jobs and the economy.

The Australian sharemarket closed flat after a directionless trading session in the absence of firm leads from offshore markets.

Mumbai, Feb 27 : The 30 scrip Index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) continued to slide for the fourth session today by 477.82 points, the highest single day fall since November'11, to 17,445.75, as selling was seen across the board amid weak European cues, on concerns that...

>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Canadian company's decision on Monday to proceed with part of a U.S. pipeline might end up muffling one of the Republicans' loudest arguments in this election year: that President Barack Obama has pursued failed energy policies. TransCanada Corp announced it intended to begin work on...

> Energy Related Quotes and News Company Price Related News...

rising gas prices threaten the worldwide economic recovery, but that prices are expected to keep rising into spring and summer. Ongoing strains with Iran keep heightening fears of another war in the Middle East, driving oil prices to almost $110 a barrel, and increasing gas prices in the U.S.

Israeli officials say they won't warn the U.S. if they decide to launch a pre-emptive strike against Iranian nuclear facilities, setting a tense tone ahead of high-level meetings in the coming days in Washington.

Zbigniew Brzezinski is currently a counselor and trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. He is also the Robert E. Osgood Professor of American Foreign Policy at the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University.

Army Capt. Scott Eden liked to set his pace on his past two deployments to Iraq around his midtour leave. He felt that his yearlong assignment would be on a downhill slope by the time he returned to his infantry unit after two weeks at home.

The markets have opened marginally higher this morning after falling the most in five months on Monday spooked by crude oil prices, hovering around 10-month highs due to escalating tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme. The Sensex is up 190 points at 17,636. Nifty is up 49 points at 5,330.

The wife of a retired British businessman extradited to the United States for alleged arms dealing will describe the impact of the ordeal on their family, as her husband makes his first appearance in court.

(AP) Israeli officials say they won't warn the U.S. if they decide to launch a pre-emptive strike against Iranian nuclear facilities, according to one U.S. intelligence official familiar with the discussions. The pronouncement, delivered in a series of private, top-level conversations, sets a tense tone ahead of meetings...

>BANGKOK POST- The government has put forest rehabilitation and preservation on the national agenda by allocating 3 billion baht ($98 million) to regenerate 7 million rai (2.8 million acres) of land over the next five years.- PTT Exploration & Production Pcl, a subsidiary of national oil conglomerate PTT...

>JAKARTA Feb 28 (Reuters) - Following is a list of events in Indonesia as well as business highlights from newspapers and factors that may influence financial markets.WHAT'S HAPPENING IN INDONESIA TODAY (LOCAL TIME/GMT)- Parliament hearing on options to reduce fuel subsidy from the state budget.PRESS DIGEST- ASTRA PLANS...

China’s stock-index futures fell, signaling declines for the benchmark index, as investors speculated this year’s rally in equities was excessive relative to earnings growth prospects.

LONDON, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- WikiLeaks says it will publish internal e-mails detailing U.S. intelligence analysis of a purported Israeli plan to attack Iran some agents call a "diversion."

Former high-ranking defense officials and regional experts say that neither the U.S. nor Israel can stop Iran from producing a nuclear weapon. The assessments counter remarks by Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, who has said the U.S. will not allow Iran to develop an atomic bomb, and come...

The family of an Iranian man who died after being held at Sydney's Villawood Detention Centre are calling for an inquest into his death.

The largest drop in Japanese oil consumption since last year’s earthquake and tsunami may cause tanker rates to plunge 42 percent next quarter, threatening the biggest rally in shares of shipping companies since 2005.

John Kilduff says concerns about Iran account for much of the price we're playing at the gas pump.

28 FEB — Pergolakan berterusan di negara-negara Arab nampaknya tidak akan berhenti dalam tempoh terdekat dan mungkin mencapai kemuncaknya dengan kejatuhan Syria dan Iran yang paling lantang menentang semua agenda Barat. Sebenarnya penduduk Tanah Arab dan seluruh dunia bukannya begitu bodoh untuk tidak nampak ada “tangan asing” yang mencetus dan ...

BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — The United Nations said Monday that the situation in a remote southern part of Libya where more than 100 people were killed in tribal warfare this month remains tense although a cease-fire brokered by local officials is still holding.

Headline Title:  Iran: New report finds surge in repression of dissent 28 February 2012 Iran’s crackdown on freedom of expression has dramatically escalated in the run up to this week’s parliamentary elections, Amnesty International said today. The 71-page “We are ordered to crush you”: Expanding Repression of Dissent in Iran...

Some critics of President Barack Obama claim that the increase in the cost of gasoline is a failure of his administration. Let’s look at the cost of gasoline.

We aren't surprised that Mitt Romney remembers his conception -- that's like the LEAST impressive thing a robot can do. Bob Kerrey wants to be Nebraska's next senator even though he previously ran a lefty university with a thriving t'ai chi intramural program.

NEW YORK (AP) - Iran put to death more than twice as many people in 2011 as it did the year before, Amnesty International said Monday in a new report.

The 33rd consecutive daily increase on Monday pushed the average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County to $4.316, its highest level since July 25, 2008. The average price rose seven-tenths of a cent today and is 24.5 cents more than one week...

A Separation is an urgently shot courtroom drama designed to put you in the jury box. Dispensing with preliminaries, it opens at a judicial hearing where, both facing the camera that stands in for the judge, a quarrelsome husband and wife each make their case. Both are middle-class...

The U.S.-based Human Rights Watch is calling on a Libyan militia to immediately release two British journalists and three Libyans traveling with them.

Today's April Gold Futures session traded a very tight, and technical $18.40 range as traders are watching the situation in Iran closely. Any threat of an escalation or any warring environment would be bullish for Gold, Silver, and Crude Oil April Crude Oil traded as high as $109.77...

Oil minister S Jaipal Reddy on Monday joined issue with Barack Obama to debunk the US president’s argument that demand from India and China was pushing up world oil prices, even as he denied any pressure to stop buying crude from Iran.

The deadline to introduce the EU’s energy package, which demands that countries separate the production of electricity or gas from its distribution to facilitate greater competition, passed nearly a year ago.  read more

Mother Jones  has published an in-depth look at a 718-page document supposedly leaked from intelligence forces inside the Bashar al Assad's regime that they're calling the " Syria hit list. " It contains the names and identifying information of countless anti-Assad activists throughout Syria, including but not limited to birthdays,...

FAIRBANKS - Word of a hometown Oscar winner spread fast but not too fast from Hollywood, Calif., to Delta Junction on Sunday night. Although his son Ben Grossmann was being honored for groundbreak...

Most Americans want the U.S. to prove conclusively that Iran is attempting to develop nuclear weapons before considering a military option.

Jayel Aheram makes a video during an Occupy Coachella Valley protest in October. The U.S. Marine sergeant doesn't see his seemingly contradictory perspectives on life as an issue.

Rising crude is a hot topic, but few observers see big problems -- yet

Chinese stocks traded in the U.S. fell for the third time in five days and the iShares FTSE China 25 Index Fund plunged the most in two weeks, led by airlines on concern rallying oil prices will eat into profit.

An Iranian opposition group asked a federal appeals court to order its removal from the U.S. list of foreign terrorist organizations and says the status is putting its members long exiled in Iraq at risk.

Americans drive less now than any other time in the past 11 years, so why are gas prices climbing?

TEHRAN, Feb. 27 (MNA) -- Deputy Majlis Speaker Mohammad Reza Bahonar says the next parliament will be neither antagonistic nor subservient to the administration, but rather it will support proper implementation of the law by the administration and will disapprove of anything incompatible with the law.

TEL AVIV, Israel, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Oil-rich Azerbaijan has become a front line in the covert intelligence war between Israeli intelligence services and Iran.

TEHRAN, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Iranian officials are calling on voters to turn out Friday in what could be a key election in the Islamic republic.

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) is the United States' emergency oil stockpile, and it is the largest emergency petroleum supply in the world. The reserve stores about 700 million barrels of crude oil in underground salt caverns at four sites along the Gulf of Mexico. A barrel contains 42 gallons...

Oscars 2012 recap There will be worse Oscar nights than one in which The Artist and Hugo walk away with five statuettes apiece.

Prices jumped an average of $.21 a gallon for regular unleaded fuel.

GENEVA (Reuters) - Sri Lanka Monday rejected U.N. involvement in probing allegations of army atrocities in the long war against Tamil rebels that ended in 2009, saying U.N. calls to prosecute soldiers guilty of misconduct were "unwarranted incursions."

COMMENTARY | Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrapped up a tour of North Africa, according to AFP, and denounced the Syrian massacre of its own people and at the same time cast doubt on the utility of arming the rebels.

DAMASCUS, Syria — Red Cross teams reached Hama today, the first time in more than a month, delivering food and other goods to the central Syrian city battered by a military crackdown on the anti-government uprising. Activist groups reported the death toll for 11 months of unrest has surpassed 8,000.

The internet's not broken. So then why are there so many attempts to regulate it? Under the guises of piracy, privacy, pornography, predators, indecency, and...

PRESSURE FROM rising fuel prices is expected to prompt the Monetary Board to maintain policy rates in its meeting on Thursday, a foreign-based bank said yesterday, even as cuts may be expected within the second quarter due to slower inflation.

THE government is considering expanding fuel assistance to public utility jeepneys to include tricycle drivers, it was learned on Monday.

Philippine share prices on Monday faltered to close below the 4,800 level on concerns that higher oil prices may dampen economic growth.

U.S. stocks pulled back Monday from some of their highest levels in three and a half years. In morning trading, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 48 points, or 0.

Best Actress Meryl Streep and Best Actor Jean Dujardin pose with their Oscars atthe conclusion of the 84thAcademy Awards on Sundaynight (Monday morning inManila). AFP PHOTO HOLLYWOOD: Black-and-white silent film The Artist crowned its spectacular awards season success by winning five Oscars, including the coveted Best Picture prize, at the...

TEHRAN, Feb. 27 (MNA) – Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said that Iran’s right to access nuclear technology meant for peaceful purposes should be recognized.

>* Increased pressure force PetroChina to stop, traders sayBy Humeyra Pamuk and Luke PachymuthuDUBAI/SINGAPORE, Feb 27 (Reuters) - China has helped Iran dodge tightening sanctions this year by regularly selling it much-needed gasoline, shipping and trade sources said, but rising tensions could force even some Chinese companies to stop, at...

A Shiite extremist group handed over a simple wooden casket containing the remains of the last U.S. soldier missing in Iraq, a prominent Iraqi lawmaker said Monday, drawing a close to a case that has anguished the...

(Reuters) - Here are details of sanctions imposed on Syria as the European Union agreed on Monday to freeze the assets of Syria's central bank, adding to the pressure on President Bashar al-Assad and his government. * EU: - The EU put 13 Syrian officials on its sanctions list on...

During his visit, Ehud Barak is scheduled to meet U.S. Defence Secretary, Vice President, and National Security Adviser.

A retired British businessman is to appear in a federal court in El Paso after being extradited last week on charges that he tried to sell missile batteries to Iran in 2006.

Iran's Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili says that Lebanon is an Arab country that has pioneered in defeating Israel.

Gold prices fell 1 percent on Monday, in line with the euro, stocks and other commodities, as worries over the euro zone debt crisis and the impact of high crude oil prices on the fledgling economic recovery fuelled risk aversion.