News Archive - 18 March 2012

Former IRI football squad's captain and Bayern Munich striker Ali Daei has been critically injured in a car accident while returning to Tehran from Isfahan. The crash happened on Saturday night when Rah Ahan’s manager Daei was in his personal car with his brother and Rah Ahan’s coach Miach. Daei...

Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs condoled demise of spiritual leader of Egyptian Coptic Christian community, it was announced here on Sunday. Egyptian Coptic Christian Pope Shenouda III, the patriarch of most of Egypt's estimated 12 million Christians, died on Saturday from old age. In his message, Hossein...

>By Taha Zargoun and Marie-Louise GumuchianTRIPOLI, March 18 (Reuters) - Two British journalists detained by a Libyan militia last month and accused of spying have been released and cleared of all charges, an interior ministry official said on Sunday.Nicholas Davies-Jones and Gareth Montgomery-Johnson, who were working for Iran's English-language...

A Swiss bus crash which killed 22 children and six adults may have been caused by a teacher who diverted the driver by handing him a DVD film to play, a newspaper said Sunday. The allegation resurfaced in Le Matin Dimanche which cited the father of a girl who was...

Head of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations has described the recent visit of an Indian delegation to Iran for exploring export opportunities as very successful, according to Press TV. An 80-member Indian delegation, headed by Indian Joint Commerce Secretary Arvind Mehta, arrived in Tehran on March 10 for a...

The secretary general of the International Islamic Awakening Conference has lashed out at Washington and Tel Aviv for waging psychological warfare on Iran, describing the two anti-Iran collaborators as the epitome of international terrorism. “The US and Israel are the true symbols of international terrorism,” said Ali Akbar Velayati on...

US police forces have clashed with Occupy protesters in New York City, arresting dozens of the 99-percenters on the sixth-month anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street Movement, according to Press TV. The police stormed the crowd of protesters on Saturday night and arrested those 99-percenters who tried to reoccupy the...

Azeri ambassador was summoned to the IRI Foreign Ministry where he was handed a letter of protest at a statement released by Azerbaijan Republic's Security Ministry that alleges involvement of an Iranian body in the country's recent bombing bid. Javanshir Akhundov received Iran’s protest to his government. In the meeting,...

Another Bahraini anti-regime protester has died due to inhalation of tear gas fired by Saudi-backed forces near the capital Manama. Activists found the body of Ja'far Jassim Radhi at his home on Saturday. The 41-year-old is the latest victim of the regime’s deadly crackdown on opposition protests over the past...

>FUNDAMENTALSSpot gold added $6.45 to trade at $1,659.94 an ounce by 0025 GMT after posting its second-biggest weekly decline this year last week on fading expectations of more monetary easing in the United States.U.S. April gold rose $4.8 to $1,660.60 an ounce.India's gold...

>* MSCI Asia ex-Japan up 0.2 pct, Nikkei opens up 0.2 pct* Yen hits 5-month low vs euro* Brighter US economy, growing Euro stability buoyed investorsBy Chikako MogiTOKYO, March 19 (Reuters) - Asian shares edged higher and the dollar was firm against the yen on Monday with investors...

>SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Brent crude was steady near $126 a barrel on Monday, extending previous session's gains, as prices were supported by continued concerns over a potential supply disruption from Iran and the prospect of a stronger U.S. economy lifting oil demand. Higher output from top producer Saudi Arabia...

KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 (Reuters) - The following factors are likely toinfluence Malaysian palm oil futures and other vegetable oil markets on Monday. FUNDAMENTALS* Malaysian palm oil futures were almost ...

>* Dollar steady after rally pauses last weekBy Ian Chua and Masayuki KitanoSYDNEY/SINGAPORE, March 19 (Reuters) - The yen stayed on the defensive on Monday with the euro reaching a fresh five-month high against the Japanese currency, while the dollar nursed losses following a setback late last week.The euro...

>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Call it spring fever. For the third year in a row, optimism is spreading that growth in the United States could be poised to accelerate and drive the economy into sunnier pastures. Claims for first-time jobless benefits dipped to a four-year low last week as layoffs slow.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Despite saber rattling from Jerusalem, Israeli officials now agree with the U.S. assessment that Tehran has not yet decided on the actual construction of a nuclear bomb, according to senior Israeli government and defense figures. Even so, there is great concern in Israel about leaving Iran...

>LONDON (Reuters) - Britain accused Iran on Sunday of blocking a website days after it was launched by the British government to reach out to Iranians, in the latest spat over media censorship. British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the "UK for Iranians" website which he launched on Wednesday with...

>* Plans to up exports via Ceyhan* New pipelines to ship Basra crude to CeyhanBy Ahmed RasheedBAGHDAD, March 18 (Reuters) - Iraq has approved a plan to expand its oil export routes by adding capacity from its northern fields and building a pipeline to ship oil from southern fields to...

Iraq may reactivate long-idle pipelines to get its oil to world markets if tensions over neighboring Iran result in the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a government spokesman said Sunday. ...

The Overall Fundamentals The precious metal complex got beat-up last week. The main reason; the Fed's more hawkish policy statement delivered after the March FOMC meeting. Policymakers acknowledged improvement in economic conditions as "unemployment rate has declined notably in recent months". On the Week: Gold declined -3.24% and settled...

Iran's nuclear program is increasingly troubling to other nations, including the United States and Israel. But is there a direct threat to our country?

Oil prices extended gains in Asia today, supported by concerns over West Asian supply and signs of stabilisation in the world economy, analysts said.

Oil prices remained firm in Asia Monday after the rebound by the end of last week. US economic indicators released last Friday showed signs of fatigue, suggesting the recent trend of strong data might have peaked. Meanwhile, as escalated tensions over Iran would continue to support oil prices, the outlook...

When Happy Farshid's father took him to a Turkish bath more than 50 years ago in their home country of Iran, he unknowingly planted in his son's mind the seed of a future business venture in the United States.

Despite saber-rattling from Jerusalem, Israeli officials now agree with the U.S. assessment that Iran has not yet decided on the actual construction of a nuclear bomb, according to senior Israeli government and defense figures.

>MUMBAI, March 19 (Reuters) -GLOBAL STOCK MARKETS ROUNDUP* Asian shares edged higher and the dollar was firm against the yen on Monday with investors buoyed after the U.S. market hit an almost four-year high last week and with higher European stocks reflecting signs of growing stability in the euro...

Another Bahraini protester killled due to inhalation of tear gas fired by regime forces in an area north of the capital Manama, according to Press TV. According to the main Bahraini opposition group, al-Wefaq, 27-year-old Sabri Mahfud killed during a demonstration near Manama on Sunday. Saudi-backed Bahraini forces continue the...

Acute shortage of petroleum products, even after substantial price hike, has irritated everyone, students to housewives. Political situation of Nepal has not improved despite repeated promises made by top leaders of this country that they would do everything possible to conclude peace process and prepare new constitution. The dispute resolution...

Hugo Chavez has just left Cuba amid infinite speculation, and some alarming future scenarios are being woven around his health.

When talking about politics, let's seek to discuss real issues and not the sensationalist aspect.

Syria imported nearly six times more weapons in 2007-2011 than in the previous five-year period, with Russia accounting for 72 per cent of the arms supplies to President Bashar al-Assad's regime, an international research institute says.

entry-level cars, B-segment small cars and premium vehicles are expected to drive passenger vehicle sales this year, according to WesBank, the vehicle and asset finance house of listed FirstRand.

OPEC nations are plowing cash into U.S. Treasuries at a more than 50 percent faster rate than all other foreign investors, an unintended benefit of oil prices above $100 a barrel.

Oil advanced for a second day in New York as investors bet that a U.S. economic recovery and Saudi Arabian crude output near the strongest level since at least 1980 signals fuel demand is increasing.

Today, Pakistanâs energy security stands compromised and the country is looking towards the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline as a potential solution. Given the intricacies involved in this particular pro .....

At 2.30pm this afternoon the Court went briefly into Chambers before the jury was brought back in.

Reagan and Matalin skip who's up-down in the GOP contest to debate spurting gas prices, the constitutionality of "Obamacare" and our exit strategy from Afghanistan post- massacre. Then: do presidential speeches ever matter, Mr. Reagan?

The Indonesia n oil sector raises an interesting question about the strength of the overall economy : Is the nation’s growth led by oil ? If so, we cannot say that the economy is healthy, since today Indonesia is a net oil importer.

> Basic Materials Energy Industrials Technology Related Quotes and News Company Price Related News...

An online call for peace initiated by an Israeli couple has managed to achieve the support of 1,000 Israelis and Iranians. And it all began with two posters. Click here for the rest of the article...

Thailand's Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn will arrive on a three-day visit in Pakistan Monday.

She's the "sexy" spin doctor behind the Syrian leader. And emails reveal a rather intimate side to their relationship.

> Financials...

The Syrian state news agency called the Aleppo explosion a “terrorist bombing” and said one policeman and one female civilian were killed, while 30 were injured. It was the second attack in two days on regime strongholds.

Shale gas development, rise in unconventional energy sources make U.S. fuel self-sufficiency possible by 2023

Peak oil does not mean we are running out of oil, but it does mean we have run out of cheap and easy oil. And the negative effects are already being felt. 19 Mar 2012 10:49 AM

BEIRUT _ The raging conflict in Syria that has left thousands dead and stymied all international peace entreaties is not just about the fate of President Bashar Assad. Rather, the prospect for regional power shifts, proxy wars and spreading instability _ along with a reprise of Cold War-style great-power animosities...

PINT-SIZED junior triathlete Yeong Yik San is one of the youngest competitors who will be competing in the eighth Kenyir Lake Interna-tional Triathlon in Terengganu on March 24 and 25.

Perhaps April Fool's Day would be the perfect time for former Manitoba First Nations chief Terry Nelson to sit down with kindred spirit, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to talk about the plight of aboriginals in Canada.

STOCKHOLM (AP) - Syria imported nearly six times more weapons in 2007-2011 than in the previous 5-year period, with Russia accounting for 72% of the arms supplies to President Bashar Assad's regime, an international research institute said Monday.

Australian shares are poised to test three-week highs above 4,300 on Monday, taking them into a resistance zone that has repeatedly capped the market this year.

The precious metal complex got hammered last week. The main reason is probably the Fed's more hawkish policy statement delivered after the March FOMC meeting. Policymakers acknowledged improvement in economic conditions as "unemployment rate has declined notably in recent months". Gold declined -3.24% and settled at 1655.5 last...

New Delhi, March 18: The budget has amended the income tax act to make rupee payment for oil from Iran tax-free.

A referee on Sunday refused to officiate a French women's football match, when players for one of the teams took the pitch wearing Muslim headscarves, the club involved said.

The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha (MIA) yesterday inaugurated a new exhibition: Gifts of the Sultan: The Arts of Giving at the Islamic Courts.

The numbers seem to indicate that the anger isn't translating into consumers taking action or significantly changing their behavior

Call it spring fever. For the third year in a row, optimism is spreading that growth in the United States could be poised to accelerate and drive the economy into sunnier pastures.

Commodities news from around the world

>* Third year in a row of a burst of spring optimism* Underlying conditions better this time, but risks remain* Oil, Europe and U.S. fiscal cuts at year end pose threatsBy Stella DawsonWASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) - Call it spring fever. For the third year in a row, optimism...

The (relative) maturity of the Internet and its use by both citizens across the world and the governments that occasionally fear them has produced something of a cottage industry in books. Titles on that relationship include the fairly recent The Net Delusion by Evgeny Morozov and The Internet of Elsewhere...

The International Monetary Fund has warned that surging oil costs pose a serious risk to the global economy, threatening to smother expansion before a fresh cycle of growth is safely under way.

This Feb. 23, 2012, photo shows an auction sign in front of a home in Salem, Ore. The number of homes in foreclosure in the Stamford-Brdidgeport metro region rose in December to the second highest level in 36 months.

The 17 employees, who work for the American oil giant Chevron and rig operator Transocean, could face criminal charges, adding to Chevron’s problems in Brazil.

A packed meeting in London sent messages of solidarity to striking steelworkers in Athens on Saturday evening, telling them their struggle was an "inspiration" to the working class around the world.

GORENTAS, Turkey (AP) — Syrian rebels are regrouping despite some bitter defeats at the hands of President Bashar Assad's regime, and a top priority is finding weapons and ammunition to boost their firepower, a man who identified himself as a low-ranking rebel commander told The Associated Press.Ahmad Mihbzt, who...

March 19 (BusinessDesk) - Riding high on recent gains investors will be looking to data on US housing, purchasing managers' surveys from China and Europe, as well as Japan's latest trade numbers to gauge whether the bull market is justified.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says all nations must cooperate to replace the current unjust structure of the global system with a more humane one.

MR. DAVID GREGORY: This Sunday, what now in Afghanistan? In this election year a new debate has erupted over when to withdraw U.S. forces from what has become the longest war in U.S. history.

— An explosion struck near a Syrian government security building in the northern city of Aleppo Sunday, while a harsh security crackdown prevented opposition rallies marking one year since the first nationwide protests of the uprising against President Bashar Assad.

WASHINGTON : Even before President Obama declared this month that “I have Israel’s back” in its escalating confrontation with Iran, pro-Israel figures like the evangelical Christian leader Gary L. Bauer and the conservative commentator William Kristol were pushing for more, The New York Times reported.

Lucknow, Mar 18 : Downplaying the reports of Samajwadi Party joining the UPA-2 government at the Centre, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today said party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav would take the final call on the issue.

WASHINGTON -- Mitt Romney on Sunday morning not only blamed President Obama for the rising gasoline prices, but said that the president should fire three of his cabinet members who oversee energy issues.

By Emerging MoneyDomestic political games have kept petroleum and gasoline prices in the news, but t...

AMMAN (AFP) - A 26-year-old Jordanian was sentenced to life in prison on Sunday for killing his sister in 2010 after her husband accused her of adultery, a court official said. Related Stories Al-Qaeda-linked militants kill American teacher in Yemen 3rd car bombing hits Syria ahead of UN missions England...

Iranian exchange houses can trade the rial freely, the Central Bank of Iran said on Sunday, unexpectedly lifting restrictions introduced earlier this year.

Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia said this is a bullet that both the TMC and the Congress have to bite.Total comments

Berlin (dpa) - Joachim Gauck, a former human rights campaigner in Communist East Germany, was elected Germany‘s 11th president since the end of World War II, in a special ballot on Sunday. dpa amc ncs

'The rising fuel costs affect everything,' one restaurant CFO says said

BAGHDAD — Wearing a U.S. Army uniform and flanked by Iraqi lawmakers, an American citizen announced Saturday that he was being released from more than nine months of imprisonment by a Shiite militia that for years targeted U.S. troops.

Oman said the risk of military conflict between Tehran and the West was rising but there was still plenty of opportunity to negotiate peace.

Despite recent US and Israeli war rhetoric against Iran’s nuclear energy program, a US intelligence official has announced the consensus of Washington and Tel Aviv over the peaceful nature of Tehran’s nuclear energy program.

ISLAMABAD: Oil and Gas Exploration companies working in different parts of the country drilled 102 wells during the last four years and discovered 38 reservoirs, taking the natural gas production from 3,973 million cubic feet per day (MMcfd) to 4,165 Mmcfd.

A motorist pumps gas at a Mobile station in Albany, N.Y., on Friday. Higher gas prices slow the economy because they force many consumers to cut their spending on other goods, from appliances and furniture to electronics and vacations.

Tel Aviv (dpa) - Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz Sunday welcomed the exclusion of Iranian banks from international financial transfer networks.The decision deals "a tough blow to Iran‘s economy" and "makes the import and export of oil very difficult," he told reporters before the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem.

BHUBANESWAR: Indian state-run National Aluminium Co Ltd (NALCO) sold 2,100 tonnes of aluminium billets at close to $165 per tonne premium over the average LME cash price on a cost, insurance and freight basis, a senior company official said.

Berlin (dpa) - Germany‘s Federal Convention began meeting on Sunday to elect a new president, expected to be former East German rights campaigner Joachim Gauck.Gauck, 72, who is not affiliated to any political party, is certain to be elected, as he enjoys the support of five of the major...

A recent MSNBC show allowed a guest to state, without challenge, that U.S. oil production is now at an all-time high. No one, including the host and three other guests, objected to this statement.

Syrian president Bashar Assad will have to answer some difficult questions about his private life after a series of affectionate emails from three women was leaked to the public.

The national average price for a gallon of gasoline rose for the ninth straight day on Sunday to $3.838. That is now only about 6.7% below the record high of $4.11 from July 2008.