News Archive - 23 March 2012

Speaking two languages rather than just one has obvious practical benefits in an increasingly globalized world. But in recent years, scientists have begun to show that the advantages of bilingualism are even more fundamental than being able to converse with a wider range of people. Being bilingual, it turns out,...

Thousands of people have held demonstrations in the Gaza Strip to call on Egypt to resume the flow of fuel to the Israel-blockaded Palestinian territory. The demonstrators staged protests after Friday Prayers in the northern cities of Jabalia and Gaza City, the Associated Press reported. In mid-February, Egypt blocked the...

IRI Ambassador to the United Nations Mohammad-Reza Sajjadi has censured the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution against the Islamic Republic. At a meeting on Thursday, the UNHRC adopted a resolution against Iran and renewed the mandate of Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in...

'Israel' may force feed a Palestinian hunger striker in a bid to prevent her from continuing her protest, Amnesty International said on Friday. The rights group condemned any attempts to force Hana Shalabi, who has been on hunger strike for 37 days in protest of her continued detention without trial,...

The Islamic Republic of Iran will support any UN Security Council's resolution which does not violate Syria's sovereignty, IRI Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said. Mehmanparast made the remarks Thursday after the UNSC issued a statement on Syria, where it called dialogue the sole solution to the crisis in the...

Saudi demonstrators have taken to the streets to condemn the violent crackdown on anti-regime rallies and the shooting of a human rights activist in the oil-rich Eastern Province. A large number of people staged demonstrations in the villages of Qadih and Bihari on Friday to express solidarity with anti-government protesters...

Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiya Amano has been accused by two former senior IAEA officials of harboring pro-Western bias against Iran’s nuclear energy program. Robert Kelley, a former US weapons scientist and the former chief inspector for the IAEA in Iraq, said that worrying parallels could...

The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has passed a resolution which orders the first-ever probe to explore the impact of the Zionist regime's settlements on the occupied Palestinian territories. Of the 47-membere council, 36 voted in favor of the resolution on Thursday while 10 abstained from voting. The Untied States...

US police evicted anti-Capitalism protesters who had set up a new encampment in Mosswood Park in Oakland, California, despite the protesters attempt to keep their location secret. The Oakland protesters set up their tents in Mosswood Park near downtown Oakland on Wednesday night, which remained there until midmorning Thursday when...

>* Iranian security officials have traveled to Damascus* But Assad's survival not totally dependent on TehranBy Mark HosenballWASHINGTON March 23 (Reuters) - Iran is providing a broad array of assistance to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to help him suppress anti-government protests, from high-tech surveillance technology to guns and ammunition, U.

>* Targets 17 Iranians with sanctions* EU's Ashton expects details on talks with Iran soon (Adds comments from Ashton)By Justyna Pawlak and Sebastian MoffettBRUSSELS, March 23 (Reuters) - The European Union agreed on Friday to exempt until July 1 some insurance on Iranian oil shipments headed for destinations other than...

>(Reuters) - ZTE Corp, China's second-largest telecommunications equipment maker, said it will "curtail" its business in Iran following a report that it had sold Iran's largest telecom firm a powerful surveillance system capable of monitoring telephone and Internet communications. Reuters reported Thursday that Shenzhen-based ZTE had signed a 98.6...

>* Heightened economic pressure could make Iran more volatile* Little evidence Tehran deflected from nuclear programmeBy Peter Apps, Political Risk CorrespondentLONDON, March 23 (Reuters) - Western sanctions have so far failed to deter Iran from pursuing its nuclear programme and their unexpected and unintended side-effects are producing a new collection...

>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States, European allies and even Israel generally agree on three things about Iran's nuclear program: Tehran does not have a bomb, has not decided to build one, and is probably years away from having a deliverable nuclear warhead. Those conclusions, drawn from extensive interviews with...

>By Nidhi Verma and Jo WinterbottomNEW DELHI, March 23 (Reuters) - India could yet be exempted from tighter U.S. sanctions on buyers of Iranian crude, and New Delhi would like to be judged on the size of term deals with Tehran which begin in April, the International Energy Agency's...

>KUALA LUMPUR/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Malaysia's state oil firm Petronas will halt all imports of Iranian crude from April, two months before a U.S. embargo takes effect, joining a growing list of buyers bowing to Western pressure to isolate Iran, Petronas sources said on Friday. China, India, Japan and South...

>LONDON (Reuters) - Global oil supply outages are running at more than a million barrels a day, a Reuters survey has found, helping provide justification for the United States and Britain should they release strategic reserves in a bid to cut oil prices. Civil unrest, adverse weather and technical glitches...

Afghan soldier kills 2 U.S. troops as protests rage over Quran burning

On 22/23 March 2012, the Foreign Affairs Council (Foreign Affairs and Defence) were held in Brussels.

World leaders including Barack Obama will launch a summit on the threat from nuclear-armed terrorists.

Seven was Ole Miss' lucky number Friday, helping the 19th-ranked Rebels pull away for an 11-7 Southeastern Conference baseball victory over Alabama.

On 22/23 March 2012, the Foreign Affairs Council (Foreign Affairs and Defence) were held in Brussels.

WASHINGTON, March, 24, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With a federal appeals court deadline looming for the U.S. State Department to answer why it has defied earlier court rulings requiring review of a decision to maintain the main Iranian opposition movement, the Mujahedin-e...

BEIJING: China has apparently acknowledged that it has discontinued its policy of issuing stapled visas to people from Jammu and Kashmir, suggesting that there have been no such cases in recent times.

It was good news and bad news Thursday and Friday as local gasoline prices took another jump with more and more retailers changing prices from $3.59 to $3.65 as crude oil prices continue to increase.

NEW YORK: Warning that a global water crisis was glooming, a US official report has said that problems with water could de-stabilize countries in South Asia, North Africa and Middle East over the next decade.

Today is Saturday, March 24, the 84th day of 2012. There are 282 days left in the year.

The increase in oil prices in recent weeks has caused some to fear that inflation in Asia will soon rise sharply. However, according to Capital Economics, even if oil prices stayed at current levels, inflation would continue to ease across the region.

There were jabs at Newt Gingrich, kudos for Mitt Romney, connections between driving a school bus and serving as Speaker of the U.S. House , and opinions on the wars in the Middle East.Denny Hastert, who went from teacher and wrestling coach to being the longest-serving Republican House...

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama lands in South Korea this weekend hoping a summit there will highlight his initiative to make the world safer from nuclear terrorism, but the bitterly contested nuclear program just next door may steal the spotlight.

PETROL prices have hit their highest level ever, leaving hard-pressed motorists paying more than £6 a gallon on average.

THE Task Force led by Bacolod Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson found one out of the six gasoline stations the Task Force inspected as having under calibrated gas pump during in its random inspection conducted on Friday in Barangay Villamonte. "We inspected six gasoline stations that included Caltex, Seaoil, Petron,...

This year’s “Spring Offensive” — the annual global cavalcade of anti-Israel demonstrations and events — is likely to finish up bloody. It began earlier this month with “Apartheid week,” the worldwide close-of-winter campus ritual that likens Zionism to one of history’s most evil regimes. These days it all promotes the...

You may not have realized it, but the current run-up in oil and gasoline prices is actually a right-wing plot to oust President Obama . Big oil companies and/or Wall Street speculators have inflated prices to foment...

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh ...

By Herbert Lash

Head of world nuclear watchdog at the heart of the Iranian crisis, has been accused of pro-Western bias, over-reliance on unverified intelligence and sidelining sceptics.

There will be no effort to win the goodwill of mullahs in Iran who terrorize their own people and are a threat to the world. "Morality is herd instinct in the individual."

Brenda Strobl knew she would stand out in the crowd when she walked into her first masonry class at Kwantlen University. Not only was she was the only woman in the class of 19, she was old enough to be the mother of most of her classmates.

Tehran, March 22 (KCNA) -- The chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of Iranian Majlis, when interviewed by a news agency on March 18, urged the U.S. and the West to roll back their confrontation policies.

Tehran, March 22 (KCNA) -- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a recent diplomatic conference bitterly censured the U.S. and the West for shielding Israel.

Beijing, March 22 (KCNA) -- Hong Lei, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of China, in a press conference on March 21 said that it is legitimate for China to import oil from Iran.

Tehran, March 22 (KCNA) -- Seyed Ali Khamenei, leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, called upon all the people to accelerate economic development on March 20.

A Memphis jury convicted two cousins Friday of being enforcers for a multi-state drug ring linked with a Mexican cartel. Several former gang members testified that the Lewises were enforcers for a Memphis-based organization led by drug kingpin Craig Petties that imported cocaine from Mexico and sold it in Tennessee,...

Islamabad, March 24 : One woman was killed and 12 people, including six children, were injured when a three-storey building collapsed in Pakistan Multan city Friday night, a media report said.

Schultz: Why is the price of gasoline so high? Let's speculate.

Moscow, March 24 : Two suspects have been arrested in Moscow on charges of robbing at least 30 gays, three of whom died, police said.

Istanbul, March 24 : At least 27 Libyans have been arrested in Turkey's largest city Istanbul for storming the Libyan consulate, Xinhua reported.

BUMP IN BEANS: Soybean prices extended this year's gain on strong demand and tight global inventories. Those supplies may shrink more next year if farmers take advantage of mild weather to plant more corn, which would limit acres reserved for soybeans.

Rick Santorum's presidential campaign appears to have released a new video that subliminally links President Barack Obama with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Military formally charges Sgt. Robert Bales in killings of Afghan children.

The week ahead will signal if the market has peaked or is just taking a breather. Earnings from Lennar, Walgreen and Paychex will help answer the question. So will reports on pending home sales and Chicago Purchasing Managers Index.

Lawrence Solomon: The silver bullet for lowering gas prices is a return to a free market in gasoline, something that was abandoned almost a century ago

The Government has been accused of wasting taxpayers' money by allowing new schools to open in areas where they are not needed. Related Stories Six charged over child exploitation Protest against Iran war threat Comparison sites 'need tough rules' TUC youth wing makes jobs appeal Top firms pledge to cut...

A consumer watchdog has called for tougher regulation of price comparison sites to ensure they treat customers fairly and transparently. Related Stories Six charged over child exploitation Protest against Iran war threat TUC youth wing makes jobs appeal Top firms pledge to cut calories Unnecessary new schools 'immoral'

Major firms including Coca-Cola, Subway and Tesco have pledged to cut calories from foods to help tackle obesity, the Health Secretary has revealed. Related Stories Six charged over child exploitation Protest against Iran war threat Comparison sites 'need tough rules' TUC youth wing makes jobs appeal Unnecessary new schools 'immoral'

Calls for guaranteed jobs or training for unemployed youngsters have been made at a conference of young trade-union activists amid rising concern over youth unemployment. Related Stories Six charged over child exploitation Protest against Iran war threat Comparison sites 'need tough rules' Top firms pledge to cut calories Unnecessary new...

Anti-war activists are set to hold protests across the country to warn against any moves to launch military attacks against Iran.

KUALA LUMPUR: Lynas will not proceed with its operations as the Parliamentary Select Committee has to discuss the matter.

The Assad family's relationship with the media reads like a romance gone sour.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Halfway into an ambitious four-year effort to safeguard nuclear materials from terrorists, President Barack Obama and other world leaders are lagging behind their self-imposed goa...

My Iranian born wife and I are looking forward to Persian New Year or Norouz, just under two months away. As Persians begin their year at the very moment of the spring equinox, Norouz is invariably associated with spring blooms and brighter days.

Petronas, akan menghentikan pengimportan minyak mentah Iran mulai April.

KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak confirmed last night Malaysia’s halting Iranian oil imports to avoid US sanctions.

A fugitive member of Saudi Arabia’s Shiite Muslim minority and three members of a security patrol were wounded in a gunfight late Thursday.

US President Barack Obama. Tension with Iran and “uncertainty” in the region is adding a $20 or $30 premium to oil prices, pushing up domestic gas prices in the United States, President Barack Obama said.

Fed governors are out on the stump making speeches and arguing publicly regarding current and future monetary policy. Fisher says no more QE as does Lockhart (for now). Meanwhile, Bullard and Evans want QE now. Bullard's comments were interesting since it seemed he wanted QE now based on what he...

The Pacific Symphony was, Thursday night, the pacific Symphony, an orchestra serving the cause for peace. The Pacific Symphony was, Thursday night, the pacific Symphony, an orchestra serving the cause for peace.

Former House speaker campaigns in advance of presidential primary on Saturday

So, what happens if war breaks out in Iran? Well, most would agree that oil prices would spike and risk assets like stocks would sell off. However, Art Cashin thinks all that is understating it.

Israel said Friday that it would not cooperate with an inquiry, called for by the United Nations Human Rights Council, into how Israeli settlements affect the rights of Palestinians.

The Qatar Motor and Motocycle Federation’s (QMMF) inaugural Qatar International Enduro Championship was a complete success with a total of 31 participants from various countries taking part.

The Iranian Embassy in Ankara attack. As reported on the morning of 23 March, TRT, two intruders inside the compound of the Embassy of Iran in Ankara Molotov cocktails.

VfL Wolfsburg beat Hamburg SV 2-1 on Friday to stay in contention for a European spot and leave their opponents battling against relegation after suffering a fourth straight defeat.

THE arrival yesterday of a senior United Nations team in Tehran has raised hopes that Iran may be in the mood to talk about its nuclear program. But there are growing fears that neighbouring Saudi Arabia will turn to Pakistan for its own bomb if Iran develops nuclear weapons.

TEHRAN, March 24 (MNA) - Iran has vehemently rejected news reports recently published by certain Western media outlets claiming that it sends weaponry to Sudan.

Andrew Bacevich, author of Washington Rules: America’s Path to Permanent War (2010) and The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism (2008), and professor of International Relations at Boston University, offers his expert commentary on American warmongering in a new video interview. “Whatever threat Iran poses is very, very ...

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales was formally charged Friday with 17 counts of premeditated murder, six counts of attempted murder, and six counts of assault. The formal accusations come almost two weeks after Bales allegedly walked door to door on the morning of March 11th and shot Afghan...

The oil industry recently laid out a set of proposals it believes will instantly lower gasoline prices.

Rick Santorum explains himself, Mitt Romney gets over a Gallup hump, Newt Gingrich takes his Muslim rhetoric a bit further and Obama celebrates Obamacare. Make sure to sign up to get “ Afternoon Fix ” in your e-mail inbox every day by 5 (ish) p.m! Read full article >>

Canada’s benchmark stock index posted its fourth consecutive weekly decline on Friday, losing 0.25% in a week where losing sessions outnumbered gainers three to two

A show of gorgeous prayer rugs at the Textile Museum inspires a sense of reverence

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Oil prices briefly spiked to the highest level in three weeks on Friday following a report that Iranian oil exports have dropped significantly this month. Benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude rose by $1.52 to finish at $106.87 per barrel in New York. Earlier,...

* UK publishes its first counter-proliferation strategy * World leaders to gather next week for nuclear securitysummit * UK says al Qaeda seeks chemical, nuclear weapons LONDON, March 23 (Reuters) - Britain ...

Gas prices continue to rise. In El Paso, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline is $3.77, 8 cents more than last week and 23 cents below the $4 mark, according to the AAA Texas Weekend Gas Watch.

U.S. stocks shot higher on Friday in a positive end to the week. Gold rose to $1,663 while oil topped $106 a barrel igniting a run on energy company shares.

At least 10 people were killed by landmine explosions in a part of northern Yemen where Shi'ite Muslim fighters and tribal militiamen have fought running battles for months.

BRUSSELS, March 23 (UPI) -- The EU and NATO needs to do more to secure Libya's peace, threatened by heavily armed militias and the government's ineffective authority, a rights group said,

BFI London's 26th Lesbian and Gay film festival opens tonight with a lineup that boasts at least a dozen feature films that could be marketed as mainstream. So why is it still a niche event? Tonight sees the opening of the 26th Lesbian and Gay film festival at the BFI...

Today's signs spell out the pain for millions, with the average price for petrol hitting £1.40 a litre. What we pay at the pumps has rocketed 40% in the last three years and with more tax on fuel coming this August.

Despite his house arrest, and 20-year ban on making films, the Iranian director has released a movie – the unclassifiable This Is Not a Film, smuggled out of the country in a cake If one accepts Iran's ruling that Jafar Panahi is no longer a film-maker , then it follows...

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Oil futures climbed 1.4% Friday, finding support from a weaker U.S. dollar and a report that said Iranian oil exports have fallen this month. May crude settled at $106.87 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, up $1.52. Prices ended the...

Adventure travellers are spoilt for choice in Turkey. Kevin Gould picks great experiences beyond the beach, from horse-riding in the little-visited north west, to a homestay in a Kurdish village and white-water rafting in the Kaçkar mountains Find more holiday ideas in our Turkey special in Guardian Travel on Saturday...

Is Islam to be a factor in the London mayoral elections? Ken Livingstone wants it to be...

Online campaign is designed to prevent a nuclear attack between the two nations.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will raise the issue of the Russian telecom giant Sistema, which was hit by the 2G licence cancellation, during his bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan...

WASHINGTON, March 23 (UPI) -- The White House announced the president will head to South Korea during the weekend to outline his commitment to a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.