News Archive - 27 March 2012

Former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mohammad ElBaradei, on Tuesday warned the Zionist regime against attacking Iran, saying such a move would be total craze. Asked by if an Israeli military assault on Iran was looming, ElBaradei told dpa, "I don't think so. I think anybody who...

Deputy Foreign Minister in Arab and African Affairs said due staging of presidential elections in Senegal and noticeable participation of people indicated the high political maturity of its nation and growing trend toward more development and democracy. Hossein Amir-Abdullahian said Iran is pleased with the democratic elections in Senegal and...

Asian markets mostly edged lower Wednesday following a slip on Wall Street and on profit-taking after the previous day's strong showing, according to AFP. Tokyo fell 0.71 percent, or 72.58 points, to 10,182.57 and Seoul slipped 0.39 percent, or 8.02 points, to 2,031.74, but...

Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at the head of a high-ranking delegation arrived in Tehran early Wednesday morning. Erdogan is scheduled to meet and discuss interested issues with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Rahimi and Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani during his 2-day official visit. Considering issues related...

>Shi'ite Muslim Iran backed popular uprisings which have removed leaders in Egypt, Libya and Yemen but has steadfastly supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is a member of the minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam."I am very happy that Syrian officials are managing the situation well ... I...

IRI Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi said on Tuesday that the Islamic Republic of Iran has the most powerful intelligence service in the region. He made the remarks in a meeting with Iranian Alims in charge of Hajj pilgrimage in the city of Medina. Congratulating the audience on the new Iranian...

Saudi-backed Bahraini forces have injured several anti-regime protesters in fresh clashes with the demonstrators in villages outside the capital Manama, according to Press TV. The scuffles broke out after a large crowd of Bahraini protesters held rallies to commemorate the death anniversary of activist Issa Ghanbar, who was executed over...

>* Australia shares buck trend after clean bill of health for banks* Dollar inches down 0.1 pct vs euro, off 0.4 pct vs yen* European shares likely fallBy Chikako MogiTOKYO, March 28 (Reuters) - Asian shares drifted lower on Wednesday, after rallying the previous session on hopes for...

>* U.S. crude stockpiles up 3.6 mln bbls last week -API (Updates prices)By Florence TanSINGAPORE, March 28 (Reuters) - Brent crude fell for a second session on Wednesday, breaching $125, on the possibility of a release of strategic oil reserves by the United States even after crude stockpiles...

>* Package meant to build on existing oil, banking sanctions* Timing of next step not immediately clear (Recasts with Senate action, adds comment)By Roberta Rampton and Rachelle YounglaiWASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - A U.S. Republican lawmaker on Tuesday blocked Democrats from passing legislation designed to further punish Iran for...

>* Iranians see Israeli hand in past blasts, computer wormsBy Dan WilliamsJERUSALEM, March 27 (Reuters) - Israel on Tuesday played down the prospect of an imminent attack on Iran, saying its arch-foe's controversial nuclear programme could still be set back by sanctions and sabotage.Six world powers are expected to...

>LONDON (Reuters) - The number of executions carried out around the world jumped last year, largely due to a surge in use of the death penalty in Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Amnesty International said on Tuesday. The rights group said at least 676 people were executed in 20 countries...

>* Investors' appetite for riskier assets boosted* Sudan president suspends meeting after clashes with South Sudan (Adds Seaway Pipeline expansion, updates prices)By Florence TanSINGAPORE, March 27 (Reuters) - Brent held steady above $125 on Tuesday as comments from the U.S. Federal Reserve indicating easy monetary policy would remain in...

European Union leaders on Wednesday voiced “grave concern” at North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons programmes and called on it to scrap a long-range rocket launch scheduled for next month.

By refusing to receive Turkish PM Tayyip Erdogan in Tehran Wednesday , Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei placed an obstacle in the path of the Six Power nuclear talks with Tehran scheduled to open in Istanbul April 13. The official IRNA agency said Erdogan would discuss nuclear matters with President Mahmoud...

U.S. Rep. Rush Holt made a special visit to West Windsor on Saturday afternoon to give citizens in the 12th District a chance to voice their thoughts and concerns.

Oil prices are up. Barack Obama is to blame. Drilling in the US is the solution. This is the mantra from the president's opponents. All presidents tend to get the blame for high fuel prices. But with the price of gasoline nearing $4 a gallon, Mr Obama is getting it...

NEW DELHI: India “cannot just rupture” ties with Iran, Trade Minister Anand Sharma said on Wednesday, adding New Delhi will discuss oil imports from Tehran at a meeting of emerging world powerhouses.

Final results released Wednesday in the leadership race for Israel's largest political party give a former defense and military chief a resounding victory over the incumbent, a former lead negotiator with the Palestinians.

Crude oil futures were little changed on Tuesday with many traders reluctant to dip in ahead of weekly inventory data and in the wake of disappointing US consumer confidence and housing reports.

A couple of people stood side by side on the sidewalk, clutching signs and posters on a windy Saturday afternoon. In minutes, the small group multiplied as passers-by grabbed posters and joined the expanding line. The crowd of strangers turned into comrades with one thing in mind: peace.

China has earned the dubious distinction of accounting for more executions than the rest of the world put together in 2011, global anti-death penalty group Amensty International has said.

Havana, March 28: Cuba's health care system has a lot to teach the world, the deputy head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

Beijing, March 28 : China has imported a record $1.27 billion worth of bottled wine in 2011, up by 94 percent year-on-year, industry experts said.

The problem is not the amount of information pouring into our lives, it's how we process it.

Ghana still supports death penalty even though in practice there had not been any execution since 1993, Mr Lawrence Amesu, Director of Amnesty International(AI), Ghana said on Tuesday.

LAS VEGAS-- Screaming "They're going to take us down!" a JetBlue pilot stormed through his plane rambling about a bomb and threats from Iraq Tuesday until passengers on the Las Vegas-bound flight tackled him to the ground just outside the cockpit, pa ...

SEOUL, South Korea — Material that can be used to make nuclear bombs is stored in scores of buildings spread across dozens of countries. If even a fraction of it fell into the hands of terrorists, it could be disastrous.

Developing nations again seem unlikely to propel one of their own citizens to the World Bank presidency. It may not matter. A group of rising powers is mulling its own alternative to Western-dominated lending institutions.

Las Vegas - Screaming “They're going to take us down!” a JetBlue pilot stormed through his plane rambling about a bomb and threats from Iraq on Tuesday until passengers on the Las Vegas-bound flight tackled him to the ground just outside the cockpit, passengers said.

NEW YORK — The United States was the only Western democracy to execute prisoners last year, even though an increasing number of U.S. states are moving to abolish the death penalty, Amnesty International said Monday.

U.S. and British officials say Assad must now put his words into action by withdrawing forces.

SCREAMING "They're going to take us down!" a JetBlue pilot stormed through his plane rambling about a bomb and threats from Iraq until passengers on the Las Vegas-bound flight tackled him to the ground just outside the cockpit, passengers said.

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - US President Barack Obama views it as a threat and a provocation. Either way, North Korea's announcement that it will test-fire a long-range missile in mid-April-and speculations of all kinds as to its real motive are aplenty-is sufficient cause for global concern.

Arab foreign ministers will discuss a draft resolution on Wednesday calling on Syria's government to hold talks with the opposition and to end the violence, on the eve of a landmark summit in Baghdad.

Renewed Uncertainties in Eurozone Damped Sentiment

Two deaths confirmed, 23 homes destroyed By Summit Voice SUMMIT COUNTY — With more than 200 firefighters and several aircraft on hand to battle the Lower North Fork Fire, Jefferson County officials said at a 4 pm. briefing they hope to start containing the 4,500 blaze Wednesday. As of late...

LAS VEGAS - Screaming "Theyre going to take us down!" a JetBlue pilot stormed through his plane rambling about a bomb and threats from Iraq Tuesday until passengers on the Las Vegas-bound flight tackled him to the ground just outside the cockpit,...

Today is Wednesday, March 28, the 88th day of 2012. There are 278 days left in the year.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday said Indiaâs growing energy demands make nuclear energy an âessential component of our energy mixâ. Singh pointed out that nuclear energy and its .....

The Energy Ministry reports a rise in alternative fuel consumption in February in the wake of costly oil, while expecting global crude prices will not exceed 125 US dollars a barrel due to a slow global economy, which dampens oil demand.

An open letter to Defence Minister A K Antony on the threat from China and the need for upgradation of our defence research and production by Colonel (retd) Anil Athale.

> Financials Industrials...

>BURBANK, California (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney had this assignment for Rick Santorum on Tuesday to make light of his chief rival's frequent tussles with the news media: "Press secretary." Romney, who sometimes struggles to connect with everyday voters, appeared on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay...

  BURBANK, Calif. – Seated on Jay Leno's couch for the first time since announcing his second presidential bid, Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney faced a wide-ranging interview on Tuesday that covered everything from policy questions on Afghanistan and healthcare to j …

Police have fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse Indonesians protesting plans to raise fuel prices.

His influence went well beyond his role as Honeywell CEO to the realms of education, culture and international relations.

Captain goes crazy on plane

A senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official says the holding of a presidential election in Senegal and the considerable participation of the Senegalese in the poll shows their “high level of political maturity.”

A senior Iranian diplomat says the US will gain no result from its hostile policies toward Iran and the Iranian nation will stand up to Washington’s unwarranted demands.

Six world powers and Iran reportedly have agreed to meet to discuss the Iranians’ controversial nuclear program. Click here for the rest of the article...

Hitting out at the government for "caving in" to the United States' threats of sanctions against countries who failed to support its current campaign to isolate Iran, Penang-based group Citizens International urged Malaysia to revoke its decision to stop import of oil from the Islamic republic.

Here comes Ben with that big gun, I fought the Fed and the ... Fed won. I fought the Fed and the Fed and Won. They needed money so they printed some, I fought the Fed and The Fed won, I fought and the Fed and the Fed won. I thought...

Americans got a rare, unscripted look this week at the diplomacy that goes on backstage among world leaders, this time at a nuclear summit in South Korea .

The economic outlook for most Gulf oil exporters has improved, although this year’s expansion will lag 2011.

Nobody ever accused Joe Biden of understatement. On March 23, 2010, as President Barack Obama affixed his signature to his hard-won health care law, the vice president gushed, "This is a big (expletive deleted) deal!"

A US airplane made an emergency landing in Texas Tuesday after passengers restrained the pilot when he began shouting about Al-Qaeda and bomb threats, officials and media reports said.

By Insider MonkeyAerospace and defense contractors are facing very interesting times. As we all know...

President Obama covers the microphone Tuesday as he arrives at the full session of the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul. / By Susan Walsh,, AP SEOUL (USA TODAY) — President Obama attempted Tuesday to clarify his suggestion that he'll have "more flexibility" after the election in November to take on...

Syria’s regime is committing human rights atrocities, including torture of men arbitrarily detained by security forces, that could amount to “crimes against humanity,” US envoy Robert Ford said yesterday.

Until the first half of the past solar year, only the Chinese CNPCI, Angola's state oil company Sonangol and South Korean GS Engineering & Construction Company had remained in the South Pars projects.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The fate of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul was cast into peril Tuesday as the Supreme Court's conservative justices sharply and repeatedly questioned its core requirement that virtually every American carry insurance.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria has accepted a U.N.-sponsored peace plan, international envoy Kofi Annan said on Tuesday, as troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad raided rebel forces who have taken refuge across the border in Lebanon. Related Stories Analysis - French shooting case shows counterterrorism limits U.S.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iran's trading partners are scrambling to comply with the latest U.S. sanctions against Iran. If countries such as China, India and South Korea do not cut down on their Iranian oil imports by mid-year when the U.S. sanctions go into effect, their financial institutions could...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Defense Department on Tuesday said it would ask Congress to fund additional "Iron Dome" short-range missile shields for Israel, given their success in intercepting 80 percent of rockets launched by Palestinian militants from Gaza earlier this month. The request comes against the backdrop of...

Shipping liquefied natural gas is safe, but the number of shipments has exploded

LAS VEGAS (AP) - A JetBlue captain who ranted about Iraq and Afghanistan and claimed that a bomb was on a Las Vegas-bound flight was locked out of the cockpit, tackled and restrained by passengers Tuesday, passengers said. The captain of Flight 191 from New York's John F. Kennedy International...

[Update below from another passenger who was in the eighth row.] Grant F. Heppes , a Brooklyn-based marketing director, was seated about halfway back during this morning's crazy JetBlue flight from JFK to Las Vegas . About halfway through the flight, he started to hear a commotion. Heppes tells us,...

WASHINGTON - Forty-three Republican senators have written to President Barack Obama saying they will oppose any efforts by the Obama administration to limit missile defense or pursue further reductions in nuclear weapons.

The arts can push politics aside and allow the true spirit of a people to emerge and be viewed by the rest of the world.

Modi unlikely to become national leader... May not even remain a regional leader: Fareed Zakaria

OIL FUTURES: Crude Ekes Out Gain As Traders Await Data

The Pentagon will press Congress for more money for Israel's Iron Dome system designed to intercept short-range rockets and mortars, a boost for Israel as the Obama administration tries to dissuade the Mideast ally from launching a potential unilateral strike on Iran.

By Elizabeth Behrman, Times Staff Writer Tuesday, March 27, 2012 Rising fuel prices put a damper on consumer confidence in Florida this month. Consumer confidence dropped two points to 74, repeating a trend from last year, when consumer confidence dropped four points in March, according to a survey from the...

President Obama ’s warnings of dire “consequences” if North Korea fires a long-range rocket next month encountered a quick and firm rebuff today from Pyongyang that underscored the North's determination to keep up its nuclear and missile programs in the face of widespread international condemnation.

Islamist parties now dominate the constitution-writing process in post-revolution Egypt and Tunisia. If they can make Islam compatible with democracy, they will give hope to others in the Middle East still struggling in the unfinished Arab Spring.

The U.S. has hit two Iranian companies with sanctions for helping Iranian special forces export arms.

BUENOS AIRES: Six Nobel Peace Prize laureates called on Tuesday for Britain to open talks with Argentina on the sovereignty of the Falklands Islands, ahead of the 30th anniversary of a war between the two nations.

At Seoul Summit, Ban Outlines Steps To Defuse Global Nuclear Threat New York, Mar 27 2012 12:10PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today outlined five areas that deserve greater attention as the world community strives to ensure nuclear security, from ...

KUALA LUMPUR: Crude palm oil futures (CPO) closed higher yesterday on continuous buying interest, after hitting a one-year high of RM3,497 a tonne, dealers said.

IEA says toll threatens to undermine economic recovery

Natural gas prices fell again Tuesday amid doubts that consumers, businesses or industry can put a significant dent in the huge surplus of the fuel in the U.S.Natural gas futures fell 1.8 cents to $2.21 ...

Citi Chief Economist Willem Buiter names an escalating Israel-Iran conflict as a key market risk. In a presentation this week he offers the following slide on how an economist sees the conflict:

WALLACE — First-term Congressman Raul Labrador met with constituents Saturday morning to discuss national and state issues.

He's not even president -- at least not yet -- but GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney is embroiled in a cold war of words with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

Deep insights into the molybdenum industry at the global, regional and country levels are in the focus of the new report “Molybdenum Market Review” recently published by Merchant Research & Consulting Ltd. (PRWeb March 27, 2012) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/3/prweb9336032.htm

Even with crude oil prices nearing record territory, experts see signs that the market for commodities is running on fumes. The prices of many commodities are losing steam as much of Europe is likely headed ...

The United States is working with Saudi Arabia and other major oil producers to ensure their production is expanded to help mitigate any supply disruptions and tensions caused by Western sanctions on Iran, ...

Undeterred by a federal investigation into his peers, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has shown unwavering support for an Iranian dissident group called the People's Mujahedin of Iran, also known as the Mujahedin-e Khalq or MEK.

Increased demand for oil worldwide appears to be the main culprit behind higher gas prices, although speculators can make oil prices more volatile. Watching the numbers on the gas pump tick ever higher can boil the blood and lead the mind to wonder: Why are gasoline prices so high?

By The Associated Press Fort Worth Star-Telegram. March 25, 2012.

>JOHANNESBURG, March 27 (Reuters) - South Africa imported no oil from Iran in January, according to government trade and customs data, suggesting Africa's biggest economy has heeded a call from the United States to halt oil shipments from Tehran as part of Western sanctions. Trade figures showed marked increases in...

Iran and the 5+1 group (five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) have agreed to meet on April 13 for new talks, but the failure of previous meetings and disputes over what should be discussed are keeping them from choosing a venue, diplomats told the Associated Press...

Justice for Iran says the IRGC's Center to Investigate Organized Crime should be put on the international list of human rights violators. The human rights organization has published a new report entitled "Gerdab: A Dictated Scenario" that details the role of the IRGC's Center to Investigate Organized Crime (Cyber Crime...