News Archive - 25 May 2012

>* Major sticking points remain, but two sides still talking* Iran wants easing of sanctions before nuclear concessions* Powers want Iran to curb activity before sanctions eased (Adds comments from Iranian oil minister, senior cleric)By Andrew Quinn and Justyna PawlakBAGHDAD, May 25 (Reuters) - Iran and world powers agreed to...

IRI Ambassador to International Atomic Energy Agency, Ali Asghar Soltanieh called IAEA cheif's latest report on Iran’s nuclear program a positive one which proved peaceful identity of Tehran’s nuclear activities. He made the remarks on Friday in Vienna, adding the report showed Tehran’s progress in nuclear technology including the enrichment...

Yemenis have taken to the streets in the northern city of Sa’ada to protest against US and Israeli interference in their country’s internal affairs, according to Press TV. On Friday, demonstrators shouted slogans against the United States and Israel and called on the Yemeni government to halt its political and...

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood says its candidate Mohamed Morsi will face former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq in the country’s presidential run-off election. According to Friday reports, around 90 percent of the ballots have been counted so far and Morsi is leading with 25 percent. Former prime minister of Mubarak's regime Shafiq...

IRI Secretary of Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Saeed Jalili, said on Thursday that Tehran-G5+1 talks were held in a good atmosphere. Jalili told reporters that the Baghdad talks were intensive and long. “The talks in Baghdad were detailed but unfinished." He said the G5+1 had a series of...

Secretary of the IRI Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Saeed Jalili, met and conferred with Iraqi Religious Leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, on Friday. Jalili and the Grand Ayatollah Sistani discussed latest regional and international developments. The meeting took place after Jalili's visit to the0 holy sites of Najaf in...

Islamic Republic of Iran has been countering the US-engineered oil sanctions through domesticating the national oil industry, Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi told worshippers in weekly prayers ceremonies Friday. Mr. Qasemi said the IRI has drawn up an overhaul plan for the industry and will implement it as a roadmap. He...

Islamic Republic of Iran will not give up its technology of 20 percent uranium enrichment, Tehran’s interim Friday Prayers Leader Hojjatoleslam Sayyed Ahmad Khatami said Friday. In his second sermon of this week's Friday prayers of the capital city, the Alim slammed the western governemnts for not meeting their promises...

IRI Navy foiled a pirate attack on two Iranian oil tankers in the international waters, a statement released by the Navy said on Friday. The first Iranian oil tanker was attacked by pirate boats on first days of this week near Muscat in Oman's northeastern coast on the Gulf of...

IRI President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has invited his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad to visit Tehran and attend the 16th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit. Minister of Communications and Technology, Reza Taghipour, submitted the invitation message to Assad on Thursday. The 4-day NAM Summit will start in Tehran on August 26-31.

Foreign investments in the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1390 (ending March 20, 2012) increased by 12 percent compared to the preceding year, a senior official announced Thursday. Foreign investors have invested nearly $4,3b in different projects in the Islamic Republic, Head of the IRI Foreign Investment Services Center told...

Eurozone tensions rose Thursday after grim news on the economic outlook and as investors sought safety in Germany on growing doubts over Greece's future in the currency union. Shortly after an EU summit failed to produce a remedy, a May survey of eurozone business confidence showed the sharpest monthly fall...

>The attacks came less than a week after a suicide bomber in army uniform detonated an explosive belt at a military parade rehearsal in Sanaa, killing more than 90 soldiers and wounding at least 200 more.The United States and its Gulf Arab allies have watched with mounting alarm as...

>The State Department said Clinton begins her May 31-June 7 trip with visits to Denmark, Norway and Sweden that will largely concentrate on the environment.Her visit to Norway will include speaking at a conference on global health in Oslo on June 1 as well as visiting Tromso, north of...

>LONDON/HAMBURG (Reuters) - Syria is struggling to meet its grain import needs because of sanctions, raising the risk of bread shortages that could sap public support for President Bashar al-Assad as he tries to snuff out a 15-month-old uprising. Trade sources said a reluctance among foreign banks, shipowners and grain...

>"Effective immediately the subsidiaries will no longer carry out business activity related to products or components where the ultimate destination of such products is known to be Iran," Fiat said in a statement.Separately, truck maker Fiat Industrial, which like Fiat is controlled by Italy's Agnelli family, also said it...

>The International Atomic Energy Agency also said on Friday satellite images show "extensive activities" at the Parchin military complex which inspectors want to check over suspicions that nuclear weapons-relevant research was done there.The activities could hamper the IAEA's inquiry, it said - an allusion to what Western diplomats have...

BAGHDAD (AP) — Diplomats say the U.N. nuclear agency has found traces of uranium at Iran's underground atomic site enriched to higher than previous levels and closer to what is needed for nuclear weap

>One source said the higher level detected was believed to be within variation of the usual activity at the Fordow facility - where Iran is refining uranium to a fissile concentration of 20 percent - making clear it was not a big difference."It is not up there ... towards nuclear...

>* German manufacturing shrinks at fastest rate in 3 years* U.S. durable goods data up, but less than expectedBy Jessica JaganathanSINGAPORE, May 25 (Reuters) - Brent crude futures held steady at $106 a barrel on Friday, but was on track for a fourth weekly loss and the longest losing...

US stocks and the euro eased slightly on Friday as Spain's deteriorating finances and a possible Greek exit from the euro weighed on investor sentiment more than an upbeat report on US consumer confidence.

A new International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report on Iran's nuclear activities is "proof" that Tehran's programme is peaceful, Iran's envoy to the UN nuclear watchdog said.

New York, May 25 2012 5:10PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomes the recently concluded talks between Iran and the E3+3 grouping – made up of the United Kingdom, the United States, US, China, France, Germany and Russia – his spokesperson said today.

Louisville, Ky. — A religious watchdog group says an eastern Kentucky Baptist pastor violated federal law when he urged his followers to vote President Barack Obama out of office in November.

“In the name of God the merciful and the compassionate! Your Excellency, I heartily congratulate the fraternal State and people on the occasion of the national holiday-Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

General Motors Co. said it recently learned that Pernilla Ammann, the wife of Chief Financial Officer Dan Ammann, is an officer and a partner in an advertising agency that received about $600,000 for services last year to a GM subsidiary.

Elections: “Gagauz legislators managed to impossible-to go beyond the legal framework of the finish line in the fulfilment of the mandates”. Republic of Moldova-Moldova “is someone thinks that destroying a gagauzskuû dream, he can sleep in his” Republic of Moldova-Chisinau?:

BEIRUT - President Bashar Assad's forces have killed at least 50 civilians including 13 children in central Syria, activists say, in one of the highest death tolls in one specific area since an internationally brokered cease-fire went into effect last month.

Friday, May 25th, the day of liberation of southern Lebanon from Zionist occupation marks the day of hitting the last nail on what the so-called “greater Israel,” Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said.

The summer driving season kicks off this holiday weekend, which usually means a rise in gas prices because of higher demand. This Memorial Day seemed like it would be even worse, with some pundits scaring drivers with forecasts of gas prices topping $4 or $5 a gallon.

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico — Bud weakened to a tropical storm Friday as it headed toward a string of laid-back beach resorts and small mountain villages on Mexico’s Pacific coast south of Puerto Vallarta

Oil and gas fields that were unknown or inaccessible a decade ago – in Argentina, North Dakota, Colombia – now offer the U.S. a glimmer of hope for self-sufficiency.

FILE - In an Aug. 10, 2008 file photo Li Bin of China, right, shoots past Tony Azevedo of the USA, left, during a preliminary round of men's water polo at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, The USA men's water polo team was the surprise silver meadalists at the...

BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Lebanon said on Friday that a group of Lebanese Shi'ites kidnapped in Syria had been freed and were safe in Turkey, but produced no sign of the hostages at the centre of a kidnap drama heightening tensions over the conflict in neighbouring Syria. Related Stories U.N.

LONDON, 6 August 2004 — As if trying to add a last-minute item to a banquet menu, the Bush administration is busy concocting an “Iran policy” for the Republican Party’s convention in New York this month.

Beijing yesterday swiftly hit back at Washington's annual report on China's human rights, saying in a report that the US government's crackdown on protesters in the Occupy Wall Street demonstration .....

UN experts are investigating why particles of uranium found in a Iranian nuclear facility had been enriched.

Syrian government forces pounded the central province of Homs on Friday, killing more than 50 people including children, opposition groups said.

Suspicion falls on Israel for assassination campaign against leading scientists

Beijing on Friday swiftly hit back at Washington's annual report on China's human rights, saying in a report that the US government's crackdown on protesters in the Occupy Wall Street demonstration is the real illustration of American democracy.

IAEA inspectors report finding traces of uranium enriched up to 27% in an Iranian facility, exceeding the maximum 20% permitted. The revelation may complicate talks on Iran's nuclear program. VIENNA — United Nations experts are investigating why tiny particles of uranium found in an underground Iranian nuclear facility had been...

Song contest turns the spotlight on Azerbaijan

26 MEI — Debat “Pemansuhan Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Negara (PTPTN) Dan Hala Tuju Pendidikan Tinggi” di antara Rafizi Ramli dan Khairy Jamaluddin berjaya dianjurkan di Kompleks Media Karangkraf dan dipancarkan oleh Astro Awani dan Bernama 24 secara langsung pada malam bersejarah 22 Mei lalu. Sekaligus ia menandakan bahawa “Politik...

Baghdad (AFP) May 25, 2012 Iraqi MPs are toying with a Saddam-era policy they hope will combat both high unemployment and fears of sectarian divisions in a country that was on the brink of civil war a few years ago: conscription. The nascent proposal is a potentially divisive one, and...

Baltimore (UPI) May 25, 2012 This week, six world powers resumed discussions with Iran in Baghdad to avert what increasingly appears to be a nuclear standoff. What the Obama administration hopes to achieve through such talks is anybody's guess. History suggests that diplomatic engagement with Iran is a fool's errand.

Baghdad (AFP) May 25, 2012 Iran and world powers cannot afford to come away from their next round of nuclear talks in Moscow in June without concrete progress, as they did in Baghdad, analysts said on Friday. "We are starting to reach a point in which it is going to...

Talk of the "Grand Bargain" is once again finding its way to theories on the relationship between the United States and Iran, in light of their mutual desire to build bridges of trust on the nuclear issue, and of the repercussions of their understanding over regional issues, from Iraq...

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and his opponent, Democrat Tom Barrett, are locked together in a fiercely fought recall campaign, but that's where the similarity ends. They don't campaign the same way.

The State Highway Patrol is kicking off a new program to train truck drivers to watch for signs of potential crimes and safety threats while they're traveling Ohio roadways.

An Arkansas judge who ordered a new trial in a lawsuit over a $1 million lottery ticket that a woman says she mistakenly discarded announced Friday that he won't preside over.

Thousands of Lebanese Shi'ites celebrate after a group of pilgrims were released by hostage-takers in Syria.

Brandon Weeden continued to look good last week in Browns minicamp after a stellar rookie camp. Given what preceded at the quarterback position, Weeden looks even better.

This is a guest post by Craig Birk, director of portfolio management at Personal Capital. held firm amid swirling uncertainty surrounding Greece and the future of Europe. Global stocks posted gains for the week, though international stocks were flat for US investors due to a rising dollar. At a mostly...

VIENNA, 16 June 2006 — Western powers nudged Iran yesterday to take up a new offer of incentives to halt its disputed nuclear fuel program, soft-pedaling previous threats of possible sanctions brushed aside by Tehran.

Analysis: The two candidates leading in still-unofficial counting couldn't be more different: the Mubarak regime's last prime minister and the Muslim Brotherhood's pick.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov sacked his oil and gas minister, citing his poor performance on state television on Friday, just two days after the Central Asian nation agreed landmark deals to supply natural gas to Pakistan and India. Related Stories Lebanese Shi'ite hostages freed, en route to...

Now that the Mail has taken an interest in Aishwarya, it will be even more interested in another Indian woman much better known to the Brits: Shilpa Shetty, winner of Celebrity Big Brother 2007. Meanwhile, one has to be grateful for small mercies. As far as one knows, Mallika Sherawat...

Uranium worries » Inspectors took more samples from the same location.

The commanding Marine general in one of Afghanistan's hardest-fought regions says he is seeing big improvements in the vetting of Afghan recruits to the country's security forces following attacks by Afghan soldiers...

As the summer driving season kicks off this holiday weekend, most Americans are enjoying lower gas prices than they might have expected when the spring began.

The price of oil held near the lowest levels of the year on a quiet Friday ahead of the holiday weekend.

It's an anniversary the few remaining souls who live here won't be celebrating.

OIL FUTURES: Crude Ekes Out A Gain Ahead Of Long Weekend

London, May 25 : Iran has claimed that a leather-bound religious text, thought to date from the fifth century but discovered only 12 years ago, will cause the collapse of Christianity worldwide.

Senate Democrats and Republicans have failed to pass competing versions of legislation aimed at preventing federally subsidized student loan interest rates from doubling in July.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks and the euro slipped on Friday as Spain's deteriorating finances and a possible Greek exit from the euro overshadowed an upbeat report on U.S. consumer confidence. Oil prices edged higher due to a lack of progress in talks with Iran over its...

Both sides spoke of 'some common ground' that will drive the next round of Iran nuclear talks set for mid-June in Moscow. Yet a chasm of mismatched expectations widened in Baghdad.

Linda Galayda hauled water and flagged down truck drivers to ask about their hay. She sold calves and young cows and made her son leave their East Texas family ranch for a job in San Antonio.

Usually, when a loaned masterpiece gets returned unscathed, all is well. But in yet another blow to cultural exchange, a highly important Jackson Pollock , "Mural on Indian Red Ground," 1950, although arriving safely in Iran after having been loaned to two Japanese museums by the Tehran Museum of Contemporary...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran and an American-led naval coalition each said Thursday they responded to a distress call by a U.S.-flagged cargo ship that came under fire from gunmen in the Gulf of Oman a day earlier. read more

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is being asked to appear before a Senate panel next month to answer questions about the bank's $2 billion-plus trading loss.

Facebook has been accused of many things: Ripping off individual investors by selectively disclosing bad news to big investors before its IPO; increasing cynicism about Wall Street and damaging the IPO market; being a ridiculously pointless waste of time. Can we add "innovation destroyer" to the list of charges?

>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Department of Commerce is investigating Chinese telecommunications equipment maker ZTE Corp for allegedly selling embargoed U.S. computer products to Iran. The investigation was launched following reports by Reuters in March and April that ZTE had signed contracts to ship millions of dollars worth of hardware...

VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran has raised its potential capacity to make sensitive nuclear material by installing hundreds more uranium enrichment machines at an underground site, a U.N. watchdog report said, a day after world powers failed to convince Tehran to halt such activity. The International Atomic Energy Agency also...

NEW YORK, N.Y. - The price of oil is holding near the lowest levels of the year. Benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude added 34 cents to US$91 a barrel in New York while Brent crude, used to price varieties imported by U.S. refineries, rose 38 cents to US$106.

The first commercial supply ship is now part of the International Space Station.

The NKR was represented at the round table by Advisers to Foreign Minister Ruben Zargarian and Arsen Melik-Shakhnazarian.

The maker of Tide Pods will create a new double-latch lid to deter children from accessing and eating the brightly colored detergent packets, a company spokesman said Friday.

Leaders of a minority community said South Sudan troops shot and killed a teenager on Friday while he was fishing, linking the death to the military's disarmament campaign in a conflict-torn state.

Armen Sargsyan participated in meeting of UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok.

The State Highway Patrol is kicking off a new program to train truck drivers to watch for signs of potential crimes and safety threats while they're traveling Ohio roadways.

Oil edged up above $91 a barrel Friday as an inconclusive summit about Iran's nuclear program outweighed demands concerns tied to Greece's financial crisis and sputtering growth in China.

The latest round of talks between the P5+1 and Iran has been wrapped up in the Iraqi capital Baghdad and another round of negotiations has been scheduled for June.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese hostages kidnapped in northern Syria were set free on Friday and were on their way to Beirut, Lebanon's prime minister and an Islamist cleric who brokered their release said.

WASHINGTON, May 25 (UPI) -- A natural gas pipeline from Iran could be considered if Tehran meets the expectations of the international community, a U.S. official suggested.

In this week's Q&A, I chat with Mikko Hypponen, the Chief Research Officer of F-Secure on the current state of the cybercrime ecosystem.

The State Highway Patrol is kicking off a new program to train truck drivers to watch for signs of potential crimes and safety threats while they're traveling Ohio roadways.

A giant radio telescope made up of thousands of separate dishes and intended to help scientists answer fundamental questions about the make-up of the universe will be built and based in both Australia and South Africa, the...

Congratulations OPEC. The world is now accustomed to $90 oil.

Benchmark oil for July delivery was up 60 cents to $91.26 a barrel at late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

BEIRUT—Activists say Syrian forces are shelling opposition strongholds as thousands gather across the country in weekly anti-government protests.

A former convenience store worker confessed to luring 6-year-old Etan Patz from his school bus stop in 1979 and choking him to death in a basement, police said Thursday, ending a three-decades long investigation into one of...

Oil edged up above $91 a barrel Friday as an inconclusive summit about Iran's nuclear program outweighed demands concerns tied to Greece's financial crisis and sputtering growth in China.

Damascus, May 25 (Xinhua-ANI): With recession and sky-high unemployment, the Syrians officials, while confessing that the European Union (EU) and U.S. sanctions have hit the Syrian people hard, are still sending assurances that the country's economy is stable.

Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi says the country will definitely be the winner of the economic war waged against Iran by Western countries.

MOSCOW, May 25 (RIA Novosti) - IAEA experts will visit Iran’s first nuclear power plant at Bushehr next year, Miroslav Lipar, head of the agency’s Operational Safety Section, said on Friday.