News Archive - 30 May 2012

The head of Information Technology Organization of Iran says the country’s experts have managed to produce antivirus software that can spot and remove the newly detected computer virus Flame. Ali Hakim Javadi said Wednesday that the antivirus defense was produced by the MAHER center, the Iranian national computer emergency response...

The Iranian national futsal team has pummeled Uzbekistan to glide to the semifinals of the 2012 AFC Futsal Championship. The Iranian squad thrashed Uzbekistan 6-3 at Dubai’s Al-Shabab stadium on Tuesday. The 10-time Asian champions opened the scoring in the fifth minute of the match when Hamid Ahmadi fired home...

IRI has a legal right to enrich uranium up to 20 percent, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reaffirmed, adding that by the enrichment, the IRI never seeks to produce nuclear weapons. The president told France 24 television that he did not expect talks next month with the group 5+1 in Moscow to...

Investors are fleeing Spain as the financial crisis worsens while Madrid battles to contain fears of an economic collapse. The European Central Bank said on Wednesday that private individuals and companies are withdrawing their money out of Spanish Banks. Data shows private deposits at Spain's financial institutions fell by more...

IRI Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi left Tehran for New Delhi Thursday morning on a two-day visit. Salehi is arriving as a special envoy of IRI President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to hand over an invitation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to attend the Tehran NAM Summit in August this year. During his...

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast says western powers want to divide regional states. Addressing a group of Egyptian journalists, Mehmanparast said to impede popular movements in the region, western powers are busy designing plots to sow discord among regional states. Touching on the position of the two great nations of...

An “unholy alliance” of US-led Zionists and Wahhabis is funding and fuelling the deadly unrest in Syria, trying to “bring the Syrian government to its knees”, a political analyst says. “Syria is bracing for more political chaos as all antagonistic forces appear to have entered into an unholy alliance to...

Joint United Nations-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan has praised the Syrian government for cooperating with international observers. “In my meeting with the president, I expressed appreciation for the cooperation that the Syrian government had extended to the UN, enabling us to deploy the military observers quickly," Annan said during a...

Provisional Speaker of the Iranian parliament Ali Larijani on Wednesday warned the US and the Zionist regime against war mongering measures in Syria and said the beginning of such adventurism might seem easy but the ending will certainly be very harsh for them. Speaking in the morning session of Majlis,...

>* Euro zone fears hit single currency, commodities* U.S. oil heads for biggest monthly percentage drop since 2008* U.S. crude breaks through key technical support* Coming up: EIA oil data 11 a.m. EDT ThursdayBy Robert GibbonsNEW YORK, May 30 (Reuters) - Oil dropped more than 3 percent...

PARIS (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday he did not expect talks next month with six world powers in Moscow on Iran's nuclear program to yield any major breakthroughs, but hoped to improve confidence between the two sides. The six powers - the United States, Russia, China,...

>One person who attended the presentation by senior U.N. nuclear agency officials for diplomats accredited to the International Atomic Energy Agency said a May 25 image showed "ground scraping activities" at the Parchin military site.Another envoy said one building also appeared to have been removed from the site,...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Security experts have only begun examining the thousands of lines of code that make up Flame, a massive, data-mining computer virus that has been designed to steal information from computers across the Middle East, but already digital clues point to its creators and capabilities.

>* Spanish 10-year bonds edge up toward 7.0 pct* European shares follow Asian shares lowerBy Richard HubbardLONDON, May 30 (Reuters) - European shares slipped and the euro touched a 23-month low on Wednesday as investors worried that Spain's banking problems would push its borrowing costs to unsustainable levels and...

Long live the queen. The stately 100-year-old Ritz-Carlton Montreal, a landmark of the Golden Square Mile, has re-opened, following a massive four-year renovation.

By Arun Kumar, Washington, May 31 : Voicing New Delhi's concern that extremist elements would gain ground once Western forces pull out of Afghanistan, Indian ambassador Nirupama Rao has called for greater coordination with the United States.

Russia yesterday joined the Chinese in extending political support to Pakistan at a time when it appears to have been isolated by its western friends. Ambassador Zamir Kabulov, Russian Presidentâs .....

The basic summary deck is going to go right here and will usually go four lines in this space here.

Tehran (AFP) May 30, 2012 Iran's enrichment of uranium to 20 percent "is our right" and "is not a step towards a bomb," President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday in an interview with the satellite television network France 24. The enrichment activity, which world powers are trying to curb in fraught...

Tel Aviv, Israel (UPI) May 30, 2012 Israel's army conducted a bridge-laying exercise across a river - in this case the Jordan - under fire a few days ago, the first such exercise in five years. It's a pointer to the growing military preparedness that's been under way in recent...

BEIJING (Reuters) - Iran has cancelled a $2 billion contract for a Chinese firm to help build a hydroelectric dam in the country, Chinese state media said on Thursday, a move that risks upsetting Beijing, one of Tehran's most important economic and political allies.

He is known for controversial comments about some hot button political issues and Pastor John Hagee will be talking about an international threat that hits close to come on an upcoming visit to Columbus, GA.

Iran claims to have defeated a powerful com-puter virus that has un-precedented data-snatching capabilities and can eavesdrop on computer users.

Cyber space is the new global battleground where countries, corporations, and mischief makers engage in unrelenting attacks on anything, and everything, hi-tech.

A complex, data-hungry virus known as Flame is targeting Iran's energy sector and may date back to 2007

The world will not forget or keep silent on the Houla massacre.

Iran has admitted that a data-mining virus dubbed “Flame” had caused substantial damage and massive amounts of data had been lost in what may be most destructive cyber attack on the nation.

Like everywhere that the War Between the States had touched, the Hamilton County area needed time to recover, and Chickamauga, Tennessee was no exception.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels on Wednesday gave President Bashar al-Assad a 48-hour deadline to comply with an international peace plan otherwise they would renew their battle to overthrow him.

UK-based charity Oxfam says the global trade in ammunition must be regulated, ahead of a UN conference on a new arms treaty.

The Treasury Department has targeted the Syria International Islamic Bank, which they say has been acting as a front for Syrian banks trying to get around existing sanctions.

Art People Gallery, a premier San Francisco art gallery, presents the latest works of artist Simin Massoudi.San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) May 30, 2012 Simin Massoudi’s artwork will be on exhibit at Art People Gallery, a premier San Francisco gallery on June 9th, 2012 from 4-8pm.Artist Simin Massoudi (formerly...

I rather suspect there is a desire to maintain a balance of power in the Middle East. A long simmering Sunni and Shia cold war can be beneficial to third parties.

I was sitting with a couple of lawyers at the American Friends of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art gala the other week at the Pierre Hotel. Harvey Feuerstein, of Manhattan, proudly mentioned that his son Mark is now in his fourth year starring in “Royal Pains” on the USA...

AZERBAIJAN CLAIMS to have foiled a plot by Islamist militants to attack last weekend’s Eurovision song contest and assassinate the country’s autocratic president, Ilham Aliyev.

As demand starts to build on President Barack Obama to “do something” about the deteriorating situation in Syria, let’s review where the U.S. and its citizens stand on the general question of using military force abroad.

What if there was an inexhaustible form of carbon-free, clean energy that was available 24/7, rain or shine, and was no larger than existing fossil fuel plants? Is that something you might be interested in?

AS THE COMPLEXITIES of the gigantic Flame computer virus are dissected, the blame game has begun. The nefarious application came to light after data was deleted from hard drives in Iran’s oil ministry several weeks ago, with Israel being seen as likely culprits by Iranian officials and security analysts alike.

The only foreign troops stationed in Israel are from the United States and their job is to oversee an exceptional piece of radar that could save thousands of Israeli lives.

Nobody can predict with any confidence what will happen during the next several months leading to this year’s presidential election, but keep an eye on at least these five things.

When Yigal Ben Tzvi began working on the fish farms of his kibbutz two decades ago, he never imagined that one day each fish would be worth thousands of dollars.

MOSCOW, May 31 (RIA Novosti) - President Vladimir Putin will make brief visits to three countries during his two-day foreign tour to discuss bilateral relations and international issues, including the situations in Syria, Iran and Afghanistan, presidential aide Yury Ushakov said on Thursday.

Sergio Marchionne, the chief executive of Fiat and Chrysler, says the Town & Country minivan would be replaced in 2014 by a crossover.

THE OPTIONS:The UN-backed Annan plan:In April UN and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan proposed a six-point peace plan which was accepted by both Damascus and opposition forces. It includes a general ceasefire, a call to withdraw troops from affected urban areas and to allow access to humanitarians. It also calls...

No one knows what Israel's actual intentions are regarding Iran and its nuclear program. How much of what Israeli leaders say reflects their real intentions and how much is intended to goad the international community to action is unknown. The revelation of the sophisticated computer virus known as Flame...

The price of oil is headed for its biggest monthly decline since December 2008.

OIL FUTURES: Crude Tumbles To Seven-Month Low

A group of terrorists planned to stage attacks in Baku during the Eurovision Song Contest, including targeting the Azerbaijan hotel where the Israeli contestants were staying.

Thirteen bound corpses, many apparently shot execution-style, have been discovered in eastern Syria, days after the massacre of more than 100 people provoked international outrage. Related Stories Bali 'drugs' mother may face death Putin's Olympics snub welcomed US arrested tycoon to avoid trial Two killed in US cafe shooting Drugs...

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he did not expect talks next month with six world powers in Moscow on Iran’s nuclear program to yield any major breakthroughs.

NEW YORK, N.Y. - The price of oil is headed for its biggest monthly decline since December 2008. Oil has dropped more than 16 per cent so far in May, erasing all of its gains for the year. That's helped lower gas prices and provided a little financial relief...

Billboard isn't selling anything except a challenge to think

A multi-nation transport corridor that would radically reduce cargo transportation time between India on one side and Central Asia and Russia on the other with Iran being the pivot could see dry r...

NPR talks to three political scientists and gets three different answers. 1936 -- "The Republicans tried to attack FDR for his New Deal programs, saying they were too expensive and moved the country toward socialism -- sound familiar?" 1980 -- "Young, unknown president is elected after an unpopular administration...

With Iran's computer-emergency response center now decrying Windows -based cyber-espionage software known as Flame (or alternately Flamer or Skywiper) it says it discovered infecting its oil-ministry computers, the uproar is reaching into the United Nations, which is investigating the malware.

In the face of decades of religious persecution in Iran, members of Cochrane’s Baha’i community are taking steps to raise awareness about the mistreatment of those who share their faith in the Persian country.[...]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers will delve on Thursday into an international debate on whether to hand more control of the Internet to the United Nations, a move many fear would turn it into a political bargaining chip for censorship and global taxes on Web companies. U.S. government...

revamping the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, which had lost significant investor interest because of corruption scandals. He has founded his campaign so far on a message that his experience as a businessman means he will be able to create jobs, unlike US President Barack Obama.

In the article "World War 3.0" in this months Vanity Fair magazine, Michael Joseph Gross lays out the stakes in what he describes as "a new global conflict that could split the virtual world as we know it." The spectacular piece tells of a decades old battle over who should have the...

The real reason not to invest in nuclear power isn't the risk of a meltdown but the certainty that the costs are too high.

Moshe Ya'alon, speaking at INSS conference, says Tehran doesn't sense urgency in nuclear talks, and that it is 'laughing all the way to a bomb.'

In any political race, each candidate tries to define what the election will be about. With California’s June 5 primary just days away, the candidates in California’s new 46th Assembly District race are still shaping the context in which voters will make their choices.

Brussels (dpa) - The eurozone‘s new bailout fund, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), should be able to lend directly to struggling banks, the European Commission said Wednesday, in a proposal likely to resonate in Spain.In a 28-page report on the eurozone, the EU executive argued that it was necessary...

India's chess legend Viswanathan Anand can lay claim to be one of the all-time greats in the sport after he won his fifth World Championship title beating Israeli challenger Boris Gelfand in the tie-breaker in Moscow Wednesday.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq awarded only one out of six new oil and gas blocks to foreign companies on Wednesday as the tough contract terms on offer, especially at a time when the world has plenty of gas, dampened interest in the country's fourth energy bidding round. The auction aims...

Rogue copies of Green Simurgh, an Internet proxy software application used in Iran and Syria, have been found to contain malware that records users' activities and keystrokes.

TEHRAN, May 30 (MNA) - Former president Mohammad Khatami has dissociated himself from those seeking to overthrow the Islamic establishment.

The National Security Ministry said in a statement Wednesday that targets included the event venue and major hotels housing foreign tourists.

Gas prices could fall even more in the weeks ahead, and even if they do rise in July and August, they are likely to remain well below the $4 or $5 per gallon that some observers had feared.

World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi led his new Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande into the AFC Champions League quarter-finals with a narrow 1-0 victory over FC Tokyo on Wednesday.

>LONDON (Reuters) - Two more countries are likely to field candidates for OPEC's next secretary general, OPEC sources said on Wednesday, widening a competition within the oil producer cartel for its top administrative post. Ecuador, OPEC's smallest producer, has nominated a potential successor to current OPEC Secretary General Abdullah al-Badri,...

>BRUSSELS May 30 (Reuters) - The European Union criticised Iran on Wednesday for an "alarming" increase in the use of the death penalty this year, calling on Tehran to introduce a moratorium on executions."According to the latest data, compiled from a number of sources, the rate of executions in...

Female booth attendants at a global trade fair and shops selling men's ties have become targets in a strict crackdown by Tehran police.

A man who threatened to shoot officers during a 14-hour standoff in a construction crane was unarmed and no weapons were found near the scene, police said Tuesday.

By MICHAEL FALCONE (@michaelpfalcone) and AMY WALTER (@amyewalter) NOTABLES: A DAY WITH THE DONALD: Say what you want about him, Donald Trump is the 2012 presidential race’s most reliable provider of shock and awe. Mitt Romney invited him to stand shoulder to shoulder with him...

BlackBerry maker warns of operating loss, hires bankers

What the Dickens is going on with Ralph Fiennes? Not only is he playing Magwitch in Mike Newell’s upcoming adaptation

BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.N. observers said on Wednesday 13 bodies had been discovered bound and shot in eastern Syria, days after a massacre of 108 civilians, nearly half of them children, ignited a world outcry. Syrian activists said the victims were army defectors killed by Assad's forces, but it...

The complex malware us how cyber warfare has evolved into something far stealthier and more effective.

Hosni Mubarak's two sons were charged Wednesday with insider trading and referred to trial before a criminal court.

>LONDON (Reuters) - Debt-stricken Greece is surviving on oil priced at a premium from trading houses Vitol and Glencore, who have stepped in as suppliers of last resort after sanctions forced Greece to halt imports from its main supplier Iran. Greece has been forced to halt Iranian oil purchases because...

India declined to sell nuclear technology to Iran, Iraq and Libya in the 1980s in spite of being offered "huge" sums of money.

ANKARA, May 30 (Bernama) -- Iran's Ambassador to Ankara, Bahman Hosseinpoor, expressed hope that the preferential trade pact between Iran and Turkey would be finalised to make way for free trade between the two countries, Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.

Acting Speaker of Iran’s ninth Majlis Ali Larijani has warned against warmongering measures by the West regarding Syria, saying they seek a new crisis in the Arab country.

The complex can provide precious minutes of warning to Israel -- but also alert Washington if the Jewish State launches a unilateral attack on Iran

Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng has not been in the United States long, but he's making the most of time here by writing an op-ed essay that The New York Times has published in both English and Chinese.

TEHRAN, May 30 (Bernama) -- Iran's Minister of Energy, Majid Namjou said on Tuesday that Iran and Tajikistan had signed five agreements on cooperation at the end of the 9th Joint Economic Commission here, Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.

Ft.com Two of the best-known business dynasties in Europe and the US will come together after Lord Jacob Rothschild’s listed investment trust and Rockefeller Financial Services agreed to form a strategic partnership. RIT Capital Partners is to buy a 37 per cent stake in the Rockefeller’s wealth advisory and...

A court on Wednesday convicted the webmaster of an Internet message board for comments posted by users that insulted the Thai royal family.

>(Reuters) - A United Nations group has called for the immediate release of a U.S. citizen serving a 22-year prison sentence in Nicaragua for drug trafficking and money laundering, concluding that he was wrongly convicted, his supporters announced on Wednesday. Jason Puracal, 34, was detained by Nicaraguan authorities in...

>The double-digit decline was partly because of the timing of shipments clearing customs. Last month, Ministry of Finance trade data showed customs-cleared crude imports from Iran fell only 6.3 percent in March from a year earlier.Japanese crude buyers are making the cutbacks to comply with sanctions that make...