News Archive - 18 July 2012

>SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Brent crude held steady above $105 on Thursday, near a seven-week high on geopolitical fears, while comments by the U.S. Fed about the world's biggest economy avoiding a double-dip recession renewed hopes of a recovery in oil demand growth. Fed chief Ben Bernanke's comments helped improve...

>* Nikkei opens up 1.2 pct, yen rise a worry* Euro steadies after Merkel comments* Oil prices firmer on mid-east concernsHONG KONG, July 19 (Reuters) - Asian shares rose on Thursday as strong corporate profits from U.S. bellwethers allayed fears of a slowdown in earnings while the euro...

>* Israel PM says "all the signs lead to Iran"* Blast on 18th anniversary of Argentina attack* Obama says attack "completely outrageous"By Stoyan NenovBURGAS, Bulgaria, July 18 (Reuters) - Six people were killed in a bomb attack on a bus carrying Israeli tourists at a Bulgarian airport on Wednesday and...

>By David AlexanderWASHINGTON, July 18 (Reuters) - The United States has the military capacity to defeat any Iranian attempt to shut down sea commerce in the oil-rich Gulf region and will hold Tehran directly responsible for shipping disruptions, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Wednesday."The United States is fully...

>U.S. crude rose 6 cents to $89.93 a barrel by 0011 GMT, after touching $90.08 earlier -- the highest since May 30. The August contract, which expires on Friday, settled up 65 cents at $89.87 in the previous session.Brent crude gained 26 cents to $105.

>"The Islamic Republic of Iran has repeatedly condemned violence and resorting to destructive measures, and believes that the only way of resolving the current crisis in Syria is through talks... " a foreign ministry statement published by Mehr news agency said."Sending weapons and ammunition into the country and support...

>* South Korean consortium can begin construction on Wednesday* Licence granted for the first two reactorsBy Maha El DahanABU DHABI, July 18 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates will be the first Gulf Arab state to start constructing a nuclear power plant in the region, where top oil exporters seek...

>BEIRUT (Reuters) - As fighting rages in Damascus, and the Assad family that has ruled Syria for four decades struggles for its life against a growing rebellion, a picture is emerging of a tight inner group determined to fight its way out of the crisis, even as support for the...

>* Iran offers to insure foreign ships to skirt EU ban* U.S. crude stocks likely fell on higher refinery runs* Coming Up: U.S. EIA petroleum stocks report; 1430 GMT (Updates prices)By Manash GoswamiSINGAPORE, July 18 (Reuters) - Brent crude slipped below $104 a barrel on Wednesday, snapping five...

Israel pledged to strike back at Iran for a brazen daylight bombing Wednesday that killed at least seven people on a bus full of Israeli tourists in Bulgaria.

Sofia, Bulgaria — Israel vowed Wednesday to strike back at Iran, blaming the Islamic Republic for a brazen daylight bombing that targeted a bus full of Israeli tourists in Bulgaria and killed at least seven people.

David Cameron has arrived in Kabul for major trilateral talks with the presidents of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Related Stories Bomb targets heart of Syrian regime Israel blames Iran for bus blast Congress to honour Burma's Suu Kyi Double delight for eBay earnings David Cameron in three-way Afghanistan talks

Beirut — Rebels penetrated the heart of Syria's power elite Wednesday, detonating a bomb inside a high-level crisis meeting in Damascus that killed three leaders of the regime, including President Bashar Assad's brother-in-law and the defense minister.

DEBKAfile: They discussed the Burgas terror attack that killed 7 Israelis in Bulgaria and the situation in Syria after Assad lost four members of his inner circle – three dead and on death’s bed - and agreed that the Syrian ruler and Tehran were bent on payback.

BEIRUT — Widespread violence erupted Wednesday on the streets of Damascus as Syrian security forces and pro-government militias lashed out in revenge for a bombing that killed at least three of the most crucial figures in the nation's military...

President John F. Kennedy once said.” Geography has made us neighbors. History has made us friends. Economics has made us partners, and necessity has made us allies. Those whom God has so joined together, let no man put asunder.“ General Kofi Annan’s two recent trips to Tehran over...

JERUSALEM, Jul 16 (Reuters) US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, arriving in Jerusalem from newly Islamist-controlled Egypt, told a wary Israel today to treat the Arab Spring as an opportunity as well as a source of uncertainty convulsing the Middle East.

Countries like India, China and Brazil are gaining influence at the global level due to their economic strength and not because of their armies, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has said.

US-led development of a missile shield has also alarmed Russia. -Reuters

LONDON, Jul 16 (Reuters) Oil prices held steady above $102 a barrel on Monday, supported by weekend comments from China's Premier Wen Jiabao that the government would step up its efforts to boost the economy of the world's second-largest oil consumer.

HONG KONG/SEOUL, Jul 16 (Reuters) Hyundai Heavy Industries hopes to raise up to $636 million selling a stake in Hyundai Motor, as the South Korean shipbuilder looks to improve its financial health in the country's biggest equity capital markets deal this year.

> Financials...

Aids researchers believe the time may have come to think the unthinkable: a growing body of expert opinion believes a cure for HIV infection is no longer a scientific impossibility but a realistic goal that scientists could reach in the very near future. Related Stories Businesses want 'looser' EU ties...

The neighbourhood watch volunteer who shot dead a 17-year-old boy says he prays daily for the teenager's parents. Related Stories Businesses want 'looser' EU ties Israel blames Iran as bus bomb leaves seven dead in Bulgaria Proof that Aids can be cured? Vatican bank 'failed to act on money laundering'...

After marksmen aboard an American naval vessel shot and killed an Indian fisherman in the Persian Gulf, Indian officials and media are demanding a proper investigation

The Vatican's scandal-struck bank has failed on seven counts to clean up its act and will not be allowed on a list of financially virtuous nations, EU inspectors indicated yesterday. Related Stories Businesses want 'looser' EU ties Israel blames Iran as bus bomb leaves seven dead in Bulgaria Proof that...

Watch Video | Listen to the Audio KWAME HOLMAN: A bomb exploded today on a bus carrying Israeli youth in Bulgaria. At least six people were killed, and more than 30 others were wounded. The Israelis had just arrived in the Black Sea resort of Burgas about 250 miles east...

NEW YORK, July 18 -- U.S. oil prices extended the winning streak to the sixth straight day on Wednesday after the latest report showed energy demand in the United States was growing.

Rebels penetrated the heart of Syria's power elite, detonating a bomb inside a crisis meeting in Damascus that killed three leaders of the regime, including President Bashar Assad's brother-in-law and the defence minister. Related Stories Businesses want 'looser' EU ties Israel blames Iran as bus bomb leaves seven dead in...

Australian shares are more than 1% higher after strong leads overnight. Miners and energy stocks are the best performers.

The crew remains proficient because it was just over there.

Chile's president announced measures Wednesday to combat child abuse, responding to a popular outcry over an increase in reports of such crimes in one of Latin America's most socially conservative countries.

The Massachusetts state pension fund said it completed its previously announced plan to divest from any companies in Iran. The move followed the passage of a state law enacted in 2010 to put pressure on the Middle Eastern country to halt its nuclear weapons program and other destabilizing acts in...

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Analysts see continued shekel weakness as foreign investment cools and Israel's trade deficit widens.

Justice Antonin Scalia says he hasn't had a "falling out" with Chief Justice John Roberts over the Supreme Court's landmark 5-4 decision validating much of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.

A Texas congressman says the FBI made serious missteps in its handling of information about a known terrorist's communications with an Army psychiatrist leading up to the deadly 2009 attack in Fort Hood, Texas.

The stunning suicide attack Wednesday morning that struck at the heart of Syria's security state, killing the defense minister and other top military officials, could not have been better timed to shake Russia's leaders out of their go-slow complacency toward forcing an end to the fighting there. They confront...

The headline from Bloomberg was a bleep in last month’s news cycle: “Cam Ranh Bay Lures Panetta Seeking Return To Vietnam Port.” But that bleep has become something of a Yellow Alert in Southeast Asia, with this new headline—“Clinton Landmark Visit to Laos.” If Secretary of Defense Leon...

Obama administration officials have started working on contingency plans for a collapse of the Syrian government, focusing particularly on the chemical weapons the country is thought to possess.

For Israelis, the image of a black, burned out hull of a bombed passenger bus fillsthe same role as a photo of the Twin Towers engulfed in smoke and fire does for Americans: it is a satanic symbol of their worst nightmares, a dreaded icon of their most fearful days,...

The Department of State has issued this Worldwide Caution to update information on the continuing threat of terrorist actions and violence against U.S. citizens and interests throughout the world.

Prime Minister Netanyahu, apparently supported by detailed intelligence, did not hesitate to point the finger at Iran over the attack in which seven died, and 33 others were wounded.

A Montana businessman agreed Wednesday to halt development of a gravel mine near the site of Theodore Roosevelt's historic Badlands ranch in western North Dakota.

A number of people in the Persian community are angry and upset after having their accounts at Toronto Dominion Bank frozen or closed for alleged violations of Canada's economic sanctions against Iran.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding security consultations following the terror attack in Bulgaria today (Wednesday 18 July 2012).

At least six people were killed and many more wounded on Wednesday in an attack on a bus packed with Israelis at a Black Sea airport in Bulgaria that the government in Israel blamed on arch foe Iran.

Plus more malware in China for Android, why IT doesn't matter any more, Wikitravel to fold into Wikimedia, Nvidia's forums hacked and more A quick burst of 12 links for you to chew over, as picked by the Technology team A show-and-tell with Google's hardware NYTimes.com While Mr. Schmidt...

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On Wednesday, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) called on the Korean Register of Shipping (KR) to comply with new U.S. sanctions against the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC).

Executives with Europe's biggest bank, HSBC, were subjected to a humiliating onslaught from U.S. senators on Tuesday over revelations that staff at its global subsidiaries laundered billions of dollars for drug cartels, terrorists and pariah states.

TEL AVIV, Israel, July 18 (UPI) -- Vladimir Putin's visit to Israel is a measure of how the country's discovery of gas fields under the eastern Mediterranean has intensified the region's geopolitical dynamics.

So many nations – notably Israel, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia – claim interests in Syria. It's easy to forget what still drives the civil war there: the seed of freedom planted even before the Arab Spring.

A bus carrying tourists from Israel exploded at an airport Wednesday in Bulgaria. read more

Indonesia is probing whether 45 Iranian asylum seekers arrested Wednesday, as they prepared to undertake a hazardous sea journey to Australia, had a military escort, a police spokesman said.

Two Al Qaeda militants and an army officer have been killed in separate incidents, a Yemeni military official said Wednesday,

The U.S. military will not allow Iran to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said Wednesday, adding that if Iran tries to disrupt the vital waterway, they will be defeated. Iran’s leaders have threatened to close down the Strait unless sa …

An Ohio woman ousted as a den mother because she is a lesbian has delivered a petition with 300,000 signatures to the Boy Scouts of America headquarters urging the organization to reinstate her.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - In the span of just a few hours, announcements bouncing between Tehran and Washington showed the direction of their showdown: New issues are piling up even as Western envoys try to find a path to move nuclear talks forward.

A New Orleans city councilman has pleaded guilty to plotting to misuse federal money intended to help a nonprofit organization after 2005's Hurricane Katrina and divert some of it to one of his political campaigns.

>AUA, a unit of Deutsche Lufthansa (LHAG.DE), will start service three times a week from August 22 and resume five flights a week in September, a spokesman for the airline said.It had suspended service on June 15 because it could not be sure of getting its planes refuelled...

Five Indonesian military officers have been arrested as they helped 45 asylum seekers make their way to a boat headed for Christmas Island.

Yesterday was a whipsaw kind of trading session as US Fed Chairman painted a negative picture for the US economy in his opening remarks but gave no indication as to what direction the US Fed is moving toward insofar as a new round of quantitative easing. The markets sold off...

In a joint venture between Anglicans and Catholics in England, a new post is being developed to help and support parishes of the "Catholic Church of England." Its purpose is to promote Anglican-Catholic evangelism and to encourage the growth of churches within this constituency.

  TOLEDO, OH -- Mitt Romney's campaign is putting on the brass knuckles in preparation for a no-holds-barred counteroffensive against President Obama's onslaught against the presumptive GOP nominee. After a week of weathering scrutiny from Democrats and in the media, Romney …

The Obama campaign has relentlessly questioned Mitt Romney's openness on most everything from his tenure at Bain Capital to tax records to offshore accounts -- but when it comes to transparency, the president hasn't exactly been an open book, critics say.

Iran's defense minister has downplayed the importance of Russian S-300 air defense system for Iran noting that Tehran will pursue delivery of Russian missiles through legal means.

ANTHONY HALL || United Press International In June, when the U.S. Federal Reserve extended its operation twist, stocks on Wall Street hit a speed bump, dropping for the day.

Tel Aviv (dpa) - One of the largest coalitions in Israeli political history turned out to be its shortest-lived, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can still hold onto power - albeit with far less maneuverability.The decision Tuesday by the centrist Kadima party to pull its 28 legislators out the...

MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino revealed what he values the most about his economic team.

Iran Offers $1 Billion Insurance on Tankers to S Korea

It's come seemingly out of nowhere, but lately the Persian Gulf peninsula nation of Qatar is become extremely close with the United States. The Wall Street Journal broke the story the other day that the United States will be building a missile defense radar station at a top secret site...

The risk of state-sponsored malware escaping into the wild is 'something we've got to live with', the Cabinet Office has said, as MPs push for the UK to build its own Stuxnet-like software

Inflation momentum as measured by the quarter-on-quarter annualised rate (ar) moved back below 6 percent in June to 5.9 percent from this year’s peak of 8.1 percent in May.

Nouriel Roubini, the economist who famously predicted the financial crisis, said he is sticking to his view that the global economy is on course for a "perfect storm" next year.

Investors ought to be wary of misleading price-to-book signals

Doxorubicin (Dox) is an effective anti-cancer drug, but it's also a very toxic one, causing severe heart and immune damage. The doses needed to impact tumors are not well tolerated by patients, however, researchers may have found an answer through combination therapy.

Europe's main stock markets rose slightly on Wednesday as traders looked ahead to more testimony on the US economy from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and digested a unique German bond auction.London's ...

Why he did it: PFGBest Founder Russell R. Wasendorf, who was arrested last week on allegations that his futures brokerage was missing more than $200 million in client segregated funds, wrote that he misappropriated funds to meet increasingly stringent regulatory requirements, according to The Wall Street Journal . (Sort of like...

Five Indonesians military officers have been arrested as they helped 45 asylum seekers make their way to a boat headed for Christmas Island.

David Crist's The Twilight War is a realistic — and often pessimistic — analysis of America's relationship with Iran. Crist covers decades of policy and history, while balancing this military and diplomatic detail with concern for humanity in his narratives.

UK Trade Minister "has serious questions to answer" over his time running HSBC after the bank was forced to apologise before the US Senate for failing to stop a multi-billion-dollar laundering operation.

>* First branch to open this month* M&S partnered by HSBCBy James DaveyLONDON, July 18 (Reuters) - British retailer Marks & Spencer will break ranks from the traditional high street banks by charging monthly fees for current accounts at its new bank, the company said on Wednesday.Though many banks...

ISLAMABAD: A senior Pakistani lawmaker said Islamic Republic of Iran can play a positive role for restoring peace in Syria.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan failed to reach agreement at a meeting of the Iranian side detained in Tabriz Azerbaijani poets- Shahriyar Hajizadeh and Farida Hosseini with close relatives.

HSBC, the U.K.-based banking giant, allowed suspicious funds from Mexico, Syria, and Iran to be funneled through the bank, according to a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing [...]

(MENAFN) Iran is set to insure any foreign ships that enter its waters, a move aimed to work around the European ban imposed on its oil exports, Reuters reported. Managing director of Iran's ...

Jump in number of pilgrims heading to holy sites sees Emirates, Etihad lay on extra flights

The central bank of Bangladesh will probe whether HSBC's Bangladesh unit was involved in any suspicious transactions, a top official said, a day after a US panel exposed the British bank's failure to control flows of suspect funds.

The UK should go on the attack in the cyber war, rather than just defend, according to MPs on the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC).

>VEDOMOSTIwww.vedomosti.ru- Gazprom Neft, the oil arm of Russia's natural gas monopoly Gazprom, is planning to take part in the privatization of Albanian oil company Albpetrol.- The Russian government plans to raise payments for Moscow airport facilities rental that would lead to a hike in plane tickets price...

>* Zhenrong on U.S. sanction list for dealing with Iran* Warburg Pincus seeking to liquidate TitanBy Charlie Zhu and Chen AizhuHONG KONG, July 18 (Reuters) - Chinese oil trader Guangdong Zhenrong Energy Co has offered to take control of debt-laden shipping and oil storage firm Titan Petrochemicals Group Ltd...