News Archive - 29 July 2012

>ALEPPO, Syria (Reuters) - Syrian troops said they had recaptured a district of Syria's largest city Aleppo, after heavy fighting against rebels who remain in control of swathes of the commercial hub despite being pushed out of the capital Damascus. The past two weeks have seen forces of President Bashar...

>* Helicopters strafe Aleppo* Opposition urges allies to circumvent UN Security Council* Battle for Aleppo seen as potential turning pointBy Erika SolomonALEPPO, Syria, July 29 (Reuters) - The government of Bashar al-Assad declared victory on Sunday in a hard-fought battle for Syria's capital Damascus, and pounded rebels who control of...

>TUNIS (Reuters) - Attacks on the Syrian city of Aleppo are putting the nail in the coffin of President Bashar al-Assad's government, showing he lacks the legitimacy to rule, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Sunday. Panetta, speaking at the start of a weeklong trip to the Middle...

> Olympics 2012...

>* Aide: Romney would back Israeli over Iran nuclear capabilityBy Steve HollandJERUSALEM, July 29 (Reuters) - U.S. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney would support an Israeli decision to use military force to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, a senior aide said on Sunday.Romney met with Israeli...

>* Israeli officials refuse to comment/confirm reportJERUSALEM, July 29 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's national security adviser has briefed Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a U.S. contingency plan to attack Iran should diplomacy fail to curb its nuclear programme, an Israeli newspaper reported on Sunday.The Haaretz newspaper...

New Delhi, July 30 (ANI): Authenticating the Delhi Police probe regarding involvement of Iranian Revolutionary Guard members in the February 13 bomb attack on an Israeli envoy in New Delhi, Israel on Monday said that there was no doubt that the Government of Iran was responsible for the terrorist attack.

Iran says it is very concerned about the killings of Muslims in Myanmar. Violence between the Buddhist and Muslim communities in the country's Rakhine state has reportedly left dozens dead and displaced between 70,000 and 90,000 people. -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE

An Iranian MP has announced that Iran may face a shortage in wheat for bakeries as a large part of this year's harvest has been sold to livestock farmers.

The rate of population decrease in Iran is faster than other countries, an official at the organization for civil registration says. The rapid decline in population growth has prompted a study of the issue in parliamentary committees, Ali Akbar Mahzoon said.

Morteza Bakhtiari, Iran's Minister of Justice, has announced that the judiciary should expedite the case against Saeed Mortazavi, the former Tehran prosecutor implicated in the torture and murder of detainees at Kahrizak Prison in 2009.

The U.S. men's gymnastics team is looking to win its first team gold since 1984 when it hits the mat Monday morning. Danell Leyva will anchor the Americans in the event, which begins at 11:30 a.m. local time.

>* ECB policy meet eyed, Draghi's pledge spurs optimism* Coming Up: FOMC policy meeting Tuesday, Wednesday (Updates prices, adds quote)By Luke PachymuthuSINGAPORE, July 30 (Reuters) - Brent crude rose toward $107 per barrel on Monday, stretching gains into a fifth consecutive day on hopes the United States and Europe will...

Two Saudi women are competing for the first time in London. Thousands are daring to challenge the status quo at home.

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Police have arrested and charged a 19-year-old Kent State University student who posted a message on Twitter saying he planned to "shoot up" the campus.

Hackers from the world's most notorious hacking group Anonymous have begun publishing customer information they stole from Australian ISP AAPT last week - which in some cases includes client mobile phone numbers - to highlight the dangers of a proposal to force telcos to store every Australian's web history for...

Standing on Israeli soil, U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Sunday declared Jerusalem to be the capital of the Jewish state and said the United States has “a solemn duty and a moral imperative” to block Iran from achieving nuclear weapons capability.

A Baltimore man was in custody Sunday, charged with rape after he allegedly held three local women against their will and fired a handgun inside a residence.

A mysterious woman in red has caused an international incident at the London Olympics.

The U.S. started the bloodshed in Iraq. Time to own it.

>* Uncertainty lingers ahead of European leaders meet with ECB* Coming Up: FOMC policy meeting Tuesday, WednesdayBy Luke PachymuthuSINGAPORE, July 30 (Reuters) - Brent crude held above $106 per barrel on Monday, after rising for four straight sessions on hopes the United States and Europe will this week announce new...

We listen to Mitt Romney's VFW broadside against President Obama's "foreign" policy (the word he frequently uses to describe the president generally) and debate whether it's a convincing critique or "bloviating bluster" (David Axelrod). Is the clue the dog that didn't bark in Romney's speech -- such as the...

Chinese investment in the United States is expected to hit a record high this year, thanks largely to big-ticket items, according to a report from the Rhodium Group, a New York-based organisation that .....

JERUSALEM — In a 6,000-mile reach for evangelical and Jewish voters in the presidential election, presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney said Sunday that the U.S. should "employ any and all measures" to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, arguing that it is the nation's most pressing national security...

Dana Vollmer of the United States set a world record to win the gold medal in the 100-meter butterfly, but after a commanding lead, the men's 4x100 relay team couldn't bring home the gold.

Bolivian President Evo Morales is taking his campaign to build a highway through pristine Amazon jungle directly to the affected communities.

The failure of the White House to enforce threatened sanctions against countries that the State Department has accused of doing little to control human trafficking is "appalling," with the Obama administration • much like the George W. Bush administration before it — using "every loophole possible" to issue waivers to ...

>HeadlinesBUSINESS LEADERS PUT UK ON OLYMPIC TRIAL -GENERAL MOTORS' MARKETING CHIEF RESIGNS -ROMNEY FORCED TO CLARIFY IRAN POSITION -GERMAN BANKS CUT BACK PERIPHERY LENDING -SURGE IN SUSPICIOUS TRADE REPORTS TO FSA -OSBORNE PUTS LIBOR REVIEW ON FAST TRACK -SONY PITCHES TV 'SOAP' AT RAMADAN VIEWERS -NI'S 'FOOTSOLIDER' CEO EMERGES FROM...

>Customs-cleared imports from Iran fell to 812,693 kilolitres (170,389 barrels per day), Ministry of Finance data showed on Monday.The United States and Europe are trying to squeeze the revenues Iran makes from oil exports in order to force it to halt a nuclear program they fear will be used...

Iran's Trade Promotion Organization has set up a committee to explore ways to boost exports to China, the Tehran Times reported, citing the body's director, Hamid Safdel.

The argument that gays and lesbians can simply be sent back to the closet has continued to hold sway in many parts of Europe, according to researchers who have tracked cases in France, Belgium, Ireland, Poland, Denmark and elsewhere

It has been reported in Business Recorder that wheat exporters are on a buying spree as domestic price of wheat is considerably lower than the international price resulting in a significant profit margin.

Washington, July 30 (ANI): US Republican Presidential contender Mitt Romney has vowed to support Israel in its decision of taking military action against Iran, saying he would not stand-by while the 'ayatollahs in Tehran' threatened to wipe the Jewish state 'off the map'.

Ford reported its earnings fell 57 percent last quarter driven in part by weak sales overseas. U.S. automakers had been till now one of the strong points of an otherwise weak economy. Business and economics correspondent Rebecca Jarvis spoke with Jeff Glor on what comes next.

TUNIS, Tunisia - Syrian President Bashar Assad's use of helicopter gunships to counter a civil uprising will prove to be "a nail in Assad's coffin," U.S. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said Sunday at the outset of a five-day Mideast tour. While giving no indication that the Obama administration

Speaking from Israel on Sunday, presumptive GOP nominee for president Mitt Romney said that he would respect the nation's "right to defend itself" against Iran. He said the United States also has "a solemn duty and a moral imperative" to prevent Iran from creating nuclear weapons. Romney's trip and his...

The candidates' issues range from cigarette taxes to the federal health care law to excessive force by police. All probably will be out of the running when Democrat Jay Inslee and Republican Rob McKenna likely emerge from the state's top-two primary Aug. 7

The city pulsed to a beat it hadn’t felt for decades as it welcomed its new president. Intellectuals met at private political salons for open, lively discussions of topics they had only dared to mention in whispers before: demands for greater democracy, the suspension of emergency law, an end to...

In his first address to the nation since returning from his two-month-long exile, Mali's interim president on Sunday said that he "fully trusts" the army to assure his security, and outlined plans for the transitional...

The most-replaced road signs by Shreveport and Caddo crews are named street signs, particularly those bearing girls' names.

Attacks on the Syrian city of Aleppo are putting the nail in the coffin of President Bashar al-Assad’s government, showing he lacks the legitimacy to rule, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Sunday.

The Republican challenger to Obama also refers to Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and visits the Western Wall. JERUSALEM — On a day that mixed religious symbolism, courtship of financial donors and tough rhetoric, Mitt Romney on Sunday declared in his most aggressive tones to date that the U.S.

An Iranian university professor says the United States Naval Forces in the Persian Gulf are vulnerable to Iran's military power, Press TV reports.

Mitt Romney told Israelis Sunday that the U.S. has a "solemn duty and a moral imperative" to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons that could threaten the existence of Israel.

See how the US women's gymnastics team faired in qualifying.

On Independence Day (July 4), The New York Times printed the Declaration of Independence, as it had done — the daily noted in an article on the preceding day — for 90 years, since 1922. What the announcement the day before did was tell the reader that this year's printing...

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran's supreme leader has outlined a new approach to overcome Western sanctions - stop selling oil and build knowledge-based industries instead.

Romania's unpopular president is fighting for his political life as the country votes on whether to oust him. Related Stories 14 dead in Ugandan Ebola outbreak Japanese in anti-nuclear protest Romney takes tough stance on Iran Four killed in US drone strike Hundreds protest at abortion plans

The Turkish PM has stated Turkey will not tolerate creation of a Kurdish-run region in Syria.

Iranian athlete Noshad Alamiyan has earned a glorious victory over his Hong Kong rival in the men's singles second round table tennis match in London 2012 Olympic Games, and qualified for the third round.

Dick Cheney came out and said what everyone else already knew. He said picking Sarah Palin for Vice President in 2008 "was a mistake." "That one I don’t think was well handled," Cheney said. In an interview that aired on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopolous, Romney talked about what...

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney would support an Israeli decision to use military force to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, a senior aide said on Sunday.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is trying to distinguish his Afghan policy from that of President Barack Obama.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the minority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, said that Republicans exploit Jewish voters for political gain. Click here for the rest of the article...

JERUSALEM -- Standing on Israeli soil, U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Sunday, July 29, declared Jerusalem to be the capital of the Jewish state and said the United States has "a solemn duty and a moral imperative" to block Iran from achieving nuclear weapons capability.

Syria has vowed to defeat rebels in the city of Aleppo, as it accused regional powerhouses Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey of trying to destroy the country.

The U.S. men's basketball team has won its Olympic opener, beating France 98-71 behind 22 points from Kevin Durant.

Several hundred people have held a demonstration against a government proposal to make it harder for women to get abortions in Spain.

It seemed, a few weeks ago, that the Iran issue was waning; now it seems to be waxing again. If you want to read an article that is giving Centcom commanders pause (not that they aren't worried already), read Joby Warrick's excellent account of Iran's Persian Gulf military preparations.

Mitt Romney was told about Newsweek's unflattering cover on CBS' "Face the Nation."

Dennis Ross is bowing out of politics, Eli Lake reports, just when Barack Obama needs him most.

Posted July 28, 2012, at 1:13 p.m. Last modified July 28, 2012, at 4:40 p.m.

Two Italian engineers who were kidnapped and held captive for eight days in Syria have returned to Italy.

(CNN) – Presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney is midway through his three-country overseas tour. He arrived in London Wednesday, and is traveling to Israel and Poland. READ MORE: Romney visits Western Wall in Jerusalem Romney would 'respect' Israeli strike against Iran, campaign adviser says Romney in Israel to discuss Iran,...

MOSCOW (Reuters) - An upgraded Russian unmanned spacecraft successfully linked up with the International Space Station on Sunday on its second attempt to test a new docking system, Russia's space agency said. Related Stories Rural fighters pour into Syria's Aleppo for battle Romanians vote on impeaching president, he urges boycott...

Foreign Minister Walid al Moualem, on visit to ally Iran, says Aleppo resistance will be defeated by government troops.

Mitt Romney hailed the strong alliance between the U.S. and Israel during meetings with Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres. Click here for the rest of the article...

Government troops and rebels are fighting for control of Syria's commercial hub, Aleppo. The government has said it will be victorious.

Pope Benedict XVI has issued an urgent appeal for an end to "all violence and bloodshed" in Syria.

There are numerous reasons why John McCain is not a candidate that Americans should be voting for.

Ask Americans how race relations have changed under their first black president and they are ready with answers.

>Tehran signed a $4.7 billion contract with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) in 2009 to help develop Phase 11 of South Pars, replacing France's Total SA, which it had also accused of delays.Citing information from Iran's Oil Ministry, Mehr News Agency said CNPC had pulled out its workers...

>ResultsFlorin Zalomir (Romania) beat Mojtaba Abedini (Iran) 15-7 Peng Kean Yu (Malaysia) beat Mannad Zeid (Egypt) 15-12 Hernan Jansen Brito (Venezuela) beat Hichem Smandi (Tunisia) 15-13 Adam Skrodzki (Poland) beat Lam Hin Chung (Hong Kong) 15-10 Valeri Pryiemka (Belarus) beat James Honeybone (Britain) 15-9 Sports...

>"Thinking naively and wrongly that if there is a power vacuum perhaps in Syria and if there is a transition of power in Syria, simply another government will come to power, that I think is just a dream," Ali Akbar Salehi said at a news conference with his Syrian counterpart,...

Rescuers in Indonesia say they have led a beached sperm whale back to the sea after hordes of spectators blocked its return for days.

JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is welcoming Mitt Romney to Israel as a representative of the U.S. He tells the Republican presidential candidate he agrees with his approach to the threat of a nuclear Iran.

Building upon the positive momentum generated by the handover of 26/11 handler Abu Jundal by Riyadh last month, India and Saudi Arabia are set to intensify their security and economic cooperation as India cuts down on Iranian oil and hikes its oil supply from the most powerful economy in the...

Dinh Thi Hong Loan grasps her girlfriend's hand, and the two gaze into each other's love-struck eyes. Smiling, they talk about their upcoming wedding - how they'll exchange rings and toast the beginning of their...

Around the 2012 Olympics and its host city with journalists from The Associated Press bringing the flavor and details of the games to you: