News Archive - 2 August 2012

With just fewer than four weeks until municipal elections in our area, the candidates are pulling out all the stops.  In Wetumpka, voters got the chance to hear directly from the candidates for mayor and city council at a forum Thursday night. 

assessment holds that Iran's nuclear program would technically be set back by only a year, but it would likely take Iran another year on top of that to overcome side effects of the strike that would cause additional delays.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has been lambasted for his embarrassing gaffes during his visit to the United Kingdom.

Today is Friday, Aug. 3, the 216th day of 2012. There are 150 days left in the year. On Aug. 3, 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail from Palos, Spain, on a voyage that took him to the present-day Americas.

Whipping up public enthusiasm for a Syrian war (Comment, Aug. 1)

By PHYLLIS BENNIS Counterpunch.org The brave, non-violent Syrian challenge to a brutal dictatorship emerged as part of the Arab risings across the region. But that short Syrian spring of 2011 has long since morphed into an escalation of militarization and death. The International Committee of the Red Cross acknowledged...

TUCSON -- President Obama's Tuesday kill list is responsible for the assassination of a 16-year-old boy from Denver, Medea Benjamin of CodePink said here today.

By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS Counterpunch.org Washington has been at war since October, 2001. This war took a back seat when Bush concocted another excuse to order the invasion of Iraq in 2003, a war that went on without significant success for 8 years and has left Iraq in chaos...

Our five experts discuss the biggest problems, the best defenses, and how the picture is changing

Sanctions and higher fuel prices hit bootleggers' livelihood

The senator and 2008 presidential candidate weighs in on Romney's campaign, Obama's foreign policy, and Sarah Palin's virtues

When U.S. Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., and his wife, Samia, arrived in Bahrain in April, they were greeted with a huge welcome poster featuring oversized smiling headshots of the Burtons.

From this observer's experience in Lebanon there is only one cosmic like event that is nearly as predicable from Ramlet al Baida beach in Beirut, near Shatila Palestinian refugee camp, than the sun coming up like thunder out of Syria across the eastern Bekaa Valley every morning.

Citing the Syrian government's intractability, increasing violence and the international community's lack of consensus, former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan announced his resignation. He says there is still a chance for Syria to avoid the worst, 'if the international community can show the courage and leadership necessary.'  

WASHINGTON: The United States is stepping up support for the Syrian rebels but, despite the failure of UN envoy Kofi Annan's mission, is sticking to its refusal to pour arms into a complex conflict.

The latest round of illegal US sanctions on Iran constitutes crimes against humanity as they have been designed to hurt ordinary Iranian civilians, a political commentator tells Press TV .

European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili have postponed setting a date for a fresh round of talks on Iran’s controversial nuclear program until the end of August.

OLYMPIC judges and referees came under fire on Wednesday with one fighter accusing them of "a fix", another successfully appealing a loss and even boxing great Lennox Lewis questioning some of their calls.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 3 (Reuters) - The following factors are likely to influence Malaysian palmoil futures and other vegetable oil markets on Friday.FUNDAMENTALS* Malaysian crude palm oil ended flat after ...

The flag of Kurdistan is draped over the walls of public buildings in Afrin in northern Syria: After the security forces left the small town near the Turkish border two weeks ago, the Syrian banners have all but disappeared.

Hey, include Gary Johnson in the presidential debates and let America have access to a third party, say his allies. Or else. Former campaign rival Buddy Roemer is convinced that Mr. Johnson has earned a place on the podium. "I saw and experienced firsthand how the media and major party ...

How Israel is making contingency plans for Syrian conflict fall-out

LONDON (Reuters) - A Turkmen boxing referee and an Azerbaijani technical official were expelled from the London Olympics on Thursday after a night of controversy plunged the sport back into the mire.

At the outset of his recent foreign trip, Mitt Romney committed a gaffe. In answer to a question about the Olympics, he expressed skepticism about London's preparations. The response confounded and agitated Romney supporters because it was such an unforced error. The question invited a simple paean to Olympic spirit...

KARACHI:Families and government officials in Karachi welcomed home Thursday seven Pakistani crews members released by Somali pirates following a $1.1 million ransom payment after being held hostage for 20 months.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's government on Thursday said Turkey had violated its constitution by sending its foreign minister without permission to visit a city at the heart of a dispute between Baghdad and the country's autonomous Kurdistan region.

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) warned his colleagues in the Senate on Thursday that the threats posed by global climate change are "as dangerous" as those posed by the Iranian nuclear program or a war to prevent the Islamic Republic from obtaining a fissionable device.

Iranian nuclear scientists found a rude surprise waiting for them at the office last month. A computer worm had infiltrated the networks at nuclear sites in Natanz and Fordo and, in addition to shutting down systems, reportedly left AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” playing at full volume on some computers.

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Lawmakers in Buenos Aires province passed a bill on Thursday to prohibit ships involved in business activities off the disputed Falkland Islands from mooring at its ports, part of Argentina's drive to discourage oil exploration in the area. Related Stories Iran, EU agree to talk again...

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, standing next to the U.S. defence chief, said Wednesday without qualification that international economic sanctions have had no effect on Iran’s nuclear program and suggested Israeli...

Haifa has said that their marriage was not arranged Saudi style.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said on Thursday that the House of Representatives will take up a bill to normalize trade relations with Russia this fall, if the Democratic-majority Senate and President Barack Obama "commit to support" passage before the end of September. The White House has...

U.S. oil prices fell Thursday afternoon as lack of further stimulus from the ECB disappointed investors. 

(CNN) -- Kofi Annan, whose initiative to forge peace in war-ravaged Syria failed to take hold, said he has resigned as the U.N. and Arab League joint special envoy because of "increasing militarization on the ground" and "the clear lack of unity" at the U.N. Security Council.

Kofi Annan has submitted his resignation as special envoy to Syria, saying he will step down on August 31.

SYDNEY Australia has signed a framework agreement with the United Arab Emirates to supply uranium to the oil-rich Middle East country which has decided to go in for nuclear power generation for domestic use.

New Egypt government puts Brotherhood in key posts Associated Press Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Updated 01:57 p.m., Thursday, August 2, 2012 CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's Islamist president swore in his first new government Thursday, led by...

A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: Congress rises for summer recess; violence continues in Syria; the anniversary of Hiroshima's atomic bombing is marked; and NASA's Curiosity rover lands on Mars.

Only one thing is certain in Syria following the resignation of U.N. special envoy Kofi Annan: It will be impossible to find a more seasoned diplomat to fix the mess it's in. The 74-year-old former U.N. secretary-general and Nobel Peace Prize winner received unanimous backing at the Security...

The Noor Iranian Film Festival, which opens Friday at Laemmle’s Music Hall in Beverly Hills, features 26 films in competition, a special screening of Asghar Farhadi’s Oscar-winning “ A Separation” and an awards ceremony at the Skirball Center.

Iraq on Thursday accused Turkey of interfering in its internal affairs after Turkey's foreign minister paid a surprise visit to a northern Iraqi city seen as a testing ground.

With his plan to end the blood-letting in shreds, Kofi Annan yesterday quit as peace envoy for Syria, describing his task as impossible and leaving further diplomatic efforts rudderless. Related Stories Obama and Romney spar on economy Aide sorry for anti-Obama tweets N-Korea 'needs immediate food aid' Jets 'never on...

On the occasion of the Summit of the non-aligned movement in Tehran, for the citizens of Azerbaijan intending to visit Iran since August 31, 5 on temporary visa regime was introduced.

According to DEBKAfile portal, known for its close ties with the Israeli and US intelligence services, 27 July, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met senior management the power structures of the country.

BAGHDAD, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- Iraq's oil production is expected to double to 6 million barrels a day by 2020, posing a significant challenge to a divided OPEC while meeting about half the world's incremental demand for oil.

The cyber-sleuth who exposed Ghostnet , a Chinese cyber-espionage ring, and continues to advocate for the Canadian government to more actively pursue a cyber-security strategy will be a featured speaker at this year’s TEDxToronto.

Staff at the Pentagon's missile-testing unit have been ordered to stop looking at pornography and get back to the business of developing America's lethal arsenal.

The Atlantic's Iran War Dial, conceived, and expertly managed, by Dominic Tierney, is now at 38…

LONDON (Reuters) - Iran has become Syria's main crude oil buyer, helping Bashar Al-Assad's flailing government to circumvent Western sanctions, as Iranian tankers have returned for a third time since April, shipping industry sources said. Although Tehran already finds it difficult to sell its own crude under sanctions, two of...

LONDON, Aug 3 — Referee Ishanguly Meretnyyazov from Turkmenistan has been expelled from the London Olympics, the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) said yesterday. A second referee, Frank Scharmach of Germany, was suspended for five days by AIBA and a technical official from Azerbaijan sent home following two controversial decisions ...

The US House of Representatives has repeated a Senate action in voting for additional illegal sanctions against Iran, pushed by the influential American pro-Israel lobby, AIPAC.

The State Department’s annual report on terrorism said Hamas and Hezbollah continued to destabilize the Middle East, described Israel as a “resolute” partner in counterterrorism and listed as “terrorist incidents” extremist settler attacks on Palestinians.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed into law new sanctions against Iran that prohibit public contracts with any company or person that invests in Iran’s energy and finance sectors.

As Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the UK, find out more about the country and its leader.

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Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said that although tough international sanctions have not yet caused Iran to drop its nuclear ambitions, they would eventually persuade the regime to “do what’s right.”

Turkish airplanes and helicopters have attacked Kurdish rebels near Turkey's borders with Iraq and Iran.

Known as the "Land of Lakes and Volcanoes," Nicaragua has immense natural beauty and alluring colonial towns.

WASHINGTON DC: Mitt Romney, the man who wants to become the next US President, has been on a charm offensive to win support abroad, and win votes back home.

The US Congress has ratified the latest round of embargoes against Iran in an attempt to curry favor with the Israeli lobby ahead of the presidential campaigns in America, a prominent international lawyer tells Press TV .

An Iranian lawmaker says the illegal US-engineered sanctions against Iran over its nuclear energy program are the “last ammunition” of the enemy against the Islamic Republic.

RED CROSS HELPS N. KOREA FLOOD VICTIMS SEOUL: The Red Cross said on Thursday that it had allocated almost $308,000 for victims of North Korea’s floods and storms, after state media reported 119 deaths and major crop damage in the food-scarce nation. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red...

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - For all its recent tough talk, Israel looks highly unlikely to launch an attack against Iran ahead of U.S. presidential elections in November, hoping that Washington will ultimately do the heavy lifting.

Gearing up for Iran's annual "Qods Day", a nationwide event dedicated to expressing outrage against Israel, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad posted a speech to his website saying world forces must work together to annihilate Israel.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's acting defense minister is in Russia negotiating the purchase of air surveillance equipment to help Iraq rebuild its crippled military defenses, a lawmaker said on Thursday.

(MENAFN) Iran's Customs Administration's chief, Abbas Memarnejad, stated that during the first 4 months of the current Iranian calendar year, the country's exports dropped by 16 percent in terms of ...

Iranian students have set a new world record by making the largest spaghetti structure which they plan to register as a Guinness world record.

Perhaps not surprisingly, it didn't take long for the the European Union's decision to grant Georgia the exclusive right to market its wine bottles with the slogan "Georgia - The Cradle of Wine" to create some controversy in the Caucasus. As the Hvino News website, which covers the Georgian wine...

A former Israeli spymaster on Thursday cautioned Iran not to dismiss Israel's talk about possibly attacking Iranian nuclear facilities.

An Israeli ex-intelligence chief hinted at the possibility of an Israeli attack on Iran in the coming months.

JERUSALEM, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- Speculation over a possible Israeli military strike on Iran's nuclear sites continues with a former Mossad chief saying the Iranians should be scared.

LONDON - After four fairly orderly days at the Olympics, perhaps the wacky world of amateur boxing was overdue...

PARIS (Reuters) - Bulgaria has asked Interpol member countries to circulate a computer-generated image of a suicide bomber who killed five Israeli tourists and a bus driver on the Black Sea coast two weeks ago, the police organisation said on Thursday. Related Stories Iraq Kurdistan oil export restart may be...

Government forces and the opposition are fiercely fighting in Aleppo. The outcome of the fight is important both strategically and psychologically.

WASHINGTON: The US Congress overwhelmingly passed a new package of sanctions against Iran on Wednesday that aims to punish banks, insurance companies and shippers that help Tehran sell its oil.

Washington: As power was getting restored in India after one of its worst blackouts in history, US energy experts called for reforms in India's energy sector while US officials just said it's an "internal Indian issue".

Italian insurer Assicurazioni Generali says first-half profits rose 4.5 percent despite an increase in catastrophic claims and recessionary economic conditions in large parts of Europe.

In the light of Wednesday's four low-intensity blasts in Pune, there is a need for a co-ordinated revisit to reports being received from time to time since 2002 on the city being a major attraction for terrorist elements -- indigenous as well as foreign, notes B Raman.

BEIRUT (AP) -- Syrian President Bashar Assad urged his military Wednesday to boost its fight against rebels, but his written call to arms only deepened a mystery over his whereabouts two weeks after a bomb penetrated his inner circle.

Kohei Uchimura wanted to lead Japan to the gold medal in men's gymnastics, but he struggled in the final and settled for silver.

Rainer Reinscheid was into his second bottle of wine when he wrote a chilling email titled, "a good plan," detailing violent revenge on the people he blamed for his teen son's suicide.

LONDON (Reuters) - Disgraced Chinese badminton player Yu Yang has quit the sport after being disqualified from the Olympics along with seven other women for deliberately trying to lose to secure an easier draw in the knockout rounds.

Shahram Hadian campaigns Tuesday in Everett. "We need to choose a governor who will put principles first before politics," he says. Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald Shahram Hadian claps during a campaign fundraiser Tuesday night at Forest Park in Everett.