News Archive - 4 September 2012

Saipa – Rah Ahan   Teraktor – Saba   Sepahan – Fajr Sepasi   Naft Tehran – Zob Ahan   Damash – Malavan   Gahar – Sanat Naft   Aluminum – Mes Kerman

>SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Brent crude hovered in a tight range near $114 a barrel on Wednesday on caution ahead of a keenly awaited European Central Bank meeting, while global growth concerns deterred buyers. A slew of U.S. disappointing data drove down Brent by more than 1 percent in the...

>BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Wary of its own fragile security and sectarian make-up, Iraq wants to avoid getting dragged deeper into Syria's crisis, seeking a tricky balance in the regional power struggle evolving over its neighbor, Iraq's foreign minister said. Iraq's Shi'ite leaders fear a collapse of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's...

>* U.N. chief Ban says Syria crisis has taken a "brutal turn"* Ban says humanitarian situation is "grave, deteriorating"By Michelle NicholsUNITED NATIONS, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Syria's conflict has taken a brutal turn with other countries arming both sides, spreading misery and risking "unintended consequences as the fighting intensifies...

>* Flare-up near border tests Israeli ties* President shifts Egypt to centre of regional politicsBy Edmund BlairCAIRO, Sept 4 (Reuters) - A newcomer to international affairs, Egypt's Islamist president, Mohamed Mursi, has so far shown skill in moving Egypt back towards the centre of regional diplomacy and setting out his...

>DUBAI (Reuters) - A Bahraini civilian court on Tuesday upheld sentences of up to life in prison against leaders of last year's pro-democracy uprising, a decision that could dim prospects for defusing unrest in the small Gulf Arab state. Amnesty International, a London-based human rights group, described the ruling as...

>The document highlights a sharp divide in the economic and cultural agendas of the Democratic and Republican parties going into the November election.The platform seeks higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans, backs same-sex marriage and a woman's right to have an abortion.Below are some principles highlighted in the...

>Prices at factory gates in the 17 countries using the euro rose 0.4 percent in July, ending a two-month run of falls, the EU's statistics office Eurostat said on Tuesday. That compared to a consensus expectation of a 0.2 percent rise in the month among economists polled by...

An unfaithful millionaire Muslim does not believe his estranged wife deserves a divorce, because polygamy is allowed under Islamic law, he told a court yesterday.

AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian rebels said they planted bombs inside the Syrian army's General Staff headquarters in central Damascus on Sunday as President Bashar al-Assad's forces bulldozed buildings to the ground in parts of the capital that have backed the uprising.

The death toll in Syria is "staggering" and the destruction is reaching "catastrophic proportions", the new UN-Arab League envoy has said.

Fire risk expected to continue in northern Rockies By Summit Voice SUMMIT COUNTY — Wildfire activity across the U.S. has surged past the 10-year rolling average in the past few weeks, with major fires still burning in the northern Rockies, as well as the potential for big fires in...

The Democratic Party Tuesday committed to positions on some of the nation's most volatile social issues such as abortion and marriage that are more liberal than they were, and are as much to the left as the Republican Party views are to the right.

Following Harvard’s announcement last week of a large-scale investigation into alleged cheating on a final in an introductory government class, several faculty members who have similarly offered take-home exams say that they are not yet convinced that an end to the practice is merited.

>BEIJING (Reuters) - China and the United States avoided public sniping over maritime tensions on Wednesday, neither yielding ground over South China Sea disputes while nonetheless stressing cooperation as they both focus on political transitions. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi gave avowals...

The Nigerian drug lord based in Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan who was nabbed on Saturday is believed to the head of an intricate international distribution network supplying drugs to various countries.

APPROXIMATELY one year ago, Muammar Qaddafi’s son Seif Al-Islam hosted a few journalists in front of the courtyard of Al-Aziziyah Palace in Tripoli. He came to the place in a four-wheel-drive car with a broad smile on his face.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met Chinese leaders on Wednesday after saying she was seeking a “cooperative partnership” with China despite recent friction over U.S. policy in the...

The Iranian Army will hold a series of exercises with airborne and armor units before the end of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 20, 2012), a top military commander said on Tuesday.

First lady Michelle Obama waves as she takes the stage during day one of the Democratic National Convention at Time Warner Cable Arena on September 4, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Former NBA star Chris Herron spoke last month to a huge crowd of inmates. Herron played for the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics, but struggled with drug and alcohol addiction.

Closing the barn door after the horse has escaped may be futile, but burning down the barn in a fit of pique might be considered an act of lunacy, especially when there is the potential for the horse to come back and bite you in the butt in retribution.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has admitted Iran has 'problems' exporting its oil.

The Syrian government has again lashed out at its regional critics, in particular Egypt, whose leader has called on President Bashar al-Assad to step down. As fighting continues, the Syrian government says it welcomes another attempt to bring an end to the conflict - this time by new United Nations-Arab...

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 4 (UPI) -- Republicans are distorting U.S. President Barack Obama's record on Israel, former Congressman Robert Wexler told Democrats meeting in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday.

Paris (UPI) Sep 4, 2012 France is calling for further sanctions against Iran following the release of a report claiming Tehran is continuing to add to its uranium enrichment program. French Foreign Ministry spokesman Vincent Floreani said Friday that last week's report from the International Atomic Energy Agency on Iran's...

Tehran (AFP) Sept 4, 2012 Media should avoid "bleak" reporting on the situation in sanctions-hit Iran and instead provide an image of "hope and joy," Tehran's chief prosecutor wrote Tuesday in an opinion piece published by Fars news agency. "It is expected that the media take more responsibility and understand...

Washington (UPI) Sep 4, 2012 After nearly year's delay, Israel's Arrow 3 anti-missile is to be tested soon. The Arrow 3 is a joint development project funded and produced by Israel and the United States between Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. and Boeing. The Israeli Ministry of Defense and the U.

>KARACHI/QUETTA (Reuters) - One night in March, police found a body slumped in the back of a black Toyota parked in an affluent district of Karachi, Pakistan's commercial capital. The man, a prominent public servant named Abdul Rehman Dashti, had been shot in the face. His watch, ring and money...

News items from around the world

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, Sept 4 — The Democratic Party late yesterday unveiled its election platform, a non-binding political document that party delegates will vote to adopt at the national convention in Charlotte this evening. The document highlights a sharp divide in the economic and cultural agendas of the Democratic and...

Most notably, he recounts following another commando up a staircase in Abbottabad, Pakistan, during Operation Neptune Spear in May 2011, wearing $65,000 night-vision goggles.

NEW YORK — The U.N. secretary-general told the international community Tuesday that the continuing militarization of the Syrian conflict is “deeply tragic and highly dangerous.” Ban Ki-moon, just back from a trip to Iran, said that regional powers should use their influence to end the violence. Ban urged...

A Conservative senator faces a firestorm of criticism for attending a Persian cultural exhibition at Ottawa City Hall Saturday. The event was organized by the Iranian embassy and the Iranian Cultural Association at Carleton University.

Vik Muniz: "Pictures of Magazines 2" Sept. 20-Nov. 10 at Rena Bransten Gallery, 77 Geary (at Kearny), S.F. Free; 982-3292 or www.renabranstengallery.com . Using paper torn from pop-culture magazines and the ...

"I have always been against this idea of the 'clash of cultures,'" Marjane Satrapi says. "It's the biggest piece of bullshit I've ever heard." That's apparent from her films and graphic novels, which bridge worlds. Born in Iran, Satrapi emigrated to Europe with her family when she was a...

Wheat experts are stepping up monitoring of a crop disease first found in Africa in 1999 to minimise the spread of a deadly fungus that is also a threat in Asia, experts said on Friday.

A self-styled ‘Lord’ harangued his wife in a courtroom because she wants to divorce him now his lover is pregnant for the second time.

It appeared from nowhere last April, attacked computers in Iran and then destroyed almost all evidence of its existence. But what was the super-destructive malware now dubbed ‘Wiper’?

Israeli officials said Tuesday they are in close discussions with the United States over how to deal with the Iranian nuclear program, seeking to ease tensions that have emerged between the two allies over a possible Israeli military strike against Iran.

Virus origin in Gulf computer attacks in question Associated Press Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Updated 2:08 p.m., Tuesday, September 4, 2012 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Security technicians are beginning to suspect that highly targeted...

Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. fired back at Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz on Tuesday after she reportedly claimed the diplomat called Republicans’ policies "dangerous" to Israel -- comments the DNC chair says were "misrepresented."  

Israel tries to ease differences with US over Iran, seeks forceful statement from Americans

When I was all of 16 years old, I went to get a passport. Why? Richard Nixon had been elected president, and I was sure that he would impose such oppression that I might need to get out of the country.

The economic strategy of American bourgeoisie is to attract investment through a brutal reduction in the wages and consumption level of US working class to compete with China, Mexico and other low-wage countries, US Socialist Equality Party Presidential candidate Jerome White said.

A Philadelphia man is facing trial in the death of his 11-month-old son, who died in his arms after allegedly drinking a heroin-laced baby bottle. More >>

Canadian actor Victor Garber makes his next foray onto the big screen as Ken Taylor, the Canadian diplomat who sheltered six Americans during the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis.

The people of Netherlands broke the world record for the most red-haired people in one picture over the weekend after more than 1200 people got together for a photo.

* Weak U.S. factory gauges for August pressure oil * U.S. Gulf of Mexico oil ops restarting after Isaac * Coming up: API oil data 4:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday (Adds settlement prices, detail, paragraphs 5-12) ...

Lieberman rejects claims by the media that his attacks on Abbas were politically motivated; on Iran: An oil empire doesn't need nuclear power.

>(Reuters) - Benjamin Lawsky's surprise move against Standard Chartered in an Iran sanctions case may have stunned the banking world, but it is unlikely to expand the scope of a series of similar U.S. cases against European banks that are still in the pipeline. Lawsky, the New York state...

During the Cold War, we used to joke about the Non-Aligned Movement, because it really wasn't non-aligned. On the contrary, it was aligned against the West and against colonialism. It wasn't really, as it claimed, non-aligned as between East and West, as between the Communist world and the so-called...

Today in international tech news: Trade sanctions have prevented Iranians from playing the ever-popular computer game "World of Warcraft." Also: Australia grapples with data collection laws that one official likened to a police state; Chinese search engines juke results to stymie one another; VMware tries to tap into China's...

Is Chesapeake Out of the Woods?

TEHRAN — The tightening of U.S. banking sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program has had an impact on all sectors of the economy but is increasingly hitting vulnerable medical patients as deliveries of medicine and raw materials for Iranian pharmaceutical companies are either stopped or delayed, according to...

Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said Tuesday that the Iranian naval forces enjoy full intelligence command over all the movements of U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf, reported Xinhua, citing Press TV.

Iran's state TV is reporting officials have released two Azerbaijan citizens in prison since May on charges of spying.

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Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast says Tehran has released the two Azeri nationals who were arrested in early May on charges of espionage-related activities.

U.S. President Barack Obama believes Washington and Moscow can cooperate on a planned U.S.-led missile shield in Europe, but is determined to move forward with the plans regardless of Russia's stance, according to the Democratic Party's 2012 national platform.

Contingency plans are in place to evacuate more than 3,600 Filipinos in Iran in case nuclear plants there are attacked by a foreign country, Philippine Vice President Jejomar Binay said Sunday.

> Stocks Markets...

>JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Stunned by a rebuke from the United States' top general, Israel is preparing a climbdown strategy in its war of words over Iran's nuclear program, aware that its room for maneuver is shrinking rapidly. Anxious to prevent any flare-up in the Middle East ahead of November elections,...

TEHRAN, Sept. 4 (MNA) – The airborne forces of the Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Forces will hold joint military drills by the end of the current Iranian calendar year, Army Commander Ahmad Reza Pourdastan has announced.

Perplexed by the movie star's Republican National Committee outbursts? Try watching them from Tehran.

Another interpretation of the head of the Joint Chiefs of the Staff's comments on U.S. complicity in an Israeli attack on Iran.

WASHINGTON [MENL] -- The United States was said to have failed to find evidence that Iran's largest opposition group was engaged in terrorism. Copyrights 2008, Middle East Newsline.

The Syrian rebels captured a border post on the frontier with Turkey, and have since had to deal with a crush of refugees. For now, at least, the border crossing is relatively calm and well organized.

NICOSIA [MENL] -- Iran has asserted its readiness to deploy an alternative to the Russian-origin S-300 air defense system. Officials said the Iranian Defense Ministry has nearly completed development of a long-range indigenous air defense system designed as an alternative to the S-300PMU1.

Reuters.I thought President Obama's decision to surge troop levels in Afghanistan was a strategic…

Question: So, is Israel going to attack Iran's nuclear facilities before the presidential election…

>* Volumes had fallen to a two-and-a-half year lowBy Julia PayneLONDON, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Turkey's imports of Iranian crude oil jumped in August, risking friction with the United States, after hitting a multi-year low in July, as it used Iranian-owned tankers to avoid insurance hurdles, shipping sources said.The...

U.S. voters are being barraged by claims and counter claims of how many jobs were lost or created under the Obama administration, did the Detroit bailout hurt or help, and whether Obama or  Republican stonewalling are to blame for the feeble recovery. This partisan din kicks up a huge...

Oil Markets Reasonably Well-Supplied

Robert Fulford: Like certain love affairs, movies at the Toronto International Film Festival can be more exciting to contemplate in advance than actually experience

Today’s AM fix was USD 1,691.50, EUR 1,342.25, and GBP 1,067.44 per ounce. Yesterday’s AM fix was USD 1,686.00, EUR 1,341.72 and GBP 1,061.65 per ounce.

A top Iranian official says Israel and the West have concerted efforts to undermine the resistance movement in the Middle East by targeting Syria and financing the Syrian insurgents.

A suicide bomber targeted an Afghan government official at a funeral on Tuesday, killing at least 20 people and wounding dozens more near the Pakistan border in one of the deadliest attacks of the year.

BEIJING: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Beijing on Tuesday after talks in emerging US ally Indonesia, where she voiced hopes for progress in managing increasing tensions in the South China Sea.

Japan defeated Myanmar in three straight sets (25-18, 25-19, 25-15) on the third day of the third Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Cup for Men in Vietnam's northern Vinh Phuc province.

Tehran, Sep.4 (ANI): It was 2005 and we were on board Air India One heading to Washington DC as part of the media delegation accompanying Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh when he signed the historic Indo-US Nuclear Accord. It was also the time that Shahrukh Khan's song "Ab phirta...

Headline Title:  Iran must release prisoner of conscience Zhila Bani-Yaghoub 03 September 2012 The Iranian authorities must release prisoner of conscience Zhila Bani-Yaghoub, an award-winning journalist and women’s rights activist, Amnesty International said. The call came after Bani-Yaghoub, the editor of the Focus on Iranian Women website, was summoned to...

LONDON, England - Jamaica's Alphanso Cunningham is easily through to the medal round of the men's F52/53 javelin at the 14th Paralympic Games at Olympic Stadium, to be held this morning.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton heads to Beijing, after talks in Indonesia which focused on tensions over the South China Sea.

Ruben Navarrette: At the Democratic National Convention this week, the president needs to speak to those who think he has come up short.

Business owners being uprooted in Broomfield for a highway-widening project are leaving emotionally and financially battered -- and wondering about their future.

A cybersecurity think tank has published a manual studying how international law applies to conflicts in cyberspace, where the laws of conventional warfare are more difficult to apply.

RAMALLAH, September 4, 2012 (WAFA) – The three Palestinian dailies Tuesday highlighted case of a young Palestinian from the Gaza strip who set himself on fire due to unemployment and economic hardship.

JAPAN did not import any Iranian crude in July, a 31-year first. ...

RWANDA’S men’s sitting volleyball team’s hopes of challenging for a medal were finally ended last night after a fourth consecutive comprehensive defeat in Pool B.

The United States is close to a deal with Egypt's new government for $1 billion in debt relief as part of a U.S. and international assistance package designed to prop up the country's faltering economy and aid its transition to democracy. A team of senior U.S. diplomats has...

>* Slow restart in Gulf of Mexico supports U.S. crude* Coming up: U.S. ISM data at 1400 GMT (Recasts, adds fresh quotes, updates prices, previous SINGAPORE)By Claire MilhenchLONDON, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Oil prices rose for a fourth day to around $116 per barrel, supported by hopes for...

>* Weighing pros and cons of planned investment in IranNEW DELHI, Sept 4 (Reuters) - India's Oil and Natural Gas Corp.'s plans to develop a gas field in Iran are in the balance as the company's exposure to the sanctions-hit OPEC member may hit aspirations for U.S. energy...