News Archive - 18 October 2012

Alireza Haghighi played the whole second half and managed to keep a clean sheet until the end. More information: http://rubin-kazan.ru/en/news/club/3965.html Video of his saves:  

>SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Brent crude held above $112 a barrel on Friday, but remained on track for its third weekly fall in five weeks as supply concerns diminished with the imminent restart of Britain's largest oilfield, although easing worries about the global economic slowdown offered some support. December Brent crude...

>By Rick RothackerOct 18 (Reuters) - Ally Financial Inc said on Thursday it was monitoring "unusual activity" on its web site, the latest U.S. bank to report internet issues following recent cyber attacks that have been linked to Iran.Bank of America Corp, Wells Fargo & Co and other...

>AMMAN (Reuters) - The international mediator on Syria will go to Damascus in the next few days to try to broker a brief ceasefire in the war between President Bashar al-Assad's government and rebels during the Islamic Eid al-Adha festival. Lakhdar Brahimi, the U.N.-Arab League envoy, told reporters...

>LONDON Oct 18 (Reuters) - The BBC said on Thursday that broadcasts had been disrupted in the Middle East and Europe, just weeks after its satellite transmission provider accused Iran of trying to jam U.S. and European programmes.Britain's public broadcaster did not say who was interfering with the...

>* Iran further expanding enrichment capacity - diplomats* EIA reports increase in U.S. crude inventories* Coming up: U.S. weekly jobless claims at 1230 GMT (Previous SINGAPORE, updates prices)LONDON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Oil held above $113 a barrel on Thursday as Chinese economic data signalled stabilisation in the...

VATICAN CITY: Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York will be part of a papal delegation to Syria that will voice “fraternal solidarity” with the Syrian people and encourage peace amid the country’s violent conflict.

North Korea said that if leaflets were dropped a "merciless military strike will be put into practice without warning".

Alt-Energy Stock Outlook - Oct. 2012 - Zacks Analyst Interviews

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The gas flow on a pipeline carrying Iranian natural gas to Turkey was halted due to an explosion in eastern Turkey late on Thursday, injuring 28 soldiers, Turkish energy officials said. The blast occurred in the area of Eleskirt, a town in Agri province in eastern Turkey,...

President Kennedy is often lauded for managing the crisis. The reality is he took stunning risks to impose American hegemony The world stood still 50 years ago during the last week of October, from the moment when it learned that the Soviet Union had placed nuclear-armed missiles in Cuba until...

Armed with a clip board and wearing bright yellow waders, Rima Jabado looked the part of a government inspector at the Dubai fish market as workers sawed the fins off hundreds of dead sharks from Oman and bagged them for export to Asian restaurants.

President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Gov. Mitt Romney have debated twice and, in doing so, left many Americans feeling confused and disappointed during an election cycle that could be among the most important in U.S. history.

The blast attributed to the Turkish Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) occurred in the eastern Turkish town of Eleskirt in Agri province Thursday night, halting the flow of Iranian natural gas to Turkey. The Turkish soldiers were reportedly on the scene for “a special operation.”

By Michael Huckaby / movie reviews

“ARGO” — A movie about the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis probably doesn’t sound like it would be a laugh riot — or should be — but that’s just one of the many ways in which this is a glorious, gripping surprise. Directing his third feature, Ben Affleck has come up...

Tel Aviv, Israel (UPI) Oct 18, 2012 An Israeli report says Palestinian militants in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip have fired a shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missile against one of their warplanes, challenging for the first time Israel's long-held air supremacy, one of its most potent military strengths. The Israeli military has not...

Moscow (AFP) Oct 18, 2012 Russia said Thursday it was "realistic" to hold direct talks next month between Iran's chief negotiator and six-nation representative Catherine Ashton over the Islamic republic's nuclear drive. "It would be realistic to talk about organising one in November," Interfax quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov...

Vienna, Austria (AFP) Oct 18, 2012 The head of the UN atomic agency has rejected as "baseless" Iranian accusations that the watchdog has been infiltrated by "saboteurs and terrorists." "If I give a response it is very simple: it is baseless," International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano said...

German Chancellor Angela Merkel leaves at the end of the first day of a EU summit in Brussels on October 19. EU leaders Friday agreed to bring banks under bloc-wide supervision next year, but failed to ...

WINNING a UN security council seat confirms Australia as a solid global citizen and affords a two-year window to help prevent future wars.

CONTRARY to statements made by top Iranian leaders, the economic situation has worsened due to the Western economic sanctions imposed on Iran as a result of the country's defiance on nuclear issue.

Biochemistry and molecular biology junior Raeuf Roushangar believes he will have an advantage when it comes to finding a job after college.

Joe Biden exceeded today's gaffe quota at a campaign event in Las Vegas, asking twice if anyone in the crowd knows someone who served in "Iraq or Iran," then saying in a reference to Paul Ryan's book Young Guns, "unfortunately the bullets are aimed at you." Just to add...

Last night, the debate between incumbent Democratic senator Kristin Gillibrand and her challenger Republican Wendy Long, took place at the Arthur

Wolf Richter   www.testosteronepit.com Mass violence is just about a daily occurrence in Nigeria. This week, for example, “at least” 24 people were killed in Maiduguri, a city of over 1 million people in Borno State, north-eastern Nigeria, when the military skirmished with the radical Islamist sect Boko Haram.

Poor old Big Bird. He has become a talking point in the soon-to-be-over presidential campaign and the big fellow doesn't like it one bit.

Normally, a debate "victory" doesn't require quite so much damage control. Following Vice President Joe Biden's manic, careening ride through global politics last week, President Obama is left to make a variety of cleanups and clarifications.

SYDNEY: Australia on Friday hailed its election to the United Nations Security Council with Foreign Minister Bob Carr saying securing the non-permanent seat was a "big, decisive, juicy win".

>FUNDAMENTALS* U.S. November crude gained 1 cents at $92.11 a barrel as of 0010 GMT, after it settled down 2 cents at $92.10 a barrel on Thursday.* Brent December crude rose 20 cents at $112.62 a barrel. It settled down 80 cents at $112.42...

The US and Dubai are negotiating an end to the desert emirate’s Iranian oil imports to head off the threat of US president Obama sanctioning a trade that has riled Gulf Arab oil producers, industry sources and diplomats said.

A Saudi rights group has accused Iraqi authorities of deliberately mistreating Saudi inmates, a Saudi newspaper said yesterday, highlighting lingering tensions between the two Arab countries.

MAARET AL-NUMAN, Syria - Syrian fighter jets blasted the rebel-held town of Maaret al-Numan on Thursday, October 18, killing at least 49 people including 23 children, rescuers said, adding urgency to truce calls by peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi. Brahimi pressed for a truce during a key Muslim holiday later this...

Protests in N Ireland as first abortion clinic opens Hundreds of pro-life campaigners protested outside the first ever private abortion clinic in Northern Ireland as it opened to the public yesterday.

Gloria Z. Greenfield seeks to chronicle the escalation of threats against Jews worldwide in her documentary “Unmasked Judeophobia.”

Fake "cures" for AIDS have been cropping up around the world for years. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) What do you think? Gambia President Yahya Jammeh has claimed that he can effectively cure HIV/AIDS with an herbal concoction.

>WASHINGTON Oct 18 (Reuters) - The United States said on Thursday it was offering millions of dollars for information leading to the location of two al Qaeda members accused of facilitating the movement of funds and operatives through Iran.The Obama administration is offering up to $7 million for information...

Australia winning a seat on the UN security council has been hailed a great victory. In fact, the country is just notable enough as a 'middle power' to be a useful yes man on the council. 19 Oct 2012 8:56 AM

Today, the Wall Street journal reported new Iranian attacks on Capital One Financial Corporation and BB&T Corporation. The latest hack attacks on American banking followed last month's intrusions into PNC, Wells-Fargo, J.P. Morgan Chase and Bank of America, reported in Mail Online. This silent war­­­ could turn into a...

Energy Diplomacy in the 21st Century Remarks Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State Georgetown University Washington, DC October 18, 2012 Thank you. Well, it is wonderful to be back here at Georgetown and in one of the most beautiful venues not only in Washington but anywhere, to have this chance...

In a world where you can watch cyberattacks happen in real-time , it's no wonder that nation-states are doing little to hide the cyber arms race and low-grade cyberwar that's taking place.

Mitt Romney has shrunk President Obama’s advantage on foreign policy, according to a Pew survey published on Thursday, pulling within 4 points of the incumbent after trailing by 15 last month. In the poll of 1,201 registered voters, 47 percent said Obama can do a better job making wise foreign...

Campaigning in Las Vegas, Vice President Biden refers to troops serving in "Iraq and Iran."

Bob Carr has said the opposition should embrace Australia's win of a seat on the UN Security Council.

Romney increased Massachusetts' debt by $2.6 billion, raised fees and cut aid to local government wh ...

# monstermachines While grand-scale robotics programs like DARPA's Big Dog project may spark our sci-fi fancy, they're still years away from the front lines. This half-pint unmanned ground vehicle, however, will immediately start saving lives by acting as a Special Forces scout. More »

For almost two years, the Syrian people have tried to free themselves of Bashar al-Assad's cruel iron fist. They have looked repeatedly to America for help. But the Obama administration has failed to robustly support the Syrian rebel movement. Instead, the administration hid behind an unsuccessful United Nations peace process.

AUSTRALIA'S surprising and emphatic success in its bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council is a "big, juicy win", says Foreign Minister Bob Carr.

The world oil markets can withstand the loss of Iranian crude, UANI (United Against Nuclear Iran U.S. group) Communications Director Nathan Carleton told Trend, answering how the European countries will live through the upcoming winter.

NEW YORK - Like Chicago Cubs fans in spring, Jewish Republicans start every presidential election season hoping this will be their year: American Jews, who have voted overwhelmingly Democratic for decades, will start a significant shift to the political right.

NEW YORK – Gasoline prices have begun their seasonal slide. Better late than never, drivers say. The national average retail price has fallen for 10 straight days and is now $3.74 per gallon. It could mark the beginning of the usual autumn decrease that was delayed this year because...

President Obama says he will slow the growth in defense spending. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney wants to spend more. Romney says that "peace through strength" will make the U.S. safer. The question, though, is how much more Romney's plan would cost.

Free Syrian Army fighter, Bashar al Hajji, points towards the besieged Shiite village of Zahraa in Aleppo, Syria. / Rob Cellier, AP BEYANON, Syria (AP) â?? Anyone who dares try to slip out of the Shiite villages of Zahraa and Nubl is risking their life.

DUBAI - Bahraini authorities have detained four men on charges of defaming the Gulf Arab country's king on Twitter, according to the state news agency BNA.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Iran has denied a report it plans to block the strategic Strait of Hormuz with a giant oil spill.

A trove of some 14,500 pages from the Boy Scouts' so-called "perversion files" have been made public, and the files show that on numerous occasions local officials helped cover up abuse allegations.

London • The British Broadcasting Corp. says someone is deliberately disrupting its broadcasts in the Middle East and Europe — interference that follows previous accusations that Iran has attempted to jam the broadcaster’s transmissions.

Argo tells the story of the six American diplomats who narrowly escaped the U.S. embassy in Tehran as the Iran hostage crisis erupted in late 1979. Gary Sick, who served as the principal White House aide for Iran during the Iranian Revolution and the hostage crisis, reviews the film.

International diplomats are pushing for a temporary cease-fire in Syria later this month, in an attempt to resolve the increasingly bloody and complicated conflict there. Former Algerian Foreign Minister Lakhdar Brahimi, who replaced Kofi Annan as the United Nations special envoy to Syria in August, is recommending that the cease-fire...

The Obama administration has offered up to $12 million in rewards for information leading to the location of two Iran-based al-Qaida leaders.

Wausau - Republican Tommy Thompson and Democrat Tammy Baldwin tussled in a debate Thursday over the economy, health care, the federal deficit and Iran as they seek headway in a razor-close race that could affect control of the Senate.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — An Iranian pilot who became a national hero last year after he safely brought down a passenger plane with broken landing gear says that the country's flag carrier airline has forcibly retired him for wearing its uniform during his private campaign against Western sanctions.

> Stocks Markets...

>The U.S. Treasury accused Adel Radi Saqr al-Wahabi (al-Harbi) of working with a network that served as a pipeline for al Qaeda to move operatives and funds in South Asia and the Middle East.It had previously targeted six other members of the group in June 2011."We will...

James Lunney visits Israel to scope out the situation for himself

BEIRUT (AP) — Government airstrikes on rebel areas in northern Syria killed at least 43 people and leveled buildings, forcing residents to search mounds of rubble for bodies trapped underneath, anti-regime activists said Thursday.

Local Boy Scout leaders, police officials, prosecutors and mayors helped hush up numerous child sex abuse allegations against scoutmasters and other volunteers, according to details in a trove of nearly 15,000 pages of...

At least not one that matters.

According to the training scenario of an elaborate exercise playing out at Fort Polk, La., the friendly government of “Atropia” has asked for U.S. help to stabilize an area wracked by insurgents and threatened by attack from nearby “Ariana.”

Eric Holder, attorney general under President Barack Obama, has prosecuted more government officials for alleged leaks under the World War I-era Espionage Act than all his predecessors combined, including law-and-order Republicans John Mitchell, Edwin Meese and John Ashcroft.

After a debate that focused on domestic issues and one where "undecided" voters proffered questions, the presidential candidates will be tackling foreign policy during their final debate at Lynn University.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A Sri Lankan fisherman said Thursday that a group of would-be asylum seekers attacked and threw him and other crew members into the open sea before seizing their boat for their illegal voyage to Australia and leaving the men to die.

Brussels (UPI) Oct 18, 2012 Describing appeasement, Konrad Adenauer, the German chancellor after the second world war once said: "The one sure way to conciliate a tiger is to allow oneself to be devoured." This advice seems not to be taken seriously by a minority group of my colleagues...

ReportsnReports.com adds new market research reports and multiple geographic report packages for the aluminium foil industry, aluminium pipes and tubes as well as aluminium wire sector.Dallas, Texas (PRWEB) October 18, 2012 These market research report packages offer a perspective on the actual market situation, trends and future outlook...

Iran's president says he will not back down from a nuclear program despite the threat of Western sanctions.

Experts say Republican Mitt Romney will need to a stellar performance in the first debate to improve polls.

Iranian media officials have condemned a decision by Europe's largest satellite providers to cease transmission of Iran's 19 state-operated satellite television and radio channels that broadcast to Europe and parts of the Middle East.

U.S. Senate candidate Tammy Baldwin has received nearly $60,000 for her Senate bid from a group against Iranian sanctions. The left-of-center Council for a Livable World has supported the Democrat since her first congressional race in 1998. A spokeswoman for Baldwin's Republican opponent, Tommy Thompson, said her strong ties...

>Oct 18 - Fitch Ratings has affirmed SACE S.p.A's (Sace) Long-term foreign and local currency ratings at 'A-', with a Negative Outlook, and a Short-term rating of 'F2'.The affirmation reflects SACE's strong capitalization covering risks stemming from its EUR34bn portfolio of guarantees on non-marketable risks and on-going...

>DUBAI (Reuters) - The United States and Dubai are negotiating an end to the desert emirate's Iranian oil imports to head off the threat of U.S. President Obama sanctioning a trade that has riled Gulf Arab oil producers, industry sources and diplomats said. Washington in the summer tightened controls...

>* Iran defying Western demands to curb enrichment* Tehran says refined uranium needed for medical reactor* U.S. and allies suspect bid to develop nuclear bomb capability* Added enrichment capacity may further complicate diplomacyBy Fredrik DahlVIENNA, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Iran is believed to be further increasing its uranium enrichment...

Manssor Arbabsiar, aka Mansour Arbabsiar, pleaded guilty on Wednesday in federal court in the Southern District of New York to participating in a plot to murder the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States while the Ambassador was in the United States.

Presidents with military experience led our nation in most serious times. Remember Harry Truman’s (Army, World War I) go-ahead to drop the A-bomb? It saved countless lives. Or his Korean War decision to fire rebellious Gen. MacArthur.

FITCHBURG - U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas, D-Lowell, and her opponent Republican Jonathan Golnik of Carlisle, agreed on the importance of education and the need to improve the economy, but those attending last night's 3rd Congressional District debate saw sharp contrasts between the two candidates, especially on international issues.

This is the 22nd article in a special series on oil and the Persian Gulf. For previous articles, please see the foot of the page.

EDITOR'S NOTE - One in a series examining issues at stake in the election and their impact on people

The real deal

As an observant Jew, Sen. Joseph Lieberman ’64 LAW ’67 has made the security of Israel a central tenet in his foreign policy platform. Representing Connecticut during his fourth and final term, the former Democratic vice presidential nominee drew over 80 students and faculty to Linsly-Chittenden Hall Wednesday night for...

The acting commander of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard warns Israel will "definitely" face fierce retaliation if it attacks Iranian nuclear sites.

NEW YORK - A Texas man pleaded guilty Wednesday to plotting to assassinate Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, agreeing to hire what he thought was a drug dealer in Mexico last year for $1.5 million to carry out the attack with explosives at a Washington restaurant.