News Archive - 18 October 2013

>The announcement of the decision to shift the operations to Forward Operating Site Mihail Kogalniceanu in eastern Romania followed a visit to the Pentagon on Friday by Romanian Defense Minister Mircea Dusa.U.S. forces have used the site, located on the Black Sea, since 1999. An agreement between the...

>BEIRUT (Reuters) - Nine Lebanese citizens held by rebels in northern Syria since May 2012 have been released, caretaker Lebanese Interior Minister Marwan Charbel told Reuters on Friday. Eleven Lebanese Shi'ites were seized last year by the Northern Storm brigade while on their way home from a pilgrimage to Shi'ite...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is weighing whether to offer Iran the chance to recoup billions of dollars in frozen overseas assets if it takes steps to scale back its nuclear program, U.S. officials and congressional aides said Friday. The proposal would face a skeptical Congress determined to...

>RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia, in a display of anger at the failure of the international community to end the war in Syria and act on other Middle East issues, said on Friday it would not take up its seat on the United Nations Security Council. The kingdom condemned what...

>* China's Sep implied oil demand down 1.8 pct on yr to 9.61 mln bpd* Brent may retest support at $108.68 -technicals (Recasts, updates prices)By Manash GoswamiSINGAPORE, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Brent futures edged up on Friday, holding above $109 a barrel after data showing China's economy...

Behnam Barzadi's film centers on an Iranian theater group about to depart for a performance in Europe. read more

Pittsburgh-area native Sara Fritz, who started her journalism career at the Pittsburgh Press, died Wednesday at age 68.

Russ Tharp has a special affinity for the military transport that has joined the squadron of historic exhibits at the Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte – he was at its controls the night in 1980 when it was used in the failed rescue of U.S. hostages in Iran.

Under the heading “General prohibitions” in Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling, competitors are forbidden to (among other things): Pull the hair, ears, genitals, pinch, bite, kick, head-butt, strangle, apply holds that may endanger the opponent’s life or cause a fracture or […]

The 65-year-old filmmaker, who is best known for her feature debut, "Chocolat," and her most acclaimed film, "Beau Travail," spoke with THR at the New York Film Festival. read more

By Ray Takeyh The great powers are again resuming diplomatic efforts to settle the Iran nuclear issue. Expectations are high, as Iran is now presumed to be ruled ...

The director's previous film, 2001's "A Separation," won the Academy Award for best foreign-language film. read more        

The Golden Eaglets are one of the favourites to win the ongoing 2013 U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates after being world champions three times in the past – 1985, 1993 and 2007. Their first match today against defenders Mexico in Al Ain City is considered the star...

America is no longer a constitutional republic. The executive branch is out of control, as our imperial president dictates the budget, picks and chooses laws, and uses branches of the government to carry out his radical agenda.

The adoption agency handling the case of a Florida orphan Davion Only whose church plea for a family to "love me until I die" has garnered national attention has been inundated with inquiries about him and offers to adopt him.        

The watchdog overseeing Canada’s spy agency is investigating a complaint by a Hamilton man who says he received an unannounced visit at his home by two agents earlier this year after making public statements that were critical of the Harper […]

OTTAWA — A move by the ruling Conservatives to banish three of their former senators from the upper chamber for “gross negligence” with their expenses has caused unrest within Tory ranks — not just in the Senate, but also in […]

A young Iranian looks at laptop computers in Tehran. Many Iranians hope Iran's cooperation with the West will achieve removal of sanctions that have hurt the Iranian economy.

Employees prepare pieces of beef at a supermarket, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, May 30, 2007.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif addresses a news conference following nuclear negotiations with European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who is leading talks with Iran on behalf of the six world powers, at the United Nations in Geneva on Wednesday.

Nine Lebanese nationals kidnapped in Syria last year were released Friday, caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel told The Daily Star, a day after Qatar vowed to intervene to bring the case of the pilgrims to a safe conclusion.

Nine Lebanese citizens kidnapped by rebels in Syria last year have been freed, Lebanon's Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said Friday.

Ankara (AFP) - Two Turkish Airlines pilots who were kidnapped in Lebanon in August are close to being released, Turkey's foreign minister said Friday.

Holy carp! A British tourist may have just reeled in a world record. While vacationing in Thailand for his birthday, Keith Williams hooked a 134-pound carp, believed to be the biggest ever caught. "He told his wife that he could feel in his bones that he was going to catch...

Latest VideoOctober 18th, 2013     Twelve episode of Kambiz Hosseini show “Poletik” Twelve episode of Kambiz Hosseini show “Poletik” .  ...

IRAN: A top Iranian diplomat says Tehran's proposal tabled in the latest nuclear talks between Iran and the six world powers in Geneva provides them with an "opportunity" to prove their sincerity.

Once, Israel and Turkey were covert allies but ties between the two countries have been shaky for a few years now. And Washington Post columnist David Ignatius reported Thursday on a new twist in the complex relationship. Ignatius joins Robert Siegel to talk about the latest developments.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attend a meeting of the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany at UN headquarters in September.

Readers are demanding change, and an editor says it’s in the works.        

Dozens have been killed in fighting in Syria's Aleppo province as a UN-Arab League envoy prepares a tour.

>HOUSTON Oct 18 (Reuters) - Latin American crude exporters are sending more oil to Asia after ramping up tenders to get rid of stocks that have swollen on refinery maintenance this quarter in the Americas. At least six companies have sold their South American output via tenders for more than...

Latest VideoOctober 18th, 2013     Dr Emad Afroogh & Hassan Rohani adviser debate on TV about nuclear negotiation During a live debate in Dirooz Emrooz Farda ,the university professor Emad Afrough believe that hiding content of  nuclear negotiation from the public will deprive the country from public support , while...

Commodities were buoyed this week by news of a breakthrough US budget deal to avert default, but some prices fell as traders questioned whether problems would soon resurface. Sugar was meanwhile the star ...

The parties to Russian-American negotiation over getting rid of chemical weapons in Syria are trading concessions with the parties to negotiation over Iran's nuclear program. They are doing this carefully and in parallel, with calculated steps.

The compass of the geopolitical strategic balance of power is turning towards a qualitative relationship between the United States and Russia, following a phase of tension in their relationship, the features of which had clearly appeared first with regard to the issue of Syria.

Click for a bigger version (Oxford Internet Institute) Most of the time, when any of us use Flickr, we use it to browse our friends' photos, or, perhaps, to search for an image of a particular place or ...

A picture spoke volumes about the United States’ loss of global prestige and influence due to the shutdown of its government in a partisan standoff over the federal budget and debt.

Former U.S. House Speaker Tom Foley died at his home in Washington, D.C., his wife Heather confirmed Friday.

Accused of espionage, Hamid Ghassemi was jailed in Evin prison in 2008 and released earlier this month.

Fresh for the debacle over the government shutdown and near credit default, Congress is now acting to sabotage promising negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, with some right-wing Republicans even raising the specter of war, as ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar explains.

The Obama administration is considering freeing up Iranian assets if Tehran takes specific steps to curb its nuclear program, a senior administration official said. Click here for the rest of the article...

Schlumberger Limited (SLB) Q3 2013 Earnings Conference Call October 18, 2013 9:00 AM ET Executives Malcolm Theobald – Vice President-Investor Relations Simon Ayat – Executive Vice President and Chief Financial ...

News reports say the Obama administration is considering gradually unfreezing some of Iran's overseas funds to ease the pain of sanctions aimed at curbing the country's nuclear program. The proposal would reportedly free up Iran's assets in installments. The reports -- citing unnamed senior administration officials -- come after talks...

DUBLIN is the 20th most reputable city in the world, according to a new survey carried out on thousands of people living abroad.   The study on the reputations of 100 cities took place through an online questionnaire to 22,000 people in the G8 countries — Canada, France, Germany, Italy,...

Four months after President Hassan Rouhani's election, Iran is reviewing the house arrest of two opposition leaders, but conservatives may fear the consequences of freeing men who remain heroes to many Iranians. Mirhossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi, candidates who led the “Green Movement” that disputed the 2009 re-election of Mahmoud...

BERLIN (AP) — Iranian dissidents are demonstrating outside the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, pushing for action after the killing of 52 of their compatriots in Iraq.        

By MICHAEL FALCONE (@michaelpfalcone) NOTABLES IT’S THE QUESTION ON EVERYONE’S MIND: Could the country be pushed to the brink of another shutdown when government funding runs out in January? Sen. Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican who pushed the strategy to tie government funding to defunding...        

BRUSSELS - Fugitive Iraqi vice president Tareq al-Hashemi, sentenced to death on murder charges, said Thursday he would return home if the EU could help guarantee him a fair trial.

>* Syria envoy trying to set stage for peace talks next month* Fighting in north near chemical weapons siteBy Dominic EvansBEIRUT, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Syrian air force jets bombarded the eastern city of Deir al-Zor on Friday after heavy overnight clashes and the killing of one of President Bashar...

while Iran is now at the center of the world's courting efforts, Israel lags far behind.

BEIRUT (AP) - Nine Shiite pilgrims from Lebanon kidnapped in Syria were freed late Friday night as part of a negotiated hostage release that could see two Turkish pilots held in Lebanon released, officials said.

Most Israelis support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's stance on the Iran nuclear issue after the Islamic republic met world powers in Geneva this week, an opinion poll showed on Friday.

Brent crude futures held steady at around $109 a barrel today after strong Chinese Q3 GDP data was offset by poor September oil demand in the world's second largest oil consumer.

The 37-year-old man named as Alireza M was 'put to death' in the Islamic regime's Bojnourd prison last Wednesday for drugs offences.

Parichehr Salasel wept for joy as she walked into her lawyer’s downtown office and heard that the Supreme Court had ruled in her favour, upholding an order that has kept her husband, Hassan Rasouli, on life-support for the past three years. The family refused to allow doctors to remove him...

Under plan, which is less risky than repealing sanctions, Tehran would get access to billions of dollars of frozen funds in installments, New York Times reports.

During the assembly, Sanger focused on Obama’s “Light Footprint” policy, the situation in Syria, and U.S. relations with Iran, specifically focusing on the new diplomatic potential that has recently emerged.

The Lions have been boosted by their recent wins but the reigning Suzuki Cup champions are ranked fifth in the AFF region

Dick Bell Invitational Boys West Fork 37

The words, "Based on a True Story" shouldn't mean anything to the frequent moviegoer. The whole truth isn't something the fits nicely into the typical Hollywood screenplay.

Will the nuclear negotiations in progress open the possibility of disarmament across the region?

NBC’s Carrie Dann: “Obama has signed into law a bill to re-open the government and extend the debt ceiling – just hours after the House and Senate passed the measure with broad bipartisan support. Obama said the measure would immediately restart federal programs …

Iran and Russia have exchanged views on the two days of talks between the Islamic Republic and six world powers over Tehran’s nuclear energy program.

“We had a fantastic debate with highly interesting questions and the feedback from the participants was very positive” said Dr Kambeck.

Turkey denied a report by Washington Post columnist David Ignatius that claimed it had blown an Israeli spy ring by working closely with Iran.

In recent weeks, economists have been worrying about the negative impact of the now-ended government shutdown and potential debt crisis. But away from Capitol Hill, the economy has been getting a big boost: gasoline prices have been declining, week after week. read more

>* Asian shares up, Australian stocks hit 5-yr high* Focus turns to Fed after government shutdown* Euro hovers near 8-month high vs dollarBy Dominic LauTOKYO, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Australian stocks hit a five-year high on Friday as Asian shares celebrated China's quickening growth -- just a day after U.