News Archive - 13 December 2013

>"He was not a U.S. government employee when he made that trip," said Carney, responding to questions about an Associated Press story that said Levinson was working for the Central Intelligence Agency when he disappeared."As there is an ongoing investigation into his disappearance, I'm not going to comment...

>VIENNA/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Iran's anger over a new U.S. sanctions measure may have been behind its move to interrupt talks with world powers over how to implement last month's breakthrough nuclear agreement, two diplomats said on Friday. Several envoys stressed, however, that the inconclusive outcome of the December 9-12...

>VIENNA/MOSCOW (Reuters) - A breakthrough agreement to end the standoff over Iran's nuclear program appeared to face its first major difficulty on Friday with Russia warning that expanding a U.S. sanctions blacklist could seriously complicate the deal's implementation. Russia, which, along with the United States, is among the six...

>By Mark HosenballWASHINGTON Dec 13 (Reuters) - An American with links to the Central Intelligence Agency was investigating suspicions that Iranian government officials were diverting petroleum funds and laundering them through Canada when he went missing in Iran in 2007, a lawyer for his family said on Friday.Robert Levinson,...

>VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran and six world powers need more time to work out complex technical steps on implementing last month's deal for Tehran to curb its nuclear program, the European Union said on Friday after four days of expert-level talks in Vienna. The November 24 interim accord, reached after...

Latest VideoDecember 14th, 2013     Geneva nuclear deal interrupted ,Iranian delegation returned to Tehran The senior nuclear negotiator and deputy of foreign ministry Abbas Araghci said to Iranian TV late on Friday 13 December ,  that the Iranian delegation in charge of negotiation with  representatives of 5+1 in IAEA headquarter...

The White House has denied reports by the Associated Press news agency that an American ex-FBI agent, believed to have been held in Iran for seven years, was working for the CIA on an unapproved mission.

Findings from an Associated Press investigation of CIA contractor Robert Levinson's March 2007 disappearance in Iran.

WASHINGTON — Fort Smith native Anne W. Patterson is expected to be confirmed Monday as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs after the Senate voted Friday to advance her nomination.

Former international Henry Nwosu has warned the Super Eagles not to underestimate Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iran when they clash at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, saying they could pose the biggest threat to Nigeria’s quest to reach the knockout stages of the tournament. Nigeria are drawn in Group F alongside...

South Florida supporters on Friday renewed their efforts to bring home a Coral Springs man who vanished in Iran more than six years ago while working as a spy for the CIA.        

New York-based financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald says it has nearly completed a deal with American Airlines and insurance carriers to settle a lawsuit it brought after the Sept. 11 attacks killed 658 of its 1,000...

Latest VideoDecember 13th, 2013     Kambiz Hosseini interview Dr Abbas Milani in twenty first episode of his poletik show Kambiz Hosseini interview Dr Abbas Milani writer of the biohraphy of Shah & Hoveyda   in  twenty first episode of his poletik show on Friday 13 December .  ...

The rally that has driven stocks to record highs paused this week as investors tried to figure out where things are headed next. Stocks were mixed yesterday and posted their second weekly loss in a row. Indexes reached record highs as recently as Monday, but then declined.

(Reuters) - Following are key facts about Turkmenistan, which holds the first multi-party parliamentary election in its post-Soviet history on Sunday, in which only candidates loyal to President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov are running. GEOGRAPHY Turkmenistan occupies 448,100 sq km (280,062 sq miles) on the southeastern coast of the Caspian Sea and...

Oil prices slid today as dealers fretted over a global oversupply in crude, while speculation the US Federal Reserve will soon scale back its stimulus programme also weighed. New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in January, fell 33 cents to US$97.17 a barrel. Brent North...

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 1:00 P.M. EST MR. CARNEY:  Hello, everyone.  Thanks for being here.  Thank you for giving my deputy the opportunity for brief for an hour and seven minutes yesterday.  I'm going to top that today.  (Laughter.)  I'm going to...

>"The U.S. administration's decision goes against the spirit of this document," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said of the Nov. 24 interim agreement under which Tehran would curb its nuclear program in exchange for limited relief from economic sanctions over the next six months."Widening American 'blacklists' could seriously...

>By Michael HoganHAMBURG Dec 13 (Reuters) - Syria tendered to import food on Friday using a credit line from Iran's export bank in what could be a test of last month's landmark deal to ease Western financial sanctions on Tehran.Sanctions also imposed on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government do...

Robert Levinson, who vanished seven years ago in Iran, was working for the CIA on an unapproved spy mission, an AP investigation finds. It's a secret the U.S. has long sought to keep.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - A senior Iranian nuclear negotiator says new sanctions by the United States on Iranian companies and individuals violate the spirit of a deal made between Tehran and the West over its nuclear program.

Pakistan's textile sector Friday welcomed a European Union move that will cut duties on the country's exports, saying it would provide a boost to the economy, but it warned an energy crisis could prevent firms from benefiting from the windfall. The EU on Thursday signed a law granting Pakistan generalised...

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) - The execution of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's uncle brought a swift and violent end to a man long considered the country's second-most powerful. But while Jang Song Thaek is now gone, the fallout from his bloody purge is not over.

The wife of an Iranian-American Christian jailed in Iran called on President Obama to demand her husband's release Thursday, the 444th day of his captivity, and to link the Iranian nuclear deal to his freedom. Naghmeh Abedini told a House Foreign Affairs joint subcommittee hearing that she feels abandoned because ...

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>The ministry said the action against the two Singapore firms, Mid Oil Asia Pte Ltd and Singa Tankers Pte Ltd, was based on U.S. rules that were "above and beyond the sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council, which are mandatory on all U.N. members"."We are...

After winning a pair of NBA titles as a member of the Miami Heat, Mike Miller knew things would change a bit after he signed as a free agent with the Memphis Grizzlies during the offseason.

The Augustana wrestling team opened the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference dual season with a 38-6 win over Mary on Thursday at the Elmen Center.

Man disappeared in Iran 7 years ago

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranians greeted the country's qualification for the World Cup and a landslide presidential vote earlier this year with equal fervour, their joy at the exit of hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad matched by the thrill of a fourth trip to soccer's showpiece.        

WASHINGTON [MENL] -- The administration of President Barack Obama has pledged to expand the list of those under U.S. sanctions on Iran. Officials said the administration has assured Congress that Iranian companies and individuals would be designated for U.S. sanctions.

» Washington and London stop sending non-lethal weapons to Syrian rebels for fear of supporting jihadist groups. They will continue to send humanitarian aid. First rumors about the participants in Geneva II: Iran and Saudi Arabia included .

ABU DHABI [MENL] -- Iran has proposed a regional cooperation council that would focus on military and security cooperation. Copyrights 2008, Middle East Newsline.

A journey to Dubai with family and kids is the most tremendous time of your trip. The land where the sun always stands with its glow, the seashores are making noise and the rich waters of the amazing sea are making the whole atmosphere more attractive.

The five things you need to know on Friday 13 December 2013... 1) SPEAK ENGLISH OR LOSE BENEFITS This government enjoys nothing more than cracking down on either benefit claimants or migrants - so imagine an issue which allows you to do both. It would have the relevant minister doing...

>* Upbeat US data raises prospect of Fed stimulus wind-down* Brent-WTI spread narrowest in 1 month* Pipelines set to drain Cushing glut (Updates prices)By Florence TanSINGAPORE, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Brent crude held above $108 a barrel on Friday as traders eyed a restart of ports in eastern Libya while...