News Archive - 24 January 2014

>DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Former U.N. secretary general Kofi Annan said on Friday that Iran had an essential role to play in guaranteeing stability in the Middle East and urged U.S. lawmakers to give a diplomatic detente with Tehran a chance. Annan's successor as U.N. chief, Ban...

>DAVOS, Switzerland Jan 24 (Reuters) - Secretary of State John Kerry dismissed on Friday as "a myth" suggestions that the United States was withdrawing from world affairs. "I'm perplexed by claims I occasionally hear that somehow America is disengaging from the world - this myth that America is pulling back,...

>GENEVA (Reuters) - After a day's delay and repeated bitter recriminations, the warring sides in Syria will hold their first joint meeting on Saturday to launch talks aimed at ending almost three years of conflict. In a measure of the task ahead, diplomatic sources said the first two days of...

>Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), did not give further details about the planned visit in response to a question at a news conference.(Reporting by Fredrik Dahl; editing by Andrew Roche) FILED UNDER: World Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Print...

>* US distillate stocks drop on sustained cold -EIA* Expectations of more U.S. Fed tapering hit oil (Writes through with fresh quotes, background, updates data.)By Lin NoueihedLONDON, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Global oil prices tumbled below $107 a barrel on Friday, tracking a sharp sell-off in stocks and...

The two sides will meet Saturday.

On a trip last month to the Turkish-Syrian border, I met an impressive young Syrian opposition journalist named Adnan Hadad, who had just fled Aleppo because he was being targeted by both the regime and al-Qaida militants.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has urged the withdrawal of all foreign-backed militants from Syria, saying the Syrian people should be allowed to determine their own destiny without foreign interference.

Amid hostile rhetoric, representatives of the Syrian government and the opposition agreed to face each other Saturday for the first time to try to end the violence that has killed more than 130,000 since 2011. The opposition confirmed it would attend the talks less than 48 hours before the conference...

A screen shot from Russia Today. THE craziest story to emerge from the Edward Snowden leaked documents affair probably has nothing to do with Edward Snowden ... or reality.

China’s version of Twitter has been bleeding users this year, thanks to a government crackdown and the rise of new social technologies.

Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton may not make a big splash if he jumps into the presidential race but his flirtation with the idea raises some intriguing questions.

Statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay “Today, we honour the memory of the millions of people - men, women and children - brutally murdered seven decades ago for the simple fact of being Jewish, Roma, Slav or homosexual, because they had disabilities, or were Jehovah’s...

When President Barack Obama addressed the United Nations General Assembly last September, he spoke about "convulsions" upending the old order in the Middle East. Now the president's supporters and critics will be listening closely when he delivers his State of the Union address to learn if, and how, the U.

In this October 2010 photo, a worker rides a bicycle in front of the reactor building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, just outside the southern city of Bushehr, Iran. U.S. and Iranian officials have been part of negotiations to limit Iran's nuclear-weapons program in exchange for a lifting...

QUETTA: Over 100 Shia pilgrims were airlifted to Quetta on Friday from the Dalbandin airport in a transport plane of the Pakistan Air Force. The pilgrims coming in buses from Iran were stranded in Dalbandin after the bombing of a pilgrims’ bus in Mastung which left 28 people dead.

Today is Saturday, Jan. 25, the 25th day of 2014. There are 340 days left in the year.

This is apropos the article ‘The Prophet’s legacy’ (Jan 14) by Qasim A. Moini taking exception to Saudi government plans to modernise buildings in Makkah and Madina by replacing old sites and holy relics.

The former Bosnian international defender is one of Brunei DPMM's new foreign signings for the 2014 S.League season and wants to help them make history by winning the league title

As a working American, I’m nostalgic for the time when a single breadwinner could bankroll a middle-class lifestyle and two-wage-earner families meant wives fulfilling career goals or earning pocket money, not families struggling to stay ahead of ever rising living expenses despite stagnant wages. Maybe the good times are never...

Former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan says the Islamic Republic of Iran plays a crucial role in guaranteeing stability in the Middle East.

Secretary of State John Kerry disputes the assertions that the U.S. is scaling back its role as Mideast power broker and peacemaker. WASHINGTON — Five years after President Obama vowed to expand U.S. relations with the Arab world and the broader Middle East, his administration is under fire...

GENEVA — Bending to intense international pressure, Syria’s government and the Western-backed opposition agreed Friday to face each other for the first time since the start of the uprising against Pre

Kapil Komireddi says the U.S.'s goal has proven unrealistic. It should instead encourage a power-sharing deal centered on reconciliation.

Face to face talks between the Syrian government and the opposition are expected to get underway tomorrow morning in Geneva. Any progress seemed unlikely for most of the day in Geneva. At one stage the talks were on the verge of collapse, as each side issued threats and ultimatums.

The UN says that both sides will negotiate face to face in Geneva for the first time on Saturday, just hours after the regime threatened to walk out, writes Sakhr Al-Makhadhi from Geneva.

U.N. mediator Lakhdar Brahimi listens during a press briefing at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. After three days of escalating rhetoric _ and a day spent assiduously avoiding contact within the United Nations _ the two sides will meet “in the same room,”...

Christian pastor Saeed Abedini, the American citizen imprisoned in Iran for his faith, has been moved to the political prisoner ward from the murder ward in a move seen as the first positive step in his treatment, according to the Idaho resident's family and legal team.

Saturday January 25, 2014 – Melbourne, Australia — The Sea Shepherd Fleet has once again located the factory vessel of the Japanese whaling fleet, the Nisshin Maru , effectively suspending whale poaching operations in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

It is a basic conviction of almost every Jewish Israeli that “the whole world is against us” – which is also a jolly popular song...

GENEVA - Bending to intense international pressure, Syria's government and the Western-backed opposition agreed Friday to face each other for the first time since the start of the uprising against President Bashar Assad.

While little of substance seemed to come from the Geneva 2 peace conference and the dirty war against Syria seems set to continue, this does not mean the process has not advanced. Kerry still mouths the 2011 mantra 'Assad must go', but it is much less convincing.

Der amerikanische Aussenminister John Kerry spricht am WEF über die Rolle der USA in der Weltpolitik. Das gab es noch nie am diesjährigen WEF: Eine halbe Stunde vor dem Auftritt von John Kerry (70) standen Menschen Schlange. Sie alle wollten den US-Aussenminister hören.

The Syrian government and its opposition will hold their first face-to-face negotiations in the same room in Geneva on Saturday to try to resolve nearly three years of civil war after negotiations almost collapsed before they started.

A deputy chief of the General Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces says the interests of the United States in the region will be completely destroyed in case of any military attack against the Islamic Republic.

African champions Nigeria will train in Houston in the United States for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, according to AFP on Friday. Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi had proposed the team train in either Miami or Houston for the World Cup, but the Nigeria Football Federation Technical Committee Chairman...

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 24 (UPI) -- FIFA leaders blew hot and cold as they sought assurances from Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff that unfinished venues for the World Cup would be ready before the opening June 12.

Crude oil rises after China’s money injection, increased demand outlook

JC Finley Jan. 24 (UPI) -- The International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors convened a special session on Friday to discuss the monitoring of Iran's nuclear program.

But US military aid for Iraq should be contingent on evidence that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is reaching out to Sunnis, says former Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Iraq's government is lately battling attacks from Al Qaeda-linked insurgents. 

The men and women of Philippine sports who inspired and did the Filipino people proud in the year just passed get their due recognition tonight in a formal celebration like no other at the Centennial Hall of the historic Manila Hotel. The Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) honors the best and...

Fight is focused less on the proposed sanctions themselves than on their timing and the conditions attached to them.

TORONTO, Jan. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ - For the second year running female delegates at the World Economic Forum meeting at Davos are outperforming their male counterparts on social media. WEFLIVE, a social media site run by KPMG International which aggregates Twitter activity from...

A sharp increase in the number of al-Qaida linked fighters joining the fight against President Bashar Assad in Syria is threatening to spill over the borders and prompting the Jewish state to re-evaluate its policy of neutrality in the civil war next door, a senior Israeli intelligence official warned on...

Backers of the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities received a major blow last month when Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, the top GOP member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, announced he would not support ratification.

Canada’s economy has done better than most since mid-2009, but recent job losses, deflationary pressures and a rapidly falling dollar indicate more problems ahead. The situation calls for some major initiatives, most notably rebuilding our troubled manufacturing sector. Statistics Canada … Continue reading →

DAVOS, Switzerland — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry hit Friday at criticism that the Obama administration's Middle East policy is in disarray, maintaining that the U.S. is actively engaged in multiple ambitious diplomatic initiatives in the region and elsewhere.

Secretary Kerry defends his focus on Israeli security in peace talks, saying occupation can't end if threats persist.

Russell Moore, the President of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, discussed how Evangelical Christians can be better advocates for their persecuted Middle Eastern counterparts in an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Friday.

Stephen Harper refuses to be a real friend to the Israelis in the sense that he excuses their more objectionable behaviour.

Chief executive of WPP says political backdrop is improving for the Conservatives and says dropping EU referendum pledge would boost Tory prospects in 2015        

The deepening corruption scandal in Turkey is putting strains on its relationship with the United States. The Turkish government claims the corruption probe is an international conspiracy and suggests Washington is involved, with pro-government media pointing fingers at the U.S. ambassador and calling for his expulsion. Ever since prosecutors...

Today's must-reads: The prospect of sending Justin Bieber back to Canada, Sochi will be known as the "terrorism games", and a budding Japan-India alliance.

>Prince Turki al-Faisal, a former intelligence chief and an outspoken critic of President Barack Obama's administration since it started secret nuclear talks with Iran, said the world was disappointed with the "sense of no direction" in U.S. foreign policy."I want the Americans to go to the Security Council...

The CEO of oil company Total has spoken to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani who told him to ‘be ready’ for the lifting of embargoes.

The U.N. special envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, met with delegates from the Syrian government Friday in Switzerland, but hoped-for direct talks between the regime and opposition have yet to come to fruition.

ELLPORT — Even though the U.S. military commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan are winding down, the country still has troops in both countries.

A coalition of Civil Society Organisations under the aegis of Say No Campaign on Friday in Abuja gave the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission two weeks ultimatum to arrest the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, over the N255m car scam or face litigation. The group also faulted the 2014 Budget...

: Europe can help fix its unemployment crisis by reversing an offshoring trend that has seen companies move jobs to lower cost locations such as China, says U.K. prime minister David Cameron.

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Iran's foreign minister is calling for all "foreign elements" to leave Syria so its people can decide their future themselves.        

>Global Picture Desk: + 65 6870 3775Global Graphics Desk: + 65 6870 3595(All times GMT / ET)Receive this schedule by email:mediaexpress.reuters.comTOP STORIESEmerging market sell-off spills over to Europe, U.S.LONDON - A global flight from emerging market assets gathers pace, sending the Turkish lira to a record...

>Saudi national Abdullah Suleiman Salih al-Dhabah, known as Abu Ali al-Qasimi, waged jihad (holy war) in Pakistan and Afghanistan before going to Syria, where he was killed in the city of al-Bab in Aleppo by a rocket from a MiG plane, SITE said, citing online messages posted by Islamists on...

>Weaker-than-expected sales from Starbucks (SBUX.O) and an earnings miss from McDonald's (MCD.N) overnight underscored the still fragile health of the global economy and consumers.In Europe, the reporting season will only get in full swing next week, here too there have been some signs of weakness.Finnish pulp...

>QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistan has suspended buses carrying Shi'ite pilgrims from travelling through its volatile Baluchistan province to neighboring Iran due to security concerns after a suicide attack killed 27 pilgrims this week, officials said on Friday. A 700 km (430 mile) highway connecting the Pakistani city of Quetta...

India's economy is projected to grow at a slower-than-expected rate of 5.3 per cent this year, according to a United Nations report which said the country's slowdown may have bottomed out.

A senior Iranian legislator says the United Nations’ decision to rescind an invitation to Iran to attend the ongoing talks on Syria undermined the credibility of the international body.

Washington, Jan. 24 (ANI): Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has revelaed that he doesn't write his own tweets, instead his friends write his English-language Facebook and Twitter posts based on diplomatic cooperation. Rouhani's social media presence in English language has been inclusive, approachable and seemingly designed to build a new Western...

What a teller of domestic truths Asghar Farhadi has become. In 2012, the Iranian writer-director won the Oscar for best foreign-language film for "A Separation," an intimate story of a marriage under personal and, to a more subtle degree, cultural duress. Equally masterful, "The Past" also concerns a marriage, or...

By Hadra Ahmed Addis Ababa, Jan 24 (IANS): He'd been captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan and escaped a bomb blast in Iraq. His bicycle's been stolen six times but Somen Debnath from the eastern Indian state of West Bengal is determined to complete his mission to pedal 200,000 km...

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the Islamic Republic is ready to help other countries deliver relief aid to crisis-hit Syria.

India’s economy is projected to grow at a slower-than-expected rate of 5.3 per cent this year, according to a United Nations report which said the country’s slowdown may have bottomed out.

Washington, Jan 24 (AP) Vast differences between Iran and the six-nation coalition seeking to dismantle the Islamic republic's nuclear program may lead to another short-term deal and that could renew criticism that Iran is stalling and energise the push in Congress for tougher sanctions even if they endanger negotiations.