News Archive - 15 February 2014

Iran says the United States’ persistence to put pressure Tehran through sanctions is undiplomatic.

>GENEVA (Reuters) - International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi apologized to the Syrian people for the lack of progress at peace talks in Geneva after their second round ended on Saturday with little more than an agreement to meet again. As it became clear that the talks had not even broached the...

>* Asks politicians to make concessions for nation's sake* Political, sectarian divisions fuelled by Syria spillover* Struggle over energy post delayed government for weeksBy Laila Bassam and Erika SolomonBEIRUT, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Lebanon announced a new government on Saturday, breaking a 10-month political deadlock during which spillover violence from...

>ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's parliament approved a law boosting government control over the appointment of judges and prosecutors on Saturday, after a heated debate and a brawl that left one opposition lawmaker hospitalized. Dozens of MPs broke into fights during the tense 20-hour debate and insults flew across party lines.

One MP suffers a broken nose and another fractures his fingers after tempers boiled over during a debate on a new law.

ALICEGHAN, Afghanistan - Aliceghan was supposed to be a haven for war-torn Afghanistan's returning refugees and a symbol of resurgence after the dark years of the Taliban. Six years on, it has come to highlight the myriad obstacles facing development projects in the country and an exodus of residents has...

While the rest of the world sends expressions of love on Valentine’s Day, Israel sends the kiss of death to Gaza. A man now lies clinging to life in Kamal Adwan hospital after being shot by Israeli soldiers east of Jabaliya on Friday, while eight more ...

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the Caspian Sea is a zone of cooperation, peace, security and calm for all littoral countries.

The Second International Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, concluded today with overwhelming agreement that consequences of any use of these weapons would be more acute and more widespread than ever recognised before.

Iraqi security forces take position with their weapons during clashes with al Qaeda-linked Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the city of Ramadi, 100 km (62 miles) west of Baghdad, February 6, 2014. Iraqi troops and allied tribesmen killed 57 Islamist militants in Anbar province on Monday,...

Iran and world powers embark Tuesday on the Herculean task of transforming an interim nuclear deal into a long-term accord satisfying all sides and silencing talk of war for good. After a decade of failure and rising tensions, US President, Barack Obama has put the chances of such an agreement...

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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says unannounced, unilateral actions in contested waters of the South China Sea challenge regional stability. After meeting with leaders in Beijing to discuss rival maritime claims between China, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia, Kerry then traveled to Indonesia on Saturday, where officials are...

America is getting a new look at an old version of Hillary Clinton, with a time capsule from the political maelstrom that tore through her life in the 1990s. The revelations are contained in notes of communications with Clinton when she was first lady, taken by her confidant Diane Blair,...

In an act of pure cowardice, the government of Iraq has secretly buried the bodies of 52 massacred CampAshraf residents, slain during the 1 September 2013 massacre at the camp in Iraq. A total of 52 men and womenwere executed on 1 September by an Iraqi SWAT team who entered...

February 16, 2014 11:32 AM VIENNA (AFP) - Iran and world powers embark on Tuesday on the Herculean task of transforming an interim nuclear deal into a long-term accord satisfying all sides and silencing talk of war for good.        

Some restrictions on the Internet in Iran may be lifted, giving a boost to online businesses.

The greatest value of the process is not what it does to your schedule, but what it does to your head.

A family on a couch, watching the US hockey team against the Russians.

Saturday’s exciting 3-2 shootout win for the United States over Russia was a great hockey game that will have its place in both our collective memory and Olympic lore. But hearing some members of the media dub it “The Second Miracle on Ice” (1010 WINS radio in New York) or...

Manama, Feb 16 (IANS) Bahrain has accused Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of inciting anti-government protests in the kingdom, Xinhua quoted pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat as saying Saturday. The demonstrations came a day ahead of the third anniversary of Bahrain's Feb 14, 2011 protests. Sameera Rajab, a government spokesperson,...

Calling the Tehrik-e-Taliban to the talks table is a bit like calling a serial stalker over for dinner. Some say it is the only solution, a necessary strategy in retaliation to that cowboy-western smoke-it-out approach favoured by a previous US president.        

RIYADH: Rodolfo C. Estimo Jr. Hundreds of Filipinos leave the country annually in search of greener pastures. While many succeed, some don’t get as lucky.

NEW WORLD HOTEL, Makati City—Eighteen countries will comprise the biggest field in the history of the tournament as the PLDT HOME Fibr 2014 Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championship groupings were drawn here. Delegates from the various embassies representing the participating … Continue reading →

ANKARA - Iran and Western powers can find a political solution to the issue of ending Iran's nuclear activities, Iran's Parliament speaker Ali Larjiani said Saturday.

Michael McFaul speaks with a reporter as members of the U.S. delegation meet with the media ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, on Feb. 7, 2014, in Sochi, Russia.

Since 2008, hydraulic fracturing oil drilling technology has been tapping the rich Eagle Ford shale formation, transforming Carrizo Springs in good ways and bad. Nobody knows how long it will last. CARRIZO SPRINGS, Texas — Just a few years ago this was a sleepy town of 5,600, and people eked...

Dubai (AFP) - Protesters took to the tense streets of Bahrain on Saturday to mark the third anniversary of an Arab Spring-inspired uprising as a policeman died of wounds suffered a day earlier.

Public displays of U.S. dissatisfaction with Russia, almost five years after the Obama administration set out to "reset" ties with Russia, reflect growing U.S. dismay as Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks a more prominent international role for his nation and positions it as an alternative to the U.

South Korea imported 275,169 tons of Iranian crude last month. SEOUL: South Korea's crude imports from Iran fell 51 percent in January from a month earlier, and shipments are expected to remain at around 125,000 bpd through the first six months of the interim deal on Tehran's nuclear program.

Last week the Supreme Judiciary Council (SJC) adopted an important decision instructing courts to use IDs instead of male identifiers to identify women. Until now women’s IDs have been just a decoration piece for them.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been Bashar al-Assad's vital political ally since the start of the Syrian conflict three years ago. But as peace talks between the government and opposition falter in Geneva, is Moscow growing frustrated with the Syrian president?        

February 15, 2014: The state controlled media is breathlessly following the progress of what it describes as a “destroyer” and “helicopter carrier” traveling to the Atlantic Ocean.

Two American hikers arrested on the Iran/Iraq border may soon be released on bail for $1 million. The area is historically known for encompassing very vague, unmarked boarders.

LOS ANGELES -- The transformation started simply enough, with a molded ceramic tile of a flower framed by Celtic tracery.

Turkey's parliament passed a contested bill today tightening the government's grip on the judiciary, sparking a fist-fight that left one lawmaker with a broken nose. Fighting erupted between ruling party and opposition lawmakers as the bill – tabled as the government grapples with a major graft scandal – was debated...

Jaberansari pays meticulous attention to detail to the sound quality that seems to be a telling contrast to the occasional outbursts of the characters.

Following the results of the poll suggesting a quarter of Americans do not know the Earth circles the Sun, we look at some other examples of surprising US survey results        

By Oliver Holmes and Tom Miles GENEVA (Reuters) - International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi apologised to the Syrian people for the lack of progress at peace talks in Geneva after their second round ended on Saturday with little more than an agreement to meet again. As it became clear that the...

Turkey's parliament passed a bill Saturday tightening government control over the judiciary, with lawmakers violently scuffling over the contested reforms introduced amid a major graft scandal. Fighting erupted overnight with fists flying in the air between ruling party and opposition lawmakers as the bill was debated in a marathon 20-hour...

Iran has mounted an exhibition of various Persian arts during a cultural week in Venezuela, introducing the country’s artworks and tradition, Press TV has reported.

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon's Prime Minister Tammam Salam formed a Cabinet from a wide range of groups across the political spectrum on Saturday, over 10 months after he became premier, after bridging serious divisions between rival political groups mostly over Syria's civil war.

The US leader said both he and the Jordanian king "recognize that we can't just treat the symptoms" of the Syrian crisis.        

10:27 P.M. PST SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Since it’s a late night, and my colleagues have early mornings, we’re going to do some top lines.  This is going to be on background, attributable to a senior administration official.  We’ll take two questions, and then we’ll -- I’ll let...

People and vehicles move toward the border and customs checkpoint leading from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, to El Paso, Texas. (Newscom/Stock Connection Worldwide/Rob Crandall)

The move to boost tourist numbers means all GCC states are now covered        

Four weekly flights to Iranian capital to start on March 3; part of new strategy by struggling carrier        

Pakistan will send officials to Gulf state this month to ink LNG deal to help ease power supply crisis        

Hundreds of thousands of Iranians have gathered to mark the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution.

The sixth International Exhibition for Gold, Jewelry, Precious Stones, Clock and Watch has been held in the Iranian capital, Tehran, Press TV has reported.

Dubai (AFP) - A Bahraini policeman has died of wounds he sustained in a bomb blast during protests marking the anniversary of a 2011 Arab Spring-inspired uprising, the interior ministry said on Saturday.

Loading Photo Galleries ... President Obama greets Jordanian King Abdullah II at Sunnylands on Friday. / Richard Lui, The Desert Sun RANCHO MIRAGE — Seeking to help Jordan shoulder the costs of an influx of Syrian refugees, President Barack Obama announced new economic assistance for the country during talks with King...

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Tourists, hawkers and motorcyclists rub shoulders every morning in the congested alleyways of Hanoi's low-rise Old Quarter, which seems generations away from the office towers and electronics megastores springing up in other parts of the capital. The quarter's street grid, laid out in the 15th century,...