News Archive - 19 February 2014

>The radical Lebanese group, which claimed the attack on its Twitter account, also said it was responsible for a November 19 attack on the Iranian embassy that killed 23 people, using the same tactic of twin suicide bombs. In both cases, most of the victims were civilians.Hezbollah is a...

>* Cushing stocks fall 1.8 mln bbls -API* Brent-WTI spread narrowest since October* Coming up: EIA weekly oil inventories data at 1600 GMTBy Florence TanSINGAPORE, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Brent crude slid towards $110 a barrel on Thursday, dragged down by a survey that pointed to slower growth in...

>Negotiators from Iran and the powers - the United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia - have been meeting since Tuesday in the Austrian capital to hammer out an agenda for reaching an ambitious final settlement to the decade-old standoff over Tehran's atomic activities.Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas...

>* Distillates stocks fell by 676,000 barrels - API* U.S. crude stocks fall by nearly 500,000 barrels - API* Brent premium to U.S. crude tightest since early October* Protests in Venezuela add to supply concerns* Coming up: EIA weekly oil inventories data Thursday 11:00 a.m. ESTBy Elizabeth...

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif the country has not opted for negotiations as a result of sanctions, stressing that those who have forcefully imposed sanctions on the country have gained nothing..

>* Two sides working on nitty-gritty of nuclear talks* Powers want long-term curbs on Iran's nuclear activity* Iran wants complete removal of damaging economic sanctions* Talks in Vienna go into second day, outcome unclear* Final settlement in long nuclear standoff elusive for nowBy Fredrik Dahl and Justyna PawlakVIENNA, Feb 19...

>* Iran has traditionally had good ties with Austria* Talks over Iran's nuclear programme in ViennaBy Michael ShieldsVIENNA, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Austrian President Hans Fischer has been invited to Iran, a country keen to revive ties with the EU member that for centuries was Tehran's bridgehead to Europe.If...

>BEIRUT (Reuters) - Two suicide bombers targeted the Iranian cultural center in Beirut on Wednesday, killing four people and themselves in an attack claimed by Sunni militants who said it was a response to the intervention of Iran and Hezbollah in the Syrian war. The army said two cars packed...

>The products include vacuum pumps, valves and other industrial products that can be used for civil or military purposes, Federal Prosecutors said in a statement.The 62-year old man, arrested in the Bonn area of western Germany on Tuesday, is suspected of acquiring almost 230,000 euros worth of goods made...

>The blast occurred near Iran's cultural center in an area supportive of Shi'ite political and militant movement Hezbollah.(Reporting by Alexander Dziadosz) FILED UNDER: World Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Print Reprints...

>SYDNEY (Reuters) - An asylum seeker was killed and at least 77 injured in the second riot this week at a detention center in Papua New Guinea, Australia's immigration minister said on Tuesday. Iran's foreign ministry said the dead man was an Iranian citizen and called for an investigation into...

Fire has severely damaged the former tourist site Old Sydney Town near Gosford.

As the weather turned this week, it was impossible not to think of warmer days.

If there is any benefit to the bitterly cold and seemingly endless winter, it's that gasoline prices have remained relatively frozen. But an unwelcome spring thaw in prices has started.

A woman whose husband was killed by teenage joy riders in a hit-and-run blames herself for his death.

Vienna, Feb 20 : The three-day talks between Iran and six major world powers in Vienna are aiming to clinch a deal on a framework document which would be the basis for negotiations to end the Iranian nuclear issue.

>SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - WhatsApp grew up in Silicon Valley, but its founder's background in Eastern Europe gave it its DNA. The messaging company bought by Facebook for $19 billion in a deal announced on Wednesday has become a global force, with 450 million customers who find it an easy...

Pyongyang, February 19 (KCNA) -- The Iranian embassy here hosted a reception on Wednesday on the occasion of the birth anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il.

After weeks of disagreement between American and European leaders over how to respond to escalating violence in Ukraine, the mounting bloodshed and chaos in the streets of Kiev seems to have finally brought about a hard-won consensus.

Watch Video | Listen to the Audio RELATED LINKS Arab Awakening Tunisia, birthplace of the Arab Spring, struggles to reset its democracy Why the next wave of Arab awakening should be waged for pluralism JEFFREY BROWN: We thought we’d turn again to three people who’ve watched events with us since...

JAPAN - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has decided to attend the Nuclear Security Summit, which will be held in The Hague in March, government sources said Wednesday. The summit scheduled for March 24-25 will also be attended by US President Barack Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President...

The first cabinet decision made under Iran's new president, Hassan Rouhani, wasn't about how to resolve his country's nuclear dispute with world powers. It was about how to keep the nation's largest lake from disappearing.

North Korea has achieved an unenviable feat – it has surpassed Iran as the most disliked nation for Americans. Only 11% of Americans had a favourable opinion of North Korea, the first time since 2004 that the communist nation has been alone at rock bottom, an annual Gallup poll released...

Charities link British funding for UN anti-heroin initiatives with executions for drug-smuggling in the country The UK's decision to send millions of pounds in aid to Vietnam has been called into question after the country confirmed that it is to execute 30 heroin smugglers. Since Vietnam said in January that...

>INTERNATIONAL/REGIONAL* GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks slip, dollar firms as Fed minutes back taper* U.S. crude hits 4-month high as cold fuels diesel demanD* MIDEAST STOCKS-Egypt rises on housing programme, ignores militants* MIDEAST WEEKAHEAD-Secretive companies puzzle investors as Gulf bourses grow* Gold inches up, but firm dollar drags* Libyans vote for constitution...

BEIRUT - A double suicide car bombing targeted an Iranian cultural centre in Beirut Wednesday, killing at least four people in the latest attack linked to the conflict in neighbouring Syria. The attack was quickly claimed by the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, a jihadist group inspired by Al-Qaeda which previously claimed...

U.S. crude traded near a four-month high at above $103 a barrel on Thursday.

WASHINGTON - North Korea has achieved an unenviable feat -- it has surpassed Iran as the most disliked nation for Americans.

FLORIANOPOLIS (Brazil): National team coaches are keeping a close eye on Brazil’s World Cup preparations but say the problems endured by the host country are not causing a lot of concern.

Excerpts from recent editorials in newspapers around the world:Feb. 19The Australian on grim reality of North Korea:Former High Court judge Michael Kirby's account of the "unspeakable atrocities" being committed in the North...

Florianopolis (Brazil) (AFP) - Spain coach Vicente del Bosque believes Brazil could crack under the pressure as this year's World Cup hosts bid to exorcise the ghosts of their 1950 nightmare.

Congratulations are in order for the Norfolk-based crew of aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman.        

Skiers from small nations revel in warm reception and the opportunity to bring attention to winter sports and their...

BEIRUT — A new, lesbian-themed music video by expatriate Iranian pop star Googoosh has sparked sharp debate among Iranians and controversy on social media forums in the Islamic Republic.

THOSE who grew up in the 1980s would recall Paul Verhoeven’s sci-fi action thriller RoboCop. Released in 1987, the film starring Peter Weller as the titular character went on to become a cult classic over time. Now, 27 years later, we are presented with its reboot, courtesy of Brazilian director...

By Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., Ph.D.

“A Mercedes-Benz was passing and the driver let us take his tow cable,” he said on the eve of this month’s official anniversary of the 1979 uprising that swept aside Mohammed Reza Pahlavi and later led to clerical rule.

Lawmakers from the House Health and Human Services Committee heard lengthy testimony from opposing sides Wednesday about fluoride and its effect on water in Kansas.

Two suicide bombers blew up their cars near an Iranian cultural centre in Beirut on Wednesday, killing at least four people and wounding scores, including children in an orphanage, in the latest attack targeting Shiite areas in Lebanon.

Given constrained supply and rising demand, the near-term outlook remains positive.

The price of oil rose above US$103 a barrel Wednesday, driven by severe winter weather in the U.S. and supply concerns. Benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude for March delivery rose 88 cents to US$103.31 a barrel ion the New York Mercantile Exchange after surging $2.13 on Tuesday.

GENEVA (19 February 2014) – The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, on Wednesday called on all parties in Ukraine to exercise maximum restraint after 22 people were killed during violent clashes in Kiev between riot police and protesters ...

Today, United Against Nuclear Iran called on Greek businessman Victor Restis, Enterprises Shipping and Trading S.A. , and EST President George Sarris to explain the presence of their vessel, the Elbe Max, at an Iranian port on the same day they attempted to silence UANI with a lawsuit in...

The frightened children filed through the debris, some of their faces still painted with cat whiskers and clown noses, their games of tug of war and football disrupted by twin savage blasts mere meters away from their orphanage.

Four asylum seekers challenging deportation to Italy in line with EU rules have been backed by the UK Supreme Court.

BRIDGEPORT --The crate was filled with boxes -- some containing technical manuals, specification sheets and test results on jet engines. The boxes were all destined for Iran, according to federal agents.

Austria's president has been invited to Iran, his office said Wednesday, in what would be the first visit by a Western head of state since President Hassan Rouhani's election. "Yes it is correct that the president (Heinz Fischer) has been invited to Iran," spokeswoman Astrid Salmhofer told AFP. The 2013...

As a member of the Utah Economic Council, I had the chance to sit on a panel at the annual Utah Economic Review in late January. Generally speaking, the tone at the event was optimistic.

What happens when Assad can no longer afford to import the fuel he needs to keep his army moving?

As President Obama tries diplomacy on Syria and Iran, an urgent question is whether Official Washington’s hardliners will tolerate the kinds of concessions that will be necessary. For instance, a deal on Iran’s nuclear program will have to be balanced, says Trita Parsi.

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today: 1. UKRAINE PRESIDENT BLAMES OPPOSITION LEADERS FOR ERUPTION OF VIOLENCE Yanukovych says he ha...

ABU DHABI [MENL] -- Iran has again been linked to a Shi'ite insurgency plot in Bahrain. Copyrights 2008, Middle East Newsline. All rights reserved.

Here's our daily quick round-up of the marriage equality and LGBT rights stories that don't warrant a full posting on the blog, or that we just didn't have time to add. We're able to get more news and analysis to you this way every day - enjoy!

DUBAI: Iranian power plants have burned a record 157 million barrels of oil-based fuels over the last 11 months, up 25 percent year on year, energy ministry website, Shana, reported on Wednesday.

TEHRAN, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Iran is flexible on its nuclear issue but hasn't been rewarded with a sense of optimism about the way forward, an Iranian commander said Wednesday.

BEIRUT -- Twin suicide car bombs ripped through a residential district of the Lebanese capital Wednesday in the latest deadly attack believed tied to the war raging in neighboring Syria, according to official and witness accounts.

» The group "The Iran Project" says that if there are any new sanctions dialogue could fail, the international community would be divided and the conservatives would claim another victory in Tehran. The U.S. wants to keep open the possibility of a military attack along with Israel.

Islamabad, Feb 19 : Pakistan has said it will soon launch a comprehensive plan to register around 1.5 million illegal Afghan refugees living in various parts of the country, Pajhwok Afghan News reported Wednesday.

LAS VEGAS -- Someone claiming to be the hackers who knocked Las Vegas Sands Corp. off the Internet for nearly a week has posted an 11-minute video purporting to show stolen internal company information and taunting the international casino operator.

VIENNA (AP) Even as Iran negotiates on a nuclear pact in exchange for an end to sanctions, the country's top leader is taking precautionary steps in case the talks fail.As the nuclear talks entered a second day Wednesday, Ayatollah...

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's top leader ordered the government Wednesday to create an "economy of resistance" to counter sanctions imposed over Tehran's nuclear program.        

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>* Russia, Iraq oil sales rise more than projected China import growth* Producers in Latin America, Africa offering discounts to Asian buyers* Latin America, Africa volumes to China dropping this yearBy Jacob Gronholt-PedersenSINGAPORE, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Russia and Iraq are boosting crude shipments to a Chinese market where oil...