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Multi-million dollar cigarette smuggling ring with terror links busted

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:38:55 -0400

NEW YORK - Authorities in New York are claiming to have busted a multi-million cigarette smuggling ring and arrested at least 16 Palestinian immigrants having alleged links with known terror organisations. Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and NYPD Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly Thursday said that the 16 members of the criminal ring in New York City, Albany County and Schenectady County ...

Bomb blasts in Iraq kill scores of people

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:20:50 -0400

BAGHDAD - Scores of people were killed in Iraq Friday, in a day marked by several bombings including two outside a Sunni Muslim mosque in the Iraqi city of Baquba after Friday prayers, killing at least 43 worshipers in one of the deadliest attacks in a month-long surge in sectarian violence. One bomb exploded as worshippers were departing the Saria mosque in the city of Baquba while a second ...

Russian cruise missiles sent to Syria

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:39:06 -0400

WASHINGTON - Russia has sent advanced anti-ship cruise missiles to Syria in a move that underscores its support to the beleaguered regime of President Bashar Al Assad in the war-torn Arab nation, officials citing credible intelligence reports said here. The New York Times reported Friday that the new missiles sent to Syria have an advanced radar system that makes them "more effective". ...

15 killed 57 wounded in bombings in Baghdad

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:20:03 -0400

Beijing, May 18 (Xinhua-ANI): At least 15 people were killed and 57 others wounded in three roadside bomb attacks on Friday in Iraq 's capital city of Baghdad, a police source said. A roadside bomb exploded in the Amiriya district in western Baghdad, killing 12 people and wounding 32 others, the police source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. Another roadside bomb in the Doraa district in ...

Syria conference should be held as soon as possible Ban says during visit to Russia

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:17:12 -0400

17 May 2013 150 Stressing that a political solution is the only way to end the Syria crisis, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today that an international conference proposed by Russia and the United States should be held as soon as possible so as not to lose momentum. "It is my sincere hope that we can convene an international conference on Syria as soon as possible to help parties come to ...

73 killed 148 injured in Iraq attacks

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:40:01 -0400

A wave of bombing attacks struck war-torn Iraq Friday, leaving as many as 73 people dead and 148 injured, police and officials said. At least 41 people were killed and 56 injured in two blasts, which hit almost simultaneously in Baquba, capital city of Diyala province, after the Friday prayer, reported Xinhua citing the city's mayor Abdullah Hayali. The two roadside bombs exploded near the ...

US Russian Missile Shipments to Syria Very Unfortunate

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:15:01 -0400

The top U.S. military officer says Russian missile shipments to Syria are "ill-timed" and "very unfortunate." The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, said Friday the missiles will embolden President Bashar al-Assad and prolong the suffering in Syria. He said Mr. Assad could think the missiles somehow will make him safer and more prone to a miscalculation. The ...

Iran council cleric says woman on ballot not approved by law

Fri, 17 May 2013 06:20:04 -0400

Iran's constitutional body, the Guardian Council, has ruled out women's participation in presidential elections as candidates. The final list of candidates will be announced on Tuesday, with only few names expected on the ballot, the BBC News reports. A clerical member of the Guardian Council Mohammad Yazdi has said that the constitution rules out any participation of women in elections, adding ...

Lebanon arrests a network smuggling Syrian antiquities

Sat, 18 May 2013 02:25:50 -0400

Lebanese General Security arrested several people and recovered Byzantine and Roman-era artifacts stolen from churches and cemeteries in Syria and smuggled into Lebanon, LBCI reported on Saturday. Sources told LBCI ...

Report Israel prefers Assad survive Syria conflict

Sat, 18 May 2013 02:17:01 -0400

Israeli intelligence officer tells 'Times of London' that Israel prefers a "devil it knows than demons it can only imagine"; another source said Assad's staying power had been ...

Muslims but not brothers Chilly relations between Cairo and Riyadh

Sat, 18 May 2013 02:09:46 -0400

Morsi's looks won't be enough to win Saudi Arabia over. Although the new Egyptian regime immediately displayed its willingness to continue the alliance forged between Cairo and Riyadh in the Mubarak era, Saudi leaders, despite the economic aid offered and the diplomatic formulas used, remain at least cautious ...

US Criticizes Russian Missiles Sale to Syria

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:20:39 -0400

The remarks by General Martin Dempsey were the first U.S. confirmation that Russia made the sale of so-called ship-killer cruise missiles to Syria. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Friday the missiles will embolden President Bashar al-Assad and prolong the suffering in Syria. The New York Times says the Russian anti-ship cruise missiles are more advanced than previous ...

Dad deploys to Middle East days before twin sons graduate

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:59:06 -0400

BOSSIER CITY, LA (KSLA) - Bossier High School seniors Dustin and Josh Todd's father was suddenly deployed just days ago to the Middle East with the 8th Air Force. He will miss his sons' graduation ceremony in person, but thanks to small group, he won't miss the ceremony at all. Bossier high school's principal has made special arrangements for the family, making sure each ...

Research and Markets Mobile Internet Survey in the Middle East and Africa 2013 Mobile Device and SIM Purchase and ...

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:59:00 -0400

"Mobile Internet Survey in the Middle East and Africa 2013: Mobile Device and SIM Purchase and Usage" report to their offering. One should not assume that because people in MEA are new to the mobile Internet, they are any less demanding than users elsewhere in terms of quality. Analysys Mason's survey of mobile Internet users in 2012-2013 in the Middle East and ...

Doctor We Truly Are Failing The Syrian People

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:08:39 -0400

Copyright © 2013 NPR. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required. MELISSA BLOCK, HOST: Now to the medical crisis in Syria. Stephen Cornish of Doctors Without Borders Canada recently returned from Syria, and he says he cannot overstate the scale and severity of a humanitarian emergency he witnessed there. Stephen Cornish joins us now. ...

Russia defiant over reports it is supplying ship-killing missiles to Assad

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:05:18 -0400

New York Times ' cited US officials saying Russia was delivering anti-ship cruise missiles upgraded with advanced radar systems to the Syrian government, which is engaged in a bloody civil war with Western-backed rebel groups.Military experts told the paper the enhanced missiles would be a "formidable weapon" if Mr Assad's forces wanted to hinder any future international ...

Syria is now staring into the abyss of unrestrained sectarian slaughter

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:05:18 -0400

Damascus is now at the gates of one of the holiest sites for Shia Islam, the resting place of the grand-daughter of the prophet Mohammed.In the abandoned apartment blocks, some less than 100 yards away, fighters from ...

Caught on video – how rebels executed 11 men

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:05:17 -0400

Three rebels, two of them carrying Jabhat al-Nussra flags, are shown standing behind a row of prisoners prior to executing them.A man whose face was covered in a black balaclava then shot each man in the back of the head as they kneeled on the ground.The brutal killings are believed to have taken place in the eastern province ...

Oman desalination project approaches completion

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:02:08 -0400

reports that the Barka reverse osmosis desalination project, being developed by ACWA Power Barka, will make new capacity available to the Omani network by October of this year. The new plant is an expansion of the adjoining Barka I power and desalination project and will add 45,000 m³ per day of water capacity to the facility, taking Barka I’s total potable water output to 136,200 ...

Kerry Urges Russia to Toughen Stance on Syria

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:01:01 -0400

Secretary of State John Kerry met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow Tuesday to convince the president he needs to take a tougher stance against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Putin is Assad's most powerful ally. "The United States believes that we share some very significant common interests with respect to Syria -- stability in the region, not having extremists ...

Russian missiles to Syria upsets US

Fri, 17 May 2013 23:48:39 -0400

RUSSIA'S shipment of anti-ship missiles to Syria will "embolden" the regime and fuel the country's civil war, the US military's top officer ...

Qatar Airways sued after passenger struck by wayward drinks cart

Fri, 17 May 2013 23:45:41 -0400

A wayward drinks cart could cost Qatar Airways a steep damages bill with a passenger alleging serious physical and psychological trauma after being struck by a trolley nearly two years ago. It's the latest in a string of legal actions to be launched against international air carriers in the last year alleging injury and mistreatment of customers by ground staff and air crew. John ...

Soccer emerges as focal point of dissent in Saudi Arabia

Fri, 17 May 2013 23:38:15 -0400

Soccer, alongside minority Shiite Muslims and relatives of imprisoned government critics, is emerging as a focal point of dissent in Saudi Arabia, an oil-rich kingdom that despite banning demonstrations by law is struggling to fend off the waves of change sweeping the Middle East and North ...

UN chief regrets experts inability to visit Syria

Fri, 17 May 2013 23:01:59 -0400

Moscow, May 18 : UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed regret over the inability of experts, investigating the possible use of chemical weapons in Syria, to visit the ...

Kerry to visit Middle East Africa in late May

Fri, 17 May 2013 22:57:51 -0400

US Secretary of State John Kerry is scheduled to visit the Middle East and Africa later this month, the State Department announced on Friday.On May 21, Kerry will visit Muscat, the capital of Oman, and meet with senior Omani officials on a range of bilateral and regional issues, the department said in a statement.On May 22, the top US diplomat will visit Amman, the capital of Jordan, to meet with ...

IAEA chief says Iran refuses to cooperate

Fri, 17 May 2013 22:54:33 -0400

Iran has refused to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over its controversial nuclear program, Yukiya Amano, director-general of the UN nuclear watchdog, said here on ...

Iran president escapes attack

Fri, 17 May 2013 22:50:35 -0400

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad escaped an assassination attempt on Wednesday when a blast hit one of the vehicles of his cavalcade, a media report said. Iran's Press TV, however, denied the report. Al Arabiya TV reported the blast took place in the western city of Hamadan as the president was about to address a crowd. The attacker was arrested on the spot. The bomb hit a car carrying ...

Al-Zaatari in Jordan Soon to Become World’s Largest Refugee Camp

Fri, 17 May 2013 22:38:21 -0400

Al-Zaatari, Jordan, the second largest refugee camp in the world, is set to become the largest by the end of this year. The camp, already home to 500,000 refugees, receives between 2,000 – 4,000 refugees on days when the violence in Syria is especially dire, and will soon overtake the Dabaab camp near the Somali-Kenyan border as the highest-populated refugee camp in the world. According to ...

Nuclear Iran Unlikely to Tilt Regional Power Balance – Report

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:50:50 -0400

- A nuclear-armed Iran would not pose a fundamental threat to the United States and its regional allies like Israel and the Gulf Arab monarchies, according ...

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad Talks to State 194 Director Dan Setton

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:50:13 -0400

May 5th Interview, Posted on TakePart TV http://youtu.be/f8_TkG04bHU is One of Few Fayyad Has Given since Resigning from Office LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- On May 5th, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad sat down for a short interview with Dan Setton, director of Participant Media's documentary State 194, which opens in theaters today in New York and Los Angeles. Their conversation, ...

France opposes Syria conference if Iran attends

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:46:21 -0400

Iran is invited, clouding the prospect for a U.S.-Russian initiative to end the 2-year-old war. No date has yet been agreed for the international meeting, which appears to face growing obstacles, including the announcement by a top U.S. military officer Friday that a Russian shipment of advanced missiles to Syria could embolden Assad. Western leaders have been cautious about the prospects of ...

Iran presidential nominees seeking U.S. ties risk ban

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:46:20 -0400

Ahmad Jannati announced that some nominees may hope that international sanctions over Tehran’s disputed nuclear program will end if the country restores relations with the United States. "Some hopefuls say, ‘I will hold talks with the U.S. and solve the issue of sanctions," Jannati told worshipers in remarks carried by state TV and other Iranian media. "Indeed, we ...

Syrias Nusra Front eclipsed by Iraqs Al-Qaeda

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:46:19 -0400

Fighters from Islamist Syrian rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra take their positions on the front line during a clash with Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar al Assad in Aleppo in this December 24, 2012 file photo. The most feared and effective rebel group battling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the Islamist Nusra Front, is being eclipsed by a yet more radical jihadi force. Al Qaeda's ...

Egyptians rally in Cairo protesting against Morsi

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:45:07 -0400

Hundreds of protesters flocked Friday to central Tahrir Square in Egyptian capital of Cairo to join demonstrations condemning the rule of President Mohamed Morsi and ruling Muslim Brotherhood ...

Ex-Iran President Seeks Comeback Against Odds

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:33:19 -0400

Now, from the fringes of Iran's closed circle of power, Mr. Rafsanjani, 79, is attempting a comeback, entering his name last Saturday for the June 14 presidential elections. Though once widely reviled, his reputation as an economic pragmatist and modernizer -- by Iranian standards, anyway -- seems to be hitting a responsive chord with the ...

Rights Group Says It Finds Proof of Torture in Syria

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:33:17 -0400

CAIRO -- An international human rights group said Friday that visits to two Syrian security centers recently captured by rebel fighters contained proof of widespread, arbitrary detentions and torture by the government of President Bashar ...

One dead dozens wounded in sectarian clashes in Egypt

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:30:30 -0400

ALEXANDRIA (Reuters) - One person died and dozens were wounded during clashes between Muslims and Christians late Friday night outside a Coptic church in Egypt's second city, state newspaper al-Ahram reported, in the latest violent sectarian row in the Muslim-majority ...

Russias missiles will embolden Syria US

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:48:48 -0400

Russia's shipment of anti-ship missiles to Syria will 'embolden' the Syrian government and fuel the country's civil war, the US military's top officer ...

Iraq bomb blasts kill dozens

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:48:46 -0400

Bombs targeting Sunnis, including two near a mosque and one at a funeral procession, killed 67 people in Iraq on Friday, officials said, after dozens died in two days of attacks on Shiites. The violence raises the spectre of tit-for-tat killings common during the height of sectarian bloodletting in Iraq that killed tens of thousands of people, and comes at a time of simmering tension between the ...

Qatar Holding to acquire stake in Milans Porta Nuova

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:45:12 -0400

(MENAFN) Qatar Holding LLC announced that it will acquire a stake of 40 percent in Milan's Porta Nuova, reported The Peninsula.The announcement confirms reports last month that Qatar was in negotiations to acquire some or all of Milan's newly established Porta Nuova business district.The company will subscribe to newly issued shares, while the remaining 60 percent will continue to be ...

In Syria thousands disappear

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:22:01 -0400

Free Syrian Army members have a meal together in one of the streets of Deir el-Zor May 16, 2013. Picture taken May 16, 2013. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi (SYRIA - Tags: CONFLICT SOCIETY TPX IMAGES OF THE ...

World Briefing | Middle East Angry Egyptian Police Close Gaza Crossing

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:48:11 -0400

Egyptian police officers blocked the Rafah crossing into the Gaza Strip on Friday to protest the kidnapping of seven of their colleagues by Islamist gunmen, witnesses said. Officers strung barbed wire across the border post and chained up the gates, leaving hundreds of Palestinians stranded on both sides of the fence, residents said. Gunmen abducted the seven security officers ...

Video Kidnapping prompts Egypt-Gaza border closure

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:41:05 -0400

Egyptian police close Rafah border crossing to protest against government's inaction over the kidnapping of security forces in Sinai. Lindsey Parietti ...

Video UN chief urges Syria peace talks

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:41:01 -0400

In a meeting with Russia's foreign minister, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged countries to continue to search for a solution to Syria's intractable conflict. Tom Dinham ...

Iraq explosions kill dozens on deadliest day in months

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:31:20 -0400

Violence continued to tear through Iraq on Friday, with twin explosions outside a mosque the low point on a day when 76 died across the country. In Baquba northeast of the capital Baghdad, a first explosion near a Sunni Muslim mosque drew crowds before a second blast detonated and killed those rushing to help. Local officials ...

More than 50 killed in Iraq bomb attacks

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:26:10 -0400

Iraq A series of bombings in Iraq has killed at least 50 people and injured dozens more, amid growing sectarian violence.More than 40 people were killed by two bombs outside a Sunni mosque at Baqouba, about 40 kilometres north of Baghdad.One bomb exploded as worshippers were leaving Saria mosque and a second detonated after people gathered at the scene of the first blast."Authorities ...

Police clash with youth in Cairo after anti-Mursi protest

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:17:43 -0400

1 of 2. Protesters chant anti-Mursi and anti-Muslim Brotherhood slogans near graffiti during a demonstration in a street leading to Tahrir square, in Cairo May 17, ...

Christian Missionary Partner Survival in Syria Is Evidence That Prayer Fasting Works

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:13:01 -0400

E3 Partners Ministry Vice President and Middle East expert Tom Doyle revealed on Friday that a partner who had been missing in Syria for eight weeks is alive and well, which is proof that God is moved when His followers pray and ...

U.N. Security Council mulls Syria cross-border aid push

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:12:18 -0400

U.N. Security Council is considering a plea from senior U.N. aid officials to demand aid access in war-torn Syria, a move that could lead to a showdown ...

New Russian Missile Sales to Syria Makes Assad Prone to Miscalculation

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:32:44 -0400

Russian sailors are seen aboard the Admiral Panteleyev Russian war ship moored at the Cypriot port of Limassol on May 17, 2013. The U.S. hopes Russia will draw down its historic support for the Assad ...

Dempsey slams Russia for giving Syria anti-ship missiles says they’ll ‘prolong the suffering’

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:30:31 -0400

The Obama administration is criticizing Russia's decision to provide Syria with anti-ship missiles, which it says will only worsen the civil war.Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says the missiles will embolden Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime and "prolong the ...

U.S. CentCom chief renews commitment to Lebanon

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:20:11 -0400

Lloyd J. Austin III emphasized strong and sustained military cooperation between the U.S. and Lebanon, during a recent visit. Austin met with ...

Egypt Damac settle disputes

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:17:20 -0400

Egypt has said it had settled disputes with the Dubai-based developer Damac involving projects dating back to the Mubarak era, an agreement the government hopes will reassure prospective investors, Reuters has reported. The settlement, which covered two disputes involving housing projects near Cairo and the third involving a piece of land on the Red Sea, means that Damac would withdraw a suit ...

Financial Times Hacked By Syria Group

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:16:49 -0400

The website and Twitter account of the Financial Times have been hacked, apparently by activists who support the Syrian government. The Syrian Electronic Army claimed responsibility for the attack, in which the hackers published messages in support of President Bashar al Assad and posted a link to a YouTube video. "Syrian Electronic Army Was Here," the group boasted on one of the ...

Burglar Steals Purple Heart From Father Of Soldier Killed In Iraq

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:16:45 -0400

NEW BEDFORD (CBS) – The father of a young marine killed in Iraq says he’s heartbroken after someone stole a purple heart medal and special coin from his home. ';I just can’t understand why they would steal them,'; said Joseph Ford. The government gave Ford the medal seven years ago, after notifying him that his son, 19-year-old Michael Ford had been killed as he ...

Syria govt supporters hack Financial Times

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:16:01 -0400

Bashar al-Assad , was behind the incident which followed a phishing attack on the company's email accounts, FT reported on its website. The attack is the latest in which hackers commandeered the Twitter account of a prominent news organization to push their agenda. Twitter's 200 million users worldwide send out more than 400 million tweets a day, making it a potent distributor of news. ...

Port of Houston signs Puerto Rico Middle East service agreements

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:08:04 -0400

The Port of Houston has signed new shipping agreements with companies traveling to the Middle East and Puerto Rico. The Port of Houston Authority said Friday that it has signed two agreements that will add new service to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and locations throughout the Middle East. In one agreement, National Shipping of America, a San Francisco-based shipping company, added a new 14-day ...

Egyptian security forces clash with protesters in central Cairo

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:03:34 -0400

Egyptian protesters shout anti-President Mohammed Morsi slogans during a protest in Tahrir Square, in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, May 17, 2013. Hundreds of protesters gathered to demand early presidential elections and the removal of the Muslim Brotherhood's regime. (AP Photo/Hassan ...

Russian missiles to Syria could embolden Assad U.S. general warns

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:03:34 -0400

Vladimir Putin 's press secretary, reiterated Russia's long-held position that it will remain "true to its contractual obligations under previously signed contracts." One U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Yakhont missiles were delivered recently, although the precise timing was unclear. They fly at just over 2.5 times the speed of sound, have a range ...

Watch ABC Digital Report Obama Turkish PM Discuss Support in Syria

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:00:38 -0400

It's a special report from ABC news. And -- when I'm -- -- learning your opinion look at a live shot of Washington DC the Rose Garden at the White House there. The president is -- speaking with ...

40 killed scores injured in Baquba Iraq mosque explosion

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:56:03 -0400

At least 40 people were killed and 56 were injured Friday in a bomb attack during a funeral at the Sariya Mosque in Baquba, Iraq, authorities said. Citing a source it didn't name, IraqiNews.com reported security forces blocked roads leading to the mosque in central Diyala province "to transport the dead bodies" and to take the injured to hospitals for treatment. The source said ...

Divided Europe veers between urgent growth and bleak austerity

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:56:03 -0400

Angela Merkel 's pro-austerity policies soon after becoming president in May last year, blamed the tough cutbacks regime imposed on troubled economies for much of Europe's economic problems. "What is hitting Europe is a recession ... provoked by the austerity policy," Hollande said at a Paris news conference. The president was especially keen to pin the blame on European ...

Yemen wants its detainees out of Guantanamo

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:56:02 -0400

Obama administration to repatriate its nationals from the Guantanamo detention camp, officials say. More than half of the 166 detainees are Yemeni, the Los Angeles Times reports. They include 88 Yemeni nationals and a few Saudi nationals whose families came from Yemen. Four years ago, a government task force found 86 prisoners it recommended for release from Guantanamo, 59 of them from Yemen. ...

Aljazeera insensitive to grant sainthood to Christians who refused to convert to Islam

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:50:01 -0400

Al Jazeera's Claudio Lavanga said that the decision to canonise the martyrs was not Pope Francis' idea but his predecessor Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI. He added that, "Given the sensitivity of the issue, was this a parting gift by benedict XVI, or an unwelcome heritance" remains to be seen. Francis canonises first saints of his papacy Sainthood bestowed on first Colombian, ...

Russia Sends More Advanced Missiles to Aid Assad in Syria

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:32:02 -0400

WASHINGTON ...

U.N. Tries To Get Syria Peace Talks Back On Track

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:17:13 -0400

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, saying it is important not to "lose momentum" in the effort to convene a peace conference on Syria. Ban was only the latest in a string of foreign dignitaries who have come to Russia, seeking Putin's blessing for such a conference, expected to be held in early June. There's a lot at stake. ...

Kuwait bars expats from morning treatment at hospitals

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:16:03 -0400

(MENAFN - AFP) Kuwait is to bar foreigners from attending public hospitals in the mornings, local media reported on Thursday, in a decision activists labelled "racist".The decision comes after complaints in parliament of Kuwaiti patients having to wait for treatment at public health facilities because of the large number of expatriates.Health Minister Mohammad al-Haifi, who is also a ...

Hundreds march in Cairo for Mursi ouster

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:10:54 -0400

Egyptian protesters shout anti-Mursi slogans in Tahrir Square, among hundreds who gathered to demand early presidential elections and the removal of the ...

Political change on Algeria horizon as old guard succumbs to old age

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:10:53 -0400

North Africa and the Sahel and is an important bulwark against terrorist groups linked to Al-Qaeda. Any further instability in North Africa, where Tunisia, Libya and Egypt are already struggling, could embolden the armed militants. So far Algeria has been buoyed by high oil prices and, with almost $200 billion in foreign reserves, it has spent lavishly to try to buy off the discontent. But ...

Russian Missiles in Syria will Prolong Suffering Dempsey Says

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:10:50 -0400

By Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, May 17, 2013 Russia's planned delivery of advanced anti-ship missiles and the S-300 air defense system to Syria "is at the very least an unfortunate decision that will embolden the regime and prolong the suffering," said Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey during a Pentagon news conference today. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs ...

Bahrain Takes Part in Donors’ Conference on Mali

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:09:06 -0400

Luxemburg, May 17. (BNA) -- The Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the international donor conference to aid development in Mali held recently in Belgium, Brussels. Bahraini Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium and the European Union Ahmed Mohammed Al Dossary led the Kingdom's delegation to the conference. The conference, which followed another similar meeting held in Addis Ababa, ...

Photos show Iraq president for first time since suffering stroke

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:06:21 -0400

ARBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - The first photographs of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani since he suffered a stroke last year were released on Friday, in an apparent attempt to dampen speculation about the Kurdish statesman's health. The undated pictures showed Talabani, who turns 80 this year, seated outdoors at a table with people dressed in white medics' coats. They gave no obvious clues to ...

Report Russia raises stakes in Syria

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:04:18 -0400

The New York Times reports that Russia has sent advanced cruise missiles to Syria, illustrating the depth of its support for Bashar al-Assad's regime. Time Magazine's Michael Crowley ...

Russia plays down significance of Syria arms sales

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:52:56 -0400

Russia is reported to have sent advanced anti-ship missiles to Syria, despite pleas from Washington and elsewhere to stop supplying President al-Assad’s forces. Officials in the US are quoted as saying the latest Yakhont surface-to-air missiles were delivered recently. Some observers think one reason Russia might supply advanced Russian weaponry would be to counter any Western ...

Irans Saeed Jalili warns West over Syria

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:52:55 -0400

With international pressure increasing on efforts to end the two-year-long conflict, Iran – which maintains strong connections with President Bashar-al Assad’s regime – has come out strongly, warning the West against arming the rebels. The Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Saeed Jalili reiterated his government’s standpoint to euronews: ...

Jordan Finally Front Center In ‘Fruitvale’

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:48:10 -0400

CANNES, FRANCE (CBS SF/AP) – Before ';Fruitvale Station,'; Michael B. Jordan was glimpsed sporadically in supporting roles on TV shows like ';The Wire'; and ';Friday Night Lights,'; and in films like ';Chronicle'; and ';Red ...

Dozens killed in blasts targeting Iraqi Sunnis

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:12:23 -0400

More than 60 people have been killed and dozens hurt in several bomb attacks apparently targeting Sunnis in Iraq. In the first attack, in Baquba, about 50 km (30 miles) north of Baghdad, at least 41 people were killed when two bombs detonated outside a Sunni ...

Dozens Killed in Bombings Outside Baghdad

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:12:21 -0400

Dozens of people have been killed in twin bombings targeting Sunni worshippers in Iraq -- bringing the death toll from several days of violence to nearly 100 and increasing fears of renewed sectarian ...

Khamenei pressed Hizbullah in emergency meeting to do ‘whatever it takes’ in Syria

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:12:06 -0400

Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI -- Iran has pressed its main proxy for full combat troop deployment in Syria, a newspaper said. Kuwait’s Al Rai Al Aam reported that Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei convened an urgent meeting with Hizbullah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah in ...

New gas reserves found off coast of Israel

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:12:05 -0400

Israel’s Delek Group said it found significant quantities of gas at the offshore Karish-1 well, located 75 kilometers northwest of Haifa. Delek, which holds a 53 percent interest, said tests conducted at Karish, located in the Alon C basin, would be released by mid-July 2013. ';This is proof of the power of the Israeli gas industry and of the great gas potential that exists off the ...

Video Human Rights Watch says theyve found torture devices documents in Syria

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:10:00 -0400

Interrogation rooms with wooden boards used to immobilize detainees, are among the evidence of torture Human Rights Watch says it has uncovered in ...

Several Thousand Rally in Egypt

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:06:30 -0400

Cairo, 17 May (Prensa Latina) Thousands of protesters converged on Cairo''s Tahrir Square on Friday to join a planned rally in solidarity with the recently-launched "Rebel" campaign, which aims at "withdrawing confidence" from Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and bringing about early presidential elections. Hundreds of marchers coming from Sayyeda Zeinab Mosque and ...

Bombs strike Sunni areas in Iraq killing at least 76 people

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:05:26 -0400

BAGHDAD - Bombs struck Sunni areas in Baghdad and surrounding areas Friday, killing at least 76 people in the deadliest day in Iraq in more than eight months, officials said, as a spike in violence has raised fears the country could be on the path to a new round of sectarian bloodshed.The attacks in Baghdad and surrounding areas pushed the three-day Iraqi death toll to 130, including Shiites at ...

Erdogan Palestinian unity is imperative for peace process

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:02:26 -0400

A reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas is imperative to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday, AFP reported."The process of unity between Fatah and Hamas, this has to be achieved. If this reconciliation is not achieved, then I don't believe that a solution or result will come out of the Israeli-Palestinian discussions," ...

At least 43 dead in Iraqi bomb blasts

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:01:26 -0400

17 May 2013 Two bombs exploded outside a Sunni Muslim mosque in the Iraqi city of Baquba as worshippers left Friday prayers, killing at least 43 people in one of the deadliest attacks in a month-long surge in sectarian ...

UK PM Offers Assistance in Organizing Syria Conference

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:51:56 -0400

LONDON, May 17 (RIA Novosti) - In a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, UK Prime Minister David Cameron pledged assistance in organizing an international conference to promote a political solution to the ongoing civil war in Syria. Russian Foreign ...

Film Review State 194

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:48:47 -0400

click here . Clear-headed and utterly reasonable and engrossing doc suggesting why Israel and the Palestinians cannot finally consummate the long-talked-about, generally accepted two-state solution to Middle East antagonism. State 194 delivers hope, frustration and more evidence that politics should not be left just to politicians. So many documentaries and fiction narratives have ...

Decisive action needed in Syria Turkey

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:47:54 -0400

WASHINGTON - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday it would be up to the U.N. Security Council to decide whether to establish a no-fly zone inside Syria and said he backed the involvement of Russia and China in planned peace ...

Syria Enforced Disappearances Government Holding Thousands In Secret Say Rights Groups

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:42:54 -0400

BEIRUT -- About 30 security agents showed up just after midnight, breaking down the door to an apartment in the town of Daraya near the Syrian capital of Damascus. They grabbed a 24-year-old university student and drove off. That was a year ago. The young man, who had been providing aid to Syrians displaced by the country's civil war, was never heard from again. His family was told by ...

Video Signs of accommodation for Assad in Syria

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:40:04 -0400

Flash Points: As the civil war in Syria rages on, CBS National Security correspondent Bob Orr and senior national security analyst Juan Zarate explore the options confronting U.S. policymakers, and the possibility that a solution may lie in a "political transition" rather than an armed unseating of Syrian President Bashar Assad's ...

Ultra-Orthodox in Israel protest military draft 8 arrested

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:33:05 -0400

Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem protested a proposal to remove their exemptions and draft them for the first time into military service. The protesters, estimated by various news sources as 15,000 to 30,000, gathered Thursday evening at a military recruiting office in an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Jerusalem. The demonstration included stones thrown at police and garbage cans ...

UNHCR 1.5 million Syrian refugees now registered

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:33:04 -0400

At least 1.5 million Syrian refugees have now fled the civil war, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said Friday. Dan McNorton, a spokesman for the agency, said the real number is probably considerably higher. He said many Syrian refugees are wary of registering with UNHCR. The number is also expected to grow. So far this year, UNHCR has been registering about 250,000 refugees a ...

Gaza business smuggles in KFC from Egypt

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:32:59 -0400

Gaza across the Egyptian border. Mohammed al-Madani, financial manager of al-Yamama company, said the business idea came when employees contacted a friend who works at the KFC in al-Arish, Egypt, with some orders and they were able to smuggle the food through a tunnel within three hours, The Christian Science Monitor reported Friday. "Then we asked ourselves, 'Why don't we ...

Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi snatches prestigious prize at World Travel Awards

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:32:59 -0400

DUBAI - Just five months after opening its doors to the public, Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi swept away its formidable competition to claim the gong for the Middle East's Leading Tourist Attraction 2013 at the World Travel Awards (WTA). The mega family entertainment attraction was lauded at the WTA Middle East ceremony recently held at Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa, ...

Netanyahu pulls back on Israels defense cuts

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:32:55 -0400

Binyamin Netanyahu has greatly reduced planned defense budget cuts. But officials remain worried that Israeli military capabilities will still be weakened. "The big worry is that we'll have to reduce defense procurements and orders from defense industries," observed Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon. Defense contractors "will be the first to get hurt," he said. ...

Combat dogs in Israel get their own serial number personnel file

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:32:53 -0400

Israel says military dogs are getting their own personnel files with serial numbers, medical backgrounds, performance reports and photos. Dogs of the Oketz canine special forces unit have received a military serial number which the army will use to track their activities, Ynetnews reported Friday. Each dog has also been given a personnel file that contains information from the moment it joined ...

Israel pushed to spell out gas export plan

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:32:52 -0400

Nobel Energy of Houston, which discovered Israel's big gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean, is pressing the government to decide soon on an energy export policy as the prospect of an undersea pipeline to Turkey gains ...

Irans Farhadi and Chinas Jia make Cannes splash

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:26:55 -0400

CANNES, France (AP) -- Two directors from countries with tough film censorship brought bold and probing movies to the Cannes Film Festival on Friday - one exploring China's social problems, the other delving into the mysteries of the human ...

Muslims celebrate Eid Al-Adha in Philippines

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:26:35 -0400

Muslims pray during the Muslim festival of Eid Al-Adha in Quezon City, Philippines, Oct. 26, 2012. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid Al-Adha on Oct. 26. (Xinhua/Rouelle ...

President Hu extends condolences to US...

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:26:34 -0400

Chinese President Hu Jintao today extended condolences to the U.S. President Barack Obama over the heavy casualties and property loss caused by hurricane Sandy. President Hu said he believes that the U.S. people can overcome the difficulties and rebuild their homes, Xinhua reported on ...

Nurses save time on scooters in hospital

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:26:34 -0400

The nurses and doctors at the neonatal department of the MCH Institute in Hubei Province always work at a fast pace. In order to make every second count, the ICU of the hospital's neonatal department has been equipped with devices which may help, such as small scooters and ...

Celebrities at Halloween party

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:26:34 -0400

Actor Neil Patrick Harris (L) in costume poses with unidentified guest at Playboy Magazine founder Hugh Hefner's annual Halloween Party at The Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles in this October 27, 2012. ...

China recalls Nongshim instant noodles

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:26:33 -0400

By Mei Jingya, Sina English China has ordered a recall of S.Korean Nongshim CO.'s instant noodles and asked importers to carry out the decision, Li Yuanping, spokesman for China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, said on Tuesday. Li said as soon as reports surfaced that those products used materials containing cancer-causing benzopyrene, ...

Middle East to meet a new big wave aft...

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:26:33 -0400

As some political experts claim there will be the risk that a new "big wave" in the Middle East could reach its peak after the American presidential elections, and that the region might plummet into the abyss. They say that Israel is ready to attack Iran's nuclear facilities. At the same time the Islamic Republic, whose economy is on the verge of collapse due to the sanctions, is ...

Lake Geneva risks being hit by tsunami

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:26:33 -0400

By Yuan Yue, Sina English Lake Geneva is at risk, for a giant tsunami could possibly hit the Swiss metropolis in the future, scientists say. Researchers analysed sediment at the bottom of Lake Geneva and uncovered "one big mass of sediment that was deposited in one event," said Katrina Kremer, an environmental scientist at the University of Geneva who co-authored the study, published ...

S Koreas largest instant noodle brand ...

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:26:32 -0400

By Zhao Wei, Sina English South Korea's health authorities said Thursday they have decided to order a recall of Nongshim Co.'s instant noodle products found to contain a carcinogen amid growing concerns about public health. The recall could affect six "ramyeon" brands by Nongshim, the country largest instant noodle maker, including Neoguri, bowl-type Neoguri and Sang Sang ...

Interview ECB cannot solve root causes...

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:26:32 -0400

MILAN, Italy, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- The European Central Bank can ease some pressure on banks struggling amid capital shortfalls and funding strains, but broader measures are necessary to tackle structural problems, ECB chief economist Peter Praet said here on Friday. In a keynote speech delivered at Bocconi University in Milan, Praet said the ECB has adopted a series of non-standard measures ...

USS Ohio docks in S. Korea to flex mus...

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:26:32 -0400

By Yu Runze, Sina English When Sino-Japanese relations is still strained amid the Diaoyu Islands dispute, the Ohio-class guided missile submarine USS Ohio, the lead boat of her class of nuclear-powered fleet ballistic missile submarines, sneaked into Busan, port of South Korea. The nuclear-powered missile submarine's arrival in Far East obviously has something to do with the on-going ...

HTC releases new smartphones with Wind...

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:26:32 -0400

Two models display HTC's new smartphone "8X" (L) and "8S" in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan, Oct. 30, 2012. HTC released two new products, which feature Windows Phone 8 system and Beats Audio, in Taipei on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Wu ...

Sandy slams U.S. at least 38 dead

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:26:31 -0400

Photo taken on Oct. 29, 2012 shows the Queens Bridge and flooded shore on Roosevelt Island of New York, the United States. Sandy, the 10th hurricane this year, was considered one of the strongest storms ever to affect the U.S. east coast. (Xinhua/Wang ...

US-India-Japan trilateral meet to conta...

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:26:31 -0400

Sina English The third India-U.S.-Japan trilateral discussions will be held in New Delhi on Monday. The U.S.' 'pivot-to-Asia' policy, Iran, China-Japan maritime dispute and South China Sea will be among the issues to be discussed during the 3rd round of India-US-Japan Trilateral dialogue apart from finding areas of cooperation between the three countries. According to official ...

USS George Washington docked in Philipp...

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:26:31 -0400

Filipino-American members of the U.S. Navy stand inside the U.S. aircraft carrier USS George Washington docked in Manila Bay, the Philippines, Oct. 25, 2012. The U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington arrived in the Philippines for professional exchanges between the U.S. and Philippine Navy counterparts. (Xinhua/Rouelle ...

Kim Jong Uns wife reappears in public eye

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:26:30 -0400

Ri Sol Ju, the wife of DPRK top leader Kim Jong-un, attended a concert with her husband this week, the first time she has appeared in public in more than 50 days. Ri and her husband attended a performance by the Moranbong Band on Monday, which marked the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Kim Il Sung Military University. Ri had not appeared in public since Sept. 8, leading to rise of wild ...

China on orange alert with high waves e...

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:26:30 -0400

Tree branches are broken by strong wind in Sanya, south China's island province of Hainan, Oct. 27, 2012. Son-Tinh, the 23rd tropical storm this year, strengthened to typhoon early Saturday morning and is expected to bring rainstorms and gales to China's southern coastal areas, the country's meteorological authority said Saturday. (Xinhua/Hou Jiansen) Typhoon Son-Tinh is expected ...

Shanghai Fashion Week - La Vie creations

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:26:30 -0400

A model presents a creation by Chinese designer La Vie during the Shanghai Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2013 in Shanghai, east China, Oct. 24, 2012. The fashion show ended here on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Dong ...

Navy completes military exercise in W. Pacific

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:26:29 -0400

The North Sea Fleet of the People's Liberation Army Navy has completed a military exercise in western areas of the Pacific Ocean. The exercise was the first large-scale action aimed at testing the coordination between different forces. A seven-vessel fleet participated in the exercise, China Central Television reported. A number of records were broken in the exercise, which was conducted ...

Girl cries over long presidential race

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:26:29 -0400

A 4-year-old Colorado girl expressed her frustration over the seemingly never-ending presidential campaign. Elizabeth Evans said she and her daughter, Abigael, were on a trip to the grocery store Tuesday when she started tearing up. The mother asked Abigael why she was crying and she responded, "I'm tired of Bronco Bamma and Mitt ...

J-31 fighter roars off on maiden flight

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:26:29 -0400

China's second stealth fighter made its maiden flight on Wednesday, with experts hailing this as a milestone for the country's military aviation industry, especially in design and manufacturing. Coinciding with its provisional designation J-31 and serial number 31001, the fighter took off at 10:32 am on Wednesday and landed 11 minutes later on the runway of the Shenyang Aircraft ...

Bringing culture to a coffee break

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:26:28 -0400

Cafe Zarah boasts a sleek and minimal design which helps to accentuate the prominence of the displays of art and photography which are on constant rotation at the venue, bringing another dimension of culture to a leisurely coffee break. It is a smaller cafe than many of its competitors and known to be a little bit pricier. Sitting amongst the area's tourist favourites it's a great place ...

Incubator in a coffee shop coat

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:26:28 -0400

3W cafe located in Zhongguancun, with nearly 200 from the Internet, the investment community, shareholders, many of whom are "big names". Here is the incubator, and exchange platform for angel investors and entrepreneurs. Over the past six months, a total of over 150 entrepreneurs in the the 3W coffee shop with more than 20 investment institutions face to face contact. The 3W cafe set ...

At Least 66 Killed in Bomb Blasts in Iraq

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:16:59 -0400

BAGHDAD ...

Syria Begins to Break Apart Under Pressure From War

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:00:39 -0400

After more than two years of conflict, Syria is breaking up. A constellation of armed groups battling to advance their own agendas are effectively creating the outlines of separate armed fiefs. As the war expands in scope and brutality, its biggest casualty appears to be the integrity of the Syrian state. On Thursday, President Obama met in Washington with the Turkish prime minister, Recep ...

Creative diplomacy needed as conflict in Syria threatens its neighbors

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:00:20 -0400

John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS -- Decrying a rising death toll and an escalation of violence, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly called yet again for progress towards a political transition to defuse Syria's civil war, now in its third year. Though the resolution strongly condemns the Syrian government of Bashar Assad for its increased use of heavy weapons, it equally condemns ...

Russia defends its weapons contracts with Syria

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:58:29 -0400

GAZIANTEP, TURKEY // The UN chief Ban Ki-moon and Russian president Vladimir Putin discussed the growing crisis in Syria yesterday, amid increasing concerns over Moscow supplying advanced weapons - including supersonic cruise missiles - to President Bashar Al Assad. The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, who met the UN secretary general earlier in the day, said he was baffled by continued ...

Violence taints Qatars PSG dream

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:58:21 -0400

Springtime in Paris. Any place in the world that combines season and city to better effect would have to be very special indeed. And what better setting than the Trocadero, just across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower, to fete the newly super-rich, newly glamorous Parisian football team after a famous achievement? Unfortunately, the occasion degenerated into a violent confrontation between police ...

Syrias pro-Assad hackers hijack Financial Times blog Twitter feeds in latest media attack

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:56:42 -0400

LONDON - A clutch of Twitter accounts and a blog maintained by the Financial Times were hacked Friday, the latest in a series of cyberattacks claimed by the Syrian Electronic Army, a pro-government group which has regularly targeted media organizations it sees as sympathetic to the country's rebels. A few of the FT's dozens of Twitter feeds and blogs broadcast messages supporting ...

Bombs targeting Sunnis kill at least 58 in Iraq

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:56:22 -0400

Iraqis gather at the scene of a bomb attack in Baqouba, northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, May 17, 2013. A bomb killed dozens of people at a Sunni mosque in central Iraq, hitting worshippers as they were emerging from Friday prayers, security officials said. The attack in Baqouba comes after two days of attacks, many in Shiite districts, left tens of people dead. Attacks against Sunni mosques ...

Scores die in Iraq bomb attacks

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:49:35 -0400

The attack raises Fridy's overall death toll to at least 58.That makes it the deadliest day in about two months as a spike in violence has raised fears the country could be on the path to a new round of sectarian bloodshed.Tensions have been intensifying since Sunnis began protesting what they say is mistreatment at the hands of the Shiite-led government, including random detentions and ...

China supports peace in Middle East Xi says

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:46:30 -0400

China would like to further strengthen communication and coordination with Saudi Arabia to maintain peace and stability in the Middle East, ...

Iran’s ban on female presidential candidates contradicts Constitution

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:43:53 -0400

Iran's ban on female presidential candidates contradicts several articles of the country's Constitution as well as international law and should be removed, Amnesty International said.Mohammad Yazdi, a clerical member of Iran's Council of Guardians, a constitutional body responsible for ensuring that legislation adheres to Iran's Constitution, as interpreted by Iran's ...

Syria remains a problem for US Israel

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:40:25 -0400

state department is saying that this is not a new shipment, rather, but i think what the russian response is that this is completing a previously signed contract. but it's definitely something that the u.s. had argued against. that prime minister netenyahu had gone to moscow to argue strongly against because the weapons are so advanced. and frankly, my understanding is that israel does not ...

Revenge attack on Sunni mosque in Iraq kills 40

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:30:43 -0400

Iraq on Friday in two separate incidents. The first attack claimed 40 lives as worshippers left prayers at a Sunni mosque in Baquba, 50km north-east of Baghdad. It followed two days of attacks, many in Shia districts, which left more than 50 dead. Attacks against Sunni mosques have increased recently, raising fears that the country is slipping into a new round of sectarian violence.Later in the ...

Syria missile sale played down by Russia

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:30:23 -0400

Syria as being for purely defensive purposes after reports that Moscow had delivered advanced anti-ship missiles to the Damascus regime.While not directly confirming the reported arrival of Russian Yakhonts missiles, the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said Moscow's weapons sales would "not in any way alter the balance of forces in this region or give any advantage in the fight ...

Irans Rafsanjani draws conservative criticism

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:20:32 -0400

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has a history of making "huge" political mistakes, a conservative rival candidate contends. The 12-member Guardian Council is vetting candidates from a list of about 600 hopefuls who submitted their interest in ...

Hundreds march in opposition to Egypts Morsi

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:20:31 -0400

Protesters frustrated with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi said three marches took place Friday to press for early elections. Opposition groups have expressed frustration with Morsi, who marks his first year in office next month. He's the first democratically elected president in Egyptian history. Criticism against his administration ranges from his oversight of a weak economy to the ...

US Bishops Reiterate Call for 2-State Solution in Israel Conflict

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:18:08 -0400

Decry Plan to Confiscate Convent LandWASHINGTON, D.C., May 07, 2013 (Zenit.org) - The U.S. bishops support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and oppose policies that undermine a just resolution to the conflict, such as Israel's decision to re-route the separation wall through the Cremisan Valley, said the chairman of the bishops' Committee on International Justice ...

Iraq UN envoy urges political leaders to help end bloodshed following latest bombings

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:45:58 -0400

Print 17 May 2013 &#150 The top United Nations official in Iraq today urged Iraqi leaders to protect civilians following a wave of bombings over the past few days which have claimed more innocent lives. ';It is the responsibility of all leaders to stop the bloodshed in this country and to protect their citizens,'; said the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Iraq, ...

Turkeys Erdogan says U.N. must decide on any Syria no-fly zone

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:45:43 -0400

Reuters © Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament from his ruling AK Party (AKP) during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara April 16, 2013. REUTERS/Umit ...

Iraq attacks kill more than 40 people

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:45:13 -0400

BAQUBA, IRAQ // Two bombs exploded outside a Sunni Muslim mosque in the Baquba as worshippers left Friday prayers, killing at least 43 people in one of the deadliest attacks in a month-long surge in sectarian violence. The attack, combined with yesterday's bombing at a Sunni funeral to the south of the capital, deepened fears Iraq may be headed toward a new round of sectarian conflict. In ...

Don’t expect another Israeli attack on Syria anytime soon

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:44:45 -0400

Two weeks ago , it is believed that it was Israeli fighter jets flying over Lebanon that fired on and destroyed some Syrian military warehouses outside Damascus. The facility was said to contain powerful, Iranian-made missiles capable of hitting targets in Israel as far south as Beersheva.While Israel never officially confirmed that it was the party doing the firing, it is clear that the Israelis ...

Foreigners Kidnapped in Yemen Released

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:41:07 -0400

Sanaa, May 17 (Prensa Latina) The five foreigners who were kidnapped two days ago here were released without physical injuries, official sources said today. Unknown armed men stopped the vehicle containing three officials from the International Committee of Red Cross along with two Egyptian technicians that were working in a cement factory in Abyan province, and led them to an unknown site last ...

UPDATE 1-Turkish PM says no decision yet on further Iran oil import cuts

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:38:28 -0400

Fri May 17, 2013 1:38pm EDT (Adds details on import levels) WASHINGTON May 17 (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday Turkey had already significantly reduced its oil imports from Iran, which is under the choke of Western sanctions, and further cutbacks would depend on his country's energy needs. "On crude oil, there has been a significant decrease in the amount ...

Walking Tours Connect Palestinians to Their Past

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:36:45 -0400

This shrine, known as the Al-Khawass shrine, sits 540 metres above sea level in the Palestinian village of Deir Ghassaneh. It is one of several stops along the Sufi trail, which begins in the valley below and takes visitors and locals alike back in time to when Sufism, a mystical form of Islam, was widespread in the area. ';I want foreigners to know Palestinian culture, our culture. And I ...

Iran - An election that might save books in Iran

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:35:46 -0400

Over the past eight years, writers and publishers have been caught in a web of forbidden topics, names, phrases and words. No one in the industry can anticipate what will and will not be allowed by Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. Completed projects wait for months to be reviewed by state censors and most are returned with a long list of "required ...

Syria refugee count tops 1.5 million UN says

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:33:08 -0400

More than 1.5 million refugees have fled Syria, the UN's refugee agency said Friday, noting that the real number could be much higher as the count only reflects those who had registered with aid ...

Israel and Turkey Fair-weather allies

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:33:06 -0400

A demonstrator burns an Israeli flag as he sits behind a Turkish flag during a protest against Israel on June 5, 2010 at Caglayan Square in Istanbul. Nine people -- eight Turks and a US national of Turkish origin were killed in May 31's pre-dawn raid by Israeli forces on the Turkish ferry, Mavi Marmara, the lead ship in the aid flotilla aiming to break the crippling blockade of Gaza. (Bulent ...

Zaidan backing Iraq to spring a surprise

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:32:42 -0400

Iraq will contest their fourth FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey later this summer. Despite that pedigree, the country's U-17s have had to endure a long wait to make their breakthrough, only sealing their first qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup last year. They are now gearing up to make their debut in the final tournament, which will be held in the United Arab Emirates between 17 ...

U.S. lifts sanctions on Iraq bank that had links to Iran

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:19:53 -0400

WASHINGTON | Fri May 17, 2013 1:19pm EDT WASHINGTON May 17 (Reuters) - The United States said on Friday it had allowed an Iraqi bank to again conduct business with the U.S. financial system after the bank showed it was no longer helping Iran evade financial sanctions. Iraq's Elaf Islamic Bank was first blacklisted by the United States last year for knowingly doing business with the ...

No peace deal without Palestinian unity Turkey

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:17:10 -0400

View Photo AFP/Getty Images/AFP/File - US Vice President Joseph Biden (R) shakes hands with Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a luncheon at the State Department on May 16, 2013 in Washington, DC. ...

Saudi Arabia says hackers sabotage government websites

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:09:59 -0400

RIYADH (Reuters) - Several government websites in Saudi Arabia were sabotaged in a series of heavy cyber attacks from abroad in recent days, disabling them briefly until the attacks were repelled, the government ...

Michael Jordan Once Forced A Young Bow Wow To Get Rid Of His Allen Iverson Shoes

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:04:30 -0400

(WSCR) Michael Jordan takes his brand very, very seriously. And when a young Bow Wow came to his house wearing a pair of Allen Iverson’s Reebok shoes, Jordan wasn’t ...

Lavrov says Russia U.N. agree on Syria

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:01:06 -0400

Ban Ki -moon are in agreement on the future of Syria. Lavrov, who met with Ban during the U.N. chief's visit to Russia, said the pair are unanimous in their agreement the Syrian conflict should be settled without any interference from the outside, ITAR-Tass reported. "The settlement of the Syrian crisis can be found along the lines of All-Syria dialogue involving all Syrian forces, ...

Anti-Morsi protests held in Cairo Alexandria

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:01:06 -0400

Hundreds of people gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square and in Alexandria Friday to protest against Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. The protesters converged at Tahrir Square following three marches from separate points in Cairo, Ahram Online reported. One of the goals of the protest was to show support for the recently launched "Rebel" campaign, aimed at registering opposition to ...

Sinai Bedouin complain they suffer since Israel left Sinai

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:54:27 -0400

" The Bedouin have already paid a heavy price for the return of the land [the Sinai Peninsula] in the October 1973 War." Sinai residents blame interior ministry policies for Thursday kidnapping Residents of Sinai Peninsula tell Ahram Online that Thursday kidnapping of seven Egyptian security personnel came as 'Bedouin retaliation' for heavy-handed security practices by ...

Mosque funeral bombings kill 47 in Iraq

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:22:26 -0400

Bilderberg 2013 Agenda Domestic Spying Diffusing Social Protests War on Syria and Iran

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:21:07 -0400

Infowars reporters Paul Joseph Watson and Jon Scobie visited the Grove Hotel. They claim to have "groundbraking" information. Google's CEO Eric Schmidt is a regular Bilderberg attendee. Watson and Scobie said his company is "merging" with Bilderberg. "Google's annual Zeitgeist conference, which has been based at the Grove since 2007, immediately precedes the ...

Egyptian Palestinian Presidents Condemn Jewish Attacks in Jerusalem

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:20:35 -0400

Ramallah, May 17 (Prensa Latina) The Egyptian and Palestinian Presidents Mohamed Morsi and Mahmoud Abbas, respectively, condemned the desecration of sacred Islamic sites by Jewish extremists in Jerusalem, through an official communique released here today. According to the communique, Morsi and his host urged the Israeli government to immediately stop those violations of international law, ...

In ancient Egypt summer was baby-making season

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:18:39 -0400

The peak period for baby-making sex in ancient Egypt was in July and August, when the weather was at its hottest.Researchers made this discovery at a cemetery in the Dakhleh Oasis in Egypt whose burials date back around 1,800 years. The oasis is located about 450 miles (720 kilometers) southwest of Cairo. The people buried in the cemetery lived in the ancient town of Kellis, with a population of ...

Dozens killed in Iraq bombings

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:14:48 -0400

Baghdad . Another explosion went off shortly afterward as people gathered to help the wounded, leaving a total of at least 40 dead and 56 wounded. After the explosions, bloodied bodies lay strewn across the road outside the mosque.The violence was the latest to hit a Sunni Muslim house of worship, a trend that has been on the rise. About 30 mosques were attacked between mid-April to mid-May, ...

8 killed 25 wounded in bombing at funeral in Iraq

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:14:44 -0400

At least eight people were killed and 25 others wounded on Friday in a roadside bomb attack at a funeral in Iraq, an Interior Ministry source said.The roadside bomb exploded at the funeral for a local official in the town of Madain, some 30 km south of Baghdad, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.Violence is still common in Iraq despite the dramatic decrease since its peak in 2006 ...

35 killed 45 injured in blasts in eastern Iraqs Diyala

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:14:24 -0400

At least 35 people were killed and 45 others injured in two blasts, which hit almost simultaneously on Friday in Baquba, capital of eastern Iraq's Diyala province, after the Friday prayer, an official said.The two roadside bombs exploded near the Saroya mosque in Baquba, 65 km northeast of Iraq's capital of Baghdad, and hit the Sunni worshipers as they were leaving the mosque after ...

Syria - Call for release of rights activists facing terrorism charges in Syria

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:14:17 -0400

The international community should urge the Syrian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release and drop all charges against a freedom of expression activist and two of his colleagues, 19 regional and international human rights organizations said today. Mazen Darwish and two of his colleagues from the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), Hussein Gharir and Hani ...

Women cannot stand for Iran president cleric

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:09:00 -0400

Women cannot contest Iran's June 14 presidential election, a member of the Islamic state's electoral watchdog said in media reports on Friday, dashing the hopes of some 30 female ...

Captive in Iran Women Share Horrors of Evin Prison

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:08:54 -0400

The story of Saeed Abedini, the American pastor imprisoned in Iran for his faith, has the world focusing attention on Iran's treatment of Christians. Now two Iranian women -- Maryam Rustampoor and Marzieh Amirizadeh -- are telling their story of persecution. In 2009, Rustampoor had come home from a dentist appointment and was resting on her couch when her doorbell rang. The moment she ...

Egypt Fears of spurious charges in trial of another opposition activist

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:07:03 -0400

There are credible fears that the charges against a well-known opposition activist in Alexandria may be spurious and in retaliation for his activism, Amnesty International said as his appeal hearing is due to resume. On 12 March, the activist Hassan Mostafa was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison for insulting and attacking a public prosecutor in Alexandria - accusations he vehemently ...

Bombing at Iraq mosque kills 26

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:03:11 -0400

In the first attack, police said a bomb detonated just as the Sunni congregation was leaving Friday prayer services at a mosque in the Baqouba district ...

Impregilo-led group wins 1.7 bln-euro contract in Qatar

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:02:13 -0400

MILAN | Fri May 17, 2013 12:02pm EDT MILAN May 17 (Reuters) - A consortium led by Italian builder Impregilo has won a contract worth around 1.7 billion euros ($2.2 billion) to build a metro line in Doha, Qatar, Impregilo said in a statement on Friday. Impregilo has a 41.25 percent stake in the consortium, it said. ($1 = 0.7798 euros) (Reporting By Danilo ...

5 things to know about dangerous SARS-like virus

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:01:52 -0400

The novel coronavirus has killed 20 people and sickened 40 The cases have a link to the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia Experts say the virus could show up in the United ...

Iran Presidential Election Women Banned

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:44 -0400

Women who put themselves forward as presidential candidates in Iran have been told they cannot run for election. The powerful Guardian Council, which vets all the candidates, has ruled out the participation of women. No one had expected the women to gain any support from the Council but their failed attempt at least serves as a reminder of the lack of progress for women's rights in ...