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29 Iranian Lawmakers Retract Signatures to Question President
October, 26 2011
TEHRAN - Twenty-nine Iranian lawmakers have retracted their signatures from a motion calling for the country's president to be questioned by the Majlis (Parliament), local media reported on Monday.
Mohammad Dehghan, a member of the Majlis presiding board, said the ...
Clinton Warns Iran Not to Miscalculate U.S. Pullout from Iraq
October 25, 2011
WASHINGTON - U.S. State Secretary Hillary Clinton on Sunday warned Iran that it must not miscalculate the U. S. troop pullout from Iraq, vowing to maintain a strong U.S. presence in the region.
"No one, most particularly Iran, should miscalculate about our continuing commitment to and with the Iraqis going forward," she ...
Iraq Still Seeking U.S. Trainers: Maliki
October 24, 2011
BAGHDAD - Iraq will continue talks with Washington on how U.S. trainers can work with Iraqi forces after a complete withdrawal of American troops at the end of the year, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Saturday. U.S. President Barack Obama announced on Friday that all U.S. troops would leave Iraq as scheduled by the end of this year after the two ...
Saudi Crown Prince Dies
October 23, 2011
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia— the heir to the Saudi throne, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, died undergoing treatment for illness in New York. The death of the prince, who was in his 80s, opens questions about the succession in the critical, oil-rich U.S. ally. Sultan was the younger half-brother of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, who is has ...
Gaddafi Shot Dead By Libyan Rebels
October 22, 2011
KABUL - Former Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi, who ruled the oil-rich African country with an iron fist for 42 years, was killed during a gunbattle in his stronghold of Sirte city on Thursday, media reports said.
"We have been waiting for this moment for a long time. Moamar Gaddafi has been killed," Libyan Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril was
Gul Urges Cooperation among Islamic Countries before Financial Crisis
October, 20 2011
ISTANBUL - Turkish President Abdullah Gul Wednesday called on Islamic nations to enhance cooperation in fending off the fallout of a financial crisis that has hit some developed economies.
"Although COMCEC (Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation) member countries are not afflicted with the debt problems of the developed markets, the current instability in capital and ...
Trade Protectionism No Longer Protects Countries: WTO Chief
October 19, 2011
GENEVA - Due to globalized supply chains, trade protectionism no longer protects countries, the director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Pascal Lamy told Xinhua in an exclusive interview on Tuesday. Lamy said he believed protectionism is neither a remedy for unemployment nor an effective way of boosting demand during an economic ...
Ban Urges G20 Leaders to Look Beyond National Interests
October 18, 2011
BERN, Switzerland - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday urged G20 leaders to look beyond domestic and regional interests and come up with actionable plans to save the world from yet another crisis. Ban made the appeal in a joint press conference with Swiss President and Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey in Bern, Switzerland, just two ...
US ‘Pressing IAEA to Release Iran Nuclear Data’
October 17, 2011
WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama is calling on UN nuclear inspectors to release data showing Iran is designing nuclear weapons technology in a bid to further isolate Tehran, a report said on Sunday. The White House push for the release of International Atomic Energy Agency data comes after the United States accused Iran of sponsoring a ...
Arab League to Hold Extraordinary Meeting on Syria
October 16, 2011
CAIRO - The Cairo-based Arab League (AL) will hold an extraordinary meeting on Sunday to discuss the latest situation in Syria, official news agency MENA said Friday.
AL deputy chief Ahmed Bin Helli said the meeting will be held upon the ...
Turkey Vows to Tackle Threats from Iraqi Territories
October 15, 2011
ANKARA - Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Thursday that Ankara's patience has run out on threats against Turkey posed from terrorist activities in northern Iraq, vowing to take the most effective measures. "We no longer have any patience with terrorist activities emanating from the Iraqi territory and threatening ...
Europe Must ‘Urgently’ Recapitalize Banks: Barroso
October 13, 2011
BRUSSELS - European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso called Wednesday for an urgent recapitalization of European banks, warning that those refusing to comply could lose bonuses and dividends.
Barroso said banks "urgently" need to increase their core tier one capital ratios.
He did not give a figure but a European source said the commission ...
Energy Access for Poor Leads to Improvement of Human Rights: Ban
October 12, 2011
OSLO - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Monday that providing sustainable energy to billions of poor people in the world is a precondition for improving the human rights situation developing countries.
At a joint press conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Norwegian Environment Minister Erik Solheim, Ban called ...
“No Health without Mental Health” on International Day: Ban
October 11, 2011
UNITED NATIONS - Ensuring mental health of people worldwide, which is essential to guaranteeing overall health, requires increased investment, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon said in a statement released here Monday to commemorate World Mental Health ...
Syria Warns Not to Recognize Opposition, Vows Reform
October 10, 2011
SANA - President Bashar al-Assad renewed a pledge of reforms on Sunday, as Syria threatened retaliation if countries recognize an opposition bloc increasingly active on the international scene.
"Syria is taking steps focused on two main fronts -- political reform and the dismantling of armed groups," who seek to ...
Turkey, France Sign Domestic Security Cooperation Agreement
October 08, 2011
ANKARA - Visiting French Interior Minister Claude Gueant and Turkish Interior Minister Idris Naim Sahin on Friday signed here an agreement on cooperation in domestic security.
"Turkey and France are two allies and friendly countries, and our bilateral relations are improving in every area, particularly security, economy and culture," said Sahin at a joint press ...
U.S. Unable to Cover Shortfalls within NATO: Panetta
October 06, 2011
BRUSSELS - U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Wednesday his country under budgetary pressure was no longer able to make up shortfalls in capabilities of NATO European members.
"Many might assume that the United States defense budget is so large it can absorb and cover alliance shortcomings, but make no ...
Turkish Parliament to Debate Motion on Cross-Border Operations
October 03, 2011
ANKARA - Turkish parliament will debate a motion extending government's mandate to stage cross-border operations for another year this week. Lawmakers will convene on Wednesday to debate the motion.
The Turkish government on Tuesday submitted to the parliament the motion for extending its authorization to stage cross-border military ...
Germany ‘Won’t Give More to EU Bail-Out Fund’
October 02, 2011
BERLIN - German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble ruled out Germany contributing any more money to the beefed-up EU bail-out fund than the 211 billion euros approved by parliament, in an interview published Saturday.
"The European Financial Stability Facility has a ceiling of 440 billion euros ($590 billion), 211 billion of which is down to ...
Russia Dissatisfied with EU Softened Syria Draft Text
October 01, 2011
UNITED NATIONS - Even though the European members in the Security Council softened the language of their proposed draft resolution strongly condemning Damascus for the seven-month bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, Russia is still dissatisfied.
According to the revised draft resolution co-sponsored by UK, France ...
US Threatens Sanctions on China Banks over Iran
September 29, 2011
BEIJING — A top US envoy said Wednesday that Washington could penalize China's four biggest state banks if they were found doing business with an Iranian insurance firm in violation of US nuclear sanctions.
David Cohen, US Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial ...
Russia Blasts European, Arab Countries for Arms Delivery in Libya
September 28, 2011
MOSCOW - Several European and Arab countries have violated the UN Security Council's arms embargo on Libya, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.
"We believe the UN Security Council's authority has been damaged because its decisions have never been violated so roughly and openly ...
UN Sets Up Nuclear Safety ‘Action Team’
September 27, 2011
VIENNA — the UN atomic agency said Monday it would set up a "action team" to help prevent nuclear accidents around the world following the Fukushima disaster in Japan. The "compact, dedicated team" will oversee "prompt implementation" of a series of safety measures agreed this month by members of the ...
‘Broken’ Ties with Israel May Become Norm for Turkey: PM
September 26, 2011
UNITED NATIONS - Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared Sunday that his country's "broken" relations with Israel can only be mended if the Jewish state stops blocking aid flotillas and ends the embargo of Gaza. Erdogan said Turkey had been exceedingly patient with Israel — formerly viewed as an ally — despite relations strained after Israeli ...
Turkey to Host D-8 Industry Ministers’ Summit
September 25, 2011
ANKARA - Turkey's largest city, will host the 2nd Industry Ministers' Summit of D-8 (Developing Eight) countries on Oct. 4-6, the semi-official Anatolia news agency said on Saturday.
Participants will discuss topics including joint research and development projects on automobile and electricity, sharing experiences ...
Ban Discusses Climate Change
September 25, 2011
NEW YORK - As the General Assembly continued its annual high-level debate, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met separately with several leaders to discuss issues ranging from regional cooperation in Central Asia and the situation in Lebanon to climate change and nuclear ...
G20 Pledges “All Necessary Actions” to Tackle Global Crisis
September 24, 2011
WASHINGTON - The Group of 20 (G20) major economies Thursday vowed to take strong actions to address the worsening global financial crisis that threatens world economy. "We commit to take all necessary actions to preserve the stability of banking systems and financial markets as required," the G20 officials said in a communique after ...
China Calls for Int’l Cooperation on Countering Terrorism
September 22, 2011
YEKATERINBURG, Russia - Terrorism was a common scourge to the international community and China would continue to step up its cooperation with other countries to fight it, China's top police officer said here Wednesday. Meng Jianzhu, State Councilor and Minister of Public Security, made ...
Clinton, Davutoglu Discuss PKK, Israel, Arab Issues
September 21, 2011
WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed US solidarity with Turkey on the issue of PKK attacks during a meeting in New York as UN General Assembly attendees gathered there on Monday. At a backgrond briefing on the meeting, by two high-level State Department officials, one official said the US cooperates with Turkey ...
US, Turkey Hold Talks on Turkey-Israel Row
September 20, 2011
WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton began talks here Monday with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu as Turkey spurns US offers to mediate in its showdown with Israel. Washington has expressed concern about the bitter row between its top regional allies ...
Merkel Party Suffers Fresh Election Setback in Berlin
September 19, 2011
BERLIN - Germany's center-left Social Democrats beat Angela Merkel's conservatives in a regional election in the city-state of Berlin on Sunday, handing the chancellor her sixth defeat in seven elections this year. The SPD won 29.5 percent of the vote in Berlin, down from 30.8 percent in 2006 in Germany's largest city with 3.4 million inhabitants ...
Turkey Refuses US Mediation in Crisis with Israel
September 18, 2011
ANKARA - Turkey does not need United States' mediation to solve a long-lasting crisis with Israel over a deadly 2010 flotilla raid, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Saturday.
"We do not need mediation ... for Israel in any way," Davutoglu said during a televised press conference in the central ...
AQAP Most Dangerous in “Global Jihad”: Petraeus
September 14, 2011
WASHINGTON - Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, has emerged as "the most dangerous regional node in the global jihad," Retired Gen. David Petraeus said Tuesday during his first Capitol Hill appearance as CIA Director.
Petraeus made the remarks when testifying along with Director of National Intelligence James Clapper before a joint hearing of the House ...
Flotilla Raid Was ‘Cause for War’: Turkey
September 13, 2011
ANKARA, Turkey— Turkey's prime minister said Monday that Israel's raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla last year was "cause for war" but added that his country showed "patience" and refrained from taking any action.
Erdogan made the comments before departing for a visit to Egypt later ...
Americans Mark September 11
September 12, 2011
NEW YORK - Americans on Sunday remembered the horror of September 11, 2001, and the nearly 3,000 people who died in the hijacked plane attacks as authorities worked to ensure the emotional 10th anniversary was peaceful.
"God is our refuge and strength," President Barack Obama said, reading from Psalm 46, during the ceremony at Ground Zero, the ...