30 Nov 09
Russia, Iran Agree on New Gas, Oil Projects
The Russian energy minister and officials from the Iranian Oil Ministry have agreed on a gas swap, the implementation of 15 new oil and gas projects, the construction of a oil refinery near the Caspian Sea, and the establishment a joint oil company.-The visiting Russian minister also held talks with Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on expanding cooperation in various other fields.
EU agrees new bank data deal with US
EU governments adopt stop-gap agreement to keep SWIFT data transfers operating.
EU interior ministers have struck an interim deal to give the US access to banking data handled by SWIFT, a bank-owned network that processes international communications among banks.
During their meeting in Brussels today, ministers agreed an interim deal for nine months.
Unique identity project may get World Bank funding
The global interest in India's unique identification project continues to grow.
After the Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Yahoo Chiefs, the World Bank President, Mr Robert B. Zoellick, is now scheduled to meet the Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), Mr Nandan Nilekani, during his four-day visit to the county starting December 2.
While talks are likely to centre around improvement of the public delivery system and governance, industry watchers say the possibility of future World Bank assistance could not be ruled out at this stage.
Russia to start Iran nuclear plant in 2010
Russia plans to start up the nuclear reactor at Iran's Bushehr power plant in March 2010 to coincide with the Iranian New Year, two sources closely involved with the project told Reuters.
"We have been given the task of launching the plant by Iranian New Year," said one of the sources. "There is still a lot of work to do."
Blair: 2-state solution or 'hell of a fight'
Quartet envoy to the Middle East Tony Blair portrayed Sunday a harsh picture of the region without a Palestinian state. "The alternative to a two-state solution is a one-state solution and that will, I assure you, be a hell of fight," he said in an interview to the CNN network.
According to Blair, the next month "will be completely critical and fundamental" in the efforts to resume direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
Hezbollah calls for global front against US
Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah published the Lebanese Shiite group's revised political charter.
"Hezbollah aims to defy the American hegemony and the Israeli occupation," said Nasrallah in as televised speech
Netanyahu Blocks Construction in Jerusalem Neighborhoods
A stream of recent reports indicates that Prime Minster Binyamin Netanyahu is suspending construction and growth in the capital city of Jerusalem, in contradiction of his statements.
The latest report came from reporter Ariel Kahane in Makor Rishon. He wrote Monday that Netanyahu turned down plans to build 130 units in Har Homa and 30 more in Pisgat Ze’ev. Both are large neighborhoods built on land liberated by Israel in 1967.
7 stories Obama doesn't want told
...it is clear Obama underestimated the political consequences that flow from the perception that he is a profligate spender. He also misjudged the anger in middle America about bailouts with weak and sporadic public explanations of why he believed they were necessary.
University outlines 're-education' for those who hold 'wrong' views
A program proposed at the University of Minnesota would result in required examinations of teacher candidates on "white privilege" as well as "remedial re-education" for those who hold the "wrong" views, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.
Soros: Major Bloodletting Ahead
“In commercial real estate and leveraged buyouts, the bloodletting is yet to come,” Soros said in a speech in Europe, reported by Bloomberg News. “These factors will continue to weigh on the American economy, and the American consumer will no longer be able to serve as the motor for the world economy.”
Global-warming legislation - fight isn't over
Although a vote on "climate change" legislation is being pushed into 2010, a leading think tank is warning people to stay on their toes.
"Big Bang" collider sets particle beam record
The "Big Bang" experiment at CERN near Geneva scored a world record on Monday by accelerating beams to the highest energy ever achieved in a particle collider, the research center announced.
UAE markets dive on Dubai debt woes
United Arab Emirates stocks dived on Monday as investors waited for clarity on Dubai's plan to delay repaying billions of dollars in debt and government word on how it would tackle a crisis that has rattled global markets.
Exit Polls: Swiss Ban Minarets, Muslim Extremism Feared
Voters in Switzerland favored a national referendum vote Sunday to ban minarets on mosques, according to exit polls. Early indications are that both a majority of voters and majority of cantons backed the referendum proposal. Local media called the apparent prohibition a “slap in the face” to the government, which opposed the ban.
Sanders Says No to a Second Term for Federal Reserve Chief
Sen. Bernie Sanders sounded a resounding "no" to a second term for Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, saying Sunday he will vote against Ben Bernanke's reappointment.
Bernanke is expected to go before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee on Thursday for what is likely to be tough questioning on his monetary policy during the bank collapse of 2008-2009.
Obama Cool to Surge in Afghanistan's Own Force
The Obama administration has soured on a call from its top commander to double the size of the Afghan police and army, reflecting the White House's continued skepticism about the Afghan government even as the U.S. prepares a surge of troops into the country, people familiar with the matter say.
Climate change data dumped
SCIENTISTS at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have admitted throwing away much of the raw temperature data on which their predictions of global warming are based.
It means that other academics are not able to check basic calculations said to show a long-term rise in temperature over the past 150 years.
Iran accuses West of provoking new nuclear sites move
The head of Iran's nuclear programme has accused the West of provoking his country into launching a plan to build 10 new uranium enrichment plants.
Ali Akbar Salehi said a UN demand for Iran to halt work on a recently revealed site had "prompted the government to approve the plan".
Large Hadron Collider sets world energy record
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiment on the French-Swiss border has set a new world record for energy.
The LHC pushed the energy of its particle beams beyond one trillion electron volts, making it the world's highest energy particle accelerator.
...The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiment on the French-Swiss border has set a new world record for energy.
The LHC pushed the energy of its particle beams beyond one trillion electron volts, making it the world's highest energy particle accelerator.
China rejects EU call to let its currency appreciate
Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has rejected European pressure to let its currency rise against the Euro.
Speaking at a summit with EU leaders in Nanjing, Mr Wen said it was unfair of Europe to demand exchange rate changes while maintaining trade protectionism.
For the last 18 months, China has kept the yuan pegged to the weakening US dollar, hurting EU exports to China.
Honduras elects Zelaya rival Porfirio Lobo as president
Provisional results in Honduras indicate that Porfirio Lobo, an opponent of ousted President Manuel Zelaya, has won presidential elections.
The poll was held five months after Mr Zelaya was forced out at gunpoint, with an interim government taking over.
Medvedev tables EU-Russia-US security pledge draft
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Sunday (29 November) tabled a draft "European security treaty" aimed at overcoming the Cold War "legacy," but without acknowledging any of Moscow's military adventures in the past year.
Mr Medvedev had been pushing for a new treaty defining the European security architecture since more than a year, especially after the Russia-Georgia war broke out, prompting a freeze in Nato-Russian relations for over six months.
Saudi official: 5 dead from swine flu at hajj
Five people died from swine flu during the hajj, Saudi Arabia said Sunday, a relatively small number considering the event is the largest annual gathering in the world and is seen as an ideal incubator for the virus.
But some experts warned the true extent of the virus will not be known until pilgrims return to their home countries around the world.
'Give Iran last chance for dialogue'
"We should give Iran one last chance for dialogue," French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said in an interview published on Monday in Le Figaro.
According to Kouchner, "Economic sanctions that would be imposed on Iran would be very harsh, but we are not there yet."
Iran to up naval presence in Gulf
A US Intelligence report on Iran published last week disclosed that the Islamic republic was reinforcing its naval presence in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, various sources reported on Monday.
The report highlighted the growing divergence between Iran's Shah-era navy, the IRIN, and the more modern, better equipped Revolutionary Guard navy - the IRGCN, favored by the country's leadership as a key security force.
29 Nov 09
Swiss ban mosque minarets in surprise vote
Swiss voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional ban on minarets on Sunday, barring construction of the iconic mosque towers in a surprise vote that put Switzerland at the forefront of a European backlash against a growing Muslim population.
Black Friday Sales Return Mixed Verdict
Shoppers who endured long lines and sometimes-frigid temperatures spent only slightly more during their Black Friday shopping sprees than they did last year, according to data released Saturday by a research firm.
At the same time, their pajama-clad counterparts, a much smaller group that accounted for only a fraction of overall sales, shopped online from the warmth of their homes and dramatically boosted their spending
ACORN Can Receive Pending Federal Payments, Justice Department Says
The Obama administration legally can pay the embattled community organizing group ACORN for services performed under contracts approved before Congress banned the government from providing money to the group, the Justice Department has declared.
Obama Administration Plans New Efforts to Battle Foreclosure Crisis
The Obama administration, battling a foreclosure crisis that shows no signs of relenting, will step up pressure on mortgage companies to do more to help people remain in their homes, officials said Saturday.
The administration will announce its expanded program on Monday, Treasury spokeswoman Meg Reilly said.
Iran earmarks $20 million to support terror groups opposing West
Iran's parliament passed a law on Sunday earmarking $20 million to support terror groups opposing the West and investigate alleged US and British plots against the Islamic republic.
The text of the legislation says the money is to "support progressive currents that resist illegal activities by by the governments of the US and Britain." Iranian officials often use such terms to describe terror groups.
