Saturday, January 7, 2012

West readies oil stocks release as Iran plans war games (Reuters)

West readies oil stocks release as Iran plans war games (Reuters)

West readies oil stocks release as Iran plans war games (Reuters)

Posted: 06 Jan 2012 04:13 PM PST

A U.S. sailor from the guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG 100), part of the USS John C. Stennis carrier strike group, greets a crew member of the Iranian-flagged dhow Al Molai after rescuing the fishing vessel from pirates in the Arabian Sea in this January 6, 2012 handout photo. The U.S. aircraft carrier group that Iran warned not to return to the Gulf has rescued 13 Iranians held hostage for weeks by pirates in the Arabian Sea, the Pentagon said on Friday. The rescue operation took place on Thursday, when forces with the USS John C. Stennis carrier strike group received a distress call from the master of the Al Molai, who said he was being held captive by pirates. REUTERS/U.S. Navy photo/Handout (MILITARY POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTSReuters - Iran announced on Friday new military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, but the West has readied plans to use strategic oil stocks to replace almost all Gulf oil lost if Iran blocks the waterway, industry sources and diplomats told Reuters.

Suicide bomb kills 26 in Syria: interior minister (Reuters)

Posted: 06 Jan 2012 06:49 PM PST

Demonstrators protesting against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad wait for the arrival of Arab League observers in Deir Balaba near Homs January 1, 2012. REUTERS/HandoutReuters - A suicide bomber killed 26 people and wounded 63 in Damascus, Syria's interior minister said, vowing an "iron fist" response to Friday's carnage in the heart of the capital after similar attacks two weeks ago.

Navy rescues Iranians held by pirates (Reuters)

Posted: 06 Jan 2012 03:53 PM PST

Reuters - Just days after Iran warned them not to return to the Gulf, U.S. naval forces in the nearby Arabian Sea rescued 13 Iranian fishermen who were held hostage by pirates for more than a month, the Navy said on Friday.

Hot air balloon crash kills 11 in New Zealand (Reuters)

Posted: 06 Jan 2012 04:45 PM PST

Reuters - A hot air balloon burst into flames and crashed in New Zealand on Saturday, killing all 11 people on board in the country's worst air accident in more than three decades.

Waiting for the Sentence: van der Sloot's Slow Road to Justice (Time.com)

Posted: 06 Jan 2012 09:05 PM PST

Time.com - The main suspect in the Natalee Holloway case is about to find out his fate in the death of a young Peruvian woman

Why Hungary's New Constitution Could Be Bad for Europe (Time.com)

Posted: 06 Jan 2012 09:05 PM PST

Time.com - Sparking protests and bringing together bickering opposition parties, Hungary's new constitution also threatens the country's economy and its place in the European Union

Egypt's Christians celebrate Christmas amid fears (AP)

Posted: 07 Jan 2012 12:23 AM PST

Women attend Christmas Eve mass, led by Coptic Pope Shenouda III at the Coptic cathedral in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 6, 2012. This is the first Christmas since Egypt's uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak and is the first since last year's massive explosion at a church in Alexandria, which happened under Mubarak's regime, but the culprits were never identified. Many Muslims have volunteered to protect churches in an attempt to allay fears. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)AP - Egypt's Christians are celebrating their first Christmas after the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak amid tight security and a display of national unity to allay fears of growing powers of Islamists.

Venezuela: Chavez's names ally as defense minister (AP)

Posted: 06 Jan 2012 07:19 PM PST

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez gestures upon his arrival to Guanare, Venezuela, Friday, Jan. 6, 2012. Chavez traveled to the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Coromoto to fulfill a pledge and to attend a mass to pray for his health. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)AP - President Hugo Chavez named a powerful general and close ally as his defense minister Friday, an officer accused by Washington of aiding drug traffickers and arming rebels in neighboring Colombia.

Libya's Belhaj won't join UK's torture inquiry (AP)

Posted: 06 Jan 2012 01:30 PM PST

AP - Lawyers for a prominent ex-Libyan rebel who is suing Britain over its alleged role in his 2004 rendition said Friday he has withdrawn his cooperation for a UK government commissioned inquiry into abuses during its pursuit of terrorism suspects.

Japan plans to scrap nuclear plants after 40 years (AP)

Posted: 07 Jan 2012 12:49 AM PST

CORRECTS DATE AND YEAR TO JAN. 6, 2012 WHEN GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED - FILE - This Jan. 10, 2007 file photo shows three reactors' buildings at Mihama Nuclear Power Plant in Mihama, central Japan. Two reactors, background and center, are at least 40 years old. Japan said Friday, Jan. 6, 2012 it will soon require atomic reactors to be shut down after 40 years of use to improve safety following the nuclear crisis set off by the March 11, 2011 tsunami. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, FOR COMMERCIAL USE ONLY IN NORTH AMERICAAP - Japan says it will soon require atomic reactors to be shut down after 40 years of use to improve safety following the nuclear crisis set off by last year's tsunami.

17,500 jobs added in December, but jobless rate up (Reuters)

Posted: 06 Jan 2012 09:11 AM PST

Reuters - Canada gained 17,500 jobs in December, but the jobless rate rose and the new positions were all part time, further evidence its post-recession hiring surge has ended even as U.S. jobs growth finally picks up the pace.

Whales strand in New Zealand; 7 dead, 18 refloated (AP)

Posted: 06 Jan 2012 09:19 PM PST

AP - Seven long-finned pilot whales died after being beached in New Zealand, but rescuers were confident Saturday they had saved the other 18 marine mammals that stranded.

China's new European trade hub: An Irish town of 18,000 (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 06 Jan 2012 09:32 AM PST

The Christian Science Monitor - As China's government readies to buy up European infrastructure, a trade hub slated for the Irish midlands could prove a showcase for the world's second-largest economy in a struggling continent and provide much needed jobs in debt-addled Ireland.

Claim and Counterclaim: Who Is Bombing Damascus? (Time.com)

Posted: 06 Jan 2012 09:05 PM PST

Time.com - The regime says terrorists are behind the attacks (and by extension the protests); the opposition claims the incidents are staged by the government

What the execution of 15 kidnapped Pakistani soldiers means (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 06 Jan 2012 08:21 AM PST

The Christian Science Monitor - Islamist militants killed 15 captive soldiers Thursday in an attack, dealing a blow for tentative peace talks between the government and the Pakistani Taliban.
Posted by Harshad at 1:32 AM

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)