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Iran and world powers near to signing historic nuclear deal

USA’s Secretary of State John Kerry aarives in Geneva ©Getty John Kerry arrives in Geneva Iran and six world powers are scrambling to sign a historic interim deal to rein in the Iranian nuclear programme, even as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu tries to scupper the agreement. In what would be the first substantive pact on the issue in many years, foreign ministers from the US, Britain, France and Germany converged on Geneva in a last-minute move to sign a preliminary deal with Iran. Diplomats said the talks had made considerable progress and indicated that an agreement could be reached later on Friday or Saturday, although they stressed that there were still some obstacles. However, even before a deal was announced in Geneva, Mr Netanyahu said Israel “utterly rejects” the agreement being discussed and launched a withering attack of the diplomatic efforts. “Israel is not obliged by this agreement […]

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Iran Talks Strain Mideast Alliances

Israel tried to stave off an emerging agreement between Iran and global powers aimed at preventing Tehran from attaining a nuclear weapon, underlining the chasm that has opened up between the Obama administration and its closest Middle East allies over how to deal with their nemesis. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu railed against the expected accord in particularly harsh terms Friday, calling on Western allies to “reconsider” after three meetings in two days with Secretary of State John Kerry . President Barack Obama called the Israeli leader in an attempt to calm the furor. “The deal that is being discussed in Geneva right now is a bad deal,” Mr. Netanyahu said in Tel Aviv after meeting with Mr. Kerry. “Iran isn’t even required to take apart even one centrifuge, but the international community is relieving sanctions on Iran.…I urged Secretary Kerry not to rush to sign—to wait, to reconsider. […]

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Netanyahu Attack on Iran Deal Threatens Rift With U.S.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s rejection of a potential agreement on Iran’s nuclear program , which he denounced as a “very bad deal,” threatens to ignite the most serious U.S.- Israel dispute in years. His public criticism follows a series of meetings on the topic with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry , who flew to Geneva today to join talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. They’re seeking to nail down the first step in an accord that would relieve some sanctions against Iran if it curtails certain nuclear activities. The clash over Iran negotiations follows an effort by President Barack Obama to reassure Netanyahu of his support for Israel, including a trip there in March, after a series of disputes. Kerry’s talks with Netanyahu have sought to avoid a blanket rejection of initial moves toward a nuclear pact, which could fuel opponents in the U.S. […]

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Bombings, shootings in Iraq kill 19 people

AP Photo BAGHDAD (AP) — A bomb exploded on a busy street filled with shoppers in northern Iraq, part of a series of attacks that killed at least 19 people Friday, officials said, the latest in a wave of violence roiling the country. The explosion struck a commercial street in Mosul, killing 12 people and wounding 30, police said. Hassan Mahmoud, the owner of an ice cream shop along the street, said he was thrown on the ground by the powerful explosion. “I went outside my shop to see pieces of flesh scattered all around the place with wounded people screaming for help,” Mahmoud said. “The scene was horrific.” Earlier Friday, a bomb exploded just after Friday prayers as Sunni worshippers left the Ali Bin Abi Talib mosque in Baghdad’s western Shurta district. A second bomb, planted further down the street, exploded seconds later as worshippers tried to flee […]

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Libyan army launches push for order in troubled Benghazi

BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) – Libyan’s army moved into Benghazi in eastern Libya on Friday, a show of force aimed at restoring order in the country’s second largest city, rocked by almost daily bombings and assassinations. Security in the port city, an important part of Libya’s oil infrastructure, has deteriorated in the past few months with armed militants and radical Islamists roaming unchallenged, highlighting the anarchy in the OPEC producer two years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi. Most countries have closed their consulates in Benghazi after a series of attacks and some foreign airlines have stopped flying there. The U.S. ambassador was killed in September 2012 during an Islamist assault on the consulate. Stability in the region is key for oil supplies as around 60 percent of oil production comes from the country’s eastern half. Hundreds of armored troop carriers and army trucks mounted with guns drove through the […]

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Libyans protest against out-of-control militias

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — Dozens of protesters marched in Libya’s capital Friday, demonstrating against the out-of-control militias plaguing the country after a late-night battle between two warring factions in Tripoli killed three people. Protesters said they’d give militias stationed in the capital three days before marching on their headquarters and forcing them out. Raising banners that read “Tripoli without weaponry.” protesters called upon the interim government to implement an earlier decision to bring the militias under control. The militias face an end-of-year deadline to disband or join the Libyan security forces, at the risk of losing their government salaries. After the killing of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, former rebels formed armed groups to provide protection amid a security vacuum. They later mushroomed in number and now fight over power and influence. The protests came after intense clashes erupted Thursday night between two rival militias in the heart […]

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Egypt turns to Russia as relations with Washington sour

The Russian foreign and defence ministers will travel to Egypt next week on a visit seen as signalling a growing rapprochement between the two countries as the military-backed authorities in Cairo reach out for new allies and seek to lessen dependence on Washington. A Russian official spokesman said that Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister, and Sergei Shoigu, the defence minister, will discuss issues touching on “military and technical co-operation” – seen as a Russian euphemism for arms sales. Cairo’s relations with Washington , its primary aid donor and military supplier for four decades, have frayed since the coup in July, which ousted the Islamist Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s first elected president. As tensions with Washington increased over the summer culminating in a US decision to withhold part of its annual $1.3bn in military aid, Egyptian officials started to hint that their country would seek a realignment in its foreign relations. […]

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Report: Cyprus, energy company Total review LNG prospects

NICOSIA, Cyprus, Nov. 8 (UPI) — The Cyprus government reached an agreement with French energy company Total for a liquefied natural gas plant in the country, The Cyprus Mail reported Friday On Thursday, the two sides signed a memorandum under which they will examine the prospects for an LNG plant along the southern coast of Cyprus, the report said. In February, Total was awarded the rights to explore two reserve areas in the country’s economic zone. The newspaper reported Total has yet to carry out any exploration activity in the reserve areas. A survey is expected in late 2015 and, if the presence of hydrocarbons is confirmed, drilling could take place by 2016. Total likely won’t make a formal decision on whether to move ahead with the LNG project until 2017, the newspaper said. The Mediterranean island nation is considered frontier energy territory. Its offshore area could hold nearly […]

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Asia taking on more of world's oil, OPEC says

VIENNA, Nov. 8 (UPI) — Asian economies are expected to account for a significant portion of the global demand for oil, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries said. OPEC published its 283-page World Oil Outlook Thuesday. It said oil demand from India is expected to more than double from its 2012 level to 9.3 million barrels per day by 2035. Chinese oil demand follows a similar trend, with an 80 percent increase from 2012 levels to 17.5 million barrels per day in 2035. “This will result in a significant change in future oil movements, which is projected to flow increasingly eastward, attracted by demand increases in Asia,” the report said. The cartel said it expected oil demand to increase from the global level of 107.3 million bpd in 2012 to 108.5 million bpd by 2035. “Of this increase, developing Asia accounts for 88 percent, while demand in China, India […]

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Asia taking on more of world’s oil, OPEC says

VIENNA, Nov. 8 (UPI) — Asian economies are expected to account for a significant portion of the global demand for oil, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries said. OPEC published its 283-page World Oil Outlook Thuesday. It said oil demand from India is expected to more than double from its 2012 level to 9.3 million barrels per day by 2035. Chinese oil demand follows a similar trend, with an 80 percent increase from 2012 levels to 17.5 million barrels per day in 2035. “This will result in a significant change in future oil movements, which is projected to flow increasingly eastward, attracted by demand increases in Asia,” the report said. The cartel said it expected oil demand to increase from the global level of 107.3 million bpd in 2012 to 108.5 million bpd by 2035. “Of this increase, developing Asia accounts for 88 percent, while demand in China, India […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple