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Iranian president defends interim nuclear deal

AP Photo TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s president defended an interim nuclear deal that eases some of the international community’s crippling economic sanctions in return for a freeze on part of the Islamic Republic’s uranium enrichment activities, saying Saturday that improving the economy is as important as maintaining a peaceful nuclear program. Since Iran signed the interim agreement last month with world powers, President Hassan Rouhani has been trying to convince skeptics and hard-liners at home that Iran is not compromising on key issues of national sovereignty. It’s a task that will become all the more difficult for the moderate leader as Tehran moves toward a final accord six months from now. “Nuclear technology and uranium enrichment is our definite right,” Rouhani said in a speech to university students that was broadcast live on state TV. “But progress, better living conditions and welfare for the people is also our […]

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Iran deal could spell trouble for OPEC, Mideast

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Dec. 6 (UPI) — Iran’s expected return to full oil production after several years of U.S.-led sanctions over its nuclear program will sharpen its feud with its longtime rival, Saudi Arabia, which will have to cope with Iraq’s mounting output as well, while the United States moves toward self-sufficiency. If the landmark interim agreement reached in Geneva Nov. 24 expands into a more lasting deal, Iran can be expected to go all-out to restore its lost market share, sharpening the friction with Saudi Arabia at a time when the Middle East is on a knife-edge over a potential region-wide conflict between the two branches of Islam these states represent. Iran’s full return to the market could take as long as two years, as production is restored and foreign investment sought to upgrade Iran’s antiquated oil industry to counter the declining output from mature fields that […]

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Venezuela's president tightens grip on media

As Gov. Henrique Capriles campaigned for president of Venezuela last April, he couldn’t venture more than a few steps without being hounded by dozens of sharp-elbowed cameramen and photographers. Nearly eight months later, the visibly thinner and exhausted opposition leader is accompanied by just a handful of journalists at what was supposed to be one of the final, electrifying opposition rallies ahead of this weekend’s mayoral elections. Critics say the shrinking media coverage has been deliberate. Even while Venezuelans endure their toughest economic crisis in 15 years of socialist rule, the opposition has been largely knocked from public view by what they claim is a government-led campaign to intimidate media outlets that give airtime to the opposition and the nation’s mounting woes. Between January and September, the number of attacks on journalists, cases of harassment and reports of censorship has risen 56 percent […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Venezuela’s president tightens grip on media

As Gov. Henrique Capriles campaigned for president of Venezuela last April, he couldn’t venture more than a few steps without being hounded by dozens of sharp-elbowed cameramen and photographers. Nearly eight months later, the visibly thinner and exhausted opposition leader is accompanied by just a handful of journalists at what was supposed to be one of the final, electrifying opposition rallies ahead of this weekend’s mayoral elections. Critics say the shrinking media coverage has been deliberate. Even while Venezuelans endure their toughest economic crisis in 15 years of socialist rule, the opposition has been largely knocked from public view by what they claim is a government-led campaign to intimidate media outlets that give airtime to the opposition and the nation’s mounting woes. Between January and September, the number of attacks on journalists, cases of harassment and reports of censorship has risen 56 percent […]

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Shanghai Hit by Heavy Air Pollution

Shanghai’s air pollution went off the charts on Friday as a thick gray smog shrouded its famously luminous skyline, in the latest high-profile episode highlighting China’s pervasive environmental woes. Officials called for factory closures and curbs on official car use to counter hazardous levels of particulate matter in the air, while airlines delayed or canceled some flights, according to local authorities. Commuters wore face masks and some rushed to purchase air purifiers at supermarkets. Parks were left empty. Schools remained open, although the Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau suggested children, the aged and people with heart, lung, or other chronic diseases stay indoors. “It’s too hazardous to let him go to the kindergarten on such a smoggy day,” said Shen Lan, a 32-year-old airport manager, referring to her five-year old son. “I have kept the air purifier working at home all day and night,” she said. “But that’s not enough. […]

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Record air pollution cancels flights in Shanghai

Shanghai smog Shanghai smog Shanghai smog Shanghai smog Shanghai smog Hundreds of flights were delayed or canceled Friday in Shanghai as record levels of air pollution shrouded China’s commercial hub in smog, prompting authorities to urge residents to stay indoors. On Friday afternoon, the Shanghai government issued its most severe health warning as the city’s pollution index ranged between 23 times and 31 times the levels recommended by international health officials. In the first such advice since a new health warning system was launched in April, authorities urged residents to stay indoors and asked factories to either cut or halt production. Most of the flights leaving Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport, one of the world’s busiest cargo airports, were delayed due to decreased visibility, according to the airport’s website. Hazardous air pollution forced schools to shut or suspend outdoor activities in at least two other cities in eastern China on […]

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Japan to Call Nuclear Power 'Important'

In an attempt to overturn the previous administration’s pledge to phase out nuclear power, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government will call it an “important source of energy for the country” in its new energy plan. The first draft of the plan disclosed at an expert panel meeting Friday described nuclear power as a way to “stabilize Japan’s energy supply-demand structure” and said that the country will continue to use it. Given the traumas of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident and widespread public opposition to nuclear power, the government’s declaration of the importance of nuclear energy is a significant step toward trying to restart some of Japan’s 50 currently idled reactors. The panel, appointed by Mr. Abe’s government, has been discussing the plan since the premier took office after his party won a landslide victory in the Lower House elections in December 2012. While Mr. Abe has made bringing […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Japan to Call Nuclear Power ‘Important’

In an attempt to overturn the previous administration’s pledge to phase out nuclear power, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government will call it an “important source of energy for the country” in its new energy plan. The first draft of the plan disclosed at an expert panel meeting Friday described nuclear power as a way to “stabilize Japan’s energy supply-demand structure” and said that the country will continue to use it. Given the traumas of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident and widespread public opposition to nuclear power, the government’s declaration of the importance of nuclear energy is a significant step toward trying to restart some of Japan’s 50 currently idled reactors. The panel, appointed by Mr. Abe’s government, has been discussing the plan since the premier took office after his party won a landslide victory in the Lower House elections in December 2012. While Mr. Abe has made bringing […]

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Fukushima Nuclear Situation Still ‘Very Complex’ Despite Progress

IAEA Water Storage Tanks The UN’s nuclear watchdog on Wednesday delivered a preliminary report on their review of Japan’s efforts to plan and implement the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station that suffered a meltdown during the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami of 2011. Following a 10-day visit, a 19-member team of experts praised Japan for making progress on shutting down the crippled plant, but warned that the situation there remained “very complex”. The International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) team also acknowledged that processed water now kept on site would probably have to be dumped in the ocean. “We are still at the beginning of a lengthy process but Japan is gaining a better understanding of the situation, an understanding that is critical to address the challenges,” said team leader Juan Carlos Lentijo, Director of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology at the IAEA […]

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US Rig Count Increased By 12 This Week to 1,775

Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. increased by 12 this week to 1,775. The Houston-based company said in its weekly report Friday that 1,397 rigs were exploring for oil and 375 for gas. Three were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago there were 1,800 active rigs. Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Texas gained eight rigs, Oklahoma rose by five, California gained two and Alaska, Utah and West Virginia each increased by one. Louisiana and Pennsylvania each dropped two rigs, while Colorado and North Dakota lost one each. Arkansas, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio and Wyoming remained unchanged. The U.S. rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981 and bottomed at 488 in 1999. More Post a Comment

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple