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Senate debates bill on congressional approval of Iran deal

AP Photo/Jason DeCrow Buy AP Photo Reprints Latest News WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats and Republicans backing a bill to give Congress a chance to review a nuclear deal with Iran insisted on Tuesday that it be passed free of controversial add-ons that they claim could scuttle negotiations with Tehran, draw a presidential veto or leave lawmakers with no say on a national security threat. As written, the legislation would block President Barack Obama from waiving congressional sanctions for at least 30 days while lawmakers weigh in on any final deal the U.S. and five other nations can reach with Iran. And it would stipulate that if senators disapprove the deal, Obama would lose authority to waive certain economic penalties – an event that would certainly prompt a presidential veto. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid warned GOP presidential hopefuls in the Senate not to use it as a "platform for […]

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An Eroding Syrian Army Points to Strain

Photo Rebel fighters took up positions in Jobar, Syria, last week for what they called a battle to unite rebel factions against forces loyal to the president. Credit Amer Almohibany /Reuters BEIRUT, Lebanon — The Syrian Army has suffered a string of defeats from re-energized insurgents and is struggling to replenish its ranks as even pro-government families increasingly refuse to send sons to poorly defended units on the front lines. These developments raise newly urgent questions about the durability of President Bashar al-Assad ’s rule. “The trend lines for Assad are bad and getting worse,” said a senior United States official in Washington, who, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential intelligence assessments, nevertheless cautioned that things had not yet reached “a boiling point.” The erosion of the army is forcing the government to rely ever more heavily on Syrian and foreign militias, especially Hezbollah , the Lebanese […]

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Saudis Hit a Yemeni Airport, Possibly Closing Aid Route

SANA, Yemen — A Saudi-led military coalition carried out at least seven airstrikes on the international airport here on Tuesday, possibly crippling the airport in order to prevent an Iranian airplane from landing, according to Saudi and Yemeni officials. The airstrikes hit the main runway, endangering one of Yemen ’s last usable airports and a major transit point for global aid shipments. An airport official said the damage had made it impossible to use the runway. The bombings demonstrated the extent to which Yemen has become trapped in the escalating regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran . Saudi Arabia began its bombing campaign against the Houthi rebel movement in Yemen last month in large part to counter what Saudi officials saw as the influence of Iran, which has supported the Houthis. Saudi accusations that the Houthis were acting as an instrument of Iranian power were viewed by […]

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Saudi king resets succession to cope with turbulent times

RIYADH (Reuters) – Saudi King Salman appointed a new heir and made his young son second in line to rule on Wednesday, a major shift in power within the ultra conservative Saudi elite at a time of almost unprecedented regional turmoil. By making Interior Minister Mohammed bin Nayef, 55, crown prince and Defence Minister Mohammed bin Salman, 30, deputy crown prince, King Salman has effectively decided the line of succession for decades to come in the world’s top oil exporter. The reshuffle also cements relations with the United States. Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who replaces Prince Muqrin, the successor chosen by the late King Abdullah before his death in January, enjoys closer personal ties with U.S. officials than almost any other senior royal, diplomats have said. In another big shift, Salman replaced veteran Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, who had served in the role since October 1975, with the […]

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Riyadh’s Asian grit sends oil prices lower

Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi says oil-rich kingdom ready and willing to meet growing energy demands from Asian economies. File photo by Michael Kleinfeld/UPI NEW YORK, April 28 (UPI) — Saudi Arabia asserted its influence on an evolving market, sending crude oil prices lower Tuesday after saying it was ready to meet growing Chinese demand. "We are ready to meet all needs, and with the increasing number of people in Asia and the growth of the middle class, the demand for energy will increase," Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said at an energy meeting in China . "The demand will be met through a growing set of supplies." Oil prices started falling below the $100 per barrel mark in mid 2014 as U.S. oil production gains tipped the global market toward the supply side. Prices faltered further in November when Saudi Arabia said it would maintain a steady […]

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Ghana told to stop oil drilling

Ghana told to stop oil drilling thumbnail Ghana has been told by an international tribunal not to begin any new offshore drilling for oil in disputed waters with the Ivory Coast. The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea did, however, allow Ghana to continue developing current oilfields. These include the so called-Ten fields, part owned by UK firm Tullow Oil. Ivory Coast had asked that all drilling be suspended, but the tribunal ruled this would risk “considerable financial loss” to Ghana. Instead, it told the West African nation to “take all necessary steps to ensure than no new drilling either by Ghana or under its control takes place in the disputed area” and to “refrain from granting any new permit for oil exploration and exploitation in the disputed area”. ‘Call for restraint’ The area is believed to contain large reserves of oil, which both countries are keen […]

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Nigeria: ‘Missing’ U.S.$20 Billion Oil Money: Our Audit Report Not Reliable -PricewaterhouseCoopers

The much anticipated report of the forensic audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, operations on the missing $20 billion oil money may not amount to much after all, as PricewaterhouseCoopers Limited, the audit firm that conducted the probe, has said it cannot vouch for the integrity of its findings. In a startling introductory letter addressed to Nigeria’s Auditor General, the audit firm said findings in its 199-page report were limited to available information and did not constitute a review in accordance with generally accepted standards. "The procedures we performed did not constitute an examination or a review in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards or attestation standards," the firm said. "Accordingly, we provide no opinion, attestation or other form of assurance with respect to our work or the information upon which our work was based," it added. The report and all accompanying deliverables, the company pointed out, […]

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Venezuela to Begin Nationwide Power Rationing

CARACAS—Venezuela’s government, which heavily subsidizes electricity, will start rationing power nationwide as it faces a surge in demand for air conditioning amid a continuing heat wave, officials said Tuesday. The cuts will begin with some public-sector offices where the workday will be reduced to six hours from eight and where power use will be moderated, Vice President Jorge Arreaza said in an address broadcast on state television. He also promised inspections of large private consumers such as malls, hotels and other industries. He blamed the recent surge in power demand on climate change caused by excessive industrialization. “This is of course linked to global warming and the excessive industrialization of capitalism, which never stops, nor has ever stopped, for the effects that it can have on the climate, on society and on Mother Earth,” Mr. Arreaza said. The announcement comes one day after local reports of power outages affecting […]

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Japan Sees Clean Energy Edging Out Nuclear Power in 2030

An installation trainee secures a solar panel in Wrexham, Wales. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg Japan anticipates that by 2030 clean energy such as solar and hydro will generate slightly more of the nation’s electricity than nuclear power plants. Clean energy sources will supply as much as 24 percent of Japan’s electricity in 15 years, while atomic power will account for as much as 22 percent, according to a draft report from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on what Japan’s electricity mix should look like by 2030. Though the eagerly-awaited report — the result of months of study by a ministry panel debating the electricity mix — continues to see a need for nuclear, the draft proposes a diminished role compared with before the Fukushima disaster of March 2011. Nuclear power accounted for more than a quarter of Japan’s electricity generation before the meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi reactors. […]

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