Oil hovers above $106 amid tensions with Iran
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- Published on Wednesday, 22 February 2012 10:04
SINGAPORE — Oil prices hovered above $106 a barrel Wednesday in Asia amid concern that conflict over Iran's nuclear program could lead to global crude supply disruptions.
Benchmark crude for April delivery was up 11 cents to $106.36 per barrel late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $2.65 to settle at $106.25, the highest since May, in New York on Tuesday.
Brent crude was down 16 cents at $121.50 per barrel in London.
Oil has jumped from $96 earlier this month amid escalating tension between Western powers and Iran.
On Tuesday, Iran Gen. Mohammed Hejazi warned his country is prepared to carry out a pre-emptive strike against any nation that threatens Iran. His comments followed Iran's announcement of war games to practice protecting nuclear and other sensitive sites — viewed as a message to the U.S. and Israel that the Islamic Republic is ready both to defend itself and to retaliate against an armed strike.
Iran said over the weekend that it will stop selling oil to Britain and France in retaliation for a planned European oil embargo this summer.
Komen drops plan to cut Planned Parenthood grants
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- Published on Friday, 03 February 2012 11:43
Associated Press
NEW YORK — After three days of controversy, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast-cancer charity says it is reversing its decision to cut breast-screening grants to Planned Parenthood.
"We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women's lives," a Komen statement said.
As first reported by The Associated Press on Tuesday, Komen had adopted criteria excluding Planned Parenthood from grants because it was under government investigation, notably a probe launched in Congress at the urging of anti-abortion groups.
Komen said Friday it would change the criteria so it wouldn't apply to such investigations.
Nation's oldest federal judge dies at age 104
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- Published on Tuesday, 24 January 2012 10:30
Associated Press
WICHITA, Kan. — The nation's oldest sitting federal judge has died at age 104.
His law clerk, Nanette Turner Kalcik, says U.S. District Judge Wesley Brown passed away Monday night at the Wichita assisted living center where he lived.
Brown was appointed as a federal district judge in 1962 by then-President John F. Kennedy. In 1979, Brown officially took senior status, a type of semi-retirement. But he continued to carry a full load of cases decades later.
Brown's long tenure on the federal bench rivals that of Joseph Woodrough, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, who had been the longest practicing judge in the federal judiciary when he died in 1977 at age 104.
Gingrich says he can 'shake up' nation's capital
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- Published on Monday, 23 January 2012 09:31
Associated Press
TAMPA, Fla. — Fresh off a big win in South Carolina, Republican Newt Gingrich found himself on defense Monday as the volatile GOP presidential contest shifted to Florida.
The former House speaker answered critics who questioned his temperament by saying he would be a nominee who would "shake up Washington." He also accused chief rival Mitt Romney of misstating his dealings with mortgage giant Freddie Mac.
Appearing on ABC's "Good Morning America" hours before a campaign rally in Tampa, Gingrich basked in his come-from-behind triumph in South Carolina. His win made for three different winners in the first three states, with former Sen. Rick Santorum winning Iowa and Romney taking New Hampshire.
Gingrich's campaign said it had raked in $1 million in the first 24 hours since South Carolina's primary Saturday.
Frequently the aggressor in the race, Gingrich is taking fire from all sides now as Florida campaigning ramps up ahead of the pivotal Jan. 31 primary.
Romney has been calling Gingrich a lobbyist and demanded that he release consulting contracts related to Freddie Mac. Gingrich flatly denied lobbying on the firm's behalf.
Oil price below $99 on new Europe debt concerns
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- Published on Friday, 13 January 2012 10:27
Associated Press
NEW YORK — Oil prices are lower Friday on fresh concerns about Europe's economy.
Benchmark crude fell 39 cents to $98.71 per barrel in New York. Brent crude fell 20 cents to $110.85 per barrel in London.
Prices dipped on reports that credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's will downgrade France and Austria. The Financial Times reported that those countries would be dropped from triple-A to AA+.
A downgrade could make it harder for the European Union to raise money and overcome massive government debts. A recession already is expected in the eurozone, and huge spending cuts will likely cut European energy demand this year.
In the U.S., gasoline pump prices rose 1 cent to a national average of $3.39 per gallon.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Il dead at 69
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- Published on Sunday, 18 December 2011 22:03
Associated Press
PYONGYANG, North Korea — Kim Jong Il, North Korea's mercurial and enigmatic longtime leader, has died of heart failure. He was 69.
In a "special broadcast" Monday from the North Korean capital, state media said Kim died of a heart ailment on a train due to a "great mental and physical strain" on Dec. 17 during a "high intensity field inspection." It said an autopsy was done on Dec. 18 and "fully confirmed" the diagnosis.
Kim is believed to have suffered a stroke in 2008, but he had appeared relatively vigorous in photos and video from recent trips to China and Russia and in numerous trips around the country carefully documented by state media. The communist country's "Dear Leader" — reputed to have had a taste for cigars, cognac and gourmet cuisine — was believed to have had diabetes and heart disease.
AP: 5.6 magnitude quake rattles Oklahoma
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- Published on Sunday, 06 November 2011 00:42
Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY — A 5.6 magnitude earthquake has rocked central Oklahoma, rattling buildings across a wide area and a stadium where a football game had just concluded, but authorities said they had no immediate reports of injuries or major damages
The quake was a latest in a series of quakes to hit the state in a 24-hour period, including a 4.7-magnitude quake early Saturday.
Michelann Ooten, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, said no injuries were reported to emergency management officials and she had no reports of major damages.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported from Golden, Colo., on its website that it monitored a 5.6 magnitude quake at 10:53 p.m. local time Saturday and said it was centered about 44 miles east-northeast of Oklahoma City. It had initially reported the temblor as a 5.2 magnitude quake.
Apple says company co-founder Steve Jobs has died
- Details
- Published on Wednesday, 05 October 2011 19:27
Associated Press
CUPERTINO, Calif. — Steve Jobs, the Apple founder and former CEO who invented and masterfully marketed ever-sleeker gadgets that transformed everyday technology, from the personal computer to the iPod and iPhone, has died. He was 56.
Apple announced his death without giving a specific cause.
"We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today," the company said in a brief statement.
"Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve"
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