Monday 25 November 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

PM Nawaz to reach Karachi today

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will reachi Karachi today on a one-day visit today. On his arrival the PM will be briefed on about the third phase of the ongoing operation against the criminal elements in Karachi.The PM will also lay the foundation stone of two 1,000 megawatt civil nuclear power projects being built with the assistance of China.

Practical steps needed to stop drone strikes: Altaf

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LONDON (Dunya News) – Talking to Coordination Committee members from London, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain said that practical steps are needed to stop drone attack in Pakistan instead of verbal protests.Altaf Hussain said that his party will join anti-drone protests if Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) announce to stage sit-ins till death in front of President House, PM House, GHQ, Heaquarters of armed forces and embassies of US, UK and other NATO countries.Altaf Hussain also urged PTI and JI to raise their voice against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other banned organizations.

PTI to resume sit-in against NATO supply today

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PESHAWAR (Dunya News) - Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) and its allied parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) will resume sit-ins in five districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa today (Tuesday) to block NATO supply.Earlier, on the second day of protests, the PTI workers blocked NATO containers in five districts including Peshawar’s Ring Road, Khairabad, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu and Charsadda interchange.The PTI workers setup a camp at the Hayatabad Interchange and checked the documents of truck drivers headed toward Afghanistan as they passed through a toll booth.PTI workers stopped Torkham-bound vehicles and after checking their documents allowed them to go. The checking of document of vehicles also caused huge traffic jam in the area.

Dasti announces to block NATO supply in Muzaffargar

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MUZAFFARGARH Dunya News) – MAN Jamshaid Dasti has said that like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Karachi, the NATO supply will also be blocked in South Punjab in protest against drone strikes.He said that labourers, students and people from all walks of life will participate in the sit-in in South Punjab.Jamshaid Dasti said that he himself will lead sit-in in Muzaffargar today (Tuesday). He said that South Punjab will also be targeted by drones it NATO supply not blocked.

Afghan leader, Rice at odds over security deal

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KABUL (AP) - Afghanistans president and the U.S. delivered blunt messages to each other Monday that gave no indication of a resolution of their disagreements over a pact that governs the future of the American troop presence in the country.Hamid Karzai said he wont back down from his refusal to sign during the rest of his term in office, with National Security Adviser Susan Rice responding that this would mean the U.S. would then plan to pull out all its forces after 2014.Their meeting in Kabul came the day after Karzais surprise decision to ignore Sundays recommendation by an Afghan assembly of dignitaries to sign the Bilateral Security Agreement, a refusal that cast doubt on whether American and allied troops would remain in Afghanistan to train Afghan forces after most foreign troops withdraw next year.According to Karzais office, he told Rice during Mondays meeting that he wouldnt back down from that decision, deferring it to whoever succeeds him as president in April elections.The White House said Rice responded by telling Karzai that the United States will plan to pull all troops out of his country after 2014 if he doesnt promptly sign.It added that Rice told Karzai that a signed agreement is necessary to plan for thousands of troops to stay in the country to train and mentor Afghan security forces to face the Taliban.President Karzai outlined new conditions for signing the agreement and indicated he is not prepared to sign the BSA promptly, the White House said. Without a prompt signature, the U.S. would have no choice but to initiate planning for a post-2014 future in which there would be no U.S. orNATO troop presence in Afghanistan, she told the Afghan president.Karzai announced his decision at a gathering of 2,500 tribal elders and regional leaders known as a Loya Jirga, even though the council not only overwhelmingly approved the deal after a four-day meeting but urged him to sign it by Dec. 31.Washington has asked him to change his mind. But the mercurial Karzai, in the meeting with Rice, says he laid out a series of new demands albeit ones mostly involving steps the U.S. has already said it would take.One new demand was that the United States should address a suggestion by the Loya Jirga that all Afghan prisoners be released from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.According to the statement, Karzai said the United States of America should respond to the suggestion mentioned in the resolution of the Loya Jirga to free all the afghan prisoners in Guantanamo.There are nearly 20 Afghans currently being held at the American facility in Cuba.Karzais office said that in the meeting with Rice, he also asked for further assurances from the United States that its forces will not raid Afghan homes and that America express a sincere commitment to help start stalled peace talks with the Taliban. He also reiterated his demand that the United States commit to holding free and transparent elections on April 5.The statement further added that Karzai asked Rice to convey his concerns about the raids and peace talks to President Barack Obama so that he can give assurances regarding the issues to the Afghan people.Obama has already addressed the issue of raids in a letter to Karzai last week that was read to the assembly.In it, Obama assured Karzai that under the agreement, the U.S. will continue to respect Afghan sovereignty. He also said the U.S. military will not conduct raids on homes except under extraordinary circumstances involving urgent risks to U.S. nationals.The US has repeatedly urged Karzai to sign a deal that would allow about 8,000 American troops to stay in the country beyond a 2014 withdrawal deadline.The two-term Afghan leader has insisted that the winner of an April 5 election to succeed him should be the one to sign the deal. More than $8 billion in annual funds for Afghanistans fledgling security forces and development assistance also are at stake.Karzai may be seemed concerned about his legacy, worried he might be seen as responsible for an agreement that some Afghans will likely see as selling out to foreign interests.Karzais statement said that Rice told the Afghan president that the U.S. was committed to transparent elections that will be held on time and without interference as prescribed by Afghan law.It added that Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, the top U.S. and coalition commander, told Karzai he had ordered his troops to act according to the security agreement and suggestions of the consultative Loya Jirga.But is also said Rice did not provide a commitment on the peace talks.Karzai has blamed the United States for the collapse of talks that were to be held at a Taliban office in the Gulf State of Qatar.The Taliban office which opened in Doha last June after talks between the United States and Qatar closed after Karzai accused the religious movement of trying to set up a government-in-exile by identifying its office as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.A furious Karzai told the Loya Jirga delegates on Sunday that Obama had promised him the Taliban would not open an embassy.Rice met with Karzai at the end of a previously unannounced three-day trip to Afghanistan to visit U.S. troops and civilians for the Thanksgiving holidays, the White House said, adding that the meeting was at Karzais request. Her spokesman, Patrick Ventrell, said the meeting was the last stop on her trip.Karzai, who had convened the Loya Jirga, complicated the debate by announcing on the opening day that he wanted delegates to endorse the deal but he would not sign it.He repeated that stance Sunday laying down a series of ill-defined conditions and promising to continue negotiations with the United States. They included demands that America ensure peace in a country that has been at war for more than 12 years and guarantee transparent elections.

35 dead in Iraq attacks as France offers help

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraq attacks, including a market bombing and the assassination of a former MP, killed 35 people Monday as France offered to help combat a surge in bloodshed ahead of elections.The protracted rise in violence, which has seen at least 500 people killed already this month, has fuelled fears Iraq is on the brink of plunging back into the brutal Sunni-Shiite sectarian war that plagued it years ago.Officials have also voiced concern over a resurgent Al-Qaeda emboldened by the civil war in neighbouring Syria, which has provided jihadist fighters in Iraq with rear bases to plan operations.Mondays attacks struck the capital and predominantly Sunni Arab areas north of Baghdad that have borne the brunt of the worsening unrest, which has killed more than 5,900 people this year.The deadliest was at a local market in the Sadriyah neighbourhood of central Baghdad, where an evening bombing killed at least 16 people and wounded 36 others as Iraqis gathered at restaurants and cafes and to shop.The market had been closed off entirely to vehicle traffic after a massive car bomb in April 2007 killed 140 people, the worst in a spate of Baghdad bombings that day that left 190 people dead in all, during the peak of Iraqs bloody sectarian conflict.Elsewhere in the capital, a car bomb targeting a police station killed four policemen, while another bombing, this one targeting Sahwa anti-Al-Qaeda militiamen, killed one fighter and wounded four.From late 2006 onwards, Sunni tribal militias, known as the Sahwa, turned against their co-religionists in Al-Qaeda and sided with the US military, helping to turn the tide of Iraqs insurgency.Sunni militants view them as traitors and frequently target them.Also on Monday, three people, including a justice ministry employee, were killed in separate attacks in Baghdad.In the northern city of Mosul, a car bomb in a residential area killed five people, while a magnetic sticky bomb attached to a car killed its driver.Another vehicle rigged with explosives was set off at a joint checkpoint manned by the Iraqi army and the Kurdish peshmerga security forces. Two peshmerga fighters and a soldier were killed.In the restive city of Baquba north of Baghdad a Shiite man was killed by a sticky bomb attached to his car.In the lone reported attack south of the capital, meanwhile, a former lawmaker was gunned down.Jamal Mohsen, a Sunni Arab former MP from the predominantly Shiite Muslim city of Nasiriyah, was shot dead inside his house on the outskirts of the city.Police also found the body of a woman who had been shot dead the previous night near Tikrit.The government and security forces have insisted that raids and operations across much of western and northern Iraq, areas dominated by Iraqs Sunni minority, are having an impact.But diplomats, analysts and rights groups say the government is not doing enough to address the root causes of the unrest, particularly disquiet among Sunnis over alleged mistreatment at the hands of the Shiite-led authorities.Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki nevertheless used a recent trip to Washington to push for greater intelligence sharing and the timely delivery of new weapons systems in a bid to combat militants.Turkey has also pledged to help, and France on Monday offered weapons, training and intelligence cooperation.We are absolutely willing to help Iraq in its fight against terrorism, in terms of equipment, training, intelligence, and care for the wounded, French Ambassador to Baghdad Denys Gauer said in a speech marking the visit of a French trade delegation.Asked after his speech at the Rasheed Hotel in Baghdads heavily fortified Green Zone if that help included the sale of weapons, Gauer responded: Yes, of course.

UN: Syria peace talks to take place Jan. 22

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GENEVA (AP) - Syrias government and opposition will meet for the first time on Jan. 22 in Geneva, in an attempt to halt the nearly 3-year-old civil war that has killed more than 100,000 people, the United Nations announced Monday.Previous attempts to bring the two sides together have failed, mainly because of disputes over who should represent the Syrian opposition and government, Syrian President Bashar Assads future role in the country, and whether Iran, Saudi Arabia and other regional powers should be at the table.U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the government and opposition to help the conference succeed by taking steps to stop the violence, provide access for desperately needed humanitarian aid, release detainees, and help hundreds of thousands of refugees and internally displaced people return to their homes.We go with a clear understanding: The Geneva conference is the vehicle for a peaceful transition that fulfills the legitimate aspirations of all the Syrian people for freedom and dignity, and which guarantees safety and protection to all communities in Syria, he told reporters at U.N. headquarters.He said a key goal of the conference would be the establishment of a transitional government with powers over military and security. A full list of participants has not yet been decided.The U.N. did not specify who will be representing Syrias opposition at the talks, but Britains foreign secretary said the main opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition, will participate. The group has limited control over the myriad rebel groups fighting Assads forces.Khaled Saleh, a spokesman for group, said it had not yet decided who it would send, but remained dead set against inviting Iran to the talks.Iran, a staunch supporter of Assad, has given him significant financial support and is believed to have sent military advisers, trained pro-government militiamen and directed one of its proxies, Lebanons Shiite Muslim Hezbollah group, to fight alongside Assads troops.We want to have a successful conference, and we are not interested in a conference that is going to waste time; we are not interested in a conference that is going to justify killing more Syrians, he said.As of now, what I can say is Iran is not a party thats welcome given the current circumstances to attend the conference. If they change their positions, they start pulling out, and stop killing Syrians; we will start talking about them attending to the conference.The Syrian Foreign Ministry said in a letter to Ban that ending support for the armed terrorist groups in Syria is crucial for any political solution to the crisis in Syria to succeed and to give such a political process credibility in the eyes of the Syrian people. Contents of the letter were broadcast on Syrian TV on Monday.The U.N.s goal is based on the roadmap for a Syrian political transition adopted by the U.S., Russia and other major powers at a Geneva conference on Syria in June 2012, to which the warring sides were not invited.The roadmap envisioned the establishment of a transitional governing body with full executive powers agreed to by both sides, and ending with elections. But there has been no agreement on how to implement it. One of the biggest sticking points has been the future role of Assad.

11 dead in mortar fire on Aleppo: Syria state media

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DAMASCUS (AFP) - Eleven people were killed on Monday in mortar fire on a regime-held district of Syrias northern city of Aleppo, state media reported.Eleven killed and 20 others injured in a terrorist mortar attack on Jamilia district, the news agency SANA reported, citing a police source in the city.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also said that 11 people were killed in the attack, saying rebel fighters had fired the mortar rounds.Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said the dead were civilians, and included three children.He said the number of fatalities could rise as several of the wounded were in critical condition.Jamilia lies in just west of central Aleppo, which is divided between rebel and regime control.Fighting began in Syrias second city in mid-2012, with rebels forces capturing large swathes of the east, but the regime maintaining control of much of the west of the city.Once a key economic hub for the country, much of Aleppo has been reduced to ruins by more than 18 months of fighting.

Obama defends Iran policy amid Israel anger

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SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - US President Barack Obama defended his administrations Iran policy on Monday but said huge challenges remained to successfully implement a landmark deal on Tehrans nuclear ambitions.Obama has come under fierce criticism from Republican rivals at home and key allies abroad, such as Israel, for pursuing a diplomatic solution to the Iran question.Israel decried the breakthrough agreement reached in Geneva on Sunday -- under which Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear program in return for an easing of sanctions -- as a historic mistake.Obama, however, insisted that the US policy of diplomacy twinned with sanctions had been more productive than rhetoric, stating that tough talk alone would not guarantee US security.For the first time in a decade, weve halted the progress on Irans nuclear program, Obama said. Key parts of the program will be rolled back.Obama said diplomacy would continue over the coming months in a bit to settle once and for all the threat of Irans nuclear program.Huge challenges remain, but we cannot close the door on diplomacy, and we cannot rule out peaceful solutions to the worlds problems, Obama said.We cannot commit ourselves to an endless cycle of violence, and tough talk and bluster may be the easy thing to do politically, but its not the right thing for our security.Earlier Monday, France said the European Union could begin lifting sanctions on Iran next month as world powers set about implementing the deal with Tehran while seeking to placate a furious Israel.In a radio interview, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said EU foreign ministers were to meet next month to discuss lifting some sanctions as part of the deal, a move he said could take place in December.One senior Western diplomat, who refused to be named, told AFP the focus in the coming weeks would be swift implementation.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday decided to send his national security advisor to Washington for talks on Iran after warning the deal will convince Tehran it has a free hand to achieve a breakout nuclear capability.Obama has repeatedly tried to reassure Netanyahu, calling him on Sunday to discuss the issue.The Geneva deal came just days after Irans supreme leader described Israel as a rabid dog that was doomed to collapse.Tehran has a long history of belligerent statements towards the Jewish state, and Israel -- the Middle Easts sole if undeclared nuclear power -- has repeatedly warned that a nuclear Iran would pose an existential threat.

Football: Chelsea ready to clinch last 16 berth

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PARIS (AFP) - Chelsea travel to Switzerland to face FC Basel in the Champions League on Tuesday knowing that a point will be enough to seal their place in the last 16.Last year, as reigning European champions, the Blues were eliminated in the group stage, but while they have not always convinced since the return to the dugout of Jose Mourinho, they have seized control of Group E since a shock home defeat to Basel in September.That 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge has been followed by comprehensive victories away to Steaua Bucharest and twice against Schalke, Mourinhos men rattling in 10 goals and conceding none in those games to sit three points clear of the Germans at the top of the section.As they return to the St Jakob-Park, scene of a 2-1 win in the first leg of last seasons Europa League semi-final in April, Chelsea will be looking to extend a run of just one defeat in 13 matches in all competitions.They were convincing 3-0 winners away to West Ham United on Saturday, a result that left them in third place in the Premier League and eased concerns about their away form, which had previously been patchy.Veteran midfielder Frank Lampard scored twice against his former club at the weekend and now he is looking forward to gaining revenge on Basel following that September shocker.The great thing about that game is its a bit of a distant memory now, because of results since then, Lampard told Chelsea TV.It wasnt easy to go and win three on the bounce and we still have a bit more to do. We can put the record straight on Tuesday.We lost at home (to Basel), but we won there last year in the Europa League. Lets try to get that win. Then you can relax in that last game a little bit. We need to go and do the job.Against West Ham, Chelsea were without left-back Ashley Cole, who has not started any of the teams last three games, with Cesar Azpilicueta again deputising on the left of the defence. Fernando Torres has also been on the sidelines due to an adductor injury, although Mourinho has indicated that he is almost ready to return.The margins are fine for Chelsea, as a defeat in Switzerland would leave them just a point clear of Basel while also giving Schalke the chance to move level on points at the top if they can win away in Bucharest.Basel are fresh from celebrating their 120th birthday with a 4-1 win against Thun at the weekend which kept them clear at the top of their domestic Super League and have been beaten just once in 19 outings since early August.However, they have taken just one point from two home outings so far in this seasons group stage and a defeat here, coupled with a win for Schalke, will end their prospects of reaching the last 16.Coach Murat Yakin will look for his side to flourish in the role of underdog again, but must do without midfielder Marcelo Diaz after he suffered a broken rib while on international duty with Chile.

Aston Villa rallies for 2-2 draw with West Brom

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BIRMINGHAM (AP) - Aston Villa rallied from a two-goal deficit with second-half goals from Karim El Ahmadi and Ashley Westwood to secure a 2-2 draw at West Brom on Monday in a Premier League midlands derby.Shane Long gave West Brom a 2-0 lead with a third-minute strike and chip over Brad Guzan in the 11th.Stephane Sessegnon missed a chance to extend the lead and the Albion maintained control until halftime.Villa manager Paul Lambert made three changes 12 minutes into the second half, sending Andreas Weimann, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Fabian Delph into action and it paid off 10 minutes later when El Ahmadi volleyed in from Weimanns header.In the 76th, Agbonlahors cross was only cleared by Goran Popovs header as far as Westwood, who equalized with a long-range swerving shot.

Vettel wishes historic F1 season could continue

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SAO PAULO (AP) - Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull wouldnt mind having a few more races in the 2013 Formula One season.Vettel was more dominant than ever on his way to a fourth straight F1 title this year, setting records and establishing himself as one of the greatest drivers of all time.He won nine straight races to end the year and seemed ready to win just as many more if the season hadnt ended.Sundays win at the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix was a perfect way to cap his impressive year. He matched Michael Schumachers 2004 record of 13 wins in a season and equaled the nine consecutive wins of Alberto Ascari in 1952 and 53.Im actually quite sad that this season comes to an end, Vettel said. I think the last couple of races, really since the summer break, to win every race is unbelievable. The car has been phenomenal. Just kept getting better.Vettel won four of the first 10 races and was untouchable in the last nine, facing no challenges from the rest of the field. The last time a different driver won an F1 race was in July.Last week at the United States GP, he broke Schumachers 2004 mark of seven straight wins. At the Indian GP, the 26-year-old German became the youngest driver to win four world championships.I dont think that he can quite believe what he has achieved, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said. He has been so dominant. And I have said it before, he will continue to improve and we probably havent seen the best of him.Vettel knows he has to give a lot of credit to Red Bull, which was in a class of its own compared to the other teams this season. It easily won the constructors championship also its fourth straight by 236 points over Mercedes.For all of us in the whole team we love coming to work and giving it all we have, Vettel said. Theres a great spirit and its sad in a way that the year comes to an end, but thats how it is. Im sure everyones looking forward to a break to get the batteries charged and to look forward to next year.And considering that everything will be different in F1 next year because of major engine changes, there is extra reason for Vettel and Red Bull to savor this seasons achievement for as long as possible.In addition to a new car next season, the team will also have a different driver lineup in 2014, with Daniel Ricciardo replacing fellow Australian Mark Webber, who left F1 after the Brazilian GP to join a sports car series.What weve achieved this year as a team is the result of working closer, working harder and working more effectively than any of the others, Horner said. It is a combination of a lot of hard work and an unbelievable performance by Sebastian. Hes driven with such consistency, such accuracy and such speed, so what hes achieved this year is outstanding. It has been an unbelievable year for him, for the team.Vettel downplayed matching Ascaris record for most consecutive wins, saying his achievement cant be compared to a time when cars werent nearly as reliable.Its a different type of record we got today. Its at a completely different time, Vettel said. In the 50s the races were much longer and there were a lot of things that were breaking down. His record still stands out a lot. So at the end of the day, as I see it now, its just a number, but hopefully one day, when Ive got less hair and (Im) chubby, then its probably something nice to look back to.

NBA: Bryant inks two-year extension with Lakers

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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Kobe Bryant signed a two-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, a deal that likely means the 35-year-old guard will complete his career as a Laker, the club announced Monday.No terms were announced but ESPN reported the deal was worth $48.5 million and will keep Bryant as the NBAs highest-paid player. Bryant will make $30.4 million this season under his prior contract.Bryant, who is recovering from a ruptured left Achilles tendon, has returned to practice with the Lakers but is not yet ready to play and the team has not offered a timetable on when he might be back in games.Bryant tweeted a photo of his signature on a contract line with the hashtag Laker4Life and Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said he expects the deal, which would give Bryant two decades in the NBA, will enable the star guard to finish his career in purple and gold.This is a very happy day for Lakers fans and for the Lakers organization, said Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak. Weve said all along that our priority and hope was to have Kobe finish his career as a Laker and this should ensure that happens.To play 20 years in the NBA, and to do so with the same team, is unprecedented, and quite an accomplishment. Most importantly however, it assures us that one of the best players in the world will remain a Laker, bringing us excellent play and excitement for years to come.The Lakers have won five NBA titles since Bryant joined the team after being taken 13th overall by Charlotte in the 1996 NBA Draft and traded to Los Angeles. He helped the Lakers to titles in 2000-2002, 2009 and 2010.Bryant is the Lakers all-time leading scorer and ranks fourth on the NBAs career scoring list. He was named the NBAs regular season in 2008 and the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player in 2009 and 2010.The 15-time NBA All-Star also helped the United States team capture Olympic gold medals at Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.

Study:US spewing 50% more methane than agency says

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WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States is spewing 50 percent more methane a potent heat-trapping gas than the federal government estimates, a new comprehensive scientific study says. Much of it is coming from just three states: Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.That means methane may be a bigger global warming issue than thought, scientists say. Methane is 21 times more potent at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, the most abundant global warming gas, although it doesnt stay in the air as long.Much of that extra methane, also called natural gas, seems to be coming from livestock, including manure, belches, and flatulence, as well as leaks from refining and drilling for oil and gas, the study says. It was published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.The study estimates that in 2008, the U.S. poured 49 million tons of methane into the air. That means U.S. methane emissions trapped about as much heat as all the carbon dioxide pollution coming from cars, trucks, and planes in the country in six months.Thats more than the 32 million tons estimated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration or the nearly 29 million tons reckoned by the European Commission.Something is very much off in the inventories, said study co-author Anna Michalak, an Earth scientist at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Stanford, California. The total U.S. impact on the worlds energy budget is different than we thought, and its worse.EPA spokeswoman Alisha Johnson said her agency hasnt had time to go through the study yet, but hopes it will help refine our estimates going forward.While the world has a good handle on how much carbon dioxide is pumped into the air, scientists have been more baffled by methane emissions.They have had to use computer models to estimate how much methane is going into that air.This study, however, was based on nearly 13,000 measurements from airplane flights and tall towers, the most used in any such research.The information was collected in 2008, right at the beginning of the natural gas boom from hydraulic fracturing. So these measurements, which will be repeated for 2012, dont include much impact from fracking, Michalak said. Studies recently have shown conflicting results about how much methane escapes during fracking and other forms of fossil fuel drilling.Outside experts praised the study. Robert Howarth at Cornell University called it very compelling and quite important. This is the most comprehensive study yet.Michalak said because of the way they measured methane just looking for it in the air as opposed to tracking it from a source it is hard to say what is putting more methane into the air. But she said by looking at concentrations especially within Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas the scientists have a good idea: Cows, oil and gas.Nearly one-quarter of the U.S. methane emissions came from those three states. Texas is by far and away the No. 1 state for refineries that turn oil into gasoline. Texas and Oklahoma have been big oil and gas drilling states and Kansas is a big cow state.Cows seem to be spewing twice the methane that scientists previously thought, Michalak said.While burps and flatulence are part of the methane emission from cattle, University of California Santa Barbara professor Ira Leifer said a bigger factor is manure.If you shovel it into an artificial lagoon you are creating the perfect production for methane, but it cuts down on the smell and your neighbors complain less, he said.

Oil prices drop after Iran nuclear deal

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NEW YORK (AP) -The price of oil dropped to near $94 a barrel Monday as a deal between Iran and six world powers on the countrys nuclear programme raised the possibility that sanctions choking Iranian oil exports will be lifted.Benchmark U.S. crude for January delivery fell 75 cents to close at $94.09 in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oil used by many U.S. refineries, slipped half a cent to $111 a barrel in London.The preliminary agreement reached in Geneva Sunday between Iran and the U.S., Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany over Irans nuclear programme does not allow Iran to increase oil exports. But by relaxing some financial restrictions the agreement does make it easier for Iran to sell the oil it is permitted to.It also removes, for now, the threat of further restrictions on Iranian exports and sets up the possibility that a more comprehensive deal will be struck in the coming months.The diminished threat to global supplies is likely to make crude cheaper in the short term. And if more Iranian oil returns to international markets, the additional supply is likely to make crude less expensive over the longer term.With new domestic output capacity coming on line, plus the potential reemergence of Iranian barrels coming onto the global market, the table is set for lower prices over the longer term, energy analyst Stephen Schork said in a market commentary.For now, analysts expect Irans oil exports to remain at around 1 million barrels a day, with most of the flow soaked up by Asian countries like China, India and Korea. That is still far below the 2.5 million barrels a day Iran was exporting in 2011, before sanctions began.Iran is still a long way from resuming full oil exports, but the prospect is already being priced in the market, analysts noted in the Kilduff Report edited by Michael Fitzpatrick.
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