The end of 2011 saw the end of billions of dollars in U.S. government support for companies that turn corn into alcohol for motor fuel. That decision marks a big change in U.S. politics. The tax credit was about half a dollar for every 3.8 liters of ethanol, and cost $6 billion in 2011 at […]
Spain Warns Its Deficit Could Grow
Posted January 2nd, 2012 at 1:30 pm (UTC-5)
Spain warned Monday that the government’s deficit for last year could be even higher than it predicted just days ago. Spain’s new conservative government last week projected the 2011 deficit at 8 percent of the country’s annual output of goods and services. But Monday, Finance Minister Luis de Guindos said the deficit could be even […]
Prosecutors to Sum Up in Mubarak Case
Posted January 2nd, 2012 at 1:30 pm (UTC-5)
Egyptian prosecutors will soon present their final arguments in the trial of former President Hosni Mubarak. The summing up might start on Tuesday at the court in Cairo. Mr. Mubarak is charged with corruption and involvement in the deaths of hundreds of anti-government protesters during last year’s demonstrations which unseated the long-time leader. He has […]
Arab League: Snipers Still Threaten Syrian Cities
Posted January 2nd, 2012 at 1:25 pm (UTC-5)
The Arab League chief says snipers and gunfire remain a threat in Syrian cities despite the presence of League monitors. Speaking in Cairo Monday, Nabil El Araby called for an immediate cease-fire in Syria. He said Syria’s military has withdrawn from inside cities, but snipers are still killing people and making it difficult to distinguish […]
Tortured Afghan Teen to Go to India For Treatment
Posted January 2nd, 2012 at 1:25 pm (UTC-5)
Afghan officials say a 15-year-old girl brutally tortured for months by her in-laws will be sent to India for medical treatment. The Interior Ministry said Monday that Sahar Gul’s mother-in-law and sister-in-law have been arrested and police are seeking her husband and father-in-law. President Hamid Karzai ordered the ministry to investigate the case, saying whoever […]
Arab League: Snipers Still Threaten Syrian Cities
Posted January 2nd, 2012 at 12:30 pm (UTC-5)
The Arab League chief says snipers and gunfire remain a threat in Syrian cities despite the presence of League monitors. Speaking in Cairo Monday, Nabil El Araby called for an immediate cease-fire in Syria. He said Syria’s military has withdrawn from inside cities, but snipers are still killing people and making it difficult to distinguish […]
Troubled US Job Market Shows Improvement
Posted January 2nd, 2012 at 12:10 pm (UTC-5)
Unemployment in the United States has improved over the past year, but remains higher than usual and a major political issue ahead of next November’s presidential election. Economists surveyed by the Bloomberg financial news service predict the U.S. unemployment rate for December will be slightly worse than the prior month at 8.7 percent. If that […]
US: Republican Presidential Contenders Facing First Test in Iowa
Posted January 2nd, 2012 at 11:50 am (UTC-5)
U.S. Republican presidential contenders are making last-minute campaign pitches in the central state of Iowa before Tuesday’s first electoral test to pick a nominee for next November’s national election. Voters in Iowa often do not crown the eventual presidential nominees for either Republicans or Democrats. But its first-in-the-nation caucuses can serve as a launchpad for […]
NATO Hopes for Reopening of Pakistani Supply Routes
Posted January 2nd, 2012 at 11:35 am (UTC-5)
NATO hopes to mend relations with Pakistan quickly in order to reopen key supply routes for its forces fighting in neighboring Afghanistan. NATO spokesman Brigadier General Carsten Jacobsen said Monday that the closure of the routes has adversely affected the economies of both Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan blocked the Khyber and Chaman routes to Afghanistan […]
Iran’s Currency Slumps on Sanctions Fears
Posted January 2nd, 2012 at 11:10 am (UTC-5)
Reports from Iran say the nation’s currency has slumped to a record low against the U.S. dollar, two days after U.S. President Barack Obama signed into law new sanctions that could affect Iran’s central bank and financial system. Traders said Monday the exchange rate dipped to around 17,000 rials to the dollar, which is about […]
