Stories for January 13th 2015

Tuesday, January 13th 2015 - 08:56 UTC
The real cause of low oil prices: Interview with Arthur Berman

With all the conspiracy theories surrounding OPEC's November decision not cut production, is it really not just a case of simple economics? The U.S. shale boom has seen huge hype but the numbers speak for themselves and such overflowing optimism may have been unwarranted. When discussing harsh truths in energy, no sector is in greater need of a reality check than renewable energy.
Tuesday, January 13th 2015 - 08:52 UTC
Vast potential energy resources in US Eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific

Two new studies by Quest Offshore Inc. for the (US) National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) and the American Petroleum Institute (API) show vast potential energy and economic benefits to the U.S. if the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific outer continental shelf (OCS) were opened to offshore oil and natural gas development.
Tuesday, January 13th 2015 - 08:46 UTC
Falklands' sheep paddocks with fence posts from North Wales

Fence posts made from North Wales timber are keeping sheep safe thousands of miles away in the Falkland Islands. Every year a consignment of 4,000 fence posts weighing 20 tons is trucked from Ruthin to Portsmouth on the first stage of an 8,000-mile journey to the South Atlantic, reports the Daily Post from North Wales.
Tuesday, January 13th 2015 - 08:36 UTC
Cristina Fernandez to Beijing in February; more financial support from China

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez will be travelling to Beijing next month, reciprocating a visit from her Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping last July, it was officially announced by chief of staff Jorge Capitanich. The meeting was anticipated last Friday in a meeting of the two countries foreign ministers on the sidelines of the CELAC/China ministerial forum held last week in Beijing.
Tuesday, January 13th 2015 - 08:31 UTC
Argentina suspends HSBC from transferring money abroad for 30 days

Argentina said on Monday it was suspending HSBC Bank Argentina's right to transfer money abroad for 30 days due to “irregularities”, two months after charging it with helping clients evade taxes by siphoning their funds off to Switzerland.
Tuesday, January 13th 2015 - 08:10 UTC
US economy creates more jobs; unemployment falls to 5.6% during December

The US economy added 252,000 jobs in December, while the unemployment rate fell to 5.6% from 5.8%, according to Labor Department figures. In addition, figures for the number of jobs created in October and November were both revised upwards. The jobless rate is now at its lowest since June 2008.
Tuesday, January 13th 2015 - 07:50 UTC
Falklands circumnavigation planned by Royal Marine veterans for PTSD awareness

Two Brighton based former Royal Marines will, on January 29th, officially launch their bid to kayak the 650 miles of unforgiving coastline of the Falkland Islands. Mick Dawson and Steve Grenham will undertake the circumnavigation in spring 2016, a challenge which is set to take about 30 days.
Tuesday, January 13th 2015 - 07:39 UTC
Goldman Sachs forecasts oil price close to 40 dollars for most of fist half of 2015

The price of a barrel of the North Sea benchmark dropped on Monday by 5.5% to 47.36 dollars, its lowest level since early 2009. US crude oil was also at its lowest level since that time, down by 5% to 45.90 a barrel.
Tuesday, January 13th 2015 - 07:30 UTC
Arrests in Venezuela following protests over swelling lines for basic goods

At least a dozen protesters arrested in Venezuela remained in jail and masked assailants burned a bus overnight amid scattered unrest over swelling lines for basic goods, activists said.
Tuesday, January 13th 2015 - 07:20 UTC
Fidel sends letter to Maradona to quash rumors about his alleged death

Fidel Castro has sent a letter to his friend and Argentine football great Diego Maradona, a Venezuelan-based TV network said, adding that the missive quashed rumors that the former Cuban leader might have died.