Oil falls slightly to near $78 in Asia as traders eye possible Gulf of Mexico hurricane

Oil falls toward $78 as traders eye Gulf storm

SINGAPORE – Oil prices dropped slightly to near $78 a barrel Monday in Asia as traders kept a close eye on damage a possible hurricane could cause rigs in the Gulf of Mexico this week.
Benchmark crude for August delivery was down 25 cents to $78.61 a barrel … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Oil falls slightly to near $78 in Asia as traders eye possible Gulf of Mexico hurricane.

Truck carrying chemicals accidentally explodes in Pakistan, killing 18, say police

Accidental truck blast kills 18 in Pakistan

KARACHI, Pakistan – A truck carrying chemicals accidentally exploded Monday in southern Pakistan after pressure built up in its storage tank, killing 18 people and wounding 40, police said.
Hundreds of people rushed to the truck depot in Hyderabad city to search through the rubble of destroyed shops for dead …. Original source  : Truck carrying chemicals accidentally explodes in Pakistan, killing 18, say police.

Delhi shootout accused to be produced in court

NEW DELHI – A Delhi Jal Board (DJB) employee, accused of shooting a man and injuring two others when denied entry to a brothel in the national capital, will be produced in court Monday, Delhi Police said.

Inebriated Kanta Prasad tried to enter the brothel on G.B. Road Sunday to meet his sister-in-law but was denied …. Read the original article  : here.

Gas truck accidentally explodes in southern Pakistan, killing 18, say police

Accidental gas truck blast kills 18 in Pakistan

KARACHI, Pakistan – Police say a gas truck accidentally exploded in southern Pakistan, killing 18 people and wounding 40.
Mohammad Ali Baloch said the truck exploded Monday at a depot in Hyderabad city after gas pressure built up in a storage tank. Baloch is the top police official in …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Tropical Storm Alex gaining strength over Gulf of Mexico; could become hurricane

Tropical Storm Alex gaining strength over Gulf

BELIZE CITY – Tropical Storm Alex was gaining strength as it swirled across the Gulf of Mexico Monday on a path toward Mexico’s northeastern coast – well clear of a massive oil spill.
The storm could become a hurricane by Tuesday and its heavy rains are expected to begin lashing …. Source  : Tropical Storm Alex gaining strength over Gulf of Mexico; could become hurricane.

Eight injured in clash with police at Tata Steel

RANCHI – Eight labourers were injured in a clash with the police at the main entrance of the Tata Steel plant at Jamshedpur near here Monday, police said.

According to a company official, the clash occurred after the security guards of the steel plant sought gate pass from a group of labourers.
“An altercation between contract …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Eight injured in clash with police at Tata Steel.

Oil giant may turn to Bill Clinton’s disaster chief to improve its response and public image

Ex-FEMA director could help BP out of its disaster
WASHINGTON – James Lee Witt, America’s go-to guy for disaster response, knows how to take an unpopular organization and turn it around. If BP hires the former Federal Emergency Management Agency director to help with community relations, it could further a makeover of the oil …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Oil giant may turn to Bill Clinton’s disaster chief to improve its response and public image.

Indian toddler drowns in jacuzzi on Nepal holiday

KATHMANDU – A summer vacation in Nepal turned into bleak tragedy for an Indian couple from Bihar with their three-year-old daughter drowning in a jacuzzi in an upmarket resort.

Vikash Agrawal, a Marwari trader based in Raxaul town in India’s Bihar state, had planned to take a summer break in Nepal with his family and friends. …. Source  : Indian toddler drowns in jacuzzi on Nepal holiday.

NATO says Taliban leader killed in Kandahar operation; residents claim troops killed civilians

NATO, civilians give 2 accounts of fatal operation

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – NATO said Monday that a Taliban commander was among several armed individuals killed during a search operation in Kandahar, but residents claim the troops killed eight innocent civilians, including two elderly men.
NATO said in a statement that coalition and Afghan troops went to a compound …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : NATO says Taliban leader killed in Kandahar operation; residents claim troops killed civilians.

Admiral to check on Gulf oil response in person; visit comes as oil washes ashore in Miss.

Admiral back on the Gulf Coast for spill
NEW ORLEANS – The admiral in charge of the spill response was headed back to the Gulf Coast a day after Mississippi’s governor said he would press BP and the federal government for more help because oil started washing up on the shoreline of his state.

On Sunday, oil …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Economic damage caused by oil spill may not go beyond the Gulf region

Oil spill’s economic damage may not go beyond Gulf
WASHINGTON – The BP oil spill has hammered the fishing and tourism industries along the Gulf of Mexico. But it appears the economic damage to the rest of the nation will be limited.
Analysts say the spill will reduce economic growth by only about one-half of … Original article on : Economic damage caused by oil spill may not go beyond the Gulf region.

Flotilla of barges _ ‘the Cajun navy’ _ to serve as oil barricade off Louisiana coast

Flotilla of barges used as oil barricade
GRAND ISLE, La. – Mired in a daily battle against the oil soiling Louisiana’s shorelines, marshes and wetlands, locals in this barrier island town are pushing ahead with a novel plan to block the crude’s path with a flotilla of barges.

“The Cajun navy,” Grand Isle Mayor David Camardelle calls …. Read the original article  : Flotilla of barges _ ‘the Cajun navy’ _ to serve as oil barricade off Louisiana coast.

Roadside bombing in eastern Afghanistan kills at least 2 civilians in minivan

Roadside bomb kills at least 2 Afghans in minivan

KABUL, Afghanistan – Officials say a roadside bombing in eastern Afghanistan has killed at least two civilians in a minivan.
The vehicle was traveling down a main road in Ghazni province when it exploded Monday.
Andar district administrator Sher Khan Yasoufzai said two bodies of women were pulled from …. Source  : Roadside bombing in eastern Afghanistan kills at least 2 civilians in minivan.

28 dead, 44 hurt in Bolivia bus accident

La Paz, June 28 (IANS/EFE) At least 28 people were killed and 44 injured when a bus plunged into a ravine in Bolivia, police said.

The bus carrying 70 passengers was travelling from the central city of Cochabamba to the southwestern city of Potosi when it went off the road near the Pongo K’asa area … Original article on : 28 dead, 44 hurt in Bolivia bus accident.

Oil hovers below $79 in Asia as traders eye possible Gulf of Mexico hurricane

Oil hovers below $79 as traders eye Gulf storm

SINGAPORE – Oil prices hovered below $79 a barrel Monday in Asia as traders kept a close eye on damage a possible hurricane could cause rigs in the Gulf of Mexico this week.
Benchmark crude for August delivery was down 6 cents to $78.80 a barrel at early …. Original article  : Oil hovers below $79 in Asia as traders eye possible Gulf of Mexico hurricane.

Man charged in Pa. stabbing rampage that killed 4; confidantes say man briefly dated victim

Man charged in Pa. stabbing rampage that killed 4

NORTHAMPTON, Pa. – A man who served prison time for a 1992 murder was charged Sunday with fatally stabbing four people, including a woman described as the suspect’s former girlfriend and her 87-year-old grandfather.
Police charged Michael Eric Ballard, 36, with four counts of homicide for Saturday’s rampage …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Man charged in Pa. stabbing rampage that killed 4; confidantes say man briefly dated victim.

Drunk driver injures five in Lucknow

LUCKNOW – A drunk youth lost control over his car here and hit five people, injuring four of them critically, police said Monday.

“Siddharth Katwani, 21, was driving a Maruti Zen late Sunday. He first hit a man on Gwyne road. He did not stop and hit four more people, including two minors, while trying to …. Read the original article  : here.

NKorea says it must bolster nuclear capability to deal with ‘hostile’ US policy

NKorea says it must bolster nuclear capability

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea said Monday it must bolster its nuclear capability in a “newly developed way” to cope with what it sees as hostile U.S. policy and military threats amid tensions over the deadly sinking of a South Korean warship.
Separately, the North’s military accused the U.S. … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : NKorea says it must bolster nuclear capability to deal with ‘hostile’ US policy.

Alex regains tropical storm status over Gulf of Mexico; could become hurricane

Alex grows back into tropical storm over Gulf

BELIZE CITY – Alex strengthened back into a tropical storm as it moved across the Gulf of Mexico late Sunday after dumping heavy rains on parts of Central America and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula that left four people dead.
Alex, with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph), was …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Alex regains tropical storm status over Gulf of Mexico; could become hurricane.

Alex again a tropical storm; may become hurricane as it heads toward Mexico’s east coast

Tropical Storm Alex headed toward Mexican coast

MIAMI – Forecasters say Alex is again a tropical storm as it moved into the Gulf of Mexico and may become a hurricane as it swirls toward Mexico’s east coast.
Forecasters say the storm still is not on track to hit the oil spill on the northeastern end of the … Read more : Alex again a tropical storm; may become hurricane as it heads toward Mexico’s east coast.