BREAKING NEWS,19.02.2012.

Iran halts oil sales to Britain, France

 President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaking on TV 

Iran has stopped selling crude to British and French companies, the oil ministry said today, in a retaliatory measure against fresh EU sanctions on the Islamic state's lifeblood, oil.” Exporting crude to British and French companies has been stopped ... we will sell our oil to new customers," spokesman Alireza Nikzad was quoted as saying by the ministry of petroleum website. The European Union in January decided to stop importing crude from Iran from July 1 over its disputed nuclear programme, which the West says is aimed at building bombs. Iran denies this. Iran’s oil minister said on February 4 the Islamic state would cut its oil exports to "some" European countries. The European Commission said last week the bloc would not be short of oil if Iran stopped crude exports, as they have enough in stock to meet their needs for around 120 days. Industry sources told Reuters on February 16 Iran's top oil buyers in Europe were making substantial cuts in supply months in advance of European Union sanctions, reducing flows to the continent in March by more than a third - or over 300,000 barrels daily. France’s Total has already stopped buying Iran's crude, which is subject to fresh EU embargoes. Market sources said Royal Dutch Shell has scaled back sharply. Among European nations, debt-ridden Greece is most exposed to Iranian oil disruption. Motor Oil Hellas of Greece was thought to have cut out Iranian crude altogether and compatriot Hellenic Petroleum along with Spain's Cepsa and Repsol were curbing imports from Iran.Iran was supplying more than 700,000 barrels per day (bpd) to the EU plus Turkey in 2011, industry sources said. By the start of this year imports had sunk to about 650,000 bpd as some customers cut back in anticipation of an EU ban. Saudi Arabia says it is prepared to supply extra oil either by topping up existing term contracts or by making rare spot market sales. Iran has criticised Riyadh for the offer. Iran said the cut will have no impact on its crude sales, warning any sanctions on its oil will raise international crude prices. Brent crude oil prices were up $1 a barrel to $118.35 shortly after Iran's state media announced last week Tehran had cut oil exports to six European states. The report was denied shortly afterwards by Iranian officials."We have our own customers ... The replacements for these companies have been considered by Iran," Nikzad said. EU's new sanctions includes a range of extra restrictions on Iran that went well beyond UN sanctions agreed last month and included a ban on dealing with Iranian banks and insurance companies and steps to prevent investment in Tehran's lucrative oil and gas sector, including refining. The mounting sanctions are aimed at putting financial pressure on the world's fifth largest crude oil exporter, which has little refining capacity and has to import about 40% of its gasoline needs for its domestic consumption.

NEWS,17.02.2012.

Dutch prince buried in avalanche in critical condition

Dutch prince Johan Friso 

Dutch Prince Johan Friso is in critical condition in hospital after he was buried in an avalanche while skiing off piste in the Austrian Alps Friday, authorities said.Queen Beatrix's middle son was pulled unconscious from the snow 20 minutes after the accident and resuscitated, the mayor of the upscale western resort of Lech told the Austria Press Agency (APA).The prince was skiing with one companion away from marked ski runs when the mass of snow, 30 metres wide and 40 metres long, hit them around midday, APA said. The 43-year-old prince, who gave up his right to the throne a decade ago, was flown to the university clinic in the western city of Innsbruck. His condition was "stable but life threatening," and the queen and his wife were at his side, the Dutch government said in a statement. The Dutch royal family often spends winter holidays in Lech in the province of Vorarlberg - which like other parts of Austria has been blanketed with heavy snow in recent weeks. Many parts of the country have avalanche alerts in effect, but some adventurous skiers still venture off piste. In Lech, the alert level was four on a scale of five at the time."It was in open space, not on a secured piste," a Lech police official said about the place where the accident took place.A second Dutch government statement suggested it could take days before doctors would have a clearer picture of the prince's medical prognosis."The rescue chain functioned perfectly and worked within a short time," the police official in Lech. "After the emergency call, rescue crews were on the scene with rescue helicopters. He could be located immediately and freed," he said, adding the prince had been skiing with a group. A tourism official in Lech told APA the prince was wearing a beeper that helped rescue crews find him quickly and that the companion was able to free himself and call for help. Prince Johan Friso's older brother is Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and his younger brother is Prince Constantijn.Johan Friso gave up his right to the Dutch throne when he married a commoner whose past was considered too tainted for her to become a member of the Dutch royal house. When he asked for official permission in 2003 to marry Mabel Wisse Smit, Dutch media published details of her relationship with mobster Klaas Bruinsma, who was shot and killed in 1991 in front of the Amsterdam Hilton hotel. Following the revelations, the couple decided not to get official permission for their marriage. The London-based royal joined URENCO, a uranium enrichment company, in 2011 as chief financial officer after earlier working at investment bank Goldman Sachs.