LA Times News

LA Times News

White House plans more Iran sanctions

Posted: 10 Dec 2010 07:10 PM PST

Gary Samore, the Obama administration's top nuclear nonproliferation official, acknowledges that Iran may be trying to manipulate the West by moving slowly on negotiations.

The Obama administration said Friday that it was planning additional economic sanctions against Iran and acknowledged that the Islamic Republic might be trying to manipulate the West by continuing slow-moving talks with the U.S. and five other major powers.

Clinton says U.S. remains committed to Mideast peace

Posted: 10 Dec 2010 07:09 PM PST

Despite a recent failure to restart talks and internal debate on strategy, Secretary of State Clinton says the U.S. will continue its efforts and will not be a 'passive participant.'

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday that the administration would continue to pursue an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal despite the failure of its central strategy, and it intends to do so by pushing hard on both sides.

Officials go after Pakistani who ferrets out corruption

Posted: 11 Dec 2010 12:00 AM PST

Adil Gilani has helped expose bidding irregularities at power plants, a real estate scam and a scandal that brought down the chairman of a steel mill. Now, officials appear intent on discrediting him.

Adil Gilani's inquiries have helped expose bidding irregularities at power plants that robbed government coffers of $2 billion, a real estate scam that cost taxpayers $16 million and a $257-million scandal that brought down the chairman of Pakistan's largest steel mill.

La Familia cartel leader believed killed in Michoacan violence

Posted: 11 Dec 2010 12:00 AM PST

Mexican authorities believe Nazario Moreno Gonzalez, a.k.a. 'El Mas Loco,' died in the fighting that raged between drug traffickers and federal troops this week.

Mexican authorities said Friday that they believe a top leader of the violent La Familia cartel was killed during two days of pitched fighting in the home state of President Felipe Calderon.

Hopes of Fatah-Hamas reconciliation still alive

Posted: 11 Dec 2010 12:00 AM PST

Palestinian businessman Munib Masri, head of an advocacy group that is trying to press Fatah and Hamas into some sort of accord, explained why he's still optimistic when others fear the break in 2007 is irreparable.

With reconciliation talks between leading Palestinian movements Fatah and Hamas apparently at another impasse, hopes of an accord are fading fast.

Britain's top prosecutor won't charge Cameron aide in alleged cellphone hacking

Posted: 11 Dec 2010 12:00 AM PST

Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson, now an aide to Prime Minister David Cameron, was accused of knowing that the paper's staff routinely sought to hack into cellphones of British celebrities, politicians and staff of royalty.

Britain's chief prosecutor said Friday that he would not bring charges against a top prime ministerial aide embroiled in a scandal over the suspected hacking of cellphones belonging to celebrities, politicians and employees of the royal family.

Nobel Peace Prize awarded in absentia to Chinese dissident

Posted: 11 Dec 2010 12:00 AM PST

The award is placed on the empty chair where Liu Xiaobo was to have sat at the ceremony in Oslo. A furious China denounces the award and persuades about 18 countries to boycott the ceremony.

The Nobel Peace Prize was placed Friday on an empty chair in Oslo's city hall, creating a potent new symbol of the struggle for human rights and political reform in China.

Occidental to acquire North Dakota, Texas oil and gas fields for $3.2 billion

Posted: 10 Dec 2010 07:24 AM PST

Occidental Petroleum also says it will sell its operations in Argentina for $2.5 billion and increase its dividends to shareholders. It will also bring its ownership of the Elk Hills Power Plant in California to 100%.

Occidental Petroleum Corp., the nation's fourth-largest oil and gas exploration company, announced agreements for major acquisitions of more than $3.2 billion in crude and natural gas assets in North Dakota and South Texas.

Nobel ceremony honors Chinese dissident in absentia

Posted: 10 Dec 2010 05:20 AM PST

The peace prize diploma and gold medal are placed on Liu Xiaobo's empty chair in Oslo.

Liu Xiaobo, a Chinese dissident imprisoned for his efforts to promote democracy in his homeland, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in absentia Friday in a solemn ceremony shunned by Beijing but attended by dignitaries and celebrities from most of the world's countries.

Gates urges Congress to act on 'don't ask, don't tell'

Posted: 10 Dec 2010 02:06 AM PST

En route from Afghanistan to Washington, the defense chief says he was not surprised that Senate Republicans blocked a bill that would repeal the ban on openly gay personnel in the military.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates urged Congress not to abandon efforts to repeal the law banning homosexuals from serving openly in the armed forces, despite a Senate vote Thursday that further dimmed prospects for action this year.