Two US Navy boats in Iranian custody - Pentagon

Letter of Invitation: I would be available to answer any queries regarding best suburbs to integrate socially, just to let you know 21 suburbs of South Australia which are red-flagged by Australian banks. I am happy to provide detail answers to any questions with reference to Property Investment, Subdivision, Development, Buying/ Selling Residential, Commercial, Rural Properties and Businesses. I am available in person (Tue/Thu at 1289 South Rd, St. Marys, SA 5042 12 to 5 p.m) or on cell to answer any questions, and concerns you have to decide about your Real Estate. (Cell: 0431 138 537, Email: Saqlain@Dukesrealestate.com) Click here to invest in South Australian Residential Commercial, Rural Properties, Schools & Businesses. I sell land on this Earth for as cheap as 10 cents/ Sq.M to a price equivalent to price of 2 Aussie Mangoes/ Sq.M. I hope tomorrow I will be selling and leasing Moon's Surface. (Earth is rising over the Moon's Surface), Source: https://www.facebook.com/RealEstateSA5000/photos/a.899877783394135.1073741829.899009183480995/920077631374150/?l=734b9eef72 Published time: 12 Jan, 2016 21:18 Edited time: 12 Jan, 2016 21:28 Get short URL Two small US craft in the Persian Gulf were taken in custody by Iran. "We have been in contact with Iran and have received assurances that the crew and the vessels will be returned promptly," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told AP. The crews, which total 10 Navy sailors, are being held at Farsi Island, a highly restricted island between Bahrain and Kuwait, where Iran has a naval base. US officials are saying it is unclear how the crew members ended up in Iranian waters, though Secretary of State John Kerry has kept phone contact with Iranian officials in Tehran, urging for a release. A senior official told NBC News the Iranians understand a mistake was made and have agreed to a release to come in hours.

NYMEX crude oil dips beneath $30 for the first time since December 2003: TURKEY A TARGET

NYMEX crude oil dips beneath $30 for the first time since December 2003 Letter of Invitation: I would be available to answer any queries regarding best suburbs to integrate socially, just to let you know 21 suburbs of South Australia which are red-flagged by Australian banks. I am happy to provide detail answers to any questions with reference to Property Investment, Subdivision, Development, Buying/ Selling Residential, Commercial, Rural Properties and Businesses. I am available in person (Tue/Thu at 1289 South Rd, St. Marys, SA 5042 12 to 5 p.m) or on cell to answer any questions, and concerns you have to decide about your Real Estate. (Cell: 0431 138 537, Email: Saqlain@Dukesrealestate.com) Click here to invest in South Australian Residential Commercial, Rural Properties, Schools & Businesses. I sell land on this Earth for as cheap as 10 cents/ Sq.M to a price equivalent to price of 2 Aussie Mangoes/ Sq.M. I hope tomorrow I will be selling and leasing Moon's Surface. (Earth is rising over the Moon's Surface), Source: https://www.facebook.com/RealEstateSA5000/photos/a.899877783394135.1073741829.899009183480995/920077631374150/?l=734b9eef72 Tue Jan 12, 2016 | 1:57 PM EST Suicide bomber kills 10 people, mainly Germans, in Istanbul 8:14 AM EST | 01:00 Syrian bomber suspected in deadly Istanbul blast: Erdogan By Ayla Jean Yackley ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A suicide bomber thought to have crossed recently from Syria killed at least 10 people, most of them German tourists, in Istanbul's historic heart on Tuesday, in an attack Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu blamed on Islamic State. All of those killed in Sultanahmet square, near the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia - major tourist sites in the center of one of the world's most visited cities - were foreigners, Davutoglu said. A senior Turkish official said nine were German, while Peru's foreign ministry said a Peruvian man also died. Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said the bomber was believed to have recently entered Turkey from Syria but was not on Turkey's watch list of suspected militants. He said earlier that the bomber had been identified from body parts at the scene and was thought to be a Syrian born in 1988. Davutoglu said he had spoken by phone with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to offer condolences and vowed Turkey's fight against Islamic State, at home and as part of the U.S.-led coalition, would continue. "Until we wipe out Daesh, Turkey will continue its fight at home and with coalition forces," he said in comments broadcast live on television, using an Arabic name for Islamic State. He vowed to hunt down and punish those linked to the bomber. Merkel similarly vowed no respite in the fight against international terrorism, telling a news conference in Berlin: "The terrorists are the enemies of all free people ... of all humanity, be it in Syria, Turkey, France or Germany." There was no immediate claim of responsibility but Islamist, leftist and Kurdish militants, who are battling Ankara in southeast Turkey, have all carried out attacks in the past. Several bodies lay on the ground in the square, also known as the Hippodrome of Constantinople, in the immediate aftermath of the blast. It was not densely packed at the time of the explosion, according to a police officer working there, but small groups of tourists had been wandering around. "This incident has once again shown that as a nation we should act as one heart, one body in the fight against terror. Turkey's determined and principled stance in the fight against terrorism will continue to the end," President Tayyip Erdogan told a lunch for Turkish ambassadors in Ankara. Norway's foreign ministry said one Norwegian man was injured and was being treated in hospital. The White House condemned the "heinous attack" and pledged solidarity with NATO ally Turkey against terrorism. U.N. Secretary Ban Ki-moon said he hoped those responsible for "this despicable crime" were swiftly brought to justice. Turkey, a candidate for accession to the European Union, is part of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State fighters who have seized territory in neighboring Syria and Iraq, some of it directly abutting Turkey. "UNIMAGINABLE" SCENE The dull thud of Tuesday's blast was heard in districts of Istanbul several kilometers away, residents said. Television footage showed a police car which appeared to have been overturned by the force of the blast. "We heard a loud sound and I looked at the sky to see if it was raining because I thought it was thunder but the sky was clear," said Kuwaiti tourist Farah Zamani, 24, who was shopping at one of the covered bazaars with her father and sister. Tourist sites including the Hagia Sophia and nearby Basilica Cistern were closed on the governor's orders, officials said. "They attacked Sultanahmet to grab attention because this is what the world thinks of when it thinks of Turkey," said Kursat Yilmaz, who has operated tours for 25 years from an office by the square. "We're not surprised this happened here, this has always been a possible target," he said. Ambulances ferried away the wounded as police cordoned off streets. The sound of the call to prayer rang out from the Blue Mosque as forensic police officers worked at the scene. "It was unimaginable," the police officer who had been working on the square said, describing an amateur video he had seen of the immediate aftermath, with six or seven bodies lying on the ground and other people seriously wounded. Just over a year ago, a female suicide bomber blew herself up at a police station for tourists off the same square, killing one officer. That attack was initially claimed by a far-left group, the DHKP-C, but officials later said it had been carried out by a woman with suspected Islamist militant links. TURKEY A TARGET Turkey has become a target for Islamic State, with two bombings last year blamed on the radical Sunni Muslim group, in the town of Suruc near the Syrian border and in the capital Ankara, the latter killing more than 100 people. Violence has also escalated in the mainly Kurdish southeast since a two-year ceasefire collapsed in July between the state and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, which has been fighting for three decades for Kurdish autonomy. The PKK has however generally avoided attacking civilian targets in urban centers outside the southeast in recent years. Turkey also sees a threat from the PYD and YPG, Kurdish groups in Syria which are fighting Islamic State with U.S. backing, but which Ankara says have close links to the PKK. "For us, there is no difference between the PKK, PYD, YPG, DHKP-C ... or whatever their abbreviation may be. One terrorist organization is no different than the other," Erdogan said, vowing that Turkey's military campaign against Kurdish militants in the southeast would continue. Davutoglu's office imposed a broadcasting ban on the blast, invoking a law which allows for such steps when there is the potential for serious harm to national security or public order. The attack raised fears of further damage to Turkey's vital tourism industry, already hit by a diplomatic row with Moscow which has seen Russian tour operators cancel trips. But Yilmaz, the tour operator, said he had sold a package to a tourist from Colombia just an hour after the blast. "The reality is the world has grown accustomed to terrorism. It's unfortunate, and I wish it weren't true, but terrorism now happens everywhere," he said. "The agenda changes quickly in this age. If tourism is affected by this, it will be temporary. These things pass, but the Hagia Sophia and the Sultanahmet mosque are eternal." (Additional reporting by Orhan Coskun and Ece Toksabay in Ankara, Humeyra Pamuk, Daren Butler and Melih Aslan in Istanbul, Madeline Chambers in Berlin and Joachim Dagenborg in Oslo; Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by David Stamp and Gareth Jones) ================================================================ Tumbling oil trades below $30 a barrel for first time in 12 years NEW YORK | By Catherine Ngai Oil fell briefly below $30 a barrel on Tuesday, extending a relentless selloff that has wiped almost 20 percent off prices this year amid deepening concerns about fragile Chinese demand and the absence of output restraint. The day's near 4 percent drop marks a seventh day of losses for oil. Traders have all but given up attempting to predict where the new-year rout will end, with momentum-driven dealing and overwhelmingly bearish sentiment engulfing the market. Some analysts warned of $20 a barrel; Standard Chartered said fund selling may not relent until it reaches $10. By Tuesday, the crash had become almost self-fulfilling, with speculators too afraid to buy for fear of being burned by another false bottom. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude(WTI) CLc1 was down $1.19 at $30.22 per barrel as of 2:19 p.m. EST (1919 GMT), a 3.7 percent loss, after touching a low of $29.93, which was last seen in December 2003. Related Coverage › Strong dollar inflicts more pain on oil as bearish options bets build "The momentum is too strong to the bearish side, even if fundamentally nothing has changed," said Dominick Chirichella, a senior partner at Energy Management Institute. With prices now below break-even costs for many producers, particularly in the once-thriving U.S. shale patch, and the costly Canadian oil sands producers barely making $15 a barrel, an extended slump has caused financial pain to flare across the world, threatening corporate bankruptcies and fiscal strain. Benchmark Brent crude LCOc1 had dropped 97 cents to $30.58 a barrel, for a 3.1 percent loss, after hitting a low of $30.34. Related Video Video Capitulation needed for commodities to recover - strategist Prices firmed early in the day after a deadly suicide bombing rocked central Istanbul, and Nigeria's oil minister said a "couple" of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries members had requested an emergency meeting. But they then nosedived anew after the United Arab Emirates oil minister quashed talk of a possible meeting, saying the group strategy was working. OPEC has rejected calls by some of its members to curb output, opting instead to pump full throttle to defend market share rather than shore up prices. Related Coverage › Nigeria says couple of OPEC members have requested emergency meeting Oil has tumbled more than 18 percent this year alone, the worst seven-day run since the financial crisis. The long list of negative factors also includes the weakening economy and ailing stock market of No. 2 consumer China, the rising U.S. dollar, which makes oil more costly, and the surprising resilience of U.S. shale drillers in the face of the price slide. Adding to supply fears, Iraq, the second-biggest OPEC producer, plans to export a record of around 3.63 million barrels per day in February, said trade sources. (Additional reporting by Simon Falush in London, Henning Gloystein in Singapore and Aaron Sheldrick in Tokyo; editing by Jason Neely and Alden Bentley) =====================================================

PERMISSIONS Melbourne's eastern suburbs are hotbeds of underquoting: realAs.com Read more: http://www.afr.com/real-estate/melbournes-eastern-suburbs-are-hotbeds-of-underquoting-realascom-20160110-gm340k#ixzz3wuQQmWJt Follow us: @FinancialReview on Twitter | financialreview on Facebook

Share via Email Share on Google Plus Post on facebook wall Share on twitter Post to Linkedin Share on Reddit Victoria is cracking down on estate agents that underquote Victoria is cracking down on estate agents that underquote by Larry Schlesinger Melbourne's eastern suburbs estate agents are the country's worst underquoters, according to figures compiled by property price predictor app realAs.com. The figures, which cover auction results over December, also reveal that Melbourne agents are significantly worse than their Sydney counterparts when it comes to providing a realistic estimate of property selling prices. On average estate agents in Melbourne's worst suburbs for underquoting were out by 24 per cent of the final selling price, compared with 13.8 per cent in Sydney. By comparison, realAs.com, which makes its predictions using an algorithm of past sales data, current market information and crowd-sourced data, was within 7.3 per cent of the final selling price in the same suburbs in Melbourne and within 6.4 per cent in Sydney. Eastern suburbs dominate in Melbourne Eastern suburbs dominate in Melbourne The results came a day after Victorian consumer affairs minister Jane Garrett said six Victorian estate agencies had been raided as part of a blitz on underquoting, the practice where real estate agents advertise properties for a price less than the vendor's reserve price, or well under the likely sale price. HOUSE-HUNTERS' HEARTBREAK "We know this is a problem and it can be heartbreaking for potential buyers who are lured in by these tactics," Ms Garrett said on Sunday RealAs chief executive Josh Rowe said real estate agents in NSW had most likely lifted their game in anticipation of new state underquoting rules which came into effect on January 1 and carry with them the potential for up to $22,000 in fines and the loss of commissions. Sydney's Northern suburbs dominate list. (Note: East Ballina not in Sydney) Sydney's Northern suburbs dominate list. (Note: East Ballina not in Sydney) But in Victoria, Mr Rowe said current underquoting laws put the onus on the home buyer to prove underquoting. "This is very difficult to prove," he said. The Melbourne suburbs with the least accurate agents were Moorabbin in the South East and the eastern suburbs of Ringwood and Heathmont. In Sydney, Eastwood in the north west and Hurstville in the southern suburbs had the least accurate estate agents. The six Victorian agencies being investigated by Consumer Affairs Victoria and who have not been named have all been issued with statutory notices demanding paperwork proving no unethical behaviour has occurred. Since July last year, CAV has been directed to check 200 auctions, where there have been suspicions of underquoting. "We are halfway through these inspections and the results will be used to inform any changes that are needed," Ms Garrett said. "This is about transparency and giving home buyers a fair go. Read more: http://www.afr.com/real-estate/melbournes-eastern-suburbs-are-hotbeds-of-underquoting-realascom-20160110-gm340k#ixzz3wuPyh0Vc Follow us: @FinancialReview on Twitter | financialreview on Facebook

Truck bomb kills 65 at Libyan police training center

Top News Thu Jan 7, 2016 | 6:15 AM EST Truck bomb kills 65 at Libyan police training. Letter of Invitation: I would be available to answer any queries regarding best suburbs to integrate socially, just to let you know 21 suburbs of South Australia which are red-flagged by Australian banks. I am happy to provide detail answers to any questions with reference to Property Investment, Subdivision, Development, Buying/ Selling Residential, Commercial, Rural Properties and Businesses. I am available in person (Tue/Thu at 1289 South Rd, St. Marys, SA 5042 12 to 5 p.m) or on cell to answer any questions, and concerns you have to decide about your Real Estate. (Cell: 0431 138 537, Email: Saqlain@Dukesrealestate.com) Click here to invest in South Australian Residential Commercial, Rural Properties, Schools & Businesses. I sell land on this Earth for as cheap as 10 cents/ Sq.M to a price equivalent to price of 2 Aussie Mangoes/ Sq.M. I hope tomorrow I will be selling and leasing Moon's Surface. (Earth is rising over the Moon's Surface), Source: https://www.facebook.com/RealEstateSA5000/photos/a.899877783394135.1073741829.899009183480995/920077631374150/?l=734b9eef72 MISRATA, Libya (Reuters) - At least 65 people were killed on Thursday when one of Libya's worst truck bombs in years exploded at a police training center in the town of Zliten, local officials and hospital sources said. No group immediately claimed the attack, but the bombing was one of the deadliest since Islamist militants started expanding their presence in the chaos that followed the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Mayor Miftah Hamadi said the bomb detonated as recruits were gathering at the police center in Zliten, a coastal town between the capital Tripoli and the port of Misrata. Witnesses said residents were ferrying victims to Misrata hospitals in ambulances and cars, many with shrapnel wounds. Medical sources said 65 people had been killed, including some civilians, though one official said between 50 and 60 had died. ADVERTISEMENT Since the NATO-backed revolt ousted Gaddafi, Libya has slipped deeper into turmoil with two rival governments and a range of armed factions locked in a struggle for control of the North African state and its oil wealth. In the chaos, Islamic State militants have grown in strength, taking over the city of Sirte and launching attacks on oilfields. Islamic State fighters this week attacked two major oil export terminals. In February last year, three car bombs hit the eastern Libyan city of Qubbah, killing 40 people in what officials described as a revenge attack for Egyptian air strikes on Islamist militant targets. Western powers are pushing Libya's factions to back a U.N.-brokered national unity government to join forces against Islamic State, but the agreement faces major resistance from several factions on the ground. (Reporting Ayman El Sahli in Misrata and Hani Amara in Tripoli; Writing by Aidan Lewis and Patrick Markey; Editing by Giles Elgood)

5 real estate trends

Saudi execution aimed at provoking regional bloodbath Finian Cunningham oronto Canada at $ 16,000 His income was 2,200 per year. That's roughly 8'x income. Today a nice condo is 500K a house detached approaches a Million; but the incomes are at $60 - $75 per earner. roughly 8 'x We are however diverting money to Cable, Internet, cell phones, lifestyle, interest debt, car leases and Lifestyle vacations our parents never did. What's different? I'm #bythewater in Toronto. OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®Home About Us Media Kit Subscribe Site Map Realtor Magazine MONDAY January 4, 2016 NEWS LAW & ETHICS TECHNOLOGY HOME & DESIGN SALES & MARKETING PRODUCT GUIDES FOR BROKERS FOR COMMERCIAL PROS Home > News & Commentary > Daily News | -AA+A 5 Real Estate Trends That Will Dominate 2016 DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015 This year may have marked the best for housing since 2007, but the market will likely get even rosier in 2016, according to a recent real estate forecast by realtor.com®. One of the main drivers behind the brighter 2016 is the projection that employment will continue to grow, which will add to consumers’ wallets and allow them to purchase their first home or upgrade to a new one. Realtor.com® highlights the following housing predictions for 2016: 1. ‘Normal’ is coming. Expect a healthy growth in home sales and prices – at a slower pace than in 2015. “This slowdown is not an indication of a problem—it’s just a return to normalcy,” writes Jonathan Smoke, realtor.com®’s chief economist. “We’ve lived through 15 years of truly abnormal trends, and after working off the devastating effects of the housing bust, we’re finally seeing signs of more normal conditions.” New construction and distressed sales are expected to return to more historical levels, and home prices are expected to follow at “more normal rates consistent with a more balanced market.” Read more: Alas, Inventory Shortages Likely to Stay in 2016 2. Generational buying trends shape up. Young adults’ presence on the housing market has been largely predicted for years, but 2016 may finally be the year they make a move in a larger way. Millennials represented nearly 2 billion sales in 2015 – one-third of home buyers. They are expected to continue to be a major buying pool in 2016 with the majority of buyers between ages 25 and 34 expected to be first-time home buyers next year. But two other generations will also have a big presence in 2016: financially recovering GenXers and older baby boomers who are entering retirement, realtor.com® notes. “Since most of these people are already homeowners, they’ll play a double role, boosting the market as both sellers and buyers,” Smoke notes. “Gen Xers are in their prime earning years and thus able to relocate to better neighborhoods for their families. Older boomers are approaching (or already in) retirement and seeking to downsize and lock in a lower cost of living.” 3. New-home construction focuses more on affordability. Builders have been faced with higher land costs, limited labor, and concerns about the demand of the entry-level market. As such, they have shifted to constructing more higher-priced homes, which has caused new-home prices to rise significantly faster than existing-home prices. In 2016, they likely will shift to more affordable product to cater to the entry-level buyers. “We are already seeing a decline in new-home prices for new contracts signed this fall,” notes Smoke. “In addition, credit access is improving enough to make the first-time buyer segment more attractive to builders.” 4. Higher mortgage rates. Mortgage rates will likely be volatile in 2016. But the recent move by the Federal Reserve to guide interest rates higher should push mortgage rates higher in the new year than the historical lows they have been at for years. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage will likely end 2016 about 60 basis points higher than today’s level. “That level of increase is manageable, as consumers will have multiple tactics to mitigate some of that increase,” Smoke says. “However, higher rates will drive monthly payments higher, and, along with that, debt-to-income ratios will also go higher.” The markets with the highest home prices will see the effects from the higher rates the most. 5. Rents to go up even higher. Rental costs are skyrocketing, and the costs are likely to only go up in the new year. More than 85 percent of the nation’s markets have rents that exceed 30 percent of the income of renting households. “Rents are accelerating at a more rapid pace than home prices, which are moderating,” Smoke says. “Because of this, it is more affordable to buy in more than three-quarters of the U.S. However, for the majority of renting households, buying is not a near-term option due to poor household credit scores, limited savings, and lack of documentable stable income of the kind necessary to qualify for a mortgage today.” Source: “The 5 Real Estate Trends That Will Shape 2016,” realtor.com® (Dec. 16, 2015) The Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Digital Edition Contact Us ADVERTISEMENT Most Recent News & Commentary Airbnb Is Crashing the Neighborhood Being Part of a Firm Foundation A Place Where Terror Won't Win The "Mark" Turns 100: Get Ready to Celebrate Get Smart About Smart Homes Most Recent News Features Being Part of a Firm Foundation A Place Where Terror Won't Win Rechanneling the Data Flow A Dream Too Far Cementing Partnerships in New Construction Speaking of Real Estate When Presidential Candidates Talk Real Estate When Presidential Candidates Talk Real Estate How FHA is Helping Buyers Obtain Condo Financing more Weekly Book Scan What You May Have Missed in 2015 A Real Estate Riff Corporate Anthropology and the Beta Business more Current Issue Find It At RealtorMag SERVICES Reprints Advertise/Media Kit Subscriptions E-newsletters RSS Feeds Contact Us CURRENT ISSUE Archive Digital Edition MOST POPULAR Quizzes Handouts for Customers Buyer's Guides Webinars NEWS Features Daily Headlines BLOGS Speaking of Real Estate YPN Lounge Weekly Book Scan Styled, Staged & Sold Appraisal Insight PROGRAMS Good Neighbor Awards 30 Under 30 Young Professionals Network SALES & MARKETING Features Short Sales Staging How I Sold It Handouts for Customers HOME & DESIGN Features Cost vs. Value Architecture Coach Architecture Guide BROKERAGE MANAGEMENT Features Franchise Report Broker Standouts COMMERCIAL Features Conversations LAW & ETHICS Law Ethics In Court TECHNOLOGY Features Cool Tools HOME ABOUT US CONTACT US EDITORIAL CALENDAR MEDIA KIT / ADVERTISE REALTOR.ORG REALTOR.COM HOUSELOGIC.COM REAL ESTATE TODAY RADIO 1 800 874 6500 © 2014 COPYRIGHT THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® NAR TERMS OF USE NAR PRIVACY POLICY realtor_footer_logo 430 NORTH MICHIGAN AVE. 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Saudi execution aimed at provoking regional bloodbath Finian Cunningham

Saudi execution aimed at provoking regional bloodbath Finian Cunningham Finian Cunningham (born 1963) has written extensively on international affairs, with articles published in several languages. Originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, he is a Master’s graduate in Agricultural Chemistry and worked as a scientific editor for the Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, England, before pursuing a career in newspaper journalism. For over 20 years he worked as an editor and writer in major news media organizations, including The Mirror, Irish Times and Independent. Now a freelance journalist based in East Africa, his columns appear on RT, Sputnik, Strategic Culture Foundation and Press TV. Published time: 3 Jan, 2016 14:19 Get short URL Protesters hold placards as they demonstrate against the execution of prominent Shi'ite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr outside the Saudi Arabian Embassy in London, Britain January 2, 2016 © Neil Hall Protesters hold placards as they demonstrate against the execution of prominent Shi'ite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr outside the Saudi Arabian Embassy in London, Britain January 2, 2016 © Neil Hall / Reuters 3.1K The furious reaction across the Middle East to the Saudi execution of a prominent Shiite cleric strongly suggests that the killing is a deliberate provocation by the ruling House of Saud. That provocation would appear to be aimed at inflaming sectarian tensions and fomenting conflict in various regional countries – already near flashpoint – in order to further Saudi geopolitical interests. Central to those interests is, as always, the bitter rivalry with the region’s Shiite powerhouse, Iran. Following the announcement at the weekend by the Saudi Interior Ministry that Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr had been executed, along with 46 other prisoners, there was predictable outrage from across the region, especially among countries where there is a large Shiite following, such as Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Bahrain. Iran denounced the radical Sunni Saudi rulers as “criminal” and accused them of carrying out an act that is “the depth of imprudence and irresponsibility.” Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, compared the House of Saud with Daesh, the extremist terror group (also known as Islamic State, and previously ISIS/ISIL). Of note is the way that the kingdom executes opponents by beheading according to a similar stringent interpretation of Islamic Sharia law known as Wahhabism – shared by both the Saudi regime and the cadres of Daesh. Former Iraqi Prime Minster Nouri al-Maliki said that the imposition of capital punishment would lead to the downfall of the Saudi rulers, with other Iraqi politicians saying that it would “open the gates of hell” across the volatile and religiously fraught region. The United States and European Union also responded with alarm at the execution of al-Nimr, both warning of deepening sectarian tensions being exacerbated by the Saudi death penalty. Sheikh al-Nimr was executed on Saturday, along with 46 other prisoners in what is believed to have been the biggest mass execution in Saudi Arabia for over three decades. The death sentences were carried out in 12 prison locations by decapitation or firing squad, according to reports. Most of those sentenced were alleged members of the Al-Qaeda terror group, who had been accused of carrying out deadly attacks against Western interests in Saudi Arabia between 2003 and 2006. Nimr al-Nimr was among four Shiite activists who were executed at the weekend. They were convicted on several charges of subversion and terrorism in trials that were dismissed by international rights groups as a travesty of judicial process. Sheikh al-Nimr was arrested in 2012 and accused of inciting violent protests, but supporters point out that the respected cleric always publicly endorsed peaceful protest. One of his best-known statements was: “The power of the word is mightier than the roar of bullets.” In October, al-Nimr lost a judicial appeal against his death sentence. There then followed several international appeals for clemency. The Iranian government in particular issued several statements calling for the cleric’s life to be spared. The widely seen miscarriage of justice against al-Nimr and the chilling determination to carry out his execution in spite of appeals for clemency is what makes the case so incendiary. Lebanese Shiite resistance movement Hezbollah condemned Saudi Arabia’s conduct as “an assassination,” while Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps vowed that the Saudi rulers would meet with “harsh vengeance.” Protesters holding a banner saying "Death is normal to us and our dignity from God is martyrdom" take part in a protest against the execution of Saudi Shi'ite cleric Nimr al-Nimr by Saudi authorities, in the village of Sanabis, west of Manama, Bahrain January 2, 2016 © Hamad I Mohammed Protesters holding a banner saying "Death is normal to us and our dignity from God is martyrdom" take part in a protest against the execution of Saudi Shi'ite cleric Nimr al-Nimr by Saudi authorities, in the village of Sanabis, west of Manama, Bahrain January 2, 2016 © Hamad I Mohammed / Reuters In Yemen, where Saudi Arabia and a coalition of other Sunni Arab states have been carrying out airstrikes for the past nine months, the mainly Shiite Houthi rebels also condemned the execution of al-Nimr and promised retribution for his death. At the weekend, it was reported that 24 Saudi troops were killed in a Houthi rocket attack on the Saudi border province of Jizan. It is not clear if the attack preceded the announced execution of al-Nimr. The Saudi regime has previously accused Iran and Hezbollah of fueling the Houthi rebellion in Yemen. Tehran has rejected claims of militarily supporting the insurgents. But it would be a fair assumption that Iran and Hezbollah will henceforth step up military intervention in Yemen as a way of striking back at the Saudis. The same response is envisaged for Iranian and Hezbollah involvement in Syria, where the Saudis have bankrolled and armed various anti-government militia, primarily so-called radical Islamist groups with a shared Wahhabi fundamentalist ideology. These groups include Jaish al Islam (Army of Islam), whose leader Zahran Alloush was killed in a Syrian airstrike near Damascus on December 25. The Saudi regime publicly rebuked the killing of Alloush, saying that it jeopardized the forthcoming UN-sponsored peace talks in Geneva on Syria. Read more A poster of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. © Khaled Abdullah Ali Al MahdiSaudi Arabia executes 47 people, incl prominent Shiite cleric, on terror charges The House of Saud, led by King Salman, is known to be not in favor of the Geneva talks, which Washington and Moscow have both endorsed. The Saudis are dismayed by the seeming compromise made by Washington towards the Russian position, which is that the political future of Syria must be decided by the Syrian people through elections. The erstwhile demand by Washington that Syria’s President Bashar Assad must stand down as a precondition for peace talks has been abandoned – leaving the Saudis, Turkey and the extremist militia groups in Syria as the only parties persisting with the call for Assad to go. It is perhaps significant that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a “strategic summit” with Saudi King Salman in Riyadh only days before the execution of Nimr al-Nimr. Russia’s military intervention in Syria, from the end of September, has been a resounding success in terms of stabilizing the Syrian government of Bashar Assad. Even the Obama administration has recently acknowledged the strategic success for Russian President Vladimir Putin in Syria. That military success can also be attributed to Iran and Hezbollah, as well as to Iraq, which have all contributed to the gains made by the Syrian Arab Army on the ground. The biggest loser is the axis for covert regime change in Syria, led by Washington, London and Paris, together with their regional allies in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey. While Washington and the other Western powers have the nous to switch tactics from backing a covert insurgency to belatedly trying a political process for eventual regime change in Syria, it would appear that the Saudis and Turks are still committed to the covert war agenda. Read more Members of the Shi'ite ulema council hold a sign for Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr who was executed along with others in Saudi Arabia, during a protest demonstration in Karachi, Pakistan, January 2, 2016 © Akhtar SoomroUproar in Middle East after Saudi Arabia executes top Shiite cleric In that way, the Russian-backed military alliance in Syria is a particularly damaging broadside to Saudi Arabia and Turkey. From the Saudi point of view, one way of trying to salvage their losses in Syria and ongoing setbacks in Yemen would be to blow up the region with an explosion in sectarian conflicts. For many people, of course, such a gambit is insane. But if the House of Saud can provoke a firestorm between Sunnis and Shiites, that would in turn polarize relations between Washington and Moscow, leading to a wider war across the region. Having lost in their Machiavellian schemes for regime change in Syria, the House of Saud seems to want to inflict a plague of chaos and bloodshed on everyone else’s house. The execution of renowned Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr is such a gratuitous barbaric killing, one is left with the conclusion: the unadulterated madness of the slaying betrays an altogether pathological calculation aimed at inciting mayhem in the region. Saudi Arabia is on such a losing streak over Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon and elsewhere that its autocratic rulers probably figure that they don’t have much else to lose by going for broke – and thus provoking a regional bloodbath. The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT. Yahoo News Search Mail 6 Iran-Saudi crisis deepens as diplomatic ties cut AFP By Abdul Hadi Habtor with Arthur MacMillan in Tehran 1 hour ago  Bahraini women shout slogans during clashes with riot police in the village of Daih, west of the capital Manama, on January 4, 2016 . . . . . Riyadh (AFP) - Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran erupted into a full-blown diplomatic crisis on Monday as Riyadh and its Sunni Arab allies cut or reduced ties with Tehran, sparking global concern. Following angry exchanges over Saudi Arabia's execution Saturday of prominent Shiite cleric and activist Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, Riyadh and then Bahrain and Sudan severed their relations with Tehran, the main Shiite power. As international worries grew, US Secretary of State John Kerry called his Iranian and Saudi Arabian counterparts, US officials said. "We are urging calm and de-escalation. The situation needs to be calmed," one official told AFP. London, Paris and Berlin also expressed concerns, amid fears the dispute could derail efforts to resolve conflicts across the Middle East, from Syria to Yemen. The Sunni-Shiite divide in the Middle East Map of the Middle East showing countries by the dominant religion of the government. 180 x 161 mm (A … Moscow offered to act as an intermediary and the UN envoy for Syria was headed to Riyadh and Tehran in a bid to defuse tensions. The crisis has also raised fears of an increase in sectarian violence, including in Iraq where two Sunni mosques were blown up overnight and two people killed. Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran late on Sunday, giving diplomats 48 hours to leave the country, after protesters set fire to its embassy in Tehran and a consulate in second city Mashhad. Bahrain and Sudan followed suit on Monday, and the United Arab Emirates also downgraded its ties, recalling its envoy from Tehran. Sunni Arab nations accused Tehran of repeatedly meddling in their affairs, with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir saying "Iran's history is full of negative interference and hostility in Arab issues". Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir says Riyadh … Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir says Riyadh asked Tehran to ensure security at the embassy but … Bahrain accused Iran of "increasing flagrant and dangerous meddling" in Gulf and Arab states, while the UAE said Iranian interference had reached "unprecedented levels". Some 80 Saudis, including diplomats and their families, had already left Iran and arrived in Dubai on Monday, diplomatic sources said. The Saudi civil aviation authority said that as part of the cut in ties all flights to and from Iran were being suspended. - 'Hugely concerning' - Iranian officials denounced the Saudi moves as tactics that would inflame regional tensions. Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr … Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr (portrait-top) hold posters of prominent Shiite cl … "Saudi Arabia sees not only its interests but also its existence in pursuing crises and confrontations and (it) attempts to resolve its internal problems by exporting them to the outside," foreign ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari said. Iran and Saudi Arabia are on opposing ends of a range of crucial issues in the Middle East, including the war in Syria -- where Tehran backs President Bashar al-Assad's regime and Riyadh supports rebel forces -- and Yemen where a Saudi-led coalition is battling Shiite insurgents. The UN peace envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, was due in Riyadh later Monday for talks aimed at defusing tensions, ahead of a visit to Iran, the UN spokesman said. The spike in tensions comes after Iran last year secured a historic nuclear deal with world powers led by the United States, sparking major concern in Riyadh, a longtime US ally. The Cairo-based Arab League said it would hold an emergency meeting at Riyadh's request on Sunday to discuss the attacks on Saudi diplomatic premises and alleged Iranian interference. Iraqi Shiites burn a effigy of a member of the Saudi ruling family as others hold posters of promine … British Prime Minister David Cameron said the tensions were "hugely concerning", Germany expressed its "dismay" and called for the restoration of diplomatic ties, and France urged a "de-escalation of tensions". Oil prices rose on fears of Middle East instability, with US benchmark West Texas Intermediate climbing 30 cents to $37.34 a barrel. Gulf stocks tumbled, with six of the region's seven exchanges down and the Saudi Tadaul All-Shares Index falling by 2.36 percent. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate, on Sunday criticised those who attacked the diplomatic buildings, calling them radicals, and 50 suspects were arrested. But the country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Riyadh its rulers would face "quick consequences" for executing Nimr. Iranian women at the rally in Tehran's Imam Hossein Square on January 4, 2016 (AFP Photo/Atta Ke … Some 3,000 demonstrators gathered for a new rally in Tehran on Monday, chanting anti-Saudi slogans and burning US and Israeli flags. - Blasts, protests in Iraq - In Shiite-majority Iraq, top cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani called Nimr's execution "an unjust act of aggression", and on Monday blasts rocked two Sunni mosques in the centre of the country, wounding at least three people. A man living at one of the mosques in the town of Hilla was shot dead by unidentified gunmen and a Sunni muezzin -- who recites the Muslim call to prayer -- was shot dead near his home in the city of Iskandariyah, security sources said. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said security forces were tracking down the perpetrators "who targeted mosques to sow sedition and undermine national unity". Thousands of protesters rallied against Saudi Arabia in the Iraqi capital, demanding that Baghdad sever relations with Riyadh. The 56-year-old Nimr was a force behind 2011 anti-government protests in eastern Saudi Arabia, where Shiites have long complained of marginalisation. He was among 47 men executed on Saturday, including other Shiite activists and Sunni militants the Saudi interior ministry said were involved in Al-Qaeda attacks that killed dozens in 2003 and 2004. Executions have soared in Saudi Arabia since King Salman ascended the throne a year ago with 153 people put to death in 2015, nearly twice as many as in 2014, for crimes ranging from murder to drug trafficking, armed robbery, rape and apostasy. ================================================================================================================================================================================== Tue Jan 5, 2016 | 6:22 AM EST New Saudi-Iran crisis threatens wider escalation Supporters of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr protest against the execution of Shi'ite Muslim cleric Nimr al-Nimr in Saudi Arabia, during a demonstration in Najaf, Iraq January 4, 2016. REUTERS/Alaa al-Marjani Supporters of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr protest against the execution of Shi'ite Muslim cleric Nimr al-Nimr in Saudi Arabia, during a demonstration in Najaf, Iraq January 4, 2016. Reuters/Alaa al-Marjani New Saudi-Iran crisis threatens wider escalation By Angus McDowall RIYADH (Reuters) - The last time Saudi Arabia broke off ties with Iran, after its embassy in Tehran was stormed by protesters in 1988, it took a swing in the regional power balance in the form of Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion of Kuwait to heal the rift. It is hard to see how any lesser development could resolve the region's most bitter rivalry, which has underpinned wars and political tussles across the Middle East as Riyadh and Tehran backed opposing sides. Riyadh's expulsion of Iran's envoy after another storming of its Tehran embassy, this time in response to the Saudi execution of Shi'ite Muslim cleric Nimr al-Nimr, raised the heat again, making the region's underlying conflict even harder to resolve. At the heart of the new crisis is Saudi Arabia's growing willingness to confront Iran and its allies militarily since King Salman took power a year ago, say diplomats, choosing with his son, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to abandon years of backroom politics. Last year, Riyadh began a war in Yemen to stop an Iran-allied militia seizing power in its southern neighbor and boosted support to Syrian rebels against Tehran's ally President Bashar al-Assad. Its execution of Nimr, while mainly driven by domestic politics, was also part of that open confrontation with Iran, according to political analysts. The interventions followed years of Riyadh complaining about what it regarded as unchecked Iranian aggression in the region. It has pointed to Iran's support for Shi'ite militias and accused the country of smuggling arms to groups in Gulf countries - which Iran denies. "We will not allow Iran to destabilize our region. We will not allow Iran to do harm to our citizens or those of our allies and so we will react," Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told Reuters on Monday, signaling Riyadh would not back down. The Saudi decisions in Syria and Yemen were also partly a response to Iran's nuclear deal with world powers, which lifted sanctions on Tehran, theoretically giving it more money and political room to pursue its regional activities. The new crisis has had the effect of hardening a wider confrontation between the loose-knit coalitions of allies each can call upon in the region; some of Riyadh's allies also cut diplomatic ties with Tehran after the embassy attack, while Iran's warned of repercussions. That chain reaction may now complicate complex political talks over the formation of a government in Lebanon, efforts to bring Syria's warring parties to talks, stalled negotiations to end Yemen's civil war and Riyadh's rapprochement with Baghdad. SIMMERING MISTRUST Until the 1960s and 70s, Saudi Arabia and Iran were uneasy allies regarded as the "twin pillars" of Washington's strategy to curb Soviet influence in the Gulf. Sectarianism was muted. Turkish PM urges diplomacy, offers help in Saudi-Iran crisis But rich on its new oil wealth, Saudi Arabia began to propagate its rigid Salafi interpretation of Sunni Islam which regards Shi'ism as heretical, in mosques around the region. And, after its 1979 revolution, Iran adopted - and exported - the doctrine of Velayat-e Faqih, which says ultimate temporal power among Shi'ites should reside with its own supreme leader. That growing ideological divide set up a simmering mistrust that was soon matched by a geopolitical rivalry that has driven their fractious relations for the subsequent 37 years. After Iran's 1980-88 war with Iraq, when Saddam invaded, it developed a strategy of "forward defense", seeking to use ties with Arab Shi'ites to build militias and political parties that could stop new enemies emerging and give it deterrent capability through proxy forces. Riyadh regarded Tehran's cultivation of Shi'ite groups with intense suspicion, fearing it would foment revolution in Saudi-allied states and destabilize the region. It broke ties in 1988 when a diplomat died in the storming of its Tehran embassy following tensions over the death of hundreds of Iranian pilgrims in clashes with Saudi police during the haj. But when Saddam invaded Kuwait, Tehran and Riyadh set aside their hostility to make common cause against a shared enemy. The toppling of Saddam in 2003 upturned the regional power balance, however, as Iran used its ties to the country's large Shi'ite community to gain sway in Baghdad, pitting Riyadh and Tehran more openly against each other - a pattern repeated in Yemen and Syria after the "Arab Spring" uprisings. Meanwhile, Iraq's civil war had poured fuel on growing sectarian tensions as al Qaeda, which follows an extreme form of Salafism, sent suicide bombers against Shi'ite civilians, prompting murderous retaliation from Iran-linked militias. FURTHER ESCALATION Now there is some scope for further escalation, both in the various Middle East theaters where Iran and Saudi Arabia back opposing forces, and diplomatically as Riyadh taps Arab and Muslim channels to try to isolate Tehran, according to analysts. "Since 1979 the two countries have fought numerous proxy conflicts throughout the Middle East and often exchange threats and insults. But they've stopped short of direct conflict and eventually agreed to a cold reconciliation," said Karim Sadjadpour, senior associate of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Middle East program. But he said that Iran might seek to stoke unrest among Saudi Arabia and Bahrain's Shi'ite communities.

Breakingviews predicts a rock'n'roll 2016 | Considered View | Breakingviews

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It’s the end of the world as we know it – or at least as we’ve known it for the past seven years. The money for nothing that fueled government spending, emerging markets and the allure of risky financial assets will start going the way of disco in 2016 as the U.S. Federal Reserve raises interest rates. For nations and corporations with strong balance sheets, it could be a welcome shift – even a stairway to heaven. For overvalued businesses, profligate governments and high-yield markets, danger lies ahead – perhaps a highway to hell.

That’s the theme of Reuters Breakingviews’ Predictions 2016, a collection of financial insight aimed at giving readers a jump on the year ahead. If the past is any indication, many of the pieces will be pitch-perfect. A year ago we said Deutsche Bank would oust its leaders and accounting fraud would become a top regulatory priority. Bingo. But we also forecast oil at $80 a barrel and a cooling mergers and acquisitions market. Right or wrong, our goal is to offer intelligent and provocative ideas in our typically pithy format.

Read Breakingviews’ Predictions 2016 online

Download Breakingviews’ Predictions 2016 PDF

This year’s book is divided into four classic rock-inspired sections: The Thrill Is Gone, Anticipation, A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall and Won’t Get Fooled Again. In the first category, we are doubling down on our view that mergers and acquisitions have peaked in America. Also look for oil-rich nations like Saudi Arabia to start raiding sovereign wealth funds to pay for social stability.

A new U.S. president will take office just in time to battle the first recession since the financial crisis, and old-school interest rate indicators make a revival as the Fed raises rates again. Quarterly reporting will get a rethink – a prediction British insurer Legal & General just proved true. Activist investors will roam again and may move the earth under U.S. machinery maker Caterpillar.

Many nations and companies will be judged on how well they anticipate challenges in the new monetary environment. Brazil’s economy will probably get worse before getting better, but the rule of law should help the nation emerge stronger from its crisis. China will allow Facebook to re-enter the Middle Kingdom, and entertainment juggernaut Walt Disney will rocket higher with the Star Wars franchise. Meanwhile, prudent banks will spend the year preparing thoroughly for Britain’s possible exit from the European Union.

Tough times are ahead for the likes of Valeant Pharmaceuticals and other corporate rollups that padded profit with cheap money and financial engineering. The overall earnings of U.S. companies will take a hit from competition, disruption and tax policy after accounting for a historically high share of economic output.

Elsewhere, big energy companies will scramble to account for decades of downplaying climate concerns. And lousy governance could force wrenching changes in the boardrooms of Volkswagen and Glencore.

Anyone who vows not to get fooled again almost certainly will. A world hunkering down for more sub-$50 a barrel oil will breathe a sigh of relief as the price rises – wait for it – past $80. Media moguls who once considered Netflix an ally will come to view the video-streaming service as a villain, and companies will probably regret some of the self-aggrandizing titles they splashed on the covers of their annual reports. Even the Fed, having confidently raised interest rates, may wind up having to cut them again as 2016 draws to a close.

We also have predictions about Prada, HSBC, Argentina and other topics. And if you want to know what country will bring home the most medals from this summer’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, check out our calculator.

Prescient but imperfect, and with dated taste in music, we nonetheless promise to cover the coming year with the clarity, speed and insight that you expect. Join us now for a glimpse of the near future. Stick around to see how it all turns out.