Oil soared today following a landmark deal by Russia and other non-OPEC producers to join the cartel in capping output, in a bid to end a stubborn global glut that has hammered prices.
	In a bid to reverse a dramatic fall in income, Russia and 10 other non-OPEC states on Saturday said they will reduce their production by more than half a million barrels per day (bpd), the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries announced.
	The move marks the first time non-OPEC members have reached an agreement since 2001, and follows a similar agreement by OPEC last month.
	OPEC members had agreed to collectively reduce output by 1.2 million bpd beginning in January.
	At about 07300 IST, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for January was up USD 2.28 at USD 53.78 while Brent crude was up USD 2.29 at USD 56.62.
	"OPEC and non-OPEC's signing of the production cut agreement over the weekend was clearly the catalyst, overlooking Saudi Arabia's record high production in November," said OANDA ...

Oil soars as non-OPEC producers agree on caps

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A decade-long surge of the potent greenhouse gas methane threatens to make the fight against global warming even harder, top researchers warned.
	"Additional attention is urgently needed to quantify and reduce methane emissions," they wrote today in the Environmental Research Letters journal, summarising the findings of a consortium of 81 scientists.
	After rising slowly from 2000 to 2006, the concentration of methane in the air climbed 10 times more quickly the following decade, according to that study, which was published in the peer-reviewed Earth System Science Data.
	The unexpected -- and largely unexplained -- increase was especially sharp in 2014 and 2015.
	"Keeping global warming below two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) is already a challenging target," they said, referring to the goal set in the 196-nation Paris climate pact, which entered into force last month.
	"Such a target will become increasingly difficult if reductions in methane emissions are not also ...

Surging methane emissions imperil climate goals

The Macedonian opposition Social Democrats claimed victory in elections, shortly after the ruling conservative party had announced that it had won.
	"We are the winners!" Social Democrat leader Zoran Zaev told a cheering crowd yesterday. "We have one more seat, we are waiting for the final results ... But the trend is clearly in our favour.

Macedonian opposition also claims election victory

New Zealand's ruling National Party appointed Bill English as the country's new prime minister today following last week's shock resignation of his predecessor John Key.
	The National Party caucus met to confirm the appointment today morning with English to be officially sworn in at Government House in Wellington later in the day.
	Police Minister Judith Collins was named as deputy prime minister.

Bill English elected to replace New Zealand PM Key: party

Bill English elected to replace New Zealand PM Key: party.

Colombia's government has suggested to a leftist rebel group that it declare a Christmas and New Year's truce as a way to free up stalled peace talks.
	The National Liberation Army (ELN), smaller than the FARC guerrilla group with whom the government already signed a peace accord, wants until January 10 to consider their next move, government chief negotiator Juan Camilo Restrepo said.
	"It would be so good if the ELN used this pause to decree a unilateral ceasefire," Restrepo said in a series of tweets yesterday.
	The two sides were to have started formal peace talks in late October, but they broke down last month before they could start after the rebels failed to release a hostage, a former congressman named Odin Sanchez.
	The ELN is demanding that two imprisoned guerrilla fighters be pardoned.
	Restrepo said the two sides would decide January 10 how to move forward.
	The ELN declared a unilateral truce in October while Colombians voted in a referendum on a peace accord with the ...

Colombian govt suggests rebels declare Christmas truce

The European Union signed an agreement with the Malian government aimed at enabling the return of migrants who have reached Europe's shores, and whose asylum requests have been refused.
	   "It is the first time the EU establishes such a precise mechanism with an African country with regards to returning failed asylum seekers," said a statement from the Dutch foreign ministry yesterday, which signed the agreement on the EU's behalf.
	The accord seeks to fight "the root causes of illegal migration" and to "enable the return from Europe of Malian migrants", the statement said.
	The agreement came after a summit in the Maltese capital Valletta in November 2015, when EU leaders agreed with their African counterparts to set up a 1.8-billion-euro ($1.9-billion) fund to help address the root causes of migration.
	In return, African countries would step up border controls and accept the repatriation of those who make it to Europe but are judged to have no right to remain.
	The EU-Mali deal ...

EU, Mali sign deal to return migrants

Six people died and a total of 1,164 people were rescued during operations to save stricken migrant boats in the Mediterranean today, Italy's coastguard said.
	Vessels operated by the coastguard, the EU's naval operation EU NAVFOR MED and the Italian navy were deployed along with the Aquarius, operated by the Doctors without Borders (MSF) charity, to help migrants on six rubber dinghies and one larger wooden boat that had got into trouble off Libya.
	This year has already set a new record for the number of migrants arriving at Italy's southern ports with more than 173,000 registered by the interior ministry up until the start of last week.
	According to the UN, at least 4,700 people have died attempting the often perilous crossing on boats chartered by people smugglers.

Six dead in new Med migrant tragedy

Romania's left staged an emphatic comeback in parliamentary elections today, exit polls indicated, a year after a deadly nightclub fire forced them from office in the EU's second-poorest country.
	Mass protests after the fire on October 30, 2015 that claimed 64 lives -- and which was blamed on corruption -- forced premier Victor Ponta and his Social Democrats (PSD) to resign.
	But exit polls today, 13 months later, put the PSD well ahead its rivals on around 45 percent of the vote, even better than expected.
	The rival centre-right National Liberal Party (PNL) trailed on around 21 percent, while their allies the Save Romania Union (USR), newly created by a mathematician-turned-activist, was on nine percent.
	It remains to be seen if the left can form a majority government, however -- much will depend on which of the smaller parties make it into parliament -- and who might be prime minister.
	Official results weren't due before tomorrow.
	Romania has been run since Ponta's departure by 

Romanian left stages comeback a year after deadly fire

Esma Redzepova, the prominent and versatile Roma singer dubbed the "Romany music queen", has died at the age of 73, hospital sources and her family said today.
	Redzepova was one of the first vocalists in the Balkans to sing in the Romany language and performed in some of the world's greatest music halls during her long career .
	She fought against racism and prejudice and spoke out for the emancipation of Roma women, denouncing those in the Roma community who opposed her singing because she was a woman, and rejecting criticism over her marriage to and collaboration with composer Stevo Teodosievski.
	She represented Macedonia at the 2013 Eurovision contest and in June this year she performed before a packed hall in Belgrade accompanied by the Bosnian group, Mostar Sevdah Reunion.
	Known for her extravagant outfits and
perfectly-controlled powerful voice, she had a rich repertoire of hundreds of songs.
	She mixed traditional Roma and Macedonian music with contemporary sound, including .

'Romany music queen' Esma Redzepova dies aged 73

A defiant President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today vowed to fight terror "to the end" as a Kurdish militant group claimed twin attacks that ripped through Istanbul, killing 38 people, mostly police.
	The bloodshed, which took place late yesterday, saw a car bomb exploding outside the home stadium of football giants Besiktas and less than a minute later, a suicide attacker blew himself up by a group of police at a nearby park.
	Most of the dead were police officers, who accounted for 30 of the victims. Seven civilians also died, along with one person whose identity was unclear, officials said. Around 150 people were wounded in the blasts.
	The carnage prompted a sharp response from Erdogan, who vowed Ankara would "fight the scourge of terrorism right to the end".
	"They should know that they will not get away with it ... They will pay a heavier price."
	The attacks were claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), which is seen as a radical offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers ...

Turkey defiant as Kurdish militants claim Istanbul carnage

A Kurdish militant group today claimed responsibility for twin attacks that ripped through the heart of Istanbul, killing 38 people, most of them police, a news agency reported.
	The claim was made by the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), seen as an splinter group of the better-known Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the pro-PKK Firat news agency said, carrying a statement from the group.

Kurdish militant group claims Istanbul attacks: agency

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned today's twin bombings that killed 38 people in Istanbul, while at the same time calling on Turkey to speak out against attacks in Israel.
	"Israel condemns all terrorism in Turkey and expects that Turkey will condemn all terrorist attacks in Israel," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting.
	"The fight against terrorism must be mutual. It must be mutual in condemnation and in countermeasures, and this is what the state of Israel expects from all countries it is in contact with, including Turkey."
	Turkey and Israel agreed to normalise ties in June after a bitter diplomatic rift over the Jewish state's 2010 deadly storming of a Turkish ship bound for Gaza.
	Ten Turkish citizens lost their lives as a result of the raid that saw Israeli commandos storm the Mavi Marmara ship.
	Under the deal to renew ties, Israel's new ambassador arrived in Ankara on December 1, while Turkey's envoy arrived in Israel yesterday.
	Despite the deal, ...

Netanyahu condemns Istanbul bombs, but urges Turkey's support

The press took out of context comments by the British foreign secretary about "proxy wars" waged by longtime ally Saudi Arabia, the Saudi foreign minister said today, deeming the matter closed.
	In a video reported last week Boris Johnson, at a conference in Rome, accused Saudi Arabia and its regional rival Iran of engaging in "puppeteering" and "playing proxy wars".
	The video of his comments was posted on the Guardian website.
	"I have no doubt that his comments as reported in the press were misconstrued," Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters at a joint news conference with Johnson in Riyadh.
	"If you look  at the actual video of what was said, it was not as implied in the press," Jubeir said.
	The British minister was on an official visit to the kingdom, during which he met King Salman.
	The Guardian report came a day after British Prime Minister Theresa May attended a summit with the leaders of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states in Bahrain.
	Downing Street had to ..

British FM's 'proxy war' comment misconstrued: Saudi

Eleven countries have agreed to cut their oil output, teaming up with the OPEC cartel in an exceptional bid to end the world's glut of crude and reverse a dramatic fall in income.
	Russia and 10 other non-OPEC states will reduce their production by more than half a million barrels per day (bpd), OPEC announced yesterday.
	The deal will take effect from the start of 2017 and last for six months, though it may be extended depending on market conditions.
	"I am happy to announce that a historic agreement has been reached," said Qatar's Energy Minister Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
	The cut will contribute to OPEC's own initiative to ease a saturated market and end a price slump that has brutally affected the economies of many oil producers.
	On November 30 its members announced a slash in output by 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) beginning in January, to 32.5 million bpd.
	Under ..

Non-OPEC oil states agree to cuts in 'historic' deal

Paolo Gentiloni was named today as Italy's new prime minister following reformist leader Matteo Renzi's resignation in the wake of a crushing referendum defeat.
	Gentiloni, who served as foreign minister under Renzi, was asked by President Sergio Mattarella to form a new centre-left government that will guide Italy to elections due by February 2018.
	A close ally of the outgoing premier, Gentiloni now has to put together his own government team ahead of a parliamentary approval vote expected on Wednesday.
	In a brief statement, Gentiloni said there was an "urgent need for a fully functioning government" to address a series of pressing international, economic and social issues.
	Chief among those is a looming crisis in the troubled banking sector and ongoing relief efforts after a series of deadly earthquakes between August and October.
	Mattarella turned to Gentiloni after opposition parties rebuffed overtures about a possible national unity government. The president rejected ...

Gentiloni named as Italy's new prime minister

A British-Algerian journalist died today three months into a hunger strike to protest a two-year jail term for offending Algeria's president in a poem posted online, his lawyer said.
	"I can confirm the death of the journalist Mohamed Tamalt in Bab el-Oued hospital after a hunger strike of more than three months and a three-month coma," Amine Sidhoum said on Facebook.
	The prison service, in a statement said Tamalt had died of a lung infection for which he was receiving treatment since it was detected on December 4.
	Tamalt, a dual national, launched the hunger strike in protest after his arrest near his parents' house in the capital Algiers on June 27.
	The 42-year-old blogger and freelance journalist who ran a website from London where he lived was charged with "offending" President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and "defaming a public authority" in the poem which he shared on Facebook.
	A court in Algiers sentenced him two years in prison on July 11 and fined him 200,000 dinars ($1,800), and 

Algerian blogger jailed over Facebook poem dies

The Islamic State jihadist group recaptured Palmyra today after Syrian armed forces pulled out of the desert city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
	"Despite the ongoing air raids, IS retook all of Palmyra after the Syrian army withdrew south of the city," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.
	The jihadists made a lightning-fast advance across the city after overrunning a northern neighbourhood and capturing the famed citadel to Palmyra's west.
	The IS-linked Amaq news agency also reported that IS regained "full control" of the city today after taking the citadel, which overlooks Palmyra from a strategic hilltop.
	IS launched an offensive last week near Palmyra, a renowned UNESCO World Heritage site.
	It seized oil and gas fields before making a major push into the desert city yesterday, sparking new worries for Palmyra's remaining ancient treasures.
	But a fierce Russian bombing campaign killed scores of IS fighters and forced others to withdraw at dawn ...

IS retakes Palmyra after Syria army withdrawal

In the aftermath of this quarter's market rattling events, such as Donald Trump's election win, central banks "took a back seat", the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) said  today, describing the trend as "healthy".
	The Switzerland-based BIS, known as the central bank of central banks, made the comments in its quarterly review of global economic trends.
	BIS monetary and economic department chief, Claudio Borio, noted that markets were caught "completely wrong-footed", by the US vote which swept political novice and former reality TV star Trump into office.
	A series of crisis indicators were immediately triggered, including a plunge in US Treasury yields and a spike in the price of gold.
	But for Borio, the "stand out" development in the immediate post-poll uncertainty was that markets steadied without central bank involvement.
	"It was not central bank utterances or policy decisions that, fundamentally, triggered the market moves," Borio said in the statement.
	"It is as if ..

Central banks taking 'back seat' in crisis response: BIS

Turkey observed a day of mourning today after twin bombings killed 38 people near an Istanbul football stadium in attacks authorities said were likely the work of Kurdish militants.
	A car bomb detonated last night outside the home stadium of football giants Besiktas after a Super Lig match against Bursaspor, and less than a minute later a suicide attacker blew himself up near a group of police at a nearby park.
	President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who postponed foreign travel, declared Turkey would "fight terrorism to the end".
	He and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim attended the funeral of five of the 30 police officers killed, while flags were ordered flown at half mast.
	In a solemn ceremony at Istanbul's police headquarters the leaders spoke with the victims' families and watched as officers carried their coffins draped with the Turkish flag.
	"Sooner or later we will have our revenge", Interior Minister Suleman Soylu told the mourners. "The arm of the law is long".
	People also ...

Istanbul mourns after deadly suicide attack blamed on PKK

The Islamic State jihadist group recaptured Palmyra today after Syrian armed forces pulled out from the desert city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
	"Despite the ongoing air raids, IS retook all of Palmyra after the Syrian army withdrew south of the city," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.
	The IS-linked Amaq news agency also reported that IS regained "full control" of the city today.

AFP

AFP

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