The move was confirmed by the country’s Oil Ministry, with the spokesman saying that Iran will be “selling its oil to new customers”. The decision is not expected to have a big impact, as France only bought three percent of its oil − 58,000 barrels a day − from the Islamic republic last year, and Britain buys less than 1 per cent. But it was seen as a warning shot to other EU nations that... 

Iran’s decision to halt oil exports to some European Union member states has caused serious concern among major European consumers of Iranian crude such as Italy, Press TV reports. Tehran threatened to halt oil shipments to EU states after the bloc reached a decision on January 23 to ban Iranian oil imports for its members. The EU decision came after Washington imposed similar sanctions against... 

Greek pensioners protesting in Athens. In Greece, angry pensioners have once again taken to the streets in the capital Athens to protest against the government’s tough spending cuts. The pensioners gathered to express opposition with lawmakers’ decision to slash another 325 million euros in wages, pensions, and jobs, as demanded by the European Union and International Monetary Fund (IMF) in order... 

Oil refinery of Swiss firm Petroplus in Petit-Couronne, near Rouen, northwestern France. A senior Iranian lawmaker says a number of Eastern European countries have called on the Islamic Republic not to approve a bill which will stop the country’s oil exports to the European Union member states. Member of Iran Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Mohammad-Karim Abedi said on Tuesday... 

Protestors, some wearing Guy Fawkes masks, take part in a demonstration in Stockholm. Germany has delayed signing the ACTA treaty on intellectual property theft after its Justice Ministry voiced its concerns about the legislation. It is the fifth EU country to challenge approval of the debated treaty. ­The Justice Ministry said that the European Parliament should vote on ACTA before it is considered... 

Gendarme forces move toward protesters in Piata Universitatii square, Bucharest January 19, 2012. Romania’s Prime Minster Emil Boc has resigned following weeks of public protest against IMF-backed austerity measures amid the debt crisis sweeping the European Union. Announcing his resignation on Television on Monday, Boc said that he wanted to “defuse political and social tension” and... 

A grim report just issued by the Finance Ministry that is circulating in the Kremlin today says the United States Clearing House Interbank Payments System (CHIPS) has ground to a virtual halt signaling that a major global economic collapse is currently underway and could very well likely enter into the dreaded “freefall zone.” Virtually unknown to all but the global financial elite, CHIPS is the... 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel Despite Beijing’s outright refusal to join the EU and US-sponsored unilateral sanctions on Iran’s oil industry, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has arranged a visit to China to convince the country to reduce Iranian oil import. A German government source told a news briefing on Tuesday that “It is in German interests that China does not raise its imports... 

European Union leaders are expected in Brussels for their first summit of the year in attempt to reconcile austerity with growth and to approve a permanent rescue fund for the crisis-hit eurozone. The half day summit on Monday is meant to focus on ways to generate growth and create jobs, while having more austere fiscal measures for nations with unsustainable levels of debt. The summit coincided with... 

As a warrior for Internet freedom, you helped defeat the Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA by supporting Web black outs by sites like Wikipedia and by contacting your lawmaker to voice your displeasure. So loud was your voice that even the president of the United States sided with you in opposing it. But don’t take a deep sigh of relief because, after all, we’re talking about a merger of... 

Iranian lawmakers aim to ban all oil exports to European countries in response to the oil ban against Iran. An Iranian lawmaker says the Majlis (parliament) Energy Committee has finalized a draft bill to stop the country’s oil exports to EU member states in reaction to the bloc’s recent decision to ban oil imports from Iran. Nasser Soudani, deputy chairman of the committee, said on Saturday... 

Shah Deniz gas field BP Plc, UK, and EU have reportedly convinced US lawmakers to exempt a BP-led project from the newly- proposed Washington sanctions on Iran. This is a clear indication that the West is pushing for stricter embargoes on Tehran without harming its own economy. US senators have discussed provisions that could bar companies like BP from working with the National Iranian Oil Company... 

New Western sanctions seek to prevent other countries from importing Iran's crude oil. India has agreed to pay the price of crude oil it imports from Iran in gold, which makes it the first country to drop the US dollar for purchasing the Iranian oil. According to a report published by DEBKAfile news website, unnamed sources have stressed that China is also expected to follow suit. India and China... 

Iranian Navy warships take part in maneuvers during the "Velayat-90" navy exercises in the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran. Tensions in the Gulf could reach a breaking point as a senior Iranian official said Iran would “definitely” close the Strait of Hormuz if an EU oil embargo disrupted the export of crude oil, the semi-official Fars news agency reports. The announcement came in response... 

Croatians voting in this weekend’s referendum have given the green light to the country’s accession to the European Union in July 2013. However with only 47 per cent of those eligible turning out to vote, enthusiasm for the initiative seems muted. With nearly all ballots counted, Croatia’s state referendum commission said that about 66 per cent of those who took part in the referendum answered...