Sasol Betting Big on Gas-to-Liquid Plant in U.S.

OryxThe Oryx natural gas processing plant in Qatar, where Sasol is converting natural gas to diesel fuel. RAS LAFFAN INDUSTRIAL CITY, Qatar — The compact assembly of towers, tubes and tanks that make up the Oryx natural gas processing plant is almost lost in a vast petrochemical complex that rises here like a hazy mirage from a vast ocean of sand. A blog about energy and the environment. ...

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EU’s Almunia sets deadline for Google antitrust plan

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union set Google an ultimatum on Tuesday, giving it a month to come up with detailed proposals to resolve a two-year investigation into complaints that it used its power to block rivals, including Microsoft.The EU’s antitrust chief, Joaquin Almunia, delivered the deadline in a meeting with Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt in Brussels.If it fails to address the...

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'Comfort Dogs' Relieve Emotional Stress in Grieving Newtown

By Amy Jamieson 12/18/2012 at 04:00 PM EST A comfort dog meets with children in Newtown, Conn. Courtesy K-9 Parish Comfort Dogs The call came late on Friday night that Newtown, Conn., needed them.Five specially trained golden retrievers and eight handlers arrived on Saturday to comfort those...

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Experts: No link between Asperger's, violence

NEW YORK (AP) — While an official has said that the 20-year-old gunman in the Connecticut school shooting had Asperger's syndrome, experts say there is no connection between the disorder and violence.Asperger's is a mild form of autism often characterized by social awkwardness."There really is no clear association between Asperger's and violent behavior," said psychologist Elizabeth Laugeson, an assistant...

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Wall Street up on economy bets as it looks past "cliff"

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose on Tuesday as investors positioned for a better economic environment as confidence grew a deal would be struck in Washington regarding the ongoing budget negotiations. The gains added to Monday's rally, giving the S&P 500 its best two-day run in a month. Sectors poised to grow during economic expansion led gains as investors remain...

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Syria Warns Palestinians Not to Aid Rebels as Camp Residents Flee

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Syria warned its Palestinian refugee population on Monday not to aid the insurgency that is fighting President Bashar al-Assad, as hundreds of Palestinians fled the Yarmouk neighborhood of Damascus, with many heading for relative safety in Lebanon, a day after Syrian forces attacked that neighborhood for the first time in the civil war. The New York TimesFor many Yarmouk...

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Massachusetts fines Morgan Stanley over Facebook research

BOSTON (Reuters) – Morgan Stanley, the lead underwriter for Facebook Inc’s initial public offering, will pay a $ 5 million fine to Massachusetts to settle charges that its bankers improperly influenced its research analysts when the Internet company went public.Massachusetts’ top securities regulator, William Galvin, charged that Morgan Stanley improperly helped Facebook disclose sensitive financial...

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Connecticut Shooting: First Funerals Are Held for Noah Pozner and Jack Pinto

By Dahvi Shira 12/17/2012 at 03:20 PM EST Noah Pozner (left) and Jack Pinto AP; Landov Friends and family said goodbye on Monday to two of the 27 victims of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Conn.Noah Pozner and Jack Pinto, both 6, were the first laid to rest. "Today...

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Experts: No link between Asperger's, violence

NEW YORK (AP) — While an official has said that the 20-year-old gunman in the Connecticut school shooting had Asperger's syndrome, experts say there is no connection between the disorder and violence.Asperger's is a mild form of autism often characterized by social awkwardness."There really is no clear association between Asperger's and violent behavior," said psychologist Elizabeth Laugeson, an assistant...

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Optimism about "cliff," financial shares lift market

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks climbed on Monday on rising hopes that negotiations over the "fiscal cliff" were making progress and that a deal could be reached in days. After weeks of stalemate, President Barack Obama and Republican House Speaker John Boehner met at the White House on Monday, raising hopes that Washington will be able to head off steep tax hikes and spending cuts that...

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