Tropical Storms Hit Central U.S., 10 Killed

Managua Tropical Storm Alex, the season’s first hurricane in the Atlantic, killing at least 10 people in Central America, local media reported on Monday. Hundreds of people were evacuated from lowland areas in El Salvador, when Alex storms into the Gulf of Mexico. Six people were killed and their bodies were found drifting in the River San Lucas, said an official with Nicaragua. In the western part of Guatemala, a landslide buried two farmers as they worked on a road improvement project, the Office of Emergency Response, Conred, reported.

U.S. National Disaster Management Center, Alex is still going strong storms on Tuesday local time Wednesday Hurricane season this year came not as usual. Pacific typhoon, Agatha, who appeared before the June 1 killing 156 people in Guatemala.Tropical storm Alex was somewhat weakened after the rain down in Belize, but continue to create gusts of wind and heavy rains, said the United States National Hurricane Center .

Nevertheless, the storm did not immediately threaten the activities of oil drilling in wells Macondo of BP Plc (British Petroleum), U.S. Coast Guard said. Alex, the first hurricane of the Atlantic hurricane season in 2010, has a wind speed of nearly 65 km per hour and was at about 90 km west of Chetumal, Mexico.

The storm was expected to subside when entering Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula, said Miami-based hurricane center. Atlantic cyclone began to move on June 1 to 30 November and meteorological experts predict this year will be the most prone to hurricanes. (Xinhua-Oana)

Crude oil prices on the New York Stock Exchange is now approaching U.S. $ 84/barrel

Crude oil prices on the New York Stock Exchange is now approaching U.S. $ 84/barrel, even in this time have the highest record in the last 17 months. Significant increase was thanks to the President of the United States (U.S.), Barack Obama, who announced the offshore oil drilling in new areas.

based on the transaction on Wednesday afternoon New York time (Thursday morning GMT), the price of light sweet crude for May rose contract U.S. $ 1.39 to U.S. $ 83.76 per barrel. This is the highest price since October 9, 2008 – which was recorded at U.S. $ 86.59 per barrel.

Among analysts caution that investors reacted positively after Obama announced the licensing of offshore oil drilling at a new location along the Atlantic coast, Gulf of Mexico, and the northern coast of Alaska.

Policies that once lifted the ban on oil drilling along the U.S. coast, except in the Gulf of Mexico. The ban was valid for 20 years. According to Obama, the newly enacted policies that the U.S. is no longer dependent on foreign manufacturers in meeting energy needs.

Meanwhile, before the announcement from Obama, the U.S. Energy Department weekly report revealed crude oil inventories, which this time 2.9 million barrel rise. Similarly, gasoline stockpiles in the U.S., rose 300,000 barrels last week. Surveys of government is greater than expected by economists.