Hourly News updated 10:00 2011/10/12

 U.S. to consult with partners to send strong message to Iran: Clinton

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the U.S. is planning to consult with its partners on how to send a strong message to Iran.
The comments come in response to the alleged 1 assassination 2 attempt on the Saudi ambassador in the United States.
Clinton says any further measures may "further isolate 3" Iran in the international community.
The US Justice Department has charged two men in connection with a plot to kill the Saudi ambassador.
One of the two, who is not in custody 4, is a member of Iran's al-Quds brigade, which is a secretive arm of the Iranian military which is accused of supporting and training terrorists.
The pair are accused of trying to hire an undercover agent to assassinate 5 Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the US using explosives.
The Iranian government is denying the allegation, saying the story is a "prefabricated scenario 6."
 
 
China currency bill passes U.S. Senate
The U.S. Senate has now passed its controversial legislation connected to China's currency.
The Senate bill, which is designed to press China to let its currency rise, will now be sent to the US House of Representatives.
House leaders have already expressed their dissatisfaction with the Senate bill, meaning it's not likely to become law.
The bill calls for tariffs 7 on imports from countries which deliberately 8 undervalue their currencies.
China has warned that the bill could seriously affect the country's currency reforms and lead to a trade war between the two economies.
 
 
U.S. Senate kills Obama's jobs plan
The U.S. Senate has defeated President Barack Obama's jobs plan.
In the procedural vote, both Republicans and some Democrats 9 have raised objections to both stimulus 10 spending and a tax on the rich.
The 447-billion-dollars bill will have to go back to committee to either be re-tooled or scrapped 11.
Obama put forward his jobs plan in September to try to tackle the near double digit 12 unemployment and to spur the sluggish 13 US economy.
The whole jobs package includes measures including payroll 14 tax cuts for employers and employees, new investment in infrastructure 15 projects, as well as a tax increase on million-dollar earners.
Republicans are strongly opposed to increasing taxes.
 
 
12 Chinese confirmed dead on Mekong River: FM spokesman
China's Foreign Ministry 16 now says that 12 Chinese citizens are dead, and one remains 17 missing, following last week's attack on two ships in Thailand.
The statement follows the identification of the bodies pulled from the Mekong River.
Around 50 family members of the victims are now gathered on Yunnan's border areas, waiting for permission to head to Thailand to identify the bodies.
The Chinese sailors were killed last week following an attack by suspected pirates.
 
 
China, Russia pledge to further boost bilateral 18 ties, energy cooperation highlights
China and Russia have now reached a critical agreement on oil pricing.
The agreement has come following meetings between Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Premier 19 Wen Jiabao here in Beijing.
At the same time, Putin says Russia and China are nearing a deal when it comes to the pricing of natural gas.
Energy pricing is one of the key issues under discussion between Putin and Chinese leaders this week in Beijing.
Putin arrived in China yesterday as part of the two country's regularly-scheduled meetings.
Putin is set to meet with President Hu Jintao later this morning.
He also has time blocked off to meet with leading Chinese lawmaker Wu Bangguo today as well.
 
 
Israeli cabinet approves prisoner swap 20 deal
The Israeli cabinet has approved a prisoner exchange with Hamas.
With only three of the 29 members of the Israeli cabinet voting against the plan, the agreement paves the way for the eventual 21 release of Gilad Shalit.
The Israeli soldier has been held for some five years by the Islamic Resistance Movement.
In exchange, the Israeli side will release just over a thousand Palestinian prisoners.
Around three hundred of them are believed to be high-priority prisoners, many of whom are serving life sentences for their role in attacks on Israel.
 
 
Polling in Liberia ends peacefully
Security personnel and elections officials both say that voting in Liberia has gone off very smoothly 22.
The polling for both the presidential and legislative 23 elections is now over.
Voters in the West African country have voted to elect both a president and 88 lawmakers.
Incumbent 24 President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the first woman elected as the head of state in Africa, is up against 15 other candidates.
The results of the vote are expected in two weeks.
 
 
Grounded cargo 25 ship captain charged in New Zealand court
The captain of the stricken cargo ship, grounded off the coast of New Zealand, has now been formally charged.
The 44-year old man from the Philippines, whose name hasn't been revealed, could face up to a year in jail if eventually convicted.
He's been remanded into custody until his next court appearance.
The charges come after the cargo ship became grounded on a reef in New Zealand's territorial 26 waters last week.
So far about 40 tonnes of oil have leaked from the striken ship.
Around 70 cargo containers, potenitally carrying environmentally damaging materials, have also fallen into the sea.