News Headlines - 29 January 2012

▽RBS chief Stephen Hester waives controversial bonus of nearly ￡1m - The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/jan/29/rbs-stephen-hester-waives-bonus
Stephen Hester, the chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland, has bowed to intense political pressure and waived a bonus of nearly ￡1m.
After a weekend of intense scrutiny of the bonus, culminating in a move by Labour to force a Commons vote on the payment, Hester concluded that he would not accept the 3.6m shares that the bank's board had decided to award him.

▽Syrian Uprising Intensifies as Troops Defend Capital - Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204652904577190703938046054.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Syria's government moved to defend Damascus as its military fought rebel troops outside the capital for a third day on Sunday, as the battle moved ever closer to President Bashar al-Assad's seat of power.

▽Iran says oil price could reach $150 per barrel on EU embargo - Reuters
http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL5E8CT06B20120129
Iran said on Sunday that oil prices could reach $150 per barrel as a result of the European Union's ban on imports of oil from the country, deputy oil minister was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency.

▽Bad weather stops work on capsized Italian cruise ship - Reuters
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/01/29/uk-italy-ship-idUKTRE80Q0HJ20120129
Divers searching for bodies on the Costa Concordia, the wrecked cruise ship that lies capsized off the Italian coast, suspended work on Sunday after heavy seas and strong winds caused the vessel to shift noticeably, authorities said.

▽ExxonMobil Sells Japan Unit to TonenGeneral for $3.9 Billion - Bloomberg
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-29/exxon-mobil-sells-japan-business-stake-to-tonengeneral-for-3-9-billion.html
Exxon Mobil Corp. agreed to sell its Japanese business to local partner TonenGeneral Sekiyu KK in a $3.9 billion deal as the world’s largest energy company shifts focus to the higher returns from pumping oil and gas.