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Lebanon’s gas boom-in-waiting goes into deep freeze

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Nov. 7 (UPI) — Lebanon’s energy boom-in-waiting seems to be more or less on permanent hold these days, with little prospect that the country’s perpetually feuding politicians can set aside their sectarian rivalries to get exploration under way. But the danger of spillover from the Syrian civil war next door and meddling by regional powers like Saudi Arabia and Iran could well put the whole economy-saving enterprise into deep freeze for a long time. The most immediate problem is that Lebanon, squeezed by a national debt of $60 billion and its economy crumbling by the day, has been without a government since March, when the Iranian-backed Hezbollah engineered the collapse of a so-called unity Cabinet. All efforts to cobble together a new one have foundered on the sectarian rivalries that have dogged the tiny Mediterranean state since France bestowed independence in 1943. At that time, Christians, headed […]

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The real challenge for US-Iran talks lies at home

A year ago, the prospect of a US-Iranian nuclear settlement seemed very distant. Now, top negotiators from Iran, the US and other major powers are convening in Geneva , and may be on the verge of concluding a deal this week over Iran’s nuclear programme. All signs point to a seriousness of purpose and a determination to get to an agreement. While the differences dividing Iran and the US are significant, the more difficult negotiations may well be the one each side faces at home. Most major international negotiations are, as Robert Putnam, the Harvard political scientist, put it, a two-level game; one set of negotiations take place at the table between the parties and another set back home among different domestic constituencies. The Iran nuclear negotiations are no different, and their success will depend as much on how domestic forces align within the US and Iran as on […]

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Locals protest oil exploration in Exxon block

Locals protest oil exploration in Exxon block In a mountainous stretch of small villages where ExxonMobil has contracted to explore for oil and gas, Saifullah Hamad Mustafa stood over a small shallow hole in which dynamite would soon explode, creating the vibrations needed to analyze geological structures thousands of meters below.”I hope they don’t find oil here, because if they do, they will spoil the environment and want to kick people out,” said Mustafa, a member of the local council of Betwata, a picturesque hillside village of aro… This content is for registered users. Please login to continue. If you are not a registered user, you may purchase a subscription or sign up for a free trial .

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Nigeria: Amnesty International – 'Shell Must Come Clean On Niger Delta Oil Spills'

The rights group Amnesty International and the Center for Environment, Human Rights and Development ( CEHRD) say oil giant Shell has been manipulating its investigations into oil spills in Nigeria. A joint report by the two groups says Shell has wrongly reported the cause of oil spills, the volume of oil spilt, as well as the extent and adequacy of clean up measures. Amnesty International says that the consequences for the affected communities in the Niger Delta region are devastating and can result in them receiving little or no compensation. DW: Can you give up us some examples to illustrate the claims you make in your report? Audrey Gaughran: We’ve documented two thingsin the report and one is systematic problems with the oil spill investigation process, where we’ve looked at every step of the process and found flaws. the other thing we’ve documented were specific cases where things have […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Nigeria: Amnesty International – ‘Shell Must Come Clean On Niger Delta Oil Spills’

The rights group Amnesty International and the Center for Environment, Human Rights and Development ( CEHRD) say oil giant Shell has been manipulating its investigations into oil spills in Nigeria. A joint report by the two groups says Shell has wrongly reported the cause of oil spills, the volume of oil spilt, as well as the extent and adequacy of clean up measures. Amnesty International says that the consequences for the affected communities in the Niger Delta region are devastating and can result in them receiving little or no compensation. DW: Can you give up us some examples to illustrate the claims you make in your report? Audrey Gaughran: We’ve documented two thingsin the report and one is systematic problems with the oil spill investigation process, where we’ve looked at every step of the process and found flaws. the other thing we’ve documented were specific cases where things have […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Brazil greenhouse gas emissions lowest in 20 years

SAO PAULO (AP) — Emission levels of greenhouse gases in Latin America’s biggest country fell last year to their lowest in two decades, a Brazilian network of environmental groups said in a report released Thursday. The Observatorio do Clima, or Climate Observatory, network is comprised of more than 30 non-governmental organizations focused on climate change. It said greenhouse gas emissions amounted to 1.48 billion metric tons in 2012 compared to 1.43 billion metric tons in 1992. Their highest point was 2.86 billion metric tons in 1995. The report measured gas emissions caused by deforestation, farming, the energy and industrial sectors and the burning of crop residues. Emissions from deforestation have dropped, but emissions from the other activities have risen and could go up more because of gasoline subsidies and increased use of thermal power, it said. Although they have dropped sharply, emissions from deforestation are still responsible for most […]

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Tullow to return to work in Kenya after strikes

LONDON, Nov. 7 (UPI) — British energy explorer Tullow Oil announced plans Thursday to restart operations at two reserve areas in Kenya shuttered previously by labor strikes. Tullow said it would restart operations at blocks 10BB and 13T in northern Kenya by Friday. It halted operations there in late October. The company said the decision follows an agreement reached with federal and local officials on labor issues. “Tullow has reaffirmed its commitment to local employment, local opportunities and transparency throughout its operations in northern Kenya,” the company said in a statement. “As Tullow’s exploration campaign progresses and gathers pace, the number of local employees and local companies involved in our work will continue to grow.” More than half of the 1,400 people employed by Tullow in Kenya are from the north of the country. Tullow in September announced it made a new oil discovery in northern Kenya. It said […]

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Venezuela PdVSA Says Debts Resolved With 76% of Service Providers

By Kejal Vyas MARACAIBO, Venezuela–State energy company Petroleos de Venezuela, or PdVSA, has paid off some 76% of its more than 5,000 service providers who have reported long delays before receiving payments owed by the oil giant, Venezuela Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez said Thursday. Mr. Ramirez declined to specify in dollar terms how much was paid of the company’s total debt to service providers, which rose 35% last year to $16.7 billion. However, he said officials aimed to erase the remaining 24% of owed money over the next two months. “We want to start 2014, a year of production increases, with a private sector that doesn’t have the pressure of the debt,” Mr. Ramirez told investors at an oil conference. “We are fixing all of our affairs with private companies,” he added. PdVSA, which is the breadwinner for Venezuela’s economy and finances the government’s politically important social programs for […]

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China trade data adds to recovery hopes

Worker in a Chinese factory 8 November 2013 Last updated at 05:23 China’s manufacturing and export sectors have been key drivers of its economy China’s exports and imports rose in October, the latest in a series of figures indicating a recovery. Exports, a key driver of its growth, rose 5.6% from a year earlier, while imports jumped 7.6%. This follows data released earlier this month which showed that manufacturing activity in China grew at its fastest pace in 18 months in October. The numbers come ahead of key meetings of China’s Communist Party, with economic reforms set to be discussed. Known as the Third Plenary Session of the Central Committee, the meeting will run from 9 to 12 November, and top leaders are expected to discuses reforming key areas such as the financial sector and state-owned enterprises. ‘Holding up’ China’s economy, the world’s second-biggest, has shown signs of a […]

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China Reports Strong Rise in Exports

HONG KONG — Surprisingly strong exports reported by China on Friday bolstered the view that the global economy is improving, just as Chinese leaders were set to hold an important policy meeting to flesh out their economic agenda for the coming years. Exports rose 5.6 percent in October from a year earlier, reversing a 0.3 percent slide in September and beating expectations for a much more modest rise, according to data from the Chinese customs administration. Imports confirmed that domestic demand was solid, rising 7.6 percent from a year earlier, a little more rapidly than the 7.4 percent recorded in September. After a rocky patch earlier this year, China’s economy has stabilized in recent months, echoing improvements in the United States, Japan and the long-beleaguered euro zone. Friday’s data confirmed that the steady — though not stellar — expansion in the Chinese economy in recent months has continued into […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple