Donald Trump’s U.S. Presidency 2.0 differs in one great respect from the 1.0 beta version. The aim is the same – to cement his country as the leading superpower on the planet – but the approach in dealing with America’s rivals has a sharper edge. Nowhere has this been more clearly seen than in his administration’s dealings with the self-appointed leader of the alternative new world order, China. The imposition of further sanctions on more of Beijing’s key mechanisms for effectively continuing to bankroll Iran…

The last decade has been especially grueling for Ecuador’s economically vital oil industry. Plummeting investment, heavily corroded infrastructure, endemic corruption, violent protests, severe oil spills and rising insecurity are all weighing on operations. The sharp decline in oil production is weighing heavily on government finances at a time of increased spending due to a national security crisis. To rescue the economically crucial industry and boost fiscal revenue, President Daniel Noboa launched a $47 billion plan to revive Ecuador’s…

There is a high-stakes global race underway to unlock a long-term energy storage technology with the potential to corner what is sure to be one of the energy sector’s hottest new markets. Venture capital is catching on quickly to “clean energy’s next trillion-dollar business” and pouring billions into finding new and innovative energy storage solutions.  Currently, the energy storage sector is dominated by lithium-ion batteries. Lithium is extremely energy-dense and performs exceptionally well in cold weather, making…

Shadow energy secretary, Claire Coutinho, has claimed that Labour’s net zero targets” are not helping” the UK’s economy. In an interview with Sky News’ Trevor Phillips, Countinho linked the government’s climate targets to the ongoing cost of living crisis. She said: “We’ve said we would repeal the climate change target, and we actually think the net zero targets are a problem” Her comments follow Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch pledging to scrap the Climate Change Act, which created the framework…

Republican lawmakers on Monday moved to declare Coal Week, amplifying the Trump administration’s push to expand U.S. coal output and keep aging plants online, the Washington Times reported. The resolution coincides with new executive actions to “reinvigorate” coal, including directives signed in April to boost production and preserve baseload capacity, as outlined in a White House executive order. The message to miners and utilities is that federal support is rising for coal as part of an energy-security agenda centered on domestic…

Republican lawmakers on Monday moved to declare Coal Week, amplifying the Trump administration’s push to expand U.S. coal output and keep aging plants online, the Washington Times reported. The resolution coincides with new executive actions to “reinvigorate” coal, including directives signed in April to boost production and preserve baseload capacity, as outlined in a White House executive order. The message to miners and utilities is that federal support is rising for coal as part of an energy-security agenda centered on domestic…

Every person in the world generates on average around 8 kilograms of electronic waste per year worldwide. However, there are significant regional differences. As Statista's Valentina Fourreau shows in the chart below, using data from the latest E-Waste Monitor, Europe leads the way with around 17 kilograms of electronic waste per inhabitant, while each person in Africa generates only 2.5 kilograms. You will find more infographics at Statista At the same time, Europe has the highest recycling rate at 43 per cent. Asia and Africa have the most catching…

A salvage operation is underway after the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker MV Falcon exploded and caught fire off Yemen’s coast, renewing concern over energy-shipping security in the Red Sea corridor, Reuters reported on Monday.  The Cameroon-flagged vessel, carrying a full LPG load from Oman’s Sohar port to Djibouti, suffered an onboard explosion over the weekend, approximately 113 nautical miles southeast of Aden. The EU naval mission EUNAVFOR Aspides confirmed the ship’s distress call as crews fought to stabilize the…

A salvage operation is underway after the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker MV Falcon exploded and caught fire off Yemen’s coast, renewing concern over energy-shipping security in the Red Sea corridor, Reuters reported on Monday.  The Cameroon-flagged vessel, carrying a full LPG load from Oman’s Sohar port to Djibouti, suffered an onboard explosion over the weekend, approximately 113 nautical miles southeast of Aden. The EU naval mission EUNAVFOR Aspides confirmed the ship’s distress call as crews fought to stabilize the…

A salvage operation is underway after the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker MV Falcon exploded and caught fire off Yemen’s coast, renewing concern over energy-shipping security in the Red Sea corridor, Reuters reported on Monday.  The Cameroon-flagged vessel, carrying a full LPG load from Oman’s Sohar port to Djibouti, suffered an onboard explosion over the weekend, approximately 113 nautical miles southeast of Aden. The EU naval mission EUNAVFOR Aspides confirmed the ship’s distress call as crews fought to stabilize the…

In 2017, the CEO of General Motors, Mary Barra, committed the automaker to zero emissions by 2030. “No more gas. No more diesel. No more carbon emissions,” she wrote at the time. Following the lead of Barra of GM, Ford announced in 2018 that it planned to nearly triple its investments in electric and hybrid vehicles by 2022, with plans for 40 new such models… But a series of challenges — cost concerns, sluggish adoption and the reversal in support in Washington — has left the U.S. auto industry with greater uncertainty…

A salvage operation is underway after the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker MV Falcon exploded and caught fire off Yemen’s coast, renewing concern over energy-shipping security in the Red Sea corridor, Reuters reported on Monday.  The Cameroon-flagged vessel, carrying a full LPG load from Oman’s Sohar port to Djibouti, suffered an onboard explosion over the weekend, approximately 113 nautical miles southeast of Aden. The EU naval mission EUNAVFOR Aspides confirmed the ship’s distress call as crews fought to stabilize the…

The European Union kicked off a high-level summit with top officials from Central Asia, the Caucasus, and other neighboring countries on October 20 as the bloc aims to make new inroads in a region where China and Russia wield longstanding influence. At the top of the agenda is the Trans Caspian Transport Corridor – also known as the Middle Corridor – an emerging 6,500-kilometer-long trade route that connects China to Europe through Central Asia and the Caucasus by bypassing Russia. The gathering in Luxembourg is “specifically…

A Ukrainian drone attack that halted gas processing at Russia’s Orenburg complex has underlined how deeply Kazakhstan’s energy system remains tied to Russian infrastructure. The strike, confirmed by Reuters, forced Gazprom to suspend intake from Kazakhstan’s Karachaganak field, cutting its gas output by roughly a quarter. The Orenburg plant, one of the largest of its kind, sits at the heart of a cross-border supply chain. Gas extracted in northwest Kazakhstan flows north for processing before returning for domestic use or export.…

A Ukrainian drone attack that halted gas processing at Russia’s Orenburg complex has underlined how deeply Kazakhstan’s energy system remains tied to Russian infrastructure. The strike, confirmed by Reuters, forced Gazprom to suspend intake from Kazakhstan’s Karachaganak field, cutting its gas output by roughly a quarter. The Orenburg plant, one of the largest of its kind, sits at the heart of a cross-border supply chain. Gas extracted in northwest Kazakhstan flows north for processing before returning for domestic use or export.…

A Ukrainian drone attack that halted gas processing at Russia’s Orenburg complex has underlined how deeply Kazakhstan’s energy system remains tied to Russian infrastructure. The strike, confirmed by Reuters, forced Gazprom to suspend intake from Kazakhstan’s Karachaganak field, cutting its gas output by roughly a quarter. The Orenburg plant, one of the largest of its kind, sits at the heart of a cross-border supply chain. Gas extracted in northwest Kazakhstan flows north for processing before returning for domestic use or export.…

In George Orwell's novel, 1984, a totalitarian regime now rules the homeland and operates by three slogans: 1) War is peace, 2) freedom is slavery and 3) ignorance is strength. In 1984, the term "Newspeak" refers to what is essentially a mandatory style guide for using the English language under that regime by substituting Newspeak formulations for common words and phrases so as to make public discourse conform to the ruling party's orthodoxy. (For a list of Newspeak words and phrases, check here.) Not surprisingly, failure to conform to this style…

Crude oil exports from Iraq’s semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan have reached 205,000 barrels per day (bpd), but the oil flows via a pipeline to the Turkish point of Ceyhan could be under threat again. Oil exports from Iraq’s northern region of Kurdistan via the Iraq-Türkiye Pipeline to Ceyhan resumed on September 27, after two and a half years of halt over disagreements between the federal Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) over how export revenues should be distributed. Crude from Kurdistan is now steadily…

Crude oil exports from Iraq’s semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan have reached 205,000 barrels per day (bpd), but the oil flows via a pipeline to the Turkish point of Ceyhan could be under threat again. Oil exports from Iraq’s northern region of Kurdistan via the Iraq-Türkiye Pipeline to Ceyhan resumed on September 27, after two and a half years of halt over disagreements between the federal Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) over how export revenues should be distributed. Crude from Kurdistan is now steadily…

Crude oil exports from Iraq’s semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan have reached 205,000 barrels per day (bpd), but the oil flows via a pipeline to the Turkish point of Ceyhan could be under threat again. Oil exports from Iraq’s northern region of Kurdistan via the Iraq-Türkiye Pipeline to Ceyhan resumed on September 27, after two and a half years of halt over disagreements between the federal Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) over how export revenues should be distributed. Crude from Kurdistan is now steadily…