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Power Player profile: South African billionaire entrepreneur Patrice Motsepe

13 October 2023

South African mining billionaire businessman Patrice Motsepe is the founder and executive chairman of African Rainbow Minerals, a diversified mining and minerals company with operations in South Africa and Malaysia.

US imposes first punishments for ignoring Russian oil price cap sanctions

13 October 2023

US officials have imposed sanctions on companies violating the $60 per barrel price cap on Russia's seaborne crude exports for the first time on October 12.

COMMENT: Non-Western tankers carry most of Russian crude exports, G7 oil price cap fails

13 October 2023

Three-fifths of Russia's seaborne crude exports are now being shipped by tankers not required to comply with the G7 oil price cap, according to S&P Global data, as the oil price cap sanctions are increasingly seen to have failed.

France agrees lithium exploration deal with Mongolia during presidential visit

12 October 2023

Progress also made on deal for uranium cooperation.

Fossil fuel subsidies on the rise

12 October 2023

According to calculations by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), $7 trillion were spent on direct and indirect subsidies for fossil fuels in 2022.

Nato threatens 'determined response' to possible Balticconnector sabotage

12 October 2023

The damage to the pipeline has caused many to point the finger at Russia, which has also been accused of damaging the two Nordstream gas pipelines to Germany a year ago.

Africa should follow renewables path with caution, South Africa’s energy minister says

11 October 2023

South Africa’s Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe said African leaders should follow China’s example by checking the reliability and efficiency of new energy technologies before unbundling old technologies.

Finland says subsea pipeline damage appears to be deliberate

11 October 2023

Finnish media reported that the Finnish government and the Finnish Defence Forces suspect Russia attacked the Balticconnector gas pipeline.

‘Gobsmackingly bananas:' Record temperatures in September shock climate scientists

10 October 2023

Global temperatures were so high in September that one climate scientist has described the situation as “absolutely gobsmackingly bananas.” Records were broken in September, and August and July were also the hottest ever.

COMMENT: Oil markets on tenterhooks as Hamas attack on Israel stokes contagion fears

10 October 2023

Global oil markets face the possibility of a price spike following the surprise attack by Hamas militants on Israel, which has seen hundreds killed and the start of a new war that could potentially threaten energy flows in the region.

Improving Ukraine’s corporate governance will be key to attracting billions in investment

10 October 2023

Ukraine needs to raise hundreds of billions of dollars of investment to rebuild its economy after the war is over. But as the country is dubbed one of the most corrupt countries in Europe, that will be hard unless it can improve corporate governance.

Ozone hole three times larger than Brazil opens up above Antarctica

10 October 2023

Europe’s Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite shows that the ozone hole is one of the largest on record, according to the European Space Agency (ESA), and measured 26mn square kilometres on September 16, 2023 – roughly three times the size of Brazil.

Bulgaria’s miners, energy workers plan national protest

9 October 2023

Angered by plans to phase out coal, workers plan strike and protests aimed at bringing down PM Nikolai Denkov's reformist government.

Bosnia likely to end deal with Chinese consortium on Tuzla 7 coal plant construction

9 October 2023

State-owned Elektroprivreda BiH threatens to cancel deal after repeated delays in starting project.