Free Top Stories

Russian companies build up $200bn secret slush fund despite the oil sanctions

4 September 2023

The unprecedented and extensive sanctions to limit Russia’s oil export income have successfully reduced Russia’s export earnings and budget revenues, but via various scams Russian companies have built up a slush fund of some $200bn abroad.

Can Europe simply ban Russia's soaring LNG imports too?

4 September 2023

Europe has cut itself off from Russian gas following the destruction of the Nord Stream 1 & 2 pipelines last year, but imports of Russian liquefied natural gas have soared as it seeks sources of fuel and has few other options. Or does it?

COMMENT: The water and energy nexus in Central Asia

1 September 2023

Climate change is real, and it calls for action at the global, regional, and national levels. One of its impacts is additional water stress in addition to what many countries experience already. Effective counteraction requires joint action.

Bulgaria to probe secret deals with blacklisted Russians on TurkStream construction

31 August 2023

Prosecutors are probing allegations that Bulgarians officials secretly met sanctioned Russians to speed up construction of the local stretch of the TurkStream pipeline.

IMF: Africa's fragile states are greatest climate change casualties

31 August 2023

Climate change poses grave threats to countries across Africa – but especially fragile and conflict-affected states. As the continent’s leaders converge on Kenya for the African Climate Action Summit, it is vital that they come up with solutions

Slovak refinery Slovnaft wants prolongation of exemption from Russian oil embargo

30 August 2023

The exemption for Slovnaft is in place until December due to Slovakia’s and Hungary’s high dependency on Russian crude.

Turkmenistan: Union busting

29 August 2023

Unfair soccer league, and potential and real gas deals aplenty, with Hungary, Iraq and Uzbekistan.

“All signs point to Ukraine,” German investigation into Nord Stream 1&2 pipelines bombing finds

29 August 2023

A year has passed since a series of underwater explosions destroyed the Nord Stream 1&2 pipelines ending Russia’s delivery of gas to Germany. An official investigation has concluded that “all signs point to Ukraine,” Der Spiegel reports.

RISK ADVISORY: Changing Sonangol – can Angola finish what it started?

29 August 2023

After a promising start, President João Lourenço’s ambitious plan to reform Angola’s state oil company Sonangol appears to have ground to a halt.

China to build a nuclear power plant in Saudi Arabia

29 August 2023

Saudi Arabia is reportedly contemplating a Chinese proposal to construct a nuclear power plant (NPP) only a week after the Kingdom was offered a place in the expanded BRICS+ club designed to counter a Western hegemony.

Zambia's copper pipe dream

29 August 2023

Zambia has a plan to transform the economy, but its one that rests on precarious foundations. As the global landscape shifts towards renewable energy, demand for copper is expected to fly.