Archive
International News Services archives articles supplied to clients one year or more after initial publication. These articles are protected by a password and not made available to readers without permission from clients. They are used as a background resource by agency journalists. Upon client requests, International News Services will remove such articles from the archive or not upload them in the first place. They are included to demonstrate the breadth of topics undertaken by the agency and also to help promote clients’ coverage.
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Environment Agency (EEA) says the old 15 member European Union’s (EU) greenhouse gas emissions fell by 0.5% from 2001-2, following increases in the previous two years. Sadly, proactive anti-global warming measures were not top of the agency’s reasons for the cut.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE ENERGY portfolio at the European Commission is being downgraded this November with the departure of Spain’s Loyola de Palacio, a vice-president as well as an energy commissioner. Hungary’s foreign minister László Kovacs – who will be a standard commissioner without the transport portfolio also commanded by De Palacio – is replacing her.…
CALIFORNIA POLLUTION
BY MONICA DOBIE
OWNERS of 22 offshore oil platforms off the California coast have filed a lawsuit arguing they need not comply with strict state rules controlling the discharge of toxic metals and drilling muds into the Pacific. The Western States Petroleum Association claims state law jurisdiction ends three miles from the coast.…
IRAQ MONITORING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A lack of metering in Iraq means “there could be no guarantee that all the (locally produced) oil could be accounted for”, the UN Security Council has been warned. The International Monitoring and Advisory Board of the Development Fund for Iraq said the problem would “take at least a year to resolve.”…
FRANCE IEA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GAZ de France’s domestic market dominance is risking energy liberalisation progress made by the French government, the International Energy Authority has warned. Although Paris had taken “commendable steps towards a sound legal and regulatory framework for liberalised energy markets….challenges…
IFC BRAZIL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE INTERNATIONAL Finance Corporation (IFC), of the World Bank, will provide up to US$90 million in financing to Comgás, Brazil’s largest piped natural gas distributor. The loan help the company expand and upgrade its distribution network, making gas available to 70,000 new customers in five years, and 200,000 in 10.…
ARGENTINA - USA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A WORLD Trade Organisation (WTO) disputes panel has ruled that the USA broke global trading procedures when renewing anti-dumping duties against Argentine exports of oil country tubular goods. The US has now to review the tariffs against this complex ruling to justify their reimposition.…
ACID SEAS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD’S oceans are acidifying by absorbing an unprecedented amount of carbon dioxide, maybe threatening the long-term survival of many marine species, especially calcifying organisms including corals and shellfish. This conclusion came in research released to a UNESCO/ International Council for Science meeting.…
SUSTAINABILITY PLEDGE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BP and Shell have joined 10 key players in the automobile and electricity industries in releasing a long-term strategy for promoting sustainable energy. ‘Mobility 2030: Meeting the Challenges to Sustainability’ includes commitments on reducing emissions and energy consumption.…
BLOOD CANCER
BY MONICA DOBIE
CHILDREN living near petrol stations and car repair garages have a significantly higher rate of leukaemia, according to a study published in the UK journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The French National Institute of Health and Medical Research paper on 565 children suggested exposure to benzene caused the cancers.…