Search Results for: Russia

BY MARK ROWE
RUSSIA’S Natural Resources Ministry has announced plans to increase national oil reserves by 400 million metric tonnes this year compared to a 279 million tonne increase last year. Natural gas reserves will be boosted by 900 billion cubic metres in 2003.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
FRANCE is giving Euro 40 million to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to help it fund Russia’s cleansing of the radioactive contamination in the Barents Sea caused by its aging decommissioned nuclear fleet. The money will be channelled through the nuclear-related budgets of the EBRD-managed Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership (NDEP) Support Fund.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE PARLIAMENTARY Assembly of the Council of Europe is debating a plan to extend the European Convention on Human Rights with an additional protocol, guaranteeing European citizens decent environmental standards. If the proposal is carried forward, it would entail international lawyers drafting a clear definition of “a healthy environment” and the convention extension would “oblige states to protect individuals from environmental nuisances harmful or dangerous to health;” it is being promoted by the council’s committee on environment, agriculture and local and regional affairs.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE STORAGE of CO2 deep underground in uneconomic coal seams is one key option being considered by the (carbon) Sequestration Leadership Forum, which has just been joined by the European Commission. Other members are Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Italy, India, Japan, Mexico, Norway, China, Russia, Britain and the US.…

BY MARK ROWE
THE RUSSIAN and Iranian governments have signed a protocol to cooperate in developing Iran’s coal industry. Russia’s energy ministry said it would work to improve all aspects of the industry, from coal production to processing. The Russians will initially help develop operations in the southern Iranian city of Yazd, the centre of Iran’s major coal producing region.…

BY MARK ROWE
ISRAEL’S Eilat-Ashkelon Pipeline Company is swapping Egyptian crude oil for Russian this month (June), the final stage of a plan to transport Russian and Caspian crude to Eilat, on the Red Sea, for easier sale into Asia. The company last month awarded a tender to swap Egyptian crude oil for Russia’s sour Urals crude.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has been authorised to negotiate a cooperation agreement with China on developing peaceful uses of nuclear energy. With the decision following Beijing’s move to become involved in the international fusion energy project ITER, one of the areas of joint-effort between the European Union (EU) and China will be “controlled thermonuclear fusion.”…

BY MARK ROWE
IN the days of the Soviet Union, many millions of men and women had a choice of one state-manufactured brand of shampoo, toothpaste or soap. If anything, the authorities managed to limit even further access to such “indulgences” as perfume.…

BY MATTHEW BRACE
THE CLUTCH of much-maligned offshore financial centres (OFCs) on remote Pacific islands have been swamped by so many accusations of impropriety, they are now struggling to stay afloat.

Labelled as palm-fringed, sun-drenched laundries for the world’s dirty money, these tiny island states and dependent territories are trying to fend off attempts by international organisations to excommunicate them from the global financial church.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
RUSSIA has unambiguously staked its claim to territorial rights to wide swathes of the Arctic Ocean between its northern coast and the North Pole, waters that are currently frozen for most of the year, but which may become more accessible to submarine mining thanks to global warming.…