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☆ Climate Change Powered the Mediterranean’s Unusual Heat Wave
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Raymond Zhong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The NewsThe early-season heat wave that broiled parts of Algeria, Morocco, Portugal and Spain last week almost certainly would not have occurred without human-induced climate change, an international team of scientists said in an analysis issued Friday. Mainland Spain set an April record of 101.8 degrees Fahrenheit, or 38.8 Celsius, in the southern city of Córdoba. In Morocco, the mercury climbed to more than 106 degrees Fahrenheit in Marrakesh, according to provisional data, very likely smashing that nation’s April record as well. A three-day stretch of such scorching heat in April is already quite rare for the region in the planet’s current climate, with just a 0.25 percent chance of occurring in any given year, according to the new analysis. Because of climate change, last month’s hot spell was at least 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit warmer on average than a similarly improbable one would have been in preindustrial times, the scientists found.

☆ Fan death, crowd trouble mar CAF Champions league ties in North Africa
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 30 (Reuters) - Casablanca authorities have opened an investigation after a fan died outside the gates of the Stade Mohammed V before Raja's match against Al-Ahly in the CAF Champions League quarter-finals on Saturday. Another CAF Champions League quarter-final between Esperance and Algeria's JS Kabylie in Tunis on Saturday was marred by crowd trouble, which caused a 40-minute delay to the second half. Esperance fans clashed with Tunisian security forces and lit fireworks on the terraces at halftime of the tie at Rades Stadium. They will face Al-Ahly over two legs for a place in the final after the Cairo club held Raja to a 0-0 draw in Casablanca. Raja's city rivals Wydad, the reigning champions, will face South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns in the other semi-final next month.

☆ Opinion | Biden Can Close the Legal Black Hole at Guantánamo
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Last week, Said bin Brahim bin Umran Bakush was released from detention at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and returned to Algeria, his home country. Mr. Biden wisely avoided the kind of highly public pledges to close down the prison that President Barack Obama made and could not keep. Clearing out the remaining prisoners requires cutting through a tangle of laws, policies, procedures and bureaucratic secrecy. Mr. Biden can use his authority to order the Departments of Defense, Justice and State, the intelligence agencies and other agencies involved to coordinate their efforts and direct their resources to make it happen, as quickly as possible. As long as there are people held in detention at Guantánamo, America’s condemnations of brutal detention centers in China and Syria will ring hollow.

☆ Bids for 2027 Africa Cup of Nations offer path for comprise over 2025 hosts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Mark Gleeson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CAPE TOWN, April 27 (Reuters) - Algeria head a list of four bids to host the 2027 African Cup of Nations, which the Confederation of African Football announced on Thursday, but Morocco are a surprise omission suggesting a compromise over the 2025 edition has been struck. A statement said CAF had received bids from Algeria, Botswana, Egypt and a joint candidacy from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda for the 2027 tournament after the expiry of the deadline for declarations of interest. CAF have repeatedly delayed deciding who will replace Guinea as the 2025 hosts. Algeria and Morocco are the top two contenders for 2025 but choosing between the two neighbours has become a political dilemma for CAF, sources have told Reuters. The two North African neighbours have an adversarial relationship, with diplomatic ties suspended, and winning the rights to host the 2025 Cup of Nations would be a matter of national pride and a public relations triumph.

☆ Where to watch the London Marathon live stream for free from anywhere in the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Brendan Griffiths | Senior Commerce Director | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Wherever you are in the world, we can show you where to watch the London Marathon live stream for free. Where to watch the London Marathon (US)US viewers getting up early to watch the London Marathon online are looking at one of the most expensive routes to tune in via the local option. It's the best way to tune into the free London Marathon live stream showing in the UK wherever you are in the world. ET / 8:30 a.m. BST / 9:30 p.m. CETDo any other countries have a free London Marathon live stream? Full London Marathon scheduleHere are the times for each race in the 2023 London Marathon on April 23.

☆ Erdogan offers free gas pre-election after first Black Sea field shipment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERSANKARA, April 20 (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday flicked the switch on Turkey's first delivery of natural gas to an onshore plant from a reserve discovered in the Black Sea, and promised to provide free natural gas for households before May 14 elections. "We will provide free natural gas for household consumption up to 25 cubic meters monthly for one year," Erdogan said at the inauguration of an onshore natural gas port in the northern province of Zonguldak. Limitless natural gas for all household consumption will be free for the next month, Erdogan said. 10 million cubic metres of gas per day in Turkey's Black Sea gas fields will be produced initially, Erdogan said. Production will be increased to 40 million cubic metres of gas per day in the coming period, he said.

☆ Pentagon’s Repatriation of Algerian Leaves 30 Prisoners at Guantánamo
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Carol Rosenberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

GUANTÁNAMO BAY, Cuba — The U.S. military repatriated a prisoner to Algeria on Thursday who had been held at Guantánamo without charge for more than two decades, as the Biden administration continues its efforts to reduce the detainee population at the Navy base. The prisoner, Said bin Brahim bin Umran Bakush, 52, was among about 20 suspected low-level fighters who were swept up by Pakistani security services in a 2002 raid in Faisalabad on dwellings believed to be Al Qaeda safe houses. The suspected fighters were ultimately taken to Guantánamo Bay. His release leaves only one prisoner captured in the raid still at the Pentagon prison in Cuba. Lawyers who have tried to speak with Mr. Bakush described him as reclusive.

☆ Saudi foreign minister visits Assad, further easing Syria's isolation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] Syria's President Bashar al-Assad meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, in Damascus, Syria, in this handout released by SANA on April 18, 2023. The statements made no mention of an Arab League summit that Riyadh is due to host next month. On Friday, Gulf Arab foreign ministers and their counterparts from Egypt, Iraq and Jordan discussed Syria's possible return to the body at a meeting in Saudi Arabia, but no agreement was reached. Saudi Arabia has said in recent months that isolating him was not working. Syria's foreign minister, who recently visited Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Tunisia, has said his country's return to the Arab League would be "almost impossible before correcting bilateral relations".

☆ Syria says that the priority is to work on its bilateral Arab relations
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TUNIS, April 16 (Reuters) - Syria's return to the Arab League will be "almost impossible before correcting bilateral relations", the Syrian foreign minister said in comments about the possibility of preparing for the Arab League. Faisal Mekdad told Algeria International TV that recent visits to Arab countries aim to open a new page. Syria was suspended from the Arab League in 2011 to protest how the government of President Bashar al-Assad treated demonstrators. Reporting by Tarek Amara; Editing by Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ France says pesticide ban will not hit grain exports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

He said that EU countries including Germany and Bulgaria were also using the pesticide on grain exports to Algeria. The questions in Parliament followed a weekend report by l'Opinion newspaper that said French grain exports would come to a halt from April 25. With the deadline looming, French grain producers had called for a swift response from the government. "We are depriving ourselves of a quarter of the outlets for French cereals," Eric Thirouin, head of French grain growers group AGPB, told Reuters. Exports put at risk by the ANSES decision amount to about 4 billion euros ($4.37 billion) in trade surplus, compared with a total grain trade surplus of about 11 billion euros last year, he said.

☆ Regional ministers to discuss Syria's return to Arab fold in Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Flags are seen ahead of the Arab League Summit in Algiers, Algeria November 1, 2022. REUTERS/Ramzi BoudinaDOHA, April 11 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia will host a meeting of regional foreign ministers on Friday to discuss Syria's return to the Arab League, a Qatari official said on Tuesday, adding that an "Arab consensus" plus a "change on the ground" would shift Qatar's position. The GCC includes Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. Saudi Arabia plans to invite Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to the Arab League summit Riyadh is scheduled to host on May 19, sources have told Reuters. Assad's attendance would mark the most significant development in his rehabilitation within the Arab world since 2011, when Syria was suspended from the Arab League.

☆ Uganda’s anti-gay bill is the latest and worst to target LGBTQ Africans
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Aditi Bhandari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +14 min

Same-sex activity in Africa is punishable by … Map of the 32 African countries where same-sex activity is illegal. Same-sex activity in Africa … Map of the 22 African countries where same-sex activity is legal. In 1993, Guinea-Bissau became the first African country to legalise LGBTQ activity when it adopted a new Penal Code that didn’t include any laws criminalising it. Country Constitutional protection Broad protections Employment Hate crime Incitement Marriage or civil union Adoption Angola No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Botswana No No Yes No No No No Cape Verde No No Yes Yes No No No Gabon No No No No No No No Guinea-Bissau No No No No No No No Lesotho No No No No No No No Mozambique No No Yes No No No No Sao Tome and Principe No No Yes Yes No No No Seychelles No No Yes No No No No South Africa Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes YesNote: Broad protections include laws protecting against discrimination in at least 3 of 4 categories: the provision of goods and services, housing, healthcare and education. Namibia and Mauritius criminalise same-sex activity, but around 35% of respondents said they would dislike having a gay neighbour.

☆ Food inflation to weigh on MENA growth this year - World Bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Lisa Barrington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Average year-on-year food inflation across 16 MENA economies between March and December 2022 was 29%, which was higher than the headline inflation of 19.4% year-on-year during that period, the World Bank said. "Bold policies are needed in a region where young people make up more than half of the population," said World Bank MENA Vice President Ferid Belhaj. The World Bank sees GDP per capita growth, a proxy for living standards, slowing to 1.6% in 2023 from 4.4% in 2022. "Close to one out of five people living in developing countries in MENA is likely to be food insecure this year," said World Bank MENA Chief Economist Roberta Gatti. The World Bank forecast 3.1% growth across the region in 2024.

☆ These are the countries that will be 'most hit' if oil prices reach $100
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Esso Fawley Oil Refinery, operated by Exxon Mobil, stands in Fawley, U.K., on Thursday, May 14, 2020. The surprise output cut by OPEC and its allies sent oil prices rallying — and analysts say major oil importers like India, Japan and South Korea will feel the most pain if prices hit $100 per barrel, as some have predicted. On Sunday, OPEC+ announced a production cut of 1.16 million barrels per day, in a move that oil markets were not expecting. "It's a tax on every oil importing economy," said Pavel Molchanov, managing director of private investment bank Raymond James. The voluntary cuts by countries in the oil cartel are set to start in May and last till the end of 2023.

"From our point of view, Rostock with its overseas port and an existing ammonia terminal can become a hub for international hydrogen imports into eastern Germany," said Hans-Joachim Polk, board member for infrastructure and technology. In another cooperation, VNG is sounding out Algeria's state oil and gas producer Sonatrach with a view to possibly arranging green hydrogen imports into Rostock via Tunisian and Italian natural gas pipelines, Polk told a press briefing. As customers across Europe baulked at sky-high prices, VNG's gas sales fell 23% last year to 588 billion kilowatt hours (kWh). As well as gas sales to local utilities and industry, the group has a wide range of activities in high pressure and distribution gas pipelines, storage facilities and biogas. Reporting by Vera Eckert; Editing by Rachel More, Friederike Heine and Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Ramzi BoudinaHOUSTON/WASHINGTON, April 4 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and other OPEC+ oil producers announced over the weekend they would launch deep oil production cuts starting next month, a surprise move that sent oil prices surging. If refiners reduce capacity, the drain on stocks could lead to a sudden jump in retail fuel prices, he said. U.S. gasoline prices have climbed 11.6 cents a gallon from a month ago to $3.506, the AAA said on Monday. A 6% jump in oil prices would boost retail gasoline prices 10 cents a gallon, said Mark Finley, an expert in energy policy at Rice University's Baker Institute. OPEC's reason for cutting production - as a precautionary step - suggests it expects global oil demand to slow this year.

☆ Oil prices surge 8% after OPEC's surprise output cuts; analysts warn of $100 per barrel
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Oil storage tanks stand at the RN-Tuapsinsky refinery, operated by Rosneft Oil Co., at night in Tuapse, Russia. Oil prices surged as much as 8% at the open after OPEC+ announced it was slashing output by 1.16 million barrels per day. The voluntary cuts will start from May to end 2023, Saudi Arabia announced, saying it was a "precautionary measure" targeted toward stabilizing the oil market. The move comes on the back of Russia's decision to trim oil production by 500,000 barrels per day until the end of 2023, according to the country's Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak. "OPEC+'s plan for a further production cut may push oil prices toward the $100 mark again, considering China's reopening and Russia's output cuts as a retaliation move against western sanctions," CMC Markets' analyst Tina Teng told CNBC.

☆ Saudi Arabia, OPEC+ producers announce voluntary oil output cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, April 2 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and other OPEC+ oil producers on Sunday announced voluntary cuts to their production, with Riyadh saying it would cut output by 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) from May until the end of 2023, state media reported. Russia's deputy prime minister also said Moscow would extend a voluntary cut of 500,000 bpd until the end of 2023. The United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman and Algeria said they would voluntarily cut output over the same time period. The UAE said it would cut production by 144,000 bpd, Kuwait announced a cut of 128,000 bpd while Iraq said it would cut output by 211,000 bpd and Oman announced a cut of 40,000 bpd. The Saudi energy ministry said in a statement that the kingdom's voluntary cut was a precautionary measure aimed at supporting the stability of the oil market.

Hong Kong/Atlanta/London CNN —Oil prices spiked Monday after OPEC+ producers unexpectedly announced that they would cut output. Brent crude, the global benchmark, jumped 5.31% to $84.13 a barrel, while WTI, the US benchmark, rose 5.48% to $79.83. With oil prices now rising, inflation could remain higher for longer, adding pressure to a hot-button issue for consumers around the world. Saudi Arabia now says it will cut oil production by another half a million barrels a day. “We’re focused on prices for American consumers, not barrels.”In October, OPEC+’s decision to cut production had already rankled the White House.

☆ Algerian president says Morocco ties have reached 'point of no return'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

CAIRO, March 21 (Reuters) - Algeria's relations with Morocco have reached the point of no return, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune told Al Jazeera on Tuesday. Algeria broke off relations with Morocco in 2021 amid growing tensions over issues that included the dispute over the territory of Western Sahara. Reporting by Omar Abdel-Razak in Cairo; writing by Angus McDowall; editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Stellantis invests 200 million euros to produce Fiat cars in Algeria
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Companies Stellantis NV FollowPARIS, March 19 (Reuters) - Carmaker Stellantis will spend more than 200 million euros ($213.32 million) to manufacture four Fiat models in Algeria, it said on Sunday. Construction of the plant will be completed by August with production of the the first Fiat 500 expected by the end of the year, it said. By 2026 the plant will have created nearly 2,000 local jobs and have production capacity of 90,000 vehicles a year. ($1 = 0.9376 euros)Reporting by Dominique Vidalon and Gilles Guillaume Editing by David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Column: East Asia set to win scramble for wind power dominance by 2030
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

EAST ASIAN DOMINANCEChina will remain the largest wind producer and top wind capacity developer, but South Korea, Japan and Taiwan will all post faster growth rates than China through 2030, according to GEM. While no other country will match the sheer scale of China's wind power additions, many will dwarf its growth rate as they play catch up with the world's green power leader. Combined, these East Asian countries are set to account for 36.2% of world wind capacity by 2030, GEM data shows, with the region remaining the largest hub for wind power. Wind power capacity breakdownGermany, Spain, France and Sweden plan to boost their collective capacity by nearly 40,000 MW by 2030, and will all rank among the top 10 global wind producers. Saudi Arabia looks set to be the largest wind power producer in the Middle East once it raises current capacity by 125% to 900MW.

The airport was being used to deliver aid to victims of last month's earthquake that killed thousands. U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that, while he could not "speak to attribution" for Tuesday's air strike, Washington would worry about any lengthy halt to the flow of humanitarian aid. He said all U.N. Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) flights from Aleppo had been suspended, adding that those flights transport aid workers and life-saving supplies and must resume without delay. The Israeli military declined to comment on the Syrian state media accusation that it was behind the air strike. Foreign donors including the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Algeria have flown aid into Aleppo airport since the Feb. 6 earthquake, Syrian state media has reported.

☆ Spain's gas imports fell 12.1% in January from same month a year ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 8 (Reuters) - Spain's natural gas imports fell 12.1% in January compared with the same month a year earlier, government data showed on Wednesday. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine a year ago, Spain has been receiving most of its gas in the form of seaborne liquefied natural gas. These shipments represented 67.3% of the total imports, while purchases through pipelines made up 32.7%, Cores said. Algeria was the main supplier of natural gas to Spain in January, accounting for 25.7% of the total, followed by the United States (21.3%). In January, Russian gas accounted for 19.2% of Spain's imports.

The comments at the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston show the industry remains on edge after weathering the initial aftermath of one of the biggest shocks to global energy flows in recent memory. On Feb.5, the G7 and allies also implemented a price cap on Russian fuel sales. On Tuesday, the Kremlin said it did not recognize the price cap. A STABLE OIL MARKET? China's oil demand will grow 500,000 to 600,000 barrels per day in 2023, OPEC's Al Ghais said, while global oil demand growth is expected to grow 2.3 million barrels per day in 2023.

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