In the wake of the French government's decision to ban hydro-fracking, Poland has warned the European Commission (EC) against imposing restrictions on unconventional gas extraction technologies, but given the lack of control the EC has over such issues, the warnings are somewhat redundant.

• May 17, 2011

Eurozone financial ministers are to continue their talks in Brussels, with discussions now expected to focus on the dire state of the Greek economy.

• May 17, 2011

Japanese officials are readying a new approach to stabilizing a reactor at a nuclear plant crippled by an earthquake and tsunami after discovering a leak from the containment vessel of enough radioactive water to fill an Olympic swimming pool.

• May 16, 2011

Pakistanis can now have uninterrupted electricity supply — but for a price.

• May 16, 2011

The Government of the Republic of Tajikistan provided us with relief money of 120,000 US dollars (approximately 1 million yen) regarding the Great East Japan Earthquake.

• May 14, 2011

On Wednesday, within discussions on main aspects of the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union at the plenary meeting of the European Parliament, a Swedish MP, Anna Ibrisagic in her speech noted the worsening of situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

• May 14, 2011

Ukraine will cut the volume of natural gas purchase from Russia in the second half of this year, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has said.

• May 14, 2011

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (Bhel) signed a provisional Rs.1,500 crore deal with the government of Iraq earlier this month, the latest of several efforts by state-owned companies to engage with oil and gas-rich countries in West Asia that have well over half of the world’s proven reserves of crude oil and a little over a third of global gas reserves.

• May 13, 2011