Yemen fuel subsidies a bad investment, now the painful dividends

Yemen protests erupt after fuel price doubled - Middle East - Al Jazeera English: "According to new prices posted in the capital, Sanaa, the government raised regular petrol from $0.58 a litre to $0.93. Diesel used for public transport and trucks rose from $0.46 to $0.91.

The government spent about $3bn on energy subsidies last year, nearly a third of state revenue."

Israel in secret talks with BG on Palestinian gas

Globes English: "Sources inform ''Globes'' that Israel is in secret talks with BG Group plc (NYSE; LSE: BG) (British Gas), which owns the rights to the Palestinian Gaza Marine license, offshore from Gaza. The talks concern development of the reservoir for the Palestinian population in the West Bank and Gaza. The talks, which have been going on for several months, are unrelated to next week's visit by US President Barack Obama, but the subject will probably come up during his talks with Israeli leaders."

Islamic State Provide Free Public Transport in Ninawa

Al Mustaqbal English | Islamic States – Caliphate of Abu Bakr Al Baghdady: "After repairing roads and rebuilding Ninawa province, which was destroyed by the war. Now the Islamic State provide free public transport for the citizen. Islamic State official media of Niniveh/Ninawa, post several photos that show the joy of people, they are glad with this policy.  Now people in the Islamic State can travel between cities in all regions of the Islamic State, with comfortable and easy."

Israel war machine runs on Arab oil and gas

al-mustaqbal: "As in the conquest of the Khaibar Fortress, so if we want to conquer Israel of course we have to cut the water channel (which at this present can be represented by petroleum pipeline) that leads to the castle (State of Israel). Yes brothers .. History is only repeating! Does that mean we have to fight the Arabian Peninsula countries that supply energy to Israel ?, Yes! As in the hadith of the Prophet: “You will fight the Arabian Peninsula then God won it. Then (you are fighting) the Persian the God won it. Then you are fighting against Rum and you win it then you are fighting Dajjal then God wins you over it. “(Muslim 5161),"

Free public transport in Nineva, in Caliphate

Anyone who has more info, please notify @freepublictrans on twitter.

Bus use up in Cyprus with help from free bus pass

Bus use up: "A significant increase was noted in intercity buses that connect the major towns with an increase of 82% in 2013.
In Nicosia, there was a rise in using buses by 11% since 2011, in Limassol it spiked 55%, in Paphos it was up 22% and in Famagusta there was a 40% surge. The amount of passengers recorded using buses in 2013, reached 25,833,173, including those who have a free bus pass. In Nicosia, 8,878,115 people used the bus, 5,513,698 in Limassol, 1,946,156 in Larnaca, 4,658,683 in Paphos and 3,844,815 in Famagusta."

Fighting for oil: 21st century energy wars

Middle East Eye: "The struggle over energy resources has been a conspicuous factor in many recent conflicts, including the Iran-Iraq War of 1980-1988, the Gulf War of 1990-1991, and the Sudanese Civil War of 1983-2005.  On first glance, the fossil-fuel factor in the most recent outbreaks of tension and fighting may seem less evident.  But look more closely and you’ll see that each of these conflicts is, at heart, an energy war."

Dubai #publictransit use up 37%

Dubai RTA reports 262.5 million journeys using public transport in first half of 2014 | The National: "DUBAI // More than 262.5 million journeys were made in Dubai using public transport in the first half of 2014, a 37 per cent increase on last year, according to Roads and Transport Authority, RTA.

The RTA is seeking to raise the share of public transport means to 30 per cent by 2030."

Gaza: Israel's $4 billion gas grab

@NafeezAhmed - The Ecologist: "Operation Cast Lead did not succeed in uprooting Hamas, but the conflict did take the lives of 1,387 Palestinians (773 of whom were civilians) and 9 Israelis (3 of whom were civilians).

Since the discovery of oil and gas in the Occupied Territories, resource competition has increasingly been at the heart of the conflict, motivated largely by Israel's increasing domestic energy woes.

Mark Turner, founder of the Research Journalism Initiative, reported that the siege of Gaza and ensuing military pressure was designed to "eliminate" Hamas as "a viable political entity in Gaza" to generate a "political climate" conducive to a gas deal.

This involved rehabilitating the defeated Fatah as the dominant political player in the West Bank, and "leveraging political tensions between the two parties, arming forces loyal to Abbas and the selective resumption of financial aid."

Ya'alon's comments in 2007 illustrate that the Israeli cabinet is not just concerned about Hamas - but concerned that if Palestinians develop their own gas resources, the resulting economic transformation could in turn fundamentally increase Palestinian clout."

UAE must improve public transport before trying to change lifestyles

The National: "How do we balance cheap fuel and having fewer cars on the road? If the issue is fewer cars then it’s about ensuring there is easy access to enhanced public transport at affordable prices.

Randall Mohammed, Dubai"

​Blood for gas: Why Bibi is punishing Gaza

RT Op-Edge: "So here’s the “secret” of Operation Protect the Zionists, sorry, Protective Edge: without smashing Hamas, which controls Gaza, Israel cannot drill off the Gaza coast. For Bibi as well as the Knesset, the possibility that the Palestinians could have access to their own gas-generated wealth is an absolute red line.

And the EU may be on it as well. No one in Brussels will admit it, but it’s easy to conceive “strategists” regarding this takeover of Palestinian gas fields opening the door in the future for the EU being less dependent on Gazprom, and a substantial importer of (stolen) Israeli gas.

Israel’s Newspeak is old news; after all they are masters of fooling no one but themselves. Expanding on what Michael Klare has brilliantly detailed, the new, open-ended, collective punishment inflicted on Gaza is most of all a blood-for-gas energy war."