Africa

Fisker Automotive may not exactly be chummy with the U.S. federal government these days, but at least it's getting some love from the Middle East. The California-based extended-range plug-in vehicle maker reached an agreement with Al-Futtaim Group to distribute its cars throughout the Middle ...

It's official. Nissan will launch the Leaf in South Africa "as soon as conditions allow." While addressing attendees at the 2011 Johannesburg International Motor Show, Pierre Loing, Nissan's vice-president of product and strategy, told showgoers that the success of the award-winning Leaf has ...

Pirates? Terrorists? You make the call. gCaptain reports that just months after arriving on location, the Petrobras-owned Ocean Rig Poseidon was recently attacked while drilling for oil off the coast of Tanzania, Africa. Officially, Tanzania's Registrar of Ships released this statement:

It may not be on most people's news radar, but the West African nation of Nigeria has a problem with the effects of roadside pollution. As Africa's most populous nation, Nigeria has its share of smog-filled cities, congested roads and aging vehicles. In an effort to clear the air, Nigeria will, ...

Libyan leader (ex-leader?) Muammar Qaddafi apparently had some unusual items in his personal collection. Rebel forces stormed his compound this week, and we now know he had a scrapbook dedicated to former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, lots of weapons and, oddly, a doorless, all-electric ...

BP's massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico last year has moved off the front pages in most of the nation, though the damage done to the environment and economy of the Gulf region is far from repaired. However, at least that spill once had some attention from the nation and the world. In the ...

Kenya, of all places, is looking to get in on the plug-in vehicle action by eliminating import duties on battery-powered vehicles. With Somalia to its east, Ethiopia to its north, Uganda to its west and Tanzania to it south – and bordered by the Indian Ocean to the southeast and situated ...

Converting human waste into useable fuel is not a breakthrough idea. In fact, it's been done for years. However, here's a new twist: in the capital city of Ghana, Accra, Colombia University professor Kartik Chandran will make biodiesel and methane from human waste using his self-developed ...

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Saudi Arabia has boosted its oil output to compensate for shortages in global crude supply caused by the unrest in Libya. Reports confirm that Saudi officials have met with European refiners to discuss the amount of oil required to fill the ...

If you're interested in hearing how the turmoil in North Africa and the Middle East is connected to the recent spike in gas prices, we hope you've got an hour to spare. That's how long it'll take to listen to today's Diane Rehm Show, which is a great "where are we now" piece on a lot of the factors ...