Market stall staff and fairground workers are threatening to march on Paris and block its roads if the police do not allow the traditional Christmas market on the Champs-Elysées to take place. In July, the Mairie (town hall) of Paris broke off its contract with the organiser – Marcel Campion, often informally known as the “king of fairground workers” – of the traditional German-style market, a decision that has already caused controversy. Source Connexion
Russia’s Rosneft earlier this week announced that it had started drilling a production well off the coast of Vietnam in the South China Sea. Today, two sources close to the Vietnamese unit of the Russian company told Reuters there were concerns there about China’s possible reaction to the drilling. Source: Reuters
The UK government announced on Thursday plans to facilitate timely decisions on shale gas exploration planning applications in England as part of a plan to reduce dependence on gas imports amid an ongoing decline in the UK North Sea’s conventional gas production. Source: Oil Price
Hundreds of truck drivers blocked roads across Bulgaria on Thursday (17 May) as European Union leaders met in Sofia, protesting against proposed EU rules they say would cost them their jobs and put their firms out of business. Source: Euractiv
