OPEC nations Iraq, Nigeria and the Republic of Congo affirmed their commitment to the oil-producer group following the exit of Angola last week.

OPEC nations affirm commitment to group after Angola's exit

In a sign of lingering tensions among oil producers, Angola said Thursday that the country would be leaving OPEC. The decision was made at a cabinet meeting led by President Joao Lourenco, the state-owned Jornal de Angola reported. Angola's announcement was not surprising.

Angola leaves OPEC in blow to oil producer group

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Turkey expects a Libyan summit in Berlin for "concrete development in many areas", including security and economy. Libya's rival camp and their foreign supporters will attend a summit in Berlin on Sunday to discuss the capital producer Tripoli and the oil producer with more than 140,000 displaced and new ways to curb the country's crude oil production.

Libya Peace Summit: Rivals & their allies kick off talks

Libya's rival camp and their foreign supporters will attend a summit in Berlin on Sunday to discuss the capital producer Tripoli and the oil producer with more than 140,000 displaced and new ways to curb the country's crude oil production.

Libya peace summit: Discussion to end a proxy war over capital Tripoli & the oil producer

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Turkey expects a Libyan summit in Berlin for "concrete development in many areas", including security and economy.

Libya Peace Summit: Erdogan of Turkey says that Haftar's aggressive attitude must end

About 90,000 barrels of crude oil meant for export were trapped at a northern Iraq field on Thursday because transport routes were cut by protests, an industry source told AFP.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iraqi-security-forces-break-up-protests-in-baghdads-main-bridges-260396">Anti-government demonstrations</a> have rocked Iraq's capital and its south, with sit-ins increasingly targeting main roads and state infrastructure, including oil fields, in OPEC's second-biggest producer.

The Qayyarah field in northern Iraq produces 30,000 barrels per day of crude oil that is trucked to the southern port of Basra to be exported, but sit-ins have sealed off some of those roads.

A senior source at the North Oil Company, which manages the Qayyarah field, told AFP on Thursday that trucks were unable to carry out that journey for a third consecutive day.

"These trucks usually transport the oil daily, but have been unable to do so since Tuesday because of what's happening in Basra," the source said.

"I don't know when it will resume as it depends on the situation stabilising and the roads being reopened."

Iraq is the fifth-largest oil exporter worldwide, sending around 3.4 million bpd out from its Basra port.

A vast majority of that oil is transported across the country via pipeline, and Qayyarah is one of the rare fields that sends its crude by truck.

The government's budget is funded almost exclusively by oil revenues and analysts have said a hit to exports could be "disastrous" for the country.

Despite Iraq's vast oil wealth, one in five people lives in poverty and youth unemployment stands at 25 per cent, according to the World Bank.

That staggering inequality contributed to the initial wave of anti-government <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/iraqs-wave-of-protests-its-roots-and-how-to-begin-fixing-it-258108">protests that erupted</a> on October 1.

In the south, protesters this week have shut down the access route to the Dhi Qar oil company and the Shanafiyah refinery in Diwaniyah, according to AFP correspondents.

A sit-in has also cut the road to the Umm Qasr port, which brings in most food and medical imports through Basra, but it reopened on Thursday.

On Wednesday, a spokesman for Iraq's embattled premier Adel Abdel Mahdi said security forces "will not allow" protesters to get near key infrastructure.

About 90,000 barrels of crude oil meant for export were trapped at a northern Iraq field on Thursday because transport routes were cut by protests, an industry source told AFP.

About 90,000 barrels of crude oil meant for export were trapped at a northern Iraq field on Thursday because transport routes were cut by protests, an industry source told AFP. Anti-government demonstrations have rocked Iraq's capital and its south, with sit-ins increasingly targeting main roads and state infrastructure, including oil fields, in OPEC's second-biggest producer. The Qayyarah field in northern Iraq produces 30,000 barrels per day of crude oil that is trucked to the southern port of Basra to be exported, but sit-ins have sealed off some of those roads. A senior source at the North Oil Company, which manages the Qayyarah field, told AFP on Thursday that trucks were unable to carry out that journey for a third consecutive day. "These trucks usually transport the oil daily, but have been unable to do so since Tuesday because of what's happening in Basra," the source said. "I don't know when it will resume as it depends on the situation stabilising and the roads being reopened." Iraq is the fifth-largest oil exporter worldwide, sending around 3.4 million bpd out from its Basra port. A vast majority of that oil is transported across the country via pipeline, and Qayyarah is one of the rare fields that sends its crude by truck. The government's budget is funded almost exclusively by oil revenues and analysts have said a hit to exports could be "disastrous" for the country. Despite Iraq's vast oil wealth, one in five people lives in poverty and youth unemployment stands at 25 per cent, according to the World Bank. That staggering inequality contributed to the initial wave of anti-government protests that erupted on October 1. In the south, protesters this week have shut down the access route to the Dhi Qar oil company and the Shanafiyah refinery in Diwaniyah, according to AFP correspondents. A sit-in has also cut the road to the Umm Qasr port, which brings in most food and medical imports through Basra, but it reopened on Thursday. On Wednesday, a spokesman for Iraq's embattled premier Adel Abdel Mahdi said security forces "will not allow" protesters to get near key infrastructure.

Iraq crude stuck at field for third day as protests cut roads

Angolans headed to the polls on Wednesday in a parliamentary election expected to usher in the ruling party&#39;s defence minister as the first new leader of Africa&#39;s second-biggest oil producer for 38 years.

Joao Lourenco, who has pledged to boost growth and fight corruption, would inherit an economy mired in recession as gaping inequality, soaring inflation and high unemployment squeeze poor Angolans who have benefited little from a decades-long oil boom.

The People&#39;s Movement for the Liberation of&nbsp;Angola&nbsp;(MPLA) is expected to remain in power but with a reduced majority. Its support has waned due to widespread political cronyism, though many Angolans remain loyal to the party that emerged victorious from 27 years of civil war in 2002.

&quot;I&#39;ve been following the party (MPLA) all my life. I grew up with it,&quot; 33-year-old bakery owner Telma Francisco told Reuters outside a polling station in the capital.

&quot;The other parties don&#39;t have the capacity to govern.&quot;

Voters like Francisco waited in orderly queues on a cloudy morning in the capital Luanda when polling stations opened at 7 a.m. (0600 GMT) as police and military manned street corners.

Questions have been raised as to how much power Lourenco will have if he wins, given veteran leader Jose Eduardo dos Santos, 74, will continue as head of the MPLA and have potentially a sweeping say over decision-making.

His daughter, Isabel, heads national oil producer Sonangol and his son Jos&eacute; Filomeno is in charge of the state investment fund.

Lourenco on Tuesday dismissed suggestions he would be a puppet president, saying he would focus on leading an &quot;economic miracle&quot;, possibly with the help of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, and prosecute corrupt politicians.

Dos Santos, Africa&#39;s longest-ruling president behind Equatorial Guinea&#39;s Teodoro Obiang Nguema, will step down after guiding the OPEC-member from Marxism to capitalism while embracing Chinese oil-for-infrastructure investment.

The MPLA&#39;s main opponent will be its former civil war foe, the National Union for the Total Independence of&nbsp;Angola&nbsp;(UNITA), while young voters have been lured by CASA-CE, which was formed in 2012 on a promise to disrupt 50 years of two-party politics.

More than two-thirds of&nbsp;Angolans are below 25 so many people will be voting for the first time.

&quot;We&#39;re voting for change,&quot; said 19-year old Joao Costa, who like most people who oppose the authoritative MPLA declined to say who he voted for.

Others were sticking by the ruling party.

&quot;The opposition is a joke,&quot; said out-of-work decorator Francisco, 32, declining to give his surname. &quot;The MPLA is the only party that can change things and with a new candidate for president I think he can do a better job&quot;

An unofficial result is expected by Friday. But there may be no formal announcement for two weeks as ballot boxes wend their way along pot-holed roads and dirt tracks in a country of 28 million spread across an area twice the size of France.

There are concerns about how fair the vote will be after the government cracked down on recently planned public demonstrations. UNITA has said it will lead protests if it believes the MPLA has manipulated results.

The former Portuguese colony has been largely peaceful since the end of a Cold War-era conflict between the MPLA, backed by the Soviet Union, and UNITA, supported by the United States and South Africa.

The People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) is expected to remain in power but with a reduced majority

Angolans headed to the polls on Wednesday in a parliamentary election expected to usher in the ruling party's defence minister as the first new leader of Africa's second-biggest oil producer for 38 years. Joao Lourenco, who has pledged to boost growth and fight corruption, would inherit an economy mired in recession as gaping inequality, soaring inflation and high unemployment squeeze poor Angolans who have benefited little from a decades-long oil boom. The People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) is expected to remain in power but with a reduced majority. Its support has waned due to widespread political cronyism, though many Angolans remain loyal to the party that emerged victorious from 27 years of civil war in 2002. "I've been following the party (MPLA) all my life. I grew up with it," 33-year-old bakery owner Telma Francisco told Reuters outside a polling station in the capital. "The other parties don't have the capacity to govern." Voters like Francisco waited in orderly queues on a cloudy morning in the capital Luanda when polling stations opened at 7 a.m. (0600 GMT) as police and military manned street corners. Questions have been raised as to how much power Lourenco will have if he wins, given veteran leader Jose Eduardo dos Santos, 74, will continue as head of the MPLA and have potentially a sweeping say over decision-making. His daughter, Isabel, heads national oil producer Sonangol and his son José Filomeno is in charge of the state investment fund. Lourenco on Tuesday dismissed suggestions he would be a puppet president, saying he would focus on leading an "economic miracle", possibly with the help of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, and prosecute corrupt politicians. Dos Santos, Africa's longest-ruling president behind Equatorial Guinea's Teodoro Obiang Nguema, will step down after guiding the OPEC-member from Marxism to capitalism while embracing Chinese oil-for-infrastructure investment. The MPLA's main opponent will be its former civil war foe, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), while young voters have been lured by CASA-CE, which was formed in 2012 on a promise to disrupt 50 years of two-party politics. More than two-thirds of Angolans are below 25 so many people will be voting for the first time. "We're voting for change," said 19-year old Joao Costa, who like most people who oppose the authoritative MPLA declined to say who he voted for. Others were sticking by the ruling party. "The opposition is a joke," said out-of-work decorator Francisco, 32, declining to give his surname. "The MPLA is the only party that can change things and with a new candidate for president I think he can do a better job" An unofficial result is expected by Friday. But there may be no formal announcement for two weeks as ballot boxes wend their way along pot-holed roads and dirt tracks in a country of 28 million spread across an area twice the size of France. There are concerns about how fair the vote will be after the government cracked down on recently planned public demonstrations. UNITA has said it will lead protests if it believes the MPLA has manipulated results. The former Portuguese colony has been largely peaceful since the end of a Cold War-era conflict between the MPLA, backed by the Soviet Union, and UNITA, supported by the United States and South Africa.

Angola votes for first new leader

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