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☆ Germany ups reliance on Huawei for 5G despite security fears -survey
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Sarah Marsh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Many European countries have banned Chinese companies from all or part of their 5G networks on security grounds, amid intense diplomatic pressure from the United States. Germany, home to operators like Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE) and O2 (O2Dn.DE), passed an IT security law two years ago setting high hurdles for makers of telecommunications equipment for the "critical components" of 5G networks. The German network agency referred Reuters to regulation that shows differentiated treatment for core and RAN components. The information security office did not reply to a request for comment on whether the high share of Chinese components could pose a security threat. A strategy paper by Germany's Greens-run economy ministry has recommended increased scrutiny of components from authoritarian states in critical infrastructure.

☆ Eldest daughter of Thai king hospitalised with heart problem - palace
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Thailand's Princess Bajrakitiyabha greets her royalists as she leaves a religious ceremony to commemorate the death of King Chulalongkorn, known as King Rama V, at The Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand, October 23, 2020. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File PhotoBANGKOK, Dec 15 (Reuters) - The eldest child of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn has been hospitalised due to a heart problem and her condition has stabilised to a certain level, the royal palace said on Thursday. She was flown by helicopter to Bangkok after her condition stabilised at a certain level, the palace said in a statement, without elaborating. The princess is one of three children of King Vajiralongkorn who have formal titles, making her eligible for the throne under a 1924 Palace Law of Succession and the country's constitution. King Vajiralongkorn has yet to formally designate an heir since becoming king in 2016 and there has been no official discussion on the prospect of the princess taking the throne.

President Caputova will dismiss the cabinet but ask it to stay on until she at some point appoints a new one. SaS joined a leftist opposition party in bringing the no-confidence vote, accusing the government of not helping people cope with the higher energy costs. The political clash has prevented support for Heger's 2023 budget plan, which includes spending to offset energy prices. Sulik told a televised briefing SaS wanted to back the creation of a new government and did not support calling early elections. The poll-leading opposition party Hlas, though, called early elections the only option.

☆ A Patriot missile battery from the US could create new headaches for Russia in Ukraine and throw a wrench into its terror campaign
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukraine is reportedly slated to receive a US-made Patriot missile defense battery. The US is poised to send Ukraine a Patriot missile defense battery that is already stationed overseas. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Missile Defense Project, it is the primary air and missile defense system that the US has in its arsenal. Patriot missile defense system at Schwesing military airport in Germany on March 17, 2022. A NATO Patriot air defense missile system stands at Slovakia's Sliac air base on April 27, 2022.

☆ EU at odds over gas price cap as 12 countries criticise latest proposal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

EU countries are holding emergency negotiations on Saturday as they attempt to line up a deal to cap gas prices at a Dec. 13 meeting of their energy ministers - but states remain split over the plan. Twelve of the EU's 27 member states have circulated a paper demanding that the price cap be "significantly" lower than the latest compromise being negotiated by countries. EU countries have wrangled for months over whether to cap gas prices, but have so far failed to bridge the gap between their divergent views. Gas prices in Europe have soared this year after Russia slashed gas deliveries following its invasion of Ukraine, pushing up fuel costs and stoking inflation. That is lower than the 275 eur/MWh limit proposed by the |European Commission, but the 12 countries said it was still not low enough.

☆ Volkswagen postpones decision on gigafactory in eastern Europe beyond 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PRAGUE/FRANKFURT, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) is postponing its decision on where to locate a planned gigafactory for electric car batteries in eastern Europe beyond 2022, the carmaker said on Thursday, pointing to the current economic environment. "Volkswagen AG and its battery company PowerCo are continuously evaluating suitable sites for their next gigafactory in Europe," Volkswagen said in e-mailed comments. "There is no pressure to act as we take some more time for decision making in light of current circumstances," Volkswagen said. "At present, there is no impact on planned start of construction or start of production." Volkswagen's planned battery cell plant in eastern Europe would be the fourth under its plan to build six such sites across Europe by the end of the decade.

☆ The West just scrambled the oil market. What happens next is up to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Julia Horowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The European Union now prohibits Russian crude oil imports by sea, setting up the bloc to have phased out 90% of oil imports from Russia. It’s a huge move given that Europe received roughly a third of its oil imports from Russia in 2021. In 2021, the EU imported €48 billion ($50.7 billion) worth of crude oil and €23 billion ($24.3 billion) of refined oil products from Russia. Countries like Poland and Estonia wanted a lower price cap, emphasizing that $60 is too close to the current market price for Russian oil. “Today’s oil price cap agreement is a step in right direction, but this is not enough,” Estonian foreign minister Urmas Reinsalu tweeted Friday.

☆ The G-7 may cap Russia's oil price — but it won't dent Moscow's war chest, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

(Photo by JOE KLAMAR / AFP)The Group of 7 nations are in talks to cap Russian oil at $65 and $70 a barrel — but analysts say it likely won't have a significant impact on Moscow's oil revenues even if it's approved. Russia has threatened to it will not supply oil to countries setting and endorsing the price cap. In a note on Thursday, he said that current Russian oil shipments face minimal disruption from the European Union denying shipping and insurance services. He agreed that the discussed price cap won't make much of a dent or deter Moscow in its war against Ukraine. "Russia's seaborne oil exports have increased to China, India and Turkey at the expense of advanced economies following the Ukraine war," he added.

☆ Exclusive: Poland seeking German support to sanction Russian Druzhba oil pipeline
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The EU has pledged to stop buying Russian oil via maritime routes from Dec. 5 but Druzhba is currently exempt from sanctions. The southern section of the pipeline supplies Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic which, unlike Poland and Germany, would struggle to diversify their oil imports. Poland and Germany promised in spring to try to end Russian oil imports via Druzhba's northern leg by the end of year but Orlen remains tied to its contract with Russian oil and gas company Tatneft. The company has already cut its reliance on Russian oil to 30% of its requirement, replacing it with deliveries from Saudi Arabia and Norway among others. Kommersant newspaper reported earlier this month that Orlen had submitted an application to the Russian oil pipeline operator Transneft for the supply of 3 million tonnes of oil to Poland through Druzhba in 2023.

☆ German Patriot air defence units intended for NATO territory, Berlin tells Warsaw
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Berlin made it clear on Thursday that the Patriot air defence units it offered to Poland are intended for use on NATO territory, countering demands by Warsaw for the system to be sent to Ukraine. "These Patriots are part of NATO's integrated air defence, meaning they are intended to be deployed on NATO territory," German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said in Berlin. "Any use outside NATO territory would require prior discussions with NATO and the allies," she added. Berlin offered Warsaw the Patriot missile defence system to help secure its airspace after a stray missile crashed and killed two people in Poland last week. Today, the German forces are down to 12 Patriot units, two of which are deployed to Slovakia.

☆ Hungary to ratify NATO membership for Finland, Sweden early next year - PM Orban
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WARSAW, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Thursday that Hungary's parliament would ratify NATO membership for Finland and Sweden early next year. Orban told a briefing after a meeting of the Visegrad Group in Slovakia that his government had already decided that Hungary would support Finland's and Sweden's NATO accession and parliament would set this item on its agenda at its first session next year. "Hungary will surely give its backing to their accession, after the government had done, also parliament will do so," Orban said. Hungary and Turkey are the only members of the alliance who have not yet cleared the accession. Reporting by Alan Charlish, Pawel Florkiewicz, Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Allies have been supplying Kyiv with weapons and military equipment since Russia invaded its neighbour on Feb. 24, depleting their own inventories along the way. HISTORIC INDUSTRYEastern Europe's arms industry dates back to the 19th Century, when Czech Emil Skoda began manufacturing weapons for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. They said Ukraine had acquired weapons and equipment via donations from governments and direct commercial contracts between Kyiv and the manufacturers. "At the same time it's an opportunity for them to build up their military production industry." Czech arms exports this year will be the highest since 1989, he said, with many companies in the sector adding jobs and capacity.

☆ Eastward gas flows rise on Yamal pipeline, flows via Ukraine steady
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 23 (Reuters) - Eastbound gas flows rose on Wednesday morning on the Yamal-Europe pipeline to Poland from Germany, data from pipeline operator Gascade showed while flows of Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine remained steady. Nominations for Russian gas into Slovakia from Ukraine via the Velke Kapusany border point stood at 41.7 million cubic metres (mcm), up slightly from 40.5 mcm the previous day, Ukrainian transmission system data showed. Russia's Gazprom (GAZP.MM) said it will ship 42.1 million cubic metres (mcm) of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Wednesday, a similar level to recent days. Gazprom has warned it could reduce gas flows via Ukraine, saying it believes some gas destined for Moldova are being kept by Ukraine. Gas flows via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which crosses the Baltic Sea to Germany from Russia, remained at zero.

☆ Ukraine to protest over Orban scarf showing Hungary including part of Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Ukraine will summon the Hungarian ambassador to protest that Prime Minister Viktor Orban went to a football match wearing a scarf depicting some Ukrainian territory as part of Hungary, the Ukrainian foreign ministry said on Tuesday. "The promotion of revisionism ideas in Hungary does not contribute to the development of Ukrainian-Hungarian relations and does not comply with the principles of European policy," ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko wrote on Facebook. Nikolenko said Ukraine wanted an apology and a rebuttal of any Hungarian claims on Ukrainian territory. Ukrainian media showed images of Orban meeting a Hungarian footballer wearing a scarf which the outlet Ukrainska Pravda said depicted a map of "Greater Hungary" including territory that is now part of the neighbouring states of Austria, Slovakia, Romania, Croatia, Serbia and Ukraine. Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Editing by Timothy HeritageOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ukraine to protest over Orban scarf showing part of Ukraine as Hungarian territory
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV/BUDAPEST, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Ukraine will summon the Hungarian ambassador to protest that Prime Minister Viktor Orban went to a football match wearing a scarf depicting some Ukrainian territory as part of Hungary, the Ukrainian foreign ministry said on Tuesday. Ukrainian media showed images of Orban meeting a Hungarian footballer wearing a scarf which the outlet Ukrainska Pravda said depicted a map of "Greater Hungary" including territory that is now part of the neighbouring states of Austria, Slovakia, Romania, Croatia, Serbia and Ukraine. Nikolenko said Ukraine wanted an apology and a rebuttal of any Hungarian claims on Ukrainian territory. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Orban did not directly address the controversy over the scarf. Reporting by Pavel Polityuk and Anita Komuves, Editing by Timothy Heritage and Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Shiffrin claims second World Cup slalom win of weekend
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Alpine Skiing - FIS Ski World Cup - Slalom - Levi, Finland - November 20, 2022 Mikaela Shiffrin of the U.S. celebrates after winning the women's slalom competition Jussi Nukari/Lehtikuva via REUTERSNov 20 (Reuters) - American Mikaela Shiffrin won her second slalom of the weekend on Sunday to secure the 76th World Cup victory of her career. The 27-year-old triumphed again in Levi, Finland ahead of Switzerland's Wendy Holdener (+0.28), with Slovakia's Petra Vlhova (+0.68) in third. World Cup overall champion Shiffrin is now five wins behind Lindsey Vonn, who tops the women's list of most World Cup race victories, and 10 behind Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden for the overall record. "I really didn’t expect today, even after the first run, everyone who is racing is so strong right now," Shiffrin told reporters. Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Germany to offer Poland Patriot system after stray missile crash
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Germany has offered Warsaw the Patriot missile defence system to help it to secure its airspace after a stray missile crashed in Poland last week, Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht told a newspaper on Sunday. "We have offered Poland support in securing airspace - with our Eurofighters and with Patriot air defence systems," Lambrecht told the Rheinische Post and General Anzeiger. Ground-based air defence systems such as Raytheon's (RTX.N) Patriot are built to intercept incoming missiles. More than a dozen NATO allies led by Germany in October kicked off an initiative to jointly procure air defence systems for several layers of threats, including Patriot. Germany had 36 Patriot units when it was NATO's frontline state during the Cold War.

☆ Shiffrin starts the season with her 75th World Cup win
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Alpine Skiing - FIS Ski World Cup - Slalom - Levi, Finland - November 19, 2022 Mikaela Shiffrin of the U.S. celebrates vicory alongside second placed Sweden's Anna Swenn Larsson and third placed Slovakia's Petra Vlhova Jussi Nukari/Lehtikuva via REUTERSNov 19 (Reuters) - Mikaela Shiffrin won the first race of the Alpine ski season in Levi, Finland, to secure the 75th World Cup victory of her career on Saturday. World Cup champion Shiffrin won the slalom in front of Sweden's Anna Swenn Larsson (+0.16), with Petra Vlhova (+0.20) from Slovakia taking third place. "It’s the first race of the season and I’m feeling good with my skiing, my skis felt amazing," the 27-year-old American said. "It was a nice feeling on the first run, I felt pretty good, but I was holding back a little bit. "On the second run I made adjustments and it felt like a really good pace and tempo.

☆ Oil prices fall as Druzhba pipeline resumes flows
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Shariq Khan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU (Reuters) -Oil prices fell by more than a dollar on Wednesday as Russian oil shipments via the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary restarted and rising COVID-19 cases in China weighed on sentiment. Prices slid into negative territory after Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that flows through the Druzhba oil pipeline from Russia had resumed following a brief outage. Supply to parts of Eastern and Central Europe via a section of the pipeline were temporarily suspended on Tuesday for technical reasons, according to oil pipeline operators in Hungary and Slovakia. The Energy Information Administration said U.S. crude inventories fell by 5.4 million barrels last week, compared with expectations for a 440,000-barrel drop. “Oil demand growth in the country is being hampered by its unyielding faith in a zero-tolerance COVID-19 policy and persistent economic weakness,” PVM Oil analyst Stephen Brennock said.

☆ Oil prices slide after Druzhba crude pipeline resumes flows
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Ahmad Ghaddar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON (Reuters) -Oil prices fell sharply on Wednesday as Russian oil shipments via the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary restarted, prompting the reversal of earlier gains following an attack on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman. Prices then retreated after Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Wednesday that flows through the Druzhba pipeline which carries Russian oil to Hungary had resumed following a brief outage. Oil supply to parts of Eastern and Central Europe via a section of the Druzhba pipeline were temporarily suspended on Tuesday for technical reasons, according to oil pipeline operators in Hungary and Slovakia. “Oil demand growth in the country is being hampered by its unyielding faith in a zero-tolerance COVID-19 policy and persistent economic weakness,” PVM Oil analyst Stephen Brennock said. Earlier this week, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) cut its forecast for 2022 global oil demand growth for a fifth time since April, citing mounting economic challenges.

☆ Oil prices steady as China COVID worries outweigh supply concerns
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Isabel Kua | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices were little changed on Wednesday as COVID-19 cases in China continued to climb, sparking worries of lower fuel demand in the world’s top crude importer, and outweighing concerns about an escalation of geopolitical tensions and tighter oil supply. Oil prices settled higher on Tuesday after oil supply to parts of Eastern and Central Europe via a section of the Druzhba pipeline was temporarily suspended, according to oil pipeline operators in Hungary and Slovakia. That has dampened oil demand growth outlook with the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecast demand growth slowing to 1.6 million bpd in 2023 from 2.1 million bpd this year. Earlier, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) cut its forecast for 2022 global oil demand growth for a fifth time since April citing mounting economic challenges. Industry data showing a bigger-than-expected drop in U.S. crude stockpiles provided some support to oil prices.

☆ Oil prices ease as China COVID concerns outweigh supply woes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Isabel Kua | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Oil prices settled higher on Tuesday after oil supply to parts of Eastern and Central Europe via a section of the Druzhba pipeline was temporarily suspended, according to oil pipeline operators in Hungary and Slovakia. “From all accounts, China is persisting with its zero-COVID policy, which is a natural dampener for oil market sentiment,” said Vandana Hari, founder of Vanda Insights in Singapore. That has dampened the oil demand growth outlook, with the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasting demand growth to slow to 1.6 million bpd in 2023 from 2.1 million bpd this year. Earlier, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) cut its forecast for 2022 global oil demand growth for a fifth time since April citing mounting economic challenges. Industry data showing a bigger-than-expected drop in U.S. crude stockpiles provided some support to oil prices.

☆ Oil prices slip as China COVID worries, firmer dollar outweigh supply concerns
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Isabel Kua | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Oil prices settled higher on Tuesday after oil supply to parts of Eastern and Central Europe via a section of the Druzhba pipeline was temporarily suspended, according to oil pipeline operators in Hungary and Slovakia. U.S. President Joe Biden’s comments that the missile was probably not fired from Russia also helped to ease immediate escalation worries, Innes said. That has dampened the oil demand growth outlook, with the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasting demand growth to slow to 1.6 million bpd in 2023 from 2.1 million bpd this year. Earlier, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) cut its forecast for 2022 global oil demand growth for a fifth time since April citing mounting economic challenges. Industry data showing a bigger-than-expected drop in U.S. crude stockpiles provided some support to oil prices.

☆ Hungary foreign minister says Druzhba pipeline can be restarted soon
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Hungary's Minister for External Economy and Foreign Affairs Peter Szijjarto gestures during a General Affairs meeting in Luxembourg June 22, 2021. John Thys/Pool via REUTERSBUDAPEST, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The Druzhba oil pipeline can likely be restarted within a short time as the pipeline itself had not been damaged, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in a video on his Facebook page on Wednesday. Szijjarto also said, after talking with the Polish foreign minister, that Hungary was waiting further information from Poland on the results of their investigation into the blast that occurred in Poland near the Ukrainian border. Oil supply to parts of Eastern and Central Europe via a section of the Druzhba pipeline had been temporarily suspended on Tuesday, according to oil pipeline operators in Hungary and Slovakia. "Its somewhat reassuring news that according to current information, the Druzhba pipeline itself was not damaged, only one element of the infrastructure that operates the pipeline, a power station," Szijjarto said.

☆ Factbox: What is the S-300 missile that is reported to have hit Poland?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nov 16 (Reuters) - Poland has said the missile that hit a grain facility on Tuesday, killing two people near the border with Ukraine, was probably an "old" S-300 rocket, a Soviet-era missile system being used by both Russia and Ukraine. * S-300 missiles are intended to shoot down aircraft, drones and incoming cruise and ballistic missiles. WHO USES THE S-300 MISSILE? * Moscow has previously sold S-300 missiles to Venezuela, China, Iran and Egypt, among other countries. * According to Russian military media outlets, the S-300 missile system was first used in conflict during the 2020 war between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh.

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