DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ France enters 'white gold' rush as top producer aims to supply Europe with lithium
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The EU is looking to increase the number of electric vehicles on its roads in the coming years. Alongside its use in cell phones, computers, tablets and a host of other gadgets synonymous with modern life, lithium — which some have dubbed "white gold" — is crucial to the batteries that power electric vehicles. "So we will identify strategic projects all along the supply chain, from extracting to refining, from processing to recycling," she added. The construction capital expenditure of the proposed lithium project is estimated to be around 1 billion euros (roughly $980 million), Imerys added. "In May 2022, lithium prices were over seven times higher than at the start of 2021," it added.

☆ France's Imerys wants to become leading lithium producer in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Oct 24 (Reuters) - French minerals company Imerys (IMTP.PA) said on Monday it wanted to become the leading supplier of lithium in Europe through a mining project in France. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe company's shares rose by 5% in early Paris trade. Almost all the critical minerals currently come from outside the continent, with China dominating the global supply chain. Various miners are exploring domestic European lithium projects including in Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Tassilo Hummel and David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ukraine needs Marshall Plan approach to rebuild, says German lobby
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Oct 24 (Reuters) - A German lobby group representing companies with interests in eastern Europe has called for a plan to rebuild Ukraine that would mirror the Marshall Plan that helped Europe recover from World War Two, the media group RND reported. The 20-page "Rebuild Ukraine" dossier covering topics from industry to agriculture and energy will be discussed at a Ukraine-Germany business forum in Berlin on Monday, attended by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal. In an opinion piece in German business newspaper FAZ on Sunday, Scholz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made a similar call for a "new Marshall Plan for the 21st century" for Ukraine. The lobby group's dossier called for each European country involved in efforts to rebuild Ukraine to nominate a coordinator to an advisory board to liaise with Ukraine's government. German companies should be given incentives to invest in Ukraine just as the Marshall Plan, which was a U.S. initiative, encouraged investment in West Germany after World War Two, the lobby group's chair Michael Harms said.

☆ EU leaders still eyeing multiple gas price caps - document
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A revised draft of their summit conclusions said EU leaders would broadly endorse the proposals - including plans to launch an alternative price benchmark for liquefied natural gas and start joint gas buying among EU countries. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe proposals each need support from a reinforced majority of EU countries - at least 15 members representing at least 65% of the bloc's population. EU leaders look set to back that idea, asking Brussels to examine a "temporary dynamic price corridor" on gas transactions, according to their draft conclusions. The conclusions may struggle to win support from all leaders, since countries are split over the Iberian mechanism. The draft conclusions said a price cap on gas used for power generation must avoid increasing gas consumption.

☆ EU price cap on gas used for power worth considering, von der Leyen says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, Oct 19 (Reuters) - A scheme used in Spain and Portugal to cap the price of gas used to generate electricity is worth considering for implementation across the European Union, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday. "It really merits to be considered at EU level. There are still questions to be answered but I want to leave no stone unturned," von der Leyen told a meeting of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Kate Abnett, Marine StraussOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russian attacks on Ukraine infrastructure are war crimes - EU's von der Leyen
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Russia's missile and drone attacks on power stations and other infrastructure in Ukraine are "acts of pure terror" that amount to war crimes, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday. "Yesterday we saw again Russia's targeted attacks against civilian infrastructure. These are war crimes," von der Leyen said in a speech to lawmakers in the European Parliament. "Targeted attacks on civilian infrastructure with the clear aim to cut off men, women, children of water, electricity and heating with the winter coming, these are acts of pure terror and we have to call it as such." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Marine Strauss and Philip BlenkinsopOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The EU wants to limit spiking gas prices after 'excessive' moves this summer
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The EU is working on new measures to mitigate gas prices. The European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, proposed Tuesday setting a limit on daily gas trading levels. European natural gas prices were trading around 120 euros per megawatt hour Tuesday. A second EU official also told reporters that the commission wants to do "something meaningful, but not harmful" to the market. The EU used to import about 40% of its natural gas from Russia; that number is now at around 7%.

☆ EU seeks to boost infrastructure protection after Nord Stream blasts
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Nord Stream AG FollowBRUSSELS, Oct 18 (Reuters) - The European Commission on Tuesday proposed stepping up measures to protect its critical infrastructure, with energy among its chief areas of focus following the possible sabotage last month of the Nord Stream gas pipelines. The Commission says EU members should prioritise energy, digital, transport and space infrastructure and accelerate work to improve preparedness for and responses to attacks and to increase international cooperation. In the recommendation, which seeks to guide but does not bind EU countries, the EU executive encourages the bloc's 27 members to accelerate stress tests of entities operating critical infrastructure, particularly related to energy. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterEuropean states have raced to protect energy infrastructure ranging from Norwegian energy installations to German power lines after blaming the Nord Stream pipeline leaks on sabotage after they were discovered on Sept 26. EU executive chief Ursula von der Leyen will present the proposal to EU leaders at a two-day summit in Brussels that begins on Thursday.

☆ ‘Radicalized teenager’ killed two outside Slovakia gay bar, prime minister says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — A “radicalized teenager” shot dead two people outside a gay bar in Slovakia’s capital, Bratislava, Prime Minister Eduard Heger said. The gunman killed two people and wounded another near the Teplaren bar in the city center Wednesday evening, police said. “I strongly condemn a murder of two young people shot dead in Bratislava last night by a radicalized teenager,” Heger wrote on Twitter. Jaroslav Novak / APSlovak media reported the main suspect had posted messages with the phrases “hate crime” and “gay bar” hashtagged on Twitter. It is hate that does not belong in Slovakia,” she told reporters after visiting the scene of the attack.

☆ Europe is still quietly importing Russian nuclear energy
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

On presenting its latest sanctions package, the European Commission did not propose targeting the trade of Russian nuclear fuel. Hungary and Bulgaria were the most vocal in opposing sanctions on Russian uranium and other nuclear tech last week, according to Rodrigo. "Russian nuclear terror requires a stronger response from the international community - sanctions on the Russian nuclear industry and nuclear fuel," Zelenskyy said via Twitter at the time. Mikhail Metzel | Afp | Getty ImagesThere are 18 Russian nuclear reactors in Europe, in countries including Finland, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. How 'green' is nuclear energy?

☆ Europe has enough energy to survive the winter. Next year might be different
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Cornelius Poppe/NTB/AFP/Getty ImagesBut success has come at a heavy cost to the economy: the scramble for alternative sources has sent energy prices soaring. Alexei Miller, CEO of Russian state energy giant Gazprom, said on Wednesday that there was “no guarantee” that Europe would survive the winter with its current reserves. “Adopting policies that prevent the pass-through of high energy prices to consumers is an expensive gamble that is doomed to fail if wholesale energy prices will stay high in the future,” he added. Carlos Torres Diaz, head of power analysis at Rystad Energy, told CNN business that Europe’s energy transition “has been put on hold” as it prioritizes energy security. “These sources of energy also help reduce the dependency on energy imports,” Torres Diaz added.

☆ 'Radicalised teenager' killed two outside Slovakia gay bar - PM
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

People embrace one another near the site of a shooting in Bratislava, Slovakia October 13, 2022. REUTERS/Radovan StoklasaBRATISLAVA, Oct 13 (Reuters) - A "radicalised teenager" shot dead two people outside a gay bar in Slovakia's capital Bratislava, Prime Minister Eduard Heger said. A gunman killed two people and wounded another near the Teplaren bar in the city centre on Wednesday evening, police said. "I strongly condemn a murder of two young people shot dead in Bratislava last night by a radicalised teenager," Heger wrote on Twitter. Slovak media reported the main suspect had posted messages with the phrases "hate crime" and "gay bar" hashtagged on Twitter.

☆ Europe didn't want to believe Russia would actually invade Ukraine even as the US kept warning it was coming, top EU diplomat says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Europe didn't think that Russia would actually invade Ukraine, the EU's top diplomat revealed. But despite these warnings from the US that war was on the horizon, Europe didn't want to believe that Russia would actually attack its eastern European neighbor, the European Union's top diplomat revealed on Tuesday. The Americans were telling us, 'They will attack, they will attack,' and we were quite reluctant to believe it," Borrell said. The next day, Russian forces invaded, with Russian leadership under the impression that Russian President Vladimir Putin's troops would achieve a quick and decisive victory. Borrell also said on Tuesday that Europe didn't anticipate how well Ukraine would defend itself against the invading Russian forces.

☆ Pfizer exec denies CEO negotiated EU COVID vaccine contract via text message
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FRANKFURT, Oct 10 (Reuters) - A Pfizer (PFE.N) executive with a lead role in negotiating a COVID-19 vaccine bulk supply agreement with the European Commission "categorically" ruled out that the U.S. drugmaker's chief executive agreed the contract via mobile phone text messages. She added that such talks involve far too many people on both sides and take far too long to be conducted via mobile phone texts. The Commission said in June this year that it no longer had the texts, which later drew criticism from the European Union's ombudswoman. The contract signed last year was the biggest ever sealed for COVID-19 vaccines, with the EU committing to buy 900 million Pfizer-BioNTech (22UAy.DE) shots, with an option to buy another 900 million. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Jan Harvey and Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Francois LenoirWASHINGTON/BRUSSELS, Oct 7 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday signed an executive order to implement a European Union-United States data transfer framework announced in March that adopts new American intelligence gathering privacy safeguards. Judges with experience in data privacy and national security will be appointed from outside the U.S. government. European privacy activists have threatened to challenge the framework if they did not think it adequately protects privacy. Austrian Max Schrems, whose legal challenges have brought down the previous two EU-U.S. data flow systems, said he still needed to analyze the package. "At first sight it seems that the core issues were not solved and it will be back to the CJEU (EU court) sooner or later," he said.

Swedish Coast Guard/Handout via TT News Agency/via REUTERSBRUSSELS, Sept 29 (Reuters) - EU leaders will discuss next week what the bloc has denounced as sabotage on the subsea Nord Stream gas pipelines, an EU official said on Thursday, adding that the incident had changed the nature of the conflict in Ukraine fundamentally. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"The attack on strategic infrastructure means that the strategic infrastructure in the entire EU has to be protected," an EU official in Brussels said. The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines were not supplying gas to Europe when the leaks were first detected on Monday but still had gas in them. Russia had halted deliveries via Nord Stream 1, saying Western sanctions had hampered operations. Nord Stream 2 had not started commercial operations.

A gas leak from Nord stream 1 is seen in the Swedish economic zone in the Baltic Sea in this picture taken from the Swedish Coast Guard aircraft on September 28, 2022. The European Union is investigating the cause of the leaks in the Gazprom-led (GAZP.MM) Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines under the Baltic Sea and has said it suspects sabotage. "The attack on strategic infrastructure means that the strategic infrastructure in the entire EU has to be protected," the EU official in Brussels said. Russia had halted deliveries via Nord Stream 1, saying Western sanctions had hampered operations. Nord Stream 2 had not started commercial operations.

CNN —Leaders of several Western countries have said leaks in two Russian gas pipelines are likely the result of sabotage, vowing a strong response as investigations continue. “The destruction that occurred on the same day simultaneously on three strings of the offshore gas pipelines of the Nord Stream system is unprecedented,” said the pipeline’s operator Nord Stream AG. The incident has sank any remaining expectations that Europe could receive gas via Nord Stream 1 before the winter, as gas prices soar and countries hunt for alternative energy supplies. Russia halted all gas supplies to Europe via Nord Stream 1 in August, blaming Western sanctions for causing technical difficulties – which European politicians say is just a pretext to stop supplying gas. The new Nord Stream 2 pipeline had not yet entered commercial operation.

☆ The CIA warned Germany weeks ago about a possible attack on the Nord Stream natural-gas pipelines, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The CIA told Germany weeks ago the Nord Stream pipelines could be attacked, sources told Der Spiegel. The pipelines were intended to be the main artery of natural-gas supply from Russia to Europe. On Monday, three severe leaks were discovered on the four Nord Stream pipelines, which run from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea. Nord Stream AG, the operator of the pipelines, said Tuesday the damage they'd sustained was "unprecedented." German media earlier Tuesday reported government officials as saying they believed the damage to the Nord Stream pipelines wasn't accidental.

☆ Top EU officials to make statement on Russia sanctions at 1400 GMT
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, Sept 28 (Reuters) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell will make an announcement at 1600 CET (1400 GMT) on Wednesday on plans for a tightening of sanctions against Russia. Ukraine has urged the European Union to impose economic sanctions on Russia to punish it for staging annexation votes in four occupied regions. The bloc is looking at an oil price cap, tighter curbs on high-tech exports to Russia and more sanctions against individuals, diplomats have said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Philip Blenkinsop, Editing by Gabriela BaczynskaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Gas bubbles from the Nord Stream 2 leak reaching surface of the Baltic Sea in the area shows disturbance of well over one kilometre diameter near Bornholm, Denmark, September 27, 2022. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he discussed the "sabotage" of the pipelines at a meeting with Danish Defence Minister Morten Bødskov in Brussels. "We addressed the protection of critical infrastructure in NATO countries," the chief of the Western military alliance that also includes most EU countries said on Twitter. The EU, meanwhile, issued a strong warning to anybody attempting to attack the energy backbones of the 27-nation bloc. Borrell announced the bloc would step up the protection of its energy infrastructure following the incidents.

☆ EU lawmakers on Brazil's Bolsonaro: Respect vote or face sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The EU should state that it will use different levers, including trade, to defend Brazil's democracy and human rights," they added. Later on Wednesday, the United States Senate passed a resolution urging Brazil's government to ensure a "free, fair, credible, transparent, and peaceful" election. He has claimed without evidence that electoral authorities will rig the vote against him and that electronic voting cannot be trusted. A recent IPEC poll shows Lula increased his lead to 17 points with 48% support versus 31% for Bolsonaro. read moreRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Anthony Boadle; Additional reporting by Peter Siqueira; Editing by Paul Simao and Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EU sees sabotage of Nord Stream, warns against attacks on 'active infrastructure'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, Sept 27 (Reuters) - European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday said the leaks of the Nord Stream pipelines were caused by sabotage, and warned of the "strongest possible response" should active European energy infrastructure be attacked. "Spoke to (Danish Prime Minister Mette) Frederiksen on the sabotage action Nordstream," von der Leyen said on Twitter, adding it was paramount now to investigate the incidents to get full clarity on the "events and why." "Any deliberate disruption of active European energy infrastructure is unacceptable and will lead to the strongest possible response," she warned. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Sabine Siebold Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Giorgia Meloni, a nationalist accused by political rivals and experts of spreading white supremacist ideas, was on Monday set to become Italy's first far-right leader since World War II. The results confirm her party’s rise from a radical fringe group to the driving force in right-wing Italian politics. Meloni, who would be Italy's first female leader, and the Brothers of Italy advocate naval blockades to stop unauthorized migration from Africa. Giorgia Meloni, leader of the Brothers of Italy, in Rome on Monday. Brothers of Italy leader Giorgia Meloni casts her vote at a polling station in Rome on Sunday.

☆ The far-right win big in Italy. Here's what that means for Europe
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Giorgia Meloni seen speaking during the campaign. Fratelli d'Italia's runaway success means that Giorgia Meloni is likely to become Italy's next prime minister and the country's first female leader. Speaking as the results emerged, Giorgia Meloni said the party would "govern for everyone" and would not "betray" the country's trust. "We are dealing with a right-wing coalition and we need to understand what type of right-wing coalition," Francesco Galietti, chief executive and co-founder of political risk consultancy Policy Sonar, told CNBC Monday. Fratelli d'Italia has argued for a slimmed down, less bureaucratic EU and has championed the primacy of Italian law in domestic issues.

Search resuls for: "Ursula Von Der"

25 mentions found