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☆ Olympics row deepens as 35 countries demand ban for Russia and Belarus
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Andrius Sytas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

With war raging in Ukraine, the Baltic States, Nordic countries and Poland had called on international sports bodies to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in the Olympics. "At the same time, we know that 70 percent of Russian athletes are soldiers. He said that most participants had been in favour of an absolute exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes. The IOC has opened the door for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals. While Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of host city Paris, has said Russian athletes should not take part, Paris 2024 organisers have said they will abide by the IOC's decision on the issue.

☆ 'Not so rosy': Russian athletes face prospect of Olympics ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Olympic Rings are pictured in front of The Olympic House, headquarters of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the opening of the executive board meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), in Lausanne, Switzerland September 8, 2022. Since the International Olympic Committee (IOC) opened the door for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals at the 2024 Paris Games, calls to have them excluded have snowballed. At an indoor track in northeastern Moscow on Friday, hurdler Sergey Shubenkov said he was avoiding reading the news about Russia's Olympic prospects. The measure was taken as part of wider sanctions against the Russian athletics federation, which has been suspended since 2015 over doping offences. "I think those who don't support (Russia's special military operation in Ukraine) have already left.

☆ IBA denounces 'hyenas' after U.S. and Irish boycott worlds
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Amateur boxing's Russian-led governing body has offered to fund U.S. and Irish boxers wanting to compete in this year's world championships after their national federations decided to boycott the tournaments. The International Boxing Association (IBA) also warned in a statement on Friday that it would pursue "strong sanctions against those who initiate and join the participation boycott". "Those who are doing this to our athletes are worse than hyenas and jackals, they violate the integrity of sport and culture. The Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) said on Friday its boxers, referees and judges would be staying away. "IBA invites USA and Irish teams to come to the world championships and participate under their flags and anthems," it said.

"Judging by the customs statistics, some of the benefit was captured by refiners in India and China, but the main beneficiaries must be oil shippers, intermediaries and the Russian oil companies," he added. As a further complication, some Russian oil grades, including Pacific grade ESPO, are also worth more than Urals. After decades of low profits or losses, sections of the global shipping industry are enjoying a financial boom from moving Russian oil. A year ago, a similar journey would have cost a seller of Russian oil $0.5-$1.0 million depending on shipping rates. Nayara is 49%-owned by Russian state oil major Rosneft, run by Putin's ally Igor Sechin, meaning some of the profits are indirectly captured by Russia.

BENGALURU, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Adani Total Private Ltd expects to receive 2.2 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) at its terminal at Dhamra on India's eastern coast during the year ending March 2024, the company's chief executive told Reuters on Tuesday. Adani Total has a 20-year take-or-pay contract to provide regasification services to state-run Indian Oil Corp (IOC.NS) for 3 million tonnes of LNG per annum at the Dhamra terminal. Government-run gas distributor GAIL (India) Ltd (GAIL.NS) has a similar 1.5 million tonnes per annum deal. The energy-hungry country expects deeper penetration of city gas distribution to drive LNG demand in the coming years. Global LNG prices eased off record highs in the second half of 2022, amid ample inventories in North Asia and Europe.

☆ F1 will never gag any drivers, says Domenicali
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Formula One will never gag anyone, chief executive Stefano Domenicali has stated in response to a pre-season controversy between the governing FIA and drivers over 'political' statements and freedom of speech. read moreThe move has been condemned by rights groups and criticised by drivers, who have spoken of their unhappiness and uncertainty. read more read more read more"F1 will never put a gag on anyone," said Domenicali. "Everyone wants to talk so to have the platform to say what they want in the right way the better it is. "I believe the FIA will clarify what has been stated, in terms of respecting certain places where you cannot do it," said Domenicali.

☆ Nordic countries jointly oppose Russian, Belarusian sports participation
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 7 (Reuters) - The Nordic Olympic Committees wrote to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Tuesday to reiterate their opposition to Russian and Belarusian athletes being allowed to take part in international sports. The IOC said last month that athletes from Russia and Belarus might be allowed to earn slots for the Olympic Games in Paris next year through Asian qualifying. Tuesday's joint statement by the Nordic Olympic Committees, Paralympic Committees and sports confederations said they stood firm in their opposition to Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials being allowed to participate in international sports. "We, the Nordic Olympic and Paralympic Committees and Confederations of sports, take this opportunity to reaffirm our steadfast support once again with the Ukrainian people and the demand for peace," it said. Last week, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland called on international sports bodies to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in the Olympics and other events while the war in Ukraine continues.

☆ Zelenskiy urges Olympic sponsors to keep Russia out of Games
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Nick Starkov | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LVIV, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Ukraine has sent letters to companies that back the International Olympic Committee urging them to keep Russian athletes out of the Paris Olympic Games, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday. Zelenskiy has been spearheading a drive to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in the games under a neutral flag. Zelenskiy has said their presence would normalise Russia's invasion of his country and make "terror" acceptable. "Ukraine has sent appropriate letters to the companies that provide the biggest support for the International Olympic Committee," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. "These are large international companies who clearly have an interest in ensuring that their reputation and support is not used for war propaganda."

The Baltic nations and Poland earlier Thursday called on international sports bodies to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in the Olympics and other events while the war in Ukraine continues. "Efforts to return Russian and Belarusian athletes to international sports competitions under the veil of neutrality legitimize political decisions and widespread propaganda of these countries," it added. They called on "all international sports organizations and federations" to remove Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions until the war ends. Latvia joined Kyiv on Wednesday in threatening to boycott the 2024 Olympics and qualifiers if Russian and Belarusian athletes are included while the war continues in Ukraine. The Paris Olympics will be held from July 26-Aug. 11 next year and the Paralympics from Aug. 28-Sept. 8.

At his funeral in the western Ukrainian town of Letychiv, friends of the 22-year-old, who volunteered for the military and was hit by shrapnel in Bakhmut last week, were vehement that Russians should be excluded from the Olympics. Fellow decathlete Dmytro Korbenko, who described himself as Androshchuk's best friend, said of Russian athletes: "It's obvious they're not supposed to be in sports, nor at the 2024 Olympic Games." As mourners laid bouquets near Androshchuk's feet or kissed his forehead, Korbenko described his friend as a strong-willed athlete. In response, Ukraine has threatened to boycott the 2024 Olympics if the year-long war is still raging and if Russians are allowed to compete. Russia, which denies committing atrocities in Ukraine, said attempts at banning it from international sports were "doomed to fail."

☆ Analysis: IOC on spot over Russian presence at 2024 Olympics
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Karolos Grohmann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Some 18 months before the competition is due to start, the IOC is desperate to calm the waters. "Currently within the IOC, there is a lot of attention now on the Ukraine issue and the Russian athletes and any opposition," an Olympic movement insider told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "A sports boycott serves nothing," IOC President Thomas Bach said on the 40th anniversary of the 1980 Moscow Games boycott by some Western states. The IOC, host city, and international federations would ultimately benefit if Russian participation was perceived as upholding the Games' universal and neutral character. The IOC had also called for a ban of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international competitions as part of "protective measures" given the volatile situation.

☆ Latvia threatens Olympic boycott if Russians compete
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Latvian Olympic Committee is the first national Olympic body other than Ukraine which has threatened to boycott rather than compete against Russia. He broadened that position Wednesday by saying Latvia should boycott Olympic qualifying competitions, which are already under way in some sports, if Russians or Belarusians are allowed in. The Ukrainian National Olympic Committee has threatened to boycott and is due to hold talks Friday on the issue. Ukraine boycotted some sports competitions, including Olympic judo qualifiers, last year when Russians competed. Other national Olympic sports bodies, including the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, back the IOC efforts to find a path for Russians to compete.

☆ Ukraine's Elina Svitolina calls for ban on Russians and Belarusians
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine's sports minister said on Tuesday that his country was seeking to secure widespread international support for banning Russian and Belarusian athletes from 2024 Olympics because of the war. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has opened the door for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals in Paris. They are the largest platform for inclusion and diversity in sports, capturing the attention of the world," Svitolina said in a statement on Twitter. "Their lives cannot continue as normal and the world, nor the Russian and Belarusian people, can be ignorant of the atrocities they are committing in Ukraine." Svitolina, married to fellow tennis player Gael Monfils, reached her career-high ranking of world number three in 2017 and has not played since giving birth to her first child last year.

☆ Latvia would not send athletes to Olympics if Russia and Belarus included
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VILNIUS, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Latvia would not send athletes to an Olympic Games that included Russian and Belarusian nationals while the invasion in Ukraine is ongoing, a spokesperson for the country's Olympic committee said on Wednesday. But the Paris Games is a year and half away. The Paris 2024 Olympics will be held from July 26-Aug. 11 and the Paralympics from Aug. 28-Sept. 8. Neither the Lithuanian nor Estonian National Olympic Committees are considering boycotts of Paris Olympics, their chairs told domestic media on Tuesday. Foreign ministers of the three countries and Poland on Tuesday agreed that Russian and Belarusian athletes in Olympics are "unacceptable" so long as the invasion continues, Latvian foreign minister Edgars Rinkevics said.

☆ Ukraine on mission to ban Russia from Paris Olympics
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Olena Harmash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

At least 220 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have died in the war, Huttsait said, with over 340 sports facilities damaged or ruined. However, there has been little public support yet from other nations for an outright ban on Russians at Paris. "Certainly, there is some attempt by the International Olympic Committee to allow our athletes to participate in international competitions," said Stanislav Pozdnyakov, head of Russia's Olympic Committee. 'LIVES MORE IMPORTANT THAN MEDALS'The IOC's previous recommendation to ban Russians and Belarusians has been applied by many sports federations. Should that happen, Ukraine's sporting authorities and athletes will face a "very difficult decision" whether to boycott Paris, Huttsait said.

☆ Ukraine on mission to ban Russia from Olympics, IOC says sanctions stand
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Olena Harmash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Vadym Huttsait, 51, a former Olympic fencing champion, told Reuters the idea of allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals was unacceptable. Moscow said on Tuesday it would welcome any IOC moves to allow its athletes to compete in the Olympics. But hours later the IOC said it was standing by sanctions imposed against the countries over Russia's invasion. There has been little public support yet from other nations for an outright ban on Russians at Paris. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier'LIVES MORE IMPORTANT THAN MEDALS'The IOC's initial recommendation to ban Russians and Belarusians has been applied by many sports federations.

[1/2] A car rides on an empty road near a frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine January 29, 2023. In Paris after meeting Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov, French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said "there was no taboo" about supplying Kyiv with fighter planes. Russian forces on Tuesday made no headway in attempts to advance on Avdiivka, the second focal point of Russian attacks in Donetsk region, Kyiv's military general staff said. Russian forces also tried to advance near Lyman, a town further north in Donetsk region that was recaptured by Ukrainian forces in October, the military said. Russia was reaching further west in Donetsk by firing on the town of Vuhledar and a half dozen other towns and villages, the Ukraine military said.

☆ IOC rejects 'defamatory' criticism from Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The IOC rejects in the strongest possible terms this and other defamatory statements," the IOC told Reuters in a statement. This is whom the ignorant IOC wants to put under white flag allowing to compete," Kuleba wrote on Twitter. The IOC added then, however, that each sport federation was the "sole authority for its international competitions". Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that Ukraine would launch an international campaign to prevent Russian athletes from being allowed to compete at the Games. The Russian foreign ministry has said any attempt to squeeze Moscow out of international sport because of what it calls its special military operation in Ukraine is "doomed to fail".

☆ Zelenskiy adviser: IOC promotes 'Russian anti-human policy'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

That's why it insists Russian athletes should participate in contests as real 'ambassadors of death'," Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter. "Sport doesn't exist outside politics – sport promotes it. Thus, the IOC promotes the Russian anti-human policy." President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that Ukraine would launch an international campaign to prevent Russian athletes from being allowed to compete in the 2024 Games. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday that any attempt to squeeze Moscow out of international sport was "doomed to fail".

☆ Analysis: India's EV dawn fans expectations fuel demand may peak early
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Mohi Narayan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Currently, around 90% of Indian petrochemical demand is met by China, he said, so a shift by Indian refiners towards domestic chemical needs could dramatically change supply dynamics. Indian refiners are investing billions of dollars to raise petrochemical capacity. Indian Oil Corp (IOC.NS), the country's top refiner, is raising petrochemical capacity at its Panipat refinery by 13% and building new plants linked to its Paradip and Gujarat refineries. India's state refiners, which dominate fuel retailers, plan to set up EV charging facilities at more than 22,000 fuel stations and highways by 2024. About 40% of India's fuel demand is for diesel, which is mostly used by trucks.

☆ Ukraine could boycott Olympics if Russians allowed back-minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Ukraine would not rule out boycotting the Olympic Games if Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to compete in the Paris 2024 Games, its sports minister said. "Our position is unchanged: as long as there is a war in Ukraine, Russian and Belarusian athletes should not be in international competitions," Guttsait wrote on his Facebook page. "Work is currently underway on further possible steps and first steps to continue sanctions and prevent Russians and Belarusians from international competitions," he said. "If we are not heard, I do not rule out the possibility that we will boycott and refuse participation in the Olympics." Russian and Belarusian athletes have been banned in some sports while they are allowed to compete under a neutral flag in others.

☆ Russian athletes could participate in Asian competitions - IOC
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Russian and Belarusian athletes could participate in Asian events with the International Olympic Committee looking at options for their return to international competitions. The IOC said on Wednesday the Olympic Council of Asia had offered Russian and Belarusian athletes the chance to compete in Asia. The IOC said in a statement it "welcomed and appreciated the offer from the Olympic Council of Asia to give these (Russian and Belarusian) athletes access to Asian competitions". That could potentially also include Olympic qualifying events, with Russian and Belarusian athletes unable to compete in Europe due to various restrictions and bans as well as opposition caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The IOC had recommended that events in Russia be cancelled or relocated and that Russian and Belarusian athletes not take part or compete under a neutral flag.

☆ Europe Is Torn Over the Idea of Reinstating Russian Athletes at the Olympics
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Louise Radnofsky | Rachel Bachman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The International Olympic Committee’s about-face in seeking to allow Russian athletes’ participation at the 2024 Games in Paris has divided European countries, with some of the biggest Olympic committees of the continent remaining on the fence. IOC President Thomas Bach began openly pushing late last year for the reinstatement of Russian athletes, 10 months after the IOC had recommended Russian and Belarusian competitors be locked out of international sports over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia itself was already banned from international events because of its epic state-sponsored doping offenses at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, but Russian athletes were allowed to compete in the last three Olympics under names like “Russian Olympic Committee.”

☆ India's Adani partners with Leyland, Ballard to make hydrogen fueled electric truck
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The project led by Adani, will have Ballard supply the fuel cell engine, while Indian truck maker Ashok Leyland will provide vehicle and technical support for the project. If the devices that do that, electrolysers, are powered by renewable energy, the product is called green hydrogen. The Indian government had recently approved an incentive plan of 174.9 billion rupees ($2.11 billion) to promote green hydrogen and had set green hydrogen consumption targets for some industries earlier this month. Indian companies such as Reliance Industries (RELI.NS), Indian Oil (IOC.NS), NTPC (NTPC.NS), Adani, JSW Energy (JSWE.NS), ReNew Power (RENE.BO) and Acme Solar (ACMO.NS) have big plans for green hydrogen. Adani has a tie-up with French energy company TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA) as part of a deal to form a new green hydrogen project in India.

☆ Guyana expects proposal from India for long-term crude purchases
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Neil Marks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Vessels carrying supplies for an offshore oil platform operated by Exxon Mobil are seen at the Guyana Shore Base Inc wharf on the Demerara River, south of Georgetown, Guyana January 23, 2020. REUTERS/Luc CohenGEORGETOWN, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Guyana expects to soon receive a proposal from India for long-term purchases of the South American country's oil, President Irfaan Ali said on Tuesday, a new attempt to reach a government-to-government deal potentially leading to better sale terms for Guyana. Guyana's government is entitled to a share of crude produced off the nation's coast by a consortium led by Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N). In 2022, Ali's government received a total of 13 cargoes of crude, and it expects to receive and export 17 cargoes this year, the finance minister said earlier this week. Guyana and India in 2021 failed to reach an agreement for direct sales of Guyana's sweet crude to Indian state refiners.

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