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☆ Ukraine Invited to Observe North Europe Defence Alliance Exercises
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - A British-led defence alliance of several European countries has invited Ukraine to observe its exercises, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told a press conference on Friday. Kristersson said JEF member states' defence ministers will meet to discuss how to protect critical infrastructure, particularly under water. The group said in June it would increase cooperation to detect possible threats to critical undersea and offshore infrastructure. Explosions last year to the Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic sea between Russia and Germany remain unexplained. (Reporting by Simon Johnson and Anna Ringstrom, editing by Terje Solsvik and Deborah Kyvrikosaios)

Persons: Ulf Kristersson, JEF, Kristersson, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Simon Johnson, Anna Ringstrom, Terje Solsvik, Deborah Kyvrikosaios Organizations: Joint Expeditionary Force, Atlantic Locations: STOCKHOLM, British, Ukraine, Swedish, Britain, Baltic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Gotland, Russia, Germany

☆ U.S. supports Finland, Estonia as it probes Baltic Sea pipe burst, says Blinken
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The picture provided by The Finnish Border Guard shows Finnish Border Guard's offshore patrol vessel Turva guarding on October 11, 2023 at sea near the place where damaged Balticconnector gas pipeline is pinpointed at the Gulf of Finland. Lehtikuva/FINNISH BORDER GUARD via REUTERS/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday the United States would support Finland and Estonia as they probe damage to a gas pipeline and a telecommunications cable under the Baltic Sea. Location of damaged gas pipeEarlier on Thursday, Finnish intelligence said it could not rule out the possibility of a "state actor" being involved in damaging the infrastructure. "Involvement of a state actor in this job cannot be ruled out," Finnish Security Intelligence Service Director Antti Pelttari told reporters. A chief investigator also said that it currently looked like the damage was caused by "mechanical force", not an explosion.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Finland's Gasgrid, Antti Pelttari, Elviira, Niklas Pollard, Gwladys, Terje Solsvik, Mark Potter, Deborah Kyvrikosaios Organizations: Finnish Border Guard, GUARD, REUTERS, NATO, NATO Allies, Security Intelligence, Thomson Locations: of Finland, States, Finland, Estonia, Baltic, Brussels, NATO Allies Finland

☆ A pipeline in the Baltic Sea has been shut down. Authorities suspect sabotage
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Gasgrid, Finland’s gas transmission operator, said Sunday that it had temporarily shut the 95-mile-long Balticconnector pipeline, running under the Baltic Sea, over a suspected leak. Moreover, Finland can still source gas via its LNG terminal, and Estonia is still connected to the European gas grid via Lithuania. An ‘alarm bell’Gasgrid and its Estonian counterpart Elering “noticed an unusual drop in pressure in the Balticconnector offshore gas pipeline” on Sunday morning, Gasgrid said Tuesday. “It is reasonable to suspect that the cause of the incident was damage to the offshore gas pipeline,” the company said in a statement. “The European [gas] market remains very tight, and any news is having an impact,” said Sharples at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.

Persons: Gasgrid, Sauli Niinistö, Jens Stoltenberg, ” Stoltenberg, Jack Sharples, Elering “, Kaja Kallas, Simone Tagliapietra, ”, Sharples, — James Frater, Sharon Braithwaite Organizations: London CNN, NATO, Finnish Border Guard, European Union, CNN, Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, Estonian, Estonia’s, Authorities, Germany —, EU, Chevron Locations: Finland, Estonia, Baltic, Brussels, Lithuania, Latvia, Europe, United Kingdom, Germany, Nord, Norway, Algeria, Israel

HELSINKI (AP) — Finnish police said Wednesday they have launched a criminal investigation into possible sabotage of an undersea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia that was shut down over the weekend following a leak. It is bi-directional, transferring natural gas between Finland and Estonia depending on demand and supply. The company said a liquified natural gas terminal in Inkoo has the capacity to deliver the gas Finland needs. Europe saw natural gas prices hit record highs last year after Russia’s cutoff of most gas supplies during the war in Ukraine. Europe currently has filled 97% of its gas storage capacity for the winter, but security of supply depends on deliveries of pipeline gas and LNG.

Persons: NBI, ”, Risto Lohi, Jens Stoltenberg, Sauli Niinistö, Kaja Kallas, ” Stoltenberg, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, “ Organizations: HELSINKI, National Bureau of, NATO, YLE, “, European Union, Estonian Locations: Finland, Estonia, Gulf, Finnish, Inkoo, Estonian, Paldiski, Germany, Russia, Baltic, Brussels, Baltics, Europe, Ukraine

☆ Kremlin says damage to Baltic pipeline is 'disturbing', mentions Nord Stream attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ELERING/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Oct 11 (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Wednesday described news of damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline between Estonia and Finland as disturbing and said that the attack on the Nord Stream pipeline last year was a dangerous precedent. The damage to the gas pipeline was believed to have taken place in Finnish waters, while the telecoms cable breach was in Estonian waters, Finnish authorities said. Peskov added that there had been dangerous precedents in the Baltic - blasts on the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022 that Moscow blames on the United States and Britain. It is still a mystery who was behind the attack on Nord Stream. The Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines have a joint annual capacity of 110 billion cubic metres - more than half of Russia's normal gas export volumes.

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Seymour Hersh, Joe Biden, Hersh's, Gareth Jones, Emelia Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Wednesday, The Washington Post, The New York Times, U.S . Central Intelligence Agency, Ukraine, White, Nord, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Paldiski, Estonia, Handout, Finland, Nord, Baltic, Estonian, Moscow, United States, Britain . Washington, London, Norway, Russia, Germany

The Balticconnector gas pipeline was shut early on Sunday on concerns that gas was leaking from a hole in the 77-km (48-mile) pipeline. Finnish operator Gasgrid said it could take months or more to repair. "It is likely that damage to both the gas pipeline and the communication cable is the result of outside activity. The damage to the gas pipeline was believed to have taken place in Finnish waters, while the telecoms cable breach was in Estonian waters, Finnish authorities said. Prices were already up on Tuesday due to fears over tensions in the Middle East but expectations that outside activity caused the pipeline damage pushed prices in the nervous market higher.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Gasgrid, Sauli Niinisto, Petteri Orpo, Orpo, Elisa, Timo Kilpelainen, Terje Solsvik, Anne Kauranen, Anna Ringstrom, Andrius, Marta Frackowiak, Louise Rasmussen, Susanna Twidale, Julia Payne, Bart Meijer, Gwladys Fouche, Susan Fenton, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Finnish Border Guard, Companies Gas, PM, NATO, Reuters, Finnish, Amber Grid, Thomson Locations: of Finland, Estonian, Finland, Estonia, HELSINKI, Baltic, Finnish, Inkoo, Paldiski, St Petersburg, NORD, Russia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Lithuanian, Ukraine, United States, Latvian, Hamina, Oslo, Helsinki, Stockholm, Andrius Sytas, Vilnius, Gdansk, Copenhagen, London, Brussels

HELSINKI (AP) — Finland and Estonia said Sunday that the undersea Balticconnector gas pipeline running between the two countries across the Baltic Sea was temporarily taken out of service due to a suspected leak. Gasgrid Finland and Elering, the Finnish and Estonian gas system operators, said they noted an unusual drop in pressure in the pipeline shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday, after which they shut down the gas flow. “Based on observations, it was suspected that the offshore pipeline between Finland and Estonia was leaking,” Gasgrid Finland said in a statement. After the shutdown of Balticconnector, gas for Estonian consumers was coming from Latvia, it said. The pipeline is bi-directional, transferring natural gas between Finland and Estonia depending on demand and supply.

Persons: Elering, Kai Mykkänen, “, ” Organizations: HELSINKI, —, Sunday, Nord, Nordic, European Union, NATO, Moscow Locations: — Finland, Estonia, Baltic, Finland, Estonian, Germany, Russia, Inkoo, Latvia, Paldiski, Lithuania, Ukraine

☆ Russia starts gas supplies to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during a meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia October 7, 2023. Sputnik/Pavel Bednyakov/Kremlin via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsOct 7 (Reuters) - Russia on Saturday started supplying natural gas to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan, marking the occasion with ceremonies in Moscow and elsewhere attended by the presidents of the three countries and shown on state TV. Under a two-year deal signed with Russia's Gazprom (GAZP.MM), Uzbekistan will import 9 million cubic metres of Russian natural gas per day. It is the first time Uzbekistan, which is a producer and exporter itself, is importing gas from Russia. "Russia confirms its status as a reliable gas supplier and is open to cooperation in this area," Russian president Vladimir Putin said during the ceremony in Moscow.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kassym, Pavel Bednyakov, Clelia Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Saturday, Russia's Gazprom, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Nord, Europe

Ever pack workout clothes for a vacation — only to unpack them, unworn, upon returning home? Data from exercise apps, which track users' physical locations and search history, show travelers tend to be more active in some locations more than others. Fitness app Strava shows travelers tend to exercise when they visit smaller cities in Europe. Conversely, the company's data shows travelers are less active, compared to locals, in parts of the Caribbean and Central America, namely:Trinidad and TobagoDominican RepublicPhilippinesVenezuelaCosta RicaThose who struggle to exercise on vacation can take heart in knowing that even active travelers tend to ease up from their usual routines on holiday. Nearly four in 10 runners cut their running times by at least 30% during their summer vacations in 2022, according to Strava's data.

Organizations: Portugal Las Palmas, Spain Nord, Trinidad and Tobago Locations: Europe, Split, Croatia Dodecanese, Greece Lagos, Portugal, Spain, Aurdal, Norway, Nord, Norway's, Lillehammer, Caribbean, Central America, Trinidad and, Trinidad and Tobago Dominican Republic Philippines Venezuela Costa

Pipes for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea, which are not used, are seen in the harbour of Mukran, Germany, on September 30, 2022. Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Nord Stream 1 pipeline had accounted for 15% of Europe's gas imports in 2021, according to the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. A second Nord Stream 2 link was planned but never operated. "Our biggest risk was that Russia can manipulate our energy markets," EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson told Reuters. Across the EU, gas storage caverns are now 95% full, Gas Infrastructure Europe data show.

Persons: Pipes, Fabian Bimmer, Kadri Simson, SEB, Ole Hvalbye, Tom Marzec, Wood Mackenzie, Gergely Molnar, Jacob Mandel, Kate Abnett, Julia Payne, Nora Buli, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, Reuters Graphics, EU Energy, Reuters, EU, SEB Commodities, Gas Infrastructure, International Energy Agency, Aurora Energy Research, Thomson Locations: Baltic, Mukran, Germany, Russia, BRUSSELS, OSLO, Europe, Ukraine, RUSSIA, Norway, United States, Russian, Greece, Poland, Finland, Italy, Netherlands, France, Reuters Graphics Germany, Belgium, Britain, Portugal, Spain, Paris, Brussels, Oslo

☆ Q+A What is known about the Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Nerijus Adomaitis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

This is what we know so far:WHAT ARE NORD STREAM PIPELINES? The multibillion-dollar infrastructure project was built by Russia's Gazprom (GAZP.MM) in two stages - Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2. Gazprom owns 51% of Nord Stream 1, while Germany's E.ON (EONGn.DE) and Wintershall Dea (WINT.UL) have 15.5% each, while French Engie (ENGIE.PA) and Dutch Gasunie (GSUNI.UL) hold 9% each in Nord Stream 1. Nord Stream 2, fully owned by Gazprom and operated by Nord Stream 2 AG, was completed in September 2021 at a cost of $11 billion, but was never put into operation because Germany had cancelled Nord Stream 2's certification days before Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. The Nord Stream pipelines have been a flashpoint in an energy dispute between Europe and Moscow since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Persons: Pipes, Fabian Bimmer, Wintershall, OMV, Peter Frank, Die, Seymour Hersh, Mats Ljungqvist, Der Spiegel, Der Siegel, BfV, Nerijus Adomaitis, Christoph Steitz, Nina Chestney, Ros Russell Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Gazprom, Nord, E.ON, Shell, . Security, WHO, Washington Post, Die Welt, . Security Council, Reuters, Street, ZDF, Kyiv, CIA, NDR, WDR, German Federal Intelligence Service, Thomson Locations: Baltic, Mukran, Germany, Rights OSLO, Russia, Swedish, Bornholm, Sweden, Denmark, Nord, Ukraine, Uniper, Washington, NATO, Moscow, Kaliningrad, Russian, Britain ., U.S, Norway, China, Brazil, Rostock, Wiek, Rugen, Danish, Christianso, Kolobrzeg, Poland, Europe, United States, Oslo, Frankfurt

It follows Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the loss of Moscow's cheap natural gas — an unprecedented shock to Germany’s energy-intensive industries, long the manufacturing powerhouse of Europe. The loss of cheap Russian natural gas needed to power factories “painfully damaged the business model of the German economy,” Kullmann told The Associated Press. One hotly debated solution: a government-funded cap on industrial electricity prices to get the economy through the renewable energy transition. However, squabbling among the coalition government over the energy price cap and a law barring new gas furnaces has exasperated business leaders. “The perception of Germany's underlying strength may also have contributed to the misguided decisions to exit nuclear energy, ban fracking for natural gas and bet on ample natural gas supplies from Russia,” he said.

Persons: “, Christian Kullmann, Kullmann, ” Kullmann, Evonik, Robert Habeck, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Angela Merkel, —, Biden, Scholz, Evonik's Kullmann, Gerhard Schroeder, Holger Schmieding, ”, ” Schmieding, Schmieding Organizations: Jobs, International Monetary Fund, European Union, Evonik Industries, Associated Press, Greens Party, Social Democrat, Free Democrats, Companies, Schott AG, ” Locations: ESSEN, Germany, Ukraine, Europe, Europe's, Essen, Russia, Moscow, China, Bavarian, U.S, Lafayette , Indiana, Brussels, Berlin, Chile, Qatar, ” Germany, Berenberg

BERLIN, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Germany's interior ministry is planning to force telecoms operators to slash the use of equipment from Huawei (HWT.UL) and ZTE in their 5G networks after a review highlighted an over-reliance on these Chinese suppliers, a government official said. Huawei currently accounts for 59% of Germany's 5G RAN networks, according to a survey by telecommunications consultancy Strand Consult. The interior ministry wants to present its approach to cabinet from next week but could face resistance from the ministry for digital affairs due to concerns it might affect Germany's already slow progress with digitalization. Germany is considered a laggard in implementing the European Union's toolbox of security measures for 5G networks. The interior ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Persons: Nancy, Faeser, Reinhard Brandl, Andreas Rinke, Sarah Marsh, Sabine Wollrab, Mark Potter Organizations: Huawei, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, Germany's, Strand, ZTE, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, China

☆ Europe has dodged Putin’s gas bullet. But it’s still thirsty for cheap energy
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

For Europe, energy security has always been a trade-off: Cheap, imported energy comes with the risk of dependency on the countries from which it originates. Europe had an especially mild winter while governments and citizens made a concerted effort to use less gas. Despite these efforts, officials and analysts are fearful that however impressive these advancements have been, Europe’s energy is far from secure in the long term. And when it comes to energy security, dependency ultimately brings us back to that classic trade-off: economics versus risk. China is not the only threat when it comes to energy security in Europe.

Persons: guzzled, Vladimir Putin, –, Sean Gallup, Koen van Weel, ”, Milan Elkerbout, Kevin Frayer, Ursula von der Leyen, Von der, Adam Bell, it’s, Ursula von der, Yves Herman, Velina Tchakarova, ” Tchakarova Organizations: CNN, Ukraine, European Union, EU, Getty, Center for European Policy Studies, China . Workers, China Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Russia, Moscow, European, Lubmin, Germany, Port, Rotterdam, Netherlands, Qatar, Nigeria, China, Huainan, Anhui province, Brussels, Beijing, Belgium, Taiwan, cyberattacks . China, Saudi Arabia, Khazakstan, Libya

☆ Meta’s ‘Biggest Single Takedown’ Removes Chinese Influence Campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Sheera Frenkel | More About Sheera Frenkel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Feb. 27, an article claiming that the United States was behind the bombing of the Nord Stream underwater pipelines in the Baltic Sea was published on the Substack and Blogspot blogging platforms. The posts were part of a Chinese influence campaign that stands out as the largest such operation to date, researchers at Meta said in a report on Tuesday. The effort, which the company said had started with Chinese law enforcement and was discovered in 2019, was aimed at advancing China’s interests and discrediting its adversaries, such as the United States, Meta said. In total, 7,704 Facebook accounts, 954 Facebook pages, 15 Facebook groups and 15 Instagram accounts tied to the Chinese campaign were removed by Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Hundreds of other accounts on TikTok, X, LiveJournal and Blogspot also participated in the campaign, which researchers named Spamouflage, for the frequent posting of spamlike messages, according to Meta’s report.

Persons: —, Meta, Blogspot Organizations: Facebook, Meta Locations: United States, Baltic, Turkish, WhatsApp

☆ French minister Darmanin warns of risk of Marine Le Pen victory in next election
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Aug 25 (Reuters) - French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin - whom President Nicolas Sarkozy said would be a good future head of state - warned on Friday of the risk that far-right politician Marine Le Pen could win the next presidential election in 2027. Le Pen lost to President Emmanuel Macron in the second round of the 2022 election, echoing an identical outcome in the 2017 vote. "The fact of the matter is that in five years' time, a victory for Madame Le Pen is quite probable," Darmanin told La Voix du Nord, in an interview published in Friday's paper. "If we let a large part of the working class and middle class go over to Marine Le Pen, the professional classes will not support us in the second round. That is what could get Marine Le Pen elected in 2027, not questions on migration," he added.

Persons: Gerald Darmanin, Gonzalo Fuentes, Nicolas Sarkozy, Darmanin, Le Pen, Emmanuel Macron, Madame Le Pen, Bruno Le Maire, Sudip Kar, Gupta, Bertrand Boucey, Ingrid Melander Organizations: Overseas, REUTERS, Rights, RTL, du, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, French

☆ Fact Check-Video shows military vehicles in Algeria, not Niger
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A video of a military parade in Algeria is being falsely claimed online to show the Algerian army arriving in Niger. Reuters verified the exact location of the video using satellite imagery to be in Algeria, not Niger. The column of military vehicles in the clip is travelling on the eastbound carriageway of Rocade Nord d’Alger, opposite a service point for logistics giant DHL. The military vehicles in the video also have posters with "60" stuck on them. The video shows military vehicles in Algeria, not Niger.

Persons: ”, Algeria’s, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Read Organizations: Economic, West, Reuters, Rocade Nord d’Alger, DHL, Google, Vehicles, Algerian Locations: Algeria, Algerian, Niger, States, Rocade Nord

☆ Poland finds leak on one part of Druzhba oil pipeline from Russia to Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A view shows a leak detected in Druzhba oil pipeline as reported by Polish pipeline operator PERN, in Chodecz, Poland August 5, 2023, in this picture obtained from social media. The leak was detected near Chodecz, central Poland, on one of the two lines of the western section of the Druzhba through which crude oil reaches Germany, PERN said. Germany stopped buying Russian oil in January, but German media have reported that Kazakh oil was being imported through the line. The Druzhba oil pipeline is one of the world's largest and can carry 2 million barrels per day. Flows through the Druzhba pipeline have dropped sharply since Russia's invasion of Ukraine and pipeline infrastructure has been hit several times since in attacks that Moscow has blamed on Ukraine.

Persons: Anna Trzeciakowska, Grzegorz Jankowski, Vera Eckhert, Pavel Polityuk, Frances Kerry, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: REUTERS Companies, Firefighters, State Fire Services, TVN24, German Economy Ministry, Thomson Locations: Chodecz, Poland, WARSAW, Russia, Europe, Moscow, Ukraine, Germany, Wloclawek, Eastern, Central Europe, Belarus, Nord, Baltic

☆ Vladimir Putin's latest economic assault on the West is fueling fears of a global food crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

On Monday, Russia pulled out of an agreement that allowed Ukraine to export grain. It then started bombing Ukrainian ports and threatened to attack ships. Putin's latest economic assault on the West has sent wheat prices soaring and sparked fears of a global food crisis. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. When international grain prices rise, it becomes more expensive for poorer countries to import those commodities – so Russia's withdrawal from the UN's initiative has fueled policymakers' fears that there could be a worldwide food crisis.

Persons: Vladimir Putin's, António Guterres, Josep Borrell, Hargreaves, Sophie Lund, Yates, Jamie Dimon, Putin Organizations: Service, Initiative, United Nations, UN, JPMorgan, NATO Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Moscow, Europe, European

Russia's gas, in contrast to its oil, is not subject to Western sanctions, although Brussels is considering extending its embargo on Russian fuel. Gazprom's gas exports, mainly to Europe, almost halved last year because of the political crisis over Ukraine and after undersea Nord Stream pipelines were damaged by unexplained blasts last September. Timchenko had long challenged Gazprom's monopoly on Russian gas exports, saying in 2012 that Europeans wanted to have an alternative to Gazprom. "I believe that Gazprom Export's marketing campaign led to its European share decrease ... Liquefied natural gas has already come to the market. In essence, a new, cheaper gas market is emerging; one has to see such things," Timchenko told the Forbes magazine in 2012.

Persons: Maxim Shemetov, Russia's, Ronald Smith of, Novatek, Vladimir Putin, Alexei Miller, Putin, Miller, Gennady Timchenko, Timchenko, Oksana Kobzeva, Vladimir Soldatkin, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Gazprom, REUTERS, Stream, EU, Kremlin, European Union, Novatek, BCS, Forbes, Thomson Locations: Russia, Europe, MOSCOW, Ukraine, Brussels, Siberia, LNG, Ronald Smith of Moscow, Germany, Italy, Soviet, St Petersburg, Moscow, Russian

Companies BTA 2012 Private Placement Program FollowBAMBOLIM, India, July 21 (Reuters) - Major fossil fuel producers, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, on Friday opposed a proposal to triple G20 countries' renewable energy capacity by 2030, three sources said. India, as current holder of the G20 presidency, took a neutral stand on the issue, said the sources - two of whom attended the G20 meeting. One of those sources said Russia and Saudi Arabia declined to accept targets on increasing non-fossil capacity or deadlines to add renewable energy on the grounds natural gas is a critical part of their energy mix. Some members sought for the phrase "low-carbon hydrogen" to be adopted, rather than "green hydrogen," the sources said. While green hydrogen is produced using renewable energy, "low-carbon hydrogen" could include hydrogen produced using gas, which is less carbon intensive than coal.

Persons: Sarita Chaganti Singh, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Reuters, International Energy Agency, Energy, European Union, West, Thomson Locations: India, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, South Africa, Indonesia, Goa, New Delhi, Ukraine, Germany, United States, Bambolim

☆ The world is back to July 2022 — Russia's junked a vital food grain deal and Europe may be teetering on the brink of another energy crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia said it would not extend the Black Sea grain deal that allows food exports out of Ukraine. IEA warned on Monday Europe could face an energy crisis this winter if Russian gas supplies are cut. As a result, the Black Sea grain deal was scuppered. Prices fell back to pre-war levels when the Black Sea grain deal was struck. "Fierce competition for gas supplies could also emerge if Northeast Asia experiences colder-than-usual weather and economic growth is stronger than expected in China."

Persons: It's, Dmitry Peskov Organizations: Service, Kremlin, TASS, UN, International Energy Agency, European Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Europe, Russian, Moscow, Asia, China, EU

☆ Germany plans tougher rules to shield critical infrastructure
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, July 17 (Reuters) - Germany's Interior Ministry wants to introduce measures aimed at protecting the country's critical infrastructure, according to a draft plan seen by Reuters on Monday, amid concern over foreign influence in certain areas of the economy. Minimum standards are to be set for operators, who will have to draw up resilience plans taking into account every conceivable risk. Russia's invasion of Ukraine, after which the Nord Stream oil pipelines were damaged in unexplained attacks, has put Germany and other European countries on high alert regarding critical infrastructure. The Interior Ministry aims to present a finalised bill to the cabinet by the end of the year, after which it would be put to parliament, where no major hurdles are expected. The ministry wants to nail down the definition of critical infrastructure, which spans areas such as energy, transport and telecommunications.

Persons: Christian Kraemer, Rachel More, Friederike Heine, Mike Harrison Organizations: Ministry, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Ukraine, Germany, Hamburg

☆ Secretive and highly paid submariners are behind some of Russia's most worrying undersea operations
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Known as GUGI, the directorate is responsible for conducting sabotage and surveillance against critical maritime infrastructure, including undersea cables and energy pipelines. NATO's intelligence chief warned this year that Russia could attempt to sabotage undersea cables in retaliation for Western support of Ukraine. Yantar, the special-purpose survey ship, was spotted lingering near undersea cables west of Ireland in 2021. "We know that Russia has the capacity to map but also potentially to conduct actions against critical infrastructure," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters on June 16. "That's also the reason why we have, for many years, addressed the vulnerability of critical undersea infrastructure."

Persons: Sidharth Kaushal, Kaushal, GUGI, OLGA MALTSEVA, Sutton, Andrey Luzik, Jens Stoltenberg, That's, Stoltenberg, Constantine Atlamazoglou Organizations: NATO, Service, Directorate, Russian Ministry of Defense, Submarine, Royal United Services Institute, Getty, Barents Observer, Russia Ministry of Defense, US Navy, Norwegian Coast Guard, OLE BERG, NATO Maritime Centre, Fletcher School of Law, LinkedIn, Twitter Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russia, GUGI, British, St . Petersburg, AFP, Belgorod, Moscow, Olenya, Baltic, Severomorsk, Europe, Ukraine, Ireland, GUGI's St, Petersburg

☆ Seine-Nord Europe Canal: The $5.5B canal that will connect Paris to European waterways – and dig up the Western Front
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Tom Page | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

After multiple false starts and much political back and forth, work is underway on the Seine-Nord Europe Canal (SNEC), a €5.1 billion ($5.5 billion) project designed to break up one of the continent’s major transport bottlenecks. Environmental impactThe Oise River is currently being redirected for 4 kilometers as part of ongoing canal construction. A new extension will be constructed to accommodate further war dead, including those discovered during the construction of the canal. Inland ports are planned along the SNEC route, aiding exports, as well as providing recreational opportunities, say its designers. Despite the canal’s stop-start history, the Société du Canal Seine-Nord Europe is confident its construction timeline can be met and the canal will become operational in 2030.

Persons: ’, ”, Jérôme Dezobry, Philippe Bourdon, Dezobry, Montmacq, ” Dezobry, Bourdon, “, ” Claire Horton, Xavier Bertrand Organizations: CNN, European Union, EU, Commonwealth, Commission, CWGC, Loos British, Hauts Locations: France, Nord Europe, Dunkirk, Escaut, Paris, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Compiègne, Aubencheul, Nord, Seine, Oise, Allaines, Thourotte, ”, Somme, Péronne, Cambrai, Beaurains, Loos, Pas, Calais, Loos British, Antwerp, de

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