EU Announces Accelerated Plan To Reduce Dependency on Russian Energy
Video Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories - Duration: 01:30s - Published
EU Announces Accelerated Plan To Reduce Dependency on Russian Energy
EU Announces , Accelerated Plan to Reduce , Dependency on Russian Energy.
Al Jazeera reports that the European Commission
has revealed a $220 billion plan to end the bloc's
dependence on Russian fossil fuels in the next five years.
.
Al Jazeera reports that the European Commission
has revealed a $220 billion plan to end the bloc's
dependence on Russian fossil fuels in the next five years.
.
The package, REPowerEU, also
reportedly accelerates the EU's
plan to transition to green energy.
We are taking our ambition to yet another level to make sure that we become independent from Russian fossil fuels as quickly as possible, Ursula von der Leyen, EU Commission President,
via Al Jazeera.
Al Jazeera reports that Russia
supplies 40% of the EU's gas
and 27% of its imported oil.
.
In August, an EU plan
to ban Russian coal
will take effect.
.
The bloc has also pledged to reduce the demand for gas from Moscow by two-thirds by the end of 2022.
The bloc has also pledged to reduce the demand for gas from Moscow by two-thirds by the end of 2022.
Hungary and other landlocked countries have opposed
the EU's proposed oil embargo, citing concerns about
the cost of switching to alternative sources.
Hungary and other landlocked countries have opposed
the EU's proposed oil embargo, citing concerns about
the cost of switching to alternative sources.
RePowerEU will help us to save more energy, to accelerate the phasing out of fossil fuels and, most importantly, to kick-start investments on a new scale, Ursula von der Leyen, EU Commission President,
via Al Jazeera.
New investments reportedly include $90 billion
for renewable energy, $28 billion for hydrogen infrastructure, $30 billion for power grids
and $59 billion for energy savings.
.
New investments reportedly include $90 billion
for renewable energy, $28 billion for hydrogen infrastructure, $30 billion for power grids
and $59 billion for energy savings.
Almost half of European Union land is currently under a drought warning or more severe "alert" level, hampering agriculture, energy production and water supply,.. Sky News
Music industry officials are calling on the government to do more to remove barriers preventing UK artists from touring in the EU since Brexit. Sky News
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell accused Russia of an "irresponsible breach of nuclear safety rules" at the power plant, which Kyiv accuses Moscow of shelling.
Credit: euronews (in English) Duration: 01:30Published
Bank of England Makes , Biggest Interest Rate Hike in 27 Years.
On August 4, the Bank of England raised
interest rates by half a percentage point.
'The New York Times' reports that it
was the largest increase since 1995.
The move comes as policymakers attempt
to combat inflation while also warning Britain
that a long recession is forecast for later this year.
The bank predicted that the annual rate
of inflation would rise above 13% when
household energy costs climb higher in October.
If that increase comes to pass,
it would be the highest level
of inflation in over forty years.
The bank attributes much of the surge
in prices to the global energy market.
The price of wholesale
natural gas has nearly doubled
in the past three months. .
Meanwhile, incomes adjusted
for inflation and taxes are predicted
to drop sharply in 2022 and 2023.
It would mark the worst decline
since the 1960s.
In June, consumer prices rose 9.4%,
faster than inflation in the United States
and the European Union.
According to the bank, these factors are forecast
to combine and bring about a recession in the last
quarter of 2022 that will last through the end of 2023
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the sanctions send "a strong signal to Moscow: we will keep the pressure high for as long as it takes."
Credit: euronews (in English) Duration: 01:24Published
Ukraine Receives EU Candidate Status , As Putin’s War Rages On.
Ukraine Receives EU Candidate Status , As Putin’s War Rages On.
'The Guardian' reports that as EU leaders met in Brussels on June 23, they granted
Ukraine candidate status.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky set out to join the bloc nearly four months ago.
Typically, it takes years for a country to go from applicant to candidate, but the EU sped up
the process because of Russia's attack.
European Commission President
Ursula von der Leyen took to Twitter to
address Ukraine's candidate status.
'The Guardian' reports that upon hearing news of the country's expected EU candidate status, Zelensky said, "This is like going into
the light from the darkness.".
Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's foreign minister, said the development , "would draw a line under decades of ambiguity and set it in stone: Ukraine is Europe, not part of the 'Russian world.'".
Vsevolod Chentsov, Ukraine's ambassador to the EU, commended the governing body for moving at "lightning speed.".
We need this clarity [on EU membership] to support the Ukrainian army, Ukrainian society, morally, psychologically, and to get the clear feeling and understanding of the direction of movement for Ukraine, Vsevolod Chentsov, Ukraine's ambassador to the EU, via 'The Guardian'
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Protestors Say Sri Lanka's , Extended State of Emergency , Meant to Stifle Dissent.
Al Jazeera reports that Sri Lanka's parliament
has extended a state of emergency as the
government cracks down on demonstrators.
Al Jazeera reports that Sri Lanka's parliament
has extended a state of emergency as the
government cracks down on demonstrators.
On July 27, the parliament passed the emergency ordinance which allows troops to arrest
and detain suspects for long periods.
On July 27, the parliament passed the emergency ordinance which allows troops to arrest
and detain suspects for long periods.
Last week, acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe
declared a state of emergency after the ousting
of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Last week, acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe
declared a state of emergency after the ousting
of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Rajapaksa was forced to flee Sri Lanka
after thousands of protestors
stormed the presidential palace.
Rajapaksa later resigned from
his office while in Singapore. .
Those in opposition to Sri Lanka's ruling party have called the extension of the nation's state of emergency an attempt by the government to stifle dissent.
Al Jazera reports that Sri Lanka's population of 22 million has been enduring months of power grid failures,
record inflation and shortages of food and fuel.
The Sri Lankan government is bankrupt
and has suspended payments
on $51 billion in foreign loans. .
According to Al Jazeera,
the government is preparing a plan
to restructure the nation's debt.
The plan is reportedly one condition Sri Lanka
must meet in order to secure a bailout
from the International Monetary Fund.
The plan is reportedly one condition Sri Lanka
must meet in order to secure a bailout
from the International Monetary Fund
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Italy's Historic Drought , Impacts Farmers , and Food Production .
Last week, Italy declared a state
of emergency in five of its northern regions
amid the worst drought in 70 years. .
Al Jazeera reports that Italian farmers' confederation
Coldiretti estimates the drought has caused
$3 billion dollars worth of damage to agriculture.
According to Italy’s agriculture
ministry, a third of the national
agricultural output was at risk.
While speaking to the country's parliament,
the agriculture minister also warned that the
situation is expected to get worse in the years to come.
Italy's northern lakes and rivers have reached
historical lows after meager Alpine snowfall
and nearly no precipitation in spring. .
Al Jazeera reports that Italy's northern regions produce 40% of the country's agricultural output.
The ongoing drought
threatens to cut
that output in half.
The government has allocated
$36.5 million in emergency aid to be
distributed among five regional institutions.
However, Al Jazeera reports
that it may take years before
those funds are distributed.
Meanwhile, the European Milk Board (EMB) has warned
that dairy farms across the continent are facing an "extreme rise" in costs for energy, fertilizers and feed. .
Al Jazeera reports that Italy's water crisis is not
an isolated one, with similar situations reported across
the continent due to an extreme lack of precipitation. .
Al Jazeera reports that Italy's water crisis is not
an isolated one, with similar situations reported across
the continent due to an extreme lack of precipitation.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
UN Agencies Warn of , 'Looming Catastrophe' , As World Hunger Continues to Rise.
Al Jazeera reports that world hunger levels have continued to soar, threatening starvation and mass migration on an "unprecedented scale" in 2022.
On July 6, the Food and Agriculture Organization,
World Food Program and World Health Organization
released the 2022 U.N. food security and nutrition report.
According to the report, up to 828 million
people, nearly 10% of the world's population,
were impacted by hunger in 2021. .
That's 46 million more than in 2020
and 150 million more than in 2019.
WFP Executive Director David Beasley warned
that the rising price of food, fuel and fertilizers
threatens to push countries into famine.
There is a real danger these numbers will climb even higher in the months ahead, David Beasley, WFP Executive Director, via Al Jazeera.
The result will be global destabilization,
starvation, and mass migration on an
unprecedented scale. We have to act
today to avert this looming catastrophe, David Beasley, WFP Executive Director, via Al Jazeera.
The result will be global destabilization,
starvation, and mass migration on an
unprecedented scale. We have to act
today to avert this looming catastrophe, David Beasley, WFP Executive Director, via Al Jazeera.
Russia's war in Ukraine has disrupted exports,
pushed food and energy prices to record levels and
exacerbated COVID-related supply chain issues.
Russia's war in Ukraine has disrupted exports,
pushed food and energy prices to record levels and
exacerbated COVID-related supply chain issues.
Every year, 11 million people die due
to unhealthy diets. Rising food prices
mean this will only get worse, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,
WHO Director-General, via Al Jazeera.
WHO supports countries’ efforts to
improve food systems through taxing
unhealthy foods, subsidising healthy options,
protecting children from harmful marketing,
and ensuring clear nutrition labels, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,
WHO Director-General, via Al Jazeera.
WHO supports countries’ efforts to
improve food systems through taxing
unhealthy foods, subsidising healthy options,
protecting children from harmful marketing,
and ensuring clear nutrition labels, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,
WHO Director-General, via Al Jazeera
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Iran-US , Nuclear Talks Resume , in Qatar .
On June 28, Iran and
the United States began
indirect nuclear talks in Qatar. .
Al Jazeera reports that the European Union will serve as a mediator between the two nations.
The talks have renewed hope for reaching
a diplomatic solution after previous
talks stalled in March.
The goal of the talks is to restore the 2015 nuclear deal between world powers that include China, France, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom. .
The accord was unilaterally abandoned by the United States under President Donald Trump. .
Following U.S. withdrawal, comprehensive sanctions were placed on Iran by the U.S.
The original Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was signed after years of difficult negotiation.
The accord placed curbs on Iran's
nuclear program in exchange for lifting
sanctions in place at the time.
Al Jazeera reports that one of the major
roadblocks standing in the way of renewing
the deal has been U.S. reluctance to lift sanctions.
Another impediment has been the status of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps which the U.S. government
has designated a foreign terrorist organization.
Meanwhile, Iran said it wants to
make sure that it will enjoy the
same economic benefits once
assured by the original deal.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
India and Pakistan Offer , Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan , After Deadly Earthquake.
Both India and Pakistan have already
dispatched humanitarian aid to Afghanistan after
a powerful earthquake killed over 1,000 people.
Al Jazeera reports that India has deployed a technical team to the Afghan capital of Kabul.
According to India's foreign ministry, the team has
been sent to the embassy which has been
vacant since August when the Taliban took control. .
The ministry said in a statement that the team would, “closely monitor and coordinate the efforts
of various stakeholders for the effective
delivery of humanitarian assistance.".
Meanwhile, Pakistan has deployed trucks
carrying food and other necessities. .
Pakistan has assured all possible
support to ameliorate the sufferings
of the Afghan families affected
by the 6.1 magnitude earthquake, Statement from the office of Pakistan's
Prime Minister, via Al Jazeera.
The consignment arranged by
the National Disaster Management Authority
consists of family tents, tarpaulins, blankets
and emergency medicines, Statement from the office of Pakistan's
Prime Minister, via Al Jazeera.
On June 23, India's foreign ministry said that 27 tons
of supplies would be delivered to international aid
agencies and the Afghan Red Crescent Society.
As always, India stands in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan, with whom we share centuries-old ties, and remains firmly committed to providing immediate relief assistance for the Afghan people, Statement from India's Foreign Ministry, via Al Jazeera.
According to Al Jazeera, the Taliban-led government and the international aid community are struggling to deliver assistance to some of the hardest-hit areas.
According to Al Jazeera, the Taliban-led government and the international aid community are struggling to deliver assistance to some of the hardest-hit areas
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
A judge said 31-year-old Brittney Griner illegally brought vape cartridges with cannabis oil into the country when she flew to Moscow earlier this year.
Credit: euronews (in English) Duration: 01:43Published
Brittney Griner Found Guilty, , Sentenced to 9 Years by Russian Court.
Brittney Griner Found Guilty, , Sentenced to 9 Years by Russian Court.
The WNBA star was sentenced by the Russian court on Aug. 4.
In addition to the nine-year sentence,
Griner was fined $16,300.
Before her sentencing, Griner made an impassioned plea for leniency.
I never meant to hurt anybody,
I never meant to put in jeopardy the Russian population, I never meant to break any laws here, Brittney Griner, WNBA Star, via CNN.
I made an honest mistake and I hope that in your ruling that it doesn't end my life here, Brittney Griner, WNBA Star, via CNN.
She also acknowledged the political nature of her trial and her position as a "political pawn.".
I know everybody keeps talking about political pawn and politics, but I hope that that is far from this courtroom, Brittney Griner, WNBA Star, via CNN.
Griner's arrest and trial have been
widely cast as a geopolitical standoff between Russia and the U.S.
Griner's arrest and trial have been
widely cast as a geopolitical standoff between Russia and the U.S.
Recently announced diplomatic measures have angered Russian officials because they were publicized.
Megaphone diplomacy and the public exchange of opinions will not lead to result, Dmitri Peskov, Kremlin Spokesman,
via 'The New York Times'.
Griner has been detained in Russia for close to six months following her arrest at an airport in Moscow.
An official from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow called the sentence "a miscarriage of justice.".
The official attempted to assure Griner's supporters that top members of the Biden administration are committed to her release.
The entire American government remain committed to bringing
Ms. Griner home safely to her family and friends, Elizabeth Rood, Deputy Chief of Mission U.S. Embassy Moscow, via 'The New York Times'
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
A freight train carrying goods from Hefei in China's Anhui province to Budapest in Hungary was launched on Friday, marking the first-ever freight trip between the two cities.
Credit: euronews (in English) Duration: 00:49Published
Anti-government demonstrators in Hungary blocked one of the capital's main thoroughfares during morning rush-hour traffic Monday, the latest in a series of protests against recent changes to the country's tax code that have carried on for nearly a week.
Credit: euronews (in English) Duration: 01:00Published
Oil Prices Spike, as U.S. Seeks, Massive Crude Purchases.
Al Jazeera reports that
the price of oil has jumped to
the highest it's been since late March. .
Prices were reportedly supported by OPEC..
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
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