Author: News Desk

Poland is ready to help Germany wean itself off Russian oil, its climate minister said on Monday, adding that she hoped a European Union embargo could come into force before the end of the year. Poland advocates tough measures against Russia, but with many EU countries heavily reliant on Moscow for their energy needs the bloc has appeared split on how sanctions should be enforced. “As Poland, we are ready to support Germany’s ambitions of de-russification with our refinery in Gdansk,” minister Anna Moskwa said. “I hope that will be the last voice that will … block these sanctions on…

The European Commission may spare Hungary and Slovakia from an embargo on buying Russian oil, now under preparation, wary of how dependent the two countries are on Russian crude, two EU officials said on Monday. The Commission is expected to finalise on Tuesday work on the next, and sixth package of EU sanctions against Russia over its actions in Ukraine, which would include a ban on buying Russian oil, exports of which are a major source of Moscow’s revenue. Hungary, heavily dependent on Russian oil, has repeatedly said it would not sign up to sanctions involving energy. Slovakia is also…

Daily nominations, or requests, for Russian gas deliveries through Ukraine into Europe via the Slovakian border point of Velke Kapusany rose to their highest since the end of November on Monday, data from Slovakian operator TSO Eustream showed. Nominations via Velke Kapusany were at around 993,407 megawatt hours (MWh) per day on Monday, the highest since Nov. 30, the data showed. Flows of Russian gas to Germany through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline across the Baltic Sea were at 73,778,201 kilowatt hours per hour (kWh/h) by 0600 GMT, up from 72,286,105 kWh/h seen on Friday morning. Eastbound flows into Poland…

Ukraine has formally closed its four Black and Azov sea ports, which Russian forces have captured, the Ukrainian agriculture ministry said on Monday. The Azov Sea ports of Mariupol, Berdiansk and Skadovsk and the Black Sea port of Kherson were closed “until the restoration of control”, the ministry said in a statement. “The adoption of this measure is caused by the impossibility of servicing ships and passengers, carrying out cargo, transport and other related economic activities, ensuring the appropriate level of safety of navigation,” it said. All Ukrainian seaports have suspended their activity as a result of the Russian invasion…

Ukraine could lose tens of millions of tonnes of grain due to Russia’s blockade of its Black Sea ports, triggering a food crisis that will affect Europe, Asia and Africa, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday. “Russia does not let ships come in or go out, it is controlling the Black Sea,” Zelenskiy told the Australian news programme 60 Minutes. “Russia wants to completely block our country’s economy.” Ukraine is a major exporter of grain and other food products and also of metals.

Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador Jamal Faris Al-Rowaiei, met the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Road Safety, Jean Todt. During the meeting, they discussed global road safety efforts and the ongoing preparations for holding the high-level meeting on improving road safety in the world on June 30 and July 1, 2022. The ambassador reviewed the pioneering experience of the Kingdom of Bahrain in the field of road safety by strengthening legislation, improving data collection, and developing national and local strategies and programmes for road safety,…

The Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) has extended congratulations to workers at various production sites in the kingdom, marking the International Workers’ Day, which is observed all over the world on May 1. BCCI also affirmed His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s unlimited support and care for Bahraini workers. In a statement marking the occasion, BCCI said that Bahrain is celebrating this year’s Labour Day following its multiple health, labour and development achievements and gains in the past period, thanks to the efforts of the government, led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al…

Housing Minister Basem bin Yacoub Al Hamer held a meeting with Oman’s Housing and Urban Planning Minister Khalfan bin Saeed bin Mubarak Al Shuaili and lauded strong historic and fraternal relations binding the two countries across all fields. Dr. Al Shuaili also commended solid bilateral relations and joint efforts aimed to expand cooperation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Sultanate of Oman. During the meeting, Al Hamer stressed the importance of cooperation and exchanging expertise with other countries, highlighting Bahrain’s successful housing projects and programmes. He underlined the Kingdom’s strides, since the establishment of the ministry, in promoting social…

Around 100 Ukrainian civilians were being evacuated from a ruined steelworks in the city of Mariupol on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, after the United Nations had confirmed a “safe passage operation” was in progress there. Mariupol, a strategic port city on the Azov Sea, has endured the most destructive siege of the war, with Pope Francis, in an implicit criticism of Russia, telling thousands of people in St Peter’s Square on Sunday it had been “barbarously bombarded”. “Grateful to our team! Now they, together with (United Nations), are working on the evacuation of other civilians from the plant,”…

The company behind the “Bored Ape” series of NFTs has raised around $285 million worth of cryptocurrency by selling tokens which represent land in a virtual world game it says it is building. Last year, U.S. start-up Yuga Labs created the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs, blockchain-based tokens representing a set of 10,000 computer-generated cartoon apes. As non-fungible tokens (NFTs) – crypto assets that represent digital files such as images, video, or items in an online game – exploded in popularity, Bored Ape prices surged to fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars each. They became one of the most prominent…