World
Energy crisis: Brussels calls on member states to cut gas use by 15%
The European Fee urged member states on Wednesday to cut back their fuel use by 15% from August 1 of this yr till 31 March 2023 to make sure they’ll cope within the occasion of a complete fuel cut-off from Russia.
The voluntary measure is a part of the highly-anticipated Save Gasoline for a Protected Winter plan offered in Brussels over worries that the EU will wrestle to not solely fill in fuel storage capacities earlier than the onset of winter but in addition fail to safe sufficient extra provides to fill within the gaps throughout the colder months.
The purpose, the Fee stated, is to safeguard provide to households and important customers like hospitals and key industries with all financial actors, together with residents, additionally urged to consider their very own behaviour.
Fee chief Ursula von der Leyen underlined that though some member states are extra immediately uncovered to Russian fuel and are due to this fact extra weak to disruptions, all member states “will undergo” if the bloc fails to behave collectively as it will have an effect on the only market and the financial system and tehfore employment.
“It is vital that each one member states contribute within the saving, the storing and are able to share fuel,” she stated.
‘Make it safely via the winter’
As a part of the proposal, member states must submit nationwide vitality plans to the Fee by the tip of September and supply an replace each two months. Nations requesting solidarity fuel provides will probably be required to display the measures they’ve taken to cut back demand domestically.
The proposed laws would additionally grant the Fee the ability to declare a ‘Union alert’ on safety of provide and to impose a compulsory fuel demand discount on all member states in the event that they fail to chop again sufficient voluntarily.
This alert could be triggered when “there’s a substantial danger of extreme fuel scarcity or an exceptionally excessive fuel demand”, the Fee stated in an announcement.
Von der Leyen defined {that a} 15% discount in fuel consumption equates to about 45 billion cubic metres (bcm) of fuel — Russia delivered about 150 bcm of fuel to the EU in 2021 — and that it will allow the bloc to “make it safely via the winter” in case of a whole cut-off from Russia. It will additionally keep away from the necessity to impose compelled curtailment measures that might see some industries compelled to decelerate manufacturing to avoid wasting vitality.
The Fee’s proposal will probably be mentioned by EU ministers throughout a unprecedented vitality summit on 26 July.
Gasoline storage crammed to 65%
The EU and its Western companions have accused Russia of weaponising fuel provides to Europe in retaliation towards sanctions imposed over its ongoing army assault on Ukraine. The bloc has put an embargo on Russian oil which can come into pressure on the finish of the yr and which ought to end in a 90% lower in imports. It has, nevertheless, steered away from imposing sanctions on Russian fuel.
But, 12 member states have already had their Russian fuel provides both partially or utterly lower off.
In response, the Fee says it stands able to coordinate joint purchases of fuel for member states and has additionally struck provide offers with quite a few different suppliers together with the US, Norway, Azerbaijan, Qatar and Israel.
The bloc has additionally already dedicated to filling in fuel storage capacities to no less than 80% earlier than 1 November however issues are rising that will probably be a tough activity as Russia supplies 40% of the bloc’s imported fuel and that infrastructure to obtain liquified pure fuel from various sources is essentially missing.
Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned fuel firm, warned this week that its deliveries through Nord Stream 1, the pipeline via which a couple of third of Russian fuel transits to Europe, could be lower some extra after operations restart on Thursday following a deliberate 10-day upkeep break.
European Commissioner for Vitality Kadri Simson informed reporters that fuel storage capacities within the EU at the moment are crammed to about 65% however that additional discount of Russian fuel deliveries will make reaching the 80% goal “very difficult.”
Failing to adequately fill in storage capacities means “we danger ending this winter with empty storage which will probably be inconceivable to refill in time for the subsequent heating season,” she confused.
Different measures member states can take embody switching from fuel to different vitality sources, with a precedence for renewables and cleaner fuels.
The Fee chief flagged as an illustration that renewable vitality capability reached about 20 Gigawatts because the starting of the yr, which is “round about 4 bcm (of Russian fuel) changed by renewables by now.”
However substituting fuel might additionally imply extending nuclear and coal energy crops, as a number of member states have already introduced, the Fee stated.
‘Hand over a number of comforts’
Lastly, von der Leyen and the three commissioners who unveiled the plan additionally took nice pains to stress that everybody has a task to play to avoid wasting fuel over this summer season and throughout the winter.
Simson flagged as an illustration that there “is appreciable potential for the general public sector to cut back demand”.
Moreover, Frans Timmermans, the Government Vice-President of the Fee answerable for the European Inexperienced Deal, confused, “lots of the attainable financial savings are no-regret measures” that residents could make comparable to switching off the lights and different electrical home equipment, growing the air-conditioning temperatures and reducing the heating temperature.
“We stay masters of our future if we actually do that,” he went on, arguing that if Europeans “hand over a number of comforts”, the bloc would “keep away from a full-blown disaster subsequent winter.”
NUEVA YORK (AP) — Todos conocemos los factores de estrés: obligaciones sociales, rencillas familiares, divisiones políticas, estrés financiero y el deseo de mantenerse alegre y generoso todo el tiempo.
Así que aquí va un recordatorio sobre cómo desterrar a tu perfeccionista interior y disfrutar verdaderamente de la temporada festiva:
“Realmente ayuda dejar de lado algunos de los ‘deberías’”, dice Lynn F. Bufka, jefa de práctica de la Asociación Estadounidense de Psicología. “Decide cuál es la cosa que más importa, y las cosas que te brindan más alegría, y suelta las demás”.
Las tradiciones pueden cambiar y evolucionar, y cuanto más flexibles sean las cosas, más fácil será para todos, dice Bufka.
“Concentra tu energía en crear un espacio cálido para que las personas que amas se reúnan y relajen, se pongan al día y celebren unos a otros. Eso es literalmente todo lo que importa”, concuerda Lauren Iannotti, editora en jefe de Real Simple.
Algunos consejos:
Concéntrate en lo que te hace feliz
Podrías decidir que la conversación es tu objetivo principal y no preocuparte en absoluto por la decoración, dice Bufka. O si la decoración de la mesa es lo que amas, invierte tu energía allí y no te preocupes tanto por otros aspectos.
“Idealmente, debería tratarse de enfocarse en el amor, y eso no significa lo mismo para todos”, dice Bufka.
Permite que otros hagan las cosas por ti.
“La gente quiere ayudar, ¡déjalos!”, dice Iannotti. “Si no te ENCANTA cocinar todas esas guarniciones, o tienes poco tiempo, no hay ninguna vergüenza en aceptar que tu hermana haga el relleno. O busca ayuda de los profesionales: apoya a un restaurante local haciendo un pedido de catering”.
Otra opción es que “cada uno traiga un plato distintivo”, dice Ianotti. “Ahorrarás tiempo y dinero en la preparación y la cocina y tus invitados podrán mostrar sus habilidades”.
Darte permiso para tomar atajos
“Está bien si la casa está un poco desordenada o si la cena se sirve unos minutos tarde”, dice Iannotti. “Si las personas que has invitado están más interesadas en evaluar tu desempeño que en pasar un buen rato, pueden discutirlo con su terapeuta”. (Por cierto, no lo están, añade ella).
Y no dudes en dejar que la gente se sirva por sí misma, cuando sea posible. “Si no tienes tiempo para jugar a ser el barman, crea una bebida insignia con anticipación que puedas servir a todos tus invitados. También puedes simplemente dejar algunos mezcladores para que los invitados se sirvan y hagan sus propias creaciones”, sugiere Caroline Utz, directora editorial y de estrategia en The Spruce.
Está bien tener tiempo a solas
Las cosas funcionarán lo suficientemente bien si no lo supervisas todo, así que cuídate. Tómate pausas o caminatas si eso te ayuda a mantenerte centrado.
“Aunque el mindfulness se está convirtiendo en un término demasiado utilizado en la sociedad actual, hay algo valioso que podemos tomar de esto y aplicar a la temporada de fin de año”, dice Brook Choulet, psiquiatra deportiva y de rendimiento de concierge y fundadora de Choulet Performance Psychiatry.
Ella recomienda “programar microdescansos intencionales” para hacer algo que disfrutes.
“Por ejemplo, podrías programar una llamada telefónica con un amigo de otro estado, tomar un paseo de 15 minutos al aire libre, o incluso ajustar el temporizador y tomar un baño de 15 minutos sin interrupciones”, dijo.
Espera algo de discordia y no te alarmes por ello
“Si te preocupa la polarización y entrar en conversaciones incómodas, intenta pensar en maneras en que puedas terminar una conversación o cambiarla de dirección”, dice Bufka.
Ella recomienda preparar algunas frases de antemano para ayudar a terminar la conversación o cambiarla de dirección.
En resumen, tener la intención de una temporada festiva menos perfecta puede ser justo lo que necesitas.
___
Katherine Roth cubre temas de vida y estilo y otros temas para The Associated Press desde Nueva York.
___
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
World
Azerbaijan Airlines plane headed to Russia crashes hundreds of miles off course, dozens feared dead
Dozens of passengers are feared dead after an Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, reports say.
The Embraer 190 passenger jet flying from Azerbaijan to Russia had 62 passengers and five crew on board, Kazakh authorities announced, saying 32 survivors had been rescued.
Flight J2-8243 had flown hundreds of miles off its scheduled route to crash on the opposite shore of the Caspian Sea. Officials did not immediately explain why it had crossed the sea, but the crash came shortly after drone strikes hit southern Russia. Drone activity has shut airports in the area in the past and the nearest Russian airport on the plane’s flight path was closed on Wednesday morning.
Russia’s aviation watchdog, meanwhile, said it was an emergency that may have been caused by a bird strike.
MORE THAN 30 DEAD IN BRAZIL BUS AND TRUCK COLLISION
In this photo taken from a video released by the administration of Mangystau region, the wreckage of Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 lies on the ground near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024. (The Administration of Mangystau Region/AP Photo)
Those aboard the plane included 42 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russian nationals, six Kazakhstani and three Kyrgyzstani citizens, according to Kazakhstani officials.
Russian news agency Interfax reported that both pilots died in the crash, citing a preliminary assessment by emergency workers at the scene. The news agency also quoted medical workers who stated that four bodies had been recovered from the crash so far.
A total of 29 survivors, including two children, have been hospitalized, the ministry told Russia’s state news agency, RIA Novosti, the Associated Press reported. Many passengers have yet to be accounted for.
MALAYSIA AGREES TO RESUME ‘NO FIND, NO FEE’ HUNT FOR FLIGHT MH370, 10 YEARS AFTER PLANE DISAPPEARED
More than 30 are feared dead following the crash near the Kazakhstani city of Aktau. (Azamat Sarsenbayev/AP Photo)
Video of the crash showed the plane descending rapidly before bursting into flames as it hit the seashore, and thick black smoke then rising, Reuters reported. Bloodied and bruised passengers could be seen stumbling from a piece of the fuselage that had remained intact.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who had been traveling to Russia, returned to Azerbaijan upon hearing news of the crash, the president’s press service said. Aliyev was due to attend an informal meeting of leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States, a bloc of former Soviet countries founded after the collapse of the Soviet Union, in St. Petersburg.
Emergency crews at the site of the Azerbaijani airliner crash on Dec. 25, 2024. (Azamat Sarsenbayev/AP Photo)
Aliyev expressed his condolences to the families of the victims in a statement on social media.
“It is with deep sadness that I express my condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to those injured,” he wrote.
He also signed a decree declaring Dec. 26 a day of mourning in Azerbaijan.
The plane was en route from the Azerbaijani capital of Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus, the Associated Press reports. (The Administration of Mangystau Region/AP Photo)
In a statement, Azerbaijan Airlines said it would keep members of the public updated and changed its social media banners to solid black.
“We ask God for mercy on the passengers and crew members who lost their lives,” a translated statement on X said. “Their pain is our pain. We wish a speedy recovery to those injured.”
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Luxembourg remains Europe’s top investor in space in a year when defence spending on space exceeded civil space budgets for the first time since the 1990s.
Global public investment in space hit a record high of €106 billion in 2023, an 11% increase compared to 2022.
In Europe, the total funding was €11.9 billion, showing a modest 1% rise in its share of global space investment.
According to the European Space Agency, defence spending on space exceeded civil space budgets last year for the first time since the 1990s. Defence expenditures in space are projected to grow faster than civil spending, making up 53% of the budget in 2024.
The US continues to dominate global space investment, accounting for 64% of the total budget, while China holds a strong second place, growing its share from an estimated 2% in 2000 to 12% in 2023 through long-term programmes in both civil and defence.
Europe ranks third, contributing 11% of the global space budget in 2023.
What share of their GDP do EU countries spend on public space budgets?
Luxembourg remains Europe’s leading investor in space, dedicating 0.135% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the sector.
Globally, the country ranks third behind the US (0.262%) and Russia (0.169%).
In Europe, Luxembourg is followed by France, which invests 0.167% of its GDP, Italy at 0.103%, and Belgium at 0.095%.
On the other hand, private investment in space has continued to decline in 2023, dropping by 32% compared to 2022.
Europe also saw a 14% decrease in 2023 compared to the year before, with private space ventures receiving just below €980 million.
Although the US accounts for most of the global decline in 2023, its space sector continues to attract the largest share of investments at 60%, followed by Europe with 16% and China with 9%.
What was the state of space activity in 2023?
There were 221 orbital launches in 2023, an 18% increase compared to 2022.
Yet, a total of 212 launches were successful.
The US carried out more than half of the launches, with 96 of them conducted by SpaceX.
China accounted for 30% with 67 launches, a 5% increase from 2022, and Russia completed 19 launches.
ADVERTISEMENTThe European launch service provider conducted three launches in 2023, including Europe’s first mission to Jupiter, which aimed to explore whether the planet’s three moons — Callisto, Europa, and Ganymede — could support life in their oceans.
Video editor • Mert Can Yilmaz
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