World

EU launches platform to pool gas demand in bid to lower prices

Published

2 years ago

April 30, 2023

EU launches platform to pool gas demand in bid to lower prices

A number of firms have already put in bids, an EU official stated within the morning, simply two hours after the platform was launched. The primary deliveries are actually anticipated to be carried out in late June or starting of July.

The European Union’s platform to purchase gasoline collectively in a bid to decrease costs and guarantee a gentle provide within the coming months went on-line on Tuesday.

A number of firms have already put in bids, an EU official stated within the morning, simply two hours after the platform, often called AggregateEU, was launched. The primary deliveries are actually anticipated to be carried out in late June, or starting of July.

The voluntary scheme was agreed upon by member states in mid-December as a part of a raft of emergency measures to fight the power disaster sparked, partly, by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent choice to chop gasoline deliveries to the EU in retaliation in opposition to wide-ranging sanctions.

The platform goals to leverage the bloc’s buying energy with worldwide suppliers by permitting power firms in taking part nations to submit their demand expectations for liquified pure gasoline (LNG) and pipeline gasoline for the approaching yr with tendering rounds held on a month-to-month foundation to match that demand.

EU nations are required to pool at the very least 15% of their respective storage obligations. This equates to about 13.5 billion cubic metres (bcm) for the yr which must be purchased by way of the platform.

That is to keep away from a repeat of spring and summer time 2022 when member states scrambled to safe sufficient gasoline to make sure they might proceed to energy households and companies throughout winter. This mad sprint for gasoline, triggered by Russia’s choice to slash pipeline deliveries to the EU, pushed costs to ranges by no means seen earlier than with a file excessive of €321 per megawatt-hour reached in August.

Costs are actually hovering at round €40 per megawatt-hour, final noticed in January 2022.

Thus far, 76 firms on each the shopping for and promoting sides have registered with the service. Consumers might be throughout the 27 EU member states in addition to nations within the Vitality Neighborhood which additionally consists of Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, and Western Balkan states, whereas the one criterion for sellers is that they have to not be owned or managed partly by a Russian entity.

Shopping for firms can resolve whether or not they wish to obtain LNG and which terminals in north-western or southern Europe they need it offloaded from, or pipeline gasoline which might be delivered to 26 factors throughout the bloc.

Shopping for firms have 5 days to place of their bids for the primary tender rounds. Demand will then be pooled by the service supplier, Prisma, which can put the tender out. Sellers are anticipated to place of their tenders on 9 Might with negotiations to comply with. Contracting is forecast round 17 Might with deliveries somewhat over a month later. This course of is to be repeated on a month-to-month foundation.

Two totally different cooperation fashions have been set as much as facilitate the pooling of demand and decrease costs.

The primary one is thru a so-called Central Purchaser (probably a big firm) that may comply with buy gasoline on behalf of different firms based mostly on a bilateral contract. That is to make sure that small firms that require decrease volumes or shouldn’t have the mandatory creditworthiness can faucet into the service and probably profit from decrease costs.

The opposite mannequin is thru an Agent on Behalf that may present complementary companies, resembling transportation, to firms which have already negotiated straight with a provider to purchase a sure quantity of gasoline.

An official from the European Fee, which funds the platform however won’t participate within the negotiations, stated they count on curiosity within the companies to develop “exponentially” over the approaching months as some firms can be ready to see how the primary few tendering rounds go earlier than participating.

They pressured, nevertheless, that “is troublesome to forecast how a lot gasoline will seem all through these tenders.”

The 27 member states have a mixed gasoline storage capability of round 100 bcm. Beneath a brand new regulation taken in response to Russia’s struggle in Ukraine and the following power disaster, they have to guarantee their gasoline storage capacities are crammed at 90% by 1 November 2023, to climate the colder months comfortably.

The bloc exited the winter with storage 56% full, effectively above the five-year common of 34%.

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World

Beyoncé NFL Halftime Show Will Be Available to Rewatch on Netflix as a Stand-Alone Special

Published

1 hour ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

Beyoncé NFL Halftime Show Will Be Available to Rewatch on Netflix as a Stand-Alone Special

UPDATE, 12/25, 4:30 p.m. PT: Netflix said it will provide on-demand access to the full halftime performance of “Beyoncé Bowl” as a stand-alone special “later this week.” The 20-minute spectacle — her first live TV performance in four years — featured Post Malone, Shaboozey and her daughter Blue Ivy Carter to debut tracks from “Cowboy Carter” for the first time in a live setting.

EARLIER:

Beyoncé will light up the Houston night on Christmas with a halftime performance during the Ravens-Texans game on Netflix. To watch it, you’ll have to tune in live on Dec. 25 — otherwise, you’ll have only a few hours to catch the replay on Netflix.

Queen Bey’s Xmas performance will feature her first live performances of songs from “Cowboy Carter.” She’ll take the stage in her hometown during halftime of the Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texans matchup at NRG Stadium in Houston.

Netflix, as part of its accelerating push into live sports, snagged global rights to the NFL’s two Christmas Day 2024 games: the Kansas City Chiefs at the Pittsburgh Steelers (starting at 1 p.m. ET), followed by the Ravens-Texans game (4:30 p.m. ET).

Under Netflix’s agreement with the NFL, in the U.S., the two Christmas games expire three hours after the livestream ends (meaning Beyoncé’s performance and the Ravens-Texans game will no longer be available to rewatch on Netflix as of around 11 p.m. ET). Outside the U.S., the games expire on Netflix 24 hours after the livestream ends. The NFL livestreams will include ad breaks, even for Netflix subscribers on no-ads plans.

Few details are available for Beyoncé’s Christmas halftime show, but according to Netflix she is expected to bring along some “special guests” who are featured on “Cowboy Carter.” She’s a veteran of two Super Bowls: Beyoncé was the halftime performer for the 2013 game in New Orleans, which featured a Destiny’s Child reunion; and in 2016, she sang “Formation” when Coldplay was the headliner act.

On Christmas Day, Netflix’s pregame coverage will kick off at 11 a.m. ET, from NFL Network’s studios in L.A. and Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. The streamer has tapped Mariah Carey to deliver a recorded performance of her record-breaking holiday hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You” before both of the day’s two games.

If you missed the window for Netflix’s NFL livestreams, you still have the chance to catch the reruns. As it stands right now, NFL Network is scheduled to re-air Ravens-Texans on Wednesday, Dec. 25, at 11:30 p.m. ET and Thursday, Dec. 26, at 5 a.m. ET. The channel will re-air Chiefs-Steelers on Dec. 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET and Dec. 26 at 2 a.m. ET. There is the possibility for additional re-airs but portions of the NFL Network’s programming schedule are still being determined. In addition, replays of both games will be available with NFL+ Premium ($14.99/month) in the U.S. and via DAZN internationally.

Note also that the two Netflix Christmas Day games will air on broadcast TV in the competing teams’ local markets and will be available live on U.S. mobile devices with an NFL+ subscription.

World

Zelenskyy lambastes Putin over Christmas strikes: 'What could be more inhumane?'

Published

2 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Zelenskyy lambastes Putin over Christmas strikes: 'What could be more inhumane?'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy excoriated Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday for launching attacks against energy infrastructure on Christmas Day.

Zelenskyy suggested the attacks were “inhumane,” but said they would not ruin Christmas.

“Today, Putin deliberately chose Christmas for an attack. What could be more inhumane? Over 70 missiles, including ballistic ones, and more than a hundred attack drones. The targets are our energy infrastructure. They continue to fight for a blackout in Ukraine,” he declared in a post on X.

The Russian Defence Ministry acknowledged a “massive strike” on its part, saying it hit energy facilities that supported Ukraine’s “military-industrial complex,” Reuters reported.

“The aim of the strike was achieved. All facilities have been hit,” the ministry said.

RUSSIA BATTERS UKRAINE POWER GRID AMID RISING CONCERN PUTIN COULD ORDER BALLISTIC MISSILE ATTACK THIS WEEKEND

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy talks with the media during the European Council Meeting in Brussels on Thursday. (Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images)

Strikes against Ukrainian fuel and energy sources involved 78 air, ground and sea-launched missiles, in addition to 106 Shaheds and other kinds of drones, Ukraine’s air force claimed, according to The Associated Press.

“Unfortunately, there have been hits. As of now, there are power outages in several regions. Power engineers are working to restore power supply as soon as possible,” Zelenskyy noted.

Still, the Ukrainian leader declared that “Russian evil will not break Ukraine and will not spoil Christmas.”

US CITIZEN IMPRISONED IN RUSSIA GIVEN NEW 15-YEAR SENTENCE IN WAKE OF ESPIONAGE CONVICTION

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds his annual end-of-year press conference in Moscow on Thursday. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images)

The U.S. has provided billions of dollars’ worth of aid to help Ukraine fight the Russian onslaught that erupted in 2022, but Americans and their congressional representatives have been divided regarding whether the U.S. should continue supplying aid to Ukraine.

President-elect Trump, who will take office on Jan. 20, has called for a cease-fire and negotiations.

TRUMP MEETS WITH MACRON, ZELENSKYY AHEAD OF NOTRE DAME REOPENING CEREMONY IN PARIS

President-elect Trump looks on during Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix on Sunday. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

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In a post on Truth Social this month, Trump declared that “Zelenskyy and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness. They have ridiculously lost 400,000 soldiers, and many more civilians. There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin.”

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.

World

Five journalists killed in Israeli strike near Gaza hospital

Published

3 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Journalists from Al-Quds Today were covering events at al-Awda Hospital when their vehicle was struck.

Five journalists have been killed in an Israeli strike in the vicinity of a hospital in central Gaza, according to Palestinian authorities and media reports.

The journalists from the Al-Quds Today channel were covering events near al-Awda Hospital, located in the Nuseirat refugee camp, when their broadcasting van was hit by an Israeli air strike, Al Jazeera’s Anas al-Sharif reported early on Thursday morning.

Footage from the scene circulating on social media shows a vehicle engulfed in flames.

A screenshot taken from a video of the white-coloured van shows the word “press” in large red lettering across the back of the vehicle.

The deceased journalists have been named as Fadi Hassouna, Ibrahim al-Sheikh Ali, Mohammed al-Ladah, Faisal Abu al-Qumsan and Ayman al-Jadi.

Al Jazeera’s Anas al-Sharif said that Ayman al-Jadi had been waiting for his wife in front of the hospital while she was in labour to give birth to their first child.

Breaking: Five journalists lost their lives after their vehicle was incinerated in an Israeli airstrike targeting the broadcasting van of “Al-Quds Today” channel while covering events near Al-Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/oiAmxgZwO5
— أنس الشريف Anas Al-Sharif (@AnasAlSharif0) December 26, 2024

Civil defence teams retrieved the bodies of the victims and extinguished a fire at the scene, the Quds News Network said.

There was no immediate comment from Israeli authorities.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) earlier this month condemned Israel’s killing of four Palestinian journalists in the space of a week, calling on the international community to hold the country accountable for its attacks against the media.

At least 141 journalists have been killed in Israel’s war in Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to the CPJ.