World
EU platform to pool gas demand seeing ‘remarkable success’ – Brussels
Suppliers who took part in the first tender round offered more than 13.4 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas, higher than the 11.4 bcm requested by buyers. But the price is not yet known.
The first tender process from the EU’s joint gas purchase platform has been a “remarkable success” with energy-vulnerable countries having nearly all of their needs met, the European Commission said on Tuesday.
Energy companies across the bloc and other participating countries — Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, and Western Balkan states — had by last week put in bids of 11.6 billion cubic metres (bcm) on the AggregateEU platform.
Suppliers responded to the aggregate demand by offering a total volume of more than 13.4 bcm, Commission Vice-President for Interinstitutional Relations Maroš Šefčovič told reporters.
“This is nothing short of a remarkable success. It shows that we were right to pool our demand, to use Europe’s collective pulling power, and to work together to fill our gas storages for next winter,” he added.
The overall volume that has actually been matched to customer demands represents 10.9 bcm. About a fifth of this is for liquified natural gas (LNG), which is delivered by ships to terminals located primarily on the Iberian peninsula and on the North Sea, with the remaining 80% requested via pipeline.
Matching in the most vulnerable countries “is particularly positive,” Šefčovič said with requests by Bulgaria and Ukraine fully met while 80% of Moldova’s requested volumes have been matched.
Buying and selling companies will now start the negotiating process outside of the platform, with the first deliveries tabled for late June, early July. The Commission wouldn’t, however, comment on price, arguing it is not involved in the talks.
Prices for gas are currently hovering between €30-€35 per megawatt-hour, well below the record highs of over €300 per megawatt-hour observed over the summer, but nearly ten times higher than pre-pandemic levels.
“Of course, our overall goal here is that we do our utmost to make sure that people have adequate supplies of gas to prevent any shortages or any scarcity as we have seen it in the last year. And with this new instrument that we are bringing new players to the market, we believe that we are also contributing to the tendency which we see now on the gas market, which is clearly demonstrating that the prices are getting lower and they are more competitive for the European customers,” Šefčovič said in response to a Euronews question.
The EU official nonetheless said that despite the first tender round’s positive outcome, there was no time for complacency.
“We still have war raging on in Ukraine. We still have to remember hard lessons we learned the last year. We have to work to make sure that our energy security will be much stronger than the last year. And we cannot be satisfied with the level of energy prices across Europe.
“Our work continues and therefore we will proceed with further intensive outreach to all potential suppliers from all over the world to make sure they will be well prepared for the next winter. And we will secure adequate supplies of gas to make sure that our energy-intensive companies can benefit from better prices and they can start to get their production back to their pre-war levels, because we shouldn’t forget that still, because of the energy prices level, they are not performing at 100%,” he added.
There are currently 110 companies subscribed to the platform.
AggregateEU plans to launch four more rounds of tendering before the end of the year with the second one planned for the second half of June.
World
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?'
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
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
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
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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.
World
Five journalists killed in Israeli strike near Gaza hospital
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.
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