World
Europe’s week: War in Ukraine continues to dominate
The conflict in Ukraine supplied a story of two tales this week — whereas the navy scenario on the bottom remained steady, the bigger diplomatic standoff between Russia and the West escalated a notch or two.
Because the EU ready a sixth spherical of sanctions, Russia adopted via on its menace to chop vitality provides to Europe and stopped fuel deliveries to Poland and Bulgaria.
The EU Fee condemned this transfer as “provocation” and “blackmail”.
“The most recent aggressive transfer from Russia is one other very stark reminder that we have to work with dependable companions and construct our vitality independence,” Ursula von der Leyen, EU Fee President stated.
The choice by Russia’s state fuel firm Gazprom adopted days of more and more heated rhetoric.
After International Minister Sergey Lavrov had mused about important dangers of nuclear exchanges, Russian President Vladimir Putin despatched a recent warning to Ukraine’s western allies.
“If anybody units out to intervene within the present occasions from the skin and creates unacceptable threats for us which might be strategic in nature, they need to know that our response might be lightning-fast,” Putin stated.
Putin’s remarks reveal some frustration that the Russian invasion appears to be slowed down and accompanied by unexpectedly excessive losses.
However, the Biden administration has marshaled 40 international allies to furnish long-term navy assist to Ukraine.
Amongst them was Germany, whose authorities produced one other main coverage shift and agreed to ship tanks to Ukraine.
However Washington did extra: whereas in Europe this week, protection secretary Lloyd Austin introduced a shift in messaging:
“We wish to ensure, once more, that they (Russia) don`t have the identical sort of functionality to bully their neighbors that we that we noticed on the outset of this of this battle,” Austin stated.
Sanctions crackdown
Brussels additionally stated this week that it’s keen to launch authorized motion in opposition to EU nations that permit their vitality firms to pay for Russian fuel in roubles, violating EU sanctions.
“It is a comparatively complicated setting,” European Fee’s Govt Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis instructed Euronews on Thursday afternoon.
“So on the one hand, it is member states that are monitoring the implementation of sanctions by concrete firms of their territory. However however, as European Fee, we’re monitoring whether or not member states are literally imposing sanctions,”
“If we see that this isn’t the case, there may be additionally a risk for the European Fee to start out infringement procedures on this regard,” he warned.
The vice-president’s feedback come a day after Russia’s state-controlled vitality multinational Gazprom determined to chop off fuel provides to Poland and Bulgaria.
Lawmakers from South Korea’s governing party protested on Friday against a vote to impeach the country’s acting president, Han Duck-soo. The motion, which passed 192-0, came less than two weeks after President Yoon Suk Yeol was also ousted by the opposition in the National Assembly.
The frantic search for a Norwegian Cruise Line passenger who went overboard has been called off.
A spokesperson for the cruise line confirmed to Fox News Digital that the 51-year-old went overboard from Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Epic late Thursday afternoon.
The incident was first noted at approximately 3 p.m. as Norwegian Epic was sailing from Ocho Rios, Jamaica en route to Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas.
The passenger was on the cruise with his family, the spokesperson said. The cruise left from Port Canaveral, Florida on Saturday, Dec. 21 and was a seven-night Western Caribbean voyage.
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The cruise liner Norwegian Jewel built at the ship yard Meyer in Papenburg, northern Germany, goes down the river Ems. (AP Photo/Joerg Sarbach, File)
The cruise line said that authorities were quickly notified and search and rescue efforts were immediately implemented.
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“After an extensive search that was unfortunately unsuccessful, the ship was released by the authorities to continue its voyage,” the spokesperson said.
The Norwegian Epic, which was built in 2010 and refurbished in 2020, has 19 decks. (Norwegian Cruise Line)
Norwegian Cruise Line said the passenger’s loved ones on board were “being attended to and supported during this very challenging situation.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this difficult time,” the spokesperson added.
The Norwegian Epic, which was built in 2010 and refurbished in 2020, has 19 decks. It can accommodate 4,070 passengers with double occupancy of its cabins and has 1,724 crew members.
It was not immediately clear what caused the man to go overboard. The man has not been identified.
After food prices soared in 2021 and 2022, over five essential food products saw price drops in 2024, including milk and cereals.
In 2024, agricultural prices in the European Union saw a modest decline, falling by 2% compared to 2023.
This price decline followed sharp increases in 2021 and 2022 that occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic, extreme weather conditions and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Despite a surge in olive oil prices in 2024, the prices of cereals dropped by 15%, eggs by 8%, and vegetables and horticultural products declined by 2%.
The price of pigs and poultry also shrank by 7% and 8%, respectively.
According to Eurostat figures, milk prices decreased in 16 EU countries in 2024.
The sharpest decline was recorded in Finland with a 12% drop in prices, followed by Portugal with 10% and Spain with 8%.
By contrast, the sharpest increase was in Ireland with a 15% rise in prices, followed by Lithuania with 11% and Latvia with 10%.
In terms of production, the cost of seeds and veterinary services rose by 3%.
However, prices for fertilisers and soil improvers plummeted by 18%, food for animals by 11%, and plant protection products and pesticides by 2%.
Commission measures between farmers and buyers
After a year in which farmers have protested regularly, the EU Commission has presented an initiative to ensure they receive fair compensation and are no longer forced to sell products below production costs.
The proposed measures include mandatory written contracts that require buyers to clearly outline key terms such as price, quantity, and delivery timelines, taking into account market conditions and cost fluctuations.
The package also introduces a regulation to enhance enforcement of the Unfair Trading Practices (UTPs) Directive, which was adopted five years ago but remains largely unimplemented.
Video editor • Mert Can Yilmaz
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