World
Germany: G7 rejects Russia’s demand to pay for gas in rubles
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The Group of Seven main economies have agreed to reject Moscow’s demand to pay for Russian pure fuel exports in rubles, the German power minister mentioned Monday.
Robert Habeck informed reporters that “all G7 ministers agreed fully that this (can be) a one-sided and clear breach of the prevailing contracts” for pure fuel, which is used to warmth properties, generate electrical energy and energy trade.
He mentioned officers from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the US, the UK and Canada met Friday to coordinate and that European Union representatives additionally have been current.
‘FABRICATED INCIDENT’ BY RUSSIANS COULD SPARK LARGER WAR IN WESTERN EUROPE, FORMER NAVY INTEL OFFICER WARNS
Habeck mentioned “fee in ruble shouldn’t be acceptable and we are going to urge the businesses affected to not observe (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s demand.”
Putin introduced final week that Russia will demand “unfriendly” international locations pay for pure fuel solely in Russian forex any further, instructing the central financial institution to work out a process for patrons to amass rubles in Russia. The demand despatched already excessive fuel costs even increased amid fears it might be a prelude to a pure fuel shutoff, which might disrupt Europe’s economic system and damage Russia’s funds.
Economists mentioned the transfer appeared designed to attempt to assist the ruble, which has collapsed in opposition to different currencies since Putin invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 and Western international locations responded with far-reaching sanctions in opposition to Moscow. However some analysts expressed doubt that it might work.
Requested by reporters earlier Monday if Russia might minimize pure fuel provides to European clients in the event that they reject the demand to pay in rubles, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned in a convention name that “we clearly aren’t going to provide fuel totally free.”
“In our scenario, it’s hardly doable and possible to have interaction in charity for Europe,” Peskov mentioned.
ZELENSKYY IS NOT AFRAID TO STAND WITH UKRAINE: FMR. ZELENSKYY SPOKESPERSON
Requested what occurs if Russia turns off the faucets now, Germany’s power minister mentioned, “We’re ready for all eventualities.”
“Putin’s demand to transform the contracts to ruble (means) he’s standing together with his again to the wall in that regard, in any other case he wouldn’t have made that demand,” Habeck mentioned, including that Russia wants rubles to finance its battle at house, comparable to funds to troops.
European governments have shied away from imposing a ban on power imports from Russia over fears of the affect it might have on the economic system. Europe will get 40% of its fuel and 25% of its oil from Russia, and because the battle, has scrambled to set out proposals to cut back its dependency. Russia is simply as reliant on Europe, with oil and fuel its dominant sector and paying for presidency.
Estimates of the affect of a fuel boycott or embargo on Europe fluctuate however most contain a considerable lack of financial output, particularly because the battle and the ensuing surge in power and uncooked materials costs is already weighing on Europe’s economic system. U.S. sanctions allow exceptions for funds for oil and fuel, although it has banned Russian power imports itself.
Putin’s rubles fee proposal led Germany’s utilities affiliation, the BDEW, to name on the federal government to declare an “early warning” of an power emergency.
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A spokeswoman mentioned Monday that the federal government doesn’t see the necessity for an early warning declaration at the moment.
When pressed by reporters on making the declaration, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz mentioned “the contracts we all know lay down the euro as fee forex and the businesses can pay in line with the contracts they’ve signed.”
What forex is used to purchase Russian power “would not actually matter,” mentioned Robin Brooks, chief economist on the Institute of Worldwide Finance, a commerce group for the world’s banks.
“What issues is that power exports give Russia buying energy, which it could convert into items from overseas,” she mentioned.
Putin’s demand for fee in rubles “is usually window dressing. It doesn’t change the underlying transactions,’’ Brooks mentioned. “On the margin, I might name this one other ‘personal purpose’ by Putin, because it will increase the give attention to fuel purchases by Western Europe and will doubtlessly elevate the chances of an import cease.”
World
New Lonely Island Song ‘Sushi Glory Hole’ Premieres on ‘SNL’; Raps About Secret Sushi Spots Around NYC
In the first Lonely Island song of the 50th season of “SNL,” the beloved trio of Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer debuted “Sushi Glory Hole,” a humorous take on a fictional app where you can find sushi in a hole in a bathroom around New York.
“SNL” alumna Maya Rudolph, who has been portraying presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris during the new season, was on hand for the video. “Gentleman, what do you have for us today?” she asked in the video opener.
“Sushi glory hole,” rapped Samberg. “Imagine that. Instead of getting strange [expletive] you’ll be getting a snack.” A long refrain of “Hear us out, hear us out, hear us out,” played on loop as the trio tried to get others on board with their idea.
Dressed as 1980s businessmen, the Lonely Island members, and Bowen Yang, rapped about sushi in bathrooms, with suggestive lyrics, singing, “So drop to your knees and get ready for some fish.” The digital short featured funny evocative imagery of slices of sushi being presented through holes in bathroom walls. The trio rapped, “Hit the bathroom stall, and find a sushi-sized hole in the bathroom wall.”
“Hit the map,” they said, showing a phone with a lit-up map with “SGH” locations all around Manhattan, where one could find a sushi glory hole. They rapped on, defending the unorthodox food-related business idea, saying, “You got nothing to fear. It’s not weird. It’s sushi being through a hole in the wall.”
They rapped about the different ideal circumstances for a “SGH.” Samberg sang about sushi glory holes in nightclubs and how it’s better than eating in the middle of a street. “Make a wish and prepare for some shockingly high-grade fish.”
“Don’t leave, hear us out. No substitutions or special requests,” they said.
Stand-up comedian Nate Bargatze was this episode’s guest and musical group Coldplay was the musical guest.
World
Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei defends missile barrage against Israel in rare sermon
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared in a rare sermon Friday that his country’s ballistic missile attack on Israel earlier this week was “legal and legitimate” and that the “resistance in the region will not back down even with the killing of its leaders.”
The public address from Khamenei was his first during Friday prayers in Tehran in nearly five years, according to the AFP.
Khamenei said Iran will not “procrastinate nor act hastily to carry out its duty” in going after Israel, Reuters reports.
The news agency cited him as saying that Tuesday’s barrage of nearly 200 missiles fired by Iran at Israel was “legal and legitimate” and the minimum punishment for Israel’s “crimes.”
IRAN WARNS OF ‘DECISIVE RESPONSE’ IF ISRAEL CROSSES ‘RED LINES’
“The resistance in the region will not back down even with the killing of its leaders,” Khamenei reportedly added, mentioning recently slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during the speech.
The remarks came as the Israel Defense Forces announced Friday that Mohammad Rashid Sakafi, the commander of Hezbollah’s Communications Unit, was killed in an airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon.
“Sakafi was a senior Hezbollah terrorist, who was responsible for the communications unit since 2000,” the IDF wrote on X. “Sakafi invested significant efforts to develop communication capabilities between all of Hezbollah’s units.”
ISRAEL BANS UN SECRETARY-GENERAL OVER ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIONS
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said earlier this week that the Iranian missile attack on Israel was “defeated and ineffective” and that the U.S. military coordinated with the IDF to repel the strikes.
“U.S. naval destroyers joined Israeli Air Defense units in firing interceptors to shoot down inbound missiles. President Biden and Vice President Harris monitored the attack and the response from the White House Situation Room, joined in person and remotely by their national security team,” Sullivan said during a briefing.
“This is a significant escalation by Iran, a significant event, and it is equally significant that we were able to step up with Israel and create a situation in which no one was killed in this attack in Israel… We are now going to look at what the appropriate next steps are to secure, first and foremost, American interests and then to promote stability to the maximum extent possible as we go forward,” he added.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
World
Protests across Europe as Gaza war anniversary nears
The war in Gaza, which started on 7 October last year, has seen more than 41,000 Palestinians killed and decimated the Strip. Almost 100 Israelis are still being held hostage by Hamas, with fewer than 70 believed to be alive.
Thousands of people have staged protests in capitals across Europe in support of Palestine in the run-up to the first anniversary of the war on 7 October.
Huge rallies took place in several major European cities, with rallies expected to continue over the weekend and peak on Monday, the date of the anniversary.
Italy
In Rome, several thousand demonstrated peacefully until a smaller group tried to push the rally toward the centre of the city, in spite of a ban by local authorities who refused to authorize protests, citing security concerns.
Some protesters, dressed in black and with their faces covered threw stones, bottles and paper bombs at the police, who responded with tear gas and water cannons, eventually dispersing the crowd.
At least 30 law enforcement officers and three demonstrators were injured in the clashes, local media reported.
The rally in Rome had been calm earlier, with people chanting “Free Palestine, Free Lebanon,” waving Palestinian flags and holding banners calling for an immediate stop to the conflict.
United Kingdom
In London, thousands marched through the capital to Downing Street amid a heavy police presence.
The atmosphere was tense as pro-Palestinian protesters and counterdemonstrators, some holding Israeli flags, passed one another.
Scuffles broke out as police officers pushed back activists trying to get past a cordon.
At least 17 people were arrested on suspicion of public order offences, supporting a proscribed organisation and assault, the Metropolitan Police said.
Spain
Thousands also took to the streets of Madrid to demand a ceasefire in Gaza.
The protests were peaceful and there were no reported incidents of altercations with police.
“Outrage at this situation, thousands and thousands of people killed in Gaza, now in Lebanon, there are already more than 2,000, more than 10,000 people missing. This has to be stopped one way or another,” said Enrique Quintanilla from the ‘Disarm Madrid’ group.
Germany
In the northern of Hamburg, about 950 people staged a peaceful demonstration with many waving Palestinian and Lebanese flags and chanting “Stop the Genocide,” the DPA news agency reported, citing a count by police.
Two smaller pro-Israeli counterdemonstrations took place without incident, it said.
Serbia
A smaller protest of around 200 people happened in Belgrade with protesters chanting “Free Palestine” and expressing their anger at their government’s support for Israel.
“The main message is that we, citizens of Serbia and Belgrade, are against arms exports to Israel. The Republic of Serbia is exporting arms to Israel. Since October 7 last year, the value of weapons exported to Israel from Serbia is at least 20 million euros. We are against that,” said protest organiser, Mihajlo Nikolic.
Rallies were also planned in several other countries across Europe including Greece, the Netherlands, Denmark and Switzerland.
Increased security
Security forces in several countries warned of heightened levels of alert in major cities, amid concerns that the conflict in the Middle East could inspire new terror attacks in Europe or that the protests could turn violent.
Pro-Palestinian protests calling for an immediate cease-fire have repeatedly taken place across Europe and around the globe in the past year and have often turned violent with confrontations between demonstrators and law enforcement officers.
A bloody year
On 7 October last year, Hamas launched a surprise attack into Israel, killing 1,200 Israelis, taking 250 people hostage and setting off a war with Israel that has shattered much of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
More than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed since then in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between fighters and civilians.
Nearly 100 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, with fewer than 70 believed to be alive.
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