A coal-fired power station in Germany. Some European countries have have restarted coal-fired power plants amid natural gas shortages. Reuters
A coal-fired power station in Germany. Some European countries have have restarted coal-fired power plants amid natural gas shortages. Reuters
A coal-fired power station in Germany. Some European countries have have restarted coal-fired power plants amid natural gas shortages. Reuters
A coal-fired power station in Germany. Some European countries have have restarted coal-fired power plants amid natural gas shortages. Reuters

2023 may be a 'sterner test' for EU amid dwindling Russian gas exports, IEA says


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The International Energy Agency has warned that 2023 may present a “sterner test” for EU countries as Russian gas exports dwindle and Chinese demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) rises.

The EU could fall short by about 27 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas next year if Russian gas deliveries drop to zero and China’s LNG imports rebound to 2021 levels, the agency said in a report on Monday.

The region has made “significant progress” in reducing reliance on Russian gas supplies but it is “not out of the danger zone yet”, said IEA executive director Fatih Birol.

“Many of the circumstances that allowed EU countries to fill their storage sites ahead of this winter may well not be repeated in 2023.”

The agency said that the risk of shortages can be avoided through “stronger” efforts to improve energy efficiency, as well as use more renewable energy and further diversify natural gas sources.

The report comes before the start of a meeting of EU energy ministers on December 13, where they are expected to discuss a potential natural gas price cap.

The move to impose a ceiling on Dutch TTF gas futures, the European benchmark contract, has previously been rejected by several countries, including France and Spain.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the cap would seek to control "price spikes" without affecting natural gas shipments to Europe.

"The issue is to find the right balance ...I very much hope that we will come to a conclusion within the next [few] days," said Ms von der Leyen during a press conference.

The EC President also spoke about the possibility of entering long-term natural gas contracts with Norway, which has emerged as the EU's leading gas supplier.

"I would also highly appreciate if there is a possibility to have Norwegian energy supply companies join our joint purchase platform," she added.

The platform was established earlier this year for the common purchase of natural gas, LNG and hydrogen at stable prices.

European countries have signed several LNG import agreements with the US and Gulf countries over the past few months.

Last week, the UK and the US announced a new energy partnership they said would help reduce Europe's dependency on Russian gas and oil.

Under the new UK-US Energy Security and Affordability Partnership, Washington will export at least nine to 10 bcm of LNG over the next year via UK terminals, more than double the level of last year.

QatarEnergy has signed two sales and purchase agreements with US oil and gas company ConocoPhillips to deliver up to two million tonnes of LNG annually to Germany.

In October, Austrian energy company OMV signed a preliminary agreement with Abu Dhabi oil company Adnoc with the aim of purchasing an LNG cargo for next winter.

“While Europe’s options to import more natural gas are limited, there are a handful of countries with spare export capacity who could increase exports by capturing gas that is currently being flared,” the IEA said.

The amount of gas in EU storage sites is “well above” the five-year average — thanks to measures taken by European governments and the “demand destruction” caused by huge price increases, the agency said.

A recovery in nuclear and hydropower output from decade-low levels will also help to narrow the supply gap, the IEA said.

In its report, the IEA called for the speeding up of the permit issuance process for renewables through measures to boost administrative resources and simplify procedures.

It also proposed more financial support for heat pumps and changes to tax laws that penalise electrification.

In May, the EU launched the REPowerEU plan, which comprises measures to tackle the energy crisis triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

With the help of the programme, the bloc plans to reduce demand for Russian gas by two thirds before the end of the year, with a mobilisation of up to €300 billion ($317 billion) in investments.

“We are now turning our focus to preparing for 2023, and the next winter,” said Ms von der Leyen

“For this, Europe needs to step up its efforts in several fields, from international outreach to joint purchasing of gas and scaling up and speeding up renewables and reducing demand.”

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

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Key figures in the life of the fort

Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.

Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.

Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae

 

 

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Conservative MPs who have publicly revealed sending letters of no confidence
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Asia Cup Qualifier

Venue: Kuala Lumpur

Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September

Fixtures:

Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore

Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman

Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal

Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore

Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong

Thu Sep 6: Final

 

Asia Cup

Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Schedule: Sep 15-28

Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier

Honeymoonish
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Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
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6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

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BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

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Key findings of Jenkins report
  • Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
  • Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
  • Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

The Disaster Artist

Director: James Franco

Starring: James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogan

Four stars

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Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners

Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
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2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)

2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)              

2014 Lia Saad  (UAE)

2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)

2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)

2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)

2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)

So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?

Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
 

Pros%20and%20cons%20of%20BNPL
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Updated: December 12, 2022, 2:37 PM`