Four point European energy plan to escape reliance on Russia

European countries on Tuesday united behind a four-pronged strategy for the future that is designed to free their energy grids from Russia’s grip, ending a dependency on Moscow that has been a handicap in responding to the invasion of Ukraine.

Hours after agreeing a partial ban on Russian fossil fuel imports, the European Union adopted a plan to plug the gap by shopping elsewhere, producing more renewable energy, saving power and improving connections between energy-rich and import-reliant nations.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said she hoped to put some 300 billion euros ($321bn) of EU funding behind a blanket energy revamp stretching from Finland to Portugal.

In the short term, the EU’s 27 members will be encouraged to sign joint gas contracts — in a manner compared by officials to their common purchases of coronavirus vaccines.

Geography drives EU energy battle as landlocked nations seek time and money

But renewable energy “has the big advantage that it is not only good for the climate, but it is also good for our independence and good for our security of supply, and it creates jobs at home,” Ms von der Leyen said.

The outline strategy was agreed at the end of a two-day summit in Brussels dedicated to the war in Ukraine. Leaders also discussed food shortages arising from the conflict and the future of the European defence industry.

The summit’s main result, the embargo on Russian oil imports by sea, had languished in diplomatic stalemate for weeks because of the concerns of countries reliant on Russian fuel — especially Hungary.

Several leaders signalled on Tuesday that the EU would be reluctant to go charging back into that process to sanction gas, despite Ukraine’s demands, exposing the limits of what Europe can do given its close fuel links to Russia.

“We don’t want this fuel to be replaced by other fossil products,” Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said after leaders finished haggling over a text on energy.

“Instead, we should increase the use of renewable solutions.”

European leaders haggled for two days over energy, sanctions and other issues. EPA

Part one: Finding new oil and gas suppliers

The 11-page European Council conclusions said countries should, “as a short-term priority”, find oil and gas from suppliers other than a newly hostile Russia.

Russian gas exporter Gazprom is already blocking supplies to Poland, Bulgaria, Finland, the Netherlands and potentially Denmark, and Germany is among the countries preparing for potential power cuts.

Leaders said member states should move faster to fill their gas storage tanks before next winter and encouraged them to sign up to a joint purchasing platform also open to non-EU members including Ukraine.

The EU in March signed a deal with the US to import liquefied natural gas, and the bloc’s LNG imports from outside Russia are already double where they were at the start of 2021, Ms von der Leyen said.

Part two: Producing renewable energy at home

The war in Ukraine has given new momentum to renewable energy policies originally drawn up to reduce carbon emissions and tackle climate change.

Ms von der Leyen said renewables were the “most important pillar” of the wider energy revamp known as RePower EU, which calls for policies such as a doubling of solar panel capacity by 2025.

EU leaders said an expansion of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar would require immediate changes to planning laws so that new projects can quickly be approved.

They said a European renewables industry should be “underpinned by an industrial cluster” to develop the skills and supply chains for solar and wind, hydrogen, heat pumps and other technology.

Part three: Saving power

The European Commission says a third of the gas savings it hopes to make by 2030 could be achieved by not wasting energy.

“To save energy is of course a fundamental priority for all of us,” said European Council President Charles Michel.

The leaders’ recommendations were light on specifics but called on countries to “improve energy efficiency wherever possible”. The commission has proposed incentives such as tax cuts on energy-efficient heaters.

Countries have already begun taking measures to head off a potential energy crunch. Spain this month set a limit on the use of air conditioning in offices, while Germany has turned down the temperature in public swimming pools.

Part four: Sharing energy

The vision of EU leaders is “completing and improving the interconnection of European gas and electricity networks” so that nations rich with energy can help out their neighbours.

These should include both gas pipelines and electricity networks that could eventually be used to transmit hydrogen, the council said. Hydrogen is viewed with interest by sectors such as transport and heavy industry that cannot easily be electrified.

Spain and Portugal, which are relatively cut off from the European power grid in what officials have called an “energy island”, won an expression of interest from the EU in buying from their LNG and renewable-heavy networks.

New connections should include “taking advantage of the Iberian Peninsula’s potential to contribute to the security of supply,” the leaders said — without addressing Spain’s demand that they stump up some of the money.

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed

Rating: 1/5

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Killing of Qassem Suleimani

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Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead

Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks

Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence

Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground

Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile

KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI

National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate

Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead

Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble

Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks

Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence

Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground

Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile

The specs

Common to all models unless otherwise stated

Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi

0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)

Power: 276hp

Torque: 392Nm

Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD

Price: TBC

THE LOWDOWN

Photograph

Rating: 4/5

Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies

Director: Ritesh Batra

Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme

Priority access to new homes from participating developers
Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
Flexible payment plans from developers
Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates

Scoreline

Swansea 2

Grimes 20' (pen), Celina, 29'

Man City 3

Silva 69', Nordfeldt 78' (og), Aguero 88'

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Results

Stage 7:

1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29

2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time

3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious

4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep

5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM

General Classification:

1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28

2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35

3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02

4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42

5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45

While you're here

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Andrew Wilks: Is Turkey a water-hoarding bogeyman?

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Global Fungi Facts

• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil

While you're here

Ed Husain: The far left is trying to hijack Muslim minds in the West

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MATCH INFO

Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')

Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)

Sole survivors

Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six

Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm

Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm

Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual

Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km

On sale: Available to order now

Price: From Dh801,800

War on waste

UAE's takeaway culture sparks environmental concern

Staff at Abu Dhabi veterinary clinic help tackle plastic waste

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

Five%20calorie-packed%20Ramadan%20drinks

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERooh%20Afza%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20contains%20414%20calories%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETang%20orange%20drink%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20serving%20contains%20300%20calories%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECarob%20beverage%20mix%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20serving%20contains%20about%20300%20calories%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EQamar%20Al%20Din%20apricot%20drink%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20saving%20contains%2061%20calories%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EVimto%20fruit%20squash%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20serving%20contains%2030%20calories%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Gender pay parity on track in the UAE

The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.

"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."

Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.

"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.

As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.

Squad

Ali Kasheif, Salim Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Al Attas, Abdullah Ramadan, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira), Mohammed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Essa, Mohammed Shaker, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah) Walid Abbas, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli), Tariq Ahmed, Jasim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Muharami (Baniyas)

Pros%20and%20cons%20of%20BNPL

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPros%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EEasy%20to%20use%20and%20require%20less%20rigorous%20credit%20checks%20than%20traditional%20credit%20options%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EOffers%20the%20ability%20to%20spread%20the%20cost%20of%20purchases%20over%20time%2C%20often%20interest-free%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EConvenient%20and%20can%20be%20integrated%20directly%20into%20the%20checkout%20process%2C%20useful%20for%20online%20shopping%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHelps%20facilitate%20cash%20flow%20planning%20when%20used%20wisely%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECons%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20ease%20of%20making%20purchases%20can%20lead%20to%20overspending%20and%20accumulation%20of%20debt%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EMissing%20payments%20can%20result%20in%20hefty%20fees%20and%2C%20in%20some%20cases%2C%20high%20interest%20rates%20after%20an%20initial%20interest-free%20period%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EFailure%20to%20make%20payments%20can%20impact%20credit%20score%20negatively%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ERefunds%20can%20be%20complicated%20and%20delayed%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ECourtesy%3A%20Carol%20Glynn%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A