News Bulletin at 07:00 | ATHENS 9.84
In the midst of disagreements, which seem difficult to bridge, regarding the idea of imposing a ceiling on the price of natural gas, the Council of Energy Ministers of the EU is holding an emergency meeting – for the second time in a month – in Brussels. Goal: reducing high energy prices.
The debate in the Council will feed into the Commission’s non-paper on “extraordinary interventions in the natural gas market”.
The proposal rejects the idea of 15 member states for a general ceiling on the wholesale price of gas, due to the risks it poses to the security of energy supply.
According to Politico, the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, votes on the appeals of the 15 EU member states, but also voices from the College of Commissioners, and does not propose to apply to the prices of imported natural gas.
In favor of the cap, but only on Russian natural gas, was Europe’s Energy Commissioner, Kadri Simpson.
The UN Security Council is also meeting today, at Moscow’s request, on the case of the leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in a climate of tension between Russia and the West
Meanwhile, in Sofia, the meeting between the President of the Commission and the Prime Minister of Greece will take place, after the postponement of their meeting last night in Athens. Ursula von der Leyen was in our country to address the Athens Democracy Forum international conference, which turns ten years old this year.
“The energy crisis is a threat to the Republic itself. We need an immediate common European solution and an effective network in our societies” stressed the mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis, from the Forum podium.
Following the recognition, late last night, by Russian President Putin, of Zaporizhia and Kherson as separate countries with presidential decrees made public, within the day the signature for Donetsk and Lugansk regions of their appeal to the Russian Federation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who urged Russian citizens to rise up against Putin to end the war yesterday during his evening speech, has called a meeting of the National Security Council for today.
The US Senate, at the request of Kiev, approved a new package of more than twelve billion dollars, for the equipment, training, supply and payment of the Ukrainian military. Joe Biden vowed that the US would “never” recognize the results of the referendums “instigated by Russia” in Ukraine.
The United Nations Security Council will vote later today on a draft resolution condemning referendums in four Ukrainian regions for appealing to Russia, as did the French presidency last night (local time).
The crescendo of challenges from Turkey is now a daily occurrence. After Cavusoglu’s statements, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar declared late at night “The Aegean is a sea of friendship, to share the wealth fairly”.
With the examination of the president of PASOK, Nikos Androulakis, the work of the parliamentary inquiry committee investigating the surveillance case continues.
Legislative regulation concerning the procedure for conducting the first pan-Hellenic written competition of the A.S.E.P. presented to the Parliament by the Minister of the Interior Makis Voridis.
With this regulation, the process of the final processing of the State changes, as up to the first institution, each institution issued a notice with the exact description of the positions to cover its needs in human resources, which was always linked to the specific position and the specific carrier. Henceforth, an invitation will be issued which will concern the largest categories, without specifying the position to which the interested parties will be added in case they compete.
Traffic arrangements in Athens-Corinth, due to the running of the road race under the name “SPARTATHLON 2022”. ELAS appeals to the drivers of the vehicles to follow the instructions of the traffic police.
Tehran is threatening to prosecute celebrities who publicly support anti-regime protests that continue for a 13th day in the country, following the death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of morality police. Iran summoned the charge d’affaires of the French embassy, Florent Aidalo, to protest France’s “interference” in its internal affairs.
WEATHER
Almost clear weather in Attica with sparse clouds from midday. Winds variable, weak and temporary in the noon and afternoon hours southeast to 4 Beaufort.