Belarus President Lukashenko says first medical exam shows 'everything is normal'
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Sunday he had undergone a full medical exam for the first time in his life and was found to be in go...
Hungary and Slovakia face challenges in paying for Russian gas due to new U.S. sanctions on Gazprombank, risking supply disruptions without a legal solution.
Hungary and Slovakia are seeking ways to make payments for Russian gas that were thrown into uncertainty by new U.S. sanctions on Russia's Gazprombank, officials said on Wednesday.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said he would hold talks with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak later on Wednesday to work out a legal solution regarding future payments for shipments.
The U.S. imposed new sanctions on Russia's Gazprombank on Nov. 21, creating an obstacle for European buyers of Russian gas. Buyers have been using Gazprombank to make the payments, including a scheme for currency conversion to roubles.
A source close to the Slovak state-owned gas company SPP, which has a long-term contract with the Russian supplier Gazprom and supplies most of the Slovak market, said the problem was acute as a monthly payment was coming up and there was currently no known way how to make it.
Failure to pay could prompt Gazprom to suspend shipments, the source said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a decree last week cancelling the option for buyers of Russian gas to convert currency into roubles at Gazprombank.The lender said separately in a statement it remained the only bank authorised to process payments for Russian gas by foreign buyers, but it will receive payments only in roubles.
The source close to SPP said the issue affected other buyers in Europe as well, including countries in the Balkans, as banks were not willing to send payments to Gazprombank, and there was no grace period for the U.S. sanctions.
A spokesman for SPP said the company was still analysing the situation.
Slovakia and Hungary have been keen to continue buying Russian gas, though shipments to Slovakia face suspension from January as Ukraine does not plan to extend a transit agreement with Gazprom. Slovakia has been trying to find a workaround to allow the shipments to continue.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
Kuwait says oil prices will likely stay below $72 per barrel as OPEC monitors global supply trends and U.S. policy signals. The remarks come during market uncertainty fueled by new U.S. tariffs on India and possible sanctions on Russia.
France summoned U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner on Sunday after he published a letter accusing President Emmanuel Macron of failing to do enough to curb antisemitic violence, the French foreign ministry said.
Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr could be released from a jail in northern Mexico in the coming days as he awaits trial for alleged cartel ties, his lawyer said this weekend.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday that Russia has made “significant concessions” toward a negotiated settlement in its war with Ukraine, voicing confidence that progress is being made even without signs the conflict is close to ending.
Anti-migrant protests persisted across Britain on Sunday outside hotels housing asylum seekers, a day after police separated demonstrators and counter-protesters in several cities as tensions over immigration policies grew.
SpaceX launched its 50th Dragon spacecraft mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday, delivering 5,000 lbs of supplies and scientific experiments. The CRS-33 mission also supports critical research for future human space exploration.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment