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Two More Suspects Arrested in Oslo Gay Bar Shooting

26Sep

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Europe, News, Norway

Two More Suspects Arrested in Oslo Gay Bar Shooting

Norwegian police arrested two more suspects on Sunday in connection with a shooting in and around a gay bar in the capital Oslo in June. Two people were killed and more than 20 injured. The detainees are a Norwegian and a Somali, both of whom have already been in contact with the police due to criminal activities. A suspect was arrested at the scene of the shooting in June. That was Zaniar Matapour, a Norwegian of Iranian descent who is said to have been the shooter. Police suspect the shooting was a terrorist attack. A fourth suspect is still being sought, a previously convicted Norwegian jihadist, Arfan Bhatti, who may have fled to Pakistan.

Berlusconi Shocks With Statements About Putin Who Would Have Been Forced to War

23Sep

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Europe, Italy, News, Russia

Berlusconi Shocks With Statements About Putin Who Would Have Been Forced to War

Former Prime Minister Berlusconi has caused a stir in the run-up to the parliamentary elections in Italy with statements about Vladimir Putin. The 85-year-old politician said in a television interview on Thursday that the Kremlin was being pushed to invade Ukraine. "Putin was pushed by the Russian people, by a party, by his ministers to come up with this special operation," Berlusconi told Rai TV channel. Berlusconi is a friend of the Russian president and was hesitant to condemn the invasion long after the war broke out. But, he said, "Putin has found himself in a complicated and dramatic situation." According to Berlusconi, deputies from the two self-declared "republics" in the Donbas had asked Putin to intervene. The separatist "republics" are said to have convinced the Rus...

Shell: Energy Consumption Down, More Renewable Sources Quickly

14Sep

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Business, Europe

Shell: Energy Consumption Down, More Renewable Sources Quickly

Shell "supports the need for temporary emergency policies and other measures to alleviate the energy crisis in Europe and elsewhere and to protect households and businesses," the company said in a statement. The oil and gas group also calls for "coordinated measures to reduce energy consumption in the coming months" and to encourage "the faster adoption of renewable energy sources", such as wind or solar energy. In doing so, the group is responding to measures announced by the European Commission against high energy prices. This also includes a so-called windfall tax that Brussels intends to impose on large energy companies. Excess profits from the high energy prices will be skimmed off and paid out to citizens and companies, which is the intention. However, the shell did not com...

Charles Michel in Qatar to Discuss Energy Crisis

7Sep

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Business, Europe, Middle East, News, Qatar

Charles Michel in Qatar to Discuss Energy Crisis

Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, arrived in the Qatari capital Doha on Wednesday. He is on a diplomatic mission with the European Union to discuss various issues such as the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis, AFP reports. The visit is "an important signal of our political will to strengthen ties with Qatar" in several areas such as "energy, economic development and global security", Michel said. He will meet several people during his visit, including Sheikh Tamim ben Hamad Al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar, and the Minister of Energy, Saad Sherida al-Kaabi. Gas shortages are looming in Europe this winter as the Russian state gas company recently announced the shutdown of the critical Nord Stream 1 pipeline. Qatar is one of the principal gas producers in t...

Eurozone Retailers Sold Slightly More in July

5Sep

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Business, Europe, News

Eurozone Retailers Sold Slightly More in July

Retailers in the eurozone sold slightly more goods in July. According to the European statistics bureau Eurostat, the sales volume increased by 0.3 percent compared to a month earlier. In June, sales fell by 1 percent. According to Eurostat, sales of car fuel rose by 0.4 percent, and food and stimulants showed a plus of 0.1 percent. However, non-food sales volume fell by 0.4 percent because consumers buy fewer non-essential goods due to high inflation. Compared to a year ago, retail sales volume in the euro area fell by 0.9 percent.

EU Countries Negotiate Exceptions to Gas Savings Plan

26Jul

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Business, Europe, News

EU Countries Negotiate Exceptions to Gas Savings Plan

Minister Rob Jetten wants the number of exceptions to measures to save on gas consumption in the EU in the coming months to be limited. A number of countries, including Spain, Greece, and Poland, object to the European Commission's proposal to reduce gas consumption by 15% between August and the end of March and demand exceptions. Based on anonymous sources, the German news agency DPA reported Monday night that the 27 member states had agreed on a European Commission emergency plan called Save gas for a safe winter to save 15 percent gas voluntarily and, if that is not possible quickly enough, to introduce mandatory measures. But the race is not over yet. For example, Polish minister Anna Moskwa said on arrival in Brussels that savings in her country are unnecessary because the ...

Ryanair Strikes Deal With Spanish and French Pilot Unions

21Jul

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Business, Europe, News

Ryanair Strikes Deal With Spanish and French Pilot Unions

After months of difficult negotiations, Irish low-cost airline Ryanair signed a deal with Spanish and French pilots' unions on Thursday. The agreements include wage increases and have a duration of five years. “We welcome these long-term agreements that will bring many improvements to our pilots in Spain and France,” said Ryanair. However, the company also states that the company still faces "significant challenges" after the boom of the corona crisis. According to the company, agreements have now been made with 85 percent of the pilots about an accelerated wage recovery and improved long-term agreements. Spanish cabin crew went on strike in June and July because the low-cost airline refused to negotiate higher wages. The Spanish trade unions got together with unions in Belgium,...

UN Finds Soup Borscht Endangered Ukrainian World Heritage

1Jul

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Europe, News, Ukraine

UN Finds Soup Borscht Endangered Ukrainian World Heritage

The United Nations has declared the vegetable soup borscht an endangered Ukrainian World Heritage Site. The UN culture organization UNESCO fears negative consequences for the tradition in Ukraine due to the Russian invasion on 24 February. The Ukrainian government in Kyiv welcomes UNESCO's decision as a victory in the "borsht war" with Russia. Because the Russians also claim the beetroot soup as a national dish. Moscow is therefore strongly against the move by UNESCO. "The victory is ours," said the Ukrainian culture minister. And according to him, Ukraine will also win the other war against Russia. Borscht, also written for example as borscht or borscht, is popular in many Eastern European countries.

Spain Also Wants to Talk About Southern Flank at Nato Summit

23Jun

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Europe, News, Spain

Spain Also Wants to Talk About Southern Flank at Nato Summit

During the NATO summit in Madrid next week, host country Spain wants to discuss the threats to the southern flank of the military alliance in addition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said on Wednesday. Spain faces neighbours in North Africa who are at odds with each other. Defense Secretary Margarita Robles stressed that the war in Ukraine is also impacting countries south of NATO, such as famine-stricken Somalia. In addition, Russia is increasingly present in certain Sahel countries. NATO wants to come out in Madrid with a united message regarding the Russian aggression. The question is whether Turkey will abandon its opposition to Finland and Sweden joining the alliance.

German Competition Watchdog Starts Investigation into Google Maps

22Jun

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Europe, Germany, News, Technology

German Competition Watchdog Starts Investigation into Google Maps

Limits in the terms of use of the service could be a form of monopoly abuse. The German antitrust watchdog has launched an investigation into Google Maps for possible anti-competitive practices. The organization wants to know whether the limits Maps places on combining its services with those of third parties could have given Maps a competitive advantage. Specifically, the watchdog wants to find out whether the terms of use for the charting platform may be illegal. These are conditions that make it difficult for app developers to combine the Google Maps API with that of alternative map makers. The cartel watchdog would also start an investigation of Google's Automotive Services. "We're going to see if Google extends its dominance in certain mapping services through this practice...