China to close over 2,000 coal mines by 2015 (those that do not meet safety standards)

China plans to shut down over 2,000 small-scale coal mines by 2015 in an effort to eliminate outdated capacity and improve work safety, according to the State Administration of Work Safety.

Coal mines in the provinces of Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou, as well as Chongqing municipality, will be major targets, the administration said.

Bolivie: inauguration du téléphérique urbain le plus long et le plus haut du monde (Video R)

Le président bolivien Evo Morales a inauguré vendredi la première ligne du réseau de téléphérique urbain le plus long et le plus haut du monde, entre La Paz et El Alto. 

Construit par l'entreprise autrichienne Doppelmayr pour 234 millions de dollars, ce téléphérique relie les villes de La Paz et d'Alto, entre 3.200 et 4.000 mètres d'altitude, en pleine Cordillère des Andes. 

Cette ligne permettra aux passagers de rallier les deux villes en moins de 10 minutes, contre plus d'une demi-heure en voiture ou en transport collectif, avec en toile de fond les cimes enneigés de l'Illimani, qui culmine à 6.462 mètres d'altitude, un des plus hauts sommets de la Bolivie.

Statement after the trilateral meeting between the EU, Russia and Ukraine on energy security

European Commission, Statement, Brussels, 30 May 2014:

On Friday (30 May) afternoon a trilateral meeting on energy security between EU Energy Commissioner Oettinger, Russian Energy Minister Novak and Ukrainian Energy Minister Prodan took place in Berlin.

 Further progress has been achieved. Naftogaz has proved that they have transferred 786 million USD from their account to a corresponding bank. 

Naftogaz agrees to pay $786mn of gas debt to Russia (Günther Oettinger)

Ukraine has agreed to pay $786 million of its $3.5 billion gas debt to Russia, the European Union Energy Minister Oettinger said in Berlin on Friday.

The statement comes as Russia, Ukraine and the EU are holding a third round of energy talks in Berlin.

The Ukrainian delegation has produced documents proving that Kiev has transferred the money to Moscow, Oettinger said in an interview to Russia's TV Channel Rossiya 24.

Russia Says No Gas Payments From Kiev as of Thursday

As of Thursday evening, Moscow has not received any gas debt payments from Kiev, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Friday.

He reiterated that Russia was not ready to discuss any gas discounts until Kiev repays at least a part of its debt, which may hit $5.2 billion in May.

“Naturally, our position remains unchanged,” Alexander Novak said.

Deadline for repayment by Naftogaz of $2 bln of debt for Russian gas expires Friday

The deadline for repayment by Ukraine's Naftogaz of $2 billion-worth part of debt for the supplied Russian gas expires on Friday. The deadline was set during the latest trilateral meeting of Russia, Ukraine, and the European Union (EU) in Berlin on May 26 when a compromise framework was suggested for settling the situation concerning Ukraine's debt for for Rusian gas.

In particular, it is supposed that before the end of the week Naftogaz will remit $2 billion to Russia's Gazprom, thereby partially repaying debt for the already supplied gas and, not later than June 7, remit another $500 million as an advance for June deliveries.

Gazprom: Δεν έχουμε λάβει καμία προκαταβολή από την Ουκρανία

«Δεν έχει γίνει καμία πληρωμή ακόμα» είπε στο Reuters στέλεχος της Gazprom, στο περιθώριο επιχειρηματικού συνεδρίου στην Αθήνα.

Ωστόσο, ο διευθύνων σύμβουλος της εταιρίας δήλωσε ότι ελπίζει να επιτευχθεί σύντομα συμφωνία με το Κίεβο.

«Δεν νομίζω ότι χρειάζεται να πω στους παρευρισκόμενους πόσο μεγάλη πρόκληση και πόσο δύσκολο είναι να εφοδιάσεις με φυσικό αέριο την Ουκρανία. 

Ukraine Confirms Participation in Friday's 3-Party Gas Meeting

Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan will attend a three-party meeting on gas issues scheduled for Friday in Berlin, the ministry’s spokesman told RIA Novosti Thursday.
“The minister will take part in the three-party talks in Berlin,” he said.
A source close to the negotiations told RIA Novosti on Thursday that Kiev’s decision about repaying a part of its debt to Russia is expected after Friday’s meeting of Ukraine, Russia and the European Union.
The Russia Energy Ministry and the European Commission earlier confirmed their plans to attend the meeting.

Turkey interested in Russia's new gas pipeline project (South Stream)

Turkey finds it feasible and possible to participate in Russia's South Stream pipeline project, if Moscow makes official offer, said Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz on Thursday.
If Russia makes an official offer, we find it feasible and possible, said Yildiz at the fourth Annual Congress of Caucasus Universities Association titled "Role of Energy in Caucasia's Future" in Ankara.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin recently announced that Moscow would choose a country not belonging to the European Union for passage of the South Stream pipeline, following the EU's reactions to the annexation of Crimea by Russia.

Κομισιόν: Στρατηγική για ενίσχυση της ασφάλειας του ενεργειακού εφοδιασμού

Αναλυτικότερα, λαμβάνοντας υπόψη τα σημερινά γεωπολιτικά δεδομένα και την εξάρτηση της ΕΕ από τις εισαγωγές, η Κομισιόν αποφάσισε να προωθήσει μια νέα ευρωπαϊκή στρατηγική για την ασφάλεια του ενεργειακού εφοδιασμού. 

Κύρια στοιχεία αυτής της στρατηγικής είναι η διαφοροποίηση του εξωτερικού ενεργειακού εφοδιασμού, η αναβάθμιση των ενεργειακών υποδομών, η ολοκλήρωση της εσωτερικής αγοράς ενέργειας και η εξοικονόμηση ενέργειας...

Ντονσκόι: Η Gazprom πληροί όλες τις προϋποθέσεις και τις υποχρεώσεις της άδειας εξορύξεων στην Αρκτική

«Η ρωσική Gazprom εκπληρώνει στο ακέραιο κάθε υποχρέωση που θέτει η άδεια εξορύξεων στην Αρκτική» δήλωσε σήμερα ο ρώσος υπουργός Φυσικών Πόρων Σεργκέι Ντονκσόι.
Ο ρωσικός πετρελαϊκός και ενεργειακός κολοσσός βρέθηκε και πάλι στο στόχαστρο για τις εξορύξεις στην Αρκτική. Η νέα «επίθεση» των ακτιβιστών της Greenpeace στην πλατφόρμα της Gazprom στην Ολλανδία έχει θέσει και πάλι ερωτηματικά, όσον αφορά στην προστασία του περιβάλλοντος.

Bulgaria facing EU sanctions over South Stream. (Barroso)

 Outgoing European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said that the EC was planning to begin infringement proceedings against Bulgaria for breaching EU laws in its agreements on the Kremlin-backed South Stream gas pipeline, Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) reported on May 28.

At the informal European Council meeting late on May 27, Barroso told EU heads of government that the EC remains steadfast in its opinion that some of the intergovernmental agreements signed by member states with Russia to build South Stream were in contradiction with EU rules, BNR said.

TEPCO finds water leak area in crippled Fukushima No.1 reactor

Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, said it has identified the exact location of water leakage at the bottom of the container of the plant's No. 1 reactor, local media reported Wednesday.

The company said that a remote-controlled robot survey found that water was leaking from a joint in a pipe connected to the No. 1 reactor's primary containment vessel, Kyodo News said.

ΤΑ ΚΡΙΤΗΡΙΑ ΓΙΑ ΤΙΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΕΣ ΠΑΡΑΛΙΕΣ: «Εξαιρετικής ποιότητας» και αυστηρά

Το αυστηρότερο επίπεδο στην κατηγορία «εξαιρετικής ποιότητας» πληροί το 93,2% των ελληνικών παραλιών.

Αυτό αναφέρεται στην ετήσια έκθεση της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής για την ποιότητα των υδάτων κολύμβησης στην ΕΕ.

Στην Ελλάδα ελέγχθηκαν συνολικά 2.162 παραλίες και το 99,2% (94,7% στην ΕΕ) πληροί τις ελάχιστες απαιτήσεις.

Σύμφωνα με τα αποτελέσματα της έκθεσης, όλες οι περιοχές κολύμβησης στην Κύπρο και το Λουξεμβούργο κρίθηκαν «εξαιρετικές» και ακολούθησαν η Μάλτα (99%, εξαιρετικής ποιότητας ύδατα) και η Κροατία (95%).

Ισπανική WWF προς κυβέρνηση: Μην καταστρέψετε τις ακτές σας όπως στην Ισπανία

"Η εκτεταμένη οικοδομική δραστηριότητα τις τελευταίες δεκαετίες, δίχως πρόβλεψη για τις περιβαλλοντικές επιπτώσεις είχε καταστροφικές συνέπειες"....
 
Η επιστολή της ισπανικής WWF εστάλη ενώ αναμένεται η κυβέρνηση να επαναφέρει προς συζήτηση το επίμαχο και αμφιλεγόμενο νομοσχέδιο για τον αιγιαλό το οποίο είχε μπει στον πάγο μέχρι τις ευρωεκλογές λόγω των αντιδράσεων από τα κόμματα της αντιπολίτευσης αλλά και από φορείς της προστασίας του περιβάλλοντος.

Water quality excellent at most of Europe’s bathing sites

European Commission, Press release, Brussels, 27 May 2014:

The water at Europe’s beaches, rivers and lakes was generally of high quality in 2013, with more than 95 % of these sites meeting minimum requirements. Coastal performed slightly better than inland bathing waters, the data shows.

All the bathing sites in Cyprus and Luxembourg were deemed ‘excellent’. These countries were followed by Malta (99 % excellent), Croatia (95 %) and Greece (93 %). At the other end of the scale, European Union Member States with the highest proportion of sites with a ‘poor’ status were Estonia (6 %), the Netherlands (5 %), Belgium (4 %), France (3 %), Spain (3 %) and Ireland (3 %).

Ukraine agrees to pay gas debt to Russia

Ukraine agreed to start in this week paying a gas debt it owed Russia, in a bid to resolve a gas supply dispute between the two countries, said European Union Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger in Berlin on Monday.

Ukraine agreed to pay 2 billion U.S. dollars back to Russia by Thursday for the gas delivered since July last year, said Oettinger in a press conference started nearly one and half hours later than scheduled, following a meeting with Ukraine Energy Minister Yuri Prodan and his Russian counterpart Alexander Novak.

Statement by the European Commission following the meeting of EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger, Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak and Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan

European Commission, Statement, Berlin, 26 May 2014:

Substantial progress has been made today.  However, there is no breakthrough yet. 

The following solution is proposed subject to confirmation by Russian and Ukrainian authorities and gas companies until Wednesday 28 May 2014:

Greenpeace complaint halts Norway plans to drill northermost oil well

Environmental activists from Greenpeace have blocked plans by Norwegian state-owned oil company Statoil to drill the world’s northernmost oil well, the activists' organization told ITAR-TASS on Monday. Campaigners accuse Statoil of violating the law that bans drilling in ice and near an ice boundary. Russia to apply for Arctic shelf borders in 2015 — minister Sergei Donskoy said.

The halt was called as Transocean operators' Spitsbergen rig made its way towards the site in the Norwegian sector of the Barents Sea. Work is now on hold until a Greenpeace complaint is investigated, said the protest group's press officer, Maria Favorskaya.

China will destroy 5,000,000 cars this year to battle air pollution (Polluting vehicles to be scrapped)

China is going to make air cleaner by taking 5.33 million ageing cars off its roads, according to a government document. The move is part of a broader campaign for battling deep environmental crisis that’s gripped world’s second-biggest economy.
The vehicles in question are so-called ‘yellow label’ cars that do not meet Chinese fuel standards and are thus meant to be ‘eliminated’ this year, the Chinese State Council document published on Monday and cited by Reuters, says.
Chinese authorities, spurred by overwhelming public outcry, have lately boosted efforts for tackling the growing ecological crisis, a byproduct of decades of massive economic growth amid neglect for environmental protection.

Επιτάχυνση ολοκλήρωση​ς της παράκαμψης Στυλίδας- Καραβόμυλο​υ. (ΥΠΕΚΑ)

ΥΠΕΚΑ, 26.5.14

Ο Υπουργός Περιβάλλοντος, Ενέργειας και Κλιματικής Αλλαγής, Γιάννης Μανιάτης, υπέγραψε την Τροποποίηση της Απόφασης Έγκρισης Περιβαλλοντικών Όρων (ΑΕΠΟ) για την παράκαμψη Στυλίδας – Καραβόμυλου, ώστε να ενσωματωθούν στον τελικό σχεδιασμό αλλαγές που αφορούν στη μηκοτομή του έργου πρωτογενώς λόγω προστασίας αρχαιολογικών ευρημάτων και δευτερογενώς για υδραυλικούς λόγους.

Iraqi Kurds slam Baghdad legal action over oil shipment

Iraq's Kurdish region slammed legal action filed by the central government against Turkey, saying Sunday it was illegitimate and likely to fail, the latest in worsening ties between Baghdad and Kurdistan.
 
The Kurdish Ministry of Natural Resources statement came just days after Baghdad's Oil Ministry filed a request for arbitration against Ankara at the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce after crude from Kurdistan was exported to international markets via a Turkish port.

Relations between Iraq and its Kurdish region, and between Baghdad and Ankara, were already fragile and are likely to chill further over the row, with the latest shipments flying in the face of the Iraqi government's insistence that it has the sole right to sell its prized natural resources.

Silk Road inscription into World Heritage list "hopeful"

The multinational campaign to include the Silk Road into the World Heritage list has entered the final countdown, with officials and experts sanguine about its success.

Jointly submitted by China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the application for adding part of the millennium-old trade route into the UNESCO list is expected to be finalized by a vote in June, when the World Heritage Committee convenes its 38th session in Doha.

South Stream: le gazoduc pourrait contourner l'UE (Poutine)

La Russie pourrait faire passer le gazoduc South Stream par des pays non membres de l'UE, si cette dernière continue de dresser les obstacles à la réalisation du projet, a déclaré samedi à Saint-Pétersbourg le président russe Vladimir Poutine.

"Si nous avons toujours des problèmes concernant South Stream - et Bruxelles dresse des obstacles à la réalisation de ce projet - nous étudierons d'autres variantes et poserons le gazoduc dans les pays qui ne font pas partie de l'Union européenne. 

Gas price under Gazprom’s contract with China on par with European (RF energy minister)

Gas price under Gazprom’s contract with China is close to the European one, Russian Minister of Energy Alexander Novak told Itar-Tass on Friday.

The minister noted that the price was calculated based on a formula taking into account the oil product basket, hence it could change in a certain range.

BLUEFIN TUNA: THE LONG PATH OF RECOVERY

Bluefin Tuna is an emblematic species, fished and appreciated all across the globe. But when I took office four years ago, the state of the stocks was extremely alarming. We were exporting and eating more bluefin tuna than we were expected to catch!

In 2012 we managed to take action at global level: we implemented, within the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), a very strict recovery plan based on advice by scientists.

New EU initiative to protect biodiversity and fight wildlife crime

European Commission, MEMO, Brussels, 22 May 2014:

B4Life: United for Biodiversity

1. Why do we need EU Biodiversity for Life? What is the value-added?

EU Biodiversity for Life (B4Life) marks a change in the way the EU provides support to protect biodiversity in developing countries. In the face of the growing global threats to biodiversity, it provides for more resources, strengthened capacity and better coordination with partners.

Αποδεκτό από τον Υπουργό ΠΕΚΑ, Γιάννη Μανιάτη, το αίτημα της ENEL για τις χερσαίες περιοχές σε Άρτα-Πρέβε​ζα, Αιτωλοακαρ​νανία και ΒΔ Πελοπόννησ​ο

ΥΠΕΚΑ, 21/5/14
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Δεκτή έγινε από τον Υπουργό Περιβάλλοντος, Ενέργειας και Κλιματικής Αλλαγής, Γιάννη Μανιάτη, η εισήγηση της Διεύθυνσης Πετρελαϊκής Πολιτικής του ΥΠΕΚΑ για την αποδοχή και των τριών αιτήσεων ενδιαφέροντος που είχε καταθέσει στα μέσα Απριλίου η εταιρία ENELTRADESpA, για την παραχώρηση δικαιωμάτων έρευνας και εκμετάλλευσης Υδρογονανθράκων σε τρεις χερσαίες περιοχές της Δυτικής Ελλάδας, σύμφωνα με την πρόνοια του Ν. 2289/1995 που δίνει τη δυνατότητα σε ενδιαφερόμενους επενδυτές, φυσικά ή νομικά πρόσωπα, να εκδηλώσουν το ενδιαφέρον τους για περιοχές που είναι ελεύθερες και όχι δεσμευμένες με οποιονδήποτε τρόπο, ανά την Ελληνική επικράτεια. 

UN adopts new global platform to tackle wildlife, forest crime

UN,  21 May 2014 – In response to the rising levels of illicit trafficking of fauna and flora, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has adopted a new global platform taking aim at this “particularly devastating’ form of organized crime involving a raft of illegal activities – from poaching to timber smuggling and money laundering.

The Global Programme for Combatting Wildlife and Forest Crime will be implemented over the next four years and is an important step towards building Government capacity to prevent and combat such crime on a regional, national and local basis. It will also raise awareness to contribute to the reduction of demand for wild fauna and flora.

Gazprom to receive $25 billion prepayment for gas supplies to China

Russian gas monopoly Gazprom will get $25 billion in prepayment from the Chinese National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) to be allocated for the Sila Sibiri (Power of Siberia) pipeline under the gas supply deal, a source close to Gazprom told ITAR-TASS.

The amount is similar to the earlier announced cost of the pipeline with an annual capacity of up to 38 billion cubic metres.

Putin praises Gazprom, CNPC deal on Russian gas for China

Russian investments into the infrastructure for transporting gas to China, compressor stations will total $55 billion, according to Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller...

The price of Russian natural gas for China under bilateral contract signed on Wednesday is based on the market price on oil and oil products, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

Russian energy giant Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corporation signed a contract on Wednesday on Russia’s gas deliveries to China. The contract was signed in the presence of President Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

Paving the way for European energy security

European Commission, Press release, Brussels, 21 May 2014:

Completing the internal energy market, saving energy, increasing domestic energy production as well as diversifying sources, routes and counterparties of energy imports: these are ways to reduce the EU’s energy dependence. Energy leaders discuss the crucial issue today in Brussels at the high-level conference "Paving the way for a European Energy Security Strategy", organised by the European Commission.

China-Russia natural gas deal on the way

Russia has agreed to "finalize" a prolonged negotiation on natural gas with China in a meeting between the leaders of the two countries on Tuesday.

According to a joint statement, the two countries will "establish a comprehensive energy cooperation partnership". The deal is still pending, despite of the huge progress claimed in the protracted negotiation. Sinopec, China's top oil refiner, signed a framework agreement about the east route of the natural gas project with Russia's Gazprom, the world's largest gas company, in September of 2013.

Scientists: Rising Sea Levels Threaten NASA Space Centers

U.S. scientists say global warming is forcing NASA to build seawalls near major flight and research centers along the U.S. coasts.

A report by the Union of Concerned Scientists says rising sea levels are the greatest threat to the historic Kennedy Space Center, along the Atlantic Ocean in Florida. It says other NASA facilities already have faced costly damage from erosion and hurricanes.

Negotiations ongoing for long-awaited gas deal. - Xi, Putin vow to push ties to ‘new phase’

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin's meeting Tuesday yielded a "substantial" joint statement, which vowed to push the all-round strategic partnership to a "new phase," though the two countries have yet to finalize a key gas supply agreement.

The trip to Shanghai marks Putin's first state visit to China after Xi took office last year.

ΥΠΕΚΑ: Συνάντηση Υπουργού ΠΕΚΑ, Γιάννη Μανιάτη, με τον Γ.Γ του Χάρτη Ενέργειας, Πρέσβη Urban Ruznak

ΥΠΕΚΑ, 20/5/14 :

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Ο Υπουργός Περιβάλλοντος, Ενέργειας και Κλιματικής Αλλαγής, Γιάννης Μανιάτης, είχε συνάντηση στο γραφείο του με τον Γενικό Γραμματέα του Χάρτη Ενέργειας, Πρέσβη Urban Ruznak.

 

Ο Χάρτης Ενέργειας είναι Διεθνής Οργανισμός που εδρεύει στις Βρυξέλλες, ο οποίος έχει συσταθεί μέσω Συνθήκης που υπεγράφη το 1994 και τέθηκε σε ισχύ το 1998. Στην εν λόγω διαδικασία μετέχουν 51 χώρες-μέλη, συμπεριλαμβανομένης της Ελλάδας, καθώς και η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση ως 52ο μέλος, η οποία εκπροσωπείται από την Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή.

Συνάντηση Γεν. Γραμματέα ΔΟΣ ΥΠΕΞ Παναγιώτη Μίχαλου με αντιπροσωπεία της Κρατικής Διοίκησης Ωκεανών (ΚΔΩ) της Λαϊκής Δημ. της Κίνας

ΥΠΕΞ, Τρίτη, 20 Μάιος 2014:

 

Ο Γενικός Γραμματέας Διεθνών Οικονομικών Σχέσεων του Υπουργείου Εξωτερικών, Παναγιώτης Μίχαλος, είχε, χτες, Δευτέρα, 19 Μαΐου, συνάντηση με αντιπροσωπεία της Κρατικής Διοίκησης Ωκεανών (ΚΔΩ) της Λαϊκής Δημοκρατίας της Κίνας, την οποία ενημέρωσε για τις εξελίξεις στη διακρατική συνεργασία Ελλάδος-Κίνας, ιδιαίτερα μετά την επίσκεψη του Πρωθυπουργού, κ. Σαμαρά στην Κίνα, τον Μάιο του 2013.

Fish more important than ever in providing jobs, feeding the world. – UN report

UN, 19 May 2014 – A new United Nations report highlights the growing role of fish and aquaculture in feeding the world and providing a source of income, and calls for the sustainable and responsible management of the so-called ‘blue world.’

Global fisheries and aquaculture production totalled 158 million tonnes in 2012 – around 10 million tonnes more than 2010 – according to the latest edition of “The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture,” produced by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Υποχρεωτική η τοποθέτηση συστήματος eCall στα αυτοκίνητα από το 2017

Σε περίπτωση σοβαρού ατυχήματος θα παρέχει τη δυνατότητα αυτόματης ή χειροκίνητης κλήσης του αριθμού έκτακτης ανάγκης... 
 
Με τη συμβιβαστική πρόταση που κατέθεσε η ελληνική προεδρία, πέτυχε να κάμψει τις διαφωνίες μεταξύ των εκπροσώπων των Κρατών Μελών και πλέον το κείμενο του Κανονισμού θα τεθεί σε διαπραγμάτευση με το Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο αμέσως μετά τις ευρωεκλογές. 

Russia believes it is impossible to return to $268 gas price in negotiations with Ukraine

“We can discuss discounts on this sum if mechanisms of settling (Ukraine’s) outstanding debt and ensuring Ukraine’s further solvency can be found,” the Russian energy minister says...

Russia is ready “to discuss discounts on gas prices with Ukraine but it is impossible to return to the price that existed in the first quarter of 2014,” Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told a news conference in Berlin after meeting EU Commissioner for Energy Gunther Oettinger on Monday.

EU Energy Commissioner Oettinger and Russian Energy Minister Novak discuss security of gas supply

European Commission, Statement, Brussels, 19 May 2014:

European Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger met Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak today in Berlin in order to discuss issues relating to security of gas supply and transit from Russia via Ukraine to the EU. 

It was a constructive meeting that helped to prepare the ground for the second trilateral meeting between the EU, Russia and Ukraine. This is scheduled for 26 May subject to confirmation by all parties involved (a possible venue is Berlin). 

Gazprom to sign monumental gas deal with China

Russia and China are set to sign a long-awaited 30-year gas contract during a two-day meeting, when Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Shanghai on May 20-21.
Gazprom, Russia’s largest natural gas producer, and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) are set to sign a gas deal that will send 38 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year eastward to China’s burgeoning economy, starting in 2018.
The timing is almost flawless as Russia is looking to shield itself from Western sanctions by pivoting towards Asia, and China desperately needs to switch from dirty coal to more environmentally friendly natural gas.

Gazprom: Η σύμβαση που θα υπογράψουμε με την Κίνα θα είναι συμφέρουσα για τη Ρωσία

Βέβαιος ότι η σύμβαση με την Κίνα για το φυσικό αέριο θα υπογραφεί με όρους κατάλληλους για τη Ρωσία δηλωσε ο Αλεξέι Μίλερ, διευθύνων σύμβουλος της Gazprom. Μιλώντας στην τηλεοπτική εκπομπή «Vesti v Subbotu» (Ειδήσεις του Σαββάτου), ο Μίλερ είπε: «Έχουμε εισέλθει στην τελική φάση των διαπραγματεύσεων. Η σύμβαση, ως έγγραφο, έχει ολοκληρωθεί – πρόκειται για μια σοβαρή και ουσιώδη σύμβαση.

Cyprus’ energy hopes rise as Ukraine crisis deepens

As the crisis in Ukraine deepens, Cyprus seems to be seen as a key player in EU rush for alternative gas supplies. 

Policy makers have even gone as far as to hope that new gas routes could help end decades of division on Cyprus. 

And the timing of US vice president Joe Biden’s visit next week in the island is no coincidence. It is worth reminding that it will be the first visit by a US president or a vice president in 52 years.

Τσερνομπίλ: η ιστορία πίσω από την καταστροφή με διεθνείς συνέπειες. - Όταν χτύπησε ο συναγερμός στο Φόρσμακ, νωρίς το πρωί στις 28 Απριλίου 1986

Ο συναγερμός χτύπησε στο Φόρσμαρκ της Σουηδίας, το δεύτερο μεγαλύτερο εργοστάσιο πυρηνικής ενέργειας, όταν ένας από τους υπαλλήλους πέρασε τη συσκευή παρακολούθησης ακτινοβολίας καθώς επέστρεφε από την τουαλέτα. Όταν οι ειδικοί ανακάλυψαν ότι η ακτινοβολία προερχόταν από τα παπούτσια του φοβήθηκαν ότι είχε γίνει ατύχημα στη μονάδα παραγωγής. Λίγο αργότερα κατάλαβαν ότι η πηγή της ακτινοβολίας ήταν 1.100χλμ μακριά, στο Τσερνομπίλ.

NO MORE DRIFTNETS IN OUR WATERS

Driftnet fishing – with vertical nets – is an irresponsible practice. It is a non-selective fishery which leads to non-targeted catches. It threatens marine wildlife and species which are protected under EU legislation. Tolerating this practice comes in contradiction with our newly reformed Common Fisheries Policy.

One of the core principles of our Reform is to reduce the pressure of fishing activities on marine ecosystems. This is a key value that we promote also in our international agreements. It is important that we remain coherent and ensure such prohibited and destructive practices are not taking place in the EU anymore. We need to lead by example on sustainability.

Pentagon plans multi-billion dollar project to combat space junk

Later this month the US Pentagon plans to award a massive contract to one of the two most influential American contractors for a project that, if all goes according to plan, will be able to identify space debris before it becomes a threat to the Earth.
Lockheed Martin Corp. and Raytheon Co. are competing for the $6 billion contract to design and construct Space Fence, a radar system that will eventually be able to track large bodies of space matter. The plan is being put into place so that the government can not only better predict the bodies that may come into contact with Earth (such as the asteroid that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, for instance) but also to better protect satellites that could be destroyed while in orbit.

ΥΠΕΚΑ: Συνάντηση Υπουργού ΠΕΚΑ, Γιάννη Μανιάτη, με τον Κύπριο Υπουργό Ενέργειας, Εμπορίου, Βιομηχανία​ς & Τουρισμού, Γιώργο Λακκοτρύπη

ΥΠΕΚΑ, 16/5/14

O Υπουργός Περιβάλλοντος, Ενέργειας και Κλιματικής Αλλαγής, Γιάννης Μανιάτης, πραγματοποίησε στο περιθώριο του άτυπου Συμβουλίου Υπουργών Ενέργειας της Ε.Ε. που διεξάγεται στην Αθήνα, κατ’ιδίαν συνάντηση με τον Κύπριο ομόλογο του, Υπουργό Ενέργειας, Εμπορίου, Βιομηχανίας και Τουρισμού, Γιώργο Λακκοτρύπη.

Οι δύο Υπουργοί, επιβεβαίωσαν εκ νέου τους στενούς δεσμούς και την αγαστή συνεργασία μεταξύ των δύο χωρών στον τομέα της ενέργειας. Ο κ. Μανιάτης ενημέρωσε για την πορεία εξέλιξης των ενεργειών για την ωρίμανση και προώθηση του αγωγού φυσικού αερίου EastMed.

The carrier rocket Proton-M has burnt up in the dense layers of the atmosphere. - Where did fragments of Proton-M fall

The carrier rocket Proton-M, which was launched from Baikonur together with the communications satellite Express-AM4R, has burnt up in the dense layers of the atmosphere, an official of Russia's Federal Space Agency has told Itar-Tass.
"Some small fragments of the rocket could fall onto Earth. An impact area is being ascertained," the space official said. According to the data given by him, the engine of the third stage of the carrier rocket failed at an altitude of 161 km because of deviation of the Proton-M from the flight path. "There was an angle-and-bank error," he said.

Life expectancy rising, but UN report shows ‘major’ rich-poor longevity divide persists

UN, 15 May 2014 – People everywhere are living longer, the United Nations health agency today reported, mostly because fewer children are dying, certain diseases are in check, and tobacco use is down, but conditions in low-income countries continue to plague life quality there.

According to the UN World Health Organization’s (WHO) World Health Statistics 2014, a girl born in 2012 can expect to live around 73 years and a boy to the age of 68. That is six years longer than the average life span for a child in 1990.