Author: staff

The U.S. hasn’t confirmed specifics of the ceasefire proposal, and Trump this week seemed to deny the push on Crimea. “Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian territory,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday. “But if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?” Trump’s statements were criticized by Ukraine’s Crimean Tatar community, indigenous people of Crimea, who in February 2014 clashed with a covert Russian army in Simferopol during large protests, while Ukrainian troops were blocked by the Russian army…

“We need nuclear, we need wind, we need solar, we need batteries … we need hydrogen, we need carbon capture. And nuclear has a particular role to play in finding clean, stable and reliable power,” he said. The ‘obvious’ sites All three sites are owned by French firm EDF, a company in which the French state is the sole shareholder, handed over in a deal struck in 2023. An EDF spokesperson declined to comment on any discussions but said: “EDF would welcome developments that enable ongoing employment opportunities at our sites, once existing stations close. Heysham and Hartlepool both include…

The decision comes despite a Dutch court ruling in January that ordered the government to meet its existing 2030 deadline to protect sensitive nature areas from nitrogen pollution, most of it from manure, with fertilizer use also contributing. Brussels may also weigh in, as the delay risks breaching the EU’s Habitats Directive, which obliges member states to prevent the deterioration of protected ecosystems and to restore them “within a short period.” The Netherlands has long been ground zero for Europe’s nitrogen crisis, with its high-density farming blamed for dumping excessive nitrogen into Natura 2000 conservation areas. The country ranks among…

The China problem But Starmer’s critics — including those in the Trump administration itself — have a ready-made counter. The clean energy mission, they say, means Britain sleepwalking into dependence on a new energy hegemon — China, a country which dominates the supply chains for renewable energy and electric vehicles required by the U.K. and others if they are to wean their economies off fossil fuels. It was a point made bluntly by Trump’s envoy to the London summit, Tommy Joyce, acting assistant secretary of international affairs at the U.S. Energy Department. “There are no wind turbines without concessions to or coercion from…

According to the authorities, the explosion occurred at approximately 10:40 a.m. local time in Balashikha, a city just outside Moscow, as Moskalik was passing by a parked Volkswagen Golf near his residence. Videos circulating on social media show a car exploding and catching fire outside an apartment block, sending a thick plume of smoke into the air. The explosion came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow for a new round of high-level diplomatic talks. Witkoff is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine…

Although expected, Trump’s executive order on “unleashing” America’s offshore critical minerals and resources means the US is poised to extend the global scramble for critical minerals like lithium and rare earth metals to the high seas, while the majority of countries are still negotiating rules on how to ensure mining is done safely and without potentially massive environmental destruction.“The United States faces unprecedented economic and national security challenges in securing reliable supplies of critical minerals independent of foreign adversary control,” runs the preamble to the president’s 139th executive order since taking office in January. China is specifically named later in…

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine has finished its search and rescue operation in the rubble of a residential building in the Sviatoshynskyi district of Kyiv that was hit directly by a missile, killing several people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia might have used a ballistic missile made by North Korea in the strike. “No country in the world should be left alone against such threats,” he added, calling on allies to apply more pressure on Russia. The demand comes as U.S. President Donald Trump’s team tries to broker a ceasefire deal with Russia, which would involve Ukraine giving…

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez Thursday ordered Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska to unilaterally terminate the arms agreement with the Israeli firm. Critics, both within and outside the government, saw the deal as contradicting Spain’s vocal condemnation of Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza, where the death toll has reportedly surpassed 50,000. Spain has been among the most outspoken European critics of Israel’s campaign in Gaza, and has enforced an embargo on arms trade with Israel since 2023. Cancellation of the munitions contract has caused political turmoil within Sánchez’s coalition in recent days, after Spanish media reported the deal was moving…

Klitschko, a political opponent of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, made clear that the Ukrainian president hadn’t discussed any settlement with him: “President Zelenskyy does [it] himself. It’s not my function.”  While admitting it would be a “painful solution” to achieve peace, Klitschko insisted the Ukrainian people would “never accept occupation” by Moscow long term. But the Kyiv mayor’s remarks about a temporary transfer of land stand in stark contrast to a U.S. peace plan which heavily favors Moscow, calling for informal American recognition of Russia’s control over Crimea, a nonstarter for Ukraine. Klitschko’s comments come as Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is…

In an emailed statement, the IEA said: “The IEA Secretariat’s current programme of work is based on the mandates from our Member countries, as agreed at our last Ministerial in February 2024. The IEA Secretariat will continue to take into account feedback from all 32 Member countries on their priorities for the Agency going forward.” Headquartered in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the IEA was created following the 1973 oil crisis to act as a buffer against energy shocks. In 2019, after a sustained campaign by environmentalists, the agency shifted its focus to researching and actively supporting…