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Hungary plans talks with allies to fight higher oil rates after brand-new US sanctions on Russia
Hungary plans to hold talks with local allies to counter the impact of higher oil prices resulting from a brand-new round of United States sanctions on Russia's oil and gas sector, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Sunday. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration enforced its broadest bundle of sanctions up until now targeting Russia's oil and gas incomes on Friday to provide Kyiv and Donald Trump's incoming group utilize to reach a deal for peace in Ukraine. Oil rates struck a three-month high after the sanctions news broke. The U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on Russian business Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas that explore, produce and offer oil and 183 vessels that have shipped Russian oil. This plan of sanctions again raises extreme obstacles for central Europe, Szijjarto stated in a Facebook video. He stated lower crude oil materials would lift need for refined fuels such as gas and diesel, raising the danger of what he called very severe cost increases in the area. Hungary imports the majority of its crude oil via the Druzhba pipeline, which carries Russian crude through Belarus and Ukraine to Hungary and also Slovakia. Hungarian energy group MOL did not right away react to emailed concerns. Szijjarto stated Hungary would start talks with local allies to reduce the hit to rates and the broader economy. He did say who Hungary might talk with. Greater energy expenses and falls in the forint amid the risk of U.S. tariffs on Europe after Trump's re-election lifted Hungary's commercial producer rate index to its highest in 19 months in November. The forint is trading near two-year lows versus the euro, raising risks of increased inflation after sharp falls from the European Union's highest levels of more than 25% in the very first quarter of 2023. Economic experts polled see December inflation increasing to 4.4%, outside the target band of the National Bank of Hungary, which was forced to desert its rate relieving cycle last year amid currency falls and a rebound in rates.
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Kraken rating 6 straight goals to shoot past Sabres
Kaapo Kakko scored two times as the Seattle Kraken rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat the host Buffalo Sabres 6-2 Saturday. Oliver Bjorkstrand sparked Seattle, which was winless in its previous 4 video games (0-3-1), with an uncommon battle and later scored the consent objective. Ryker Evans, Andre Burakovsky and Brandon Tanev also tallied, and Chandler Stephenson, Josh Mahura and Jared McCann had two helps each. Goaltender Joey Daccord, who was making his first start given that Dec. 22 since of an upper-body injury, made 33 conserves. Sam Lafferty and Jack Quinn scored for Buffalo, which had won 2 straight and had points in six of its previous 8 games (5-2-1). JJ Peterka had two assists and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 24 of 29 shots. Routing 2-0, Bjorkstrand dropped the gloves with Buffalo's Dennis Gilbert at 17:42 of the very first duration. It was just the third fight of Bjorkstrand's. 10-year career and his first because 2021. After Seattle tied it in the second duration, Bjorkstrand was credited with the. go-ahead objective at 3:08 of the 3rd. He collected a rebound just outside the. top of the crease and put a shot on web that went off Luukkonen's right arm,. then deflected off defenseman Jacob Bryson before trickling over the goal. line. Kakko scored on a wrist shot from the high slot at 3:46, then tallied again on. the power play at 5:26 as the Kraken pulled away. Tanev put the puck into an. empty internet at 16:25 to finish the scoring. The Sabres outshot Seattle 15-7 in the first duration in taking a 2-0 lead. Lafferty opened the scoring at 2:37 on a wrist shot from the top of the right. faceoff circle. The puck deflected off defenseman Vince Dunn's stick. The Sabres doubled their benefit on the power play at 17:17 on Quinn's. one-timer from the bottom of the left faceoff circle. The Kraken rallied to connect ball game in the 2nd period, in which they. outshot Buffalo 14-9. Evans, a defenseman, got Seattle on the board at 12:48 on a wrist shot from. the high slot. Seattle connected it at 2-2 at 19:12 as Burakovsky pounced on a rebound and raised. a backhander over Luukkonen. -- Field Level Media
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Biden admin hold-ups enforcement of order blocking Nippon Steel, United States Steel offer
The Biden administration will hold back imposing a requirement set out in an executive order this month that Nippon Steel abandon its $14.9. billion quote for U.S. Steel, the companies said on. Saturday. U.S. President Joe Biden blocked Nippon Steel's prepared. acquisition of U.S. Steel on national security grounds on Jan. 3, and his Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stated today that. the proposed deal had received a extensive analysis by. interagency evaluation body, the Committee on Foreign Financial Investment in. the United States. The hold-up will offer the courts time to evaluate a legal. difficulty brought by the parties earlier this month against. Biden's order. The celebrations formerly had 30 days to unwind. their deal. We are delighted that CFIUS has approved an extension to June. 18, 2025 of the requirement in President Biden's Executive Order. that the celebrations completely desert the deal, the. companies stated in a joint declaration. We anticipate completing the transaction, which. protects the very best future for the American steel industry and all. our stakeholders, they stated. U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel declared in a lawsuit on Monday. that the CFIUS evaluation was prejudiced by Biden's longstanding. opposition to the offer, denying them of a right to a reasonable. evaluation. They asked a federal appeals court to reverse Biden's. choice to allow them a fresh review to secure another chance at. closing the merger. The U.S. Treasury secretary chairs the CFIUS panel, which. screens foreign acquisitions of U.S. business and other. investment deals for national security concerns. CFIUS normally. chooses directly on cases or sends suggestions to the. president, but in the U.S. Steel-Nippon Steel case, the panel. stopped working to reach agreement on whether Biden should to approve or. reject it, leaving the choice to him. Both Biden and his successor, Republican politician Donald Trump, had. voiced opposition to the Japanese business getting the American. steelmaker as the candidates courted union votes in the November. election won by Trump. CFIUS has actually seldom rejected offers including the Group of 7. carefully allied countries, that include Japan.
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Kraken rating six straight objectives to shoot past Sabres
Kaapo Kakko scored twice as the Seattle Kraken rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat the host Buffalo Sabres 6-2 Saturday. Oliver Bjorkstrand sparked Seattle, which was winless in its previous 4 video games (0-3-1), with a rare fight, and later on scored the go-ahead objective. Ryker Evans, Andre Burakovsky and Brandon Tanev likewise tallied, and Chandler Stephenson, Josh Mahura and Jared McCann had 2 assists apiece. Goaltender Joey Daccord, who was making his very first start because Dec. 22 since of an upper-body injury, made 33 saves. Sam Lafferty and Jack Quinn scored for Buffalo, which had won 2 straight and had points in six of its previous eight games (5-1-2). JJ Peterka had 2 assists and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 24 of 29 shots. Tracking 2-0, Bjorkstrand dropped the gloves with Buffalo's Dennis Gilbert at 17:42 of the very first duration. It was just the third fight of Bjorkstrand's. 10-year profession and his very first considering that 2021. After Seattle tied it in the 2nd duration, Bjorkstrand was credited with the. consent objective at 3:08 of the third. He collected a rebound just outside the. top of the crease and put a shot on net that went off Luukkonen's ideal arm,. then deflected off defenseman Jacob Bryson before trickling over the goal. line. Kakko scored on a wrist shot from the high slot at 3:46, then tallied once again on. the power play at 5:26 as the Kraken retreated. Tanev put the puck into an. empty web at 16:25 to complete the scoring. The Sabres outshot Seattle 15-7 in the first duration in taking a 2-0 lead. Lafferty opened the scoring at 2:37 on a wrist shot from the top of the right. faceoff circle. The puck deflected off defenseman Vince Dunn's stick. The Sabres doubled their advantage on the power play at 17:17 on Quinn's. one-timer from the bottom of the left faceoff circle. The Kraken rallied to connect ball game in the second period, in which they. outshot Buffalo 14-9. Evans, a defenseman, got Seattle on the board at 12:48 on a wrist shot from. the high slot. Seattle connected it at 2-2 at 19:12 as Burakovsky caught a rebound and raised. a backhander over Luukkonen. -- Field Level Media
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See Pacific Palisades before and after the disastrous Los Angeles fires
Before among the most destructive fires in California history swept through, the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on Los Angeles' west side was filled with expensive homes fronted by green, welltended landscaping and popular stores and cafes. Today, the Palisades Fire leveled much of it to blackened debris. To see what has been lost, a Reuters video reporter visited the area on Friday to retrace the path taken by a YouTube travel influencer couple who made a. video last year of a strolling trip, which is being reproduced. with their consent. In May 2024, when the initial video was taped under a. California blue sky, a white structure with ionic columns on. Sunset Boulevard at the Palisades Town shopping center was. home to a Starbucks and Coffee Shop Vida. It is now gutted, darkened. with soot, the palm trees outside denuded, the sky hazy and. yellowed. On the surrounding residential streets, home after home has. collapsed in charred stacks topped with a scattering of. terracotta roofing tiles that withstood the blaze. Still-standing concrete entrances open onto ruins. The Palisades Fire has grown to more than 20,000 acres considering that. breaking out on Tuesday and was still just 11% included on. Saturday, and the Palisades neighborhood remains a necessary. evacuation zone. Other fires, some almost as large, are. damaging other parts of Los Angeles and surrounding towns,. killing at least 11 individuals so far and ruining thousands of. buildings. The Palisades was practically lacking life on Friday: a few Los. Angeles firemens occasionally, and a few ravens viewed. from a roadway before scattering. Outside one home, what was once a. wheelchair rested on the walkway, everything melted or burned. except for its steel frame. A scenic lookout area from the Point at the Bluffs. includes the ocean and curving Pacific Coast Highway. From. there, what stays of the Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Estates. fills the view: dozens of reasonably affordable mobile homes. that sloped down towards the beach are now rows of rubble.
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Fire at 'industrial plant' after drone attack under control, Russia says
A fire at an industrial plant in Russia's Volga region is under control, regional authorities stated on Saturday, days after the blaze, supposedly at an oil depot tactically placed near a military air base started following a Ukrainian drone attack. The authorities on Wednesday stated a plant had been hit, without revealing additional information about the site. The location of?? the fire at an industrial enterprise in Engels was reduced by 80%. The quantity of smoke has also decreased significantly, the guv of the Saratov region, Roman Busargin said in a Telegram post on Saturday. It was unclear whether a state of emergency, stated in Engels, a city of 200,000 individuals some 730 km (450 miles). southeast of Moscow, was still in impact. Two firemens passed away. previously today while trying to stop the fire dispersing. The Ukrainian military said on Wednesday it had set fire to. an oil depot that serves an air base for Russian nuclear-capable. bombers. Engels is hundreds of kilometres from Ukraine. In December. 2022, 3 Russian flying force workers were eliminated when a drone. was shot down there.
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Fire companies to examine potential Edison link to LA Hurst fire
Fire firms are investigating whether Southern California Edison's utility infrastructure stimulated a brush fire that is still burning in a Los Angeles suburb, SCE stated Friday, including no decision has actually been made. SCE, a system of U.S. energy Edison International, said in a filing to its regulators that a downed conductor was discovered at a tower connected with its Eagle Rock - Sylmar 220 kV circuit. SCE does not know whether the damage observed occurred before or after the start of the fire, the utility said. SCE said initial information reveals the circuit experienced a relay at 10:11 p.m. (0611 GMT) where the Hurst fire was reported around 10:10 p.m. on Jan. 7. The Hurst fire, in Sylmar in the San Fernando Valley northwest of Los Angeles, has surpassed 770 acres and is now 77%. contained, according to the California Department of Forestry. and Fire Protection. Edison International did not immediately respond to a. request for comment made by means of the company site. SCE on Thursday said it had actually gotten notifications from insurance coverage. companies to maintain proof related to the Eaton Fire that is. still burning in Los Angeles, however stated no fire companies have. connected the energy's connection to the fire. More than 10,000 structures have been destroyed by five. fires raving in the area and almost 30,000 acres have been. burned. Personal forecaster AccuWeather has approximated the damage and. financial loss at $135 billion to $150 billion, portending an. strenuous recovery and skyrocketing property owners' insurance coverage expenses.
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NextGeo Scoops $27.8M for North Sea Offshore Wind Surveys
Marine geosciences and offshore construction support services firm Next Geosolutions has been hired by TenneT under a $27.8 million contract to conduct an unexploded ordnances (UXO) survey off the Dutch coast, in support of the development of offshore wind farms.This contract involves the execution of marine UXO survey, to identify and locate magnetic anomalies potentially associated with unexploded ordnance, which may represent obstacles to the installation of new offshore infrastructure, in the Doordewind offshore wind area.Additionally, the contract includes an UXO survey in the Nederwiek offshore wind area, where the company conducted similar activities during 2024.Operations in the Nederwiek area are scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2025 and will continue within the year, while those in the Doordewind area are planned to take place between the first and fourth quarter of 2026.The new project enables NextGeo to perform additional activities that, upon completion, will mean the company has operated in almost all Dutch areas designated for the development of the offshore electrical grid, one of the most advanced in Europe.“We would like to thank TenneT TSO once again for their continued trust in us, which validates the solid foundation we have built over the past five years. This new award highlights NextGeo’s ability to provide all survey services necessary for the design and engineering of new energy infrastructure,” said Giovanni Ranieri, CEO of NextGeo.
CORRECTED-Tennis-Sabalenka shines after rain stops play in Melbourne
Aryna Sabalenka opened her bid for a third straight Australian Open title with a 63 62 victory over Sloane Stephens on Sunday after rain had actually gotten rid of a great piece of play on the opening day at Melbourne Park.
The front runner did not have it all her own way against the 2017 U.S. Open champ however concluded the win in little bit more than an hour on Rod Laver Arena, one of 3 courts where play continued under closed roofing systems during the deluge.
Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, who lost to Sabalenka in last year's last, reached the second round indoors, while males's 6th seed Casper Ruud and former world number 4 Kei Nishikori evaded the damp weather condition to secure five-set triumphes.
It was another matter on the outside courts where play ended after less than an hour in the early morning and did not resume up until more than 6 hours later in the early night.
Eight of the 32 set up songs matches were scratched and organisers will be giving thanks for the cushion of the additional day which was initially added to the tournament last year.
One of the benefits of winning three Grand Slam titles is preferential scheduling and the roofing of Rod Laver Arena was open again to the evening sun as Sabalenka brought to justice to face American Stephens.
5 breaks of serve, 20 winners and 21 unforced errors later on and the Belarusian was leading the crowd in an impromptu dance, having protected a second-round clash with Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
It's not like I played my best match, probably, but I was thankful to close it out in straight sets, the 26-year-old stated.
I like playing here, it feels like home.
At the start of the day, the roofs of the showcourts were currently closed before a violent thunderstorm brought the very first rain and Zheng and Romanian qualifier Anca Todoni played out their baseline fight uninterrupted.
5th seed Zheng, who did not play a warm-up tournament, struggled against the tall Todoni in the very first set, lastly breaking for 4-3 just to be broken back.
The 22-year-old conserved a set point before clinching the tiebreaker 7-3 and rapidly raced to a 3-0 lead in the 2nd while Todoni racked up unforced errors as she fought to stay in the contest.
The first match is never ever simple and I made some stupid errors, Zheng stated after concluding her 7-6( 3) 6-1 win in a shade under 2 hours.
FIRST THROUGH
Previously, Mirra Andreeva was the first gamer to reach the 2nd round when the 17-year-old Russian beat Czech Marie Bouzkova 6-3 6-3 on John Cain Arena.
On Margaret Court Arena, Arthur Fils was the very first man into 2nd round when he came from a set down to beat unseeded Finn Otto Virtanen 3-6 7-6( 4) 6-4 6-4.
It's quite nice, man. Very first time in my life I'm using an excellent court, the 20th seeded Frenchman stated.
To be able to play a match and to end up a match with a roof, it's far more easy than to play, to stop with the rain.
The other two early guys's matches were much longer with Norwegian Ruud advancing after a 6-3 1-6 7-5 2-6 6-1 victory over Jaume Munar and Japan's Nishikori prevailing 4-6 6-7( 4) 7-5 6-2 6-3 versus Brazilian qualifier Thiago Monteiro.
He should have to win today however in some way I hammered out, said Nishikori, who was playing at Melbourne Park for the first time in four years after a scary run of injuries.
Guy's 2nd seed Alexander Zverev will later take on 2019 semi-finalist Lucas Pouille.
(source: Reuters)