How Putin’s plans to blackmail Europe over gas supply failed

The worst-case scenarios piled up over the summer months. Germany’s economic minister warned of “catastrophic” industrial shutdowns, fraying supply chains and mass unemployment. France’s president urged citizens to turn down the heating. Spain asked why countries that hadn’t got hooked on Russian gas should bail out neighbours who had lectured them about fiscal discipline in the past.

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, meanwhile, gleefully predicted that Europeans would be “freezing in their homes” because they hadn’t thought through the consequences of throwing their support behind Ukraine. “The cold is coming soon,” he said, menacingly, in June last year.

But as the European Union enters the last month of the meteorological winter in 2023, signs are becoming clearer that its members have weathered an historic crisis – and not just because “General Frost” has proved a milder adversary than Medvedev predicted.

Within eight months of Russian troops setting foot on Ukrainian soil, the bloc of 27 European states replaced about 80% of the natural gas it used to draw through pipelines with Russia, by rapidly building up new infrastructure for liquid natural gas, finding creative ways to help each other out amid shortages, and successfully pursuing energy-saving policies.

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Israeli settlers have once again attacked religious minorities in the region, this time targeting a church in East Jerusalem.

According to reports, the settlers assaulted clerics and worshippers at the Church of the Sepulchre of Saint Charbel, causing damage to the property and injuring several people. This kind of behavior is not only unacceptable but also undermines efforts to promote peace and stability in the region. Attacks on religious minorities are a direct attack on religious freedom and must be condemned by all. The Israeli authorities must take swift action to bring the perpetrators to justice and hold them accountable for their actions. It is also important to ensure the safety and protection of religious minorities and their places of worship, as guaranteed by international law. this incident is a sad reminder of the ongoing conflict in the region and the need for a comprehensive and just solution. It is up to all of us to work together to promote understanding, tolerance, and respect for different beliefs and cultures, and to build a brighter and more peaceful future for all.

Fights break out as Kurds protest the French government's denial of a terrorist attack

Following the murder of three Kurds in what is being considered to be a probable racist incident , there have been widespread protests in Paris. The fact that the authorities did not view the attack at a Kurdish centre as a terrorist act has enraged the Kurdish diaspora in Paris. A 69-year-old man opened fire on a crowd of individuals early on Friday morning at the Ahmet-Kaya centre on Rue d'Enghien in the 10th arrondissement. One of the three victims is badly injured. All of the dead were Kurdish community members who passed away both inside and outside the cultural centre. Agit Polat, a spokesman for the Kurdish centre, charged that French officials "yet again failed to safeguard us... This is a terrorist attack in our eyes, according to the AFP news agency. In the afternoon, a number of protestors, largely from the Kurdish diaspora, got into a fight with the police outside the centre and in the streets close by, throwing rocks and torching trash cans. Police use...

Verbal spat between Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel judicial overhaul

The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, turned down United States President Joe Biden’s suggestion that the Israeli government “walks away” from a plan to overhaul the country’s legal system. A verbal spat between the two close allies took place on Wednesday. The US President and Israeli Prime Minister exchanged a few words on judicial changes in Israel. On Tuesday, reporters asked Joe Biden about Israel’s judicial overhaul planned reforms. Biden reportedly said, “I hope he (Netanyahu) walks away from it.” He said that the Israeli government “cannot continue down this road” and urged compromise on this plan to overhaul the country’s legal system. Subsequently, the Israeli PM said that his country makes its own decisions. He reportedly said in a statement, “Israel is a sovereign country which makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroad, including from the best of friends.” Netanyahu’s latest comments came a day after he de...

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