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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 20 december 2022
EU member countries reach compromise on gas price cap

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN Greece and Poland, push-
Associated Press ing for a lower trigger.
BRUSSELS (AP) — European The 27 EU nations have
Union ministers on Monday stuck together through
finalized a long-awaited nine rounds of sanctions
deal to implement a natu- against Russia over the
ral gas price cap that they war in Ukraine and energy-
hope will help households saving measures to avoid
and businesses better shortages of the fuel used
weather excessive price to generate electricity,
surges. heat homes and power
EU member countries failed factories.
to overcome their differ- But they were unable un-
ences at previous emer- til Monday to close a deal
gency meetings, but sever- on setting the complicated
al EU leaders said last week price cap for natural gas.
that fixing a maximum ceil- The cap was promised in
ing to pay for gas was likely October as a way to re-
to be achieved this time. duce energy bills that have
After talks in Brussels on soared during Russia’s inva-
Monday, the Czech presi- sion of Ukraine.
dency of the European “We have proved that the
Council, which represents EU is united and will not let
member countries, said a anybody use energy as a
deal had been reached. Croatia’s Energy Minister Davor Filipovic, left, holds up a t-shirt during a meeting of EU energy weapon,” Sikela added.
ministers in Brussels, Monday, Dec. 19, 2022.
“We have succeeded Associated Press The gas cap issue is a divi-
in finding an important sive one because of fears
agreement that will shield majority requires that 55% remain active for at least “safety price ceiling” to kick that global suppliers would
citizens from skyrocketing of member countries, or 15 20 days. Sikela said the 180 in if natural gas exceeded bypass Europe when other
energy prices,” said Jozef out of the 27, vote in favor euros limit “is not a cap as 275 euros ($290) per mega- buyers offer more money.
Sikela, the Czech minis- of a proposal. Such a vote such” and that prices can watt hour for two weeks “No one, least of all me,
ter of Industry and Trade, also requires that those na- still go above this level if and if it is 58 euros higher has anything against low
adding that the mecha- tions represent at least 65% prices on the LNG markets than the price of liquefied prices on the gas market.
nism will steer the 27-nation of the bloc’s population. are higher than 145 euros natural gas on world mar- We have to bring gas pric-
clear “from risks to secu- Under the agreement, the per megawatt hour. kets. Such a system might es down,” German Econo-
rity of supply and financial mechanism will kick off “In other words, this is not a not have averted hikes as my Minister Robert Habeck
markets stability.” Since it if prices exceed 180 eu- fixed cap, but rather a dy- high as in August when said upon his arrival at the
could not find a consensus ros ($190) per megawatt namic one,” he said. prices hit nearly 350 euros meeting.
on the divisive topic, the hour for three days and The measure will apply from per megawatt hour on Eu- “We just know from previ-
Czech presidency opted if it is 35 euros higher than Feb. 15 next year once for- rope’s TTF benchmark but ous market interventions
for a “qualified majority” a reference price for LNG mally approved by written fell below 275 euros within that we must be very care-
as the voting rule to reach on global markets for the procedure. days and was met with ful not to want to do some-
the political agreement. same period. Once trig- The EU’s executive Commis- derision by many countries thing good and trigger
Under EU rules, a qualified gered, the mechanism will sion last month proposed a including Spain, Belgium, something bad.” q

In joint raid, Kurdish forces seize IS

militant in Syria

Associated Press statement claimed the ar- raid in eastern Syria killed
BEIRUT (AP) — A Kurdish-led rested man managed mili- two IS militants.
group in Syria said Monday tant cells in the region. Syria has been mired in a
that its fighters alongside The SDF shared a photo bloody civil war since 2011
U.S. forces have arrested purporting to show evi- that has drawn in regional
a wanted militant with the dence they confiscated and global powers. Syrian
Islamic State group that during the raid, including President Bashar Assad has
continues to stage attacks two cellphones, a dozen mostly regained control of
in the region. SIM cards, an internet rout- the country, but parts of
There are some 900 U.S. er, a Syrian-issued identity its north remain under the
troops in Syria supporting document and a pistol with control of rebels, as well as U.S. military vehicles on a patrol in the countryside near the
town of Qamishli, Syria, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022.
Kurdish-led forces in the three magazines. Turkish and Syrian Kurdish Associated Press
fight against the militant The SDF added that this forces.
group. was the fifth such raid over Turkey strongly opposes temporarily halted U.S.- that leader Abu al-Hassan
The Syrian Democratic the past two weeks. the presence of the Syr- Kurdish patrols and raised al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was
Forces said its fighters led a They have frequently tar- ian Kurdish groups along concerns that cross border killed in battle. The U.S. said
raid on the home of an un- geted the militants mostly its border that it blames for tensions would hinder the al-Qurayshi was killed in an
named IS leader on Dec. 16 in parts of northeastern Syr- attacks within its territory. A fight against the Islamic operation conducted by
in the western countryside ia under Kurdish control. On series of Turkish airstrikes in State group. Syrian rebel forces in the
of Deir el-Zour. The group’s Dec. 11, a U.S. helicopter the area earlier this month On Nov. 30, IS announced southern city of Daraa.q