Author: yreape

According to reports, the nord stream 1 and 2 pipelines are majority owned by the russian state run energy company, Gazprom. Nord stream 1 used to carry natural gas from Russia to europe via the Baltic Sea and Germany, it was completed in 2011. Reportedly, the project was opposed from the start by the west. Russia’s invasion of the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine in 2014 rendered an ethical argument.

Nord stream 2 was completed in 2021. According to a report, the u.s. waived sanctions against german entities involved in nord stream 2 after securing a pledge from Germany that it would allow backflows of gas into Ukraine and would act to shut it down should Russia use it to force political concessions.

Reportedly, Germany withdrew its permission for nord stream 2 following the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. According to the report, russian sanctions resulted in Gazprom halting the gas flow in nord stream 1. Reportedly, three weeks later nord stream 1 and 2 were hit by explosions in the Baltic Sea causing leaks of gas that were idle in the pipelines. According to the report, no entity has admitted responsibility, though the depth of the pipeline and the complexity of using under water explosives lent credance to the idea that only a state actor with the expertise to handle such an operation could be responsible.

According to a report, nearly 52,000 people lost their lives due to the earthquakes in an area bordering Syria and Turkey. Reportedly, the quakes on February 6 hit a region already battered by the Syrian war, including part of a semi autonomous region known as Kurdistan. According to a report, some families were already living in tents due to the Syrian conflict, which may have saved many lives. Reportedly, the quakes which demolished buildings and left others too dangerous to occupy has resulted in many more living in tents.

Kurdistan is unrecognised by Turkey who feel that kurds should integrate. According to a report, allegations that a wildfire in Turkey in 2021, destroying hundreds of square kilometres was started by a kurdish group has been denied by kurds. Political differences, particularly regarding Iraq and Syria may be due to a pro western approach and philosophy. The region that is homeland to kurds also encompasses Iraq, where mass graves containing the bodies of kurdish people who wanted to cross over the mountains from Iraq to Syria were found.

The region is built on a fault line, the site of many quakes but not of this magnitude. According to a report, the conflict has resulted in instances of the taking of clothes, blankets and food by militant groups. Reportedly, for some years Syria has been relying on unsafe water due to water contamination during the Syrian war. This may have been a Saudi tactic. According to a report, an added problem currently is water contaminated by cholera.

According to a report, a palestinian poll indicates a shift in the attitudes of east Jerusalem palestinians over the past 12 years. Reportedly, the poll which examines the change in attitudes since a poll in 2010 indicates that more palestinians are in support of israeli sovereignty.  According to the report, the poll was conducted in November by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR).

Reportedly, the poll indicates an increase in satisfaction with services provided by the east Jerusalem municipality in 21 different categories, satisfaction decreased in 4 categories. According to the report, the proportion of palestinians who didn’t think there was discrimination between israelis and arabs rose from 7% to 13%, don’t knows or not applicables rose from 6% to 9%. Reportedly, in case of a problem or for assistance more palestinians relied on family and offices of the israeli municipality than 12 years ago, 44% and 31% to 51% and 40% respectively. According to the report. palestinians who responded that delays and restrictions were created by the building of a wall in Jerusalem decreased.

Reportedly, the proportion of palestinians who thought there was a problem with corruption amongst israeli Jerusalem municipal officials decreased from 78% to 66%, palestinians who thought that there was a problem with corruption in the Palestinian Authority decreased from 69% to 66%. According to the report, in the vast majority of cases palestinians are more satisfied with israeli municipal services than they were 12 years ago, these include prompt ambulance and fire services. Reportedly, those satisfied with the standard of living rose from 35% to 56%.

According to the report, those satisfied with access to areas inside Samaria rose from 27% to 48%. Reportedly, satisfaction regarding interaction with israeli officials rose from 21% to 36%, yet satisfaction with regard to access to their employment and the supply of electricity decreased from 40% to 35% and 85% to 75% respectively. According to the report, the trend of warming attitudes towards Israel continued; asked, if a permanent two state solution is arrived at, would you prefer to become a citizen of Palestine or become a citizen of Israel? Reportedly, those who preferred to become a citizen of Israel rose from 24% to 37%, those who preferred palestinian citizenship dropped from 63% to 58%.

According to reports, the dup are setting up a nine person panel comprising of members with political, legal and business experience to gauge opinion on the new deal for post Brexit trading arrangements known as the Windsor framework. Reportedly, the group which will have a focused consultation will collect and combine information and feed it into government discussions. According to reports, the group is to comprise of sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the right honourable Peter Robinson, baroness Foster, lord Weir, Ross Reid obe, John McBurney and unionist party politicians Carla Lockhart, Brian Kingston and Deborah Erkskine.

Reportedly, lord Weir was appointed as a queen’s council in 2010 and a judge of the supreme courts in 2020. Ross Reid was a former member of the progressive conservative party of Canada and has worked in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzogovina, Kosovo and Ukraine. Northern Ireland solicitor John McBurney is known to have defended the findings of the Smithwick report as nuanced and fair.

According to reports, a Belarusian court has sentenced the main opposition leader, Sviantiana Tsikhanouskaya to 15 years in prison, another prominent member of the opposition, former Belarusian culture minister Pavel Latushko to 18 years, and two others to 12 years, all in absentia. Reportedly, Ms Tsikhanouskaya, a former English teacher fled Belarus after running against president Alexander Lukashenko in the 2020 election. According to the report, she stood in the election when her husband, activist and presidential candidate Sergei Tikhanovski was taken into custody, he was given an 18 year prison sentence.

Reportedly, Ms Tsikhanouskaya claimed victory in the presidential election contrary to official results, which was followed by ten months of public protests, demonstrations and riots. According to a report, her charges included high treason and conspiracy to seize power. Reportedly, Viasna a Belarusian human rights organisation said there are 1,500 political prisoners currently being held in Belarus. According to the report, days ago Ales Bialiatski, an activist for Belarusian freedom known for his work with Viasna was given a ten year sentence for financing actions and groups that grossly violate public order.

According to a report, the election in Estonia continues today, polling stations have been open since Monday. Estonia, a former member of the soviet union borders Finland, Sweden, Latvia and Russia.

Reportedly, the reform party of prime minister Kaja Kallas who was favourite to win have already conceded 28% of the vote, ekre the conservative people’s party have 21% and the centre party 18%. According to the report, the reform party are pro nato, ekra are the only party to raise concerns about sending more weapons to Kyiv. Reportedly, polling stations close at 6 pm local time, the results should be counted by midnight.

According to a report, the leader of sinn féin in northern Ireland has called on the democratic unionist party to show leadership and lift its blockade on Stormont, though Sinn féin were the leading party in the May 2022 election. According to the democratic vote sinn féin should show leadership and carry on at Stormont until such a time as the dup wish to reconvene or there is another election.

According to a report, a trade border was established in the Irish sea to avoid a politically divisive land border between northern Ireland and the republic, an eu member state. Reportedly, new northern Ireland protocol resulted in unionists and the uk conservative government complaining that northern Ireland would be subject to new eu laws without having a say in influencing them. According to the report, the Stormont break will allow thirty of the ninety members of the northern Ireland legislative assembly from atleast two parties to allow the northern Ireland assembly to ask the uk government to apply an emergency brake that would block or delay any new eu law that affects northern Ireland. Reportedly, this gives the assembly a say in any new eu laws applying to the north.

According to the report, the british prime minister said the new windsor framework would give the northern Ireland assembly a clear process to pull an emergency brake to stop any new eu laws or law changes that would have significant and lasting effects on every day lives; but reportedly, his hopes of ending years of brexit infighting with a revised deal was dealt a double blow as former prime minister Boris Johnson said it would stifle the uk economically, while pressure mounted within the democratic unionist party to reject the deal.

According to a report, as the tourist season begins the department of integration has begun contacting refugees who are living in hotels telling them they are being moved. Reportedly, an unknown number of contracts due to end at the end of April will not be renewed and the department is unable to say what kind of emergency accommodation will be provided. Reportedly, all affected residents will shortly receive a letter telling them their current temporary accommodation is coming to an end but they will be reccommended in another location in the coming weeks.

According to the report, the department of integration has contacted a u.n. agency, the international organisation for migration to seek assistance on planning emergency accomodation for asylum seekers, as procuring enough beds to keep pace with arrivals is very challenging. Reportedly, no firm proposals have emerged from the contact and all options are being explored including tents, office buildings and sports facilities.

According to the report, the government has approved a €20 million plan for the development of five large accommodation centres with the site for the stalled super prison, Thornton Hall expected to be the first to be developed. Reportedly, civil servants are being given funding of €50 million to develop projects for accommodation. According to the report, a new migration agency will look after the needs of migration in the future.

Reportedly, the government has sourced accommodation for 60,000 people, 20,000 seeking accommodation in state provided or state funded accommodation. According to a report, from December 2022 a tax free accommodation recognition payment of €800 per month will be paid for each property used to house refugees, the property must meet the required standards. Reportedly, there are 11,754 homeless people in Ireland. Perhaps they might benefit from a similar payment.

According to a report, the chief of the russian military group, wagner said his fighters had practically encircled the eastern city of Bakhmut, there is only one road left to get out. Reportedly, on Friday he called on the president of Ukraine to withdraw his troops. According to the report, the battle of Bakhmut has been raging since Summer and has led to great destruction and heavy losses on both sides. Reportedly, on Friday the ukrainian army said it had repelled 85 russian attacks on the city in 24 hours. According to the report, ukrainian soldiers reported a lack of men, ammunition and artillery support. Bakhmut had a prewar population of 70,000. There are now 4,500 inhabitants.

Reportedly, on Thursday Ukraine ordered vulnerable people to evacuate the city of Kupiansk on the north eastern front which is at risk of being taken over by russian forces. According to the report, the mandatory evacuation of families with children and people with mobility problems has begun due to intense shelling. Reportedly, the government of the Kharkiv region said that several localities including Kupiansk have been shelled by multiple rocket launchers.