A state of emergency has been declared in parts of Kazakhstan after protests over rising fuel prices turned violent.

Kazakhstan crisis: Russia sends troops amid unrest over fuel prices

Russia-led troops arrive in Kazakhstan amid unrest over fuel prices

Kazakhstan crisis: Over 3000 protesters detained

Kazakhstan PM & his cabinet resign after protests over rising fuel prices turned violent

8 security officers killed as President denounces protesters as 'terrorists' after protests over rising fuel reforms turned violent.

Kazakhstan unrest: 8 security officers killed as President denounces protesters as 'terrorists'

State of emergency declared in Kazakhstan after protests over rising fuel prices turned violent

Sri Lanka is going through a severe economic crisis. The island nation is struggling to import oil and thus resorted to price hikes to discourage consumption.

Sri Lanka hikes the oil prices to discourage consumption as it struggles to import them

After more than a week sleeping in a frigid encampment on the border between Belarus and Poland, and an abortive foray across the frontier repelled by pepper spray and police batons, Mohammad Faraj gave up this month and retreated to a warm hotel in Minsk, the capital of Belarus.

Soon after, however, he watched with surprise and excitement a video report on Facebook claiming that Poland was about to open its border and urging all those who wanted to enter the European Union to gather at a gas station near the encampment that the migrants had nicknamed “the jungle.”

Faraj, a 35-year-old ethnic Kurd from Iraq, rushed back to the squalid camp he had just left, traveling 190 miles from Minsk to the gas station just in time for the opening of the border in early November that he had heard about on Facebook.

The Polish border, of course, remained tightly shut, and Faraj spent the next 10 days back in what he described as “like something out of a horror movie.”

The EU, offering robust support to Poland’s hard-line stand against migrants, has blamed the traumas of recent weeks on its eastern border on the authoritarian leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko.

Belarusian authorities certainly have helped stoke the crisis, offering easy tourist visas to thousands of Iraqis and easing their way to the border with Poland.

But social media, particularly Facebook, also have given Lukashenko a vital assist, as an unpredictable accelerant to the hopes and illusions of people who have fallen prey to the empty promises of profiteers and charlatans on the internet.

Some were in it for money, promising to smuggle migrants across borders for hefty fees; some appeared to bask in the attention they received as online “influencers” for sharing information; others seemed motivated by a genuine desire to help people suffering. There has been no evidence to suggest a coordinated campaign by Lukashenko to target migrants with fake information online.

Fake news on Facebook, said Faraj, who last week was moved from the border encampment along with 2,000 other denizens of “the jungle,” to a giant nearby warehouse converted into a migrant holding center, “poured mud on our heads and destroyed our lives.”

Since July, activity on Facebook in Arabic and Kurdish related to migration to the EU through Belarus has been “skyrocketing,” said Monika Richter, head of research and analysis for Semantic Visions, an intelligence firm that tracked social media activity related to the crisis.

“Facebook exacerbated this humanitarian crisis, and now you have all these people who were brought over and explicitly misled and ripped off,” Richter said.

Researchers said smugglers openly shared their phone numbers and advertised their services on Facebook, including video testimonials from people said to have reached Germany successfully via Belarus and Poland. In one post, a smuggler advertised “daily trips from Minsk to Germany with only a 20 km walking distance.” The journey, a writer warned in another post Oct. 19, is “not suitable for children due to the cold.” Another smuggler with the Facebook username “Visa Visa” pitched trips to Germany from Belarus through Poland. The smuggler said the trip would take eight to 15 hours but added a warning: “Don’t call if you are afraid.”

Friday, despite the bitter experience of so many promises on Facebook that turned out to be false, a ripple of excitement swept across despondent people huddled in the warehouse after reports on social media that it was still possible to get into Europe — for anyone willing to pay $7,000 to a guide who claimed to know any easy route across the Belarus-Poland frontier and through massed ranks of Polish soldiers and border guards on the other side.

Rekar Hamid, a former math teacher in Iraqi Kurdistan who had already paid around $10,000 to travel agents in Iraq for a “package tour” that was supposed to get himself, his wife and young child to Europe but only got them locked up in a warehouse, scoffed at the latest offer as yet another scam. “They keep saying the door is opening, but look where we all are now,” he said, gesturing toward a mass of people huddled on the concrete floor.

Musa Hama, another Kurd from Iraq confined to the warehouse, lamented that no amount of fact-checking would prevent people grasping at straws of hope provided by Facebook. “People are desperate so they believe anything,” he said.

The stampede by migrants to Belarus in the hope of getting into the EU began earlier this year when the authoritarian former Soviet republic relaxed tightfisted visa policies for certain countries, notably Iraq. The relaxation was ostensibly an effort to boost tourism at a time when most Westerners were staying away following a brutal crackdown by Lukashenko in response a contested presidential election.

Sensing a lucrative business opportunity, travel companies in Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdistan Region started advertising on Facebook and other platforms about the availability of visas to Belarus. Smugglers used social media to pitch Belarus as an easy backdoor to Europe.

Since July, Semantic Visions has identified dozens of Facebook groups created to share information about migration routes and used by smugglers to advertise their services.

A private group titled “Migration of the powerful from Belarus to Europe” exploded from 13,600 members in early September to roughly 30,000 currently, according to Semantic Visions. Another group, “Belarus Online,” grew from 7,700 members to 23,700 during the same period. On Telegram, a messaging and chat room platform, channels devoted to Belarus as a route to Europe have also attracted thousands of members.

“Our findings reveal the extent to which social media platforms — particularly Facebook — have been used as a de facto market for smuggling into the European Union,” Semantic Visions concluded in a recent report that has been circulated among EU officials.

Facebook, now officially known as Meta after a corporate name change, said it prohibited material that facilitates or promotes human smuggling and has dedicated teams to monitor and detect material related to the crisis. It added that the company was working with law enforcement agencies and nongovernmental organizations to counter the flood of fake news relating to migration.

“People smuggling across international borders is illegal and ads, posts, pages or groups that provide, facilitate or coordinate this activity are not allowed on Facebook,” the company said in an emailed statement. “We remove this content as soon as we become aware of it.”

But the events in Belarus have exposed how, even after Facebook experienced a similar abuse of its services during the European migration crisis in 2015, the company still struggles to keep banned material off its platform, especially in non-English languages.

“Facebook is not taking their responsibility seriously, and as a direct consequence of that we see desperate people in the cold, in the mud, in the forest in Belarus, in a desperate situation, all because they believe the misinformation that was provided to them through Facebook,” said Jeroen Lenaers, a member of the European Parliament from the Netherlands who is a leader on the legislature’s committee that handles migration issues.

It is unclear what, if any, steps Facebook has taken to deal with misleading and potentially dangerous information.

One Kurdish-German influencer widely known online as Karwan Rawanduzy is a popular figure among would-be migrants to Europe, but his online videos and other reports frequently promote bogus stories, like the claim that Poland would open its border in early November.

Rawanduzy’s live posts on a Facebook page named Kurdisch News had more than 100,000 followers before it was disabled in November after the Kurdish-German influencer said a Polish politician had publicly accused him of helping to fuel the crisis. The page also featured videos sent by hungry and cold migrants trapped along the border.

Reached by phone in Hamburg, Germany, Rawanduzy said he was repeating information about pressure on Poland to open the border that he said had been reported by German media. He blamed smugglers and countries including Poland for the misery faced by migrants and that he was simply trying to help the asylum-seekers.

Rawanduzy, 42, describes himself as an immigration activist and a former refugee who left Iraq in 2009, two years after a suicide bombing in Irbil wounded him.

Faraj is still furious that he followed the advice of Rawanduzy, widely known by his first name, Karwan, by rushing from Minsk back to the border. “Everyone knows him, and everyone follows him,” he said. He added: “Karwan tricked us all on Facebook.”

Rawanduzy, who also owns a restaurant, said it was “not for me to feel bad or guilty” about people persuaded by his posts. “It is up to the Iraqi and Kurdish government to feel bad for all the reasons people want to escape.”

After more than a week sleeping in a frigid encampment on the border between Belarus and Poland, and an abortive foray across the frontier repelled by pepper spray and police batons, Mohammad Faraj gave up this month and retreated to a warm hotel in Minsk, the capital of Belarus.

After more than a week sleeping in a frigid encampment on the border between Belarus and Poland, and an abortive foray across the frontier repelled by pepper spray and police batons, Mohammad Faraj gave up this month and retreated to a warm hotel in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. Soon after, however, he watched with surprise and excitement a video report on Facebook claiming that Poland was about to open its border and urging all those who wanted to enter the European Union to gather at a gas station near the encampment that the migrants had nicknamed “the jungle.” Faraj, a 35-year-old ethnic Kurd from Iraq, rushed back to the squalid camp he had just left, traveling 190 miles from Minsk to the gas station just in time for the opening of the border in early November that he had heard about on Facebook. The Polish border, of course, remained tightly shut, and Faraj spent the next 10 days back in what he described as “like something out of a horror movie.” The EU, offering robust support to Poland’s hard-line stand against migrants, has blamed the traumas of recent weeks on its eastern border on the authoritarian leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko. Belarusian authorities certainly have helped stoke the crisis, offering easy tourist visas to thousands of Iraqis and easing their way to the border with Poland. But social media, particularly Facebook, also have given Lukashenko a vital assist, as an unpredictable accelerant to the hopes and illusions of people who have fallen prey to the empty promises of profiteers and charlatans on the internet. Some were in it for money, promising to smuggle migrants across borders for hefty fees; some appeared to bask in the attention they received as online “influencers” for sharing information; others seemed motivated by a genuine desire to help people suffering. There has been no evidence to suggest a coordinated campaign by Lukashenko to target migrants with fake information online. Fake news on Facebook, said Faraj, who last week was moved from the border encampment along with 2,000 other denizens of “the jungle,” to a giant nearby warehouse converted into a migrant holding center, “poured mud on our heads and destroyed our lives.” Since July, activity on Facebook in Arabic and Kurdish related to migration to the EU through Belarus has been “skyrocketing,” said Monika Richter, head of research and analysis for Semantic Visions, an intelligence firm that tracked social media activity related to the crisis. “Facebook exacerbated this humanitarian crisis, and now you have all these people who were brought over and explicitly misled and ripped off,” Richter said. Researchers said smugglers openly shared their phone numbers and advertised their services on Facebook, including video testimonials from people said to have reached Germany successfully via Belarus and Poland. In one post, a smuggler advertised “daily trips from Minsk to Germany with only a 20 km walking distance.” The journey, a writer warned in another post Oct. 19, is “not suitable for children due to the cold.” Another smuggler with the Facebook username “Visa Visa” pitched trips to Germany from Belarus through Poland. The smuggler said the trip would take eight to 15 hours but added a warning: “Don’t call if you are afraid.” Friday, despite the bitter experience of so many promises on Facebook that turned out to be false, a ripple of excitement swept across despondent people huddled in the warehouse after reports on social media that it was still possible to get into Europe — for anyone willing to pay $7,000 to a guide who claimed to know any easy route across the Belarus-Poland frontier and through massed ranks of Polish soldiers and border guards on the other side. Rekar Hamid, a former math teacher in Iraqi Kurdistan who had already paid around $10,000 to travel agents in Iraq for a “package tour” that was supposed to get himself, his wife and young child to Europe but only got them locked up in a warehouse, scoffed at the latest offer as yet another scam. “They keep saying the door is opening, but look where we all are now,” he said, gesturing toward a mass of people huddled on the concrete floor. Musa Hama, another Kurd from Iraq confined to the warehouse, lamented that no amount of fact-checking would prevent people grasping at straws of hope provided by Facebook. “People are desperate so they believe anything,” he said. The stampede by migrants to Belarus in the hope of getting into the EU began earlier this year when the authoritarian former Soviet republic relaxed tightfisted visa policies for certain countries, notably Iraq. The relaxation was ostensibly an effort to boost tourism at a time when most Westerners were staying away following a brutal crackdown by Lukashenko in response a contested presidential election. Sensing a lucrative business opportunity, travel companies in Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdistan Region started advertising on Facebook and other platforms about the availability of visas to Belarus. Smugglers used social media to pitch Belarus as an easy backdoor to Europe. Since July, Semantic Visions has identified dozens of Facebook groups created to share information about migration routes and used by smugglers to advertise their services. A private group titled “Migration of the powerful from Belarus to Europe” exploded from 13,600 members in early September to roughly 30,000 currently, according to Semantic Visions. Another group, “Belarus Online,” grew from 7,700 members to 23,700 during the same period. On Telegram, a messaging and chat room platform, channels devoted to Belarus as a route to Europe have also attracted thousands of members. “Our findings reveal the extent to which social media platforms — particularly Facebook — have been used as a de facto market for smuggling into the European Union,” Semantic Visions concluded in a recent report that has been circulated among EU officials. Facebook, now officially known as Meta after a corporate name change, said it prohibited material that facilitates or promotes human smuggling and has dedicated teams to monitor and detect material related to the crisis. It added that the company was working with law enforcement agencies and nongovernmental organizations to counter the flood of fake news relating to migration. “People smuggling across international borders is illegal and ads, posts, pages or groups that provide, facilitate or coordinate this activity are not allowed on Facebook,” the company said in an emailed statement. “We remove this content as soon as we become aware of it.” But the events in Belarus have exposed how, even after Facebook experienced a similar abuse of its services during the European migration crisis in 2015, the company still struggles to keep banned material off its platform, especially in non-English languages. “Facebook is not taking their responsibility seriously, and as a direct consequence of that we see desperate people in the cold, in the mud, in the forest in Belarus, in a desperate situation, all because they believe the misinformation that was provided to them through Facebook,” said Jeroen Lenaers, a member of the European Parliament from the Netherlands who is a leader on the legislature’s committee that handles migration issues. It is unclear what, if any, steps Facebook has taken to deal with misleading and potentially dangerous information. One Kurdish-German influencer widely known online as Karwan Rawanduzy is a popular figure among would-be migrants to Europe, but his online videos and other reports frequently promote bogus stories, like the claim that Poland would open its border in early November. Rawanduzy’s live posts on a Facebook page named Kurdisch News had more than 100,000 followers before it was disabled in November after the Kurdish-German influencer said a Polish politician had publicly accused him of helping to fuel the crisis. The page also featured videos sent by hungry and cold migrants trapped along the border. Reached by phone in Hamburg, Germany, Rawanduzy said he was repeating information about pressure on Poland to open the border that he said had been reported by German media. He blamed smugglers and countries including Poland for the misery faced by migrants and that he was simply trying to help the asylum-seekers. Rawanduzy, 42, describes himself as an immigration activist and a former refugee who left Iraq in 2009, two years after a suicide bombing in Irbil wounded him. Faraj is still furious that he followed the advice of Rawanduzy, widely known by his first name, Karwan, by rushing from Minsk back to the border. “Everyone knows him, and everyone follows him,” he said. He added: “Karwan tricked us all on Facebook.” Rawanduzy, who also owns a restaurant, said it was “not for me to feel bad or guilty” about people persuaded by his posts. “It is up to the Iraqi and Kurdish government to feel bad for all the reasons people want to escape.”

How fake news on Facebook helped fuel a border crisis in Europe

A global battle is underway over oil prices. An oil cartel wants to dictate what you pay for fuel. An alliance of six countries - that includes India - has come up with a plan to bring prices of fuel down. Palki Sharma tells you about the oil price war.

Gravitas: This Oil Cartel decides what you pay for fuel

The United States is expected to announce a loan of crude oil from its emergency stockpile on Tuesday as part of a plan it hashed out with major Asian energy consumers to lower energy prices, a Biden administration source familiar with the situation said.

The move is designed to tame soaring energy prices after the OPEC producer group and its allies rebuffed repeated requests from Washington and other consumer nations to pump more quickly to match rising demand.

US&nbsp;President Joe Biden is facing low approval ratings due to high prices for gasoline and other consumer items in the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, posing a threat to him and his Democratic party ahead of next year`s congressional elections.

A so-called "swap" from the US&nbsp;Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) will be announced on Tuesday in a move coordinated with several countries, the source said. The source did not specify how much oil would be released from the stockpiles.

Biden has already asked China, India, South Korea and Japan to release strategic oil stocks in concert with the United States. Japanese and Indian officials are working on ways to do that, Reuters reported.

The unprecedented effort by Washington to team up with major Asian economies to lower energy prices is intended as a warning to major producers that they should pump more oil to address concerns of high fuel prices in powerhouse economies.

OPEC+, which groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies including Russia, plans to meet on Dec. 2 to discuss output policy.

The impact of a coordinated oil release would depend on the timeframe and quantity, but a release of more than about 60 million barrels in around 30 days would be seen by the market as "very negative for pricing", said Commonwealth Bank of Australia analyst Vivek Dhar.

"This situation is coming at a time when this market was shifting and global oil stockpiles are rising. So this could see prices fall more steeply than you think," he said, pointing to new coronavirus lockdowns in Europe.

<h2>Oil off highs</h2>

The United States historically has worked with the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA), a bloc of 30 industrialized energy-consuming nations when global supply issues demand a coordinated release of stocks.

Japan and South Korea are IEA members, while China and India are only associate members.

Under an SPR swap, oil companies take crude oil from the stockpiles but are required to return it - or the refined product - plus interest. Swaps are typically offered when oil companies face a supply disruption like a pipeline outage or damage from a hurricane.

Outright sales are less common.

U.S. presidents have authorized emergency sales from the SPR three times, most recently in 2011 during a war in OPEC member Libya. Sales also took place during the Gulf War in 1991 and after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Current high prices have not been caused by a supply disruption, but rather a rebound on global energy demand from lows struck during lockdowns in the early days of the coronavirus crisis.

OPEC+ has been adding around 400,000 barrels per day to the market on a monthly basis to meet the increasing demand, but has resisted Biden`s calls for more rapid increases, arguing the rebound in demand could be fragile.

The threat of a coordinated release of stockpiled oil onto the market, along with new coronavirus-related lockdowns in Europe, has knocked the wind out of crude oil`s rally lately. Brent crude was last trading around $79.30 a barrel, down more than $7 from a peak reached in late October. [O/R]

Citigroup analysts estimated that a combined release of oil from the United States and other countries could be "on the order of 100-120 million bbls or higher."

One source familiar with the discussions, however, said the input from China and other countries is still very much up in the air, and that nations like India and South Korea would be likely to contribute just a small amount of barrels.

The United States is expected to announce a loan of crude oil from its emergency stockpile on Tuesday as part of a plan it hashed out with major Asian energy consumers to lower energy prices, a Biden administration source familiar with the situation said.

The United States is expected to announce a loan of crude oil from its emergency stockpile on Tuesday as part of a plan it hashed out with major Asian energy consumers to lower energy prices, a Biden administration source familiar with the situation said. The move is designed to tame soaring energy prices after the OPEC producer group and its allies rebuffed repeated requests from Washington and other consumer nations to pump more quickly to match rising demand. US President Joe Biden is facing low approval ratings due to high prices for gasoline and other consumer items in the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, posing a threat to him and his Democratic party ahead of next year`s congressional elections. A so-called "swap" from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) will be announced on Tuesday in a move coordinated with several countries, the source said. The source did not specify how much oil would be released from the stockpiles. Biden has already asked China, India, South Korea and Japan to release strategic oil stocks in concert with the United States. Japanese and Indian officials are working on ways to do that, Reuters reported. The unprecedented effort by Washington to team up with major Asian economies to lower energy prices is intended as a warning to major producers that they should pump more oil to address concerns of high fuel prices in powerhouse economies. OPEC+, which groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies including Russia, plans to meet on Dec. 2 to discuss output policy. The impact of a coordinated oil release would depend on the timeframe and quantity, but a release of more than about 60 million barrels in around 30 days would be seen by the market as "very negative for pricing", said Commonwealth Bank of Australia analyst Vivek Dhar. "This situation is coming at a time when this market was shifting and global oil stockpiles are rising. So this could see prices fall more steeply than you think," he said, pointing to new coronavirus lockdowns in Europe. Oil off highs The United States historically has worked with the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA), a bloc of 30 industrialized energy-consuming nations when global supply issues demand a coordinated release of stocks. Japan and South Korea are IEA members, while China and India are only associate members. Under an SPR swap, oil companies take crude oil from the stockpiles but are required to return it - or the refined product - plus interest. Swaps are typically offered when oil companies face a supply disruption like a pipeline outage or damage from a hurricane. Outright sales are less common. U.S. presidents have authorized emergency sales from the SPR three times, most recently in 2011 during a war in OPEC member Libya. Sales also took place during the Gulf War in 1991 and after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Current high prices have not been caused by a supply disruption, but rather a rebound on global energy demand from lows struck during lockdowns in the early days of the coronavirus crisis. OPEC+ has been adding around 400,000 barrels per day to the market on a monthly basis to meet the increasing demand, but has resisted Biden`s calls for more rapid increases, arguing the rebound in demand could be fragile. The threat of a coordinated release of stockpiled oil onto the market, along with new coronavirus-related lockdowns in Europe, has knocked the wind out of crude oil`s rally lately. Brent crude was last trading around $79.30 a barrel, down more than $7 from a peak reached in late October. [O/R] Citigroup analysts estimated that a combined release of oil from the United States and other countries could be "on the order of 100-120 million bbls or higher." One source familiar with the discussions, however, said the input from China and other countries is still very much up in the air, and that nations like India and South Korea would be likely to contribute just a small amount of barrels.

US set to unveil emergency oil release in bid to fight high prices

In a unique initiative, several efforts are being made to recycle dangerous space junk to come up with rocket fuel in space. &nbsp;&nbsp;

For achieving this goal, an Australian company had become a part of an international effort in this regard. &nbsp;

Debris from old spacecraft, dead satellites and spent rocket parts have clogged the orbit of Earth. They pose a threat to new satellites and the International Space Station as they travel in orbit at high speeds endangering anything that comes in their way. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/indian-scientists-discover-star-planet-bigger-than-jupiter-430108" hreflang="en">Indian scientists discover star-planet bigger than Jupiter</a>

An “in-space electric propulsion system” has been developed by a South Australian company Neumann Space. It can be used in low Earth orbit to extend the missions of spacecraft, move satellites or de-orbit them. &nbsp;

For the propulsion system, the company is looking to turn space junk into fuel with the help of three other companies. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/auditors-say-nasas-artemis-programme-likely-to-be-delayed-by-several-years-430217" hreflang="en">Auditors say NASA's Artemis programme likely to be delayed by several years</a>

These three are Japanese start-up Astroscale, which can use satellites to capture bits of debris in space, Nanorocks of the US, which is working to use advanced robotics to store and cut up debris in orbit and another US company, Cislunar, is developing a space foundry to melt debris into metal rods. &nbsp;

These metal rods will be used as fuel in Neumann Space’s propulsion system as it ionises the metal, which then creates thrust to move objects around orbit. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In a unique initiative, several efforts are being made to recycle dangerous space junk to come up with rocket fuel in space. For achieving this goal, an Australian company had become a part of an international effort in this regard.

In a unique initiative, several efforts are being made to recycle dangerous space junk to come up with rocket fuel in space. For achieving this goal, an Australian company had become a part of an international effort in this regard. Debris from old spacecraft, dead satellites and spent rocket parts have clogged the orbit of Earth. They pose a threat to new satellites and the International Space Station as they travel in orbit at high speeds endangering anything that comes in their way. Also Read: Indian scientists discover star-planet bigger than Jupiter An “in-space electric propulsion system” has been developed by a South Australian company Neumann Space. It can be used in low Earth orbit to extend the missions of spacecraft, move satellites or de-orbit them. For the propulsion system, the company is looking to turn space junk into fuel with the help of three other companies. Also Read: Auditors say NASA's Artemis programme likely to be delayed by several years These three are Japanese start-up Astroscale, which can use satellites to capture bits of debris in space, Nanorocks of the US, which is working to use advanced robotics to store and cut up debris in orbit and another US company, Cislunar, is developing a space foundry to melt debris into metal rods. These metal rods will be used as fuel in Neumann Space’s propulsion system as it ionises the metal, which then creates thrust to move objects around orbit. (With inputs from agencies)

Experts look to recycle dangerous space junk into rocket fuel in Earth's orbit

Bibba Thompson and the 75 older adults who live around her in a local government housing community in northern England do not look like revolutionaries.

But they are cheerfully taking part in a home energy trial that is billed by organizers as part of a new “green industrial revolution,” one they hope will put their little community at the forefront of global energy changes for the second time in three centuries.

Since August, Thompson, 58, and her neighbours in the hilltop village of Winlaton, outside Newcastle, have had their gas heaters and stoves fueled by a blend that includes up to 20% hydrogen. The reason? To reduce the climate-warming gases, like carbon dioxide, that are emitted by their appliances.

As the host of the United Nations climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, the British government has committed to one of the world’s most ambitious emission reduction targets, pledging to slash greenhouse gases by 78% by 2035. Home heating is one of the areas where it has to match its promises with action.

Trials in Australia and elsewhere have experimented with lower levels of hydrogen in the fuel blend, and the Netherlands allows blends of up to 12%, but the gas network operators organizing the 670-home Winlaton trial say this is the first time a 20% hydrogen blend has been put into an existing gas grid with normal gas appliances.

The firms argue that it is an important step toward reducing Britain’s greenhouse gas emissions, and they hope it will encourage the eventual use of 100% hydrogen in the home heaters that the government says account for about 14% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.

With the government concentrating on supporting the use of hydrogen for industrial customers rather than home heating, the gas companies are desperate for their huge pipe networks to retain a central role in the nation’s heating, and part of their strategy is to convince the public that switching to hydrogen would be clean, easy, cheap and safe.

“A few people were dubious at first about ‘Is my boiler going to blow up?’ but it has all gone well and they are quite chuffed with it now,” said Thompson, who lives on site and manages the 55-unit complex for people over 65.

“The older ones think that cleaning up the environment is great for their grandkids, and it really strikes a chord here because of our history,” she said. “We might be just a little village but we have got a big coal heritage.”

Winlaton did indeed play a big role in the era that first unleashed fossil fuels on a mass scale.

A few hundred meters from Thompson’s housing project, just behind the library on Church Street, sits a 330-year-old forge, the last remnant of an operation that made Winlaton a crucial site in the Industrial Revolution.

The forge was part of an enterprise set up in 1691 by Ambrose Crowley that became the largest iron works in Europe, with hundreds of workers churning out nails and chains for the Royal Navy and other iron goods, including slave manacles for British colonies. That was years before the invention of the steam engine and other machines that are generally held to mark the start of the Industrial Revolution.

Val Scully, a trustee of the local heritage centre, said that Crowley’s key contribution was to pioneer mass production techniques and the creation of an industrial working class, who toiled side by side on weekly salaries. It was that system that allowed the inventions of the next decades to flourish and unleash the genie of coal power, a genie that much of the world is now desperately trying to put back in its bottle.

Tim Harwood, the head of hydrogen projects at Northern Gas Networks, a pipeline operator, said northeast England has a chance to be the home of “the next industrial revolution, a green one.”

The region is already an important focus of offshore wind energy and the government sees the industrial clusters around Newcastle and Hull as centers of what it hopes will be a conversion to clean-burning hydrogen.

Hydrogen’s lower calorific value means that rolling out a 20% blend to all natural gas customers would reduce their emissions from heating by 7%, trimming about 1% from total emissions in Britain. The big payoff would come with a switch to pure hydrogen, which could slice more than one-tenth off the nation’s emissions. But it would also require the installation of millions of new appliances — an enormous challenge.

Harwood said blending is “just a steppingstone and a way of stimulating the switch over to hydrogen.”

Many analysts and some government ministers doubt that the nation will be able to produce enough hydrogen in the foreseeable future to roll it out beyond heavy industries.

The challenges include getting the costs of production down quickly enough to reduce the subsidies needed to make hydrogen price-competitive and moving as quickly as possible from “blue hydrogen,” which is made with methane and requires the capture and underground storage of its own carbon emissions, to the cleaner “green hydrogen,” which needs more electricity to produce but has no carbon emissions.

The gas operators are trying to speed things up, and are keen not to be bypassed in the government’s drive to install the potentially cleaner electric heat pumps that are already popular in continental Europe.

“If you think about the 23 million customers in the U.K. that have a gas supply, we’re hoping to penetrate up to 16 million customers with hydrogen,” Harwood said.

“You couldn’t put a heat pump in most Winlaton homes,” he said, “because the housing stock is old, leaky and cold, and heat pumps don’t produce enough heat without special insulation.”

Current programs to upgrade the gas network by replacing metal pipes with hydrogen-ready plastic should be finished by the time enough hydrogen is being produced to consider switching heating to pure hydrogen, Harwood said, and the gas companies want the government to mandate as soon as possible that all new gas boilers must be capable of being converted to hydrogen.

The government has already announced plans for a “hydrogen village” trial in which about 2,000 properties will run on pure hydrogen from 2025, to be followed by a “hydrogen town” of up to 15,000 properties by 2030, but Harwood said the gas operators would prefer to see that schedule sped up.

Dave Tully, a 63-year-old former military police officer who lives in a two-bedroom terrace house in Winlaton, said he received leaflets about the 10-month trial and a free safety inspection of his appliances but he still felt “railroaded” into taking part.

“I think it was going to go ahead no matter what the public thought, but in the end, that’s probably fair enough,” he said. “It turns out it hasn’t changed the way our cooker or heater work at all and I suppose we have to do something about climate change, so this sort of thing is probably necessary.”

The hydrogen campaign in Winlaton has included invitations to two display homes, where locals can see that the 100% hydrogen stoves and heaters are the same size as existing gas appliances. The only noticeable difference is that the flame from the burners is orange rather than blue and has a broader “sunflower” shape to distribute the heat more widely, as hydrogen is lighter and its heat tends to rise more quickly.

Harwood said he hoped to see those new flames heating British cups of tea within a decade.

Bibba Thompson and the 75 older adults who live around her in a local government housing community in northern England do not look like revolutionaries. But they are cheerfully taking part in a home energy trial that is billed by organizers as part of a new “green industrial revolution,” one they hope will put their little community at the forefront of global energy changes for the second time in three centuries.

Bibba Thompson and the 75 older adults who live around her in a local government housing community in northern England do not look like revolutionaries. But they are cheerfully taking part in a home energy trial that is billed by organizers as part of a new “green industrial revolution,” one they hope will put their little community at the forefront of global energy changes for the second time in three centuries. Since August, Thompson, 58, and her neighbours in the hilltop village of Winlaton, outside Newcastle, have had their gas heaters and stoves fueled by a blend that includes up to 20% hydrogen. The reason? To reduce the climate-warming gases, like carbon dioxide, that are emitted by their appliances. As the host of the United Nations climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, the British government has committed to one of the world’s most ambitious emission reduction targets, pledging to slash greenhouse gases by 78% by 2035. Home heating is one of the areas where it has to match its promises with action. Trials in Australia and elsewhere have experimented with lower levels of hydrogen in the fuel blend, and the Netherlands allows blends of up to 12%, but the gas network operators organizing the 670-home Winlaton trial say this is the first time a 20% hydrogen blend has been put into an existing gas grid with normal gas appliances. The firms argue that it is an important step toward reducing Britain’s greenhouse gas emissions, and they hope it will encourage the eventual use of 100% hydrogen in the home heaters that the government says account for about 14% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. With the government concentrating on supporting the use of hydrogen for industrial customers rather than home heating, the gas companies are desperate for their huge pipe networks to retain a central role in the nation’s heating, and part of their strategy is to convince the public that switching to hydrogen would be clean, easy, cheap and safe. “A few people were dubious at first about ‘Is my boiler going to blow up?’ but it has all gone well and they are quite chuffed with it now,” said Thompson, who lives on site and manages the 55-unit complex for people over 65. “The older ones think that cleaning up the environment is great for their grandkids, and it really strikes a chord here because of our history,” she said. “We might be just a little village but we have got a big coal heritage.” Winlaton did indeed play a big role in the era that first unleashed fossil fuels on a mass scale. A few hundred meters from Thompson’s housing project, just behind the library on Church Street, sits a 330-year-old forge, the last remnant of an operation that made Winlaton a crucial site in the Industrial Revolution. The forge was part of an enterprise set up in 1691 by Ambrose Crowley that became the largest iron works in Europe, with hundreds of workers churning out nails and chains for the Royal Navy and other iron goods, including slave manacles for British colonies. That was years before the invention of the steam engine and other machines that are generally held to mark the start of the Industrial Revolution. Val Scully, a trustee of the local heritage centre, said that Crowley’s key contribution was to pioneer mass production techniques and the creation of an industrial working class, who toiled side by side on weekly salaries. It was that system that allowed the inventions of the next decades to flourish and unleash the genie of coal power, a genie that much of the world is now desperately trying to put back in its bottle. Tim Harwood, the head of hydrogen projects at Northern Gas Networks, a pipeline operator, said northeast England has a chance to be the home of “the next industrial revolution, a green one.” The region is already an important focus of offshore wind energy and the government sees the industrial clusters around Newcastle and Hull as centers of what it hopes will be a conversion to clean-burning hydrogen. Hydrogen’s lower calorific value means that rolling out a 20% blend to all natural gas customers would reduce their emissions from heating by 7%, trimming about 1% from total emissions in Britain. The big payoff would come with a switch to pure hydrogen, which could slice more than one-tenth off the nation’s emissions. But it would also require the installation of millions of new appliances — an enormous challenge. Harwood said blending is “just a steppingstone and a way of stimulating the switch over to hydrogen.” Many analysts and some government ministers doubt that the nation will be able to produce enough hydrogen in the foreseeable future to roll it out beyond heavy industries. The challenges include getting the costs of production down quickly enough to reduce the subsidies needed to make hydrogen price-competitive and moving as quickly as possible from “blue hydrogen,” which is made with methane and requires the capture and underground storage of its own carbon emissions, to the cleaner “green hydrogen,” which needs more electricity to produce but has no carbon emissions. The gas operators are trying to speed things up, and are keen not to be bypassed in the government’s drive to install the potentially cleaner electric heat pumps that are already popular in continental Europe. “If you think about the 23 million customers in the U.K. that have a gas supply, we’re hoping to penetrate up to 16 million customers with hydrogen,” Harwood said. “You couldn’t put a heat pump in most Winlaton homes,” he said, “because the housing stock is old, leaky and cold, and heat pumps don’t produce enough heat without special insulation.” Current programs to upgrade the gas network by replacing metal pipes with hydrogen-ready plastic should be finished by the time enough hydrogen is being produced to consider switching heating to pure hydrogen, Harwood said, and the gas companies want the government to mandate as soon as possible that all new gas boilers must be capable of being converted to hydrogen. The government has already announced plans for a “hydrogen village” trial in which about 2,000 properties will run on pure hydrogen from 2025, to be followed by a “hydrogen town” of up to 15,000 properties by 2030, but Harwood said the gas operators would prefer to see that schedule sped up. Dave Tully, a 63-year-old former military police officer who lives in a two-bedroom terrace house in Winlaton, said he received leaflets about the 10-month trial and a free safety inspection of his appliances but he still felt “railroaded” into taking part. “I think it was going to go ahead no matter what the public thought, but in the end, that’s probably fair enough,” he said. “It turns out it hasn’t changed the way our cooker or heater work at all and I suppose we have to do something about climate change, so this sort of thing is probably necessary.” The hydrogen campaign in Winlaton has included invitations to two display homes, where locals can see that the 100% hydrogen stoves and heaters are the same size as existing gas appliances. The only noticeable difference is that the flame from the burners is orange rather than blue and has a broader “sunflower” shape to distribute the heat more widely, as hydrogen is lighter and its heat tends to rise more quickly. Harwood said he hoped to see those new flames heating British cups of tea within a decade.

Helping to fuel a green revolution

Residents of Kabul are worried about finding fuel this winter and are struggling to buy wood to keep their houses warm due to the rising prices. WION brings you a ground report from Afghanistan's capital city.

Kabul's wood crisis in winters: A WION ground report

Oil prices rose on Monday as expectations of strong demand and a belief that a key producer group will not turn on the spigots too fast helped reverse initial losses caused by the release of fuel reserves by China, the world's biggest energy consumer.

Brent crude futures rose 70 cents, or 0.8 per cent, to $84.42 a barrel by 1012 GMT, after hitting a session low of $83.03.

US&nbsp;West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained 40 cents, or 0.5 per cent, to $83.97, having fallen to $82.74 earlier.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/fertiliser-shipment-row-chinese-embassy-blacklists-peoples-bank-of-sri-lanka-424943">Fertiliser shipment row: Chinese embassy blacklists People’s Bank of Sri Lanka</a>

"Fundamentals have not changed, and the oil market will remain tight in the near-term," said Stephen Brennock of oil brokerage PVM Oil.

A Reuters poll showed that oil prices are expected to hold near $80 as the year ends, as tight supplies and higher gas bills encourage a switch to crude for use as a power generation fuel.

Oil rallied to multi-year highs last week, helped by a post-pandemic demand rebound and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies led by Russia, or OPEC+, sticking to gradual, monthly production increases of 400,000 barrels per day (bpd), despite calls for more oil from major consumers.

OPEC+ is expected by analysts to stick to that number at its November&nbsp;4 meeting, with members Kuwait and Iraq in recent days voicing their support for it, saying those volumes were adequate.

US&nbsp;President Joe Biden on Saturday urged major G20 energy producing countries with spare capacity to boost production to ensure a stronger global economic recovery as part of a broad effort to pressure OPEC+ to supplies.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/archeologists-make-shocking-revelations-after-dna-analysis-of-mummies-in-china-424720">Archeologists make shocking revelations after DNA analysis of mummies in China</a>

Prices rose despite China saying in a rare official statement that it had released gasoline and diesel reserves to increase market supply and support price stability in some regions.

Spurred by rising oil prices, US&nbsp;energy firms added oil and natural gas rigs for a 15th month in a row in October, taking them to the highest since April 2020, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co said on Friday.

Exxon and Chevron are looking to add drilling rigs in the Permian shale basin after sharply cutting crews and output in the region last year, the companies said on Friday.

Oil prices rose on Monday as expectations of strong demand and a belief that a key producer group will not turn on the spigots too fast helped reverse initial losses caused by the release of fuel reserves by China, the world's biggest energy consumer.

Oil prices rose on Monday as expectations of strong demand and a belief that a key producer group will not turn on the spigots too fast helped reverse initial losses caused by the release of fuel reserves by China, the world's biggest energy consumer. Brent crude futures rose 70 cents, or 0.8 per cent, to $84.42 a barrel by 1012 GMT, after hitting a session low of $83.03. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained 40 cents, or 0.5 per cent, to $83.97, having fallen to $82.74 earlier. Also Read | Fertiliser shipment row: Chinese embassy blacklists People’s Bank of Sri Lanka "Fundamentals have not changed, and the oil market will remain tight in the near-term," said Stephen Brennock of oil brokerage PVM Oil. A Reuters poll showed that oil prices are expected to hold near $80 as the year ends, as tight supplies and higher gas bills encourage a switch to crude for use as a power generation fuel. Oil rallied to multi-year highs last week, helped by a post-pandemic demand rebound and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies led by Russia, or OPEC+, sticking to gradual, monthly production increases of 400,000 barrels per day (bpd), despite calls for more oil from major consumers. OPEC+ is expected by analysts to stick to that number at its November 4 meeting, with members Kuwait and Iraq in recent days voicing their support for it, saying those volumes were adequate. US President Joe Biden on Saturday urged major G20 energy producing countries with spare capacity to boost production to ensure a stronger global economic recovery as part of a broad effort to pressure OPEC+ to supplies. Also Read | Archeologists make shocking revelations after DNA analysis of mummies in China Prices rose despite China saying in a rare official statement that it had released gasoline and diesel reserves to increase market supply and support price stability in some regions. Spurred by rising oil prices, US energy firms added oil and natural gas rigs for a 15th month in a row in October, taking them to the highest since April 2020, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co said on Friday. Exxon and Chevron are looking to add drilling rigs in the Permian shale basin after sharply cutting crews and output in the region last year, the companies said on Friday.

Oil rises on demand outlook, despite China fuel reserves release

Desperate to have her infant son Pierre admitted to hospital to treat his anemia and diarrhea, Mirlande Cherie set out two weeks ago on an odyssey to find a medical facility that had not already been shuttered by Haiti's fuel shortages.

Cherie rode on the back of a motorcycle with Pierre in her arms as one hospital after another in the capital Port-au-Prince told her they did not have enough diesel to run generators that ensure electricity in the Caribbean nation.

On Wednesday, she finally arrived at the La Paix University Hospital, where only the pediatric ward was operating.

Fuel remains scarce as a coalition of gangs blocks access to fuel terminals to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, signaling the growing power of criminal organizations that this month kidnapped 17 US&nbsp;and Canadian missionaries.

"I left my house on October&nbsp;14 to make the rounds of several public hospitals," said Cherie, whose son first fell ill four months ago and worsened following treatment he received while staying with family in Haiti's provinces.

"We are going through difficult times."

The hospital, which is usually packed, was empty during a visit on Wednesday, because most wards were closed and few patients could arrive anyway due to lack of transport.

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Haiti's fuel shortages continue to threaten the operations of medical facilities, which cannot depend on the unreliable power grid for electricity, putting an additional burden on a population already struggling under rising malnutrition and gang violence.

Haiti's hospitals generate electricity using diesel generators. But gangs in the increasingly lawless nation have blocked access to port terminals that supply that fuel, forcing hospitals to shut many of their wards.

La Paix University Hospital referred questions to Haiti's Health Ministry, which did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Henry in a speech late on Thursday acknowledged that gangs have acted with impunity in blocking fuel trucks, but said the police have created a "security corridor" to ensure deliveries and that improvements should be visible in the coming days.

"The country's hospitals will be in great difficulty if they cannot find fuel to produce electricity to treat the sick," he said. "Thieves and murderers must be treated for who they are."

United Nations children's agency UNICEF said on Sunday&nbsp;that fuel shortages in Haiti are putting the lives of hundreds of women and children at risk.

The lack of fuel left the normally bustling streets of Port-au-Prince unusually quiet as drivers seek to conserve fuel, and a strike by transportation sector leaders further limited mobility.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/colombian-linked-to-haiti-presidents-murder-captured-in-jamaica-423160">Colombian linked to Haiti president's murder captured in Jamaica</a>

Some fuel trucks by Friday had started moving thanks to police escorts, said Marc Andre Deriphonse, who heads the nation's association of gas station owners. But he added there was still limited access to the main fuel terminal of Varreux.

One La Paix hospital doctor who asked not to be identified said the pediatric ward was the only one functioning because it does not need electricity, though it is unable to treat babies born prematurely.

The hospital has halted all surgeries because doctors cannot take the risk of losing power in the middle of an operation, the doctor said, adding that hospital staff were struggling to come to work due to transportation problems.

"Sometimes some doctors come but with the greatest of difficulties because getting around is an obstacle course for everyone because fuel is just not available at the moment," he said.

Desperate to have her infant son Pierre admitted to hospital to treat his anemia and diarrhea, Mirlande Cherie set out two weeks ago on an odyssey to find a medical facility that had not already been shuttered by Haiti's fuel shortages.

Desperate to have her infant son Pierre admitted to hospital to treat his anemia and diarrhea, Mirlande Cherie set out two weeks ago on an odyssey to find a medical facility that had not already been shuttered by Haiti's fuel shortages. Cherie rode on the back of a motorcycle with Pierre in her arms as one hospital after another in the capital Port-au-Prince told her they did not have enough diesel to run generators that ensure electricity in the Caribbean nation. On Wednesday, she finally arrived at the La Paix University Hospital, where only the pediatric ward was operating. Fuel remains scarce as a coalition of gangs blocks access to fuel terminals to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, signaling the growing power of criminal organizations that this month kidnapped 17 US and Canadian missionaries. "I left my house on October 14 to make the rounds of several public hospitals," said Cherie, whose son first fell ill four months ago and worsened following treatment he received while staying with family in Haiti's provinces. "We are going through difficult times." The hospital, which is usually packed, was empty during a visit on Wednesday, because most wards were closed and few patients could arrive anyway due to lack of transport. Also Read | Haiti gang demands $17 million ransom for kidnapped missionaries and children Haiti's fuel shortages continue to threaten the operations of medical facilities, which cannot depend on the unreliable power grid for electricity, putting an additional burden on a population already struggling under rising malnutrition and gang violence. Haiti's hospitals generate electricity using diesel generators. But gangs in the increasingly lawless nation have blocked access to port terminals that supply that fuel, forcing hospitals to shut many of their wards. La Paix University Hospital referred questions to Haiti's Health Ministry, which did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Henry in a speech late on Thursday acknowledged that gangs have acted with impunity in blocking fuel trucks, but said the police have created a "security corridor" to ensure deliveries and that improvements should be visible in the coming days. "The country's hospitals will be in great difficulty if they cannot find fuel to produce electricity to treat the sick," he said. "Thieves and murderers must be treated for who they are." United Nations children's agency UNICEF said on Sunday that fuel shortages in Haiti are putting the lives of hundreds of women and children at risk. The lack of fuel left the normally bustling streets of Port-au-Prince unusually quiet as drivers seek to conserve fuel, and a strike by transportation sector leaders further limited mobility. Also Read | Colombian linked to Haiti president's murder captured in Jamaica Some fuel trucks by Friday had started moving thanks to police escorts, said Marc Andre Deriphonse, who heads the nation's association of gas station owners. But he added there was still limited access to the main fuel terminal of Varreux. One La Paix hospital doctor who asked not to be identified said the pediatric ward was the only one functioning because it does not need electricity, though it is unable to treat babies born prematurely. The hospital has halted all surgeries because doctors cannot take the risk of losing power in the middle of an operation, the doctor said, adding that hospital staff were struggling to come to work due to transportation problems. "Sometimes some doctors come but with the greatest of difficulties because getting around is an obstacle course for everyone because fuel is just not available at the moment," he said.

Haiti's hospitals close to collapse as fuel remains scarce

The use of gasoline and its impact on the environment has been studied at length, it happens to be a major contributor to air pollution. A Scottish biotech company claims to have found a sustainable low-cost alternative- whiskey- here's how!

Whiskey byproducts may fuel cars

Sri Lanka has sought a USD 500 million credit line from India to pay for its crude oil purchases amid a severe foreign exchange crisis in the island nation.

The move came few days after energy minister Udaya Gammanpila warned that the current availability of fuel in the country can be guaranteed only till next January.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-allows-sharp-rise-in-food-prices-to-ease-shortages-419123">Sri Lanka allows sharp rise in food prices to ease shortages</a>

The state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) owes nearly USD 3.3 billion to the two main government banks -- Bank of Ceylon and People's Bank. The state oil distributors imports crude from the Middle East and refined products from other areas, including Singapore.

We are currently engaged with the Indian High Commission here to obtain the facility (USD 500 million credit line) under the India-Sri Lanka economic partnership arrangement," CPC Chairman Sumith Wijesinghe was quoted as saying by local news website newsfirst.Lk.

He said the facility would be utilised for purchasing petrol and diesel requirements.

The energy secretaries of both India and Lanka are expected to sign an agreement for the loan soon, the report quoted Finance Secretary S R Attygalle as saying.

The government has put on hold the expected retail price hike of fuel despite the last week's increase in cooking gas and other essentials.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-lifts-virus-lockdown-retains-night-curfew-417295">Sri Lanka lifts virus lockdown, retains night curfew</a>

The price hike in the global oil prices has forced Lanka to spend more on oil imports this year. The country's oil bill has jumped 41.5 per cent to USD 2 billion in the first seven months of this year, compared to last year.

Lanka is facing a severe foreign exchange crisis after the pandemic hit the nation's earnings from tourism and remittances, Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa had said last month.

The country's Its GDP contracted by a record 3.6 per cent in 2020 and its foreign exchange reserves plunged by over a half in one year through July to just USD 2.8 billion. This has led to a 9 per cent depreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee against the dollar over the past one year, making imports more expensive.

Sri Lanka has sought a USD 500 million credit line from India to pay for its crude oil purchases amid a severe foreign exchange crisis in the island nation. The move came few days after energy minister Udaya Gammanpila warned that the current availability of fuel in the country can be guaranteed only till next January.

Sri Lanka has sought a USD 500 million credit line from India to pay for its crude oil purchases amid a severe foreign exchange crisis in the island nation. The move came few days after energy minister Udaya Gammanpila warned that the current availability of fuel in the country can be guaranteed only till next January. Also Read | Sri Lanka allows sharp rise in food prices to ease shortages The state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) owes nearly USD 3.3 billion to the two main government banks -- Bank of Ceylon and People's Bank. The state oil distributors imports crude from the Middle East and refined products from other areas, including Singapore. We are currently engaged with the Indian High Commission here to obtain the facility (USD 500 million credit line) under the India-Sri Lanka economic partnership arrangement," CPC Chairman Sumith Wijesinghe was quoted as saying by local news website newsfirst.Lk. He said the facility would be utilised for purchasing petrol and diesel requirements. The energy secretaries of both India and Lanka are expected to sign an agreement for the loan soon, the report quoted Finance Secretary S R Attygalle as saying. The government has put on hold the expected retail price hike of fuel despite the last week's increase in cooking gas and other essentials. Also Read | Sri Lanka lifts virus lockdown, retains night curfew The price hike in the global oil prices has forced Lanka to spend more on oil imports this year. The country's oil bill has jumped 41.5 per cent to USD 2 billion in the first seven months of this year, compared to last year. Lanka is facing a severe foreign exchange crisis after the pandemic hit the nation's earnings from tourism and remittances, Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa had said last month. The country's Its GDP contracted by a record 3.6 per cent in 2020 and its foreign exchange reserves plunged by over a half in one year through July to just USD 2.8 billion. This has led to a 9 per cent depreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee against the dollar over the past one year, making imports more expensive.

Lanka seeks USD 500 million loan from India for fuel purchase

Lebanon’s sputtering national electricity grid went back online Sunday after the army provided emergency fuel supplies to the government, temporarily easing a daylong outage that served as the latest ramification of the country’s economic collapse.

The two main power plants, chronically short of fuel, had been providing only a few hours of electricity per day before Saturday, when they ran out of fuel and stopped working completely.

Walid Fayyad, the energy minister, said in a statement Sunday that the army had supplied fuel from its reserves to the power plants, Zahrani and Deir Ammar, and that the network had resumed “normal” operation — suggesting it would go back to producing a few hours of power per day.

Even so, the emergency supplies are expected to last only a few days. Fayyad said that Lebanon’s central bank had freed up $100 million to be used to import fuel, which would help raise electricity generation by the end of the month.

He thanked the defense minister, the army commander and the leaders of Electricité du Liban, the national energy company, for their “rapid response to reconnecting the electrical network.”

The outage Saturday had little immediate effect on the lives of most Lebanese, who have grown accustomed to blackouts and fuel shortages as the country suffers one of the gravest economic crises in recent history. The government has struggled to import fuel as the national currency has shed 90% of its value in the past two years. Prices for many goods have tripled.

“We have forgotten what electricity means,” said Abdul-Hadi al-Sibai, a 70-year-old taxi driver in southern Beirut.

He lives with his sister, who decided to cut off her generator connection after a bill of 1.8 million Lebanese pounds, which is about $100 on the black market but more than the monthly salaries of many Lebanese.

The currency crash and resulting inflation has forced the family to give up refrigerated foods, so they eat mostly on lentils and grains. Al-Sibai charges his cellphone using his car’s battery.

The crisis has presented an opportunity for Iran, and its proxy in Lebanon, the militant group Hezbollah, to portray themselves as stepping in where other powers have failed.

In recent weeks, Iran has sent fuel by tanker ship to Syria, where Hezbollah organized caravans to drive it into Lebanon. The whole operation defies sanctions by the United States on the purchase of Iranian oil and has happened entirely outside of the Lebanese state.

Visiting Lebanon last week, Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, said Iran was ready to build two new power plants in Beirut and southern Lebanon able to meet a third of the country’s electricity demands.

Critics say Iran and its allies are more interested in media stunts than in real aid, that the fuel it has sent is little in comparison to Lebanon’s needs and that the proposed Iranian power plants are unlikely to ever be built.

The United States has thrown its support behind plans to have natural gas sent via pipeline from Jordan through Syria to Lebanon, or to have electricity generated in Jordan transmitted to Lebanon. But many details of those plans have yet to be worked out, including who will pay to fix the necessary infrastructure, so any benefit for Lebanon is at best months away.

Most Lebanese rely on private generators for electricity, but many have been forced to cut back on that, too, or give it up altogether, as fuel costs have soared.

Fatima Baydoun, a 50-year-old mother of three in Beirut, said her family had not been able to afford electricity from a generator because her husband, a security guard, has been out of work for more than a year. Without government-supplied electricity, she can’t use the washing machine, and her family’s taps have run dry because the water pump relies on power.

“We try to sleep as early as possible,” she said.

Lebanon’s sputtering national electricity grid went back online Sunday after the army provided emergency fuel supplies to the government, temporarily easing a daylong outage that served as the latest ramification of the country’s economic collapse.

Lebanon’s sputtering national electricity grid went back online Sunday after the army provided emergency fuel supplies to the government, temporarily easing a daylong outage that served as the latest ramification of the country’s economic collapse. The two main power plants, chronically short of fuel, had been providing only a few hours of electricity per day before Saturday, when they ran out of fuel and stopped working completely. Walid Fayyad, the energy minister, said in a statement Sunday that the army had supplied fuel from its reserves to the power plants, Zahrani and Deir Ammar, and that the network had resumed “normal” operation — suggesting it would go back to producing a few hours of power per day. Even so, the emergency supplies are expected to last only a few days. Fayyad said that Lebanon’s central bank had freed up $100 million to be used to import fuel, which would help raise electricity generation by the end of the month. He thanked the defense minister, the army commander and the leaders of Electricité du Liban, the national energy company, for their “rapid response to reconnecting the electrical network.” The outage Saturday had little immediate effect on the lives of most Lebanese, who have grown accustomed to blackouts and fuel shortages as the country suffers one of the gravest economic crises in recent history. The government has struggled to import fuel as the national currency has shed 90% of its value in the past two years. Prices for many goods have tripled. “We have forgotten what electricity means,” said Abdul-Hadi al-Sibai, a 70-year-old taxi driver in southern Beirut. He lives with his sister, who decided to cut off her generator connection after a bill of 1.8 million Lebanese pounds, which is about $100 on the black market but more than the monthly salaries of many Lebanese. The currency crash and resulting inflation has forced the family to give up refrigerated foods, so they eat mostly on lentils and grains. Al-Sibai charges his cellphone using his car’s battery. The crisis has presented an opportunity for Iran, and its proxy in Lebanon, the militant group Hezbollah, to portray themselves as stepping in where other powers have failed. In recent weeks, Iran has sent fuel by tanker ship to Syria, where Hezbollah organized caravans to drive it into Lebanon. The whole operation defies sanctions by the United States on the purchase of Iranian oil and has happened entirely outside of the Lebanese state. Visiting Lebanon last week, Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, said Iran was ready to build two new power plants in Beirut and southern Lebanon able to meet a third of the country’s electricity demands. Critics say Iran and its allies are more interested in media stunts than in real aid, that the fuel it has sent is little in comparison to Lebanon’s needs and that the proposed Iranian power plants are unlikely to ever be built. The United States has thrown its support behind plans to have natural gas sent via pipeline from Jordan through Syria to Lebanon, or to have electricity generated in Jordan transmitted to Lebanon. But many details of those plans have yet to be worked out, including who will pay to fix the necessary infrastructure, so any benefit for Lebanon is at best months away. Most Lebanese rely on private generators for electricity, but many have been forced to cut back on that, too, or give it up altogether, as fuel costs have soared. Fatima Baydoun, a 50-year-old mother of three in Beirut, said her family had not been able to afford electricity from a generator because her husband, a security guard, has been out of work for more than a year. Without government-supplied electricity, she can’t use the washing machine, and her family’s taps have run dry because the water pump relies on power. “We try to sleep as early as possible,” she said.

Electricity is restored in Lebanon as army supplies emergency fuel

According to local media, Lebanon's two major power stations have resulted in shut down on Saturday due to fuel shortage. It has resulted in power outages in most parts of the country. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Authorities are working "to partially restore electricity to various Lebanese regions, by supplying production stations with fuel from the reserves available for extreme necessities," reported state-run NNA news. &nbsp;&nbsp;

"Electricity will gradually return in the coming hours," it reported. &nbsp;

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The local residents have also started cutting off roads in several areas to protest the deteriorating living conditions following the power outages. It has resulted in water shortages, the reports said. &nbsp;

On Friday, Minister of Energy and Water Walid Fayyad said, "Everyone is seriously working on this issue in order to secure additional... electricity for Lebanon."

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-killed-in-israel-strike-on-syria-base-monitor-419395" hreflang="en">Two killed in Israel strike on Syria base: Monitor</a> &nbsp;

"The matter is related to the expected financing from the World Bank. I met with an official from the World Bank for the Middle East, and he conveyed to me the determination to end the process by providing all the necessary facilities to Lebanon," Fayyad added. &nbsp;

Although in short supply, many Lebanese rely on private generators that run on diesel. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

According to local media, Lebanon's two major power stations have resulted in shut down on Saturday due to fuel shortage. It has resulted in power outages in most parts of the country.

According to local media, Lebanon's two major power stations have resulted in shut down on Saturday due to fuel shortage. It has resulted in power outages in most parts of the country. Authorities are working "to partially restore electricity to various Lebanese regions, by supplying production stations with fuel from the reserves available for extreme necessities," reported state-run NNA news. "Electricity will gradually return in the coming hours," it reported. Also Read: India, 135 Other Nations Agree On Landmark Global Corporate Tax Deal The local residents have also started cutting off roads in several areas to protest the deteriorating living conditions following the power outages. It has resulted in water shortages, the reports said. On Friday, Minister of Energy and Water Walid Fayyad said, "Everyone is seriously working on this issue in order to secure additional... electricity for Lebanon." Also Read | Two killed in Israel strike on Syria base: Monitor "The matter is related to the expected financing from the World Bank. I met with an official from the World Bank for the Middle East, and he conveyed to me the determination to end the process by providing all the necessary facilities to Lebanon," Fayyad added. Although in short supply, many Lebanese rely on private generators that run on diesel. (With inputs from agencies)

Lebanon loses electricity as 2 power stations face shut down amid fuel crisis

In the UK, politicians are struggling with crumbling supply chain. From fuel to food to daily supplies, almost every sector is witnessing crunch, watch this story for more.

Army deployed to ease the ongoing fuel crisis in UK

Citizens had to wait for hours to refuel their cars amid a massive crunch in UK, this comes after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson admitted that fuel shortages may continue till Christmas.

United Kingdom: Fuel shortage may last till Christmas, says PM Boris Johnson

As Myanmar`s economic slump deepens after February`s military coup and parts of its financial system freeze up, many in the strife-torn country are turning to online groups to bypass official channels to trade currencies.

The fragility of the financial system was further exposed this week when the kyat currency sank to new lows after the central bank gave up on attempts to prop it up. Many licensed money exchanges and gold shops shut their doors in the turmoil that followed.

The online groups, which run mainly on Facebook, have become a way for buyers and sellers of currencies to connect, often relying on trust when arranging physical exchanges of notes.

"I posted to sell some old notes yesterday in the group," said May Lay, a Yangon resident, referring to what she said was the sale of about $190 into kyat on a Facebook group.

"I lost my job and have had no income recently. Life is difficult with a one-year-old child," she said, noting how her household spending on food had doubled.

In the immediate months after the February 1 coup, long lines of people queued up to withdraw cash from banks, though recently kyat savings have taken an ever bigger hit with the currency losing 60 per cent&nbsp;of its value against the dollar in September.

Speaking after the World Bank warned this week the economy could slump 18 per cent&nbsp;this year, the ruling military council`s spokesman Zaw Min Tun said on Thursday the central bank had been unable to meet local demand for dollars.

One of the biggest of the groups set up on Facebook called "Dollar Buyer Seller Direct" had about 170,000 members, with the group`s administrator warning users to be careful before making a deal.

"The seller, the buyer, both take responsibility," it warned. 
The group appears to have been taken down in recent days, though at least one other site has emerged to fill its place.

In Myanmar, money traders are supposed to get a licence to operate. Central bank officials did not respond to requests for comment.

Asked about such sites using its platform, Rafael Frankel, director of public policy emerging countries, Facebook Asia Pacific, said: "Our dedicated team, including regional experts, continues to monitor the situation in Myanmar in real time and we will take action on anything that violates our policies as soon as we become aware of it."

"Our thoughts are with the people of Myanmar at this difficult time," Frankel said.

Smuggling Dollars

Still, with some money changers halting operations and official exchange rates now well out of line with market rates, more people have been drawn to the online sites to do their own deals, which are concluded in person.

"It`s like a black market. Both parties have to worry until the deal is done," said Ye Yint Tun, 33, who turned to becoming an unofficial currency broker after losing his job as a real estate agent for expatriates.

While initially asking for a 20 per cent fee, he has now slashed that to 2per cent&nbsp;to make it more attractive and reckons he earns about 10,000 to 20,000 kyat per day, or about $4 to just over $8, based on recent exchange rates.

"There are risks that you will be robbed while you doing exchange. So, we have to be very careful."

The online groups also tap into the flows of money remitted by overseas workers in neighbouring countries like Thailand.

"Millions of dollars are being smuggled into Myanmar from Thailand daily," an unlicensed money trader based in Thailand said, noting how the roughly four million Myanmar workers in Thailand needed to send money back to family members.

"We use Facebook as our platform for selling money," said the trader, who declined to be named.

Workers from Myanmar in Thailand pay traders with their Thai baht earnings, who in turn give kyat to family members in Myanmar and use the baht to buy U.S. dollars.

Another Thai-based trader described how U.S. dollars were smuggled into Myanmar overland, sometimes hidden in clothes or household items.

"In September alone, I traded about 30 million baht ($890,000). The trade is much higher compared with previous months," said the trader.

As Myanmar`s economic slump deepens after February`s military coup and parts of its financial system freeze up, many in the strife-torn country are turning to online groups to bypass official channels to trade currencies.

As Myanmar`s economic slump deepens after February`s military coup and parts of its financial system freeze up, many in the strife-torn country are turning to online groups to bypass official channels to trade currencies. The fragility of the financial system was further exposed this week when the kyat currency sank to new lows after the central bank gave up on attempts to prop it up. Many licensed money exchanges and gold shops shut their doors in the turmoil that followed. The online groups, which run mainly on Facebook, have become a way for buyers and sellers of currencies to connect, often relying on trust when arranging physical exchanges of notes. "I posted to sell some old notes yesterday in the group," said May Lay, a Yangon resident, referring to what she said was the sale of about $190 into kyat on a Facebook group. "I lost my job and have had no income recently. Life is difficult with a one-year-old child," she said, noting how her household spending on food had doubled. In the immediate months after the February 1 coup, long lines of people queued up to withdraw cash from banks, though recently kyat savings have taken an ever bigger hit with the currency losing 60 per cent of its value against the dollar in September. Speaking after the World Bank warned this week the economy could slump 18 per cent this year, the ruling military council`s spokesman Zaw Min Tun said on Thursday the central bank had been unable to meet local demand for dollars. One of the biggest of the groups set up on Facebook called "Dollar Buyer Seller Direct" had about 170,000 members, with the group`s administrator warning users to be careful before making a deal. "The seller, the buyer, both take responsibility," it warned. The group appears to have been taken down in recent days, though at least one other site has emerged to fill its place. In Myanmar, money traders are supposed to get a licence to operate. Central bank officials did not respond to requests for comment. Asked about such sites using its platform, Rafael Frankel, director of public policy emerging countries, Facebook Asia Pacific, said: "Our dedicated team, including regional experts, continues to monitor the situation in Myanmar in real time and we will take action on anything that violates our policies as soon as we become aware of it." "Our thoughts are with the people of Myanmar at this difficult time," Frankel said. Smuggling Dollars Still, with some money changers halting operations and official exchange rates now well out of line with market rates, more people have been drawn to the online sites to do their own deals, which are concluded in person. "It`s like a black market. Both parties have to worry until the deal is done," said Ye Yint Tun, 33, who turned to becoming an unofficial currency broker after losing his job as a real estate agent for expatriates. While initially asking for a 20 per cent fee, he has now slashed that to 2per cent to make it more attractive and reckons he earns about 10,000 to 20,000 kyat per day, or about $4 to just over $8, based on recent exchange rates. "There are risks that you will be robbed while you doing exchange. So, we have to be very careful." The online groups also tap into the flows of money remitted by overseas workers in neighbouring countries like Thailand. "Millions of dollars are being smuggled into Myanmar from Thailand daily," an unlicensed money trader based in Thailand said, noting how the roughly four million Myanmar workers in Thailand needed to send money back to family members. "We use Facebook as our platform for selling money," said the trader, who declined to be named. Workers from Myanmar in Thailand pay traders with their Thai baht earnings, who in turn give kyat to family members in Myanmar and use the baht to buy U.S. dollars. Another Thai-based trader described how U.S. dollars were smuggled into Myanmar overland, sometimes hidden in clothes or household items. "In September alone, I traded about 30 million baht ($890,000). The trade is much higher compared with previous months," said the trader.

Myanmar's economic crisis fuels underground currency trading

UK&nbsp;petrol&nbsp;stations are still running out of&nbsp;fuel, a retailers' group warned on Thursday, contradicting government&nbsp;claims&nbsp;that a spate of panic-buying is ebbing.

Queues continued to build at refuelling stations, especially in London and southern England, including at one site in Hampshire where a transport truck carrying a military helicopter was sighted.

Troops are expected to be deployeed within days to help ease the&nbsp;crisis, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisting this week that the situation was returning to normal.

Treasury Chief Secretary Simon Clarke told Sky News on Thursday that "more&nbsp;fuel&nbsp;is being delivered to&nbsp;petrol&nbsp;stations than is being sold, so that&nbsp;crisis&nbsp;is now absolutely back under control".

However, the&nbsp;Petrol&nbsp;Retailers Association said 27 percent of stations had run dry -- the same number as on Wednesday.

"PRA members are reporting that whilst they are continuing to take further deliveries of&nbsp;fuel, this is running out quicker than usual due to unprecedented demand," association chief Gordon Balmer said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/transport-chiefs-warn-world-leaders-and-un-about-incoming-collapse-of-global-supply-chain-417077">Also read |&nbsp;Transport chiefs warn world leaders and UN about incoming collapse of global supply chain</a>

A shortage of tanker drivers last week sparked fears of pumps running dry, triggering panic-buying and some cases of fighting between irate drivers.

Johnson's government campaigned for an end to free movement across Europe during Brexit, promising to "take back control" of what it saw as unchecked immigration.&nbsp;

But last weekend it reversed entry rules to offer foreign truckers a three-month visa waiver, hoping to ease the driver shortage that has hit supply chains more generally.&nbsp;

"It is important to remember that&nbsp;fuel&nbsp;stocks remain normal at refineries and terminals, and deliveries have been reduced solely due to the shortage of HGV (heavy-goods vehicle) drivers," Balmer said.

UK petrol stations are still running out of fuel, a retailers' group warned on Thursday, contradicting government claims that a spate of panic-buying is ebbing. Queues continued to build at refuelling stations, especially in London and southern England, including at one site in Hampshire where a transport truck carrying a military helicopter was sighted.

UK petrol stations are still running out of fuel, a retailers' group warned on Thursday, contradicting government claims that a spate of panic-buying is ebbing. Queues continued to build at refuelling stations, especially in London and southern England, including at one site in Hampshire where a transport truck carrying a military helicopter was sighted. Troops are expected to be deployeed within days to help ease the crisis, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisting this week that the situation was returning to normal. Treasury Chief Secretary Simon Clarke told Sky News on Thursday that "more fuel is being delivered to petrol stations than is being sold, so that crisis is now absolutely back under control". However, the Petrol Retailers Association said 27 percent of stations had run dry -- the same number as on Wednesday. "PRA members are reporting that whilst they are continuing to take further deliveries of fuel, this is running out quicker than usual due to unprecedented demand," association chief Gordon Balmer said. Also read | Transport chiefs warn world leaders and UN about incoming collapse of global supply chain A shortage of tanker drivers last week sparked fears of pumps running dry, triggering panic-buying and some cases of fighting between irate drivers. Johnson's government campaigned for an end to free movement across Europe during Brexit, promising to "take back control" of what it saw as unchecked immigration. But last weekend it reversed entry rules to offer foreign truckers a three-month visa waiver, hoping to ease the driver shortage that has hit supply chains more generally. "It is important to remember that fuel stocks remain normal at refineries and terminals, and deliveries have been reduced solely due to the shortage of HGV (heavy-goods vehicle) drivers," Balmer said.

UK fuel industry denies government claims crisis is easing

Britain ordered soldiers on Wednesday to start driving fuel tankers to replenish empty pumps, as motorists remained mired in queues after nearly a week of shortages, despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying the situation was improving.

Britain has been gripped by a rush of panic buying that has left pumps dry across major cities, after oil companies warned they did not have enough tanker drivers to move petrol and diesel from refineries to filling stations.

Opponents blame the crisis on government incompetence and its unyielding approach to Brexit, which has blocked hauliers from hiring drivers from the EU since Britain abandoned the common market this year. London says the disruption is partly an unforeseen result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Business minister Kwasi Kwarteng said 150 soldiers would be driving tankers within a few days, and civilians would start shipments later on Wednesday using a government reserve fleet of around 80 vehicles.

Watch

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"The last few days have been difficult, we`ve seen large queues. But I think the situation is stabilising, we`re getting petrol into the forecourts. I think we`re going to see our way through this," Kwarteng said.

Johnson has sought to quell concerns, saying supplies were returning to normal while also urging people not to panic buy.

A shortage of around 100,000 drivers has sown chaos through supply chains and raised the spectre of empty shelves and price increases at Christmas.

<h2>No guarantee</h2>

Asked if he could guarantee that there would not be problems in the run-up to the busy retail period, Kwarteng said: "I`m not guaranteeing anything. All I`m saying is that, I think the situation is stabilising."

By the early morning rush hour there were already long queues of cars in and around London and on the busy M25 orbital motorway circling the capital. Signs were up at some sites announcing no fuel was available.

The gridlock has sparked calls for doctors, nurses and other essential workers to be given priority access to fuel, a move Johnson has resisted.

Industry groups said the worst of the shortages seemed to be in London, the southeast and other English cities. Fights have broken out as drivers jostled.

The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), which represents independent retailers who account for about two-thirds of all the 8,380 UK filling stations, said 27% its members` stations were out of fuel down from as high as 90 per cent two days ago.

More forecourts were reporting receiving deliveries and the situation was likely to improve further in the next 24 hours, but staff were experiencing "a high level of both verbal and physical abuse which is completely unacceptable," said Gordon Balmer, PRA Executive Director.

The shortages have left gaps on supermarket shelves and added to an air of chaos in the world`s fifth-largest economy. A spike in European wholesale natural gas prices has also tipped energy companies into bankruptcy.

To tackle the shortage, the government has said it will issue temporary visas to 5,000 foreign drivers, a measure it had previously ruled out after Johnson campaigned for tougher border restrictions as part of his hard line on Brexit.

"What we want to do is make sure that we have all the preparations necessary to get through until Christmas and beyond, not just in supplying the petrol stations but all parts of our supply chain," Johnson said.

Hauliers, petrol stations and retailers say there are no quick fixes as the shortfall of drivers is so acute, and transporting fuel demands training and licensing. European drivers may also be reluctant to take up the visa offer, which only lasts until Dec. 24.

Britain ordered soldiers on Wednesday to start driving fuel tankers to replenish empty pumps, as motorists remained mired in queues after nearly a week of shortages, despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying the situation was improving.

Britain ordered soldiers on Wednesday to start driving fuel tankers to replenish empty pumps, as motorists remained mired in queues after nearly a week of shortages, despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying the situation was improving. Britain has been gripped by a rush of panic buying that has left pumps dry across major cities, after oil companies warned they did not have enough tanker drivers to move petrol and diesel from refineries to filling stations. Opponents blame the crisis on government incompetence and its unyielding approach to Brexit, which has blocked hauliers from hiring drivers from the EU since Britain abandoned the common market this year. London says the disruption is partly an unforeseen result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Business minister Kwasi Kwarteng said 150 soldiers would be driving tankers within a few days, and civilians would start shipments later on Wednesday using a government reserve fleet of around 80 vehicles. Watch "The last few days have been difficult, we`ve seen large queues. But I think the situation is stabilising, we`re getting petrol into the forecourts. I think we`re going to see our way through this," Kwarteng said. Johnson has sought to quell concerns, saying supplies were returning to normal while also urging people not to panic buy. A shortage of around 100,000 drivers has sown chaos through supply chains and raised the spectre of empty shelves and price increases at Christmas. No guarantee Asked if he could guarantee that there would not be problems in the run-up to the busy retail period, Kwarteng said: "I`m not guaranteeing anything. All I`m saying is that, I think the situation is stabilising." By the early morning rush hour there were already long queues of cars in and around London and on the busy M25 orbital motorway circling the capital. Signs were up at some sites announcing no fuel was available. The gridlock has sparked calls for doctors, nurses and other essential workers to be given priority access to fuel, a move Johnson has resisted. Industry groups said the worst of the shortages seemed to be in London, the southeast and other English cities. Fights have broken out as drivers jostled. The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), which represents independent retailers who account for about two-thirds of all the 8,380 UK filling stations, said 27% its members` stations were out of fuel down from as high as 90 per cent two days ago. More forecourts were reporting receiving deliveries and the situation was likely to improve further in the next 24 hours, but staff were experiencing "a high level of both verbal and physical abuse which is completely unacceptable," said Gordon Balmer, PRA Executive Director. The shortages have left gaps on supermarket shelves and added to an air of chaos in the world`s fifth-largest economy. A spike in European wholesale natural gas prices has also tipped energy companies into bankruptcy. To tackle the shortage, the government has said it will issue temporary visas to 5,000 foreign drivers, a measure it had previously ruled out after Johnson campaigned for tougher border restrictions as part of his hard line on Brexit. "What we want to do is make sure that we have all the preparations necessary to get through until Christmas and beyond, not just in supplying the petrol stations but all parts of our supply chain," Johnson said. Hauliers, petrol stations and retailers say there are no quick fixes as the shortfall of drivers is so acute, and transporting fuel demands training and licensing. European drivers may also be reluctant to take up the visa offer, which only lasts until Dec. 24.

British army to start driving tankers, fuel queues persist

The fuel crisis in the UK is getting worse each day. Long queues persist, filling stations are running dry. The British govt has put the army on standby to deliver fuel. Molly Gambhir has a report.

Gravitas: UK fuel crisis: Army on standby to deliver fuel

Boris Johnson has once again reassured the country of his administration's efforts to fix the shortage of fuel plaguing the country. He said that UK's supply chain will be fixed before Christmas.

UK fuel crisis: Boris Johnson promises solution by Christmas

Fuel Crisis in the United Kingdom has hit headlines everywhere in the world. And the country is being trolled, maybe on social media but definitely on Russian media. The presenters and reporters have, sometimes smiling, have likened it to Soviet Russia where scarcity of everyday items or even foodstuffs was almost a norm

“The queues for petrol pumps are like those for sausage that was in short supply in the Soviet Union,” said a presenter on NTV. The new channel is known to be pro-Kremlin and is owned by Gazprom, the Russian gas giant.

An NTV correspondent from London smiled as she held up The Times newspaper and showed headlines on fuel crisis

“There is no petrol, there are only newspapers, which say that the petrol is all gone. Last week they wrote that the food had run out,” she said. “I wonder what will run out next here?”

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/truckers-shortage-forces-uk-to-mull-army-deployment-to-ease-gas-crunch-at-pumps-416462">Truckers' shortage forces UK to mull army deployment to ease gas crunch at pumps &nbsp;</a>

On Wednesday (September 29), long queues were seen again at gas stations all over London. Strain on fuel supply continues in spite of UK PM Boris Johnson saying that the situation was improving. Many petrol stations had run out of fuel.

<img alt="UK fuel crisis" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7c122324-8aaf-4e42-872f-88354e5a802b" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/2021-09-28T124146Z_1_LYNXMPEH8R0NY_RTROPTP_4_BRITAIN-TRUCKERS.JPG" />

Panic buying has left petrol stations across major cities in Britain dry. Oil companies have said that they did not have enough truck drivers to move fuel from refineries to filling stations.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-royal-mint-launches-gold-bar-featuring-lakshmi-hindu-goddess-of-wealth-416553">UK Royal Mint launches gold bar featuring Lakshmi, Hindu Goddess of wealth</a>

The government has put 150 British army tanker drivers on standby, and media reports suggested they could be deployed in the next few days.

Industry groups said the worst of the fuel shortages seemed to be in London, the southeast and other English cities.

(With inputs from agencies)

Fuel Crisis in the United Kingdom has hit headlines everywhere in the world. And the country is being trolled, maybe on social media but definitely on Russian media.

Fuel Crisis in the United Kingdom has hit headlines everywhere in the world. And the country is being trolled, maybe on social media but definitely on Russian media. The presenters and reporters have, sometimes smiling, have likened it to Soviet Russia where scarcity of everyday items or even foodstuffs was almost a norm “The queues for petrol pumps are like those for sausage that was in short supply in the Soviet Union,” said a presenter on NTV. The new channel is known to be pro-Kremlin and is owned by Gazprom, the Russian gas giant. An NTV correspondent from London smiled as she held up The Times newspaper and showed headlines on fuel crisis “There is no petrol, there are only newspapers, which say that the petrol is all gone. Last week they wrote that the food had run out,” she said. “I wonder what will run out next here?” Also Read | Truckers' shortage forces UK to mull army deployment to ease gas crunch at pumps On Wednesday (September 29), long queues were seen again at gas stations all over London. Strain on fuel supply continues in spite of UK PM Boris Johnson saying that the situation was improving. Many petrol stations had run out of fuel. Panic buying has left petrol stations across major cities in Britain dry. Oil companies have said that they did not have enough truck drivers to move fuel from refineries to filling stations. Also Read | UK Royal Mint launches gold bar featuring Lakshmi, Hindu Goddess of wealth The government has put 150 British army tanker drivers on standby, and media reports suggested they could be deployed in the next few days. Industry groups said the worst of the fuel shortages seemed to be in London, the southeast and other English cities. (With inputs from agencies)

Fuel crisis: Russian media mocks UK, compares it to Soviet Russia

Up to 90% of the pumps in major British cities were out of fuel today. Reports say UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson could consider using the army to deliver fuel to petrol stations. Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas US Edition: Will the UK use the Army to transport petrol?

The UK is scrambling for basic necessities and for the third day running, Britain is now waiting to fill up the fuels. The oil firms are claiming that lack of drivers are causing transportation problems.

Supply-Chain issues at fuel station, opposition slams UK government for crisis

The United Kingdom is struggling with a drivers' drought. Supply chains have been crippled. Petrol pumps are running dry. Motorists are struggling with empty tanks. 5,000 new visas are expected to be issued for foreign drivers. Palki Sharma gets you a report.

Gravitas US Edition: Drivers' drought leaves UK without fuel

Iran has resumed fuel exports to Afghanistan following a request from the Taliban. The price of gasoline in the country has turned $900 per tonne as many panicked Afghans drove out of cities, fearing reprisals from the Taliban.

Iran resumes fuel exports to Afghanistan after Taliban request

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