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- EU Sends Emergency Power Generators to Ukraine Amid Energy Crisis
- EU Struggles to Diversify Supply of Critical Raw Materials by 2030
- Germany Reaffirms Opposition to Diplomatic Talks with Putin on Ukraine
- Outrage in Italy: Church Mural of Angel Resembles Giorgia Meloni
- Jamie Carragher selects Chelsea player as ‘one of the Premier League’s finest’
- Arsenal icon dismisses Paul Scholes’ controversial remark on Mikel Arteta’s team
- Tourists Terrified by 200ft Ride Malfunction: A Shocking Incident in the UK
- Medical Examinations: Impact on Player Transfers in Football
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EU Sends Emergency Power Generators to Ukraine Amid Energy Crisis
5:02 am
TL:DR – EU sends emergency power generators to Ukraine amid energy crisis
• Ukraine’s energy grid has become the “Fourth Front” due to war-related attacks.
• Russia has targeted Ukraine’s critical infrastructure for almost four years.
• In January 2026, Russia launched 6,000 drones and over 5,000 bombs against Ukraine.
• The EU is sending hundreds of emergency power generators to support Ukraine.
• Cold weather increases the risk of pipes freezing and bursting in buildings.
• European NGOs and volunteers are aiding vulnerable populations in Ukraine.
Kyiv is freezing — would you survive in -20C without heating?
Ukraine faces energy crisis amid Ongoing Russian attacks damage critical infrastructure.
Ukrainian officials report that the country’s energy infrastructure is under severe strain due to an extensive campaign by Russia, emphasising the dire situation as temperatures plummet. As Russia continues its assault, the European Union is responding by sending hundreds of emergency power generators to support Ukraine.
The battle for energy in Ukraine has intensified, described as the “Fourth Front” in the ongoing conflict.
EU and NGOs Provide Emergency Relief
Ukraine’s energy grid has suffered extensive damage over nearly four years of targeted attacks from Russia. This destruction has led to critical shortages, with civilians struggling to access basic necessities such as heat and water.
The European Union is committed to preventing a humanitarian crisis, with plans to deliver emergency power generators to affected areas. Additionally, various European NGOs and volunteers are mobilising to assist vulnerable populations on the ground.
Ongoing Threats to Civilians and Infrastructure
Despite international support, the danger remains acute, as Kyiv reports that Russia launched 6,000 drones and over 5,000 bombs in January, focusing on energy and railway targets. As the cold weather persists, the challenges for civilians and infrastructure recovery continue unabated.
EU Struggles to Diversify Supply of Critical Raw Materials by 2030
4:51 am
TL:DR – EU Struggles to Diversify Supply of Critical Raw Materials by 2030
• The European Union is aiming to diversify its supply of critical raw materials by 2030.
• A European Court of Auditors report states the EU is unlikely to succeed without reducing dependence on China.
• China supplies 97% of the EU27’s imports of magnesium and other crucial minerals.
• The EU has signed trade deals, including one with Mercosur, to aid supply diversification.
• The EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act aims to decrease reliance on non-EU sources by setting consumption targets.
• 10 critical materials necessary for energy transition are not recycled in the EU.
EU’s climate goals at risk without China’s critical raw materials, EU auditors warn
The European Union is at risk of failing to diversify its supply of critical raw materials by the end of the decade, according to a new report from the European Court of Auditors (ECA) released on Monday. The report highlights the EU’s heavy reliance on China for imports of essential minerals necessary for the energy transition.
The European Commission has initiated 14 significant trade agreements to address this issue, yet the ECA warns that the EU27 is “unlikely to succeed in time.” This raises concerns regarding the bloc’s ability to transition to clean technologies like electric vehicle batteries and wind turbines.
EU’s Dependence on China for Raw Materials
China accounts for a staggering 97% of the EU’s magnesium imports, vital for hydrogen-generating electrolysers. The ECA report reveals additional dependencies: 39% for arsenic, 44% for baryte, 71% for gallium, 45% for germanium, 40% for graphite, and 31% for tungsten.
Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, an ECA official, stated, “Without critical raw materials, there will be no energy transition, no competitiveness, and no strategic autonomy.” She emphasised the need for the EU to improve its supply chain resilience.
Trade Agreements to Diversify Supply
The recently signed Mercosur trade agreement with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay aims to bolster the EU’s supply of critical raw materials, pending approval by the European Parliament. Additionally, European lawmakers are set to discuss the unfreezing of the US-EU trade deal, which includes provisions for minerals.
EU Executive vice president Stéphane Séjourné has acknowledged the bloc’s ongoing dependence on China and has proposed new measures to monitor raw material supplies. Séjourné described the importance of maintaining trade relations with China amid the US’s uncertain reliability as a partner.
Critical Raw Materials Act to Address Supply Chain Issues
The EU has adopted the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) in 2024 to mitigate reliance on external sources, particularly China. The CRMA sets non-binding targets for 2030, including local extraction, processing within the EU, and the use of recycled materials.
Despite these efforts, the ECA warns that significant challenges remain. The ECA’s report suggests that introducing binding recycling targets for individual critical materials could help improve the EU’s situation, as currently many of these materials are not recycled at all.
Germany Reaffirms Opposition to Diplomatic Talks with Putin on Ukraine
4:47 am
TL:DR – Germany Reaffirms Opposition to Diplomatic Talks with Putin on Ukraine
• The German government opposes reopening diplomatic channels with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the war in Ukraine.
• Germany supports direct talks between Russia and Ukraine at the highest level.
• Chancellor Friedrich Merz is sceptical about re-engagement with the Kremlin.
• The EU plans to increase pressure and sanctions on Russia.
• The European Commission admits talks may occur but emphasises Russia must make concessions first.
• Estonia’s foreign ministry stresses not to engage with Russia until it changes its aggressive actions.
• The Czech Republic suggests the EU consider appointing a special envoy for peace talks related to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Germany opposes direct talks with Russia due to Putin’s ‘maximalist demands’
Germany opposes diplomatic talks with Russia for Ukraine peace negotiations, a purposeful stance by the EU to send a message to Moscow and Washington DC.
The German government has reiterated its opposition to reopening diplomatic channels with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, contradicting the recent support for such talks expressed by French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. This stance is significant as it reflects a consistent German commitment to maintaining pressure on Russia amid ongoing hostilities.
Germany’s Federal Foreign Office emphasised that direct negotiations must involve Ukraine, citing Russia’s unchanged aggressive posture as a barrier to meaningful talks. The spokesperson stated that Russia continues to make maximalist demands while launching attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz Skeptical About Re-engagement
Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed doubt about re-engaging with Russia, highlighting the Kremlin’s refusal to establish an unconditional ceasefire. He stated, “We will have to maintain our pressure and sanctions, and intensify them wherever possible,” stressing that the economic repercussions for Russia would escalate if it does not change its approach.
Merz’s comments align with Germany’s position within the European Union, as it seeks to present a united front against Russian aggression.
Diverging Views on European Engagement with Russia
While Germany remains firm against direct talks, other European leaders advocate for dialogue with Russia. Emmanuel Macron has called for immediate conversations with Putin, and Giorgia Meloni supported this view, suggesting that Europe should not engage solely with one party in negotiations.
As the European Commission acknowledges the possibility of future direct talks, there is considerable debate on the effectiveness of such dialogue unless Russia shows a commitment to genuine negotiation efforts. The Estonian foreign ministry echoed the sentiment that talks cannot occur without a shift in Russia’s conduct.
Brussels is also preparing a new package of sanctions against Russia, aiming for implementation around the upcoming anniversary of the invasion, as discussions about Europe’s role in potential negotiations continue.
Outrage in Italy: Church Mural of Angel Resembles Giorgia Meloni
9:32 pm
TL:DR – “Outrage in Italy: Church Mural of Angel Resembles Giorgia Meloni”
- A fresco in Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, Rome, resembles Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, sparking controversy.
- The artwork, restored after water damage, originally depicted cherubs but now features an angel resembling Meloni.
- Critics, including opposition politicians, demand an inquiry, claiming the restoration may serve political propaganda.
- Meloni dismissed the backlash, jokingly stating, “I’m definitely not like an angel.”
- Authorities plan to investigate potential changes made during restoration, ensuring cultural integrity.
Church painting of angel resembling Georgia Meloni sparks outrage in Italy
The striking resemblance has sparked backlash from opposition politicians
Political Leaders as Angels: A Rare Sight
It is not often political leaders are portrayed as angels – usually quite the opposite. That’s maybe why an almighty row has broken out in Italy over a church fresco that looks suspiciously like Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
A painting in the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, Rome, was spotted with the striking resemblance after undergoing repairs. The artwork portrays Umberto II, who reigned as Italy’s final king for just 34 days, and is meant to feature two cherub-like angels watching over him.
The Meloni-like angel is seen holding a map of Italy
Restoration Denial
WTX News reported that the newspaper La Repubblica, who first reported on the angel, said: ‘Before the restoration, there was a generic cherub. Today, it is the face of the most powerful woman in the country.’
The volunteer restorer who freshened up the fresco denied depicting Meloni and said he was just restoring ‘what was there 25 years ago’. Bruno Valentinetti said: ‘They asked me to fix it and I did. I worked on it for two years and finished the work a year ago.’ He stressed ‘it’s not Meloni’ and described how he ‘traced’ the outline of ‘original design’ and ‘put the colour back in’.
Melonia is using it as propoganda
The church’s rector, Monsignor Daniele Micheletti, said he had asked for the chapel to be restored exactly as it was. He expressed his thoughts on the resemblance: ‘There is indeed a certain resemblance, but we should ask the restorer why he did it that way; I don’t know.’
Father Micheletti mentioned that the restoration was necessary due to water damage and that it dated back to 2000, so it was not under heritage protection.
However, Italian authorities have launched an investigation into what happened, and members of the opposition have even called for an inquiry. One opposition lawmaker, Irene Manzi, called the touch-up ‘unacceptable’.
The Five Star Movement party stated: ‘We cannot allow art and culture to risk becoming a tool for propaganda or anything else, regardless of whether the face depicted is that of the prime minister.’
Meloni’s laughs it off like her mentor Trump
Meloni herself has laughed off the controversy, posting a picture of the fresco on Instagram and commenting: ‘No, I’m definitely not like an angel.’
Meloni laughed off the controversy – A Controversial Fresco in Rome
Cultural and Heritage means everything to the Italians
Italy’s authorities for protecting cultural heritage, the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio, stated they will be inspecting the restoration.
They added: ‘We will compare it with archive materials to determine not so much who the restoration resembles, but whether any changes have been made, because the restorer would have had to follow the original lines.’
Jamie Carragher selects Chelsea player as ‘one of the Premier League’s finest’
9:00 pm
TL:DR – Jamie Carragher selects Chelsea player as ‘one of the Premier League‘s finest’
- Enzo Fernandez shines in Chelsea’s dramatic 3-2 win over West Ham, scoring his 11th goal of the season.
- Jamie Carragher praises Fernandez as one of the best in the Premier League, highlighting his scoring ability and versatility.
- Manager Liam Rosenior emphasises Fernandez’s importance and skill set, asserting he can play multiple roles effectively.
- Despite Chelsea’s big spending scrutiny, Fernandez’s contributions reaffirm their investment in midfield has paid off.
Jamie Carragher names Chelsea star who is ‘one of the best in the Premier League’ | Football
Enzo Fernandez celebrates a wild win over West Ham at the weekend (Picture: Getty Images)
Chelsea’s big-spending has not always paid off, but in Enzo Fernandez they have one of the best players in the Premier League, believes Jamie Carragher.
The Blues continued their good start to life under new manager Liam Rosenior with a dramatic 3-2 win over West Ham on Saturday.
The Blues conceded the first two goals of the game to their London rivals at Stamford Bridge, but bounced back impressively.
Joao Pedro and Marc Cucrella put the home side level before Fernandez burst into the penalty box in stoppage time to fire home the winner.
The 25-year-old has been in good goal-scoring form this season, with his strike against the Hammers his 11th of the campaign in all competitions.
While the Argentinian was thought to be more of a deep-lying midfielder when signed from Benfica for £106.8m in January 2023, Carragher feels he is flourishing into one of the best in the Premier League by moving further forward.
Speaking on Sky Sports, the Liverpool legend said: ‘Enzo Fernandez gets the winning goal. A lot is spoken about the top midfield players in the Premier League and we speak about his midfield partner [Moises] Caicedo and [Declan] Rice: who’s the best out of the two of them?
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Fernandez and Moises Caicedo have formed an impressive partnership (Picture: Getty Images)
‘There’s no doubt they’re two of the best midfielders in the Premier League, but he is right up there with the best players in the Premier League.
‘He is one of the best box-crashers we see in the Premier League. Permanently getting on the end of things. There’s talk of, is he a holding midfield player? Which is what we were told when he originally came in.
‘I don’t see that, He is a number 8 or a number 10, getting into the box and getting goals. He is one of the top midfield players in the Premier League.
‘A lot of criticism has come at Chelsea for the money that they’ve spent, but when they’ve spent big in the centre of the park, it’s paid off.’
Fernandez has already scored more goals this season than in any other of his career (Picture: Getty Images)
Fernandez was linked with a move to Real Madrid during the January transfer window, but Rosenior has made it very clear that he wants him to remain an integral part of his side in west London.
‘He’s a Chelsea player. He’s very important to me,’ said the manager. ‘I think we’re going to have a really good, hopefully winning relationship in the short term and the long term.”
‘He’s got an extreme skill set, technically he’s outstanding, he covers a lot of ground. He’s a very good athlete. He can finish, he can score, he arrives really well in the box when he plays higher up like a forward-running 8 or a No. 10.
‘What I need to do is find out what the chemistry is around the position. It’s not just him, it’s how other players fit around him.
‘He can play deeper as a 6, which he did really well against Arsenal. He came on against Charlton [at 10] and did really well.
‘I don’t like pigeon-holing players. In my career I’ve used players in different roles.’
After his match-winning strike on Saturday, Rosenior told the BBC: ‘I thought the right person scored the goal, I thought Enzo Fernandez’s performance was absolutely world class. In terms of his energy, in terms of his quality, his bravery to take the ball, the amount of second balls he picked up in midfield. He’s a special player.’
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Arsenal icon dismisses Paul Scholes’ controversial remark on Mikel Arteta’s team
6:00 pm
TL:DR – Arsenal icon dismisses Paul Scholes’ controversial remark on Mikel Arteta’s team
- Martin Keown refutes Paul Scholes’ claim that Arsenal could be the “worst team” to win the Premier League, calling it “mischievous” (see reference 1).
- Arsenal leads the league with a six-point gap after a decisive victory over Leeds (reference 2).
- Critics point to Arsenal’s unattractive style and reliance on set-pieces; they currently rank low for goals from open play (reference 3).
- Keown urges Arsenal to ignore external noise and focus on winning (reference 4).
Arsenal legend rubbishes Paul Scholes’ explosive comment about Mikel Arteta’s squad | Football
Paul Scholes suggested Arsenal could become the ‘worst team’ in history to win the title (Picture: Getty)
Martin Keown has dismissed Paul Scholes’ recent criticism of Arsenal as nothing more than ‘mischievousness’, urging Mikel Arteta’s squad not to take any notice.
Arsenal have built an imperious six-point lead at the top of the Premier League table after a strong start to the campaign following three consecutive runners-up finishes in the English top flight.
After a disappointing 3-2 defeat at the hands of Manchester United, it proved a dream weekend for the Gunners, who thumped Leeds at Elland Road before seeing both Manchester City and Aston Villa drop points on Sunday.
But despite their dominance at the summit, the north London giants have faced their fair share of criticism for what many perceive to be an unattractive style of play under Arteta.
Arsenal have developed a reputation for their set-piece prowess over the last two seasons and, until this weekend, they were languishing way down in 17th in the Premier League when measuring on their percentage of goals scored from open play.
It was statistics such as this that led Manchester United legend Scholes to suggest that Arteta’s men could become the worst team to ever win the Premier League title on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast.
‘If Arsenal win the league, this could be the worst team to win the league,’ Scholes said.
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Arsenal hold a six-point advantage at the top (Picture: Getty)
The Gunners are doing ‘exceptionally well’ this season, says Keown (Picture: Getty)
‘If you’re thinking of picking a team of the season and picking the front four, nobody from the Arsenal team gets in that.
‘Look at previous champions – Liverpool’s forwards, brilliant. Possibly the only one is [Bukayo] Saka, and I don’t think he’s been brilliant.
‘He’s not scored many goals this year or assists.’
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Ex-Arsenal defender Keown urged Arteta’s players to ignore the outside noise as he addressed Scholes’ remarks on talkSPORT alongside Simon Jordan and host Jim White today.
Asked if Arsenal had provided the ‘perfect response’ with their emphatic win over Leeds, Keown replied: ‘Yeah, of course they did.
‘The journey of week-to-week, you’ve got to shut that noise out.
‘People talking about them being champions, some mischievously saying that this would be the worst ever team [to win it].
The leaders put Leeds to the sword at Elland Road (Picture: Getty)
‘You’ve just got to go and win it, it doesn’t matter what you look like. It doesn’t matter at all.
‘Obviously people try to create that pressure and when you don’t get what you want they look for all kinds of weaknesses.
‘But Arsenal are better than everybody else right now, that’s all they need to be.’
Keown hopes Arsenal block out the ‘noise’ spouted by the likes of Scholes (Picture: Getty)
Keown joked that Scholes’ comment about Arsenal was akin to one of his clumsy, ‘waist-high’ challenges that he became known for during his playing days.
‘Look, I love Paul but this comment is like one of his tackles, it’s waist-high,’ Keown added.
‘Paul has still got it in his head, this Arsenal thing is starting to emerge… maybe Manchester United are starting to emerge as well at the same time as well. Let’s get it on the future.
‘Maybe Manchester United aren’t ready to win it this year but they shut Arsenal up the week before.
City dropped points away to Spurs at the weekend (Picture: Getty)
‘I think Arsenal just need to concentrate, play their games, not listen to the noise that’s on the outside.
‘Arsene Wenger said this to us many years ago: there’s no meaning to everyone telling us that we’re favourites, don’t listen to it. Just go and do it.
‘That’s what Arsenal did at the weekend, I think it was quite an emphatic result.’
Scholes and Keown were club rivals and England team-mates (Picture: Getty)
Keown hopes to see Arsenal ramp up the pressure on Manchester City when they return to action at home to Sunderland on Saturday, with Pep Guardiola’s side facing Liverpool the following day.
‘Do you know? No one is going to be listening to Paul Scholes on the Arsenal team,’ Keown – who won three Premier League titles with Arsenal – went on.
‘For God’s sake, you just get on with your game and you try and win. This would be the first title in 22 years. They’re doing exceptionally well.
‘There will be lots of twists and turns between now and the end of the season.
‘What I would say is that Paul has been at a lot of these races to the finish and it’s one of those where just one victory doesn’t mean you’re going to be champions. It’s onto the next one.
‘Arsenal can go nine points clear next weekend and then Manchester City go to Anfield the next day.
‘Make it nine points, make them look at nine points overnight, and it starts to sink in, then City start to question themselves.
‘If City go to Anfield and win then they’re still massively in this race without a doubt.’
Would Arsenal be the worst ever team to win the title?
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