Energy is a major cost item in EU fisheries and aquaculture. The recent energy crisis has hit the seafood sector hard, notably because of increased marine diesel prices, exposing one of the sector's major vulnerabilities: its high dependency on fossil fuels. A move towards alternative energy sources would not only address this vulnerability but also contribute to the objectives of the European Green Deal and the EU's ambition to become climate neutral. On 21 February 2023, the European Commission published a 'fisheries and oceans' package, which includes an action plan on decarbonising EU fisheries and aquaculture. The plan outlines two directions of change: it aims to increase energy efficiency in the short to medium term, while making a gradual switch from fossil fuels to renewable and low-carbon energy sources. An indicative target has been set for fisheries, namely to reduce fossil fuel intensity (in litres per kilogram of landed product) by at least 15 % in the years from 2019 to 2030. The final goal is to achieve a CO2-neutral footprint by 2050. To accelerate this energy transition, the action plan includes initiatives to stimulate research and innovation, develop the required labour skills, and improve the business environment, including funding opportunities. The Commission will launch an 'energy transition partnership for EU fisheries and aquaculture' on 16 June 2023 to steer the process, involving all stakeholders. The Commission presented the action plan to the European Parliament's Committee on Fisheries (PECH) on 1 March 2023, and the EU Commissioner responsible provided additional clarifications at the PECH meeting of 26 April 2023. A recurring point of discussion is the capacity definition in the common fisheries policy, in particular fleet capacity ceilings. New technologies typically require more weight than conventional diesel engines, which would increase a vessel's capacity and could lead to a ceiling being exceeded. As a solution, the Commission refers to the possibility of redistributing available (inactive) capacity in the Member States' fleets. This issue would be discussed with Member States and stakeholders in the context of the energy transition partnership. Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

Road safety has improved significantly in the EU, with the number of road fatalities falling by more than 60 % in the last 20 years. However, improvements in road safety have fallen short of the EU goals of decreasing the number of road deaths by 50 % between 2001 and 2010, and by an additional 50 % between 2011 and 2020. Directive (EU) 2015/413 facilitating cross-border exchange of information on road safety-related traffic offences – the Cross-border Enforcement (CBE) Directive – is one of the pillars of the policy framework to improve road safety in the EU. It aims to help improve road safety by tackling the relative impunity of non-resident drivers. The revision, announced in the European Commission's sustainable and smart mobility strategy in 2020, seeks to address key shortcomings in existing rules. According to Commission estimates, 40 % of cross-border offences were committed with impunity, either because the offender was not identified or because the payment was not enforced. The Commission tabled its proposal to revise the CBE Directive as part of the road safety package on 1 March 2023. In the European Parliament, the file was assigned to the Committee on Transport and Tourism, with Kosma Złotowski (ECR, Poland) as rapporteur. First edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure. Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

In a major reshuffle in the police leadership in the violence-hit Manipur, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Tripura cadre, Rajiv Singh, has been appointed as the new Director General of Police (DGP) for the northeastern state. He replaced P Doungel, who has been transferred to the post of OSD (Home), according to an official order by the order from the Governor of Manipur.

It was stressed that Su-34 frontline bombers are a major part of the Russian frontline aviation’s strike power

The BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting will be held late Thursday in Cape Town

In this context, Mikhail Galuzin noted that by analogy with Moscow's latest initiative to denounce the treaty on the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait, the treaty with Ukraine on the stay of the Black Sea Fleet was denounced in 2014 after Crimea’s reunification with Russia

«The information obtained by the Russian special services confirms that Apple’s declared policy of ensuring the privacy of the personal data of users of Apple devices does not correspond to reality,» the service stressed

Alexey Likhachev described a remark by Rafael Grossi as emotional in nature after the IAEA head rejoiced earlier this week, saying, «we are fortunate that a nuclear accident has not yet happened»

The junta’s mismanagement threatens economic collapse and return to socialist-era black market, experts say. 

The regime's defenders are being shot dead in Yangon, prompting some to go into hiding and others into bullish outbursts.

The indicator that measures business confidence in the euro area fell to its lowest level in two years in May, Eurostat estimates Read Full Article at RT.com

The head teachers of The Mountbatten School and The Romsey School in Romsey, Hampshire, have issued a desperate plea to parents amid concern about the use of vapes.

Jack Nicholls' contract was axed after three complainants alleged that they had been touched inappropriately. One of the alleged victims is thought to have been in a junior colleague of his.

Lyndsey McCabe, 46, (pictured) was ordered to pay £500 in damages to Jane Dillon after convincing herself the actress would sell sexual services from the room in Dodleston, near Cheshire.

Detectives from the Federal Criminal Police (BKA), Germany 's equivalent of the FBI , spent days searching land for clues relating to Madeleine McCann's beside the reservoir.

The British royals will see Crown Prince Hussein, 28, marry Saudi architect Rajwa Alseif, 29, at Zahran Palace, the same venue chosen by the prince's father, King Abdullah II.

Geraint Davies, 63, the MP for Swansea West, gave 'unwanted sexual attention' towards five women, according to a story published by Politico.

England's Jonny Bairstow shared an Instagram picture of the orange-clad demonstrators being spoken to by police as they blocked a road close to Hyde Park in London.

SINGAPORE - Commuters can look forward to riding new trains with features such as more open spaces and large windows on the North-South and East-West Lines (NSEWL) from Sunday (May 31). The Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Thursday (June 1) said the first batch of 16 new six-carriage trains from Alstom SA will be put into service from June 4, at the rate of about two every month, and replace the first three generations of NSEWL trains. The 106 new trains will be rolled out progressively over the next three years till the end of 2026, said Transport Minister S Iswaran at a preview event at Tuas Depot. On Thursday, LTA also announced that it has bought six new trains for the North East Line, and 23 new trains for the Circle Line from Alstom. These trains are meant to add capacity for when the North East Line extension to Punggol Coast opens in 2024, and the three-station Circle Line 6 begins operations in 2026. Mr Iswaran said the new NSEWL trains come with features that “really enhance reliability and comfort for passengers”.

President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy faced enormous peril from the default standoff. But they seem to be coming out ahead.

The executive board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved on May 31 a total of $56 million for a three-year arrangement for Seychelles under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), and $46 million in a three-year arrangement under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), according to a press release on Thursday. The new EFF will replace the previous one approved on July 29, 2021. Gita Gopinath, first deputy managing director and acting chair of the board, said that “Under the 2021 EFF, the Seychellois economy showed resilience to shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine. The authorities’ policy measures helped the economy recover quickly from the pandemic-related disruptions and provided necessary support for households and the private sector.” She furthermore pointed out that “Strong growth and better than expected fiscal outturns contributed to the rapid decline in public debt and the restoration of macroeconomic stability. Monetary policy has remained appropriately accommodative in light of moderate inflation. However, the authorities should remain vigilant to signs of inflationary pressures and adjust the monetary policy stance if needed.” According to the IMF statement, Seychelles’ economic outlook is “positive”, noting that tourism performance had almost reached its pre-pandemic level, while inflation is expected to remain moderate. “However, Seychelles continues to face substantial risks, including from global financial and economic developments, which could severely impact tourism, and climate change,” the institution said. Furthermore, the IMF is noted that Seychelles’ government authorities have “satisfactorily” implemented policies to restore macroeconomic stability following several shocks, namely those caused by COVID-19. “All quantitative targets through end-December 2022 were met and all but one structural benchmark were met or implemented with delay,” said the statement. Meanwhile, the RSF is expected to support the island nation’s plans to build resilience to climate change by “lifting bottlenecks to climate-related investments and by facilitating the integration of climate-related considerations into macroeconomic policies and frameworks.” The RSF arrangement for Seychelles, the second in Africa, will exploit synergies with other sources of public financing and help catalyze further private financing for climate-related investments. The arrangement is also intended encourage more private financing together with other official financing, with a focus on “mainstreaming climate change in the government budget, strengthening climate-related risk management for financial institutions, and undertaking climate adaptation and mitigation reforms, including through measures to facilitate energy transition.”

The children were among ten people who were hurt after the shocking incident at a packed Dorset beach full of half term holidaymakers and locals yesterday afternoon.

Police raced to the scene in Thornton Heath, London, after reports of an 'aggressive' dog yesterday. A child and two men are believed to have been injured.

Topolino, a badge not seen on a new Fiat for almost 70 years, will officially return. Reborn as a doorless retro quadricycle, it is a city-only EV aimed at young drivers with - and without - a full licence.

The former prime minister yesterday piled pressure on the Cabinet Office to 'urgently disclose' the unredacted material to the official Covid inquiry.

Jose Mourinho has hit out at English referee Anthony Taylor for 'seeming Spanish' after his Roma side were beaten on penalties by Sevilla in the Europa League final in Budapest.

World Milk Day recognizes the efforts of farmers, dairy organizations, and other stakeholders involved in the dairy industry. It helps create awareness of their contributions, promote sustainable dairy practices, and support the economic growth of the sector. The day highlights the importance of sustainable dairy production and consumption. It encourages the adoption of environmentally friendly practices, responsible resource management, and animal welfare considerations in the dairy industry.

The security agreement was committed to in January but PNG is not happy with the proposed wording and has raised concerns with Australia's defence minister.

Sporting a cap and a mask, and armed with an umbrella, a bird thief thought he had successfully evaded detection.  Unfortunately, he was still captured on the bird owner's CCTV.  The pet owner, a retiree surnamed Fang, told Lianhe Zaobao that he bathed his three white-rumped shamas at noon on Monday (May 29), and hung their cage outside his home at Block 617 Yishun Ring Road.  A few hours later, he was shocked to discover that his beloved birds had disappeared, together with their cage.  The 62-year-old told the Chinese daily he spent about $1,000 on the three birds, and $500 on the cage.  When Fang checked the CCTV footage, he discovered that the thief had nicked the cage at 2.44pm.  He told Zaobao that he installed the CCTV outside his home to protect his birds and his plants. He also pasted warning stickers on his windows to deter potential thieves. 

He'd converted a public rest stop at East Coast Park into his makeshift home, and continued «living» there despite being caught by authorities several times within a span of months. The 46-year-old man had taken up space in the entire pavilion with his «furniture», such as a table and chairs, an inflatable mattress as well as other personal belongings, Shin Min Daily News reported. The man, surnamed Zeng, was charged in court on Tuesday (May 30) and fined $1,400. However, as he was unable to pay the fine, Zeng was sentenced to a four-day jail term instead. Zeng had been found sleeping in pavilions along East Coast Park on several occasions between May and June 2022, Shin Min reported.  In December 2021, Zeng had also entered and stayed in a shelter which was cordoned off due to the Covid-19 restrictions at the time.