- Shanghai stocks gain after stimulus briefing as Asian markets rally
- South Korea military says 'fully ready' as drone flights anger North
- Pakistan 'vigilantes' behind rise in online blasphemy cases
- Nearly 90, but opera legend Kabaivanska is still calling tune
- Smith experiment as Test opener over, Green out of India series
- With inflation down, ECB eyes faster tempo of rate cuts
- Is life possible on a Jupiter moon? NASA goes to investigate
- Dodgers crush Mets 9-0 in MLB playoff series opener
- South Korea military says 'fully ready' as drone tensions soar
- Cummins back, Marsh and Head out of Pakistan ODI series
- Shanghai stocks swing after stimulus briefing as most of Asia rises
- New Zealand's Latham promises 'no fear' as he takes charge for India Tests
- Kyrgios vows to 'shut up' doubters with December comeback
- Public hearings start into death of Brit by Russian nerve agent
- Ex-Stasi officer faces verdict over 1974 Berlin border killing
- Role of government, poverty research tipped for economics Nobel
- 'Stolen satire' feeds US election misinformation
- Rookie McCarty captures first PGA Tour title in Black Desert Championship
- Australia all-rounder Green ruled out of India Test series
- Seeing double in Nigeria's 'twins capital of the world'
- UK FM to attend EU foreign affairs talks for first time in 2 years
- Carter, Billups among 13 new Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
- Ravens rip Commanders as Lions lose NFL sacks leader in win
- Hezbollah drone strike kills four, wounds dozens at Israeli base
- China says launches military drills around Taiwan
- Stewart leads Liberty past Lynx to level WNBA Finals
- England return to winning ways in Nations League, Austria thrash Norway
- UN chief says attacks on UNIFIL 'may constitute a war crime'
- Ravens outlast Commanders while Bucs batter Saints in NFL
- Dozens hurt in Israel as Hezbollah claims drone strike
- England deserve 'world class' coach: Carsley
- Burkina Faso win to become first qualifiers for 2025 AFCON
- AC Milan's Pulisic among five out for USA match in Mexico
- France's Amandine Henry retires from international football
- Centre-left set to win pro-Ukraine Lithuania's vote
- India's World Cup hopes in Pakistan hands after Australia defeat
- Zelensky says NKorea sending troops to Russian army
- England beat Finland to get back on track
- King and Lewis propel West Indies to T20 triumph over Sri Lanka
- Pre-Halloween 'Terrifier' lands atop North America box office
- 'I still plan to compete and play next season,' says Djokovic
- Harris, Trump seek advantage in knife-edge election battle
- Chepngetich shatters women's marathon world record in Chicago
- Kamindu and Asalanka power Sri Lanka to 179 against West Indies
- Chepngetich shatters women's marathon world record as Korir wins in Chicago
- Spain send injured Yamal home 'to prioritise player's health'
- In milestone, SpaceX 'catches' megarocket booster after test flight
- Iraq walks fine line with pro-Iran factions to avoid war
- Race four abandoned after New Zealand breeze into 3-0 lead in America's Cup
- West Indies win toss, put Sri Lanka in to bat in first T20
EU signs gas deal with Egypt, Israel to end 'dependency' on Russia
Israel and Egypt plan to boost gas exports to Europe under an agreement signed during a Cairo visit Wednesday by EU chief Ursula von der Leyen as the bloc seeks to wean itself off Russian gas.
Von der Leyen also pledged food relief worth 100 million euros ($104 million) for Egypt, which has been reeling from grain shortages as a result of the Ukraine war.
The European Commission president had vowed on Tuesday, during a visit to Israel, to confront Russia for its use of fossil fuels to "blackmail" European countries.
The memorandum of understanding on gas exports between Egypt, Israel and the EU was signed at the East Mediterranean Gas Forum, the Egyptian petroleum ministry said.
In a joint press conference with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, von der Leyen said the MoU comes as Europe seeks to "get rid of its dependency on Russian fossil fuels".
Under a landmark $15 billion deal in 2020, Israel already exports gas from an offshore field to Egypt, where it is liquefied and shipped to European countries.
But a significant increase in gas exports from Israel via Egypt would require major long-term infrastructure investments.
Von der Leyen also pledged "immediate relief of 100 million euros" to support food security in Egypt, the Arab world's most populous country, which has relied on Russia and Ukraine for over 80 percent of its wheat.
She also pledged 3 billion euros in "agriculture, nutrition, water and sanitation programmes over the next years here in the region".
Sisi said von der Leyen's first official visit builds on the recent "intense momentum" of Egyptian relations with the EU.
During her Israel visit, von der Leyen had accused Moscow of deliberately cutting off gas supplied to European countries "in retaliation for our support to Ukraine".
"This is a big step forward in the energy supply to Europe, but also for Egypt to become a regional energy hub," she said in Cairo, also highlighting Egypt's renewable energy potential.
D.Sawyer--AMWN