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777 jili casino Do American carmakers dream of electric autonomous taxis? Not any more. General Motors has decided to shut down Cruise, its autonomous taxi unit, and concentrate on self-driving and driver assistance technology instead. Currently GM owns 90 per cent of Cruise. Other investors include Microsoft, Walmart, and Honda, which has spent around US$1 billion (A$1.6 billion) to build up its minority stake since 2018. Thanks to Honda’s investment, Cruise had planned to launch robotaxi services in Japan from 2026. GM aims to buy out Cruise’s remaining shareholders, and fold the company into existing GM teams working on advanced autonomous vehicle and assisted driving technologies. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today There’s no word yet on job losses, but they are expected. By shutting down Cruise, the carmaker hopes to save US$1 billion (A$1.6bn) a year starting in 2025. It’s unclear how Cruise’s robotaxi technologies will be integrated into GM’s autonomous driving systems, which currently include Super Cruise, a hands-free self-driving function available on high-end models in the US and Canada. 100s of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now . With the system on, the car can drive itself on large selection of highways in North America, but still requires driver attention and monitoring to take over in case of emergencies or unforeseen circumstances. Cruise has had a tough year-and-a-half plagued by accidents, traffic jams, and a pause in on-road testing and its taxi services. The division’s most prominent accident occurred in October 2023 when a Cruise self-driving taxi hit a pedestrian that had previously been knocked down by a hit-and-run driver. The car erroneously classified the accident as a side-on collision and executed a pullover manoeuvre, dragging the pedestrian along the road. To make matters worse, Cruise lied to Californian authorities, telling them the car performed an emergency stop. California suspended the company’s licence to operate fully autonomous vehicles . Subsequently, Cruise suspended all robotaxi activities across the US. At company’s peak, it was operating trial services in San Francisco, Phoenix, Houston, and the inner suburbs of Austin. On-road trials resumed this year, but in some cities Cruise’s vehicles – highly modified Chevrolet Bolt hatchbacks – had human operators on board who could take over in the case of emergencies. Despite these setbacks, and the departure of one of the division’s founders , GM continued to back Cruise, with the autonomous taxi division receiving a US$850 million (A$1.285bn) cash infusion in June. Founded in 2013, GM bought Cruise in 2016. Since then the unit has lost over US$8 billion (A$12.6bn). The General invested heavily in Cruise in the hope that it would one day be a cash cow, with GM CEO Mary Barra claiming Cruise would generate up to US$50 billion (A$75.6bn) annually by 2030. In a call with investors this week to discuss Cruise’s demise, Ms Barra said: “Given the considerable time and expense required to scale a robotaxi business in an increasingly competitive market, combining forces would be more efficient and therefore consistent with our capital allocation priorities”. Despite GM’s largesse, Cruise has struggled to keep up with Waymo, Google’s robotaxi project. At the time of writing, Waymo operates in driver-free taxi services in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. It will soon launch to the general public in Austin, Miami, and Atlanta. The decision to close Cruise follows on from GM restructuring and writing down the value of its Chinese operations . Thanks to the popularity of Buick, GM was once of the top carmakers in China, but interest in EVs and the resulting surge in popularity of local brands has seen the American carmaker plummet down the charts.Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge

NoneViolent clashes erupted on Saturday outside Georgia's parliament between police and demonstrators protesting against the government's decision to delay European Union membership talks amid a post-election crisis, AFP reporters witnessed. Thousands of people gathered in Georgia's capital Tbilisi on Saturday for a third night of protests that saw dozens of protesters arrested. The Black Sea nation has been rocked by turmoil since the ruling Georgian Dream party claimed victory in an October 26 parliamentary election that the pro-European opposition said was fraudulent. Masked police in riot gear fired rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons as they moved in to disperse protesters hurling fireworks, while flames were seen coming from a window of the parliament building. Demonstrators erected barricades on Tbilisi's main avenue. "I am afraid -- I won't hide it -- that many people will get injured, but I am not afraid to stand here," 39-year-old Tamar Gelashvili told AFP near the parliament building earlier in the day. Protests were also held in numerous cities across Georgia. The interior ministry said that "the actions of some individuals present at the protest became violent shortly after the demonstration began". "Police will respond appropriately and in accordance with the law to every violation," it said. More than 100 people had been arrested over the last two days, when law enforcement cracked down on protesters, firing water cannon and tear gas at demonstrators. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's announcement on Thursday that Georgia would not seek accession talks with the EU until 2028 ignited a furious reaction from the opposition. Critics accuse Georgian Dream -- in power for more than a decade -- of having steered the country away from the EU in recent years and of moving closer to Russia, an accusation it denies. Hundreds of public servants, including from the ministries of foreign affairs, defence and education, as well as a number of judges, issued joint statements protesting Kobakhidze's decision. Some 160 Georgian diplomats criticised the move as contradicting the constitution and leading the country "into international isolation". A number of Georgia's ambassadors resigned in protest. On Friday, AFP reporters saw riot police fire water cannon and tear gas at pro-EU protesters gathered outside parliament who tossed eggs and fireworks. Clashes broke out later between protesters and police, who moved in to clear the area, beating demonstrators -- some of whom threw objects -- and journalists, deliberately targeting those clearly identified as members of the media. Georgia's special investigation service said it had opened a probe into "allegations of abuse of official authority through violence by law enforcement officers against protesters and media representatives". More than 100 schools and universities suspended academic activities in protest. Pro-Western opposition parties are boycotting the new parliament, while President Salome Zurabishvili -- who is at loggerheads with Georgian Dream -- has sought to annul the election results through the country's constitutional court. In an exclusive interview to AFP on Saturday, Zurabishvili said that she will not step down until last month's contested parliamentary elections are re-run. The Paris-born former French diplomat, said that on Saturday she had set up a "national council" consisting of opposition parties and civil society representatives, which will ensure "stability in this country". "I will be the representative of this legitimate, stable transition." After the October vote, a group of Georgia's leading election monitors said they had evidence of a complex scheme of large-scale electoral fraud. Brussels has demanded an investigation into what it said were "serious" irregularities reported by election monitors. Georgian Dream MPs voted unanimously on Thursday for Kobakhidze to continue as prime minister, even as the opposition boycotted parliament, deepening a serious legitimacy crisis at the legislature and the government. The crackdown on protests has provoked international condemnation. US State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller said: "We condemn excessive force used against Georgians exercising their freedom to protest and have suspended our Strategic Partnership with Georgia." "Georgian Dream's decision to suspend EU accession is a betrayal of the Georgian constitution." France, Britain, Ukraine, Poland, Sweden and Lithuania were among the countries to voice concern. The human rights office of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said: "The action of law enforcement officials while policing peaceful protests in Georgia is of deep concern and a serious breach of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly." im/bc Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, sports, arts & entertainment, state legislature, CFD news, and more.

The UN General Assembly on Wednesday overwhelmingly adopted a resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, a symbolic gesture rejected by the United States and Israel. The resolution -- adopted by a vote of 158-9, with 13 abstentions -- urges "an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire," and "the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages" -- wording similar to a text vetoed by Washington in the Security Council last month. At that time, Washington used its veto power on the Council -- as it has before -- to protect its ally Israel, which has been at war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip since the Palestinian militant group's October 7, 2023 attack. It has insisted on the idea of making a ceasefire conditional on the release of all hostages in Gaza, saying otherwise that Hamas has no incentive to free those in captivity. Deputy US Ambassador Robert Wood repeated that position Wednesday, saying it would be "shameful and wrong" to adopt the text. Ahead of the vote, Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said: "The resolutions before the assembly today are beyond logic. (...) The vote today is not a vote for compassion. It is a vote for complicity." The General Assembly often finds itself taking up measures that cannot get through the Security Council, which has been largely paralyzed on hot-button issues such as Gaza and Ukraine due to internal politics, and this time is no different. The resolution, which is non-binding, demands "immediate access" to widespread humanitarian aid for the citizens of Gaza, especially in the besieged north of the territory. Dozens of representatives of UN member states addressed the Assembly before the vote to offer their support to the Palestinians. "Gaza doesn't exist anymore. It is destroyed," said Slovenia's UN envoy Samuel Zbogar. "History is the harshest critic of inaction." That criticism was echoed by Algeria's deputy UN ambassador Nacim Gaouaoui, who said: "The price of silence and failure in the face of the Palestinian tragedy is a very heavy price, and it will be heavier tomorrow." Hamas's October 2023 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,208 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. That count includes hostages who died or were killed while being held in Gaza. Militants abducted 251 hostages, 96 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed at least 44,805 people, a majority of them civilians, according to data from the Hamas-run health ministry that is considered reliable by the United Nations. "Gaza today is the bleeding heart of Palestine," Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour said last week during the first day of debate in the Assembly's special session on the issue. "The images of our children burning in tents, with no food in their bellies and no hopes and no horizon for the future, and after having endured pain and loss for more than a year, should haunt the conscience of the world and prompt action to end this nightmare," he said, calling for an end to the "impunity." After Wednesday's vote, he said "we will keep knocking on the doors of the Security Council and the General Assembly until we see an immediate and unconditional ceasefire put in place." The Gaza resolution calls on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to present "proposals on how the United Nations could help to advance accountability" by using existing mechanisms or creating new ones based on past experience. The Assembly, for example, created an international mechanism to gather evidence of crimes committed in Syria starting from the outbreak of civil war in 2011. A second resolution calling on Israel to respect the mandate of the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and allow it to continue its operations was passed Wednesday by a vote of 159-9 with 11 abstentions. Israel has voted to ban the organization starting January 28, after accusing some UNRWA employees of taking part in Hamas's devastating attack. abd/sst/jgc/nro/desCMG Deadline: CMG Investors with Losses in Excess of $100K Have Opportunity to Lead Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. Securities Fraud Lawsuit Filed by The Rosen Law FirmOpposition Leader John Pesutto defamed ousted Liberal MP Moira Deeming, the Federal Court has found, in a high-stakes judgment that could cost him his job. Pesutto was ordered to pay Deeming $300,000 for the damage to her reputation in a damning judgment that found he had defamed her on five separate occasions. Independent MP Moira Deeming (centre) pictured arriving at court ahead of the judgment. Credit: AAPIMAGE Deeming alleged she had been “tarred with the Nazi brush” as part of Pesutto’s “campaign” to expel her from the parliamentary Liberal Party, her barrister Sue Chrysanthou, SC, had told the court. Deeming, who now sits on the crossbench of the Victorian Parliament, had helped organise the Let Women Speak rally on March 18, 2023. Neo-Nazis were among several groups of protesters that arrived at the steps of parliament that day. She condemned the men, said they were not there to support her cause, and told the court she did not see them until they were escorted away by police. Pesutto moved to expel Deeming from the parliamentary party in the following days. She was instead suspended in a last-minute compromise, but was ultimately expelled weeks later, after threatening to bring in lawyers. Handing down his decision on Thursday after hearing more than three weeks of evidence that damaged the party room and threatened stability, Justice David O’Callaghan agreed Pesutto had defamed Deeming. Rumblings to overthrow Pesutto in October did not amount to anything, but many in the party room had privately accepted that a loss for Pesutto would make his position as leader untenable.

The Latest: State funeral for Jimmy Carter will be Jan. 9Analysis-Trump's crypto team takes shape but questions remain over who will drive policyInside the life of trans scientist named one of BBC's most influential women: Her wife still calls her Luis, she talks about palm trees being 'transsexual' and has two daughters who call her 'Dad' By KATHRYN KNIGHT Published: 20:51, 6 December 2024 | Updated: 20:51, 6 December 2024 e-mail View comments Given that she has been described as a 'rock star' of the environmental scene, it is perhaps only to be expected that Brigitte Baptiste's dress sense leans towards the flamboyant. Knee-high cheetah print boots, tight-fitting dresses showcasing an eye-popping cleavage, an assortment of wigs - pink, silver, blonde, red – and long manicured nails are all among the regular features of the 61-year-old professor's colourful wardrobe. Combined with her large arm tattoos (one featuring a naked woman), Brigitte certainly stands out, not least among the sober surrounding of Columbia's EAN University, the business school where she was recently appointed chancellor. It is a prestigious role, but then there is no arguing with either Brigitte's academic credentials, which feature a university degree and two doctorates, or her passion for the environment, which has proved the primary focus of her studies for decades. She has also written 15 books and won international prizes for her work. In the UK it is fair to say few had heard of Brigitte - until this week when she was announced by the BBC as one of this year's '100 inspiring women', the corporation's annual index of women who have achieved great things in public life. For Brigitte, who styles herself as a 'queer ecologist', her achievements are inextricably linked to her belief that Mother Nature is gender fluid. 'There is nothing more queer than nature,' she declared in a 2018 TED talk in which she also spoke about the discovery of 'transsexual' palm trees. Brigitte Baptiste, 61, was announced by the BBC as one of this year's '100 inspiring women', the corporation's annual index of women who have achieved great things in public life This is contentious territory, of course, although Brigitte does bring personal experience to the table. Brigitte came out as a transwoman in 1998. But at home, her wife of 25 years, Adriana, still calls her by her birth name while to their daughters, Candelaria, 22, and Juana Pasion, 20, she is simply 'Dad'. Others featured in the Beeb's list include the Hollywood actress Sharon Stone and the new Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, as well as the survivors of male sexual violence. Among them Gisèle Pelicot, who bravely waived her anonymity to allow the world to witness in detail the French trial of her husband and 50 other men accused of her mass rape. It is, undoubtedly, a varied list. But the inclusion of what novelist Joan Smith calls the 'hypersexualised' Brigitte has led to a wave of outrage from those who believe her presence there is nothing less than an insult to biological women. Among those to protest was Kate Barker-Mawjee, chief executive of the LGB Alliance, who called the choice 'another breathtakingly insulting move from the woman-haters at the BBC,' while on X, children's author Onjali Rauf pointed out that the inclusion of someone she refuses to accept as a woman came at the expense of millions of other less high-profile women working at the coal face of the needy. 'Millions of AMAZING women out there aiding the sick, dying, homeless and traumatised, rescuing refugees on land & sea. Saving lives in Congo, Gaza, Sudan. Sacrificing it all for women's rights,' she wrote. 'Most didn't make the BBC 100 Women cut. But he did.' Quite what Brigitte herself makes of the controversy is unclear: she was formerly a regular user of X, amassing 134,000 followers under a bio which read 'Naturally transgender, impudent and pagan', but two weeks ago announced she was abandoning the social media platform for her 'mental health'. Her account remains inactive. Born Luis Guillermo in October 1963 in Columbia's capital in Bogota, Brigitte was raised in a traditional middle-class Catholic household alongside younger sister, Carolina. Brigitte with her wife Adriana Vasquez and their daughters Candelaria, now 22, and Juana Pasion, now 20 For Brigitte, who styles herself as a 'queer ecologist', her achievements are inextricably linked to her belief that Mother Nature is gender fluid A nature-loving child, she went on to study biology at Columbia's private Pontifical Xavierian University, going on to become a prestigious Fulbright Scholar at the University of Florida, where she completed a master's degree in tropical conservation and development studies. More graduate studies followed at Barcelona's Autonomous University. At this point, Brigitte was still living publicly as a man and had married her first wife, whose identity is unknown. In interviews, however, she has talked of how she had long struggled with gender identity and during her early 30s started to participate in LGBT marches wearing make-up and a wig, as well as writing an anonymous letter to a gay magazine in Bogota in which she explored the concept of 'Gender Freedom'. She had started to discuss these feelings with her first wife, who had been unaware of them, but who, Brigitte says, was subsequently supportive. Nonetheless the relationship did not survive and the pair divorced in the mid-90s. Then in 1997, a seismic event forced her to reconsider her life decisions: against the backdrop of her divorce, her sister Carolina died of brain cancer at the heartbreakingly young age of 33. The sisters were close – Brigitte has described Carolina as 'the person who knew me best' - and her loss was a catalyst for evaluation. 'That loss made me understand life is fleeting and the best thing to do is be honest about who we are,' she later recalled. 'My life as I knew it had ceased to exist. The foundations had collapsed: the death of my sister and the divorce from my first wife changed everything.' It led to her making a public transition in 1998, aged 35, emerging as Brigitte Baptiste – the Christian name chosen in deliberate homage to the French sex bomb Brigitte Bardot. 'Let's say that she was the woman,' Brigitte affirmed, revealing her parents had supported this transformation, although they still call her by her childhood nickname Luisgé. Born Luis Guillermo in October 1963 in Columbia's capital in Bogota, Brigitte was raised in a traditional middle-class Catholic household. She came out as a transwoman in 1998 'At home I'm Luisgé,' she said. '35 years being called Luisgé for me (it's too late) to change that now.' There is also another person who calls her Luisgé: her wife Adriana Vasquez, a sociologist and writer eight years' Brigitte's junior. The couple met in the late nineties as Brigitte was starting to undergo her transition, moved in together after three months of dating and married in December 1999. Three years later, their eldest daughter Candelaria, now 22, was born followed by now 20-year-old Juana Pasion in 2004. The couple opened up about their domestic circumstances to the Columbian programme Los Informantes in 2015, in a candid interview in which they addressed life with their then teenage daughters and maintained that – aside from Brigitte's propensity to wear sequins and the most scandalous type of 'tanga' or bikini bottom on the beach - they lived a largely conventional life. 'Roast chicken on Sundays, matinees in the neighbourhood cinema, bicycle rides in the cycle lane,' Brigitte said. Nonetheless, Adriana, who confides she is naturally a less 'visible' and ostentatious character than her spouse, admits there was a 'moment of crisis' before she made her long term commitment. 'At 25 years old I wasn't frightened of anything, but I didn't imagine I was going to fall in love or get involved in an adventure of these dimensions,' she said. 'It was complicated at first. 'My heart said one thing and my brain said I should stay there because I knew we loved each other but there was something that told me, 'How scary! What am I doing?' The couple went on to retake their vows in 2012 and, when asked about sexual orientation, Brigitte dismissed the question out of hand. 'Are you gay or not? Sometimes people ask me that straight out. My sexual orientation is Adriana. That's the person I adore and the person I live with and share my life with,' she says. 'Anything else is irrelevant in the sense that all my sexuality is committed to her.' (Notably however, three years later, in April 2018, Brigitte went on to post a picture of herself on her Facebook page emblazoned with the words 'Persona no heterosexual.') Asked about criticism from conservatives that their set up is not 'natural' she replied: 'What we need is for children to be loved and wanted and well brought up.' Few could argue with that sentiment, but many of Brigitte's other views have proved rather more contentious. Read More Changing face of Women of the Year awards: Transgender women have been honoured throughout 2024 While her trans status has made little difference to her standing in the academic community, some of her proclamations have met with raised eyebrows, not in the least her unexpected commitment to the Columbian mining industry which has put her at odds with other environmental campaigners. At one event in March 2020, she proclaimed that mining 'is the activity most likely to contribute to sustainable futures' and has been accused - with no evidence, it must be said – by some detractors of being in the pocket of the oil companies. Others have questioned her apparent advisory role to a controversial new 72-hectare urban development project in Bogota. 'Good luck in your new role as a real estate consultant and planner of 'sustainable' condominiums in wetlands and strategic ecosystems,' wrote one observer in reply to Brigitte's decision to leave X last month. Then there are her assertions about the 'queerness' of nature, a disputed philosophy which critics see as nothing less than an attempt to mould the natural world to serve an emerging political discourse. Either way, Brigitte is resolute: 'Nature is queer' she has said repeatedly. 'That's been proven.' While Brigitte has received no shortage of opprobrium online, she is also celebrated by many as a heroine in Colombia, where she is featured in murals and is frequently stopped for selfies. Although she insists she doesn't seek to be a figurehead, undoubtedly her profile has been raised even further now. 'I'm just a university rector,' she said recently. But now, thanks to the BBC, she's also one of its 100 Inspiring Women – whether people like it or not. Additional reporting by Gerard Couzens Share or comment on this article: Inside the life of trans scientist named one of BBC's most influential women: Her wife still calls her Luis, she talks about palm trees being 'transsexual' and has two daughters who call her 'Dad' e-mail Add comment

Kim Norton honors 13 residents with Mayor’s Medal of HonorCanada's Trudeau returns home after Trump meeting without assurances that tariffs are off the tableQatar’s threat to stop gas sales to the European Union if fined under a new law could set a precedent for other energy-exporting nations to resist stringent EU sustainability and reporting regulations, experts say. Qatari Energy Minister Saad Al Kaabi told the Financial Times on Sunday that if any EU state imposed non-compliance penalties on the scale referenced in the corporate due diligence directive, Doha would stop exporting its liquefied natural gas to the bloc. The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) requires EU countries to impose fines for non-compliance with an upper limit of at least 5 per cent of the company’s annual global revenue. “Qatar is one of the world’s largest LNG exporters. The EU is increasingly reliant on its LNG due to reduced natural gas supplies from Russia. A disruption in Qatari LNG shipments would likely exacerbate supply constraints, especially during winter months when demand peaks,” said James Willn, partner at global law company Reed Smith’s energy and natural resources group. “Qatar’s response could set a precedent for other energy-exporting nations to resist stringent EU sustainability and reporting regulations. The EU may then face pressure to balance sustainability goals with economic and energy security considerations.” Passed by the European parliament last year and due to come into force by 2027, the CSDDD requires EU and non-EU companies with significant turnover in the bloc to ensure that their supply chains do not harm workers or the environment. Companies have new obligations to audit their supply chains for environmental damage and human rights violations. The CSDDD requires all listed companies (except listed microenterprises) as well as large organisations to disclose information on risks and opportunities from social and environmental issues. But the directive has prompted a widespread backlash from companies, both within and outside the EU, who have complained that the rules are too onerous. Germany had called for the law to be postponed by two years and to exempt small and medium enterprises from the reporting duties as the bloc’s largest economy struggles with a downturn, Bloomberg reported this month. Changes are needed “in order to avoid unnecessary burden for businesses”, says the letter. Failure to comply with the new reporting guidelines could result in fines of up to 5 per cent of companies’ net global turnover, as well as potential civil claims and reputational damage. “If the case is that I lose 5 per cent of my generated revenue by going to Europe, I will not go to Europe ... I’m not bluffing,” Mr Al Kaabi told the FT. “Five per cent of generated revenue of QatarEnergy [the state-run energy company of which he is chief executive of] means 5 per cent of generated revenue of the Qatar state. This is the people’s money ... so I cannot lose that kind of money – and nobody would accept losing that kind of money.” However, Mr Al Kaabi suggested there could be room for compromise if the penalties targeted just income generated in Europe rather than total global revenue. “But if you want to come to my total generated revenue, come on, it doesn’t make any sense,” he said. As European countries have sought to wean themselves off Russian gas, QatarEnergy has signed long term agreements to supply LNG to Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands. “Qatar could redirect its LNG exports to other markets, such as China, Japan or South Korea, which are major LNG importers and less likely to impose similar sustainability laws. The EU would need to seek alternative suppliers, such as the US, Australia or African nations, potentially at higher costs,” Mr Willn said. But “whether this is realistic depends on several factors, including market conditions, infrastructure, contractual obligations and geopolitical considerations”, he said. A significant portion of Qatar’s LNG exports is tied up in long-term contracts with specific buyers, including European countries. Diverting these supplies would be difficult unless there are force majeure conditions or legal grounds to breach contracts without incurring penalties, he explained. Long-term contracts often specify destination clauses, restricting where the gas can be shipped. Altering such agreements would require renegotiation, which takes time and may face resistance. “Diverting LNG to markets further away from Europe (e.g., Asia) would increase shipping times and costs, potentially affecting profitability. Qatar has one of the largest fleets of LNG carriers, giving it logistical flexibility, but significant redirection would still strain global shipping capacity,” Mr Willn said. “The redirection of spot market volumes or incremental increases to Asian buyers is plausible, but fully abandoning the EU market would likely be economically and strategically unviable, certainly in the short term.” Robin Mills, chief executive of Qamar Energy, said he’d be “very surprised if this really results in a halt”. “Europe is an important market for Qatar, and Qatari LNG is a key part of the EU’s supply, especially as they don’t want to be too reliant on the US under Donald Trump, and are still taking a significant amount of Russian LNG, which there is pressure to stop. Qatar LNG is anyway lower carbon than Russian or US gas,” he said. “I presume the two sides will work out a compromise. But it will mean reluctance to sign any new long-term contracts until it is resolved.” Mr Al Kaabi told FT that QatarEnergy would not break its LNG contracts, but it would look at legal avenues if it faced hefty penalties. “I will not accept that we get penalised,” he said. “I will stop sending gas to Europe.” Source: The NationalNone