Germany takes control of Russian-owned oil refineries:
The facilities of the oil refinery on the industrial site of PCK-Raffinerie GmbH, jointly owned by Rosneft, are illuminated in the evening in Schwedt, Germany, on May 4, 2022. (Patrick Pleul/dpa via AP, File)
On Friday, Germany’s economy ministry announced that it has seized control of three Russian-owned oil refineries to secure supplies of gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuel. Germany's Federal Network Agency, which regulates its gas and electricity industries, will be in charge of controlling Rosneft's shares in the three refineries: PCK Schwedt, near Berlin, MiRo, near Heidelberg, and Bayernoil in Bavaria. The ministry says they account for roughly 12% of Germany's oil refining capacity and that this was meant to "counter the threat to the security of energy supply.” Europe has been embroiled in a bitter energy standoff with Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine in late February, leading its imports of Russian oil and natural gas to have fallen sharply. The Schwedt refinery is especially important to Germany's energy needs, processing about 220,000 barrels of crude a day. It alone supplies about 90% of Berlin's fuel, according to Reuters.
Magdalena Andersson: Swedish PM resigns as right-wing parties win vote:
Magdalena Andersson was Sweden's first female prime minister
After losing narrowly in last Sunday’s election to a right-wing bloc, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson has resigned. The loss is a major blow to the Social Democrats, Sweden’s largest party, who controlled the former government. This is because bloc politics usually decides who gets into power in Sweden and the right bloc has obtained a razor-thin majority..Moderate Party leader Ulf Kristersson is now expected to form a coalition government made up of the Sweden Democrats, Moderate Party, Christian Democrats, and Liberals. He has already held talks this week with the leaders of the Christian Democrats and Liberal parties as well as the nationalists. The close-fought election campaign was dominated by gangs, immigration, integration issues, and rising electricity prices. This marks a major turning point in Swedish politics as the right-wing parties including the Sweden Democrats, a neo-nazi group, now have control of the government. This owes to Kristersson and the Sweden Democrats opening cooperation in 2019 after years of declining to work together. The Sweden Democrats, once treated as a pariah by political parties, have now won around 20% of the vote with promises to "make Sweden safe again" by increasing prison sentences and restricting immigration. Sunday's vote was one of the closest elections ever in Sweden, with thousands of overseas and postal votes still being counted.
Turkey's Erdogan targets joining Shanghai Cooperation Organization:
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends an extended-format meeting of heads of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states at a summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan September 16, 2022. REUTERS
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is aiming to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). While speaking with supporters after the SCO summit in Uzbekistan before heading to the United States, he said "Our relations with these countries will be moved to a much different position with this step," with membership being the target. Turkey is currently in talks with the SCO, whose members are China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Amid bilateral discussions at the summit, Erdogan said Turkey and Russia had reached a deal resolving a dispute over a nuclear power plant being built at Akkuyu in southern Turkey. The project was announced last month as a way to become energy independent and to strengthen bonds with SCO countries.
Sources:
Germany takes control of Russian-owned oil refineries | CNN Business
Magdalena Andersson: Swedish PM resigns as right-wing parties win vote - BBC News
Turkey's Erdogan targets joining Shanghai Cooperation Organisation -media - SWI swissinfo.ch