The news from the world, the international press review

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25 October 2021 Two waves on the front pages of the international press.

The first is that of inflation generated by the high bill: gas, oil, electricity ... increases that are reflected on the entire economy and become a problem for governments and central banks.

The second, of the pandemic.

Which returns to spread with important numbers in Great Britain, leads to caution in Germany.

Real wins the super classic of the return to full stadiums and the victory puts the stamp on the impotence of current Barcelona against the greats of Europe

The fatal consequences of the energy crisis

Vienna. Anyone who fills up their car today has at least a vague idea of ​​what commodity price records can mean. A liter of petrol costs a third more than last year. Compared to coal, electricity and gas, this is nothing: they are many times more expensive than in 2020. Although consumers are not yet aware of it, the domestic industry has been hit hard. Businesses are struggling to stay on course. Another wave of price hikes is coming for households, and not just for gasoline, electricity and gas. Private individuals will continue to feel the consequences of the energy crisis for a long time to come.

Climate of revenge for the atom

Riding on the objectives of carbon neutrality, in view of the COP26 which opens next Sunday, the defenders of nuclear energy encouraged by Emmanuel Macron find their voice again.

Having arrived at the Elysée promising to continue the energy transition initiated by François Hollande, the president lately seems more inclined to atomic energy than wind, and he feels free to say it out loud because he knows that the French are of the same opinion. According to an Ifop poll in early October, 51% of French people are in favor of building new nuclear reactors. In Macron's toolbox we thus find the construction of six new EPR plants and, more recently, small modular reactors to replace coal or gas plants, large CO2 emitters. "Our energy and ecological future depends on nuclear power", the slogan relaunched by the Elysée. So what if the only EPR plant under construction, Flamanville, is still not operational after a delay of ten years.To hell with the exaggerated money it will cost. Seeing the tide so turn in favor of nuclear power obviously does not please the environmentalists against it. This worries them all the more as the anti-wind lobby is giving voice, with some effectiveness, also to the conspiracy circles, to the far right, and to the right. Beyond the risks of accidents and thorny waste management, anti-nuclear forces believe it will be quicker to develop renewable energy on a large scale if commitments to fight global warming are to be kept. It's cheaper. But on the left the front is not so compact: if Verdi, France Insoumise and Socialists consider the end of nuclear power to be inevitable, PCF and Arnaud Montebourg think that the end of oil cannot be evaded first.Seeing the tide so turn in favor of nuclear power obviously does not please the environmentalists against it. This worries them all the more as the anti-wind lobby is giving voice, with some effectiveness, also to the conspiracy circles, to the far right, and to the right. Beyond the risks of accidents and thorny waste management, anti-nuclear forces believe it will be quicker to develop renewable energy on a large scale if commitments to fight global warming are to be kept. It's cheaper. But on the left the front is not so compact: if Verdi, France Insoumise and Socialists consider the end of nuclear power to be inevitable, PCF and Arnaud Montebourg think that the end of oil cannot be evaded first.Seeing the tide so turn in favor of nuclear power obviously does not please the environmentalists against it. This worries them all the more as the anti-wind lobby is giving voice, with some effectiveness, also to the conspiracy circles, to the far right, and to the right. Beyond the risks of accidents and thorny waste management, anti-nuclear forces believe it will be quicker to develop renewable energy on a large scale if commitments to fight global warming are to be kept. It's cheaper. But on the left the front is not so compact: if Verdi, France Insoumise and Socialists consider the end of nuclear power to be inevitable, PCF and Arnaud Montebourg think that the end of oil cannot be evaded first.with some effectiveness, even to conspiracy circles, to the far right, and to the right. Beyond the risks of accidents and thorny waste management, anti-nuclear forces believe it will be quicker to develop renewable energy on a large scale if commitments to fight global warming are to be kept. It's cheaper. But on the left the front is not so compact: if Verdi, France Insoumise and Socialists consider the end of nuclear power to be inevitable, PCF and Arnaud Montebourg think that the end of oil cannot be evaded first.with some effectiveness, even to conspiracy circles, to the far right, and to the right. Beyond the risks of accidents and thorny waste management, anti-nuclear forces believe it will be quicker to develop renewable energy on a large scale if commitments to fight global warming are to be kept. It's cheaper. But on the left the front is not so compact: if Verdi, France Insoumise and Socialists consider the end of nuclear power to be inevitable, PCF and Arnaud Montebourg think that the end of oil cannot be evaded first.the anti-nuclear forces believe it will be quicker to develop renewable energy on a large scale if the commitments to fight global warming are to be kept. It's cheaper. But on the left the front is not so compact: if Verdi, France Insoumise and Socialists consider the end of nuclear power to be inevitable, PCF and Arnaud Montebourg think that the end of oil cannot be evaded first.the anti-nuclear forces believe it will be quicker to develop renewable energy on a large scale if the commitments to fight global warming are to be kept. It's cheaper. But on the left the front is not so compact: if Verdi, France Insoumise and Socialists consider the end of nuclear power to be inevitable, PCF and Arnaud Montebourg think that the end of oil cannot be evaded first.

Concerns over CO2 unilateralism

Shortly before the start of the world climate conference, businessmen, economists and scientists warn Europeans not to go it alone and call for a global climate deal.

Managers and economists are convinced that Europe going it alone on climate protection could do considerable damage to the economy. There is a danger "that the EU and Germany drift so far away from the rest of the world that industrial competitiveness is massively compromised," BASF number one Martin Brudermüller told Handelsblatt. The World Climate Conference begins next Sunday in Glasgow. The EU, and Germany in particular, have refined their climate targets. Like other sectors, the European chemical industry will have to invest heavily in decarbonisation in the coming years to meet the stricter CO2 targets. But competitors from predominantly non-European countries are subject to lower climate protection standards. He tells Handelsblatt, theCologne economist Axel Ockenfels: "If Europeans go to the next world climate conference with climate goals already set, regardless of the behavior of other countries, they are giving up their negotiating weight". At the end of 2020, the EU heads of state and government decided to increase the European CO2 reduction target for 2030 from 40% to 55% compared to 1990. In Germany, the greenhouse gas reduction target for 2030 it was increased from 55 to 65%. The topic plays a central role in the coalition negotiations of the SPD, the Greens and the FDP, which are entering their decisive phase these days. Last week,the Federation of German Industries (BDI) and Boston Consulting have presented a study according to which Germany will need additional investments of 860 billion by 2030 to make fast enough progress towards climate neutrality.

Climate protection, digitalisation and rising prices pose major challenges to the traffic light coalition. SPD, Verdi and FDP need billions of investments. And "especially in the area of ​​fiscal and financial policy, worlds collide," Robert Habeck, leader of the Green Party, told the ARD last night. As a result, some election promises do not appear in the exploratory document. Has the FDP, this is the impression of the last few days, managed to prevail over the Spd and Verdi in explorations? SPD chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz rejects this reading: "Safety welfare for children, a stable level of pensions, a minimum wage and an increase in housing benefits. I think we have achieved a lot," said Scholz.Habeck said he was convinced that Scholz could be a good "Chancellor of the climate". "Together we will be a good government for the climate". The automotive industry requires the construction of 2,000 charging points per week. At the moment it is not possible to approach this number in a month.

School restart in Berlin: Virologists recommend masks.

The incidence rises again, again above 90 and last Friday the new infections rose to almost 20 thousand. Virologists invite you to use masks in the classroom, after the autumn holidays, until even the little ones can be vaccinated, the measures in schools must be maintained.

Presidential

: the race for signatures is launched

Candidates for 2022 have 4 months to collect the 500 signatures necessary to present themselves in the first round, on April 10 (signatures of locally elected: deputies, senators, mayors, general councilors .

Brexit, Covid: the UK in full blizzard

difficulties in the supply to the pump and supermarkets, labor shortages in traporti cause of protests by consumers concerned about the festive season.

The number of covid cases will plummet in the winter, scientists say.

Ministers resist the introduction of restrictions such as mandatory face masks, work from home and green passes, after seeing projections from several study groups showing infections will subside in a few weeks. A model, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, suggests that cases will soon peak before plummeting in the winter months, even without Plan B: new cases could drop to around 5,000 a day before Christmas. "However, the model also suggests that cases may start to rise again in the spring, due to a combination of decreased immunity and increased contact." Much of the current wave is driven by high case rates in children. Scientific sources close to the government predict that the "Children's epidemic "will end as immunity increases in young people, both through infection and vaccination. The Chancellor on the BBC yesterday ruled out the imminent implementation of further restrictions under the government's Autumn and Winter Plan.

vaccinated with the recall and we will save Christmas.

This is the recommendation of the head of the national health service, Prof. Stephem Powis, while Boris Johnson says: stop talking about plan B.

Covid, return of attention

The number of infections returns to rise in France, the country seems better equipped to resist the fifth wave.

Local authorities will give up 21 thousand health workers.

The drop in infections in Spain induces many Regions not to renew fixed-term contracts with assistant nurses.

With an installed incidence at 14 days of around 44.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and 78% of the Spanish population vaccinated against covid, the pandemic is currently under control and communities are rushing to reorder resources. In Andalusia alone, from November 1, 8 thousand will remain at home. Unions of the health service complain: so we will soon return to very heavy shifts, it is a missed opportunity to strengthen the structures.

Biden revises some objectives of the maneuver as the party is close to an agreement

Eager for an agreement by the end of October, the president has been willing to compromise on key points of his internal agenda.

Pelosi said last night he was optimistic about the launch of a separate infrastructure package of about $ 1 trillion this week before the current highway financing expires next Sunday. The administration hopes to have a deal in hand before the president goes to Europe for COP26 in Scotland. "We're pretty much at the finish line," Pelosi told CNN, noting that lawmakers were working to define the revenue streams for the package, likely including a new annual tax on billionaires' financial wealth.

Climate-focused investors miss the surge in oil and gas stocks

Shares of oil and gas producers are skyrocketing after a year-long slump, prompting some investors to increase their hitherto neglected positions in the sector. The energy sector of the S&P 500 has rebounded 54% this year, outpacing the 21% increase in the overall index.

Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Juventus, the three football clubs behind the Super League proposal, are taking legal action against Uefa and Fifa in an attempt to fundamentally reorganize the management of the sport.

In a landmark case in the European Court of Justice, clubs will accuse sport's governing bodies of violating EU competition rules.

The 12-member Super League seemed to collapse soon after it was unveiled in April amid protests from fans, pundits and politicians, but the three founders remain committed to the concept.

A win in the lawsuit could allow clubs to take more control over the finances of the competitions they play in.