The volume of natural gas in EU underground storage facilities has soared to an all-time high, reaching nearly 98%, according to Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) data released on Monday. Gas inventories across the EU and the UK amounted to 1,114 terawatt-hours (TWh), breaking the previous record set in October 2019, when it reached 1,102 TWh.…

Russian President Vladimir Putin traditionally sends foreign leaders his holiday wishes in December The leaders of nations Moscow considers “unfriendly” will not be sent traditional New Year and Christmas greetings from President Vladimir Putin this year, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS on Saturday. Only Russia’s friends and allies will receive the messages, he added.

Russia’s Mir payment system has experienced a steady increase in demand for new cards since last year, the system’s operator said on Wednesday. Between 5.5 and 6 million Mir cards were issued per month in 2022. The trend has continued this year, with roughly 29 million cards issued in the first five months of 2023,…