on the streets as existing funds wearing these look was on during the culture with you watching al jazeera and this is the top stories. the sour new government data shows china's covet. 19 battered economies slumped in november before authorities ease severe. pandemic restrictions which had kemper has more from hong kong. the reports coming out of healthcare facilities on the mainland. other they're already starting to look like they're going to become overwhelmed in the next few weeks. because of the number of people who are now contracting cove at 19, it is as a direct result of these rules being relaxed and the concern from people in society . therefore, i've spoken to and people in business there were,

i've spoken to over the last 40 hours, is that what will likely happen over the next few weeks? is people become more and more reluctant to go out what more reluctant to spend money, and more and more reluctant to go to work. thousands of nurses in the u. k. a going on strike, demanding pay rises to match inflation. this is the lightest, industrial action after rail and postal work is also walked off the job this week. france her books a place in the world comp final against argentina, the defending champions beaten rock, her to nil, ending a dream run for the atlas lions who became the 1st african and arab team to make the final fool australia is putting a price cap on gas and coal, as it tries to curb soaring prices, parliament has approved a plan to set a price limit on energy supplies. it also says it will help households and businesses transition from gas to electricity inflation and the born ukraine have pushed up australia's power process. peruse, new government has declared

a 30 day state of emergency in response to protest by supporters of also president pedro castillo. security forces will have the power to stop demonstrations and search homes without warrants protest. as a calling for cassius was release, he was impeached and jailed after trying to dissolve congress last week. hundreds of people in istanbul have rallied in support of the cities mere after a court sentenced a chrome malo to prison for insulting public officials. if the appeals court upholds the verdicts, the conviction would prevent him from holding public office for the duration of his sentence. at least 4 people have died and dozens have been rescued after a boat carrying asylum seekers capsized in freezing waters between france and the united kingdom agencies say the deaths were avoidable. those are the headlines. the news continues on al jazeera, after inside story, which is up next. here,

teens and fought their way with the world has final then who have what it takes to become champion, argentina, and france will babble it out in the biggest 4th event on the planet. the pry, the greatest trophy of all and a chance to semester name in history that are in 2022 on how does the ira ah, you energy ministers meet again and fail again to strike a deal to cap the price of natural gas prices of sword since washer invaded ukraine, the blog post to hurt moscow. but can the deep divisions within the e u be overcome? this is inside story. ah . hello, welcome to the program. i'm adrian finnegan,

european union energy ministers held the 5th emergency meeting on tuesday to try to set a price cap for natural gas. but once again, they failed. member states 1st promised a sealing on prices in october, but a divided on what it should be. they want to punish russia by paying less for its gas, while also protecting consumers from prices that have sort since the ukraine war began. the split is between those wanting tough measures. and those fearing that to low a cap might affect supplies. that could happen, it produces sell to other markets instead of the e. u with higher rates on offer elsewhere. energy ministers want to avoid a shop increase in the gas price. like in august, they're going to try to reach a compromise at another round of talks. next week will be only one open issue for the discussion on monday. ah, and this is the prize level triggering the mechanism. we have to

make sure that the situation from this august will not be repeated. i think we are almost there. but now we need to get together and show that unity is not then empty worked, but the core value of the will, which we all subs subscribe to. some that is worried about the impact of sanctions on the price capital net own people. hungary, for example, says it's national interests come 1st. it through santa, here in brussels. the debate continues to be dominated by sanctions rather than piece building. and that is a big problem. a very big problem. even though thanks and have clearly been shown to have failed sanctions are failed. policy and sanctions have thus far lead european decision making and european reactions the war into its dealing to. i would like to reiterate that we consider the sanctioned policy as a whole to be a misguided policy. when discussing sanctions,

the most important aspect for us is that hung gary and national interest a not harmed and that hungry energy supply isn't jeopardize. so far, there's been agreement on some points, check, industry and trade from mr. yourself. sir keller says that they've agreed to keep what's known as over the counter contract out of the cap. there's a contract directly negotiated between countries and suppliers outside official gas exchanges. the exemption would allow for more sources of supply. they've also agreed to review the measure at the end of february to see how effective it's been . and the deal will include ways to swiftly remove the cap in case it has negative knock on effects. ah. so let's bring in our guests. for today's discussion from bern, were joined by cornelia my up, the ceo of my a resources and energy policy advisory from moscow. chris grief,

up the ceo at macro advisory, a strategic consultancy focused on eurasia, and from warsaw varcheck. she belsky, the editor in chief of the political magazine, visegrad, welcome to you or connie. let's start with you. what exactly is a price cap on gas designed to do hot russia or protect e u consumers or both? and will it work? i think it's, it's designed to do both, but i'm not sure it's affected on either. am. it's designed to make sure that price is don't go too high as we have seen. you know, in summer prices went so high that people really feared for, for how they could supply. they could supply their, their, their population adequately. and it's also supposed to put a cap on, on, on the russ and on that mot. russia can earn that you have to understand that when you look at gas, and before the ukraine war about 40 percent off,

then all gas coming to europe came from came from russia in germany. it was 55 percent since then. it's really gone down to about a 17 piss and, and people are putting on off shore liquids m offshore. we've gas, if occasion terminals, all sorts of things to make sure they can get more l n t, admittedly more expensive. but europe is not only slowly and steadily very quickly, winning itself off its total dependency on russian gas. right. so really, if i, as you say that the dependence upon russian gas has fallen, why are certain e u member states? what are the fillets are important to introduce this price captain? why are they trying to push it through? well, they're pushing it through because some countries really very much still depend on russian gas. if you look at in austria, if you look at, you know, earth lubbock young and those bordering states,

they're still really need and some states in the west and balkans, they still need russian gas. so they want to avoid that too much. money goes to russia and, and, and then to the war efforts. but, but it's a matter, you know, this is a matter over the next 1218 months looking forward. it's really a matter of where will the gas for europe come from. but it will be a lot more expensive l n g is more expensive than russian pipeline gas, which comes from the weston and the western siberian gas fields on an infrastructure that's basically paid off. so you're having new infrastructure, more expensive gas, so it's, so prices are gonna go up in europe, no matter what chris reefer in moscow, how would russia react, that if a cap on the price of russian gas was implemented? well, it wouldn't hurt russia talk and it know kind of get a, get around the cap. well, 1st of all,

to say that stare is much less a commentary and certainly much less debate about the proposed gas price. a captain there is or has been about the oil price cap. and certainly we've, we've seen a very fierce political reaction to the proposed boy price cap. even are now expecting that's a president. putin will sign legislation making is illegal for any rest producer to sell oil under the terms of the hard press cap. there has not been, or the any commentary about the gas price cap, but $1.00 of the reasons is the course, the price level is begin to gauge as a to a 75 year as a t t f. the benchmark price ah day, the price of gas has only ever been above that rapes for only a few days in august. the current price is almost half that level. it's about

a $130.00 a. so that's one reason why there's gonna be much less excitement about this in russia big because the levels are being set so high. and also i think the other reason is because of course, russia does have options when it comes to transferring oil. and we see of see a great effort now to secure tankers and other roads to shift on to raise you. you can't do the gas of course, because it's pipeline routed. so i think for now to position in moscow is there simply waiting to see what is agreed, what would be the impact? and i then we'll only then will we get a reaction from us. but it's, it's sort of itself, it's not going to have much time because that is our resource. i'm sorry, down in let me clarify what you were saying that the current price of gases is well below where this, this camp is, is, is, is thought it's going to be implemented. so it's not gonna make much difference. no, it's not the current price. it's $130.00 yours is the price cap proposal is $275.00

. so it's, it's a long, long way office. i am assuming that's the reason why europe once to agree this is because they are looking forward to next year. really a probably, europe is not going to have much of an energy problem this winter. this already enough gas has been secured as the previous speaker. sad has been very big in ports of l. n, g. and so reserves are high and it shouldn't be a problem this winter, but it's, it's already looking like in which were dangerous situation for europe coming in to to next winter may not be able to get the same energy supplies next summer as they, as a got this summer because china and they did not the buy as much energy as a contract, isn't there for allowed that energy to go to europe. if the time these economy recovers is it now appears to be, then china will take out energy and europe on get it. so the position therefore is we could be looking at, at a much higher a gas price and greater volatility in the gas market. this time,

next year and i think the mechanism therefore, is aimed at that rather than anything more immediate for check. what's poland position on this? it's one of the countries that's pushing hard for this cap, isn't it? yes, bowlin is one of the countries that pushes hard for the camp. but as also one of the countries that has been for a long time pushing for european energy independence or interdependence by proposing and pushing for the energy packages that would build up european energy market as a whole. and not disconnect and divided market of nation states that has been abused by the other players like russia for their own benefit and weakening, weakening the block. currently the, the gas price cap is being pushed down as much as possible. countries like poland and i believe the 20 as well. and should there be a big, there's a government about on that on the prize? i don't think so. of course there is, there is, there is something behind closed doors that we do. we don't know yet. what it's

coming to be, but it's part importantly, we have to remember, it is part of a broader effort called re power you. it's the commission effort to make europe as a block more independent from weaponized inc. gas prices, gas deliveries, energy delivers to europe by specifically russia about any other actors in the future. and it's a long term strategy. so just like my previous speaker said, it's about building up a resilience. busy for the next year and the future year in terms of acting together as a blog and not this united nation states markets. but this problem have any sympathy for landlocked countries like hungry and austria, who course don't have ports to take l n g and, and don't want to cap on on russian gas. that's the whole point of building interconnectivity. poland has been at the forefront of proposing inter connectors

and building in fact, since 2008, 9 the gas rises when. ready rushes, turning off their, their delivery of gas to europe. specifically, central europe has been hit, poland, along with other countries of central east in europe and germany and many other countries. i've been starting to build by with european support, so called interconnect doors to make the gas markets truly european and not landlocked to nation state. so austria and check lock and angry. they're being offered and they're being, they're having these interconnect or is built to make the. busy the energy market and the gas market, specifically, fully accessible to all europe, for them to be more resilience against such kind of blockades, by, by ro, doctors clearly let's, let's continue with this idea of, of the interconnected world, e, u, energy independence, co, interdependence,

is that wishful thinking, do you think there will never be independence, but interconnected at wis of europe started to build into connect as actually way before 2008, they started when they, we have billeted when actually us money rehabilitate that. the gas bra ma'am. pipelines they were interconnect dispelled from z, brooker in them, in the, in, in holland, you know, with, with the noise noise, c, m, british gas. so this is been a trend and it's really important because we get gas from algeria. you know, we get gas from, from the mediterranean, then we get all the l m g of in spain and the mediterranean in holland, in england, in them, in and now in germany. so yes, this interconnectivity is really important. so gas becomes more fun durable. the problem with gas is oil. if you find oil and oil, we'll find the market as some our previous speaker, mister weaver said, you know,

there's been a big shadow fleet board especially by the russians to ship uh, oil to places where, who do not adhere to the oil price cap. that's not possible with with gas unless it's l. n g with pipeline gas. so these in the connect us, oh, really the key to make and to make gas fun trouble. and yesterday, europe has been working on this actually since about 1998 from various places. and um and, and it needs to, it needs to speed that up, chris, there in moscow. what, what impact a sanctions against russia having on ordinary people when you talked about the fact that people are far more worked out of about a approach couple oil than they are on gas is, is any of this, having any impact on daily lives there in russia i'll split these issues or not just is it a night mode or a price or, and, and to susan, feeling the sanctions and furniture,

government level or economist level the ordinary people, you know, going about a daily life. people. of course, a consumer are aware and are affected by say, the travel plans like to suit nurses and along across the border and supposed to countries or poland, et cetera, price increases. we've seen this year because of trade disruptions. and there is a general concerned about what the b economic impacts next year. people are generally more aware that rush is now entering a phase or you know where the accumulation of sanctions is going to start having a bigger impact on economy and jobs and their for their, their life. so this is there's a general concern there for about the accumulation deepak, the sanctions. people are not talking about oil price cap or gas price tap or i need those specific issues that security at the government level. and i would say all the pick up and discussions been about the oil price, not the gas cap, and the non again, you have to look look at the 2 things. one of course is there's been

a big disruption on gas volumes of the north string. one was suspended and then i, it, it's not being taken out of action. i saw that volumes of gas going into europe to the jews for pipeline and to the turkish to a pipeline are much less. and then usually that's a much bigger factor in terms of economic packed affected russian volumes have been substantially reduced. and i, and that price, as i say, this year we seen a big jump in price. but russia is being used to a very low price look much less than a $100.00 for, for every year up to this year. so i really don't think therefore even if there is a gas price cap put in place at anything above a $100.00 t t f. i don't think the rest is going to react with an anything like the same way as they reacted to the one 1st cat. i think they live with it. all right, let's, let's talk about the, that the ears apparent inability to, to come to any sort of deal to fight unity on this void check at the beginning of

the program. we pointed out that the check energy minister so that his fellow ministers could face a reputation risk if they don't agree on this cap to stop future price spikes. now if 90 percent of the deal is done, what's the problem of what is preventing it getting over the line time and time again? well, we can only assume as we have. busy credible accounts of 1000000, i'm a report that. ready to testify what, what is happening and behind the. busy closer, but there are always countries in here that use cards to negotiate their individual interests on potentially even disconnected from this particular energy policy and countries like that. for instance, hungry. i've been oftentimes using the need to agree on certain common foreign policy agenda as as a token in negotiating some something completely different along with,

with other countries regarding rule of law or regarding some other types of funding that they're seeking. so i would not. busy and i would not be surprised that again, country like this or the one that i mentioned or another may be finding it hard to agree at 1st because it's seeking a side deal. and there is a personal negotiation coming going on with, with, with respect to the individual interests of the given country, but that's purely speculative. that's however, the logic usually, decisions are being reached that these deals are being done. and i've seen that in the support of hungry for the 18000000000 supports a 1000000 euro support package for ukraine only this week week which is. busy which has been opposed by hunger previously and angry, agree to that in exchange, direct exchange for making us a few steps back by the european commission in terms of cutting funds for rule of law conditionality. chameleon is any of this going to make any difference

a tool for consumers, people like you and i, when we pay our gas or electricity bills. this is all academic at the moment, but could the price come on? gas ultimately drive prices high? you said you think it would for, we still be paying more for on guessing electricity regardless we, we will be paying more for all a guess and for electricity. because even if we have a guys, a gas price cap, and even if the gas prices as mr. we, the pointed out, you know, very rarely was the gas price above the price of the that the price cap. but when you look at the getting redirecting trade flows is always a very expensive undertaking, whether that's now oil or whether that's gas and especially with gas, and l n. g is a lot dearer, a lot more expensive. so as we're winning ourselves off, rush and gas and use more l n g at more gas from other sources,

which will be more expensive. yeah, obviously we will have to, to, to, to deal with that. and it then depends on how our utility spy, the gas, when they buy it, how they buy, and then wait, when we look at it now, europe was extremely lucky that china had to ciro coverage policy, anti economy didn't really boom. so a lot of cargoes, as mister weaver said, we're die, we directed to europe where they could get better prices. but once china picks up and then this is east asian, i'm you know, place, which is china, korea, japan, which are the largest and consumers of l. n, she, once that consumption picks up, you know, you will need, europe will need to pay a lot to, to entice cargoes to come here. and what we have in store though is u. s l n g, but that's per, that is still in the permitting process. and we're still about 3 to 5 years off

from that hitting the market. so, you know, the gas and oil, i'm light switches. these are, these are these, these, these some info does infrastructure takes time to create and it takes time to redirect that said, the trade flows. so yes, in short, it will get more expensive for the european consumer, christine, to do agree with, we're quarterly. we're saying, i don't know about that the european consumer about where russia will sell its gas at a counselor to europe. ah yes, and i think look that this is the difference of a see what discussions on the gas cap from oil because the oil cap is very specific to russia, but the gas cap proposal is, will effect on gas purchased by europe. and i think it is right to focus on l. n. g . and the headlines were little strictly focused on, on piped gas, because that's coming from russia you're for, it's targeting russia. so you get to get headlines. but the much more serious issue

is, what will be the price cap analogy? will there be a price gap analogy? because that is a more portable, movable products, if your caps the price and demand, you know, from asia and elsewhere, spikes, those tankers will simply turn around and go elsewhere. so i think europe will have to be extremely careful on what will be the price cap mechanism and the review mechanism for ellen g rather than fur for pipe gas because we know the future as we meet hers is to try and acquire more and more elegy because it can be source and different places reduce pipe gas, particularly from, from, from russia us. so the question of price cap analogy, i think is much more critical than the price cap on the oil or the gas coming in from, from russia. because yeah, if we get a strong recovery the asian markets, they will pay a lot more for the gas, and europe could end up with gas shortages in addition to higher prices,

if they don't get, if they get this pricing mechanism route for check is, is they match appetite in the you to kept the price of energy. well i, i don't know about the particular issue here, whether there is much appetite in europe, but there is much appetite in europe for broad energy package reforming in the re power you program. they include the gas, the gas caps. it's also about introducing essentially the framework of a common european market and innovation in terms of getting more greener, alternative energy is more effective and, and energy sources and lowering the consumption levels. so we need to look at it from a holistic perspective of what the you, meaning the commission and the countries want to achieve here. and there was

a general agreement in the, in the direction it is going. there is, of course, there are, there are some concerns that my, my co speakers have already mentioned and they are supported by european national european central bank that also is worried about not making the right call on the price cob in terms of the level of the price gas that may create shortages and this concern is being on the other hand, waited by the immediate effect of introducing a price cap, which is expected by countries like century center p and one poland. to have a direct and immediate effect on the income levels of russia through which russia funds, the war effort in ukraine. the, i'm afraid we're going to have to leave it. we are out of time. thank you to you all. cornelia, my chris up and void. check should bills key, as always, thank you for watching. don't forget you can see the program again at any time by going to the website of al jazeera dot com for further discussion. you can join us

on our facebook page at facebook dot com, forward slash ha, inside story ad. as always, you can join the conversation on twitter handle at a j, a side story for me, adrian said again, the whole team here, and we'll see you again for the me, the author to come home to the semi people and natural resources needed for combat climate change an important part of the battery supply chain for europe. a don't think it is. people say i have to say human rights as other people can. nations made wealth from oil and gas. now balance that green obligations with the rights of indigenous people choose solutions for us, you know, for future voices from the optic and one, it talks, money winds on it just, you know, a

when much day arrives, the green army comes to life. but football is not all they shout about a club west societies disenfranchised, have the loudest voice. and political dissent takes center stage. they are morocco's resistance. beatrice of roger casa blanca. the finds who make football on al jazeera. it's celebration here in couple of africa in the middle east. this is really a huge cousin, argentina. people are just coming yet people, all the cars and i think will be here when i show, well they, i live to fight another day because i cannot afford through another

walk for them. the more we might have done. what do you guys think of the result? i am ah. new figures show the world's 2nd largest economy is faltering with vollings. china could be in for a bumpy ride as it lifts curve at 19 restrictions. ah! of toma cried, this is al jazeera live from doha. also coming up tens of thousands of nurses in the u. k. a going on strike, demanding pay rises to match inflation.