Biden task force secretly developing plan to boost gas supplies to Europe

Biden task force secretly developing plan to boost gas supplies to Europe The Biden administration task force on liquefied natural gas (LNG) has been covertly developing a plan to wean Europe off Russian energy products by increasing supplies of LNG to the region by at least 15 billion cubic meters this year, Bloomberg reported on Monday.

The task force started its work in late March after US President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula Von de Leyen charged it with a task to diversify Europe gas supplies in light of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, according to the report.

Environmental activists have accused the task force for lacking transparency and engaging representatives of large gas companies. In addition, the secret nature of the task force’s activities violates federal advisory committee law, according to a letter the anti-corruption group Global Witness sent to Biden earlier on Monday.

The Biden administration does not believe the group’s activity falls under the Federal Advisory Committee Act because formally only government officials from the European Union and the United States are on the task force, the report said.
They also warned that restrictive measures China has imposed to tackle dozens of outbreaks of Covid-19 could also be used to limit Bachelet’s movements and meetings.

The US Permanent Representative to UN institutions in Geneva, Ambassador Sheba Crocker said on March 10 that any interference in the work of Bachelet’s team would support alleged rights abuses against members of the Muslim Uyghur minority in Xinjiang and others, as per local reports.

Crocker said a credible visit by the UN human rights chief and her team should involve access to “the locations where atrocities and human rights violations and abuses” have been reported. The UN human rights chief six-day visit (May 23) includes a visit to the Xinjiang. Bachelet, has repeatedly voiced concern about allegations of widespread abuses in Xinjiang. But she has also been criticised for not taking a tough stance with China.

Source: Reuters

In other news – Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger announce the arrival of baby No. 2

Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger’s family is getting bigger. The couple announced Sunday they have welcomed their second daughter.

“We are so excited to announce the birth of our second daughter, Eloise Christina Schwarzenegger Pratt,” Schwarzenegger. Learn more