Welcome to Wednesday, June 18. Here are the news worth your attention today.



The European Commission has presented a legislative proposal to stop the import of Russian gas and oil by the end of 2027.

The proposal provides for a phased cessation of the import of pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) originating from Russia or exported directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation.

Member countries will be required to submit diversification plans with clear steps and timelines for the gradual cessation of imports of Russian energy resources.

According to the proposed schedule:

New contracts for the import of Russian gas will be banned starting January 1, 2026;

Imports under existing short-term contracts must cease by June 17, 2026, except for gas supplied via pipelines to landlocked countries and covered by long-term contracts – it is allowed to import until the end of 2027;

All imports under long-term contracts will cease by the end of 2027.

Long-term contracts for the use of LNG terminals by clients from the Russian Federation or those controlled by Russian companies will also be banned to free up capacity for alternative suppliers and enhance market resilience.

This proposal still needs to be supported by the European Parliament and the EU Council. (babel)

More news:

Austria allows a return to Russian gas in case of peace in Ukraine.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Elizabeth Zegetner emphasized the need to reconsider the ban on importing Russian gas during a closed meeting of EU energy ministers on Monday, if a peace deal regarding Ukraine is reached. The relevant statement notes that in the long term, 'the EU must keep all options open to reassess the situation after the war ends and to continue to ensure secure and cost-effective energy supply in the future.' (ЄП)

In the Czech Republic, a discussion about a possible exit from the EU has resumed.

A new far-right alliance in the Czech Republic is gaining momentum ahead of parliamentary elections in October, bringing anti-European sentiments back to the agenda. At the center of these changes is the Freedom and Direct Democracy Party (SPD), led by Tomio Okamura. According to a recent survey, the SPD has 13% support, placing it third in the country – after the populist ANO party (around 31%) and the center-right Spolu coalition (around 21%), which is showing signs of declining popularity. The rise in support for the SPD has reignited conversations about a potential Czech exit from the EU – a position that Okamura has long championed. 'I would vote for the Czech Republic to exit the EU,' he has repeatedly stated. The SPD also advocates for a referendum on NATO membership. (euractiv)

The UK Parliament has voted for the decriminalization of abortion.

Abortion has been legal in England and Wales, but only up to 24 weeks and with the approval of two doctors. Women can be prosecuted if they choose to terminate a pregnancy after 24 weeks under a Victorian-era law that carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Legislators approved an amendment to end the prosecution of women who terminate pregnancies under any circumstances. Medical professionals who assist women in having an abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy can still be held accountable. The amendment is part of a larger bill currently going through the House of Commons and the House of Lords. (JT)

Forget about the 9 to 5 work: Microsoft says that 'unlimited working hours' has already become a reality.

According to analysis by Microsoft, an increasing number of office workers have 'unlimited working hours'. Analyzing data from the 365 suite, Microsoft found that the workday starts earlier than ever: 40% of people are already online and checking emails at 6 a.m. The company also found that employees struggle to get everything done between 9 and 5. Furthermore, most employees have only two minutes of focus time before they are interrupted - by a meeting, email, or message during these core working hours. Microsoft found that 50% of meetings occur from 9 to 11 a.m. and from 1 to 3 p.m., which is when research shows people are mostly able to be productive. And after 5 p.m., things do not improve; the workday increasingly spills into the evening. 20% of employees actively work on weekends. 'Too much energy is spent on organizing chaos before meaningful work can begin,' Microsoft stated. (qz.com)

More and more employees are using AI, but businesses still find it difficult to make it useful.

The use of AI in the workplace is developing at a breakneck pace. Two new reports – one from Gallup and another from Salesforce AI Research – paint a picture of both growing enthusiasm and ongoing challenges as organizations and their employees are only adapting to this technological shift. While AI is being applied more broadly than ever, the gap between its potential and practical effectiveness remains a significant hurdle for both businesses and workers. Gallup's research shows that the use of artificial intelligence among employees in the U.S. has nearly doubled in the last two years. 27% of 'white-collar' workers now report frequent use of artificial intelligence, which is 12% more than last year, with the leading sectors being technology, professional services, and finance. In contrast, among frontline workers and manufacturing employees, there has been almost no change, with frequent use of AI having slightly decreased during the same period – from 11% to 9%. Executive positions also use AI more often. One in three managers uses artificial intelligence several times a week or more. Despite rapid implementation, most employees do not feel that their jobs are under direct threat from automation, although concerns are somewhat higher in sectors such as technology, retail, and finance. While 44% of employees say that AI is being implemented in their workplace, only 22% have received a clear plan or strategy. Only 30% report the existence of any guidelines or official policies. Only 16% of AI users fully agree that the tools provided are truly helpful for their work. Salesforce AI Research focuses on the fact that, despite progress, AI agents still do not meet the requirements of real corporate scenarios. Salesforce's research showed that even the best LLM agents successfully handle only about 58% of business tasks – those that require only one step to complete. As tasks become more complex and require multi-step interactions, such as follow-up questions or clarifications, the success rate drops to about 35%. A particularly alarming finding is the near-total lack of privacy awareness among AI agents. Some models, such as Gemini-2.5-pro and Gemini-2.5-flash, offer a good balance between performance and cost, making them attractive for practical use, but the overall gap between the capabilities of artificial intelligence and the needs of businesses remains significant. (techspot)

News in brief

In the Solomianskyi district of Kyiv, the bodies of five more victims of the Russian attack have been unblocked.

Massive attack by the Russian Federation: there are already 22 victims in Kyiv, 134 people injured.

The rectorate of the university in Zaporizhzhia issued thousands of fake postgraduate certificates and received over 50 million UAH in bribes.

Reuters: Kellogg plans a trip to Belarus and a meeting with Lukashenko.

Elon Musk published the results of a drug test. The form lists various types of drugs and all show 'negative'.

Former tax chief Ruslan Kravchenko has been appointed as Ukraine's attorney general. He was the prosecutor in the case of Viktor Yanukovych's treason.

Ukrzaliznytsia raises prices for tea and coffee on long-distance trains. The cost of a cup of tea will increase from 10 UAH to 20 UAH.



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