Canadians across the country mark Remembrance Day
Today Canadians will remember and honour the sacrifice of men and women in uniform who gave their lives in service of the country's values and principles.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz inspected a turbine at the center of a natural gas dispute and declared Wednesday that "there are no problems" blocking the part's return to Russia besides missing information from Russia's state-controlled gas company.
The Kremlin insisted more assurances were needed.
Russian energy giant Gazprom last week halved the amount of natural gas flowing through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to 20% of capacity, the latest reduction it blamed on delays to the turbine's delivery due to Western sanctions.
German partner Siemens Energy sent the turbine to Canada for overhaul, which was a routine process before Russia invaded Ukraine and was subjected to Western sanctions.
The German government says the turbine was meant to be installed in September and wasn't needed to make the pipeline function now; it says Moscow is using spurious technical explanations as cover for a political move to create uncertainty and to push up gas prices.
The turbine is now stored at a Siemens Energy facility in Mulheim an der Ruhr, in western Germany.
"This turbine is usable any time," Scholz said, standing next to the 18-ton piece of machinery. "There is nothing standing in the way of its transport on to Russia -- other than that the Russian recipients have to say that they want to have the turbine, and give the necessary information for the customs transport to Russia."
"All other permits are there -- that goes for the permit from Germany, the permit from the European Union, from the United Kingdom, from Canada," the chancellor added. "There are no problems."
Gazprom's repeated reductions of gas deliveries to various countries have raised fears that Russia may cut off supplies altogether to try to gain political leverage over Europe.
German officials say Gazprom needs to specify where exactly the turbine needs to be sent. Scholz said he was checking out the turbine publicly to "demystify" it.
The chancellor reiterated Germany's insistence that "there are no technical reasons for the reduction of gas deliveries through Nord Stream 1."
He said sanctions don't apply to the gas used to power industry, heat homes and generate electricity.
Gazprom has repeatedly said it pressed Siemens Energy for documents and clarification. The company specifically wants documents from Siemens Energy proving that the turbine isn't subject to Western sanctions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
"We need to be sure that it's not under sanctions. We need to be sure that Siemens' British subsidiary in charge of it won't switch it off remotely in the future as part of sanctions," Peskov told reporters during a conference call.
Peskov said former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder asked Russian President Vladimir Putin during a recent meeting in Moscow if the completed but not-yet-functioning Nord Stream 2 pipeline could be put into service in an emergency to meet Europe's energy needs.
Scholz's government suspended the certification process for the new pipeline in February just before the invasion of Ukraine.
Putin said Nord Stream 2 could start operating but only at half-capacity because Gazprom is now using the other half for Russia's domestic market, Peskov said.
Schroeder's longstanding ties to the Russian energy sector -- including the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines -- and refusal to distance himself personally from Putin after the invasion of Ukraine have left his political standing at home in tatters.
In an interview with Stern magazine and RTL television that appeared Wednesday, Schroeder argued that using Nord Stream 2 would be the "simplest solution" in case of gas shortages.
Turning to Nord Stream 2 is a political non-starter for Scholz, who said that "we ended the approval process for good reason." He added that "there is enough capacity in Nord Stream 1," and that two other pipelines -- one running through Ukraine and another through Belarus and Poland -- are also available.
------
Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report
Today Canadians will remember and honour the sacrifice of men and women in uniform who gave their lives in service of the country's values and principles.
Two nephews of the beloved Harry R. Hamilton share stories about his life and legacy.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump says that Tom Homan, his former acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director, will serve as "border czar" in his incoming administration.
Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court鈥檚 2022 Dobbs decision eliminated the federal right to abortion, miscarriage management has become trickier and in some cases, deadlier.
The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.
Rod Ashby was desperate to find his wife Kim Ashby after their newly built home in Elk Park, North Carolina, was swept away by Hurricane Helene鈥檚 floodwaters in late September and she went missing.
It was the first time that Canadian UN peacekeeper Michelle Angela Hamelin said she came up against the raw emotion of a people so exasperated with their country's predicament.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik to be UN ambassador.
A congestion crisis, a traffic nightmare, or unrelenting gridlock -- whatever you call it, most agree that Toronto has a congestion problem. To alleviate some of the gridlock, the Ontario government has announced it plans to remove bike lanes from three major roadways.
For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.
Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.
A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.
As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.
A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.
A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.
Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.
A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.