UK's first zero-carbon electric passenger ferry launched

Pioneering vessel will now undergo trials before entering service on routes in Plymouth


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By
William TelfordBusiness Editor, Plymouth Live
10:21, 13 OCT 2020
ENTERPRISE

The pioneering e-Voyager electric ferry

The UK’s first environmentally-friendly electric passenger ferry has been launched and will undergo rigorous trials before going into service in Plymouth.

Plymouth Boat Trips and Voyager Marine have launched the trailblazing zero-carbon e-Voyager. Designed and developed in partnership with the University of Plymouth, the University of Exeter, Teignbridge Propellers, MarRI-Uk and EV Parts, the ferry will now undergo running trials, before carrying passengers on Plymouth Boat Trips’ ferry routes from April 2021.

The project has been funded through the £1.4million Clean Maritime Call: a Maritime Research and Innovation UK (MarRI-UK) initiative supported by the Department for Transport (DfT) and launched to support the UK’s goal of zero emission shipping.

Project leader for Plymouth Boat Trips and Voyager Marine, Andy Hurley, said: “It’s hugely exciting to see the launch of e-Voyager and the result of such a progressive collaboration to create a cleaner and more sustainable future for the marine industry.

Th e-Voyager being tested off Plymouth

“Through developing the technology and maritime applications, Voyager Marine is helping to place Plymouth and the South West as UK leaders in the conversion and new build of zero-carbon, fully electric commercial vessels.”

Partnerships and funding support from the universities came via Environmental Futures & Big Data Impact Lab, a £6.4million project to support small businesses, and the £4million Marine Business Technology Centre, both part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.


Dr Richard Pemberton, lecturer in mechanical and marine engineering design at the University of Plymouth, said: “Through our diverse mix of staff and specialisms, the University of Plymouth has supported Plymouth Boat Trips and its partners in both data analysis and regulatory advice.

“The University firmly believes that the work conducted on e-Voyager will pave the way for larger scale innovation towards meeting the Government’s target of a 50% reduction in emissions from the maritime sector by 2050.”

Technology and design engineering technology company, EV Parts, designed the battery storage and motor installation. An advanced electric motor, together with fly-by-wire controls, have replaced the traditional diesel engine, a process which will be directly transferable in under 24m commercial vessels.

The motors, energy storage, control and charging systems are now being tested in a real-world environment, enabling the team to gain approval from regulatory bodies so they can be used in vessels across the sector and carry passengers.

Through duty cycle modelling and advanced simulation of propeller performance, Teignbridge Propellers worked on the project to ensure every kilowatt hour of battery capacity is put to efficient use, ensuring maximum vessel range and safe and effective handling.

Mark Phare, sales and marketing director, said: “This pioneering project provides an ideal platform to explore the myriad technical challenges associated with the industry’s accelerating move to full electric propulsion and a low carbon future.”

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Commercial benefits Repurposed, Nissan Leaf batteries, used in e-Voyager, mean low maintenance and present clear commercial benefits for businesses in the marine sector.

The University of Plymouth’s scientists carried out research during the build, measuring emissions including noise pollution, air pollution and fuel consumption.

Brian Lambert, a University of Exeter research fellow in the Marine Business Technology Centre project joined the consortium to shape the bid into MarRi-UK.


He and Professor Chris Smith worked closely with the team, bringing expertise in project management and innovation to support the development of e-Voyager.

The team at Exeter are using their knowledge to investigate safe charging solutions for marine applications, including deposition of nanomaterials and inductive charging technologies.

William has more than a decade's experience reporting on the business scene in Plymouth and 
Plymouth City Council will install three 22 kWh chargers on the Barbican Landing Stage, and using this system, e-Voyager will take under three hours to achieve a full charge.

The vessel will be charged overnight when berthing, providing enough power to run for a full day and complete its journey on a single charge.

If required, the boat can simply plug in and recharge between runs as passengers embark. The council is working with ferry companies to further develop a charging infrastructure for marine transport in the city.

Green marine e-Voyager will be the first vessel to have been recognised by both the MCA and a Classification Society, for satisfying the exacting standards of both organisations.

The partners are now progressing to the conversion of larger passenger vessels in Plymouth Boat Trips’ fleet of cruise boats and ferries, along with the new build of similar vessels.

Business Live's South West Business Reporter is William Telford.

He is based in Plymouth but covers the entire region.

Government to increase safety tests on 5G waves in France

The French government will increase tests on the possible effects of being exposed to 5G waves to reassure the public and local officials.

13 October 2020
I

n 2021, 80% of popular smartphone models sold in France are expected to be tested for 5G safety

By Joanna York


The government announced plans on Monday (October 12) to double testing on the possible effects of being exposed to 5G waves, before the technology is rolled out throughout France.

Fears around 5G are numerous and include specific worries about the health risks of being exposed to the strong electromagnetic waves that 5G technology relies on. General suspicions over 5G technology in France have also lead to antennas being vandalised by people who are against the new technology.

Scientists in France have debunked 5G health concerns, but government agency l’Agence nationale des Fréquences (AFNR) will now increase tests on mobile phones and antennas to reassure the public and local officials that 5G technology is safe.
5G Smartphone tests

Smartphone tests will measure the DAS rate (débit d'absorption spécifique known as SAR, or Specific Absorption Rate in English) to understand how much energy the human body absorbs while using products that can connect to 5G networks such as smartphones, tablets and connected watches.

Tests will be run by AFNR in a laboratory, using smartphones that are currently available on the French market.

In 2019, 70 types of smartphones were tested and in 2021 this number will rise to 140. This means 80% of popular smartphone models sold in France should be tested by the AFNR in 2021.

Results will be made public.

5G tests on antennas

5G antennas are already subject to strict testing by AFNR – in 2019 more than 3,000 were tested. These tests revealed average exposure almost 150 times lower than maximum level thresholds defined by French and European standards.

Cédric O, junior minister for the digital economy said in a press release that tests on antennas will also increase. He said: “In the context of launching 5G, ANFR will do 4,800 specific tests to measure the strength of emissions from antennas before and after 5G is deployed.”

Mr O confirmed that local officials would have full access to the results of these tests.
Access to 4G technology also being improved

Mr O’s office also issued a reminder that, rather than focusing solely on 5G, its top priorities are “improving 4G mobile coverage and accelerating the deployment of new fibre optic networks in order to guarantee quality fixed and mobile internet access to all”.

To this end, 2,000 new pylons will be installed in France in the next few years to reduce the number of zones blanches (dead zones) in which people cannot access the internet.

UK unemployment hits 3-year high in August, as COVID-19 sees nearly 3 million people claim jobless benefits

snagarajan@businessinsider.com (Shalini Nagarajan) 

© WIktor Szymanowicz/NurPhoto via Getty Images 

UK unemployment jumped to its highest rate in over three years, rising to 4.5% in the three months to August.

Nearly 3 million people claimed jobless benefits in September, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics.

The jobs data was worse than the 4.3% rise economists had expected.

The situation could deteriorate after the British government announced a new system of local lockdowns, introducing a three-tiered system of rules as infections surge across the country and a furlough program is set to expire later this month.


UK unemployment rose to a three-year high of 4.5% in the three months to August, from 4.1% in July, according to data released by the Office of National Statistics on Tuesday.

The number of people claiming jobless benefits rose to 2.7 million in September — an increase of 1.5 million since March 2020, the ONS said.

People who were laid off, or voluntarily left jobs, rose o 227,000 in the three-month period to August, up by 113,000 from the same period the previous year, the largest annual increase since April to June 2009, during the financial crisis.

Redundancies in the quarter reached the highest level since May to July 2009, ONS said.

© ONS ONS


Video: By the Numbers: Faltering US economy (ABC News)
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/markets/uk-unemployment-hits-3-year-high-in-august-as-covid-19-sees-nearly-3-million-people-claim-jobless-benefits/ar-BB19Y5ty?ocid=msedgdhp

Economists at Pantheon Macroeconomics predicted the unemployment rate would rise to 4.3%, meaning that the actual picture is worse than expected.

The British government on Monday announced a new system of local lockdowns for England, introducing a three-tiered system of rules as infections surge across the country. That means things could get worse.

"Almost a million people have lost their jobs since the start of the pandemic and, given the latest lockdown measures, this number could climb again in the coming months," Orka Technology CEO Tom Pickersgill said. "While this is a terrible situation for so many to be in, the picture of the job market isn't completely black and white and there are some opportunities out there."

Pickersgill said while permanent 9-5-style roles will take time to recover, there will be a spike in temporary job opportunities as businesses favor flexibility in hiring. Anyone looking for work should consider industries such as security, logistics, and cleaning, as they offer the benefits and protections of traditional full time employment, he said.

Although the unemployment rate is not high by historical standards, the picture is clearly deteriorating, according to Laith Khalaf, a financial analyst at AJ Bell.

"We're beginning to see what the economic wound looks like as the bandage of furlough is gradually removed," Khalaf said. "The new Jobs Support Scheme will help to cushion the blow, but we're likely looking at the thin end of the wedge when it comes to unemployment."

The Institute for Fiscal Studies has said COVID-19 would cost the UK £350 billion ($455 billion) in public borrowings this year, a level unseen in peacetime Britain.

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index fell 0.4% on Tuesday.

Ecuador indigenous group sues president for crimes against humanity
AFP 

Ecuador's largest indigenous organization filed a lawsuit Monday against President Lenin Moreno and other authorities for alleged crimes against humanity committed during protests last October which left 10 people dead.

© Martin BERNETTI Demonstrators fire a home-made mortar during clashes with riot police at October protests in Quito

The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) asked the prosecutor's office to investigate "crimes against humanity" because they believe the crackdown was "a systematic and widespread attack on the civilian population," the group's lawyer, Carlos Poveda, told AFP.

"We have asked that there be no isolated or circumstantial investigations. We have asked that all the complaints be united that they be dealt with in a context of crimes against humanity," Poveda said.

The government has yet to comment on the lawsuit.

A wave of protests, marked by violence, erupted in Ecuador in the first half of October 2019, after the government increased fuel prices.

The demonstrations led the government to declare a state of emergency, and at one point Moreno moved his government from the capital Quito to the port city of Guayaquil. He eventually backed down and reestablished fuel subsidies.

Poveda said the lawsuit was against Moreno, the minister of the interior, the defense minister, the police chief and the comptroller.

"We had filed complaints, we had told the State that they should investigate the events of October 2019, but this irresponsible government and the Ecuadorian justice system have not been able to respond and give an explanation to the Ecuadorian people," CONAIE president Jaime Vargas told reporters.

According to data provided by the ombudsman's office, the protests left 10 people dead, 1,340 injured and 1,192 arrested. The demonstrations also caused an estimated $821 million in damage.

pld/rsr/to/leg

Indonesia Islamic groups, students join movement to scrap jobs law

By Yuddy Cahaya Budiman and Agustinus Beo Da Costa 48 mins ago

© Reuters/WILLY KURNIAWAN Protest against the new so-called omnibus law in Jakarta

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Wearing white Islamic garb and waving red and white Indonesian flags, more than 1,000 protesters from Islamic and student groups gathered in the world's most populous Muslim nation on Tuesday to show discontent over a divisive new jobs law.

© Reuters/WILLY KURNIAWAN Protest against the new so-called omnibus law in Jakarta

Conservative Islamic groups are among the latest to join the volatile street demonstrations, during which police fired tear gas on Tuesday to try to break up crowds, as pressure mounts on the government to repeal a law they say undermines labor rights and environmental protections.

© Reuters/WILLY KURNIAWAN Protest against the new so-called omnibus law in Jakarta

The country's largest Islamic organization, Nahdlatul Ulama, is among its opponents and says it favours conglomerates while "trampling" on the rights of working-class Indonesians.

Hamdan, a 53-year-old teacher who goes by one name, said he would keep protesting until the law was repealed.

"People can't go out, some people can't even eat and unemployment is still high," he told Reuters in Jakarta. "Even my son still can't find a job."

Protests against the so-called omnibus law took place in multiple locations involving thousands of Indonesians last week, some of which saw streets blocked, tyres burned and rocks hurled, leading to more than 6,000 people being detained.

© Reuters/WILLY KURNIAWAN Protest against the new so-called omnibus law in Jakarta

"The bill will definitely affect myself, my job, my relatives, my friends and everything," said engineer Rafi Zakaria, 30.

"It doesn't only affect labourers. Our students here joined the protest because they're concerned about their parents' jobs."

The law, designed to reduce red tape and attract investors, has yet to be published and the unofficial versions circulating in the media and online have led to speculation and confusion.

Deputy house speaker Achmad Baidowi told Reuters the law would be sent to the president and made public on Wednesday.

The government is standing by the legislation and President Joko Widodo has blamed the public outcry on disinformation. Indonesia's defence minister has blamed the demonstrations on "foreign interference".

"There are those who do not want to see Indonesia as conducive to investors, and want to always benefit from that," the ministry spokesperson, Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, said, without elaborating.

(Writing by Kate Lamb; Editing by Martin Petty)

SANTA MUERTE 

As pandemic rages, Mexicans pray to death 'saint'

Their arms raised towards the sky, worshippers of Mexico's "saint" of death pray before a giant cloaked skeleton asking for protection from the coronavirus and its devastating economic fallout. 

© CLAUDIO CRUZ Mexico's 'Saint Death' has no shortage of followers during a pandemic that has claimed tens of thousands of lives

© CLAUDIO CRUZ Some devotees arrive on their knees to worship at a shrine in Mexico City's Tepito neighborhood

The Grim Reaper-like figure, whose devotees include drug cartel members as well as ordinary Mexicans, has been rejected by the Roman Catholic Church as blasphemous.

But with tens of thousands of Mexican lives lost to Covid-19, there is no shortage of followers of "Santa Muerte."

"With the pandemic, more devotees want to come to ask for health and protection," said 30-year-old Cristel Legaria, whose late mother erected the 22-meter (72-foot) fiberglass statue in Tultitlan near the capital

.

© CLAUDIO CRUZ The Grim Reaper-like figure has been rejected by the Roman Catholic church as blasphemous

Wearing a golden robe, the skeleton stands with its bony arms spread out against the blue sky, like a statue of Jesus.

Historians trace Santa Muerte back to the 18th century, when indigenous people turned images of the Grim Reaper brought by Spanish conquistadores into an icon, prompting the Church to destroy chapels devoted to the folk saint.

© CLAUDIO CRUZ Others indoctrinate their children into the cult of Santa Muerte

After many decades underground, the practise emerged from the shadows in the mid-20th century, particularly in the capital, as Mexicans arrived from the impoverished countryside.

© CLAUDIO CRUZ Some followers have tattoos of Santa Muerte on their neck or chest

- 'Always there' -

The number of followers grew in 2001, when a woman named Enriqueta "Dona Queta" Romero displayed her Santa Muerte figure in Mexico City's rough neighborhood of Tepito.

Hundreds now visit the shrine on the first day of each month to worship Santa Muerte.

Video: Mexican devotees pray to death 'saint', ask for protection from pandemic (AFP)

"I came to thank her for everything that she's given us this year, which has not been easy due to the pandemic," said 34-year-old stylist Suri Salas, returning for the first time after months of confinement.

"Fortunately, she's always there to support us," said Salas.

The faithful -- some shuffling on their knees -- arrived with effigies of Santa Muerte, while others offered flowers, sweets and liquor.

Few wore face masks and social distancing was almost impossible. The aroma of marijuana filled the street, where street vendors hawked Santa Muerte statues and candles.

"Since the pandemic began I've never closed," said Romero, who welcomes visitors from as far afield as the United States and Europe after word of the saint of death spread.

Some have tattoos of Santa Muerte on their neck or chest and indoctrinate their children.

"She helps you when you're on the razor's edge, facing insecurity, economic troubles or -- like now -- health problems," said Alfonso Hernandez, a journalist and official chronicler in crime-plagued Tepito.

- Heresy to Church -

The worship of Santa Muerte is "an adaptation of a harsh world," but heresy for the Catholic Church, said Bernardo Barranco, a sociologist who specializes in religions.

"It's not a religion. It's a cult. You can be Catholic or Evangelical and be a follower," he said.

Some devotees are also believers in the Virgin of Guadalupe, patron saint of Mexico, the world's second-biggest Catholic country.

In 2016, during a visit to Mexico, Pope Francis alluded to the veneration of Santa Muerte when he said he was concerned about people who worship "macabre symbols."

But that does not seem to bother Rodrigo Oliva, who travels 70 kilometers (44 miles) from the capital to Tultitlan, where face masks, temperature checks and social distancing are compulsory.

The 28-year-old photographer follows the Afro-Cuban religion Palo Monte, but his temple closed due to the epidemic so he prays to Santa Muerte.

With Covid-19 "there are more people who have taken an interest in a cult," he said.

"We pray to her so she protects us, but that does not make us immune," he added.

With around 84,000 deaths, Mexico has the world's fourth-highest coronavirus toll, and many have lost a relative, friend or neighbor.

"The only thing I ask of my saint is to give me strength, health and harmony. Nothing else matters if you don't have good health," said 23-year-old shoeshiner Jonathan Flores.

nc/axm/dr

Activists have long said a Santa Fe monument celebrated the killings of Native Americans. Crowds toppled it this week

By Christina Maxouris, 

At least two people were arrested in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Monday after a crowd toppled a monument that Native American community members have long called on to be removed

© Stephanie Korupp/Instagram Protesters tear down obelisk in Santa Fe

Demonstrations around the monument -- an obelisk found in the middle of the city's Plaza Park that activists say celebrated the killings of Native Americans -- began Saturday, Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber said, when protesters chained themselves on the obelisk.

A crowd swarmed the plaza Monday while city council members held an emergency meeting, the mayor said, and began tearing down the fence surrounding the monument before destroying the obelisk. One person was arrested for battery on a peace officer and resisting an officer and a second person was arrested for resisting an officer and criminal trespass.

The monument's destruction took place as New Mexico celebrated Indigenous People's Day and comes following a summer of racial reckoning and unrest during which protesters have torn down other statues and monuments honoring controversial figures and racist parts of the country's past.

Webber condemned Monday's violence and said it was "not only a violation of the law, it is a violation of the ties between people in our community."

"There is no place for people taking the law into their own hands. There is no place for people destroying historic monuments on their own," Webber said.

Monday's actions come months after the mayor announced he was calling for the removal of the monument -- along with two others -- saying it was "long overdue."

That was in June, when Webber said he would create a commission to review different monuments in the city and evaluate whether "they cause pain" and "tell an honest version of history," he said. That commission would decide "how each should be treated," he had said in a statement.

Responding to the mayor's June announcement, Pueblo of Acoma Governor Brian D. Vallo had said he was grateful for the decision that included the "the obelisk with an inscription referencing Pueblo people as 'Savage Indians' located in the center of the historic plaza."

"There is absolutely no place for these symbols that glorify the mass killing of our people," Vallo said in a June statement. "It is clear that times have changed and there is a new openness to discuss how to better memorialize our shared history in a way that promotes deeper understanding and cooperation. Our Pueblo stands ready to participate in these conversations, and we thank Mayor Webber for his leadership on this matter."

Following the statue's destruction on Monday, city officials said in a statement there were "a variety of legal issues under review" by the city attorney's office related to the obelisk.

"Everyone should acknowledge that these situations are complex and the issues we're engaged with are complicated," a news release from the city said.

"We know individuals want to be heard. There is work underway to review the legal issues surrounding the removal or preservation of statues and monuments that are in public places. There is also work going on to review different approaches to a task force or working group that can undertake a community-wide discussion around statues and monuments, histories and cultures," the release said.

A recommendation should be coming out soon, it said.

© Stephanie Korupp/Instagram Protesters tear down obelisk in Santa Fe

Black History Month UK: Black children must be able to believe in themselves

Opinion by Akyaaba Addai-Sebo 

Black History Month (BHM) is a celebration of our diversity -- all the colors of the rainbow that sparkle out of the black hole of creation. We share common roots in the dark, tropical wombs of our mothers and our strength lies in the variety within our oneness.

© CNN/Akyaaba Addai-Sebo

BHM pays eternal tribute to this fact of our origins during the splendor of the days following the Fall Equinox, a glorious spectacle of seasonal balance, a harmony we also need in our relations with one another.

October is a period of recognition, reconciliation, renewal and a review of the state of Black Britain.

BHM was created for the younger generation to own and fill with rich and enabling content. It was inspired by six-year old Marcus, whose mother named him after legendary Black nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. She and I worked at the Greater London Council (the capital's main governing body, now replaced by the Greater London Authority), and she came in distraught one day because her son had asked her why he could not be White. She felt that British society and the school system had failed Marcus by making him question his identity at that early age.

Something had to be done to make the Black Child believe in themselves. After weeks of reflection, what stirred in me was the urgency of creating a permanent celebration in the UK of Africa's contribution to world civilization from antiquity to the present, and especially its contribution to the development of London, and the United Kingdom as situated in Europe.

I had lectured about African traditions in the United States, and children and their parents told me it had given them a new sense of self. Despite all its grand institutions of higher education, the UK was still a touchstone for colonialism, imperialism and racism.

I devised a plan with the help of the pioneering team at the GLC's Ethnic Minorities Unit (EMU), ably led by Ansel Wong. We launched the GLC Historical Lectures and Concerts, which took place in February through May 1986 to affirm Africa's contribution to civilization. For a week, we filled the Royal Albert Hall with schoolkids to listen to inspirational music and talks. Speakers toured the communities and generated a buzz.

We helped draw attention to heightened campaigns against systemic racism in the UK and apartheid in South Africa at that time. This work radiated from the EMU to all corners of the UK and across Europe to Africa and the US. Rev. Jesse Jackson, Angela Davis, Winnie Mandela, Marcus Garvey Jr., Sally Mugabe, Graca Machel, John Henrik Clarke, Yosef Ben-Jochannan, Burning Spear, Ray Charles, Max Roach, Hugh Masekela and many more came to London between 1985 and 1988 at the invitation of the GLC to support the anti-racist and anti-apartheid campaigns.

The lectures were compiled into a book and published under the title "Our Story," which I edited with Ansel Wong.

Coincidentally, 1987 was the 150th anniversary of Caribbean emancipation, the centenary of the birth of Marcus Garvey and the 25th anniversary of the Organization of African Unity, an institution dedicated to advancing the progress of African states. The new London Strategic Policy Unit declared it African Jubilee Year, calling on UK authorities to recognize the contributions of Africans to the economic, cultural and political life of the UK, take their duties as enshrined in the 1976 Race Relations Act seriously, be relentless in their support against apartheid and ensure that Black children enjoy positive images of themselves.

The African Jubilee Year declaration gave birth to Black History Month. October was chosen because it was shortly after the UK summer vacation and was the traditional harvest period and time when African leaders gathered to settle differences and appraise the state of the community. The month is now dedicated in the UK to the celebration of the African Story in the creation of our one humanity. The greatest of all teaching is "Man, know thyself" and the national curriculum and the playground must not fail the Black Child. Many hands and brains helped to give birth to Black History Month and we salute them all.

I am pleased to see the communal BHM activities that people independently initiate and the flood of solidarity messages that pour in from government, mayors, corporate leaders, the police, and others. It has long been my desire to see a formal opening ritual broadcast live on the night of September 30.

As British Prime Minister Boris Johnson articulated, Black History is Our History. The confluence of Black Lives Matter and Covid-19 has exposed the fragile underbelly of our humanity, which has to be handled carefully, like the proverbial African egg placed in your palm. The adage is that if you squeeze too hard the egg will crack, and if you let it loose in your grip it will fall and break.

BHM makes demands on authorities to name monuments, parks and buildings after illustrious African leaders, and to ensure that Black children do not lose the fact of their genius. BLM has caused the tearing down of monuments that affirm the Doctrine of Discovery used by colonizing nations to give currency to the trans-Atlantic slave trade and plantation economy. BLM has triggered the removal of statues of Christopher Columbus and Belgium King Leopold, and BHM is demanding the removal of the noose of the French colonial tax. Both are a rallying call.

Ansel and I have been working on preparing the youth for the future development of Africa and people of African descent. We are passing on the baton of social justice and we are happy with the trend towards humanizing society. The abuse of power must be excised from society. Social media has made the world a global village for the youth, making them aware of the mess my generation has caused, from environmental degradation to genocidal wars. The raging fires of California and the roaring tsunamis of Mozambique; earth, wind and fire are now of popular concern. I hope it is within the scope of the younger generation to make this world a better place as they reach out and touch hands.

For Black History to matter, Black Lives must matter. For Black Lives to matter, Black History must matter. To deny a person's history is to deny their humanity and to enslave them. This noose and jackboot of enslavement as represented by lynching and asphyxiation continues to be enacted by people in uniform, and it is revulsion at this humiliation that is at the heart of the Black Lives Matter revolt against systemic racism. These uniforms have come to crystallize the impunity of racism in private and public life, which defiles our common humanity.

Where lies your duty of care? Despite all the armaments of war and display of human arrogance, we remain so fragile, and as such we must remain each other's keepers and celebrate the beauty in each other. For you cannot crush a caterpillar and be astounded by the beauty of a butterfly. Black Lives Matter; so does Black History.

© Courtesy Akyaaba Addai-Sebo Akyaaba Addai-Sebo, pictured in London in 1988, established Black History Month in the UK to help inspire Black children.

© Courtesy Akyaaba Addai-Sebo Addai-Sebo (second right) and Ansel Wong, Principal Race Equality Advisor at the London Strategic Policy Unit (second left) at the London launch of their book "Our Story" in July 1988, with Bernard Wiltshire, Deputy Leader of the Inner London Education Authority (left) and Vitus Evans, Race Relations Advisor at the Association of London Authorities.

Amazon workers in Germany strike on 'Prime Day'

BERLIN (Reuters) - A German trade union called on workers at seven Amazon warehouses to go on strike on Tuesday to coincide with the global "Prime Day" promotion event that was postponed due to operational challenges from the coronavirus pandemic.

© Reuters/RALPH ORLOWSKI FILE PHOTO: Employees handle packages at an Amazon logistic center in Mannheim

Verdi said it was organising the two-day strike as part of a long-running battle with Amazon in Germany over better pay and conditions, noting that a coronavirus bonus introduced for workers in Germany in March had been scrapped again in May.

An Amazon spokesman said the majority of employees were continuing to work as normal despite the strike call. He said the company offered "excellent salaries", with benefits and working conditions comparable with other important employers.

Verdi has been organising strikes at Amazon in Germany since 2013, most recently in June in protest over safety after some staff at logistics centres tested positive for the coronavirus.

Germany is Amazon's biggest market after the United States.

Prime Day, typically held in July to boost summer sales, is now a kickoff to what will be an earlier holiday shopping season. The member-only discounts are a key way Amazon markets Prime, a fast-shipping and media-streaming service that incentivises subscribers to do more shopping on Amazon.

A report by news site Reveal said the week around last year's Prime Day was the most dangerous for injuries at Amazon's fulfillment centers, prompting criticism by a prominent union. Amazon disputed the claims.

(Reporting by Matthias Inverardi and Emma Thomasson; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)

Trump keeps funneling money to farmers and rural America ahead of the election — topping out at $46 billion

Published on October 12, 2020 By Sarah K. Burris

Farmers. (Shuterstock)

President Donald Trump is continuing to try and funnel money to rural America and to farmers as the election approaches.

During Trump’s trade wars, farmers and manufacturing took a brunt of the hit. As the administration continued it’s war on the Affordable Care Act, funding to rural hospitals dried up and they began to close. Funding cuts to the Postal Service means rural post offices are also closing. Trump’s only option left is to continue flooding farmers with cash in hopes he can buy their loyalty.

“Federal payments to farmers are projected to hit a record $46 billion this year as the White House funnels money to Mr. Trump’s rural base in the South and Midwest ahead of Election Day,” the New York Times reported Monday.

The American Farm Bureau calculated debt in the farming sector is expected to increase by 4 percent, reaching a record $434 billion. Farmer bankruptcies have been record-setting as well with another 8 percent increase charted August 2019-2020. As the Wall Street Journal pointed out, throwing money at the problem hasn’t stopped the bankrupcies.

“The pandemic has pressured prices for many commodities, squeezing farmers who raise crops and livestock, and prolonging a six-year downturn in the Farm Belt,” the Journal explained at the time.

Trump’s pledges to save rural America have not only turned out to be another in his line of broken promises.

“Farmers are not the only constituency benefiting from the president’s largess: He has promised $200 prescription drug cards to millions of seniors, approved $13 billion in aid to Puerto Rico, which could help his prospects in Florida, and he directed his Agriculture Department include letters signed by him in millions of food aid boxes that are being distributed to the poor,” the Times recalled.

It’s remarkably similar to the empty promises Trump made just weeks before the 2018 midterms in which he swore there would be a “middle-class tax cut” after the election. It never came either.

“There are both economic and political motivations for these payments,” said University of Missouri’s Patrick Westhoff, who directs the agriculture research center.

Democrats and ethics groups are concerned that the move is another attempt for Trump to bribe voters ahead of an election.

“For the first time in history, a president has repeatedly usurped congressional authority in order to personally dispense tens of billions of dollars in federal farm subsidy payments that would not otherwise have been paid,” said Ken Cook, president of an organization that tracks the spending. “This is an authoritarian power grab used to buy political support from voters who are essential to his re-election.”

Trump has only made it worse, announcing at a Wisconsin campaign rally that he’d be delivering another $13 billion in aid to farmers. Trump even shifted $100 million from an account that barred subsidies to the tobacco industry to a fund that could help prop up the North Carolina industry as it’s appearing more and more like a swing state with a crucial Senate election.

The Government Accountability Office also took issue with $14.5 billion in farm aid from 2019 when they published a report in September. They found that the aid was being allocated with politics taken into consideration, with “the bulk of the money went to big farms in the Midwest and southern states, including Mr. Perdue’s home state of Georgia.”

Read the full report from the New York Times here.