UK

Dorset farmer speaks out on the barbarism of poachers

By Lisa Young @SouthWestFarmer

Content editor


"It was truly barbaric how some of these animals were killed." 

Picture: Dorset Police

A Dorset farmer has spoken out about how barbaric today's poachers are - and how he's working to combat them.

He spoke to Dorset Police and asked them to share his experience under the condition of anonymity.

He said: “I want to remain anonymous because I don’t want poachers to know this is me talking and target my land in the future.

"The truth is though, I must speak out and I am glad to have this opportunity to do so.

"The modern day ‘poacher’ is not in the pursuit to feed their family.


"They used to drive across my crops night after night, destroying hedges, destroying gates and anything else that came into their path.

"They did so under the cover of darkness, their acts shielded by the remoteness of the farm.

"My fields had become a playground for the most barbaric and pointless crimes where they would film their activities, sharing them live to others who would be betting on the outcome – what dog will get the kill? How long will it take? Who will get the deer with the biggest antlers?


"It wasn’t just about the economic loss.

"It was truly barbaric how some of these animals were killed."

Having had enough, the farmer decided to try to make a positive difference through action.

"When it was at its worse, in my frustration, I blamed the authorities and felt helpless.

"That’s when I turned to the police and worked with the rural crime team.

"Together we discussed a plan where we could both work together to stop this.

"I learnt what to look for, what to use to gather evidence and what crime preventative measures I could put in place."

It became clear that working together with the local community would be most effective.

"The very nature of what we were dealing with meant I wasn’t going to solve this alone and needed not only the help of the police but that of my neighbours and very quickly a positive momentum picked up in my area and together land managers, land owners, farm staff, game keepers and other rural businesses were reporting in suspicious vehicles and anything related to rural crime in the area.

"Together we are working together for a better and safer future.

"Everyone has a part to play and whilst it was not obvious to me at the start, I soon learnt it was me, and others like me, whilst working with the police that could make the difference.

"If you are a victim of rural crime then report it, no matter how irrelevant you might think it is, it could just be the missing piece of a bigger puzzle”

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CAPITALI$M IS Crisis as pigs kept on farms due to Brexit and Covid
By Lisa Young @SouthWestFarmer

Content editor

News 24th February 2021


Pig farmers are at crisis point with pigs backed up on farms

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More than 100,000 pigs are backed up on farms due to a 'perfect storm' of events, say the National Pig Association (NPA).

The string of events began with a series of processing plant closures due to Covid-19 in the autumn and subsequent export bans to China on some affected plants.

At the same time, Covid issues across Europe and Germany's African swine fever export ban have resulted in a surplus of pigs and falling prices across the EU.

Disruption to EU exports due to new Brexit checks and bureaucracy - while EU imports continue to enter without the equivalent new checks - have further compounded the problems since the start of the year.

The combination of falling UK prices - the SPP stood at 139.63p/kg during the week ending February 13 - and rising feed and straw costs mean producers 'could have been losing more than 20p/kg in January 2021', AHDB have said.

Throughput for the week, at 175,500 head, was 6,800 lower than the week before, and nearly two per cent lower than the same week last year.

Carcass weights averaged 89.84kg, nearly 700g lighter than the previous week, but still significantly heavier than at this point last year.

The NPA wants to see more done to alleviate the backlog, including, in the short-term, weekend kills at pork plants.

Zoe and Simon Watchorn run an outdoor pig herd on the Norfolk-Suffolk border and they have explained how current losses of approximately £10/pig mean he is losing £3,000 a week, losses that cannot be sustained.

"We are getting to crisis point now – something is going to give," Zoe said.

"We have to find solutions for those farms, whether it be additional throughput and trying to get weekend opportunities going at pork plants, putting more product into storage or increased demand into retail and export markets.

"We have to get this product moving and we have to get these pigs off farm."

The NPA recently brought government and industry for a constructive roundtable event, chaired by farming minister Victoria Prentis with Defra secretary George Eustice in attendance, to discuss the situation and seek short- and longer-term solutions to address the issues.

 

Release of Iran's assets from South Korea at final stage

Tehran, Feb 27, IRNA – Release of Iran's assets from South Korea is at final stage, according to Central Bank of Iran, saying that Seoul Government got green-light from Biden Administration for stage-by-stage release.

South Korea froze seven billion dollars Iranian assets with the Seoul banks following the US sanctions on Iran reimposed since 2018 after former president Donald Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

South Korean Foreign Ministry announced that it has reached an agreement with Washington to release part of the funds.

Officials from South Korean FM and Central Bank of Iran announced an agreement on the amount of money and its transfer mechanism after US Treasury's approval.

Upon agreement, the release starts with $1b according to CBI Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati, part of which would be paid to the United Nations to settle $16m arrears of Iran's membership fee.

Moreover, Iran and South Korea have agreed on transfer of even more funds through the channel provided by the Swiss Humanitarian Trade Arrangement (SHTA), established in February 2020 after an okay from Trump administration.

CBI Governor also said that Iran has started talks with other countries including Oman, Japan and Iraq to release frozen assets.

Hammati had a meeting with South Korean Ambassador to Tehran last week convened at the request of South Korean embassy. In the meeting, an agreement on transfer of Iran’s assets to specified destinations as per the CBI’s decision on amount and the banks for delivery.

South Korean Foreign Ministry said the day after this meeting that Iran's blocked assets would be released after consultation with the US.

In the meantime, US State Secretary Spokesman Ned Price confirmed the talks between Iran and South Korea, but said the funds had yet to be transferred.

The release of funds blocked in South Korea bespeaks a new round of Iran's diplomacy in the international arena. Historically, Tehran and Seoul have had friendly ties. In recent years, however, they were in challenge due to US sanctions and Washington's pressure on Seoul.

It is hoped that the recent developments would serve to normalize ties between Iran and South Korea.

South Korea to pay Iran’s frozen funds based on requested items

Tehran has announced to Seoul a list of necessary items, including medicines and raw materials, as well as equipment for factories, he pointed out.  Tehran, Feb 27, IRNA- Chairman of Iran-South Korea joint chamber of commerce Hossein Tanhayi on Saturday said that Seoul is supposed to pay Iran’s frozen funds based on the items requested by the Iranian officials.

According to the Central Bank of Iran, the total debt of South Korea to Iran is $7 billion, he said, adding that there are no other documents indicating that the amount is higher.

Without having to hold negotiations with the US, the country can utilize the barter mechanism for non-sanctioned goods, including food and pharmaceuticals.

Iranian Health Ministry has announced a list of medicines, including vaccines for COVID-19, to South Korea, he said, adding that the list can be used by the country to pay its debt.

South Korea froze seven billion dollars of Iranian assets with the Seoul banks following the US reimposed sanctions on Iran since 2018 after former president Donald Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

South Korean Foreign Ministry announced that it has reached an agreement with Washington to release part of the funds.

Officials from South Korean foreign ministry and Central Bank of Iran announced an agreement on the amount of money and its transfer mechanism after the US Treasury's approval.

Upon agreement, the release starts with $1b according to CBI Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati, part of which would be paid to the United Nations to settle $16 million of arrears of Iran's membership fee.

Moreover, Iran and South Korea have agreed on transfer of even more funds through the channel provided by the Swiss Humanitarian Trade Arrangement (SHTA), established in February 2020 after an okay from Trump administration.

7129**2050

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The Finnish city aiming for carbon neutrality in just four years


Sara Lilja Steensig
Published: February 27, 2021

RIGHT ROUTE: Downtown Lahti - Credit: Lauri Rotko

Lahti is leading the way in carbon reduction. So what lessons does it have for other cities?

As Finland's ninth-largest city, with a population slightly smaller than Gloucester's, Lahti is not used to being a capital. But this year is different.

The city – around 100km (60 miles) north of the country's actual capital, Helsinki – is the European Green Capital for 2021, an accolade awarded by the European Union in recognition of its achievements in urban sustainability.

And at the heart of Lahti's environmental vision is a startlingly ambitious target: to become carbon neutral in only four years time. For comparison, Finland's national target is 2035, and the EU's (like the UK's) is 2050.

Yet with a range of measures, from ultra-modern bio-heating units to nannies teaching children the names of flowers, the city is confident it will achieve its aim and serve as an example to other communities across the continent.

Once a major engineering and manufacturing hub, Lahti's economy suffered a severe dip in the 1990s, when unemployment soared. Although the economy has recovered since, the city is not among Finland's most prosperous.

Mayor Pekka Timonen said that this meant Lahti could serve as a template for other places transitioning from industrial cities to modern, green communities. “If Lahti can go through this transformation, others can too.” He also pointed that most Europeans live in medium-sized cities like his own, which has a population of around 120,000.

With the green capital award (which was given to Bristol in 2015) comes 350,000 euros and a role as a green ambassador. So what climate-friendly ideas can Lahti teach other European communities? Here are five...

Welcome volunteers of all ages

Ten years ago, Helena Juutilainen, a grandmother of four and an eager environmentalist, got an idea: She wanted to volunteer as an environment nanny.

Juutilainen offered her services as a volunteer to the city of Lahti. “The city welcomed the idea without hesitation,” she said.

Since then, Juutilainen and a group of similar-minded senior men and women, have regularly visited Lahti’s nurseries to explore the nearby nature and teach the youngest citizens how to take good care of it.

“Pensioners have a lot of life experience to offer,” said Juutilainen, adding that the volunteers have different areas of expertise and interest that they share with the children in their own way. Some build hideouts in the woods, others recycle with the kids, and some have even taken them ice fishing.

Let local heroes show the way

To reach their goal of becoming the world’s first carbon-neutral ice hockey team, Lahti Pelicans chill their ice rink with energy from renewable sources. The team has also stopped all air travel.

“The big idea here is to state an example,” the club's head of communications Jesse Pykkö said. “We are in a position where we can have a great impact on ice hockey fans, other players and society in general.”

Another of the city’s high-profile cultural institutions, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, has worked towards becoming carbon neutral for six years already. In 2018 the orchestra was awarded the international Classical:NEXT innovation prize for its efforts, which include less printing of music and more planting of trees.

“If an orchestra somewhere in Finland can do this, anybody can,” the orchestra’s general manager Teemu Kirjonen said.

Reward citizens for climate-friendly actions

As the first personal carbon trading app in the world, Lahti’s CitiCAP app has attracted a lot of interest from other Finnish cities as well as from abroad.

The app tracks where you go and automatically detects whether you covered the distance on foot or by bike, car, bus or other modes of transportation. At the end of each week, you get to know whether or not you kept within your personal CO2 emission budget.

“If you manage to stay under budget, you are rewarded virtual euros that you can use for tickets to the swimming hall or the bus or to buy a puncture repair kit for your bicycle,” project manager Anna Huttunen from the city of Lahti explained.

The EU-funded pilot project lasted from June to December last year, with about 350 active users out of a total of 2,500 registered users, and the results were so good that Huttunen hoped to further develop the app in the future.

“The first version only considered transportation. It would be interesting to also measure the carbon footprint of other aspects of life, such as food,” she said.

Make money from production sidestreams

Sustainable thinking can also be good for businesses, as members of the region's Päijät-Häme grain cluster have experienced.

More than 3,000 people are employed within the cluster at farms, mills and malting facilities and in the production and retail of foodstuffs such as bread and beer. In close cooperation with local researchers, the member companies seek out the newest green innovations and circular economy solutions.

“Together we can develop synergies and engage in projects that each company would not be able to do on its own,” said Jarkko Arrajoki, chairman of the grain cluster, and managing director of Fazer Mills Finland.

The grain cluster companies have invested more than hundreds of millions of euros in new facilities in the area.

Fazer, one of Finland’s largest food industry companies, is now expanding its oat mill in Lahti, and later this spring a new factory will start production of the sweetener xylitol from oat hulls, a side product from a neighbouring mill. It will be powered by a bio heating facility that is also located in the factory area and is fuelled mainly by oat hull mass, a side product from the xylitol production.

Give access to clean water and fresh air

Lake Vesijärvi is of great recreational value for the citizens of Lahti. The lake is also filled with high-quality food fish. Half a century ago, however, nobody wanted to swim, fish, or even sail in the filthy water.

“If you would take a walk around the harbour in the 1970s, you would see a lake filled with not only blue-green algae but also floating faeces and condoms and other garbage,” Heikki Mäkinen, programme director at the Lake Vesijärvi Foundation, said.

It was clear to everyone that something had to be done. After minimising the pollution from wastewater, industry and fields, the next important step was biomanipulation of the ecosystem by increasing the fishery of small fish and stocking predatory fish. Less small fish means more zooplankton that will then eat more of the algae, and thus restore the food chain and ecosystem.

The restoration of the 100 km2 Lake Vesijärvi has since been used as a model for more than a thousand similar projects in Finland and abroad. The visible transformation of the citizens’ immediate environment was crucial in sparking the awareness and decade-long green activism in Lahti, Mäkinen said.

Lahti also invests in clean air: Thanks to a new bio-heating plant that produces 100% renewable energy, the municipal energy provider Lahti Energia could put a total stop to coal-fired energy in 2019.

The switch is one of the cornerstones in Lahti’s aspiration to be carbon neutral by 2025. It cuts the city’s carbon emissions by 600,000 tonnes a year, corresponding to a reduction of over 70%, said production director Esa Tepponen.

“Our main principle is to always use the best available technology, focusing on energy efficiency and environmental friendliness,” Tepponen noted.

“Sure, we could have found a cheaper solution by burning fossil fuels like natural gas, but this is an environmental investment and well worth it.”

Finland's Windy City

Lahti has long been known as the 'Chicago of Finland', since both are built on lake shores and emerged as 'slaughterhouse cities', providing industry to serve large rural hinterlands. In the past, both have also suffered from reputations for criminality – ill-deserved, say locals, but another sign that this city with such green ambitions has a grittier side.

JUST LIKE TEXAS

Call to report sightings of cold-stunned turtles on Abu Dhabi beaches

Hundreds of the sea creatures get stranded every winter

Barnacles can hamper the movement of turtles. 

Courtesy Emirates Global Aluminium


The public is being urged to report sightings of "cold-stunned" turtles on Abu Dhabi's beaches.

The phenomenon happens every winter because of the cooler water temperatures.

At least 300 turtles affected by the condition are rescued every year on the emirate's beaches.

Now the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi and the emirate's National Aquarium are teaming up to help the turtles.

If you come across a stunned turtle, call the Abu Dhabi Government Contact Centre at 800 555. They will then be cared for by expert teams.

Cold-stunning can also, in cases, lead to a build-up of barnacles on their shells, which hampers their ability to move.

People are advised not to attempt to remove the barnacles, but to instead contact wildlife officers.

Documentary reveals where Abu Dhabi's green turtles go to nest

Arabian Gulf green turtle movement mapped for the first time

The cold-stunning phenomenon happens around the world. Thousands of turtles were released into the sea after being rescued during a record-breaking winter storm that rocked Texas and other US states during the week.

The animals were unable to swim or feed after being cold-stunned.

There are an estimated 5,500 turtles living in the waters off Abu Dhabi. About 1,500 of these are critically endangered hawksbill turtles.

The National Aquarium, meanwhile, is scheduled to open this year and will include a dedicated facility for displaying marine life.


Updated: February 25, 2021 07:27 PM

Oil spill threatens to be ecological disaster for Lebanon coast


Lumps of tar wash up on beach famous for nesting turtles

The public beach in Mansourieh is a sliver of paradise in a country wrought by crisis.

In previous summers, the sand would be packed with families, and children would swim in the crystal blue water with fish and turtles gliding at their feet.

The coronavirus lockdown put that on hold, but a new disaster is threatening to leave the image of paradise confined to memory.

Three days ago, tar began washing up on the beach, staining the sand in thick black lumps. It took several weeks and some unlucky wind for the oil to begin reaching Lebanon’s shores.

In early February, tar was reported washing up on beaches across 160 kilometres of Israel’s coast, just south.

Gareth Browne
Feb 26, 2021



Tar is seen on the beach in the aftermath of an oil spill in the Mediterranean, in Tyre nature reserve, Lebanon. Reuters

TO SEE PHOTOS GO HERE

Oil spill threatens to be ecological disaster for Lebanon coast | The National (thenationalnews.com)

With strong currents, it was only a matter of time before the oil reached south Lebanon. Now locals say they are facing another crisis – an ecological one.

Israeli officials say this may be one of the area's worst such disasters in decades, and while Lebanon says it will lodge a complaint with the UN over the spill, for now there is little sign of a co-ordinated effort to clean up the oil – at least on this side of the border.

The conservation areas off the coast of south Lebanon are among the few ecological success stories in a country where much of the coastline is blighted by privatisation, construction and pollution.

Turtles nest on the beach and the water is a translucent turquoise – a long way from the filthy murk off that floats off the coast of Beirut.

Greenpeace region director Julien Jreissati has called on the government to “take immediate measures to assess the seriousness of the oil spill”.

And although tests have been carried out, the only sign of a response so far is a team of volunteers who rise early to beat the morning sun and pick up clumps of tar by hand.

In a nearby car park are crates full of the sandy clumps, which are melting in the midday sun.

Israel’s Environmental Protection Ministry claims the spill occurred between February 6 and 10, but the source of the leak remains as murky as the waters.

Scientists and government officials admit they do not have a true idea how toxic the oil may be.

Israel’s tar-coated beaches scrubbed clean by volunteers

Israel closes beaches after tar washes up on Mediterranean shoreline

Yousseff Ndeaihli is one of those trying to clear the black patches from the beach.

As he stacks a third crate of the black mess, a call comes in from the municipality telling him to stop. It could be dangerous for him to handle.

An employee of the local municipality, Mr Ndeaihli is an engineer by trade, not a conservationist.

His only qualification is his desperation to stop yet another of the country’s spots of beauty from being ruined.

Mr Ndeaihli is using his expertise to clear up what he says is one of the last spots to which people can go to truly relax in Lebanon.

“For three days they have been trying to clean it but it’s impossible to clean it all,” he says.

“We have the coronavirus crisis, we have the economic crisis and the people have a lot of trouble.

“It’s easy to come to here without any troubles, to have a little rest in your life. This is the last place you can find that. So I am very sad.”

On Thursday, it appeared the local’s worst fears may be realised, as scores of dead turtles began washing up on beaches in the south.

Lebanon is often referred to a resilient nation, yet for those who have grown up with around the turtles and sandy beaches, there are nightmares that this may be one disaster too far for one of their few protected environmental sites.


Updated: February 26, 2021 03:29 PM

European court forces 33 governments to prove emissions cuts in line with Paris climate accord

Countries named in a legal complaint include the 27 members of the EU, the UK, Switzerland and Russia

More 30 countries around the world have been ordered to prove they are cutting emissions and easing the damage done to the planet.

 Natural History Museum

The European Court of Human Rights is forcing 33 governments to prove they are cutting emissions in line with the requirements of the 2015 Paris climate accord.

The court also rejected an attempt by those governments to overturn its decision to fast-track a lawsuit filed by six young Portuguese climate activists.

The activists claim the countries’ efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions are inadequate.

The governments asked the court to drop its priority status for the case and hear their argument that the case was inadmissible, the activists’ legal representatives said on Friday.

But the court dismissed the arguments against an urgent hearing and denied their application to defer scrutiny of their climate policies.

The governments now have until May 27 to submit their legal defence.

The activists are aged between 12 and 21.

Four of them live in central Portugal, where bushfires blamed in part on climate change killed more than 100 people in 2017.

The others live in Lisbon, a coastal city threatened by rising sea levels.

Scientists say the man-made emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide must end by 2050 at the latest to avoid pushing global temperatures beyond the threshold of 1.5°C set out in the Paris agreement.

Gerry Liston, legal officer at the Global Legal Action Network, an international non-profit organisation assisting the activists, said the group would provide evidence that European governments were failing to adopt measures sufficient to meet the requirements of the accord.

The organisation started a crowdfunding campaign to help support the activists.

They filed their claim last September at the court in Strasbourg, France.

On November 30, the court said it required a prompt response from the 33 countries named in the case, a move that activists said gave heart to their cause.

At the time, the court ordered the European countries to respond to the complaint and granted it priority status because of the “importance and urgency of the issues raised".

The countries named in the complaint are the 27 members of the EU, the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine.

If the activists win, the countries will be legally bound to cut emissions in line with the requirements of the climate accord.

They will also have to address their role in overseas emissions, including those from multinational companies.


Updated: February 26, 2021 04:07 PM

Airbus reveals carbon footprint of its planes as it focuses on reducing emissions

Pressure increases on aviation industry to cut emissions

An Airbus A350 takes off at the aircraft builder's headquarters in Colomiers near Toulouse, France. The company on Friday unveiled the carbon footprint of its aircraft. Reuters

Airbus unveiled Friday the carbon footprint of its aircraft, a move that will help measure progress made by the aviation industry towards its goal of reducing emissions.

It is the first time an aircraft manufacturer has released lifetime carbon emissions of its aircraft, and Airbus executive vice president corporate affairs Julie Kitcher said it was an opportunity to increase transparency in the sector.

"We really want to demonstrate our commitment to driving decarbonisation of the sector," she said.

The industry currently represents 2 per cent of global CO2 emissions, according to the International Civil Aviation Organisation, but a forecast rise in passenger air traffic means it could add more pollution to the skies unless measures are taken rapidly.

And between the "flygskam" movement, a Swedish neologism meaning "flight shame", to increasing social responsibility expectations among investors, the industry is under mounting pressure to meet its promise to cut its carbon emissions by half from 2005 levels by 2050.


Airbus calculated that the 863 planes that it delivered in 2019 will emit 740 million tonnes of CO2 during an estimated 22 years in service.

As a point of comparison, France is estimated to have emitted 441 million tonnes of CO2 in 2019.

Airbus used the accounting measure for emissions used by most leading firms, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, including measuring the use of its products by consumers.

Airbus pointed out, however, that the efficiency of its planes is improving.

It calculated that the planes delivered in 2019 will produce on average 66.6 grams of CO2 per passenger per kilometre.

In 2020, that figure dropped to 63.5 grams per passenger kilometre.

The current commercial aircraft fleet, including older aircraft, is estimated to emit on average 90 grams per passenger kilometre, according to the NGO International Council on Clean Transportation.

It estimates that cars produce an average of 122 grams per kilometre, but that figures needs to be divided by the number of passengers in the vehicle to offer a real comparison.

While the information is useful, Airbus's Ms Kitcher pointed out that it only offers a snapshot of the situation today.

That is because the industry is hoping for the development of sustainable aircraft fuels (SAF) made from renewable sources to reduce its emissions.

The predicted carbon dioxide emission levels would drop if the aircraft that Airbus delivered in 2019 are certified to accept up to 50 per cent SAF, although the amount of green fuel available today is extremely low.

"If we had 50 per cent of SAF going into our aircraft today we could reduce the emissions of our aircraft flying already by 40 per cent," Ms Kitcher said.

An increase to 100 per cent SAF, the use of hydrogen produced in a renewable manner, or battery-powered aircraft could push down emissions even further.

But to reach the 2050 goals, as well as head towards zero emissions, requires a fleet of planes that is 90 per cent more efficient than those in 2005 given the expected increase in air travel.

Last year Airbus released three zero-emission concept planes powered by hydrogen that it said could enter service by 2035.

The aviation industry is also counting on better air traffic control and efficiency gains from engines to reduce CO2 emissions.


Published: February 26, 2021 04:19 PM

Machin out at CPPIB after overseas COVID vaccine controversy

Paula Sambo and Kait Bolongaro, Bloomberg News

Mark Machin resigned as head of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board after he went to the United Arab Emirates and received a COVID-19 vaccine, defying guidance from Justin Trudeau’s government to avoid international travel.

“After discussions last evening with the board, Mr. Machin tendered his resignation and it has been accepted,” CPPIB said in a written statement Friday morning. John Graham was named to replace him as chief executive officer.

The office of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland criticized Machin after the Wall Street Journal revealed the trip Thursday evening. Canada is still struggling to ramp up its own immunization campaign against the virus.

‘Very Troubling’

“While the CPPIB is an independent organization, this is very troubling,” Katherine Cuplinskas, a spokeswoman for Freeland, said by email. “The federal government has been clear with Canadians that now is not the time to travel abroad.”

The finance department was unaware of Machin’s trip, Cuplinskas said, referring further questions to the CPPIB.

Despite securing more doses per capita than any other nation, Canada has administered enough shots to vaccinate just 4.5 per cent of its population one time, compared with 29 per cent in the U.K. and 20.6 per cent in the U.S., according to Bloomberg’s vaccine tracker. That’s because Canada has to import the vaccines, and shipments have lagged.

Travel Scandals

Recent public opinion has turned against officials who defy the government’s pleas to not leave the country: Rod Phillips, Ontario’s finance minister, was forced to resign on Dec. 31 after it was revealed he took a Caribbean vacation at a time when many businesses in the provinces were ordered to shut their doors to contain the virus.

With vaccine deliveries now accelerating after delays caused in part by export controls in the European Union, Trudeau maintains that every Canadian will be inoculated by the end of September

  

CPPIB chief's vaccine trip vexes Trudeau government

Kait Bolongaro and Paula Sambo, Bloomberg News

Feb 25, 2021

Justin Trudeau’s government criticized the head of Canada’s national pension fund for getting a COVID-19 vaccine in the Middle East as the northern nation struggles to ramp up its domestic immunization campaign.

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board Chief Executive Officer Mark Machin traveled to the United Arab Emirates to receive a first dose of the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE shot, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.

“While the CPPIB is an independent organization, this is very troubling,” Katherine Cuplinskas, a spokesperson for Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, said by email. “The federal government has been clear with Canadians that now is not the time to travel abroad.”

The finance department was unaware of Machin’s trip, Cuplinskas said, adding further questions should be raised with CPPIB.

Spokespeople for the Toronto-based fund, which has $475.7 billion (US$377.1 billion) in assets under management, didn’t immediately reply to requests for comment Thursday evening.


News of Machin’s trip abroad comes amid criticism over the pace of Canada’s vaccine rollout, which is slowest among Group of Seven countries except Japan. Despite securing more doses per capita than any other nation, Canadian public health authorities have given shots to just 4.5 per cent of the population, compared to 29 per cent in the U.K. and 20.6 per cent in the U.S., according to Bloomberg’s vaccine tracker.

With vaccine deliveries now accelerating after delays caused in part by export controls in the European Union and the U.S. decision to devote all of its doses to its own citizens, Trudeau maintains that every Canadian will be inoculated by the end of September.

Jake Tapper Says Joe Biden Is Like Donald Trump on Saudi Prince: 'Save MBS' Ass'

AND THEY BOTH BOMBED SYRIA 

IN THEIR FIRST MONTH

BY DARRAGH ROCHE ON 2/27/21 


CNN's Jake Tapper compared President Joe Biden to former President Donald Trump on Friday following the administration's decision not to sanction Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

A U.S. intelligence report published on Friday concluded that bin Salman, commonly known as MBS in the west, approved of the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

The Biden administration announced sanctions and visa bans aimed at citizens of Saudi Arabia but declined to target MBS specifically. Speaking to Senator Time Kaine (D-VA), Tapper harshly criticized the move.

"Nothing — nothing — for MBS. MBS is getting away scot-free. What do you make of that?" Tapper asked.

Kaine, who was the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2016, sought to defend the decision but Tapper pressed on with criticism.


"When it comes to accountability for the guy that was in charge, who ordered the brutal assassination, murder, of your constituent, a Washington Post columnist, for the crime of writing a column that said there should be more freedom and democracy in Saudi Arabia, MBS is getting away scot-free," Tapper said.

"How is that any different from Donald Trump? Joe Biden and Donald Trump have the same position — save MBS' ass!"

Kaine said "the positions are not the same" and pointed to Biden's different approach to Saudi Arabia.

"We're going to have to explore in Congress what more we can do," Kaine said.

Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018 and the kingdom's authorities denied MBS played any role in his death. The journalist was resident in Virginia at the time.

The intelligence community concluded that MBS approved the killing because he had "control of decision making in the Kingdom" and due to the "direct involvement of a key adviser and members or Mohammed bin Salman's protective detail in the operation."

"Since 2017, the Crown Prince has had absolute control of the Kingdom's security and intelligence organizations, making it highly unlikely that Saudi officials would have carried out an operation of this nature without the Crown Prince's authorization," the intel report said.

On Friday, the Treasury Department announced sanctions on Ahmed al-Asiri, former deputy Saudi intelligence chief, according to Reuters. Sanctions will also be imposed on the Saudi Royal Guard's Rapid Intervention Force (RIF), along with visa restrictions for 76 individuals.

"As a matter of safety for all within our borders, perpetrators targeting perceived dissidents on behalf of any foreign government should not be permitted to reach American soil," said Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends a meeting with the US secretary of state in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on September 18, 2019. The Biden administration has declined to directly sanction the crown prince for his role in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

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