S.Africa's Eskom says Stage 4 power cuts continue amid labour action
CAPE TOWN, June 26 (Reuters) - South Africa's Eskom will continue with "Stage 4" power cuts until Wednesday as unlawful labour action at various plants impact maintenance work, the state-owned power utility said on Sunday.
Suffering some of its worst electricity generation problems in a decade of forced power cuts, known locally as load shedding, Eskom's struggles have recently taken a turn for the worse due to a salary dispute with workers.
"Eskom regrets to inform the public that Stage 4 loadshedding is anticipated to continue from 05:00 on Monday morning until midnight at least until Wednesday," the utility said in a statement.
"This is due to unlawful and unprotected labour action at a number of power stations, which has caused delays in carrying out planned maintenance and repairs".
On Friday the firm was forced to widen electricity cuts over the weekend as labour protests linked to deadlocked wage talks disrupt operations.
The utility, which has struggled to meet power demand in Africa's most industrialised nation for over a decade, has been implementing "Stage 2" rotational outages.
However, it increased the severity of the outages to "Stage 4," requiring up to 4,000 megawatts (MW) of capacity to be shed from the national grid and meant to end at 2200 GMT on Sunday. (Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Editing by Toby Chopra)
Monday, June 27, 2022
Peru truckers, farmers to strike over fuel and fertilizer costs
People walk next to parked trucks during a national transportation
People walk next to parked trucks during a national transportation
strike against fuel prices, in Lima
Marco Aquino
Sun, June 26, 2022
By Marco Aquino
LIMA (Reuters) - Peru's truckers and some farm groups will go on strike on Monday after failing to reach agreements with the government seeking measures to reduce the impact of steep global price rises of fuel and fertilizer, sector leaders said on Sunday.
Union leaders met on Friday and Saturday with government representatives, with demands including considering freight transport a "public service" that would reduce costs and curb competition from truckers from neighbor countries.
"We are firm in plans to strike with all our bases nationwide," the leader of the heavy load haulage and drivers union Marlon Milla told radio station RPP. The union has 400,000 cargo transport units in 14 of the 25 regions of the country.
High global fuel prices linked to Russia's invasion of Ukraine have stoked unrest in Peru, the world's No. 2 copper producer, while shortages of fertilizer have raised fears over food supply with the government struggling to secure shipments.
The government of leftist President Pedro Castillo, who has seen his popularity tumble since taking office last year, has taken measures to curb the rising cost of living, but the annual inflation rate remains at around 8%, its highest level in 24 years.
Some farming unions also announced strikes on Monday, in protest at the rise in fertilizer prices and shortages.
Latin American leaders are grappling to bring down spiraling prices despite major interest rate hikes. Trucking protests over fuel costs have hit Argentina while Ecuador is being roiled by protests in part linked to gas prices. [L4N2YB27W]
"The dialogue has not been exhausted, we are in a permanent session of ministers to avoid protest," Justice Minister FĂ©lix Chero told reporters on Sunday. The government is offering subsidies for road tolls and fertilizer costs.
Marco Aquino
Sun, June 26, 2022
By Marco Aquino
LIMA (Reuters) - Peru's truckers and some farm groups will go on strike on Monday after failing to reach agreements with the government seeking measures to reduce the impact of steep global price rises of fuel and fertilizer, sector leaders said on Sunday.
Union leaders met on Friday and Saturday with government representatives, with demands including considering freight transport a "public service" that would reduce costs and curb competition from truckers from neighbor countries.
"We are firm in plans to strike with all our bases nationwide," the leader of the heavy load haulage and drivers union Marlon Milla told radio station RPP. The union has 400,000 cargo transport units in 14 of the 25 regions of the country.
High global fuel prices linked to Russia's invasion of Ukraine have stoked unrest in Peru, the world's No. 2 copper producer, while shortages of fertilizer have raised fears over food supply with the government struggling to secure shipments.
The government of leftist President Pedro Castillo, who has seen his popularity tumble since taking office last year, has taken measures to curb the rising cost of living, but the annual inflation rate remains at around 8%, its highest level in 24 years.
Some farming unions also announced strikes on Monday, in protest at the rise in fertilizer prices and shortages.
Latin American leaders are grappling to bring down spiraling prices despite major interest rate hikes. Trucking protests over fuel costs have hit Argentina while Ecuador is being roiled by protests in part linked to gas prices. [L4N2YB27W]
"The dialogue has not been exhausted, we are in a permanent session of ministers to avoid protest," Justice Minister FĂ©lix Chero told reporters on Sunday. The government is offering subsidies for road tolls and fertilizer costs.
AUSTRALIA
Climate change protest throws Sydney traffic into chaos, 11 arrested
Renju Jose Reuters
PUBLISHEDJUN 26, 2022
Climate change protesters marched in Sydney on Monday forcing police to close major roads in the city centre while morning traffic through the landmark Sydney Harbour Bridge was disrupted after a woman chained herself to her vehicle.
CREDIT: REUTERS/CORDELIA HSU
SYDNEY, June 27 (Reuters) - Climate change protesters marched in Sydney on Monday forcing police to close major roads in the city centre while morning traffic through the landmark Sydney Harbour Bridge was disrupted after a woman chained herself to her vehicle.
Eleven people were arrested, including the woman who police said allegedly put a bicycle lock around her neck and the steering wheel of a vehicle that was blocking all city-bound lanes. The vehicle has since been removed.
Dozens of members of Blockade Australia, a climate activist group, moved across major roads causing peak-hour traffic chaos for motorists and pedestrians. Television footage showed some people throwing garbage bins, construction barricades and milk crates on the road.
Banging drums and chanting "Australia's climate destruction ends here", protesters held banners with slogans including "Disrupt Sydney" and "Resist climate inaction". Police estimated about 60 people were part of the protest.
Blockade Australia said the rally was in response to "Australia's continued blocking of climate action". The protests will continue all week, the organisers said on Twitter.
Climate change is a contentious issue in Australia which is one of the world's biggest carbon emitters on a per capita basis and is the world's top exporter of coal and liquefied natural gas.
Under a new Labor government, Australia early this month raised the amount of carbon emissions it aims to cut by 2030, bringing the country more in line with other developed economies' Paris climate accord commitments.
Climate experts have said global warming is likely to make extreme weather more frequent in Australia, where the last three years have seen devastating bushfires and frequent flooding.
(Reporting by Renju Jose; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
Climate protesters begin week of major disruptions in Sydney CBD
As police comb through CCTV footage of Monday’s “dangerous” protest in Sydney, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has had his say.
Madeleine Achenza
June 27, 2022 -
Vision captures the moment a car drove into protesters.
Wild moment as Sydney protester wiped out
Dom’s ultimatum to ’dumb’ protesters
Report ScoMo didn't want you to see
NSW Police has a message for climate activists who caused chaos for Monday morning commuters in Sydney – expect a knock on your door.
Protesters took to the streets of the CBD in an unauthorised demonstration to protest political inaction on climate change.
Terrifying aerial vision has captured the moment one vehicle ignored traffic controllers, driving into police and protesters blocking traffic.
Strike Force Guard detectives are aware of the vision and are conducting inquiries.
It is not known if anyone was injured during the incident.
A police officer grabbed a protester by his backpack. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper
Demonstrations began around 8am at Hyde Park, where police allege about 60 protesters joined protest activity across the city’s streets.
Eleven people have been arrested, the majority taken to Surry Hills and Day Street police stations, where charges are expected.
Protesters threw concrete blocks, garbage bins, bikes and ladders onto the city streets in an effort to disrupt traffic and delay police officers trying to put a stop to the protest.
“The behaviour of this group was nothing short of criminal activity,” Acting Assistant Commissioner Paul Dunstan told reporters on Monday afternoon.
Police made 11 arrests throughout the morning with charges expected to be laid soon. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper
Climate change protest throws Sydney traffic into chaos, 11 arrested
Renju Jose Reuters
PUBLISHEDJUN 26, 2022
Climate change protesters marched in Sydney on Monday forcing police to close major roads in the city centre while morning traffic through the landmark Sydney Harbour Bridge was disrupted after a woman chained herself to her vehicle.
CREDIT: REUTERS/CORDELIA HSU
SYDNEY, June 27 (Reuters) - Climate change protesters marched in Sydney on Monday forcing police to close major roads in the city centre while morning traffic through the landmark Sydney Harbour Bridge was disrupted after a woman chained herself to her vehicle.
Eleven people were arrested, including the woman who police said allegedly put a bicycle lock around her neck and the steering wheel of a vehicle that was blocking all city-bound lanes. The vehicle has since been removed.
Dozens of members of Blockade Australia, a climate activist group, moved across major roads causing peak-hour traffic chaos for motorists and pedestrians. Television footage showed some people throwing garbage bins, construction barricades and milk crates on the road.
Banging drums and chanting "Australia's climate destruction ends here", protesters held banners with slogans including "Disrupt Sydney" and "Resist climate inaction". Police estimated about 60 people were part of the protest.
Blockade Australia said the rally was in response to "Australia's continued blocking of climate action". The protests will continue all week, the organisers said on Twitter.
Climate change is a contentious issue in Australia which is one of the world's biggest carbon emitters on a per capita basis and is the world's top exporter of coal and liquefied natural gas.
Under a new Labor government, Australia early this month raised the amount of carbon emissions it aims to cut by 2030, bringing the country more in line with other developed economies' Paris climate accord commitments.
Climate experts have said global warming is likely to make extreme weather more frequent in Australia, where the last three years have seen devastating bushfires and frequent flooding.
(Reporting by Renju Jose; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
Climate protesters begin week of major disruptions in Sydney CBD
As police comb through CCTV footage of Monday’s “dangerous” protest in Sydney, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has had his say.
Madeleine Achenza
June 27, 2022 -
Vision captures the moment a car drove into protesters.
Wild moment as Sydney protester wiped out
Dom’s ultimatum to ’dumb’ protesters
Report ScoMo didn't want you to see
NSW Police has a message for climate activists who caused chaos for Monday morning commuters in Sydney – expect a knock on your door.
Protesters took to the streets of the CBD in an unauthorised demonstration to protest political inaction on climate change.
Terrifying aerial vision has captured the moment one vehicle ignored traffic controllers, driving into police and protesters blocking traffic.
Strike Force Guard detectives are aware of the vision and are conducting inquiries.
It is not known if anyone was injured during the incident.
A police officer grabbed a protester by his backpack. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy PiperDemonstrations began around 8am at Hyde Park, where police allege about 60 protesters joined protest activity across the city’s streets.
Eleven people have been arrested, the majority taken to Surry Hills and Day Street police stations, where charges are expected.
Protesters threw concrete blocks, garbage bins, bikes and ladders onto the city streets in an effort to disrupt traffic and delay police officers trying to put a stop to the protest.
“The behaviour of this group was nothing short of criminal activity,” Acting Assistant Commissioner Paul Dunstan told reporters on Monday afternoon.
Police made 11 arrests throughout the morning with charges expected to be laid soon. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy PiperPolice try to contain Blockade Australia protesters as they disrupt CBD traffic.
Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper
He described the protesters’ behaviour as “incredibly dangerous, unacceptable” and “violent”.
There have been no reports of injuries at this stage.
NSW Police trailed the parade of protesters on foot and via a convoy of vehicles with sirens wailing, cleaning up after the protesters in an attempt to clear roads.
The Sydney Harbour Tunnel has reopened after a protester parked a car across the road at the southbound entrance around 8am.
Police officers followed in step behind protesters marching through the streets. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper
Blockade Australia has identified the protester as 22-year-old Mali*, who live streamed themself disrupting traffic at the tunnel with her head locked to her steering wheel with a bike lock.
A man can be heard approaching the car and angrily shouting profanities at the protester.
“To those people who are really angry right now, I understand, and it’s not a good thing to be experiencing. You know what? Climate change isn’t a good thing to be experiencing,” Mali said.
The 22-year-old Lismore resident was arrested and taken to North Sydney police station, where charges are anticipated.
He described the protesters’ behaviour as “incredibly dangerous, unacceptable” and “violent”.
There have been no reports of injuries at this stage.
NSW Police trailed the parade of protesters on foot and via a convoy of vehicles with sirens wailing, cleaning up after the protesters in an attempt to clear roads.
The Sydney Harbour Tunnel has reopened after a protester parked a car across the road at the southbound entrance around 8am.
Police officers followed in step behind protesters marching through the streets. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy PiperBlockade Australia has identified the protester as 22-year-old Mali*, who live streamed themself disrupting traffic at the tunnel with her head locked to her steering wheel with a bike lock.
A man can be heard approaching the car and angrily shouting profanities at the protester.
“To those people who are really angry right now, I understand, and it’s not a good thing to be experiencing. You know what? Climate change isn’t a good thing to be experiencing,” Mali said.
The 22-year-old Lismore resident was arrested and taken to North Sydney police station, where charges are anticipated.
A Lismore resident identified as 22-year-old Mali locked themself to a steering wheel on the Harbour Bridge Tunnel. Picture: Facebook
Protesters are disrupting traffic across the Sydney CBD.
Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper
Police have since removed the vehicle and all lanes of traffic have reopened.
“It’s been a pretty full-on year,” Mali said on the live stream.
“I was lucky but I was in Lismore for both of the major floods.
“I’ve seen a lot of devastation, I’ve seen people that I love lose everything, I’ve seen places that I love be destroyed.”
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has weighed in on the protest action by writing into 2GB radio station.
“These people are bloody idiots, and they will face the full force of the law,” Mr Perrottet said.
Police have confirmed that protesters will be charged under new protest laws passed in April.
Police have since removed the vehicle and all lanes of traffic have reopened.
“It’s been a pretty full-on year,” Mali said on the live stream.
“I was lucky but I was in Lismore for both of the major floods.
“I’ve seen a lot of devastation, I’ve seen people that I love lose everything, I’ve seen places that I love be destroyed.”
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has weighed in on the protest action by writing into 2GB radio station.
“These people are bloody idiots, and they will face the full force of the law,” Mr Perrottet said.
Police have confirmed that protesters will be charged under new protest laws passed in April.
Protesters and police move roadside barriers back and forth during strike action.
Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper
Protesters pick up construction material from the kerb and throw it onto the street. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper
Protesters can be fined up to $22,000 and/or jailed for a maximum of two years for protesting illegally on public roads, rail lines, tunnels, bridges and industrial estates.
Police will continue to review CCTV and other video sources to identify and arrest those involved in the protest.
“There is a way to do it and way they did it today is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” Assistant Commissioner Dunstan said.
“Expect a knock on your door. We will be coming to arrest you.”
Blockade Australia spokesman Sally-Anne* told reporters on Monday that she rejected claims that the protest was unauthorised.
Protesters can be fined up to $22,000 and/or jailed for a maximum of two years for protesting illegally on public roads, rail lines, tunnels, bridges and industrial estates.
Police will continue to review CCTV and other video sources to identify and arrest those involved in the protest.
“There is a way to do it and way they did it today is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” Assistant Commissioner Dunstan said.
“Expect a knock on your door. We will be coming to arrest you.”
Blockade Australia spokesman Sally-Anne* told reporters on Monday that she rejected claims that the protest was unauthorised.
Protesters knocked over barricades.
Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper
Police have warned protesters to expect a ‘knock on the door’ as more arrests expected following appeals for video footage.
Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper,
“There's no need to get authorisation for a protest,” she said.
“It is terrifying to do nothing and it is also terrifying to act out but it's necessary.”
The protest action comes a week after police raided a camp in Colo Valley, north of Sydney, where about 40 climate activists were found preparing for the week-long disruption.
The climate action group has been vocal about the protests since March when they conducted a series of extreme stunts across the CBD to disrupt commuter traffic.
Police will continue to patrol major roads and highways leading into the CBD as well as previous protest locations, including Port Botany and railway stations, throughout the week.
Blockade Australia will hold a press conference at 2.30pm at Redfern Park.
*Blockade Australia uses first-names to identify activists.
“There's no need to get authorisation for a protest,” she said.
“It is terrifying to do nothing and it is also terrifying to act out but it's necessary.”
The protest action comes a week after police raided a camp in Colo Valley, north of Sydney, where about 40 climate activists were found preparing for the week-long disruption.
The climate action group has been vocal about the protests since March when they conducted a series of extreme stunts across the CBD to disrupt commuter traffic.
Police will continue to patrol major roads and highways leading into the CBD as well as previous protest locations, including Port Botany and railway stations, throughout the week.
Blockade Australia will hold a press conference at 2.30pm at Redfern Park.
*Blockade Australia uses first-names to identify activists.
Ukraine's richest man sues Russia at Europe's top human rights court
Destroyed facilities are seen at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol
Mon, June 27, 2022
By Max Hunder
KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's richest man filed a lawsuit against Russia at Europe’s top human rights court on Monday, seeking compensation over what he has said are billions of dollars in business losses since Russia's invasion.
Rinat Akhmetov, owner of the Azovstal steelworks in the city of Mariupol where Ukrainian fighters defied weeks of Russian bombardment, sued Russia for "grievous violations of his property rights" at the European Court of Human Rights, his System Capital Management (SCM) holding company said.
It said Akhmetov was also seeking a court order "preventing Russia from engaging in further blockading, looting, diversion and destruction of grain and steel" produced by his companies.
"Evil cannot go unpunished. Russia's crimes against Ukraine and our people are egregious, and those guilty of them must be held liable," SCM quoted Akhmetov as saying.
"The looting of Ukraine’s export commodities, including grain and steel, has already resulted in higher prices and people dying of hunger worldwide. These barbaric actions must be stopped, and Russia must pay in full."
Asked about the suit, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was no longer under the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights.
"We left the (jurisdiction of) relevant documents. Therefore, here the answer is absolutely obvious," he said.
Russia has previously dismissed Ukrainian allegations of stealing from territories it has occupied during what it calls a special military operation in Ukraine.
Forbes magazine put Akhmetov's net worth at $15.4 billion in 2013. Since then, his business empire has been hit by Russia's Feb. 24 invasion and by years of fighting in Ukraine’s east since Russia-backed separatists seized territory there in 2014.
Akhmetov said last month his company Metinvest, Ukraine's largest steelmaker, had suffered $17 to $20 billion in losses because of Russia's bombardment of its steel plants in Mariupol. The final amount would be determined in a lawsuit, he said.
Destroyed facilities are seen at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol
Mon, June 27, 2022
By Max Hunder
KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's richest man filed a lawsuit against Russia at Europe’s top human rights court on Monday, seeking compensation over what he has said are billions of dollars in business losses since Russia's invasion.
Rinat Akhmetov, owner of the Azovstal steelworks in the city of Mariupol where Ukrainian fighters defied weeks of Russian bombardment, sued Russia for "grievous violations of his property rights" at the European Court of Human Rights, his System Capital Management (SCM) holding company said.
It said Akhmetov was also seeking a court order "preventing Russia from engaging in further blockading, looting, diversion and destruction of grain and steel" produced by his companies.
"Evil cannot go unpunished. Russia's crimes against Ukraine and our people are egregious, and those guilty of them must be held liable," SCM quoted Akhmetov as saying.
"The looting of Ukraine’s export commodities, including grain and steel, has already resulted in higher prices and people dying of hunger worldwide. These barbaric actions must be stopped, and Russia must pay in full."
Asked about the suit, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was no longer under the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights.
"We left the (jurisdiction of) relevant documents. Therefore, here the answer is absolutely obvious," he said.
Russia has previously dismissed Ukrainian allegations of stealing from territories it has occupied during what it calls a special military operation in Ukraine.
Forbes magazine put Akhmetov's net worth at $15.4 billion in 2013. Since then, his business empire has been hit by Russia's Feb. 24 invasion and by years of fighting in Ukraine’s east since Russia-backed separatists seized territory there in 2014.
Akhmetov said last month his company Metinvest, Ukraine's largest steelmaker, had suffered $17 to $20 billion in losses because of Russia's bombardment of its steel plants in Mariupol. The final amount would be determined in a lawsuit, he said.
WAR CRIME
Scenes of Horror as Putin Hits Mall With ‘1,000 People’ Inside
Russia fired a series of rockets at a shopping center in Kremenchuk, Ukraine, on Monday, raising fears that Russia is stepping up its attacks on civilian structures regardless of the loss of life.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday there were more than a thousand civilians inside the shopping mall and the casualties to come might bring even more shock and horror to Ukrainian people already confronting so much death and destruction as Russia has been waging war in Ukraine for 124 days.
“The number of victims is impossible to imagine,” Zelensky said on Telegram. “The mall is on fire, rescuers are fighting the fire.”
Authorities have reported 11 people killed in the attack so far, according to the chairman of the Poltava oblast, Dmitry Lunin. Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, said they have documented 20 injured.
Videos from the scene that a member of the Ukrainian parliament shared show smoke billowing out from the shopping center and fires raging skyward.
The walls of the structure were beginning to collapse shortly after the missile struck the building, according to one witness sharing footage from the scene.
Rescuers attempting to reach civilians were confronted with a wall of smoke, according to footage from the rescue mission shared by NEXTA TV.
It’s just the latest example of Russian forces targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure that have no strategic importance to fighting a war with Ukraine. In the early days of the war, Putin attacked a maternity hospital. Just Monday the adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, Petro Andriushchenko, said that more than 100 bodies of dead civilians are near the rubble of a destroyed residential building in Mariupol. In the last several days, Russian shelling has also hit residential buildings in the Odesa region, according to Operational Command South.
The prosecutor General’s Office said Monday that since the outbreak of the war, Russian troops have committed more than 19,700 crimes against Ukraine and its citizens.
Moscow has previously claimed that it hasn’t been targeting civilians in the war.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs said the incident is a reminder that Ukraine needs more weapons to help confront the menace of war with Russia.“We need weapons to protect ourselves and modern air defense systems,” Gerashchenko said.
As some worry that American attention to the war in Ukraine is fading, the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, said this is a stark reminder that the United States and allies can continue to try to punish the Russian government as Putin’s forces continue to commit war crimes in Ukraine.“Yet another war crime by [R]ussian murderers in Ukraine in this cruel war. We all have to #StopRussiaNow,” Markarova said.
The attack comes just a day after Russian forces launched missile attacks on both Kyiv and Kharkiv. Russia carried out approximately 60 strikes over the weekend, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters on a call Monday. The flurry of escalation in central Ukrainian cities is raising concerns that Russia’s war has not shifted permanently to the east and that instead, Putin is capable of ramping up attacks throughout the country.
Earlier this month, Michael Carpenter, U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), told The Daily Beast in an exclusive interview the current U.S. assessment is that Putin still has plans to try taking all of Ukraine.
The Russian ruble is the world's top-performing currency but its strength masks serious problems in the economy, says political scientist
Phil Rosen
Mon, June 27, 2022
Russia's central bank has cut interest rates sharply over the last two months.
Phil Rosen
Mon, June 27, 2022
Russia's central bank has cut interest rates sharply over the last two months.
NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/Getty Images
Russia's ruble has been the top performing currency in the world against the dollar this year.
A Russian political scientist said that doesn't indicate a healthy economy in Russia amid war and sanctions.
"The strong ruble only reflects the fact that there is no use for foreign currency in Russia right now," Ilya Matveev told NPR.
Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine and Western sanctions set in on Moscow, the ruble tanked to historic lows. Yet, four months later, the ruble has become the world's best-performing currency against the US dollar.
Russian political scientist Ilya Matveev told NPR last week that the currency's rebound isn't a sign of a strong economy, nor does it signal that sanctions aren't working against Russia.
"The strong ruble is a bad indicator of Russian economic performance generally because it only reflects the fact that imports have fallen so sharply that importers simply do not need so much foreign currency because they're unable to import goods from…Western countries," Matveev said during an interview with All Things Considered.
He noted that the effect of wartime sanctions has devastated Russia' economy, and long-term prospects for Moscow are bleak because of Western businesses halting operations there, soaring inflation, and the heavy toll on locals.
A soaring currency, he said, is not a good measure for the broader economy because it has more to do with trade prospects falling off during the war.
"So the strong ruble only reflects the fact that there is no use for foreign currency in Russia right now," Matveev said. "And this is, of course, a very bad thing for the economy."
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Russia saw its first foreign debt default in more than a century, reports say. The nation missed a deadline to pay $100 million in dollar- and euro-denominated interest on two foreign currency bonds, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Russia's ruble has been the top performing currency in the world against the dollar this year.
A Russian political scientist said that doesn't indicate a healthy economy in Russia amid war and sanctions.
"The strong ruble only reflects the fact that there is no use for foreign currency in Russia right now," Ilya Matveev told NPR.
Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine and Western sanctions set in on Moscow, the ruble tanked to historic lows. Yet, four months later, the ruble has become the world's best-performing currency against the US dollar.
Russian political scientist Ilya Matveev told NPR last week that the currency's rebound isn't a sign of a strong economy, nor does it signal that sanctions aren't working against Russia.
"The strong ruble is a bad indicator of Russian economic performance generally because it only reflects the fact that imports have fallen so sharply that importers simply do not need so much foreign currency because they're unable to import goods from…Western countries," Matveev said during an interview with All Things Considered.
He noted that the effect of wartime sanctions has devastated Russia' economy, and long-term prospects for Moscow are bleak because of Western businesses halting operations there, soaring inflation, and the heavy toll on locals.
A soaring currency, he said, is not a good measure for the broader economy because it has more to do with trade prospects falling off during the war.
"So the strong ruble only reflects the fact that there is no use for foreign currency in Russia right now," Matveev said. "And this is, of course, a very bad thing for the economy."
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Russia saw its first foreign debt default in more than a century, reports say. The nation missed a deadline to pay $100 million in dollar- and euro-denominated interest on two foreign currency bonds, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Magnificent ancient mosaic found near Tel Aviv returns home
Restored Roman-era mosaic is put on display in its original site in Lod
Mon, June 27, 2022
LOD, Israel (Reuters) - An exceptionally well-preserved Roman floor mosaic, showing a rich variety of fish, animals, birds and ships, has returned to the site where it was first found in a Tel Aviv suburb after a decade-long tour of some of the world's top museums.
The 1,700 year-old mosaic, from the late Roman period, was discovered in 1996 during highway construction work, but was not put on display until 2009, when sufficient funding to preserve it was donated.
The colorful mosaic, 17 metres (55 ft) long and about 9 metres (29 ft) wide, may have served as the foyer floor of a mansion in a wealthy neighborhood of Lod, near what is now Tel Aviv, the Israel antiquities Authority said in a statement.
"The owner was probably a very rich merchant because he travelled throughout the world and he saw things, like all the ships and the fish on display in the mosaic," said archaeologist Hagit Torge from the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The design of the mosaic was influenced by North African mosaics and lacks any depiction of people, suggesting it may have belonged to a Christian or a Jew who wanted to avoid pagan attributes such as depiction of Roman gods, said archaeologist Amir Gorzalczany from the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The mosaic will now be exhibited at an archaeological centre built where it was found, in Lod.
(Writing by Rinat Harash, additional reporting by Rami Amichai; editing by James Mackenzie, William Maclean)
Restored Roman-era mosaic is put on display in its original site in Lod
Mon, June 27, 2022
LOD, Israel (Reuters) - An exceptionally well-preserved Roman floor mosaic, showing a rich variety of fish, animals, birds and ships, has returned to the site where it was first found in a Tel Aviv suburb after a decade-long tour of some of the world's top museums.
The 1,700 year-old mosaic, from the late Roman period, was discovered in 1996 during highway construction work, but was not put on display until 2009, when sufficient funding to preserve it was donated.
The colorful mosaic, 17 metres (55 ft) long and about 9 metres (29 ft) wide, may have served as the foyer floor of a mansion in a wealthy neighborhood of Lod, near what is now Tel Aviv, the Israel antiquities Authority said in a statement.
"The owner was probably a very rich merchant because he travelled throughout the world and he saw things, like all the ships and the fish on display in the mosaic," said archaeologist Hagit Torge from the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The design of the mosaic was influenced by North African mosaics and lacks any depiction of people, suggesting it may have belonged to a Christian or a Jew who wanted to avoid pagan attributes such as depiction of Roman gods, said archaeologist Amir Gorzalczany from the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The mosaic will now be exhibited at an archaeological centre built where it was found, in Lod.
(Writing by Rinat Harash, additional reporting by Rami Amichai; editing by James Mackenzie, William Maclean)
THANKS TO SCOTUS
Too much mayo’:
Subway customer arrested
after shooting 2 employees,
killing 1 over sandwich order
Atlanta police are investigating a shooting that has left one woman dead and another in critical condition at a metro Atlanta Subway store.
The reason for the shooting? Too much mayonnaise on a sandwich, police said.
APD responded to a Circle K gas station at the intersection of Northside and Markham St. to a person shot call just after 6:30 p.m. When they arrived, they learned two female employees had been shot after a dispute about the amount of mayonnaise on a customer’s Subway sandwich.
Police said the woman who was killed was 26 years old. A 24-year-old employee was shot in front of her 5-year-old son and is now in critical condition. A relative told Channel 2′s Tom Jones that the victim, Jada Statum, was hit twice after she pushed her son under the counter to keep him from being hurt.
A co-owner of the Subway said that a third worker shot at the gunman.
“He didn’t hit the guy, but he put up a little fight,” Willie Glenn said.
A 36-year-old man has since been arrested. Police have not identified him.
“There was something wrong with the sandwich that made him so upset that he decided to take his anger out on the two employees here,” police said.
Atlanta police officers said that this was a case of someone with a gun who didn’t know how to resolve conflict without resorting to violence.
Jones talked to Statum’s uncle, who said her son witnessed his mother get shot and that she is doing alright.
Glenn said it breaks his heart.
“It just breaks my heart, to know that someone has the audacity to point a weapon, and shoot someone for as little as too much mayonnaise on a sandwich,” said Glenn.
The store’s other co-owner, Al Baily, said no one deserves to get shot over something so trivial.
“Everybody packing,” Bailey said. “What sense does it make? They want to dummy this society down.”
He wouldn’t release the identity of the the worker who was killed because he’s still waiting for family members to be informed, but he said both employees were young women who just started at the location about three weeks ago.
“They were just model employees,” Glenn said.
Glenn said the shooter had been in the store before.
Interim Chief Of Police Darin Schierbaum said arguments are the majority cause of homicides in 2022.
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