UN urges action as mental health takes heavy toll on workers
October 5, 2022
GENEVA (AFP) – Far more must be done to safeguard mental health on the job, the United Nations (UN) said recently, presenting new guidelines on how to lessen psychological strains linked to the workplace.
The UN agencies for health and labour published two documents filled with advice on how best to prevent and protect against mental health risks at work, warning that psychological distress is costly for individuals and society alike.
An estimated 12 billion work days are lost every year due to depression and anxiety, costing the global economy nearly USD1 trillion, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) said.
“It’s time to focus on the detrimental effect work can have on our mental health,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a joint statement.
“The well-being of the individual is reason enough to act, but poor mental health can also have a debilitating impact on a person’s performance and productivity.”
The UN health agency cautioned in June that nearly one billion people globally were living with a mental disorder before COVID-19 hit – and the pandemic has made this much worse.
“Working-age adults are especially affected, with one in six suffering from a mental disorder at any given time,” the WHO said.
“The numbers are alarming,” occupational safety and health ILO team lead Manal Azzi, told reporters. “We have a huge responsibility ahead of us.”
The workplace itself is often a trigger for mental health woes, the two agencies warned.
In its fresh report listing 13 guidelines on how to counter the problem, the WHO highlighted that meaningful work can protect mental well-being, providing a sense of accomplishment, confidence and earnings. But it stressed that harmful or poor working conditions, poor working relationships and unemployment “can significantly contribute to worsening mental health or exacerbate existing mental health conditions”.
The workplace can also amplify wider issues that negatively affect mental health, like discrimination over gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation and disability, the WHO pointed out.
The new guidelines cover measures to build workers’ stress management, including mindfulness and physical activity.
But perhaps the most important ones revolve around the “organisational interventions” needed to prevent risks to mental health at work, including for the first time recommending training managers to prevent stressful work environments and respond to workers in distress.
Aiysha Malik, from the WHO’s mental health and substance use department, told reporters it was essential to “stop people from experiencing risks such as very heavy workloads… being bullied, difficult relationships with colleagues or supervisors”.
That needs to change, she said, or we will continue “experiencing difficulties with our mental health at work, no matter how many stress-management tools” we apply. In addition to its new guidelines, the WHO and ILO published a joint policy brief, laying out practical strategies for governments, employers and workers, and their organisations to protect and promote mental health at work.
It also sets out how to support people with mental health conditions and help them participate and thrive in the workplace.
Tuesday, October 04, 2022
'The most magical place': 4 women selected to run Antarctica's 'Penguin Post Office'
Natalie Neysa Alund
USA TODAY
Four women have been selected to run the world's most remote post office – a "magical" site called Port Lockroy in Antarctica.
An added perk? They get paid to count penguins.
Clare Ballantyne, Mairi Hilton, Natalie Corbett and Lucy Bruzzone beat out 6,000 applicants to become the team responsible for managing Port Lockroy on Goudier Island, west of the Antarctic Peninsula, UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT) spokeswoman Emma Dennis told USA TODAY Tuesday.
At the port, affectionately known as the Penguin Post Office, the group will work from November to March 2023 – Antarctica's summer months – when temperatures can reach a brisk 50 degrees, but often are freezing when the wind chill is factored in.
The UK Antarctic Heritage Trust, a charity that manages bases that educate visitors and help conservation efforts on the seventh continent, advertised the job postings and, in the end, selected the four as its hires.
A British Antarctic territory, Post Lockroy's "Base A" was created in 1944 and operated as a British research station.
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No running water, internet or flushing toilets
The newly selected team will travel 9,000 miles from the United Kingdom to reopen the bay for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, UKAHT released in a statement.
They will spend five months living in close quarters without a flushing toilet and limited communication to the world.
The initial job posting described living conditions as "basic but comfortable," with limited power, no running water or internet access.
If they want to take a shower or use a flushing toilet, according to the post, the workers have to hope a visiting ship will let them use one.
The women will have company, too: They will be joined for several months by Vicky Inglis, the general assistant and wildlife monitor, UKAHT said.
According to a statement from UKAHT, Hilton will work as a wildlife monitor and will be in charge of counting the penguin population and watching new hatchlings and nests.
Corbett, who will run a gift shop at the site, will leave behind her husband for the trip.
"Who wouldn't want to spend five months working on an island filled with penguins in one of the most remote places on the planet?" Corbett, 31, said in the statement. "I’ll be leaving behind my husband, George, who I only married in June so I’m treating this like my solo honeymoon."
Ballantyne will handle about 80,000 cards sent annually from the post office to nearly 100 countries across the globe, according to AKAHT.
Bruzzone, a scientist, will manage the team and have supervision over ships coming and going. She called the opportunity is a "lifelong dream".
While there, the group has to count penguins and other wildlife for the British Antarctic Survey, and a report is due by the end of employment.
As daunting as the job may seem, Lauren Elliott, a postmaster who worked there from 2019 to 2020, called it "the most magical place in the world," even if it meant cleaning up "lots of penguin poo."
"Pack up your bags and go," Elliot said. "Our team still talks today, and you'll make friends for life."
Contributing: Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY.
Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.
Natalie Neysa Alund
USA TODAY
Four women have been selected to run the world's most remote post office – a "magical" site called Port Lockroy in Antarctica.
An added perk? They get paid to count penguins.
Clare Ballantyne, Mairi Hilton, Natalie Corbett and Lucy Bruzzone beat out 6,000 applicants to become the team responsible for managing Port Lockroy on Goudier Island, west of the Antarctic Peninsula, UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT) spokeswoman Emma Dennis told USA TODAY Tuesday.
At the port, affectionately known as the Penguin Post Office, the group will work from November to March 2023 – Antarctica's summer months – when temperatures can reach a brisk 50 degrees, but often are freezing when the wind chill is factored in.
The UK Antarctic Heritage Trust, a charity that manages bases that educate visitors and help conservation efforts on the seventh continent, advertised the job postings and, in the end, selected the four as its hires.
A British Antarctic territory, Post Lockroy's "Base A" was created in 1944 and operated as a British research station.
'Sorry,' not sorry? Denmark's queen strips four grandchildren of their royal titles
USPS million dollar fraud case:US Postal Service workers arrested in $1.3 million fraud, identity theft scheme in NJ, NY
No running water, internet or flushing toilets
The newly selected team will travel 9,000 miles from the United Kingdom to reopen the bay for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, UKAHT released in a statement.
They will spend five months living in close quarters without a flushing toilet and limited communication to the world.
The initial job posting described living conditions as "basic but comfortable," with limited power, no running water or internet access.
If they want to take a shower or use a flushing toilet, according to the post, the workers have to hope a visiting ship will let them use one.
The women will have company, too: They will be joined for several months by Vicky Inglis, the general assistant and wildlife monitor, UKAHT said.
According to a statement from UKAHT, Hilton will work as a wildlife monitor and will be in charge of counting the penguin population and watching new hatchlings and nests.
Corbett, who will run a gift shop at the site, will leave behind her husband for the trip.
"Who wouldn't want to spend five months working on an island filled with penguins in one of the most remote places on the planet?" Corbett, 31, said in the statement. "I’ll be leaving behind my husband, George, who I only married in June so I’m treating this like my solo honeymoon."
Ballantyne will handle about 80,000 cards sent annually from the post office to nearly 100 countries across the globe, according to AKAHT.
Bruzzone, a scientist, will manage the team and have supervision over ships coming and going. She called the opportunity is a "lifelong dream".
While there, the group has to count penguins and other wildlife for the British Antarctic Survey, and a report is due by the end of employment.
As daunting as the job may seem, Lauren Elliott, a postmaster who worked there from 2019 to 2020, called it "the most magical place in the world," even if it meant cleaning up "lots of penguin poo."
"Pack up your bags and go," Elliot said. "Our team still talks today, and you'll make friends for life."
Contributing: Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY.
Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.
4 Women Will Staff U.K. Base in Antarctica
They emerged from an applicant pool of thousands to run the world’s most southerly post office, monitor penguins and manage the wild landscape on Goudier Island.
While it has no permanent residents, the island — which has a surface area the size of a soccer field — hosted some 18,000 visitors annually before the pandemic, according to the trust.
Set to staff the island’s only gift shop is Natalie Corbett, a small-business owner who married in June. She jokingly referred to her upcoming stint in Antarctica as a kind of “solo honeymoon.”
Ms. Corbett, 31, of Hampshire, said she read about the position in a newspaper, and felt the opportunity was too good to pass up. “Everyone who knows me isn’t surprised I’m doing this,” she said.
The assignment is not for the faint hearted. Showers are taken on visiting ships; the toilet is a bucket. The days are long, with few distractions. Accommodation is in the form of bunk beds. Team members will spend Christmas at the base, far from their families.
With no wifi, and with limited internet access, letter writing, as well as the occasional blog post, will be the primary methods of communicating with friends and loved ones at home.
Managing the world’s most southerly post office will be Clare Ballantyne, 23, of Lincolnshire. Over the five months, she will oversee the organization of as many as 70,000 letters, and send them to over 100 countries.
But it’s the promise of the expansive nature that most appeals to Ms. Ballantyne, an Oxford University graduate who completed a master’s degree in earth sciences this year.
“I’m most looking forward to stepping onto Goudier Island and taking in the cacophony and pungent smell of the penguins, the backdrop of the glaciers and Fief Mountains — and being able to call it home for the next few months!” Ms. Ballantyne said in a statement.
Recruitment for the remote post has been a yearly tradition since 2006, when the trust took control of the island from the British Antarctic Survey, but it was paused during the pandemic.
They emerged from an applicant pool of thousands to run the world’s most southerly post office, monitor penguins and manage the wild landscape on Goudier Island.
Port Lockroy base on Goudier Island is managed by the U.K. Antarctic Heritage Trust. Assignment there is not for the faint hearted
.Credit...Dietmar Denger/Laif, via Redux
By Saskia Solomon
Oct. 4, 2022
There is no running water, or even a flushing toilet, on Goudier Island in Antarctica. But there is a post office.
When the U.K. Antarctic Heritage Trust advertised in April the opportunity to spend five months working at this remote post office and filling three other paid positions at its Port Lockroy base, over 4,000 people applied — more than double the response of previous years.
Out of that pool, open to anyone with the right to work in the U.K., four women were selected to manage the historic site from November until March. All will soon leave the comfort of their homes to act as caretakers of a wild, unpredictable landscape, fulfilling the roles of base leader, postmaster, wildlife monitor and shop manager. And all of them are expected to lend a hand in greeting visitors, and monitoring the 1,500 Gentoo penguins native to the island.
“It’s definitely been a long-term dream,” said Lucy Bruzzone of living in Antarctica. Ms. Bruzzone, 40, of London, will serve as base leader thanks to her background as program director at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, and her experience in field work.
“I’ve always been interested in the natural world, and have dedicated my career to preserving the environment and the places in which we live and work,” Ms. Bruzzone added. It was a field trip to the Arctic, in 2008, that whetted her appetite for extreme experiences, she said.
Ms. Bruzzone said she applied for the role almost on a whim. “I was really keen to follow in the footsteps of explorers, but also think about how I can support the science, the great work that happens on the continent, as well as experience the ice and the snow and the wonders that this environment has,” she said.
By Saskia Solomon
Oct. 4, 2022
There is no running water, or even a flushing toilet, on Goudier Island in Antarctica. But there is a post office.
When the U.K. Antarctic Heritage Trust advertised in April the opportunity to spend five months working at this remote post office and filling three other paid positions at its Port Lockroy base, over 4,000 people applied — more than double the response of previous years.
Out of that pool, open to anyone with the right to work in the U.K., four women were selected to manage the historic site from November until March. All will soon leave the comfort of their homes to act as caretakers of a wild, unpredictable landscape, fulfilling the roles of base leader, postmaster, wildlife monitor and shop manager. And all of them are expected to lend a hand in greeting visitors, and monitoring the 1,500 Gentoo penguins native to the island.
“It’s definitely been a long-term dream,” said Lucy Bruzzone of living in Antarctica. Ms. Bruzzone, 40, of London, will serve as base leader thanks to her background as program director at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, and her experience in field work.
“I’ve always been interested in the natural world, and have dedicated my career to preserving the environment and the places in which we live and work,” Ms. Bruzzone added. It was a field trip to the Arctic, in 2008, that whetted her appetite for extreme experiences, she said.
Ms. Bruzzone said she applied for the role almost on a whim. “I was really keen to follow in the footsteps of explorers, but also think about how I can support the science, the great work that happens on the continent, as well as experience the ice and the snow and the wonders that this environment has,” she said.
Clockwise from top left: Natalie Corbett, Lucy Bruzzone, Clare Ballantyne and Mairi Hilton will staff the Port Lockroy from November until March.
While it has no permanent residents, the island — which has a surface area the size of a soccer field — hosted some 18,000 visitors annually before the pandemic, according to the trust.
Set to staff the island’s only gift shop is Natalie Corbett, a small-business owner who married in June. She jokingly referred to her upcoming stint in Antarctica as a kind of “solo honeymoon.”
Ms. Corbett, 31, of Hampshire, said she read about the position in a newspaper, and felt the opportunity was too good to pass up. “Everyone who knows me isn’t surprised I’m doing this,” she said.
The assignment is not for the faint hearted. Showers are taken on visiting ships; the toilet is a bucket. The days are long, with few distractions. Accommodation is in the form of bunk beds. Team members will spend Christmas at the base, far from their families.
With no wifi, and with limited internet access, letter writing, as well as the occasional blog post, will be the primary methods of communicating with friends and loved ones at home.
Managing the world’s most southerly post office will be Clare Ballantyne, 23, of Lincolnshire. Over the five months, she will oversee the organization of as many as 70,000 letters, and send them to over 100 countries.
But it’s the promise of the expansive nature that most appeals to Ms. Ballantyne, an Oxford University graduate who completed a master’s degree in earth sciences this year.
“I’m most looking forward to stepping onto Goudier Island and taking in the cacophony and pungent smell of the penguins, the backdrop of the glaciers and Fief Mountains — and being able to call it home for the next few months!” Ms. Ballantyne said in a statement.
Recruitment for the remote post has been a yearly tradition since 2006, when the trust took control of the island from the British Antarctic Survey, but it was paused during the pandemic.
Roughly 1,500 Gentoo penguins live on the island.
Credit...Jonas Beyer/Solent News, via Shutterstock
It will be Ms. Bruzzone’s job to manage the team, coordinate ship visits to the island and work with expedition leaders. Having been to the region before, she said she is confident. “I got to know more about Antarctica through one of my early jobs when I was very much involved in the expeditions world.”
Mairi Hilton, 30, who has a Ph.D in conservation biology, will be wildlife monitor, which largely means taking charge of the penguin head count, and staying alert for new hatchlings and nests.
“I have no idea what to expect when we get there,” Ms. Hilton, of Bo’ness, Scotland, said in a statement issued by the trust. “How cold it will be, will we have to dig our way through the snow to the post office? I’m a conservation biologist, so personally I can’t wait to see the penguins and other wildlife like seabirds and whales!”
The chosen four went through a three-stage selection process, said Camilla Nichol, chief executive of the trust.
“It’s an application form, then a Zoom interview,” Ms. Nichol said. “When we get down to the final 12 we bring them together in person, as a group, for a day of activities, tests, presentations, an in-person interview, to really get to understand who these people are and how they respond in different situations.”
That only women made the team was not a goal, Ms. Nichol said. The trust was looking for the right match for each role. Given the harshness of the environment, working in subzero temperatures and faced with an all-encompassing sense of isolation, group dynamic and mental preparedness are everything.
The four women will undertake intensive training in Cambridge in a couple of weeks’ time, “to prepare for any kind of eventuality when we’re there,” said Ms. Corbett.
As is natural for any big move, there are nerves. “When they offered it to me I was like, ‘Oh God, I’ve actually got to go now — was this a really stupid idea?’” Ms. Corbett said. “But the more we learn about Antarctica, and the work that we’ll be doing for the trust, the more exciting it becomes. So I’m not too nervous anymore. I’m excited.”
It will be Ms. Bruzzone’s job to manage the team, coordinate ship visits to the island and work with expedition leaders. Having been to the region before, she said she is confident. “I got to know more about Antarctica through one of my early jobs when I was very much involved in the expeditions world.”
Mairi Hilton, 30, who has a Ph.D in conservation biology, will be wildlife monitor, which largely means taking charge of the penguin head count, and staying alert for new hatchlings and nests.
“I have no idea what to expect when we get there,” Ms. Hilton, of Bo’ness, Scotland, said in a statement issued by the trust. “How cold it will be, will we have to dig our way through the snow to the post office? I’m a conservation biologist, so personally I can’t wait to see the penguins and other wildlife like seabirds and whales!”
The chosen four went through a three-stage selection process, said Camilla Nichol, chief executive of the trust.
“It’s an application form, then a Zoom interview,” Ms. Nichol said. “When we get down to the final 12 we bring them together in person, as a group, for a day of activities, tests, presentations, an in-person interview, to really get to understand who these people are and how they respond in different situations.”
That only women made the team was not a goal, Ms. Nichol said. The trust was looking for the right match for each role. Given the harshness of the environment, working in subzero temperatures and faced with an all-encompassing sense of isolation, group dynamic and mental preparedness are everything.
The four women will undertake intensive training in Cambridge in a couple of weeks’ time, “to prepare for any kind of eventuality when we’re there,” said Ms. Corbett.
As is natural for any big move, there are nerves. “When they offered it to me I was like, ‘Oh God, I’ve actually got to go now — was this a really stupid idea?’” Ms. Corbett said. “But the more we learn about Antarctica, and the work that we’ll be doing for the trust, the more exciting it becomes. So I’m not too nervous anymore. I’m excited.”
YOUNG Coyote Rescued and Released After Wandering into a Bathroom Stall at a California Middle School
Julia Moore
Tue, October 4, 2022
Coyote in school bathroom
A school in California had an unexpected visitor Monday morning: a young coyote who found his way into a bathroom stall.
According to the Riverside County Department of Animal Services (RCDAS), Jurupa Unified's Mission Middle School in Riverside, California, called early Monday morning after spotting the wild animal on school grounds. Before the RCDAS officers arrived at the school, the male coyote, believed to be around nine months old, went into the school and hid in a bathroom stall.
This odd incident was not the young animal's first visit to the school's campus. School staff members told the responding RCDAS officer, Will Luna, that they nicknamed the coyote "Wile E.," a nod to the Road Runner cartoon, after spotting him multiple times in recent weeks.
Officer Luna captured Wile E.'s expulsion from the middle school on video. The rescuer's footage shows Luna finding the coyote cowering near a toilet, seemingly frightened by his surroundings.
"Oh, that's not a pup; that's a full-grown coyote," Luna says in the clip. "Let's get you out of here."
In the video, Luna lassos the coyote, loads him into a truck, and drives the wayward animal to a rural area. The footage ends with Luna releasing the coyote.
"It's becoming more and more difficult to relocate them with all the development and new homes," Luna says in the rescue video, which the RCDAS shared on YouTube.
RELATED: New England Family Brings Home Coyote Pup After Mistaking the Wild Animal for Lost Puppy
No humans or animals were harmed during the coyote's visit to the middle school, according to the RCDAS.
"We are pleased that this incident was smooth and all the children were OK and we were able to get the coyote back to its more natural habitat," RCDAS Director Erin Gettis said in a statement.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Monday morning's surprise visit comes a few months after a coyote wandered into a California home through a doggie door. The family's three dogs "went crazy," according to homeowner Julie Levine, and the coyote quickly left from where it came.
Tue, October 4, 2022
Coyote in school bathroom
A school in California had an unexpected visitor Monday morning: a young coyote who found his way into a bathroom stall.
According to the Riverside County Department of Animal Services (RCDAS), Jurupa Unified's Mission Middle School in Riverside, California, called early Monday morning after spotting the wild animal on school grounds. Before the RCDAS officers arrived at the school, the male coyote, believed to be around nine months old, went into the school and hid in a bathroom stall.
This odd incident was not the young animal's first visit to the school's campus. School staff members told the responding RCDAS officer, Will Luna, that they nicknamed the coyote "Wile E.," a nod to the Road Runner cartoon, after spotting him multiple times in recent weeks.
Officer Luna captured Wile E.'s expulsion from the middle school on video. The rescuer's footage shows Luna finding the coyote cowering near a toilet, seemingly frightened by his surroundings.
"Oh, that's not a pup; that's a full-grown coyote," Luna says in the clip. "Let's get you out of here."
In the video, Luna lassos the coyote, loads him into a truck, and drives the wayward animal to a rural area. The footage ends with Luna releasing the coyote.
"It's becoming more and more difficult to relocate them with all the development and new homes," Luna says in the rescue video, which the RCDAS shared on YouTube.
RELATED: New England Family Brings Home Coyote Pup After Mistaking the Wild Animal for Lost Puppy
No humans or animals were harmed during the coyote's visit to the middle school, according to the RCDAS.
"We are pleased that this incident was smooth and all the children were OK and we were able to get the coyote back to its more natural habitat," RCDAS Director Erin Gettis said in a statement.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Monday morning's surprise visit comes a few months after a coyote wandered into a California home through a doggie door. The family's three dogs "went crazy," according to homeowner Julie Levine, and the coyote quickly left from where it came.
OOPS, SORRY
South Korea missile crash during drill with U.S. panics wary city
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
October 5, 2022
SEOUL--A South Korean ballistic missile malfunctioned and crashed into the ground early Wednesday during a live-fire drill with the United States, panicking confused residents of a coastal city already uneasy over increasingly provocative weapons tests by rival North Korea.
The sound of the blast and subsequent fire led many in Gangneung to believe it could be a North Korean attack, concern that only grew as the military and government officials provided no explanation about the explosion for hours.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said no injuries have been reported from the accident, which involved a short-range Hyumoo-2 ballistic missile that crashed inside an air force base in the outskirts of the city.
The military said it was investigating what caused the “abnormal flight” of a missile that is a key weapon in South Korea’s preemptive and retaliatory strike strategies against the North.
The military said the test was meant to be a show of strength by South Korea and the United States, following North Korea’s firing of a nuclear-capable ballistic missile that crossed over Japan early Tuesday in North Korea’s most provocative weapons demonstration in years.
The launch extended a record number of North Korean launches this year as the country pushes to develop a fully-fledged nuclear arsenal capable of threatening the U.S. mainland and its allies with the goal of being recognized as a nuclear state and wresting concessions from those countries.
The South Korean military’s acknowledgement of the missile malfunction came hours after internet users raised alarm about the blast and posted social media videos showing an orange ball of flames emerging from an area they described as near the air force base.
Officials at Gangneung’s fire department and city hall said emergency workers were dispatched to the air force base and a nearby army base in response to calls about a possible explosion but were sent back by military officials.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday’s joint drills with the U.S. also involved firing four Army Tactical Missile Systems missiles and another Hyumoo-2 missile that successfully flew. The allies earlier on Tuesday launched fighter jets that fired weapons at a target off South Korea’s west coast.
North Korea has fired nearly 40 ballistic missiles over about 20 different launch events this year, exploiting Russia’s war on Ukraine and a deepened division in the U.N. Security Council to accelerate arms development.
The United States, Britain, France, Albania, Norway and Ireland called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council over the latest North Korean launch. Diplomats said it is likely to be held Wednesday, but it’s not certain whether it will be open or closed.
South Korea apologises after failed missile sends residents into tizzy
North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles
N Korea says missile test was 'solemn warning' to S Korea
South Korean military's Hyunmoo-2 missile fails shortly after launch and crashes during the drill with US military, panicking residents and leading many to believe it could be a North Korean attack
.
South Korean ballistic missile malfunctioned and crashed into the ground early on Wednesday during a live-fire drill with the United States. (AFP)
South Korea's military has apologised for causing residents to worry about a failed missile launch during its joint drill with the United States in response to North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile over Japan a day earlier.
The military also said on Wednesday the warhead of the missile - the South Korean Hyunmoo-2 - did not explode.
A South Korean ballistic missile malfunctioned and crashed into the ground early on Wednesday during a live-fire drill with the United States, panicking confused residents of a coastal city already uneasy over increasingly provocative weapons tests by rival North Korea.
The sound of the blast and subsequent fire led many in Gangneung to believe it could be a North Korean attack, a concern that only grew as the military and government officials provided no explanation about the explosion for hours.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said no injuries have been reported from the accident, which involved a short-range Hyumoo-2 ballistic missile that crashed inside an air force base on the outskirts of the city.
The military said it was investigating what caused the "abnormal flight" of a missile that is a key weapon in South Korea's preemptive and retaliatory strike strategies against the North.
The military said the test was meant to be a show of strength by South Korea and the United States, following North Korea's firing of a nuclear-capable ballistic missile that crossed over Japan early on Tuesday in North Korea’s most provocative weapons demonstration in years.
READ MORE: US, S Korea conduct bombing drill after North launches missile
North Korea's missile tests
The launch extended a record number of North Korean launches this year as the country pushes to develop a fully-fledged nuclear arsenal capable of threatening the US mainland and its allies with the goal of being recognised as a nuclear state and wresting concessions from those countries.
The South Korean military's acknowledgment of the missile malfunction came hours after internet users raised alarm about the blast and posted social media videos showing an orange ball of flames emerging from an area they described as near the air force base.
Officials at Gangneung's fire department and city hall said emergency workers were dispatched to the air force base and a nearby army base in response to calls about a possible explosion but were sent back by military officials.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Tuesday’s joint drills with the US also involved firing four Army Tactical Missile Systems missiles and another Hyumoo-2 missile that successfully flew. The allies earlier on Tuesday launched fighter jets that fired weapons at a target off South Korea's west coast.
North Korea has fired nearly 40 ballistic missiles over about 20 different launch events this year, exploiting Russia's assault on Ukraine and a deepened division in the UN Security Council to accelerate arms development.
The United States, Britain, France, Albania, Norway and Ireland called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council over the latest North Korean launch. Diplomats said it is likely to be held on Wednesday, but it’s not certain whether it will be open or closed.
READ MORE: North Korea fires 'ballistic missile,' prompts evacuation alert in Japan
South Korea's military has apologised for causing residents to worry about a failed missile launch during its joint drill with the United States in response to North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile over Japan a day earlier.
The military also said on Wednesday the warhead of the missile - the South Korean Hyunmoo-2 - did not explode.
A South Korean ballistic missile malfunctioned and crashed into the ground early on Wednesday during a live-fire drill with the United States, panicking confused residents of a coastal city already uneasy over increasingly provocative weapons tests by rival North Korea.
The sound of the blast and subsequent fire led many in Gangneung to believe it could be a North Korean attack, a concern that only grew as the military and government officials provided no explanation about the explosion for hours.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said no injuries have been reported from the accident, which involved a short-range Hyumoo-2 ballistic missile that crashed inside an air force base on the outskirts of the city.
The military said it was investigating what caused the "abnormal flight" of a missile that is a key weapon in South Korea's preemptive and retaliatory strike strategies against the North.
The military said the test was meant to be a show of strength by South Korea and the United States, following North Korea's firing of a nuclear-capable ballistic missile that crossed over Japan early on Tuesday in North Korea’s most provocative weapons demonstration in years.
READ MORE: US, S Korea conduct bombing drill after North launches missile
North Korea's missile tests
The launch extended a record number of North Korean launches this year as the country pushes to develop a fully-fledged nuclear arsenal capable of threatening the US mainland and its allies with the goal of being recognised as a nuclear state and wresting concessions from those countries.
The South Korean military's acknowledgment of the missile malfunction came hours after internet users raised alarm about the blast and posted social media videos showing an orange ball of flames emerging from an area they described as near the air force base.
Officials at Gangneung's fire department and city hall said emergency workers were dispatched to the air force base and a nearby army base in response to calls about a possible explosion but were sent back by military officials.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Tuesday’s joint drills with the US also involved firing four Army Tactical Missile Systems missiles and another Hyumoo-2 missile that successfully flew. The allies earlier on Tuesday launched fighter jets that fired weapons at a target off South Korea's west coast.
North Korea has fired nearly 40 ballistic missiles over about 20 different launch events this year, exploiting Russia's assault on Ukraine and a deepened division in the UN Security Council to accelerate arms development.
The United States, Britain, France, Albania, Norway and Ireland called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council over the latest North Korean launch. Diplomats said it is likely to be held on Wednesday, but it’s not certain whether it will be open or closed.
READ MORE: North Korea fires 'ballistic missile,' prompts evacuation alert in Japan
U$A
Millions of student-loan borrowers had their debt transferred to new companies over the past year — and it resulted in payment errors for 'hundreds of thousands of accounts,' a federal consumer watchdog says
Ayelet Sheffey
Millions of student-loan borrowers were transferred to new companies over the past year.
The CFPB found those transfers resulted in significant errors on borrowers' balances.
Many borrowers received inaccurate bills and errors tracking their payment progress.
Last year, a number of student-loan companies announced they were ending their federal contracts, requiring millions of borrowers to be transferred to new servicers. A top federal consumer watchdog found the process has been far from seamless.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a report last week delving into practices by student-loan companies. It focused on the challenges that came with transferring 9 million borrowers' accounts to new servicers after major companies Granite State and PHEAA announced they would not be renewing their federal contracts to collect borrowers' student debt and manage their repayment plans.
From payment discrepancies to inaccurate billing statements, the report concluded there were errors for "hundreds of thousands" of accounts.
Here are the main findings with regards to servicer transfers:
Servicers had inaccurate information about borrowers' monthly payments and could not identify repayment schedules
The former and current servicer reported different numbers of total payments that count toward loan forgiveness progress in income-driven repayment plans
One servicer sent inaccurate billing statements to more than 500,000 borrowers
Borrowers were placed on forbearance when it wasn't the best option for them
Servicers were inadequately staffed to manage and implement program changes for targeted loan forgiveness programs and payment pauses.
The report noted that the current payment pause, which is set to expire in January 2023, "provides servicers and FSA (Federal Student Aid) with more time to correct transfer-related errors by making manual account adjustments, transferring supplemental account information, and correcting previous inaccurate or misleading statements."
Both lawmakers and the Education Department have scrutinized how loan companies are handling borrower transfers. After PHEAA — a major student-loan company — announced it was ending its federal servicing last year, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said those borrowers can "breathe a sigh of relief" because they would no longer be subjected to the company's practices like failing to track borrowers' payments and misleading them into taking on more debt than they can pay off.
And FSA Director Richard Cordray previously suggested that companies were shutting down so they would not have to adhere to higher standards the administration put in place for loan servicing.
"We have stuck to our guns," he said. "Some servicers have decided to exit the program rather than contend with these new realities."
But following the CFPB's report, it's clear that companies are still engaging in potentially bad behavior. With regards to transfers, the agency recommended that companies use "robust data mapping exercises" that include test transfers to minimize errors and correct misrepresentations, and it's directing servicers to update their systems with accurate information and improve call-center assistance for borrowers.
Meanwhile, federal loan companies are also tasked with implementing President Joe Biden's recently announced $20,000 loan forgiveness plan through an application that is set to become live in early October.
Millions of student-loan borrowers had their debt transferred to new companies over the past year — and it resulted in payment errors for 'hundreds of thousands of accounts,' a federal consumer watchdog says
Ayelet Sheffey
Millions of student-loan borrowers were transferred to new companies over the past year.
The CFPB found those transfers resulted in significant errors on borrowers' balances.
Many borrowers received inaccurate bills and errors tracking their payment progress.
Last year, a number of student-loan companies announced they were ending their federal contracts, requiring millions of borrowers to be transferred to new servicers. A top federal consumer watchdog found the process has been far from seamless.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a report last week delving into practices by student-loan companies. It focused on the challenges that came with transferring 9 million borrowers' accounts to new servicers after major companies Granite State and PHEAA announced they would not be renewing their federal contracts to collect borrowers' student debt and manage their repayment plans.
From payment discrepancies to inaccurate billing statements, the report concluded there were errors for "hundreds of thousands" of accounts.
Here are the main findings with regards to servicer transfers:
Servicers had inaccurate information about borrowers' monthly payments and could not identify repayment schedules
The former and current servicer reported different numbers of total payments that count toward loan forgiveness progress in income-driven repayment plans
One servicer sent inaccurate billing statements to more than 500,000 borrowers
Borrowers were placed on forbearance when it wasn't the best option for them
Servicers were inadequately staffed to manage and implement program changes for targeted loan forgiveness programs and payment pauses.
The report noted that the current payment pause, which is set to expire in January 2023, "provides servicers and FSA (Federal Student Aid) with more time to correct transfer-related errors by making manual account adjustments, transferring supplemental account information, and correcting previous inaccurate or misleading statements."
Both lawmakers and the Education Department have scrutinized how loan companies are handling borrower transfers. After PHEAA — a major student-loan company — announced it was ending its federal servicing last year, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said those borrowers can "breathe a sigh of relief" because they would no longer be subjected to the company's practices like failing to track borrowers' payments and misleading them into taking on more debt than they can pay off.
And FSA Director Richard Cordray previously suggested that companies were shutting down so they would not have to adhere to higher standards the administration put in place for loan servicing.
"We have stuck to our guns," he said. "Some servicers have decided to exit the program rather than contend with these new realities."
But following the CFPB's report, it's clear that companies are still engaging in potentially bad behavior. With regards to transfers, the agency recommended that companies use "robust data mapping exercises" that include test transfers to minimize errors and correct misrepresentations, and it's directing servicers to update their systems with accurate information and improve call-center assistance for borrowers.
Meanwhile, federal loan companies are also tasked with implementing President Joe Biden's recently announced $20,000 loan forgiveness plan through an application that is set to become live in early October.
AMLO NEO-LIBERAL FASCISM
Mexico considers new military-run commercial airline
- Mexico is considering launching a new commercial airline run by the military whose fleet would include a presidential jet that has failed to find a buyer, the government said Tuesday.
Analysis of the proposal made by the defense ministry suggests that the domestic carrier would be profitable, but no decision has yet been made, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters.
If approved, the airline could begin operating in 2023 with a dozen planes, including the government’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner, he said.
Lopez Obrador, an austerity advocate who uses commercial flights, has been vowing to sell the plane since his 2018 election campaign, calling it an “insult” to the people.
The jet was purchased for about $218 million during former president Felipe Calderon’s 2006-2012 term in office, but the only one who used it was his successor Enrique Pena Nieto.
Lopez Obrador tried unsuccessfully to sell the airliner, which is customized with an executive bedroom, private bath and seating for 80 people.
The president has given increased responsibility to the armed forces, including control of ports and customs and major infrastructure projects — moves criticized by his opponents.
He has also introduced reforms to put the National Guard under military control, deepening concerns about what Amnesty International has called “the process of militarization of public security in Mexico.”
U$A
Why Women Age 50 and Over Could Decide 2022 Midterm Elections
Molly Smith
Tue, October 4, 2022
(Bloomberg) -- A majority of US women age 50 and over -- one of the largest and most reliable voting blocs -- is still undecided in the final weeks leading to the midterms, casting uncertainty on the outcome of a critical election year.
While nearly all of older female voters said they will cast ballots in November, 51% hadn’t yet picked their congressional candidates, according to a poll from AARP released Tuesday. Four in ten will decide in the last few weeks before the election, and they divide evenly between Democrats and Republicans.
Turnout will be key. Democrats are slightly favored to keep control of the US Senate, while Republicans are seen with a small edge to win the House, according to political analyst FiveThirtyEight.
Women age 50 and over cast nearly a third of ballots in the 2018 and 2020 elections, AARP said, citing voter files and Census Bureau data. That makes them the largest group of swing voters heading into this election season, according to Nancy LeaMond, chief advocacy and engagement officer at AARP.
“Women voters 50+ can make the difference in 2022 and decide the balance of power in Congress and statehouses across the country,” LeaMond said in a statement.
Hispanic and Asian women are more likely than White and Black women to still be weighing their options, AARP found in the survey conducted from Sept. 6-13. The women polled were also divided as to how well the economy is working for them personally, with Hispanics the only group where a majority said it wasn’t.
While worries about inflation and voting rights break along party lines, older women are more unified in their concerns about division in the country, Social Security and Medicare.
As far as what actions would help this group the most, 75% singled out protecting Social Security from cuts. The next biggest priority is lowering food prices, followed by cheaper costs for gas and health care.
Why Women Age 50 and Over Could Decide 2022 Midterm Elections
Molly Smith
Tue, October 4, 2022
(Bloomberg) -- A majority of US women age 50 and over -- one of the largest and most reliable voting blocs -- is still undecided in the final weeks leading to the midterms, casting uncertainty on the outcome of a critical election year.
While nearly all of older female voters said they will cast ballots in November, 51% hadn’t yet picked their congressional candidates, according to a poll from AARP released Tuesday. Four in ten will decide in the last few weeks before the election, and they divide evenly between Democrats and Republicans.
Turnout will be key. Democrats are slightly favored to keep control of the US Senate, while Republicans are seen with a small edge to win the House, according to political analyst FiveThirtyEight.
Women age 50 and over cast nearly a third of ballots in the 2018 and 2020 elections, AARP said, citing voter files and Census Bureau data. That makes them the largest group of swing voters heading into this election season, according to Nancy LeaMond, chief advocacy and engagement officer at AARP.
“Women voters 50+ can make the difference in 2022 and decide the balance of power in Congress and statehouses across the country,” LeaMond said in a statement.
Hispanic and Asian women are more likely than White and Black women to still be weighing their options, AARP found in the survey conducted from Sept. 6-13. The women polled were also divided as to how well the economy is working for them personally, with Hispanics the only group where a majority said it wasn’t.
While worries about inflation and voting rights break along party lines, older women are more unified in their concerns about division in the country, Social Security and Medicare.
As far as what actions would help this group the most, 75% singled out protecting Social Security from cuts. The next biggest priority is lowering food prices, followed by cheaper costs for gas and health care.
Energy crisis feared by Europe long a reality in Iraq
Tony Gamal-Gabriel
Tue, October 4, 2022
Europe may fear an energy crisis over the coming winter, but for Iraqis an unstable power supply and frequent blackouts have been a reality during decades of war and turmoil.
The Middle Eastern country is rich in oil, but endemic corruption and devastating conflict have taken a heavy toll on its infrastructure and forced most of its 42 million people to adapt.
The noise of privately owned generators can be heard all over the country as households and businesses try to make up for supply shortfalls from the national electricity company.
"Without generators, Iraq would go completely dark," Mohammed Jabr, a retired public servant, told AFP in his yard in Sadr City, a working-class district of the capital Baghdad.
Ensuring a stable power supply, he said, requires resourcefulness and money when the national grid can go down for four to 10 hours a day in peak summer consumption, according to electricity ministry data.
Generators "provide the electricity we need for the television, fridge, air cooler", said the 62-year-old former accountant.
He pays $50 a month in generator subscription fees -- but even that isn't always enough to keep a whole house running.
"A client may have to turn the fridge off to keep the air conditioner on," explained Khaled al-Shablawi, who has worked for a generator service for 13 years.
- 'Plunged into darkness' -
Soaring energy prices fuelled by Russia's war in Ukraine have forced a new reality upon European nations, where people are asked to limit the electricity they use for heating, lighting and cooking.
Some cities keep street lights on for shorter lengths of time, and in Paris, the lights illuminating the Eiffel Tower are switched off an hour earlier now to save energy.
But to Jabr, such a step "is normal".
"When there's a technical problem, the whole area could be left without power for a day or two before they fix it," he said.
Jabr recalled how immediately after the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled longtime dictator Saddam Hussein, "houses were plunged into darkness" after fighting destroyed infrastructure.
"There was very little electricity, only two or three hours" a day, he said. "People had their own generators. They would buy fuel and it would last a day or two."
In Iraq's long summer months, when temperatures can peak around 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) and air-conditioner use surges, overloaded generator providers hike up prices.
Some regions were deprived of power altogether in the summer of 2021, triggering sporadic street protests by frustrated residents.
- Europe 'destabilised' -
Despite its oil wealth, the country relies heavily on energy supply from neighbouring Iran.
With its mighty Tigris and Euphrates rivers, Iraq has some hydro-electric power but no nuclear plants, and is just beginning to explore renewable energy options such as solar panels.
In a bid to overcome the common blackouts, Baghdad has nonetheless moved to increase domestic power production.
It now generates more than 24,000 megawatts per day, said electricity ministry spokesman Ahmed Moussa.
To secure stable nationwide power supply, however, 32,000 megawatts would be needed daily, he said.
For now, the national grid provides most regions with 14-20 hours of electricity a day in summer, Moussa added.
In one Sadr City avenue, private generators line the street, each feeding electricity to some 300 homes and a similar number of shops.
Ali al-Aaraji, who owns a private college for around 300 students, decried "astronomical" generator costs, which he estimated at $600 a month.
"Electricity is a constant problem for Iraqis," said Aaraji, 58, pinning the blame on "the American occupation" of years past.
"Iraqis have managed to put up with the situation for three decades," he added, questioning how Europe would cope with its looming power problem.
"Energy is the source of economic prosperity," Aaraji said.
"Europe is now destabilised. It's going to impact their economy, industry and commerce. They'll go backwards."
tgg/ami/fz/lg
Tony Gamal-Gabriel
Tue, October 4, 2022
Europe may fear an energy crisis over the coming winter, but for Iraqis an unstable power supply and frequent blackouts have been a reality during decades of war and turmoil.
The Middle Eastern country is rich in oil, but endemic corruption and devastating conflict have taken a heavy toll on its infrastructure and forced most of its 42 million people to adapt.
The noise of privately owned generators can be heard all over the country as households and businesses try to make up for supply shortfalls from the national electricity company.
"Without generators, Iraq would go completely dark," Mohammed Jabr, a retired public servant, told AFP in his yard in Sadr City, a working-class district of the capital Baghdad.
Ensuring a stable power supply, he said, requires resourcefulness and money when the national grid can go down for four to 10 hours a day in peak summer consumption, according to electricity ministry data.
Generators "provide the electricity we need for the television, fridge, air cooler", said the 62-year-old former accountant.
He pays $50 a month in generator subscription fees -- but even that isn't always enough to keep a whole house running.
"A client may have to turn the fridge off to keep the air conditioner on," explained Khaled al-Shablawi, who has worked for a generator service for 13 years.
- 'Plunged into darkness' -
Soaring energy prices fuelled by Russia's war in Ukraine have forced a new reality upon European nations, where people are asked to limit the electricity they use for heating, lighting and cooking.
Some cities keep street lights on for shorter lengths of time, and in Paris, the lights illuminating the Eiffel Tower are switched off an hour earlier now to save energy.
But to Jabr, such a step "is normal".
"When there's a technical problem, the whole area could be left without power for a day or two before they fix it," he said.
Jabr recalled how immediately after the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled longtime dictator Saddam Hussein, "houses were plunged into darkness" after fighting destroyed infrastructure.
"There was very little electricity, only two or three hours" a day, he said. "People had their own generators. They would buy fuel and it would last a day or two."
In Iraq's long summer months, when temperatures can peak around 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) and air-conditioner use surges, overloaded generator providers hike up prices.
Some regions were deprived of power altogether in the summer of 2021, triggering sporadic street protests by frustrated residents.
- Europe 'destabilised' -
Despite its oil wealth, the country relies heavily on energy supply from neighbouring Iran.
With its mighty Tigris and Euphrates rivers, Iraq has some hydro-electric power but no nuclear plants, and is just beginning to explore renewable energy options such as solar panels.
In a bid to overcome the common blackouts, Baghdad has nonetheless moved to increase domestic power production.
It now generates more than 24,000 megawatts per day, said electricity ministry spokesman Ahmed Moussa.
To secure stable nationwide power supply, however, 32,000 megawatts would be needed daily, he said.
For now, the national grid provides most regions with 14-20 hours of electricity a day in summer, Moussa added.
In one Sadr City avenue, private generators line the street, each feeding electricity to some 300 homes and a similar number of shops.
Ali al-Aaraji, who owns a private college for around 300 students, decried "astronomical" generator costs, which he estimated at $600 a month.
"Electricity is a constant problem for Iraqis," said Aaraji, 58, pinning the blame on "the American occupation" of years past.
"Iraqis have managed to put up with the situation for three decades," he added, questioning how Europe would cope with its looming power problem.
"Energy is the source of economic prosperity," Aaraji said.
"Europe is now destabilised. It's going to impact their economy, industry and commerce. They'll go backwards."
tgg/ami/fz/lg
Europe needs to integrate Middle East into broader energy grid, says US economist
Jeffrey Sachs, a Columbia University professor, says 'major powers' must cooperate to combat effects of deteriorating climate
A Saudi man stands at a solar plant in Uyayna, north of Riyadh, on 29 March 2018 (AFP)
Jeffrey Sachs, a Columbia University professor, says 'major powers' must cooperate to combat effects of deteriorating climate
A Saudi man stands at a solar plant in Uyayna, north of Riyadh, on 29 March 2018 (AFP)
By MEE staff in
Washington
Published date: 4 October 2022
Europe should be working with Middle East countries to incorporate them into a broader regional energy grid in order to transition to clean, renewable energies, a leading economist said on Tuesday.
Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, spoke during an event at The Atlantic Council ahead of the 27th annual UN Climate Conference, known as COP27. The UN meeting will take place next month in Egypt's Red Sea resort, Sharm el-Sheikh.
Sachs highlighted that the Middle East and North Africa are going to be, and in some ways already are, hit hardest by the effects of climate change.
At the same time, the region is well-placed to be at the forefront of the energy transition, given it has huge potential for certain renewable energies, the most apparent being solar energy.
COP27: Egypt creating climate of fear for environmentalists ahead of conferenceRead More »
"This region has to make a massive energy transformation and, at the same time, combat an absolutely serious and potentially devastating set of impacts from climate change. And to make the energy transition is really only feasible in a broader regional context."
"We should have Europe negotiating with the Middle East and North Africa for incorporating those regions into a broader grid."
Sachs said that meetings like COP, where world leaders will meet together in person, should focus on negotiating the legal frameworks that will pave the way for connecting Europe and the Middle East's energy.
The region is already experiencing some of the worst effects of the accelerating climate crisis, with wildfires, floods and earthquakes coming at an increasing rate and intensity in recent years.
At the same time, large parts of the region are dependent on fossil fuel extraction and there is widespread resistance to transformative climate action in royal palaces, company boardrooms and government offices.
The economist noted that geopolitics is a major hindrance in efforts to combat climate change.
"We don't understand the geopolitical implications of the climate crisis. The geopolitical implications are: regions must cooperate, neighbours must cooperate, and major powers must cooperate. There's no place for major power confrontation in this world if we're going to solve this absolutely rapidly deteriorating environmental crisis," Sachs said.
Fighting for a green future
Speaking at the event on Tuesday, Yasmine Fouad, Egypt's climate minister, said that Egypt has been working across all sectors of its government towards a green transition, and called on other countries to follow suit.
"If we want climate mainstream, we have to start by ourselves - having other ministries on board like agriculture, like water, like finance, like planning, like oil and gas and like industry is a very important message that should be delivered around the world," she said.
"We cannot fight the climate only if we keep ourselves locked in our rooms talking about the same matters."
About 90 heads of state have confirmed attendance for the climate conference in Egypt, which will take place from 6-18 November, according to an Egyptian official.
Cairo is using the conference to prioritise the interests of developing nations and their need for financing to adapt to the impacts of climate change.
For the summit's formal agenda, the host country is working on how to include "loss and damage" compensation to climate-vulnerable countries already suffering from climate-related weather extremes.
Despite the efforts by the Egyptian government, climate activists in the country say that authorities are creating an "atmosphere of fear" by curtailing the rights of environmental groups and their ability to carry out their work of protecting the environment.
Human Rights Watch released a report earlier this month that included interviews with activists and academics who said that President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's government is harassing and intimidating environmental workers, including by arresting them and criminalising their work.
Many environmental groups told HRW that they are being cautious about the climate conference, fearing that the Egyptian security apparatus could crack down on them once the gathering is over.
Washington
Published date: 4 October 2022
Europe should be working with Middle East countries to incorporate them into a broader regional energy grid in order to transition to clean, renewable energies, a leading economist said on Tuesday.
Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, spoke during an event at The Atlantic Council ahead of the 27th annual UN Climate Conference, known as COP27. The UN meeting will take place next month in Egypt's Red Sea resort, Sharm el-Sheikh.
Sachs highlighted that the Middle East and North Africa are going to be, and in some ways already are, hit hardest by the effects of climate change.
At the same time, the region is well-placed to be at the forefront of the energy transition, given it has huge potential for certain renewable energies, the most apparent being solar energy.
COP27: Egypt creating climate of fear for environmentalists ahead of conferenceRead More »
"This region has to make a massive energy transformation and, at the same time, combat an absolutely serious and potentially devastating set of impacts from climate change. And to make the energy transition is really only feasible in a broader regional context."
"We should have Europe negotiating with the Middle East and North Africa for incorporating those regions into a broader grid."
Sachs said that meetings like COP, where world leaders will meet together in person, should focus on negotiating the legal frameworks that will pave the way for connecting Europe and the Middle East's energy.
The region is already experiencing some of the worst effects of the accelerating climate crisis, with wildfires, floods and earthquakes coming at an increasing rate and intensity in recent years.
At the same time, large parts of the region are dependent on fossil fuel extraction and there is widespread resistance to transformative climate action in royal palaces, company boardrooms and government offices.
The economist noted that geopolitics is a major hindrance in efforts to combat climate change.
"We don't understand the geopolitical implications of the climate crisis. The geopolitical implications are: regions must cooperate, neighbours must cooperate, and major powers must cooperate. There's no place for major power confrontation in this world if we're going to solve this absolutely rapidly deteriorating environmental crisis," Sachs said.
Fighting for a green future
Speaking at the event on Tuesday, Yasmine Fouad, Egypt's climate minister, said that Egypt has been working across all sectors of its government towards a green transition, and called on other countries to follow suit.
"If we want climate mainstream, we have to start by ourselves - having other ministries on board like agriculture, like water, like finance, like planning, like oil and gas and like industry is a very important message that should be delivered around the world," she said.
"We cannot fight the climate only if we keep ourselves locked in our rooms talking about the same matters."
About 90 heads of state have confirmed attendance for the climate conference in Egypt, which will take place from 6-18 November, according to an Egyptian official.
Cairo is using the conference to prioritise the interests of developing nations and their need for financing to adapt to the impacts of climate change.
For the summit's formal agenda, the host country is working on how to include "loss and damage" compensation to climate-vulnerable countries already suffering from climate-related weather extremes.
Despite the efforts by the Egyptian government, climate activists in the country say that authorities are creating an "atmosphere of fear" by curtailing the rights of environmental groups and their ability to carry out their work of protecting the environment.
Human Rights Watch released a report earlier this month that included interviews with activists and academics who said that President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's government is harassing and intimidating environmental workers, including by arresting them and criminalising their work.
Many environmental groups told HRW that they are being cautious about the climate conference, fearing that the Egyptian security apparatus could crack down on them once the gathering is over.
THE LAW IS NOT FOR ALL
Judge tosses charges against 7 people in Flint water crisisOCTOBER 4, 2022
A Michigan judge dismissed felony charges Tuesday against seven people in the Flint water scandal, including two former state health officials blamed for deaths from Legionnaires' disease.
The judge's dismissal was significant but not a complete surprise after the Michigan Supreme Court in June unanimously said a different judge acting as a one-person grand jury had no authority to issue indictments.
Judge Elizabeth Kelly rejected efforts by the attorney general's office to just send the cases to Flint District Court and turn them into criminal complaints, the typical path to filing felony charges in Michigan. It was a last-gasp effort to keep things afloat.
"Anything arising out of the invalid indictments are irreconcilably tainted from inception. ... Simply put, there are no valid charges," Kelly said.
Kelly's decision doesn't affect former Republican Gov. Rick Snyder. That's only because he was charged with two misdemeanors — willful neglect of duty — and his case is being handled by another judge. But he, too, was indicted in a process declared invalid by the Supreme Court. His next hearing is Oct. 26.
In 2014, Flint managers appointed by Snyder took the city out of a regional water system and began using the Flint River to save money while a new pipeline to Lake Huron was being built. But the river water wasn't treated to reduce its corrosive qualities. Lead broke off from old pipes and contaminated the system for more than a year.
The Michigan Civil Rights Commission said it was the result of systemic racism, doubting that the water switch and the brush-off of complaints in the majority-Black city would have occurred in a white, prosperous community.
The water tower at the Flint Water Plant in Flint, Michigan, looms large over the city March 4, 2016 nearly 2 years after the start of the city's water crisis.
GEOFF ROBINS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
Separately, the water was blamed for an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease, which typically spreads through heating and cooling systems.
Former state health director Nick Lyon and former chief medical executive Eden Wells were charged with involuntary manslaughter in nine deaths linked to Legionnaires'. They were accused of failing to timely warn the Flint area about the outbreak.
Lyon's attorneys praised Kelly's decision and urged the attorney general's office to close a "misguided prosecution."
"This misuse of the criminal justice system has to stop," Chip Chamberlain and Ron DeWaard said. "Misleading statements about what Director Lyon did or didn't do contribute nothing to a constructive public dialogue and do not represent justice for anyone."
An email seeking comment was sent to state prosecutors.
Besides Lyon and Wells, charges were dismissed against Snyder's longtime fixer in state government, Rich Baird; former senior aide Jarrod Agen; former Flint managers Gerald Ambrose and Darnell Earley; and Nancy Peeler, a health department manager.
Michigan's six-year statute of limitations could be a problem in some cases if the attorney general's office wants to file charges again. The deadline, however, would be longer for charges faced by Lyon and Wells.
Prosecutors in Michigan typically file felony charges in District Court after a police investigation. The use of a one-judge grand jury was extremely rare and was mostly utilized in Detroit and Flint to protect witnesses, especially in violent crimes, who could testify in private.
Prosecutors Fadwa Hammoud and Kym Worthy chose that path in the Flint water probe to hear evidence in secret and get indictments against Snyder and others.
Separately, the water was blamed for an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease, which typically spreads through heating and cooling systems.
Former state health director Nick Lyon and former chief medical executive Eden Wells were charged with involuntary manslaughter in nine deaths linked to Legionnaires'. They were accused of failing to timely warn the Flint area about the outbreak.
Lyon's attorneys praised Kelly's decision and urged the attorney general's office to close a "misguided prosecution."
"This misuse of the criminal justice system has to stop," Chip Chamberlain and Ron DeWaard said. "Misleading statements about what Director Lyon did or didn't do contribute nothing to a constructive public dialogue and do not represent justice for anyone."
An email seeking comment was sent to state prosecutors.
Besides Lyon and Wells, charges were dismissed against Snyder's longtime fixer in state government, Rich Baird; former senior aide Jarrod Agen; former Flint managers Gerald Ambrose and Darnell Earley; and Nancy Peeler, a health department manager.
Michigan's six-year statute of limitations could be a problem in some cases if the attorney general's office wants to file charges again. The deadline, however, would be longer for charges faced by Lyon and Wells.
Prosecutors in Michigan typically file felony charges in District Court after a police investigation. The use of a one-judge grand jury was extremely rare and was mostly utilized in Detroit and Flint to protect witnesses, especially in violent crimes, who could testify in private.
Prosecutors Fadwa Hammoud and Kym Worthy chose that path in the Flint water probe to hear evidence in secret and get indictments against Snyder and others.
MASS MURDERER
Gov. Rick Snyder looks at papers during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing about the Flint, Michigan, water crisis, on Capitol Hill on March 17, 2016 in Washington, D.C. MARK WILSON / GETTY IMAGES
But the state Supreme Court said Michigan law is clear: A one-judge grand jury can't issue indictments. The process apparently had never been challenged.
Chief Justice Bridget McCormack called it a "Star Chamber comeback," a pejorative reference to an oppressive, closed-door style of justice in England in the 17th century.
An effort to hold people criminally responsible for Flint's lead-in-water disaster has lasted years and produced little.
Before leaving office in 2019, then-Attorney General Bill Schuette, a Republican, had pledged to put people in prison. But the results were different: Seven people pleaded no contest to misdemeanors that were eventually scrubbed from their records.
After Dana Nessel, a Democrat, was elected, she got rid of special counsel Todd Flood and put Hammoud and Worthy, the respected Wayne County prosecutor, in charge.
There is no dispute that lead affects the brain and nervous system, especially in children. Experts have not identified a safe lead level in kids.
Facing a wave of lawsuits, the state agreed to pay $600 million as part of a $626 million settlement with Flint residents and property owners who were harmed by lead-tainted water. Most of the money is going to children.
Flint in 2015 returned to a water system based in southeastern Michigan. Meanwhile, roughly 10,100 lead or steel water lines had been replaced at homes by last December.
The city had 100,000 residents in 2010, but the population fell roughly 20% to 81,000 by the 2020 census, following the water crisis, according to the government.
But the state Supreme Court said Michigan law is clear: A one-judge grand jury can't issue indictments. The process apparently had never been challenged.
Chief Justice Bridget McCormack called it a "Star Chamber comeback," a pejorative reference to an oppressive, closed-door style of justice in England in the 17th century.
An effort to hold people criminally responsible for Flint's lead-in-water disaster has lasted years and produced little.
Before leaving office in 2019, then-Attorney General Bill Schuette, a Republican, had pledged to put people in prison. But the results were different: Seven people pleaded no contest to misdemeanors that were eventually scrubbed from their records.
After Dana Nessel, a Democrat, was elected, she got rid of special counsel Todd Flood and put Hammoud and Worthy, the respected Wayne County prosecutor, in charge.
There is no dispute that lead affects the brain and nervous system, especially in children. Experts have not identified a safe lead level in kids.
Facing a wave of lawsuits, the state agreed to pay $600 million as part of a $626 million settlement with Flint residents and property owners who were harmed by lead-tainted water. Most of the money is going to children.
Flint in 2015 returned to a water system based in southeastern Michigan. Meanwhile, roughly 10,100 lead or steel water lines had been replaced at homes by last December.
The city had 100,000 residents in 2010, but the population fell roughly 20% to 81,000 by the 2020 census, following the water crisis, according to the government.
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