Turkey's 'disinformation' bill to have pre-election 'chilling effect' -Europe watchdog


 Protesters demonstrate in Istanbul against a media bill

Sun, October 9, 2022 

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's proposed "disinformation" bill threatens free speech and could further harm journalism ahead of next year's elections, a European rights watchdog's legal body said, calling for Turkey's parliament to reject it.

The Venice Commission, which advises the Council of Europe, said prison sentences and other fallout from the draft legislation would be disproportionate to its aims and could lead to "arbitrary restrictions of freedom of expression".

President Tayyip Erdogan's government says the legislation would address misinformation in the press and on social media. His ruling AK Party and allies have a majority in parliament and are expected to adopt it as soon as this week.

Critics, including opposition parties and press groups, are primarily concerned over an article saying those who spread false information about Turkey's security to create fear and disturb public order would face one to three years in prison.

"The Commission is particularly concerned with the potential consequences of such provision, namely, the chilling effect and increased self-censorship, not least in view of the upcoming elections in June 2023," it said late on Friday.

It said the bill "constitutes an interference with the freedom of expression" protected by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). It asked lawmakers to clarify terms in the bill and to reject the draft amendment, which was debated last week.

There are alternative non-criminal ways to counter misinformation and disinformation in a democratic society, the Venice Commission said in a 23-page assessment.

The bill would continue a decades-long crackdown on free speech and the media under Erdogan, who faces tight presidential and parliamentary elections next year.

A Reuters investigation recently showed how the mainstream media has become a tight chain of command of government-approved headlines.

Parliament is set to resume debate over the legislation on Tuesday after it passed the first 15 articles last week.

Turkey faces suspension from the Council of Europe over an ECHR judgment that it ignored an earlier 2019 ruling calling for the release from prison of philanthropist Osman Kavala.

(Reporting by Azra Ceylan; Writing by Jonathan Spicer; Editing by Alex Richardson)

UK AUSTERITY BUDGET
Tory MPs are plotting with Labour to ‘block benefits cuts’, shadow minister reveals

Rob Merrick - 1h ago - REUTERS

Conservative MPs opposed to real-term benefits cuts are working with Labour to force Liz Truss to abandon the plan, a shadow minister has revealed.


SEI124326531 (1).jpg© EPA

Jonathan Ashworth said unhappy Tories have “reached out to me” to find a way to block the big hit to the incomes of the poorest, adding: “There’s a lot of anger on the Conservative side.”

The cross-party talks emerged as a senior Tory predicted Kwasi Kwarteng will be forced to cave in to pressure to release the Treasury watchdog’s verdict on his economic plans early – instead of keeping it under wraps until 23 November.

Liz Truss says no decision has been made on cutting benefits

View on Watch  Duration 0:55

Mel Stride, the chair of the Commons Treasury committee, also called his party’s mood “fairly febrile”, as MPs head back to Westminster this week with Labour 30 points ahead in the polls.

The twin controversies of the benefits cuts and the Office for Budget Responsibility’s secret forecast are shaping up as the key conflicts when Ms Truss and her chancellor face their rebellious MPs.

No 10 is desperate to bank savings for promised tax cuts by only increasing benefits in line with wages, rather than much-higher inflation – as Boris Johnson promised earlier this year.

But the Child Poverty Action Group is warning 200,000 more children will be pushed into poverty if payments rise by only around 5 per cent, not the inflation rate of roughly 10 per cent.

Mr Ashworth, the shadow work and pensions secretary, said many Conservatives oppose what he called “another unfair, deep cut in the incomes of the poorest”.

“I’m saying to Conservative MPs – some of them have already reached out to me – let’s work together and let’s block this,” he told Times Radio.

“I think there’s a lot of anger on the Conservative side, because we know what’s happening more broadly at the moment.”

Meanwhile, a former Sainsbury’s boss warned the cost of living crisis is the deepest for 50 years as he called on the government to directly help more effectively to the poorest.

“The 1970s is probably the last time the challenges to households were as great,” Justin King told Sky News.

He added: “I don’t think the government should be giving to those people who can afford to pay their bills, so it can give more money to those who are going to struggle. I think targeting is perfectly possible.”

Nadhim Zahawi, the Cabinet Office minister, said: “No decisions have been made on the benefits uprating.” It would normally be made in November – for changes next April.

Mr Stride attacked “too many missteps” and suggested there will need to be more U-turns to regain “fiscal credibility” on top of the climbdown on the plan to scrap the top 45p income tax rate.

“A lot of Conservative MPs are very concerned with where we are with the polls,” he said, adding: “There is a recognition that we have got to turn things around and start doing it very quickly.”

On the OBR report, Mr Stride said: “My best guess, and I’ve said it is only a guess, is that the date will be brought forward.”

ECOCIDE

Exclusive-U.S. Navy Jet Flew Across Baltic Hours After Nord Stream Burst

By Reuters
Oct. 7, 2022,


FILE PHOTO: Gas leak at Nord Stream 2 as seen from the Danish F-16 interceptor on Bornholm, Denmark September 27, 2022. Danish Defence Command/Forsvaret Ritzau


OSLO/PARIS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Navy reconnaissance aircraft flew near the site of the ruptured Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the Baltic Sea hours after the first damage emerged, according to tracking reviewed by Reuters, a flight Washington said was routine.

Russia's Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines burst on Sept. 26, draining gas into the Baltic Sea off the coast of Denmark and Sweden. Seismologists registered explosions in the area, and police in several countries have launched investigations.

Flight data showed a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance plane was over the North Sea at 0003 GMT when Swedish seismologists registered what they later described as a subsea blast southeast of Bornholm Island in the Baltic Sea.

The plane, which had flown from Iceland, performed a pattern of regular racetrack-shaped circuits over Poland before breaking away towards the Baltic pipeline area, data showed.

GRAPHIC - U.S. Navy plane flew near Nord Stream 2 after rupture

https://graphics.reuters.com/UKRAINE-CRISIS/ENERGY-AIRPLANE/klpykxjkxpg/chart.png

The identity of the plane could not immediately be established because of the type of rotating identification code sometimes used by such planes, but the U.S. Navy confirmed it was an American aircraft when presented with data by Reuters.

"The U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft shown in the tracking data conducted a routine Baltic Sea maritime reconnaissance flight, unrelated to the leaks from the Nord Stream pipelines," a U.S. Navy spokesperson said.

Related video: U.S jet flies near Russian gas pipelines after Nord Stream explosion - report
Duration 2:56   View on Watch

Asked if any of the intelligence gathered might help investigators looking into the pipeline ruptures, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa spokesperson, Capt. Tamara Lawrence said: "We do not have any additional information to provide at this time."

It's unclear what role, if any, the U.S. military is playing to aid European investigations into the ruptures of the pipelines, although President Joe Biden has spoken about eventually sending down divers.

'CHESS GAME'

According to the data, several minutes past 0100 GMT the plane flew south of Bornholm heading to northwestern Poland, where it circled for about an hour above land before flying at around 0244 GMT to the area where the gas leak was reported.

It came as close as some 24 kms (15 miles) to the reported leak site, circled once and flew towards the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, a frequent focus for surveillance, analysts say.

Polish, Swedish, Danish and German ministries of defence were not immediately available for comment.

There is flight data missing between 0339 GMT and 0620 GMT, but on its way back, around 0700 GMT, the plane flew some 4 kms north of the reported leak site.

Reuters used a partial flight map from U.S.-based tracking website Radarbox complemented by data provided to Reuters by Sweden-based Flightradar24 to reconstruct the P-8's path.

Flightradar24 data showed the plane taking off and landing at Reykjanes peninsula in southwestern Iceland, where Keflavik Air Base is located along with reported P-8 hangar facilities.

The data emerged as the Baltic remains a front for Cold War-style tensions in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to analysts who caution it is impossible to establish with certainty the reason behind specific military flight paths.

"The Baltic is a very active sphere of confrontation with lots of probing and an endless chess game," said UK-based defence analyst Francis Tusa.

Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Thursday the pipeline burst was "most likely" the work of Russian special services, citing information from Western allies.

Western governments and officials have so far avoided pointing a finger directly at Moscow, while Russia has rejected any allegations of responsibility as "stupid", blaming the United States and its allies instead.

(Additional reporting by Gwladys Fouche in Oslo, Marek Strzelecki in Warsaw, editing by Terje Solsvik and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

SEE

 https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2022/10/who-sabotaged-nord-stream-pipelines-us.html

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for ECOCIDE 

Malicious and targeted' sabotage halts rail traffic in northern Germany

By Sarah Marsh and Andreas Rinke - Yesterday 


FILE PHOTO: Train arrives at Hamburg-Altona station

© Reuters/FABIAN BIMMER

BERLIN (Reuters) -Cables vital for the rail network were intentionally cut in two places causing a near three-hour halt to all rail traffic in northern Germany on Saturday morning, in what authorities called an act of sabotage without identifying who might be responsible.

The federal police are investigating the incident, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said, adding the motive for it was unclear.

The disruption raised alarm bells after NATO and the European Union last month stressed the need to protect critical infrastructure after what they called acts of sabotage on the Nord Stream gas pipelines.

"It is clear that this was a targeted and malicious action," Transport Minister Volker Wissing told a news conference.

A security source said there were a variety of possible causes, ranging from cable theft - which is frequent - to a targeted attack.

Omid Nouripour, leader of the Greens party, which is part of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's federal coalition, said anyone who attacked the country's critical infrastructure would receive a "decisive response".

"We will not be intimidated," he wrote on Twitter.

CHAOS BEFORE ELECTION DAY

"Due to sabotage on cables that are indispensable for rail traffic, Deutsche Bahn had to stop rail traffic in the north this morning for nearly three hours," the state rail operator said in a statement.

Deutsche Bahn (DB) had earlier blamed the network disruption on a technical problem with radio communications. Spiegel magazine said the communications system was down at around 6:40 a.m. (0440 GMT). At 11:06 a.m, DB tweeted that traffic had been restored, but warned of continued train cancellations and delays.

The disruption affected rail services through the states of Lower Saxony and Schlewsig-Holstein as well as the city states of Bremen and Hamburg, with a knock-on effect to international rail journeys to Denmark and the Netherlands.

They came the day before a state election in Lower Saxony where Scholz's Social Democrats are on track to retain power and the Greens are seen doubling their share of the vote, according to polls.

Queues rapidly built up at mainline stations including Berlin and Hanover as departure boards showed many services being delayed or canceled.

(Reporting by Sarah Marsh; Additional reporting by Andreas Rinke and Christian Ruettger; Editing by David Holmes and Mark Potter)

No sign that foreign state was behind German rail sabotage, police say

An ICE high-speed train arrives at the Hamburg-Altona train station during a strike of the German Train Drivers' Union (GDL) in Hamburg, Germany September 2, 2021. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer

BERLIN, Oct 9 (Reuters) - German police said it had not excluded political motives in the suspected sabotage of communication cables on Germany's rail network on Saturday but that there was no sign of any involvement by a foreign state or terrorism.

A spokesperson for the Berlin criminal police bureau said on Sunday that it was still investigating the sabotage of radio communication cables in Berlin and Herne in North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW), which halted all rail traffic in northern Germany for around three hours on Saturday.

Germany's federal police has handed the case over to Berlin and NRW criminal police bureaus.

This is not the first time there have been attacks - often linked to leftwing extremists - on the communications system of state rail operator Deutsche Bahn, although it is the biggest one in recent years.

Fears have grown since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines of targeted assaults on Germany's critical infrastructure.

IMPERIALIST EXPROPRIATION 

Putin orders seizure of Exxon-led Sakhalin 1 oil and gas project

Japan's SODECO owns a 50% stake in the firm

By Sabrina Valle - Friday

FILE PHOTO: An aerial view shows the Yastreb land rig at Sakhalin-1's Chaivo field, some 1,000 km north of Yuzhno Sakhalinsk,© Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin

MOSCOW/HOUSTON (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Friday that establishes a new operator for the Exxon Mobil Corp-led Sakhalin-1 oil and gas project in Russia's Far East.

Putin's move affecting Exxon's largest investment in Russia mimics a strategy he used to seize control of other energy properties in the country.

The decree gives the Russian government authority to decide whether foreign shareholders can retain stakes in the project.

Exxon holds a 30% operator stake in Sakhalin-1, with Russian company Rosneft, India's ONGC Videsh and Japan's SODECO as partners.

Oil production at the Sakhalin-1 project fell to just 10,000 barrels per day (bpd) in July from 220,000 bpd before Russia invaded Ukraine.

NAVIGATING AN EXIT

Exxon has been trying to exit its Russia operations and transfer its role in Sakhalin-1 to a partner since March, after international sanctions imposed on Moscow.

Russia's government and Exxon have clashed, with the oil producer threatening to take the case to international arbitration.

Exxon declined to comment on Friday's decree.

Japan's SODECO was not immediately available to comment, but an official of the industry ministry, which owns a 50% stake in the firm, said it was gathering information and talking with partners. Japan has stopped buying crude from Russia since June.

Exxon took an impairment charge of $4.6 billion in April for its Russian activities and said it was working with partners to transfer Sakhalin-1's operation. It also reduced energy production and moved staff out of the country.

In August, Putin issued a decree that Exxon said made a secure and environmentally safe exit from Sakhalin-1 difficult. The U.S. producer then issued a "note of difference," a legal step prior to arbitration.

Friday's decree said the Russian government was establishing a Russian company, managed by Rosneft subsidiary Sakhalinmorneftegaz-shelf, that will own investors' rights in Sakhalin-1.

Foreign partners will have one month after the new company is created to ask the Russian government for shares in the new entity, the decree said.

Putin used a similar strategy in a July decree to seize full control of Sakhalin-2, another gas and oil project in the Russian Far East, with Shell and Japanese companies Mitsui & Co and Mitsubishi Corp as partners.

Russia has approved applications by the two Japanese trading houses seeking to transfer their stakes to a new operator.

(Reporting by Reuters; Additional reporting by Yoshifumi Takemoto, Yuka Obayashi in Tokyo, Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Clarence Fernandez)

ITS THE WEEKEND;ZIONISTS GO HUNTING

Deadly clashes in West Bank, shooting attack in Jerusalem

Israeli forces killed two Palestinian teens on Saturday in clashes in the occupied West Bank

Reuters
Ali Sawafta
Publishing date: Oct 08, 2022 • 

JENIN — Israeli forces killed two Palestinian teens on Saturday in clashes in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials said, and a Palestinian gunman fatally shot an Israeli soldier in Jerusalem, Israeli officials said.

Police said the shooter had opened fire at Israeli security forces at a checkpoint at the entrance to Palestinian refugee camp Shuafat on Jerusalem’s outskirts near the West Bank.

A female soldier was killed, the Israeli military said, and a security guard was badly wounded, police said, while forces were hunting for the assailant.

Earlier, the Israeli military said security forces on an operation to arrest a gunman from the Islamic Jihad militant group in the West Bank city of Jenin returned fire at Palestinians who shot and threw explosives at them.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said two Palestinians, aged 16 and 18, were killed and 11 were wounded. Palestinian President Mhamoud Abbas condemned the killings.

The latest in near-daily incursions into Jenin, a militant stronghold, underlined the volatile security climate in the West Bank as Israel heads towards elections on Nov. 1.

Israel launched its Operation Breakwater against militants on March 31 in response to a string of fatal Palestinian street attacks in Israel.

The surge in violence in the West Bank, where the Palestinian have limited self-rule, has been one of the worst in years with around 80 Palestinians killed, including militants and civilians.

U.N. Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland said he was alarmed by the violence and called for calm.

U.S.-brokered peace talks aimed at establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, collapsed in 2014 and show no sign of revival.

Israeli security officials have called on Abbas’s Palestinian Authority (PA) to do more to rein in violence.

The PA, increasingly unpopular in the West Bank, says its ability to exert its rule has been systematically undermined by Israel’s incursions.

Abbas’s spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, said in a statement that Israel’s government was “delusional” in thinking such actions would promote peace and stability. 

(Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem Editing by Ros Russell, Mark Potter, Nick Macfie and Cynthia Osterman)

WHEW, THAT WAS CLOSE
Italy Adopts New LGBT Strategy Just Before Right-Wing Takeover

By Reuters
Oct. 7, 2022

Elena Bonetti arrives at Quirinale Presidential Palace, before being sworn in as Italy's equal opportunities and families minister, in Rome, Italy September 5, 2019.
REUTERS/Ciro de Luca/File





Italy's outgoing government has set a three-year strategy to fight anti-LGBTQ discrimination amid fears of a roll-back of rights under the upcoming right-wing rule.

Members of the LGBTQ community have feared a crackdown on their rights under a far-right leader

The outgoing Italian government has adopted a new strategy to fight discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people (LGBTQ), Equal Opportunities Minister Elena Bonetti said in remarks published Friday.

The move comes before a new government, led by far-right leader Giorgia Meloni's post-fascist Brothers of Italy party, takes over power.

Although Meloni had ruled out rolling back LGBTQ rights, she previously spoke out against what she called LGBTQ "lobbies," and her party repeatedly condemned same-sex parenting and gender fluidness.

Those remarks have sparked fears that the LGBTQ community could face threats and hatred, even if their legal rights remained in place.
What is Italy's new LGBTQ plan?

Speaking with the Reuters news agency, Bonetti said the strategy was not "controversial."

"We weren't very ideological, we were very concrete," she said.

The new plan is also in line with the "European strategy" on LGBTQ rights and anti-discrimination laws, she told broadcaster Rai 3.

The 2022-2025 plan proposes providing awareness courses for teachers, doctors, police and corrections officers on LGBTQ rights.

The 30-page document recommends adding specific anti-LGBTQ discrimination clauses in national labor agreements.

"The strategy makes rights concrete with a series of actions against violence and marginalization," Bonetti told the Italian daily la Republica in an interview published Thursday, adding that she hoped the new government would implement it.
How did Brothers of Italy react?

The party's spokesperson for equal opportunities, Isabella Rauti, condemned the move, saying it was wrong for an outgoing, caretaker government to commit its successor to a multi-year plan.

Brothers of Italy politician Eugenia Roccella told la Republica the move is "not only incorrect, but also senseless."

"The government has had two years to do so now... it's just a publicity stunt," she added.

Separately on Friday, Meloni slammed French European Affairs Minister Laurence Boone for commenting that Paris would "pay close attention to the respect for values and the rule of law" under the new government in Rome.

Boone's comments seemed to be "an unacceptable threat of interference against a sovereign member state of the European Union," Meloni said.

"I trust that the French government will immediately deny the words," she added.

fb/sms (Reuters, AFP)

ULTIMATE MANSPLAINING
GOP Senate Nominee: Abortion Decisions 'Belong' to GOP ‘Gentlemen’ State Reps

Jennifer Bendery - Yesterday 

New Hampshire GOP Senate nominee Don Bolduc told supporters this week that he thinks the future of abortion rights “belongs” to Republican “gentlemen” state lawmakers, who he claims know best how to give women a voice on their reproductive rights.

During a Wednesday night town hall in Auburn, New Hampshire, Bolduc, a retired Army brigadier general, weighed in on whether he thinks abortion rights should be decided at the state level or the federal level.

“It belongs to the state. It belongs to these gentlemen right here, who are state legislators representing you,” Bolduc said, motioning to at least two Republican state representatives in the room, Jason Osborne and Jess Edwards.

Edwards, for one, voted against sidelining a bill in March that would have banned abortion upon the detection of a so-called fetal “heartbeat,” a misleading reference to cardiac activity in an embryo. That means the bill would have banned abortion after about five weeks, a point at which many people don’t even know that they are pregnant.

Here’s a shot of Bolduc’s campaign event, with Edwards seated nearby (HuffPost circled him with a yellow line). Bolduc tweeted out this image after the event.



New Hampshire Republican Senate candidate Don Bolduc talks about abortion rights at a campaign event. (Photo: Don Bolduc's Twitter account)© Provided by HuffPost

Bolduc went on to say that “as a man,” he thinks that women “get the best voice” on their reproductive rights when state legislators decide how to regulate them.

“That is the best way, I think, as a man, that women get the best voice: at the state level, not at the federal level,” he said.

Bolduc said his opponent, Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan, simply doesn’t understand that the best way to regulate women’s access to abortion care is on a state-by-state basis.

“She needs to get on board with the Supreme Court decision” to end Roe v. Wade, he said.

Here’s an audio clip of Bolduc’s remarks on abortion rights.

Bolduc campaign spokesperson Kate Constantini did not respond to a request for comment on why Bolduc thinks abortion rights are best decided by Republican “gentlemen” state legislators, or why he thinks they know best how to give women “a voice” on abortion matters.

Instead, Constantini accused Hassan of lying about Bolduc’s record.

“Senator Hassan shamelessly continues to lie about General Bolduc’s position, trying to scare voters and distract from her abysmal record,” she said. “The general opposes a federal ban on abortion and believes this decision should be in the hands of the states. Senator Hassan needs to end the lies and face the fact that she can no longer hide behind her deceit.”

Sydney Petersen, a spokesperson for Hassan’s campaign, said it’s clear that Bolduc thinks politicians know better than women what’s good for them.

“Every chance he gets, Bolduc reinforces that he believes politicians ― and more specifically Republican men ― should control a woman’s most personal decision about her future,” said Petersen. “His most recent comment further underscores that if elected, he would dismiss half the population and it’s clear that he would be a yes vote for a nationwide abortion ban.”

Hassan has been leading in the polls against Bolduc for months. She has widened her lead to nearly 8 points in the weeks since Bolduc became the official GOP nominee.

A recent Axios story suggested that internally, though, her campaign manager is sounding the alarms that polling may be inaccurate and Hassan may be in more trouble than it looks.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

LACONIA, NH - SEPTEMBER 10: Republican Senate candidate Don Bolduc greets supporters at a town hall event on September 10, 2022 in Laconia, New Hampshire. Bolduc is running against Bruce Fenton and Chuck Morse in the in the upcoming GOP primary. (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)© Provided by HuffPost

GEMOLOGY COMMODITY FETISH

This brilliant pink diamond sold for about $60 million

In this undated photo released by Sotheby's, The Williamson Pink Star is seen. The pink diamond was auctioned off at $49.9 million in Hong Kong on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022, setting a world record for the highest price per carat for a diamond sold at auction. - Sotheby's/AP

Zoe Sottile - 

A stunning pink diamond has sold for nearly $60 million, more than twice the expected price.

The massive rock sold for 453.2 million Hong Kong dollars, or around $58 million, on Friday, according to auction house Sotheby’s. The stone was expected to sell for around $21 million.

The 11.15 carat pink diamond, referred to as the “Williamson Pink Star,” is one of the purest, pinkest diamonds ever to come to auction, according to a news release from Sotheby’s.

“The discovery of a gem-quality pink diamond of any size is an extremely rare occurrence – something that, with the recent closure of the Argyle mine, seemed until recently – highly improbable,” said Wenhao Yu, chairman of Jewellery and Watches at Sotheby’s Asia, in the release. “Driven by a limited supply and rising demand, prices for top-quality large pink diamonds over 5 carats have increased exponentially over the past decade, serendipitously setting the scene for the appearance now of this one-of-a-kind stone.”

The pastel-hued diamond was named in honor of two other pink diamonds, the CTF Pink Star, which sold for $71.2 million in 2017, and the “Williamson” diamond, a pink diamond gifted to Queen Elizabeth II.

The Williamson Pink Star was cushion-cut from a 32-carat rough diamond mined at the Williamson Mine in Tanzania, says Sotheby’s.

The stone is unique for both its size and its color. Pink diamonds are some of the rarest variants, according to Sotheby’s, and this rock is a particular standout because of its purity and clarity.

Hong Kong was the diamond’s last stop after traveling on a tour that included Dubai, Singapore, and Taipei.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com

GEOLOGY PALEONTOLOGY

Fossils aplenty in B.C. town; digging for them encouraged

Doyle Potenteau - 

Looking for a quick getaway that’s close and offers something unique?


Fossils of leaves found near Princeton, B.C.© Submitted

The Town of Princeton in B.C.’s Southern Interior is rich with fossils, and digging for them is encouraged.

The mayor of Princeton, Spencer Coyne, said the town has a huge fossil history, and that it dates back to the late 1800s.

Read more:
Alberta man discovers prehistoric mammoth tusk in yard on Saddle Lake Cree Nation

“We’ve had a couple of really unique finds here,” said Coyne, adding locals have been digging for fossils as long as he can remember. “We have two species now that are only found in Princeton.”

“We’re talking about insects, plants and, if you’re really, really lucky, you’re going to find a fish,” the mayor continued. “You need to look for a shale outcropping. That’s kind of the key, looking for shale.

“You look between the layers of shale and you’ll find fossils.”

Kathy Simpkins, a volunteer at the Princeton and District Museum, said several papers have been written about the types of plant, fish and insect fossils found in and around Princeton.

The fossils range from around 50 million years ago, with Simpkins noting some are now extinct, while others have relatives living elsewhere in the world, but no longer in B.C.

“They’re Eocene fossils, so after the age of dinosaurs, but not long after,” said Simpkins. “The rock around here is 50 to 51 million years old, and the dinosaurs died out 65 million years ago.”

A satellite rendition can be viewed online of what the Earth looked like 50 million years ago.

At the time, Simpkins says the ocean was slightly closer to B.C., and the Cascade Mountain range had yet to form, resulting in a warmer climate despite being at a higher elevation.

“It gave this interesting mix of birch and pine along with sassafras trees and palm-like trees,” said Simpkins. “It’s not the usual forest you’d see here today.”

If unearthing fossils is for you, the first stop is Princeton’s museum, where examples of what can be found are on display.

“You can get it in your mind’s eye of what the rock will look like, the colours and the shape, whether it’s blocky or rounded. That’s really helpful for finding fossils.”

Prehistoric shark tooth fossil discovered by boy in his Alberta yard

View on Watch  Duration 1:52

Simpkins says easy places to find fossils include gravel bars and sandbars along the Tulameen or Similkameen rivers, as long as it’s safe to do so.


“There’s lots of cobbles of petrified wood, and sometimes cobbles you can break open and find (fossils of) leaves, twig impressions and sometimes even an insect.”

Other places include banded stretches of rock near roads and highways, where sometimes rocks containing fossils tumble into ditches. Again, pending the location, safety is a priority as traffic can be nearby.

Asked what type of tools hopeful explorers should bring, Simpkins said an old butter knife can sometimes work wonders.

“Just that flat edge,” said Simpkins. “It’s flat enough to help split those layered rocks. Some people use a wide, flathead screwdriver. Sometimes people get excited and want to use a rock hammer and an actual cold chisel.”

Video: Meet Dave: Unique ancient shark skeleton on display at Manitoba fossil museum

Eye protection is also highly suggested, with Simpkins noting “sometimes you can get by without any heavy equipment at all. Sometimes they’re just laying there, waiting for you to flip the rock over and have a peek.”

The Princeton and District Museum is located in the downtown core, and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., every day during summer. And in it are fossils aplenty.

“People will come in and wonder if they have a fossil after finding something,” said Simpkins. “We try to help them out as best we can.”

“It’s a fun thing to do, looking for fossils,” she added. “If you have something interesting, or unusual or weird, bring it to your local museum, whether it’s Princeton or another place in B.C., and try to get it identified.

“Sometimes it does turn out to be a new species and you can get your name written up in a science paper, and it’s kind of cool.”

Video: Fossil species named in honour of Manitoba paleontologist

Coyne says searchers have to be cognizant of private or protected property, but that there are a number of areas to dig for fossils along Highway 5A and around the community. He says the best deposits can be found alongside roads.

“They’re just about everywhere,” said Coyne. “Find a piece of shale, break it in half and you might just be lucky.

“If you’re into rock-hounding and looking for fossils, Princeton is one of the best places to be.”

Video: Perfectly-preserved dinosaur embryo found inside fossilized egg in China