After Years of Trump-Russia Denials, Putin’s Enforcer Admits Election Interference

Barbie Latza Nadeau
Mon, November 7, 2022

Misha Japaridze/Reuters

After adamantly denying interfering in the 2016 U.S. election that brought Donald Trump to power, a Kremlin insider has admitted that suspected Russian interference in American elections was real. “We have interfered, are interfering and will continue to interfere,” Yevgeny Prigozhin, a chief ally and favorite chef of Vladimir Putin said on Russian social media through his Concord Catering company on Monday. “Carefully, precisely, surgically and in our own way. During our pinpoint operations, we will remove both kidneys and the liver at once.”

The remark, made on the eve one of the most important elections in recent history as American go to polls for midterm elections Tuesday, did not immediately garner comment from Democrats or Republicans.

Prigozhin is the first Russian close to Putin to admit what the FBI has long suspected: that Russia interfered in U.S. elections.

The Russian who orchestrates Putin’s private army—the Wagner group—did not specify which election the Russians have intervened in, but he is well aware that there has been intense focus, and several indictments, surrounding Russia’s alleged efforts in the election of Trump, when there was reason to believe that Kremlin wanted the former reality TV star to be victorious.

It has been reported that Russian agents dug deep, probing voter databases for insecurities and even hacking Hillary Clinton’s campaign to try to swing the vote towards Trump.

During the election campaign, Russian operatives are suspected of hacking the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic National Committee and even trying to hack the Republican National Committee. The FBI also contends they spread propaganda on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram and staged fake rallies in the swing states Florida and Pennsylvania.

‘Putin’s Chef’ Suddenly Has a Lot to Say About Twisted New War Effort

Prigozhin did not elaborate on the extent of the interference, or if the FBI was right when they indicted him and a dozen other Russians in 2018 as part of the Mueller investigation for operating a covert social media campaign, nor if Russia was behind setting up fake meetings with Trump associates that included a promise of a Trump Tower in Moscow.

The Justice Department under Trump eventually tried to get the charges dismissed since the two main companies named—Concord Management and Consulting LLC and Concord Catering—had no fiscal presence in the U.S. and that trying them would potentially lay bare some investigative secrets.

Prigozhin, who has been slapped with sanctions from the U.S., U.K., and E.U., also admitted in September that he founded and funded the Wagner mercenaries that fought in Syria and African and who are now operating for Russia in Ukraine after denying involvement for years.

In July, the U.S. offered a $10 million award for information on his “engagement in U.S. election interference.”

De Sousa leaves his seat and the leadership of the Communist Party of Portugal

The secretary general of the Communist Party of Portugal (PCP), Jerónimo de Sousa, announced this Sunday that he is stepping down from his seat and the post of secretary general of the PCP, which he had held for 18 years.


Archive - The general secretary of the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP), Jerónimo de Sousa - 

PCP© Provided by News 360

"There is a qualitative alteration of my capacities and taking into account the dimension of our bench, an absence does not come well," said De Sousa in a press conference picked up by the 'Diário de Notícias'. "We need to reinforce ourselves. We are going to reach an alternative to give strength and dynamism to the PCP", he added. De Sousa stressed that it was "a decision of his own".

Duarte Alves will replace De Sousa in the National Assembly, while Paulo Raimundo will be in charge of the leadership of the party after the decision of the Central Committee scheduled for next Saturday.

"I have participated in a long process of 18 years and as secretary I have always tried to do my best (...) with ethical values of honesty, openness and fraternity," he said.

De Sousa has also emphasized that he leaves his responsibilities "with his head held high". "I have known defeats, victories, setbacks", he answered when questioned about the trajectory of declining electoral results.

The PCP is now in the opposition with six seats after the recent absolute majority achieved by the Socialist Party of Portugal, but in the previous legislature it was key to support the Socialists in a minority government baptized as the 'geringonça' or "botched job" that brought together Socialists, Communists, ecologists and Left Bloc.

Israeli reporter resigns after 40 years: 'Freedom of press at risk'

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF - Yesterday

Israeli journalist Rina Matzliach announced that she was resigning on Sunday after nearly 40 years in the press, stressing that she was worried about the state of freedom of press in Israel.

Channel 12 news anchor and journalist, Rina Matzliach at a conference of the Israeli Television News Company in Jerusalem on March 7, 2021

© (photo credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

"I retire wholeheartedly, with great sadness and concern," wrote Matzliach in a letter to the employees of N12, where she served as an anchor on the Meet the Press show. "In my entire adult life, I did nothing but be a journalist. For years, this profession defined me and I enjoyed every moment."

"I have fulfilled dreams that I did not dare to dream. I also broke a few glass ceilings. But that's it, it's time to say goodbye," added Matzliach. "I feel like I need a rest. I'm also, and perhaps mainly, tired of my field of coverage: politics. I'm no longer excited to come to the Knesset and I'm not really excited to interview another minister and another member of the Knesset."

The N12 anchor referenced threats she received while working as a journalist, including what she called a "very severe personal attack" against her about two years ago.

"I wasn't scared by the letters threatening my life, and I cleaned my cell phone of the thousands of hateful messages that were also addressed to my late beloved parents. But over time I realized that after all I was left with a severe scar," wrote Matzliach. "The attackers, who were organized and activated by political forces, did not scare me. I continued to speak my mind, but something in me broke."



Israeli journalist Rina Matzliach (credit: MOSHE SHAI/FLASH90)

"I have learned in recent years that there are two political camps in Israel. One actively wants to harm the free and independent press, and the other at best, 'doesn't deal with it,' and at worst, tries to silence journalists from the opposite camp," added the reporter.

Addressing fellow journalists, Matzliach stressed "Your profession is journalism - but your mission is to protect the freedom of the press and freedom of expression. I told you about the terrible attack I went through. I did not for a moment consider suing any of the attackers who defamed me. I thought, and I still think so today, that we journalists need to grasp the most expansive meaning of freedom of expression because this is the obligatory derivative of our work."

"I'm sure that some of you are asking yourselves now - what is she talking about? Who is stopping us from speaking our minds?" added Matzliach. "The damage to the freedom of the press is not direct, but the intensification of competition often leads to rounding corners, to stretching professional principles, not being precise in the rules of ethics, fear of shaming on the networks, fear of damaging sources, all of this weakens the independence of the journalist. I believe that every journalist should grow a backbone because only this will guarantee them long-term success."

Past controversy surrounding Matzliach

In 2020, Matzliach was suspended by N12 for a week after stating that “Netanyahu supporters say they would still vote for him if he raped their daughter.”

The comments sparked outrage, with Netanyahu stating at the time "Your sick hatred for Likud voters and for me reached a new abyss. First, you called us blind herd and now you say things I cannot even repeat, and you still dare to call yourself a journalist.”

‘Slash and burn’ economics not the answer to global woes, Freeland warns

Rachel Gilmore - 

Canada won't turn to "slash and burn" economics as the world braces for a looming economic downturn, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said.


Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland arrives for a news conference before tabling the Fall Fiscal Update in Ottawa, on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang© JDT

Her comment comes after she tabled her fall economic statement on Thursday, which warned Canada is set to face "significantly weaker growth" and runs the risk of stubborn and prolonged inflation in the months ahead.

Despite a dire economic prognosis for the global economy, the fall economic statement still contained some $30 billion net in new spending measures over the next six years -- and Freeland defended this approach in an interview with The West Block's Mercedes Stephenson, aired Sunday.

"We saw a couple of weeks ago what happens when a hard-right government decides that the solution to a challenging global economy is just to slash and burn," Freeland said.

"That's what we saw with (former Prime Minister) Liz Truss in the U.K. And the outcome wasn't pretty."

Read more:
Inflation will chart Canada’s economic fate, Ottawa’s fiscal update shows

The Bank of England warned this week that the U.K. is headed for its "longest recession since records began, according to reports. Truss's plan was widely panned as trickle-down economics, and the reaction was swift with Freeland saying the world saw the British pound "plummeting."

"We saw British pension funds on the brink of collapsing and the Bank of England had to step in to save the British economy," Freeland said.

"We are not going to do that in Canada."

Times of economic uncertainty, Freeland added, are "when we need our social safety net the most, when Canadians need the security of EI and the CPP."

"And we are going to defend that," she added.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, meanwhile, slammed the economic statement in the House of Commons on Thursday, calling it an "inflationary scheme."

The Opposition leader criticized the Liberals for not matching their $30.6 billion in new spending over six years outlined in the update with equal budgetary cuts, which he said will continue to drive up inflation and hurt average families.

Federal government warns Canadians of more economic challenges ahead

But event before the fall economic statement was tabled, Poilievre had been critical of the current government's plans for the economy -- including its push to increase CPP and EI premiums. He has characterized the increases as "taxes" and has repeatedly called on the government to change course.

Speaking on Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pushed back. He accused Poilievre's Conservatives of advocating for "failed" policies.

"They're actually doubling down on the failed, old theory of trickle-down economics, which means tax breaks for the wealthy while hollowing out the middle class," he said.

Meanwhile, the federal government did not state outright in its projections whether it believes Canada will fall into a recession, even as the chorus of voices predicting such a downturn grows louder.

The consensus of economists polled back in September projected “significantly weaker growth” than predicted in Ottawa’s budget this past spring. The new baseline forecast sees overall gross domestic product (GDP) growth of “just above zero for the next several quarters” and unemployment rising to 6.3 per cent by the end of 2023.

That projection also puts the odds of a recession in Canada at 40 per cent. But Ottawa’s update also provides a “downside scenario” outlining a worse case amid economic uncertainty.

-- with files from Global News' Craig Lord, Amanda Connolly

HRW accuses Uzbekistan of unjustified use of lethal force against protesters

Daniel Stewart - News 360

The NGO Human Right Watch (HRW) on Monday accused Uzbekistan's security forces of unjustifiably using lethal force to disperse demonstrators during protests in early July this year.

Archive - The President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev - Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa© 

Responses allegedly made by security forces included the inappropriate use of small arms and various types of grenades, as well as weapons that can cause serious injury and death when used recklessly.

According to data collected by the organization, at least 21 people were killed, including four law enforcement officers, and more than 270 were injured.

For this reason, HRW has called on the Government of Uzbekistan to launch an "independent investigation" into the conduct of security forces during the protests and to "urgently" review the use of certain categories of grenades.

"Many people were killed and hundreds injured, some with the most horrific injuries, in Karakalpakstan in July," said Human Rights Watch Europe and Central Asia director Hugh Williamson.

"Uzbekistan owes it to the victims to properly investigate how this happened and to hold those responsible for serious violations accountable," he added.

Through an independent medical analysis of the visual evidence, the NGO has identified seven cases in which people suffered, and likely died from, severe tissue damage that was highly consistent with blast trauma.

Separately, it has analyzed two significantly heavier types of projected grenades, some of which were manufactured in Bulgaria. Used during protests, they can cause significant injury or even death.

"Uzbekistan has an obligation to respect the rights of peaceful expression and peaceful assembly, including ensuring that its security forces are trained and equipped to control demonstrations in a rights-respecting manner. The inappropriate use of small arms and grenades violates several of Uzbekistan's international human rights obligations," HRW stressed in a statement.

It also stressed that "basic principles" on the use of force and firearms of the UN state that security forces should "apply non-violent means before resorting to the use of force and firearms" and always use the minimum necessary force.

"The government's response to the events of July is a test of whether Uzbekistan has turned the page and truly intends to respect human rights and the rule of law," said Williamson.

"It should not shy away from bringing to justice the security forces personnel responsible for the deaths and injuries of so many people," he added.

Drought tests resilience of Spain's olive groves and farmers


Drought tests resilience of Spain's olive groves and farmers© Provided by The Canadian Press

QUESADA, Spain (AP) — An extremely hot, dry summer that shrank reservoirs and sparked forest fires is now threatening the heartiest of Spain's staple crops: the olives that make the European country the world's leading producer and exporter of the tiny green fruits that are pressed into golden oil.

Industry experts and authorities predict Spain's fall olive harvest will be nearly half the size of last year's, another casualty of global weather shifts caused by climate change.

“I am 57 years old and I have never seen a year like this one,” farmer Juan Antonio Delgado said as he walked past his rows of olive trees in the southeast town of Quesada. “My intention is to hang on as long as I can, but when the costs rise above what I make from production we will all be out of a job.”

High temperatures in May killed many of the blossoms on the olive trees in Spanish orchards. The ones that survived produced fruits that were small and thin because of not enough water. A little less moisture can actually yield better olive oil, but the recent drought is proving too much for them.

This year has been the third-driest in Spain since records were started in 1964. The Mediterranean country also had its hottest summer on record.

Spain's 350,000 olive farmers typically harvest their crops in early October, ahead of their full ripeness, in order to produce the olive oil. But with his olives still too puny to pick, Delgado left most of the fruit on his trees, hoping for rain. So far, no luck.

If the wished-for rain doesn't arrive soon, the country will produce nearly half as many olives as it did last year, according to Spain’s agriculture minister.

“Our forecast for this harvest season is notoriously low,” Agriculture Minister Luis Planas told The Associated Press. “The ministry predicts that it won't even reach 800,000 tonnes (882,000 U.S. tons)," compared with 1.47 million tonnes (1.62 million U.S. tons) in 2021.

Olive trees cover 2.7 million hectares (6.8 million acres) of Spain’s soil, with a full 37% of them found in Jaén province, which is known for its “sea of olives” and where Delgado farms.

On average, Spain grows more than three times as many olives as Italy and Greece, which also are seeing smaller yields.

Olive oil production in the European Union as a whole is forecast to fall drastically compared with last year, according to the Committee of Professional Agricultural Organizations and the General Confederation of Agricultural Cooperatives,

The European farming organizations, known by the acronyms COPA and COGECA, warned in September that the yield could drop by 35% due to drought and high temperatures. The two groups called the situation in Spain “particularly worrying.”

The smaller harvest is driving up prices, according to Italian olive oil producer Filippo Berio. The company said the price of European olives for extra virgin oil has soared from 500 euros per tonne ($495) to 4,985 euros ($4,938) per tonne.

Along with warmer than usual weather, the drought is affecting Spanish olives in other ways. Farming method consultant Antonio Bernal is witnessing the return of long-forgotten diseases during his visits to Quesada. He believes that milder winters are helping fungi to proliferate.

Bernal also fears that the most widespread variety of olive cultivated in Jaén won’t be able to adapt to such a quickly changing climate.

“The solution is to stop climate change: Olive groves cannot adapt at a pace to assume such a fast change," Bernal said.

Besides the olive branch being the universal symbol of peace, the olive is a symbol of the Mediterranean. Plato was said to have dispensed his wisdom under an olive tree and the olive's widespread cultivation in Spain goes back to the Romans.

When it got too dry for orange and lemon trees, olive trees were counted on to continue thriving. The short, gnarly trees cling to dry, rocky ground and seem not to mind when the sun comes pounding down. Under torrid midday conditions, microscopic pores on their leaves close to reduce water loss.

“For Jaén, the olive has been our culture, our way of subsisting and feeding our families,” said olive farmer Manuel García.

Yet even the hearty olive has limits. These days, the fruit represents the challenges communities face in a hotter, dryer world.

Researcher Virginia Hernández is an olive expert based at the Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology in Seville, Spain. She is studying how to adapt irrigation practices to drought, specifically the point at which “sub-optimum” quantities of water can be used to promote sustainability.

With less rain likely to become a norm, using water sparingly is critical, Hernández said. She thinks a more intelligent use of high-tech irrigation systems combined with more drought-resistant varieties of trees could save the industry as the planet warms.

According to climate experts, the Mediterranean is expected to be one of the fastest warming regions of the world in the coming years. The trick is convincing farmers that reducing their output some today might save their livelihoods tomorrow, the kind of adaptability at which olives are particularly adept, Hernández said.

“The truth is that the olive is the paradigmatic species when it comes to resisting a lack of water,” she said. “I can’t think of another that can hold up like the olive. ... It knows how to suffer.”

___

Joseph Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain. Photojournalist Bernat Armangue and videojournalist Iain Sullivan contributed from Quesada.

___

Follow AP's coverage of the climate and environment: https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

Raquel Redondo And Joseph Wilson, The Associated Press

Ukraine suffered a comms outage when 1,300 SpaceX satellite units went offline over funding issues

Alex Marquardt - CNN 

Ukraine’s fears that its troops  may lose access to Elon Musk’s crucial Starlink internet service deepened in the past week after 1,300 of the military’s satellite units went offline, according to two sources familiar with the outage.

'Bad timing': Elon Musk's company can no longer fund its vital service to Ukraine

Duration 3:33 View on Watch

The small, easy-to-use satellite dishes made by Musk’s private rocket company SpaceX have been universally hailed as a game-changing source of communication for Ukraine’s military, allowing it to fight and stay online even as cellular phone and internet networks have been destroyed in its war with Russia. 

But concerns have risen recently over the dependability of SpaceX after discussions about funding were revealed and outages were reported near the frontlines. 

CNN first reported that SpaceX sent a letter in September to the Pentagon claiming it had spent almost $100 million funding Starlink in Ukraine and that it could no longer continue to do so. The letter requested that the Defense Department  take over more of the funding  for Ukraine’s military, which it calculated would run tens of millions of dollars a month. 

Days after the CNN report, Musk appeared to reverse course, claiming that SpaceX had withdrawn the request. 

“The hell with it,” Musk tweeted, “we’ll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free.”

Negotiations between SpaceX and the Defense Department continue despite Musk’s claim that SpaceX withdrepw its request, according to a senior defense official.

“Negotiations are very much underway. Everyone in our building knows we’re going to pay them,” the senior Pentagon official told CNN, adding that the department is eager to have commitments in writing “because we worry he’ll change his mind.”



SpaceX CEO Elon Musk provides an update on the development of the Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket at the company's Launch facility in south Texas. - Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post/Getty Images

On Wednesday, Musk attended a ceremony for US Space Force which also included Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and General Mark Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Musk has also been embroiled in his high-profile and controversial takeover of Twitter.

Neither Musk nor SpaceX responded to a request for comment. The Ukrainian government, including the Ministry of Defense, did not immediately respond.

The recent outage started on October 24 and was described by one person briefed on the situation as a “huge problem” for Ukraine’s military. The terminals had been disconnected, this person said, due to a lack of funding.  

The outage affected a block of 1,300 terminals that Ukraine purchased from a British company in March and were used for combat-related operations. 

SpaceX was charging Ukraine’s military $2,500 a month to keep each of the 1,300 units connected, pushing the total cost to almost $20 million by September, the person briefed on the matter said. Eventually, they could no longer afford to pay, the person said.  

A British request

Before the terminals went completely dark, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense made a request in early October to their British counterparts to pick up the $3.25 million monthly bill. The batch of terminals were also rotated out as concerns grew that service could be turned off, in order to minimize the impact, the source said.

A British official said after discussions between the ministries “it was agreed there were higher priority military capabilities.” Among many other channels of support, the UK has been flying thousands of Ukrainian troops to Britain for training before they head back to the frontlines.

“We support a number of terminals that have a direct tactical utility for Ukraine’s military in repelling Russia’s invasion,” the British official told CNN.  “We consider and prioritize all new requests in terms of the impact contributions would have in supporting Ukraine to defend its people against Putin’s deplorable invasion.”

A senior Ukrainian official confirmed the outage, calling the Starlink units “very important” for Ukraine’s fight against Russia.  

The September letter from SpaceX to the Pentagon said there were almost 20,000 Starlink terminals in Ukraine. At that time, by SpaceX’s own admission, the majority of them were fully or partially purchased with outside funding, including from the US, Polish and UK governments. The letter claimed those sources paid for about 30% of the monthly connectivity bill as well.

The terminals, which include small satellite dishes, connect to SpaceX’s constellation of satellites orbiting the earth and not only keep troops and civilians online but have been used with lethal effect, proving critical for Ukraine’s use of drones and artillery targeting.

It’s unclear exactly how many terminals Ukraine’s military is operating but the 1,300 that recently shut off represent a significant portion. In July the country’s commander-in-chief wrote Musk directly asking for more, in a letter seen by CNN, saying approximately 4,000 had been deployed by the military.

A woman rides a bicycle past a damaged building in the town of Kupiansk on November 3, 2022, Kharkiv region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. - Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images

Earlier this month, Musk said that of the more than 25,000 terminals now in Ukraine, fewer than 11,000 were paying for the service, which can run as high as $4,500 per month.

On Monday a Pentagon spokesman declined to comment on potential contracts or agreements but said talks are ongoing.

“We continue to discuss Ukraine’s satellite communication needs with Ukraine and companies like SpaceX and others,” Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told reporters.

Whether greater cooperation with SpaceX would give the US government stronger control over the Starlink signal in Ukraine has not been answered. Currently SpaceX controls where Ukraine Starlink terminals can be used and outages have previously been reported by Ukrainian units near the front, as they advanced and liberated Russian-held areas.

As a result, Musk’s control of the signal gives him significant sway over the battlefield at a time when he has come under heavy criticism for arguing that Ukraine should sue for peace and give up some of its territory.

China's breadbasket province realizes highly mechanized farming
Fang Ning,Hou Ming,unreguser - Yesterday 

Photo taken on Oct. 3, 2022 shows a paddy field of Yanjiagang Farm Co., Ltd. of Beidahuang Group in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. (Xinhua/Zhang Tao)




HARBIN, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- As China's breadbasket province of Heilongjiang is poised for another bumper harvest, the province's mechanization rate of crop cultivation and harvest has reached 98 percent, according to the provincial department of agriculture and rural affairs.

Heilongjiang has remained China's top grain producer for 12 consecutive years. Its grain growing area has kept stable at over 218 million mu (14.5 million hectares) this year.

The provincial department said the province's comprehensive mechanization rate of farming is about 25 percentage points higher than the national average, ranking first in the country.

Before the autumn harvest, the provincial authority mobilized to overhaul more than 2 million tractors, harvesters, and other harvesting machines and provided training for 124,000 person times.

At present, except for some winter corn plots, the harvesting has been completed across the province, according to the provincial department of agriculture and rural affairs, adding that data on this year's grain outputs are not yet available.

With the advancement of agricultural science and technology, Heilongjiang's comprehensive grain production capacity has continuously improved, with its total grain output increasing from 74.16 billion kg in 2016 to 78.7 billion kg in 2021. ■

THIS WAS DONE ACROSS THE PRAIRIES IN NORTH AMERICA IN THE SUMMER OF 1936

Germany, Belgium pledge funds to tackle climate 'loss and damage'
By Kate Abnett and Virginia Furness - 

Flooded buildings are seen as waters begin to recede in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai, in Buzi© Thomson Reuters

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (Reuters) -Germany and Belgium on Monday joined a small number of wealthy countries to commit funding to help developing nations facing damage and losses caused by climate change, committing 170 million euros and 2.5 million euros respectively.

While relatively small in size, the funds were symbolically significant in being announced as over 100 leaders gather in Egypt for the U.N.'s COP27 climate summit - where the urgent need for funding to support developing countries facing climate change-fuelled disasters is set to dominate the talks.


COP27 climate summit in Egypt© Thomson Reuters

Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Germany would provide 170 million euros for a "Global Shield" from the Group of Seven rich countries for the V20 group of 58 vulnerable nations, aimed at strengthening insurance and disaster protection finance.

"We will also support those countries hit hardest by climate change in a targeted way in dealing with loss and damage," Scholz told the COP27 summit in the Egyptian seaside resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Belgium pledged to allocate 2.5 million euros to combat climate change "loss and damage" out of a new 25-million-euro package of climate-related support for the southern African country of Mozambique from 2023 to 2028.

The Belgian government said its funding would focus on preventing and limiting loss and damage, for example by mapping areas vulnerable to storm surges, and rolling out early warning systems.

Related video: WION Climate Tracker: EU countries agree to hike climate change target next year
Duration 2:00
View on Watch

Loss-and-damage funding is less politically contentious than explicit offers of compensation for climate-linked losses after disasters have struck - which can be perceived as rich nations paying reparations for causing climate change.

"There is, I think, a moral imperative to call it what it is," Matthew Samuda, a minister in Jamaica's economic growth ministry, said of the link between loss and damage funding and historical responsibility.

"But beyond that, there is also the practical need of being able to access funds," Samuda said.

Previously only Scotland and Denmark had pledged funding for climate-linked loss and damage, as well as the Belgian region of Wallonia.

The United States and European Union have blocked poorer countries' past attempts to secure loss and damage funding, fearing acknowledging liability for their historic contribution to the greenhouse gas emissions heating the planet.

Daniel Ribeiro of Mozambican environmental advocacy group Justiça Ambiental said Belgium's pledge was "a single act floating in a sea of inaction by the global north".

"Mozambique is just one of many countries facing this reality. This time we were the chosen, hand-picked recipients, but what about the broader systemic solution?" he said.

Scholz did not specify what the German funding would cover.

Dozens of developing countries have called for a deal at COP27 on a funding facility where rich nations would provide loss and damage cash to vulnerable states.

Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in the world and among the most vulnerable to extreme weather events.

Cyclone Idai, which struck Mozambique in 2019, caused about $1.4 billion in total damage and $1.39 billion in losses, according to an International Labour Organization assessment.

($1 = 0.9977 euros)

(Reporting by Kate Abnett and Virginia Furness; editing by Janet Lawrence and Mark Heinrich)

Western University student hosts stem cell drive to ethnically diversify Canada's blood supply

Isha Bhargava - CBC

Lauren Sano calls a stem cell transplant the "gift of life" - one that her father Mark was in desperate need of after being diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia in 2019. Unable to find a full-match, Mark lost his battle to cancer 18 months later.

So when Sano read a CBC News story from July about the Prajapati family in Brampton, Ont., who are in the same situation with their twin toddlers, she decided to host a stem cell drive at Western University - where she's a student, in hopes of helping them out.

Misha and Zoey Prajapati were seven months old when they were diagnosed with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), making the toddlers highly susceptible to frequent and potentially life-threatening bacterial and fungal infections. The only cure is through a stem cell transplant.

"I felt super sad for these twins," Sano said. "But I also felt that there is something that can be done in this situation. There's a need for people to join the registry and really make this known."

According to Canadian Blood Services (CBS), a patient's best hope for a match is with someone of the same ethnic or ancestral background as them. Currently, the registry is made up of 66 per cent Caucasian donors. Only seven per cent are south Asian - which is what the twins require.

There's a shortage of donors from ethnically diverse backgrounds, which adds to the 1,000 Canadians who are on the list waiting for a stem cell match, said Chris van Doorn of CBS.

"Canada's becoming more diverse and we need to match the registry to reflect that, so we've been doing lots of work with patients in diverse communities to get more people registered," he said.


Twin toddlers Zoey (left) and Misha Prajapati, and their parents Sanjay (left) and Nipa, hope their family's story encourages more people with diverse backgrounds to join the stem cell registry.

© Talia Ricci/CBC

University age is 'prime time' to donate

Sano started Western's stem cell club shortly after her dad's death. Upon speaking to many student groups at her university, Sano was not surprised to hear that they were unaware of how lifesaving a stem cell transplant can be, especially among ethnic minorities, she said.

"It was very hard for me to lose my father to leukemia but the best thing I got from it was sharing an experience that I had to go through so other people don't have to suffer as much."

Eligible donors must be between the ages of 17 and 35 and in good health. The process takes less than 10 minutes and requires the inside of one's cheek to be swabbed to collect their DNA for it to be send to CBS, van Doorn said.

For Sano, this made Western the best place to recruit young, ethnically diverse donors.

"It's a prime age where this message can be shared and if healthy people have the ability to donate blood or anything with very little side effects, then it's something that should at least be made aware of at places like the campus," she said.

Two ways to donate are: peripheral blood donation in which blood is drawn from one arm, stem cells are collected, and the remaining components are returned to the donor. The second is through a surgical bone marrow transplant, which a lot less common, van Doorn said.

"It's pretty much one of the only ways you can directly save someone's life and it's so easy, just a simple blood donation that can directly impact somebody," he said.

"If you do get selected, you're probably the only person in the world who matches that patient so it's really important."

The twins' parents, Sanjay and Nipa were immensely grateful when they heard of Sano's drive.

"It's very heartwarming that there are people out there who are willing to commit their time to help our girls," Sanjay said. "All it takes is one match and so we're optimistic and in this case that's all you really can be."

The drive takes place on Nov. 24 and 25 on Western's campus. More information can be found online.