Amnesty International condemns U.K. extradition of Julian Assange to U.S.

WikiLeaks founder faces charges under Espionage Act of 1917 in leaks of sensitive information, documents

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times - Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Embattled WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has the support of Amnesty International, which condemned this weekend Britain’s planned extradition of Mr. Assange to the United States.

“Allowing Julian Assange to be extradited to the US would put him at great risk and sends a chilling message to journalists the world over,” Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard said in a statement.

“Diplomatic assurances provided by the US that Assange will not be kept in solitary confinement cannot be taken on face value given previous history,” she added


Mr. Assange’s WikiLeaks media organization has published classified documents and other sensitive material shared anonymously, leading to years of hiding from legal repercussions.

After spending seven years in Ecuador’s embassy in the U.K., Mr. Assange was incarcerated to wait for extradition at a London prison starting in 2019.

The administration of former President Trump charged Mr. Assange under the Espionage Act of 1917, and Britain’s Conservative government has been cooperating with the U.S. extradition request.

SEE ALSO: New York Times, other newspapers pen open letter calling on feds to stop prosecution of Assange

American prosecutors contend that Mr. Assange assisted former U.S. military intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in the theft and publication of classified information that was posted on WikiLeaks by September 2011.

Manning was convicted in 2013, released from a military prison in 2017 after getting a commutation from former President Obama, then convicted in a separate case relating to WikiLeaks before being released again in March 2020.

Amnesty International has condemned the Assange extradition quest on the grounds of press freedom and calls for the charges to be dropped against Mr. Assange.

“We call on the UK to refrain from extraditing Julian Assange, for the US to drop the charges, and for Assange to be freed,” Ms. Callamard said.

Mr. Assange has influential backers elsewhere as well.

In November 2022, the editors of the New York Times, Britain’s The Guardian, Germany’s Der Spiegel, France’s Le Monde and Spain’s El Pais newspapers penned an open letter calling for an end to the prosecution of Mr. Assange.

Brazilian President Ignacio Lula da Silva in May denounced the lack of support being given to Mr. Assange.

“It is an embarrassment that a journalist who denounced trickery by one state against another is arrested, condemned to die in jail and we do nothing to free him. It’s a crazy thing,” Mr. Lula said.

Mr. Assange is an Australian national and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said later in May that “nothing is served from the ongoing incarceration of Julian Assange.”

Australian opposition leader Peter Dutton also has called for Mr. Assange’s release.

SINGAPORE

RIP

Heartbreak and grief: 1,000 attended funeral of worker who died in Tanjong Pagar worksite collapse

Andrew Wong and BNB Diviyadhaarshini


SINGAPORE – As the noise from media coverage and funeral preparations faded, Mr Raja Manickam found himself on an Air India Express flight from Singapore to India on June 17 with the body of his grand-nephew, Mr Vinoth Kumar.

The latter had died two days earlier when a wall collapsed during demolition works at the Fuji Xerox Towers building in Tanjong Pagar.

Mr Vinoth, 20, was the sole casualty in the accident.

Upon touching down in Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu state, Mr Raja, 44, escorted his grand-nephew’s body in an ambulance to Mr Vinoth’s village in Veeranamalai, six hours away.

The Straits Times has stayed in touch with Mr Raja, who is currently at home in Tirupattur, Tamil Nadu.

Speaking to ST by phone, Mr Raja said he could not bring himself to break the news to Mr Vinoth’s parents.

“After the accident, I told only my family about what happened and that I’m coming home. I didn’t know how to tell his parents that I’m coming back with their son’s body.”

He arrived in Veeranamalai at dawn last Sunday.

Mr Vinoth’s parents suspected something was wrong as crowds began to gather outside their house. Then they saw their son’s body.

“I cannot even explain how much they cried. They cried until they couldn’t even breathe,” Mr Raja said quietly.

He told ST that the funeral was attended by nearly 1,000 people, including family members, villagers and those from surrounding villages.

“The whole village was wailing and falling at my feet, asking why I brought him back as a corpse,” he said.

Mr Raja was too distraught to sleep till four days after the funeral. He also had no appetite, managing to drink only a glass of milk at the time.

“The past few days have been difficult for me. I don’t think I can forget what happened for the rest of my life,” he said.

MORE ON THIS TOPIC

‘I can only keep crying’: Grand-uncle of worker who died in Tanjong Pagar worksite collapse

Tanjong Pagar structure collapse: Worker killed was walking on path outside worksite

ItsRainingRaincoats, a charity here for the benefit of migrant workers, said that around 85 people have contacted it offering help to Mr Vinoth’s family since news of the tragedy broke.

“We helped connect these donors to Mr Raja directly, so they can transfer money to his bank account,” said the organisation’s founder Dipa Swaminathan.

She told ST that the charity has since stopped directing people to Mr Raja, after estimating that the family has received enough funds to tide them over until the insurance payout.

Under Singapore’s Work Injury Compensation Act, the compensation for death caused by work injuries is between $76,000 and $225,000.

“I’m proud of Singapore and the community for coming forward to help. This proves that we are a compassionate society. We can be moved by the plight of a stranger to take action,” Ms Dipa said.

Mr Vinoth Kumar was found dead under the rubble of the Fuji Xerox Towers building in Tanjong Pagar during demolition works on June 15. 

PHOTO: SAAMUDI KARTHIK

Mr Raja said Mr Vinoth’s mother has not left her house since the funeral and has barely eaten. Relatives have resorted to feeding her spoonfuls of glucose to give her the strength to stand.

“We cannot even afford to grieve. We are too poor to continue crying. Poor people cannot grieve for too long. Money is still a concern,” he said.

Mr Raja has three children aged between seven and 15. He will now also care for Mr Vinoth’s parents and younger brother.

“After he died, I made a promise that I would take care of his parents and younger brother. I will take care of them like I take care of my family,” he said.

Despite his own family’s concerns over the dangers of his work, Mr Raja will return to Singapore to continue working after the rites have been completed.

“I cannot be scared to lose my life. I need the money for my family,” he said.

Another workplace death had occurred on June 12, when a worker was electrocuted while installing solar panels on the rooftop of a building.

In 2022, there were 46 workplace deaths – the highest number recorded since 2016, when 66 people died. The spate of work-related deaths and injuries led the Ministry of Manpower to impose a six-month heightened safety period from Sept 1, 2022, to Feb 28, 2023. This was extended to May 31 to curb a worrying rise in workplace deaths.

Under the Workplace Safety and Health Act, first-time corporate offenders can be fined up to $500,000, while individuals can be fined up to $200,000, jailed for up to two years, or both.

 

Another lithium-ion battery fire at Manhattan e-bike shop as workers clean site of deadly Chinatown blaze that killed four

2023/06/24
Firefighters take a reading after dousing the exploded batteries on Saturday, June 24, 2023, in New York. - Theodore Parisienne/New York Daily News/TNS

NEW YORK — Residents of Manhattan’s Chinatown were rattled again Saturday when a fire blew the lid off a barrel filled with lithium ion batteries outside the e-bike business where a raging blaze left four people dead.

No one was injured in the blast, which happened as contractors hired by the city were removing the dangerous batteries outside the HQ E-Bike Repair at 80 Madison Ave. around 12:30 p.m., said FDNY spokesman Jim Long.

An eyewitnesses said the barrel lid popped three stories into the air before landing as the cleanup from Tuesday’s deadly fire continued. Authorities later placed the removal of batteries on hold until further notice.

“I heard the explosion,” said Thiy Alsaidi, who works at a nearby deli. “It’s the third time the fire reignited. It’s very dangerous. I was really scared. It’s a dangerous scenario.”

The fire began as the barrel was loaded onto a truck, with pressure likely created by lingering heat from the batteries blamed for the incident that brought 20 firefighters to the scene, officials said.

The FDNY quickly doused the blaze before spraying down the other barrels to prevent any further problems. Similar fires occurred there on Thursday and Friday.

“There shouldn’t be e-bike stores in residential neighborhoods,” said one unnerved local man. “The way they run these stores should be regulated ... That’s really scary.”

Firefighters on the scene were drilling holes into the remaining barrels to decrease the pressure and prevent a recurrence.

Four Chinatown residents were killed early Tuesday after the 12:15 a.m. e-bike fire tore through the repair shop previously cited for unsafe conditions.

Two senior citizens were severely injured but expected to recover from injuries they suffered in the blaze, which began inside the business on the ground floor of of the six-story retail and residential building.

HQ E-Bike Repair was targeted twice by authorities since 2021 and fined $1,600 last year for violations including charging batteries stacked alongside one another and plugged into extension cords.

According to city officials, 13 New Yorkers were killed and another 71 injured in lithium ion battery fires so far this year. In contrast, only four deaths were linked to the batteries in 2021.

Ten other e-bike shops were cited in the last week, with four inspected after calls to the 311 hotline.

In the Tuesday fire, flames and billowing smoke quickly spread through the building above the business, with panicked residents fleeing into the darkness outside.

“It’s very shocking, very nerve-wracking,” said a local man after the Saturday scare. “There’s so many barrels with batteries in them.”

Theodore Parisienne/New York Daily News/TNS

Solar is saving Texans from widespread power outages amid extreme heat: analysts

Julia Conley, Common Dreams
June 24, 2023

Technician checking solar panels on roof (Shutterstock)

A sweltering heatwave has gripped Texas over the last two weeks, pushing temperatures to 115°F in parts of the state—but its status as a new leader in the development of solar power has reportedly protected many in the state from a catastrophic loss of power.

An intense heat dome—in which an area of high pressure traps heat underneath it—has settled over northern Mexico and is expected to persist next week and potentially beyond, likely causing the heat index to reach high into the 100s across Texas and top 120° in the southern part of the state in the coming days.

Extreme weather has placed millions of Texans in harm's way before, notably during a winter storm in February 2021 that plunged much of the state into a prolonged blackout when natural gas power plants faced outages, as a federal review later found, contrary to claims by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott that the state's wind turbines failed residents by freezing.
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But this month, reported The New York Times on Friday, "the lights and air conditioning have stayed on across the state," and analysts have linked the continuation of power to Texas's doubling of the amount of solar energy it's generated since early 2022.

While Texas has built its reputation in recent decades as a center of oil and gas production in the U.S., "solar is producing 15% of total energy right now," University of Texas research scientist Joshua Rhodes told the Times. The state now leads the nation in renewable energy, with 17 gigawatts of solar power operational this year.

"They have this narrative that they push that they need more dispatchable power plants and need more gas plants. It's a very politically driven narrative by many of the state leaders.

The amount of solar power produced in the state is expected to double again by the end of 2024, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.

Doug Lewin, president of clean energy consulting firm Stoic Energy in Austin and host of the Texas Power Podcast, toldInside Climate News on Friday that Republican leaders in Texas aren't likely to acknowledge that the state's solar power boom is helping residents to avoid blackouts.

"They have this narrative that they push that they need more dispatchable power plants and need more gas plants," he told the outlet. "It's a very politically driven narrative by many of the state leaders."

The GOP-controlled Texas Legislature passed a $10 billion program to incentivize new natural gas power plant development last month, and recently made an unsuccessful attempt to pass new permitting requirements and restrictions for renewable energy producers.

As Republican lawmakers remain committed to promoting the very energy sources that are fueling the climate emergency—and making extreme heatwaves like the one enveloping Texas five times more likely to occur, an analysis of federal data showed earlier this month—Lewin noted this week that fossil fuel-powered plants have been struggling to provide energy amid the heat.

"Renewables are definitely saving the grid and saving our wallets," Alison Silverstein, an independent energy consultant based in Austin, told the Times on Friday.

Energy demand next week is expected to reach record levels in Texas as the Gulf Coast is expected to see temperatures of "at least 110°F every day," according to the National Weather Service.

‘How could we build over dead bodies?’ Some Surfside families want a memorial, answers

FIRST NATIONS ASK THE SAME QUESTION

2023/06/24

D.A. Varela/Miami Herald/TNS

MIAMI — Before Saturday’s official remembrance of the 2021 Champlain Towers South collapse, some relatives of the 98 who died at that Surfside spot expressed their anger at all levels and angles of the government response:

Recovery. Investigation. A memorial and future use of the site.

An hour before the official remembrance and half a block south, Martin Langesfeld — whose sister Nicole Langesfeld and brother-in-law Luis Sadovnic died in the collapse — spoke the displeasure felt by some families. Langesfeld was joined by members of September’s Mission, a nonprofit formed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks in 2001 for helping natural and civil disasters victims.

And National Institute for Standards and Technology’s June 15 release of its collapse investigation’s preliminary findings didn’t necessarily help mollify their anger.

“How is it possible that a building collapses in the middle of the night in 12 seconds, where you feel the safest in your own home and ends up like this?” Langesfeld said. “How is it possible that after NIST gets allocated over $22 million the only answers they give us is a hypothesis is the reason for this collapse is there are violations in place from Day 1?”

Developer Damac International has submitted plans to the city for buidling a 57-unit, 12-story building on the site.

“How could we build over dead bodies in America?” Langesfeld said while standing in a grassy area across Collins Avenue from where his sister died. “It’s not public information, but we received 33% of my sister Nicky’s body. Where is the rest? Simply vanished in the hole behind me. And, Surfside calls it respect to add another luxurious building? That is not respect.

“It’s hard to accept the fact that there’s going to be a another building on that site, but we’re not trying to stop that building from going up,” he continued. “What we’re trying to do is incorporate a memorial on the site of the collapse and work with the developer in a respectful way, where the city of Surfside and the developer can look out for his profit holders. And, we, the families, can look for our respect.”

D.A. Varela/Miami Herald/TNS

© Miami Herald

Is leaving dog poo in the street really so bad? The science says it’s even worse than you think

The Conversation
June 25, 2023

Photo by Matthew LeJune on Unsplash

What’s that smell? Is that what you think it is? You check your shoes and, sure enough, one is adorned with a sticky, foul-smelling patty of fresh wrongness. You have stepped in a landmine of the canine variety.

We’ve all been there, and we all know footpaths, nature strips, parks, playing fields and front lawns are not good places for dog poo to sit.

Yet, our streets and parks continue to be littered with dog poo. And with the pandemic driving a surge in dog ownership, anecdotalreports suggest the dog poo problem has grown only worse in recent years.

Beyond the obvious unsightliness and the likelihood of making unwanted contact with dog poo, there are some other important reasons to pick up after dogs.

Here’s what you need to know and what the science says about common efforts to deter dogs from pooping on your yard.



Best to bag it and bin it.

Dog poo is linked to illness, pollution and antibiotic resistance

Dog faeces may contain microorganisms that cause illness in humans such as Salmonella, E. coli, Giardia and internal parasites.

Dog poo can also be a potential reservoir for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, meaning humans could develop bacterial infections that are difficult to treat through contact with dog faeces.

A recent Sydney study also identified dog faeces washed into storm water as a significant contributor to water pollution.

This topic, in spite of its relevance and impact, has received little attention from scientists. Thankfully, however, we have a few brave souls who can say they have studied dog crap for the betterment of humanity.

This research has revealed some patterns in where dog faeces is found in public.


Dog poo can be a potential reservoir for antibiotic-resistant bacteria.


Where is the dog poo problem more common?

Dog fouling is significantly more common in parks where dogs are allowed off-leash, and areas close to car parks.

The way dog walkers have traditionally used an area may also be an important factor, with one UK study noting:

availability of bins, path morphology, visibility, and path location are key factors in determining the occurrence of dog faeces.

The same study noted that while most dog walkers do the right thing, some are too “proud to pick up”, while others make contextual judgements about where and when it could be permissible to leave dog waste. Yet others are “disengaged” dog walkers, who “will not pick up even if they are aware of the health and environmental consequences”.

Other research has suggested targeting keeping dogs on-leash between car parks and off-leash areas and providing waste disposal stations on popular dog-walking routes.

This doesn’t help if you have a neighbour who lets their dog out to relieve themselves on the nature strip (or your yard), or people who walk their dogs without carrying waste disposal bags.

And we all love the ones who bag the poop but leave the bag tied to a fence or by a gate.

What about the old water-bottles-on-the grass trick?

Dog owners who don’t pick up after their dog can be fined, but it can be hard to catch them in the act, and reporting a neighbour to authorities can often lead to ongoing hostility.

Bottles of water on the grass is a time-honoured strategy to deter dogs, but there is no evidence this is effective and no clear reason why it would be.

Dogs sometimes like to circle and find just the right spot to go, so they may prefer an area that has fewer obstacles to negotiate. Perhaps a yard bristling with lawn ornaments would enjoy some protection. (Interestingly, science suggests dogs may circle around like this to align their body to face north.)

There are commercially available dog deterrents, but little evidence they are effective and under what conditions.

Some believe any strong scent may deter an animal with a very strong sense of smell from lingering long enough to take a dump. But scent travels, so heavy and repeated applications would likely be needed (and this strategy could have unintended side effects on native urban ecosystems).


Most dog walkers do the right thing.

Educating dog walkers is key

Aside from providing bags and a bin and enforcing leash laws particularly around carparks close to off-leash areas, research suggests education does help.

Messages emphasising that good neighbours and members of the community diligently pick up after their dogs may be most effective, as people are responsive to social messages.

If you have tried to appeal to your neighbour’s sense of community to no avail, and you’re not keen on a front yard bristling with garden gnomes and flamingos or drenched in possible dog-deterring chemicals, you could try providing bags and a sign promising surveillance.

For all the dog owners out there that do pick up after their dogs, your community thanks you.

The best way to dispose of dog faeces is in the bin. Composting requires high temperatures to neutralise the nasties in dog poop, and home composts are unlikely to get hot enough. And burying it simply allows these microorganisms to build up in the soil.

Melissa Starling, Postdoctoral researcher, University of Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

‘Classic False Flag’: Analyst on Fox News Says Putin ‘Orchestrated’ Wagner Coup to Make Biden Think Russia’s No Threat

By Phillip NietoJun 24th, 2023, 

Fox News guest Rebekah Koffler claimed during an interview with host Eric Shawn on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin worked with Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin to stage the recent armed coup as a “classic false flag.”

Over the last 24 hours, chaos has upended the military and political establishment in Russia after Prigozhin marched his paramilitary group from Ukraine into Russia, taking over two cities and marching his men toward Moscow. In a sudden turn of events, however, Prigozhin reportedly called off the armed coup after negotiations with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko.

The rebellion represented the largest existential threat to Putin’s regime since he took control of Russia over twenty years ago.

Koffler, an intelligence analyst, claimed during a long-winded nine-minute rant on Fox News that Putin orchestrated the coup to boost his political power in the Russia.

“My intelligence analysis suggests, Eric, that this is a classic false flag operation that’s been orchestrated by Putin and Prigozhin,” Koffler told the cable news host. “Prigozhin is not a stupid man. He’s a highly intelligent formerly convict. He turned his life around from a prisoner to a hot dog stands owner to the owner of a multi-million catering business that served the Kremlin, including Putin himself.”

Koffler notes that the Wagner group 50,000 men in Ukraine while Putin’s National Guard, created in 2016 to put down social unrest, has 340,000 men enlisted into the group and the Wagner forces were being tracked every minute” by the Russian security service.

“So again, what has changed from this in the last few hours? All of a sudden he decided to turn his troops around and made this deal? No, this is all staged,” she added. The analyst then appeared to claim that Putin used the rebellion to boost the mobilizations of recruits for the military.

“Putin wants us to believe that he’s weak, that there’s an ongoing threat of a military insurrection,” Koffler claims. “So this is a pretext to declare martial law, which Putin has already done. He made an amendment today that anybody who is violating the martial law is going to be imprisoned for 30 days. Another very interesting and revealing point is that Putin just authorized that men with a criminal record can join the military.”

“So this is a justification for extra mobilization of the Russian forces to send them to the meat grinder in Ukraine. It is also to demonstrate to President Biden that, no, Russia is not a threat. Russia is actually, you know, involved in its own domestic turmoil. But this is all a classic distraction and classic Putin,” she said.

“What you’re describing is like three dimensional chess. That’s a type of thinking that is just beyond,” Shawn said in response to Koffler.

Near the end of her interview, Koffler predicted that Putin will remain in power and potentially used the coup to get rid of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

“In the meantime, Putin is going to gain momentum, mobilize additional personnel, and re-energize his offensive on Ukraine,” she concluded.

OK WHICH IS IT?

Fox host floats conspiracy theory that either U.S. or NATO is behind attempted Russian rebellion

Ray Hartmann
June 24, 2023, 

Fox host Rachel Campos-Duffy (Photo: Screen capture)

Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy tossed out an evidence-free conspiracy theory today that perhaps the U.S., NATO or both were behind the apparent coup unfolding in Russia.

One of Campos-Duffy’s takers was K.T. McFarland, a key aide to scandal-ridden Michael Flynn during the early years of the Trump administration. Campos-Duffy began by saying that she no longer trusted the government on foreign affairs.

“I’m always questioning things. I asked our last guest on this subject, Rebeka Koffler on this topic, if she thought it was possible that we could be behind this attempted coup with the Wagner group, and she said it’s definitely one of the possibilities or NATO.”

McFarlane responded: “I think she’s right that the United States government –whether it’s been actively or behind the scenes – has been very involved in Ukraine Russia all the time.”
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Journalist Ben Smith mused on Twitter, “Fox and Friends host Rachel Campos-Duffy cheerfully floating the theory that Prigozhin is working for the US/NATO.”

That prompted former Rep. Adam Kinzinger to offer this concise analysis.

“No, he isn’t. This is nuts.’



Ray Hartmann is a St. Louis-based journalist with nearly 50 years experience as a publisher, TV show panelist, radio host, daily newspaper reporter and columnist. He founded St. Louis alt weekly, The Riverfront Times, at the age of 24.

Wagner Boss planning coup against Putin? Ex-Russian commander's chilling warning | Report

  3 weeks ago  

#wagner #putin #igor

Russia’s ex commander Igor Girkin has claimed that Wagner military group chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin is planning a ‘mutiny’ against Kremlin. This comes just days after the Wagner group left from Bakhmut. Watch to know more

 

MEANWHILE ON MSNBC THE SPECULATION IS ALSO RIFE

Russian citizens' reaction to Wagner rebellion could set the stage for a coup: retired U.S. general
Tom Boggioni
June 24, 2023, 

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures during a ceremony, marking the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow, June 22, 2023 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images)

Appearing on MSNBC on Saturday morning after Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner paramilitary group, launched what appears to be a revolt against Russian President Vladimir Putin, a retired U.S general suggested all eyes should be on how the Russian populace reacts to what could turn into a coup.

Speaking with MSNBC host Jonathan Capehart, (Ret) Lt. Gen. Stephen Twitty, the former Deputy Commander of the U.S. European Command, suggested all the elements that could lead to a coup are present as Wagner troops are reportedly moving north and Putin faces the greatest crisis of his life.

"Is what we are watching the beginnings of a coup in Russia?" the MSNBC host prompted.

"I wouldn't say that at this point in time," Twitty carefully replied. "Of course a coup, you don't see the military at this point in time trying to gain control of the seat of power in Russia."

"So Putin still firmly has control of the seat of power there and his administration is firmly in control at this particular point," he added before continuing, "I do see this more as a mutiny and, again, we will see if this thing gets ground swell from two locations. Number one, the Russian civilians. That is what we should be watching for: will the support start to turn in favor of the Wagner Group versus Putin."

"And number two, whether we start to get the groundswell of support from the western military favoring the Wagner Group," he added. "If that starts to happen, then we can start to look and determine whether or not we are in a coup situation here."

Watch below or at the link.

GREEN CAPITALI$M

Siemens Energy Falls by Record After Wind Unit’s Woes Deepen


Wilfried Eckl-Dorna
Fri, June 23, 2023

(Bloomberg) -- Siemens Energy AG slumped by a record over escalating issues at Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy SA, the latest in a long line of costly problems uncovered at the wind turbine unit.

The shares plummeted as much as 36% after the Spanish division found worse-than-expected quality flaws at its onshore wind turbines, delaying turnaround efforts. Siemens Energy, scrapping its annual profit guidance, warned that additional costs may exceed €1 billion ($1.1 billion).

The German manufacturer has had years of troubles with Gamesa. The unit fell deep into the red due to rising costs of steel and other key raw materials as well as a string of technical problems with installed and unfinished wind turbines — complex products that contain hundreds of moving parts.

“This is a bitter setback,” Chief Executive Officer Christian Bruch told reporters Friday.

Siemens Energy last year moved to fully control Gamesa with a roughly €4 billion offer after three years of straight losses. The plan was to bolster oversight and get a turnaround going. In January, the parent was forced to cut its outlook after reviews at Gamesa uncovered costly turbine flaws. At the time, the company expressed confidence it had checked everything.

IMPACT ACROSS WIND TURBINE INDUSTRY


But the latest evaluation — part of new Chief Executive Officer’s Jochen Eickholt’s drive to get on top of issues that led to the ouster of three unit chiefs in five years — revealed even more quality deficiencies.

Read more: Siemens Energy’s Troubled Wind Takeover Haunts Green Push

Some of the problems stem from rushing out new turbines too early in 2019 to counter fierce competition, Bloomberg reported last year. Gamesa has also faced difficulties scaling up its new onshore turbine model, dubbed the 5.X platform — a review of which is still ongoing.

“It is difficult to be sure that this is the ‘last’ charge,” Citi analysts led by Vivek Midha said Friday in an emailed note. “This will likely reduce investor confidence in the turnaround story.”

The protracted issues could also influence plans by Siemens AG to start selling down its 32% stake in its former energy unit after it listed in 2020. Last month, Siemens Chief Financial Officer Ralf Thomas flagged it could start divesting shares sometime during the next fiscal year starting in October, though plans haven’t been finalized yet.

Read more: Siemens Energy Orders ‘Overflowing’ as Green Shift Gains Speed

In contrast, the company’s gas turbine and transmissions divisions have been profiting from the rising demand for cleaner energy.

Siemens Energy had upgraded its revenue expectations about a month ago after strong orders for energy transition technologies helped offset Gamesa’s deepening losses. The manufacturer stuck to its revenue guidance for the group and assumptions for Gas Services, Grid Technologies and Transformation of Industry.

While unit chief Eickholt declined to say when the long-troubled unit will turn a profit, Bruch vowed that taking over Gamesa will eventually prove to be the right move.

“I still believe in the wind turbine business,” he said.

--With assistance from Jan-Patrick Barnert.

Bloomberg Businessweek

ONE YEAR AGO

ILLEGAL Israeli settlers again attack Palestinians in West Bank

dpa

TEL AVIV, Israel — There was renewed violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Saturday.

Several dozen Israelis entered a village north of Ramallah and set fire to Palestinians' vehicles and buildings, according to reports.

The Israeli army said there were confrontations between Israelis and Palestinians and that the security forces had been deployed to break up the violence.

One Israeli citizen was arrested.

One soldier was injured by a stone thrown at him.

"The Israeli army will continue to take firm action against all acts of violence and destruction of property," the army said in a statement. "The Israeli army condemns such nationalist crimes that lead to escalation."

The latest violence comes after a Palestinian opened fire on Israeli security forces at a crossing north of Jerusalem on Friday night, according to Israeli sources. He was shot dead.

There have been several outbreaks of violence by settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank since a fatal attack by two Palestinians on four Israelis in the region on Tuesday.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid tweeted, "Settler violence crosses every line."

The German ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, expressed "shock" at the new fighting.

"The latest terrorist attacks cannot be used as an excuse," he tweeted. Israel is responsible for the security of all residents of the occupied territories, he said.

The security situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories has been tense for months. Since the beginning of the year, 24 people have died in attacks. In the same period, 139 Palestinians have been shot dead, mostly in Israeli military operations and confrontations but also after attacks of their own.

Israel took control of the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War.

Palestinians claim the territories for their own state.

CRYPTO CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M

Binance faces continued troubles as regulatory scrutiny grows

Binance faces mounting regulatory challenges as scrutiny grows across Europe and the US.

Alina Ivanov

June 24, 2023

Belgium’s Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA) has dealt another blow to Binance.

In response to concerns raised by the FSMA, Binance has been ordered to halt its cryptocurrency services in Belgium immediately. The FSMA expressed apprehension about Binance offering exchange services and custody wallet services involving virtual currencies and legal currencies from non-European Economic Area countries within Belgium.

This regulatory action by Belgium adds to the mounting challenges faced by Binance, as regulatory scrutiny across Europe and the United States intensifies. The possibility of a domino effect looms large, with other regulators likely to delve into Binance’s operations. The exchange’s native token, BNB, has struggled to keep pace with the broader cryptocurrency market due to the increased regulatory scrutiny. Over the course of this week, BNB has recorded a modest 1.35% rise, currently trading at $247.

In an attempt to comply with local regulations, the exchange recently announced its decision to exit the Dutch market. As of July 17, 2023, existing Dutch resident users will only be able to withdraw their assets from the Binance platform. Furthermore, Binance has ceased accepting new users residing in the Netherlands with immediate effect.

These developments represent a significant setback for Binance, which has faced escalating scrutiny in recent weeks. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the United States has already filed a lawsuit against the exchange, accusing it of substantial violations, particularly related to the trading of unregistered securities in an unlawful manner.