‘Canada should not dump garbage where you draw your water’: chief

Story by The Canadian Press

 • 

Safeguarding water near a planned nuclear waste facility requires more rigorous examination, Indigenous consultation and mitigation measures, an Algonquin First Nation chief told a federal committee Thursday.

In testimony before the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development, Kebaowek Chief Lance Haymond said, “Canada should not dump garbage where you draw your water.” 

The committee hearing is part of a larger study on freshwater issues across Canada.

“I want to talk about a project poisoning the Ottawa River,” he explained while describing the cultural and historical importance of the waterway to the Algonquin nation. “The Kichi Sibi, as we call it … has been our highway for time immemorial.”

Haymond told the committee that he asked Ottawa to hold back permits issued two weeks ago to Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), which is developing the facility. The permits allow CNL to move forward with construction despite risks to Blanding's turtles and two bat species. Haymond told Canada’s National Observer that the permits amount to a kill order.

In January, Kebaowek First Nation urged the federal government to withhold SARA [Species at Risk Act] permits due to “insufficient consideration” of the impact on at-risk species and the First Nation’s rights and responsibilities to protect endangered species on their ancestral territory.

But the federal government’s review determined that construction of CNL’s radioactive waste disposal facility won’t jeopardize the recovery of endangered turtle and bat populations.

The committee testimony arrives amidst a court challenge launched by Kebaowek First Nation in February. The court challenge questions whether the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) was properly considered by nuclear regulators before approval of the Chalk River waste disposal facility.

“The consultation process, however, was flawed from the outset,” suggests the Federal Court application launched by Kebaowek. “It was not procedurally fair and did not consider the UN Declaration, Canada’s UNDRIP Implementation Act, or how these instruments might affect the depth and scope of consultation.”

CNL gave Kebaowek nine months to provide input, and the nation offered it through an Algonquin-led environmental assessment, Haymond told the committee.

However, he believes enough time for consultation was not given and that “most decisions had already been taken.”

“We were routinely scoped out of the process,” he added. “If we were consulted, we would have asked for other site selections."

Haymond brought forward concerns about tonnes of nuclear waste stored in the facility that might leach from the site into the Ottawa River over the next few hundred years once synthetic containment liners break down.

Haymond also brought up Chalk River’s history, beginning with its role in the Manhattan Project developing plutonium in the early 1940s and leading to the world’s first nuclear reactor meltdown in 1952. Algonquin nations were never consulted about a nuclear research facility at that time, he said.

— With files from Natasha Bulowski

Matteo Cimellaro / Canada’s National Observer / Local Journalism Initiative 

Matteo Cimellaro, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada's National Observer

Feds issue permit to build nuclear waste disposal site

Story by The Canadian Press • 20h • 

Construction on Canadian Nuclear Laboratories’ radioactive waste disposal facility won’t jeopardize the recovery of endangered turtle and bat populations, according to the federal government.

On March 18, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) was granted a federal permit required under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) to start construction on its near-surface waste facility (NSDF) about 180 kilometres northwest of Ottawa.

For the permit, three endangered species were considered: the Blanding’s turtle, the little brown bat and the northern long-eared bat.

Ultimately, the company’s permit application was approved in mid-March by the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS), a branch of Environment and Climate Change Canada.

The decision by CWS said CNL successfully demonstrated feasible measures will be taken to minimize the impact of construction on the three species and construction will not jeopardize their recovery.

Some measures will include identifying turtle and bat hot spots, “creation of turtle-crossing systems,” installation of temporary fencing around construction areas and permanent fencing along roadways, according to the decision.

“The alternative of not proceeding with the activity is not compatible with the government’s obligations and commitments of substantially reducing the risks associated with nuclear legacy waste or with the objective of creating opportunities for the revitalization of the Chalk River Laboratories,” reads the decision. The project’s location and footprint were chosen to minimize impacts to these species, it noted.

Blanding’s turtles and two species of bats are not the only creatures some First Nations and environmental groups are concerned about. In January, Kebaowek First Nation urged the federal government to withhold SARA permits due to “insufficient consideration” of the impact on at-risk species and the First Nation’s rights and responsibilities to protect endangered species on their ancestral territory. Kebaowek Chief Lance Haymond pointed to Algonquin-led studies that found black bear dens and eastern wolf pups were at risk.

Eastern wolves are listed as threatened in Ontario, but not at the federal level, so construction or activities on their habitat do not require a SARA permit.

Gretchen Fitzgerald, national programs director at Sierra Club Canada Foundation, wrote to Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault earlier this year asking him to instruct the department to wait until the impacts on other animals, including migratory birds and eastern wolves, are “thoroughly assessed” before issuing a SARA permit.

She called the permit a “terrible decision” and hopes “the minister will take a second look and listen to the Kebaowek First Nation and others who are calling for more work to be done to identify and protect habitat for endangered species, including wolves, that can be found at the site,” said Fitzgerald in an emailed statement to Canada’s National Observer.

In 2015, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada assessed the eastern wolf as threatened due its restricted range and small population. If this wolf, currently listed as a species of special concern, was formally recognized as threatened, their habitat would have to be protected and could include the NSDF site. The federal government must make a decision on the eastern wolves’ status by August.

During one of several consultations on eastern wolves, CNL said it would cost up to $160 million if the NSDF project was cancelled and planning and approval processes started from scratch.

Kebaowek Coun. Justin Roy said the Algonquin-led studies identified active bear dens and wolves as recently as last summer and provided photos and videos of the animals’ activities from cameras previously installed at the site.

— With files from Matteo Cimellaro

Natasha Bulowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada's National Observer

Canada’s military is running counter-intelligence probes without warrants: review

Story by Alex Boutilier • 22h • 

Canadian Armed Forces stand at CFB Kingston in Kingston, Ont.

.© Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press

The Canadian Armed Forces’ counter-intelligence unit risks violating military members’ privacy rights by probing their computer activity without a warrant, a new report suggests.

The report follows on the independent National Security and Intelligence Review Agency’s 2021 findings that the unit was ill-equipped to handle the “active counter-intelligence threat” of white supremacy within the ranks.

The report, published by NSIRA Thursday, recommended the military suspend the counter-intelligence unit’s investigations of members’ computer use until it establishes a “reasonable legal authority” to do so.

“DND employees and CAF members have a reasonable expectation of privacy when using work computers for personal use,” the NSIRA report read.

But rather than getting a warrant to investigate suspected wrongdoing, the review agency found that the counter-intelligence unit “may be inappropriately relying on … CAF policies” even when members’ have a reasonable expectation of privacy for their online activities.

It’s another blow to the CAF’s counter-intelligence unit, a group established in 1997 and responsible for identifying and investigating security threats to military personnel and assets.

The unit acts like a military version of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), Canada’s domestic spy agency. But unlike CSIS, the counter-intelligence unit can only collect information if there is a connection to the Canadian Forces or the Department of National Defence (DND).

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Military ill-equipped to handle ‘white nationalism’: watchdog

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The unit focuses on serious threats to the CAF and DND, including terrorism and extremism, as well as organized crime, subversion or sabotage. But since its inception in 1997, 10 separate internal reviews into the unit found that it lacked resources and had strict policy limitations that resulted “in an inability to fully meet its mandate.”

The NSIRA report is heavily censored due to national security and legal concerns, making it difficult to parse what the review body found out about how the counter-intelligence unit was probing members’ computer use.

But generally speaking, law enforcement and intelligence agencies in Canada need to obtain a warrant to collect information on Canadians that falls under Charter-protected rights to privacy.

“When (the unit) was created in 1997, the legal landscape with regard to the Charter was much different than it is today, and technology has expanded in a way that computers have become an all-encompassing tool,” the report read.

“In addition, surveillance capacity and techniques have evolved. The law has evolved accordingly to protect Charter rights by requiring the state to obtain specific judicial authorizations (warrants) where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.”

Under DND policy, employees and CAF members can use work devices for specific personal purposes, such as communicating with family and friends, shopping for personal items, or accessing news sites.

Those activities can “generate revealing and meaningful private information” protected under the Charter, NSIRA suggested.

“NSIRA is concerned that (the unit) has not adequately considered their legal authorities to determine whether they have reasonable lawful authority to conduct warrantless searches for (counter-intelligence) purposes,” the report read.

The review released Thursday follows another NSIRA probe made public in 2022, which suggested the Force’s counter-intelligence and security units “have been organized into narrowly focused vertical silos that do not work together in an integrated manner.”

The counter-intelligence squad had a “narrow” set of security threats it focused on, NSIRA reported – infractions that rose beyond standard military discipline but fell below the threshold of criminal activity.

That narrow scope of counter-intelligence investigations led the review body to concluded the unit was “limited” in its ability to route out white supremacist groups within the CAF – which NSIRA called an “active counter-intelligence threat.”

“The presence of white supremacy within the Canadian military has been well documented,” the agency’s 2022 report read.

“White supremacists groups actively seek individuals with prior military training and experience, or conversely, encourage individuals to enlist in order to gain access to specialized training, tactics and equipment.”

The threat can’t be countered by the counter-intelligence unit alone, the report added, but noted that the unit “may not be fully utilized to proactively identify white supremacist” threats within DND and the CAF.

The 2022 report also found that the counter-intelligence unit’s investigations are lengthy, and delays “run contrary” to the unit’s mission to safeguard military personnel and assets.

In response to the 2022 NSIRA report, a spokesperson said DND was committed to giving the unit more resources to “optimize use of its lawful investigative capabilities.”

DND did not immediately respond to Global News’ request for comment Thursday.

SpaceX forced workers to sign illegal severance agreements, US agency claims


SpaceX headquarters is shown in Hawthorne, California, U.S. 

 REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo© Thomson Reuters

By Daniel Wiessner

(Reuters) - Elon Musk's SpaceX has been accused by a U.S. labor agency of requiring employees who were laid off or fired from the rocket and satellite maker to sign unlawful agreements barring them from disparaging the company and joining class-action lawsuits against it.

The complaint, filed late Wednesday by a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regional official in Seattle, comes as SpaceX is already facing a separate case before the NLRB and has in turn filed a lawsuit claiming the agency's structure violates the U.S. Constitution.

SpaceX, based in Hawthorne, California, is accused in the new complaint of requiring separated employees to sign severance agreements with confidentiality and non-disparagement clauses that restrict them from exercising their rights under U.S. labor law, the labor board said in a release on Thursday.

Those provisions are common in severance pacts signed by workers, but the NLRB has said such agreements must make clear that workers cannot waive their rights to advocate for better working conditions or file complaints with the NLRB.

The NLRB said the complaint, which was not immediately available, also alleges that agreements signed by SpaceX employees to bring legal disputes in arbitration rather than court and forego participation in class actions against the company were illegal.

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SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

An initial hearing in the case is scheduled for October before an administrative judge, whose decision can be reviewed by the NLRB'S five-member labor board appointed by the U.S. president. Board rulings can be appealed in federal court.

The complaint seeks to force SpaceX to rescind the agreements and block it from enforcing agreements already signed by workers.

The company's lawsuit against the labor board, which is pending in a Texas federal court, stems from a separate case in which the agency claims SpaceX illegally fired eight engineers who circulated a letter that criticized Musk, the company's CEO and founder, and accused him of sexist conduct.

SpaceX has denied wrongdoing in that case and has argued that the NLRB's in-house enforcement proceedings violate its constitutional right to a jury trial. The company also says that limits on the removal of board members and administrative judges violate the U.S. Constitution.

Amazon.com, Starbucks, Trader Joe's and three Starbucks baristas who oppose unions at the stores where they work are making similar claims in pending lawsuits and board cases.

SpaceX has asked a New Orleans-based U.S. appeals court to reconsider its recent decision rejecting the company's bid to keep its lawsuit in Texas. A judge had transferred the case to California, where SpaceX is based, and the administrative case involving the fired engineers is proceeding there.

(Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Leslie Adler)

US regulators urge Congress to look into grocery profits


 The Kroger supermarket chain's headquarters is shown in Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.

 REUTERS/Lisa Baertlein/File Photo

By Siddharth Cavale and Jessica DiNapoli

NEW YORK (Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Trade Commission recommended Thursday that policymakers look further into profits at grocery store operators that remain elevated since the pandemic and promotions that consumer products makers offer retailers.

The FTC also is suing to block Kroger's acquisition of smaller grocery store rival Albertsons, citing concerns the deal would hike prices for millions of Americans.

The FTC launched the study in 2021 when it ordered Walmart, Kroger, Procter & Gamble, grocery wholesalers and others to turn over detailed information relating to the supply chain crisis during the pandemic, which contributed to double-digit price increases on household necessities.

Big box and chain stores secured limited resources, leaving small independent grocers at a disadvantage, FTC Chair Lina Khan said on a public call to discuss the report. This harmed communities reliant on these smaller retailers and could have also strengthened market dominance of larger corporations, she added.

"If we end up finding that these types of practices violated any of the antitrust laws including the (Robinson) Patman act, I'll be very interested in making sure we take swift action," she said without providing details.

Related video: FTC Files Lawsuit to Halt Kroger-Albertsons Merger, Citing Concerns Over Higher Grocery Prices (Benzinga)   Duration 0:31   View on Watch

The Robinson-Patman Act of 1936 is a U.S. antitrust law preventing large franchises and chains from engaging in price discrimination against small businesses.

Several representatives of smaller grocery operators spoke on the call saying that during the pandemic, they faced shortages of toilet paper, cleaning products and pet supplies as manufacturers prioritized their biggest clients.

"It was a true test of survival for a lot of our customers," said Brian Patterson, head buyer at Piggly Wiggly Alabama Distributing Co.

Walmart and Kroger are among chains that have touted gaining U.S. grocery market share. Kroger's most recent quarterly statements said it improved volume share consistently for the past five quarters. Walmart said it gained market share in "virtually every category," citing its lower prices.

Walmart and Kroger did grow share from 2018 to 2022, but only modestly, according to Coresight Research data.

"A global pandemic is what caused stress to the supply chain, not the companies that the study selectively targeted," said Sean Heather, senior vice president for International Regulatory Affairs and Antitrust at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a business advocacy group.

“It is no surprise that the Chamber values corporate profits more than everyday Americans’ pocketbooks," replied Douglas Farrar, FTC spokesman.

BROAD INTEREST

The FTC said it will pass the report onto lawmakers, "where there has been broad interest" from members of both parties.

U.S. President Joe Biden has already taken aim at grocery chains this year.

"Today’s FTC report shows grocery retailers increased profits during the pandemic and have maintained or increased those margins even as their own costs have come down," the White House said in an email to Reuters on Thursday.

"President Biden knows grocery prices are still too high for hardworking families," it said.

In Thursday's report, the FTC found that a measure of annual profits for food and beverage retailers "rose substantially and remains quite elevated." The commission said revenues for grocery retailers were 6% over total costs in 2021, and 7% in the first nine months of 2023, higher than a peak of 5.6% in 2015.

"This casts doubt on assertions that rising prices at the grocery store are simply moving in lockstep with retailers’ own rising costs," the FTC said, adding that elevated profit levels "warrant further inquiry" by both policymakers and the commission, which is tasked with protecting the public from unfair business practices.

The FTC also said trade promotions, payments by consumer goods companies to retailers for favorable product placement in stores and on e-commerce websites, "may warrant further study."

The reduction in spending harmed traditional grocers that use a "high-low" pricing strategy with more frequent promotions, the FTC found.

Retailers that offer "everyday low pricing" with fewer promotions, like Walmart, benefited, according to the study.

Walmart did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Its stock price along with those of Procter & Gamble and Kroger closed flat to slightly up at day's close on Thursday.

The FTC added that the report does not make claims of illegality. "We're shedding light on what we're seeing in the market, which has broader relevance to policymakers beyond law enforcement."

(Reporting by Jessica DiNapoli and Siddharth Cavale in New York; Editing by Franklin Paul and David Gregorio)

Union fails to gain further foothold at Tesla's German factory

Story by DPA International • 1d • 

A general view of the Tesla car factory in Gruenheide. Jörg Carstensen/dpa© DPA International

Germany's powerful IG Metall trade union has failed to increase its influence at Tesla's German factory outside Berlin, the company said late on Wednesday following works council elections this week.

Works councils play an important role in German firms, representing the interests of employees by ensuring that laws and collective agreements are observed, that there is no discrimination during hiring and promotion, and that employees' views on improving the workplace are implemented.

The workforce selects from lists of candidates, some of whom can have the backing of trade unions.

In the vote at Tesla's Grünheide plant this week, just under 60% of the seats went to non-unionized lists, the US-based electric car manufacturer announced on Wednesday evening, citing provisional results.

Two years ago, the figure was just under 53%. Out of 39 seats on the new works council, 23 were allocated to lists outside the union, while two years ago 10 out of 19 seats went to non-union lists.

IG Metall is the largest group on the council, with an expected 16 members. More than 12,000 employees were called upon to vote for the works council from Monday to Wednesday. According to Tesla, nine lists with 224 candidates took part.

The new works council is expected to take up its work next week. "We will continue our successful cooperation with the works council," said a Tesla spokeswoman.

This was the second works council election at Elon Musk's only European car factory. The first election took place before the plant opened, when there were far fewer employees.

IG Metall is demanding better working conditions and a commitment to a collective labour agreement at the factory.

Tesla rejects a collective labour agreement and believes that many of the union's demands, such as occupational safety or better conditions for temporary workers, have already been implemented.

US corporations tend to be more hostile to unions than their German counterparts, and Musk himself has been a vociferous opponent of any attempt to unionize the workforce at any of his companies.

Environmental activists are currently protesting in the forest near Tesla's Grünheide plant against plans to clear trees for a freight depot on the site.

Alimentation Couche-Tard seeing low-income customers cut back on store visits: CEO

 The Canadian Press

The head of Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. says lower-income consumers feeling "strained" by economic headwinds are cutting back on how often they visit the chain's convenience stores.

These customers are also adopting more "value-seeking" behaviour and, in some cases, trading down for products they see as more affordable, chief executive Brian Hannasch said Thursday on a conference call with analysts to discuss the company's latest results.

Couche-Tard is seeing these habits crop up most in the company's salty, confectionary and grocery categories, which Hannasch said are the softest part of its business.

"We can look geographically and see that where we've got lower income consumers, our results are worse and where we've got higher income consumers the results are pretty stable," he said.

Hannasch's remarks came a day after his company reported its net earnings attributable to shareholders were US$623.4 million in its third quarter, down 15.5 per cent from US$737.4 million a year earlier.

The Laval, Que.-based business, which reports in U.S. dollars, said revenues for the quarter ended Feb. 4 totalled US$19.6 billion, down from US$20.1 billion during the same quarter last year.

The convenience store and gas station chain behind the Couche-Tard and Circle K banners attributed the fall in earnings to a lower average road transportation fuel gross margin in the U.S. and softer customer traffic amid challenging is is transitory," Hannasch said, when asked on the call about the softness in consumer spending.

"We don't think this weakness in that consumer base will persist over multiple years."

To address the number of customers turning to "value-seeking" behaviour, Couche-Tard has focused on marketing its private-label products, growing its loyalty program and offering Fuel Day promotions.

The private label portion of Couche-Tard's business has been growing at double-digit rates, Hannasch said.

He also sees potential in the company's beverages business, which benefited recently from the launch of purple Red Bull cans in Europe, where alcohol sales were also strong.

He expected a boost to also come from a partnership with Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures to promote the "Godzilla x Kong" movie with branded cups, Frosters and even a Kong breakfast stuffed with double the cheese and triple the meat.

The company could lean on beverages and growth in the nicotine category to help it manage softness it saw from its cigarettes business, which Hannasch said was "weak" in part because of a "very large tax increase" on the products in Hong Kong and lower tourism in the U.S.

Couche-Tard will also be working to integrate European retail assets it bought from TotalEnergies.

The deal valued at 3.1 billion euros was signed in March 2023 and includes retail assets in Germany and the Netherlands, plus a 60 per cent controlling interest in its Belgium and Luxembourg entities.

Irene Nattel, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets, said investors were "likely disappointed" by the company's most recent results, but pointed out the closure of the TotalEnergies deal increased Couche-Tard's European footprint by 80 per cent.

Even though she characterized the quarter as a "pothole" with the quarter's results coming in below her forecasts, she said her "outlook remains constructive."


After the markets closed on Thursday, Couche-Tard announced that former prime minister Stephen Harper is joining its board of directors, effective immediately.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:ATD)

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press

Republicans object to ‘morally dubious’ IVF being offered to unmarried and same-sex couple veterans

Story by Andrew Feinberg • 1d • 

Alabama IVF Affected Groups© Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Aquartet of Republicans want the Department of Veterans Affairs to explain a recent decision to offer In Vitro Fertilisation services to veterans who are unmarried or in same-sex relationships, citing “a plethora of ethical concerns and questions” raised by the announcement.

In a letter to VA Secretary Denis McDonough, Representatives Matt Rosendale, Bob Good, Mary Miller and Josh Brecheen call IVF — a procedure in which human embryos are fertilised in a laboratory setting and implanted in a woman’s uterus — “morally dubious” and say it “should not be subsidised by the American taxpayer”.

They cite the fact that IVF procedures produce extra fertilised embryos which must be frozen or discarded, a practice which fundamentalist Christians consider tantamount to murder, and call the Veterans’ Affairs’ policy “shocking not only on a moral level but on a political and legal level as well”.

“It appears that either the VA always had this authority and is responding to the appeals of activists or is possibly violating existing law,” they said, citing previous Democratic proposals to specifically enshrine IVF expansions into legislation as evidence that the VA programme is currently unlawful.

“The VA must focus on providing world-class healthcare and benefits to veterans, not trying to remake the nuclear family. We appreciate your attention to this letter and eagerly await your reply,” they said.

The right-wing representatives’ letter comes just weeks after the Alabama Supreme Court stoked controversy and outrage by effectively banning the practice of IVF in the Yellowhammer State, leading legislators there to pass legislation specifically allowing for the procedure to be practised there.

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Vietnam's president resigns in latest twist of anti-graft campaign shaking its fast-growing economy

BANGKOK (AP) — Vietnam’s president resigned in the latest episode of the ruling Communist Party's “blazing furnace” anti-corruption campaign, and Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan was named acting president.

The appointment is Xuan's second stint as acting president after she stepped in when Vo Van Thuong's predecessor resigned in early 2023. The turmoil among top leaders is raising questions about Vietnam’s political stability as its fast-growing economy plays an increasingly important role in world supply chains.

Vietnam depends heavily on exports and foreign investment, but its leaders have been tightening the party's grip on power and cracking down on dissent as well as widespread corruption. Analysts say the turnover in leadership pinned to the anti-graft campaign also stems from rivalries within the ruling party.

VIETNAM'S POLITICAL SHAKEUP

Thuong is the second leader in two years to resign as president, a largely ceremonial role. The most powerful post is held by Communist Party general secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Xuan's appointment as acting president until the National Assembly meets to elect a new president is a rare instance of a woman ascending to a top political post in the Southeast Asian country.

In announcing Thuong's departure, state media said his violations had “left a bad mark on the reputation of the Communist Party.” His resignation came days after the former chief of Quang Ngai province, in central Vietnam, was arrested on suspicion of corruption. Thuong is a former party chief of the province.

Thuong was a protege of Trong, who has headed the party since 2011 and is 79, and it's unclear how this change might Vietnam's future leadership.

WHO IS VIETNAM'S ACTING PRESIDENT?

Xuan, 54, has been vice president since 2021. A former high school teacher, she is Vietnam's first female president, but she was acting president for six weeks last year after Nguyen Xuan Phuc resigned as president in the midst of a scandal linked to Vietnam's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reports in Vietnam's state media say Xuan studied chemistry teaching and holds a master's degree in public administration. She initially rose in party ranks as a leader of the women's union in southern Vietnam's An Giang province.

Official media give little further information about Xuan.

WHAT IS THE LIKELY IMPACT OF THIS RESHUFFLE?

Vietnam's economy has boomed over the past decade as foreign investment poured in and the country became a preferred alternative to China as relations festered between Beijing and Washington.

The flood of foreign investment, especially in manufacturing of high-tech products like smart phones and computers, raised expectations it would become yet another “Asian tiger" economy. Since nearly half of Vietnam’s manufacturing involves multinational companies, investor confidence is vital.

Analysts say the anti-corruption campaign has paid some dividends in cracking down on illegal fees and other costs for domestic businesses. But it has also brought on a flurry of scandals and raised political uncertainty. Economic growth slipped to 5.1% last year from 8% in 2022, as exports slowed.

Vietnam's leaders have also drastically narrowed the scope for dissent in the country, jailing clean energy experts as well as environmental activists. Meanwhile, the anti-corruption campaign, described by Trong as a “blazing furnace,” has netted thousands of business people and officials. Real estate tycoon Truong My Lan is facing a possible death penalty for allegedly embezzling $12.5 billion. Lan's trial began earlier this month in Ho Chi Minh City. It’s Vietnam’s largest financial fraud case on record, amounting to nearly 3% of the country’s 2022 GDP.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Vietnam's leaders are next due to convene a Communist Party congress in early 2026. Until then, experts say, there may be more turmoil as rivals to take Trong's place jostle for dominance.

The anti-corruption drive also has made Vietnam’s bureaucracy more cautious, with “public officials becoming anxious about being investigated and shirking their responsibilities,” according to a report from Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. Government spending has slowed for similar reasons, state media have reported.

“Even after the new president is elected, political infighting will likely persist until 2026 unless a clear succession plan for Trong is announced,” Le Hong Hiep, a senior fellow and coordinator of the Vietnam Studies Program at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore said in a report.

“In the meantime, investors and Vietnam’s partners will have to live with the country’s new political realities," he said.

___

Associated Press writer Aniruddha Ghosal in Hanoi, Vietnam, contributed to this report.

Elaine Kurtenbach, The Associated Press

90s punk band fuming after right-wing politician uses their hit song

Story by Robert Oliver • 

Chumawamba are not happy with a New Zealand politician (Picture: Rex/Shutterstock)© Provided by Metro

British punk group Chumbawamba have ordered a populist New Zealand politician to stop using their most famous song during his campaign.

Winston Peters, the leader of the nationalist New Zealand First party and the country’s Deputy Prime Minister, has used the band’s 1990s smash hit Tubthumping at several of his events already.

But Chumbawamba, who originally formed back in 1982, have stepped in, telling Peters that they don’t agree with his views and have not given permission for him to use the song.

According to reports, the band, who split in 2012, have asked their record label to demand that Peters stop using their anthem Tubthumping at his various rallies.

Speaking to the BBC, Chumbawamba guitarist Boff Whalley said: ‘Chumbawamba wrote the song Tubthumping as a song of hope and positivity.’

Ahead of the election in 2023, following the resignation of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, the politician also referenced the song’s main lyrics in a speech.


‘Chumbawamba wrote the song Tubthumping as a song of hope and positivity.’ (Picture: Redferns)© Provided by Metro

New Zealand First form part of the country’s coalition government along with the much larger National Party, and Peters has walked on and walked off stages to the song since the government was formed.

Whalley continued: ‘It seems entirely odd that the ‘I get knocked down…’ refrain is being used by New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters as he barks his divisive, small-minded, bigoted policies during his recent speeches.’

In response, 78-year-old Peters has insisted that he isn’t using the song to make money, adding that he is yet to receive any official communication from the band or their label.


Populist politician Winston Peters has been using Chumbawamba’s music (Picture: Getty)© Provided by Metro


No cease and desist letters have yet been issued (Picture: Rex/Shutterstock)© Provided by Metro

Despite not being sent to Peters officially, Whalley addressed him directly: ‘Chumbawamba would like to make it clear that we did not give permission for Peters to use the song and would ask him to stop using it to try to shore up his misguided political views.’

The song, originally released in 1997, reached number 2 in the UK charts and became an anthem associated with football crowds, eventually being certified Platinum in the UK.

Its famous lyric, ‘I get knocked down but I get up again, you’re never gonna keep me down’ has become a frequently repeated refrain and has been used in the soundtrack to numerous films, TV shows, and other live events.

The song was also a top 10 hit in Australia (being certified as Double Platinum there) and New Zealand upon its release, and has sold millions of copies worldwide.

Chumbauwmba themselves have often been outspoken with their political beliefs, with Tubthumping itself containing an excerpt from Brassed Off, the 1996 political comedy-drama film which follows the effects of the privatisation of British coal mines.

This isn’t the first time the band have had to ask a politician to stop using their song during rallies after they ordered then-UKIP leader Nigel Farage to stop playing the song at his public appearances.

At the height of their fame, the band also poured a bucket of water over then-UK Deputy PM John Prescott in support of striking dock workers in Liverpool.

And in January last year Chumbawamba turned down £30,000 and declined a request to have Tubthumping used in a TV show starring Jeremy Clarkson.

‘So anyway today we turned down £30,000 for our song to be used for a trailer for Jeremy Clarkson’s new TV series,’ they said. ‘I can’t tell you how much satisfaction that gave us.’

SCOTLAND

Toppled ship survivors 'still waiting' for answers

Survivors who suffered "catastrophic" injuries when a ship in dry dock collapsed in Edinburgh say they are still waiting for answers a year on.

A major incident was declared when the US Navy research vessel RV Petrel tipped at a 45-degree angle at Imperial dock in Leith on 22 March 2023.

Some of the 35 people hurt in the incident sustained life-changing injuries.

An investigation into the collapse has been going on for the past 12 months.

Injured worker recalls fear as ship toppled over

Cranes used at site of toppled ship in Leith dock

Ship righted and afloat after toppling in dry dock

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said it was working with Police Scotland.

Lawyers say they are helping some of the injured with their recovery.

But they are yet to see any findings from the investigation and say their clients have been caused "unrest and concern".

A spokesperson for Digby Brown said: "It has now been one year since this incident occurred but the authorities have not yet confirmed what failings led to the dry dock collapse of RV Petrel.

"As with any incident, it's the not knowing that often causes upset and the lack of answers here continues to cause unrest and concern among survivors.

"We currently support 13 people from four different nations and while I cannot divulge details, some have suffered truly catastrophic, life-changing injuries."

They added: "Our priority is making sure each person has access to enhanced treatment so the outcome of their physical recovery may be as positive as possible."
Two months to right Petrel

Workers previously described the moment the ship toppled as "scary".

The Petrel - which measures 76m (250ft) and weighs over 3,000 tonnes - had been moored at the dockyard since 3 September 2020 due to "operational challenges" from the pandemic.

The vessel was previously owned by the estate of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

It had been used for deep water searches for shipwrecks and war graves at sea, including the lost World War Two heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis, which was discovered 18,000 feet (5.5km) beneath the surface.


It took almost two months for the vessel to be righted© PA Media

In 2022 the Isle of Man-registered vessel was sold to the US Navy, and is now operated by American-owned firm Oceaneering International.

Multiple injuries at dockyard after ship tips over

High winds unlikely to have toppled ship - expert

At the time, NHS Lothian said 23 people were treated in hospital and 12 at the scene of the incident.

It took almost two months for the ship to be righted in May last year prior to leaving the capital.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said "The RV Petrel has now made its onward journey from Leith docks, Edinburgh.''

"Officers continue to work with the HSE to establish the full circumstances of this incident."