It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Saturday, June 08, 2024
Calls for Oversight as More Ships Fail Inspections as Fire Risks Increase
More ships are being detained with fire safety issues often being the cause (file photo)
The dangers of fire at sea persist and are growing as new cargoes including lithium-ion batteries, and alternative fuels, begin to become more prevalent. Survival Technology provider Survitec is highlighting the results of a new analysis that shows an “alarming increase” in fire-safety-related deficiencies found during Port State Control Inspections and subsequent ship detentions while calling for better oversight.
Despite fire continuing to be a leading cause of major shipping incidents, accounting for over 20 percent of total losses, and the most expensive cause of marine insurance claims, Survitec highlights the increase in failed inspections and detentions. The Paris MoU in 2022 recorded the highest level of fire safety deficiencies in a decade. Similarly, the Tokyo MoU also reported an increase in detentions, with a staggering 15,562 deficiencies reported in 2023, often involving fire safety concerns. Similar concerns have been voiced by both the U.S. Coast Guard and insurer Allianz which cited a dramatic increase in the number of fires at sea.
“Analysts report a 17 percent year-on-year rise in shipboard fires, which correlates with an increasing number of reports and testimonies from our network of certified service technicians and engineers that document serious faults requiring immediate corrective measures,” says Metkel Yohannes, Director of Service & Rental Solutions at Survitec.
Among the issues they point to are the impact of the economic downturn and the emphasis on cost reduction post-COVID which they believe have negatively impacted fire safety. Survitec reports that some shipowners and operators are maintaining and inspecting safety equipment themselves in an attempt to save costs.
Among the examples they cite is a fire on a bulk carrier. The vessel had completed a fire safety inspection and received full certification from a local service provider. However, shortly after leaving port, a fire broke out in the engine room. Over half of the cylinders failed to activate despite the CO2 system having been inspected and approved. While the fire was eventually extinguished, it caused significant damage to the vessel, resulting in off-hire and repair costs estimated between $2-3 million.
“We’re finding basic errors and oversights that do not become apparent until either the ship fails an inspection and is detained – or there is a fire,” says Yohannes.
In another example, they report the company was called in for an inspection only after a ship had suffered an engine room fire. The crew had managed to extinguish the fire but suspected there was a fault with their high-expansion foam firefighting system. The inspectors probing the system discovered the crew had installed a new foam pump and forgotten to remove one of the protective caps from the inlet.
“We see evidence of a slip in standards regarding basic safety practices but also a wide disparity in service quality between service providers,” says Yohannes. “Approval stamps are being applied to fire systems and appliances that would or should not pass inspection. Some issues are self-evident; for example, rust on a valve or fire extinguisher is clear to see, but other issues are less obvious and can have catastrophic consequences.”
For example, in CO2 firefighting systems, hydraulic hoses are often mistaken for high-pressure hoses but they are not designed for CO2 applications and may burst under pressure.
Survitec is calling for a review of current practice and as an industry to determine if more oversight, governance, and quality control procedures are required.
Ukraine to receive Mirage 2000 jets after year-long speculation
Just under a year ago, BulgarianMilitary.com reported that Ukraine was set to receive Dassault Mirage 2000 fighters from France, based on French sources. This speculation turned into reality on June 6 when French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the transfer. He announced that France will be providing Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Ukraine, manufactured by Dassault, and will also take on the training of Ukrainian pilots in France.
Macron’s announcement highlights an important chapter in recent history. We knew that Kyiv and Paris were engaged in discussions about French aircraft, with detailed negotiations reported as early as September after Kyiv’s official request to Paris.
Additionally, nearly six months before the French parliament debated providing fighter jets to Ukraine, French publication La Figaro broke significant news. They reported that approximately 30 Ukrainian pilots received expedited training to operate the Mirage 2000 fighters. This training was conducted at two French air bases: Mont-de-Marsan and Nancy.
Photo credit: The Print
The beginning
The buzz around the potential delivery of Mirage 2000 fighter jets to Ukraine started well before the discussions took off in September. Back in March 2023, Intelligence Online [IO] conducted an investigation, revealing that Ukraine hopes to receive at least 40 Mirage 2000 jets. According to the report, the potential suppliers include the United Arab Emirates [UAE], Indonesia, and Greece.
At that point, the topic of providing F-16s to Ukraine was still off-limits. It was during this period that France signaled its readiness to donate Mirage 2000 fighters. However, three main criteria needed to be evaluated first: the utility and effectiveness of these jets for Ukraine’s military, the risk of escalation, and the potential impact on France’s own defense capabilities.
Photo credit: Reddit
According to BulgarianMilitary.com, French President Emmanuel Macron had already directed the Ministry of Defense to assess the feasibility of providing combat aircraft to Ukraine at the start of 2023. It was officially confirmed by Paris that Kyiv had submitted a request for these fighter jets.
The signals from Kyiv
Earlier this year, General Mykola Oleschuk, head of the Ukrainian Air Force, suggested the Mirage 2000D could potentially be transferred to Ukraine.
Photo credit: Pravda.com.ua
In a related discussion with Libération, General Kirilo Budanov, head of intelligence, highlighted his desire for France to aid Ukraine with air support. He remarked, “I hope that France will provide us with the air support we urgently need. Ukrainian pilots are among the best in the world due to their extensive combat experience. They will have no trouble adapting to this new technology. I am optimistic that the French Republic will supply us with these aircraft” [Mirage 2000D, editor’s note].
Meanwhile, Francois Le Monde argues that Ukraine might encounter challenges operating multiple types of combat aircraft. He contends that Ukraine should focus on the F-16, as the Mirage 2000D comes with additional hurdles like maintaining operational status and building the necessary infrastructure. Moreover, rigorous pilot training could take six to eight months and require support from navigators and maintenance personnel. From Paris to Athens
Photo credit: JasonM
Reports suggest that the UAE and Indonesia may be donating Mirage 2000 jets to Ukraine. Yet, it’s Greece that catches the eye. After French President Macron’s June 6 speech, it’s worth noting Greece’s move back in February. Greece is actively seeking funds to acquire at least six more Dassault Rafale fighters and is willing to sell its Mirage 2000 jets to raise money.
Greek newspaper I Kathimeriní shared that Athens plans to sell these retired aircraft to India. The Indian Air Force [IAF], which has been looking to bolster its Mirage 2000 fleet for the past four years, expressed interest in acquiring an additional 24 units in 2021.
Right now, Athens finds itself in a favorable position. India emerges as a potential buyer for the Greek Mirages, and Macron’s speech has opened the door for a possible barter deal with an extra payment from Greece to secure the needed Rafales.
Photo credit: Dassault Aviation
The Mirage
The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a jet fighter made by the French company Dassault Aviation. It’s a fourth-generation plane with one engine that can perform many roles. The plane is around 14.36 meters long, has a wingspan of 9.13 meters, and stands 5.2 meters tall. Its wing area is about 41 square meters, which helps it perform well in various combat situations.
The Mirage 2000 uses a single SNECMA M53-P2 turbofan engine. This engine can produce up to 95.1 kN of thrust with an afterburner, allowing the plane to fly at speeds up to Mach 2.2
. Photo credit: CNA
The plane’s delta-wing design gives it great lift and maneuverability. It can take off with a maximum weight of 17,000 kilograms and has a combat radius of about 1,550 kilometers with extra fuel tanks. Its fly-by-wire control system makes it stable and easy to handle, even during difficult maneuvers.
Inside Mirage 2000
The Mirage 2000 is packed with high-tech systems to boost its combat performance. It has the Thales RDY-2 radar for tracking and engaging multiple targets and the SAGEM Sigma 95N for navigation. You’ll also find a heads-up display [HUD], multifunction displays [MFDs], and an advanced electronic warfare suite to protect the aircraft. Photo: Savvas Savvaidis
The systems on the Mirage 2000 use advanced technology. This includes the ICMS Mk2 system for electronic countermeasures [ECM] and radar warnings. It also has the DAMOCLES pod for precision bombing and the Litening pod for better targeting and reconnaissance.
The Mirage 2000 is armed with many weapons to handle different missions. It can carry air-to-air missiles like the MBDA MICA and Magic II and air-to-ground bombs like the GBU-12 Paveway II and AS-30L missiles. It also has a 30mm twin-barrel cannon for close combat and ground attacks.
Air superiority missions
Photo credit: Pixabay
The Mirage 2000 is highly effective in air superiority missions. Its advanced avionics, agility, and powerful radar make it an excellent choice for gaining control of the skies. This capability is crucial for establishing air dominance in contested environments.
In addition to air superiority, the Mirage 2000 excels in precision strike missions. Equipped with a variety of guided munitions, it can accurately target and destroy enemy infrastructure, command centers, and other high-value assets, minimizing collateral damage.
The aircraft is also well-suited for close air support operations. Its ability to deliver precise firepower in support of ground troops makes it invaluable in scenarios where friendly forces are engaged with enemy combatants, providing critical support to ensure mission success.
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Ukraine Hits Russian Patrol Boats & Petroleum Tanks in Black Sea
A Ukrainian Magura V5 drone boat detonates against the hull of a Tuna-class Russian patrol vessel (GUR)
Satellite imagery and video footage appear to confirm reports of two separate Ukrainian attacks on Russian assets in the Black Sea last week: a drone boat strike in western Crimea, and a missile strike on a petroleum facility at the port of Kavkaz.
On Thursday, Ukraine's General Staff claimed credit for an ATACMS missile strike on the port of Kavkaz. According to pro-Ukraine accounts, residents of Kavkaz reported up to 10 explosions in a row overnight Wednesday; bystander imagery appeared to corroborate a series of explosions and fires at the facility, but the authenticity of the footage could not be immediately confirmed.
Satellite imagery obtained by Radio Free Liberty (a U.S. government-funded news outlet) appears to show limited damage to a tank farm at the port.
The Ukrainian military also claims to have damaged two vessels that were used for Russian military logistics. The satellite imagery appears to show that two vessels that were present at the pier in Kavkaz before the date of the alleged attack have now departed.
Kavkaz is Russia's fifth-busiest port in cargo turnover, and the second-busiest Russian port in the Black Sea area (after Novorossiysk). It is also home to an unusual nine-car rail ferry crossing, connecting to Russian-occupied Crimea on the opposite side of the Kerch Strait.
Separately, Ukraine's defense ministry claimed another successful drone strike on the Black Sea Fleet, this time in the northwestern Black Sea. The targets this time were smaller in scale - two Tuna-class patrol boats - but the outcome appeared to favor Ukrainian forces. Footage released by Ukrainian intelligence shows the drones approaching the Russian patrol vessels under fire, dodging tracers on their way to making contact with the vessels' hulls. Ukraine's "Group 13" drone boat task force claimed to have damaged two of the patrol vessels and destroyed two more.
After damage or destruction of at least 15 full-size Russian warships, the once-powerful Black Sea Fleet has retreated to the relative safety of Novorossiysk, a Russian harbor in the northeastern Black Sea. The small Tuna-class patrol craft are among the few targets left on the west side of Crimea, where Ukraine has concentrated its efforts.
THE LAST COLONY VIVA INDEPENDENCE
EU Elections, Olympics Overshadow New Caledonia Crisis
People in New Caledonia are disappointed that the riots last month are now being overshadowed by the Parliament elections and the Olympic Games.
New Caledonia's High Commissioner Louis Le Franc said the European elections on Sunday will take place, despite some local municipalities indicating that they are experiencing difficulties.
He said additional security will be deployed for the elections, La Première reported.
Local journalist Coralie Cochin said French media have stopped reporting on the territory.
"They used to do it maybe three weeks ago, but now [people in New Caledonia] feel abandoned because nobody talks about what is happening here anymore," Cochin said.
She said it was because of the upcoming EU elections and Paris Olympics, but also because "the French government tried to overshadow the subject".
"They really want to show a very positive image of [Emmanuel Macron's] action in New Caledonia."
Cochin said people are feeling angry, discouraged and tired from the riots that broke out on 13 May.
RIP
French artist Ben dies aged 88, hours after his wife’s death
By Joseph Ataman and Rosa Rahimi, CNN Thu June 6, 2024 The artist Ben at his home in Nice, September 2009. Manuel Lagos Cid/Paris Match/Getty Images
(CNN) — Ben, the French artist best known for his irreverent approach to modern art, has died aged 88, taking his own life hours after the death of his wife, his family said in a statement Wednesday.
Annie Vautier, Ben’s wife, died at 3 a.m. on Wednesday, having suffered a stroke on Monday, the Vautier family said in a statement posted to the Facebook page of the family gallery
“Unwilling and unable to live without her, Ben killed himself a few hours later at their home,” in the south of France, the artist’s family announced.
“Geniuses never stay alone,” his family added.
The couple married in the 1960s and are survived by two children, Eva and Francois.
Ben, born Benjamin Vautier in 1935, was known for his light-hearted black-on-white slogans, written in a childlike hand.
He gained notoriety for his performative art, including signing everyday objects and other artists’ work.
He spent his early childhood in Italy, Switzerland, Turkey and Egypt, until arriving in Nice in 1949, where he spent the rest of his life.
A self-taught artist, Ben’s foray into the art world started in the late 1950s, when he opened a store in Nice that became an exhibition space and meeting place for artists.
He was associated with the Fluxus movement of the 1960s, known for its playful and experimental approach, intended to break down the boundaries between art and daily life.
Ben poses next to one of his art works during his exhibition 'Strip-tease integral' at the Museum of Modern Art in March 2010. The sentence reads "I am at war with myself." Robert Pratta/Reuters
The Elysee Palace paid tribute to “one of France’s most popular artists.”
“On our children’s pencil cases, on so many everyday objects and even in our imaginations, Ben left his mark, made of freedom and poetry, of apparent lightness and overwhelming depth,” the Elysee statement said.
His works have been exhibited around the world, from the Museum of Modern Art in New York to the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney.
A recreation of his old shop, made of its dismantled remains, are on display at the Centre Pompidou in Paris and covered in his iconic handwriting.
French artist, performer and linguistic inventor Ben Vautier poses at the exhibition "Ben Vautier. Is Everything Art?" in the Museum Tinguely in Basel, Switzerland, on Oct. 20, 2015. Ben died Wednesday at his home in Nice hours after his wife died of a stroke. Photo by Georgios Kefalas/EPA
Irish, Czech citizens head to polls for European elections
Millions across EU voting on June 6-9 for their representatives in EP, bloc’s only directly elected body and world’s only directly elected transnational legislature
Burak Bir, Nur Asena Ertürk |07.06.2024 -
LONDON
Irish and Czech citizens on Friday began voting to elect their representatives in the 720-seat European Parliament (EP) for a five-year term.
Voters in Ireland are heading to the polls for the local elections, the European elections, and the Limerick mayor election.
A total of 73 candidates have declared for the European elections across the three constituencies of Ireland South, Midlands-North-West, and Dublin as Ireland will elect a total of 14 MEPs, accounting for 2% of the 720-seat chamber.
Voters will also fill 949 city and county council seats in 31 local government authorities, as well as choosing a mayor for Limerick.
A high number of far-right candidates are on the ballot as polls show that nearly two-thirds of voters want tougher controls on immigration amid housing shortage and criticism against immigrants and refugees, according to reports.
Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. local time (0625GMT) and will close at 10 p.m. (2100GMT).
The counting in the European elections will begin on Sunday morning, but no counts will be declared until after 10 p.m. (2100GMT) Sunday.
In the Czech Republic, citizens will determine their 21 members of the European Parliament, while the ANO centrist opposition party is polling at 23.1%, slightly ahead of ruling parties, according to the Czech polling agency STEM.
Speaking to the German DPA news agency, STEM analyst Martin Kratochvil said the forecast reflected “typically low” Czech turnout in EU elections.
Estonians were the first to go to the polls on June 3, with voting open until June 9.
The Dutch followed on Thursday, while Malta, Latvia, Slovakia, and Italy are set to vote on June 8, with Italy having two days to vote.
The rest of Europe -- Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, the Greek Cypriot administration, Hungary, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden -- will head to the polls on June 9.
Millions across the EU have been set to vote on June 6-9 for their representatives in the EP, the bloc’s only directly elected body and the world’s only directly elected transnational legislature.
A total of 720 lawmakers, or MEPs, will be elected to a five-year term, who then choose an EP president, a post currently held by Roberta Metsola.
*Nur Asena Erturk in Ankara contributed to this report
Meloni backs creation of ‘alternative’ right-wing EU coalition
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wants a new Europe, ruled by right-wing forces.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called for the creation of an “alternative” right-wing alliance in Brussels.
The project — which echoes calls by Marine Le Pen for the creation of a right-wing “supergroup” in the European parliament following the June elections — would reportedly be aimed at marginalizing the political left.
“My goal is to create an alternative majority to the current one in Europe, finally sending leftists of all colours into opposition,” the Italian leader said in an interview with online news outlet Il Secolo d’Italia.
“I assure you that Italy will do its full part so that the next legislature will go down in history as the beginning of the new Century: that of political Europe, of the people.”
She contrasted her vision of a Europe of Nations, “which has always been celebrated in the squares and in songs”, with the Europe of the Left, which she claimed “until a few decades ago, praised real Socialism” and the Russian “Soviet regime that suffocated peoples and national spirits”.
Meloni said she wanted the European Union to return to its roots of “sovereignty and subsidiarity”, adding her party, Fratelli d’Italia, was working on an “Italian model” for this end.
She said the ongoing European Parliament elections were seen as a contest between a Europe that wanted to continue to be a “regulator” of citizens’ lives and a Europe that, instead, wanted to recover the vision of the Founding Fathers — start again from co-operation between sovereign nations and invest in its own strategic autonomy.
“We want a Europe that deals with a few but important things, such as the common foreign and security policy, leaving everything else to the freedom and sovereignty of nations,” Meloni said.
“The Europe that we have in our minds and hearts must be able to rediscover its most precious asset: Pride in its history, its identity and its roots.
“We want a Europe that knows how to rediscover its soul, which has made it a beacon of civilisation for millennia,” she said.
“Because we must not forget that Europe is the land in which faith, reason and humanism have found that perfect synthesis, where the welfare state was born, a society was formed that puts the defence of life and the family at the centre and takes care of the most vulnerable.”
“We have the task of awakening this Europe from the slumber into which it has fallen and defending it from relativism and creeping Islamisation,” she added.
Meloni also said she was comfortable with herself, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the de facto leader of France’s National Rally, Marine Le Pen, being seen by many as the leading ladies in Europe.
“We are three centre-right women, albeit from three different political families,” adding that she now wanted to work together with these “families” to create her alternative majority.
“We want to do exactly what we did in Italy a year and a half ago, and export this model for the leadership of the future Europe.”
Meloni is leading the list of her party in the European Parliament elections, which conclude on June 9.
24 Muslim lawmakers elected to India's lower house of parliament
As many as 78 candiates contested elections in 2024 election for Lok Sabha, against 115 in 2019
Ahmad Adil |07.06.2024 -
NEW DELHI
As many as 24 Muslim contestants have made it to India's Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament, in the 2024 general elections, against 26 in 2019.
The seven phased, marathon polls, which began on April 19, ended on June 1 and the results were declared on June 4.
According to final results announced by election commission, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 240 seats in the 543-member house, while the main opposition Indian National Congress got 99 seats. The BJP, however, remained short of the 272-seat majority on its own and is now set to return to power with the help of alliance partners.
Muslims are the largest minority in India and have a population of 183 million, 14% of 1.4 billion people. But their share in parliament has remained below 5%.
In this year's polls, political parties fielded as many as 78 Muslim candidates across the country, against 115 in 2019.
In the first election held in independent India in 1952, only 11 Muslims were elected.
The number peaked at 49 in 1980, but has been falling steadily since then, and the community is said to be suffering from rising Hindu nationalism in the officially secular country.
Who are these Muslim lawmakers?
The winning Muslim lawmakers are not from any party in the ruling alliance, and represent either the opposition alliance or have won as independents.
Seven of these MPs are members of the Congress party, five belong to the All India Trinamool Congress, and four to the regional Samajwadi Party, which delivered a shock to the BJP by winning 37 of 80 seats in the northern Uttar Pradesh state.
The Indian Union Muslim League in southern India also won three seats, while Jammu and Kashmir's National Conference grabbed two and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen one. Two Muslims entered the parliament as independents.
These legislators represent the West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Bihar, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Lakskwadeep and Ladakh states.
Among the prominent Muslim faces in the new legislature include Asaduddin Owaisi, president of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen who won from the Southern Indian city of Hyderabad for the fifth time.
Another known face is former Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan, who won from West Bengal’s Baharampur seat by defeating a Congress candidate.
In Uttar Pradesh, Iqra Choudhary, 29, from Samajwadi Party, beat Hindu nationalist BJP’s candidate by nearly 70,000 votes.
One of the surprising wins was by Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer Rashid, who is in jail since 2019.
Rashid won the election from Baramulla in Kashmir, defeating former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah by a huge margin.
Awareness, education has a role
Although the number of Muslim representatives has dwindled compared to previous elections, experts say greater awareness and education has allowed "more people" from the community to come forward.
Niaz Farooqui, secretary of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, India's largest socio-religious Muslim organization, told Anadolu that the percentage of Muslims winning in comparison with the number of those who contested had increased this time, "which is positive."
Around 31% of contestants among the Muslim candidates won this time, versus 23% in 2019.
He said given the Muslim population, the number of representatives should be more, even though historically it has remained between 3% and 5%.
Of the 24 elected lawmakers, two are women. “In parliament, Muslim women are less in number, as compared to the other communities. But with awareness and education, it is slowly changing and women are coming forward to contest and they are winning as well,” he said.
SAD PANDA Petition re-emerges in South Korea for China to send back panda Fu Bao amid well-being concerns
Fu Bao, a panda born in South Korea to pandas on loan from China, was sent to China in April, according to an agreement. PHOTO: AFP
MAY 31, 2024
SEOUL – A petition calling for the return of a giant panda, which was sent to China after being born and raised in South Korea, has resurfaced in South Korea amid lingering concerns over the beloved bear’s well-being in China.
The petition, titled Return Fu Bao To Korea and submitted by a petitioner surnamed Koh, emerged on May 29 on the South Korean National Assembly’s online petition platform.
It has met the initial requirement of gathering 100 instances of consent and now awaits a review for it to be made public, allowing everyone to view its content and potentially support it.
Fu Bao, a female panda born in 2020 to pandas on loan from China, was sent to China in April according to the loan agreement between the two countries. She is now being kept at a breeding park inside the Shenshuping giant panda base in Wolong National Nature Reserve in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in China.
This is the second time a petition has been made over Fu Bao, who is South Korea’s first naturally bred panda and has enjoyed massive popularity ever since she was born.
Early in April, a Seoul citizen proposed through the city government’s petition platform that the city should push for another loan agreement with China and accommodate the star bear at the city-run Seoul Grand Park. The city government responded by saying that the panda will “adapt well to the environment in China”.
But whether Fu Bao is adapting well is a top concern for many fans in South Korea, with some raising suspicions over maltreatment.
Recently, unverified photos circulating on social media showed some dark spots on Fu Bao’s neck, which worried South Korean fans. Some even suggested that the dark spots may be from the panda being chained.
On May 28, the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda released video clips and photos of Fu Bao via its official social media account as proof of the panda’s sound conditions. It said the bear will be available for public viewing starting from June.
A segregation cell in the now-closed Kingston Penitentiary is shown in this file photo. A CBC Hamilton analysis of data shows segregation in Ontario jails has been ramping up across the province. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)
Social Sharing
After spending nearly a solid month alone in a jail cell in Hamilton, Cedar Hopperton remembers how the deafening quiet and isolation impacted her.
"The main thing that strikes you is the silence … it definitely aggravated feelings of anxiety and fear, like listening to every little sound in this totally silent environment, just being really worried and stressed," she said.
While at the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre (HWDC) in 2018, Hopperton was put in what the province calls segregation — or what prisoners often call "the hole," she said.
"You're literally in a little cream-coloured box with nothing … usually all your possessions are taken away from you and you have to bargain for them back," said Hopperton, who is now an advocate for incarcerated people.
Cedar Hopperton, who was in the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre (HWDC) in 2018, says her longest stay in segregation was a month. (Bobby Hristova/CBC)
Segregation, also known as solitary confinement, is when prisoners are physically and socially isolated in a cell for 22 hours or more.
A CBC Hamilton analysis of data shows segregation in Ontario jails has been ramping up since 2019, despite the Ontario Human Rights Commission urging the province to phase out segregation in its jails since 2016.
In Hamilton, it has been happening at a far greater rate than the rest of Ontario and has met the United Nations' threshold for torture, with some segregation periods lasting as long as 21 days.
Under its Mandela Rules, the UN considers segregation of over 15 consecutive days a form of torture, calling it "cruel" and "inhuman." The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture has been calling for an end to segregation globally since 2011. Ontario's ombudsman also says, in a 2017 report, that segregation should only be used as a last resort, noting research shows the health and suicide risks associated with extended segregation.
'The numbers are so high, it's hard to believe'
The CBC analysis of provincial data shows the Hamilton jail accounted for roughly one out of every five segregation placements reported in Ontario's 25 correctional facilities between April 2022 and March 2023.
During that period, more than 1,408 prisoners were placed in segregation 11,494 times at HWDC. That's the equivalent of an estimated 31 placements per prisoner in a year.
When factoring in jail population data, obtained through a freedom-of-information request, Hamilton's segregation rate was four times the provincial rate of seven placements per prisoner.
"The numbers are so high, it's hard to believe … we've got a problem, 100 per cent," said Peter Boushy, a longtime local criminal defence lawyer who was shown CBC's figures and has many clients who have been imprisoned at HWDC.
The province lists six reasons for putting people in segregation:
They pose security risks.
They pose security risks for medical concerns.
They need protection.
They need protection for medical concerns.
For misconduct.
For refusing to be searched.
The Ministry of the Solicitor General declined an interview and didn't address detailed questions about CBC's findings in its emailed statement.
Despite the jump in segregation use across Ontario, ministry spokesperson Andrew Morrison said the province "continues to make progress in keeping inmates out of segregation conditions" and highlighted a 2020 announcement of $500 million over five years to hire staff and "modernize" facilities.
'If I was in charge … I'd be asking a lot of questions'
The province's website describes HWDC as one of its eight regional facilities meant to serve a larger area and be a "point of entry into the institutional system."
In other words, many of the people in HWDC and other provincial jails haven't been convicted for the charges that landed them behind bars. Data from provincial courthouses also shows 54 per cent of cases that were before Ontario courts in 2022 ended up being withdrawn or stayed before trial.
Howard Sapers was previously Canada's correctional investigator and was an independent adviser to Ontario on corrections matters. The federal government describes Sapers as a "prominent expert on effective and humane corrections management."
He saw CBC's data and said it is "alarming" and shows "people who haven't even been convicted are being thrown into … the worst, most oppressive forms of custody."
"If I was in charge … I'd be asking a lot of questions," Sapers said.
Howard Sapers, previously Canada's correctional investigator, says the amount of segregation taking place in Hamilton is a 'symptom of much bigger problems.' (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
After HWDC, the next highest segregation rates for 2022-23 were at the Vanier Centre for Women in Milton, the North Bay Jail and the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre in London.
HWDC had 368 imprisoned people in 2022-23, making it the seventh most populous jail in Ontario. The Toronto South Detention Centre had the highest population with roughly 1,200 prisoners.
That means Toronto South has roughly triple HWDC's population and yet HWDC's segregation rate is roughly 10 times higher.
The segregation data, which only accounts for reported segregation placements between fiscal years 2019-20 and 2022-23, was compiled using the population of each jail and annual statistics publicly released by the Ministry of the Solicitor General.
The data does not include unscheduled lockdowns, where prisoners are stuck in their cells sometimes for extended periods of time because of security incidents, searches or other reasons. CBC only used data between 2019 and 2023 due to inconsistencies in how the province tracked segregation in prior years.
The HWDC had 368 imprisoned people in the 2022-23 fiscal year. (Dan Taekema/CBC)
Jane Sprott, a Toronto Metropolitan University criminology professor who was shown CBC's figures, said having a high segregation rate isn't good, but a low rate doesn't make one jail better than another, noting it could just mean there were fewer segregations per prisoner but for longer periods of time.
Sprott and Anthony Doob, professor emeritus of criminology at the University of Toronto, led research in 2020 into segregation in federally run prisons — called solitary confinement — and the rate at which it amounts to torture.
They did the research while being members of an advisory panel the federal government formed when it was replacing segregation in federal prisons with a new system in 2019. Sapers was chair of the panel.
Under the new system, prisoners must be granted at least four hours a day outside their cells, including two hours of "meaningful human contact." But the new system is still being used more often — and for longer periods of time — than intended.
Hamilton's segregation rate has jumped since 2019
Sapers said the amount of segregation taking place in Hamilton is a "symptom of much bigger problems," which could include issues related to staffing, morale, training, policy awareness and compliance, infrastructure or institutional violence.
In the 2019 fiscal year, the segregation rate was three times per prisoner. Three years later, it was happening 10 times as often, with the rate ballooning to 31 segregation placements per prisoner.
Sapers noted the COVID-19 pandemic prompted jails to be more restrictive and some have continued pandemic practices like isolating new inmates, among other actions, even though the worst of the pandemic is over.
The short timeframe of the data analysis can't determine whether the pandemic had a long-term impact on segregation rates.
Chad Oldfield is chair of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union's (OPSEU) Corrections Ministry employee relations committee.
Oldfield said the province's jails "are in crisis after years of understaffing and under-resourcing."
"The union agrees that the use of segregation-like conditions are detrimental to the mental health and well-being of the inmates in our care, however, our correctional system lacks any kind of practical alternative," he wrote in an email.
"For years, front-line correctional workers and their union have been sounding the alarm on these ongoing systemic issues and advocating for better working conditions, which in turn are better living conditions for those in custody."
He said the COVID-19 pandemic hit jails hard — many staff got sick and many prisoners entered isolation for health reasons. He said mental health and addictions issues in jails have also "skyrocketed," and both prisoners and staff face an "ongoing threat of violence."
Oldfield said the province needs more full-time correctional officers, better infrastructure, and more training and resources for staff.
Segregation in Hamilton met UN conditions for torture
CBC Hamilton used another freedom-of-information request to obtain more detailed data about who entered segregation in HWDC for 2022-23, how long they stayed and why they were put in.
Those figures show 312 people entered segregation between six and 10 times. A smaller group, 32 prisoners, entered segregation between 41 and 155 times.
The average length of segregation was a day and a half, but the longest at HWDC was 21 days — which is the longest segregation stay in the province for a man that year and exceeds 15 days, the threshold the UN considers to be torture.
Ontario's Court of Appeal also set a hard 15-day cap on segregation in 2019. The province did not respond to CBC on how or why the cap was allowed to be exceeded in Hamilton. It did say it was "important to note that an inmate can request a placement in segregation conditions."
Of the people who entered segregation, 504 had a mental health alert on their file, which means they've disclosed a mental illness, demonstrate behaviour that suggests mental illness or have shown signs of or have said they're thinking about suicide.
The 504 prisoners represent roughly a third of people segregated in HWDC in 2022-23.
An inmate can be seen inside a segregation cell at the federally run Collins Bay Institution in Kingston. (The Canadian Press/Lars Hagberg)
There were also 112 people in segregation who had "severe mental illness" and 223 people on suicide watch, which is when the imprisoned person needs "increased supervision" due to a "high risk of suicide or self-harm."
Ontario's ombudsman has said, by law, prisoners with "a serious diagnosed mental illness" cannot be held in segregation, but some may have safety or security concerns that prevent them from being housed with others.
In those cases, the ombudsman said his office speaks with local jail staff and follows up with the province to ensure the prisoners continue to have access to programming and mental health support.
In a 2013 settlement, the province committed to not placing people with mental health issues in segregation unless alternatives to segregation were considered and rejected because they would cause "undue hardship."
Morrison, the ministry's spokesperson, said that in some cases it is necessary to separate people from other prisoners for "health, safety and/or security reasons."
He also said there have been "substantial reductions in the length of time that inmates are spending in segregation conditions" and "regulatory amendments are now in force" to address legal limits on the length of segregation placements, prohibit segregation for people with mental health issues and do independent reviews of those in segregation.
The 'exceptionally debilitating' effects of segregation
Boushy said many of his clients have mental health issues. "Segregation has, for the most part, an exceptionally debilitating effect on the psychological and emotional well-being of our clients."
The HWDC figures don't offer much information about why segregations occur. They also appear to be categorized differently than the publicly available data.
The segregation unit at the North Bay jail. (Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services)
While the province has six categories for why people get put into segregation, the HWDC data lumps people into just three:
Refusing to be searched.
Protecting the security of the institution or others (including for medical or other reasons).
Because an imprisoned person needed protection (also including for medical or other reasons).
In four cases, HWDC reported someone entered segregation for refusing a search.
Meanwhile, people went to "the hole" 8,338 times to protect the security of the institution or safety of others. Segregation was used another 2,671 times because a person needed protection.
"If your only way of keeping people safe is by isolating them, you're not operating a very safe correctional institution," Sapers said.
Boushy said HWDC staff may be using segregation to create space due to overcrowding in the facility.
He said there are three inmates in many cells, which means one person sleeps on the floor while two sleep in bunk beds.
Hopperton, who spent time in segregation for what she said were administrative reasons and not misconduct, said she believes the true segregation rate is higher.
She said that when she was in jail, staff would lock her in the shower for three to four hours so she was out of her cell long enough to no longer be considered in segregation. The province did not respond to comment on such a tactic.
Paul Dubé, Ontario's ombudsman, is seen in a file photo. His 2017 report says segregation should only be used as a last resort. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)
Sapers said he isn't surprised to hear what Hopperton said about the tactic, pointing to the 2017 report by Ontario's ombudsman.
The ombudsman investigated segregation after seeing a steady rise in complaints, a lack of response to previous recommendations and hearing about Adam Capay, who spent more than four years in solitary confinement in Thunder Bay while awaiting trial for murder. The charges were stayed in 2019.
The report showed jails didn't track segregation properly and oversight was "severely lacking," leaving vulnerable inmates in isolation for prolonged periods of time without the required reviews.
The ombudsman made 32 recommendations to the province, all of which were accepted.
Some of those included implementing a more specific definition of segregation, more training to staff and regularly auditing segregation data.
As of October 2023, the province has implemented 29 recommendations, according to the ombudsman.
The ombudsman noted it is waiting on the province to create an independent panel to review segregation placements and waiting on Ontario to better integrate paper and digital systems.
"The purpose of corrections is to prepare people to live safely in the community. Just about everyone in a detention centre is going to be released one way or another," he said.
"Don't you want the person being released to be better able to cope safely in society … you can't achieve that if you've confined someone in a segregation cell."
METHODOLOGY: How CBC analyzed segregation placements in Ontario jails
The data included in this story was compiled by the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General and publicly disclosed every fiscal year. To compare segregation placements between correctional facilities, CBC divided the total number of segregation placements by every jail's corresponding average daily custodial counts for every fiscal year (2019/20 to 2022/23), as obtained through a freedom-of-information request. Two subject matter experts consulted by CBC News have seen this analysis and said that given the data available, calculating a segregation placement rate is the best way to represent change over time and to compare jails.
CBC only used data from 2019/20 to 2022/23 because prior years didn't collect data for the whole fiscal year and didn't release data for all jails. The limited time frame isn't long enough to determine a trend. Toronto Intermittent Centre, Elgin-Middlesex Regional Intermittent Centre and the Ontario Correctional Institute are not included in the analysis due to incomplete data.
Additional statistics on segregation placements for the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre were obtained by CBC News using a freedom-of-information request.
Research and data analysis: Bobby Hristova (February – May 2024).
Data verification & analysis: Naël Shiab (February 2024) and Valérie Ouellet (April — May 2024).
Sea urchin pandemic spreads beyond Red Sea, endangering coral reefs A dead black sea urchin is displayed at a laboratory in Tel Aviv University's Steinhardt Museum of Natural History in Tel Aviv, Israel May 23, 2023.
PUBLISHED JUNE 07, 2024
TEL AVIV — A sea-borne pandemic that wiped out sea urchin populations in the Red Sea has spread and is taking out the species in parts of the Indian Ocean and could go global, scientists in Israel say.
The particular species of sea urchin impacted is a well-known protector of coral reefs and the deaths put the already fragile reef ecosystem in even more peril.
The pandemic was first noticed in the Gulf of Aqaba a year ago and researchers say they have since identified the pathogen behind it through molecular analysis. They are linking it to mass deaths across the Red Sea, the Arabian peninsula, and as far as Reunion Island off Madagascar.
The pathogen kills fast and violently — in just two days colonies can be lost — making it hard to assess how many are dying, said Omri Bronstein, a zoologist from Tel Aviv University and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History.
It seems to be heading east towards the tropical waters of the Coral Triangle that extends off southeast Asia and Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
"I fear that at the current situation this is the trajectory, so this is where it's going," he said.
Their findings were published in the journal Current Biology.
'Lawn mowers'
Bronstein described the affected sea urchin species as the "lawn mowers" of coral reefs, since they remove algae that otherwise blocks sunlight, allowing the coral to thrive.
In the Gulf of Aqaba, no other creature has taken over that role and Bronstein's team is already seeing extensive growth in algae cover.
"When mortalities started in the Red Sea, they were so strong and so abrupt and so violent that the first thoughts were this must be some kind of pollution, or something very severe but very local," he said.
Then the phenomenon was seen at a wharf farther south in Sinai where a ferry from Aqaba docks. Two weeks later it spread another 70 kms. They described thousands of skeletons of the once dominant species rolling on the sea bottom.
There is no known way to stop the disease, Bronstein said. But there is still a chance to create an isolated population, or broodstock, of the sea urchins remaining elsewhere that could hopefully be reintroduced later on.
The Israeli team is now cooperating with scientists across the region to map the pandemic and gather more details. This includes collecting continuous samples of environmental DNA from the different bodies of water that show how sea life interacts with the surroundings.
"You must have people on site to provide you with data, because within 48 hours you have no evidence of the mortalities even taking place," Bronstein said. "This coordination and this collaboration is one of the keys of being able to be on top of this rapidly evolving situation."
Photo credit: CNA
Photo credit: Pixabay
