Relocations—tilting the capital-labour balance

SILVIA BORELLI

11th July 2024

SOCIAL EUROPE


Public assistance for firms must be rendered conditional on constraints on their freedom to move elsewhere.

The world at his fingertips: in a globalised and digitalised environment, capital can relocate much more easily than when heavily sunk in local buildings and equipment (Peera_stockfoto/shutterstock.com)

If we want to build a European Union in which the environment and social rights are respected and which is in the vanguard of digital and general economic development, the free movement of companies and capital can no longer be an unchallenged dogma. In the aftermath of last month’s elections to the European Parliament, enterprise relocations become a touchstone theme, forcing reflection on the process of European integration and the role the union plays in global geopolitics.

Relocations, the subject of a book I have co-edited for the European Trade Union Institute, can take place within the union (when a company moves from one member state to another) or beyond (when production is relocated to a non-EU country). The former highlight how European integration based on corporate freedom has promoted competition rather than co-operation among member states.

In a context in which companies can choose where to locate their activities and how to articulate their corporate structure within the various territories of the union, states compete to offer the lowest wages, the most advantageous tax regimes or the most substantial public aid. Wide inequalities among states—in labour costs, corporate taxation and public debt (and so resources that can be distributed to companies)—are thrown into sharp relief and become a tool to increase the attractiveness of the country concerned within the single market.

Relocations outside the EU raise concerns about competition with the other major powers, primarily the United States and China. In the face of the enormous investments made by these two countries in favour of companies established there, the EU has reacted slowly. Its various programmes have aimed to retain companies within the union while countering unfair competition.

During the pandemic, the debate on ‘open strategic autonomy’, which had already developed within the framework of common European defence, resurfaced. This debate has since found new life in the course of the conflict in Ukraine, in the face of which the EU is struggling to take a clear and autonomous line.

Enormous paradox

Relocations thus force us to reflect on the role of public authorities—be it the EU or its member states—in industrial policy. This highlights an enormous paradox. When public agencies pay benefits to individuals who are not in paid work, access is very often rendered conditional on conduct integrating them into the labour market. Yet when public bodies provide aid to businesses—though in far greater amounts—they ask almost nothing of them.

In Italy, for example, public spending on minimum income in 2020 was €7.2 billion (and the measure was eliminated in 2023, considered too costly and supporting inactivity). In the same year, public spending on business aid amounted to €108 billion.

The few rules that regulate relocations, within the member states and according to EU law, are ineffectual. Worse, they are purely for show—to show the public that the intention is not to waste money by investing in companies that then leave the territory, in full recognition that the rules will nevertheless not be enforced should they do so.

Consequently, while the EU is promoting ambitious industrial-development projects, such as the Green Deal Industrial Plan, and investing resources to implement these programmes, it finds itself lavishing public aid on companies that might legitimately decide to relocate production elsewhere. Member states and the EU have barely any instruments to constrain a company receiving public aid to maintain production within the relevant territory.

At the same time, trade unions, their power depleted by the fragmentation of companies (carrying out activities through different legal entities, sometimes in different states) and of the workforce (divided into various types of precarious and ultra-precarious work), struggle to play their countervailing role. Often the complexity of corporate strategies is barely understood by workers’ representatives who, as a result, react to the decision to relocate when it is too late—when there is nothing left but to limit the damage, asking the state for social shock-absorbers to support the income of the workers involved. This in turn entails further burdens on public finances.

Relocations thus highlight a fundamental contradiction in the process of European integration. Member states and the EU as a whole must take the lead on the Green Deal and the digital and just transitions—and thus control where companies decide to locate their activities. In this, trade unions and worker representatives can be useful allies.



Silvia Borelli is professor of labour law and head of the international area of the Law Department of the University of Ferrara.

PM Modi A Spiritual Person, A Quality Leaders Must Have, Says Nobel Laureate Austrian Physicist Zeilinger

Nobel laureate and Austrian physicist Anton Zeilinger described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a spiritual person, and asserted that other international leaders should possess this trait as well. The Nobel laureate Zeilinger, who is known for his work on quantum mechanics and was awarded Nobel Prize for Physics in 2022, met PM Modi in Vienna on Wednesday.

Zeilinger on his meeting with PM Modi said that the two had discussions on several topics, ranging from spirituality to quantum technology. He said, “A very pleasant discussion. We discussed about spiritual things, we talked about possibilities of quantum information, quantum technology, and about the basic fundamental ideas of quantum physics. I experienced him as a very spiritual person, and I think this is a feature that more leaders in the world should have today.”

The Nobel laureate added, “The point is that you support the gifted young people to follow their own ideas and from them the really new ideas come. That is something which can happen in every country, certainly in India as India has a very gigantic spiritual and technological past.”

Prime Minister shared his thoughts on India’s National Quantum Mission with the physicist. He and Zeilinger exchanged views on the role of Quantum Computing and Quantum Tech in contemporary society and the promise it holds for the future, a release by the Ministry of External Affairs said.

On his visit to Austria, the Prime Minister also met and interacted with Austrian influencers in Vienna. According to a release by the Ministry of External Affairs, PM Modi met four leading Austrian Indologists and scholars of Indian history. He interacted with Dr. Birgit Kellner, scholar of Buddhist philosophy and a linguist; Prof. Martin Gaenszle, scholar of Modern South Asia; Dr. Borayin Larios, Professor of South Asian studies at University of Vienna; and Dr. Karin Preisendanz, Head of Indology Department, University of Vienna.

The Prime Minister also exchanged views on Indology and various facets of Indian history, philosophy, art and culture with the scholars. He inquired about the roots of Indology in Austria and the impact it has had on its intellectual curiosity and scholarship. In the discussion, the scholars talked about their academic and research engagement with India.

Meanwhile, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer took to his official X handle and informed about the agreements between Indian and Austrian technical universities. He said, “In the areas of science and research we are very close to concluding an important cooperation agreement between Austrian and Indian technical universities.”

He added, “This agreement as well as further partnerships will considerably enhance our cooperation in the fields of pharmaceuticals, education, technology, digital infrastructure and space technology. Austria brings considerable expertise, know-how and innovative power in this areas to the table.”

Notably, this is the first time an Indian Prime Minister has visited Austria in 41 years. Indira Gandhi was the last PM to visit Austria in 1983. PM Modi’s visit to Austria comes after his two-day official visit to Russia, where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin. PM Modi’s visit to Austria also comes at a time when the two countries are marking 75 years of diplomatic relations. (ANI)

Welsh vets to take first-ever strike action at a private practice

Eva Osborne-Sherlock
July 10, 2024 


Nearly 100 vets working in South Wales are set to take the UK’s first-ever strike action at a private veterinary practice.

The workers, who undertake a range of roles including veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, receptionists and animal care assistants, will strike for two weeks from July 16 until July 30.

The vets are employed by Valley Vets, which has offered its lowest paid staff a “derisory” pay rise that takes them to slightly above minimum wage, the Unite union has said.

The union said this is despite 80% of workers reporting that they regularly borrow money to meet basic living costs and 5% reporting having to use food banks.

Meanwhile, Unite said the higher-paid workers have been offered increase of between 1% and 1.5% from April 2024.

The offer is a real terms pay cut as the RPI rate of inflation was 3.3% when the deal was due to be implemented.

Valley Vets is owned by VetPartners, which recorded gross profits of £553 million in 2023 – an increase of nearly £120 million from the year before.

As well as paying “poverty wages”, Unite said VetPartners has been accused of overcharging pet owners.
‘This is pure corporate greed’

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is currently conducting a sector-wide investigation into overcharging in the veterinary sector.

Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “It is disgusting that Valley Vets staff are getting into debt and using foodbanks to survive when profits are astronomical.


“This is just pure corporate greed from a company that is already being investigated for widespread profiteering.

“Unite is supporting our Valley Vets members 100% as they strike for a fair pay rise and improvements to their terms and conditions.”


Unite said industrial action will severely impact Valley Vets operations and will escalate if the dispute is not resolved.

Unite regional officer Paul Seppman said: “Valley Vets and VetPartners are entirely responsible for the disruption that will be caused.


“These workers are being forced to strike over poverty pay and this hugely wealthy company’s refusal to pay a living wage and provide reasonable terms and conditions.

“Industrial action could still be avoided but only if the company returns with an acceptable offer.”


Defra staff members are ‘able to and prepared to’ strike for fair pay

Eva Osborne-Sherlock
July 10, 2024 


Public and Commercial Services (PCU) Union members that work for the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have said they are “able to and prepared to” strike for fair working conditions.

The PCU Efra group handed in a letter to new Defra Secretary of State, Steve Reed, on his first day in office on Monday (July 8).

The letter, which was signed by around 1,400 members, congratulated Reed on his new role and expressed PCS Efra members’ commitment to delivering the new government’s agenda, while stating that this “simply isn’t possible in the current pay climate”.

The letter said: “At such a critical moment, we must ensure that the workforce is equipped to face our collective challenges.

“So, while we never want to have to resort to withdrawing our labour, we find ourselves in the position where we are able and prepared to, to achieve fair working conditions for those delivering the new government’s environmental agenda.”

In May, 85% of PCS Efra group members voted to give a mandate for strike action over PCS national demands, including fair pay and a significant shortening of the working week.

“It highlights the decline in the pay and living standards of civil and public servants, with employees in Defra Group now finding themselves nearing the national minimum wage,” the union said.

“One in 12 civil servants working across government are now forced to use foodbanks.


“At such a critical junction in the UK’s future, PCS Efra committed to ensuring the workforce is equipped to face the nation’s collective challenges.

“Even if this means having to resort to taking action so that they can deliver the new government’s environmental agenda,” it added.


One union member said: “The kind of work we do is massively undervalued and has been for way too many years now. We’re being kept on the breadline and fearing the monthly bills.”

 

Researcher on ‘most complete dinosaur’ unearthed in a century: Tech & Science Daily podcast

AN ARTIST’S IMPRESSION OF COMPTONATUS CHASEI – A NEW DINOSAUR SPECIES FROM THE ISLE OF WIGHT (JOHN SIBBICK/UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH)

RACHELLE ABBOTT|ROCHELLE TRAVERS

Listen here on your chosen podcast platform.

The ‘most complete dinosaur’ in a century has been unearthed in the Isle of Wight and analysis has found it’s a new species that roamed the earth around 125 million years ago.

It’s been named ‘Comptonatus chasei’ in tribute to the late fossil hunter Nick Chase, who made the discovery back in 2013. Since then extensive work has gone into excavating, cleaning and analysing the 149 bones.

Comptonatus chasei belongs to a group of herbivorous dinosaurs known as iguanodontians, which are large, bulky creatures that are often described as the “cows of the Cretaceous period”, which was around 145-66 million years ago.

Tech & Science Daily speak to Dr Jeremy Lockwood, researcher with the University of Portsmouth, and the Natural History Museum in London, who worked on the study. He explains why this discovery could be incredibly significant for the scientific community.

WALES
Unique lowland proves to be a rich sanctuary for a now threatened butterfly species

10 Jul 2024

Euphydras aurinia hibernica 

(Marsh fritillary) by Leon van der Noll is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

The unique lowland Rhos Pastures found in parts of Wales have once again proved to be a rich sanctuary for a now threatened butterfly species.

Natural Resources Wales’ (NRW) Environment Team in Ceredigion has recently carried out crucial surveys to monitor the Marsh Fritillary Butterfly at the Rhosydd Brynmaen Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

These efforts are part of a broader mission to conserve these rare butterflies and the unique Rhos Pastures they inhabit.

Rhos Pastures are species-rich marshy grasslands found in lowland regions like Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire, and the South Wales coalfield.

These habitats are essential for the Marsh Fritillary Butterfly, providing the ideal environment for their survival and reproduction. Rhos Pastures are known for their diverse plant life and the delicate balance of the ecosystem they support.


Population health

The first phase of the surveys, completed in late June, aimed to gather essential data on the Marsh Fritillary Butterfly, which thrives in these unique grasslands.

The second phase, set for late summer, will focus on counting the egg webs laid by these butterflies, providing further insights into their population health.

Once widespread throughout the UK, the Marsh Fritillary has suffered a dramatic 79% decline in distribution since the mid-1970s and a 60% decline in abundance in Wales.

The degradation of Rhos Pastures has been a significant factor in this decline. Today, west and south Wales remain vital strongholds for this endangered species.

During the survey, NRW officers not only observed a good number of Marsh Fritillary Butterflies but also documented the diverse plant life that supports this ecosystem, including Birdsfoot Trefoil, Devil’s Bit Scabious, Greater and Lesser Butterfly Orchids, Heath-Spotted Orchid, and Ragged Robin.

Marsh Fritillary – Euphydryas aurinia

Encouraging numbers

Reflecting on the survey, NRW’s Ceredigion Team Leader, Dr. Carol Fielding shared, “It’s always a treat to spend a day in beautiful Rhos Pastures surveying butterflies and seeing the rich plant life that Rhos Pastures are comprised of.”

“We saw encouraging numbers of butterflies, but we won’t have the results until we carry out the second half of the surveys in late summer. Last year’s results were encouraging, and we are hoping for similar results this year.”

“It’s very encouraging to see that the habitats where we have ongoing management agreements with landowners are improving in condition,” Dr. Fielding noted, highlighting the positive impact of these efforts on the environment and the future of the Marsh Fritillary Butterfly.

Japan wants to relax bear hunting laws as attacks rise

By Annabelle Liang & Chika Nakayama,

 BBC News, in Singapore and Tokyo
Getty Images
Brown bears are now thought to outnumber the less aggressive black bear in Japan


Facing an alarming rise in bear attacks, Japan wants to make it easier to shoot the animals in residential areas - but hunters say it is too risky.

In the year to April, there were a record 219 bear attacks in the country - six of them fatal, according to official data.

Deadly attacks have continued to occur in recent months, as bears increasingly venture into populated areas. Some are now even thought to see humans as prey.

Bear numbers have revived as Japan's human population ages and shrinks, especially outside cities. The consequences have been dangerous, although usually resulting in injury not death.

Under the current law, licensed hunters can fire their guns only after the approval of a police officer.

The government plans to revise the law at its next parliamentary session so the weapons can be used more freely. For instance, hunters will be allowed to shoot if there is a risk of human injury, such as when a bear enters a building.

But hunters are wary. "It is scary and quite dangerous to encounter a bear. It is never guaranteed that we can kill a bear by shooting," said Satoshi Saito, executive director of the Hokkaido Hunters' Association.

"If we miss the vital point to stop the bear from moving... it will run away and may attack other people," he added. "If it then attacks a person, who will be responsible for that?"

Hokkaido has come to exemplify Japan's growing bear problem.

The country's northernmost major island is sparsely populated - but its bear population has more than doubled since 1990, according to government data. It now has around 12,000 brown bears, which are known to be more aggressive than black bears, of which there are around 10,000 in Japan by experts' estimates.

Local governments have tried different strategies to keep bears away.

Some have turned to odd guardians - robot wolves, complete with red eyes and spooky howls, while elsewhere in the country they are testing an artificial intelligence warning system.

The town of Naie in Hokkaido has been trying to hire hunters for 10,300 yen ($64; £50) a day to patrol the streets, lay traps and kill the animals if necessary.

But there are few takers - it's a high-risk job, the pay is not attractive enough and many of the hunters are elderly.

"It is not worth the trouble because confronting a bear will put our lives on the line," a 72-year-old hunter from the area told The Asahi Shimbun newspaper, likening an encounter with a brown bear to "fighting a US military commando".

In May, two police officers in northern Akita prefecture were seriously injured by a bear while trying to retrieve a body from the woods after a suspected fatal bear attack.

"The bears know humans are present and attack people for their food, or recognise people themselves as food," local government official Mami Kondo said.

"There is a high risk that the same bear will cause a series of incidents."

As bear numbers have grown, more of them have moved from the mountains into flatlands closer to human populations. Over time, they have become used to the sights and sounds of humans, and less afraid of them.

There are also fewer humans around as young people move to big cities, leaving whole towns nearly empty. When bears do encounter humans, it can turn violent.

"Bears that enter urban areas tend to panic, increasing the risk of injury or death to people," said Junpei Tanaka from the Picchio Wildlife Research Center in Japan.

Getty Images
Hunters currently require police approval to shoot bears in residential areas

Bear sightings and incidents usually happen around April when they awake from hibernation in search of food, and then again in September and October when they eat to store fat for the winter months.

But their movements have become more unpredictable as yields of acorn - the biggest food source for bears - fall because of climate change.

"This amendment to the law is unavoidable, but it is only a stopgap measure in an emergency," Mr Tanaka said.

Capturing and killing the animals is not the way forward, he adds. Rather, the government needs to protect the bears' habitat so they are not compelled to venture too far.

"In the long-term, it is necessary to implement national policy to change the forest environment, to create forests with high biodiversity."

He added that the government also needs to clarify who should take responsibility for bears that wander into residential zones - local officials or hunters.

"Ideally, there should be fully trained shooters like government hunters who respond to emergencies, but at present there are no such jobs in Japan."

Residential areas are a vastly different terrain for hunters, who are used to killing bears in unpopulated regions, Mr Saito said.

"If we don't shoot, people will criticise us and say 'Why didn't you shoot when you have a shotgun?' And if we shoot, I am sure people will be angry and say it might hit someone.

"I think it is unreasonable to ask hunters who are probably just ordinary salarymen to make such a decision."

Archegos founder Bill Hwang convicted at fraud trial over fund’s collapse

The Archegos meltdown sent shock waves across Wall Street and drew regulatory scrutiny on three continents.

Sung Kook 'Bill' Hwang, the founder and head of the private investment firm Archegos, was convicted on fraud and other charges [File: Andrew Kelly/Reuters]

Published On 10 Jul 2024

Archegos Capital Management founder Sung Kook “Bill” Hwang has been convicted of fraud and other charges by a jury in a Manhattan federal court at a criminal trial in which prosecutors accused him of market manipulation ahead of the 2021 collapse of his $36bn private investment firm.

On Wednesday, the jury, which began deliberations on Tuesday, found Hwang guilty on 10 of 11 criminal counts, and Patrick Halligan, his Archegos deputy and co-defendant, guilty on all three counts he faced. Hwang and Halligan sat flanked by their lawyers as the verdict was read by a soft-spoken foreperson.

United States District Judge Alvin Hellerstein set the sentencing for October 28. Both men will remain free on bail.

The Archegos meltdown sent shock waves across Wall Street and drew regulatory scrutiny on three continents. Prosecutors have said Hwang and Halligan lied to banks in order to obtain billions of dollars that they used to artificially pump up the stock prices of multiple publicly traded companies. The trial began in May.

Hwang, 60, had pleaded not guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, three counts of fraud and seven counts of market manipulation. Halligan, 47, had pleaded not guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of fraud. Halligan was the chief financial officer at Archegos.

They now face maximum sentences of 20 years in prison on each charge for which they were convicted, though any sentence would likely be much lower and would be imposed by the judge based on a range of factors.

When the charges were brought in 2022, the US Department of Justice called the case an example of its commitment to hold accountable people who distort and defraud US financial markets.

Jurors heard closing arguments on Tuesday.

Implosion

The trial centred on the implosion of Hwang’s family office Archegos, which inflicted $10bn in losses at global banks and, according to prosecutors, caused more than $100bn in shareholder losses at companies in its portfolio. Prosecutors said Hwang’s actions harmed US financial markets as well as ordinary investors, causing significant losses to banks, market participants and Archegos employees.

Hwang secretly amassed outsized stakes in multiple companies without actually holding their stock, according to prosecutors. Hwang lied to banks about the size of the derivative positions of Archegos in order to borrow billions of dollars that he and his deputies then used to artificially inflate the underlying stocks, prosecutors said.

Halligan was accused by prosecutors of lying to banks and enabling the criminal scheme.

During closing arguments, Assistant US Attorney Andrew Thomas told jurors, “By 2021, the defendants’ lies and manipulation had ensnared nearly a dozen stocks and half of Wall Street in a $100bn fraud, a fraud that came crashing down in a matter of days.”

Hwang’s defence team painted the indictment as the “most aggressive open market manipulation case” ever brought by US prosecutors. Hwang’s attorney, Barry Berke, told jurors in his closing argument that prosecutors criminalised aggressive but legal trading methods.

Archegos’s head trader, William Tomita, and chief risk officer, Scott Becker, testified as prosecution witnesses after pleading guilty to related charges and agreeing to cooperate in the case.

According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, which brought the case, Hwang’s positions eclipsed those of the companies’ largest investors, driving up stock prices. At its peak, prosecutors said Archegos had $36bn in assets and $160bn of exposure to equities.

When stock prices fell in March 2021, the banks demanded additional deposits, which Archegos could not make. The banks then sold the stocks backing Hwang’s swaps, wiping out an alleged $100bn in value for shareholders and billions at the banks, including $5.5bn for Credit Suisse, now part of UBS, and $2.9bn for Nomura Holdings.

SOURCE: REUTERS

What is Trump's Project 2025? Things you need to know about the conservative blueprint

ByTuhin Das Mahapatra
Jul 11, 2024

Donald Trump's hidden agenda? Project 2025 reveals radical plan to transform federal workforce.

A potential Donald Trump presidency in November could lead to the implementation of Project 2025, a sweeping policy plan crafted by the Heritage Foundation, a prominent conservative think tank, which outlines a vision for radical changes to the federal government and its policies.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Trump National Doral Miami, Tuesday, July 9, 2024, in Doral, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)(AP)

This plan includes a wide range of far-right policies and has been described as “authoritarian,” “dystopian,” and a “blueprint for destroying our democracy.”
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However, Trump denied any connection with Project 2025. He denied knowing in a Truth Social post, posting, “I know nothing about Project 2025. I have no idea who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things they're saying, and some of the things they're saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal.” Notably, MAGA tied with Project 2025.

“Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them,” he added.

What is Project 2025?

Project 2025 goes beyond typical conservative agendas, such as restricting abortion and LGBTQ+ rights, and halting initiatives to address climate change and income inequality, to propose more far-reaching and fundamental changes to the federal government's structure and functioning. It also proposes several significant changes that would fundamentally alter the structure and functioning of the federal government. These changes include what is being termed the most substantial transformation of the federal workforce since the 19th century.

The plan, titled “Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise,” spans 900 pages and lays out detailed policy recommendations for major federal agencies.

Although Trump’s name is not explicitly mentioned in the document, many of the individuals involved in creating the plan have previously worked with his administration or have close ties to his team.

To which Trump's spokesperson replied, “Crooked Joe Biden, his campaign, and Democrats have been engaging in 'cheap fakes' to misrepresent President Trump's agenda. Their Trump Derangement Syndrome continues unabated.”

Project 2025 was initiated by the Heritage Foundation in collaboration with over 100 right-wing organizations. Among these groups are the Alliance Defending Freedom, which played a pivotal role in overturning Roe v. Wade; the NRA; Moms for Liberty, known for their efforts to influence educational policies; and America First Legal, led by Stephen Miller, a former Trump adviser known for his stringent anti-immigration stance.

ALSO READ| Biden campaign fact-checks Donald Trump's claim ‘I know nothing about Project 2025’

Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts has been vocal about the transformative nature of this initiative. In a recent interview with Steve Bannon, he stated, “We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.”

U.S. to again ship 500-pound bombs to Israel, reversing suspension

The Biden administration will resume sending large bombs to Israel that had been held up since May amid concerns about the Rafah invasion. But 2,000-pound bombs are still under review.


By John Hudson
July 10, 2024 

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the central Gaza Strip on Wednesday. (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP)

The United States is resuming a shipment of 500-pound bombs to Israel that had been held up since May, when the Biden administration suspended delivery of two types of large, airdropped weapons amid concerns about the ballooning scale of civilian casualties in Gaza, said U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

The paused delivery included 1,800 2,000-pound bombs, which remain on hold, U.S. officials said. But the supply of 1,700 500-pound bombs will move forward.

The U.S. decision followed a pressure campaign by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and pro-Israel lobbyists in the United States, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, demanding the resumption of all weapons shipments regardless of their lethality.

Despite the pressure campaign and initial hold, the U.S. officials said the 500-pound bombs were never a serious concern for the Biden administration.

“Because of how these shipments are put together, other munitions may sometimes be co-mingled. That’s what happened here with the 500-lb bombs, since our main concern had been and remains the potential use of 2,000-lb bombs in Rafah and elsewhere in Gaza,” said a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive arms deliveries.

While the tempo of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has slowed somewhat, Israeli strikes continue to be associated with mass-casualty events, including a strike Tuesday at a school sheltering displaced Palestinians near Khan Younis that killed at least 25 people and wounded 50 more, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Israel said the airstrike targeted Hamas fighters.

The decision to partially lift the pause in U.S. shipments was first reported by Israel’s Channel 12.

The United States originally suspended the provision of large bombs as a “shot across the bow” and a serious indication of U.S. concern about Netanyahu’s planned invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians were sheltering.

President Biden had said a major operation there would cross a “red line,” triggering a suspension of U.S. support. U.S. officials later said Israel’s operations there never crossed the line, including a May 26 incident in which at least 46 Palestinians were killed during an Israeli bombing of the Tal al-Sultan tent camp.

U.S. officials said the offensive in Rafah was carried out with much more precision than Israel’s other operations in Khan Younis and Gaza City. Last week, the Israel Defense Forces brought a large group of journalists to tour parts of Rafah for the first time. Reporters described the city as “decimated” and largely empty.

Janet Abou-Elias, a research fellow at the Center for International Policy, a Washington-based think tank, said the destructive power of 500-pound bombs should not be taken lightly. “In Gaza’s densely populated areas, the difference in the destructive impact between a 500-pound and a 2,000-pound bomb is negligible, both causing immense destruction and civilian casualties,” she said.

Iraq condemns Turkish military 'incursions' into north

According to Community Peacemakers Teams, Turkey advanced 15 kilometers into Iraqi Kurdish territory.

The New Arab Staff & Agencies
10 July, 2024

Turkey regularly carries out operations against the PKK in Iraqi Kurdistan [Getty]


Iraqi authorities denounced on Wednesday renewed Turkish military operations and "incursions" into northern Iraq, urging Ankara to solve security issues diplomatically.

The Turkish army has been mainly conducting strikes against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is listed as a "terrorist" group by Ankara and several Western allies, in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region.

On Wednesday, Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani chaired a meeting of the National Security Council during which officials discussed "the issue of interventions and violations by Turkish forces in the shared border areas", General Yehia Rasool, military spokesman for the PM, said in a statement.

The council said it rejects "Turkish military incursions" in Iraqi territories and urged Ankara to "diplomatically engage with the Iraqi government for any security-related matters."

A delegation led by the National Security Advisor will travel to the Kurdistan Region to "assess the general situation and develop a unified stance on this matter", the statement added.

The PKK, which has fought a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state, has a presence in northern Iraq, as does Turkey, which has operated from several dozen military bases there against the Kurdish group.

Turkey's military operations, which sometimes take place deep inside Iraqi territory, have frequently strained bilateral ties.

In recent weeks, Iraqi local media have reported an increase in Turkish strikes, sparking several fires in border areas. Some reports mentioned Turkish forces establishing new positions.

Turkish forces "have advanced 15 kilometres into Iraqi Kurdistan territory", said the Community Peacemakers Teams (CPT), an NGO registered in the United States, that monitors Turkish operations in northern Iraq.

In an interview earlier this week, Turkey's Defence Minister Yasar Guler said his country is "determined" to clear the border area with Iraq and neighbouring Syria of "terrorists".

In March, following a visit by senior Turkish officials to Iraq, Baghdad quietly listed the PKK as a "banned organisation" - though Ankara demands that the Iraqi government do more in the fight against the militant group.

During a visit to Iraq in April, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke of "expectations" of Iraq regarding the fight against the PKK, and Sudani mentioned "bilateral security coordination" that would meet the needs of both countries.

However, Iraqi Defence Minister Thabet al-Abbasi ruled out in March "joint military operations" between Baghdad and Ankara.

 

Dozens of migrants rescued at sea

About 87 migrants were rescued by Doctors Without Borders. Video showed dozens of migrants jumping into the sea from an overcrowded migrant boat.

UN agency says 453 Israeli attacks targeted its buildings in Gaza since October 7

July 10, 2024 

A view from a school belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which was heavily damaged in the Israeli army attack, becoming a shelter for the displaced Palestinians in Khan Yunis, Gaza on June 30, 2024 [Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu Agency]

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said Wednesday that its facilities in Gaza have been subjected to a staggering 453 Israeli attacks since last October 7.

“Two-thirds of our schools in Gaza have been hit, with 524 people sheltering in our facilities killed,” the UN agency said in a statement.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Filippo Lazzarini called for an immediate ceasefire “before we lose what is left of our common humanity.”

“Schools have gone from safe places of education and hope for children to overcrowded shelters, often ending up a place of death and misery,” he said.

Lazzarini said four UN-run schools were hit in the past four days.

“Nine months in, under our watch, the relentless, endless killings, destruction and despair continue. Gaza is no place for children,” he added.

On Tuesday, at least 25 people were killed and 53 others injured in an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people in Abasan town, east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.

It followed the killing of at least 16 people while dozens were injured in another Israeli attack on July 6 on a school in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since a 7 October, 2023 attack by Hamas.

Nearly 38,300 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and at least 88,241 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Nine months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

India’s parliamentary election ends Modi invincibility myth

10/07/2024
Prime_Minister_of_India_Narendra_Modi Photo: Russian-press-secretary-CC

Youvraj, New Socialist Alternative (CWI India)

The results of one of the most important parliamentary elections in the history of India showed a resounding setback for the ruling BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) regime. The NDA (National Democratic Alliance) coalition, led by prime minister Narendra Modi, was always likely to form the new government, but that does not diminish the message of the mandate.

In the run-up to the elections it was publicised that BJP would win more than 400 out of 544 seats. Exit polls too predicted a big win. Notwithstanding such hype, the BJP lost 63 seats, winning only 240 seats, 32 short of a majority. The NDA coalition, led by the BJP, still secured a majority but fell short of 300 seats. For the opposition coalition, India (The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance), the gains were significant. Far surpassing expectations, it won 233 seats. The myth of the invincibility of Modi is broken.

For the past ten years, Modi has run an authoritarian regime with complete centralisation of power. Investigative agencies like the ED (Enforcement Directorate) and CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) have been weaponised to serve the political interests of the ruling party.

Even the highest statutory bodies like the Election Commission and Reserve Bank of India are subjugated to align with the political agenda of the BJP. Armed with the complete subjugation of the state apparatus, the BJP ventured on a reckless campaign of annihilation of any opposition to its rule – be it opposition parties or any mass protests.

In India, elections take place in a mammoth country, if not a subcontinent, with its deep social divisions. Apart from acute class contradictions, various enigmas ranging from regional disparities to those of national questions still haunt India. These contradictions keep on asserting themselves more often than not, and the last ten years were no exception. Notwithstanding such upheavals, the BJP government continued to tighten its grip over power. The disjunct between politics and underlying conditions appeared too glaring.
BJP chauvinism

In its previous tenure, the BJP constantly whipped up nationalist and religious chauvinism. Various fictitious narratives ranging from Islamophobia to the myth of India becoming a superpower were peddled relentlessly, evoking anything from acute hatred to jingoism.

Barring few exceptions, major media houses would viciously propagate such narratives to be picked up by followers of Modi’s personality cult that was so assiduously created. The propaganda machinery of the BJP, churning out narratives laced with an acute sense of indignation, ran deep into society; often leading to heated, polarised discussions among not just groups of friends but also within families.

Of course, the chauvinism wasn’t an inconsequential feature but was cunningly harnessed to quell any social expressions of underlying issues. Those who pointed to the very flawed premise of ‘demonetisation’ would have to face a tirade of attacks by Modi supporters accusing them of being supporters of ‘black money’. Upholding the idea of religious harmony could earn one of the titles of ‘sickular’ (mocking the word secular) and so on. The farmers that staged the historic agitation against the government in 2020 were referred to as Khalistani (Sikh-Punjabi sepratist). With an army of online trollers, as well as mobs that could unleash violence on the streets, the regime could extremely polarise any public discourse.

The success of the regime lies in the fact that it had stitched together a band of the most vulgar, reckless elements. The Modi regime is very much the rule of the capitalist class but the form of this rule is not the general form of a capitalist regime. In fact, the Congress Party has been the classical party of capitalism in India.
Effects of capitalist crisis

The global meltdown of capitalism in 2008 and the subsequent crisis of Indian capitalism formed the basis of the capitalist class switching over to the BJP to represent its interests. Those who would term it as ‘crony capitalism’ ignore that this has been the feature of Indian capitalism (and, for that matter, of those other countries that entered late into the capitalist arena) from the beginning.

Under the Modi regime, it was a specific feature aligned with changes in capitalist structure. The aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union saw the global onslaught of neoliberal capitalism, seemingly defying national, regional or sectoral boundaries to penetrate deep and wide into each and every sector of the economy.

It appeared the iron grip of the Modi regime could crush or defuse any underlying contradictions and crisis ailing Indian society. This unfettered and incremental control over not just the state apparatus but also over social forces is something that led many left-progressive forces characterising it as a fascist regime. For many, including those on the left, such characterisation was premised on a liberal outlook of capitalist democracy.
Authoritarian regime

While acknowledging the authoritarian character of the regime, we argued against such abstract generalisations. We pointed out how the rise of BJP over the last three decades was a result of a long historical process and that the Modi regime was the product of an onslaught of neoliberal capitalism and class struggles following global meltdown. More importantly, we pointed out that this regime, though vicious towards many, is not the master of the situation.

The structural crisis of capitalism meant that Modi could conjure up the (so-called) boom in Gujarat state when he was chief minister in the 2000s, but he would not be able to go anywhere similar in the period of global downturn after 2014. Sooner rather than later, such contradictions would assert themselves causing political upheavals.

While the Indian economy was slipping into recession even before Covid, things worsened significantly after it. Not just the working class but even well-to-do layers of the middle classes found their fortunes tumbling. Unemployment reached its peak. The share of unemployed youth was as high as 82.9% in some estimates. The share of educated youths among all unemployed people also increased to 66% in 2022, up from 54% in 2000. Inflation had soared too, eroding whatever meagre income the working masses could generate.

The ethnic conflict in Manipur, fuelled by the BJP government in the state, leading to large scale violence, rioting and rapes, which went unabated for months, thoroughly shocked the nation. Modi, with his adamant and smug attitude, refused to make even a single visit to the state.

When coming to power in 2014, one of the planks that attracted many was Modi’s promise of a ‘New India’ free from corruption, dynastism and the associated evils of India’s political system. Youths and a section of the working class believed in it, only to be betrayed later. Some left dismayed stayed away from elections and voter turnout dwindled. Some others, infuriated by the betrayals of Modi, rallied behind opposition forces.

The opposition alliance, led by Congress, started late and did not appear well prepared initially to catch up in the recent election. The manifesto of Congress was based on the theme of social justice and could strike a chord with at least a section of the working masses.

Of course, this regime is not yet defeated and the BJP is coming to power again, albeit with a reduced majority. The challenges for left forces and the working class are acute and need to be addressed.
What opposition?

The opposition alliance, though not as brutal as the ruling clique, is nonetheless another wing of the capitalist class. Capitalist development in India is characterised by a complex mesh of capitalist interests. The historic peasants’ struggle represented the struggle of rich capitalist peasants against the onslaught of corporate capital in agriculture. Many regional parties, like the NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) in Maharashtra, which played a key role in halting a BJP rally in the state, is a party of a section of regional capitalists.

The opposition to the BJP and for the expansion of ‘democratic space’, while important, in itself is not the solution. So, even if in the next elections the opposition parties come to power, that would not free millions from capitalist and caste exploitation.

The underlying class disparities and divisions are too acute to be overcome by any reformist measures. The CPI and CPM – the communist parties of India – have utterly failed to wage any revolutionary struggle against capitalism, confining themselves to parliamentary politics. Yet again in these elections they tailed behind the Congress Party to “stop the march of fascist forces”, as they have been claiming for past few decades. The right-wing forces, an inevitable part of capitalism, can only be overthrown by the revolutionary struggle of the working class.
Mass workers’ alternative

The New Socialist Alternative (CWI in India) organized a ‘Youth for an Alternative’ campaign, which highlighted the need for building a mass working-class alternative. While arguing to vote against the Modi regime and its anti-working-class policies, Youth for an Alternative exposed the bogus claims of the opposition.

The communist parties and many others who wanted to oppose the Modi regime took the wrong position of collaborating with the main capitalist opposition party, the Congress Party.

Instead of choosing ‘lesser evils’ the struggles of farmers, workers, and all oppressed sections should be brought together to fight back against all capitalist policies. Such a united position can also aid the process of building a real political alternative to the capitalist parties.This is an edited version on a longer article published online at socialistworld.net

 

Consultation launched for proposed nine turbine wind farm in north Wales

10 Jul 2024 

RWE site at Mynydd Y Gwair. Picture by Richard Williams

Wales’ largest renewable energy generator has begun an eight week formal consultation on plans to develop a wind farm capable of generating power equivalent to the needs of up to 48,000 homes.

RWE’s proposed Gaerwen Wind Farm on a site straddling Denbighshire and Gwynedd has a planned capacity of up to 59 MW.

If approved this will include nine turbines, two with a tip height of up to 200m and seven of up to 180m, battery storage potential is also being explored.

The site is located south-west of Corwen and north-east of Bala.

Consultation

The formal consultation follows an informal consultation held in 2022, after which the project design has been refined with the benefit of extensive survey data covering ecology, ornithology, hydrology, noise and visual impacts, as well as wind measurements.

The project team alongside representatives from Community Energy Wales will be in-person at events in Cynwyd, Llandderfel and Llandrillo, to answer questions in detail on different aspects of the proposals, with an online exhibition also available.

Arfon Edwards, RWE’s Project Manager leading on the development, said: “Having spent a number of years gathering survey and other information, and refining many different aspects of the scheme, we are now ready to share our proposals with the public in order to hear their views and suggestions.

“After our previous consultation period we made a number of changes which have enabled us to maximise the renewable energy generation from this site as well as avoiding important deep peat areas.

“In our draft Environmental Statement we have set out actions to mitigate any effect on protected species including ground nesting birds, such as curlew, lapwing and other breeding wader species.”

Milestone

This consultation is the latest milestone in the project which began in 2020. If approved, the Gaerwen Wind Farm and its associated community package that is currently being informed by community and local feedback, will directly benefit the community support local businesses and supply chains.

In addition the renewable project would support Wales as it strives for the target of meeting 100 per cent of electricity consumption with renewables by 2035.

The planning application will be considered by Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW), with a final decision by the Welsh Ministers anticipated in 2025.

Common land

As the proposed site is partly on registered common land within the Mynydd Mynyllod commons, RWE will require separate consent from the Welsh Ministers to develop on common land.

RWE is the largest power producer in Wales, and the country’s number one renewable energy generator. They are currently involved in over 3 GW of energy in Wales across 12 sites, of which around 1 GW is renewable.

Their existing renewable energy portfolio already generates one third of Wales’ renewable energy production, which they say is ‘enough to power 550,000 homes’.

Gaerwen Wind Farm is one of a pipeline of new renewable energy projects in development across Wales in offshore, onshore, battery storage, solar and hydrogen areas.

For further information, visit www.rwe.com/Gaerwen.

 

Farage and Reform UK face sustained protests from anti-racism activists

Minority ethnic residents in Reform UK constituencies are on high alert since the election, Stand Up to Racism told i

Nigel Farage’s first Reform UK press conference since he was elected as an MP was disrupted by anti-racism activists (Photo: Guy Smallman/Getty Images)

By Alannah Francis

Reporter

iNEWS

July 10, 2024

Anti-racism activists who disrupted Nigel Farage’s first Reform UK press conference since becoming an MP have said they plan to oppose the party at every opportunity.

Stand Up to Racism (SUTR), which claimed responsibility for the protest shortly after it took place, told i minority ethnic residents in Reform UK constituencies, particularly Muslim women and black people, were on high alert since the election.

During the election campaign, Reform UK suspended three candidates over racist, offensive and homophobic comments.

Mr Farage described some of the comments as “reprehensible” and said they “bear no relation to my own views, those of the vast majority of our supporters or Reform UK policy”.

The former Ukip leader was elected in Clacton, overturning a Conservative majority of more than 25,000 to become an MP on his eighth attempt at joining the Commons.

Four other Reform UK MPs were elected to Parliament on 4 July, with the party gaining a 14.3 per cent share of the vote – it’s biggest success to date.

Reform UK chairman Richard Tice won in Boston and Skegness, Rupert Lowe was elected in Great Yarmouth and Lee Anderson – who defected to Reform from the Conservative Party in March – retained his Ashfield seat. After a recount and a majority of just 98 votes, James McMurdock became the Reform MP for Basildon South and East Thurrock.

Weyman Bennett, joint national secretary for Stand Up to Racism, claimed people in Clacton had reported increased racism during the general election campaign.

He said he would receive around one or two calls a month from supporters who had been racially abused while campaigning but that figure had spiked to around 20.

Mr Bennett said: “I’ve spoken to people in Clapton during the campaign, black people and ethnic minorities, who said that the level of racism has gone up.

“Everywhere Reform are growing, you’re getting hardened racist people who feel that their racism is being endorsed by significant people.”

Mr Bennett also claimed that SUTR activists running stalls had been subjected to racist abuse by Reform UK supporters, and the organisation was encouraging individuals impacted to report these incidents to the police.

“When we’ve had our stalls up, the people on there that are black and Asian have been racially abused,” he said.

Activists from Stand Up To Racism campaign in Clacton Town Centre on 29 June 2024 (Photo: Guy Smallman/Getty)

Mr Farage was heckled at his victory press conference on 5 July, before seven people were escorted out of the central London venue where it was being held.

The Reform leader told the conference he plans to “professionalise” the party and rid it of “bad apples”.

It came after former Reform UK candidate for West Ham and Beckton, Georgie David, who left the party to support the Conservatives, said the vast majority of those standing for Reform in the general election were “racist, misogynistic and bigoted”.

Reform UK said it “strongly disagrees” with Ms David’s claims.

Her comments and departure from the party followed Liam Booth-Isherwood, who withdrew from representing Reform UK in Erewash, citing a “significant moral issue” within its ranks.

The defections came after three Reform candidates were suspended by the party after being accused of making offensive remarks during the election campaign.

Edward Oakenfull, who was standing for the party in Derbyshire Dales, posted derogatory comments about the IQ of sub-Saharan Africans on social media last year. He told the BBC the remarks had been taken out of context.

Robert Lomas, a former candidate in Barnsley North, said asylum seekers had it “in their DNA to lie” and that the “black people of Britain” should “get up off your lazy arses” and stop acting “like savages”, The Times reported. He has not commented on the claims.

Leslie Lilley, who had been standing for Reform UK in Southend East and Rochford, reportedly referred to people arriving on small boats as “scum” in a social media post, adding: “I hope your family get robbed, beaten or attacked.” He has not commented on the claims.

Asked about the comments during an appearance on BBC Question Time, Mr Farage said he wanted “nothing to do with them”.

Footage filmed by an undercover reporter for Channel 4 News showed a Reform UK canvasser, Andrew Parker, making racist, homophobic and Islamophobic comments.

In response, Reform said any individuals identified as “making unacceptable comments and holding those views are not welcome in our campaign”. Mr Parker told the programme “neither Nigel Farage personally or the Reform Party are aware of my personal views on immigration”.

Mr Farage described the comments as a “tirade of invective abuse” but said the canvasser filmed by Channel 4 News may have been a paid actor. Channel 4 disputes the claim and says the canvasser was not previously known.

Mr Bennett, who is “sickened” by the strides Reform UK made at the general election, said he believes “the whole barrel is rotten”.

Meanwhile, Mr Farage said his party’s membership now stands at 65,000. The figure is an increase of 25,000 since 8 June.

Asked if SUTR planned more protest action akin to the disruption at the 5 July press conference, Mr Bennett said: “Not only are we going to have similar action, wherever Reform meet publicly, we’re going to oppose them.

“At the moment, we still live under a democracy. So we’re going to speak up.”

He added that there were not enough voices in the media holding Reform UK accountable for what he called the “disgusting” behaviour of its candidates and members.

“We’re trying to say that you should make sure that racism is not made respectful, because I think it’s damaging to people’s lives,” Mr Bennett said.

“We didn’t have a group in Clacton until this happened,” he said. “I do think it’s a tragedy that we have to do this just for people to feel safe.”