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)
Friday, July 08, 2022
Russia's GDP contracted by 4% in May and the expectation for the full year has been reduced from 15% to 8%. But as the war wears on its affects are showing up in a number of places, according to the latest data release. / bne IntelliNews
By bne IntelliNews July 8, 2022
The effects of the Russian war of aggression are gradually beginning to be seen more widely in the Russian economy.
Rapid inflation has eaten away the purchasing power of Russians and cut consumption. Industrial production has been supported by the military industry, while other production has developed more poorly, the Bank of Finland institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT) said in its weekly update.
According to the Russian Ministry of Economy's preliminary estimate, the country's GDP shrank by 4% in May from a year earlier (chart). In the June survey by Consensus Economics, the average of Russia's GDP forecasts was -8% for this year and -2% for next year.
Consumption demand has decreased as uncertainty increases and purchasing power weakens. The amount of retail trade in May was 10% lower than a year earlier. Consumer prices rose in Russia in April-May by 17–18% y/y. In April, the average real (ie corrected for price increase) monthly salary of Russians was 7% lower than a year earlier. The unemployment rate has remained historically low and was 3.9% in May, reports BOFIT.
According to official statistics from the statistical office Rosstat, industrial production shrank by 2% in May from a year earlier. The production of the extractive industry was 1% and the production of the processing industry was 3% lower.
Within the processing industry, the development was again very variable. The production of passenger cars has almost completely stopped: in May, only barely 4,000 cars were manufactured in Russia, while a year earlier the production reached more than 112,000 cars. Also, e.g. the production of railcars and excavators has dropped rapidly. On the other hand, the production of e.g. certain turbines, radio-electronic devices and medicines increased several times in May compared to a year earlier.
“According to the estimate of the Russian economic research institute CMASF, Russian industrial production has contracted more strongly in recent months, if the production of the military industry is not taken into account. CMASF estimates a fall of 4% for May. In order to secure the operation of the military and the military industry, this week the Duma approved a law amendment, based on which the Russian government can, if necessary, target companies with special measures. Companies can be obliged, for example, to manufacture goods for the army, repair army equipment or manage the army's transport,” BOFIT said.
By Francesco Canepa
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - A sudden jump in carbon prices coupled with floods and droughts this year would lead to losses of at least 70 billion euros ($71.1 billion) for the euro zone's largest banks, the European Central Bank said on Friday.
The ECB said the estimate in its first climate stress test significantly understated actual losses for the 41 banks in the sample as it only focussed on credit and market risk and did not factor in indirect effects such as an economic downturn.
Banks and other companies are under increasing pressure from their shareholders and environmental group to act quickly to reduce the carbon footprint of their activities.
The central bank's test also found that most euro zone banks did not have a framework for modelling climate risk and did not typically take it into account when granting loans.
"Euro area banks must urgently step up efforts to measure and manage climate risk, closing the current data gaps and adopting good practices that are already present in the sector," the ECB's chief supervisor Andrea Enria said.
The ECB said the findings will not have an impact on the amount of capital banks will need to have and will only feed into its supervisory work "from a qualitative point of view".
The ECB is carrying out a separate "thematic review" to gauge banks' progress towards incorporating climate and environmental risk into their business. It expects them to meet its expectations by the end of 2024 at the latest.
The Bank of France was first among central banks to undertake a climate stress test of banks and insurers last year, followed by the Bank of England.
In its exercise, the Bank of England found that banks and insurers that fail to manage climate risks as a "first-order" issue could face a 10% to 15% hit to annual profits and higher capital requirements.
($1 = 0.9845 euros)
(Reporting by Francesco Canepa; Editing by Alexander Smith)
Mevlida Hukic says she does not hate anyone but as a Muslim seeks justice from Allah
AA FRIDAY 08 JULY 2022
Bosnian mother Mevlida Hukic
Mevlida Hukic dearly misses her husband, three of her sons and two brothers who were among the thousands of victims of the 1995 genocide in Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"I always dreamed of them after they were killed. I still ‘see’ them and cry. I'm still struggling. It wasn’t easy to raise children and guide them to the right path. Now they’re gone. I don't know how long God will give me to live,'' she said.
The 74-year-old Hukic will finally bid farewell after 27 years to her son Sejad and husband Hajdin on the 27th anniversary of the genocide.
Every year on July 11, newly identified victims of the genocide are buried at a memorial cemetery in the village of Potocari, located six kilometers (3.7 miles) northwest of Srebrenica.
Hukic had buried one of her sons earlier at the Potocari Memorial Center. But the remains of her youngest son, Samir, have never been found.
She said she raised her children with strong moral values.
"People admired them. After they were killed, I always saw them in my dreams,'' said Hukic.
Hukic said she seeks justice for those who are responsible.
"I don't hate anyone, but as a Muslim, I ask Allah to give those murderers what they deserve. Despite everything, we still have to live together. I hope the same things do not happen again, (that) there will always be peace. I always live in fear that something will happen again,'' she said.
Hukic now lives with her son Zuhdo, who managed to survive the route used by Bosnian civilians to reach a safe zone.
They both still live in the hope of finding Samir.
Bosnia Herzegovina on Monday will bid farewell to 50 more identified victims of the Srebrenica genocide on the 27th anniversary of Europe's worst genocide since World War II.
Thousands of visitors from various countries will attend the funeral service and burials.
After this year’s funeral, the number of burials in the cemetery will rise to 6,721.
A total of 8,372 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were killed after Bosnian Serb forces attacked the UN "safe area" of Srebrenica in July 1995, despite the presence of Dutch troops tasked with acting as international peacekeepers.
Srebrenica was besieged by Serb forces who were trying to wrest territory from Bosnian Muslims and Croats to form their own state.
The UN Security Council had declared Srebrenica a "safe area" in the spring of 1993. However, Serb troops led by Gen. Ratko Mladic – who in 2017 was sentenced to life in prison for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide – overran the UN zone.
The Dutch troops failed to act as Serb forces occupied the area, killing around 2,000 men and boys on July 11 alone. Some 15,000 Srebrenicans fled to the surrounding mountains but Serb troops hunted down and killed 6,000 of them in the forests.
The bodies of the victims of the genocide were found in 570 parts of the country.
‘Yu-Gi-Oh!’ creator Kazuki Takahashi found dead at sea
Kazuki Takahashi, the creator of the “Yu-Gi-Oh!” manga comic and trading card game, has died, apparently while snorkeling in southwestern Japan, the coast guard said Friday.
The body of Takahashi, 60, was found Wednesday floating about 330 yards off the coast of Okinawa, by a person running a marine leisure business, according to an official at the Naha Coast Guard Nago station.
The coast guard and the fire department went by boat and watercraft and found the body, face down and wearing a snorkeling mask. He may have been dead for a day or two, according to the coast guard official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because their job did not allow them to be quoted by name.
The body showed signs of being attacked by a marine creature, possibly sharks, but the cause of death was still under investigation, the official said.
Takahashi was identified after police in another part of Okinawa contacted the coast guard Thursday, saying a rented car had been found abandoned on a beach. The car had a driver’s license, confirming the identity. Takahashi’s real first name was Kazuo. His family was contacted and identified him, the coast guard official said.
“Yu-Gi-Oh!” debuting in Shonen Jump magazine in 1996, became a hit, selling more than 40 million copies as manga, although the number of cards out in the world is far greater, in the billions.
The official card game went on sale in 1999. A TV show and video games, as well as figures and toys, were also part of the franchise.
There was an outpouring of mourning on social media.
Eric Stuart, the American actor who did the animation voiceover, said he was saddened by the news.
“An amazingly talented man. Sensei created a role that would help define my voice acting career,” Stuart said on Twitter, using the Japanese word for “teacher.”
Fans around the world posted their cards and manga images online. Some noted that was how they had become interested in Japan. People recalled how the cards had helped them make their first friends.
“We are deeply grateful for the wonderful ‘Yu-Gi-Oh!’ universe that he has created, and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time,” the London-based YuGiOhNews account said on Twitter and on its official site.
The ambassador to Japan from Georgia, Teimuraz Lezhava, said “Yu-Gi-Oh!” evoked a distinct world.
“I will never forget the excitement of playing the game,” he said on his official Japanese Twitter.
Takahashi’s work had children, and the young at heart, collecting the cards, decorated with mechanical monsters and wizard-like creatures, with a frenzy. The prices of some shot up during the height of the fad.
When a “Yu-Gi-Oh!” event was held at a Tokyo baseball stadium in 1999, so many children and parents came to buy the cards, game-maker Konami, the organizer, had to call in riot police.
“Yu-Gi-Oh!” is played by having two people facing off and placing cards from their deck with different powers to try defeat the other. Each player starts out with 8,000 “life points,” which get chiseled away as your cards lose.
The main character is a doe-eyed boy with spiky blond hair called Yugi Muto, an expert at card games. “Yu-Gi-Oh” means “king of games.”
The more expensive cards, the ones literally with glitter, are powerful in the game, called “super rare” and “secret rare.” But they weren’t that easily found, so people bought more packs, or cartons, of the cards.
The success of “Yu-Gi-Oh!” in the West was similar to that of other Japanese animation and game works like Pokemon.
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -Sweden's Essity on Friday said it had agreed to buy 80% of Canadian company Knix Wear, a maker of leakproof apparel for periods and incontinence, for around 3.3 billion Swedish crowns ($313.49 million).
© Reuters/Anna RingstromFILE PHOTO: Essity sign is seen in Stockholm
Essity said in a statement the acquisition would make it the global market leader in leakproof apparel, predicting the market segment would grow by more than 20% annually in the next five years, excluding Asia.
The world's second-biggest consumer tissue maker this week announced it had agreed to buy Australian leakproof apparel maker Modibodi.
It already offers leakproof wear under feminine care brands such as Libresse and Bodyform, and within incontinence products with its TENA brand.
Essity expects to finalise the acquisition in the second half of the year.
($1 = 10.5265 Swedish crowns)
(Reporting by Anna Ringstrom, editing by Essi Lehto and Jason Neely)
Mongolia’s traditional nomadic culture is vanishing in many ways, but it is preserved and passed down through traditional wrestling.
By Antonio Graceffo
July 08, 2022
Naadam Festival at the district level in Bulgan Province, July 3, 2022.
One of the most iconic popular images of Mongolia is that of nomadic herders, riding horses and living in gers (yurt tent-houses). The other is of powerfully built Mongolian wrestlers in traditional costume: a red or blue zodog (open-chested shirt), shuudag (heavy-duty briefs), wrestling boots, and a pointed Mongolian cap. As nomadism declines, the work of preserving Mongolia’s traditional culture is being done by the country’s wrestling coaches.
At first glimpse, Ulaanbaatar is not terribly different from the capital cities of other former Soviet satellites. There are coffeeshop chains, private hospitals, and a stock exchange, as well as tall office buildings that house banks and mining companies. With a population of roughly 3 million, Mongolia boasts around 80 universities, including about 10 international university programs in business, IT, and engineering. Less than an hour’s drive from the city limits, however, the scenery explodes into breathtaking, rolling steppes of the deepest green, dotted with gers and populated by families of herders.
Children herding cows for morning milking in Bulgan Province. Photo by Antonio Graceffo.
It takes a minimum of 100 to 200 animals to support a family. Historically, Mongolian nomads moved four or more times per year, driving their flocks to better grazing grounds. Throughout the year, they live in gers made of felt, burning coal to survive temperatures as low as minus-50 degrees Celsius.
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In winter, they bring their animals closer to the mountains, to protect them from storms. Water has to be collected from wells or rivers, which may be a mile (1.6 km) from the encampment. In winter, ice is broken, carried, and boiled for drinking water.
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A family in a ger uses 10 to 20 liters of water per day for drinking, cooking, and washing. The average shower for a city-dweller, by contrast, utilizes 20 gallons (75 liters).
The herders’ day starts at 5 a.m., when teenage boys ride out to find the horses that were set loose for night pasture. They herd the horses back to the corral, and begin the arduous task of milking the mares. To kill time between milking cycles and other tasks, boys wrestle. Most begin wrestling by the age of 5, and both boys and girls begin riding horses as young as 3 or 4.
In the annual Naadam Festival, the biggest holiday of the Mongolian calendar, children of both genders as young as 8 ride horses in a 15 km to 30 km point-to-point race.ADVERTISEMENT
Herders ride horses, or sometimes motorcycles, nearly all day while herding and protecting their flocks. After years in the saddle, they develop powerful thighs, double or triple the size of city-dwellers.
A herder drinking airag, fermented horse milk. Photo by Antonio Graceffo.
In spring and early summer, most of the baby animals are born, during a very busy two-to-three-month period. Afterwards, the foals and calves must be closely watched, to ensure they get enough nutrition and do not become food for wolves and other predators.
In summer, the mothers have to be milked, once or twice daily for cows, but as frequently as eight times per day for horses. Before milking horses, the mares have to have a halter put on them, which often involves wrestling and pinning them. Some mares are used to the cycle of milking, and go along peacefully. Some fight, and have to be controlled by three men or boys, so their feet can be secured. And this process could be multiplied by 40 or more mares, depending on the size of the herd.
In the spring, hair or wool is removed from the sheep, goats, camels, and yaks. In the fall, animals are sold or slaughtered for food. Through a combination of the sale of wool, cashmere, meat, and milk, a subsistence herder family typically earns between $4,000 and $5,000 per year.
The herder’s life is extremely hard work, and the economic payoff is small. It is no wonder that over the past 20 years, the number of herders has steadily declined. The number of animals is actually increasing – but this is because big, commercial herding operations are replacing the small herders.
At the same time, it seems that herding parents are recognizing the privations of the nomadic life and are sending their children to the cities to attend school. Due to increasing parental support for education, the dropout rate by age 14, which was once extremely high, has declined to 1 percent. Nationwide, the high school graduation rate is 94 percent for girls and 91 percent for boys, which is only slightly lower than the U.S. which has a graduation rate of 94.5 percent.
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Herder families spend years’ worth of their income to send their children to university, most of whom do not return. In some surveys, as many as 100 percent of parents said that they wanted their children to remain in the city or go abroad, seeking a better life, rather than returning to herding.
A Mongolian ger (yurt tent-house), a typical dwelling of herders. Photo by Antonio Graceffo.
The transmission of traditional culture is diminishing, as fewer parents want their children to become herders. However, many still encourage their children to become wrestlers, and through Mongolia’s wrestling coaches, the country’s ancient traditions and culture are being passed on to a new generation.ADVERTISEMENT
Byambarenchin Bayaraa, wrestling coach at the Mongolian National University of Education, explained that wrestling continues to thrive alongside modernization, and that “Mongolians say that they will make their children to be wrestlers.”
He went on to say that wrestling is in Mongolians’ DNA. This sentiment was seconded by Budeebazar Adiyakhuu, coach of Avarga Wrestling Club, who said: “The genes of Mongolians are different. We still have that Mongol blood. So, we always like to wrestle, fight, struggle, and compete.”
Wrestling is part of the culture of Mongolia, according to Bayaraa, because wrestling is not a team sport. The wrestler, like the nomadic herder, is independent. He is “not looking at the teammates” and does not “need to ask anyone for strength or support.”
Wrestlers at Suuj training camp, about 75 kilometers from Ulaanbaatar, preparing to compete in Naadam. Photo by Antonio Graceffo.
The coach of Nine Flags Wrestling Club, Eruult Suhbaatar, highlights the strong lineage of wrestling in Mongolian families, “Seventy percent of the wrestlers have some kind of family member who is a wrestler, whether it was their grandfather or father. There is definitely a connection with the ancestors.”
In addition to believing that wrestling is a significant component of Mongol identity, the coaches also use wrestling as a vehicle to convey traditional culture to young people. According to Eruult, “There are morals that need to be taught. Even daily routines, such as how to sleep and shower. A coach also teaches them to avoid alcohol, bars, and violence.”
The relationship between the wrestler and his coach is very similar to the relationship between a master and an apprentice, according to Bayaraa. “In Mongolia, there is such a discipleship that is formed between the coach and athlete, such a bond… which makes the wrestler dedicate everything to his teacher: their body, language, mind, everything.” In return for the students’ devotion, Bayaraa passes on wisdom handed down for generations.
The ancestors “are smarter than I am, because they have experienced both happiness and misery before me,” he said. “So, I have to respect their age and intelligence.”
Wrestlers at Suuj wrestling camp, preparing for Naadam. They generally live in camp, beginning in June, for at least a month before National Naadam, which is held July 11-15. Photo by Antonio Graceffo.
Amarbat Togtokhbayar, coach of Zaan Wrestling Club, also teaches his wrestlers traditional ethics. “There is definitely talk of morals outside the wrestling mat, as “only 1 out of 200-300 kids goes pro.” For this reason, he encourages his students to acquire job skills. “I do not want my students to only have wrestling in their life, studies must also be taken seriously. If not, they will hit a dead end, with no studies and no profession in wrestling.”
Today, although fewer Mongolian young people grow up learning the traditional culture and values of herding, many will still receive these lessons from their wrestling coaches. Most will not become professional wrestlers. They will go on to become tradespeople, accountants, or computer specialists. Wrestling will be a fond memory of their formative years, and one that leaves them with a deep appreciation of traditional culture, which they are likely to pass on to their children, ensuring that Mongol culture will continue.
GUEST AUTHOR
Antonio Graceffo
Dr. Antonio Graceffo is an American economist and author based in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Protests Build Across Africa Over Surging Fuel Prices, Shortages
Matthew Hill, Bloomberg New
BC-Protests-Build-Across-Africa-Over-Surging-Fuel-Prices-Shortages , Matthew Hill
(Bloomberg) -- Protests are building in Africa over surging fuel costs that have governments scrambling over how to respond.
Demonstrators blocked a key supply route in South Africa this week, tying up the delivery of commodities, over an increase in the regulated pump price. That followed a protest in Mozambique, the world’s third-poorest country, where bus drivers paralyzed the capital Maputo after diesel prices jumped.
The effect of fuel shortages throughout Africa in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is especially pronounced for populations whose transportation costs account for a disproportionately high percentage of monthly budgets. Suppliers have blamed richer nations for paying a premium for cargoes, while soaring margins benefit the refining businesses of companies such as Shell Plc.
“Transport price inflation feeds directly into food inflation –- so keeping it under control has been an imperative, even when fiscal resources have (in some instances) come under greater strain,” Razia Khan, Standard Chartered Bank’s head of research for Africa and the Middle East, said in reply to emailed questions.
The World Bank took the unusual step of subsidizing bus passengers in Mozambique to mitigate the crisis, while in neighboring Eswatini the government increased fuel prices by more than 10% after shortages.
In Kenya and Nigeria, both heading to elections in the coming months, the governments are burdened with costly fuel subsidies, as they struggle to finance gaping budget deficits. Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo is now seeking a bailout from the International Monetary Fund after protests over issues including rising fuel prices.
“Governments across sub-Saharan Africa are always wary of pressure on urban electorates especially, who tend to be more politically mobilized,” Khan said.
Though the continent includes a number of significant producers of oil, there is limited capacity to refine it into fuel for cars, trucks and planes. That means countries need dollars to buy imported diesel and gasoline.
Currency weakness resulting from rising interest rates in rich countries is exacerbating matters. The currencies of Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya all dropped to record lows against the dollar this week and will continue to depreciate, AZA Finance, a currency broker, said in a note to clients Thursday.
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
When Enbridge Inc. announced on September 29, 2021, its “Line 3 Replacement Project [was] Substantially Completed and Set to be Fully Operational,” Winona LaDuke, Executive Director of Honor the Earth, issued a video response from the White Earth Reservation in Northern Minnesota. After years of fighting against Enbridge’s efforts to desecrate Anishinaabe lands, Winona refused to give up the fight. In her words, “They’ve created their jobs. They put in their pipe. They won. They’ve committed a crime. And someone needs to stop them from making a profit off of that crime. Do something for the people. Stop Line 3 and give us a ‘just transition.'”
Line 3 is a project of Enbridge Inc., a multinational corporation headquartered in Alberta, Canada. Enbridge transports 30% of all oil produced in North America and operates 76,546 miles of pipeline across the continent. Last year, Enbridge reported yearly revenue of $39.853B, a 33.53% increase year-over-year. Line 3 is part of Enbridge’s Mainline System and runs 1,097 miles from Edmonton, Alberta, to Superior, Wisconsin. Line 3 transports ‘tar sands oil,’ a variant of oil that the Union of Concerned Scientists denounces as “a mixture of mostly sand, clay, water, and a thick, molasses-like substance called bitumen…[which] on a lifetime basis…produces about 15% more carbon dioxide emissions.” Built in 1960, Line 3 initially transported 760,000 barrels of oil a day. But, as of 2019, it could only transport 390,000, about half the amount. Enbridge Inc. announced its Line 3 Replacement Project on October 24, 2014, by filing a Notice Plan with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC). In Enbridge’s words, the Line 3 Replacement Project will “maintain … high safety standards…and restore the historical operating capabilities of Line 3.”
But, the story of Line 3 is not that of “safety standards” and “operating capabilities.” Instead, it is the story of Honor the Earth and the Anishinaabe’s resistance against Line 3. It is the story of ‘manoomin,’ and Turtle Island again being attacked by the “Black Snake.” And it is the story of the MPUC’s failure to honor treaty rights and protect the Earth. Line 3 was not a failure of the State of Minnesota but rather the logical consequence of a settler-colonial political system determined to destroy the Earth and any potential for Native sovereignty. Enbridge knew it would face a fight, as with the Dakota Access Pipeline and Keystone XL. But, this time, it came prepared. It assembled the Northern Lights Taskforce, “brought jobs to Minnesota,” and pursued every legal and illegal option available to nullify resistance to Line 3. Enbridge wielded its power to its advantage, and it won. But, that doesn’t mean that the resistance failed.
Andy Pearson, Midwest Tar Sands Coordinator at MN350, who was also arrested at an MPUC hearing, said, “Although Line 3 is in the ground, the fight against tar sands and pipelines…is something that does continue and will continue. We’re seeing action against Line 5 in Northern Wisconsin, and we’ll see more work to build against the Enbridge Mainline System.” While Line 3 is just a single component of Enbridge’s vast infrastructure holdings across the so-called United States, Enbridge appeared determined to influence every unit of the State of Minnesota to its advantage. Despite resistance by Honor the Earth, StopLine3, MN350, the Giniw Collective, the Sierra Club, and many others, Enbridge was able to use the police, the legislature, and the PUC to neutralize the Anishinaabe people and affiliated water protectors.
Enbridge’s relationship with Minnesota law enforcement is well established. Before beginning construction on Line 3, Enbridge obtained a permit through the MPUC that outlined its financial responsibilities to the State of Minnesota, including Minnesota law enforcement. It states:
“Prior to construction, the Permittee shall establish a Public Safety Escrow Account…Local Government Units (LGU) shall submit in writing an itemized request to the Public Safety Liaison sufficient to recommend to the Commission’s Executive Secretary whether services rendered were additional municipal services uniquely provided as a result of construction of the pipeline during the term of this permit.”
While Enbridge didn’t explicitly approve of nor solicit this inclusion, it’s hard to imagine that they do not approve. The Northern Lights Task Force, a coalition of Police Departments in Northern Minnesota, including the Aitkin Police Department and Palisade Police Department, is also the direct beneficiary of this provision. The Escrow Account functions as a blank check written by Enbridge on behalf of the policing agencies in Northern Minnesota. There are few limitations on what can be included in a reimbursement request. And in documents obtained by The Intercept, one Aitkin Police Department Seargent expressed hope that “the pipeline will give us an extra boost to next year’s budget, which should make it easy for me to propose an upgrade/trade to your rifles rather than a rebuild of our 8 Bushmasters.”
Shanai Matteson, a Cultural & Campaign Organizer at Honor the Earth and lifelong resident of Palisade, Minnesota, was heavily involved in the resistance against Line 3. In one incident, Shanai was charged for, in her words, “conspiring, aiding and abetting trespass on critical public infrastructure” for making “a speech at a rally where I live, also known as the Welcome Water Protectors Camp.” On the 30th Anniversary of the Enbridge Oil Spill in Itasca County, Shanai was charged after officers “kettled and arrested dozens of people taking part in a memory march.” When asked about the relationship between the State of Minnesota and Enbridge, Shanai indicated, “What happened here in Northern Minnesota sets a dangerous precedent…with local law enforcement paid to police the property and profits of a private company.”
According to a Permit Compliance Filing with the MPUC, “$250,000 was deposited on May 8, 2020” into the Escrow Account. But, in total, Enbridge paid $2,171,008.84 to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and millions more to police departments across Northern Minnesota. Winona LaDuke, Executive Director of Honor the Earth, said she “was charged by a DNR officer first…so the guys charged with protecting us are the guys arresting us.” On June 15, 2021, Enbridge pierced an aquifer near its Clearbrook Terminal worksite. According to the DNR, as of September 5, 2021, 24.2 million gallons of groundwater had been spilled. As a penalty, the DNR ordered Enbridge to pay 3.32 million dollars. And yet, on September 10, 2021, Enbridge pierced another aquifer near the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation, spilling 220 million gallons of groundwater.
The Department of Natural Resources and the State of Minnesota did nothing to stop Enbridge’s criminal misconduct in Northern Minnesota. But that shouldn’t be a surprise. Enbridge bought off the police and was willing to accept whatever fine the DNR might levy, as long as it meant Line 3 was in the ground. Yet, at the same time, viewing Enbridge’s relationship with the Northern Lights Taskforce, the State of Minnesota, and the Department of Natural Resources through this lens of corruption or malfeasance doesn’t do justice to the nature or extent of the relationship. It is no mistake that the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation had 220 million gallons of water spilled into its Dead Fish Lake, threatening its wild rice harvest. Nor was it a mistake that Winona LaDuke, the ‘guardian ad litem for the Shell River’ appointed by the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, was arrested protecting the very river she swore to protect.
The Public Utilities Commission’s permit for Line 3 includes provision 6.11, titled Tribal Economic Opportunity and Labor Education Plan, which states, “The Plan must include…a discussion of how Minnesota-based tribal members and businesses will be given preference under the committed target.” Additionally, it demands that “The Plan…include: a discussion of a Regional Native American Training Program with the purpose of recruiting and training Native Americans in the region.” Enbridge employed 12,155 workers during its Line 3 Replacement Project, 295 of which identified as Native Americans and residents of Minnesota.
Even the Public Utilities Commission, despite serving as Enbridge’s puppet, recognized the plight of Native communities in Northern Minnesota.
Due to the legacy of displacement, assimilation, and extermination, Anishinaabe communities in Northern Minnesota have the highest poverty rates in the State. I.e., the 36.8% poverty rate on the Red Lake Reservation or the 37.9% poverty rate on the Leech Lake Reservation. If it could have a consciousness, Enbridge would not devote it to Minnesota, and certainly not the Anishinaabe. To Enbridge, the Anishinaabe are a resource and, at times, a nuisance. They are ‘people of the past’ and people to control. The MPUC urges Enbridge to “train” the Anishinaabe. But, here, “train” does not mean support or teach; instead, it means ‘to control.’ For Enbridge, it would be financially expedient to exterminate the last and only obstacle standing in the way of Line 3—the Anishinaabe who have stewarded the land for generations.
And while the Public Utilities Commission forbade “counterinsurgency tactics or misinformation campaigns” in Provision 5.5 titled Public Safety and Security, Enbridge didn’t listen. Documents obtained by the Intercept indicate that Enbridge launched an initiative titled “Opposition Driven Operational Threats,” which systematically documented and categorized Native individuals, tribes, and organizations into color-coded arrangements indicating whether or not they were a threat. In 2021, Enbridge event went so far as to purchase land near the headquarters of Honor the Earth (which they later sold after completing Line 3). While the relationship between Enbridge and the Northern Lights Task Force is well documented, Enbridge’s internally discussed strategy in directing the police against water protectors is less well known. Like a ‘black box,’ we know the result—nearly 900 arrests—but don’t know all of what went into Enbridge’s strategy.
While the battle against Line 3 is over, that does not mean that Honor the Earth or, for that matter, any other individual or organization involved in the fight against Line 3 has given up. Hundreds of water protectors are still facing charges, many of them, in StopLine3’s words, “with trumped-up felonies, with most of the felonies being bogus “theft” charges,” and a new campaign, “Drop the Charges,” has been launched to support those facing jail time upon conviction. But Enbridge hasn’t given up either. The fight against Line 5 is heating up in Michigan as Enbridge attempts to build a tunnel underneath the Straits of Mackinaw despite the opposition of the State of Michigan and the Bad River Tribe. When asked about the battle against Line 5 and why, despite the massive influence of a corporation like Enbridge, it’s still work fighting, Paul DeMain, Board Chair of Honor the Earth and Tribal Member of the Bad River Tribe, had this to say: “You know why? Because Enbridge fears the truth. And that’s what we’re fighting up against.”
Theia Chatelle is an FGLI student at Yale University, studying English. She currently works at A Public Space.
Thousands of demonstrators gather in capital Tirana to protest price hikes, alleged corruption
Tatjon Cuka and Dzihat Aliju |08.07.2022
TIRANA, Albania
Thousands of Albanians took to the streets of the capital Tirana on Thursday and called on the government to resign over increases in the prices of basic food products and alleged corruption, answering a call by the main opposition Democratic Party.
The demonstrators, who came from various cities, gathered on Martyrs of the Nation Boulevard in front of the prime minister's office.
Members of non-governmental organizations, activists and students took part in the protest, which was held with the slogan "Albania is in danger.”
Former Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha said in a speech that the future of Albania is at stake.
Berisha noted that some of the demonstrators had traveled thousands of kilometers from the US and Europe to join the Albanian liberation front.
Hundreds of police were deployed in the area as part of security measures during the protest, which lasted for several hours.
In recent months, the country has been seeing sharp increases in the prices of some food products as well as fuel.
Civil society organizations, political party representatives and citizens called on state institutions to intervene in the situation and prevent volatility in prices.
The demonstrators said they will continue their protest in the coming days.
*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz
HEY HEY USA;
Nearly 90% of Vietnamese population covered with health insurance
HANOI, 8th July, 2022 (VNA/ WAM) -- More than 86.8 million people in Vietnam, or 88.99 percent of the population, had been covered with health insurance by the end of June, according to the Vietnam Social Security (VSS).
Addressing a conference on Friday, VSS Deputy General Director Dao Viet Anh said the health insurance policy has increasingly affirmed its role in society.
By the end of June, more than 17.1 million people had participated in social insurance, equivalent to 33.87 percent of those in the working age and rising 6.16 percent from the same period last year. They include nearly 1.5 million taking part in voluntary social insurance.
Meanwhile, nearly 14 million people, or 27.55 percent of the workforce, had been covered with unemployment insurance, up 5.13 percent year on year, statistics showed.
Anh said giving the top priority to insurance participants' rights and interests, the VSS has actively worked with relevant ministries and sectors to provide maximum support for them to gain insurance benefits.