US manufacturing sector eyes recovery; construction spending solid


Mon, October 2, 2023 

FILE PHOTO: Startup Rivian Automotive's electric vehicle factory in Normal

By Lucia Mutikani

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. manufacturing took a step further towards recovery in September as production picked up and employment rebounded, according to a survey on Monday that also showed prices paid for inputs by factories falling considerably.

The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said that its manufacturing PMI increased to 49.0 last month, the highest reading since November 2022, from 47.6 in August. Still, September marked the 11th straight month that the PMI remained below 50, which indicates contraction in manufacturing. That is the longest such stretch since the 2007-2009 Great Recession.

"U.S. manufacturing appears to be over the worst, but the outlook remain muted – particularly given the softness of global conditions," said Paul Ashworth, chief North America Economist at Capital Economics in Toronto.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the index edging up to 47.7. Five manufacturing industries reported growth last month, including textile mills and primary metals.

Among the 11 industries reporting contraction were computer and electronic products, machinery as well as electrical equipment, appliances and components.

Comments from respondents in the survey continued to be mixed. Makers of transportation equipment said "orders and production remain steady, and we are maintaining a healthy backlog," but cautioned that "continued inflation and wage adjustments continue to drive prices up, although we should get some relief from the markets stabilizing."

Manufacturers of miscellaneous goods said they were keeping an eye on the Panama Canal drought, U.S.-China relations, and the impact the United Auto Workers strike on the supply chains. They, however, viewed overall conditions as "stable."

Apparel, leather and allied products makers described markets as "soft," while primary metals producers said "business conditions and market demand remain strong," and they "projected to be at capacity in the next 12 months."

Stocks on Wall Street were higher. The dollar rose against a basket of currencies. U.S. Treasury prices fell.

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While the PMI and other business surveys have painted a grim picture of manufacturing, which accounts for 11.1% of the economy, so-called hard data have suggested that the sector continues to chug along amid higher borrowing costs.
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Orders for long-lasting manufactured goods increased 4.2% year-on-year in August and business spending on equipment appears to have remained strong in the third quarter after rebounding in the April-June period.

The ISM survey's forward-looking new orders sub-index increased to 49.2 last month from 46.8 in August. With new orders improving, production at factories accelerated. The production index increased to 52.5 from 50.0 in the prior month.

Though backlog orders shrank, inventories at factories and their customers remained very low, which should support future production. With demand still weak, prices for factory inputs remained subdued.

The survey's measure of prices paid by manufacturers fell to 43.8 from 48.4 in August. This bodes well for goods deflation, but striking auto workers could boost prices of motor vehicles.

Factory employment improved further after slumping to three-year lows in July. The survey's gauge of factory employment rose to 51.2 last month from 48.5 in August.

A separate report from the Commerce Department showed construction spending increased 0.5% in August after rising 0.9% in July, lifted by outlays on single- and multi-family housing. But with mortgage rates near 23-year highs, momentum could slow.

Construction spending jumped 7.4% on a year-on-year basis in August. Spending on private construction projects rose 0.5%, with investment in residential construction advancing 0.6% after increasing 1.6% in the prior month. Private construction spending gained 1.2% in July.

A dearth of homes available for sale is fueling new construction. The rate on the popular 30-year fixed mortgage averaged 7.31% last week, the highest since December 2000, from 7.19% the prior week, according to data from mortgage finance agency Freddie Mac.

The construction spending report showed outlays on multi-family housing projects rose 0.6% in August. There is limited room for further gains as the stock of multi-family housing under construction is near record highs. Spending on new single-family construction projects rose 1.7%.

Spending on private non-residential structures like factories climbed 0.3% in August. Spending on manufacturing construction projects shot up 1.2%. Efforts by the Biden administration to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the United States are boosting factory construction.

Spending on public construction projects rebounded 0.6% after dipping 0.1% in July. State and local government spending was unchanged while outlays on federal government projects soared 7.8%.

(Reporting By Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Andrea Ricci)

Sask.'s minimum wage rises to $14/hour, but continues to be the lowest in Canada

CBC
Sun, October 1, 2023 

Saskatchewan's minimum wage will still be the lowest in the country after the bump to $14 an hour. (Paul Sakuma/Associated Press - image credit)

The minimum wage in Saskatchewan increases to $14 from $13 on Sunday, but is still the lowest in Canada.

Some experts and minimum wage earners say it will not be nearly sufficient as inflation fuels rising costs of living.

"I don't think it's enough. I've got a family, I've got kids and grandkids. They all depend on me and working minimum wage for 22 hours a week is not enough," Sarah Marr, who works at Taco Bell in Saskatoon, said.

Marr shares a $1,600-per-month home with five other people and said she is "scrambling every single month," borrowing money from her mother, roommates or friends to pay bills.

"I'm like a working poor person. Right now, I'm behind by almost a month and a half on my rent. I've got utility bills that I can't afford and no groceries in my house."

Sarah Marr says for three Christmases in a row, she has not been able to gift anything to her son. She says she shouldn't be struggling with where her next meal is coming from. She says the minimum wage increase in October is a step in the right direction, but it's not enough steps forward yet.

Sarah Marr says she has not been able to get her son anything for three Christmases in a row. (Pratyush Dayal/CBC)

She said she is left with hardly $10 at the end of the month. She either wants the rents to go down or minimum wages to increase – a demand most people CBC spoke to in Saskatoon echoed.

Marr said she has already lost power at her place twice and is often left in a conundrum to either purchase groceries or pay bills.

"Canada is the land of the free and the friendly, but I feel like I'm a slave. I have to work every day just to pay my bills," she said with tears in her eyes.

"I can't send money to my son back home or buy my grandkids birthday presents. Three Christmases in a row, my son hasn't gotten anything from me because we can't afford anything."

She said the provincial government should "finally open their eyes" to the plight of people and move away from having the lowest minimum wage in Canada.

"I shouldn't be struggling with where my next meal is coming from," she said.

'This is not the life that I wanted before coming here': worker

Maksudur Raahman, who works 40 to 50 hours a week for minimum wage at two restaurants, agreed. He said he had only had one weekend off in the past month.

The 38-year-old moved to Saskatoon from Bangladesh in March with his wife and three-year-old daughter for a better quality of life.

"But if you are on the minimum wage, then you don't have that quality of life. I don't even have enough time to spend with my kid. It's hard," he said.

"This is not the life that I wanted before coming here."

Maksudur Raahman moved from Bangladesh to Saskatoon in March with his wife and a three-year-old daughter for a better quality of life. Now, he works 40 to 50 hours a week on minimum wage at two restaurants and says there is no quality of life as he doesn't even have enough time to spend with his child.

Maksudur Raahman moved from Bangladesh to Saskatoon in March with his wife and a three-year-old daughter for a better quality of life, but says he isn't seeing it on minimum wage. (Pratyush Dayal/CBC)

He said the wage increase might help a little with his $1,300 rent, which occupies the largest share of his $2,000 to $2,500 monthly income.

"Another $500 goes for the food, $200 for the utility bills and mobile or Internet. So, it's pretty tight," he said. "Even a $1 increase will help a little bit. It's better than nothing."

Sanjeev Kumar, who works as a line cook at A to Z Cloud Kitchen, is in the same boat.

"With the kind of inflation we have right now in the country and the interest rates and high gas prices, I don't think that $1 increase would make any difference for us," he said.

Sanjeev Kumar, who works as a line cook in Saskatoon, says he has no savings and often finds himself unable to buy groceries.

Sanjeev Kumar, who works as a line cook in Saskatoon, says he has no savings and often finds himself unable to buy groceries. (Pratyush Dayal/CBC)

The 32-year-old said he wants wages to be adjusted to reflect inflation and that the minimum should be at least $16 to $17 per hour.

A report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says the same, stating that a decent standard of living requires a wage of $16.23 per hour in Regina and $16.89 per hour in Saskatoon.

Saskatchewan's minimum wage will further increase to $15 per hour in 2024. The Saskatchewan Party government noted in a news release that will be an 89 per cent increase from 2007, when the minimum wage in the province was $7.95.

When asked about having the lowest minimum wage in the country during a media availability Friday, Premier Scott Moe said his government made a commitment years ago to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour over a series of years.

"In the meantime, I think we've seen unprecedented inflationary pressures that have occurred not just here in Saskatchewan but but across Canada and since some degree across North America," Moe said.

"We're going to follow through with respect to the course that we have chartered."

Kumar said he earns $1,400 a month, but that with his bills — including an $800 car payment — he is hardly left with any.

"After all the bills, if I have something remaining then I buy some groceries, otherwise I'm just eating from this restaurant these days," he said.

"Since I've come to Canada from India, I have had no savings at all. I'm in negative right now."

Tianna Morin says the government should either increase the minimum wage or work on reducing the cost of living, especially the rents.

Tianna Morin says the government should either increase the minimum wage or work on reducing the cost of living. (Pratyush Dayal/CBC)

Tianna Morin is no stranger to that feeling. The single mother of two works as a gas jockey and cashier in Pleasant Hill.

"The cost of living is really high too and then they tax everything too. I don't even get 40 hours, so the paycheques are kind of low," she said.

"Give us a raise."

'$14 an hour will barely barely make ends meet': associate prof.

University of Regina associate professor Andrew Stevens, who is also a Regina city councillor, said the increase will not do much for the workers or the economy.

"If you are on minimum wage and that's your basic form of income, you'll still be struggling with cost of living, increasing rents and grocery bills," he said.

"$14 an hour will barely barely make ends meet for most people."

Stevens said Saskatchewan should have moved to$15 an hour years ago. He said the province should now potentially look at setting the minimum wage according to local living wages.

Coun. Andrew Stevens says the City of Regina has been making strides when it comes to getting rid of nuisance properties, as defined by the community standards bylaw.

University of Regina associate professor Andrew Stevens, who is also a Regina city councillor, says increasing the minimum wage will not be a silver bullet to solve poverty. (Kirk Fraser/CBC)

Dionne Pohler, an associate professor at the University of Saskatchewan Edwards School of Business, said the increase will definitely not solve a lot of the challenges the province is facing around homelessness and poverty.

"There's really no consensus among academics about the short and long term effects on the economy and raising the minimum wage," she said.

Such increases can help alleviate people from poverty, but also mean rising labour costs for businesses, Pohler said.

"Labour markets and economies are complex at any given point in time. The effect of a minimum wage increase could be different depending on a whole variety of factors in the economy."

She said decreasing cost of living and housing costs, including rental costs, making changes to social assistance programs and providing guaranteed basic income for people who are living in perpetual poverty are other possible avenues available to the government.

"If poverty reduction is the objective, minimum wage is one instrument that can be used, but it is a very blunt instrument. It often doesn't have the impact on poverty rates that we want it to."

3 Atlantic provinces raise minimum wage to $15 an hour

CBC
Sun, October 1, 2023 

Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador announced earlier this year that they would each raise the minimum wage by 50 cents on Oct. 1. (John Gushue/CBC - image credit)

The minimum wage in three Atlantic provinces has been raised to $15 an hour, starting Sunday.

Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador announced earlier this year they would raise the minimum wage by 50 cents on Oct. 1.

New Brunswick previously had the highest minimum wage in the Atlantic provinces following an increase to $14.75 in April. It now has the lowest.

This is the second time the minimum wage has risen in Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and N.L. in 2023.

The largest overall increase is in Nova Scotia where minimum wage workers earn $1.40 more per hour compared to the end of 2022.

Nova Scotia has also agreed to increase the minimum wage each April based on the Consumer Price Index percentage change for the previous calendar year, plus one per cent.

In a statement Sunday, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business said the minimum wage increase creates challenges for small business owners.

The business association said there could be fewer job opportunities, reduced hours and business closures as a result.

The federation recommends other policies to support low income workers such as increasing the personal tax credit or exemption.

A Ukrainian soldier called up Russian tech support when his captured Russian tank wouldn't start: report

Kwan Wei Kevin Tan
Updated Mon, October 2, 2023 

Russia's T-72B3 tanks at a rehearsal for a military parade in 2020. Viktor Vytolsky/Epsilon via Getty Images

A Ukrainian soldier called Russian tech support to help with a captured Russian tank, Forbes reported.


The support staff seemed unaware they were speaking with a Ukrainian and offered assistance.


Ukraine has been capturing and repurposing Russia's tanks for its own use.

A Ukrainian officer apparently decided to call Russian tech support for help when he ran into issues operating a captured Russian tank.

The officer, whose call sign is Kochevnik, appeared in a video to be making calls trolling staff members of the Russian tank manufacturer Uralvagonzavod. The videos were posted to YouTube by Militarnyi, a Ukrainian media outlet reporting on the war.

Kochevnik said he had problems with his Russian T-72B3 tank, a model that is widely used by Russia's military. The T-72B3 is also the most advanced version of the Soviet-era T-72 tanks.

The video, which Forbes reported on in a story published Sunday, did not specify when or where Kochevnik and his fellow Ukrainian soldiers captured the tank. Insider was unable to independently verify who Kochevnik called and when that call took place.

Kochevnik first called up a person he said was a Uralvagonzavod staff member, who gave his name as Aleksander Anatolevich. On the call, Kochevnik ran through a litany of complaints about the tank, including that it had been spewing oil and had faulty compressors.

"I am the commander of an armor group, and the problem is we simply cannot operate it," Kochevnik said in the video, per Forbes.

The person on the other end of the phone appeared to be unaware that he was speaking with a Ukrainian soldier. He assured Kochevnik that he would raise Kochevnik's issues with the design bureau and the engine manufacturer, Forbes reported.

In the second half of the video, Kochevnik called someone he said was a Uralvagonzavod director, Andrey Abakumov. That person could be heard telling Kochevnik to report the tank's issues via a WhatsApp message, Forbes reported.

Kochevnik appeared to reveal his identity to both men at the end of the calls.

"Look, I'm the commander of the armored group K-2. This is the second mechanized battalion of Ukraine's 54th Mechanized Brigade," Kochevnik said during the first call.

"When we take more of these tanks as our trophies, make them better so that it will be easier for us to operate them. Agreed? Thank you very much. Take care of yourselves. Glory to Ukraine," he added.

Data from the open-source-intelligence website Oryx indicates the Russian military has lost two-thirds of its tanks since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Jakub Janovsky, a military analyst from Oryx, told Insider in May that Russia had about 3,000 operational tanks when it invaded. Oryx's 2022 data suggested the Russians had lost at least 2,329 tanks.

Besides destroying the tanks, the Ukrainians have also been repurposing them for their own use.

Michael Kofman, the director of the Russia Studies Program at The Center for Naval Analyses, said in March that Ukraine had been capturing and using Russia's T-80 tanks.

"They were very easily identifiable. You can see an entire unit composed of nothing but captured Russian tanks," said Kofman, who was speaking at an event hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Representatives for Russia's Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Killing of alleged gang member in Winnipeg 'a wake-up call': Sikh youth organization leader

CBC
Mon, October 2, 2023 

Rajbir Singh of Misl, a Sikh youth organization in Winnipeg, says some members of the community are concerned after the homicide of an alleged Punjabi gang member in the city. (Travis Golby/CBC - image credit)

A Winnipeg Sikh youth organization says it's concerned about the possibility of gang activity in the city after the fatal shooting of a man who police in India allege was a notorious criminal there.

Sukhdool Singh Gill, 39, was found dead by police in a duplex on Hazelton Drive, in northwest Winnipeg, on the morning of Sept. 20.

His death came just two days after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there are credible allegations linking India to the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a pro-Khalistan activist, in Surrey, B.C., in June.

"There's obviously a lot of shock, there's a lot of confusion," said Rajbir Singh, who leads Misl Winnipeg, a Sikh youth organization.

"Indo-Canadian gangs isn't something new. It's been going on for quite some time on the West Coast, in Ontario. However, this is the first time we've seen something like this in Winnipeg."

A person who lives near the home where Gill was killed told CBC they heard 11 gunshots right before officers discovered Gill's body.

A forensics van was parked outside a home on Hazelton Drive Thursday. Police say Sukhdool Singh Gill inside a home on this street Wednesday morning.

A forensics van was parked outside on Hazelton Drive the day after Sukhdool Singh Gill was found dead in a home on the northwest Winnipeg street. (Trevor Brine/CBC)

The area is home to a large population of Punjabi people, who have settled there to keep community connections and be close to a gurdwara, a Sikh place of worship, Singh said.

Gill, who went by the alias Sukha Duneke, was allegedly part of the Bambiha gang in India, according to police documents in that country. He was accused of extortion and arranging money for gang members to buy weapons, and his name was linked to murders in India.

An expert on conflict management in India said Gill was involved in a long-running feud with rival gangs.

He allegedly left India in 2017 after obtaining a passport illegally with the help of police.

Gulneet Singh Khurana, a former senior police superintendent in Moga — a district in India's Punjab state — told CBC the passport case was filed in 2022 after police got complaints about extortion calls and learned Gill was in Canada.

"When we looked into the matter, we came to know he was in Canada," Khurana said in an interview translated from Hindi. "When we verified the matter, we came to know that he had hidden facts and gone abroad."

Sukhdool Singh Gill appeared on a wanted list released via the social media platform X by India's National Investigation Agency — a specialized counter-terrorism law enforcement agency — on Sept. 21, 2023. Gill, 39, was found dead in a northwest Winnipeg home the same week, according to the Winnipeg Police Service.

Gill, 39, was found dead in a northwest Winnipeg home on Sept. 20. A person who lives nearby told CBC they heard 11 gunshots before officers discovered Gill's body. (NIA India/X)

Singh said no one here really knew of Gill, or the fact he was in Winnipeg, until his death.

"He might've been known as a person by a very niche crowd, people who kind of keep up with the gang violence in India and outwards," said Singh. "However, I can't say he was a prominent figure of the community."

Rival gangs claim responsibility

Rival gangs in India have claimed responsibility for Gill's death, including the Bishnoi gang, which took credit in a social media post, according to reports by Indian media.

However, a justice official in India is skeptical.

Shweta Shrimali is superintendent of Sabarmati Central Jail in India's Gujarat state, where gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi is being held.

Bishnoi has no social media access and no contact with anyone who could've made the post for him, according to Shrimali.

"He has been in our jail the whole time and there is no relation of him with this," Shrimali told CBC in an interview translated from Hindi.

The week he was killed, Gill also appeared on a wanted list released via the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) by India's National Investigation Agency — a specialized counter-terrorism law enforcement agency.

Sukhdool Singh Gill appeared on a wanted list posted on X, formerly known as Twitter on Sep.21, 2023.

The week he was killed, Gill appeared on a wanted list posted on X last week by India's National Investigation Agency — a specialized counter-terrorism law enforcement agency. (NIA India/X)

The general counsel for a U.S.-based group advocating for an independent Sikh state in India called Khalistan was named on that same list — but says he didn't know of Gill until he saw that list.

"I have no information about his past," said Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who is general counsel for Sikhs for Justice — a group that is banned in India and is accused of supporting violent extremism.

"I have no information whether he worked in any Khalistan campaign or whether he was involved in violent activities," Pannun told CBC via Zoom.

He cautioned against coming to any conclusions until the investigation into Gill's death is complete.

Winnipeg police said investigators are looking into gang activity but haven't confirmed it was a factor in the case.

Gangs 'super fluid' in Canada: police officer

A B.C. police officer who previously worked with an anti-gang unit there says he's heard of the Bambiha gang through news sources in India, but it's difficult to say how much of a presence they have in Canada.

"The gang field is pretty transient in nature — they go where they make profit," said Surrey Police Service Staff Sgt. Jag Khosa, who worked with the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of B.C. to curb gang violence.

"We've seen B.C. gangsters move to Alberta or Toronto or vice versa, even outside the country. So which group they represent, even that is super fluid," he said. "We've seen people switch sides very quickly."

Singh, the Winnipeg Sikh youth leader, said Punjabi community members see Gill's homicide as "a one-off."

The Bambiha gang, which Gill has been linked to, has been in the news in India quite a bit, said Singh, pointing to the 2022 fatal shooting of Punjabi-language rapper and music producer Sidhu Moose Wala in India, which police said was the result of an "inter-gang rivalry."

"This kind of gang violence, we've always heard about it. But me personally, and a lot of the community members here, we did not know they had a presence here," said Singh.

"Just the thought that this kind of scenario could even take place here, it's kind of a wake-up call that these kind of things may actually exist here."

Singh said his group is hopeful there will be no more violence, but his organization may have a role to play if there is.

"If these kind of Punjabi gangs take a rise here, that kind of falls on the institutions in the Punjabi community like ourselves to kind of step forward," Singh said.

"Sure, there are already people locked into that path, but there are definitely people you can keep away from them," he said.

"There are people you can bring into the gurdwaras again. There are children you can educate for a better future."

Redonda: Tiny Caribbean island’s transformation to wildlife haven

Gemma Handy - St John's, Antigua
Sun, October 1, 2023 

Seabirds now flock to the newly verdant isle

The incredible eco-restoration of one tiny Caribbean island - transformed from desolate rock to verdant wildlife haven in just a few years - has captured the imagination of environmentalists worldwide.

Now the tenacious Antiguans and Barbudans who led the metamorphosis of the country's little known third isle of Redonda are celebrating another impressive feat.

The mile-long spot has been officially designated a protected area by the country's government, ensuring its status as a pivotal nesting site for migrating birds and a home for species found nowhere else on Earth is preserved for posterity.

The Redonda Ecosystem Reserve, which also encompasses surrounding seagrass meadows and a coral reef, spans a colossal 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres).

Its sheer size means the country has already met its "30x30" target, a global goal to protect 30% of the planet for nature by 2030.

Today, Redonda is bursting with biodiversity including dozens of threatened species, globally important seabird colonies, and endemic lizards.

The number of ground dragons rebounded as the environment recovered

It did not always look like this. Invasive black rats that preyed on reptiles and ate birds' eggs, along with goats introduced by early colonists that devastated Redonda's vegetation, had left the island looking like a barren moonscape.

An ambitious project launched in 2016 to relocate the goats and eradicate the rats saw the greenery spring back to life, bringing with it an exponential rise in native species.

From moonscape to haven: A Caribbean island reborn


Why flying goats could save a Caribbean isle

The work was piloted by local NGO, the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG), in sync with the government and overseas partners including Fauna and Flora International (FFI).

The EAG's executive director Arica Hill describes the new protected status as a "huge win for Antiguans and Barbudans".

"This is the largest marine protected area in the Eastern Caribbean; it showcases the amazing work that conservationists and environmentalists can do right at home," she tells the BBC. "What is even more significant is that the government has trusted us to legally manage it too."

Magnificent frigatebirds are among those nesting on the island

The group is already carrying out feasibility studies in the hope of reintroducing species found on Redonda many years ago, such as the burrowing owl, a small sandy-coloured bird that nests underground.

The EAG is also setting up a robust governance system to ensure the island remains free of invasive critters. That includes surveillance cameras to look out for errant rats and monitoring local fishing activities which must adhere to strict guidelines.

FFI's Jenny Daltry says Caribbean islands face the highest extinction rates in modern history, meaning the restoration and protection of areas like Redonda is "critical".

There is a wealth of seabirds on Redonda's cliffs

Since the efforts began, 15 species of land birds have returned to the island, while numbers of endemic lizards like the critically endangered Redonda ground dragon have soared.

Local residents who once dubbed Redonda "the rock" are now its most vehement guardians, says the EAG's Shanna Challenger.

Before its restoration, locals called Redonda a "rock", and it is easy to see why

"Our little sister island that many people never see has been able to invoke such national pride," she smiles.

"To me as an Antiguan and Barbudan, this work has been monumental. We are forever written into the fabric of Redonda's history; I'm so proud to have been instrumental in this and can't wait to see what Redonda's legacy will be moving forward."

For small developing islands that exist on the frontier of climate change, Redonda's success represents a rare bright spark amid a glut of gloomy environmental headlines.

Now, the island is much greener

"Reaching our '30x30' target tells the rest of the world that this is possible. Even though we don't put out the most emissions, we are among the most impacted and we are still the ones meeting our target early," Shanna continues.

"We are putting our money where our mouth is. I hope this is an inspiration to other countries that if little Antigua and Barbuda can do it, so can you."

For Johnella Bradshaw, the reserve's coordinator, the accomplishments are more personal still.

Johnella Bradshaw is proud of what has been achieved on Redonda

"Growing up, going through school and college, a career in the environmental field was unheard of. The emphasis was on being a doctor, dentist or lawyer," she says.

"When you think about conservation, you think about things happening in America or Europe, not a little island in the Caribbean.

"Now we are at the forefront of international conservation we can change that narrative, and show younger generations that people who look like me can do this."

Johnella is eager to prove that the protected status won't just exist "on paper" but "in reality too".

The waters off the island are also teeming with life

Like her compatriots, she's all too aware of the unprecedented climactic conditions facing the country. Six years ago, Barbuda was devastated by Hurricane Irma and warming seas continue to pose an existential threat to islands across the region.

"You hear about climate change, rising temperatures and stronger storms but we are feeling it. This summer has been awful, it's so hot," Johnella adds. "But if we all play our part, together we can make a difference."

This Caribbean island was once plagued with rats that destroyed the ecosystem. Now, plant biomass has increased 2,000% thanks to environmental group efforts.


Lloyd Lee
Sun, October 1, 2023 

Conservationists have been working to restore native life on the island of Redonda.Addshore

Redonda, an uninhabited Caribbean island, was a critical source of fertilizer in the 19th century.


When miners stepped foot on the island, they introduced invasive species that destroyed the habitat.


Environmental groups began restoration efforts in 2016 and have seen remarkable progress.

Redonda, a small, uninhabited Caribbean island that is part of the commonwealth of Antigua and Barbuda, is on the path to recovering its native ecosystem after being destroyed by invasive species nearly a century ago.

The tiny island of Redonda, about a mile long, was formerly a haven for several species of seabirds.

Its attraction, particularly to birds, such as Brown Boobies and Masked Boobies, made the island a rich source of guano — or seabird excrement — which could be turned into fertilizer and gunpowder.

In the 19th century, the British government deployed more than 100 miners to begin extracting several tons of guano per year, according to Earth Island Journal.

Humans deserted the island around the 1930s, but the mining operations left behind invasive species, mainly domestic goats and stowaway black rats, that wreaked havoc on the island's ecosystem.

Soon, the island became a barren landscape, earning the nickname "the rock" from adjacent locals, BBC reported.

"Much like they have done elsewhere in the world, the rats and goats contributed to the deforestation and desertification of Redonda and are blamed for the extinction of the endemic skink and iguana, as well as the extirpation of the Antiguan burrowing owl on the island," according to the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG), an Antigua and Barbuda NGO. "By 2012, the ecosystem was so severely degraded that even the feral goats were starving to death."

In 2016, environmental groups such as EAG launched restoration efforts to bring back the local plant life and animal species native to the island.

The plan included relocating Redonda's estimated 60 goats to Antigua and eradicating about 7,000 rats with the help of local and international volunteers.

"That's all we did. We just removed the species that were not supposed to be there and within months we saw the vegetation growing back — the island rebounding," Johnella Bradshaw, EAG's Redonda program coordinator told CNN.

In just two years, entire species began to return, according to the EAG.

"Within 24 months of invasive species removal, populations of at least two of the three lizard species have increased by more than threefold and species of land birds and invertebrates, not seen in decades, have returned," the NGO wrote.

Today, Redonda is home to dozens of threatened species and a new generation of seabirds that haven't been seen in centuries. Total plant biomass has increased by more than 2,000%, CNN reported.

"Up to this date, we haven't planted anything, we haven't reintroduced any species. We just removed the rats and the goats, and the island transformed right in front of our eyes," Bradshaw told CNN.

This month, the government of Antigua and Barbuda established the Redonda Ecosystem Reserve which will cover 30,000 hectares or 74,000 acres of land and sea, including the small island.

Bradshaw told the outlet that this designation should help the island continue its restoration, which remains fragile.

An EAG spokesperson did not return a request for comment.

PERMANENT ARMS ECONOMY
India is a growing defense powerhouse, and now it's looking to cash in on it

Paul Iddon
Sun, October 1, 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the inauguration of the Aero India exhibition in Bengaluru on February 13.2023

MANJUNATH KIRAN/AFP via Getty Images

India has long been one of the world's biggest arms buyers, relying on others to equip its forces.


But New Delhi is investing heavily in domestic production to arm itself and export to the world.


Recent weapons sales and military exercises in the Middle East reflect that new outward focus.

India has long been the world's largest arms importer, relying on other countries to supply it with tanks, warships, and fighter jets. But it has been investing heavily in its domestic arms industry with the goal of equipping its own forces and increasing its arms sales around the world.

New Delhi has made headway toward that goal with its "Make in India, Make for the World" initiative, launched in 2020, and by forging closer defense relationships with other countries.

India's need to wean itself off its heavy dependency on arms imports became more apparent after Russia attacked Ukraine in 2022. New Delhi still has close ties with Moscow but the war has made the Russians less dependable suppliers.

Recent arms sales and exercises illustrate how India seeks to turn that domestic arms production into foreign sales and perhaps even take some of that market away from its biggest supplier.
Shopping around

A Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher in the Republic Day parade in New Delhi in January 2021.JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images

In September 2022, India agreed to sell its powerful Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers to Armenia — the first foreign export of the Pinaka — along with anti-tank missiles and assorted ammunition in a $260 million deal.

That sale came two and a half years after Armenia bought four of India's Swathi counter-battery radars, which track incoming artillery and rockets and plot return fire, for $40 million, choosing the Indian option over equivalent Polish and Russian systems in what was considered a big achievement for the then-nascent Make in India program.

New Delhi's aspirations for a foothold in the African and Middle East arms markets would undoubtedly get a boost from a sizable arms deals with Egypt. Over the past decade, Egypt has spent large sums on high-end weapons systems, primarily from France and Russia. Between 2015 and 2019, Egypt was the world's third-largest arms importer.

India has been improving its ties with Egypt, as seen in their expanded military exchanges.

Modi and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on June 25.Indian Press Information Bureau/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

India's air force and navy participated in Egypt's Bright Star-23, a multilateral military exercise, in September. It was the first time India had joined, and during the drills, an Indian air force Il-78 tanker refueled Egyptian MiG-29M and Rafale fighters — Russian- and French-made jets, respectively.

That refueling underscored the degree of interoperability the militaries have developed and illustrated the countries' rapidly growing defense ties — ties that may translate into arms sales, particularly of India's domestically developed weapons.

In January, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi visited New Delhi and met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The leaders discussed "defense platforms" and "equipment-related linkages" and deepening cooperation between their militaries and defense industries.

In June, Modi visited Egypt, the first visit to Cairo by an Indian leader since 1997, where the two leaders decided to boost cooperation in several fields, including security and technology. During Modi's visit, a former Indian Air Force chief told Indian media that the countries were eager to cooperate on military research, development, and manufacturing.

An Egyptian jet refuels from an Indian tanker during exercise Bright Star in September.Indian air force

"There is a very significant possibility of exporting weapon systems, sensors and platforms and also supporting Egypt" in its efforts to "building up their own industrial complex," the former air force chief was quoted as saying, noting their "commonalities of equipment, and thinking."

There have been reports that India is interested in selling Egypt about 20 its Tejas light multi-role combat jets and in setting up production lines for that aircraft and for Indian-made helicopters in Egypt.

In February, the chairman of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, which makes the Tejas, said the company was in talks to supply 35 Tejas Mk-1As to Egypt alongside a complete technology transfer that would enable Cairo to build the aircraft locally. (Egypt and India collaborated on development of the Helwan HA-300 light supersonic interceptor in the 1960s, but that project was ultimately canceled.)

India has also shown interest in exporting its domestically developed Akash medium-range air-defense system and the BrahMos cruise missile to a number of countries, including Egypt. Brahmos is a joint Indian-Russian venture and officials are now angling for billions in foreign sales of it.

Cashing in on the value market

Modi at a new Hindustan Aeronautics Limited facility northwest of Bangalore in January 2016.MANJUNATH KIRAN/AFP via Getty Images

While some of these deals could undoubtedly boost India's defense exports, it is still early days. After all, Indian defense exports in recent years were negligible compared to heavyweights like the US and France, and New Delhi remains heavily reliant on imports.

In the coming years, India could carve out a sizable place for itself in the growing market for "value arms," which caters to countries looking for a better deal on older or slightly less capable hardware.

With a bigger share of that market, India could replace Russia and compete with China for exports, profits from which would also help Indian firms develop indigenously made equipment to fulfill domestic requirements.

While selling arms to Armenia may eventually be seen as the start of the Make in India initiative's ambitious effort to take New Delhi from the being the world's largest arms importer to a significant exporter, making that transformation is much easier said than done.

Securing even bigger deals with Egypt and other countries, and sweetening the pot with technology transfers and other incentives, might get that effort farther off the ground, helping India stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Paul Iddon is a freelance journalist and columnist who writes about Middle East developments, military affairs, politics, and history. His articles have appeared in a variety of publications focused on the region.

Metro Vancouver workers poised to strike as soon as Monday, union says


CBC
Sun, October 1, 2023 

Members of the Greater Vancouver Regional District Employees' Union have issued a strike notice and can legally start job action beginning the afternoon of Oct. 2. (Peter Scobie/CBC - image credit)

Hundreds of workers at Metro Vancouver are poised to strike as soon as Monday afternoon, after their union says it issued a 72-hour strike to the regional district on Friday.

The Greater Vancouver Regional District Employees' Union (GVRDEU) says the union is asking for higher wages and protections for workers as the cost of living rises in the region.

According to its website, the GVRDEU serves "the outside employees of Metro Vancouver" with over 600 members helping maintain services such as water treatment, wastewater collection, infrastructure construction, housing, air quality monitoring, and more.

Metro Vancouver is the regional government that provides and coordinates services for 21 municipalities across the Lower Mainlaind.

Linnar Lee, secretary for the GVRDEU, says the union has been negotiating with Metro Vancouver for since before its last contract expired on Dec. 31, 2021.

"The employer wants concessions during this hard economic time where most of us are struggling … This livable region is not livable anymore economically for us," said Lee, who works as a housing dispatcher for Metro Vancouver.

Beginning Monday afternoon, the union says it will be in a legal position to start job action.

Lee says union members are making fair requests in line with other municipalities, such as wages that will allow workers to continue living in the region.

"We want to be able to tuck our kids in at night to go to sleep, instead of increasing our work hours," she said.

In a statement, the Metro Vancouver regional district said it has offered an 11.5 per cent wage increase over three years and is "committed to reaching a fair and reasonable collective agreement that recognizes how much [the value of its] staff and is affordable to the local taxpayers who must pay for it."

"The potential job action is unfortunate, however, there will be no disruption to the essential services that we provide to nearly 2.8 million residents every day," reads the statement.

Calls for wage increases and protection

On Aug. 23, union members voted 97.2 per cent in favour of a strike.

Lee says bargaining with the region hasn't gone well, due to Metro Vancouver's requests for concessions, such as cutting back on fair wage clauses and expanding working hours.

She adds one provision, known as a "me too clause," allows GVRDEU members and unionized workers from the City of Vancouver and neighbouring municipalities to receive similar wage increases as one another.

The clause ensures "that our union can settle knowing that we have some kind of wage protection if the City of Vancouver comes to an agreement with a certain wage … The employer wants to take that away from us," she said.

"They also want to amend the hours so that it opens it up that workers work longer hours, [which] contradicts work-life balance."

In a statement, the Metro Vancouver region said it is requesting "a series of cost and procedural efficiencies" that could benefit the region and its employees.

"We believe our wage offer of an 11.5 per cent increase over three years and a one-time lump sum of $2,350, plus other improvements to allowances and benefits, is fair and reasonable and aligned with other negotiated settlements in the region," reads the statement.

Essential services are established

While job action may take place, Lee says essential workers for water treatment and other services will still be staffed to ensure public safety.

But with many other staff striking, she says it would be up to management to decide whether to close or alter non-essential services, like parks.

She says the union doesn't take striking lightly, but feels it is necessary.

"For us to say, 'Hey come on, this isn't fair. We need to take strike action.' It's going to hit our pocketbooks, we know that," said Lee. "But the employer has pushed us to this point."

'What do you see?' NASA shares photos of 'ravioli'-shaped Saturn moon, sparking comparisons


Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY
Mon, October 2, 2023 at 8:24 a.m. MDT·3 min read


It's been six years since the closest images of Saturn's innermost moon were captured, but last week may have been the first time that many saw photos of the oddly shaped celestial body when NASA shared them on Instagram.

And many couldn't help but notice the resemblance between the moon known as Pan and some well-known food dishes.

"Ravioli, pierogi, empanada... What do you see?" NASA said on its Instagram page in a post accompanied by two images depicting different angles of the moon. "No wrong answers.⁣"

Many commenters agreed that Pan does indeed resemble one of those three foods, but others were more creative in their interpretation.

"It's a Koopa shell," one user said, referencing the turtle-like race of characters from the Super Mario franchise.

"A macaron with the cream squishing out," commented another.

The photos were taken in 2017 during the Cassini spacecraft's closest encounter yet with Pan, NASA said on Instagram, "improving the level of detail seen on the little moon from previous observations."
Closest images captured in 2017 after Pan discovered in 1990

The two images that NASA shared show how Cassini's perspective changed as it passed within 15,300 miles of Pan on March 7, 2017.

The views show the northern and southern hemispheres of Pan on its trailing side, which is the side opposite the moon’s direction of motion as it orbits Saturn.

The distinct-looking moon was first imaged in 1981 by Voyager 2, but it wasn't until 1990 that Mark R. Showalter, a senior research scientist at the SETI Institute, analyzed the old probe photos and officially discovered the celestial object, according to NASA.

This raw, unprocessed image released by NASA shows Saturn's tiny moon, Pan, in 2017, and was taken by NASA's Cassini spacecraft.

How do scientists explain Pan's unique shape?

Pan, like Saturn's other moon Atlas, has a prominent ridge along its equator that gives it a distinctive flying saucer shape that others have also compared to a walnut.

The thin ridge around Pan’s equator is thought to have come after the moon formed.

Cassini imaging scientists think that Pan formed within Saturn’s rings, with ring material accreting onto it and forming the rounded shape of its central mass. Scientists believe that Pan has a core of icy material that is denser than the softer mantle around it.

Because of Pan’s weak gravity, the ring material simply settled onto it and continued building up rather than flattening as it would on larger bodies, according to NASA.

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How did Pan get its name?

Moons of Saturn were originally named for Greco-Roman Titans and descendants of the Titans.

But because Saturn has 146 moons, scientists eventually had to begin selecting names from more mythologies. The Greek god of nature and the forest known as Pan is a satyr, which is a a creature resembling a man with the hind legs and hooves of a goat.

‘Strange noise’ heard across coast after whale calf is trapped in net in Australia

Mitchell Willetts
Sun, October 1, 2023 

Screengrab from video by Damian Coulter.

A “strange noise” could recently be heard echoing across a stretch of Australia’s Sunshine Coast, cries from a distressed humpback whale, according to witnesses.

A whale calf was caught in a net and its mother stayed by its side, calling out in anguish or, some say, for help.

“If you heard a strange noise this morning at dawn and wondered what it was..this is your answer,” drone photographer Damian Coulter said in an Oct. 1 social media post, sharing video of the whales. “The distress calls of this mother whale crying for help to release her calf from the shark nets.”

Others reported hearing the whale’s calls.

“We all could hear the mother cry for help which was not a very pleasant sound,” photographer Glenn Reeves said in an Instagram post.

“First thing in the morning my wife was saying I can hear this big noise,” Reeves told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “You could hear it, it’s like a didgeridoo echoing through the whole headland.”

The whale’s cries didn’t go unanswered, as a vessel sailed out to the trapped whale and freed it, photos show.

Both mother and baby swam away together,” Reeves said in the post.

The rescuers were sent by Fisheries Queensland, the government agency charged with managing Queensland’s waters, ABC reported.

Though many were happy to hear the whales were rescued, they said it shouldn’t have been necessary to begin with.

“Was such a horrible sound,” a commenter said. “Shark nets need to go.”

“The outcome was positive, but another showcase of the negative effects these nets have,” said another.

Shark nets are intended to act as a barrier to keep sharks away from beaches and therefore people, reducing the odds of an attack. The nets have been effective in this endeavor, according to the government of New South Wales.

However, environmentalists and others have criticized the practice, saying the nets are unnecessary, outdated and put sealife — such as whales — in danger, The Guardian reported.