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Ships backed up outside US ports pumping out pollutants as they idle

Ships backed up outside US ports pumping out pollutants as they idle

Supply chain crisisShips backed up outside US ports pumping out pollutants as they idleThe Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, two of the nation’s busiest, create more than 100 tons a day of smog that choke local communities Gabrielle Canon in Los Angeles@GabrielleCanonFri 15 Oct 2021 07.05 EDTLast modified on Fri 15 Oct 2021 07.07 EDTDozens of behemoth cargo ships adorned with tall stacks of brightly colored containers still dot the coastline off southern California. Part of a shipping bottleneck plaguing US ports, the ships – their diesel-fueled engines always ablaze – are also pumping out pollutants as they idle, anchored off-shore.The clogged supply chain has been described as an economic calamity as the delayed cargo caused shortages in common goods and drove consumer prices higher. But environmentalists and public health advocates are concerned it’s also turning into a climate catastrophe.The container ships awaiting entry are compounding the levels of contaminants that have long come from the ports and that impact the local environment, coastal communities and ambitious carbon targets needed to curb the worst effects of climate change. With the holiday shopping frenzy just around the corner, there are now concerns the problem may get worse before it gets better.“The conversation right now is really focused on supply chain backlog and refilling the shelves with products – but that’s not the whole story,” said Madeline Rose, the climate campaign director for Pacific Environment, a climate advocacy organization that has …

15/10/2021

Privacy fears as Moscow metro rolls out facial recognition pay system

15/10/2021 Comments Off on Privacy fears as Moscow metro rolls out facial recognition pay system

RussiaPrivacy fears as Moscow metro rolls out facial recognition pay systemCampaigners say Face Pay, launched in over 240 stations, is ‘dangerous step’ in efforts to control population Pjotr Sauer in MoscowFri 15 Oct 2021 06.53 EDTLast modified on Fri 15 Oct 2021 11.12 EDTThe Moscow metro has rolled out what authorities have lauded as the world’s first mass-scale facial recognition payment system, amid privacy concerns over the new technology.The cashless, cardless and phoneless system, named Face Pay, launched at more than 240 stations across the Russian capital on Friday.“Now all the passengers will be able to pay for travel without taking out their phone, metro or bank card,” the Moscow mayor, Sergey Sobyanin, tweeted on Thursday evening.To activate Face Pay, Sobyanin said, passengers will need to connect their photo, bank card and metro card to the service through the metro’s mobile app. “It will be enough just to look at the camera to pass through the turnstiles,” Sobyanin said.The Moscow authorities, who expect up to 15% of metro passengers will use Face Pay regularly in the next three years, said the system would quicken the flow of people, particularly at busy times.“Moscow is the first in the world to introduce Face Pay on such a scale. The technology is new and very complex, we will continue to work on improving it,” the mayor added.Authorities have said passengers’ data will be “securely encrypted”, saying the information collected will be stored in data …

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‘We are not machines’: Hollywood workers poised to strike for better conditions

15/10/2021 Comments Off on ‘We are not machines’: Hollywood workers poised to strike for better conditions

US unions‘We are not machines’: Hollywood workers poised to strike for better conditionsUnion leaders say a strike will start Monday if there is no deal with studios as workers describe low pay and grueling days without breaks Michael SainatoFri 15 Oct 2021 05.00 EDTLast modified on Fri 15 Oct 2021 12.55 EDTAt the start of the pandemic, Hollywood productions abruptly shut down, leaving many workers out of work before things began to resume with Covid-19 safety protocols in place.Since then, workers in Hollywood say they have worked long schedules and endured increased workloads, including staggering work because of social distancing; wearing and distributing personal protective equipment through long work days; and regularly getting tested for Covid-19.“We were working at breakneck speeds, and that was something that was supposed to have changed. We were supposed to have the time we needed to work in that kind of environment,” said Mike Loomer, a set dresser in Hollywood and International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 44 member.“The only thing that changed is what we had to endure to make the product that they had to have to get out for the public to see.”Studios will again go quiet around the US as IATSE leaders say its 60,000 members will go on strike from 12.01 PT on Monday if a deal is not reached with employers. It would be the first such national strike since the IATSE was formed 128 years ago.Members of …

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Biden orders companies to ease supply chain bottlenecks or he’ll ‘call them out’

13/10/2021 Comments Off on Biden orders companies to ease supply chain bottlenecks or he’ll ‘call them out’

Joe Biden Biden orders companies to ease supply chain bottlenecks or he’ll ‘call them out’President eager to avert political damage from choked ports, highways and railways causing higher prices and empty shelves David Smith in Washington@smithinamericaWed 13 Oct 2021 16.58 EDTLast modified on Wed 13 Oct 2021 19.16 EDTJoe Biden has warned companies that he will “call them out” if they fail to “step up” to ease supply chain bottlenecks ahead of the holiday season.The US president, facing grim opinion polls and a stalling legislative agenda, is eager to avert fresh political damage from choked ports, highways and railways resulting in higher prices and empty shelves.‘You never know what you’re going to get’: US supply chain woes leave schools scrambling to feed kids lunchRead more“I know you’re hearing a lot about something called supply chains and how hard it is to get a range of things from a toaster to sneakers to bicycles to bedroom furniture,” Biden acknowledged in a short address at the White House on Wednesday. “With the holidays coming up, you might be wondering if the gifts you plan to buy will arrive on time.”Biden announced that the Port of Los Angeles – which has recently suffered a record backlog – will expand to 24/7 operations, following the example of the Port of Long Beach, also in California.About 40% of shipping containers imported to the US come through the two ports, …

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What is the ‘new model’ the EU is proposing for Northern Ireland?

13/10/2021 Comments Off on What is the ‘new model’ the EU is proposing for Northern Ireland?

BrexitWhat is the ‘new model’ the EU is proposing for Northern Ireland?‘Bespoke Northern Ireland-specific solution’ includes potential new rules on food, plants and medicines Jennifer Rankin and Daniel Boffey in BrusselsWed 13 Oct 2021 15.15 EDTLast modified on Wed 13 Oct 2021 15.56 EDTThe EU’s latest proposals, described as “a new model” for Northern Ireland, are a significant concession from Brussels. Having ruled out renegotiation of the protocol in July, the EU is proposing a “bespoke Northern Ireland-specific solution”.SausagesA new certificate scheme would mean that certain products that are generally prohibited for import into the EU, such as British sausages, would now be allowed to be imported. The EU would retain the right, however, to impose a ban if there is any suggestion these products are entering the wider single market.EU offers to scrap 80% of NI food checks but prepares for Johnson to reject dealRead morePlants, meat and dairyChecks would be reduced by 80% on a large range of supermarket product lines, through reinforced monitoring of supply chains and the use of specific packaging and labelling indicating that the goods are for sale only in the UK. In return the EU wants the UK to deliver on its commitment to complete the construction of permanent border control posts at Northern Irish ports for incoming trade from Great Britain.HaulageA type of haulage known as groupage, where goods from different companies for different customers are …

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House passes bill to raise US debt ceiling through early December

12/10/2021 Comments Off on House passes bill to raise US debt ceiling through early December

US CongressHouse passes bill to raise US debt ceiling through early DecemberLegislation raises government’s borrowing limit to $28.9tnHard-fought House vote passes entirely along party lines Guardian staff and agenciesTue 12 Oct 2021 19.57 EDTLast modified on Tue 12 Oct 2021 21.57 EDTThe US House of Representatives gave final approval on Tuesday to a Senate-passed bill temporarily raising the government’s borrowing limit to $28.9tn, putting off the risk of default at least until early December.Kamala Harris: European colonizers ‘ushered in wave of devastation for tribal nations’Read moreDemocrats, who narrowly control the House, maintained party discipline to pass the hard-fought, $480bn debt limit increase. The vote was along party lines, with every yes from Democrats and every no from Republicans.Joe Biden is expected to sign the measure into law this week, before 18 October, when the treasury department has estimated it would no longer be able to pay the nation’s debts without congressional action.Republicans insist Democrats should take responsibility for raising the debt limit because they want to spend trillions of dollars to expand social programs and tackle climate change. Democrats say the increased borrowing authority is needed largely to cover the cost of tax cuts and spending programs during Donald Trump’s administration, which House Republicans supported.House passage warded off concerns that the world’s largest economy would go into default for the first time, but only for about seven weeks, setting the stage for continued fighting …

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India faces electricity crisis as coal supplies run critically low

11/10/2021 Comments Off on India faces electricity crisis as coal supplies run critically low

IndiaIndia faces electricity crisis as coal supplies run critically lowEight in 10 thermal power stations within days of running out as state blackouts spark protests Hannah Ellis-Petersen in DelhiMon 11 Oct 2021 21.27 EDTLast modified on Tue 12 Oct 2021 06.35 EDTIndia is facing a looming power crisis, as stocks of coal in power plants have fallen to unprecedentedly low levels and states are warning of power blackouts.States across India have issued panicked warnings that coal supplies to thermal power plants, which convert heat from coal to electricity, are running perilously low.China orders coalmines to raise production to address power crunchRead moreAccording to data from the Central Electricity Authority of India, nearly 80% of the country’s coal-fired plants were in the critical, or “supercritical” stage, meaning their stocks could run out in less than five days.Over the weekend, Delhi’s chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, wrote to the prime minister, Narendra Modi, that the capital “could face a blackout” if power stations did not receive more coal.States including Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Bihar have been experiencing power cuts lasting up to 14 hours.Maharashtra shut down 13 thermal power plants and urged people to use electricity sparingly, and in Punjab three power plants halted production. Scheduled power cuts introduced in Punjab, lasting up to six hours at a time, have prompted protests.However, experts have emphasised that the power issues are not due to a shortage of domestic coal …

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EU member states to issue joint warning to UK over reduced fishing rights

11/10/2021 Comments Off on EU member states to issue joint warning to UK over reduced fishing rights

BrexitEU member states to issue joint warning to UK over reduced fishing rightsFourteen countries likely to take tough stance in future talks about fisheries if access to UK waters does not improve Daniel Boffey in Brussels and Lisa O’Carroll in DublinMon 11 Oct 2021 13.38 EDTLast modified on Mon 11 Oct 2021 17.49 EDTFourteen EU member states are preparing to issue a joint declaration accusing the British government of risking “significant economic and social damage” to their fishing communities, as wider relations appear close to breaking point.In the statement, seen by the Guardian, France, Belgium, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Cyprus, Portugal, Denmark, Italy, Lithuania, Sweden, Malta and Latvia will call for the UK to act “in the spirit and the letter” of the Brexit deal struck last Christmas Eve.The governments of the UK and Jersey, a British crown dependency, have infuriated the French government in recent weeks over the reduced numbers of licences given out to small boat owners who fish in coastal waters. In a pointed sign of solidarity, the member states will make a thinly veiled threat about the likely impact on future EU-UK fisheries negotiations if the UK does not rethink its stance.The development comes at a febrile time in the EU-UK relationship, as Maroš Šefčovič, the European Commissioner responsible for Brexit, prepares to table proposals on improving the post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland.Ireland’s foreign minister, Simon Coveney, warned on Monday that the EU was close to …

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Covid pandemic has pushed poor countries to record debt levels – World Bank

11/10/2021 Comments Off on Covid pandemic has pushed poor countries to record debt levels – World Bank

World BankCovid pandemic has pushed poor countries to record debt levels – World Bank‘Tragic reversal’ has set back progress, president says, as he calls for a comprehensive plan Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Larry ElliottMon 11 Oct 2021 10.57 EDTLast modified on Mon 11 Oct 2021 14.22 EDTThe Covid-19 pandemic has led to a “tragic reversal” in development and pushed debt in poor countries to record levels, the head of the World Bank has said.David Malpass, the bank’s president, warned the virus had widened the gap between rich and poor nations, setting back progress by years and, in the case of some countries, by a decade.Announcing new World Bank figures showing the debt burden of more than 70 low-income nations had increased by a record 12% to $860bn (£630bn) in 2020, Malpass called for a comprehensive plan to ease the debt pressures and for rich countries to make vaccines available to the less well-off.Wealthy nations must share more resources or risk crisis for billions, warns UN chiefRead moreHe said one particular problem was the lack of a bankruptcy process to help in cases where debts had become unsustainable. Under the current system, companies can declare themselves bankrupt but countries cannot.With income per head expected to rise by an average of 5% in developed countries this year compared with 0.5% in developing countries, Malpass said the problem of inequality …

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Tunisia: president appoints new government 11 weeks after power grab

11/10/2021 Comments Off on Tunisia: president appoints new government 11 weeks after power grab

TunisiaTunisia: president appoints new government 11 weeks after power grabKais Saied will technically head administration after paring back powers of PM’s office A …

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