Day: September 11, 2023

Leaders of nine small island states turned to the U.N. maritime court on Monday to seek protection of the world’s oceans from catastrophic climate change that threatens the very existence of entire countries.

The island states are asking the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) to determine if carbon dioxide emissions absorbed by the oceans can be considered pollution, and if so, what obligations countries have to prevent it.

“This is the opening chapter in the struggle to change the conduct of the international community by clarifying the obligation of states to protect the marine environment,” said the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne.

“The time has come to speak in terms of legally binding obligations rather than empty promises that go unfulfilled,” he told the court based in Hamburg, Germany.

The joint counsel representing the islands, Catherine Amirfar, said the point was to force countries to implement substantive measures against climate change.

“We’re here to discuss what are the necessary, concrete, specific steps that they must take as a matter of law, not political discretion. That’s key and… a big part of the answer,” she told journalists.

Ocean ecosystems create half the oxygen humans breathe and limit global warming by absorbing much of the carbon dioxide emitted by human activities.

But increasing emissions can warm and acidify seawaters, harming marine life.

At the heart of the case is the international treaty UNCLOS that binds countries to preventing pollution of the oceans.

The U.N. treaty defines pollution as the introduction by humans of “substances or energy into the marine environment” that harms marine life.

But it does not spell out carbon emissions as a specific pollutant, and the plaintiffs argue that these emissions should qualify.

Beyond ‘charity’

The push for climate justice won a big boost in March when the U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on the International Court of Justice to lay out nations’ obligations on protecting the Earth’s climate and the legal consequences they face for failing to do so.

The ICJ’s advice is still pending but the action has opened up a new front to bind countries to pledges on reducing emissions.

The move at the U.N. had been led by Vanuatu, one of the island nations that brought Monday’s case before the ITLOS.

Small islands like Vanuatu are particularly exposed to the impact of global warming, with seawater rises posing an existential threat.

“Just a few years — this is all we have before the ocean consumes everything my people built across centuries,” Tuvalu’s Prime Minister Kausea Natano told the court.

“If international law has nothing to say about an entire country going underwater… then what purpose does it serve?” he said, pleading for a clear direction from the court.

Browne also voiced frustration at the attitude of some major nations when it comes to funding climate change mitigation or prevention.

When “large polluters contribute towards various funds, they believe it’s an act of charity,” he said at a press conference, adding that a successful outcome would tell them that “they have legal obligations”.

Marine heatwave

Concrete measures, according to Vanuatu’s attorney-general Arnold Loughman, could include halting deep-sea drilling for oil.

“It’s time to come up with solutions and ways of stopping these countries from continuing to drill,” he said.

Across the two-thirds of the planet covered by seas, nearly 60% of surface waters experienced at least one marine heatwave in 2022, according to the annual State of the Climate report led by scientists from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

This is 50% more than pre-industrial levels and “the highest in the modern atmospheric record and in paleoclimate records dating back as far as 800,000 years,” according to the report, published this month.

The world’s oceans set a new temperature record in August, with average sea surface temperatures reaching 21°C (69.8°F) for over a week, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

The other island states joining the ITLOS case are the Bahamas, Niue, Palau, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, while another 34 state parties will participate in the court hearing.

Many selective universities in the U.S. offer “early action,” which can boost a student’s chances of getting in if they apply early.

These programs have been criticized, since underprivileged students are often unfamiliar with the deadlines and unable to get their applications in on time.

Now, Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, plans to only offer the option to students who are the first members of their families to attend college.

Liam Knox has more for Inside Higher Ed. (August 2023) 

United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain said Monday the union is prepared to negotiate around the clock with the Detroit Three automakers with just four days before a potential strike of 146,000 U.S. autoworkers.

“We are ready to negotiate in Detroit 24/7, just as we have been for the past seven weeks since we gave them our Members Demands,” Fain said in a statement. “Despite receiving no response for over a month, when the CEOs are ready to make a serious offer we’ll be there, day or night.”

Chrysler-parent Stellantis (STLAM.MI) said earlier Monday it planned to make a new counteroffer to the UAW after the union made its own revised offer on Sunday. The current four-year labor deal expires on Sept. 14 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

The UAW on Friday had rejected revised offers from Stellantis, General Motors (GM.N) and Ford Motor (F.N). GM made a new offer to the UAW over the weekend, but the details were not immediately available. GM declined to comment.

UAW bargainers met with GM and Ford on Sunday and made progress, officials told Reuters.

“We are on a good path and remain committed to reaching a tentative agreement without a work stoppage that would negatively impact our employees and our customers,” Stellantis told employees in a an email Monday, adding that Stellantis and UAW subcommittees reached tentative agreements in a number of areas, including health and safety.

Stellantis said Friday it had offered U.S. hourly workers a 14.5% wage hike over four years, much less than the 46% wage hike the union initially sought.

GM said Thursday it offered workers a 10% wage hike and two additional 3% annual lump-sum payments over four years. Stellantis last week did not offer additional lump-sum payments.

Ford (F.N) last week hiked its offer to a 10% wage hike and lump sum payments after offering a 9% wage increase through 2027 and 6% lump sum payments.

The Detroit Three have offered to minimum pay for temporary workers to $20 an hour and reduce the time necessary to reach top wages for permanent autoworkers from eight years to six years.

The union’s demands include a 20% immediate wage increase followed by four 5% annual wage hikes, defined-benefit pensions for all workers, 32-hour work weeks and additional cost-of-living hikes.

Stellantis previously offered $10,500 in inflation protection payments over the four years, while GM is offering $11,000 and Ford $12,000.

Related Galleries:

About to return to school, seven-year-old Suleiman Aytnasr had been carried to his bedroom to ensure a good night’s rest after he had fallen asleep in the living room. As he slept, a powerful earthquake brought down the ceiling.

The boy’s father, Brahim, 41, had been praying when the 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck their hamlet on the outskirts of Talat N’Yaaqoub, one of the areas hardest hit by the disaster that has killed some 2,500 people in Morocco.

Brahim said he desperately sought to gather his family. His two elder sons, who were upstairs, had to climb through the collapsed kitchen ceiling to reach their parents and a cousin whom Brahim is raising. But Brahim was unable to reach Suleiman.

His wife had told him to listen for any sound that would indicate their son was still alive.

After hearing no sound through the rubble, he said he knew his son was dead. Brahim would later retrieve Suleiman’s body with the help of family members.

“He’s gone,” Brahim said. “We thank God that our other sons are still alive.”

Suleiman’s brother, Mouath, 20, wiped away tears as he spoke about the tragedy, standing in the spot where the living room had once stood. He described Suleiman as playful and a lover of nature.

Located some 72 km (45 miles) south of Marrakech in the High Atlas Mountains and near the epicentre of the earthquake, many of the houses in the hamlet had been pulverised.

Boulders have blocked roads, making it difficult for rescue workers to reach the area. Heavy machinery has been used to clear roads, only for subsequent rockfall to block them again.

Brahim said he had helped rescue six neighbours buried under the rubble the night of the earthquake and pulled out several dead bodies. Many people in the hamlet had been killed, he said.

“There is a lot of suffering but we thank God for everything,” he said. “God can make everything right again. We haven’t lost hope.”

Brahim, who moved to the hamlet in 2000, said he planned to stay and rebuild. He urged the authorities and charities to provide assistance to help them rebuild their lives.

On Monday, the Moroccan army briefly visited Brahim’s hamlet, surveying the damage as helicopters flew over.

Related Galleries:

Joint military drills between Armenian and U.S. forces kicked off Monday, the latest sign the Caucasus country is drifting from Moscow’s orbit, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reshapes the post-Soviet space.

The exercises come with frustration growing in Armenia that Russia has failed to act as a security guarantor as tensions build with historic rival Azerbaijan backed by Turkey.

“Exercise Eagle Partner’s opening ceremony has kicked off,” U.S. Army Europe and Africa spokesperson told AFP.

Armenia’s defense ministry said the exercises aim to “increase the level of interoperability” with U.S. forces in international peacekeeping missions.

And the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Command said around 85 soldiers will train with 175 Armenian troops between 11 and 20 in the Zar and Armavir grounds.

It said the drills would help prepare Armenia’s 12th Peacekeeping Brigade to meet NATO standards for an evaluation later this year.

Moscow, which leads a military alliance that includes Armenia, summoned Armenia’s ambassador this week to complain about “unfriendly steps” the country was taking.

The ministry said Armenia’s envoy was given a “tough” rebuke but stressed the countries “remain allies.”

“It sounded more like a threat to Yerevan than a description of reality,” said independent analyst Gela Vasadze.

“In fact, Russian-Armenian relations have reached a strategic impasse,” he told AFP.

‘Weakened Russia’

In Armenia’s capital Yerevan, residents expressed frustration over Russia’s lack of military and political support as tensions build again with Azerbaijan.

Mariam Anahamyan, 27, told AFP that Armenia had made a mistake by “pinning its hopes on the Russians.”

“So now let’s try with the Americans. The consequences may be bad but not trying would be even worse,” she said.

Arthur Khachaduryan, a 51-year-old security guard, said: “Russia failed to keep its commitments during the war and has even made our situation worse.”

He was referring to a brief but bloody conflict between the countries in 2020 for control of Nagorno-Karabakh, a separatist region in Azerbaijan.

Russia brokered a ceasefire and deployed 2,000 peacekeepers to the Lachin corridor, which connects Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh.

But Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan recently said Moscow was either “unable or unwilling” to control the passage.

His government says Azerbaijan has closed the road and blockaded the mountainous region, spurring a humanitarian crisis in Armenian-populated towns.

Pashinyan also recently claimed that Armenia’s historic security reliance on Russia was a “strategic mistake.”

His wife visited Ukraine last week to deliver aid and attend a conference on mental health. He travelled to Moscow in May for a World War II commemorative parade.

Bogged down in its invasion and isolated on the world stage, “weakened Russia is rapidly losing influence in its Soviet-era backyard,” said independent analyst Arkady Dubnov.

“Armenians are frustrated with Russia, which failed to help them during the Karabakh war and its aftermath,” he said, adding that Moscow “also seems to be lacking a clear plan, strategy in the Caucasus.”

‘New allies’

Nagorno-Karabakh was at the centre of two wars between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

In the 1990s, Armenia defeated Azerbaijan and took control of the region, along with seven adjacent districts of Azerbaijan.

Thirty years later, energy-rich Azerbaijan, which built a strong military and secured the backing from Turkey, took revenge.

After the 2020 war, Yerevan was forced to cede several territories it had controlled for decades.

The European Union and United States have taken a lead role in mediating peace talks but have so far failed to bring about a breakthrough.

The situation in Nagorno-Karabakh remains volatile and Armenia has accused Azerbaijan of moving troops near the region recently, raising the spectre of a fresh large-scale conflict.

“The Kremlin has no resources — neither the will — to help Armenia and is letting Azerbaijan and Turkey to pursue their objectives,” said analyst Dubnov.

“In that situation, Armenia is trying to forge strong new alliances.”

 

Wall Street futures gained on Monday as Tesla shares rose, while investors awaited inflation data due later this week for clues on the U.S. Federal Reserve’s interest-rate path.

The three major indexes logged weekly declines on Friday as strength in oil prices and stronger-than-expected economic data fueled concerns of sticky inflation and interest rates staying higher for longer.

Investors now await the crucial consumer and producer prices data as well as retail sales numbers due later this week.

The consumer price data on Wednesday will indicate whether the U.S. economy is on track for a so-called soft landing that could allow the Fed to bring down inflation without sharply impacting growth.

“This could be a defining period for stocks as we get some clarity on whether the rate hiking cycle is truly at or near its end or if there is more work to do in the battle against inflation,” said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell in a note.

“Until the market knows where the terminal interest rate lies and what the new normal is in terms of borrowing costs, we should probably steel ourselves for further volatility.”

Traders see a 93% chance of the central bank holding its interest rates at current levels in the September meeting, while their odds for a pause in November stand at 55.4%, according to CME FedWatch Tool.

Fed officials have entered a blackout period, during which they usually do not make public comments, until the policy decision outcome on Sept. 20.

At 7:04 a.m. ET, Dow e-minis were up 81 points, or 0.23%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 19.5 points, or 0.44%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 96.75 points, or 0.63%.

Tesla (TSLA.O) climbed 6.4% in premarket trading as Morgan Stanley upgraded the EV maker to “overweight” from “equal-weight” due to potential growth in its market value from Dojo, the firm’s supercomputer.

Apple (AAPL.O) edged up 0.8% following a near 6% decline last week on China’s restrictions of iPhone usage for government officials, ahead of its fall event on Sept. 12.

Hostess Brands (TWNK.O) jumped 14.9% as Jif peanut butter maker J.M. Smucker (SJM.N) is nearing a deal to buy the Twinkies snack cakes owner for close to $5 billion, according to sources.

Shares of Boeing (BA.N) rose 1.4% after the White House said that Vietnam Airlines’ (HVN.HM) deal to buy 50 737 Max jets from the planemaker was worth $7.8 billion.

Data over the weekend showed China’s consumer prices returned to positive territory in August, while factory-gate price declines slowed, as deflation pressures ease amid signs of stabilization in the economy.

U.S.-listed shares of Chinese firms PDD Holdings (PDD.O), Xpeng , Baidu rose between 1.9% and 4.7%, while the iShares China Large-Cap ETF gained 1.4%.

Meta Platforms (META.O) added 1.3% after a report on Sunday said the firm was working on a new, more powerful artificial-intelligence system.

#IlhamAliyev – Ilham Aliyev: 

FREE BLOGGER ELVIN ISAYEV AND OTHER POLITICAL PRISONERS!