Saturday, September 10, 2022

About the same in Iraq

XINHUA has a photo essay about a date festival in Iraq yesterday.  Otherwise?


Nothing much different.  The political stalemate continues.  


#Sadr bans Movement's MPs from returning to Iraqi Parliament 🇮🇶 The leader of Iraq's Sadrist Movement, Muqtada Al-Sadr, stressed yesterday that the return of his Movement's MPs to the House of Representatives is "absolutely forbidden, under any pretext".
Image

Then why did they try to force the court system to let them back in?  


In Friday's snapshot, we noted that Moqtada was asking the KDP and the Sunnis to walk out of the Parliament.  


Iraq: Sadr’s Request Met with Sunni Silence, Kurdish Conditions | Asharq AL-awsat english.aawsat.com/home/article/3’s-request-met-sunni-silence-kurdish-conditions


RUDAW notes:

Spokesperson for the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) said on Friday that the Sadrist Movement has not officially asked it to withdraw from the Iraqi parliament. This comes one day after the movement indirectly called on the Kurdish party to do so. 

Salih Mohammed al-Iraqi, who introduces himself as Sadrist Movement Leader Muqtada al-Sadr’s “minister” and acts as a spokesperson for the movement, said in a statement on Thursday that they insist on the dissolution of the Iraqi parliament.   

The Sadrist Movement, which was the winner of the October 2021 parliamentary elections, withdrew from the legislature in June after failing to reach an agreement with the rival Coordination Framework. The movement had struck a deal with Sunnis and the KDP. 

Without mentioning their names, al-Iraq called on both the KDP and Sunnis to follow suit by withdrawing from the parliament to render it illegitimate. 


Moqtada is nothing if not litigious.  His recent move has been ignored by the US press but there are charges filed against Nouri al-Maliki that he was planning to assassinate Moqtada.  The charges made in court (by Sadr's group) are based on the recorded conversations of Nouri's that were leaked over a month ago.  In those conversations, he predicted where things were headed.  He did not plot to kill Moqtada.  But it's not like the nut job al-Sadr ever understood the law.  (Or, really, anything else.)


The following sites updated:








Machiavelli on King Charles and Queen Camilla

Francis A. Boyle is a human rights lawyer and professor of international law at the University of Illinois College of Law:


The Prince, Chapter XIX: That One should Avoid being Despised and Hated

….

 

“It makes him hated above all things, as I have said, to be rapacious, and to be a violator of the property and women of his subjects, from both of which he must abstain.”

In Chapter 19 of The Prince Machiavelli enjoined  Prince Charles  to not violate and  to   abstain from the property and women of his subjects. Instead, Charles carried on an open and notorious and adulterous and rapacious affair with Camilla then married to a member of his court  in flagrant disregard of his wife and the  mother of his children Diana in the eyes of the entire world. Whenever British and Commonwealth subjects see King Charles with   Queen  Camilla they will think of Diana and grow to hate and to  detest him and her and the British Monarchy itself   as Machiavelli predicted. Machiavelli was a Republican.  And right now the United Kingdom itself could collapse. Once again Scotland is pushing for independence.  Public opinion polls in Northern Ireland reveal that a majority of the British subjects there favor joining the Republic of Ireland and becoming citizens instead of  subjects. King Charles and Queen Camilla will only accelerate these historical forces that are already in operation tending towards the disintegration of the British Monarchy, the United Kingdom, and the British Commonwealth.

Francis A. Boyle

Professor of International Law

Author, United Ireland, Human Rights and International Law (2012)

 

 

Francis A. Boyle

Law Building

504 E. Pennsylvania Ave.

Champaign IL 61820 USA

Phone: 217-333-7954

Fax: 217-244-1478

(personal comments only)




Africa: It’s Our Turn to ‘Exploit Our Resources’

 

Your World.
Bold & Bright
Sponsored by Babbel

The newsletter to fuel — and thrill — your mind. Read for deep dives into the unmissable ideas and topics shaping our world.

Sep 09, 2022

BUSINESS ROUND-UP

As California faces a historic heat wave and Europe grapples with an energy crisis, African leaders affirm that African resources should benefit “humankind on this continent.”

– with reporting by Tatira Zwinoira from Harare, Zimbabwe 

Explore a New Culture This Fall

Babbel

The leaves are changing, school is back in session, and it’s the perfect time to start learning a new language. Whether you’re studying abroad, dreaming of future travel, or just feeling the itch to learn something new, now’s the time to get cozy and start speaking a new language with Babbel. With just 10 minutes a day, you can be having actual conversations in as little as 3 weeks.


Africa

African leaders are ‘pro fossil fuels for Africa’

“The voice of Africa should be heard. We must exploit our resources,” said Sophie Gladima, Senegal’s minister of petroleum and energies, in remarks at the MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power conference and exhibition held last week in Dakar, Senegal. “Yes, we must think of protecting the planet. But we must think of humankind on this continent,” Gladima added.

 

Africa’s annual natural gas production is expected to grow to 292 billion cubic meters (bcm) by 2025, with global demand estimated to reach 4,243 bcm, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

 

Referencing pressure from Western leaders to pursue green energy in light of climate change, Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim, the secretary general of African Petroleum Producers Organization, said, “We must not be forced to do what will destroy our future and our children. We need energy to sustain our future generation.”

 

“Developed nations enjoyed the resource, they contaminated the world, they should be the ones who change their lifestyle,” the minister of mines and hydrocarbons of Equatorial Guinea, Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima, said. “I am not pro fossil fuel; I am pro fossil fuel for Africa,” he added.

 

According to the IEA Africa Energy Outlook Report 2022, released in June, natural gas discoveries equivalent to 5,000 billion cubic meters (bcm) have been found on the continent. According to the same report, between 2010 and 2020, 40% of all gas discoveries worldwide came from Africa.

 

“Gas has the opportunity to provide fertilizer to feed Africa, should we say no to it?” said Senegal’s Gladima.

 

The remarks were part of a joint statement dubbed the “Dakar Declaration” that seeks to align all African nations on energy and climate matters ahead of the next G-7 and G-20 summits. The declaration will also be presented at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27), which will run from November 6 to 18 in Egypt.

 

“We have to work hand in hand so as to exploit our resources. For COP27, the voice of Africa should be heard. Where decisions are made, Africa must be there,” said Gladima.


Americas

California grid operator calls on consumers to reduce usage

The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) called on consumers to decrease their power usage in order to avoid outages amid the state’s record heat wave. “With historic heat bearing down on California for the next several days and energy demand approaching record levels, the California Independent System Operator is stepping up its call for consumers to lower electricity use,” CAISO said in a statement earlier this week. (Sources: ReutersBloomberg)

Bed Bath & Beyond CFO found dead at 52

Fortune 500 home retailer Bed Bath & Beyond announced the passing of Gustavo Arnal, its chief financial officer, who died last Friday. Arnal reportedly jumped to his death from a building in Manhattan barely two days after the firm announced sweeping changes, including layoffs, amid growing losses. “Gustavo will be remembered by all he worked with for his leadership, talent and stewardship,” said a company statement. (Source: The Wall Street Journal)


Asia

Bangladesh: We’re not another Sri Lanka

Bangladesh’s $416-billion economy is one of the fastest growing globally, even as the country faces a dwindling supply of foreign currency amid rising import costs. This has led the country to seek new loans, widening its debt burden. “Bangladesh has always been timely (in paying) our debt; our debt rate is very low in the context of Sri Lanka,” said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who emphasized that her nation’s economy remains strong. She added, “Some people have raised this issue that Bangladesh will be Sri Lanka, but I can ensure that that will not happen.” Sri Lanka’s ousted leader, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, fled the country in July after nationwide protests over his economic policies. (Source: Reuters)

China eyes Q3 for an economic turnaround

China’s National Development and Reform Commission says the third quarter is “crucially important.” Speaking to reporters, the commission’s deputy secretary general, Yang Yinkai, together with other government officials, noted that China had injected 300 billion yuan ($43.6 billion) into a bank funding program to drive infrastructure investment. This move comes as the world’s second-largest economy grapples with a housing crisis precipitated by defaulting investors, strict COVID-19 restrictions in key business zones, and an extreme heatwave that has affected food and power supplies. (Sources: BloombergForeign Affairs)


WATCH RACHEL LUBA

on The Carlos Watson Show!


Europe

As European energy crisis escalates, the euro falls

The euro fell against the dollar early this week, leading to a decline in European stocks. These developments came as Russia stopped the flow of gas through the crucial Nord Stream pipeline that services much of Europe. On Monday, the euro dropped below 99 cents, the weakest it had been in 20 years. And while the currency fell, energy prices surged across the continent. (Sources: BloombergThe Wall Street Journal)


Community Corner

Should developing countries get a pass on shifting to renewables given that wealthy nations are responsible for the majority of carbon emissions?

ABOUT OZY

OZY is a diverse, global and forward-looking media and entertainment company focused on “the New and the Next.” OZY creates space for fresh perspectives, and offers new takes on everything from news and culture to technology, business, learning and entertainment.

www.ozy.com / #OZY

Curiosity. Enthusiasm. Action. That’s OZY!

  

A Modern Media Company

      

OZY Media, 800 West El Camino

Mountain View, California 94040

Rewilding: Nature’s Comeback

 

Bioneers Pulse – updates from the Bioneers Community

Bioneer, 

Given humanity’s impact on the planet, the once-fringe concept of the Anthropocene is now more or less taken as a given. Our collective degradation of the landscapes and marine environments of the planet is undeniable. However, we know that Indigenous people have been “managing” landscapes in various ways for millennia, finding ways to support and respect the natural systems that we are very much a part of, not apart from. The late O.E. Wilson’s visionary “Half-Earth” movement proposes a goal of setting aside 50% of the planet for nature. How do we accomplish this equitably and ethically? We need to conserve what remains and work to restore the rest, and, as Dr. Carly Vynne reminds us, “huge efforts on both fronts will be necessary.” 

This week, join us as we begin to explore the restoration side of this essential work. How do we reintegrate the idea of wild places into a transformed world? What is working right now? Are there strategies and models that fit the myriad situations in front of us?

Share the news

Help us increase the reach of Bioneers ideas by sharing our browser-friendly version of this newsletter with your community.

Share These Stories!

Rewilding Throughout Europe

Cities Across Europe Are Making Space for Nature

From London to Frankfurt to Barcelona, European cities are undertaking rewilding initiatives that are benefiting human and wild residents alike. Read more here.

Wild Mammals Are Making a Comeback in Europe Thanks to Conservation Efforts

In this story told by stats, Hannah Ritchie of Our World In Data explains how many European mammals — including beavers, bison, seals, and wolves — are experiencing population growth as a result of conservation and rewilding efforts. Read more here.

Rewilding Europe: Letting Nature Take the Lead

Rewilding Europe, a nonprofit organization based in the Netherlands, is working to make Europe a wilder place, with more space for wildlife, wilderness, and wild values. Read more here.

Restoration in Practice: Making a Mini-Forest with the Miyawaki Method


The Miyawaki Method is unique in that it re-creates the conditions for a mature natural forest to arise within decades rather than centuries. At the heart of the method is the identification of a combination of native plant species best suited to the specific conditions at any given planting site.

Read more here.

Beaver Believer: How Massive Rodents Could Restore Landscapes and Ecosystems At Scale


“The final thing I’ll say is – and I know this is within the ethos of Bioneers – we are so bombarded by negative, depressing environmental news, and it’s understandable. We’re in a dark place as a global civilization. But the beavers are an amazing ray of light in some ways. They are one of history’s great conservation success stories. The species was basically on the brink of extinction, certainly in the continental United States around the turn of the century, and now there are 15 million of them. They are proof that species can recover.” — Journalist Ben Goldfarb

Read more here.

Rewilding in the News:

Do you know people who might enjoy reading this? Please share it with them!
ShareShare
TweetTweet
ShareShare
ForwardForward
Powered by our friends at Bark Media,
an impact-oriented content marketing agency.
 
You were subscribed to the newsletter from Bioneers

Our mailing address is:
Bioneers / Collective Heritage Institute
1014 Torney Ave
San FranciscoCalifornia 94129