(Reuters) - As Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla prepare to visit Canada this week, some members of the indigenous community are calling on the British royal family to formally acknowledge the harm colonization did to First Nations people. The royal couple will arrive in St. Johns, Newfoundland on Tuesday on a three-day trip that will include stops in Ottawa and the Northwest Territories and focus on the issues of reconciliation with indigenous peoples and climate change. The impact of colonization, the residential school system and the loss of lands is what the crown represents, Mary Teegee, the executive director of child and family services at Carrier Sekani Family Services in the province of British Columbia, told Reuters. "They also have to understand that they are not the leaders in our nation," Teegee said, adding that recognition of the harms of colonization are needed rather than just a "trite" apology. Although Canada ceased being a colony of Britain … [Read more...] about Indigenous Canadians make a painful plea on eve of British royal visit
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US deepens China solar tariff probe with scrutiny of 8 firms
- A + A (May 16): The US Commerce Department is deepening its probe into whether solar power companies are circumventing import tariffs, singling out some of the industry’s giants for increased scrutiny. The agency identified eight manufacturers, including industry leaders Longi Green Energy Technology Co, Trina Solar Co and Jinko Solar Co, for mandatory questionnaires to plumb for more information on whether they are skirting US tariffs on China-made solar products by assembling them in Southeast Asia. The probe has already roiled the US solar industry and thrown a wrench into decarbonisation plans, with companies halting projects and cancelling shipments in the face of potentially hefty extra tariffs. The world’s largest solar manufacturers, mostly based in China, are diverting their focus and products to the rising European market amid the US disruptions. Shares of major Chinese solar companies fell on Monday, with Jinko stumbling as much as 5.3%, Trina … [Read more...] about US deepens China solar tariff probe with scrutiny of 8 firms
U.S. could ratify Finnish NATO membership before August, Senate Republican leader says
HELSINKI (Reuters) -The U.S. Congress will seek to ratify Finland's application to join the Western military alliance NATO before going on holiday in August, U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said in Helsinki after meeting with Finland's President Sauli Niinisto. Canada, NATO's other North American ally, also promised a quick ratification. "Certainly we hope to achieve it before the August recess when Congress typically goes out of session," McConnell told reporters on Monday. Niinisto confirmed on Sunday that Finland would apply for NATO membership, in a historic policy shift prompted by Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. Sweden is also planning to join. McConnell said there was broad bipartisan support among U.S. lawmakers for Finnish membership. "With regard to the size of the vote, it will be very significant. Not unanimous, but very significant," he said. McConnell stressed the Republican Party's commitment to continued U.S. participation in the … [Read more...] about U.S. could ratify Finnish NATO membership before August, Senate Republican leader says
Factbox-Companies sell their businesses in Russia
Firefighters work at a site of a power substation hit by a missile strike, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues. (Image credit: Reuters) Some Western companies have agreed to sell their Russian assets or hand them over to local managers as they scramble to comply with sanctions over the Ukraine conflict and deal with threats from the Kremlin that foreign-owned assets may be seized. The moves, part of a broader corporate exodus from the country, are likely to stir concerns that Russian firms and institutions are snapping up prized assets for a bargain. Below is a list of firms by sector that have secured deals to sell their businesses in Russia: AUTOMAKERS INCHCAPE Close The British car distributor said it had agreed to sell its Russian business to local management. The sale will result in an exceptional non-cash loss before tax of about 240 million pounds ($294 million). RENAULT The French carmaker said on May 16 it will sell its majority stake … [Read more...] about Factbox-Companies sell their businesses in Russia
The Good News About High U.S. Oil Imports
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin HAMBURG, GERMANY - JULY 08: U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and Canada's Prime Minister Justin ... [+] Trudeau talk ahead of panel discussion titled 'Launch Event Women's Entrepreneur Finance Initiative' on the second day of the G20 summit on July 8, 2017 in Hamburg, Germany. Leaders of the G20 group of nations are meeting for the July 7-8 summit. Topics high on the agenda for the summit include climate policy and development programs for African economies. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images) U.S. crude oil output is now closing in on 9.5 million b/d, the highest levels in two years and almost double what we were producing a decade ago. But, while our demand has basically been flat , oil is a global commodity and imports have long been ingrained in our own market, so we still import about 35-50% of the oil that we use. Imports though have been falling, yet probably not as much as some energy security advocates … [Read more...] about The Good News About High U.S. Oil Imports
The US Bans Russian Energy Imports – Symbolically
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin As Russia’s war in Ukraine intensifies, the Biden administration banned Russian oil and natural gas purchases. This move represents a departure from initial Western sanctions against the Kremlin, designed specifically to avoid interference in Russian energy flows – particularly to import-dependent Europe. Oil prices have skyrocketed since Ukraine was invaded on February 24, with Brent and WTI oil futures trading at around $117 and $114, respectively (down from a 13-year high of $130 earlier this week ), Biden reportedly had deliberated for days before imposing the embargo as higher gasoline prices hurt him and the Democratic party politically. Although the Biden-led initiative to sanction Russian oil sales is rather symbolic, it is still important. The US could produce all oil it needs, and what it can’t, it could import from North America. America has flirted with net-oil exporter status over the past few years … [Read more...] about The US Bans Russian Energy Imports – Symbolically
Questions swirl over Saudi-backed breakaway golf tour
Greg Norman is chief executive of LIV Golf Investments. ST ALBANS, UK Golf is in turmoil as it braces for the launch of a new Saudi-backed breakaway tour but figurehead Greg Norman is confident it will be a success despite a host of unresolved issues. The LIV Golf Invitational Series plans eight events this year but no player names have yet been announced. There is also uncertainty over broadcast deals and whether ranking points will be on offer. Questions over the source of the funding persist -- with Norman grilled over concerns about Saudi backing for the new tour when he faced the press in Britain last week. The battle lines have been drawn, with the US PGA Tour refusing to release members for next month's opening event in England, which clashes with the PGA's Canadian Open. The DP World Tour, formerly known as the European Tour, has been more opaque, saying it is "evaluating each request on a case-by-case basis". Former world number one Norman, chief executive of … [Read more...] about Questions swirl over Saudi-backed breakaway golf tour
Canada to develop first climate adaptation plan
OTTAWA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault on Monday launched a public consultation to develop the country's first National Adaptation Strategy. Guilbeault said the climate adaptation is a subject that is preoccupying every level of government and every community in Canada, kicking off a virtual adaptation conference attended by over a thousand participants, including provinces, territories, leaders of National Indigenous Organizations, as well as climate adaptation experts, industry representatives, and members of the public. "We have to look at climate action in this 21st century as a matter of both offense and defense," the minister said. "As we increase our preparations for the many impacts of our changing climate, it feels like fighting a war on two fronts." "We must reduce carbon pollution and we must prepare for the impacts of climate change," he said. Climate-readiness includes measures such as preventing the … [Read more...] about Canada to develop first climate adaptation plan
75th Cannes film fest ready to party as COVID-19 rules end
Julie Pacoriel and François Becker (Agence France-Presse) Cannes, France ● Tue, May 17, 2022 2022-05-17 10:59 0 02c2f042c5018a82e8094ec75246ed3c 2 Entertainment Cannes-Film-Festival,Cannes-Festival,COVID-19,Mantas-Kvedaravicius,film-festival Free The last touches were being laid in Cannes, France, on Monday for the 75 th -anniversary edition of the world's leading film festival, promising a return to its full glitz. Dangling from ropes above the fabled Palais des Festivals, workers were unfurling the huge poster for the Cannes Film Festival's golden jubilee, which this year features an image from The Truman Show . Some 35,000 film professionals are expected between May 17 and 28, hoping for a return to form for cinema's most glamorous event after two years in which Covid dampened the mood. "We are ready. The town hall has just redone everything — the whole place — so we hope it will go well," said Jeremie Tripet, manager of L'Avenue, a bistro … [Read more...] about 75th Cannes film fest ready to party as COVID-19 rules end