Grassy Mountain is a defunct coal strip mine trying, like a phoenix, to rise from the rubble on the eastern slopes of Alberta’s Rockies.

The mine is owned by Northback Holdings Corp., part of Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart’s business empire.

Rinehart knows well the time-tested technique of “Heads you win, tails we flip again” for keeping her dream of a mine alive.

As you might remember, the “old” proposal, which seems very similar to this one, failed the test of a joint federal-provincial review. The reasons for the panel’s rejection were not trivial.

According to Northback, this new flip is the answer to all the issues of selenium contamination, high water use, impacts to a threatened cutthroat trout population and reclamation of a hole where a mountain once stood. All this with glib promises of economic development. Selenium, released during mining, becomes increasingly concentrated in the tissues of organisms as it moves up the food chain and leads to fish deformities and reproductive failure in exposed fish communities.

Couple of drunk ass Christmas owls. Aunt Hooters over there can barely keep her inebriated eyes open and Uncle Ruffles behind her keeps whispering to her while staring at me. Owlmas is ruined.

As Yukon continues to deal with a prolonged spell of extreme cold, emergency officials are advising people to be prepared in case of a power outage.

On Tuesday, the territory's energy minister issued a statement saying the territory's power grid was under "significant strain," and suggested the potential for rolling blackouts in Whitehorse if the system were to buckle under that strain.

Minister Ted Laking said that the territory reached an all-time record peak demand of 123 megawatts on Monday. He said the territory’s grid can produce about 140 megawatts, "in ideal conditions."

Cross-posted

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday revealed details of the latest US-backed 20-point plan to end the war in Ukraine, saying it has been sent to Moscow for feedback. Zelensky gave a point-by-point briefing to journalists in Kyiv, including details on the creation of demilitarised zones.

The organization that represents some of America's largest spirits producers is calling for the NSLC to remove a policy that gives preferential markup to Nova Scotian spirit products.

In a recent 77-page report sent to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States outlined trade barriers they face in different countries.

The Canada section covers six pages, where the barriers include the ban on selling American alcohol in most provinces and preferential markups on local spirits in Alberta, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, P.E.I., Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

It's unclear why the council — which did not respond to an interview request — thinks the other provinces have something to do with the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation.

Archive link

On December 31, several dozen international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) expect to find out whether Israel will permit them to operate in the Gaza Strip. Most of these humanitarian actors have been present on the ground for years, with mandatory accreditation from Israeli authorities.

In a joint statement published on December 17 with more than 200 international and Palestinian organizations, United Nations agencies warned that their exclusion would have "a catastrophic impact on access to essential and basic services" needed by some two million Palestinians surviving amid ruins, winter floods and a fragile ceasefire after two years of a devastating war waged by the Israeli army following the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023.

The new directives require international NGOs to submit lists of their Palestinian staff, who are then subject to security vetting, and to refrain from any activity deemed to "delegitimize the State of Israel" – a criterion considered vague and politicized by humanitarian workers and diplomats. If vetoed, an NGO loses the right to have international staff in Gaza or to bring in aid – a ban already affecting dozens of organizations whose status has been in limbo since March. Israeli authorities defended the move as a means to exclude any "hostile" actors. NGOs see it as the politicization of humanitarian assistance and a drastic tightening of working conditions.

Despite representing just 8% of the world’s population, the region accounts for nearly one-third of global homicides.

Breaking Latin America’s Cycle of Low Growth and Violence

North and Sub-Saharran Africa are poorer than Latin America but have much less murder going on. What's going on in Latin America?

Russia are never going to agree to this...

Taiwan's Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) concluded a high-level visit to Europe in early December, MOEA said in a press release.

According to a press release, Minister Kung Ming-hsin emphasized Taiwan’s role as a reliable economic partner and discussed geopolitics and global supply-chain realignment during meetings in Brussels and elsewhere.

At the 2026 Taiwan Economic Forum in Taipei, hosted by Wealth Magazine on Dec. 15, the press release stated that Minister Kung had just returned from a trip to Europe, where he met with officials from Czechia, Poland, and the European Union.

The press release noted that "supply chain resilience" emerged as a central topic throughout these exchanges. Minister Kung highlighted that in the past, trade negotiations under globalization mainly focused on market access and tariffs. However, since the U.S.-China trade war began in 2018, there has been growing recognition of the importance of the supply chain, initially prompting "supply chain relocation" during the pandemic, and now an emphasis on building "supply chain resilience."

...

A research report published on Dec. 16 by the Central European Institute of Asian Studies noted that since the early 2020s, relations between Taiwan and Europe have gained significant momentum, both at the level of EU institutions and among individual member states.

The report said that long-standing partners from Western Europe, many of which had contacts with Taiwan during the time they maintained diplomatic ties with the Republic of China, continue to maintain strong economic and political connections with the island.

At the same time, the research highlighted the emergence of new partners in Central and Eastern Europe. Countries such as Czechia, Lithuania, and Poland, which had limited interaction with Taiwan in previous years, have renewed and strengthened their engagement with the island since the start of the decade.

These countries have become politically active supporters of closer ties with Taiwan and are keen to build new economic links across various industries. The report also noted that they have played a growing role in shaping Europe’s evolving approach toward Taiwan.

Dr. Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, Affiliated Researcher at Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Visiting Fellow at the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, wrote on LinkedIn in mid-December that she believes the EU continues to recognize Taiwan’s geostrategic importance for Europe’s prosperity and security.

...

Archive link

The BlueBird Block-2 satellite, weighing over six tons, successfully reached orbit following a milestone launch by India's space agency ISRO. New Delhi hopes to use the same US-built rocket to fly humans into space.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/47847537

Archived

China’s manipulation of the Interpol Red Notice system has reached a level of sophistication that poses a far-reaching danger to international law enforcement. Russia often remains the focus for many, as it is viewed as being the most prolific abuser of the system. But China is fast emerging as the more insidious threat.

As our readers will know, Red Notices are requests for provisional arrest pending extradition, circulated among police forces worldwide. The system works: thousands of dangerous fugitives are apprehended each year as a result. But authoritarian regimes have weaponised it. By issuing Red Notices through Interpol, states with poor human rights records can harness the police forces of democracies to pursue their opponents abroad.

China’s approach is different from Russia’s. Rather than relying primarily on extradition, Chinese authorities use Red Notices as one tool in a broader campaign of transnational repression. The notice locates the target. Then the pressure begins: threats against family members back home, asset freezes, surveillance, and relentless calls urging “voluntary” return. The so-called “persuasion to return” programme is profoundly misleadingly named.

The pretexts are revealing. Financial crime is the charge of choice – allegations of fraud, embezzlement, or money laundering that are difficult to verify and easy to fabricate. As one expert put it: if someone accuses you of murder, there needs to be a body; if someone accuses you of financial crimes, it is ones and zeros in the wrong ledger somewhere. China has used these charges to pursue businesspeople who have “Westernised,” political dissidents, Uyghur activists, followers of Falun Gong, and anyone else deemed a threat to the Chinese Communist Party.

[...]

The UK government’s recent overtures to Beijing make vigilance more pressing. Despite China’s well-documented human rights abuses – the persecution of Uyghurs, the crackdown in Hong Kong, the targeting of dissidents abroad – economic interests continue to drive policy. Those targeted by Chinese Red Notices often discover that economic relationships between states provide little protection when they find themselves detained at an airport or frozen out of the banking system.

Interpol has taken steps to address abuse. The Notices and Diffusion Task Force screens Red Notice requests before publication. But its review is limited – it cannot investigate the merits of every case, and as a result politically motivated requests can slip through.

[...]

China is not currently subject to Interpol’s corrective measures – enhanced scrutiny or suspension from the network – despite mounting evidence of systematic abuse. This makes vigilance all the more important. Those who find themselves in the crosshairs of a Chinese Red Notice must understand that the system offers them limited protection – and that experienced legal representation is essential from the outset.

[...]

Targeted by China Through Interpol? Your Options Explained -- (archived)

Red Notices are just one tool in a broader strategy of transnational repression that includes surveillance, asset freezes, and intense pressure on family members back home. If you find yourself in Beijing’s crosshairs, understanding the full picture is essential.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/47846828

Archived

Japanese lawmakers are flocking to Taiwan, a trend that could hamper efforts to repair Tokyo-Beijing relations that have deteriorated after remarks by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

A high-ranking member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party visited Taiwan from Sunday and met with President Lai Ching-te for about an hour on Monday.

"Taiwan is an important partner and friend for Japan with whom we share universal values and have close economic ties and people-to-people exchanges," said Koichi Hagiuda, who currently serves as the LDP's acting secretary-general.

Other Japanese lawmakers including former Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki and Akihisa Nagashima, a former adviser to the prime minister, met with Lai and former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday.

Japan lacks formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan at the government level, instead using the bipartisan Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council and LDP youth groups as channels for building relations. ROC refers to Republic of China, Taiwan's official name.

[...]

Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said about 30 Japanese parliament members would visit Taiwan during the New Year's period. Takaichi's government is notable for its many pro-Taiwan members.

The Japan-ROC group's executives include Hagiuda, LDP Election Strategy Committee Chairman Keiji Furuya and Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara. Takaichi herself visited Taiwan in April before becoming prime minister, accompanied by other party officials.

Furuya also met with Lai in Taiwan in October, coinciding with Taiwan's National Day.

While Tokyo's relations with Taipei stand at a high point, Japan-China relations face an uncertain future.

[...]

Archive: https://archive.ph/53WRU

Europe faces a critical dependency on US cloud infrastructure, with 90% of its digital infrastructure controlled by American companies, according to competition expert Cristina Caffarra[^1]. This vulnerability has spurred concrete action, with public institutions in Austria, Germany, France and the International Criminal Court moving away from US providers.

The core issue stems from the US CLOUD Act of 2018, which allows American authorities to access data held by US companies regardless of location, conflicting directly with EU privacy laws[^1]. This creates an "irreconcilable legal conflict" since any contract between European customers and US cloud providers is subordinate to US federal law.

Several key developments highlight this shift:

• Austria's Federal Ministry for Economy completed migration of 1,200 employees to European open-source platform Nextcloud[^1]
• The International Criminal Court is replacing Microsoft office software with OpenDesk after its chief prosecutor was locked out of Outlook[^1]
• Germany's Schleswig-Holstein state has moved 24,000 civil servants to open-source alternatives[^1]

However, challenges remain. The acquisition of Dutch cloud provider Solvinity by US-based Kyndryl demonstrates how European alternatives can be undermined through foreign acquisition[^1]. Critics also warn about "sovereignty washing," where US hyperscalers market 'sovereign cloud' solutions that don't resolve the fundamental legal conflicts[^1].

[^1]: The Register - Europe gets serious about cutting digital umbilical cord

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/23384142

More info on this at

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelamis_Wave_Energy_Converter .

The company was bought by E.ON and the project was killed. At that time, there were working 450 Kilowatt prototypes (see the video). 450 Kilowatt is a power volume that took wind power plants over three decades (about from 1970 to 2000) to achieve.

The technology was then apparently copied by a Chinese company.

A quick Christmas message from Gordon Borwn's social media team. But also Merry Christmas you cynical bunch! hope to argue with you in the new year. So stay safe, stay merry, and see you next year.

and in the leftist spirit of Lemmy. and because I couldn't resist. "All i want for Christmas is, 5 minutes of quite, No Crisis, No Phone calls and no fixing everyone else's problem." Welcome to mayoralty buddy that's the fucking job.

I've never played but this feels unreasonable