G20: US contributes nothing positive to G20: "communique exposes divide with U.S. on climate policy" - by P. Carrel and N. Barkin

The final statement from Group of 20 leaders on Saturday exposed a divide between the United States and other G20 members on the Paris accord aimed at combating climate change.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, hosting the two-day G20 summit, said she was pleased all club members besides the United States had agreed the Paris climate accord was irreversible.

"I think it's very clear that we could not reach consensus, but the differences were not papered over, they were clearly stated," Merkel told reporters at the end of the two-day meeting.

She said she did not share the view of British Prime Minister Theresa May who said on Friday she thought Washington could decide to return to the climate agreement.

In the final communique, the G20 leaders took note of the United States' decision to withdraw from the landmark accord.

"The leaders of the other G20 members state that the Paris Agreement is irreversible," the statement read.

On trade, another sticking point, the leaders agreed they would "fight protectionism including all unfair trade practices and recognize the role of legitimate trade defense instruments in this regard."

Trump, who on Friday found chemistry in his first face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, congratulated Merkel on her stewardship of the summit.

"You have been amazing and you have done a fantastic job. Thank you very much chancellor," he said.

Read more: G20 communique exposes divide with U.S. on climate policy | Reuters

Violence erupts in Hamburg: Reporter caught in violence - G20: Street Level - by Lianne Elliott,

Peaceful protest marches can quickly turn violent, without warning.

CBC reporter Jasmin Seputis witnessed this first-hand while covering the large protest march that wove through downtown Toronto on Friday, in advance of today's G20 summit. Without a moment's notice, Seputis, who was doing radio reports for Here and Now, found herself caught between a violent skirmish involving protesters and police. She was pushed and shoved, and punched in the arm.

"One officer was pushing me one way, one was pushing me the other way. It was an out-of-control situation," she recalled. "They didn't know where to put me and the protesters were coming at me."

The protest had started as a festive one, with marchers singing, dancing and waving banners as they made their way along Carlton Street, heading west to Yonge.

But then police on bicycles, lined up along Yonge, moved in to arrest one of the protesters - a deaf man named Emomotimi Azorbo. At that point, the crowd became angry.

"They started to surge and push and say, 'Let him go, let him go,'" Seputis said.

Seputis, caught in the middle, said she doesn't know who punched her.

"It happened so quickly," she said, explaining that she wasn't badly hurt. "I guess my adrenaline was so high, I can hardly remember how it all happened. I was pushed this way and that way and thought, 'I have to get out.'"

Read more: Reporter caught in violence - G20: Street Level

Britain: Downing Street braces for ‘sneak’ Trump visit – by Christian Krug

U.S. President Donald Trump may be planning to visit U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May on short notice, the Guardian reported Monday.

Trump could use his next European trip to stop by his Scottish golf resort in Turnberry and would be expected to meet May for informal talks in London if so. Downing Street is preparing for a potential visit from the president between the G20 in Hamburg this weekend and his appearance at the Bastille Day parade in Paris on July 14 alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.

No. 10 would likely be informed only 24 hours ahead of time in order to minimize the risk of disruption, according to the Guardian.

The formal state visit — announced during May’s trip to Washington in January — was expected to take place this summer but postponed over concerns of mass protests.

Read more: Downing Street braces for ‘sneak’ Trump visit – POLITICO

Global Warming: German tornado causes mass destruction

A tornado in the north of Germany has caused widespread damage.

A 26-year-old man in Hamburg was killed after debris fell on his car while his pregnant girlfriend was injured.

The fire service had to rescue three others from their vehicles and at least 30 people were injured by flying debris.

A fallen tree between Hamburg and Luebeck blocked the railway line in both directions and much of the public transport system was brought to a standstill.

The epicentre of the devastation was in Buetzow near Rostock in the very north of the country where local media reported winds of around 120 KPH.

Many roofs were torn away and a hospital had to be partially evacuated.

One observer said: “I’ve never seen anything like this in my life, it is complete madness. Hundreds of trees have been overturned, completely uprooted, roofs ripped off, what can you say, madness. You don’t experience something like this every day.”

Read more: German tornado causes mass destruction | euronews, world news

European Ports: Port Strategy - Ports must be prepared for every eventuality

It seems like it was only yesterday that we were discussing the heavy burden of overcapacity in Northern European ports, but today those same hubs now face the other extreme of too much traffic and what to do with it all, writes Carly Fields.

Three things have conspired to create tailbacks at Rotterdam and Hamburg, which have been lengthening since the start of the year. First up is an apparent disregard for on-time vessel calls by shipping lines. Why stick to a schedule, when you can turn up whenever suits you and watch a port – desperate to retain business in a cut-throat market – kowtowing to your every loading or unloading need.
Second, the summer holiday season in the Northern hemisphere has taken its toll on the available workforce. Third, new equipment and the subsequent faster handling of containers are also being blamed for the congestion.
None of these are the fault of Rotterdam or Hamburg port authorities, yet they are both having to scramble around to put policies in place to deal with an ever-increasingly backlog.
Thinking on its feet, Rotterdam announced it would divert inland waterway barges and feeder ships transporting export and import containers from the congested ECT Delta and Euromax terminals to three smaller terminals, where consignments will be consolidated for onward transportation to the larger facilities.

- See more at: http://www.portstrategy.com/news101/insight-and-opinion/viewpoint/every-eventuality#sthash.X2sN1spd.dpuf

Port of Rotterdam = Europe's largest port

It seems like it was only yesterday that we were discussing the heavy burden of overcapacity in Northern European ports, but today those same hubs now face the other extreme of too much traffic and what to do with it all, writes Carly Fields.

Three things have conspired to create tailbacks at Rotterdam and Hamburg, which have been lengthening since the start of the year.

First up is an apparent disregard for on-time vessel calls by shipping lines.

Why stick to a schedule, when you can turn up whenever suits you and watch a port – desperate to retain business in a cut-throat market – kowtowing to your every loading or unloading need.

Second, the summer holiday season in the Northern hemisphere has taken its toll on the available workforce. Third, new equipment and the subsequent faster handling of containers are also being blamed for the congestion.

None of these are the fault of Rotterdam or Hamburg port authorities, yet they are both having to scramble around to put policies in place to deal with an ever-increasingly backlog.

Thinking on its feet, Rotterdam announced it would divert inland waterway barges and feeder ships transporting export and import containers from the congested ECT Delta and Euromax terminals to three smaller terminals, where consignments will be consolidated for onward transportation to the larger facilities.

Read more: Port Strategy - Ports must be prepared for every eventuality

Germany - International Port Activities: the Elbphilharmonie concert hall a new addition to Hamburgs trendy HafenCity district.

Hamburg’s latest flagship construction project is the Elbphilharmonie concert hall, which is situated in the recently redeveloped former harbour area that is now the trendy HafenCity district. The whole area has a strong emphasis on sustainability, as Hamburg was named European Green Capital for 2011, with a special certification system set up for buildings. 

The concert hall development will house 4,000sqm of retail space, a 2,150-seat concert hall, which can be used for conventions and events, a 500-seat recital hall with flexible staging and seating, a musical museum, a 14-storey hotel with 250 bedrooms, conference centre, spa and 45 flats. 

Summer will be busy for the northern German city as one of the largest international conventions in the world, the International Lions Convention, is being held in July and is expected to attract 23,600 delegates to the Congress Center Hamburg (CCH).  

The CCH celebrates 40 years in 2013 with the hosting of such events as the 8th World Congress of Melanoma and the 24th German Evangelical Church Congress for 100,000 delegates.

"Some 130 global conventions have been held at the CCH to date, says Director of the centre, Edgar Hirt. “The top conventions included the World Cancer Convention in 1990 with 10,000 delegates and the World Computer Convention in 1994".

Recent convention wins in the city include the International Association of Port and Harbors, which will attract 1,000 delegates in June 2015. 

Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany and is also  the second largest port in Europe after Rotterdam 

 EU-Digest

Asian ports falling behind Europe

A senior shipping executive says that Hong Kong - as well as other Asian ports - are falling behind their European counterparts in productivity terms.

Nicolas Sartini, group senior vice-president of Asia-Europe lines at French container line CMA CGM, said some European ports were 50 per cent more efficient at loading and unloading containers than those in Asia.

Sartini, who was in Hong Kong for the maiden call of the world's largest container ship, CMA CGM Marco Polo, said some Asian ports needed to "wake up and catch up with Europe".

Speaking on the bridge of the 16,020-teu (20-foot equivalent unit) ship, Sartini said Europe had traditionally been behind Asia in several areas, but he added: "Today, we get better productivity in Europe than Asia."

He explained that two European ports, Le Havre, where the line has its own terminal, and Hamburg, were capable of 150 container moves an hour whereas some Asian ports could only achieve 100 moves an hour.

Read more: Asian ports falling behind Europe

Hamburg: a safe port in a financial storm

The medieval Hanse trade code has kept Hamburg’s fund selectors successfully conservative. A cross section of investment companies in the city say how peculiar traditions have made a vital difference.

Welcome to Hamburg, the city with the largest number of millionaires in Germany and the fund community’s best kept secret.

Situated in north Germany, it seems both geographically and metaphorically many miles from Frankfurt, home to the European Central Bank, the German stock exchange and international investment banks.

Hosting a large harbour and port, Hamburg has inherited capital from its shipping industry over centuries, which is still being passed down and invested by today’s Hansean generation.

Read more: Hamburg: a safe port in a financial storm - Citywire