ExxonMobil, Apple, Boeing latest US giants to cut ties with Moscow


Apple was among the large US companies to announce moves to exit or freeze business in Russia (AFP/Chris DELMAS) (Chris DELMAS)


Tue, March 1, 2022

Apple, ExxonMobil and Boeing announced Tuesday in rapid succession steps to withdraw or freeze business in Russia as more US corporate giants take action after the Ukraine invasion.

The moves -- in diverse industries and following earlier announcements by Disney, Ford, Mastercard and others -- highlight the rising economic toll on Russia after its assault on Ukraine unleashed massive sanctions across Western governments.

ExxonMobil will begin a phased withdrawal from the giant Sakhalin offshore oilfield that it has operated since 1995, saying "we deplore Russia's military action that violates the territorial integrity of Ukraine and endangers its people."


The US company operates in Russia on behalf of a consortium including Russian, Indian and Japanese companies, its only major project in Russia, after it pulled out of two joint ventures during the previous round of sanctions against Russia following its annexation of Crimea in 2014.

ExxonMobil's move follows earlier decisions by British energy group BP and Shell to pull out of joint projects in Russia. France's TotalEnergies said it would stay in Russia, but refrain from investing more money there.

ExxonMobil stressed that "the process to discontinue operations will need to be carefully managed and closely coordinated with the co-venturers in order to ensure it is executed safely."

- Focus on security of staff -

Earlier, Apple said it would halt all product sales in Russia and limit the use of Apple Pay and other services in the country.

"We are deeply concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and stand with all of the people who are suffering as a result of the violence," Apple said.

Ukraine's defiant government, which has urged its people to battle Russian forces, has asked for help from all quarters, including Apple's CEO Tim Cook.

"I appeal to you... to stop supplying Apple services and products to the Russian Federation, including blocking access to the Apple Store!" Ukraine's digital minister Mykhailo Fedorov wrote in a letter he posted to Twitter Friday.

Boeing for its part said it was suspending its support for Russian airlines and its operations in Moscow, saying it was "focused on ensuring the safety of our teammates in the region."

The action could weigh heavily on flag carrier Aeroflot, which flies the Boeing 737 and 777, and last week announced it was suspending flights to Europe in response to the flight ban.

The United States and European allies have put tough sanctions on Moscow in recent days, including by cutting selected Russian banks from the SWIFT messaging system, while Washington has announced measures specifically targeting the country's central bank.

There has also been a stampede of large US companies in recent days away from Russia affecting nearly every sector.

Disney and WarnerMedia were among the entertainment giants to suspend new film releases in Russia, while tech heavyweights such as Facebook, TikTok and Microsoft moved to curb the reach of Russian state-linked news outlets, which stand accused of pushing misinformation about Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

General Motors suspended vehicle exports to Russia, while Detroit rival Ford aid it was suspending its remaining operations in Russia, including commercial van manufacturing.

Credit card companies including Visa, Mastercard and American Express announced they were blocking Russian banks from their payment networks following international sanctions.

On Tuesday, Moscow announced plans for presidential decree aimed at preventing foreign investment exiting the country.

"In the current sanctions situation, foreign investors will be guided not by economic factors, but by political pressure," Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said.

"To enable businesses to make informed decisions, a draft presidential decree has been prepared to introduce temporary restrictions on exiting Russian assets."

He added: "We still consider foreign business as potential partners."

jum-jmb/jh

European subsidiary of Russia's Sberbank 

to enter bankruptcy

Western sanctions were levelled against the bank in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine (AFP/Jure Makovec) (Jure Makovec)


Tue, March 1, 2022

The European subsidiary of Russia's Sberbank will be wound up after coming under pressure from Western sanctions levelled against the bank in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, European banking regulators said Tuesday.

The Austrian subsidiary of Russia's biggest lender Sberbank Europe AG would be allowed to enter "normal insolvency proceedings" while branches in Croatia and Slovenia were sold to local banks, the Single Resolution Board, part of the European Union's system to maintain financial stability, said in a statement.

Depositors at the Austrian subsidiary would be protected up to 100,000 euros ($111,265), in line with European legislation, while those in Croatia and Slovenia would be covered "with no limits".

Sberbank AG suffered financing issues following the announcement of tough European Union sanctions aimed at choking off Russian banks' access to capital markets.

The European Central Bank reported Monday that the European affiliate was "failing or likely to fail" after it "experienced significant deposit outflows as a result of the reputational impact of geopolitical tensions".

Support for the Austrian subsidiary from its parent was not possible since the Russian central bank prohibits financial institutions from sending cash to countries that have imposed sanctions.

Sberbank Europe AG -- which is 100 percent owned by the bank's Russian parent company -- also has subsidiaries in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Serbia, which are not overseen by European regulators.

In the case of the Austrian subsidiary, the SRB determined letting the bank fail would "not have a negative impact on financial stability". The subsidiaries in Croatia and Slovenia would open again as normal on Wednesday.

sea/jfx

Visa, Mastercard block Russian financial institutions after sanctions

Maria Ponnezhath
Mon., February 28, 2022

FILE PHOTO: Illustration photo of a Mastercard logo on a credit card


By Maria Ponnezhath

(Reuters) -U.S. payment card firms Visa Inc and Mastercard Inc have blocked multiple Russian financial institutions from their network, complying with government sanctions imposed over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Visa said on Monday it was taking prompt action to ensure compliance with applicable sanctions, adding that it will donate $2 million for humanitarian aid. Mastercard also promised to contribute $2 million.

"We will continue to work with regulators in the days ahead to abide fully by our compliance obligations as they evolve," Mastercard said in a separate statement late on Monday.

In 2021, about 4% of Mastercard's net revenues were derived from business conducted within, into and out of Russia. Meanwhile, business conducted within, into and out of Ukraine accounted for 2% of its net revenues, according to a filing on Tuesday.

The government sanctions require Visa to suspend access to its network for entities listed as Specially Designated Nationals, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. The United States has added various Russian financial firms to the list, including the country's central bank and second-largest lender VTB.

On Saturday, the U.S., Britain, Europe and Canada announced new sanctions on Russia - including blocking certain lenders' access to the SWIFT international payment system.

Russians rushed to ATMs and waited in long queues on Sunday and Monday amid concerns that bank cards may cease to function, or that banks would limit cash withdrawals.

Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation".

Many Western banks, airlines and more have cut ties with Russia, calling the country's actions unacceptable. European nations and Canada have shut their airspace to Russian aircraft.

(Reporting by Maria Ponnezhath in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Schmollinger, Kenneth Maxwell, Kirsten Donovan)

Swiss Wyss mulls chance to buy Chelse

Robin MILLARD
Wed, March 2, 2022,

Hansjorg Wyss one of Switzerland's richest men says he has been offered the chance to buy Premier League side Chelsea with present Russian owner Roman Abramovich coming under growing scrutiny due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine (AFP/Ian KINGTON) (Ian KINGTON)


Chelsea

Hansjorg Wyss, one of Switzerland's richest men, said Wednesday he had been offered the chance to buy Chelsea, with the European football champions' Russian owner Roman Abramovich under growing scrutiny.

Wyss, 86, who founded the medical device manufacturing firm Synthes, told the Swiss newspaper Blick that he and three others had been sounded out on Tuesday.

But Wyss wants Abramovich to lower his asking price for the English Premier League side.

Abramovich revealed Saturday that he plans to place his ownership of the Blues into the "stewardship and care" of the Chelsea Foundation's trustees.

Abramovich has not been named on a growing British sanctions list targeting Russian banks, businesses and pro-Kremlin tycoons in the wake of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

But British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been pressed on why Abramovich has not been cited, given his familiarity with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Abramovich is among Putin's closest advisers and friends," Wyss told Blick.

"Like all the other oligarchs, he is panicked. Abramovich is currently trying to sell all his villas in England. He also wants to get rid of Chelsea quickly. Along with three other people, I received an offer on Tuesday to buy Chelsea from Abramovich.

"I have to wait four or five days. Abramovich is asking too much right now. Chelsea owes him £2 billion ($2.7 billion, 2.4 billion euros). But Chelsea has no money. This means that those who buy Chelsea must compensate Abramovich.

"We do not yet know the exact sale price. I can very well imagine myself joining Chelsea with partners. First I have to look carefully at the conditions.

"I certainly wouldn't do such a thing alone. If I buy Chelsea, it will be with a consortium of six to seven investors."

- Silence at Stamford Bridge -

Contacted in London, Chelsea refused to comment, while a spokeswoman for Abramovich did not immediately respond.

Chelsea defeated Brazil's Palmeiras 2-1 in the Club World Cup final in Abu Dhabi last month, meaning the Blues have now won every possible trophy since Abramovich bought the west London side in 2003.

Johnson was asked in Warsaw on Tuesday why Abramovich has not been personally sanctioned by Britain, as several UK lawmakers have demanded.

In response, Johnson did not mention the Chelsea owner, but said Britain would be "tightening the economic noose" further around the Russian regime.

In parliament on Tuesday, opposition Labour lawmaker Chris Bryant said Abramovich seemed "terrified of being sanctioned, which is why he's already going to sell his home".

Wyss praised the West's "excellent approach" in imposing sanctions on Russian interests.

"The fact that the Russian oligarchs are targeted by the Americans and Europeans is absolutely essential, because they may have an influence on Putin," he told Blick.

- Medical devices fortune -

Forbes magazine's 2021 annual list of the world's dollar billionaires put Wyss in 451st place, with a fortune of $6 billion.

The Harvard Business School graduate was the chairman and president of Synthes, one of the world's major manufacturers of instruments and implants to mend bone fractures.

In 2012, Synthes was bought by US healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson. It now forms part of J&J's DePuy division, with the acquisition creating one of the world's largest orthopaedic and neurological businesses.

Wyss is also a well-known philanthropist, with his charitable foundation worth over $2 billion.

In 2018, he pledged to donate $1 billion to conservation programmes.

Stephen Taylor Heath, head of sports law at Manchester-based lawyers JMW Solicitors, said it was understood that Abramovich controls the corporate entities that own Chelsea rather than the club directly.

"Any would-be buyer would need to undertake due diligence which would establish the ownership structure and any issues with the club. And so a very quick immediate sale would be very difficult in practice," he said.

rjm-burs/pi

Fighting rages in Ukraine as Russian troops claim city

This handout picture released by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, shows firefighters extinguishing a fire in the Kharkiv regional police department building, which is said was hit by recent shelling, in Kharkiv on March 2, 2022. (Photo: AFP)

Wednesday, March 02, 2022

KYIV, Ukraine (AFP)— Russian forces said they had captured a port on the Black Sea on Wednesday as Russian and Ukrainian troops battled for another city and Ukraine's leader said Moscow wanted to "erase" his country.

The Russian army said it had taken control of Kherson, as its troops advanced and pounded cities across southern and eastern Ukraine, defying sanctions and international isolation.

Russian paratroopers also landed in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-biggest city, triggering clashes in the streets, Ukrainian forces said.

The emergency services said four people were killed in the city on Wednesday and there was now "mass shelling and bombing" in the centre.

In a video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces wanted to "erase our country, erase us all".

Zelensky said Tuesday's strike on a television mast in the capital Kyiv demonstrated Russia's threat to Ukrainian identity.

Five people were killed in the attack on the tower at Babi Yar, the site of a Nazi massacre in which over 33,000 people were killed -- most of them Jews.

The 44-year-old Zelensky, who is himself Jewish, urged Jewish people around the world to speak up.

"Nazism is born in silence. So, shout about killings of civilians. Shout about the murders of Ukrainians," he said.

- 'Russian dictator' -

Ukraine says more than 350 civilians, including 14 children, have been killed in the conflict and the International Criminal Court has opened a war crimes investigation against Russia.

The UN said 836,000 people have fled since the conflict began seven days ago, including many students and migrant workers from Africa and the Middle East who had been living in Ukraine.

"We left everything there as they came and ruined our lives," said Svitlana Mostepanenko, a refugee registering in Prague. 

"Our families, they're bombing even... houses where there are kids, small kids, children, they die now," she added.

In his first State of the Union address on Tuesday, US President Joe Biden warned the sanctions campaign to cripple Russia's economy would escalate and its oligarchs were being targeted.

Biden hailed the resolve of the Western alliance and voiced solidarity with Ukraine as lawmakers in the US Congress gave a standing ovation to the Ukrainian people.

"A Russian dictator, invading a foreign country, has costs around the world," Biden told lawmakers, promising "robust action to make sure the pain of our sanctions is targeted at Russia's economy."

- Fight for Kharkiv -

Russian troops rolled into Ukraine last week to achieve Putin's mission of overthrowing Zelensky's government and "denazifying" the pro-Western country.

But Ukrainian troops have fought back hard and prevented Russia from capturing any the country's biggest cities.

On Wednesday, however, Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Russian forces were in now "full control" of Kherson, a city with a population of 290,000 people.

He said talks were under way between the Russian army and local authorities on maintaining order, protecting the population and keeping public services functioning.

Ukraine's army said there was a battle in the country's second city Kharkiv, in northeast Ukraine near the Russian border with a population of 1.4 million.

"There is an ongoing fight between the invaders and the Ukrainians," the army said on messaging app Telegram.

AFP saw rocket damage on security, police and university buildings in Kharkiv.

Ukrainian forces said Russian strikes hit a residential block and a government building in the city on Tuesday killing 18 people, drawing comparisons to the massacres of civilians in Sarajevo in the 1990s and condemnation for what Zelensky called a "war crime".

As the civilian death toll mounts, there is growing opposition to the conflict within Russia, with thousands detained for taking part in anti-war protests.

"I am urging everyone to take to the streets and fight for peace," jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said in a statement posted on Facebook.

He called on Russians not to be afraid of going to prison.

"Everything has a price and now, in the spring of 2022, we should pay that price."

- 'Russia will be a pariah' -

Western countries have imposed crippling sanctions on Russia's economy and there have been international bans and boycotts against Russia in everything from finance to tech, from sports to the arts.

In the latest development, the EU banned broadcasts of Russian state media RT and Sputnik and excluded seven Russian banks from the global SWIFT bank messaging system.

The list did not name two major Russian banks, Sberbank and Gazprombank, which were left connected to SWIFT to allow EU countries to pay for Russian gas and oil deliveries.

Sberbank, Russia's largest lender, said Wednesday it was leaving the European market after coming under pressure from Western sanctions.

The EU and NATO members have also sent arms and ammunition to Ukraine, although they have made clear that they will not send troops and the EU has dampened Zelensky's hopes of membership of the bloc.

In response to the invasion, Western companies have also withdrawn from projects in Russia, deepening the economic toll on Moscow that saw the ruble collapse this week.

Apple, Boeing, Disney, ExxonMobil and Mastercard announced Tuesday in rapid succession steps to withdraw or freeze business in Russia.

German logistics giant DHL joined them on Wednesday, saying it would stop deliveries to Russia and Belarus, which has allowed the passage of Russian troops to attack Ukraine.

"Going forward, Russia will be a pariah, and it's hard to see how they can restore anything resembling normal interactions in the international system," said Sarah Kreps, professor at Cornell University.

The invasion has sent global markets into a spiral, with crude surging past $110 a barrel Wednesday and equities sinking.

Aluminium and gas prices hit record highs on supply fears and the Moscow Stock Exchange failed to open for a third day running.

- 'We are going to fight' -

Initial talks between Russia and Ukraine on Monday failed to yield any breakthrough.

Since then, strikes have been reported in Konstantinovka in eastern Ukraine, Bordodyanka near Kyiv and Zhytomyr in central Ukraine.

In an important strategic victory, Russian troops attacking from the Crimean peninsula said they had linked up along the Azov Sea coast with pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine.

The city of Mariupol was reportedly encircled.

The separatists have been fighting Ukrainian government forces since 2014 in a conflict that has killed more than 14,000 people.

US satellite images show that Russia has massed artillery and armoured cars near Kyiv, raising fears of an imminent assault. 

"The enemy is drawing up forces closer to the capital," Kyiv's mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a video address.

"Kyiv is holding and will hold. We are going to fight," he said.

Ukrainian artist makes heartfelt appeal: Let's take a stand and assert that 'nobody wants the war'

As Russia wages war on Ukraine, artists are taking a stand and making themselves heard in a variety of ways. Nikita Kravtsov joins France 24 to discuss his role as a Ukrainian artist and activist: publishing a book, collaborating with art students, and organizing demonstrations in major cities across Europe. Mr. Kravtsov has a lofty objective in mind: to remind people all over the world that this war is "not only the problem of Ukraine." He is here to tell us that democracy itself is at stake worldwide, and that Russia's assault on Ukraine is a stark warning to the world that "nobody is safe."

New Zealand protesters burn camp after riot police move in
 

New Zealand police deploy a forklift truck to remove cars and campervans that were used by anti-vaccine protesters to jam the streets of downtown Wellington

 (AFP/Dave Lintott)

The numbers of protesters had dwindled to around 300 from around 3,000 two weeks ago (AFP/Marty MELVILLE)

Neil SANDS
Tue, March 1, 2022,

New Zealand anti-vaccination demonstrators set alight their own protest camp outside parliament Wednesday after riot police moved to end their weeks-long occupation of the legislative precinct.

Police abandoned their light-touch approach, with hundreds of officers using perspex shields, pepper spray and water jets to force back protesters, who responded by hurling bottles, bricks and paint bombs.

When it became clear police were winning control of the makeshift tent city that sprang up on parliament's lawns three weeks ago, the demonstrators torched it themselves.

"This is not over," one man yelled, while others chanted "Shame on you" at advancing officers as a thick pall of black smoke enveloped the area.

Police deployed an ear-splitting sonic cannon and high-pressure water hoses to help disperse the crowd, although a few dozen regrouped and fought running battles with police on nearby streets into the evening.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern backed the force's tough tactics, angrily denouncing the violence as a "desecration" of parliament's grounds.

"It was an attack on our frontline police, it was an attack on our parliament, it was an attack on our values, and it was wrong," she told reporters in parliament as rioting continued a few hundred metres (yards) away.

She said what began as a movement against coronavirus vaccine mandates -- inspired by similar protests in Canada -- had turned toxic and the demonstrators' conduct was "disgraceful".

Ardern said the protesters represented a small group whose extremism was fuelled by conspiracy theories and misinformation.

"We have a difficult journey in front of us, to address the underlying cause of what we have seen here today -- but in doing so, we will never, ever excuse it," she said.

New Zealand anti-vaccine protesters torch their own camp outside parliament as police move in (AFP/Marty MELVILLE)

- 'It needs to end' -

Police launched a pre-dawn push to clear roads around the legislature, using a large forklift truck to remove cars and campervans that arrived in the capital in a convoy on February 8 and were used to jam downtown streets.

In the afternoon, they turned to the protest's epicentre on the lawns of parliament, where around 3,000 people congregated at the height of the demonstration about two weeks ago.

Numbers have since dwindled to a hard core of about 300 who police commissioner Andrew Coster said had shown a willingness to use violence not shared by legitimate demonstrators.


Residents have complained about being abused by protesters for wearing masks, while schools and businesses close to the camp had closed for safety reasons 

(AFP/Marty MELVILLE)

"We've seen tactics (from protesters) today including spraying fire extinguishers at the police line, the throwing of paint, early on we saw weapons," he said.

He said police were not seeking confrontation but added: "This protest has now tipped over a balance and it now needs to end."

At least three officers were hospitalised with "non-life threatening" injuries in the operation to clear the parliamentary precinct, which left a few dozen angry protesters milling on nearby streets hurling stones.

New Zealand police move to clear anti-vaccination occupation

 (AFP/Marty MELVILLE)

The show of force came after vocal criticism from Wellington locals about the hands-off approach previously adopted towards the demonstrators.

Residents have complained about being abused by anti-vax activists for wearing masks, while schools and businesses close to the camp have closed for safety reasons.

In recent weeks, police have accused protesters of hurling human faeces at them, spraying a "stinging substance" at officers and slashing tyres on police cars.

Parliamentary officials initially tried to clear the grounds by playing pop music and children's song "Baby Shark" on a loop, but stopped after police criticised the tactic.

Coster said Wednesday's operation came after efforts to "de-escalate" the situation and end the protest peacefully had stalled.

"We reached the stage where protest leaders were unwilling or unable to effect meaningful change," he said.

ns/arb/mtp

COVID digest: New Zealand police clash with anti-vaccine mandate protesters

Protesters burned tents as police used pepper spray in New Zealand's capital. US President Joe Biden said he will "never just accept living with COVID" during his State of the Union address. DW has the latest.



New Zealand police on Wednesday clashed with hundreds of protesters who have been camped outside the Parliament in Wellington for about three weeks.

Violence broke out in the afternoon as police tried to clear up the protest camp. Protesters set fire to a number of tents, sending thick black smoke into the air. They also hurled objects such as tent poles at the police.

Forces used pepper spray on some of the demonstrators, and began towing some of the cars, vans and trucks that protesters have used to block streets in the area. Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said 36 protesters had been arrested for trespassing, obstruction and other offences.

It was the most significant use of force to date by authorities against the protesters, who oppose coronavirus vaccine mandates.

"We've become concerned that those with good intentions are now outnumbered by those with a willingness to use violence to effect their means," he said, adding that de-escalation was the preferred option.

New Zealand imposed tough anti-virus curbs since the beginning of the pandemic and has had low infection and death rates. But cases of the omicron variant have been on the rise. About 95% of eligible people are vaccinated with two doses.

Here are the latest coronavirus developments from around the world:

Americas

President Joe Biden said the United States will "never just accept living with COVID," during his State of the Union address.

Biden said the country would continue fighting the virus. "Thanks to the progress we have made this past year, COVID-19 need no longer control our lives," he said, but asked people not to let their guard down yet, as there could be more variants.

The White House said it will announce a COVID preparedness plan on Wednesday. The plan will be unveiled by Anthony Fauci and other top White House advisers, and map out how "to move forward safely and get back to our more normal routines."

Hawaii will soon lift its quarantine requirement for travelers this month. From March 26, those arriving from other places in the US will not have to show a vaccine certificate or negative test.

International travelers would still require proof of vaccination or a negative test result.

It is the only American state to implement a program of this kind. Hawaii has one of the lowest infection rates in the country.

Governor David Ige said the indoor mask mandate would still be in action, at least till March 25. The state department of health would then take a call after reviewing CDC recommendations, he added.

Asia

Thousands of Filipinos celebrated Ash Wednesday at churches this year, as the Philippines lifted most of its COVID-19 restrictions. Low infection rates and high vaccination numbers in the past weeks allowed people to resume social contact and gatherings.

Devotees came to receive the ash cross on their foreheads, a ritual that marks the beginning of Lent. During the past two years, churches have sprinkled it in people's hair, due to COVID restrictions amid its ongoing omicron surge.

The government of Hong Kong asked its citizens not to "panic nor scramble or stockpile the relevant supplies," as it decides whether to impose restrictions.

Authorities said any decision about a lockdown would keep in mind the financial hub's status and ensure basic needs of residents were met. The government was still deliberating on a compulsory universal testing scheme, sometimes referred to as CUT.

"The experience of implementing a CUT initiative in other parts of the world shows that the basic needs of citizens such as food, necessities and the seeking of medical attention outside home should be addressed," said the government.

Infections in Hong Kong have soared to around 30,000 per day. Experts are expecting the wave to peak in the coming week.

tg/jsi (dpa, AP, Reuters)

In Cameroon's arid north, climate stress boosts ethnic strife

One of the makeshift huts i at the Bogo camp 

(AFP/Daniel Beloumou Olomo)


Adrien MAROTTE
Wed, March 2, 2022, 3:05 AM·4 min read

Their homes are a scattering of huts made of branches and dry leaves that seem to almost dissolve into the arid landscape.

A group of men sit on a rug, conversing in the shade of a tree, while women perching on stones under the scorching Sahel sun prepare a meal with the few ingredients they have to hand, as children play nearby.

These are some of the 4,000 ethnic Arabs in a makeshift camp at Bogo in Cameroon's Far North region.

They fled after violence erupted near Kousseri, a river town about 100 kilometres (60 miles) from Lake Chad.

The fighting flared in August, then again in December, pitting Choa Arab herders against Mousgoum fishermen in a fight over access to water, a precious but dwindling resource in this region.

The Mousgoum dig pools to capture water and keep fish -- a practice that often causes friction with Arab herders seeking water points for cattle, but which this time spiralled out of control.

At least 67 people died and hundreds were injured, the town's cattle market was destroyed and around 100,000 people fled.

Many crossed into neighbouring Chad or headed towards Maroua, the Far North's capital, lying more than 800 kilometres (500 miles) northeast of the capital Yaounde.

Mahamat Sale, 60, is the leader of the group in Bogo, who say they walked some 175 kilometres (110 miles) to reach a place they consider safe. They have lost everything.

"We prefer to stay here rather than go back," said Sale. "Here, we are tolerated. Over there, the Mousgoums consider us to be invaders."

A woman starts building a shelter in Bogo (AFP/Daniel Beloumou Olomo)

- Climate stress -

Rising temperatures and scarcer, more unpredictable rainfall are acknowledged factors in inflaming ancestral tensions in the Lake Chad area.

In a 2019 report, the Europe-based think tank Adelphi warned of "a feedback loop" -- a vicious circle, in non-technical speech -- between climate change and conflict dynamics.

Climate stress increases pressure on communities, which undermines their ability to cope.

This in turn makes those communities more vulnerable to climate impacts and heightens competition for resources.

Armel Sambo, a professor of history at the University of Maroua, said "When the economic situation deteriorates, people fall back on their ethnicity, religion and identity issues," inflaming the risk of violence.

"Historically, the Mousgoums are the natives and the Arabs are nomadic herders, regarded as people who come along and occupy the land as intruders."

Lake Chad is an expanse of shallow water and swamps that at one time was the size of Lake Erie, extending its shores to four countries — Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria.

But it has lost more than 90 percent of its surface area in six decades, reduced from 26,000 square kilometres (10,000 square miles) in 1963 to less than 1,500 square kilometres today.

Increased irrigation and human demand for freshwater, along with less rainfall, have driven the shinkage.

The lake basin and its countless islets have also become the main haven for jihadist fighters from Nigeria's Boko Haram and its dissident branch, the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), but the Kousseri area has thus far been spared from their attacks.

A crucial water source, Lake Chad has lost more than 90 percent of its surface area in six decades (AFP/MICHELE CATTANI)

- Solutions -

At a village near Kousseri, Mahamat Djidda Mahamat, a 20-year-old resident, said the situation had calmed down after last year's clashes.

"I don't know if it's over. I lost my father, my house, loved ones... I just want to live in peace," he said, adding that he avoided the Arabs.

"People are going home. We have secured the area," said Bakari Midjiyawa, the governor of the Far North region.

But, said Sambo, what was needed was a long-term system of water allocation and mediation so that disputes between herders and fishermen did not turn bloody.

"Efforts are being made but are not enough," he said.

"Seasonal livestock trails should be marked out, water points should be created for each community and there should be monitoring to ensure proper application of these measures," he said.

"The government must become more involved, ensure the safety of movements of people in this region and promote mediation by traditional chiefs."

More widely, the disappearance of Lake Chad -- a hypothesis deemed credible by experts -- would deprive millions of water needed to survive through fishing, agriculture, livestock and trade.

"The effects of global warming and the problems of access to water have catalysed tensions," said Xavier Bourgois, spokesperson for UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency.

"Now we must bring all the players around the table to find the roots of the problem and put in place solutions for adapting."

amt/gir/nb/pvh/ri

Vaping may have higher risk for nose, throat cancer than smoking

By HealthDay News

Researchers found that 63% of vapers and 50% of hookah smokers exhaled through their nose, compared with 22% of cigarette smokers. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

E-cigarette and hookah water pipe users may be at greater risk than tobacco cigarette smokers for cancers of the nose, sinuses and throat, according to a new study.

That's because vapers and hookah users are more than twice as likely to exhale smoke through their nose as cigarette smokers, who typically exhale smoke through the mouth, the researchers explained.

"Our findings suggest that the unique way vapers and hookah smokers use their devices may expose the nose and sinuses to far more emissions than cigarettes," said study lead author Emma Karey, a postdoctoral research fellow at NYU Langone Health in New York City.

These may in turn increase their risk for upper respiratory diseases, Karey explained in a medical center news release.

RELATED Vaping may damage teeth, gums, study finds

The researchers observed 123 vapers and 122 cigarettes smokers on the streets of New York City. They also monitored 96 people smoking inside two hookah bars.

They found that 63% of vapers and 50% of hookah smokers exhaled through their nose, compared with 22% of cigarette smokers.

More than 1 in 20 American adults are vapers. Past research has shown that both e-cigarettes and hookahs expose users' respiratory systems to higher levels of nicotine, carbon monoxide and other toxic chemicals than traditional cigarettes and cigars.

RELATED Marijuana use high among adolescent, teen, young adult vapers, study finds

However, the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes and hookahs remain poorly understood.

"Because vaping and hookah devices are used differently than traditional cigarettes, we need to consider diseases of both the nose and lungs to evaluate their safety before judging whether one is more risky than another," said study co-author Terry Gordon, a professor of environmental medicine at NYU Langone.

In a related study, the same research team found increased damage in the nasal passages of vapers and hookah users. Levels of inflammatory compounds released by defense cells in the nose were up to 10 times higher for vapers and hookah users compared to cigarette smokers.

RELATED Study: Fewer successful quitters use e-cigarettes compared to other cessation aids

Further research is needed to confirm whether this nasal damage in vapers and hookah users is actually due to how they expel smoke and not from unrelated issues, Gordon noted.

The study was published March 1 in the journal Tobacco Use Insights.

More information

There's more on vaping at the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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MAY

[mā]

VERB

expressing possibility.

"that may be true" · 

expressing permission.

"may I ask a few questions?" 

expressing a wish or hope.

"may she rest in peace"

Survey: Americans care about climate change, but want some fossil fuels

Activists march in Los Angles in September to seek more ambitious climate action from world leaders. A new survey by Pew Research shows that Americans want to see the U.S. rely more on renewable energy but don't want to eliminate fossil fuels completely due to economics. 

File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

March 1 (UPI) -- While three-quarters of Americans believe the United States should participate in global efforts to combat climate change, a new survey found that just 31 percent want to phase out fossil fuels completely.

The Pew Research Center poll released Tuesday revealed that economic concerns were top of mind for many when asked to think about what a transition away from fossil fuels would mean for their own lives. Sixty-seven percent believe America should use a mix of fossil fuels and renewable energy.

The survey of 10,237 U.S. adults was conducted from Jan. 24 to 30 -- before Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday. The war has resulted in vastly higher oil and gas prices worldwide amid fears of shortages with Russia as a major energy exporter.

Sixty-nine percent of those in the survey prioritize developing alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar, the survey found -- with the same percentage of adults expressing support for the United States taking steps to become carbon neutral by 2050.



But 53 percent said that they didn't think the world could avoid the damaging effects of climate change.

"There's some skepticism that change will be enough to avoid the worst effects," said Carey Funk, the center's director of science and society research. "That was shared, generally speaking, across parties."

The survey results follow a new report from the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on Monday that said climate change is "a threat to human well-being and health of the planet."

"This report is a dire warning about the consequences of inaction," IPCC Chairman Hoesung Lee said in a statement.

Edward Carr, a professor and director of the international development community and environment department at Clark University, and an author of the most recent IPCC report said:

"Incremental change is not going to get us to a climate resilient future now. Our options are going away as time passes, and the longer we wait, the less effective those options will be and the fewer we have."

Funk added that while support for renewables has grown since President Joe Biden took office, Republican support for wind and solar power has decreased.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Monday considered whether an Obama administration regulation to regulate carbon emissions from existing power plants gives the Environmental Protection Agency such authority.

Seattle deluged with more than a month's worth of rain in 3 days
By Allison Finch, AccuWeather, Accuweather.com

Flooding near Warner's Creek closed State Route 7 in Lewis County from milepost 2 to milepost 11 due to flooding near Warner's Creek. Photo courtesy of the Washington State Department of Transportation/Twitter

An extreme atmospheric river unleashed heavy rain and snow over the Pacific Northwest over the last three days of February, bringing significant flooding, avalanche threats, landslides and wreaking havoc on roadways.

The deluge shattered daily rainfall records in Seattle, according to the National Weather Service, and the Emerald City wasn't the only place to break daily rainfall records. The new daily record of 2.97 inches of rain in Seattle surpassed the previous record of 1.46 inches set back on Feb. 28, 1972. Feb. 28 also took the spot for the fourth-wettest February day on record.

The heavy rain to close out February marked an abrupt turnaround as, for most of the month, precipitation amounts in Seattle were trending well below average.

"There has been more rain in the last three days of February in Seattle than there was in the entire month" leading up to that rainy stretch, AccuWeather Director of Forecast Operations Dan DePodwin said. "In fact, the 4.58 inches in the last three days is nearly an inch above the normal for the month," DePodwin added, noting that Seattle, on average, picks up 3.76 inches of rain in February.

"While this month will go down as wetter than normal -- 141 of normal -- it likely will be remembered for being dry due to the majority of days that did not have much precipitation," he said.

For the first 25 days of the month in Portland, Ore., only 58 hundredths of an inch of rain fell, making for a dry month. The city recorded 2.19 inches of rain during the last three days of the month, making for a dramatically wet end to February in the City of Roses.

Just south of Seattle, in Olympia, Wash., 3.12 inches of rain fell, breaking the previous record of 1.69 inches set back in 1972, according to the NWS. West of Olympia, Hoquiam, Wash., broke its 1967 daily rainfall record of 1.33 inches when a total of 2.14 inches of rain fell on Feb. 28.

"These atmospheric river patterns that set up across the Pacific Ocean happen only several times a year, primarily October to April, so while that much rain is not common when this pattern sets up over an area and persists for a couple of days, heavy rain where it sets up is the norm," said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dave Houk.
Heavy rain that saturated the ground tripped many mudslides across parts of Washington Monday. Valley Regional Fire posted photos on Twitter of a mudslide blocking the entire road just south of Seattle, in Auburn, Wash.

Another mudslide was reported just east of Seattle, in Bellevue, Washington, in the same location that experienced a water main break and mudslide just six weeks prior. Residents who were evacuated during the flood of Jan. 17 had just returned to their homes Friday, Feb. 25, only to be greeted with another mudslide on Monday, according to KIRO 7 TV station in Seattle.

A nine-mile stretch of State Route 7 was closed in Lewis County, Wash., on Monday due to flooding near Warner's Creek, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

And the precipitation impacts weren't limited to rainfall. Snowfall at higher elevations was significant also.

According to the Northwest Avalanche Center, there was still a "considerable" avalanche danger for most areas of Washington's Cascade mountains on Tuesday as well as a "high avalanche danger for the east slopes of the northern region of the Cascades.

"Triggering a slide is likely and will be big enough to bury or kill you. Avoid travel in or below avalanche terrain," said NWAC via Twitter.

Snoqualmie Pass and Stevens Pass, roadways over the Cascade Mountains that connect western Washington and eastern Washington, were closed Monday due to heavy snow and avalanche dangers. Stevens Pass opened Monday afternoon, and Snoqualmie Pass opened around 5 p.m. amid areas of standing water and rain. Traction tires were advised for those traveling through Snoqualmie Pass.

Flood watches, warnings and advisories were in effect through Thursday across parts of Washington. Forecasters warned that recent rainfall and runoff could cause rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying areas to flood.

AccuWeather forecasts say the dip in the jet stream that fueled this rich flow of moisture will move eastward in the next few days, changing the weather pattern for the Pacific Northwest.

"There can still be periods of lighter rain across western Washington through Wednesday. New [rainfall] totals should be near or less than half an inch, which will not be a major player in triggering any new flooding," Houk said.

PRIVATIZATION OF SPACE
SpaceX Axiom crew nears final training for first all-private mission to ISS

By Paul Brinkmann

5 / 6The International Space Station is pictured from the SpaceX Crew 

Dragon Endeavour during a flyaround of the orbiting lab in November.

 Photo courtesy of NASA

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 28 (UPI) -- NASA and Houston-based Axiom Space are in the final stages of training and preparation to launch the first all-private astronaut mission, Ax-1, to the International Space Station in late March, mission leaders said Monday.

But don't call the crew -- three billionaires paying $55 million each -- space tourists, Michael López-Alegría, former astronaut and Ax-1 mission commander, said during a press conference.

"The crewmates have worked very hard," López-Alegría said. "They're busy people and they've taken a lot of time out of their lives to focus on this. And it's definitely not a vacation for them.

The private crew members are businessmen Larry Connor from Ohio, Mark Pathy of Montreal and Eytan Stibbe Israel. They will focus on space health research, outreach to people on Earth while they are in space and other microgravity science experiments during the 10-day stay.

"We are not space tourists. I think there's an important role for space tourism, but it is not what Axiom is about," López-Alegría said.

Axiom plans to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket March 30. Liftoff is set for 2:46 p.m. EDT from Complex 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

López-Alegría, a vice president with Axiom, flew to space four times over a 20-year career at NASA. He will become the first person to command both a civil and a commercial human spaceflight mission.

SpaceX is excited to support the mission with Axiom, one of four such private missions planned, Benjamin Reed, senior director, Human Spaceflight Programs for SpaceX, said in the virtual press conference.

Reed said work on the rocket and capsule are "coming along well" at SpaceX's Florida facilities.

"They are on track for being ready to launch here in about a month," he said.

Former NASA official Michael Suffredini, who once managed the International Space Station program, leads Axiom as president and CEO.

He said Axiom, not NASA, will take the lead on communications and publicity about the mission, while NASA will practice oversight and monitoring of the space station as usual.

Ax-1 only plans to use the U.S. portions of the station, so concerns about Russian aggression in Ukraine won't have much of an impact, he and NASA officials said.

The mission is taking more than 25 research experiments that have been developed for microgravity, said Christian Maender, director of Axiom's in-space research and manufacturing.

"They brought to us a portfolio of work and they said, we really want to do some of these things in orbit. And it's been a pleasure to work with them and with NASA and the National Lab to really bring these things to fruition," Maender said.

NASA astronauts also will help pack the Dragon with additional experiments that have been waiting for a ride home, he said.

Connor, an Ohio real estate and financial technology entrepreneur, has flown fighter jets and will be the mission pilot, according to Axiom's mission description.

Connor previously said he plans to collaborate with the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic on medical research, while providing lessons to students at Dayton Early College Academy in his hometown of Dayton, Ohio.

Pathy, chief executive of Mavrik, a Montreal investment firm, plans to collaborate with the Canadian Space Agency and the Montreal Children's Hospital on health-related projects.

Eytan Stibbe plans to conduct experiments for Israeli researchers and entrepreneurs coordinated by the Ramon Foundation and the Israel Space Agency, along with educational outreach to Israeli students.