03-03-2022

7
THUrSDAY, MArCH 3, 2022
Australians flee floods as toll
rises to 12, Sydney on alert
GRAFTON : Floodwaters crashed into
more towns on Australia's east coast
as a deadly storm front barrelled south
on Wednesday towards Sydney,
where the main dam began to spill
water.
The death toll rose to 12 in a weeklong
disaster that has washed cars
from roads and forced tens of
thousands of people to evacuate their
homes as waters lapped at balconies
and roofs. "This is terrible. This is
terrible. One life lost is too many,"
said New South Wales deputy premier
Paul Toole after confirming a third
death in the flood-hit town of Lismore.
After bringing havoc to Queensland,
the storm front moved southwards,
dumping vast quantities of water and
sparking a string of flood alerts in New
South Wales including Sydney,
Australia's largest city.
"Today, the focus is on Sydney. We
are expecting heavy rainfall over the
afternoon into the night and into
tomorrow," Toole warned in a news
conference.
Sydney's main Warragamba dam,
lying southwest of the city, had
reached capacity and started spilling
water in the early hours of Wednesday
morning, Toole said. He told residents
at risk to flee if they are told to do so.
"If you are getting a knock on the
door, if you are asked to leave, please
leave," Toole told a news conference.
"We are looking at substantial rainfall
over the coming days. We don't want
to see those images where people were
standing on the roofs of their houses,
not leaving and then having to be
rescued." In the coastal town of Ballina
in New South Wales, some 55 hospital
patients were evacuated overnighthours
before a high tide from the sea
combined with waters overflowing the
banks of Richmond River.
A "makeshift emergency
department" was set up in a Catholic
college for urgent cases, regional
health officials said.
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.
Photo : AP
Floodwaters crashed into more towns on Australia's east coast as a deadly storm front barrelled
south on Wednesday towards Sydney, where the main dam began to spill water. Photo : AP
Russia, Ukraine
ready for new
talks on war
MOSCOW : Russian and
Ukrainian officials say they
are standing by to resume
talks about their war, though
the time and place for
negotiations was unknown
and hopes for a breakthrough
remain low.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry
Peskov told reporters
Wednesday that "in the
second half of the day, closer
to evening, our delegation will
be in place to await Ukrainian
negotiators."
Ukrainian Foreign Minister
Dmytro Kuleba said
Ukrainian officials are ready
for new talks but said the
venue is undecided and Kyiv
won't accept any Russian
ultimatums.
Kuleba said: "Russia's
demands remain the same as
(Russian President Vladimir)
Putin announced in his
address before the war
started."
Peskov said Putin's culture
adviser Vladimir Medinsky
remains the main negotiator
for Russia.
The first round of talks on
resolving the Russia-Ukraine
war were held near the
Belarus-Ukraine border last
Sunday.
Hawaii to lift COVID-19
travel quarantine rules
this month
HONOLULU : Hawaii
plans to lift its COVID-19
quarantine requirement for
travelers this month,
meaning that starting on
March 26 those arriving
from other places in the
U.S. won't have to show
proof of vaccination or a
negative test to avoid
sequestering themselves
for five days.
Hawaii is the only U.S.
state to implement a
coronavirus quarantine
program of this kind.
Gov. David Ige said at a
news conference the
requirement saved lives
and was a major factor in
limiting the spread of
COVID-19 in the islands.
Hawaii has one of the
lowest coronavirus
infection rates in the
nation.
The quarantine period for
travelers lasted 14 days
when Hawaii first imposed
it in March 2020. The state
later created testing and
vaccination exemptions.
The state screened 11.3
million passengers since
the testing exemption was
launched in October 2020,
Ige said.
Those arriving in Hawaii
from outside the country
still must adhere to U.S.
federal guidelines, which
vary depending on
American citizenship.
International tourists do
not need to quarantine but
still need proof of
vaccination and a negative
test.
The governor said he
would maintain Hawaii's
indoor mask mandate at
least through March 25,
and would be evaluating
whether to lift it after that.
Hawaii is last state in the
nation with a statewide
mandate in effect.
The governor said state
Department of Health will
review recommendations
of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
before he decides, Ige said.
Ige said he wants to make
sure that public schools will
be able to continue with inperson
learning. He said
more people will be
traveling as spring break
comes, which could
increase the presence of the
coronavirus at schools.
"The pandemic is not
over. Tragically, we
continue to see those that
we know and love continue
to suffer from COVID-19,"
he said.
The governor said he was
proud of how the
community responded the
pandemic.
"It is about the people,
place and culture of all of us
here, coming from diverse
backgrounds but always
understanding that there is
a bigger reason to be willing
to sacrifice individual needs
to benefit the community,"
Ige said. "And over and
over again, we were willing
to do that."
Hawaii plans to lift its COVID-19 quarantine requirement for travelers this month, meaning that starting
on March 26 those arriving from other places in the U.S. won't have to show proof of vaccination or a negative
test to avoid sequestering themselves for five days.
Photo : AP
EU leader says
conflict must end
before discussion for
Ukraine'accession
BRUSSELS : Conflict should
end before Ukraine's
application to join the
European Union (EU) is
discussed, European
Commission President
Ursula von der Leyen said
here on Tuesday.
"Today, the European
Union and Ukraine are
already closer than ever
before. There is still a long
path ahead. We have to end
this war. And we should talk
about the next steps," von
der Leyen said when
addressing the European
Parliament plenary.
Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelensky on
Monday signed an official
appeal for the EU, asking for
an accession of Ukraine via a
new special procedure.
During the plenary on
Tuesday, Zelensky, who was
invited to make a speech
from Kiev via video link,
expressed his gratitude that
the EU countries were
unified in supporting
Ukraine but regretted that it
came after a high price was
paid.
European Council
President Charles Michel
responded by pledging to
look at the "symbolic,
political and legitimate
request" seriously, while
admitting the process will be
difficult.
Members of the European
Parliament on Tuesday
adopted a resolution that
called on the EU institutions
to work toward granting
Ukraine EU candidate
status, and stated that such
procedure should be in line
with proper EU terms.
Climate change to
uproot millions,
especially in Asia: UN
JAKARTA : The walls of
Saifullah's home in northern
Jakarta are lined like tree
rings, marking how high the
floodwaters have reached
each year-some more than
four feet from the damp dirt
floor.
When the water gets too
high, Saifullah, who like
many Indonesians only uses
one name, sends his family
to stay with friends. He
guards the house until the
water can be drained using a
makeshift pump. If the
pump stops working, he
uses a bucket or just waits
until the water recedes.
"It's a normal thing here,"
Saifullah, 73, said. "But this
is our home. Where should
we go?"
As the world's most
rapidly sinking major city,
Jakarta demonstrates how
climate change is making
more places uninhabitable.
With an estimated one-third
of the city expected to be
submerged in the coming
decades - in part because of
the rising Java Sea - the
Indonesian government is
planning to move its capital
some 1,240 miles (2,000
kilometers) northeast to the
island of Borneo, relocating
as many as 1.5 million civil
servants.
New Zealand protesters
burn camp after riot
police move in
WELLINGTON : New
Zealand anti-vaccination
demonstrators set alight
their own protest camp
outside parliament
Wednesday after riot police
moved to end their weekslong
occupation of the
legislative precinct.
Ending a previous lighttouch
approach, hundreds of
officers used perspex shields
and pepper spray to force
back protesters, who
responded by pelting them
with chairs, bottles and paint
bombs.
When it became apparent
that police were winning the
battle for 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 earsplitting
sonic cannon to help
disperse the crowd and made
dozens of arrests in an
operation that began just
before dawn.
Speaking to reporters in
parliament after initial
skirmishes took place just a
few hundred metres (yards)
away, Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardern backed the
force's tough tactics.
She said what began as a
movement against
coronavirus vaccine
mandates- inspired by
similar protests in Canadahad
turned toxic, describing
demonstrators' conduct as
"disgraceful".
"The protest has been at
times violent. Increasingly
we find misinformation and
sadly conspiracy theories,"
she said, also labelling the
camp a health risk for
Wellington residents.
"It has become a location of
interest, we know Covid has
circulated within the protest
and there have been
hospitalisations as a result."
Biden vows to check
Russian aggression,
fight inflation
WASHINGTON : Addressing a concerned
nation and anxious world, President Joe Biden
vowed in his first State of the Union address
Tuesday night to check Russian aggression in
Ukraine, tame soaring U.S. inflation and deal
with the fading but still dangerous coronavirus,
reports UNB.
Biden declared that he and all members of
Congress, whatever political differences there
may be, were joined "with an unwavering
resolve that freedom will always triumph over
tyranny." He asked the lawmakers crowding
the House chamber to stand and salute the
Ukrainians as he began his speech. They stood
and cheered.
Biden highlighted the bravery of Ukrainian
defenders and the commitment of a newly
reinvigorated Western alliance that has worked
to rearm the Ukrainian military and cripple
Russia's economy through sanctions. He
warned of costs to the American economy, as
well, but warned ominously that without
consequences, Russian President Vladimir
Putin's aggression wouldn't be contained to
Ukraine.
"Throughout our history we've learned this
lesson - when dictators do not pay a price for
their aggression, they cause more chaos,"
Biden said. "They keep moving. And, the costs
and threats to America and the world keep
rising."
As Biden spoke, Russian forces were
escalating their attacks in Ukraine, having
bombarded the central square of country's
second-biggest city and Kyiv's main TV tower,
killing at least five people. The Babi Yar
Holocaust memorial was also damaged.
Biden announced that the U.S. is following
Canada and the European Union in banning
Russian planes from its airspace in retaliation
for the invasion of Ukraine. He also said the
Justice Department was launching a task force
to go after crimes of Russian oligarchs, whom
he called "corrupt leaders who have bilked
billions of dollars off this violent regime."
"We are coming for your ill-begotten gains,"
he said, pledging that the U.S. and European
allies were coming after their yachts, luxury
apartments and private jets.
"Putin may circle Kyiv with tanks, but he will
never gain the hearts and souls of the
Ukrainian people," Biden said. "He will never
extinguish their love of freedom. He will never
weaken the resolve of the free world."
Even before the Russian invasion sent energy
costs skyrocketing, prices for American
families had been rising, and the COVID-19
pandemic continues to hurt families and the
country's economy.
Biden outlined plans to address inflation by
reinvesting in American manufacturing
capacity, speeding supply chains and reducing
the burden of childcare and eldercare on
workers.
"We have a choice," Biden said. "One way to
fight inflation is to drive down wages and make
Americans poorer. I have a better plan to fight
inflation. Lower your costs, not your wages."
Biden entered the House chamber without a
mask, in a reflection of the declining
coronavirus case counts and new federal
guidance meant to nudge the public back to
pre-pandemic activities. But the Capitol was
newly fenced due to security concerns after last
year's insurrection.
Set against disquiet at home and danger
abroad, the White House had conceived
Tuesday night's speech as an opportunity to
highlight the improving coronavirus outlook,
rebrand Biden's domestic policy priorities and
show a path to lower costs for families
grappling with soaring inflation. But it has
taken on new significance with last week's
Russian invasion of Ukraine and nuclear saberrattling
by Putin.
Nearly 836,000 refugees have
fled Ukraine conflict: UN
GENEVA : Nearly 836,000 refugees have now
fled the conflict in Ukraine for safety in
neighbouring countries, United Nations figures
showed Wednesday.
In all, 835,928 people have fled the country's
borders, the according to the website of the UN
refugee agency, UNHCR-a huge jump from the
677,000 announced Tuesday afternoon by
agency chief Filippo Grandi. More than half
have headed west into Poland.
Some 2,500 migrants storm
border with Spain's Melilla
MADRID : Around 2,500 migrants stormed
the border fence separating the Spanish
enclave of Melilla from Morocco on
Wednesday, with some 500 managing to cross,
officials said.
The incident took place at around 9:30 am
(0830 GMT), the Spanish government's local
delegation said in a statement, indicating
"nearly 500 of them entered" despite efforts to
stop them.