Polar bear kills mother and child in Alaska

Polar bear kills mother and child in Alaska
A polar bear with its cubs in the Sea Ice, northeast of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, USA. (AFP)
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Updated 18 January 2023
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Polar bear kills mother and child in Alaska

Polar bear kills mother and child in Alaska
  • The fatal mauling happened Tuesday in Wales, an isolated Bering Strait coastal community
  • Polar bears are normally far out on the ice in the dead of winter and not close to villages

ANCHORAGE, Alaska: A polar bear chased several residents around a tiny, isolated Alaska Native whaling village, killing a mother and her 1-year-old son in an extremely rare attack before another community member shot and killed the bear, authorities said.
The fatal mauling happened Tuesday in Wales, an isolated Bering Strait coastal community located on the western-most tip of the North American mainland — about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Russia — that is no stranger to co-existing with polar bears.
Summer Myomick of Saint Michael and her son, Clyde Ongtowasruk, were killed in the attack, Alaska State Troopers said in a statement.
Like many far-flung Alaskan villages, the predominantly Inupiaq community of roughly 150 people organizes patrols when the bears are expected in town, from July through early November, before the sea ice forms and bears head out on the frozen landscape to hunt seals.
That makes what happened this week almost unheard of because polar bears are normally far out on the ice in the dead of winter and not close to villages, said Geoff York, the senior director of conservation at Polar Bear International, a conversation group. The last fatal polar bear encounter in Alaska was in 1990.
“I would have been walking around the community of Wales probably without any (bear) deterrents because it’s historically the time of year that’s safe,” said York, who has decades of experience studying polar bears. “You don’t expect to run into bears because they’d be out on the sea ice hunting seals and doing their thing.”
The attack occurred near the school in Wales.
Poor weather and a lack of runway lights at the Wales gravel air strip prevented troopers and wildlife officials from making it to Wales on Tuesday after the polar bear attack. Attempts were being made again Wednesday.
When asked to describe the mood in Wales on Wednesday, Dawn Hendrickson, the school principal, called it “traumatic.” Classes were canceled a day after the fatal attack. “The students are with their families,” Hendrickson said. Counselors were being made available to students.
She said there have been no announcements for memorials for the two victims. “Nothing as of yet,” she said. “We are still in the beginning phase.”
It’s unclear if this attack was related to climate change, but it’s consistent with what is expected as the Arctic continues to warm at four times the rest of the Earth, changing the ecosystem in ways that are still not fully understood, York said. However, this particular bear is a member of a population that is doing fairly well, said Andrew Derocher, a professor of biological sciences at University of Alberta and an expert on polar bears.
Alaska scientists at the US Geological Survey in 2019 found changes in sea ice habitat had coincided with evidence that polar bears’ use of land was increasing and that the chances of a polar bear encounter had increased.
Wales is just over 100 miles (161 kilometers) northwest of Nome. The community is accessible by plane and boats, including barges that deliver household goods. Winter trails provide access on snowmobiles to other communities and to subsistence hunting grounds. ATVs are used for non-winter hunting and fishing trips.
Polar bears are at the top of the food chain, and see humans as a food source, York said.
A report he co-authored titled “Understanding Polar Bear Attacks” detailing fatal polar bear encounters found that most involved either sub-adult bears, usually males who are hungry all the time, or older bears who are injured or ill and having difficulty getting enough calories.
“Both of those bear types are more likely to take risks, like we saw here in Wales,” York said.
Unlike brown or black bears, polar bears do not hibernate in the winter. Only pregnant females enter snow dens, and that’s only for reproduction.
All the other polar bears are out, typically on sea ice where their prey is available year-round.
The Alaska Nannut Co-Management Council, which was created to represent “the collective Alaska Native voice in polar bear co-management,” on its website says polar bears near or entering villages represent ongoing safety concerns for communities within polar bear territory.
The group notes a few polar bear patrol programs in Alaska, including for Wales, which it said was seeking funding to maintain operations, and in the Native village of Diomede, where it says a patrol operates mainly in the winter to protect kids walking to and from school.
York, who has worked in the Arctic for about 30 years, with 21 of those in Alaska, said the community of Wales has long been involved in establishing a polar bear patrol program and taking measures to keep polar bears out of the community.
“This seems to be just one of those terrible cases where despite doing the right things, we had a bear that was an outlier at a time of year that you would never expect that to happen,” he said.
Derocher, the professor of biological sciences at University of Alberta, said the location of the attack is far south in the distribution of polar bears, but it isn’t abnormal for them to be there.
The bear is from a population of polar bears in the Chukchi Sea that is faring well amid climate change, Derocher said. That means the attack could be the result of a bear lured by attractants such as food or garbage more than by climate change factors, he said.
Polar bears of the southern Beaufort Sea, east of the Chukchi Sea population, are in worse shape, Derocher said.
In this case, even though there is ice in the Chukchi and northern Bering seas, the quality of that ice is not known that well. More importantly, York said they don’t know what’s going on under the ice or what the availability of seals and other prey is for polar bears.
The changes are also happening in the winter, when people assumed they were safe from polar bears being on shore, said York.
“Communities may no longer be,” he said.


Saudi Arabia issues rallying cry at UN for end to war and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza

Albulaziz Alwasil, Saudi Arabia’s envoy to the UN. (Twitter @ksamissionun)
Albulaziz Alwasil, Saudi Arabia’s envoy to the UN. (Twitter @ksamissionun)
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Saudi Arabia issues rallying cry at UN for end to war and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza

Albulaziz Alwasil, Saudi Arabia’s envoy to the UN. (Twitter @ksamissionun)
  • Albulaziz Alwasil, the Kingdom’s envoy to the UN, called for action to halt the brutality against defenseless civilians, destruction of infrastructure, and loss of innocent lives
  • He says his country spares no effort in its attempts to safeguard civilians in Gaza and provide them with aid, and has so far raised more than $133 million to help achieve this

NEW YORK CITY: Saudi Arabia has once again called for an “immediate end to military operations” in Gaza, as the Kingdom’s ambassador to the UN issued a rallying cry for collective international efforts to end the humanitarian catastrophe in the territory.
Addressing a meeting of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Albulaziz Alwasil painted a bleak picture of “defenseless civilians” facing relentless brutality, the destruction of vital infrastructure including health centers and places of worship, and the alarming loss of innocent lives, including thousands of women, children and elderly people.
He said his country is sparing no effort in its attempts to safeguard civilians in Gaza and provide them with aid. Its commitment to providing humanitarian assistance by air and sea, and the launch of major fundraising campaigns that have raised more than SR500 million ($133 million), underscore the Kingdom’s dedication to alleviating the suffering of Palestinian civilians, he added.
On Nov. 11, Riyadh hosted an extraordinary joint Islamic and Arab summit to discuss the escalating war, during which the participants adopted a resolution that stated they “unequivocally reject the Israeli aggression against Gaza.”
It also condemned the displacement of Palestinians, attacks on hospitals, and the overall violence in the region. It emphasized the immediate need for food, medicine and fuel in Gaza and called for humanitarian aid convoys to be granted access to the territory as a matter of urgency.
It urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States to adopt an official position in opposition to the aggression in Gaza, and called for increased pressure in an effort to establish a serious political process designed to achieve a comprehensive and just peace in line with the principles of international law.
Alwasil welcomed the humanitarian pause that began on Friday and was initiated by efforts by Qatar, Egypt and the US, while calling for it to become a complete halt to military operations. He also stressed the importance of releasing all hostages and prisoners, and reiterated the need to implement all relevant UN Security Council resolutions and General Assembly mandates without conditions.
Alwasil said the Israeli occupation forces must be held accountable for their actions, denounced the use of weapons prohibited by international conventions, and condemned the annexation of settlements in the West Bank.
He also criticized those responsible for repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque, which he described as grave violations of international law and provocations that cause tensions to rise and disrupt peace efforts.
“We call upon the international community to hold the Israeli occupation forces accountable for these inhumane crimes, which are tantamount to a blatant violation of international humanitarian law,” said Alwasil.
“We warn against double standards and selectivity, and not committing to UN laws and resolutions. This has serious consequences that go beyond this crisis and undermine the legitimacy of the global order, which in turn reflects negatively on our ability to maintain international peace and security.”
Alwasil reiterated Saudi Arabia’s unwavering belief in a two-state solution as the key to stability and security for Palestine.
He added that there is a need “for the Israeli occupation forces to heed the calls for peace, namely the Arab Peace Initiative, and to engage in serious negotiations in good faith to achieve peace based on the two-state solution. This would allow us to achieve security and stability in this vital region of the world.”

 


No evidence Hamas is using American hostages as leverage: White House

The North Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC. (AFP file photo)
The North Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC. (AFP file photo)
Updated 39 min 17 sec ago
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No evidence Hamas is using American hostages as leverage: White House

The North Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC. (AFP file photo)

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE: The White House said on Tuesday that US officials see no indications that Hamas militants are refusing to release American hostages in Gaza in order to use them as leverage.
The United States believes Hamas is holding eight to nine Americans as hostages after the release of a four-year-old girl.

 

 


Putin won’t make peace in Ukraine before 2024 US election -US official

Putin won’t make peace in Ukraine before 2024 US election -US official
Updated 29 November 2023
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Putin won’t make peace in Ukraine before 2024 US election -US official

Putin won’t make peace in Ukraine before 2024 US election -US official
  • “That was the context in which the allies all expressed strong support for Ukraine” in the NATO meeting on Tuesday, the official added
  • US President Joe Biden, a Democrat, has given massive military aid and other support to Kyiv

BRUSSELS: Russian President Vladimir Putin will not make peace in Ukraine before he knows the results of the November 2024 US election, a senior US State Department official said on Tuesday, amid concerns that a potential victory for former President Donald Trump could upend Western support for Kyiv.
Trump, who is seeking reelection in 2024 and is the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, has been sharply critical of US support for Kyiv.
A senior official briefing reporters after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels said the alliance reiterated its support for Ukraine knowing that a peace agreement in the next year is unlikely.
“My expectation is that Putin won’t make a peace or a meaningful peace before he sees the result of our election,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the outcomes of the meeting.
Asked whether they were expressing a personal opinion or the view of the US government, the official said it was a “widely shared premise.”
“That was the context in which the allies all expressed strong support for Ukraine” in the NATO meeting on Tuesday, the official added, without mentioning Trump by name or explicitly saying how the election result would affect support for Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden, a Democrat, has given massive military aid and other support to Kyiv since Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion, but additional funding for Ukraine is being held up by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this month invited Trump, who has said he could end the war in 24 hours if reelected, to Ukraine to see the scale of the conflict for himself.


Hundreds remember Tanzanian student killed in Israel-Hamas conflict

Hundreds remember Tanzanian student killed in Israel-Hamas conflict
Updated 28 November 2023
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Hundreds remember Tanzanian student killed in Israel-Hamas conflict

Hundreds remember Tanzanian student killed in Israel-Hamas conflict
  • Clemence Felix Mtenga, 22, was reported missing after Hamas gunmen stormed across the border from Gaza into Israel on October 7
  • Family members — wearing black shirts bearing Mtenga’s picture — broke down as they filed past the closed coffin

DAR ES SALAAM: Hundreds of Tanzanians bid a tearful farewell on Tuesday to a young agriculture student who was killed in the Hamas-Israel conflict several thousand kilometers away.
Clemence Felix Mtenga, 22, was reported missing after Hamas gunmen stormed across the border from Gaza into Israel on October 7, killing a reported 1,200 people and taking scores more hostage, according to Israeli officials.
Family members — wearing black shirts bearing Mtenga’s picture — broke down as they filed past the closed coffin at a ceremony in his home village of Kirwa in the Mount Kilimanjaro region.
Mtenga and another Tanzanian student, Joshua Mollel, 21, went to Israel in September for an agricultural internship program but both went missing after the October 7 attack.
Tanzania’s foreign ministry confirmed his death in a statement last week, without elaborating on how he was killed, and said Mollel was still missing.
Friends who studied with Mtenga before he moved to Israel described him as being “lovely and friendly.”
“It was sad and difficult to accept news of his death because we used to communicate with him almost every evening,” said Anthony Kanyanza.
“He was a leader of one of the class groups and we all enjoyed his company.”
A member of the local choir, Mtenga had been due to graduate from his university in Tanzania last week.
“Clemence died innocent. Let’s keep Israel and Palestine in our prayers every day to end this kind of innocent deaths,” said priest Alfred Minja who led the burial service attended by government officials.
The head of Israel’s international development agency Eynat Shlein had said on X, formerly Twitter, that Mtenga “was murdered by Hamas terrorists on Oct 7.”
The two students were among about 260 Tanzanian youths who went to Israel for an internship in modern farming under a partnership program between the two countries.
Many of the places worst affected by the Hamas attacks were Israeli agricultural communes lining the region bordering the Gaza Strip.
Mtenga’s sister Christina Mtenga told AFP by phone that they had paid their “final respects.”


Authorities face calls to declare a hate crime in Vermont shooting of 3 men of Palestinian descent

Authorities face calls to declare a hate crime in Vermont shooting of 3 men of Palestinian descent
Updated 28 November 2023
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Authorities face calls to declare a hate crime in Vermont shooting of 3 men of Palestinian descent

Authorities face calls to declare a hate crime in Vermont shooting of 3 men of Palestinian descent
  • Jason J. Eaton, 48, was arrested and held without bail on three counts of attempted murder
  • The US Department of Justice, along with Vermont authorities, are still investigating whether Saturday’s gunfire on a Burlington street was a hate crime

BURLINGTON, USA: Vigils for three college students of Palestinian descent who were shot in Vermont over the weekend prompted calls for authorities to recognize the violence as a hate crime, and for unity among the Jewish and Arab communities.
Jason J. Eaton, 48, was arrested and held without bail on three counts of attempted murder. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf on Monday.
The US Department of Justice, along with Vermont authorities, are still investigating whether Saturday’s gunfire on a Burlington street was a hate crime amid an increase in threats against Jewish, Muslim and Arab communities across the US since the Israel-Hamas war began, Attorney General Merrick Garland said. “There is understandable fear in communities across the country,” he said.
One vigil was held Monday night at Brown University in Rhode Island, where one of the victims, Hisham Awartani, is a student. Participants shouted at school president Christina Paxson as she addressed the crowd, demanding that Brown divest from investments that support Israel, according to media reports.
Robert Leikend, New England regional director for the American Jewish Committee, called for unity and finding common ground between the Jewish and Arab communities, saying in a statement Monday night that “hate should not beget more hate.”
He said a vigil after Eaton’s arrest “featured anti-Israel and antisemitic statements from some participants.” He didn’t name the location.
“The anger is understandable. The finger-pointing is not,” he said.
The vigil at Brown was closed to media. NBC News reported that Awartani said in a statement read by a professor that as much as he appreciates the love and support of the community, “I am but one casualty in a much wider conflict.”
The statement read, “Had I been shot in the West Bank, where I grew up, the medical services which saved my life here would have likely been withheld by the Israeli army. The soldier who would have shot me would go home and never be convicted.”
Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Ali Ahmad, all age 20, were spending their Thanksgiving break in Burlington, and were out for a walk while visiting one of the victims’ relatives when they were confronted by a white man with a handgun, police said. The victims were speaking in a mix of English and Arabic and two of them were also wearing the black-and-white Palestinian keffiyeh scarves when they were shot, Police Chief Jon Murad said.
Abdalhamid told police he ran away, jumped a fence, and hid behind a house. He eventually knocked on another door, begging the woman who answered to call 911. At that point, he sat down, felt pain, and saw blood, according to an affidavit.
Two of the students were struck in their torsos, while one was hit in the lower body, Murad said. All three were being treated at the University of Vermont Medical Center, and one faces a long recovery because of a spinal injury, a family member said.
One of the students has been released from the hospital, according to media reports.
“I’ve been with them almost constantly since Saturday evening. I’ve been listening to them talk to one another and try to process the events, and I’m blown away by their resilience, by their good humor in the face of these difficult times,” said Rich Price, Awartani’s uncle.
The three have been friends since first grade at Ramallah Friends School, a private school in the West Bank, and all are “remarkable, distinguished students,” said Rania Ma’ayeh, head of the school.
Awartani is studying mathematics and archaeology at Brown; Abdalhamid is a pre-med student at Haverford College in Pennsylvania; and Ali Ahmad is studying mathematics and IT at Trinity College in Connecticut, Ma’ayeh said. Awartani and Abdalhamid are US citizens while Ali Ahmad is studying on a student visa, Ma’ayeh said.
Abdalhamid’s uncle Radi Tamimi, said at a news conference Monday his nephew grew up in the West Bank and “we always thought that that could be more of a risk in terms of his safety and sending him here would be a right decision.
“We feel somehow betrayed in that decision here and we’re just trying to come to terms with everything,” he said.
Eaton moved to Burlington over the summer from Syracuse, New York, and legally purchased the gun used in the shooting, Murad told reporters. According to a police affidavit, federal agents found the gun in Eaton’s apartment on Sunday. Eaton came to the door holding his hands, palms up, and told the officers he’d been waiting for them.
Eaton’s mother, Mary Reed, told the Daily Beast that Eaton, who had held various jobs as a farmer, ski instructor and researcher, had struggled with mental health issues, including depression. But she said he was in “such a good mood” when she saw him on Thanksgiving.
Syracuse police said Eaton’s name appeared in 37 police reports from 2007 until 2021, but never as a suspect. The cases ranged from domestic violence to larceny, and Eaton was listed as either a complainant or victim in 21 reports, according to Lt. Matthew Malinowski, the department’s public information officer.
Sarah George, state’s attorney, said that law enforcement officials do not yet have evidence to support a hate crime charge, which under Vermont law must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. But, she said, “I do want to be clear that there is no question that this was a hateful act.”
Demonstrations have been widespread and tensions in the US have escalated as the death toll rises in the Israel-Hamas war. A fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was set to continue for two more days past Monday as 11 more hostages were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza under what was originally a four-day truce deal.