Another powerful Pacific storm hits soggy, snowy California

Robert Mendoza shovels out his neighbor's home in the Sierra Nevada mountains, still covered in snow from previous storms, as yet another storm system arrives which is predicted to bring heavy snow to higher elevations on March 28, 2023 in Mammoth Lakes, California. (AFP)
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Robert Mendoza shovels out his neighbor's home in the Sierra Nevada mountains, still covered in snow from previous storms, as yet another storm system arrives which is predicted to bring heavy snow to higher elevations on March 28, 2023 in Mammoth Lakes, California. (AFP)
Another powerful Pacific storm hits soggy, snowy California
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A person walks near a snowbank as snow falls in the Sierra Nevada mountains from yet another storm system which is predicted to bring heavy snow to higher elevations on March 28, 2023 in Mammoth Lakes, California. (AFP)
Another powerful Pacific storm hits soggy, snowy California
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A vehicle drives past a snowbank as snow falls in the Sierra Nevada mountains as yet another storm system arrives which is predicted to bring heavy snow to higher elevations on March 28, 2023 in Mammoth Lakes, California. (AFP)
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Updated 29 March 2023
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Another powerful Pacific storm hits soggy, snowy California

Another powerful Pacific storm hits soggy, snowy California
  • Damage since the onslaught began in late December includes buildings crushed by snow, flooding of communities and farm fields and homes threatened by landslides

SACRAMENTO, California: A powerful weather system from the Gulf of Alaska pushed into Northern California on Tuesday, bringing more wind, rain and snow to a state battered by months of storms.
Forecasters warned of heavy snow in coastal mountains and the Sierra Nevada, where accumulations up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) were possible, highway chain requirements took effect and a backcountry avalanche warning was issued for the greater Lake Tahoe area.
The National Weather Service said the storm was expected to pull a plume of Pacific moisture into California as it tracked south, but the rainfall was not expected to be as intense as the atmospheric rivers that impacted the state in recent weeks.
After a dozen previous atmospheric rivers and blizzards fueled by arctic air, the water content of California’s Sierra Nevada snowpack is more than double normal overall, and nearly triple in the southern Sierra.
Damage since the onslaught began in late December includes buildings crushed by snow, flooding of communities and farm fields and homes threatened by landslides.
Crews on Monday tore down a historic pier in Santa Cruz County that was in danger of collapse. The 500-foot-long (152-meter) wooden pier at Seacliff State Beach was severely damaged by big surf in January. Built in 1930, the pier connected the beach to SS Palo Alto, a grounded Word War I-era steamship known as the “cement ship.”
On the positive side, the storms have brought much-needed water. The state’s two largest reservoirs, Shasta and Oroville, have risen above their historical averages to date after being significantly depleted.
Cities and farmers that rely on the Central Valley Project, the federally managed water system, got a big boost in their allocations Tuesday.
More than 250 agencies — mostly irrigation districts — contract with the federal government for certain amounts of water each year, and the US Bureau of Reclamation announces each February how much of those contracts can be filled, updating as conditions change.
The storm boost in supply means that many providers of irrigation water supplied by the CVP will see the amount they can draw jump from as little as 35 percent of their contracted total to 80 percent. Providers for city and industrial uses will be allowed 100 percent of their historic use instead of just 75 percent, the bureau said.
In Southern California, the Metropolitan Water District is bringing water from the north to fill its massive Diamond Valley Lake, a reservoir that had diminished to 60 percent of capacity after three years of drought. It’s expected to be full again by year’s end.
“Nature gave us a lifeline,” MWD General Manager Adel Hagekhalil said Monday as officials watched water pour into the reservoir.

 


First US Abrams tanks to reach Ukraine ‘next week:’ Biden

First US Abrams tanks to reach Ukraine ‘next week:’ Biden
Updated 9 sec ago
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First US Abrams tanks to reach Ukraine ‘next week:’ Biden

First US Abrams tanks to reach Ukraine ‘next week:’ Biden
  • Biden also said he had “approved the next tranche of security assistance for Ukraine,” which the Pentagon later valued at $325 million

WASHINGTON: The first US M1 Abrams tanks will arrive in Ukraine “next week,” US President Joe Biden said Thursday, boosting Kyiv’s forces as they battle Russian troops in a slow-moving counteroffensive.

“Next week, the first US Abrams tanks will be delivered in Ukraine,” Biden said at the White House, alongside his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, who is on his second visit to the United States since Russia invaded his country in February 2022.

Biden also said he had “approved the next tranche of security assistance for Ukraine,” which the Pentagon later valued at $325 million.

It includes air defense missiles, ammunition for HIMARS precision rocket launchers, anti-tank weapons, and artillery rounds.

But the package does not feature the long-range ATACMS missiles that Kyiv has repeatedly requested.

It does include 155mm rounds that contain cluster munitions, which Washington first agreed to provide to Ukraine in July despite concerns over the long-term risk posed to civilians by bomblets that fail to explode.

The United States said it has received assurances from Kyiv that it would minimize the risk the weapons pose to civilians, including by not using the munitions in populated areas.

Washington had promised the 31 Abrams tanks to Kyiv at the start of the year, part of more than $43 billion in security assistance pledged by the United States over the past 18 months.

The tanks will be paired with 120mm armor-piercing depleted uranium rounds.

Such munitions are controversial due to their association with health problems, such as cancer and birth defects, in areas where they were used in past conflicts, although they have not been definitively proven to have caused them.

The decision to provide Abrams tanks to Ukraine represented a U-turn as American defense officials had repeatedly said they were ill-suited for Kyiv’s forces due to their complexity.


‘Sclerotic’ UN needs reform, Security Council system flawed, European Commission chief tells UNGA

‘Sclerotic’ UN needs reform, Security Council system flawed, European Commission chief tells UNGA
Updated 14 min 27 sec ago
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‘Sclerotic’ UN needs reform, Security Council system flawed, European Commission chief tells UNGA

‘Sclerotic’ UN needs reform, Security Council system flawed, European Commission chief tells UNGA
  • Charles Michel said lack of global representation on the council reflects outdated power structures that ‘hobbled’ its ability to act in best interests of the world
  • During the General Debate at the UN General Assembly, he also reiterated his previous call for a global treaty on pandemic prevention and preparedness

LONDON: The UN system has become “sclerotic” and is in need of reform, the president of the European Commission said on Thursday.

During a speech on Thursday during the General Debate at the 78th UN General Assembly in New York, Charles Michel also backed growing calls for the veto powers granted to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council — the US, Russia, France, the UK and China — to be limited under emergency conditions, and to broaden the body’s global representation.

“We must assume our responsibility and that means being engaged in order to put multilateralism back on solid ground,” he said. “To that end, we need to restore trust, solve the most urgent problems and repair the United Nations system.

“For the last 19 months, a permanent member of the Security Council, Russia, without any shame, has been undertaking a war to conquer its neighboring country.

“It can even abuse its veto rights to prevent sanctions against itself, and even use the Security Council to disseminate propaganda, disinformation and lies — let’s be honest.”

Michel reaffirmed the “unwavering” support of the EU for Ukraine in the war with Russia and the country’s “right to legitimate defense.”

He criticized the lack of proper global representation within the Security Council, which he said continues to reflect outdated power structures and this “hobbled” its ability to act in the best interests of the world as a whole, especially given some countries were “still colonial powers.”

He added: “The planet is falling. The world is being torn asunder by poverty and injustice, entire swaths of the world — Africa, South America, the Caribbean, Asia — are under- or non-represented (on the council). We support the comprehensive, massive reform of the Security Council to amplify the voice of these regions.”

Michel also reiterated his previous call for a global treaty on pandemic prevention and preparedness. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he and the head of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, have led the push for negotiations on a treaty of this kind within the UN framework, urging the international community to reach a consensus on the topic by May next year.


Beijing committed to territorial reunification: VP

Beijing committed to territorial reunification: VP
Updated 42 min 57 sec ago
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Beijing committed to territorial reunification: VP

Beijing committed to territorial reunification: VP
  • ‘Taiwan has been China since ancient times,’ Han Zheng tells UN General Assembly
  • Vice president expresses support for ‘lawful national rights’ of the Palestinian people

NEW YORK: Beijing aims to reunify all Chinese territory, including Taiwan, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng told the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday.

“China stays committed to safeguarding sovereignty. There’s only one China, and the government is the sole legal government representing China,” he said.

“Taiwan has been China since ancient times, and no force should ever underestimate the strong will of the Chinese people to safeguard their sovereignty.”

Han said the international community must uphold equity and justice, safeguard peace and security, strive for mutual benefits and development for all, and pursue multilateralism in a balanced manner. “Major countries should lead by example and deliver on their commitment to multilateralism,” he added.

Han stressed the need for nonproliferation of all types of arms, saying China is the only permanent member of the UN Security Council that has pledged no first use of nuclear weapons, and it will soon ratify the UN Firearms Protocol.

He added that global development is a priority for China, which will host the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation next month.         

China is also committed to prioritizing ecology, which includes ceasing the construction of coal-fired power projects abroad, and supporting developing countries in order to produce green and low-carbon energy, Han said.

He called for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the “restoration of lawful national rights” of Palestinians.


Turkiye says it played no direct role in Karabakh operation

Turkiye says it played no direct role in Karabakh operation
Updated 21 September 2023
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Turkiye says it played no direct role in Karabakh operation

Turkiye says it played no direct role in Karabakh operation
  • Azerbaijan launched a lightning offensive to take back control of its breakaway Karabakh region on Tuesday

ANKARA: Turkiye is using “all means,” including military training and modernization, to support its close ally Azerbaijan but it did not play a direct role in Baku’s military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh, a Turkish Defense Ministry official said on Thursday.

Azerbaijan launched a lightning offensive to take back control of its breakaway Karabakh region on Tuesday. It later announced a ceasefire that would disarm the ethnic Armenian separatists who had held much of the region — regarded internationally as part of Azerbaijan — since the 1990s.

NATO ally Turkiye publicly threw its support behind Azerbaijan’s “steps to preserve its territorial integrity” but it had been unclear whether Ankara played any active role in the 24-hour military operation.

“It was Azerbaijan army’s own operation, there was no direct involvement of Turkiye,” a Turkish Defense Ministry official said on Thursday.

“Turkiye’s cooperation with Azerbaijan in military training and army modernization has been underway for a long time. The Azerbaijani army’s success in the latest operation clearly shows the level they achieved,” the official said.

He also said a joint Turkish-Russian monitoring center was still operating and was reporting on any ceasefire violations.

Turkiye, which has close linguistic, cultural and economic ties with Azerbaijan, supports efforts by Baku and Yerevan to build peaceful relations, the official added.

In a phone call late on Wednesday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan reaffirmed Ankara’s support to his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev.

“President Erdogan reiterated Turkiye’s heartfelt support for Azerbaijan,” the presidency said in a statement.

President Aliyev trumpeted victory in a televised address to the nation, saying his country’s military had restored its sovereignty in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Representatives from Nagorno-Karabakh and the Azerbaijan government met for talks on Thursday to discuss the future of the breakaway region that Azerbaijan claims to fully control following this week’s military offensive. Azerbaijan’s state news agency said the talks had ended but provided no details on whether an agreement was reached. 

Nagorno-Karabakh authorities and the news agency earlier said the talks between regional leaders and Azerbaijan’s government would focus on Nagorno-Karabakh’s “reintegration” into Azerbaijan.

Nagorno-Karabakh human rights ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan said at least 200 people, including 10 civilians, were killed and more than 400 others were wounded in the fighting. 

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Aliyev and “condemned Azerbaijan’s decision to use force ... at the risk of worsening the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh and compromising ongoing efforts to achieve a fair and lasting peace,” the French presidential office said.

Macron “stressed the need to respect” the ceasefire and “to provide guarantees on the rights and security of the people of Karabakh, in line with international law.”

Azerbaijan presidential aide Hikmet Hajjiyev said the government was “ready to listen to the Armenian population of Karabakh regarding their humanitarian needs.”


Italian PM urges UN to wage ‘war without mercy’ on migrant trafficking

Italian PM urges UN to wage ‘war without mercy’ on migrant trafficking
Updated 21 September 2023
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Italian PM urges UN to wage ‘war without mercy’ on migrant trafficking

Italian PM urges UN to wage ‘war without mercy’ on migrant trafficking
  • Meloni said Italy is ready to lead efforts against the ‘slave traders of the third millennium’

NEW YORK: Italy’s prime minister has urged the UN to launch a “global war without mercy” against migrant smugglers, after a surge of arrivals on the island of Lampedusa.

Addressing the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that Italy, which next year heads the Group of Seven wealthy democracies, was ready to lead efforts against the “slave traders of the third millennium.”

“Can an organization like this which reaffirms in its founding document the faith in the dignity and worth of human beings turn a blind eye to this tragedy?” she asked.

“I believe it is the duty of this organization to reject any hypocritical approach to this issue and wage a global war without mercy against the traffickers of human beings,” she said.

“To do so we need to work together at every level. Italy plans to be on the frontline on this issue.”

Meloni, who heads the post-fascist Brothers of Italy party, took office in part on pledges to crack down on migration.

Some 8,500 people landed on Italy’s southern island of Lampedusa from 199 boats between Monday and Wednesday last week, according to the UN’s International Organization for Migration.

The group is largely made up of people from sub-Saharan Africa who have gone to Tunisia, which is suffering from economic tumult and where President Kais Saied has railed against dark-skinned people.

Meloni put the blame on human traffickers, calling them a “mafia” who earn as much as drug smugglers, but said Italy would also work to address root causes and help African nations “grow and prosper.”

“Africa is not a poor continent. To the contrary, it is rich with strategic resources,” she said.

Her remarks came as German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Sicily, calling for a fair distribution of migrants who arrive in Europe.

Steinmeier, who is being accompanied by Italian President Sergio Mattarella during the two-day visit, said both Germany and Italy were “at their limits.”

“We need a fair distribution in Europe and stronger controls and surveillance at our external borders,” he told Italy’s Corriere della Sera daily in an interview ahead of his trip.

The focus of the trip was the awarding of a joint prize by the two presidents aimed at enhancing bilateral ties, but will also include a private visit to a migrant charity.

Germany is also dealing with “heavy immigration,” Steinmeier said, calling for “humane and sustainable European solutions.”

“We have to make every effort to make the loads sustainable and lower the number of arrivals,” he added.