The average price of self-serve regular gasoline a gallon in Los Angeles County, the most populous county in the United States, rose 1.6 cents Sunday to a record high of 5.982 U.S. dollars, its 26th consecutive increase.
LOS ANGELES, March 20 (Xinhua) — The Orange County average price rose 2.3 cents to a record high of 5.945 dollars, its 29th consecutive increase. It has risen 1.185 dollars during the streak.
Meanwhile, in the neighbouring Ventura County and San Diego County of Los Angeles in Southern California, the average price of self-serve regular gasoline a gallon rose to 5.946 dollars and 5.912 dollars respectively.
Statewide, in the four counties of Mono, Trinity, Inyo and San Luis Obispo, the average gas price passed 6 dollars on Sunday. In Mono County, notorious for its most expensive gas price in the Golden State, the price has risen to 6.481 dollars, 0.634 dollars higher than the average price in the state.
The larger increases are the result of rebounding crude oil prices caused by a lack of commitment from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to raise production levels despite requests by the Biden administration, as well as a supply issue stemming from the Torrance PBF refinery having issues restarting a key unit that went offline after a March 6 power outage, according to Marie Montgomery, a public relations specialist with the Automobile Club of Southern California
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday that the Ukraine crisis is developing in a way that goes beyond itself, with spillovers affecting the whole world, and in this regard, the majority of countries in the world, share reasonable concerns and hold similar positions.
HEFEI, March 20 (Xinhua) — Wang made the remarks at a press briefing after holding talks with Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra in Tunxi, east China’s Anhui Province.
Wang told the press that after exchanging views with many foreign ministers from Asian or African countries, he felt that many countries, like China, are following closely the developments of the Ukraine crisis, and share a lot of common languages.
“We all believe that the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be observed, international disputes should be resolved peacefully, and the parties concerned should realize ceasefire and put an end to the war as quickly as possible,” he said.
Noting that during discussions at the UN General Assembly on the Ukraine issue, China, Algeria and quite a number of countries abstained in the voting, Wang said abstention is also an attitude. It is to give peace a chance and shows disapproval of using war and sanctions to address disputes, and it is a responsible attitude.
“At the same time, we are of the view that the Ukraine issue has not come to this point by accident. It is the result of the confluence of various factors and an eruption of the tensions that have built up over the years,” said Wang, adding that what lies at the heart is the issue of European security, and Nato’s move of expanding eastward without limit merits reflection.
He said that from the longer-term perspective, parties in Europe should follow the principle of indivisible security and, based on respecting each other’s legitimate concerns, pursue dialogue and negotiation to build a balanced, effective and sustainable regional security architecture.
“First, it is widely believed that when addressing regional and international hotspot issues, war and sanctions are not the only options, and dialogue and negotiation is the fundamental way out,” said Wang, adding that the current circumstances make it more important to stick to this direction.
“Second, the momentum of world economic recovery should not be disrupted,” said Wang, adding that in the context of the ongoing pandemic, escalating unilateral sanctions will fracture the global industrial and supply chains and hurt the livelihood of people of all countries, who have no responsibility for paying for geopolitical conflicts and major-country competition.
Third, all countries have the right to independently decide their external policies, and should not be forced to choose sides, Wang said.
He added that when dealing with complex issues and divergent views, one should not opt for the simplistic approach of “friend or foe” and “black or white.” It is particularly important to resist the Cold War mentality and oppose bloc confrontation.
“Fourth, the sovereign independence and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected at all times. This principle applies to all countries and regions. There should be no exception, still less double standards,” Wang said.
During the press conference, Wang also put forward China’s position on Africa-related issues.
Noting the ongoing Ukraine crisis, Wang stressed that the world is very big and there are many problems. The African continent, in particular, should not be forgotten and should no longer be marginalized, still less a victim.
“The more turbulent the international situation is, the more we must pay attention to the voice of African countries and increase our support and assistance to Africa,” he said.
Wang said as a good brother of African countries, China will continue to stand with Africa, firmly support Africa in maintaining peace and security, firmly support Africa in achieving economic recovery, firmly support Africa in defending its legitimate rights and interests, and make due contributions to Africa’s independence and sustainable development.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Sunday that the parties involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict agreed to open another seven humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians, as the crisis has ruined the lives of millions of people.
Vereshchuk said on Sunday that the relevant parties reached an agreement on humanitarian corridors on the same day, and the Ukrainian side will continue to evacuate people from Mariupol and Kyiv.
Kyrylo Tymoshenko, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, posted on social media on Saturday that Ukraine evacuated more than 6,600 residents from Kyiv, Mariupol and Luhansk through humanitarian channels on the day.
Mikhail Mezentsev, Director of the Russian Defense Management Center, issued a statement on Sunday saying that the Russian army will open the east-west humanitarian channel in Mariupol from 10:00 Moscow time on Monday. Nationalist militants will be allowed to leave Mariupol between 10:00 and 12:00 that day, but they must not carry any weapons, said the statement.
Mezentsev said in the statement that at present, about 130,000 civilians and 184 foreign citizens from six countries are still being held hostage by the Ukrainian nationalists in Mariupol, with civilians being killed every day. Russia urges the nationalists to lay down their arms.
Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said Sunday on social media that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has displaced at least 10 million people in Ukraine, including those still in Ukraine and those who have left the country. According to the data from the UN Refugee Agency, about 3.39 million people in Ukraine had left for neighbouring countries as of Saturday.
Guards at the Moldova-Ukraine border said on March 20 there had been an increase in cars returning to war-torn Ukraine.
One of the border guards at the Palanca border crossing in the south-east of the country, Alina, said some Ukrainian refugees had started to leave Moldova, one of Europe’s poorest countries.
“We have of course lots of problems as the traffic increases, refugees start leaving as the situation is a little better in Ukraine and they want to go back home,” she said.
One Ukrainian refugee returning home was Aliona from Odessa, which is about 60 kilometres to the east.
“I want to go home, I work there as a psychologist, I have clients who are ready and waiting to meet me. For me, this is very important and I want to be useful. My children also want to go home and their grandparents miss them and I also want to see my parents. We want peace, not war,” she said before crossing the border in her car.
Odessa, normally an hour’s drive from Palanca, is a picturesque Black Sea port that handles more than half of Ukraine’s imports and exports, is seen as a major strategic and symbolic target for Russian forces.
With the war in its fourth week, Odessa is still unconquered.
More than 3.3 million refugees have already fled Ukraine through its western border since Russia invaded the country on February 24.
Ukraine’s agricultural output has been seriously affected by the ongoing conflict and a much worse consequence is likely to take place in the fall if this year’s planting season is also impacted, said a senior official of the Ukrainian government.
Speaking with China Global Television Network, Tymofiy Mylovanov, advisor to the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office and former Economy Minister, noted the current situation has not affected Ukraine’s domestic food supply but it has dealt a heavy blow to food exports.
“I think we have about 10 million hectares, which are safe, and maybe another 15 which are okay, another five (to) seven which are not okay. I think 10 million is enough for Ukraine for sure, but it’s going to severely limit the export because I dare say our export now is blockaded, so it cannot export. Even this year you have about five million tons that were still sitting and we cannot export them and won’t be able to export them. So it’s already go hit the global supply chains now,” said Mylovanov.
What concerns Mylovanov now is the prospects in the second half of the year as a prolonged conflict could drastically affect the food supply chain.
“But if we don’t have a proper planting season, there’s going to be maybe reduction of five to 10 percent of world supply in the fall. That’s going to create a food crisis logistically locally. So probably it’s not going to hurt the rich economies, developed economies, because they’ll just price it out and they’ll buy it at higher prices. But it might force some economies in the Middle East, in Asia, and in Africa to substitute for something else, and so that’s going to be a problem,” he said.
Russia’s space agency Roscosmos on Saturday (March 19) dismissed Western media reports suggesting Russian cosmonauts joining the International Space Station (ISS) had chosen to wear yellow suits with blue trim in support of Ukraine.
“Sometimes yellow is just yellow,” Roscosmos’ press service said on its Telegram channel.
“The flight suits of the new crew are made in the colors of the emblem of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, which all three cosmonauts graduated from … To see the Ukrainian flag everywhere and in everything is crazy.”
Roscosmos Director-General Dmitry Rogozin was more acerbic, saying on his personal Telegram channel that Russian cosmonauts had no sympathy for Ukrainian nationalists.
In a live-streamed news conference from the ISS on Friday, veteran cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, the mission commander, was asked about the suits.
“Every crew pick the suits, overalls, on their own accord, so that they don’t all look the same, different. Now it was our turn to pick the colour.,” he said. “The truth is, we had accumulated a lot of yellow material, so we needed to use it up. That’s why we had to wear yellow flight suits, ” he explained.
“They look wonderful,” replied an official talking to cosmonauts from the Russian Mission control centre.
Russia invaded Ukraine, which has a blue and yellow flag, on Feb. 24. The ensuing fighting has killed thousands of people, devastated parts of cities, and caused millions of Ukrainians to flee their homes, according to the United Nations.
Rogozin has suggested that U.S. sanctions imposed in response to the invasion could destroy ISS teamwork and lead to the space station falling out of orbit.
Officials at the U.S. space agency, NASA, have said U.S. and Russian crew members are aware of events on Earth but that their work has not been affected by geopolitical tensions.
French fighter jets joined a NATO mission to secure Estonia’s skies, as the bloc bolsters its defensive positions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Mirage 2000-5F fighter jets flew over Estonia, as part of NATO’S enhanced Air Policing (eAP) on Thursday (March 17), a video released by the French army showed.
France also sent troops from the 7th Battalion of Alpine Hunters, in response to Estonia’s request for soldiers specialized in difficult terrain.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, NATO allies have sent additional ships, planes, and troops to their territory in eastern and south-eastern Europe to shore up the alliance’s deterrence and defense posture.
“Here we are giving reassurance to Estonia, in a defensive, preventive and especially not aggressive mode,” the head of the French contingent, Colonel Eric Mauger, said.
The French battalion joins Danish and British troops equipped with armored vehicles in the Tapa military base.
Article 5 of NATO means that any armed attack against one or more allied countries in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against the whole alliance, and consequently, member countries agree that if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in the exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defense, will assist the party or parties so attacked.
NATO has sent more than 20,000 anti-tank and other weapons to Ukraine since the Russian invasion started on Feb. 24. But the alliance has refused to send any troops and impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine to avoid a larger conflict.
United States President Joe Biden has repeatedly said that the United States will not send forces into Ukraine, but will defend “every inch” of NATO territory.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on March 19 told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had shaken “the foundation of international order” and required a clear response.
“We (Kishida and Modi) confirmed any unilateral change to the status quo by force cannot be forgiven in any region, and it is necessary to seek peaceful resolutions of disputes based on international law,” Kishida told reporters after meeting Modi in New Delhi.
India and Japan are party to the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), a security framework that also includes the United States and Australia.
While Japan has imposed sanctions on dozens of Russian individuals and organizations since the start of what Russia calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine and has accepted Ukrainian refugees, India is the only Quad member not to have condemned the invasion.
Kishida also announced a plan to invest 5 trillion yen ($42 billion) in India over five years.
In recent years Japan has supported India’s urban infrastructure development and provided funds for a high-speed railway based on its bullet train technology.
In 2020, the two countries signed an acquisition and cross-servicing agreement that allows for reciprocal stocks of food, fuel, and other supplies between defense forces.
As airlines have cut the number of flights to and from Hong Kong because of its tough quarantine requirements, those who want to fly with their pets face fewer options, long waiting lists and costs of up to tens of thousands of dollars. Many choose to abandon their pets instead.
At Hong Kong Dog Rescue, Eva Sit kneels and calls over the shelter’s newest residents, “friendly and goofy” Cassius and “shy” Roxy, two mixed-breed dogs left behind by their emigrating owner.
Recent weeks have been hectic for Sit and her colleagues, with government data showing more than 100,000 people have left the global financial hub this year. While most of the world is learning to live with COVID-19, Hong Kong residents have been increasingly frustrated with the city’s zero-tolerance policy.
“We have definitely seen an increase in the number of dog owners abandoning their dogs because they are moving out of Hong Kong” Sit said.
Cassius and Roxy were brought to the shelter on March 3 by a domestic helper whose employers flew home to Britain a while back and later decided not to return to Hong Kong.
Sit said Hong Kong Dog Rescue takes in 10 abandoned dogs a month on average, compared with five before COVID-19, and it is running out of space now as fewer people want to adopt.
Claire McLennan, 48, an Australian who moved back home in December for family reasons, has been trying to fly her mongrel Remi from Hong Kong, where she is stuck in a pet boarding house.
She had been planning the logistics of the move for more than a year, including making arrangements for the dog, but was hit at the start of the year by sudden flight restrictions between Hong Kong and Australia, when Qantas suspended pet transfers.
“She’s a member of our family… And so this dog, we will fight to the end of the earth to get her here”, McLennan said about Remi as she choked up in tears.
There are no official figures on how many pets are being abandoned. The number of government-issued animal health certificates, a document needed for pets to travel but not always given out for that reason, surged to almost 9,000 in 2021 from about 3,700 in 2020. About 1,500 such certificates have already been issued in the first two months of this year, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said.
The department did not comment on what may have caused the spike.
Hong Kong has a net outflow of around 40,000 people so far in March, compared with more than 71,000 in February, the most in a month since the beginning of the pandemic, government data show. It is not known how many intend to return.
The U.S. House of Representatives backed legislation on Thursday to remove “most favoured nation” trade status for Russia and Belarus over the invasion of Ukraine, paving the way for higher tariffs on imports from the countries.
The Democratic-controlled House voted 424-8 in favour of removing Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status, the latest congressional effort to put economic pressure on Moscow.
To become law, the measure must also pass the Senate. Senate Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said it would move through the Senate quickly, after approval by the House.
The move to revoke Russia’s status at the World Trade Organization is being coordinated with similar efforts by other G7 democracies. It would automatically raise U.S. tariffs to non-WTO rates for imports from Russia and it authorizes U.S. President Joe Biden to proclaim higher tariff rates on products from both Russia and Belarus.
The House vote took place a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made an emotional speech to Congress – via videolink – appealing for more support. Many lawmakers wore Ukrainian flag pins as they voted.
The measure also would expand the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, easing the imposition of sanctions on Russian officials for human rights violations.
All eight “no” votes came from Republicans, including Representative Glenn Grothman who said the Magnitsky provision gave too much power to the president.
Republican Representative Victoria Spartz, the only Ukrainian-born member of Congress, said it was important that close Russian ally Belarus was included. “We cannot create a loophole where Putin is going to use Belarus to funnel money through them,” she said.
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