Ikea Russia said on its website that it was suspending sales in stores and online immediately, and that only orders placed and paid for before March 3 will be fulfilled. Reuters
Ikea Russia said on its website that it was suspending sales in stores and online immediately, and that only orders placed and paid for before March 3 will be fulfilled. Reuters
Ikea Russia said on its website that it was suspending sales in stores and online immediately, and that only orders placed and paid for before March 3 will be fulfilled. Reuters
Ikea Russia said on its website that it was suspending sales in stores and online immediately, and that only orders placed and paid for before March 3 will be fulfilled. Reuters

Retail closures in Russia increase as its military offensive in Ukraine goes on


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Live updates: follow the latest news on Russia-Ukraine

As the world isolates Russia because of its military offensive in Ukraine, US and European retailers have been rapidly shutting down operations across Russia.

This has sent scores of Russians racing to buy imported consumer goods on fears of a plunging rouble and sanctions.

Companies that have not yet joined the ban are drawing unwelcome attention across social media, with hashtags #BoycottMcDonalds and #BoycottCocaCola trending on Twitter.

Last year, McDonald’s generated about 9 per cent of its revenue from Russia and Ukraine, and Coca-Cola’s Swiss-based bottler, Coca-Cola HBC AG, took about 21 per cent of its volume from Russia and Ukraine.

Here is a roundup of businesses that have paused products and closed up shop.

Apple

After Ukraine Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov tweeted a letter to Apple chief executive Tim Cook on February 25, pleading with the company to pull out of Russia, Apple closed stores and paused product sales in the country. It has not yet shut down its local App Store.

Asos

Fast-fashion retailer Asos said that it was halting sales in Russia. In 2021, Russia and Ukraine accounted for about 4 per cent of sales revenue. The company suspended sales in Ukraine following the invasion.

Boohoo

UK online clothing seller Boohoo Group has suspended operations in Russia.

Burberry

British fashion house Burberry Group has halted shipments to Russia, but stores there are still open.

Electronic Arts

Video-game publisher Electronic Arts has announced it is stopping the sales of games, content and virtual currency bundles in Russia and Belarus.

Hermes

French luxury brand Hermes International said it will temporarily close its stores in Russia and pause all commercial activities.

H&M

Swedish clothing retailer Hennes & Mauritz has temporarily paused sales in Russia, where the retailer has 155 stores. According to its 2020 year-end report, Russia is the company’s seventh-largest market.

Ikea

On March 3, home-furnishing company Ikea announced that it was pausing all Ikea-brand retail operations in Russia, export and import in and out of Russia and Belarus, and deliveries from sub-suppliers. For the 15,000 employees affected, it said it was seeking to provide “income stability” for the short term.

A statement on the Ikea Russia website said it was suspending sales in stores and online immediately, and that only orders placed and paid for before March 3 will be fulfilled. The company added that its Mega Family Shopping Centres, which are shopping malls with grocery stores and pharmacies, will be kept open.

LVMH

French luxury group LVMH is temporarily closing its 124 stores in Russia, AFP reported. The company has 3,500 employees in Russia, according to WWD.

Mango

Spanish fashion retailer Mango is closing its 55 company stores in Russia, suspending online sales and stopping deliveries to the country. Its 65 franchisees are being allowed to remain open subject to product availability. The company has 800 employees in Russia, according to Reuters.

Nike

Footwear business Nike is temporarily closing company-owned and operated shops in Russia, but the company told Bloomberg it will continue to pay store employees during the closures. It is also halting e-commerce sales in the country.

Samsung

Samsung Electronics has suspended product shipments to Russia, halting its sales and services in the country. The South Korean technology company is monitoring the complex situation, the company said in an emailed statement to Bloomberg. The company also said it is donating $6 million, including $1m in consumer electronics products, to humanitarian efforts in the region.

Swatch

Swiss watch company Swatch Group told Bloomberg it will be closing its stores in Russia.

Under Armour

Sports apparel company Under Armour has stopped all shipments into sales channels in Russia.

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PULITZER PRIZE 2020 WINNERS

JOURNALISM 

Public Service
Anchorage Daily News in collaboration with ProPublica

Breaking News Reporting
Staff of The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky.

Investigative Reporting
Brian M. Rosenthal of The New York Times

Explanatory Reporting
Staff of The Washington Post

Local Reporting  
Staff of The Baltimore Sun

National Reporting
T. Christian Miller, Megan Rose and Robert Faturechi of ProPublica

and    

Dominic Gates, Steve Miletich, Mike Baker and Lewis Kamb of The Seattle Times

International Reporting
Staff of The New York Times

Feature Writing
Ben Taub of The New Yorker

Commentary
Nikole Hannah-Jones of The New York Times

Criticism
Christopher Knight of the Los Angeles Times

Editorial Writing
Jeffery Gerritt of the Palestine (Tx.) Herald-Press

Editorial Cartooning
Barry Blitt, contributor, The New Yorker

Breaking News Photography
Photography Staff of Reuters

Feature Photography
Channi Anand, Mukhtar Khan and Dar Yasin of the Associated Press

Audio Reporting
Staff of This American Life with Molly O’Toole of the Los Angeles Times and Emily Green, freelancer, Vice News for “The Out Crowd”

LETTERS AND DRAMA

Fiction
"The Nickel Boys" by Colson Whitehead (Doubleday)

Drama
"A Strange Loop" by Michael R. Jackson

History
"Sweet Taste of Liberty: A True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America" by W. Caleb McDaniel (Oxford University Press)

Biography
"Sontag: Her Life and Work" by Benjamin Moser (Ecco/HarperCollins)

Poetry
"The Tradition" by Jericho Brown (Copper Canyon Press)

General Nonfiction
"The Undying: Pain, Vulnerability, Mortality, Medicine, Art, Time, Dreams, Data, Exhaustion, Cancer, and Care" by Anne Boyer (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

and

"The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America" by Greg Grandin (Metropolitan Books)

Music
"The Central Park Five" by Anthony Davis, premiered by Long Beach Opera on June 15, 2019

Special Citation
Ida B. Wells

 

THE BIO: Mohammed Ashiq Ali

Proudest achievement: “I came to a new country and started this shop”

Favourite TV programme: the news

Favourite place in Dubai: Al Fahidi. “They started the metro in 2009 and I didn’t take it yet.”

Family: six sons in Dubai and a daughter in Faisalabad

 

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South Africa World Cup squad

South Africa: Faf du Plessis (c), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (w), JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Rassie van der Dussen.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Scores:

Day 4

England 290 & 346
Sri Lanka 336 & 226-7 (target 301)

Sri Lanka require another 75 runs with three wickets remaining

THE BIO

Age: 33

Favourite quote: “If you’re going through hell, keep going” Winston Churchill

Favourite breed of dog: All of them. I can’t possibly pick a favourite.

Favourite place in the UAE: The Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain. It sounds predictable, but it honestly is my favourite place to spend time. Surrounded by hundreds of dogs that love you - what could possibly be better than that?

Favourite colour: All the colours that dogs come in

The biog

Profession: Senior sports presenter and producer

Marital status: Single

Favourite book: Al Nabi by Jibran Khalil Jibran

Favourite food: Italian and Lebanese food

Favourite football player: Cristiano Ronaldo

Languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese and some Spanish

Website: www.liliane-tannoury.com

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

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BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES

SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities

Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails

Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies

Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments

Company profile

Name: Tharb

Started: December 2016

Founder: Eisa Alsubousi

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: Luxury leather goods

Initial investment: Dh150,000 from personal savings

 

In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff

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Know before you go
  • Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
  • If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
  • By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
  • Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
  • Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.

 

Updated: March 07, 2022, 5:09 AM`