IKEA has become the latest company to temporarily close all stores and factories in Russia since the country invaded Ukraine.
Joining what is a fast-growing collection of Western companies, notably including M&S, Volkswagen Group, Expedia, Diageo, H&M, and even Manchester-based fashion retailer Boohoo, Swedish furniture giant IKEA has confirmed that it has halted all operations at its 17 outlets across Russia, which is said to affect 15,000 workers.
Production at three IKEA manufacturing sites in Russia will also be paused, and all imports and exports in and out of the country, as well as for its ally Belarus, will be halted.
The retailer has however opted to keep its ‘Mega’ shopping centres open to allow access to essential retailers.
This announcement was said to have prompted a rush of shoppers at the stores due to close.
As reported by The Guardian, brand owner Inter Ikea and store owner Ingka Group both said they had “secured employment and income stability” for the workers directly impacted by the decision to halt operations, including its 416 co-workers in Ukraine, where its one store and online operations have been suspended since the start of the invasion on 24 February.
IKEA has had a presence in Russia since 2000, and is understood to be one of its largest western employers across the country.
The war in Ukraine has both a huge human impact and is resulting in serious disruptions to supply chain and trading conditions, which is why the company groups have decided to temporarily pause IKEA operations in Russia. Read our statement here: https://t.co/0ss6WrAHIMpic.twitter.com/ixJyyAifFX
Speaking on the decision to temporarily close stores and factories in Russia, a spokesperson for IKEA said: “The war has a huge human impact already and it is also resulting in serious disruptions to supply chain and trading conditions, [so] for all of these reasons, the company groups have decided to temporarily pause Ikea operations in Russia.”
As mentioned, IKEA is one of the latest retailers to suspend operations in Russia, and joins a number of high-profile companies that have already taken similar steps.
M&S said it has suspended shipments to its Turkish franchisee’s business in Russia – which has 48 stores and 1,200 employees – with the retailer explaining: “We are building on our existing support for Unicef’s UK’s Ukraine appeal with a £1.5m package to support the UN Refugee Agency and Unicef to help children and families in need.”
It also said it was sending £500,000 worth of coats and thermals to Ukraine, where it ceased operations at 10 stores a week ago.
Car manufacturer Volkswagen Group announced it had stopped production of vehicles in Russia until further notice, as has Ford, Jaguar Land Rover, and Renault, while drinks company Diageo – which most-notably makes Smirnoff vodka – said it had paused exports to Russia and Ukraine, and online booking firm Expedia became one of the first travel companies to stop selling travel in and out of Russia.
A fast-growing collection of Western companies have halted operations in Russia to stand with Ukraine / Credit: Yehor Milohrodskyi (via Unsplash)
Additionally, earlier in the week, a significant number of fashion brands made the decision to place various sanctions on Russia.
On Wednesday, the British online retailers Boohoo and ASOS announced they had suspended sales in the country, as did the Swedish clothing giant H&M, Spanish fashion retailer Mango, and sportswear giant Nike, while Adidas has made the decision to suspend its partnership with the Russian Football Union.
Tech giant Apple is pausing sales, and Meta said it had stopped recommending content from Russian state media to all users of Facebook, with Instagram set to follow.
The Walt Disney Company, Sony, and Warner Bros are pausing their release of films in Russia, and Netflix also announced it has no plans to distribute news, sport, and entertainment channels from Russian state media.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
News
Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota and his brother have died in car crash
Danny Jones
Liverpool FC footballer Diogo Jota has tragically died in a car crash along with his brother, Andre Felipe, according to multiple outlets.
The Liverpool forward, who just won the Premier League earlier this year, has been confirmed dead by Spanish police following a traffic collision in the northwest of the country.
As per national authorities, the fatal crash occurred on Thursday, 3 Jul, after a tyre burst and the car slid off the road.
Guardia Civil has now confirmed the following: “A road accident occurred at 12:30am this morning at kilometre 65 of the A-52 motorway, in the municipality of Cernadilla, Zamora. A vehicle left the road, and everything indicates a tyre burst while overtaking.”
The statement goes on to detail: “As a result of the accident, the car caught fire and both people were killed.”Pending the completion of forensic tests, one of the deceased has been identified as Diogo Jota, a Liverpool FC player, and his brother, Andre Felipe [Silva].”
Respects are also being paid to Jota’s younger brother, a 25-year-old who played for Penafiel in the Portuguese second division.
The Portuguese Football Federation (PFF) have also now blacked out their social media following this morning’s tragic news, with other clubs and sporting organisations offering their condolences.
Sharing a lengthy tribute online, the national team wrote: “The PFF and all of Portuguese football are completely devastated by the deaths of Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, this morning, in Spain.
“Much more than an outstanding player, with nearly 50 caps for the National A Team, Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all colleagues and opponents, someone with a contagious joy and a reference in his own community.
“The Portuguese Football Federation expresses its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Diogo and André Silva, as well as to Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the clubs where the players respectively played.
“The Portuguese Football Federation has already requested UEFA to hold a minute of silence, this Thursday, before our National Team’s match against Spain in the Women’s European Championship. We have lost two champions. The passing of Diogo and André Silva represents irreparable losses for Portuguese Football, and we will do everything to honour their legacy daily.”
É com choque e profundo pesar que enviamos as sentidas condolências à família e amigos do Diogo Jota e irmão André Silva, que também foi nosso atleta nos escalões de formação.
Jota – who only married his long-term partner, Rute Cardoso, last month – leaves behind a wife and three young children.
LFC had this to say on their website: “The club have been informed the 28-year-old has passed away following a road traffic accident in Spain along with his brother, Andre.
“Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and requests the privacy of Diogo and Andre’s family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss. We will continue to provide them with our full support.”
Former family team, Porto FC, as well as Primeira Liga champions, Sporting Club de Portugal; Manchester City and United, among countless others from the football world and beyond, are continuing to offer messages of great sadness and support.
Our thoughts go out to their family, friends, compatriots and our neighbours down the Mersey over on the red half of Liverpool. Rest in peace.
Our deepest condolences are with the loved ones of Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre, and everyone connected with Liverpool FC following today’s heartbreaking news.
Featured Images — Portuguese Football Federation/Sporting CP (via X)
News
Same-sex penguin couple to raise rare baby chick together at Chester Zoo
Emily Sergeant
10 rare baby penguin chicks have hatched at Chester Zoo, and one of them has some rather unique parents.
The rare new arrivals are highly-threatened Humboldt penguins, which is one of the most at-risk out of the world’s 17 species of penguin, and began hatching from their eggs throughout April, but since then, they have spent their first few weeks of life tucked away in their nest burrows.
Humboldt penguins – which are ound on the rocky coastal shores of Peru and Chile – are listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as they face a number of threats in the wild, including climate change, overfishing, and rising ocean temperatures.
Commonly with penguins, both mum and dad share feeding and parenting duties.
Keepers at Chester Zoo support the parents by providing plenty of extra fish, which the adult penguins swallow, blend into a protein-rich soup, and then regurgitate to feed the chicks.
But in what is a heartwarming development, one of the chicks is being raised by a same-sex penguin couple, Scampi and Flounder, as the devoted duo were seen to step in to help raise one of two eggs laid by another penguin pair, Wotsit and Peach.
The zoo’s bird experts carefully shared the eggs between the two nests to help give both chicks the best possible start and help improve chances of successful fledging, and now keepers say the chicks are just ‘days away’ from taking the plunge into their very first swimming lessons at the zoo’s Penguin Island habitat.
10 rare Humboldt penguins have hatched at Chester Zoo / Credit: Chester Zoo
As part of a long-standing zoo tradition, conservationists pick a different naming theme for the chicks each year, and this year’s cohort have been named after stars and celestial wonders – with some of the chicks being Ursa, Alcyone, Orion, Dorado, and Cassiopeia.
“10 chicks hatching in one season marks a bumper year for the penguins here,” commented Zoe Sweetman, who is the Team Manager of Penguins at Chester Zoo.
“It’s fantastic news for the species and a brilliant success for the international conservation breeding programme. The fluffy new arrivals are all being looked after brilliantly by their parents, having nearly quadrupled in size since they first emerged.
“They’re now days away from a really exciting milestone – their very first swimming lessons, which is always a thrill to witness as they dive into the pool for the very first time.”
Emily Sergeant -
4th March 2022 
