Hong Kong: 40 good citizens awarded

Forty citizens who helped Police fight crime were commended at the Good Citizen Award Presentation Ceremony today.

The awardees helped Police detect dozens of cases related to fraud, burglary, animal abuse and wounding. Some awardees made their contributions in life-saving.

The youngest award recipient Liu Wing-yan, 14, spotted a man secretly taking upskirt photos on a Light Rail train and immediately alerted the victim to report to Police. The man was later convicted of outraging public decency and sentenced to 14 weeks imprisonment with a two-year suspended sentence.

Speaking at the ceremony, Commissioner of Police Siu Chak-yee praised the awardees for their law-abiding consciousness, sense of commitment and courage.

He pointed out that it was the first time for the ceremony to adopt the anti-deception theme and to launch the Good Corporate Award to commend companies which have been proactively assisting Police in preventing and investigating scams.

The force encourages corporations to provide training for their employees to enhance their capacities to guard against fraud, so that fraud reports and interceptions can be made earlier at the corporate level, Mr Siu added.

A new Good Citizen Alliance concept was also introduced, signifying that good citizens work together in fighting crime and help each other as well as promoting righteousness in the community. Polices anti-scam mascot The Little Grape also made its debut at the ceremony.

Organised by the Police Public Relations Branch, the Good Citizen Award is sponsored by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and supported by the Fight Crime Committee.

This story has been published on: 2021-08-14. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Party chief elated at growing Vietnam-Russia ties despite COVID-19

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong has expressed his delight at the fruitful development of bilateral ties across a variety of fields even amid adverse impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.





Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) welcomes Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Gennady Bezdetko





At a reception for newly-appointed Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Gennady Bezdetko in Hanoi on August 13, the Party leader affirmed that the nation always appreciated the wholehearted support and assistance that the former Soviet Union and the current Russian Federation have given to Vietnam.



The Vietnamese Party, State and people have consistently treasured and stepped up cooperative relations with Russia, Trong said, adding that both nations senior leaders have regularly held online conversations and phone talks as a way to further ties between the two countries.



Vietnam and Russia have shared common stances on almost all international issues, and closely coordinated with and offered mutual support at regional and global multilateral forums. Relations between the CPV and political parties of Russia have made great strides, contributing to the promotion of Vietnam-Russia ties relations , the Vietnamese Party leader said.



As Vietnam and Russia are celebrating the 20th founding anniversary of strategic partnership in 2021 and entering the second decade of comprehensive strategic partnership, the Party General Secretary wished for greater efforts from both sides to take the bilateral relationship to new heights.



Trong thanked Russia for its assistance to Vietnam in the fight against COVID-19, while suggesting agencies and organisations augment cooperation in pandemic prevention and control, including the supply of vaccines and transfer of vaccine production technology to Vietnam.



Trong expressed his belief that that Ambassador Bezdetko, with years of working experience and close ties with Vietnam, will continue making positive and effective contributions to the fraternal Vietnam-Russia relationship in the time ahead.



Bezdetko, in turn, affirmed his nations recognition of great importance to its comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam and regarded Vietnam as a priority in Russias foreign policy in Asia-Pacific.



Russian leaders greatly valued relations between the CPV and political parties in Russia, especially the outcomes of recent phone talks between Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Vladimir Putin and Chairman of the United Russia Party Dmitry Medvedev.



The Russian diplomat thanked Vietnam for offering medical supplies and equipment for the COVID-19 fight, especially in 2020 when Russia faced difficulties.



He ensured Russias willingness to cooperate with Vietnam in COVID-19 prevention and control, adding that the two countries relevant organisations are scheduled to sign contracts to supply vaccines for the Southeast Asian nation in the coming time



The Ambassador said, in his new position, he pledged his best efforts to propel Russia-Vietnam relations forward.
Vietnam records 4 companies in Forbes 100 to Watch list

Four Vietnamese companies were named in the Forbes Asia 100 to Watch list.













Lozi's Loship, one-hour-delivery e-commerce startup (Photo: tvphapluat.vn)

The list includes Logivan, a Vietnamese platform that connects truckers with shipping companies; Lozi, one-hour-delivery e-commerce startup; Med247 an offline-to-online health-tech startup; and Hoozing, an application providing user reviews, price calculation tools, and digital payment options in property leasing and sales.



The Forbes Asia 100 to Watch list highlights 100 small notable companies and start-ups on the rise across the Asia-Pacific.



Seventeen countries and territories have representatives in the Top 100 this year.



Lively start-up communities in India and Singapore produced 22 and 19 companies respectively, while Hong Kong has 10 and Indonesia eight.



Mainland China has just four, as many candidates were above the required maximums for revenues or funding.



Forbes Asia 100 to Watch was selected from 900 submissions. To qualify for consideration, companies have to be headquartered in the Asia-Pacific, be at least one year old, privately owned, for profit, and have no more than 20 million USD in its latest annual revenue or total funding as of August 1.



Forbes evaluated each submission, looking at metrics such as a positive impact on the region or industry, a track record of strong revenue growth or ability to attract funding, promising business models or markets, and a persuasive story./.
Younger generation less enthusiastic about marriage

China Daily) 09:53, August 14, 2021

Young women learn to make fruit cakes in Huaibei, Anhui province, on Thursday to celebrate Qixi Festival, or Chinese Valentine's Day, which falls on Saturday this year. CHEN WENXIAO/FOR CHINA DAILY

As Niulang and Zhinyu (the cowherd and weaver lady) await their annual reunion at the approaching Qixi Festival-Chinese Valentine's Day-which falls on Saturday, young Chinese people seem to be disconsolate about being alone.

Tian Xiao, 32, received a message on Tuesday morning that the matchmaking party she registered for during the Qixi Festival had been canceled due to tighter restrictions against the novel coronavirus in Beijing.

"It's disappointing because I will spend the romantic night alone," she said, with a wry smile. Working at a primary school, Tian said that most of her colleagues are women, so she planned to get to know some men at the party.

Though yearning for love and romance, the younger generation has shown less enthusiasm for marriage. The latest figures from the Ministry of Civil Affairs show that the nation's marriage rate has seen a continuous decline from 2013.

About 8.13 million couples got married in 2020, a decline of 12.2 percent year-on-year. The number was as high as 13.47 million back in 2013.

Contrary to the slumping marriage rate, the divorce rate has registered a rise, climbing to 3.73 million couples last year while only 580,000 couples chose to end their marriage back in 1987.

"It's because of the high price of housing, and future cost of education for children. It's really hard to cover them all by myself," Tian said, explaining her reasons to get married. "But my friends told me that my standard for a future husband is a little bit high, as he needs to have hukou (household registration) in Beijing and an apartment in the city.

"But it's the reality, I need some assurance for my future life. Marriage is different from just having a romantic relationship. An ample material life is a must for marriage, or it won't last very long, at least to me," she said.

"I will marry the one that suits me, no matter how old I am. Marriage is not makeshift but the icing on the cake," she added.

Tian is not alone. More young people prefer later marriage. A recent report by a research team under Ren Zeping, a former economist with the Development Research Center of the State Council, shows that the group aged from 25 to 29 has become the main force for marriage, accounting for 34.6 percent of newlyweds in 2019, up 0.3 percentage points from 2005.

The previous mainstay for marriagethe group aged between 20 and 24, however, saw a sharp decrease to 19.7 percent of the total newlyweds in 2019. The group accounted for almost half of all newlyweds back in 2005, at about 47 percent.

Except for unaffordable housing prices and high education costs, the younger generation's stronger sense of independence has also dampened their enthusiasm for marriage.

A report by online matchmaking agency Zhen'ai in May showed that finding it hard to fall in love, having high standards for potential partners and having an unsociable character were the three major reasons that so many remained single.

However, the nation's younger generation is far from discouraged. The report said that nearly 80 percent of those surveyed had registered with matchmaking social networks, and 40 percent said that they worked hard to increase their wealth in order to be more attractive to potential partners.

"I'm afraid of marriage, but I don't resist it," said Yao Minxing, a 28-year-old salesperson in Qingdao, Shandong province.

She said that she often joins parties or gatherings, no matter whether they are organized by her company or her friends.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Chinese "Valentine Day" story used to encourage visitors to head to Liverpool

Xinhua) 13:11, August 14, 2021

LIVERPOOL, Britain, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- A giant-sized sculpture depicting a scene from a Chinese mythological story is set to dominate Liverpool's famous Chinatown Saturday to encourage people to rediscover the northwestern England's city this summer.

The oldest Chinatown in Europe will become home to "Cowherd & Weaver Girl", a giant pop-up story book which will encourage people to step into the pages in a celebration of love, family and friends.

"The outdoor artwork will depict a scene from a Chinese mythological story based around the Qixi festival, the Chinese Valentine's Day, which is celebrated on Aug. 14," said a spokesperson for Liverpool City Council. The piece will be remaining in Chinatown until Aug. 28.

The installation forms part of the Very Public Art festival, which is seeing a series of brand-new art commissions showcasing the local creative community, giving creators the chance to tell stories through their work.

All the works have been commissioned by Liverpool City Council's Culture Liverpool team, supported by the Arts Council England.

Laura Brownhill, the artist responsible for Cowherd & Weaver Girl, said: "Liverpool's Chinatown is world renowned and I'm so pleased to be able to create a piece of work which not only resonates with the community, but also engages visitors. It's a stunning location and the perfect place to pay tribute to Qixi and reinforce the power of love, family and friendship."

"To have new pieces of art pop-up across our city each week is fantastic to see. We're seeing a steady return of culture to this city and it's so refreshing to have thought-provoking and fun installations temporarily change our landscape. Each piece is so diverse. They are perfect selfie backdrops," said Liverpool's Cabinet Member for Culture and Visitor Economy, councillor Harry Doyle.

The Qixi Festival, sometimes referred to as the Chinese Valentine's Day, falls on every 7th day of the 7th month according to the Chinese lunar calendar. It celebrates the legend of the annual meeting between the mythological figures of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
China-Europe freight train trips grow in July

Xinhua) 13:14, August 14, 2021

BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The total number of China-Europe freight train trips hit 1,352 in July, up 8 percent year on year, data from the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. showed.

This was the fifteenth straight month that trips made by China-Europe freight trains had exceeded 1,000, according to the company.

In July alone, the freight trains transported 131,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit containers of goods, up 15 percent from the same period of last year.

The cargo trains have played a positive role in helping the world fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the company said, adding that some 215,000 pieces of anti-pandemic supplies, weighing 1,257 tonnes, were shipped by the trains to European countries last month.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
COVID-19 origin tracing should be based on science, global consensus: Chinese envoy

Xinhua) 13:19, August 14, 2021

MOGADISHU, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- China is committed to an impartial, science and consensus-based probe into the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, an envoy said during a press conference on Thursday.

Feng Qinghu, Charge d'Affaires and councilor of the Chinese Embassy in Somalia, told journalists in Mogadishu that Beijing will rally behind the origin tracing of the virus that is objective and driven by a desire to avert future public health crises.

He noted that China has taken the lead in collaborating with the World Health Organization (WHO) on global origin tracing and has twice invited WHO experts to China for origin-tracing research, and the international expert team has had numerous online and email exchanges with their Chinese counterparts.

According to Feng, WHO-China joint origin tracing report confirmed the pathway of laboratory incident as "extremely unlikely," adding that it was a scientific and objective conclusion reached by international and Chinese experts.

"China firmly opposes a new round of study on the hypothesis of laboratory incident as the main content, and rejects any new round of politicized and pressured origin-tracing study in China," said Feng.

He refuted accusations from a certain western country on the origins of the virus, terming them as groundless and aimed at diverting attention from its lackluster performance in the pandemic control.

"The purpose of the foregoing actions is self-evident, that is, aiming at obstructing cooperation on global origin tracing, deflecting responsibility for its poor COVID-19 response at home, and using this as an opportunity to defame and blame China," said Feng.

He regretted that the atmosphere for global cooperation has been poisoned severely by a barrage of misinformation and myths on the origin of the virus, adding that China is committed to its containment globally.

Feng said that China will not waver in its support for scientists-led probe into the virus origin as opposed to politicians and intelligence officials from countries with a partisan agenda.

He said that recommendations by a joint team of experts from WHO and China on the need for the future probe on the origin of the virus to focus on multiple countries and regions should be upheld since it was based on sound science.

Feng reiterated that the overarching objective of the virus origin tracing was to understand the mode of its transmission and avert future risks hence the need for mutual trust and sincerity among all parties concerned.

"Origin tracing should be based on equal-footed exchange, mutual trust and candid and sincere cooperation among relevant parties," said Feng.

It should not be a one-way investigation imposed by one side on another, still less should it be based on the presumption of guilt or any predetermined conclusions," he added.

Feng said that besides rallying behind an impartial and scientific investigation into the virus origin, China will also scale up support for its containment globally through vaccine donation.

He noted that China has agreed to provide 2 billion vaccine doses to the world, besides donating 100 million U.S. dollars to the COVAX facility for distributing the life-saving commodity to developing countries.

China is committed to advancing international vaccine cooperation in order to hasten its containment, said Feng.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Lao PM says he backs science in global tracing of COVID-19 origins

CGTN) 14:27, August 14, 2021

Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh (L) and Chinese Ambassador to Laos Jiang Zaidong at a handover ceremony of the fifth batch of China-donated COVID-19 vaccines in Vientiane, Laos, August 11, 2021. (Photo: China's Embassy in Laos)

Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh on Wednesday voiced his support for sticking to science in the global tracing of COVID-19 origins.

Laos' stance on novel coronavirus origins tracing has been consistent and clear-cut, and the work must be carried out in an objective, transparent, inclusive and purely scientific spirit, he said at a handover ceremony of the fifth batch of China-donated COVID-19 vaccines at the Lao Ministry of Health.

The Lao prime minister said the Chinese government responded positively to the Lao government's request, donated another 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines and delivered them quickly, which contributes greatly to Laos meeting its target of vaccinating 50 percent of its population by the end of 2021.

He added that Laos has made clear its objection to politicizing the origins tracing issue, and said his country speaks highly of China's open and transparent attitude in taking part in the international cooperation on the tracing.

Chinese Ambassador to Laos Jiang Zaidong said the Chinese side appreciated the Lao Foreign Ministry's opposition to politicizing a matter of science, and would work together with the international force for justice, Laos included, to support scientists to carry out the next step of tracing work in multiple countries and places that reported early infections.

Jiang criticized some countries for promoting "vaccine nationalism" and hoarding doses, their manipulation and politicization of virus origins tracing, and their attempts to shift the blame to others.

Some even mobilized their intelligence agencies to conduct a "presumption of guilt" investigation into China, and coerced some scientists to support the so-called "lab leak" theory, Jiang said, adding that has run counter to science and common sense, and also has crossed the moral bottom line.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
China's installed capacity of storage batteries surges in July

Xinhua) 16:07, August 14, 2021

BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's installed capacity of storage batteries used to power electric vehicles surged in July amid strong sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs), industry data showed.

Last month, the installed capacity of storage batteries came in at 11.3 gigawatt-hours, up 125 percent year on year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).

The data came as China's auto consumption has continued its stable recovery, with sales of NEVs hitting a historic high in the first seven months of the year.

NEV sales in China jumped to 271,000 units in July, up 160 percent year on year, while NEV output surged 170 percent to 284,000 units.

In the first seven months of the year, the country's NEV sales totaled nearly 1.48 million units, double the figure from the same period last year, as production and demand continued to recover, the CAAM said.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Speed, efficiency highlighted in China's Delta variant containment measures

Xinhua) 16:23, August 14, 2021

BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Speed and efficiency need to be improved to ensure the effective containment of the COVID-19 Delta variant, a health official said on Friday.

As the Delta variant is characterized by its fast-spreading and highly infectious nature, community-level measures must be put in place before it spreads, said National Health Commission official Gao Guangming at a press conference.

Speed should be observed in decision-making, primary-level early warnings, emergency response efforts, centralized isolation, and information sharing, Gao said.

Tailored measures should be applied to regions with different risk levels to minimize the affected area as soon as possible, he said.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
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Press Release

August 14, 2021 Dispatch from Crame No. 1122:

Sen. Leila M. de Lima on Sec. Duque's refusal to resign Sec. Duque's refusal to resign despite calls from concerned sectors for him to do so, and in the face of the failures of the government's COVID-19 response plans, saying that it is up to Duterte who appointed him, only highlights what the real problem is and has always been: their first loyalty is to themselves and to their cabal of patrons, cronies and minion; the public interest doesn't even come into the equation. Of course, no one expects a public servant to resign just because some people call for him to do so. But the least that such public servant ought to do so is hold himself accountable to the public, to the people that he serves. Duterte is not his king; it is to the Filipino people that he owes first and foremost loyalty and accountability. The mentality that he would refuse to yield until Duterte asks him to is the mentality of a patronage politics. Accomplishing goals, serving the public interest, saving and preserving people's lives should have been his first defense; not a recourse to the blunt weapon that is Duterte's tyranny. I long for the day when a system of honor, meritocracy and accountability in government service, which our Constitution and laws have mandated and are supposed to uphold, are again the norm. I long for the day when only the deserving, based on their performance and track record, are entrusted with the solemn responsibility and authority that could spell the difference between Filipino lives being saved and being lost. I long for the day when the likes of Duterte and his cronies and minions no longer cling to power for the sake of power. I pray that the day is soon, before more lives are lost. And I know Filipinos pray for the same. Filipinos want action, not curses, jokes and lame excuses. They want to live and for their loved ones to remain safe. They want their livelihood to recover and for the national economy to once again thrive as it did under the PNoy Administration. For those reasons, I believe the day to regain dignity and responsibility in public service will come in less than a year's time. When the likes of Sec. Duque will finally realize that they are answerable to the People, not to a Tyrant. (Access the handwritten version, here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_from_crame_no._1122)
Press Release

August 14, 2021 The Villar Tent is a favorite vaccination site of the Pinoy seafarers The Office of Senator Cynthia Villar is preparing anew for the massive anti-COVID vaccination of the 3rd batch of around 3,000 Filipino seafarers at The Villar Tent located at the Vista Global South in Las Pinas City on the third week of August 2021. Upon the request of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), the Villar family has graciously hosted, without cost to the government, the anti-COVID vaccination of 2 previous batches of Pinoy seafarers. The Villar hosting of seafarers' vaccination was first held in June 25, with 1,100 Getting their jabs, while the second was held on July 28, 29, August 2 and 3. Around 5,000 seafarers were adminsitered the anti-Covid vaccines. The family-owned Villlar Tent is the only privately-owned facility and vaccination site chosen by MARINA among the three identified vaccination sites for our seafarers. The two others are the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) Central at the Port Area, Manila, and the Office of the Associated Marine's Officers' and Seamen's Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP) in Intramuros, Manila. The Villar Tent is a favorite vaccination place of the seafarers because it affords an orderly conduct of the vaccination and provides convenience to the participants. It is spacious enough to observe the necessary physical distancing and to have sufficient seating capacity. It is also fully-airconditioned equipped witn appropriate air circulation, and has sufficient, clean an accessible comfort room facilities. Furthermore, protocols in The Villar Tent are in place to ensure that all areas are disinfected and that people strongly adhere to health and safety protocols like the wearing of face masks and face shields. The two (2) previous vaccinations in the The Villar Tent conducted last June, July and early days of August went on smoothly. Seafarers who were vaccinated reported that they find it comfortable to have their vaccination at The Villar Tent. Due to the requirement of their overseas employment, only Western vaccines, namely Pfizer, Moderna and Jansen, were administered to seafarers. It is expected that the same set of vaccines will be inoculated to the 3rd batch of seafarers. The inoculation of the 3rd batch of Filipino seafarers is also in line with the partnership of the Office of the Senator Villar and MARINAfor the smooth, safe and swift vaccination rollout to benefit the seafarers. "The vaccination of our Pinoy seafarers will allow them to go back to their ship safely to resume work in order to earn a living, as well as to give them the necessary protection against the Covid-19 and its many variant, including the most infectious and highly transmissible Delta," said Villar. Marina Administrator, Vice Admiral Robert Empredad, communicated that they expect around 15,000 doses will be rolled out for the 3rd batch of seafarers in the National Capital Region. Out of this, he said around 5,000 to 6,0000 will be administered at the the Villar Tent. Empredad further said that he is expecting 80,000 more vaccines, which will be distributed to the other regions in the country for the inoculation of the seafarers. He said is the allocation so far promised to him by IATF Sec. Carlito Galvez. Through collaboration efforts with the senator and her daughter, Las Pinas Rep. Camille Villar, Empredad emphasized they are a step closer towards ensuring the safety and health of our modern-day heroes as well as their families and co-workers. For her part, the senator related she is happy for the continuing inoculation of Filipino seafarers who help keep the country's economy afloat amid the pandemic. She said the marine sector has been adversely hit by the pandemic due to shut down operations of ship companies as the Covid-19 virus battered the global economy. But with the vaccination, the senator said they can be "on board" anew and get pay to provide for their families and help in the country spur its recovery from an economic slump. ### Villar Tent, paboritong vaccination site ng Pinoy seafarers MULING naghahanda ang Office of Senator Cynthia Villar para sa malawakang anti-COVID vaccination ng 3rd batch ng 3,000 Filipino seafarers sa The Villar Tent sa Vista Global South, Las Pinas City na gagawin sa third week ng August 2021. Dahil sa kahilingan ng Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), muling ipagagamit ng Villar Family ang The Villar Tent ng libre kaya walang gastos dito ang ating pamahalaan. Nauna nang isinagawa rito ang pagbabakuna sa 2 batches ng Pinoy seafarers. Binakunahan dito ang 1,100 seafarers noong June 25 at 5,000 naman noong July 28, 29, August 2 at 3. Ang family-owned Villlar Tent ang nag-iisang privately-owned facility na pinili ng MARINA na isa sa kanilang tatlong vaccination sites. Ang dalawa pa ay ang Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) Central sa Port Area, Manila at Office of the Associated Marine's Officers' and Seamen's Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP) sa Intramuros, Manila. Paboritong vaccination site ng seafarers ang The Villar Tent dahil sa maayos ang proseso rito ng pagbabakuna. Komportable rin ang mga nagpapabukuna dahil sa malawak ito kaya nasusunod ang physical distancing. Meron din itong sapat na seating capacity, fully-airconditioned na may maayos na air circulation at malinis na banyo. Tinitiyak din sa "disinfected" ang The Villar Tent at sinusunod ang health at safety protocols gaya ng pagsusuot ng face masks at face shields. Sinabi ng seafarers na naging komportable ang kanilang vaccination rito noong July at August. Dahil sa requirement ng kanilang overseas employment, tanging Western vaccines gaya ng Pfizer, Moderna at Jansen ang itinuturok sa seafarers. Inaasahan na ito rin ang ibibigay sa 3rd batch of seafarers. Ang pagbabakuna sa 3rd batch sa The Villar Tent ay naaayon sa partnership ng Office of the Senator Villar at MARINA para sa "smooth, safe and swift vaccination rollout to benefit the seafarers." "The vaccination of our Pinoy seafarers will allow them to go back to their ship safely to resume work in order to earn a living, as well as to give them the necessary protection against the Covid-19 and its many variant, including the most infectious and highly transmissible Delta," ayon kay Villar. Ipinahayag ni Marina Administrator, Vice Admiral Robert Empredad, na inaasahan nilang may 15,000 doses ang rollout sa 3rd batch ng seafarers sa National Capital Region. May 5,000 o 6,0000 ang ibibigay sa The Villar Tent. Inaasahan din ni Empredad ang 80,000 karagdagang bakuna na ipadadala sa iba pang rehiyon para seafarers. Aniya, ito ang ipinangako ni IATF Sec. Carlito Galvez. Sa pakikipagtulungan ng senador at ang kanyang anak na si Las Pinas Rep. Camille Villar, iginiit ni Empredad na malapit na nilang matupad ang adhikain na matiyak ang kaligtasan at kalusugan ng ating modern-day heroes pati na rin ang kanilang pamilya at mga katrabaho. Sinabi naman ng senador na masaya siya dahil sa patuloy na pagbabakuna sa Filipino seafarers na tumutulong para manatiling ang ating ekonomiya sa kabila ng pandemic. "The marine sector has been adversely hit by the pandemic due to shut down operations of ship companies as the Covid-19 virus battered the global economy. But with the vaccination, the senator said they can be "on board" anew and get pay to provide for their families and help in the country spur its recovery from an economic slump."
OCALA, Fla.COVID-19 testing and vaccination opportunities have increased in Marion County, thanks to partnerships among the Department of Health, Marion County Board of County Commissioners, Marion County Emergency Management and other community partners.

Testing now available Mondays and Wednesdays at Southeastern Livestock Pavilion

Free, county-sponsored drive-through COVID-19 testing will now be available on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion (2232 NE Jacksonville Road, Ocala).

The twice-weekly testing will continue through Sept. 30 and will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day it is provided. This is an increase from the once-a-week testing that began earlier this month. Testing will not be held on Monday, Sept. 20.

People who would like to be tested can line their vehicles up starting at 7:30 a.m. on testing days. To be tested, individuals should bring a valid photo ID; minors under age 18 will only be tested if they are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

People should be prepared to stay in their vehicles while awaiting testing; restroom facilities will not be available. Only people who are being tested should be in the vehicle, with the exception of parents, guardians or caregivers. No pets are permitted in the vehicle during tests. School students should refrain from eating or drinking anything 15 to 30 minutes prior to their tests.

For more information, call the Department of Health in Marion County at 352-644-2590.

Vaccination opportunities increase

The Florida Department of Health in Marion County will be providing COVID-19 vaccine for several upcoming events to give Marion County residents more opportunities to receive the important vaccination. Upcoming opportunities for residents to get vaccinated include:

Tuesday Aug. 17:

From 9 to 11 a.m. at St. Paul AME Church (718 NW Seventh St., Ocala)

Saturday, Aug. 21:

From 2 to 6 p.m. at Shiloh Seventh Day Adventist Church (500 SW 17th Ave., Ocala)

Thursdays, from Aug. 1926:

From 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Rainbow Lakes Estates Oberman building (4040 SW Deepwater Court, Dunnellon)

From 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Marion Oaks Community Center (280 Marion Oaks Lane, Ocala)

Fridays, from Aug. 2027

From 3 to 6 p.m. at the McIntosh Civic Center (5835 Avenue F, McIntosh)

Saturday, Sept. 11

From 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Holy Faith Episcopal Church (19924 W. Blue Cove Drive, Dunnellon)

The department also provides walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations Monday through Friday from 8 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. at its main office (1801 SE 32nd Ave., Ocala). Appointments are also available at the main office Monday through Friday. To make an appointment for vaccination or obtain more information, call 352-644-2590.

There are many opportunities in Marion County to get the vaccine, which is a critical tool to prevent severe illness with COVID-19, said Department of Health in Marion County Administrator Mark Lander. We encourage everyone to take advantage of these opportunities to protect themselves and their loved ones and get vaccinated.

In addition to getting vaccinated, Lander said its important to follow basic mitigation measures, including avoiding others when sick, washing hands frequently, using hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol, avoiding large crowds where distancing may be difficult, and using masks where determined appropriate. People who are older or more medically vulnerable should consult their health care provider to see if additional precautions should be taken.

It also continues to be extremely important that people stay home when they are sick, said Lander. And with students back in school, it is critical that parents do not send sick children to school or day care.

Find out more

Visitandfor the latest information on COVID-19 and vaccinations.
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Felicia Frazar is the managing editor of the Seguin Gazette. You can e-mail her at felicia.frazar@seguingazette.com .
The Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft's hatch was opened this afternoon after successful rendezvous and berthing operations.

At 6:07 a.m. EDT, NASA astronaut Megan McArthur used the International Space Station's robotic Canadarm2 to grapple the Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet monitored Cygnus systems during its approach. Cygnus was then bolted into place on the International Space Station's Earth-facing port of the Unity module at 9:42 a.m. EDT. Cygnus will remain at the space station for about three months until the spacecraft departs in November.

The spacecraft's arrival brings more than 8,200 pounds of research and supplies to space station. Highlights of cargo aboard Cygnus include research studying 3D printing using simulated lunar regolith, seeking to utilize microgravity to develop new means to treat a degenerative muscle condition on Earth, investigating new tactics to control heat during operations in space and during the intense heating of reentry, and testing a technology to remove carbon dioxide from spacecraft atmospheres with applications to future NASA exploration missions.

These are just a sample of the hundreds of investigations currently being conducted aboard the orbiting laboratory in the areas of biology and biotechnology, physical sciences, and Earth and space science. Advances in these areas will help keep astronauts healthy during long-duration space travel and demonstrate technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions as part of NASA's Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA's Artemis program.

NASA has continued to assess any integrated impacts to the space station from the inadvertent firing of thrusters on the newly arrived Russian Nauka module. Routine operations have continued uninterrupted since the event, with the space station prepared for the arrival of multiple spacecraft. Consistent with NASA policies, an investigation team is being formed to review the activity. NASA's team will begin with identifying team members and defining the scope of the investigation. The team will focus on analyzing available data, cooperating with our Russian colleagues for any information they require for their assessment, and coordinating with the other international partners.

On-Orbit Status Report

Payloads

ESA-Education Payload Operations (EPO) Microbes Video: The crew recorded video, which will be used to educate children about Microbes on the ISS and will feature Paxi, ESA's mascot for young children. The activities related to EPO Generic Videos are intended to encourage and strengthen the teaching of science curriculum, and stimulate the curiosity of students to motivate them towards further study of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.

Manufacturing Device (ManD): The crew removed the printed objects, cleaned the extruder print nozzle, photographed, and stowed the pair of printed objects. The Manufacturing Device enables the production of components on the ISS for both NASA and commercial objectives. Parts, entire experiments, and tools can be created on demand utilizing the ManD printer that is installed into an Express Rack locker location. ManD is capable of producing parts out of a wide variety of thermopolymers including engineered plastics.

Mochii: The crew continued troubleshooting efforts to recover the Mochii hardware using several different methods to boot from an external SD card containing the Operating Software. Mochii is a miniature scanning electron microscope (SEM) with spectroscopy to conduct real-time, on-site imaging and compositional measurements of particles on the International Space Station (ISS). Such particles can cause vehicle and equipment malfunctions and threaten crew health, but currently, samples must be returned to Earth for analysis, leaving crew and vehicle at risk. Mochii also provides a powerful new analysis platform to support novel microgravity science and engineering.

Systems

Cygnus Capture/Berthing: The NG-16 Cygnus cargo spacecraft was captured today at 05:09 CT (224/10:09 GMT). The Cygnus spacecraft was then berthed to the Node1 Nadir Port and bolted into place. The crew performed leak checks, outfitted the vestibule, and ingressed into the Cygnus vehicle.

Extravehicluar Activity (EVA) Preparation: In preparation for the iROSA 4A preparation EVA currently scheduled for August 24th, the crew performed a visual review of the EVA using the Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphic (DOUG) software. This session allows the crew to view the step-by-step sequence of a specific EVA. The crew also performed the initial configuration of tools required for the EVA.

Airlock Intermodule Ventilation (IMV) Cleaning: The crew completed the Airlock IMV cleaning today. The purpose of this cleaning is to remove any foreign object or debris (FOD) from the IMV inlet flow straightener and silencers located in the Airlock. Following the cleaning, the crew used the Velocicalc tool to measure the air flow through the IMV.

Completed Task List Activities:

SSC-UDON SP BPW-RVW

OBT-CYG VEH OPS-CBT

Today's Ground Activities:

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

SSRMS Cygnus Install

System Configurations for Cygnus Berthing and configuring back to nominal after berthing.

Look Ahead Plan

Friday, August 13 (GMT 225)

Payloads:

Cardinal-Muscle sample Insert (NASA)

Cell Gravisensing Sample preparation (JAXA)

Mochii Application connect (NASA)

Ring Shear Drop hardware setup (NASA)

Standard Measures Post Sleep Questionnaire (NASA)

Systems:

Cygnus Cargo Operations

EMU Loop Scrub

Cygnus Emer OBT

Ultrasound Scan

Saturday, August 14 (GMT 226)

Payloads:

Cardinal Muscle media exchange (NASA)

Cell Gravisensing Fixation operations (JAXA)

Mochii hardware Activation 1 (NASA)

NanoRacks-MainFrame Alpha-install (NASA)

Systems:

None

Sunday, August 15 (GMT 227)

Payloads:

Cardinal Muscle Microscopy(NASA)

Cell Gravisensing Observations (JAXA)

Systems:

None

Today's Planned Activities:

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

Cell Gravisensing-1 Experiment Familiarization

Public Affairs Office (PAO) Downlink Message

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tool Configuring

Portable Onboard Computers (POC) Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics (DOUG) Software Review

Private Psychological Conference (PPC)

Public Affairs Office (PAO) Social Media Event

Cygnus/Node 1 Leak Check Preperation

A/L Adapter Plate (JCAP) and NanoRacks Kaber Plate (STEP) Gather

Food Acceptability Survey

PMM1O3 Audit

Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT)

Photo TV High Definition (HD) Cygnus Video Setup

Cygnus/Node 1 Vestibule Leak Check

Node 1 Nadir to Cygnus Vestibule Outfitting, Part 1

Temperature and Humidity Control (THC) Intermodule Ventilation (IMV) Flow Measurement Survey

Node 1 Nadir to Cygnus Vestibule Outfitting Part 2

Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) Controller Panel Assembly (CPA) Rotation and Closeout

Cygnus Ingress

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They include the International Space Station and its crews and scientific research activities, and the development of Orion and the Space Launch System, the next generation American spacecraft being built to take humans farther into space than they've ever gone before.

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Pantheon Development has announced its Pantheon Elysse 2 project in JVC will be the first in the UAE to use a water heating technology that will use natural gas instead of electricity.

This unique technology will enable kitchen boilers in the units of the building currently under construction In JVC District 12 to heat water faster and more efficiently than traditional boilers that runs on electricity.

During his visit to the site, Kalpesh Kinariwala, Chairman of Pantheon Development Group, met with the engineers on site and was briefed on the innovative technology that will benefit not just future residents of the building in terms of energy consumption and electricity bills but will also be good for the environment.

Kinariwala said: This is an excellent example of innovation that is encouraged here in the UAE. It is not just a great money-saving technology, as natural gas costs less than oil or electricity and will help our future residents save on electricity bills. Equally important, natural gas are more environment friendly and therefore is less harmful to the environment.

Studies have shown that natural gas hot water appliances, besides being economical, are also safe, reliable and high-performance.

Elysse 2 is a five-storey residential building that is being built at the Jumeirah Village Circle area, one of the most preferred community destinations in Dubai. It will contain an estimated 160 units, with a mix of studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Launched in April, the building will feature amenities such as a gymnasium, a kids' play area, a landscaped pool deck, high ceilings, private parking spaces and spacious private balconies.-- TradeArabia News Service
Saudi Arabia has announced several infrastructure and development projects worth more than SR12.6 billion ($3.4 billion) in the Tabuk region, reported Arab News, citing a senior official.

These include initiatives related to housing, transportation, environment and agriculture, stated Tabuk Governor Prince Fahd bin Sultan, chairman of the regions Tourism Development Council.

The governor pointed out that citizens have witnessed a qualitative change in the kingdom in recent years, and praised the leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for achieving this.

"Those outside the country can see the shift that has taken place in Saudi Arabia. In particular is the enhanced and more effective role of women in the efforts to build the nation," he added.

Prince Fahd was later briefed on the ongoing development and service projects in the city.
KBR, a major engineering, procurement and construction company, has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Babcock International Group to acquire Frazer-Nash Consultancy, a leading provider of systems engineering, assurance and technology advisory services, for $400 million in cash.

Frazer-Nash delivers high-end systems engineering, systems assurance and technology to solve the world's most complex challenges.

Its talented team provides a broad range of professional advisory services across the defence, energy and critical infrastructure sectors primarily in the UK and Australia.

With expertise in areas such as systems engineering, data science, cyber, and clean energy, Frazer-Nash is highly complementary with KBR's global priorities with minimal overlap because of its geographic footprint, said the statement.

"This acquisition is a continuation of our strategic journey to advance upmarket to deliver innovative, digitally-enabled solutions to governments and customers around the world," remarked KBR President and CEO Stuart Bradie.

According to him, the addition of Frazer-Nash builds on a long track record of successful acquisitions and integrations.

It demonstrates KBR's ability to capitalize on industry tailwinds and long-term market dynamics to enhance capabilities and geographic reach in a capital efficient manner, he noted.

"Frazer-Nash adapted ahead of the curve to evolve with changing market dynamics, whilst delivering consistent profitable growth. I am excited to welcome this tremendous team to our company, and with market tailwinds in our favour, we are well positioned to continue our journey together," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
The Arabian & African Hospitality Investment Conference (AHIC) will address the most pressing issues impacting the hotel market in a post-pandemic world, when it returns to Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai live in person from September 20 to 22.

Under the theme Rise Together, event organisers Bench and MEED, in collaboration with the AHIC Advisory Board, have designed the AHIC 2021 programme around the key themes of innovation, sustainability and the future.

Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of Bench and founder of AHIC, said: As the industry strives to emerge from the pandemic stronger and more resilient than ever, we want to facilitate real and genuine conversations around the best ways to do this. This years programme features more than 50 opportunities for our delegates to deliberate, learn and network over three exciting days. There will be a focus on industry transformation and collaboration with debates, data and trend reports written exclusively for AHIC, interviews with industry leaders, smaller breakout sessions for specific communities, such as investors focused on Saudi Arabias giga-projects, and spectacular evening receptions, including the first event at Madinat Jumeirahs new-look Zheng Hes.

He added: Were looking forward to the return of our off-the-record AHIC Interactive workshops, including Breakfast with the Bankers, Royas Owners-Only Majlis, an in-depth look at owner-operator agreements with Al Tamimi & Company, and the HAMA Asset Management Members workshop.

We are also proud to present the finals of the Sustainability Hospitality Challenge, in partnership with Hotelschool The Hague, the Sustainability Hospitality Alliance and NEOM, and look forward to seeing the finalists vision for The Future of Hospitality 2050 as they pitch their sustainable solutions to our prominent jury, said Worsley.

AHIC 2021 will present a series of Hard Talk interviews with industry leaders live on stage, including Sebastien Bazin, CEO and chairman, Accor; Samih Sawiris, chairman, Orascom Hotels and Development; John Pagano, CEO, The Red Sea Development Company and AMAALA; and Jose Silva, chief executive officer, Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts, host sponsor of AHIC.

The Hard Talk series will span the three-day event and also include keynotes with Jerry Inzerillo, CEO, Diriyah Gate Development Authority; Gloria Guevara Manzo, chief special advisor, Ministry of Tourism  Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Puneet Chhatwal, CEO, Indian Hotels Company Limited; and Simon Vincent, President EMEA and EVP, Hilton.

Vincent, who will be addressing the role of workplace culture in attracting the next generation of hoteliers, commented: As our industry emerges from the greatest challenge we have ever faced and customer confidence continues to rise, we are now in a position where guests are returning to travel but perhaps with different expectations than before. Ensuring that we meet these needs ultimately comes down to our team members and their passion for delivering hospitality and creating memorable experiences. At AHIC I look forward to discussing how we as an industry can achieve this, by creating an environment where people of all backgrounds want to work and in doing so feel connected to a broader purpose.

AHIC Intelligence forms another valuable series on the AHIC programme, with

Pat Thaker, editorial and regional director, MEA, The Economist Intelligence Unit, presenting a session entitled Shifting Sands on the Future of Investment. Dr Martin Berlin, partner & global deals real estate leader, PWC, will unveil exclusive research on the impact of Covid as a never-before-seen catalyst for innovation, while Hala Matar Choufany, president  Middle East, Africa and South Asia for HVS, will launch the companys latest Valuation Index for the Middle East & Africa.

Several sessions will focus on operating models post-Covid, specifically in relation to profitability, with a presentation from Michael Grove, COO, Hotstats set to be followed by a debate between owners and operators, including Hassan Ahdab, president of hotels operations, Dur Hospitality.

Commenting on the topic The new normal for profitability ahead of AHIC, Ahdab said: In spite of the unprecedented challenges, the sector has benefitted from a rapid shift towards higher standards on multiple fronts, be it digitisation, sanitation, health, customer service, and more. It has become clear that innovation, not only adaptability, holds the key to increased profitability and success for our industry as we strive to offer guests highly personalised accommodation experiences that fulfil their ever-changing needs and expectations.

He added: Dur utilised the pandemic period by training its employees in a range of skills to enhance their flexibility, adaptability and readiness to serve across a multitude of functions and enable them to react positively to any unforeseen events or spikes in demand. As a result, we were able to uncover numerous hidden talents that added value to our offerings and allowed us to pursue a strategic reorganisation of staff throughout our properties. Furthermore, the high level of cooperation, transparency, and support offered by property owners boosted our efforts in overcoming challenges and emerging with greater strength and resilience.

Innovation will be another major theme of AHIC 2021, with the highly-anticipated launch of Kube Ventures, an incubator for change in the industry; the AHIC Innovation Den for business start-ups transforming the industry; and the AHIC Operators Pitch Den, which will see global brands and newcomers alike present their most innovative brands for the new normal.

Reimagined for 2021, the Arabian & African Hospitality Investment Conference (AHIC) will bring together the four close-knit investment communities of the Arabian Hospitality Investment Conference (AHIC), Saudi Arabia Hospitality Investment Conference (SHIC), Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) and the Global Restaurant Investment Forum (GRIF).  TradeArabia News Service
Judges hold Chen Mei and Cai Wei as guilty of creating "disorder". Having already served their sentences, they could be released tomorrow. They had published an interview with Ai Fen, the doctor who had raised the alarm about the coronavirus.

Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The Chaoyang District Court yesterday sentenced two activists to 15 months in prison for publishing 100 articles online on the coronavirus crisis censored by the government. The sentence was announced by the brother of one of the defendants.

The judges hold Chen Mei and Cai Wei guilty of creating "disorder," a charge often used by police to suppress dissent. The two have been in pre-trial detention in Beijing since their arrest on April 19 last year. Having already served their sentences, Chen and Cai could be released from prison tomorrow.

The two activists had posted on GitHub - the world's largest open-source website - the interview Ai Fen gave to People magazine on March 10, 2020. Ai is the Wuhan-based doctor who first raised the alarm about Covid-19.

For two years, through their collective project "Terminus 2049," Chen and Cai have been circulating material banned by the authorities, including articles about the "MeToo" movement against gender violence and discrimination, and the eviction of large numbers of migrant workers from some Beijing homes.
by Nirmala Carvalho

Religious institutes in India do not follow the government education system. A report by the National Commission for the Protection of Children's Rights advises the government to revoke the status enjoyed by minority schools. Fr. Babu Joseph: "Propaganda narrative".

New Delhi (AsiaNews) - The National Commission for the Protection of Children's Rights (NCPCR) has recommended that the Indian government bring the schools of religious minorities within the government education system: the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, regulated by article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

The announcement came soon after the release of a report on the status of schools in India, including Muslim madrasas and Christian institutions. "The purpose of the survey was to assess the differences between state institutes that follow the government's educational program and schools of religious minorities," explained Priyank Kanoongo, president of Ncpcr. "Article 21," he says, "is not applied to schools of religious minorities, but this exemption should be cancelled because of the disproportionate number of believers and schools.

According to the survey, 74% of students in Christian missionary schools are not Christian, and only 8.76% of students come from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Christians run 73% of schools and Muslims 23%. In West Bengal, 93% of minorities are Muslim and 2.5% are Christian. There are, however, 114 Christian schools and only two Islamic madrasas. In Uttar Pradesh although the Christian population is less than 1%, there are 197 Christian schools.

Fr. Babu Joseph, spokesman for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, explained that the report seems to be "a propaganda narrative": "If the Christian population throughout the country is 2.3%, it is obvious that they will be a smaller number in schools as well. It's also wrong what they are saying about granting minority school status."

From the survey, it also appears that the missionaries' schools are elite schools and are not aimed at the needy population. "This is in contrast to the right-wing populist accusations that missionaries would lure the poorest with free education," added Fr. Jospeh. "It is good to keep in mind," the cleric explained, "that educating the children of the country is the responsibility of the government and not of a minority community as such. And if the Christian community has invested its scarce resources for the public good, this should be recognized, since we do not receive government funds for education."
by Emanuele Scimia

Islamic fundamentalists now control half of the Afghan provincial capitals. Arsenal bought on Pakistans black markets. Former deputy minister of Kabul: The Taliban have complex relations with countries in the region. Their growing contacts with China could alarm Russia.

Rome (AsiaNews) - The advance of the Taliban continues in Afghanistan. They now control half of the 34 provincial capitals, directly threatening Kabul. The Islamist rebels rapid advance has been favoured by the withdrawal of the U.S. and its allies after 20 years of military presence in the country. Yet it also raises the question of where they find the resources and weapons to repeatedly defeat the Afghan army, who on paper should be better trained and equipped (by Washington).

Speaking to AsiaNews, Kabul-based researcher at the International Crisis Group, Saifullah Ahmadzai, cites local media reports that describe the weapons and military equipment taken from the Taliban by government forces as advanced and very expensive. Most of them are of Pakistani, Iranian and Russian production.

There is no evidence that these armaments are supplied by the aforementioned countries. Ahmadzai points out that in the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa there are many black markets where all kinds of weapons can be found and purchased. He explains that the Taliban have also appropriated U.S. weaponry abandoned by fleeing Afghan Security Forces.

Ajmal Shams, a former deputy minister in the first government led by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, points the finger at the Taliban's "complex relations" with countries in the region, especially those that have always been concerned about the U.S. presence in Afghanistan. Ghani's former political advisor, now vice-president of the Afghan Social Democratic Party, does not name names, but the clues lead to Russia, China, Iran and Pakistan: all countries that have criticized the rapid US and NATO withdrawal to varying degrees.

Without U.S. air cover, the regular Afghan army has weakened operational capacity, explains Shams: " It is also to be noted that Afghan forces are fighting on multiple fronts and fighting insurgency is more challenging than regular warfare." He adds that there is no reason that the international community, especially the US and our European partners, will abandon Afghanistan after investing in and partnering with the country for about two decades. However, Shams points out, "there is consensus among our international partners that there needs to be a political settlement for the conflict to end.

The Taliban offensive at the moment leaves little room for hope that the rebels will accept a negotiated solution. The Taliban are Islamic fundamentalists of Pashtun ethnicity, originating in the south of the country. Washington and the Afghan forces of the Northern Alliance (formed mainly by Tajiks and Uzbeks) overthrew their government between the end of 2001 and the beginning of 2002, immediately after the attacks of September 11: the extremist group hosted the leaders of al-Qaeda, masterminds and authors of the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon.

According to several observers, the current scenario is not only worrying for the United States and Europe, but also for China. Since the announcement in April of the U.S. pull-out, Beijing has intensified contacts with the Taliban's political leadership. As Ahmadzai notes, the Chinese want to prevent Uyghur Islamists from installing themselves in Afghanistan to launch attacks against Xinjiang, their homeland they call East Turkestan. China also wants to protect its investments on Afghan soil.

Ahmadzai emphasises that if the Taliban takes control of Afghanistan, their relationship with Beijing will become strategic. This situation, he adds, "will, however, fuel Russian suspicion in that China is becoming the dominant power in Central Asia." In other words, leading to even greater instability in the region.
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Japan has ordered the evacuation of 1.23 million people in four southwestern provinces over the heavy rainfall, media reported on Saturday.

The evacuation was ordered for residents of the prefectures of Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the NHK broadcaster reported, citing the data of regional authorities.

The southwestern regions of Japan have been hit by heavy rains for several days, which raises the risk of floods. A landslide has already left one person dead and two more injured.

The weather will remain rainy in southwestern Japan on Sunday.

(ANI/Sputnik)

Also Read: China: 21 killed, 4 missing as heavy rain hits Hubei Province
The Maharashtra Anti Terrorist Unit (ATS) arrested a 28-year-old man in West Bengal, who was on the run for seven years for possessing counterfeit Indian currency notes, said the ATS on Saturday.

Acting on a tip-off, the Mumbai ATS nabbed the man, Athaur Ayub, from the Malda district of West Bengal under Sections 489 (A), (B) and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

According to the ATS, the accused was involved in supplying counterfeit currency from Bangladesh. The ATS said that it had seized 517 currency notes of Rs 1,000 amounting to Rs 5,17,000 in 2014 and had arrested seven people in the fake currency case. But the main accused was absconding since then.

A team led by Maharashtra ATS Chief Vineet Agarwal arrested the accused and sent him for six days transit remand.

(ANI)
The men were southbound on California when they heard shots and felt pain. The older victim suffered a leg wound, and the other man was shot below the eye and in a shoulder. Both got themselves to Mount Sinai Hospital where the younger man was listed in critical condition, and the other mans condition was stabilized, police said.
To celebrate that resistance against colonization and showcase the symbolic connection of the Fall of Tenochtitlan to Chicago, a group of city leaders, activists and scholars created an interactive project that includes free community events  such as Aztec dancing  and a virtual guide to more than 47 community spaces across the city that contain objects or symbolism of the Spanish conquest of what is now known as Mexico.
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 Flash

A joint military exercise between China and Russia, named ZAPAD/INTERACTION-2021, concluded Friday in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

A four-phase exercise was held on Friday morning and attended by more than 10,000 service personnel and main battle armaments, including aircraft, artillery and armored vehicles of various models.

Chinese Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu observed the exercise and held talks later in the day.

Wei said that the Chinese and Russian armed forces have supported each other in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating the high-level development of relations between the two militaries.

The two militaries should enhance strategic coordination and comprehensive and practical cooperation, so as to make greater contributions to the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, and safeguarding world peace and stability, Wei said.

Russia is willing to enhance strategic communication with China, deepen cooperation in areas such as counterterrorism and work together to safeguard regional peace and stability, Shoigu said.

The two ministers also observed the signing of cooperation documents.

They announced the conclusion of the exercise in the afternoon.

The exercise was the first joint military exercise held in China since the COVID-19 outbreak.
 Flash

British Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace on Friday said the U.S. decision to pull its troops out of Afghanistan was a "mistake," which has handed the Taliban "momentum" in the country.

Speaking to Sky News, Wallace said the withdrawal agreement negotiated in Doha, Qatar, by the Trump administration was a "rotten deal".

"At the time of the Trump deal with, obviously the Taliban, I felt that was a mistake to have done it that way. We will all, in the international community probably pay the consequences of that," Wallace said.

"I've been pretty blunt about it publicly and that's quite a rare thing when it comes to United States decisions, but strategically it causes a lot of problems and as an international community, it's very difficult for what we're seeing today," he said.

"Of course I am worried, it is why I said I felt this was not the right time or decision to make because, of course, al-Qaida will probably come back, certainly would like that type of breeding ground," he added.

Talking about the withdrawal of British troops from the country, Wallace said Britain had no choice but to pull its forces out, because the international community had to act together.

"When the United States as the framework nation took that decision, the way we were all configured meant that we had to leave," he said.

The defense secretary also confirmed that Britain will deploy 600 troops to Afghanistan to help British nationals and interpreters leave the country. The United States said on Thursday that it will deploy thousands of troops to Kabul airport to support embassy staff drawdown.

The situation in the war-torn country has been worsening since the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops starting on May 1.

Many Afghan cities and about half of the country's 34 provinces in recent weeks have seen heavy battles and street fighting between Afghan forces and Taliban militants. The Taliban claims to have taken control of at least nine provincial capitals so far.

U.S. President Joe Biden ordered the U.S. military to end its mission in Afghanistan by the end of this month.

Earlier this month, Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani blamed the speedy withdrawal of U.S.-led troops for the worsening violence in his country. Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday also warned that the irresponsible withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces from Afghanistan may benefit the militants and lead to unrest in the country.
 Flash

Another 32,700 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 6,211,868, according to official figures released Friday.



The country also reported another 100 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 130,801. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.

The latest R value of COVID-19 for England is between 0.8 and 1.0, which means, on average, every 10 people infected with the virus will infect between 8 and 10 other people, according to the figures updated on Friday by the UK Health Security Agency.

The R value, or the reproduction number, is the average number of secondary COVID-19 infections produced by a single infected person.

Meanwhile, England's growth rate is between minus 4 percent and 0 percent per day, meaning the number of new infections could be broadly flat, shrinking by up to 4 percent every day, according to the data.

Professor James Naismith, director of the Rosalind Franklin Institute, told Sky News that he expects to see a fourth wave in the wake of eased restrictions and with the return of schools and people moving indoors after the summer.

He also called for a "more effective (vaccine) campaign to encourage the take-up amongst the hesitant", saying jabs are safe and effective and had already saved tens of thousands of lives, according to the Sky News report.

England lifted almost all its remaining COVID-19 restrictions on July 19. Nearly 90 percent of the adults in Britain have had their first dose of vaccine and more than three quarters of adults have received both doses, the latest figures showed.

To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the United States have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines.
By the MoU, signed at the Investor Summit in Gandhinagar, the states Ports and Transport Department will facilitate the necessary approvals, as per rules. (DC Photo)

Pune: Tata Motors, Indias largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, on Friday said it has joined hands with the Gujarat government to support setting up a vehicle scrapping facility in Ahmedabad.

As per the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the two, the registered vehicle scrapping facility (RVSF) for end-of-life passenger and commercial vehicles will have a capacity to recycle up to 36,000 vehicles a year.

By the MoU, signed at the Investor Summit in Gandhinagar, the states Ports and Transport Department will facilitate the necessary approvals, as per rules.

The new vehicle scrapping policy and the facility will provide benefits such as low import bill for scrap and crude oil, job opportunities for MSMEs, the possibility of upside in new vehicle sales for vehicle-makers, low operation cost for vehicle owners, safer and cleaner vehicles for consumers and a sustainable environment.

Tata Motors will set up the scrapping centre in association with a partner.

We are delighted to support this initiative through a partner for the setting up of the scrapping facility in Ahmedabad, Girish Wagh, executive director & presidentcommercial vehicle business unit at Tata Motors, said.

He said appropriate scrapping of end-of-life vehicles will have sustained benefits for the ecosystem stakeholders and the environment alike.
Most Bollywood actors believe in Astrology. Luck and the alignment of stars is crucial, the actors feel, to get a strong foothold in the Bollywood firmament. The BTown celebs consider astrology a way of attracting luck and success. Actors also commonly believe that numbers and alphabets play a vital role in their screen longevity.

Ekta Kapoor, head honcho of Alt Balaji and Telefilms Balaji, is one of those with a strong belief in astrology and numerology. And Manoj Bajpayee, the Number One hero of the OTT platform, is the latest to openly affirm his faith in astrology.

Manoj is best known for the long-running OTT show Family Man, and now his latest project Dial 100 is also garnering good viewership. In a recent interaction with the media, he said he had been all set to make his Hollywood debut after he won the National Award for Pinjar in the early 2000s, but it did not happen. He said he had been told by an astrologer that it would not materialise. He speaks to us about his belief in the stars

I believe completely in the science of Astrology, says Manoj. My father was always into it. I have seen many astrologers  some fantastic, some not so good. We should dig deep into this science. I am of the opinion that it should be given a lot of attention and space to grow and evolve. If you do this, and treat it with respect, many discoveries will be made by the young students of the science.

Manoj feels Astrology is as significant as Ayurveda. When you come to understand it and surrender to it, you are actually surrendering to your karma. So, that completely takes away your arrogance and the ego from your personality, he says

He says hes very curious about the science, and keen to understand more about it. I keep reading up about it, he reveals.

Asked to comment on the effect that following astrology has had on his success on the OTT platform, Manoj says, Many people may have told you they don't believe in the Number One position. But after 26-27 years of a roller-coaster ride  some success and some failure, some appreciation and some criticism  people are appreciating my work, my fan base is increasing because of OTT. I can only be thankful.
The neighbouring Andhra Pradesh government decided to reopen schools and colleges from August 16. Several other states have either reopened or set to reopen educational institutions this month.  PTI file photo

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao is expected to hold a review meeting with education minister and officials in a day or two to take a decision on reopening of schools and colleges in the state.

The education department submitted a report to the government seeking reopening of schools and colleges from September 1 in phases. The Chief Minister will discuss this report with education minister Sabitha Indra Reddy and senior officials of the department and fix the date for reopening of schools and colleges, according to official sources.

The neighbouring Andhra Pradesh government decided to reopen schools and colleges from August 16. Several other states have either reopened or set to reopen educational institutions this month. All these issues will be discussed in the meeting before taking a final decision.

All educational institutions in Telangana remained closed since March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Though they were reopened for students from Class VI and above in February this year, the government was forced to close all educational institutions again from March 24 due to Corona second wave.

It is learnt that the education department proposed to reopen institutions from Class 8 to PG-level in the first phase from September 1 as Covid cases came down significantly across the state. The physical classes for students from Class 1 to 7 will be held in the second phase.
The state government is all set to increase user charges for all other services being provided by the stamps and registrations department. (File photo)

Hyderabad: After increasing basic market value of registration of agriculture land and non-agriculture properties besides increasing registration charges and stamp duty recently, the state government is all set to increase user charges for all other services being provided by the stamps and registrations department.

Charges for firm registration, marriage registration, society registration etc are likely to be hiked from September. The state government increased property registration charges with effect from July 22 expecting to fetch an additional revenue of Rs 12,000 crore per year.

Besides property registrations, the stamps and registrations department offers various other services for which it collects user charges.

Official sources said the government felt that the existing user charges were nominal which needed to be revised as they were not revised in the last seven years. The major among these are registration of marriages, firms, societies/associations, NRIs, trusts and chit funds among others.

These apart, user charges are collected for general power of attorney (GPA), special power of attorney, exchange, partition, lease, will etc. The existing charges for many of these services range from Rs 20 to Rs 100 except GPA authorising family members to sell, transfer or develop immovable property for which Rs 1,000 is being collected.

The government is planning to effect a steep hike in these user charges. It is focussing on non-tax revenues to raise funds to overcome Covid-induced financial crisis since March 2020.
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Saturday urged people to honour the memory of patriots who sacrificed their lives for our freedom, by strengthening the country's march towards greater progress, self-reliance and inclusiveness.

Wishing people of the state on the eve of 75th Independence Day, he said as citizens of the world's largest and vibrant democracy, it is our duty to cherish our freedom and equality and strive to ensure greater dignity for every citizen, by upholding the loftiest democratic values.

"Let us honour the memory of the patriots who sacrificed their lives for our freedom, by strengthening India's march towards greater progress, self-reliance and inclusiveness," he said.

He also wished a "brighter, healthier and more prosperous future to the people of Kerala and other Keralites all over the world on the 75th Independence Day of the country.
Sources said the TS government planned to initiate the process to take back 200 acres lying unused, out of the allotted 535 acres.  Representational image/DC

HYDERABAD: A committee of IAS officers that was constituted in July 2015 has failed to suggest a way out for the state government from the controversial Emaar Properties and Reliance ADAG's 100-storey towers. Consequently, valuable government land parcels have been stuck in these projects for years.

Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao had constituted the panel in July 2015, under then Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma, to find a legal way out and recommend a course of action to be taken by the government on these projects.

The five-member committee included the special chief secretaries for finance and municipal administration, and secretaries for law and industries. After his retirement as CS in December 2016, Rajiv Sharma was appointed as chief adviser to the state government, a post that he continues to hold.

Although there were four new chief secretaries in the intervening years, the committee never met to find a way out of the projects. Official sources said that the committee exists only on paper.

While the 535-acre Emaar project was conceived by the TD government in 2003, the controversial dilution of APIICs stake in the project happened during the YSR government in 2005. With this, the project got mired in a legal dispute in 2010, when the CBI started a probe into the irregularities in the sale of villa plots to some influential persons at throwaway prices.

About 100 film personalities, politicians and celebrities from other fields were questioned by the CBI over the purchase of 135 villas that were sold at Rs 5,000 per square yard, when the market rate was nearly Rs 60,000, causing a huge loss to the government.

Sources said the TS government planned to initiate the process to take back 200 acres lying unused, out of the allotted 535 acres. Apartments came up over 14 acres and they remain incomplete, causing a loss of around Rs 300 crore to buyers. Villa plots were sold over an area of 100 acres.

In 2007, the YSR government allotted 76.2 acres in Manchirevula to Reliance ADAG to build a 100-storey tower to develop a Financial District with world-class infrastructure to house big national and international financial institutions. The company had agreed to pay Rs 517 crore for the land but paid only Rs 250 crore. The project is yet to take off even after 15 years.
The world appears to be bracing for the possibility of new rulers in Kabul and thus examining the future and how to deal with them. American intelligence reports point to the likelihood of the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in about 90 days. What then will befall Afghanistan and the various stakeholders, with the Talibans return to rule Kabul?

This may sound hypothetical at this stage because the 350,000-strong Afghan National Defence Security Force (ANDSF), equipped and trained by the US and its allies, stands between the Taliban and its flag atop Kabul. It is not easy to defeat and vanquish a force of this size; Afghans arent exactly squeamish fighters and the ethnic makeup of the two opposing forces in conflict there is roughly the same. In contention is a US-equipped and trained government force that many say is not comfortable with conventional ways of conflict.

The other force is that of the Taliban, who are known to be the erstwhile young religious scholars of Islam with about 70,000 fighters supplemented by more from Pakistan. They gained prominence due to their passionate study of the Islamic faith in the various seminaries funded by Saudi Arabia set up on the western border of Pakistan with Afghanistan in the 1980s. Their ideological mindset was carved under Saudi-Pakistani tutelage over almost a decade at a time when Pakistans Deep State was gaining prominence.

Pakistan had decided to employ radical ideology as a means to cement its interests with those of different stakeholders against India; the Saudis had their own interests and strategy, looking to cultivate a region east of Shia Iran, with its own brand of Sunni ideology. Pakistans control of Afghanistan through the Taliban would effectively neutralise the Indian strategy to hem in Pakistan from the area which provided strategic depth to it. The ideological setup in the region promised to assist in actualising a proxy hybrid conflict inside Jammu and Kashmir. By 1996 the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan. With the nexus between Pakistans Deep State, the Taliban and obscurantist terror groups such as Al Qaeda, a potent mix was created. Gen. Zia-ul Haqs strategy of using a mix of radical Islamist ideology, money and fighters appeared to work to Pakistans advantage.

Then Al Qaeda went and overstepped with 9/11, the attacks on America on September 11, 2001, and inviting the calamity of a US invasion, threats to bomb Pakistan back to the Stone Age and the eviction of the Taliban. Pakistan was forced to assist in the global war on terror against the very same elements it had created. Twenty years later it is probably salivating at the outcome of the current situation if it comes to a Taliban takeover. Only two contingencies are likely. First could be a compromise between the National Unity Government of President Abdul Ghani and the Taliban, negotiations for which are on even as the conflict goes on -- an unlikely contingency. With the reported Taliban military gains, the negotiations are only a means to gain some credibility for it. The second contingency is the swamping of the Afghan forces by the Taliban. The US seems to be anticipating this and is urging nationalist Afghan forces to fight hard for a victory. For the first time, the US leadership seems to be abandoning its interests, knowing fully well what the outcome may be. Is this a conscious US effort to embroil adversaries like China and Russia into the quagmire of the graveyard of empires; perhaps only time will tell.

Leaving everything aside, if the Taliban captured Kabul, it would do so after a bloody campaign with a Syria-like effect. Large-scale killings, destruction of cities and displacement of people -- some of whom would be forced to move out of Afghanistan while others will survive in abject conditions. The Taliban, which is gaining tremendous legitimacy by the fact that it is still negotiating in Doha and Tehran, and is in engagement with Islamabad, Beijing and Moscow, is unlikely to stick to any of the promises which signal a change of heart and functioning. Its attitude towards women is well known. Its virtual cold-blooded assassination of 22 Afghan Special Forces personnel in Dawlat Abad in Faryab province indicates that it will resort to mediaeval practices and have no respect for a rules-based society. The presence of the small US force and air power was sufficient deterrent for the Taliban and its sponsor Pakistan from trying to go over the top. The Doha engagement could have continued until the Taliban could prove its change of attitude and guarantees of this could be obtained from Pakistan. It just may have led to a compromise and governance of Afghanistan by consensus. However, President Joe Biden was in a tearing hurry, perhaps because he could not afford to see his administration overturning a potential situation for peace for the US initiated by his predecessor, Donald Trump. He probably also perceived that any policy creep would prevent the US from undertaking its next big mission, the Pivot to the Indo Pacific or Rebalancing, a legacy from the Obama presidency.

The urgency to develop the means and capability to prevent the rise of China does involve scaling down focus on the Middle East and Afghanistan, but as a superpower with worldwide gaze the US cannot afford to close shop in one area of intense interest to focus on another. In this respect, the wider ramifications of a Taliban takeover in Kabul havent been thought through by President Biden and his security and foreign policy teams. The Pakistan-Taliban nexus supported by stakeholders opposed to US (and Indian) interests could exploit this faulty conflict termination by the US. We need to remember that ISIS rose and thrived with the help of the vacuum left in Iraq by the conflict termination there. The effects of the Syrian civil war and the rise of ISIS actually created ripples of insecurity in Britain, West Europe, Germany and Turkey. The region of the New Great Game bears far more potential for turbulence and its spread could be unrestricted. India could be one of the worst affected although it is well geared up to absorb the travails of any developments there.

The Taliban may be coming but given the potential for trouble in the region and the propensity for that to have wider implications it is unlikely yet that the US is going anywhere near its intended new focus of redeployment.
A Russian 'Top Secret Army' called Wagner, believed to be a shadow force of non-regular enlisted troops involved in dirty missions, is hinted. Their existence and activities were in the data of a digital device that point to this unofficial mercenary group. The tablet taken from Libya has info on the Wagner unit, and how this hush-hush unit operates in the army.

Putin's force of modern Vikings is engaged in operations that these soldiers can do, which are black ops that regular units are forbidden from.

Wagner as a mercenary group for Kremlin

Data on the tablet about this ultra-covert unit mentions the pay is almost ten times more due to the nature of their missions. Typically there are rules of engagement for troopers; however, they are allowed to do anything accord to the tablet captured in the western Libyan warzone, reported the Daily Star.

Wagner is not acknowledged as part of the Russian army and is mainly a mercenary group for the Kremlin. A punishment in Russia exists for being a mercenary with stiff penalties, but Putin deploys them anywhere.

Still, at least 10,000 Wagner recruits have taken at least one contract in seven years, noted by the BBC.

Sources say that one of the mercenaries serving in Libya had left a Samsung tablet in a warzone there, and the BBC has acquired the digital device. By all indications, this unit has support from the highest echelons of the Russian government.

A Russian 'Top Secret Army' called Wagner has been busy with operations worldwide, and the Kremlin will not admit it exists.

The contents of a tablet computer left on the battlefield, likely belonging to one of the #WagnerGroups #mercenaries, reveals the scale of operations and war crimes in #Libya's civil war - @BBChttps://t.co/8rRbLOHGEo  Free Russia (@4freerussia_org) August 11, 2021

Read Also: Russia-US Tension Escalates as Putin Enters Alaskan Territory, Will This Lead to Artic War Games?

Details about Wagner as 'Top Secret Army'

One unnamed former Wagner operatives mention that all the members are in for higher pay than ordinary soldiers. Many of these troopers are from the fringes because of the low income in their communities.

He added that all the soldiers were paid substantially more once they qualify as unit members. One more ex-Wagner said their comrades were like 'modern-day Norsemen.

Joining the mercenary group is more secretive and very top secret for those interested who enlist. Most are short-term operatives only, not for long-term employment.

Recruits need to pass a strict set of physical tests and background checks on the recruit's history before getting to Wagner's boot camp close to Krasnodar, south of Russia, in an unmentioned Russian army base, citing the Daily Advent.

When done carrying out the training, the successful candidates are officially in the Wagner. They will be on a foreign mission but are told their corpses will not be brought home if they die in combat.

This shadow unit allows former criminals to join and serve, which is not permitted in the regular army.

One source said members of Putin's Vikings could torture and kill prisoners of war, with no fear of reprisal from superiors.

Additionally, all the Wagner soldiers have their pick of any war that the unit can fight in, discussing options. Choosing what can yield the best pay for the short-term contract, all countries will have a corresponding compensation.

According to BBC security adviser Chris Cobb-Smith, the Russian 'Top Secret Army' called Wagner is an unofficial part of Russia's military machine. Support is evident, too, since they have all resources available to them as well.

Related Article: Russian Destroyers and Fighter Jets Engaged in Drills Near Hawaii, Carrier Strike Group Deployed as a Response

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A Russian climber who got trapped and died in Veryovkina Cave in one of Georgia's deepest gave way to finding a missing person about nine months ago. He got in an accident that led to his death and being left in the cave for months for cavers to recover only now.

Sergei Kozeev, a resident of Sochi, disappeared and was reported as missing in November.

Later, a group of Russian cavers reported to Abkhazia's Ministry of Emergency Situations that they discovered the body on August 3. His body was found about 1.3 miles deep in the cave.

A corpse hanging deep in the Veryovkina Cave

Until the discovery of the cavers in one of their trips, Kozeev remained missing. He was trapped in one of the deepest caves in Georgia, which explains why it took time to find the remains.

An expedition to get the corpse enlisted about 100 climbers to all assist in the difficult task of recovering his remains in such a profound depth inside the cave in the Abkhazia region, reported the Daily Mail.

Those who stumbled on the corpse of Koseev first saw his stuff and came across the body as they got deeper. Eventually, the group saw the dead man hanging from a rope about 1,100 meters into 1.3 miles deep in the enormous cave, cited MSN.

Getting pictures from the deceased mobile phone, the Union of Cavers asked the missing person's organization Lisa Alert to identify the trapped corpse. This Russian climber ended up trapped and died in Veryovkina Cave.

Read Also: Lava Tubes on the Moon and Mars Are Useful Shelters to Astronauts

Evgeny Snetkov, a member of the Board of the Union of Cavers, spoke to Radio Sputnik that the deceased climber is a tourist who made a grave mistake that cost his life. The cave was too much for him, and he died, noted Newstral.

One of the reasons why many get into trouble in going down into Veryovkina Cave is going solo, which is a serious violation of safety rules.

Snetkov said the deceased is a multi-tourist who does various sports, not specializing in one only. Koseev was into caving, but his biggest mistake that cost his life is going into the wrong cave, Snetkov added.

More thoughts about why the Russian died

The caver said that Kozeev died after he fell a long way, but some said the caver died because of hypothermia that froze him in the cave's frigid 3-4 degrees Celsius temperatures.

Snetkov then said it would be a challenging and dangerous task to get the body from deep inside the cave. But if the cavers are allowed, they can figure out how to get it done.

Kozeev's wife has intervened and asked the Abkhaz authorities to retrieve her husband's corpse. Cavers have been allowed via the wife's request.

The cave is found in Abkhazia, a part of the South Caucasus, but Georgia says the state with South Ossetia is under Russian occupation, but they are independent states.

Veryovkina is located in the Gagra ridge in Abkhazia, which has the most profound depth of any cave and its dangers that experts should tackle.

The Russian climber, Koseev, should have not even tried it in the first place, or he would not be trapped and died in Veryovkina Cave.

Related Article: Siberian Cave Yields DNA Showing that Denisovans and Neanderthals Were Cohabiting About 44,000 Years Ago

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President Joe Biden resumed his vacation on Friday, staying at Camp David while the Taliban rages throughout Afghanistan and other domestic issues mount.

Biden is set to spend the weekend at the presidential retreat in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains before returning to his home in Wilmington next week for the remainder of his summer vacation. The R&R comes as the Afghan government crumbles, with provincial capitals falling to the Taliban, who now control the majority of the nation and are closing in on Kabul, the capital.

Biden resumes vacation while crises surge

President Biden is being chastised by Republican leaders for enjoying a long weekend away from the public spotlight as major cities in Afghanistan fall to the Taliban. As the Taliban took Herat and Kandahar, Afghanistan's second and third largest cities, Biden dispatched 3,000 US troops to Kabul to evacuate embassy staff on Thursday, but he hasn't spoken publicly about the issue since Tuesday, Washington Times reported.

The president took no questions as he left the White House on Thursday afternoon for a vacation to his home in Wilmington, Delaware, and he'll be out of sight for many days. Biden left on Friday for Camp David in western Maryland, where he will spend the weekend, but did not speak to the media on the way.

He will likely return to his Wilmington home next week for a vacation break. Biden's weekend plans were justified by White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday, who told reporters that he likes the "beautiful scenery there."

"Biden must immediately focus all efforts on ensuring there is a strategy to safely withdraw all American service troops and civilians currently left in Afghanistan," House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) stated Friday.

Read Also: Canada Says Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou Receives Fair Extradition Proceedings Despite China's Sentences to Two Canadian Citizens

The US made a big blunder by letting the Afghan government takeover

On July 1, the United States effectively concluded its military activities in Afghanistan by handing over the massive Bagram Air Base to the Afghan government, which had long functioned as a staging base for US operations in the nation. Biden has defended his decision to leave Afghanistan, claiming that the US did not go to Afghanistan to establish a nation and that staying would have meant US forces suffering lives.

While the Afghan government in Kabul is on the verge of collapse, the Taliban are stealing American weapons from the Afghan troops and flaunting them around the nation. America's argument for leaving Afghanistan so quickly is even weaker than its justification for leaving Vietnam. In contrast to the 58,220 Americans who died in Vietnam, just 2,448 US soldiers were killed in Afghanistan during 20 years.

Furthermore, since the United States formally terminated its combat operations on January 1, 2015, it has only incurred 99 fatalities, including non-hostile situations. Over 28,000 Afghan police officers and troops have been killed in the same period.

None of this is meant to diminish the US commitment of blood and wealth in Afghanistan or to imply that American forces should remain in the country permanently. Ending America's longest war, on the other hand, is a noble objective. However, Biden's strategy includes acknowledging that a terrorist militia has destroyed the world's most powerful force and then turning over Afghanistan to that militia, according to Channel News Asia.

President Biden's exit from Afghanistan on Friday was denounced by Michael Waltz, the first Green Beret elected to Congress, who said the country's fast fall into chaos made a mockery of his reputation as a foreign policy expert. Instead, the Republican said that it proved Biden's susceptibility for making blunders abroad.

During last year's election, Biden's campaign emphasized his foreign policy credentials. He served as head or ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for 12 years before becoming president, and as vice president, he took on the position of last-in-the-room counselor to President Barack Obama on foreign matters. However, there is a long list of errors that opponents have pounced on, as per Daily Mail.

Related Article: Joe Biden Departs for Vacation, Refuses to Take Questions Amid Multiple Crises Including US-Mexico Border and Tougher Vaccine Rules



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A woman claims Nicki Minaj's husband Kenneth Petty, who was convicted of attempting to rape in 1995, is harassing her. As a consequence of the first-degree attempted rape of Jennifer Hough, Petty is required to register as a sex offender, and he was recently charged with failing to register and accepting a plea deal.

Last year, Petty was arrested and charged with failing to register as a sex offender in California, which was a condition of his sentence for attempting to rape Hough, who was 16 at the time. He was previously imprisoned for the crime for four years.

Hough also alleges that she and her family were subjected to an onslaught of unwanted calls and uninvited visits in 2020 and that she was offered $500,000 in return for issuing a statement claiming that Petty did not assault her.

Nicki Minaj allegedly tries to pay husband's victim

Hough alleges Nicki and Kenneth harassed her directly and indirectly after she turned down Minaj's $500,000 offer not to go out about her story, according to documents obtained by TMZ. As a result of the pair's conduct, Hough alleges she has been exposed to emotional distress.

Petty was ordered to register as a sex offender as a result of his conviction, but he failed to do so when he relocated to California with Minaj, and he was arrested in March 2020. Jennifer Hough, now 43, alleges Minaj and Petty harassed her and tried to get her to retract her testimony shortly after Petty was jailed.

Hough claims she has not worked since May 2020 as a result of severe depression, paranoia, frequent moving, harassment, and threats from the defendants and their associates, according to a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Because she is afraid of retaliation, she is presently living in isolation.

The lawsuit claims Nicki Minaj and Kenneth Petty engaged in harassment, witness intimidation, and intentional infliction of mental distress, and wants unspecified damages. Hough had previously only been identified as 'Jennifer' in interviews, but she is named in the case and spoke to The New York Times on Friday using her real name.

Read Also: Meghan Markle's Dad Brands Her Liar, Claims She Has Changed Since Meeting Prince Harry

Accuser dismissed claims that she had a relationship with Petty

Per The Sun, Hough claims Minaj of intimidating, threatening, and harassing her in the lawsuit. She alleges that in March 2020, Minaj phoned her and offered to fly Hough to Los Angeles or send her publicist to Hough to "craft a statement recanting Plaintiff's rape accusation."

According to the lawsuit, the 10-time Grammy nominee also publicly defended her spouse in 2018, tweeting, "Kenny was 15, she was 16, in a relationship, but go awf Internet."

The statement is false, according to Hough, who claims she was never in a relationship with Petty and just knew him from the neighborhood. Such accusations are harassment, said Hough.

The accuser further claims that Nicki Minaj attempted to bribe her with $20,000 by promising to send happy birthday videos to her daughter for her sweet 16th birthday as a bonus. The lawsuit began in 1994 when Hough was 16 years old.

According to the complaint, she reported to the authorities that Petty - then a 16-year-old Hough knew growing up in Queens, New York - had raped her after forcing her into a house with a knife. Kenneth Petty was apprehended and charged with rape in the first degree. He pleaded guilty to attempted rape and was sentenced to four and a half years in jail.

Related Article: Kelly Clarkson Urges Judge to Restore Surname After Getting Major Win in Divorce Battle Against Brandon Blackstock



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By Lee Gyu-lee







Actor Lee Byung-hun will be the first host of the rebooted comedy show "Saturday Night Live Korea" (SNL Korea), according to Coupang Play, the streaming service owned by the retail giant Coupang.







The Korean adaptation of the long-running U.S. comedy show debuted in 2011 on tvN, and ran for nine seasons until 2017.







After about four years, the streaming service picked up the show for a reboot, which is set to premiere on Sept. 4 as Coupang Play's first original comedy show.







"We are holding high hopes on bringing back SNL Korea through Coupang Play. I hope it can offer a good laugh to the users of our service," Kim Sung-han, head of Coupang Play, said in a statement.







The show will have original cast members from previous seasons, including Ahn Young-mi, Jung Sang-hoon, Kim Min-kyo and Kwon Hyuk-soo, as well as the main host Shin Dong-yup.







It will also invite new cast members, such as Red Velvet's Wendy and actress Cha Chung-hwa.







Lee, who garnered global fame by starring in various hit films, including a number of Hollywood productions, recently starred in the disaster action film "Emergency Declaration," which had its world premiere at this year's Cannes Film Festival.


The Denny Taegeukgi, known to be the oldest and the largest surviving version of the Korean national flag / Courtesy of CHA



By Park Han-sol



Since the late 1800s, the national flag Taegeukgi has indeed remained a symbol of Korea's cultural identity as it underwent the trials and tribulations of its turbulent history.



Among them, three flags bearing historical significance will be designated by the state as treasures, the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) announced Thursday, days ahead of the celebration of the 76th National Liberation Day on Aug. 15.



The flags in question are the Denny Taegeukgi, the Taegeuki signed by independence activist Kim Gu (1876-1949) and Jingwan Temple's Taegeukgi  all produced between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries.



The first Taegeukgi is known to have been created in 1882, and Joseon King Gojong declared it as the official national flag the following year. But with no specific standards yet established, various forms of the flag were produced during that time.



The Denny Taegeukgi, which is the oldest and the largest surviving version of the national flag, is believed to have been created in 1890 or earlier.



It was owned by Owen Nickerson Denny (1838-1900), an American who worked as one of the principal diplomatic advisers for King Gojong until he returned to his home country in 1891. Nine decades later, in 1981, the artifact was donated back to Korea by one of his descendants and is now stored in the National Museum of Korea.





The Taegeukgi signed by independence activist Kim Gu in 1941 / Courtesy of CHA



The Taegeukgi containing the handwritten note by the freedom fighter Kim was given to Belgian priest Charles Meeus in 1941. Meeus subsequently handed it to Helen Ahn, wife of another iconic activist Ahn Chang-ho, in the United States. Years later in 1985, the flag returned home to the Independence Hall of Korea in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province.



"If you encounter any Korean during your trip, please pass along this message," Kim's note on the flag reads. "To avoid our sorrowful, homeless state and to enjoy true freedom and bliss, we shall bring down the Japanese force with all our might and resources as Gwangbokgun (Korean Independence Army) and achieve national liberation."





A Taegeukgi  presumed to have been used during or after the March 1 Independence Movement in 1919  was found in 2009 during the renovation of Jingwan Temple in Eunpyeong District, northwestern Seoul. Courtesy of CHA




A North Korean propaganda outlet issued demands Saturday for South Korea and the United States to stop their joint military exercise and for Washington to pull American troops out of the South if Seoul wants peace on the peninsula.







The Tongil Sinbo, a North Korean weekly, renewed the calls in a commentary, denouncing the military drill as "an exercise taking place under the collusion with foreign forces."







"It's an operation aimed at preemptively striking our republic and a preliminary training for the complete execution of a nuclear war," the commentary read.







"It is the sentiment of the South Korean public believing that peace is guaranteed with the cessation of various practices of wars of aggression in the South, and the removal of the hostile policy by withdrawing America's aggression and its armed forces," it said.







The commentary came as the North has ramped up criticism over the allies' annual military exercises and renewed its demand for the withdrawal of the 28,500 U.S. Forces Korea stationed in the South in recent statements by its leadership.







Early this month, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, warned that the drills would dampen the conciliatory mood created in the wake of the restoration of communication hotlines, saying that it was "imperative for the U.S. to withdraw its aggression troops and war hardware deployed in South Korea."







Kim Yong-chol, head of the North's United Front Department, vowed to make South Korea and the U.S. "pay dearly" for kicking off their summertime exercises this month.







Pyongyang has long denounced Seoul and Washington's military drills as a rehearsal for an invasion. The allies say the exercises are defensive in nature. (Yonhap)


People Power Party presidential contender Yoon Seok-youl speaks during a meeting with a group of healthcare experts at his election camp in Jongno District, Seoul, Thursday. Joint Press Corps



PPP contender criticized for instigating unnecessary anti-China sentiment



By Nam Hyun-woo



Yoon Seok-youl, a presidential contender from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), again created a stir with his rhetoric, by referring to COVID-19 as "the Wuhan virus."



He also denounced the Moon Jae-in administration's decision not to place a travel ban on incoming travelers from China in the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak in 2020, calling it "political quarantine."



Yoon made those comments while criticizing the Moon government's quarantine and social distancing policies, but this backfired and he himself is facing criticism for instigating unnecessary anti-China sentiment for his use of the term, which is considered by some as an inaccurate and xenophobic description.



During a meeting with a group of healthcare experts on Thursday, Yoon told reporters, "The U.S. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were developed to target the Wuhan virus."



COVID-19 was first reported in Wuhan, located in the Hubei province of central China, in December 2019. After being called various names such as "the Wuhan pneumonia," "the Wuhan virus" and "the China virus," the name of COVID-19 became common following World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendation in February 2020 to refrain from referring to a geographical location, an animal, an individual or a group of people when naming a virus to avoid stigmatizion.



Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who repeatedly used terms like "China virus" and "kung flu," faced criticisms for fueling anti-Asian sentiment.



Korea has also seen similar controversies over the disease's name. Early last year, the United Future Party (UFP), the predecessor of the PPP, caused controversy by using terms like Wuhan COVID-19 or Wuhan pneumonia. During a meeting with President Moon in February last year, then-UFP Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn said, "The Wuhan coronavirus situation is a human-caused incident."



Though COVID-19 became the dominant term for the disease in Korea, some far-right conservatives still use terms invoking Wuhan or China in an apparent expression of blame toward the pandemic's country of origin.



After calling COVID-19 the Wuhan virus, Yoon also said "COVID-19 became rampant in December 2019 with Wuhan being the epicenter."



"Doctors and experts have strongly demanded an entry ban on incoming travelers from China, which was scientifically reasonable," he said. "It is natural to think that there was a political consideration when the government did not follow the science."





Passengers from China are being guided to a designated immigration checkpoint at Incheon International Airport on Feb. 5, 2020, for intensive quarantine checks for COVID-19 infection. At the time, the Korean government banned entry from Hubei province, where the coronavirus originated, but not from other parts of China. Korea Times file
A truck carrying condolence flowers enters the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital, where the memorial altar of an alleged Navy sexual harassment victim was set up Aug. 14. Yonhap



A Navy court on Saturday issued an arrest warrant for a senior chief petty officer suspected of having sexually harassed a female subordinate who was found dead in an apparent suicide earlier this week.



The issuance of the arrest warrant for the officer, whose identity was withheld, came after a pre-trial detention hearing held at the Navy's general military court in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul. The suspect was immediately imprisoned at a detention facility of the Navy 2nd Fleet.



The victim, known only to be a female chief petty officer, was found dead at her residence in Pyeongtaek, Thursday, after reporting days earlier that she had suffered sexual harassment from the suspect in May.



According to officials, the alleged harassment took place May 27 while the victim and the suspect were having lunch together near their base on an island off the western city of Incheon. The victim promptly reported the case to an immediate superior before filing a formal request for investigation two months later, Aug. 9.



They said investigators from the Ministry of National Defense and the Navy will conduct a thorough investigation into the case and question the suspect. Investigators are also looking into the possibility of secondary damage to the victim, as the formal reporting came two months afterward, they said.



Regarding this, an opposition lawmaker, disclosed mobile text messages exchanged between the victim and her family, alleging that she appeared to have been bullied, isolated and excluded from work while remaining unseparated from the suspect at the same unit.



The incident has taken place as the military is striving to stamp out sex crimes in barracks following the death of an Air Force noncommissioned officer in May, three months after she was sexually abused by a colleague.



Despite top commanders' apologies and pledges for reform, the Navy incident again raises doubts over whether the military is capable of such an overhaul. President Moon Jae-in expressed "fury" after receiving a report on the latest case and ordered a thorough investigation.



Meanwhile, the Navy said its screening committee has decided to recognize the victim's death as a death in the line of duty and she will be buried at the Daejeon National Cemetery in the central city of Daejeon after a funeral service, Sunday.



A memorial altar for the victim was set up at the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital but only her family and relatives and military personnel were allowed to offer their condolences. (Yonhap)






A military plane carrying a special delegation departed for Kazakhstan, Saturday, to bring home the remains of legendary Korean independence fighter Hong Beom-do, 78 years after his death in the Central Asian country, according to officials.







The KC-330 multirole aerial tanker departed from Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, south of the capital, with officials tasked with the repatriation onboard.







Led by Patriot and Veterans Affairs Minister Hwang Ki-chul the team included Rep. Woo Won-shik of the ruling Democratic Party and Cho Jin-woong, an actor who starred in films on Korea's fight for independence. Woo leads a local foundation to commemorate Hong.







The remains will arrive in South Korea on the country's National Liberation Day, which falls on Sunday this year.







Born in 1868, Hong served as general commander of the Korean independence army during the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule. He is especially famous for victory in the Battle of Fengwudong in Manchuria, China, in 1920, remembered as Korea's first major victory against the Japanese colonial power.







Hong spent the rest of his life in the then Soviet Union, including his relocation to what is now Kazakhstan under then Soviet leader Stalin's forced migration policy in 1937. He died in 1943 at the age of 75, two years before Korea's liberation from colonial rule.







Hong's return was arranged on the occasion of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's state visit to South Korea next week for a summit with President Moon Jae-in.







Tokayev had planned to make a trip here in March last year, but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 situation.







The late general will be laid to rest at a national cemetery in the central city of Daejeon, Wednesday, following an official mourning period. (Yonhap)






Former President Chun Doo-hwan has been hospitalized for treatment, informed officials said Saturday, days after he made a 660-kilometer round trip to the southwestern city of Gwangju to attend an appellate court hearing in a defamation lawsuit.







The 90-year-old Chun, who served as president from 1980-1988, was admitted to Severance Hospital in western Seoul, Friday, to receive treatment and a checkup, the officials told Yonhap News Agency.







He is expected to be discharged during the ongoing National Liberation Day holiday, which extends to Monday, at the earliest if no abnormalities are found, they said.







Chun showed up at the Gwangju District Court's appellate division Monday to attend a hearing, but left the courtroom just 25 minutes later after complaining of breathing difficulties. He answered some of the judge's questions with the help of his wife and was also seen dozing off. (Yonhap)






A local court has issued an arrest warrant for the leader of an umbrella union group on charges of violating a ban on holding mass rallies imposed due to the spread of a COVID-19, according to legal sources, Saturday.







The Seoul Central District Court approved the issuance of the warrant to arrest Yang Kyung-soo, chief of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), Friday, over rallies held in downtown Seoul between May and July, the sources said.







The latest demonstration, which took place July 3, drew more than 8,000 participants, according to the KCTU, increasing fears about the spread of COVID-19.







Police booked 23 people in connection with that rally, including Yang, and sought an arrest warrant for him Aug. 6, citing the seriousness of the crime during a pandemic and the risk of him repeating it.







Prosecutors then filed the request with the court.







The court issued the warrant after reading the results of a written investigation, as Yang refused to attend a hearing scheduled for earlier this week.







Yang also rejected three police summonses for questioning before he showing up at Jongno Police Station, Aug. 4, where he was questioned for over five hours.







Yang faces charges of violating the Assembly and Demonstration Act and the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, as well as traffic disruption. (Yonhap)


Namdaemun in Seoul during the Japanese occupation / Robert Neff Collection



By Robert Neff



On Aug. 14, 1945, Koreans and Japanese on the Korean Peninsula were surprised by notices in the newspaper and radio broadcasts that on the following day, at noon, there would be "a great declaration."



This caused great excitement and many rumors began to circulate, but few thought the proclamation would amount to much  perhaps a declaration of new restrictions or increased rationing.



An Hong-kyoon, at that time a 12-year-old schoolboy, recalls that the morning of Aug. 15 was just like any other hot sultry morning  he got up, ate breakfast and went to school. His classmates gathered pine needles (which were used for oil) from the nearby mountain and then returned to the school courtyard with their teacher to await the great proclamation. Nearly seven decades later, An recalled:



"Exactly at noon, a radio announcer stated that his majesty the emperor would read an edict to his subjects. The Japanese national anthem streamed through a loudspeaker as we stood at straight attention. Then there was the voice of Emperor Hirohito, the living god, no ordinary people had ever expected to hear in their wildest dream. The highly formal court language he delivered in his high-pitched voice via the poor reception was nearly impossible to follow, however. Standing in tight attention under the glaring sunlight, I quickly lost my interest. Bored, I looked at my Japanese teachers standing in front of us. Most were listening intently. One seemed unimpressed. He appeared puzzled, and his face grew slowly contorted as the emperor's voice continued. He must have sensed something ominous. I did not care. I was thirsty and wanted to go home. A while later, it was over. Our teachers dismissed us. No more work for the remainder of the day. We gave a cheer and hurried home."





The view of the post office from the Choson Bank during the Japanese occupation / Robert Neff Collection



The innocence of youth robbed him of the understanding of what had just happened but the adults around him knew.



Weeks later, The Korea Times, an English-language newspaper published in Seoul (which has no relationship to the present The Korea Times founded five years later), reported:



"It was the first time that the Emperor spoke to the people. It meant the end of the war. It meant that the heavy burdens, which weighed so cruelly upon the Koreans, were relieved. It meant new freedom of the downtrodden 26 millions. People came out in crowds into streets in thousands and thousands. Among these crowds were seen those who were released that very morning from the prison, where they had been kept for political reasons. Thousands and thousands of people who had been employed for making military provisions, rushed out into the streets."





Slow traffic in Seoul during the Japanese occupation / Robert Neff Collection



The same paper described the following day as "a memorable day in recent Korean history." For Koreans, the peninsula was awash with jubilant excitement. Korean flags appeared everywhere and cars and trucks  packed with cheering people  drove up and down the streets. The Japanese police quietly disappeared from public view as did the Japanese flags on the police stations  replaced with Korean flags. The Korean people, "who had been forced to keep silence for half a century," would be silent no more.



And yet, the following day, everything was quiet. American reconnaissance flights revealed the streets and roads were empty and the factories seemed idle  production had stopped  as if everyone was waiting for the other shoe to drop.





Cheonggye Stream in April 1931 / Robert Neff Collection



For the Japanese, the atmosphere permeating the peninsula was one of fear. Donald Clark, in his book "Living Dangerously in Korea," wrote:



"When the Americans finally made radio contact with Seoul, Japanese officials reported that chaos was imminent and pleaded with the Americans to help keep order."



In response, by the end of the month, American military planes began dropping leaflets over Korean cities urging the population to remain peaceful: "Do not let hate, excitement, or selfishness lead you into foolish action," and "maintain peaceful and orderly conduct at all times. It is only by doing these things that you may speed the lifting of restrictions on your country and your daily life."





Downtown Seoul circa 1938 / Robert Neff Collection



The leaflets also indicated the Japanese were responsible for maintaining order until the arrival of the Allied forces. The duties of the regular police (who had disappeared on Aug. 16) had fallen on the shoulders of Korean volunteers and Japanese soldiers but their efforts were not that effective.



"Fearful of the consequences of their failure, the Japanese authorities again called out the regular police force; but the police and the detectives were no longer what they used to be, and the continued presence of the Japanese police excited uneasiness among the populace."



Once again, "Korean volunteers, both student and citizen, lent a helpful hand." Their efforts, however, were not coordinated and there were clashes between the Japanese with their "sinful past" and the enraged population resulting in the loss of lives. Many felt that the only solution was for the Japanese  both soldiers and civilians  be deported back to Japan.



"The Koreans [feel] they [are] free now and that the foot-steps of the Allied Armies [will] be heard before long, with these foot-steps, the first page of the free nation will begin."



Not everyone was willing to wait around for the Allied Armies to arrive  some went out to meet them.





A primary school in Incheon / Courtesy of Diane Nars Collection



According to Seoul Press (an English-language newspaper that seems to have started publishing in August), Yeo Un-hyeong and other delegates of the Provisional Korean Commission of 1945 traveled to Incheon on Sept. 3 "in order to have the opportunity of meeting the prominent members of the U.S. Armed Forces which was to arrive on Sept. 8 and lay bare the existing conditions in Korea and the opinions of the Korean people."



Yeo was no stranger to politics. He studied at Baejae School in Seoul in the early 1900s, then with American missionary Charles Clark, and, in 1911 enrolled in Pyongyang Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He later worked with the independence movement in China, traveled to Russia, opposed British imperialism, served three years in a Korean prison and, after his release, worked as a newspaper editor and then served as its president.





A Japanese military base during the occupation / Robert Neff Collection



He was obviously well-known to the Japanese authorities and feared they might try and stop him and his companions from meeting the Americans. To avoid being recognized, they disguised themselves as members of the Coast Guard and put out to sea in a small boat. They waited at sea in inclement weather until the morning of Sept. 8 when "their patience and zeal" were rewarded by the approach of No. P38  an American transport that was part of the fleet of ships transporting the XXIV Corps. The delegation was taken aboard the ship and met General Hodges and his staff. According to the article, Yeo "delivered the welcome message from the chairman of the Provisional Korean Commission of 1945 along with some information on the existing conditions in Korea."



He claimed that the Japanese authorities were: (1) burning valuable charts and records; (2) "burning, selling, or hiding an enormous quantity of rice"  which threatened the large Korean cities with starvation; (3) preparing for guerrilla warfare in Seoul; (4) "a goodly number of persons have been found murdered at night. It is certain that they are done to death by Japanese soldiers running amuck"; and (5) finally, to tell the American authorities about the Provisional Korean Commission which was formed after the surrender of Japan, its purpose to maintain peace and order and function as a provisional government until a "properly constituted" government could be established.





A Shinto shrine on Mount Nam in Seoul during the Japanese occupation / Robert Neff Collection


By Kim Jae-heun

Ecommerce giant Coupang saw sales surge 71 percent year-on-year to 5 trillion won ($4.27 billion) in the second quarter. However, it also saw an increase in the number of industrial accidents, with the latest one being a massive fire at its warehouse in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, July 19.







According to Ministry of Employment and Labor data compiled and released by Rep. Lee Tahney of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, 1,235 industrial accidents were reported on Coupang premises so far this year.







The figure is just slightly lower than the combined number of accidents over the past four years  141 in 2017, 193 in 2018, 334 in 2019 and 758 in 2020.







At this rate of increase, the number of cases for all of 2021 is expected to surpass 2,000.







By type, accidents involving delivery drivers are especially rising sharply  the figure stood at just 193 in 2018 but jumped to 758 in 2020.







This could be due to the huge increase in demand for online orders amid a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are a limited number of delivery drivers and workers at the company's fulfilment centers, but the number of online orders has increased drastically. Workers allege that they have been made to work faster and harder.







Coupang said it is well-aware of this and is striving to provide the safest possible working environment for its employees.







"Unlike other logistic firms, Coupang employs full-time workers 100 percent. Industrial accidents befalling our workers may seem comparatively high because our system encourages them to take advantage of it," a company official said.


Are you looking to make a difference to make sure your co-workers go home safe each day?

Jo-Carroll Energy has an opening for a

MANAGER OF SAFETY AND LOSS CONTROL





Youll perform a key role in supporting our number one value of safety by ensuring all employees have proper training, knowledge and tools for them to perform their jobs safely and effectively.

Provide site safety leadership and ensure compliance with safety standards and that required reporting is accurate and compliant.





Jo-Carroll Energy is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.





Visit jocarroll.com/employment for complete details and to apply.

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This role is temporarily remote. Training is conducted virtually from your home. This role is an onsite role and once training is completed, you will transition to work in the office in the future. Cuando se trata de salir adelante y tienes la voluntad de ganar, vamos a llamarlo gran potencial de carrera! Imagine being able to get answers to your health plan questions from someone who speaks the same language as you do. Or, the opposite, not being able to get the answers. At UnitedHealth Group, we want our customers to get those answers by speaking to one of our Bilingual Representatives. If you're fluent in English and Spanish, we can show you how to put all of your skills, your passions and your energy to work in a fast - growing environment. The Senior Customer Service Representative (Member Engagement) role is within the Government Programs segment of United Healthcare. This position is a non-licensed role who will be responsible for leading both outbound and inbound call efforts building connections with current and past United Healthcare members through exceptional customer service skills. The primary focus of this team is to positively influence the growth and retention of our C&S Dual Special Needs membership. During peak times of the business year, Retention plays a vital role in supporting key business partners maintain the growth of our plan membership through the various call campaigns projects and initiatives. Primary focus of NRT Specialists is to identify the unique needs of each member and provide support and information to help close potential gaps in care. This position is full-time (40 hours/week). Employees are required to have flexibility to work any of our 8-hour shift schedules during our normal business hours of 7:00am - 7:00pm Local Time, Monday - Friday. Due to the nature of our business, we have Over time opportunities that occur primarily during Q4 and early Q1 of each year. During this time, team members are supporting both weekday and weekend overtime hours. Other Overtime opportunities may arise throughout the course of the year as business needs require. Our office is located at 4425 E. Cotton Center Blvd Phoenix, AZ 85040. We offer 4 weeks of paid training. The hours during training will be 9am to 5:30pm Monday-Friday. Training will be conducted virtually from your home. *All Telecommuters will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Groups Telecommuter Policy. Primary Responsibilities: Inbound and Outbound Call Campaign Support & Results: Make an instant connection with members through various outbound call campaigns which focus on their plan benefits and personal healthcare needs

Maintain a basic understanding of State Medicaid benefits

Meet/Exceed basic call center metrics and expectations consistently (Quality, Adherence, Call Efficiency, Campaign outcomes, Attendance, etc.)

Accurately and efficiently collect and input pertinent information obtained into the appropriate company systems

Ability to navigate through multiple systems simultaneously, with a general understanding of the United HealthCare Products and Benefits.

Create meaningful, compassionate connections with C&S Dual Special Needs members while engaging in fact finding conversations

Demonstrate compassion while working with individuals who are economically disadvantaged, medically underserved or without employer funded health coverage

Displays compassion and understanding for the Medicaid population. Desired Soft Skills Understand & supportive of companys vision and mission linked to direct application of methods and strategies to accomplish Community and State Dual Special Needs business goals.

Self-driven goal-oriented individual with the desire to go above and beyond for a member while meeting/exceeding business metrics

Ability to demonstrate United HealthCares Core Values with internal and external interactions.

Team player with the ability to be flexible in a changing environment.

Demonstrates appropriate communication techniques when responding to members, particularly in stressful situations Youll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in. Required Qualifications: High school diploma / GED (or higher)

2+ years of customer service &/or Call Center experience analyzing and solving member problems

Bilingual fluency in English and Spanish

Experience with Windows PC applications which includes the ability to learn new and complex computer system applications and phone systems

Availability to work 40 hours per week within the operating hours of 7:00 am - 7:00 pm M-F, with an expectation to adjust schedules and work required overtime (to include Holidays and Weekends) based on business needs. Peak required Overtime periods include but are not limited to Q4 & Q1 of each year.

You will be asked to perform this role in an office setting or other company location, however, may be required to work from home temporarily due to space limitations

If you need to enter a work site for any reason, you will be required to screen for symptoms using the ProtectWell mobile app, Interactive Voice Response (i.e., entering your symptoms via phone system) or similar UnitedHealth Group-approved symptom screener. When in a UnitedHealth Group building, employees are required to wear a mask in common areas. In addition, employees must comply with any state and local masking orders Preferred Qualifications: Healthcare related experience Telecommuting Requirements: Reside within commutable distance of the office location: 4425 E. Cotton Center Blvd Phoenix, AZ 85040.

Required to have a dedicated work area established that is separated from other living areas and provides information privacy

Ability to keep all company sensitive documents secure (if applicable)

Must live in a location that can receive a UnitedHealth Group approved high-speed internet connection or leverage an existing high-speed internet service Physical and Work Environment Ability to converse with members for a full days work, listening using a headset, sitting, use of hands / fingers across keyboard or mouse, long periods working at a computer, sedentary work

Service center environment has a moderate noise level due to representatives talking, computers, printers, and floor activity UnitedHealth Group is an essential business. The health and safety of our team members is our highest priority, so we are taking a science driven approach to slowly welcome and transition some of our workforce back to the office with many safety protocols in place. We continue to monitor and assess before we confirm the return of each wave, paying specific attention to geography-specific trends. We have taken steps to ensure the safety of our 325,000 team members and their families, providing them with resources and support as they continue to serve the members, patients and customers who depend on us. You can learn more about all we are doing to fight COVID-19 and support impacted communities at: https://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/newsroom/addressing-covid.html Careers with UnitedHealthcare. Let's talk about opportunity. Start with a Fortune 10 organization that's serving more than 85 million people already and building the industry's singular reputation for bold ideas and impeccable execution. Now, add your energy, your passion for excellence, your near - obsession with driving change for the better. Get the picture? UnitedHealthcare is serving employers and individuals, states and communities, Military families and Veterans wherever they're found across the globe. We bring them the resources of an industry leader and a commitment to improve their lives that's second to none. This is no small opportunity. It's where you can do your lifes best work.SM **PLEASE NOTE** The sign on bonus is only available to external candidates. Candidates who are currently working for a UnitedHealth Group, UnitedHealthcare or related entity in a full time, part time, or per diem basis ("Internal Candidates") are not eligible to receive a sign on bonus. Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. UnitedHealth Group is a drug - free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment. Keywords: customer service representative, customer service, CSR, UnitedHealth Group, call center, UnitedHealthcare, health care, office, phone support, training class, customer service advocate, customer service rep, SME, Senior, SR, bilingual, Spanish, Retention, work at home, work from home, WAH, WFH, remote, telecommute, hiring immediately, #RPO, #MRnrsAZWI, #714nrsM&R




Description

Requisition ID 17808 - Posted 08/09/2021 - CareOregon - Full Time - Permanent - Medford Job Description Print Preview

Position Title: Panel Coordinator - Bilingual Department: Panel Coordination Title of Manager: Population Health Supervisor Supervises: Non-supervisory position Exemption Status: Non-Exempt Requisition: 17808 Are you excited to step into a complex world that requires a blend of mind, heart and flexibility? We at CareOregon have been strengthening communities since 1994 by making health care work for everyone. As a nonprofit health plan largely focused on Oregon's Medicaid population, we find fulfillment in supporting the underserved. And we're committed to that work in various areas of our wondrous state-including Jackson County, in Southern Oregon. The region is anchored by the small city of Medford, home to our office and in easy reach of rushing rivers, the Pacific coast, Shakespearean plays, wine country, and the majesty of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. Please consider joining us here at Jackson Care Connect, our Coordinated Care Organization dedicated to our members' physical, emotional and oral health. We look forward to your application! General Statement of Duties The Panel Coordinator - Bilingual provides complex and diversified support to CareOregon patients within the context of a primary care medical home, from a team approach, and in continuous partnership with patients and physicians to promote: timely access to needed care, comprehension and continuity of care, and the enhancement of patient well-being within all models of care from traditional to non-traditional Essential Position Functions Serve as an effective communication link between member and clinic staff by gathering information from members.

Independently and proactively identify members in the practice by running panel reports for specific diagnosis and preventive care needs.

Review and evaluate member records, based on Primary Care member standards, to identify members who need: preventive services, diagnostics, and follow up.

Coordinate services for all members who are part of the assigned panel, focusing on gaps in care and clinic identified strategies for specified populations including those with serious, complex or chronic health problems or with psychosocial issues.

Communicates with member directly to discuss preventative care needs and refers members with medical concerns to appropriate clinical staff.

Serve as a medical home quality improvement team member; assist with improvement of workflows through PDSA Cycles and measurement of quality indicators.

Track progress for assigned clinic on population performance of key clinical quality metrics.

Review provider schedules and member charts to assist the care team in coordinating care for visits and identifying preventive healthcare needs. (IF applicable at your clinic location).

Schedule members for preventive care needs and follow up to ensure completion of services.

Participate in team huddles and evaluation of team data for proactive panel management.

Develop presentations to share with workgroup.

Work with clinic team on developing standards, implementation, and maintenance of programs in chronic disease management for members.

Participate in CareOregon Community of practice.

Represent the CareOregon Medicaid members in team activities.

Utilize knowledge of barriers to care such as language, transportation, ability to cope and self-advocate and bring these to the attention of the care team. Essential Department and Organizational Functions Propose and implement process improvements.

Meet deadlines for completion of workload.

Maintain agreed upon work schedule.

Demonstrate cooperation and teamwork.

Provide cross-training on specific job responsibilities.

Meet identified business goals that contribute to departmental goals.

Perform other duties as needed Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required Ability to speak English, as well as a second language relevant to the population served Ability to read, write and verbally communicate effectively Excellent listening skills

Intermediate computer application skills including with MS Windows, Word, Excel, and Outlook with proficiency using Excel.

Strength in creative problem-solving skills

Excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks from multiple sources

Understanding of the nature of consumer engagement and vulnerable populations

Ability to work in an environment with diverse individuals and groups

Ability to design presentations

Ability to work independently and identify priorities absent explicit directions regarding what needs to be done, how to do it and learn quickly with the ability to independently make judgements with sound problem solving skills

Refined interpersonal maturity/skills and a high level of emotional/social intelligence

Understanding of healthcare industry structure/dynamics and social service systems

A "service orientation" in dealing with the CACs and its members

Willingness/ability to occasionally work irregular hours (e.g., evening meetings and weekend activities)

Ability to build and maintain professional relationships with business, community and internal management groups with strong consensus building skills Ability to use motivation, persuasion and encouragement in order to complete project

Ability to remain flexible in a dynamic work environment

Ability to present a positive and professional image

Ability to develop and implement processes and procedures

Employees in this position are subject to drug screening, as well as a physical and vaccination assessment

Ability to coordinate with a team of providers, RN's, MA's, Behavioral Health team members, etc. Physical Skills and Abilities Required



Lifting/Carrying up to 10 Pounds Pushing/Pulling up to 0 Pounds Pinching/Retrieving Small Objects Crouching/Crawling Reaching Climbing Stairs Repetitive Finger/Wrist/Elbow/ Shoulder/Neck Movement 0 hours/day 0 hours/day 0 hours/day 0 hours/day 0 hours/day 0 hours/day More than 6 hours/day Standing Walking Sitting Bending Seeing Reading Hearing Speaking Clearly 0 hours/day 0 hours/day 0 hours/day 0 hours/day More than 6 hours/day More than 6 hours/day More than 6 hours/day More than 6 hours/day Cognitive and Other Skills and Abilities Ability to focus on and comprehend information, learn new skills and abilities, assess a situation and seek or determine appropriate resolution, accept managerial direction and feedback, and tolerate and manage stress. Education and/or Experience Required Minimum 2 years relevant experience in a healthcare setting

Fluency through language testing in a second language relevant to the population served. Preferred: Minimum 2 years experience in outpatient primary care and/or the care and service of patients with chronic disease

Experience as a Certified Medical Assistant with an interest in population health care management

Experience in Naturopathic Medicine Working Conditions Environment: This position's primary responsibilities typically take place in the following environment(s) (check all that apply on a regular basis): Inside/office Clinics/health facilities Member homes Other: Travel: This position will include occasional required or optional travel outside of the workplace, in which the employee's personal vehicle, local transit, or other means of transportation may be used.

Equipment: General office equipment and/or mobile technology

Hazards: OSHA Category I - assigned tasks may involve exposure to communicable diseases, blood, body fluids or tissue

If you receive an offer of employment for this position, it is contingent on the satisfactory completion of a pre-employment background check and drug screen. CareOregon is a federal contractor and must comply with all federal laws. Candidates of color are strongly encouraged to apply. CareOregon is committed to building a linguistically and culturally diverse and inclusive work environment Veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. Equal opportunity employer. This company considers all candidates regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.

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Category



First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers

Experience



2 to 20+ years

Job type



Full time



Requirements

See job description.






Logistics at full potential. At GXO, were constantly looking for talented individuals at all levels, who can deliver the caliber of service our company requires. You know that a positive work environment creates happy employees, which boosts productivity and dedication. On our team, youll have the support to excel at work, and the resources to build a career you can be proud of. As the Manager, Human Resources, you will promote employee engagement and act as a liaison between employees and management to foster a positive employee relations atmosphere. Well look to you to champion our values, ensuring a differentiated and engaged workforce, and an exciting career for yourself. Pay, benefits and more. We are eager to attract the best, so we offer competitive compensation and a generous benefits package, including full health insurance (medical, dental and vision), 401(k), life insurance, disability and more. What youll do on a typical day: Administer Human Resources (HR) policies and programs to ensure compliance in staffing and recruitment, employee relations, training and development, benefits, compensation, time and attendance record keeping, and personnel records administration

Work closely with plant operations and HR team to ensure a positive open door climate

Ensure employee and business strategies result in excellent customer service

Manage all aspects of the HR department, including administration, legal compliance, policy/procedure enforcement, benefits, compensation, hiring, retention and termination

Supervise HR staff

Keep senior management and operations informed of internal and external HR developments that may impact overall effectiveness

Provide HR reports to upper management as requested What you need to succeed at GXO: At a minimum, youll need: Bachelors degree or equivalent work or military experience

5 years of HR management experience in a manufacturing or distribution environment

Experience in employee relations, policy and procedure administration, recruiting and staffing, HRIS and timekeeping systems

Experience with Microsoft Office

Proven track record and increasing levels of responsibility in the HR field

Bilingual English/Spanish Itd be great if you also have: Demonstrated success resolving employee issues in an open door environment

Ability to provide management with proactive ideas on creating and maintaining a positive employee relations climate

Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities

Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to work effectively at all levels in the organization Be part of something big. GXO is a leading provider of cutting-edge supply chain solutions to the most successful companies in the world. We help our customers manage their goods most efficiently using our technology and services. Our greatest strength is our global team energetic, innovative people of all experience levels and talents who make GXO a great place to work. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, disability, veteran or other protected status.

GXO adheres to CDC, OSHA and state and local requirements regarding COVID safety. All employees and visitors are expected to comply with GXO policies which are in place to safeguard our employees and customers. All applicants who receive a conditional offer of employment may be required to take and pass a pre-employment drug test. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified. All employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed. Review GXO's candidate privacy statement here.






Job Details Level Experienced Job Location Undisclosed Remote Type N/A Position Type Full Time Education Level Associate's Salary Range Undisclosed Travel Percentage Up to 25% Job Shift Any Job Category Health Care Description The Case Manager, Aging Services will provide medically focused short-term case management and health education services to HBH older adult patients with chronic health conditions, including, but not limited to: assessment of need, care coordination, care planning, information dissemination, individual and group health education and support, advocacy, and discharge planning. The Case Manager will provide services in the clinic, community, and home settings. Explain the range of Howard Brown Health's medical and psychosocial services to aging services clients.

Provide information, education, and emotional support to patients/clients in a compassionate, culturally sensitive, and appropriate manner.

Maintain an active caseload of a minimum of 30 to 45 Aging Services clients.

Maintain contact with every client on assigned caseload as required based on level of care. Contact with clients will include clinic, community, and home settings.

Complete initial assessments with newly referred clients to determine program eligibility and level of care.

Develop initial and continuing care plans with enrolled clients to assist in identifying needs and to provide coordination of clinical and social services.

Provide education, information, and referrals to clients; locate, identify, and utilize new social services and resources.

Evaluate all clients' abilities to understand health plans; provide treatment education and adherence counseling to clients to improve health outcomes; and consult with medical providers regarding assessment and counseling sessions.

Coordinate medical care with providers, schedule patient follow-up (internal and external) appointments; facilitate appointments with collaborative medical partners for provider recommended follow-up screenings and treatment.

Consult and collaborate with a multi-disciplinary team including primary care providers, behavioral health staff, nursing, MAs, other members of client care teams, partner services staff, and other Howard Brown staff involved in client/patient care.

Assess financial need of clients and facilitate patient financial support, including help with applications, especially as it relates to public benefits programs, health insurance (Medicaid/ACA Marketplace), ADAP, and prescription assistance programs.

Provide referrals on an ongoing basis of relevant services, including SNAP, ADAP, housing, vision, DHS, SSA, unemployment, insurance, and prescription assistance.

Complete home safety and wellness evaluations, including addressing any concerns identified in evaluations.

Assist clients in navigating transitions between home and residential health care settings, with a prioritization of aging in community.

Facilitate advance care planning (ACP) sessions with HBH patients.

Facilitate Chronic Disease Self-Management Education (CDSME) workshops and related health promotion programming.

Develop and facilitate community building and health education support groups.

Assist with arranging for patient transportation as needed.

Develop and maintain required records, reports, and statistical data, including maintenance of caseload, completing activity tracking sheet, progress notes, resource receipts, and tracking health maintenance of each client.

Attend and participate in all group consultation/case conferences, social service department meetings and trainings, team meetings, individual supervision, and any other required staff meetings and trainings.

Provide brief case management services on an as needed basis through a "Case Manager on Duty" on-call system.

Assist in the supervision and training of volunteers and interns who provide services to clients.

Maintain current knowledge of general health and wellness information, insurance coverage, and available services and resources through participation in trainings, professional development events and self-education.

Maintain the highest level of client confidentiality, in person and in practice.

Other duties as assigned. Qualifications QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, SKILL REQUIRED: Required: Associate's degree in Social Work, Public Health, or similar field

Bilingual- English/Spanish

Strong interpersonal and communication (verbal and written) skills.

Ability to work evening and Saturday hours.

Must be comfortable working with the LGBTQ population and older adult populations. Preferred: Bachelor's degree in Social Work, Public Health, or similar field

Valid driver's license and reliable access to a vehicle with liability insurance Experience working with a high volume of clients in a fast-paced environment preferred




Salary $38,001.60 - $58,052.80 Annually Location Arlington, VA Job Type Full-Time Department Fire Department Job Number 1326-22A-FIR-TNT Closing 8/26/2021 11:59 PM Eastern Position Information The Arlington County Fire Department (ACFD) is seeking a Warehouse Technician for the Logistics Division. This employee will manage the supply inventory for the division. The position will be responsible for performing moderately complex administrative duties associated with maintaining a supply management system for 360+ fire staff. This work includes placing regular and special supply orders; maintaining accurate physical and records of shipments and inventory levels; preparing inventory, purchasing, billing reports; reconciling delivery and billing errors with external and internal sources; and ensuring supplies are maintained and disseminated under appropriate conditions.



Specific duties include: Receiving requests for supply purchases from departmental units, confirming the needed specifications of uniforms and PPE gear, and researching available options;

Determining the appropriate purchasing method based on County purchasing procedures and current contracts with vendors;

Maintaining inventory of supplies, following up on back-ordered items or incomplete/incorrect orders;

Completing embroidery requests and ensuring accuracy of details;

Communicating with vendors, contractors, staff, and department leadership regarding orders, inventory requests, item availability, and other inquiries;

Preparing reports and monitoring inventory expenditures and budget;

Informing supervisor of actual or projected cost overages;

Maintaining records of purchase orders and processing them as appropriate;

Receiving shipments and storing in designated locations;

Disbursing supplies to authorized personnel;

Serving occasionally as a back-up to the Warehouse Coordinator in his or her absence;

And performing other related duties as directed by Supervisor.



Selection Criteria Minimum: High school diploma or equivalent; or

GED plus two years of responsible technical or administrative experience related to warehouse operations, including buying, receiving, storing and issuing supplies/tools, materials, parts and equipment, and maintaining the associated records systems.

Substitution : Successful completion of college coursework from an accredited college or university can be substituted for the experience requirement on the following basis: Two (2) years = six (6) months of experience;

Four (4) years = one (1) year of experience.

Additional experience may be substituted for up to two (2) years of high school on a year-for-year basis. Note: Education may not substitute for more than one year of experience.



Desirable : Preference may be given to candidates with experience in one or more of the following: Previous Fire Department experience

Special Requirements Applicant must possess, or obtain by time of appointment, a valid Driver license. The applicant must authorize Arlington County to obtain, or the applicant must provide a copy of the applicant's official state/district driving record. Any offer of employment may be contingent upon a favorable review of the applicant's driving record.



Applicants must also obtain a fork lift certification which will be provided by Arlington County Fire Department.

Additional Information Working Hours : Normal hours are 6-2, but can be adjusted. The hours could also be modified to fill the department's needs



Please complete each section of the application. A resume may be attached; however, it will not substitute for the completed application. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Arlington County Government employee benefits depend on whether a position is permanent, the number of hours worked, and the number of months the position is scheduled.



Specific information on benefits and conditions of employment can be found on the Arlington County Human Resources Department website: (see application details)



Permanent, Full-Time Appointments

All jobs are permanent, full-time appointments unless otherwise stated in the announcement. The following benefits are available:



Paid Leave : Vacation leave is earned at the rate of four hours biweekly. Leave accrual increases every three years until eight hours of leave are earned biweekly for twelve or more years of service. Sick leave is earned at the rate of four hours biweekly. There are eleven paid holidays each year.



Health and Dental Insurance : Three group health insurance plans are offered - a network open access plan, a point-of-service plan, and a health maintenance organization. A group dental insurance plan is also offered. The County pays a significant portion of the premium for these plans for employees and their dependents. A discount vision plan is provided for eye care needs.



Life Insurance : A group term policy of basic life insurance is provided at no cost to employees. The benefit is one times annual salary. Additional life insurance is available with rates based on the employee's age and smoker/non-smoker status.



Retirement : The County offers three vehicles to help you prepare for retirement: a defined benefit plan, a defined contribution plan (401(a)), and a deferred compensation plan (457). The defined benefit plan provides a monthly retirement benefit based on your final average salary and years of service with the County. You contribute a portion of your salary on a pre-tax basis to this plan. General employees contribute 4% of pay; uniformed public safety employees contribute 7.5% of pay. Employees become vested in the plan at five years of service. The County also contributes to this plan.



For general employees, the County also contributes 4.2% of pay to a defined contribution plan (401(a)) . The County also matches your 457 contribution, up to $20 per pay period, in this plan. The 457 deferred compensation plan allows you to set aside money on either a pre-tax (457b) or post-tax (457 Roth) basis up to the IRS annual limit. New employees are automatically enrolled with a pre-tax contribution equal to 2% of your base pay.



Other Benefits: The County also offers health, dependent care, and parking flexible spending accounts; long-term care insurance; tuition assistance; transit and walk/bike to work subsidies; a college savings plan; wellness programs; training opportunities; and a variety of other employee benefits.



Permanent, Part-Time Appointments:

Part time employees who work ten or more hours per week receive paid leave and benefits in proportion to the number of hours worked per week.



Limited Term Appointments:

Benefits are the same as permanent appointments except that the employees do not achieve permanent status.



Temporary Regular Appointments:

Temporary regular employees who work 30 hours or more per week are eligible for health, dental, and basic life insurance as described above. They are also eligible for vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays.



Temporary Seasonal and Occasional Appointments:

Temporary employees who work on a seasonal basis or variable hours receive sick leave, but do not normally receive other paid leave or benefits. Exceptions are noted in individual announcements.


Post Mortem

Speeches of NPG leaders on Naga I-Day

By Nagaland Post | Publish Date: 8/13/2021 1:34:42 PM IST

On this historic occasion, the 75th Anniversary of Naga Independence , we give all glory to God Almighty for having sustained the Nagas all through our sojourn.

We also honour and salute the Naga pioneers and stalwarts for their indomitable faith, courage and visionary leadership for which the present generation Nagas could proudly proclaim our inherent rights as people and nation.

Today, we have reached a very crucial stage and on the verge of reaching an honourable political solution thus fulfilling the aspirations of the Naga people as a whole. Over the years of political negotiations, we have spared no effort in pursuing a practical approach towards resolving the Indo-Naga issue. Towards this, we rededicate ourselves to

At this juncture, we urge our countrymen across the world for your continuous prayer support that permanent peace and tranquility prevail in our land. Let all the past mistakes be forgiven and hatchet buried. And as people and nation let us redeem ourselves from the tentacles of regretful fraticides of the past that tore the Nagas apart, let us look up to God with a grateful heart for having enabled us to overcome all the tragedies and allowing the Nagas to come to reason and resonate together once again. Let us remain fully committed to God, for God alone is the truth and the answer to all our issues, let there be healing of tattered body and soul in our land, allow our people to once again rejoice and rejuvenate in all spheres of lives. As we celebrate our 75th Naga Independence Day, we also salute all the freedom fighters, both the living and the fallen, and congratulate all the Naga National Workers for standing true and committed to the National call while also acknowledging the contributions of the Naga tribal bodies, civil societies, churches Naga women and the Naga public in general.

We must also appreciate Indian leaderships and the interlocutor Shri. R.N Ravi for their bold and holistic approach to resolve the decades of Indo-Naga conflict through peaceful political means and for acknowledging the inherent rights of the Nagas to self-determine our future which in itself is the cardinal achievement of our negotiation. Until then, let us all look forward to a bright shared future where every Naga shall once again be proud to call himself a Naga in the true tradition of our ancestors with our heads held high amongst the community of people and nations across the world.

Once again, we wish you a happy 75th Naga Independence Day.

Thank you and Kuknalim!

Ato Kilonser, GPRN, Col. (Retd.) Isak Sumi (MC)

My dear Naga brothers and sisters, I am very glad to extend my warm wishes to everyone of you in the name of 75th Anniversary of Naga Independence Day which Naga used to observe every year on 14th August since 1947.

My dear Nagas, naturally we Nagas are free and peace-loving people, since the period of our ancestors no Nation had conquered, annexed and ruled our country. Nagaland and India are historically, racially, politically, culturally and geographically two different nations. Before the advent of the British, Nagas and Indian did not know each other. In 1929 when the British attempted to include Nagaland into reform scheme of the British India, the Nagas rejected it. As a result, the British treated Nagas areas as Excluted Areas from the colony of the British India. But when British left India, India got independent from British, the India claimed that Nagaland would automatically become a part of independent India. How can they claim it? Even the Pakistan and the Bangladesh (previous East Pakistan) or Burma which were parts of British India did not automatically become part of independent India. Because of this false claim over Nagaland by India, war between the two nations (India and Nagaland) started in 1955.Since then, the rulers of India are Persecuting, oppressing and killing innocent Nagas.

Therefore, basing on the above records Mr. Th. Muivah Chief Negotiator for Naga peace talk for solution when told in exclusive interview that Nagas are not Indian and Nagas will never join Indian union nor accept Indian Constitution because India and Nagaland are two different nations was 100% right. The Nagas fought against the British to defend their land from 1832 to1879 and peace concluded but refused to surrender their sovereignty. In 1918 the Naga club was formed and through which a memorandum was submitted to the British Statuary Simon Commission on 10th January 1929 stating to leave the Nagas alone to determine for themselves as in ancient times. When British Government withdrawn from South East Asia Colonial Countries, the Nagas National Council (NNC) was formed on 2nd February 1946 to voice for the future of Naga peace. The Indian National Congress (INC) delegation came to Kohima and offered an autonomous State to the Nagas and asked to join the Indian Union but the Nagas rejected the offer saying the Nagas were Sovereign Independent before India became Independent, to make the India leaders on the Naga National stand, the NNC sent its delegation to New Delhi. The delegation met Indian National leader Mahatma Gandhi on 19th July in 1947 and told him that Nagas are not Indian and Naga territory does not belong to India and the delegation told him that the Nagas will declare Nagalands Independence on 14th August 1947 to which Mahatma Gandhi said the Nagas have every right to become Independent outside India, we do not want the British and they are going, if you said, you are not Indians and your country does not belong to India, then the matter ends there. Nobody will force you to join Indian Union, you can even declare your Independence today. Accordingly, the Naga National Council (NNC) declared Naga Independence on 14 August 1947 to the outside world by hoisting its own flag (Naga Flag) which is still in used officially.

And also, on 24th January 1950, the NNC declared the Nagas didnt accept the Indian Constitution.

Moreover, the NNC conducted the Naga National voluntary Plebiscite on May 16th 1951 in which 99.99 of people voted to remain independent as in ancient times. This was solemn pledge and final verdict of the Naga people for the future of Nagaland. When the first general election of India was attempted to conduct in Nagaland in January 1952, the Nagas did not participate in the Indian election because the Nagas were Sovereign Independent Nation outside India.

The policy of the NNC was non-violent but 1st Indian Prime Minister Shri. Jawaharlal Nehru sent armed forces of India to Nagaland in 1954 and started war against the Nagas thinking he could force the Nagas to join Indian Union at gun point. Again, the Nagas firmly decided not to surrender their Sovereignty at any cost and counter violent for self defense measure. During this time Nagas have suffered alot in the hand of Indian Armed forces, some of Nagas have lost their precious lives as well as wealth.

But now by the Grace of God after many years the Government of India has recognised our Naga history as unique, it is not law and order issue but it is a matter of political issue. Accordingly, a series of talks have been taken place between the Government of India represented by Shri. R.N Ravi interlocutor for peace talk for Naga Political settlement and Nagas headed by Shri. Th. Muivah G. S, NSCN (IM) and chief Negotiator for Naga Political settlement and the talks have been almost concluded, left only some serious agendas to be finalised so the final agreement for Naga Political settlement is yet to be signed. Therefore, all of us must pray to our Almighty God and expect solution for Naga Political settlement to be arrived at without much delay and I hope the solution for Naga political settlement would be done on the basis of Framework Agreement signed between Indian Government and Nagas on 3rd August 2015 and I have confidence that would be lasting and acceptable to all sections of people of Nagalim so that Nagas can live in harmony unlike in the past.

Kuknalim

T. Ovung, NPGN/NNC (N/A)

Dear Naga people, On this auspicious celebration of our 75th year of Independence, I greet all of you in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ever since the declaration of Naga Independence on 14th August, 1947 by the Naga National Council which was acknowledged by the United Nations, this day has been observed and celebrated every year. The world is aware that the free, independent and democratic Naga people are forcefully occupied by the aggressors- India and Burma (Myanmar) who have divided Nagaland into two parts. And further sub-divided Nagaland into four so called created states with brute military force to weaken and destroy the historical and political rights of the Nagas as a people and nation by the Government of India. However, I must say that by the grace of God Almighty the Naga people are thriving more vigorously in all spheres despite the hardships and division created by the adversary. Our desire for freedom of recognition and acceptance is more vocal, loud and clear to the world and particularly India (GOI). The flame of freedom will be even greater if GOI apply further delay tactics knowing fully well the Naga rights of freedom. Thousands of Naga lives have been sacrificed for the purpose of Sovereignty of the homeland to be a full-fledged nation, and hence any attempt to extinguish this has and will always be a failure. Today as we celebrate this occasion, let us sincerely remember and honour in prayer our brave heroes who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of Naga sovereignty. Also today, I salute our frontal organisations (NGOs) for their immense efforts in supporting and working for Naga unity and freedom even at the international level. May God Almighty bless them abundantly to succeed in their able endeavour for Naga long desired freedom. I also appeal the Nagas of the western side of divide to remember our down trodden Eastern Naga people who are immensely suffering in the hands of military junta of Myanmar who are suppressing and oppressing the ethnic nationalities like Nagas, Kachins, Karens, Shans, Chins, etc with brute force for so many years. Therefore, the democratic countries of the world must come forward to liberate these nationalities from the clutches and brutality of Myanmar military junta. The NNC being the oldest political institution in the North East region must tell the present leadership of the state of Assam to think and work for the best welfare of the North-East people first than to implement religious agenda of political extremist party. Secondly, stop bringing foreign nationals and immigrants to grab the lands of the indigenous people of the Hills who were and are from time immemorial. The ancestral lands of the Nagas, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Arunachal will never be compromised, our lands belongs to us therefore respect the rights and sentiments of the Hill people. Otherwise this land grabbing situation will lead to a very dangerous and costly affairs as seen in the past.The present Assam leadership must understand this reality in order to live in peace with its immediate neighbours. The political parties of India will come and go but the North East region and its people will ever remain one region and one people. Therefore, think and work first for the best future of the region and its people. I also must mention today that the present political scenario in the state is rapidly changing as the state political parties have come together for Naga National unity of all the groups for political solution of the Nagas. And even agreed in principle to form an All party government under the Nomenclature called Nagaland United Government. And this is what the Naga people as a whole want- that the Naga National political groups of all parties unite first for political solution in the best interest of our political freedom. The NNC being the political institution and parent body of all the Nagas had put forward Naga unity proposals in 1980s, 1990s , 2000s , which was not accepted or worked out by other groups, so till date Naga National unity could not become a reality as desired by the people within, outside and even by other agencies. Therefore, let us especially the National workers of all groups sit together to thrash out our differences and work out the best possible political stand for the sake of our people and freedom. This is the only way we can go forward with the strength of National unity to achieve our long desired struggle for freedom. Therefore, in conclusion the NNC sincerely appeal once again to all Naga National Political Groups to come forward without further delay for Naga National Unity Government. May God Almighty help and bless Naga people. KUKNALIM Yilow Humtsoe, acting president of Naga National Council

75th naga independence day message

Today, 14.08.2021 is the 75th occasion of declaring Naga Independence. And on this most auspicious day I, General (Retd) Thinoselie M Keyho, President of Naga National Council would like to address the Nation with a few choice words. First of all, I ascribe my deepest gratitude and sublime glory and honour to Almighty God. I then greet my dear fellow Nagas with the happiest of good tidings. Dear fellow Nagas, let this hardest of facts be ever most steadfastly registered in us all that the eternal Naga Independence had been most officially and legally declared 74 years ago on 14.08.1947. However, we are yet to enjoy our most cherished Freedom till date. How and why has this scenario come about? The Government of India has absolutely no legal or any other rights whatsoever, to claim Nagas/Nagaland: no locus standi in legal terminology. But most oblivious to the changes the civilised World has undergone for the better; Government of India is still clinging to the ancient school of Might is Right thought, instead of just the other way round; and is continuing to bask in and bragging about her detested armed might in the most blatant haughty disdainful stance. The present day Indian Union is but that of a forced union in the truest sense of the term. And she is desperately attempting to compel the Nagas into this morass. She thereby chooses to pursue the military option in this regard instead of the humane peaceful solution; most befitting her nefarious nature. I would hereby most explicitly indicate the two ways in which Government of India has been dealing with the Nagas right from the beginning of this epic confrontation. They are 1. The Disturbed Area Act (DAA) and 2. Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA); the two BLACK LAWs with which the Nagas are being kept most brutally suppressed. Firstly, she would employ the former one to indulge in all the barbaric evil deeds of mammoth sinful proportions and numbers. Then with the latter evil she would cover up and whitewash all the horrible misdeeds and crimes. It is most sincerely believed and ardently expected that the concerned and discerned noble minds would come to understand at least a fraction of what the Government of India has been suppressing the Nagas with these primitive draconian laws even in this 21st Century World. The extended and unduly prolonged period of stalemate in the Indo-Naga Political Conflict is all due to the pathetic lack of noble Indian leadership, absolute poverty of humane fellow-feeling, utter depravity of moral values, but worst of all - her damnable haughty domineering frame of evil mind; and most unfortunately, at this rate and pace there virtually is no immediate favourable end to the conflict in sight. But for just how much longer could she continue to muzzle the Naga Rights and lord over her in these restrictive ways? As the wise saying goes Everything has a beginning and an ending; the ending time has most wondrously arrived at hand. But let me be quick to assert that this windfall has nothing to do with the nobility of the Nagas nor of her capability. The Nagas have absolutely nothing to boast of or brag about in this regard as in all others, for that matter. The Omnipotent God of the Universe has profound eternal plans to show humanity at large and India in particular, about His greatness in and through the agency even of the unworthy Nation of Nagaland. Therefore, God has always been abiding with and siding the Nagas in all her endeavours all along. And now He has begun to unfold His grand plans and designs all the more overtly. Our one great hope and belief is, If God be for us, who can ever prevail against us in any manner?! SET THE NAGAS FREE The living God JEHOVAH, through various words of prophecy has been commanding India to set the Nagas free right from the time of Mrs Indira Gandhi even up to that of Mr Narendra Modis, most audaciously persistent; ranging from mild reprimands and courteous requests to even outright stern warnings galore. It is hereby being earnestly requested that Government of India may most kindly set the Nagas free at the earliest. Why should India continue to bear and face the ire of Divine retributions any further on this account? For the elite set of concerned individuals who would desire to peruse a few samples of the multitude of the Divine words of prophecy directed at New Delhi; Mr Zapuvisie Lhousas book American Influence in Christianity pages 110  126 may kindly be referred to. Thank you all. KUKNALIM

My Dear Countrymen. On the occasion of the 75th Anniversary of Naga independence day I greet you all rank and file of the NNC/GDRN(N-A) On this historic day ,the 14th August 1947our pioneering leaders proclaim the historical and political rights and took a giant step to declared our freedom and independence to the world. Today we are grateful to our Almighty God for the guidance, protection and sustenance throughout our struggle. Our forefathers lived with pride and in full freedom knowing that they are the master and owner of the land, nothing above them accept Jehovah our creator, The Almighty GOD. Our forefathers only desire was to be free from any foreign dominion. We were free as any sovereign nation, self governed, free outside interference, but unfortunately after the British left, our woes began. We were left as a fragmented nation divided between two sovereign countries, India and Myanmar (Erstwhile Burma) The concept of Naga Nationalism and political activities started with the formation of the Naga Club in 1918 by the returnees (labour corps) of the World War 1. This subsequently led to the submission of memorandum to the British statutory commission in 1929. The silence of the British and its subsequent act greatly determined the future of the Nagas which ultimately led to the formation of the Naga National Council in 1946.The NNC declared Naga Independence on August 14, 1947 a day before Indias Independence and was made known to the united Nations, and was further cemented by the plebiscite of May 16, 1951 were in 99.9% voted for free Naga Nation. In due course of time we have seen numerous agreements signed, many rounds of meetings/talks held at different levels which proved futile. Realizing its failure, India resorted o the policy of Might is Right by employing brute military force to subjugate the Nagas. The infamous AFSPA, DAA in Naga Inhabited areas, unlawful raids, detention, killing of civilians, rapes, burning of granaries etc. The first ceasefire agreement signed on September 6,1964 paved the way for peaceful and conducive atmosphere for talks. The conglomeration of 7 NNPGs Working Committee came into being as a result of quest for peace and lasting solution to the decades old Naga Issue and to carry forward the legacy of our pioneers and as a representative and voice of the Naga people. November 17,2017 will go down in the Naga History as the red-letter day: On this day the Agreed Position/Preamble was signed between the NNPGs Working Committee and GOI. It entrenched the political and historical rights of the Nagas to self-determine our future in consonance with our distinct identity and the Nagas and India agreed to work out the details of our future relationships based on inclusive, enduring peaceful co-existence with due regards to contemporary political reality. Last but not the least, I acknowledge and thank the sacrifice by the various civil societies, Naga populace and salute the martyrs and revolutionary patriots who laid down their lives in the course of building the Naga nationhood and appreciate all the present national workers for standing firm and committed to our national cause. Once again I thank the Naga Populace across the globe for the unconditional support and love bestow upon us thus far. I beseech all our people for your continues prayer so that a permanent and lasting peace may dawn in our Naga homeland. God bless Nagaland. KUKNALIM Kiumukam Yimchunger, president, NNC/GDRN (Non-Accord)
VICE-PRESIDENT and Health minister Chiwenga has initiated moves to exclude Auditor-General (AG) Mildred Chiri from the Special Procurement Oversight Committee after she exposed gross misuse of COVID-19 funds by the ministry.

Cabinet on Wednesday approved the principles for the Amendment of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Act, which were presented by Chiwenga and directed that the actual Bill be drafted.

Chiris latest special report on the utilisation of public resources in combating the COVID-19 pandemic by ministries, government departments and agencies, showed that over $890 million was misappropriated.

The report exposed gross irregularities and deliberate manipulation of figures to facilitate theft of donations meant for COVID-19 relief allowances and projects, with undeserving government officials and individuals benefiting.

The audit was undertaken with the aid of the World Bank in the countrys six out of 10 provinces, focusing on disbursement of COVID-19 relief funds, management of quarantine centres and isolation centres, among others.

Addressing a post-Cabinet media briefing on Wednesday, Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Act, in its current form, did not sufficiently provide for capacity-building of staff employed in public procurement roles, hence the need to amend it.

Cabinet considered and approved the principles for the Amendment of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Act, Chapter 22:23 which were presented by the Honourable Vice-President and Minister of Health and Child Care (Constantino Chiwenga), Mutsvangwa said.

Accordingly, the Cabinet agreed that the Auditor-General be excluded from the membership of the Special Procurement Oversight Committee.

This is because one of the Auditor-Generals functions in terms of section 309 of the Constitution is to audit the accounts, financial systems and financial management of all departments, institutions and agencies of government as well as provincial and metropolitan councils and all local authorities.

In the proposed amendments, the chief executive officer of the procurement board will no longer serve as secretary to the board of the State Procurement Oversight Committee.

It was also agreed that the chief executive officer should not serve as secretary to the board of the State Procurement Oversight Committee, Mutsvangwa said.

Cabinet resolved that the board should instead appoint a suitably qualified, competent and experienced company secretary capable of maintaining a professional relationship with members of the board. The amended Act will also provide for innovation and technological advancements in pursuit of international best practice.

Under the proposed amendments, it will be mandatory for foreign suppliers to engage local contractors and to also promote technology and skills transfer.

Cabinet also agreed to reduce the 14-day stand-still period by procuring entities allowing challenging of the tender award, to seven days, to facilitate the expeditious delivery of supplies and shorten the procurement cycle.

Tendai Biti, the former chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee, said the move to elbow out Chiri from the Special Procurement Committee was a violation of the Constitution.

The oversight duties of the Auditor-General are specified in the Constitution and such amendment means tampering with the Constitution which is detrimental to issues of accountability and transparency on public resources, Biti said.

Those (amendments) are just plots by government officials to continue operating without public scrutiny. Only thieves would want to manage public funds without oversight of the Auditor-General.

Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt Development programmes manager John Maketo said the push for Chiris exclusion raised eyebrows.

The question is, why remove her now when she has been operating like that over the past years? It is tricky why there have not been those amendments before the release of the audit reports, Maketo said.

However, it is important to enhance separation of roles of the AG for her to effectively perform her duties. The amendments are also relevant to avoid conflict of interest when she is now auditing the same institution she is participating in.

The Health ministry has been in the spotlight on misappropriation funds following the US$60 million tender scandal, where Drax International, a company which was only two weeks old, was awarded a tender to procure COVID-19 medical supplies without following a transparent tender process.

President Emmerson Mnangagwas government is also proposing to amend the Constitution to evade parliamentary oversight in international borrowings, a move observers say would allow looting of public resources by top politicians.

Zimbabwe has entered into several deals with Afreximbank without the scrutiny of Parliament. Newsday
AN MDC Alliance councillor for Chitungwiza appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court yesterday facing fraud charges after selling a non-existent residential stand to a unsuspecting homeseeker.

Darlington Musonza appeared before magistrate Stanford Mambanje who remanded him to September 30 on $20 000 bail. Musonza, who was represented by Lorretta Makumbe, is councillor for ward 12 in Chitungwiza.

Allegations are that sometime in 2017, the complainant Kudakwashe Chatima approached a Chitungwiza-based real estate agent Vincent Tom-Barris intending to buy a residential stand.

A few days later, Tom-Barris advised Chatima that Musonza was selling residential stands in Chitungwiza. Tom-Barris then introduced Chatima to Musonza, who indicated that there was a stand, number 14557 in Zengeza 3 Extension, on sale.

It is alleged that Chatima showed interest in the stand and agreed to purchase it for US$3 800.

On March 13, 2017, Chatima made a payment of US$3 230 through a bank transfer from his CABS bank account to Musonzas Steward Bank account.

Chatima made a further cash payment of US$570 to Musonza to reach the agreed purchase price. After receiving full payment, Musonza and Chatima then signed an agreement of sale.

The complainant was then given an allocation letter with a letterhead from Cone Textiles Housing Co-operative by Musonza and was advised to proceed to Chitungwiza Municipality offices to process change of ownership.

However, the Chitungwiza housing director could not locate the file records for the stand. Chatima then made a report at the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and investigations revealed that the stand number 14557 was an open space and not for residential purposes. As a result of Musonzas misrepresentation, Chatima lost US$3 800. Newsday


BULAWAYO has been hit by a series of power outages with several suburbs going for weeks without electricity as organised copper theft syndicates continue to strike in the city.

The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), which is prejudiced of more than US$2 million annually through copper theft and vandalism of transformers, is struggling to replace the stolen cables with aluminium ones.

ZETDC has said it has appealed for the army and police to assist in fighting the thefts.

Last year, Government suspended the issuance of licences for dealing in scrap copper pending the amendment of the Copper Act, which will among other issues contain stiffer penalties of up to 10 years and above for those illegally dealing in copper or caught stealing it.

Vehicles that will be used to transport stolen copper will also be impounded. ZETDC requires more than US$14 million to procure intruder detection gadgets to fight the scourge that continue to bleed the power utility.

A Chronicle news crew yesterday visited some of the affected suburbs where residents have gone for weeks without power. Residents revealed that copper theft cases were rampant in their suburbs with some alleging that Zesa employees were involved in the racket.

Mr Willard Murenje, who runs a poultry and horticulture project in Waterford said his business has been tremendously affected after going for more than a week without power.

I have more than 300 chicken that I keep and prior to the power blackout, I had slaughtered quite a number of them and they are in my freezer. However, if I continue keeping them with this prolonged power outage, I am likely to incur losses, he said.

I had to buy a generator to power my water pumping system for my horticulture project and it is proving to be costly to run with diesel.

Mr Murenje urged ZETDC to engage soldiers to assist police in their night patrols. This is now a security issue if people are going to sabotage the Government by cutting and stealing copper cables. Zesa Holdings should consider roping in the Zimbabwe National Army to assist police in dealing with this scourge, he said.

It seems Zesa Holdings doesnt have enough manpower to pull down the copper cables and replace them with aluminium ones. We have many unemployed youths who can be engaged on contract basis.

Mr Murenjes son, Simbarashe who is an IT student at the Bulawayo Polytechnic said the black-out has affected his online lessons.

I rely heavily on our Wi-Fi at home for researching and online lessons. I am actually preparing to write my exams and its now a week without electricity and this has a negative impact on my preparations, he said.

Mr Fanyana Dube, also of Waterford said thieves cut a razor wire on their perimeter fence to gain access into their yard where they pulled down cables from a pylon.

He said thieves are also now taking advantage of the power blackout to steal from their homes at night. Thieves got into our yard where there is a Zesa pylon and stole cables. This prolonged power cut due to the theft of copper cables is resulting in thieves sneaking into our homes under the cover of darkness to steal, he said.

Another resident said on Wednesday night, thieves tried to steal some cables, which Zesa workers had pulled down in their neighbourhood after they raised alarm.

In Waterford, several houses situated on Holland, Northstar, Lavinia and David Bernard streets have been affected by the power blackout.

Chronicle also visited Hillside suburb in Bulawayo where several houses along Kent and Oxford streets have gone for several days without electricity after thieves pounced on the suburb.

Ms Marylin Dube said she was now relying on her diesel-powered generator and gas for cooking and lighting as well as pumping water from her borehole.

Because of this power outage, I am now forced to buy diesel to pump water from the borehole and it is very costly. This fault was reported almost a week ago and up to now there is no positive response from Zesa, she said.

Ms Dube, who is diabetic, said some of her vegetables and fruits have gone bad. She said the outage affected 40 homes in the suburb.

In January, residents from a section of the same suburb and parts of Fourwinds suburbs went for 10 days without electricity after thieves stole nearly 2km of copper cables along Matopos Road.

ZETDCs acting western region general manager Engineer Lloyd Jaji said they were now struggling to replace the cables due to inadequate resources.

The permanent solution is to replace copper cables with aluminium ones which we have run out of stock. We have engaged the army and the police including people at the highest level in the province to assist us in this fight against copper theft, he said.

There are also allegations that some of our employees are involved and if they are caught, they should also face the music.

Eng Jaji said last year police arrested 68 suspects in connection with theft of copper cables.

The major challenge is that whenever we replace copper cables, thieves go and attack another area resulting in a power blackout, he said. Eng Jaji said all suburbs in the city are affected by daily copper thefts.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said they were concerned over rampant theft of copper cables.

He urged residents in the affected areas to work with police and ZETDC in surveillance and increasing security around power lines. Chronicle
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (PANA) - Burkina Faso authorities on Friday arrested Pascal Zaida, civil society coordinator of the Democratic Expression Framework (CED), allegedly for holding a press conference on Thursday, when he criticised the government saying it was "incapable" of finding appropriate solutions to the security crisis in the country since 2015
Bamako, Mali (PANA) - Hundreds of people, at the call of several associations, gathered on Friday at the Labour Exchange in the heart of Bamako, to demand the extension of the Transition, "to allow the authorities to continue their fight for a new, stable and developed Mali"
A look at some of the major movers in London's small cap universe over the last week

Amazon boss Jeff Bezos and former Microsoft head honcho Bill Gates may not be the most popular people in some quarters but the mere mention of their names was enough to propel the shares of Bluejay Mining PLC higher this week.

The AIM-listed development company focused on Greenland and Finland saw its shares surge 57% this week after an announcement entitled JV with Bill Gates & Jeff Bezos backed Company.

Full marks to the person who came up with the idea of putting those names in the stock market announcements headline.

The joint venture (JV) is with KoBold Metals, a company whose principal investors include Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a climate & technology fund overseen by Bill Gates and backed by luminaries such as Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City, Ray Dalio, the hedge fund billionaire, and the aforementioned Jeff Bezos, the sometime astronaut (in space, nobody can ask you to pay taxes).

KoBold Metals is a mineral exploration company that uses machine learning to guide exploration for new deposits rich in the critical materials for electric vehicles.

It has got into bed with Bluejay on the latters Disko-Nuussuaq nickel, copper, cobalt, platinum magmatic massive sulphide project in Central West Greenland.

Sadly it is only a joint venture and not a merger so we cant do the Merger at the Disko headline, which is a shame as the name of KoBolds chief executive, Kurt House, also offers up ample opportunity for dance music puns.

Under the terms of the agreement, KoBold can earn 51% of Disko through a two-stage earn-in, Bluejay can maintain a 49% interest through proportionate funding of the project and will manage field operations during this period.

In other not a merger news, ( , ) has acquired 48% of Engsolve, an engineering consultancy, for 99,990 in cash.

The waste-to-energy firms chief technology officer, Paul Emmitt, is also the managing director and founder of Engsolve and by taking this stake the company should ensure Engsolves continued support of the companys projects and developments.

Powerhouses shares advanced 46% to 4.6p.

Something that is not yet a merger but could well be is the strained courtship of ( ) by ( ).

Science Group has been doing the equivalent of singing love songs beneath the balcony of TP Group, the provider of mission-critical software.

The board of TP Group, however, had been cocking a deaf un to Science Groups entreaties so Science Group acquired a 10.2% stake in TP Group at 5p a share in the hope it would force TPs top brass to the table to discuss a potential combination of the two companies.

Since then, things have gone a bit quiet although wheels may be in motion behind the scenes; in the meantime, TP shareholders are advised to take no action with their shares, which currently trade at 5.3p, up 36% on the week.

A trading update from Pipehawk sent the underground radar and mapping groups 39% higher to 9p, with the company flagging up a sharp improvement in revenues in the second half of its financial year.

Turnover was roughly 4.1mln in the first half of 2021, compared to 2.6mln in the second half of 2020.

The sales pipeline (no pun intended) is so strong the group is looking to move to bigger premises.

( , ) motored 29% higher to 3.79 after it said testing of its new low carbon alternative to heavy fuel bioMSAR oil has revealed a greater-than-expected reduction in CO2 emissions.

Minds + Machines Group Ltd (MMX) has completed a sale of its top-level domains (TLDs) and related assets to an affiliate of US domain registry giant ( ), following the signing of a purchase agreement in early April.

MMX added that the proceeds of the sale implied a net asset value for the group of 9.6p per share and that it has approved a return of capital to shareholders through a tender offer of US$80mln to be completed in early Autumn.

Shares in MMX currently trade at 8.55p, up 17% this week.

( ) climbed 15% to 315p after it whacked up the dividend by 60% in its interim results, The pawnbroker intends to return dividend distributions to historic levels as soon as trading returns to pre-pandemic levels.

Daily pledge levels are back to roughly 90% of pre-pandemic levels and continue to rise.

Previously high-flying ( ) came down to earth with a bump this week as it reported its drilling programme at the Rukwa helium project in Tanzania had encountered technical problems.

Wirelines logging of the uppermost interval of the first well drilled indicated good reservoir potential, with porosities of 15 to 20%, but a petrophysical analysis indicated no free gas in this interval. It was the only interval of the five that could be logged and tested further as the programme was hindered by poor and deteriorating hole conditions.

The shares, which a year ago were languishing at 4.25p, halved this week to 13.05p.

Another stock to halve was Best of the West PLC, the online organiser of weekly competitions to win cars.

The company had reported back in June that trading had softened since the UK had started lifting lockdown restrictions and this week it said it had seen a roughly 15% fall in average weekly sales in the first 15 weeks of its new financial year compared to the preceding 15 week period (to 30 April).

The company has a fixed cost model so any dip in the top line hits the bottom line hard.
A glance at some of the day's highlights from the Proactive Investors US and Canada newswires

( ) Inc posted second-quarter results that saw pre-tax income of $11.9 million and year-over-year revenue gains driven by sales of the companys Logix Smart COVID-19 Test. For the period ended June 30, 2021, the Salt Lake City, Utah-based molecular diagnostics company reported revenue of $27.4 million, up 13.8% from the second quarter in 2020. The companys gross profit for its 2Q increased 37.6% to $24.9 million, representing 90.8% of consolidated revenue due to reduced production costs and improved product mix. Co-Diagnostics reported net income of $9.8 million, or $0.33 per fully diluted share for the 2Q, compared to net income of $15 million, or $0.51 per fully diluted share in the same period in 2020.

PyroGenesis Canada Inc has finalized its strategic acquisition of AirScience Technologies Inc (AST) and its subsidiaries for an amended total cash purchase price of about $4.4 million. In a statement, PyroGenesis said the purchase price will be paid upon various contract and business-related milestones. Should any of the milestones not be reached within the next three years, the purchase price will be adjusted downward. AST, a Montreal-based company, offers technologies, equipment, and expertise in the area of biogas upgrading, as well as air pollution controls.

, an equity research firm using innovative tools to communicate and educate investors issued an updated note on Capstone Green Energy, following the latters fiscal 1Q 2022 revenue increase. In its 1Q22 earnings results, the company reported a 13.3% revenue bump, despite ongoing [coronavirus] COVID-19 and supply chain challenges. The provider of customized microgrid solutions and on-site energy technology systems designed to help customers meet their carbon reduction, energy savings and resiliency goals, also announced its plans to launch a 30% hydrogen product during the fiscal 2022 year.

( ) Corp said it has signed a definitive merger agreement with Creation Technologies Inc, that will see the latter acquire all outstanding shares of IEC. Creation has agreed to pay $15.35 per share in cash, which represents a fully diluted equity value of approximately $173.8 million and an aggregate enterprise value of $242.3 million, based upon net debt of $68.6 million. Additionally, IEC also released its fiscal 3Q results for the period ending July 2, 2021. The company reported revenues of $49.4 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2021, an increase of 4.2% compared to revenues of $47.4 million for the same quarter last year.

( ) Technologies Corp has acquired Stratum Health Solutions LLC from RTAE Holdings LLC. Stratum operates HealthCheck, an encrypted wellness tracking and analytics tool with 1,000-plus current customers, including over 50,000 users within Atlanta Public Schools across 91 learning sites. HealthCheck is a secure, cloud-based platform that allows organizations of all sizes to track and evaluate employee and student health as well as coronavirus (COVID-19) related symptoms in real-time through an app.

( , ) Ltd, and its subsidiary companies doing business as Luckbox, said it has partnered with Bambora to add its PaymentIQ gateway to the Luckbox platform. Real Luck noted the agreement is designed to drive revenue by delivering Luckbox players frictionless deposit options.

( ) saw its total revenue increase to US$14.3 million during its second-quarter as its royalty portfolio continued to improve. The 2Q figure was up from the $11 million it delivered in the same quarter in 2020, a 30.4% increase. The firm posted net income of US$3.7 million or $0.03 per share, also higher than the $3 million figure ($0.03 per share) it saw in the same period a year earlier.

( ) announced that a new patent has been filed for its proprietary process of manufacturing silicon (Si) anode active materials. The company said the patent will extend the protection related to the Si nanocoating process by the single-step, one-pot solution process, which was originally developed by NEO. This applied patent joins a family of related patents already issued and applied for the unique and cost-effective process by NEO's one-pot process. To date, the company retains five patents on the Si nanocoating process.

Phoenix Gold Fund Limited has acquired an aggregate of 11,500,000 common shares at an average price of $0.13 and 5,750,000 common share purchase warrants of Unigold Inc on August 10, 2021 pursuant to a non-brokered private placement. Phoenix acquired the common shares at a price of C$0.13 per share for a total purchase price of C$1,495,000. As a result of the acquisition, Phoenix now owns 12,502,500 common shares and 5,750,000 common share purchase warrants of Unigold, representing approximately 8.02% of all issued and outstanding shares of the company on an undiluted basis.

The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) heralded a new milestone in its corporate listings growth, which continues to lead all Canada-based stock exchanges as it announced its market statistics for the month of July 2021. The CSE said there were 18 new listings in the month, bringing total listed securities on the exchange to 696 as of July 31, 2021. The aggregate market value of CSE issuers was $59.4billion as of July 31, 2021, compared to $42.1 billion at year-end 2020. Trading volume of CSE-listed securities in July totaled 2.3 billion shares and the trading value of CSE-listed securities was $1.7 billion.

( ) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to acquire Antics Gaming LLC, a Las Vegas-based developer of skill-based games for Android and iOS platforms. In a statement, Royal Wins said the acquisition of Antics is the first in a series of expected acquisitions to build and grow its business model and will be a significant building block in the company's global development strategy. Also, the company anticipates that the purchase of Antics will include intellectual property, patent and trademark assets, and the assumption by Royal Wins of Antics' ongoing working relationships with Samsung, ( ), and Skillz Inc.

( , ). said it has signed an online distribution agreement with Walmart.com and will be expanding into Walmarts eCommerce marketplace by Q4, 2021 with its Plant-Based Complete Nutrition products for Toddlers. Entering Walmart.com is a highly significant milestone for the Company, said Hamutal Yitzhak, CEO and co-Founder of Else Nutrition in a statement. The sheer size of Walmart.com will allow us to reach thousands of new families and enable us to scale significantly over the next 3 years, she added. According to eMarketer, Walmarts US eCommerce sales prior to the pandemic were $30 billion and are projected to hit over $64 billion by the end of 2021.

Zoglo's Incredible Food Corp. said it has appointed award-winning chef Pino Di Cerbo as its chief culinary officer. In a statement, the company said Chef Pino will guide the development of quality plant-based food products, design recipes, and enhance consumer engagement. Inspired by his mother's homemade Italian cooking, Chef Pino rose to prominence in 2014, placing 6th in CTV's MasterChef Canada's inaugural season, establishing himself as a fan favourite and went on to win the subsequent MasterChef Canada Holiday and All-Star: Family Edition specials.

( ) has announced plans to tie-in the 3-26 well in West Pepper, Alberta, which has the potential to produce natural gas. The Calgary-based company said it is beginning the process to tie-in the behind-pipe natural gas from the exploration well after a February 2021 independent engineering report estimated an initial production rate of 5.5 million standard cubic feet per day (scf/d) from the well. Other findings from the preliminary report, which was not prepared in accordance with NI 51-101 reserve reporting requirements, include estimated onstream costs of around C$1.3 million and rapid payback of the tie-in costs and positive cash flow, according to Arrow.

( ) Vehicles Corp, a Canadian electric vehicle designer and manufacturer, posted second-quarter results that demonstrated that it is well capitalized and in a strong financial position with over $250 million on its balance sheet to forge ahead with the buildout of its US Assembly and Engineering Technical Center in Mesa, Arizona. For the period ended June 30, 2021, the carmaker had cash, equivalents and short-term deposits totaling $250 million, compared to $129.5 million as of December 31, 2020. During the quarter, the companys net cash decreased by $10.3 million, which was a result of net cash used in operating activities of $9.4 million and net cash used in investing activities of $1.4 million, offset by net cash provided by financing activities of $456,000.

( ) Limited reports that it ended its second quarter with a strong balance sheet with about $27.9 million in cash and cash equivalents. The epigenetics company, which had a balance sheet of $19.4 million as of December 31, 2020, said it continued to manage expenditures carefully with a cash burn rate of about $2 million per month. It added that it raised $900,000 during the quarter ended June 30, 2021, in an at-the-market equity distribution program.

( , , , ) (TSX-V:THX, AIM:THX, OTC:THXPF, ) released a new round of drill results from its Makosa North prospect in Senegal that revealed more about the Douta gold projects potential. In a statement, Thor told investors that wide-spaced exploratory drill sections around 1,300 metres (m) north of the last line of drilling indicate that the gold mineralization continues to the north. Thor added that the mineralization remains open-ended.

Empress Royalty Corp said it has received its first revenue from the Sierra Antapite gold mine in Peru. The revenue is part of a US$10 million gold stream agreement with Sierra Sun Group, signed on July 28, 2021, on the payable gold production from the Sierra Antapite mine at 20% of the gold spot price.

( , ) Inc. has granted incentive stock options authorizing the purchase of 585,600 common shares to officers, directors and consultants of the company. The options are exercisable at $0.37 per share for a period of three years from the date of grant. The options have been granted under and are governed by the terms of the company's incentive stock option plan and are subject to TSX Venture Exchange acceptance.

( , , ) has unveiled its recently completed results from an ongoing drill program at its flagship asset, the Thunder Bay North project in Ontario. The assays reconfirm the polymetallic nature of the deposit, with the companys primary focus being ( ) Group Metals (PGM). Hole CL21-004 from the Current Lake Deposit infill program was especially promising, the hole intersected 13 meters (m) grading at 2.9 grams per tonne (g/t) palladium equivalent (PdEq) and was composed of 0.96 g/t palladium, 1.03 g/t ( ), 0.30% copper and 0.25% nickel from 168m  181m downhole.

( ) ( ) applauded the US Senate for passing the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act which includes a heavy emphasis on electric vehicle and green energy industry investments. The company, which is in the process of changing its name to American Battery Technology Company (ABTC) praised the $1 trillion cash infusion that will revitalize, fortify and strengthen the nation's infrastructure. In the budget which passed through Senate on Tuesday, $7.5 billion has been earmarked to build a national framework of charging networks for electric vehicles.

Alkaline Fuel Cell Power Corp, which is focused on the design, development and commercialization of alkaline fuel cell heat and power systems, said it is exceptionally well-positioned to target the residential and small to medium-sized power markets in Europe and around the world. Our hydrogen-powered alkaline fuel cell technology is being positioned to offer all of Europe an energy source that generates zero CO2 emissions with pure water as the only by-product, said Alkaline Fuel Cell Power CEO Jef Spaepen in a statement. With technology originally derived from the European Space Agency, Alkaline Fuel Cell Power has been able to develop a fuel cell that is smaller in size and scalable because of fewer operating inputs and the absence of noble metals, which include high-value, high-cost ( )-group metals.

Mandalay Resources Corporation has reported second-quarter 2021 revenue of US$51.4 million, the companys second-highest quarterly sales results since 2Q 2016 and a 21% increase from the same period last year. Mandalay also realized US$11.5 million, or $0.13 per share, in adjusted net income during the quarter, its sixth consecutive quarter of profitability. Mandalay Resources is pleased to deliver strong financial results for the second quarter of 2021, as the company continues to execute against our operational strategy and is on track to attain our 2021 production and cost guidance, Mandalay Resources CEO Dominic Duffy said in a statement.

NexTech AR Solutions Corp. has reported its financial and operating results for the second quarter of 2021 which showed the company had cash on hand of $15.4 million as of June 30, 2021. The company reported revenue of $6.1 million for the three months to June 30, 2021, an increase of over 73% compared to $3.5 million posted for the same period in 2020, while gross profit was $2.3 million, an increase of over 6% compared to the $2.2 million reported for the same period in 2020. For the six months ended June 30, 2021, Nextech's revenue increased by 130% to $13.8 million compared to the same six months period in 2020, while gross profit increased by 59% to $5.6 million over the same period in 2020.

( , ) has revealed that its MiQLab System is the first point-of-need instrument that can be configured to perform polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests using either probe-based chemistry, or SYBR Green chemistry coupled with melt curve analysis. In a statement, Dr Nathan Walsh, VP of Applications and Informatics at LexaGene, said: Traditional real-time PCR uses expensive hydrolysis probes that have long lead times for manufacturing, whereas SYBR Green-based PCR uses inexpensive primers that have much shorter lead times. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused massive delays in the manufacturing and delivery of the PCR probes used in diagnostic testing. In many cases, these delays were sometimes greater than 8 weeks, which created shortages that prevented the running of some testing platforms.

MedX Health Corporation has announced the appointment of Sylvain Desjeans as the companys president and chief executive officer with immediate effect. With more than 30 years of healthcare and pharmaceutical industry experience, Desjeans has served in successively senior roles at organizations such as ( ) Canada, Accucaps Industries Limited and Biovail Pharmaceuticals. He has a long track record of successfully executing large-scale growth plans and global product licensing initiatives. Desjeans joined MedX on May 5, 2021, as chief revenue officer, and has been working on the companys market opportunities, including the application of the MedX Dermsecure platforms artificial intelligence features, as well as initiatives focussed on revenue generation.

( , , ). has announced that its management is not aware of any undisclosed material information relating to the company that may be contributing to the recent increase in its trading activity.

MedX Health Corp said the TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing the company's proposal to issue 360,000 common shares at a deemed value of 20 cents per to settle outstanding debt for $72,000 with one creditor

( , ) said the TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation with respect to its non-brokered private placement which will see the issue of 4.35 million shares at a purchase price of 20 cents per share, together with 4.35 million share purchase warrants with an exercise price of 30 cents for a one-year period with 36 placees.

Midwest Energy Emissions Corp. - ( ) - has announced that its management will present at the Q3 Virtual Investor Summit, taking place August 17-18, 2021. The company said Richard MacPherson, its president and chief executive officer is scheduled to participate in one-on-one meetings with investors throughout the event and will host a virtual presentation on Wednesday, August 18, 2021, at 9.30am Eastern time via the following registration webcast link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gBk7hdw1R0i175M1yx6MAA. Registration is mandatory for conference participation.

( ) has announced that it will present at the Q3 Virtual Investor Summit, hosted by the Investor Summit Group, on August 18, 2021. Michael Mo, KULR chief executive officer is scheduled to present on Wednesday, August 18, 2021, at 1.15pm Eastern time and will participate in one-on-one meetings with investors throughout the event. The presentation will be webcast live and an archived webcast of the presentation will be made available at www.investorsummitgroup.com and on KULR's website at https://kulrtechnology.com/category/presentations. Registration is mandatory for conference participation.

( ), Inc. has announced that its chief executive officer, Saiid Zarrabian, will present at the Investor Summit Conference being held August 17-18, 2021. The company said Zarrabian will deliver his corporate presentation on August 17, 2021 at 12.30pm ET. Investors can also request a one-on-one meeting with Zarrabian to be arranged following the conclusion of the conference. Investors can register for the conference via the following link: https://www.meetmax.com/sched/event_74699/investor_reg_new.html?attendee_role_id=ISG_INVESTOR

( ). has announced that the company's CEO, Omri Brill will be presenting at the Q3 Virtual Investor Summit on August 18, 2021, at 08.45am ET. To register for the summit, investors can use the following link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QJIpRplsTECy321jVufg3Q

( ) has announced that ( ), a Canadian focused company with a pipeline of projects in various stages of development, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market and has today upgraded from the OTC Pink market. Upgrading to the OTCQX Market is an important step for companies seeking to provide transparent trading for their US investors. For companies listed on a qualified international exchange, streamlined market standards enable them to utilize their home market reporting to make their information available in the US To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws. Duncan Middlemiss, president and CEO commented: "We are pleased to have achieved this milestone and to commence trading on OTCQX. Joining the market is expected to enhance our liquidity and visibility in the US market and provide access to a broader set of investors."
Silvercorp Vice President Lon Shaver joined Steve Darling from Proactive to share news the company has released results from the GC silver-lead-zinc mine in China. The company currently drilling and tunnelling with seven rigs currently turning.

Shaver telling Proactive drilling intersected thick and high-grade veins in and above the production areas. One of the highlight holes seeing 6 metres true grading of 258 Grams per tonne Silver, 7% Lead AND 7% Zinc.
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A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
The much awaited revamp of the Congress organisational structure at the top of the Kerala unit of the party is finally taking shape as the state's top brass is in Delhi meeting Rahul Gandhi and party president Sonia Gandhi.

The revamp that has to be cleared, include the 51-member apex body of the party, besides the 14 district party presidents.

Those who are in Delhi include State party president K.Sudhakaran his three deputies besides Leader of Opposition V.D.Satheesan.

In the past week, the top faction leaders Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala were in Delhi and conveyed their wish list to the Gandhis.

Following the April 6 assembly polls debacle when Congress was expecting to regain power, the party high command stepped in and Chandy and Chennithala, who for the past two decades had reigned supreme in the state unit, had to side-step.

The party sprang a surprise when Sudhakaran and Satheesan were annointed new leaders.

Speaking to the media in Delhi on Saturday, Sudhakaran said the talks have been smooth.

"The discussions will continue and we are sure that the decision will be made soon and the list would be announced," said Sudhakaran.

Hitherto, the 14 district president's post has always been shared between Chandy and Chennithala and perhaps the sitting president also would get one or two of his aides, likewise it was the way the members to the apex body was selected.

But with the high command putting its foot down, all eyes are on if the practice of Chandy and Chennithala sharing the posts will happen this time.

A media critic on condition of anonymity said with Rahul Gandhi continuing to have a strong say in all party decisions in Kerala, he will play his cards carefully and is sure he will not displease Chandy and Chennithala.

"But that does not mean, the two faction leaders will be given a free hand. Overall there is a feeling this time the list will contain more young faces as the need of the hour is to build the party at the grassroots and it's here the youth power is needed," said a critic.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has asked the Taliban to "immediately halt" their offensive against the Afghan government forces and return to the negotiating table in good faith, "in the interest of Afghanistan, and its people".

Guterres told reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York on Friday that humanitarian needs were "growing by the hour" and the war-torn country was largely spinning out of control.

"Even for a country that has tragically known generations of conflict, Afghanistan is in the throes of yet another chaotic and desperate chapter  an incredible tragedy for its long-suffering people", he said, noting that more than 1,000 people have been killed or injured from indiscriminate attacks against civilians, notably in Helmand, Kandahar and Herat provinces, in just the past month.

The UN chief said the fighting between Taliban and Afghan security forces for control of cities and towns, was "causing tremendous harm".

At least 241,000 people have been forced to flee from their homes... Hospitals are overflowing. Food and medical supplies are dwindling. Roads, bridges, schools, clinics and other critical infrastructure are being destroyed, "he added.

"Continued urban conflict will mean continued carnage" Guterres said, with civilians inevitably paying the highest price.

"I call on all parties to take heed of the conflict's heavy toll and its devastating impact on civilians. They all must do more to protect civilians."

Guterres said he was "deeply disturbed" by reports of the Taliban imposing severe restrictions on human rights in the areas under their control, particularly targeting women and journalists.

"It is particularly horrifying and heartbreaking to see reports of the hard-won rights of Afghan girls and women being ripped away from them."

The UN chief called on the international community, to make clear to the Taliban that seizing power through military force, was "a losing proposition. That can only lead to prolonged civil war, or to the complete isolation of Afghanistan".

He said there was still potential for stalled intra-Afghan talks taking place in Doha, Qatar, supported by the region and the wider international community, which could lead to a negotiated settlement.

"Only an Afghan-led negotiated political settlement can ensure peace", he added, declaring that the UN was determined to contribute to a peace deal, "promote the rights of all Afghans and provide life-saving humanitarian help to the ever increasing numbers of civilians in need".
Algerian Radio Amateurs assisting fire response

IARU Region 1 Emergency Communications Co-Ordinator Greg Mossop G0DUB reports on the Amateur Radio response to the forest fires in Algeria



On the IARU-R1 site he writes:



Radio Amateurs from the Algerian National Society ARA are assisting their Government in the response to forest fires in Ouacif (Tizi-Ouzou), where 65 people have lost their lives already.



An ARA team was dispatched to the scene of the incident, where communications networks were already weak to communicate emergency needs between the mobile station currently located in Ouacif and the crisis unit in Tamda via the ARA HQ station.



Frequencies reported in use are 7110 KHz, 3650 KHz and 14300 KHz. Please take care not to affect emergency operations on those frequencies.



Source IARU Region 1 https://iaru-r1.org/
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SHREVEPORT, La - KTBS has chronicled the many problems and issues for the City of Shreveport's water and sewerage systems over the years. But the city's systems are far from the only ones that have been deteriorating for years and creating a public health risk.

"Out in the country that's all they're going to have," said Ed, a resident of the Wildwood South subdivision.

The subdivision uses an oxidation pond or a lagoon, but it's not out in the country. It's just off of Linwood Road in south Caddo Parish. An oxidation pond is for treating a neighborhood's wastewater through the interaction of sunlight, bacteria and algae. So essentially when people in this neighborhood go to the bathroom it ends up in this pond down the street.

This one, called the Wildwood South Facility, is about 100 yards behind Ed's house. He's lived here since 1969.

"Don White and Jerry Taylor owned it and we had good service out of them. We never had any problems with it," said Ed.

But problems are abundant when checking the Environmental Protection Agency's enforcement and compliance history and the Louisiana Department of Health. In 2017, the owner, Jerry Taylor, the third was issued an emergency compliance order and a declaration of emergency because of "serious and imminent danger to public health."

Why? Raw sewage was on the ground and or flowing into a creek or drainage ditch. There was no chlorine disinfection for what was being discharged from the pond, and that's just two of the seven violations cited in the emergency compliance order.

Two years later, in 2019, Wildwood South was fined over $21,000 for not taking corrective actions. In December and March, significant non-compliance involving fecal matter and solid waste suspended in the pond.

"Those penalties continue to accrue and that's where we're at, at this point," said Barbara Featherston with the LDH engineering services.

The process is supposed to remove bacteria and have the solid waste degrade and fall to the bottom of the pond, but if it's not working properly there's a problem.

"Obviously, you don't want raw sewage going into a ditch or even partially treated sewage going into a ditch that ultimately leads to a lake," said Featherston.

In this case, the pond feeds into a bayou, which eventually ends up in a place you may have fished before called Wallace Lake.

"We have not received any additional complaints or concerns about that system so we have not been back out on site. So, I can't really speak to what the new company has or hasn't done," said Featherston.

The new company she's referring to is Magnolia Water Utility out of St. Louis, Mo. It bought the Wildwood facility in July 2020.

"When we bought that system, I don't think the owners even knew a lift system existed. We had to go find that thing buried under the leaves and it was actually surcharging into a ditch there on the side of the road. There was untreated sewage going into that ditch. No disinfection was installed. The berms had structural integrity issues," said Josiah Cox, Magnolia Water Utility president.

Cox says they have addressed all of those issues.

"We just got a construction permit from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to do a moving bed bioreactor, a tertiary filter on the back of that lagoon, so we're able to treat for nutrient requirements in the receiving water body," said Cox.

That's a similar story of disrepair and ongoing fixes for multiple other water and wastewater systems that Magnolia acquired in north Louisiana in 2020.

Those include Evangeline Oaks Water in Bossier, Jones Rolling Ridge Utility in Shreveport, Old Oaks Sewer in Haughton, Suburban Water Company in Shreveport and one in Ruston.

"A lot of times these ponds are out of sight out of mind, people don't even know what they are. So, unless it smells or they have other concerns then we are usually not apprised of issues with those systems," said Featherston

"There's tons of small water and wastewater systems all over the United States that are in varying levels of distress. The water infrastructure crisis isn't looming, it's already here," said Cox

Cox also said these oxidation ponds are rarely built anymore and over the next five years he believes they will no longer be permitted by the governing agencies except in rare or special circumstances.
Kids Creative Arts Street Fair on the Square

PADUCAH - Market House Theatre hosts The Kid Creative Arts Street Fair on the Square Saturday, August 21 from 10 am to 2 pm. Over a dozen Paducah arts and culture organizations will provide a wide variety of free hands on experiences for all ages. Children may choose between the many booths offering crafts, art, drama, music, games, stories, danceandjust fun. Booths will be spread out around both sides on the Market House building.Free Performance Schedule:10 am - PlayTime presents a FREE performance of Sleeping Beauty. Pod reservations are required - bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on. To reserve: 270-444-6828Join the Clubhouse at the Market House Gang as kids participate in the telling of the story by singing and interacting along with the Clubhouse actors! Learn the word of the day and secret password and dont forget your magic keys to unlock the Rainbow Story Book! Its an engaging performance perfect for wiggle-giggle audiences! Our story this time is Sleeping Beauty - Help the Prince wake Princess Briar Rose (and the rest of the kingdom) out of their enchanted sleep! Lots of fun audience participation in this retelling of the classic fairy tale!11 am & 2 pm - The Carson Center presents: Professor Wows Fun-Believable Science Show! RSVP your socially distanced pod for live science show.WOW! Pow! How! When students see Professor Wows zany, high-energy FUN-Believable Science Show and experience the fantastic, 12-foot tall Foam Monster, the impossible Balloons in Orbit, the uproariously funny Bernoulli TP Wipe Out Challenge and the Super-Colossal Vortex Cannon. They learn that nothing is impossibleas long as it obeys the laws of science.Other free activities this year include: MHT's T-Shirt Tie Dye*, Arts & Crafts, Ribbon Dancing, Instrument Petting Zoo, Sound Effects Booth, Airbrush Tattoos and more!Participating Arts Organizations and their Activities:McCracken Co Public Library - Cool off with a Make and Take fanMaiden Alley Cinema - Crafting Hollywood Walk of Fame starsPaducah Wall to Wall - Make mural puzzlesPaducah School of Art and Design - Stamped Metal TokensThe River Discovery Center - Water bottle aquariumChallenger Learning Center at Paducah - Straw RocketsMAKE - Marvelous mini mat MAKE-ingYeiser Art Center - Beaded friendship bracelets, collaged fansThe National Quilt MuseumHarmony Road Music School - Make and Take Egg shakerMcCracken County Early Childhood Council - Literacy fun activity & grab bagDanceMHT - Ribbon DancingThe Carson Center - Free Performances!Paducah Symphony Orchestra - Instrument Petting ZooMarket House Theatre - Tie dye tshirts*, sound effects booth, scenic & costume displays, airbrush tattoos, costumed strolling characters*t-shirt tie dye is a $5 charge to cover the cost of the shirts.
WKCTC Employees Recognized During In-Service Event

By West Kentucky Star Staff





PADUCAH - West Kentucky Community and Technical College faculty member Corey Wadlington and Melissa Burgess were among six employees recognized during the college's recent fall faculty and staff in-service activities.Wadlington of Hopkinsville, the dean of the science, math, and computer information technologies division, received the Phelps Award, named in memory of Finis Sargent Phelps and Florence Grubbs Phelps. Established in 1991, the award emphasizes quality, promotes academic excellence, and rewards competence in teaching in the liberal arts and sciences disciplines. Wadlington, who has worked at the college for 17 years, has also served as a professor of mathematics and an assistant dean for transition education. He has held various leadership positions on several boards and commissions throughout his career, and he haspresented at several national and international mathematics conferences over the past year. In 2003, he was awarded the highest title of honor bestowed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Kentucky Colonel. Wadlington earned both a bachelor of science and a master of arts degree from Austin Peay State University. He also earned a graduate certificate as a chemical dependency counselor from Union College and completed graduate studies at Southern Illinois University and Murray State University.Burgess of Almo, the Pharmacy Technology and Health Science Technology program coordinator, received the Paducah Junior College Faculty Award, which was established in 1999. The award recognizes quality, competence and excellence in teaching in a technical field. Burgess has been a certified pharmacy technician for 12 years and a licensed veterinary technician for 23 years. She currently holds the position of President of the Kentucky Veterinary Technician Association. Burgess, who has worked at the college since January 2016, was also recently awarded the Pharmacy Technician Educators Council Roy Kemp award, a nationalpharmacy technician educator award for excellence. She has presented at several conferences and is a member of pharmacy boards and committees including the Kentucky Board of Pharmacy's Public Health Committee, Kentucky Board of Pharmacy's COVID19 Pharmacy Playbook Taskforce and Medical Reserves Corps. Burgess earned a master of science degree in agriculture from Murray State University.Heather Rottmann received the WKCTC Adjunct Faculty Award. A native of Metropolis, Ill., Rottmann has worked at the college for 25 years, from coordinating the tutoring center from January 1997 - 1999 to her current position as an adjunct faculty member in the WKCTC math department. Rottmann has taught developmental math courses and transfer math courses of all varieties at the college. She also currently teaches at Vienna High School. Julie Thompson, math department coordinator, said Rottmannhas strong/positive relationships with her students and her students perform well on student learning outcomes for their respective courses, she strives to learn more about current technologies and teaching strategies and communicates with publishers to be sure her students have the best materials available. Rottmann earned a master of arts degree in teaching, mathematics for Murray State University.In addition to these awardees, Kelly Paul of Murray, Geelyn Warren of Paducah and Lorry Beth Wilson of Wickliffe were recognized as 2021 WKCTC Award of Excellence recipients.Paul received the faculty award. An English instructor, she has been a full-time faculty member at WKCTC since 2018, and had previously been an adjunct instructor for eight years. Paul also serves as the college's liaison for online instructors. She has participated in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System's (KCTCS) Optimizing Online Learning (KOOL) Academy. In 2020, she was recognized by her peers with the Blackboard Exemplary Course Program (ECP) Award for her online English 102 Writing II course for interaction/collaboration, course design, assessment and learner support. The national award recognizes faculty and course designers from schools, colleges, and universities around the world who develop engaging and innovative courses that represent the best in technology and learning. Paul earned a master of arts degree in English from Murray State University.Warren received the support staff award. She has worked at WKCTC since 2009 and has served in various capacities including a student affairs assistant and coordinator of financial aid prior to her current position as the coordinator of institutional research. Warren's job responsibilities include generating reports/providing training with the extensive database reporting software, analyzing/preparing reports, graphs charts, maintaining data integrity/security, coordinating/administering surveys, reports and questionnaires, and preparing special reports for outside entities. A graduate of WKCTC in 2008, Warren also earned both a bachelor of arts degree in organizational leadership and a master of science degree in business informatics/data analytics from Northern Kentucky University, and she is currently pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Kentucky.Wilson received the administrative staff award. As the West Kentucky College Academy Director, she is responsible for dual credit enrollment at WKCTC, which includes advising dual credit students, monitoring their progress and working directly with high school counselors as well as home school parents. She serves on various committees and boards including the Dual Credit Peer Team (current chair), Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), Dual Credit Enrollment Advisory Panel, Kentucky Dual Credit Task Force and Commonwealth Education Continuum. She also serves as the commissioner of the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP). Wilson earned a bachelor's degree in business management, two master's degrees, one in guidance and counseling, and a doctorate degree in higher education/P20 leadership, all from Murray State University.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-13 18:54:23|Editor: huaxia

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Staff members and passengers dance in a passenger car of train No. K9756 from Korla to Yetimbulak in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Dec. 9, 2020. Train No. K9756 set out for the first time on that day, which also marked the official operation of the 1,206-km Golmud-Korla railway linking Golmud City in Qinghai Province and Korla City in Xinjiang. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)

URUMQI, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Officials and scholars in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Thursday lambasted the United States for its practice of "long-arm jurisdiction" and trampling on the international order.

Xu Guixiang, a spokesperson for the regional government, said at a press conference that the "long-arm jurisdiction" has become a hegemonic tool for the United States to suppress foreign entities, interfere in other countries' internal affairs and even subvert foreign governments.

"The United States is always pointing a flashlight at others, but never at itself," Xu said in response to some U.S. politicians' attempts to push forward legislation on Xinjiang.

Liu Weidong, a U.S. affairs expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the United States treats its own Muslims as distrusted outsiders, who have long faced discrimination, suppression and poor protection of their basic rights.

"The United States, while persecuting Muslims and carrying out de-Islamization, is hurling accusations at China's de-radicalization efforts in Xinjiang," Liu said.

"They have no respect for Islam and they do not really care about Muslims. Instead, they are exploiting the religious feelings of Muslims to stoke instability," he said.

Zulhayat Ismayil, a professor at Xinjiang University, pointed out the U.S. poor racial record, including ethnic cleansing of native Indians, discrimination and brutality against African Americans and bullying of Asian Americans.

"With such serious issues at home, what right does the United States have to make irresponsible remarks about other countries' ethnic policies?" she said. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-13 23:08:51|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Some U.S. media have recently conspired to attack China's anti-pandemic strategy, claiming that China's approach to tackling the virus will lead to its long-term isolation from the world.

These groundless claims deliberately distort the truth and ignore the essence of China's anti-pandemic fight.

Since the onset of the pandemic, China, insisting that the rights to subsistence and development are primary basic human rights, has regarded protecting people and their lives as its top priority. That is the principle of the country's anti-pandemic strategy.

On that basis, the Chinese government has scientifically coordinated its pandemic prevention and economic and social development. As a result, China has taken the lead in resuming work and production, becoming the only major economy that registered positive growth in 2020.

This year, China's economic growth continues to lead the world, with foreign trade maintaining upward momentum. By July, China's imports and exports had registered positive year-on-year growth for the 14th consecutive month.

Meanwhile, the Chinese anti-pandemic strategy provides a strong guarantee for sustained economic recovery. Instead of being isolated, China will certainly be more closely linked to the world in the future. Many multinational companies have continued to achieve remarkable results in the Chinese market and already reiterated their confidence in China.

Such hard-won achievements are a testament to the extraordinary leadership of the Communist Party of China and the advantages of China's system. The Chinese people will never forget that in the face of the sudden outbreak of the pandemic, the country has been putting their lives and health front and center. Countless heroes have made sacrifices and contributed to the mission of protecting people's lives.

The facts stand as a living proof of China's scientific and effective strategy in containing the virus.

In sharp contrast, the United States, with the best medical resources, ranks first in the world in both confirmed cases and deaths. Disregarding the problems of their own country, certain U.S. media are raising ill-founded questions about China's strategy, revealing a combination of arrogance and envy on their part.

In fact, the U.S. failure is an inevitable result of the inherent flaws of the country's political system and values. The politicians' understatement of the virus' risks, the breakdown of prevention mechanisms amid partisan struggle, racial discrimination and the wealth gap all play a role in making the United States the world's worst failure when it comes to containing the pandemic.

Worst of all, instead of putting people's lives first, some U.S. politicians have chosen to put money first. In public, they advocate protecting human rights, but in real actions, they are in fact protecting the interests of the rich and those with power.

Maybe, those U.S. media should dig into the root cause of the U.S. debacle in containing the pandemic and expose the underlying hypocrisy and double standards. That would be the right thing to do. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 02:20:46|Editor: huaxia

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YINCHUAN, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- A joint military exercise between China and Russia, named ZAPAD/INTERACTION-2021, concluded Friday in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

A four-phase exercise was held on Friday morning and attended by more than 10,000 service personnel and main battle armaments, including aircraft, artillery and armored vehicles of various models.

Chinese Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu observed the exercise and held talks later in the day.

Wei said that the Chinese and Russian armed forces have supported each other in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating the high-level development of relations between the two militaries.

The two militaries should enhance strategic coordination and comprehensive and practical cooperation, so as to make greater contributions to the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, and safeguarding world peace and stability, Wei said.

Russia is willing to enhance strategic communication with China, deepen cooperation in areas such as counterterrorism and work together to safeguard regional peace and stability, Shoigu said.

The two ministers also observed the signing of cooperation documents.

They announced the conclusion of the exercise in the afternoon.

The exercise was the first joint military exercise held in China since the COVID-19 outbreak. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 03:55:02|Editor: huaxia

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People knock on wooden tables simultaneously in an attempt to set a Guinness World Record in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Aug. 13, 2021. Some 300 Bulgarians gathered together in Sofia on Friday in an attempt to set a Guinness World Record for having the most people touching wood for luck simultaneously. (Photo by Marian Draganov/Xinhua)

SOFIA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Some 300 Bulgarians gathered together in Sofia on Friday in an attempt to set a Guinness World Record for having the most people touching wood for luck simultaneously.

The event, organized by the Bulgaria-based insurance company DZI, was held in a specially designated area in front of the National Palace of Culture in the capital, where 33 wooden tables were set up.

For the record to be achieved, at least 251 people had to knock on the wooden tables at the same time for at least 10 seconds, the organizers told Xinhua.

Such a record has not yet been set, they said.

The threshold of 250 people was set by Guinness World Records as a condition for the achievement to be registered as a Guinness World Record, they added.

People of different ages took part in the unusual event. Radoslav, a computer engineer, told Xinhua that he decided to participate "for fun."

"I do this once a day, anyway. For luck," he said.

He is one of the many Bulgarians who regularly touch wood for luck. According to a survey conducted by Bulgaria-based Research Center Trend in 2018, 73 percent of Bulgarians said they often knock on wood to ward off bad luck. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 11:06:34|Editor: huaxia

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People walk in Sydney, Australia, on Aug. 14, 2021. Australia's state of New South Wales (NSW), the worst-hit in the country's current COVID-19 outbreak, reported 466 new local cases on Saturday, a new peak and a nearly 20-percent jump from Friday's 390 cases. Facing the deteriorating situation, the authorities announced a couple of tougher restrictions. From Monday, the radius of movement for residents in Greater Sydney and surrounding areas were reduced from 10 km to 5 km. From Aug. 21, people will need a permit to travel to regional NSW. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

SYDNEY, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Australia's state of New South Wales (NSW), the worst-hit in the country's current COVID-19 outbreak, reported 466 new local cases on Saturday, a new peak and a nearly 20-percent jump from Friday's 390 cases.

The state also recorded four deaths, which brought the total number of COVID-related deaths in the latest outbreak to 43.

Facing the deteriorating situation, the authorities announced a couple of tougher restrictions.

From Monday, the radius of movement for residents in Greater Sydney and surrounding areas were reduced from 10 km to 5 km. From Aug. 21, people will need a permit to travel to regional NSW.

People who breach the COVID rules, such as self-isolation, lying on a permit or lying to a contact trace, will face an increased on-the-spot fine of 5,000 Australian dollars (about 3,685 U.S. dollars).

People who don't adhere to the two-person outdoor exercise rules, or enter into regional NSW for inspecting real estate and traveling will face a fine of 3,000 Australian dollars (about 2,210 U.S. dollars).

Residents in those local government areas on concern cannot get out of home for outdoor recreation, such as gathering in a park or outside takeaway shops or cafes.

NSW Premier Berejiklian said there will be a stronger police presence, especially in those local government areas of concern, to clamp down on people breaching the restrictions. An additional 500 Australian Defence Force will join those who were already in NSW to help local police ensure people's compliance with the restrictions.

"The increased fines and heightened police presence are about ensuring people who are doing the wrong thing are caught and punished appropriately," she said.

The premier also extended the lockdown on Armidale, an area in the northern part of NSW to prevent the spread of the virus. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 12:28:10|Editor: huaxia

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SHANGHAI, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's index of export container transport edged down in the past week ending Friday, according to the Shanghai Shipping Exchange.

The average China Containerized Freight Index (CCFI) stood at 2,978.47, down 0.9 percent from a week earlier, according to the exchange.

The sub-reading for the Southeast Asia Service led the decline with a week-on-week drop of 6.8 percent, while that for Korean Service gained 14.3 percent.

The CCFI tracks spot and contractual freight rates from Chinese container ports for 12 shipping routes across the globe, based on data from 22 international carriers.

The index was set at 1,000 on Jan. 1, 1998. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 12:38:53|Editor: huaxia

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CANBERRA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has reported one new case of coronavirus on the second day of its lockdown and confirmed the source of current outbreak.

The new case, a close contact of a previous case, takes the total number of active cases in Canberra to seven.

Authorities on Saturday established a new testing center in Canberra's north to ensure close contacts of the case could be tested.

Saturday was the second day of the ACT's seven day lockdown, which began on Thursday night after the initial case tested positive.

It makes Canberra another major Australian city currently subject to a lockdown with strict restrictions also in place in Sydney and Melbourne.

Kerryn Coleman, ACT's Chief Health Officer, confirmed that genomic testing had linked the initial case to the coronavirus outbreak in Sydney.

"The whole genomic sequencing does confirm a link with several cases in Greater Sydney," Coleman told reporters on Saturday.

"I am comfortable that this case is linked to Greater Sydney and it has not come out from somewhere else, or out of its own."

There were more than 4,500 tests for COVID-19 conducted across the ACT on Friday.

Andrew Barr, Chief Minister of the ACT, said he was pleased with the Canberra community's response to the outbreak.

"To put some perspective on this, the total population of the ACT is a little over 430,000," he said.

"It's a very big sample or surveillance number."

ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said that testing capacity had been boosted over the weekend.

"While this unprecedented demand for testing is challenging, it also gives us a reason to be proud of our community," she said.

"Canberrans are proving once again how committed we are to responding and doing the right thing during a pandemic."

As of Friday afternoon, there had been 38,165 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia, and the number of locally acquired cases in the previous 24 hours was 411, according to the latest figures from the Department of Health.

On Saturday morning, New South Wales (NSW), Australia's most populous state with Sydney as the capital city, reported 466 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and four deaths. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 17:04:03|Editor: huaxia

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SANTIAGO, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) puts the people first and makes the role of the people in the governing process clear, Chilean lawmaker and president of the Communist Party of Chile Guillermo Teillier has said recently.

"Many wonder how the CPC can lead this enormous country of so many millions of inhabitants and how it has managed to overcome the backward conditions that existed many years ago. And that is precisely because of the philosophy of governance proposed by the CPC," he said.

China's handling of COVID-19 is a case in point since Beijing's response arose from putting the people first, he said.

Those measures "made it (China) a pioneer in this field worldwide," said Teillier.

He also appreciated China's battle against poverty, noting that the country lifted "a large part of humanity" out of extreme poverty. "I think that it is a very important first step," said Teillier.

China's achievement makes its role in global matters "essential," he added, citing China's multi-dimensional cooperation with international organizations in areas such as public health and environment.

China has offered to share its progress with the whole world, noted Teillier, adding that China's opening up is "not an opening with just an economic vision, but also a humanistic vision."

The Chilean party leader expressed his confidence in the successful advance of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

To learn more from China's experience, exchanges between the CPC and other political parties worldwide are "extraordinarily instructive," he said.

"We are interested in talking about economy, about trade exchange, cultural exchange and whatever else we can. We are willing and open to it," he said. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 17:18:01|Editor: huaxia

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HONG KONG, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported two new imported cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, taking the tally of total confirmed cases to 12,032.

A total of 46 cases have been reported in the past 14 days, including an untraceable local infection, with the rest imported, the CHP said in a statement.

Hong Kong's vaccination drive has continued to make steady progress.

Since the launch of the government inoculation program in late February, around 3.67 million people, or 53.9 percent of the eligible population, have taken at least one shot of the vaccine, including around 2.85 million fully vaccinated. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 17:40:40|Editor: huaxia

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Living in a dusty open park in the northern edge of Kabul city, an aged migrant from northern Kunduz city blamed the U.S.-led forces' pullout from Afghanistan for his miseries and lamented that the irresponsible forces' exit has added to Afghans' suffering.

"Why the U.S. invaded Afghanistan? Why she left the country without bringing about peace and stability here," the irritated man who declined to be identified or show his face to camera told Xinhua.

Migrating from the northern Kunduz city following the fall of the city to the Taliban militants a couple of days ago, the displaced man whispered, "I had everything in Kunduz. I have a prosperous and happy life in Kunduz but today here I have nothing, even I don't have a tent to live in and spend my day and night."

The man harshly denounced the United States for leaving behind a mess in his country. "Under the pretext of diminishing terrorists, bringing about peace, developing Afghanistan, empowering women in society and ensuring human rights, the United States invaded Afghanistan," he said. "But all in vain."

"Terrorists are active, fighting continues, human rights are trampled on, people are killed brutally every day, and women's rights was a joke," he said.

What he has experienced is a microcosm of the numerous displaced people in the war-torn country. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs announced on Wednesday that conflict in different parts of Afghanistan in the last week has driven tens of thousands of people from their homes.

The office said they are part of the nearly 390,000 people displaced by hostilities this year, with a massive spike since May. Many of the displaced fled to Kabul and other large cities.

More than 5,800 internally displaced persons arriving in Kabul between July 1 and Aug. 5 need food, household items, water and sanitation support and other assistance, the UN said.

Samihullah, another displaced man, told Xinhua he left his hometown in Yangi Qala of Takhar province three days ago to escape the war, but he and his family have not received any humanitarian assistance so far. Hundreds of families fled their homes in his neighborhood, he said.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 17:51:14|Editor: huaxia

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LHASA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Legend has it that in the 15th century, the founder of Tibetan opera Thangtong Gyaibo created Yalong Zhaxi Xoiba Tibetan opera in Changzhug Township of Shannan City, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region when he was raising funds to build bridges for local people.

Since then, this traditional Tibetan opera form has been passed down for more than 600 years. And the place, Zhaxi Qoiden, where it was born, has been honored as "the village of Tibetan opera."

Tibetan opera combines talking, singing, acting, dancing, and literature. It is regarded as a "living fossil" of Tibetan culture and was included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009.

Yalong Zhaxi Xoiba Tibetan opera was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2006.

It usually serves as an opening in traditional Tibetan opera performances.

The Zhaxi Qoiden community now has 512 residents from 129 households. In 2020, 64 households opened family hotels and received 20,000 tourists every year.

Tourism and Tibetan opera have changed local people's lives. Now, the annual per capita net income of the community reached 28,000 yuan (4,322 U.S. dollars).





Produced by Xinhua Global Service




Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 17:53:17|Editor: huaxia

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by Misbah Saba Malik

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Global health watchdogs including the World Health Organization (WHO) should trace the origin of COVID-19 on scientific research and facts rather than politicizing the issue, a Pakistani expert told Xinhua in a recent interview.

China has fully cooperated with the WHO during the first phase of the study to trace the virus, during which a clear conclusion that lab leak is extremely unlikely has been reached by the WHO-China joint expert team, said Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan, a regional geopolitical analyst from Islamabad-based think tank Center for Global and Strategic Studies.

"Right from the beginning, China has been very transparent, very open, very interactive, and has invited the WHO experts to come and see through their own eyes," he said.

The WHO and global health watchdogs, Khan stressed, should work on origin tracing of the coronavirus somewhere else "especially in the territory of the United States because it is an open secret that a laboratory situated in Maryland had been very notorious for the biological and chemical experiment."

Lauding the role played by China in helping the international community fight COVID-19 through its vaccine donation and exports, and supply of medical and protective equipment, the expert said that China has made great contributions to the global anti-pandemic fight.

Talking about Western media's propaganda against China regarding COVID-19, he said that the West is wasting its time to malign the good intention, holistic spirits and policies of China, which "have become the icon of humanity by offering equipment to fight COVID-19 and vaccines to struggling people."

"Western media have their own vested interests. They try to malign China to put black spot on the ongoing socio-economic development of China, but despite all negative propaganda, China has been successful in mitigating all the accusations against it by showing the facts to the world," said Khan. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 18:25:01|Editor: huaxia

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-- The wretched scenario could have been prevented if there were more common sense and respect for medical science.

-- More than 90 percent of U.S. counties are now experiencing high or substantial rates of COVID-19 transmission, said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

-- Texas is among several states grappling with a dangerous surge exacerbated by the Delta variant, following Florida, Louisiana and Arkansas, where the vast majority of patients hospitalized are not vaccinated.

NEW YORK, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The ever lethal fourth wave of coronavirus currently ravaging the United States has forced many to reflect on why their nation has been ridden with the same nightmare time and again.

A standoff between the Democratic and Republican parties coupled with vaccination hesitancy and a lack of unified reaction have been no help. The wretched scenario could have been prevented if there were more common sense and respect for medical science, according to experts and media reports.

People receive COVID-19 tests at a mobile testing site in Times Square, New York, the United States, on July 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

REFLECTION

As the hyper-transmissible delta variant spreads through America, driving new daily COVID-19 cases to a six-month high, "many parts of the country are experiencing deja vu reminiscent of the early days of the pandemic -- something experts say could have been avoided," reported NBC on Thursday.

"This entire surge was completely preventable," Tener Goodwin Veenema, a professor and visiting scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, was quoted as saying, adding that had more people chosen to get vaccinated as soon as they were eligible, it would have slowed down the spread of the virus.

"We definitely have taken a huge step backward," she said. "If anything, this fourth surge just provides more compelling evidence to universally implement the public health measures that we know will stop the spread of the pandemic."

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that people should wear masks indoors, even if vaccinated, in areas with "substantial" and "high" transmission of COVID-19. More than 90 percent of U.S. counties are now experiencing high or substantial rates of COVID-19 transmission, said the CDC on Thursday.

A woman walks past a sign of face mask requirement before entering the New York Public Library in New York City, the United States, Aug. 2, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

According to figures updated on the website of The New York Times, America's new daily COVID-19 cases rose to 124,234 on Wednesday, an 86-percent increase from two weeks ago. Coronavirus deaths were 552 on Wednesday, with a 14-day increase of 75 percent.





DANGER IN TEXAS

Across the south central state of Texas, health officials warned of overloaded and strained hospitals, as well as a growing crisis not seen since early February, when a late winter wave deluged the state's health care system, reported the NYT on Thursday.

More than 10,000 Texans have been hospitalized this week, and at least 53 hospitals were at maximum capacity with their intensive care units (ICUs). Doctors are "frightened by what is coming," worrying about whether the Delta variant might crush health care capacity.

"If this continues, and I have no reason to believe that it will not, there is no way my hospital is going to be able to handle this. There is no way the region is going to be able to handle this," Esmaeil Porsa, a top health official in Harris County, was quoted as telling state legislators on Tuesday.

As the situation worsens, Governor Greg Abbott, a member of the Republican Party, threatened to sue schools or officials who voluntarily break the mask mandate ban he set forth in late July. "The path forward relies on personal responsibility -- not government mandates," said Abbott.

Texas has recently averaged about 12,400 new cases a day, nearly double the number seen just two weeks ago. The spike comes as about one in five hospitals with ICUs, or 583 total hospitals, reported that at least 95 percent of their ICU beds were full.

Texas is among several states grappling with a dangerous surge exacerbated by the Delta variant. Earlier this summer, cases skyrocketed in Florida, Louisiana and Arkansas. As in those states, the vast majority of patients hospitalized in Texas are not vaccinated.







CONFLICT IN FLORIDA

Millions of U.S. children are heading back to school, many of whom are too young to be vaccinated. Meanwhile, children are being hospitalized with COVID-19 in small but growing numbers -- and "approaching rates higher than the winter surge," reported National Public Radio on Wednesday.

Unlike last year, many schools will have no remote learning option this fall. While some may have mask mandates, a handful of Republican governors -- including Florida's Ron DeSantis -- have issued executive orders banning those mandates.

DeSantis last week barred local school districts from requiring students to wear masks amid a rise in cases, and threatened that the state's school superintendents who require masks for students without giving them a way to opt out could have their salaries withheld.

Parents of Florida students with disabilities are taking a stand over masks and suing DeSantis. Meanwhile, the federal government of President Joe Biden is examining whether it can direct unused stimulus funds to support educators in Florida who may defy the governor's order against mask mandates in schools.

Tourists are seen near the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, July 26, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

"DeSantis made himself the national face of the anti-Biden COVID-response resistence. So the president decided to punch it," said U.S. news website Politico.

State-level bans that prohibit school districts from imposing their own mask mandates, now in effect in seven states, are "facing a growing number of lawsuits and opposition from schools that have enacted mask requirements for the upcoming school year in violation of state rules," reported the business magazine Forbes.





VACCINE HESITANCY

Some healthcare workers have said that the latest surge in COVID-19 is adding to fatigue and burnout. But this time the exhaustion is amplified by something new: frustration over the insufficient uptake of vaccines that could have prevented most COVID-19 patients from landing in their care, reported The Wall Street Journal.

The Delta variant has pushed up U.S. infections to averages of about 100,000 a day, federal data show. In some parts of the country where vaccination rates are lower, high numbers of people are being hospitalized.

The Delta variant has pummeled southern and midwestern states including Texas, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi and Arkansas. "Each has full-vaccination coverage below the national rate of 59 percent among eligible people, though vaccination rates are rising again in some of those states," said the report.

A man walks past a sign of COVID-19 vaccination at a pharmacy in New York, the United States, Aug. 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

NEVER TOO LATE

There is one bright spot in America's failed COVID-19 response: The explosive rise in coronavirus case counts and hospitalizations, mostly in unvaccinated people, has prompted action in a number of states. In Hawaii, indoor social gatherings are once again capped at 10 people. In New Orleans, Louisiana, drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites are back.

On Wednesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the most populous state in the United States will implement a first-in-the-nation measure to require all teachers and school staff to get vaccinated as schools return from summer break.

The White House is also considering using the federal government's spending power to push entities such as long-term care facilities to require their employees to get vaccinated. All members of the U.S. military were required earlier this week by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to be vaccinated by Sept. 15.

On Thursday, the Biden administration announced that employees in the Department of Health and Human Services who may come in contact with patients to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Also on Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration is poised to amend the emergency use authorizations for the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to allow people with compromised immune systems to get a third dose, or booster shot.

White House chief medical advisor Anthony Fauci told the media that everybody will someday "likely" need a booster shot, adding that "we're already starting to see indications of some diminution" in the durability of the vaccines.

However, he said it's not likely that they will be widely administered any time soon. The priority is to give boosters to those with compromised immune systems, including people with cancer and transplanted organs. (Video reporters: Feng Yiwei, Wu Danni, Yang Yiran, Yu Fuqing, Yang Yi; video editor: Yang Zhixiang)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 18:42:23|Editor: huaxia

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NAIROBI -- The East African Community (EAC) trading bloc and India have signed a joint action plan to boost bilateral trade by ensuring faster clearance of goods, officials said during the virtual signing ceremony on Friday.

Both sides believed that the joint action plan will pave the way for a full mutual recognition agreement between the two sides. (Kenya-EAC-India-Trade)

----

KABUL -- Afghan president Mohammad Ashraf Ghani on Saturday vowed to prevent instability in his war-battered country amid the intensified fighting and Taliban's advance towards major cities.

"It is a matter of pride that the security and defense forces of Afghanistan have defended the country and ensuring harmony among the forces is my priority," Ghani said in his short televised address to the nation.

The president pledged that he would not allow further instability in his country. (Afghanistan,President-Remarks)

----

TALUQAN, Afghanistan -- Taliban militants have captured Warsaj district, the last bastion of the Afghan government in northern Takhar province and further consolidated their position in the northern region, an elder of the district Hajji Abdul Malik said Saturday.

"Warsaj district collapsed to the Taliban fighters on Friday evening and the security forces based there retreated to Panjshir province," Malik told Xinhua. (Afghanistan-Takhar-Taliban) Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 18:42:44|Editor: huaxia

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MANILA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Philippine activists slammed Japan on Saturday for its continued refusal to express remorse and apology over wartime sex slavery 76 years after the end of World War II.

Lila Pilipina (League of Filipino Women) spokesperson Sharon Cabusao-Silva said hundreds of Filipino women who served as domestic and sex slaves to Japanese soldiers still demand justice.

Lila Pilipina is an organization of Filipino comfort women and their sympathizers in the Philippines fighting for recognition, apologies and reparations from the Japanese government for its unaddressed sexual slavery crimes against Asian women.

The Japanese occupation of the Philippines occurred between 1942 and 1945.

Hundreds of thousands of women from around Asia, including China, South Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines, among others, were abducted and forced to work in Japanese wartime military brothels during World War II.

In the Philippines, there are more than 200 who came out in the open in the 1990s to tell their harrowing experience with the Japanese military.

Silva said many of the wartime victims in the Philippines have died without seeing justice and there are only 12 of them alive now, mostly in their 80s and 90s and in worrying health condition.

Like other Asian "comfort women," a euphemism for those who were forced into sexual slavery for the Japanese military brothels during World War II, the Filipino "comfort women" also demand an official apology from the Japanese government, as well as compensation and inclusion of the comfort women issue in Japan's historical accounts and textbooks. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 20:35:15|Editor: huaxia

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ADEN, Yemen, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- A huge blast struck a patrol of the newly-recruited security forces in the country's southern port city of Aden on Saturday, leaving two soldiers killed, a government official told Xinhua.

"Unknown gunmen detonated their booby-trapped motorcycle and struck a security patrol in Aden's district of Dar Sad, leaving two soldiers killed and six others injured," the local government source said on condition of anonymity.

He confirmed that the attack was "apparently" aimed at targeting a senior security official of the newly-recruited southern security forces but "he survived with slight injuries."

Witnesses near the scene confirmed to Xinhua that the explosion shook their residential neighborhood and smoke rose from the place.

They indicated that armed clashes and heavy exchange of gunfire broke out following the huge explosion.

Local authorities are trying to maintain security and stability in the strategic Yemeni port city considered as the country's temporary capital.

However, sporadic bombing incidents and drive-by shooting attacks still occur in Aden, where the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has been based since 2015.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized control of several northern provinces and forced the internationally-recognized government of Hadi out of the capital Sanaa. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 20:40:06|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The false accusations against Xinjiang made by the U.S. government, media and government-sponsored NGOs is not to protect human rights, but to contain China, an Italian scholar has said.

Solely for geopolitical interests, the United States has systematically fabricated and spread misinformation on Xinjiang, and "the main purpose of this campaign is to contain China and destabilize it," said Fabio Massimo Parenti, a foreign associate professor at China Foreign Affairs University and a professor of international studies at the International Institute Lorenzo de' Medici in Italy's Florence.

The source of accusations against China's human rights record is not based on verifiable facts but on concocted figures and stories, Parenti told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Some politicians as well as government agencies, media outlets, think tanks and academic institutions in the United States have long colluded in creating an enemy and fueling fear among people to justify certain U.S. foreign policies, Parenti said, adding those policies have all been based on a hegemonic logic and zero-sum mindset.

The U.S. media, in particular, is using "war journalism" again when reporting Xinjiang, Parenti noted.

"There are no significant differences between what American media has done with Kosovo, Iraq, Syria and with China's Xinjiang in terms of propaganda techniques: news fabrication, usage of false testimonies, false news repetition ad nauseam, censorship of alternative explanations and perspectives, campaign of personal discredit against independent journalists and scholars, etc," he said.

The United States, Parenti said, has developed the most sophisticated modern propaganda machine, which has been used to wage wars around the world for more than a century.

The history of the machine goes back to 1916, when the Committee on Public Information, also known as the Creel Committee, was created under late U.S. President Thomas Woodrow Wilson's administration to influence public opinion to support the country in fighting World War I, he noted.

Apart from U.S. media, NGOs affiliated with the U.S. government are another crucial chain in the circulation of fake information, Parenti said.

Take the World Uyghur Congress for example. The organization dedicated to separating Xinjiang from China is sponsored by the National Endowment for Democracy, an agency directly financed by U.S. Congress, he noted.

Parenti said it is necessary and important to not only unveil the hypocrisy of the U.S. propaganda machine and the real interests behind, but also promote alternative channels for information production and circulation based on quality and higher professional standards. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 21:05:16|Editor: huaxia

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Children have fun on Dove Lane in Hotan City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, May 27, 2020. (Xinhua/Sadat)

"There are no significant differences between what American media has done with Kosovo, Iraq, Syria and with China's Xinjiang in terms of propaganda techniques: news fabrication, usage of false testimonies, false news repetition ad nauseam, censorship of alternative explanations and perspectives, campaign of personal discredit against independent journalists and scholars, etc," said Italian scholar Fabio Massimo Parenti.

BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The false accusations against Xinjiang made by the U.S. government, media and government-sponsored NGOs is not to protect human rights, but to contain China, an Italian scholar has said.

Solely for geopolitical interests, the United States has systematically fabricated and spread misinformation on Xinjiang, and "the main purpose of this campaign is to contain China and destabilize it," said Fabio Massimo Parenti, a foreign associate professor at China Foreign Affairs University and a professor of international studies at the International Institute Lorenzo de' Medici in Italy's Florence.

The source of accusations against China's human rights record is not based on verifiable facts but on concocted figures and stories, Parenti told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Photo taken on July 24, 2021 shows a rainbow in the sky in Hemu Village of Kanas in Altay, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Sadat)

Some politicians as well as government agencies, media outlets, think tanks and academic institutions in the United States have long colluded in creating an enemy and fueling fear among people to justify certain U.S. foreign policies, Parenti said, adding those policies have all been based on a hegemonic logic and zero-sum mindset.

The U.S. media, in particular, is using "war journalism" again when reporting Xinjiang, Parenti noted.

"There are no significant differences between what American media has done with Kosovo, Iraq, Syria and with China's Xinjiang in terms of propaganda techniques: news fabrication, usage of false testimonies, false news repetition ad nauseam, censorship of alternative explanations and perspectives, campaign of personal discredit against independent journalists and scholars, etc," he said.

The United States, Parenti said, has developed the most sophisticated modern propaganda machine, which has been used to wage wars around the world for more than a century.

The history of the machine goes back to 1916, when the Committee on Public Information, also known as the Creel Committee, was created under late U.S. President Thomas Woodrow Wilson's administration to influence public opinion to support the country in fighting World War I, he noted.

Aerial photo taken on July 16, 2021 shows a construction site of a cross-desert expressway in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Gao Han)

Apart from U.S. media, NGOs affiliated with the U.S. government are another crucial chain in the circulation of fake information, Parenti said.

Take the World Uyghur Congress for example. The organization dedicated to separating Xinjiang from China is sponsored by the National Endowment for Democracy, an agency directly financed by U.S. Congress, he noted.

Parenti said it is necessary and important to not only unveil the hypocrisy of the U.S. propaganda machine and the real interests behind, but also promote alternative channels for information production and circulation based on quality and higher professional standards. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 21:26:54|Editor: huaxia

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KABUL -- Afghan president Mohammad Ashraf Ghani on Saturday vowed to prevent instability in his war-battered country amid the intensified fighting and Taliban's advance towards major cities.

"It is a matter of pride that the security and defense forces of Afghanistan have defended the country and ensuring harmony among the forces is my priority," Ghani said in his short televised address to the nation.

- - - -

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon said on Friday that Afghan Taliban militants are trying to isolate the capital city Kabul and the situation on the ground is "deeply concerning."

"We are certainly concerned by the speed with which the Taliban has been moving," Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters in a press briefing. "It's deeply concerning."

- - - -

LONDON -- British Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace on Friday said the U.S. decision to pull its troops out of Afghanistan was a "mistake," which has handed the Taliban "momentum" in the country.

Speaking to Sky News, Wallace said the withdrawal agreement negotiated in Doha, Qatar, by the Trump administration was a "rotten deal".

"At the time of the Trump deal with, obviously the Taliban, I felt that was a mistake to have done it that way. We will all, in the international community probably pay the consequences of that," Wallace said.

- - - -

JAKARTA -- Despite the current COVID-19 pandemic, the development of the electric vehicles in Indonesia should not stop at the level of raw materials production, the country's President Joko Widodo has said recently.

"We have a great opportunity in developing industries from upstream to downstream ... We must develop downstream industries such as the lithium battery industry and the production of electric cars," he said in a virtual speech on the 26th National Technology Awakening Day. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 21:30:20|Editor: huaxia

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SANAA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi rebels said they shot down a "U.S.-made spy drone" belonging to the Saudi-led coalition while it was hovering over their positions in the central province of Marib on Saturday.

"Our forces shot down the spy drone over Medghal district," Houthi-run al-Masirah TV quoted the Houthi militia spokesman Yehya Sarea as saying.

On Thursday, the Yemeni government army backed by the coalition recaptured and secured the highway linking Al-Kasarah area, about 18 km west of Marib central city, with the northwestern district of Medghal after deadly battles with the rebels, according to local government military sources.

The Houthis began in February a major offensive on Marib in an attempt to seize control of the oil-rich province.

The United Nations has warned that the offensive on Marib, which hosts nearly 1 million internally displaced people, could lead to a major humanitarian catastrophe.

Yemen's civil war flared up in late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of much of the country's north and forced the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa.

The Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in March 2015 to support Hadi's government. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 21:51:35|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- At the centenary celebration of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on July 1, Chinese President Xi Jinping revealed the secret to the Party's ever-lasting vitality: effective self-supervision and full and rigorous self-governance.

The Party has vowed to keep up the work through reinforcing ideals and convictions of Party members, consolidating its organizations and conducting self-reform.

REINFORCING IDEALS

Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attaches great importance to reinforcing the firm ideals and convictions of Party members.

On April 25, 2021, when visiting a memorial park dedicated to the Battle of the Xiangjiang River in south China's Guilin, Xi stopped at a painting depicting Red Army officer Chen Shuxiang, who died in the battle during the Long March.

The secret to the success of the Chinese revolution is that "the revolutionary ideals soar above the clouds," and the soldiers stayed firm in the most difficult times, so as to continuously achieve miraculous victories, Xi said.

On many occasions, Xi has led the Party in reviewing history and draw strength from it. He called on all CPC members to carry forward the traditions from revolutionary times, maintain the brave spirit of the revolutionaries, and march toward a brand new journey.

STRONG ORGANIZATION

The CPC has been consolidating and improving its organizations as well.

The Party has put a comprehensive set of rules and institutions in place to ensure its over 95 million members maintain excellent conduct and act as role models to lead the nation towards rejuvenation.

The over 4.86 million primary-level Party organizations were mobilized to play key roles in various Party endeavors, be it poverty alleviation, COVID-19 response, flood control or disaster relief.

For example, after the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, 255,000 work teams and over 3 million cadres were dispatched to station in villages to lead the fight against poverty on the frontlines.

The Party never forgets those who make outstanding contributions. In June 2021, ahead of the CPC centenary, outstanding members of the CPC were awarded the July 1 Medal, the Party's highest honor.

STRICT DISCIPLINE

Self-reform was strictly implemented to ensure the Party preserves its character.

In July alone, six high-level Party officials were investigated for disciplinary violations, according to the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission.

Discipline violations and misconduct at lower levels were also punished.

Various anti-corruption training sessions were organized to educate Party members and officials.

In the July 1 speech, Xi said that on the journey ahead, the CPC must remain committed to combating corruption, and root out elements that would harm the Party's advanced nature and purity and any "viruses" that would erode its health. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 21:54:20|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- A health official has stressed setting up separate hospital areas to treat COVID-19 patients, requiring such cases to be treated separately from others.

In principle, designated hospitals for COVID-19 should not be set up in city centers, said Ma Xiaowei, head of the National Health Commission (NHC), in a recent interview with Xinhua.

The risk of developing a nationwide, large-scale COVID-19 outbreak is low, as 36 of the 48 cities that have reported local infections in the recent resurgence have seen no new cases for more than five consecutive days, Ma said.

He called for efforts to contain the resurgence by the end of August to minimize the impact, as schools will reopen in September.

With emphasis on prevention, the priorities for the next stage should be strengthening epidemic monitoring and information reporting, prevention of imported infection, preparedness for emergency response to cluster outbreaks, prevention of infection in hospitals and speeding up vaccination, Ma said.

As of Friday, over 1.84 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered in China, according to the NHC. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 21:59:29|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's central bank will issue a set of commemorative coins on Aug. 16 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet.

The set will contain one gold coin and one silver coin, both legal tenders, according to a statement from the People's Bank of China.

Both coins feature the national emblem, the country name and year of issuance on the obverse, while the reverse is inscribed with combinations of different pictures, denominations, "1951-2021," and a line that reads "the 70th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet" in both Chinese and Tibetan languages.

The gold coin, which is 22 mm in diameter, contains eight grams of pure gold and has a face value of 100 yuan (about 15.43 U.S. dollars).

The reverse side of the coin features a combination of images -- sunflower, pomegranate, snow lotus and hada, a traditional Tibetan silk scarf that symbolizes purity and auspiciousness -- as well as the number "70."

The silver coin, which is 40 mm in diameter, contains 30 grams of pure silver and has a face value of 10 yuan.

The reverse side of the coin features the images of highway, railway, bullet train, plane, folk house, snow mountain, lake, galsang flower and ribbon.

The maximum issuing limit of the gold and silver coins will be 10,000 and 20,000 respectively.

On May 23, 1951, the Agreement of the Central People's Government and the Local Government of Tibet on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet (17-Article Agreement) was signed, officially proclaiming the peaceful liberation of Tibet. The year 2021 marks the 70th anniversary of the historic event. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 22:05:01|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Emergency Management has sent a work team to the northwest province of Qinghai to guide rescue efforts after a coal mine was flooded by mud on Saturday.

The team was led by Huang Yuzhi, vice minister of emergency management and head of the National Mine Safety Administration.

Of the 21 miners working in the mine when the accident occurred, two were lifted to the ground, including one who was confirmed dead, while the rest remained trapped, according to the ministry.

Rescue operations are underway as more rescuers rushed to the site.

Huang Ming, minister of emergency management, ordered an investigation into the accident, and called on local authorities nationwide to intensify safety supervision to prevent occurrence of major accidents. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 23:45:33|Editor: huaxia

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SANAA -- Yemen's Houthi rebels said they shot down a "U.S.-made spy drone" belonging to the Saudi-led coalition while it was hovering over their positions in the central province of Marib on Saturday.

"Our forces shot down the spy drone over Medghal district," Houthi-run al-Masirah TV quoted the Houthi militia spokesman Yehya Sarea as saying. (Yemen-Houthi-Conflict)

- - - -

ASADABAD, Afghanistan -- Asadabad city, capital of eastern Kunar province, fell to the Taliban militants on Saturday, bringing the number of provincial capitals captured by the armed group to 20, locals said.

An eyewitness who refused to be named asserted that the Taliban militants entered Asadabad city around 03:00 p.m. local time and captured the city. (Afghanistan-Taliban)

- - - -

BEIJING -- An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 jolted 8 km north of Petit Trou de Nippes, Haiti at 1229 GMT on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The epicenter, with a depth of 10 km, was initially determined to be at 18.6 degrees north latitude and 73.5 degrees west longitude. (USGS-Haiti-Quake)

- - - -

ADEN, Yemen -- A huge blast struck a patrol of the newly-recruited security forces in the country's southern port city of Aden on Saturday, leaving two soldiers killed, a government official told Xinhua.

"Unknown gunmen detonated their booby-trapped motorcycle and struck a security patrol in Aden's district of Dar Sad, leaving two soldiers killed and six others injured," the local government source said on condition of anonymity. (Yemen-Blast) Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 23:51:14|Editor: huaxia

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Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech at a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC in Beijing, capital of China, July 1, 2021. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- At the centenary celebration of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on July 1, Chinese President Xi Jinping revealed the secret to the Party's ever-lasting vitality: effective self-supervision and full and rigorous self-governance.

The Party has vowed to keep up the work through reinforcing ideals and convictions of Party members, consolidating its organizations and conducting self-reform.





REINFORCING IDEALS

Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attaches great importance to reinforcing the firm ideals and convictions of Party members.

On April 25, 2021, when visiting a memorial park dedicated to the Battle of the Xiangjiang River in south China's Guilin, Xi stopped at a painting depicting Red Army officer Chen Shuxiang, who died in the battle during the Long March.

The secret to the success of the Chinese revolution is that "the revolutionary ideals soar above the clouds," and the soldiers stayed firm in the most difficult times, so as to continuously achieve miraculous victories, Xi said.

On many occasions, Xi has led the Party in reviewing history and draw strength from it. He called on all CPC members to carry forward the traditions from revolutionary times, maintain the brave spirit of the revolutionaries, and march toward a brand new journey.





STRONG ORGANIZATION

The CPC has been consolidating and improving its organizations as well.

The Party has put a comprehensive set of rules and institutions in place to ensure its over 95 million members maintain excellent conduct and act as role models to lead the nation towards rejuvenation.

The over 4.86 million primary-level Party organizations were mobilized to play key roles in various Party endeavors, be it poverty alleviation, COVID-19 response, flood control or disaster relief.

For example, after the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, 255,000 work teams and over 3 million cadres were dispatched to station in villages to lead the fight against poverty on the frontlines.

The Party never forgets those who make outstanding contributions. In June 2021, ahead of the CPC centenary, outstanding members of the CPC were awarded the July 1 Medal, the Party's highest honor.





STRICT DISCIPLINE

Self-reform was strictly implemented to ensure the Party preserves its character.

In July alone, six high-level Party officials were investigated for disciplinary violations, according to the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission.

Discipline violations and misconduct at lower levels were also punished.

Various anti-corruption training sessions were organized to educate Party members and officials.

In the July 1 speech, Xi said that on the journey ahead, the CPC must remain committed to combating corruption, and root out elements that would harm the Party's advanced nature and purity and any "viruses" that would erode its health. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 23:53:07|Editor: huaxia

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BEIRUT, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) on Saturday urged the World Health Organization (WHO) and other UN agencies to supply the hospital with fuel, warning that hundreds of its patients would die in coming weeks if the hospital fails to find enough fuel.

"Forty adult patients and 15 children living on respirators will die immediately. Another 180 suffering from renal failure will die after a few days without dialysis. Hundreds of cancer patients will die in subsequent weeks and very few months without proper treatment," the AUBMC said in a statement.

The hospital also said that fuel shortages will force it to shut down starting Aug. 16.

Lebanon has been facing an unprecedented financial crisis amid a shortage in foreign reserves needed to secure the country's import of fuel. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-15 00:03:13|Editor: huaxia

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ASADABAD, Afghanistan -- Asadabad city, capital of eastern Kunar province, fell to the Taliban militants on Saturday, bringing the number of provincial capitals captured by the armed group to 20, locals said.

An eyewitness who refused to be named asserted that the Taliban militants entered Asadabad city around 03:00 p.m. local time and captured the city. (Afghanistan-Taliban-Asadabad city)

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TOKYO -- As torrential rain continued in wide areas of Japan on Saturday, the highest level of alert was issued by local authorities to Hiroshima Prefecture and three prefectures in Kyushu, which all logged record rainfalls, local media reported Saturday.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, landslides and flood damage would possibly happen in a wide area extending from western Japan to the northeastern part of the country with a seasonal front expected to hover near the main island of Honshu for a week. (Japan-Torrential rain)

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JAKARTA -- The number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia rose by 28,598 within one day to 3,833,541, with the death toll adding by 1,270 to 116,366, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.

During the past 24 hours, 31,880 recovered patients were discharged from hospitals, raising the total number of recoveries from the pandemic in the Southeast Asian country to 3,321,598, the ministry said. (Indonesia-COVID-19 cases)

- - - -

KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysia reported 20,670 new cases of COVID-19, the Health Ministry said on Saturday, bringing the national total to 1,384,353.

Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a statement that eight of the new cases are imported and 20,662 are local transmissions. (Malaysia-COVID-19 cases) Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 09:00:22|Editor: huaxia

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TRIPOLI, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that it's launching a project aimed at strengthening consular support for migrants stranded in Libya.

In a statement, the IOM said it is working with consular officials and migrant community leaders from Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, The Gambia, and Somalia, and that the project will "build upon the technical capacity of the four countries to reach and assist vulnerable migrants and provide them with enhanced consular services."

Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, making the North African country a preferred point of departure for migrants seeking to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores.

Rescued migrants end up inside overcrowded reception centers across Libya.

More than 20,000 illegal migrants have been rescued at sea this year, while hundreds of others have died or gone missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route, according to the IOM. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 16:35:28|Editor: huaxia

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LUANDA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Angola's capital Luanda has launched a mass vaccination program against COVID-19, the country's health ministry announced on Friday.

Angola's Minister of Health, Silvia Lutucuta told the press that the campaign is crucial since 70 percent of the country's total positive COVID-19 cases were in the city.

The minister said the plan is to create 50 vaccination posts across all municipalities of Luanda.

While stressing "the performance of these vaccination posts will depend on the availability of vaccines," she believes Angola will receive more vaccines in the coming days.

"By next Thursday, our goal is to open at least five high-performance vaccination posts," Lutucuta said.

Angola is using the Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech and Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines.

Data from the health ministry shows that Angola had administered 1.7 million doses of vaccine as of Friday. The country registered a total of 44,328 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 1,082 death so far. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 20:55:57|Editor: huaxia

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Beatrice Nanyangwe, a female carpenter, makes furniture in Ndola, capital of Copperbelt province, Zambia, on Aug. 7, 2021. Nanyangwe, who is based in Ndola's Chipulukusu compound, has been making a range of furniture pieces for over a year, something she embarked on after undergoing training in carpentry and joinery at a correctional facility few years ago in Lusaka, the Zambian capital. (Photo by Lillian Banda/Xinhua)



LUSAKA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Beatrice Nanyangwe is now used to seeing hordes of people watch her work at her carpentry workshop in Ndola, the capital of Zambia's Copperbelt province.

"Most people are awestruck when they see me making furniture because they find it both fascinating and odd for a woman to be doing this kind of work," said the 50-year-old Nanyangwe.

Nanyangwe, who is based in Ndola's Chipulukusu compound, has been making a range of furniture pieces for over a year, something she embarked on after undergoing training in carpentry and joinery at a correctional facility few years ago in Lusaka, the Zambian capital.

She recalled that among the many skills training opportunities offered at the facility, she chose to take up carpentry because she is passionate about making furniture pieces.

"Carpentry has always been my passion, but I never got the chance to do it when I was younger due to a number of reasons. It was when I was in incarceration for eight months that I got the opportunity to receive training and become a certified carpenter," she said.

She believed her move to venture into a male-dominated field is encouraging other women to exploit their abilities and better themselves and societies.

"Most women that stop by my workspace indicate that they are inspired by my work and want to learn how to do carpentry works," Nanyangwe enthused.

The mother of six further revealed that making a range of furniture pieces is now her main source of livelihood that is enabling her to earn enough to support her family.

And her husband Caphas Mulenga, who is also a carpenter, said that having a wife in the same trade has made things easier for him and that he is not intimidated by her knowledge of a craft that is often seen as a preserve of men.

"She often helps me whenever I get overwhelmed with orders from clients. It is good to have a partner that not only understands your work but is also able to help," said the 42-year-old Mulenga.

While appealing to men to help women realize their potential by supporting them, Mulenga said that many women and girls are well able to contribute to societies but they are inhibited by gender stereotypes.

"Assigning women duties using social constructs limits their potential. My wife has proved that women are capable of doing most of the work that society thinks can only be done by men," Mulenga asserted. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-15 00:32:14|Editor: huaxia

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LUSAKA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Saturday declared the general election as not being free and fair.

The Zambian president said the general election in three provinces were characterized by violence, rendering the whole exercise a nullity.

The governing party, the Patriotic Front, was consulting on the next course of action concerning the general election held on Aug. 12, he said.

The Zambian leader said the governing party polling agents were brutalized and chased from polling stations in Western, Northwestern and Southern provinces, a situation that left the ruling party votes unprotected.

According to him, two governing party officials in northwestern Zambia were killed by criminal acts.

"Right now, some of our agents and supporters are in hiding because of these criminal acts. How can the elections be fair when people have been murdered and many others are hiding after being brutalized," he said in a statement released by his office, adding that the absence of the ruling party's agents in polling stations left the party contesting in seven of the country's 10 provinces.

Lungu is trailing by 183,497 votes from main opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema, according to official results released by the country's electoral body from 31 out of 156 polling stations.

A total of 16 presidential candidates participated in this year's elections. The ruling party has suffered huge losses at the parliamentary level with several former ministers losing their seats. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 17:26:22|Editor: huaxia

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MANILA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported 14,249 new COVID-19 infections on Saturday, the second-highest ever daily tally since the outbreak began in January last year, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 1,727,231.

The death toll climbed to 30,070 after 233 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH added.

On April 2 this year, the DOH reported its highest ever daily tally since the outbreak in January last year, with 15,310 cases.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the DOH is closely monitoring 54 areas across the country which are under alert level four, meaning that more than 70 percent of their hospital capacity is more than 70 percent.

In Metro Manila, Vergeire said that 11 areas are also under level four.

"The number of cases continues to rise. We have escalated the alert levels to levels three or four..." Vergeire told a televised press conference.

She said the government is further expanding the capacity of hospitals to accommodate more COVID-19 patients.

"We are converting covered courts in hospitals, function halls, and conference rooms into wards to accommodate more patients. We are also building modular hospitals and tents."

Vergeire said that the government is also working to ensure an adequate supply of medical-grade oxygen in the country. "We are stockpiling on medicines for all of our hospitals," she said.

Moreover, Vergeire said that the government continues its emergency hiring of frontline medical workers, especially nurses, to keep up with the rising number of coronavirus patients.

According to DOH data, 22,274 health care workers across the country have been sickened by the COVID-19 since the outbreak, including 102 deaths.

The Philippines, with a population of 110 million, has tested over 16 million people since the outbreak in January 2020. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 19:29:48|Editor: huaxia

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SHARAN, Afghanistan, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Taliban militants captured Sharan city, the capital of eastern Paktika province on Saturday, head of provincial council Bakhtiar Gul Zadran said.

"Sharan fell to the Taliban this morning and at the moment all Paktika province is under Taliban control," Zadran told Xinhua.

All officials of the province have gone to a military base, the official said without providing more details.

A day earlier on Friday, the Taliban captured Logar province with Pul-e-Alam as provincial capital, 60 km south of Kabul.

A Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid also confirmed that the Taliban is in control of Sharan city.

With the fall of Sharan city, the number of provincial capitals captured by the armed group has reached 19 in the country's 34 provinces. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 20:20:29|Editor: huaxia

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SUVA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Fiji's Permanent Secretary for Health James Fong confirmed on Saturday 314 new COVID-19 cases and eight new COVID-19 deaths.

Of the 314 new cases, 259 are from the Western Division on Viti Levu, 54 cases are from the Central Division and one case is from Vanua Levu, the second largest island on the island nation.

Fong said investigations into how a wharf worker got infected are still in the very early stages.

Fong said there have been 987 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 23,598 active cases.

There have been 39,770 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021.

Fong said Fiji has recorded a total of 39,770 cases since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 15,610 recoveries.

All new COVID deaths are reported from the Central Division.

Fong said there have been 368 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 366 of the deaths reported during the outbreak that started in April this year. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 21:10:04|Editor: huaxia

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KABUL, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani said on Saturday that he wanted to end the intensified fighting in his country as the Taliban militants are making rapid advances across Afghanistan in the past months.

In a televised address, his first public remarks following the Taliban's major advances in recent days, the Afghan president said, "In the current situation, the re-mobilization of our security and denfense forces is our top priority, and serious steps are being taken in this regard."

The president pledged that he would not allow further instability in the country.

"I have started extensive consultations inside the government with the elders, political leaders, representatives of people, and international partners on achieving a reasonable political solution in which the peace and stability of the people of Afghanistan are envisaged."

"The Afghans are suffering due to the imposed war and I assure you to prevent the further suffering of the people of Afghanistan and this is my historic responsibility," the president said.

As the U.S.-led forces are withdrawing from the war-torn country, the Taliban militants have intensified their offensives and made rapid advances in the past months.

The Taliban have reportedly captured 20 provincial capitals in the country's 34 provinces, including Afghanistan's second biggest city of Kandahar. According to reports, most of the provincial capitals have fallen to the hands of the Taliban without much assistance.

In a latest development, Asadabad city, capital of Afghanistan's eastern Kunar province, fell to the Taliban militants on Saturday, locals said.

Earlier in the day, Sharan city, capital of eastern Paktika province, was captured by the Taliban. Head of the provincial council Bakhtiar Gul Zadran said, "Sharan fell to the Taliban Saturday morning and at the moment all Paktika province is under Taliban control."

A more complex and challenging humanitarian catastrophe is shaping up in Afghanistan after the United States started hastily withdrawing its troops from the country, leading to an immediate conflict escalation and a rapid deterioration of security.

More than 5,800 internally displaced persons arriving in Kabul between July 1 and Aug. 5 need food, household items, water and sanitation support and other assistance, the UN said.

At the invitation of Qatar, special envoys and representatives from China, Russia, Pakistan, the United States and the United Nations, as well as other regional countries and international organizations gathered in Doha earlier this week for talks over the situation in Afghanistan.

On Thursday night, representatives issued a joint statement, calling on the Afghan warring parties to expedite the peace process, and reach a political settlement and comprehensive ceasefire as quickly as possible.

The participants said they would not recognize any government in Afghanistan that is forcibly imposed and are much concerned about the ongoing violence. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 22:24:11|Editor: huaxia

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by Raheela Nazir

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- China has been playing a greater role in ensuring a fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines around the globe especially for developing countries, with a noble concept of building a global community of health for all, said a Pakistani academic.

China recently announced to strive to provide 2 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to the world throughout this year and offer 100 million U.S. dollars to COVAX, which is commendable and reflects China's commitment to global anti-pandemic fight, Professor Nadeem Irfan Bukhari, dean of Faculty of Pharmacy, University of the Punjab, Pakistan, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Pakistan has received its first batch of over 970,000 doses of Chinese Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine this week provided by China through the COVAX facility, while more are expected to come in the near future.

China has helped many countries including Pakistan since the outbreak of the pandemic, Bukhari said, adding that the vaccines and other medical supplies provided by China have effectively supported the Pakistani government's anti-pandemic efforts.

He said that the recent supply of Chinese vaccine through the COVAX facility to the country will further boost national vaccination drive amid its efforts to counter the fourth wave of COVID-19 owing to the rapid spread of the Delta variant.

The academic said that China has set a precedent for other countries to extend a helping hand too in the battle against the pandemic.

Through these contributions and others, China is proving that the country is a responsible stakeholder of the international community by showing willingness to deepen international cooperation to combat COVID-19 and beefing up its role in providing global public goods, most importantly COVID-19 vaccines that the world urgently needs at the moment, he said.

"These steps are clear manifestation of Chinese will and determination to play a responsible role internationally."

Bukhari believes that the role of China is even more critical at the time when some countries have adopted a selfish strategy of vaccine nationalism and even put restrictions on export of COVID-19 vaccines and other medical supplies amid still-raging pandemic.

"China has a bigger role to play in improving initiatives like COVAX and providing greater access to vaccines to the developing world," he said, adding that only sincere efforts on global level will rescue the world from the pandemic, as no one will be safe until everyone is safe. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 22:47:45|Editor: huaxia

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by Peerzada Arshad Hamid

NEW DELHI, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Authorities Saturday beefed up security across all major cities across India including capital city New Delhi ahead of the country's Independence Day celebrations.

The step, according to police officials, has been taken to thwart possible attempts by militant or terror groups to disrupt official celebrations.

"In view of the Independence Day function adequate security arrangements are in place in the city and elsewhere to ensure celebrations are conducted without any disruption," a senior police official posted in New Delhi said.

The police officials have intensified checking and patrolling at metro stations, railway stations, airport and bus terminals as part of the security arrangement.

Thousands of police personnel have been deployed to keep vigil at strategic locations, including the Delhi borders where farmers have been on a sit-in protest for over eight months against new farm laws.

According to the police, a multi-layered security cover has been put at the Red Fort from where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address the nation on the 75th Independence Day.

Earlier this month police erected a makeshift wall by placing shipping containers near the main gate of the iconic Red Fort for security reasons. The containers placed one above the other have been put with an aim to block the sight inside the premises of the Mughal-era fort.

This is the first time that police have put up such a high wall outside the Independence Day venue.

Reports said the step has been taken in view of this year's protests on the country's Republic Day.

Police personnel deployed across the city are carrying out anti-sabotage checks.

"In view of Independence Day, elaborate security arrangements have been made in coordination with other security agencies at and around Red Fort in a coordinated manner. Arrangements have been made to combat hostile elements. No aerial objects, balloons are allowed this Independence Day," Chinmoy Biswal, Delhi Police public relations officer told media.

Security agencies have also deployed special commandos and pressed in anti-drone systems across the city especially near Red Fort in view of the recent drone attack at the Indian Air Force (IAF) station in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Delhi Traffic Police had also issued a traffic advisory for the Independence Day function at the Red Fort to ensure the safe and smooth flow of vehicles across the city. Some roads have been closed as a precautionary measure.

Reports pouring in from other major cities especially state capitals say authorities have taken similar steps in wake of the Independence Day celebrations. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 22:59:56|Editor: huaxia

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NEW DELHI, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Local government in the northern Indian state of Punjab Saturday ordered full COVID-19 vaccination certificate or negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) report mandatory for all those entering the state, officials said.

The order would come into force from Monday.

The state's chief minister has also directed that only fully vaccinated teaching and non-teaching staff, or those recently recovered from COVID-19, should physically teach in schools and colleges, with online learning option to remain available to all children.

The local health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu suggested reducing the gap between the two doses to prioritise the second dose for teachers and other school staff, officials said. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-14 13:42:59|Editor: huaxia

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by Yosley Carrero

HAVANA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Maria Eugenia Vila, a Havana resident, got a food package including rice, sugar, pastas and beans for free on Friday.

Like her, thousands of people have benefited from international food aid distributed across the country.

Vila, who lives in Havana's 10 de Octubre district, told Xinhua that she and her neighbours are very grateful to foreign countries for their support to Cuba.

"We are going through a difficult moment due to COVID-19 and economic restrictions," she said while carrying a bag of food.

Raul Aguila said that the international community has not left Cuba alone as the United States' unilateral policy toward the country has intensified.

"Cuba has a solid reputation in the international arena. We export health services, instead of bombs," the 77-year-old said.

Over the past two weeks, Cuba has received around eight tons of food donations.

Francisco Silva, director general of sales at the Cuban Ministry of Domestic Trade, said that the humanitarian aid is being distributed in eight of Cuba's fourteen provinces.

"These donations add to the huge efforts of the country's government to provide our people with food," he said.

In the coming days, 3.8 million households in Cuba are expected to receive food donations, according to local authorities. Enditem
Titular de la PCM: Aprobamos prorrogar el Estado de emergencia en el Vraem. Pero, tras mas de 20 anos de tener en emergencia diferentes distritos del Vraem, haremos la evaluacion y analisis para tomar accion y no dejar abandonados a miles de hermanos campesinos. pic.twitter.com/w6RNttXqyX
YEREVAN, AUGUST 14, ARMENPRESS. The Be-200 plane crashed in Turkey had been sent by Russia for fighting forests fires, ARMENPRESS reports Ria Novosti informs, adding that all the crewmen of the airplane have died.

The Russian Defense Ministry informed that the plane crashed after participating in fire extinguishing works. There were 5 Russian servicemen and 3 representatives of Turkey, who showed the Russians the fireplaces.

The commission of the Russian Defense Ministry has departed for Turkey to investigate into the incident. According to preliminary information, the plane was unable to reach enough altitude after filling water tanks and crashed into rocks.
Anahit Baghdasaryan who is originally from Artsakh but now lives in Moscow, organized a comics creation course in Stepanakert on August 1-13.

August 14, 2021, 11:40 A resident of Moscow, originally from Artsakh, organized comics creation course in Stepanakert

STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 14, ARTSAKHPRESS: The author of the program Anahit Baghdasaryan told Artsakhpress, noting that she is a candidate of historical sciences and defended a thesis on "Sanctuaries of Artsakh Villages", that is why she often visits Artsakh.

I work as an educational editor in Moscow. In May, when I visited Artsakh again, I was thinking of implementing a painting project, because I believe that art helps people to show their artistic abilities, even when they have never painted. And creating a comic helps a person to believe in his/her own strength.

That's why I have chosen this direction. Comics is a complex work of art, but it is available to everyone. Thanks to comics, people express their excitements.

Within the framework of the program we organized 6 meetings: 4 lectures and 2 seminars.

The course was also conducted by artist Tigran Mangasaryan from Armenia. The group included 8 participants.

Anahit Baghdasaryan noted that they are going to publish a comics book in the near future. The book will contain various comics, some paintings by Artsakh artists, as well as works about Artsakh.
Taken from that perspective, the decision by Dr. Howard Zucker, state health commissioner, not to issue guidance at a statewide level gives more local control to local school districts and local health departments. Were all for the state taking a step back.

A return to local control is preferable to the states meddlesome micromanagement.

 Dunkirk Observer

There is so much wrong with the states handling of prescription contracts for the states DDSOs its hard to discern what stinks the most.

HealthDirect, an in-state company, had handled the contract statewide for several years with few complaints, in part because HealthDirect partnered with local subcontractors to fill orders on a regional basis. One of those subcontractors was Patients Pharmacy in Jamestown.

When the state put out the bid for DDSO prescriptions last year, the state decided to split the contract into two regions, with HealthDirect serving half the state and Omnicare serving the rest  with Omnicare taking over the territory in Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties previously served by Patients Pharmacy. Omnicare is not subcontracting the work, preferring instead to fill the orders in its own pharmacy in Rochester and deliver the prescriptions throughout our region.
NIO teams up with Shanghais Lingang Group for NEV tech innovation, smart mobility service

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Chinese EV startup NIO and Shanghai Lingang Economic Development (Group) Co.,Ltd. (Lingang Group), the largest industrial park developer in Shanghai, entered into a strategic partnership on August 9 to co-work on promoting the development of local new energy vehicle (NEV) industry.

NIO, Lingang Group signing agreement; photo credit: Lingang Group



According to a statement Lingang Group posted on its WeChat account, both parties will cooperate on NEV-related key projects, the R&D of cutting-edge technical businesses, and the building of industrial platforms. They will join forces to integrate resources of local NEV industrial chain to foster relevant start-up projects, research on the development models of NEV industry funds, establish a national level R&D center dedicated to NEV innovative technologies, and explore smart mobility services and the construction of smart industrial parks.

Under the agreement, NIO will locate a R&D hub at the Caohejing Science and Technology Oasis Phase  building, a construction project managed by Lingang Group. In addition, the EV manufacture will explore and promote NEV industry-related policies at Lin-gang Special Area and the industrial parks affiliated to Ligang Group.

We wish to further step up exchanges on smart new energy vehicle industrial chain, covering such fields as chip supply, cross-border trade, service testing, and talent pool, to secure a more sustain, profound and solid cooperation between us, and co-boost the development of China's intelligent NEV industry, said Yuan Guohua, Chairman of Lingang Group.

As a leading EV innovator in China, NIO has built an independent R&D system that encompasses electric motor, electric control unit, battery pack, intelligent gateway, smart cockpit, and autonomous driving technology. Meanwhile, it is also putting work into creating enjoyable lifestyles for consumers with diverse innovative services.
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The Tibet autonomous region has made historic achievements in urbanization over the past seven decades, and the people of all ethnic groups in the region have enjoyed upgraded infrastructure, the region's department of housing and urban-rural development said on Thursday.

Before the region's peaceful liberation in 1951, Lhasa was the region's only urban town, with a total urban area of less than 10 square kilometers and a population of more than 10,000, Jiang Yuexia, deputy head of the department, told a news conference on Thursday.

"In the 1950s, the region only had an urban population of less than 70,000, and its urban function and infrastructure level were very backward," she said.

Urban construction of Tibet started in the 1950s, and a series of urban infrastructure projects were undertaken in the region, and a few urban towns have emerged in the region since then.

After the country's reform and opening-up policy in 1978, the region's urban roads, drainage systems and public facilities were continuously enhanced and upgraded, Jiang said.

"Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, the pace of urban construction in the region has been accelerating, and a comprehensive transportation system between cities has formed," she added.

By the end of 2020, there were six prefecture-level cities in the region, 146 urban towns and 326 square kilometers of built-up urban area, according to official statistics.

The permanent population of urban areas reached more than 1.3 million, nearly one-third of the region's population. The region's 14 counties including the cities of Lhasa, Nagchu and the Senge Khabab township in the Ngari prefecture have central heating.

By 2020, the region had 94 water supply plants, more than 3,000 kilometers of urban roads and 208 green parks.

Sonam Lhamo, a Tibetan resident from Gangdo township of Gonggar county, said she and her fellow villagers have benefited from the all-round social development of society in the last few decades.

When she was a child in the 1980s, her family lived on a steep hillside, there was not a proper road to her village, and they used yaks and tractors for transportation.

"We had to carry a wooden bucket on our back to fetch water from a water source. It was hard labor and took us at least 10 minutes of walking. Now all the villagers have facilities with running tap water in their yards," she said.

"Not only are all the households in the village and their fields accessible by vehicles, our hometown is also connected with railway, highway and flight."
Representative image

Sendai [Japan], August 14 (ANI): It is no secret that brushing your teeth twice a day is highly effective in promoting healthy teeth and gums. A recent study has found that postpartum depression can inhibit a mother's ability to instill healthy tooth brushing habits in children.

The findings of the study were published in the journal 'Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology'.

The International Association of Pediatric Dentistry advocates brushing with toothpaste containing fluoride to prevent decayed, missing, or filled teeth -- known as childhood dental caries (ECC) -- in children.

Parents are instrumental in instilling good dental habits in their children.

In Japan, there is a worryingly high prevalence of ECC among children aged 3 years old. Postpartum depression and/or lack of affection caused by bonding disorders hamper a mother's ability to cultivate healthy dental practices in children, and researchers were keen to explore this link.

Dr. Shinobu Tsuchiya from Tohoku University Hospital led a research group that analyzed approximately 80,000 mother-infant pairs from the Ministry of Environment's Japan Environment and Children's Study.

They found children with mothers suffering from postpartum depression or bonding disorders brushed their teeth less often. Likewise, the frequency with which children brushed their teeth increased when mothers showed strong affection towards their children.

The research group hopes their research will foster greater mental support and management for mothers and that doctors will incorporate these factors when assessing children's oral health.

"A mother's psychological well-being provides valuable screening information for identifying children at a high risk of ECC," said Tsuchiya.

In future studies, Tsuchiya and her team hope to examine other environmental influences on poor oral health. (ANI)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 14)  The OCTA Research group does not see any downward trend of COVID-19 cases in the country by Aug. 20, an indication the strictest enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila may possibly go beyond that date.

OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David explained that based on the history of the country's battle against COVID-19, it takes three to four weeks before infections decrease from a surge.

"Whatever happens, we probably don't see a downward trend yet on August 20," David told CNN Philippines' Newsroom Weekend on Saturday.

"Even if maging effective ang ECQ, hindi natin makikita agad ang decrease. Maso-slow down muna yung increase, bababa yung reproduction number, then finally magkakaroon ng downward trend," he said.

[Translation: Even if the ECQ will be effective, we cannot immediately feel the decrease. The increase in cases would slow down, the reproduction number will go down, then finally there will be a downward trend.]

David added that almost all areas in the country - except for General Santos City and Iloilo City - are recording higher COVID-19 cases per day.

Based on OCTA's data, the country's reproduction rate as of Saturday is at 1.46. David said the rate is 1.85 in Metro Manila and "almost two" in Cavite.

"Ibig sabihin nito, dalawang tao na may dalang COVID-19, tatlo ang nahahawaan nila (This means two people with COVID-19 can infect three others)," David explained.

He added that the country is currently averaging 11,000 cases per day, and daily COVID-19 infections are increasing by 30% every week.

If this trend continues, David warned daily infections can reach as high as 14,000 by next week.

The OCTA Research fellow also noted that the country's healthcare capacity is nearing its peak since many local government units have already maximized all their available hospital beds and intensive care units.

In light of the surge, David suggested to boost the country's testing capacity to reduce the positivity rate, which is at 25%.

"If we're testing 50,000 per day, we should have at least double that," said David, who urged the government to use antigen test for mass testing due to its increasing accuracy based on studies.

From Aug. 7-13, the country averaged 49,135 persons tested per day. The number of people tested in the country had its highest count in Aug.13 with 57,355 while its lowest was on Aug. 10 with 33,070.

The country marked two grim milestones on Saturday. It again broke its record for the second highest number of new COVID-19 cases reported in a day with 14,249 while the death toll surpassed 30,000.
(CNN) Airbnb had a blockbuster second quarter, with revenue soaring nearly 300% and topping expectations. But it also reported some bad news: The company is worried about the Delta variant's impact on consumers' future travel plans.

The company benefited from more people taking vacations in the spring and summer, but Airbnb says the next few months could be extremely bumpy. Shares of Airbnb fell nearly 2% in late morning trading Friday on the company's warning.

"In the near term," Airbnb said in its earnings letter to shareholders, Covid and new variants including Delta "will continue to affect overall travel behavior, including how often and when guests book and cancel." As a result, Airbnb's future bookings "will continue to be more volatile and non-linear."

Airbnb did try to reassure investors that it believes the impact will be temporary, however. And the company also said in its shareholder letter that it expects third-quarter revenue to be its strongest on record.

Analysts are currently forecasting that Airbnb will report revenue of nearly $1.9 billion in the third quarter, up from sales of $1.3 billion in the second quarter.

Industry-wide challenges

Many other travel and leisure companies are facing similar challenges. Shares of Disney, which also reported strong earnings Thursday, hotel chains Marriott and Hyatt, and top airline Delta have also lagged the broader market this year.

As for Airbnb, Wall Street had a mixed reaction to the financial results and guidance released late Thursday.

Wells Fargo analyst Brian Fitzgerald raised his price target on the stock to $210, more than 40% above Airbnb's current price.

Fitzgerald praised the company for adding inventory in high-demand markets, noting that as more companies delay plans for workers to return to offices, Airbnb should benefit from more people looking to book long-term stays, particularly in nonurban markets.

"We continue to expect that the post-covid travel landscape will be one characterized by greater work flexibility and longer stays," he wrote in a report, adding that Airbnb "remains best positioned to serve emerging demand trends.'

But Mizuho Americas analyst James Lee is more concerned, noting in a report that growth levels compared to the pre-pandemic period of 2019 may trail Wall Street's forecasts "due to uncertainties related to rising covid cases."

Lee has a "neutral" rating on the stock, adding that Airbnb shares are trading "still at a significant premium to peers" in the travel sector.

Airbnb has had a turbulent ride on Wall Street, ever since the company went public late last year in one of the most anticipated debuts of a so-called unicorn startup in quite some time. Shares more than doubled on their first day of trading in December 2020, but they're flat in 2021, trailing the broader market's double-digit percentage gains.

Airbnb's stock is also trading more than 30% below the all-time high it hit in February. But it's still worth more than $90 billion  nearly three times the market value of Hilton.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Airbnb warns that the Delta variant could disrupt travel."
(CNN)  Do you love to stay up late and then catch up on sleep on the weekend or a day off? If so, you could be committing a social faux pas  when it comes to your sleep that is.

Called "social jet lag" by sleep scientists, it's the delay in your body's natural sleep clock that occurs when you stay up late on Friday and Saturday nights to socialize and then sleep in to catch up.

"Just like the way traveling from New York to Los Angeles can sometimes wreak havoc on your circadian rhythm (your body's natural clock), so too can staying up late at the end of a stressful work week and sleeping in on weekends," said sleep specialist Dr. Raj Dasgupta, an assistant professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.

"By staying up late on Friday and Saturday nights and sleeping in both days afterward, you're essentially forcing your body into a different time zone," Dasgupta said. "This pattern of sleeping puts you at risk for the effects of chronic sleep deprivation, which can put you at increased risk for medical conditions such as diabetes and heart disease."

You can further disrupt your sleep rhythm and add to your sleep debt by also staying up later during the workweek. Some of us can't help it. If you instinctively prefer to go to bed later and wake up later, you may be a "night owl."

It's possible that night owls are genetically predisposed to late nights due to a gene called CRY1, experts say. A recent study found a variance in CRY1 in people with delayed sleep phase disorder, or DSPD, a disorder in which people stay up extremely late and get up much later.

That might have been a problem in a preindustrial society with little light after dark, but today's world is full of light, sound and tons of nightlife -- so what's the problem? Unfortunately, most work and school schedule are built for those who love to be "early to bed, early to rise."

"Keeping an owl schedule in our modern world with relatively early work (or school) schedule demands is less healthy," said sleep specialist Kenneth Wright, a professor of integrative psychology at the University of Colorado Boulder.

The danger of social jet lag

Changing your internal body clock or circadian rhythm by one to two hours confuses the body and brain. When it no longer knows what time to go to sleep and what time to get up, the body responds with such symptoms as insomnia, early waking or excessive sleepiness, daytime fatigue, difficulty concentrating, constipation or diarrhea, and an overall feeling of not being well.

A study published in May analyzed the sleep habits of 85,000 people in the UK and found those people with a misaligned sleep cycle were more likely to report depression, anxiety and have fewer feelings of well-being.

"Defying our internal body clock appears to be highly associated with levels of depression, and having a higher misalignment was associated with higher odds of depression," study author Dr. Jessica Tyrrell, a senior lecturer at the University of Exeter Medical School in the UK, told CNN in a prior interview.

On the other hand, people who love to get up early -- often called "morning larks" -- were less likely to have irregular sleep timing. And here's the kicker -- the study found they were happier than night owls.

"If you're a morning person, then you are less likely to have depression and more likely to report a higher well-being. This may in part be due to people who are morning people are less likely to have 'social jet lag,'" Tyrrell explained.

How to cure social jet lag

The cure? It's much like the patient who told the doctor "It hurts when I lift my arm." That's simple, the doctor replied: "Stop lifting your arm."

"Instead of waking and sleeping at times that are out of sync with your internal clock and shifting between two different sleep schedules (one for weekdays and one for weekends), try to maintain a healthy and consistent sleep schedule," Dasgupta said.

Go to sleep at the same general time each night, and wake at the same general time each morning, even on weekends. Of course, that's easier said than done for people who are born to be night owls. But it is possible, according to a 2019 randomized clinical trial that taught a group of night owls to rework their sleep habits.

Over a six-week period, 22 confirmed night owls were told to try to do the following:

Go to sleep two to three hours before their habitual bedtime and wake up two to three hours before their typical wake up time

Keep their sleep and wake times the same (within 15 to 30 minutes) on work and free days

Get as much outdoor light exposure during the mornings as they could and limit light exposure at night.

If they exercised, do it in the morning.

Have breakfast as soon after wake up as possible, eat lunch and dinner at the same time every day -- but don't eat dinner after 7 p.m.

Don't drink caffeine after 3 p.m., and don't nap after 4 p.m.

At the end of the six weeks, researchers found that people who most closely followed the recommendations were able to push back their biological clocks by up to two hours, meaning they consistently went to bed and woke up two hours earlier. In addition, people reported less depression and stress. Tests of their cognitive reaction time and physical grip strength showed their performance in both areas peaked earlier in the day.

Other techniques

Of course, not everyone is a "night owl." Some of us are overwhelmed by work and school demands or simply practice poor sleep habits and suffer the consequences. A focus on good sleep hygiene will help train your brain to get your body clock back in sync.

Start with the bedroom. Make sure your bed and pillows are comfortable, and the room is cool -- between 60 and 67 degrees is best. Don't watch TV or work in your bedroom; you want your brain to think of the room as only for sleep.

Be sure to eliminate all bright lights, as even the blue light of cellphones or laptops can be disruptive. If that's hard to accomplish, think about using eye shades and blackout curtains to keep the room dark.

Try to eliminate disturbing sounds as well. Earplugs or white noise machines can be very helpful, but you can create your own with a humidifier or fan.

During the day, try to get good exposure to natural light, as that will help regulate your circadian rhythm. Then, establish a bedtime routine you can follow each night. Taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book, listening to soothing music, meditating or doing light stretches are all good options.

Other suggestions for good sleep include avoiding stimulants such as nicotine or coffee after midafternoon, especially if you have insomnia. Alcohol is another no-no. You may think it helps you doze off, but you are more likely to wake in the night as your body begins to process the spirits.

Also avoid rich, fatty foods just before sleep. If you have any digestive issues, eating fried or fatty foods, spicy meals, some citrus, and even carbonated drinks can trigger heartburn and indigestion.

Exercise is key to promoting good sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, as little as 10 minutes a day of walking, biking or other aerobic exercise can "drastically improve nighttime sleep quality."

And of course, go to bed and get up at the same general time each day, including weekends, days off and vacations.

Follow all these steps, and you'll be well on your way to fixing your social jet lag and improving your health.

This story was first published on CNN.com Do you have social jet lag? Here's what to do
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 14)  The Bureau of Quarantine advises Filipinos with no travel plans not to apply for an international vaccination certificate so outbound travelers can be prioritized.

"Hindi po natin ini-encourage ang yellow card kung hindi po gagamitin sa ibang bansa kasi po sobrang daming gusto ng yellow card, nawawalan ng slot iyong mga talagang aalis papunta sa ibang bansa," Bureau of Quarantine Dir. Roberto Salvador said during a virtual briefing Saturday.

[Translation: We do not encourage that you apply for a yellow card if it will not be used in another country because there are so many people who want to secure a yellow card, those who actually go abroad lose their slots.]

The World Health Organization-recognized International Vaccine Certificate or "yellow card" includes a person's vaccination details and passport number.

Salvador said Filipinos can book an appointment through the Bureau of Quarantine's website, adding they only need to present their passport and vaccination card.

The yellow card will be released after one to two hours.

Earlier this week, overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong said the government there refused to accept the vaccination cards issued by local government units.

READ: Hong Kong won't honor PH vaccination cards, but govt agency fixing documents

The Bureau of Quarantine director said they are targeting to issue digital vaccination certificates next month.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 14)  Enrollment in public schools that offer basic education and Alternative Learning System programs "shall primarily be administered remotely," according to guidelines released by the Department of Education on Friday.

ALS offers out-of-school youth and adults a chance to complete basic education.

Registration for the new school year is on August 16 to September 13, the first day of classes.

Points to remember

The school will contact parents or guardians of incoming Grades 1 to 6, 8 to 10, and 12 learners, preferably through previous class advisers, regarding remote enrollment procedures, DepEd said.

Parents or guardians can also reach out to their children's advisers via phone numbers provided by the school if they have questions on student registration, the department said.

Parents or guardians of incoming kindergartners, Grades 7 and 11 students must communicate or re-affirm their intent to register via platforms established by schools, it added. DepEd previously conducted pre-registration for these learners.

Like the previous academic year, schools may set up drop boxes in different locations where parents and guardians could pick up and drop off enrollment forms.

Parents or guardians could also physically submit the enrollment forms in schools in areas under general community quarantine or modified GCQ.

A school must designate an employee who will oversee the overall conduct of enrollment. For medium and large schools, heads may assign one enrollment chair per grade level.

If possible, teachers and non-teaching personnel who will be assigned to manage the enrollment are vaccinated, according to the department.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 14)  Tuguegarao City in Cagayan province north of Metro Manila confirmed on Saturday one case of the highly transmissible Delta variant, but its mayor warned there could be more.

"It's not only one, dahil may kasama siya sa mga bahay nila na nag-positive. Siguro hindi napadala sa genome center," Mayor Jefferson Soriano said in a virtual briefing.

[Translation: It's not only one, because the patient has companions in the house who were also positive. Maybe their samples were not sent to the genome center.]

He said the patient tested positive for COVID-19 on July 13 and two home companions also got infected.

Soriano said these people have recovered.

Given the limited genome sequencing capacity, the Health department said it only obtains samples in areas with high cases.

The country has so far detected 627 Delta cases, the agency said Thursday.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 14) Two Filipinos were assaulted in separate incidents in New York in the past week, the Philippine Consulate General said on Saturday, prompting fresh calls for justice.

On Tuesday, a Filipino woman was attacked by two individuals while she was distributing face masks to fellow passengers on board the subway, the consular office said in an advisory.

"The assailants were shouting racial slurs at her while she was being attacked," it added.

In a separate Facebook post, Philippine Consul General Elmer Cato reported another incident of violence which took place on Saturday. The victim was Filipino stage actor Miguel Braganza, who was assaulted while on the way to his apartment in the Upper West Side.

"Miguel was struck with a gun in the forehead in what police said was a failed robbery attempt," Cato wrote on his social media page, where he shared a video after the attack.

The consular office in New York reiterated its call for the Filipino community to remain vigilant amid these new reports.

Cato also called on the city's authorities to "take the necessary actions" to ensure those behind the violent acts would be brought to court.

"We reiterate our request for increased police visibility in the city, particularly in the subway system," he said.

Hate crimes and racism against Asians and Asian Americans in the United States have been rampant in the past months amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the high-profile cases was the assault of a 65-year-old Filipino American in Manhattan in April by a man who was out on parole for killing his mother.

The crime was caught on tape and the suspect is facing 25 years in prison.
(CNN)  The security situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated faster than US President Joe Biden and his most senior national security officials had anticipated, leaving the White House rushing to stave off the worst effects of a Taliban takeover.

The Biden administration launched a dramatic series of moves Thursday to reinforce Kabul and allow for the safe removal of a significant number of personnel from the American embassy there, as it becomes ever clearer to administration officials that the looming collapse of Afghanistan's government and the fallout for its citizens could threaten to become a permanent stain on Biden's foreign policy legacy. The Pentagon announced 3,000 troops are being deployed to assist with the drawdown of the embassy to only a "core diplomatic presence" and CNN reported the US is considering moving its embassy to the Kabul airport.

Despite all of this, Biden has not second-guessed his decision to withdraw, officials said, and reiterated earlier this week that the Afghans have "got to fight for themselves." But some officials are aware that the swift unraveling of the country could damage the President's foreign policy legacy, with intensifying peril to American diplomats in Kabul, the human rights implications of leaving women and girls to suffer under Taliban rule and power vacuums inside Afghanistan that could once again allow terrorism to flourish. They are also bracing for Taliban atrocities to increasingly spill into public view amid deteriorating peace talks.

The concerns are not necessarily rooted in fears of a domestic political backlash. Multiple officials point out that the decision to bring US troops home remains overwhelmingly popular, with one official pointing to the sustained domestic apathy for the war. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has requested an all-members briefing on Afghanistan from the Biden administration during the week of August 23, when members return from recess, according to a Pelosi aide.

The White House also believes it has a scapegoat in former President Donald Trump.

Many officials have noted that the deal Trump made with the Taliban last year to withdraw all US and coalition forces from the country by May 1 forced Biden's hand, leaving the new administration no choice but to pull out lest US forces get dragged into a major war with the militant group. The administration has assessed the Taliban's military capacity is at its highest level since 2001 and there was full expectation they would launch a nationwide offensive regardless of whether the US stayed or went, multiple officials said. Increasing troop levels to counter that was never something Biden thought feasible.

Additionally, the withdrawal has not yet created a wedge between the US and its key international partners and US allies, while involved in flailing efforts to restart peace talks in earnest, haven't made the US departure a central point of discussion with Biden recently or over the past several months, according to multiple US and European officials. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin have repeatedly made clear to US partners that Biden's decision is final.

The subject was hardly raised in Biden's private meetings with counterparts during his visit in June to Brussels for the NATO summit, something that stunned administration officials who were prepared to have to respond to frustration from European allies about Biden's timeline for withdrawal.

"It would have been a waste of time," one European official said. "We realized very quickly this wasn't something that was negotiable for (Biden.)"

A European diplomatic source said the moves by the administration Thursday are another sign that Biden is intent on avoiding a "Saigon moment," though they also acknowledged that the situation is escalating very quickly.

A high-level meeting

On Wednesday night, Biden convened a meeting of his senior national security team to address the Taliban's rapid gains over the last several weeks. Biden was briefed on both the situation on the battlefield and the plan that had been drafted to draw down embassy personnel -- and send in US forces to facilitate that effort.

On Thursday morning, national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin briefed Biden on the full recommendation, which the President then signed off on. Blinken and Austin called Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and US officials consulted with allies and partners, including NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, about the plans throughout the day. The US officials in Doha, Qatar, negotiating with the Taliban will remain there.

The overall effort to evacuate the embassy personnel is already underway, though the precise number of personnel slated to leave has not been finalized. At this point it is only being described as a substantial number, leaving the embassy operating with a core diplomatic presence.

US officials have communicated directly to the Taliban that if American personnel are put at risk, the US will defend them. There is no firm timeline on how long the American troops will be on the ground, only that they will be there until the efforts are completed.

Officials took pains to attempt to explain a distinction between the drawdown and an evacuation, emphasizing that the embassy remains open and operational.

"We will continue to have a diplomatic presence on the ground to fulfill these important functions," Ned Price, the State Department press secretary, told reporters.

But privately, administration officials are more candid about the direction things are likely headed. The US embassy presence will be evaluated in real time throughout the coming days and weeks, and the American military personnel on the ground have the capability to facilitate a full evacuation if it's deemed a necessity.

It's an outcome that was always considered possible, officials have made clear.

The prospect of significant Taliban gains, along with long-standing doubts about the capability of the Afghan National Security Forces, were always key elements of intelligence assessments. But the speed and scale of the Taliban offensive have stunned officials over the course of the last several weeks.

'They've got to fight for themselves'

Questions are looming, though, over how history will judge Biden's decision and what it will mean for Afghanistan's most vulnerable populations -- particularly women.

"If there is one thing supporters of an abrupt US withdrawal from Afghanistan had in common, it's that they were almost entirely men," said Karim Sadjadpour, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "Afghan and non-Afghan women understood the nature of the Taliban, and the consequences of a US withdrawal, much more viscerally."

The White House still faces an uphill climb to prove it will be able to deliver on Biden's promise to evacuate the Afghans who have aided US troops and personnel over the last 20 years.

Flights out of the country for those who haven't fully completed the special immigrant visa process are underway, an effort tagged "Operation Allied Refuge" by the administration. A third country in the region is likely to serve as a location for many of those moving through the process in the coming weeks, though it's unclear which country that will be.

But the US' ability to reach the thousands of applicants spread through various corners of the country is limited even in the best of circumstances.

Those limitations, with more and more potential evacuees located in areas overtaken by the Taliban, grow by the day, an official acknowledged.

Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski, who has been highly critical of Biden's decision to withdraw, said the US should convey to the Taliban that if they try to take Kabul "then we will unleash everything we have on them" -- and if they don't comply, then the US should consider a "Dunkirk-like evacuation" of the city from the airport.

"If it is not possible to save Kabul, we are going to have a lot more than just a US embassy evacuation on our hands," Malinowski said.

Many note, moreover, that the fact that Afghan forces have been so quickly overwhelmed after 20 years of training, US equipment and hundreds of billions in aid actually justifies for Biden's decision to withdraw.

"What was another year going to do the prior 20 didn't? What about another two years? Five years?" one US official said shortly before the drawdown decision was announced.

"They've got to fight for themselves, fight for their nation," Biden told reporters this week, after making clear he had no regrets about his decision.

The European diplomatic source also said that the view of some allies remains that Biden's withdrawal decision and subsequent doubling down is based largely on domestic political considerations rather than the ultimate fate of Afghanistan itself, leaving other countries on their own as far as taking steps related to security of their personnel and future presence in the country.

Further fueling Biden's determination on the issue is the fact that he has wanted to put more resources toward competition with China, which his team sees as the overarching foreign policy challenge and long-term threat to the US. Reorienting towards that competition is front and center in every decision they make, the sources said.

But Sadjadpour said that could backfire.

"Withdrawing from Afghanistan was supposed to give Biden more attention to focus on China," he said. "The reality is that the resulting civil war or Taliban takeover in Afghanistan is going to require far more of his attention than it did before."

Unclear future for counterterrorism operations

There are renewed concerns -- given the Taliban gains -- over how safe it was to bet that Afghanistan would not become a breeding ground for terrorists that could threaten the American homeland. That is one area where the domestic population both wants and needs reassurance, an official said.

Even as recent intelligence estimates show Kabul could fall within 30 to 90 days, the Biden administration has yet to finalize its policy for pursuing terrorists in Afghanistan once US troops have departed, according to two US officials familiar with the intelligence. At issue is the degree of White House involvement the military and CIA will need before they can conduct a lethal operation.

Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill and former officials say it will be increasingly difficult for the US to gather intelligence on and prevent potential threats to the US after the pullout is complete. As part of the withdrawal, the CIA will lose many, if not all, of the bases it has used in the past for its drone program.

The drawn-out uncertainty leaves the military and the CIA in limbo as they await updated guidance on what kind of approval they will need to launch lethal strikes after Biden officially declares the war to be over.

But for now, officials still perceive China as a greater threat than what could emanate out of Afghanistan.

Blinken made that clear in a speech this week, when he discussed the need to invest in infrastructure and innovation at home as a means to drive US competition with China -- and did not mention Afghanistan once.

This story was first published on CNN.com Afghanistan's quick unraveling jolts national security officials and threatens to stain Biden's legacy
(CNN)  Canada will require most commercial passengers traveling by air, rail or large ship to be fully vaccinated by fall.

The vaccination requirement "includes all commercial air travelers, passengers on inter-provincial trains and passengers on large, marine vessels with overnight accommodations such as cruise ships," said Omar Alghabra, Canada's transport minister, during a virtual press conference Friday.

The Canadian government also will mandate that all federal employees be fully vaccinated by the end of October.

Canadian ministers speaking at the press conference indicated that they wanted to "set an example" for other employers and Canadians as they continue to try and safely reopen more sectors of the economy.

In a statement released after the announcement, Air Canada said it supported the new mandate and said it was in line with science-based procedures for safe travel.

"Although Air Canada awaits further details about today's announcement on mandatory vaccinations, it is a welcome step forward in the evolving measures to protect the health and safety of airline employees, customers and all Canadians," according to the statement.

Canada has recently started to allow international leisure travelers across its borders, beginning with vaccinated Americans this week. There are tentative plans to extend discretionary travel to other vaccinated international visitors to Canada in early September.

In the United States, there is currently no consideration at the Department of Homeland Security to mandate vaccines for airline passengers on domestic flights, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told CNN's Pamela Brown Friday.

"There is not at this time," he said when pressed on the issue.

At least two US airline executives have said they don't expect vaccinations to be required for domestic travel.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said Wednesday that "it's a government question, but I suspect that it won't happen domestically," and Delta Air Lines' CEO Ed Bastian said virtually the same thing in May.

Kirby said it is possible that vaccinations will be required for some international travel.

'An evolution' of vaccination requirements

Despite Canada having one of the highest vaccination rates in the world -- 71% of eligible Canadians above the age of 12 are fully vaccinated -- vaccination rates have plateaued in recent weeks.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said in recent months that he did not believe vaccine mandates would be necessary.

His ministers backtracked on that Friday and said their position was "an evolution of the government's posture" given new scientific data, adding that this new policy is an incentive for Canadians to get vaccinated.

Those with documented medical reasons for refusing a vaccine with be exempted, the ministers said, but they were not categorical about what would happen to those employees who refused to get vaccinated despite the mandate.

"You know what Canadians don't want? Canadians don't want to go back to lockdowns. Canadians don't want to go back to travel restrictions. Canadians want to go on with their lives and go back to normal as quickly as possible. And you know it's not uncommon for government to play a regulatory role when it comes to protecting the overall health and safety of Canadians," Alghabra said.

While this is a wide-ranging policy that will be implemented nationally, many Canadian provinces are currently not requiring health care or education workers to be fully vaccinated as a condition of employment.

Canadian public health officials confirmed Thursday that the country is in the grips of a fourth wave of Covid-19, and that the virus is mounting a "strong resurgence."

Canada has seen a doubling of active Covid cases in just two weeks, and hospitalizations have inched up more than 10% in the last week alone.

This story was first published on CNN.com Canada announces vaccine mandate for air travel
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Experiences mixed at new DPS office amid high demand, nearby construction

Jeff Woo/DRC The new Texas Department of Public Safety building in Denton is at 4020 E. McKinney St. North Texans have expressed mixed experiences with the new office, with high demand and nearby construction causing frustrations for some. Jeff Woo/DRC Dentons new Department of Public Safety office opened last month at the corner of East McKinney Street and Mayhill Road.

Dentons new Department of Public Safety office has increased appointments by about 100 per day, but it is too early to tell how effective the center will be at decreasing wait times for driver services.

Opened July 21 at 4020 E. McKinney St., the center is considerably larger than DPS former Denton location on Loop 288. The new office features seven extra service stations, an expanded parking lot and the ability to process an additional 20,000 appointments annually. But as for whether residents are seeing the benefits of the new office, reactions have been mixed so far.

The Denton Record-Chronicle asked North Texas residents to share their experiences with the new office on Facebook last week.

I went online to make an appointment to renew my license two weeks ago and the soonest in Denton was October, Jill Smith Papenthien wrote.

Following the shutdown of DPS offices in March 2020 ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott, the demand for license services spiked across the state. Roughly 858,000 expired drivers licenses were in the DPS system in April, but using that number to gauge the backlog can be tricky since, as licenses are renewed, more expire throughout the state each month.

That number kind of holds between 750,000 and 800,000 each month, but we also know that we have a certain number of people who are never going to come back because theyve either moved, they are choosing not to renew their car [registration], or they may have passed away, DPS Driver License Division Chief Sheri Gipson said. So, its very hard for us to say what the actual backlog is at this point  we have seen a decrease in the number of individuals whose licenses expired when we were closed coming in.

The need for license services also increases alongside population. With some estimates predicting another 1 million residents will relocate to Dallas-Fort Worth alone through 2029, demand will likely continue to grow.

We still have certain offices in the state and in the metroplex area that we do have a wait time in order to get an appointment, and that part is probably not going to go away completely because its not just the backlog thats being worked in, but its also new Texas residents that are coming in, Gipson said.

Missed appointments have also contributed to logjam, with around 30% of appointments across the state ending in a no-show. Those appointments could go to someone else  either through online booking or a walk-in appointment  if canceled ahead of time, Gipson said.

In Denton, several residents say they have been told to arrive as early as 5 a.m. to wait in line for a walk-in appointment. The McKinney Street location has extended hours through Aug. 31 and opens at 7 a.m. The number of walk-in appointments available each day varies by DPS location and is dependent on staffing, the size of the facility and the appointments already booked that day, Gipson said.

While some residents say the opening of the new office has not affected wait times for them, others said they were able to get in and out quickly.

My daughter passed her road test Friday afternoon and we got an appointment for 4 p.m. that same day, Emily Nuebling said. Think we were in and out in an hour. [The] gentleman who helped us was downright pleasant! Thought it was great!

Aside from experiences inside the office, several residents say the construction happening on East McKinney Street and Mayhill Road in front of the DPS building has made access difficult.

All this has done is make the intersection more dangerous since it opened before the construction was finished, Denton resident Kaden Powers said.

The work at the McKinney intersection, part of the Mayhill Road Capital Improvement Project, includes adding new traffic signals, street lighting, utility service and street pavement improvements at Mayhill and McKinney. Construction activity is expected to wrap up in February, weather permitting.

DPS itself is focused on finding ways to reduce trips to offices altogether.

Along with additional DPS staff  713 were added across the state during the 86th Legislative Session, including about 250 to Dallas-Fort Worth  the department is expanding online services to help address demand. While most Class C drivers are already able to renew their licenses online every other time it expires, DPS is working on updating its online system to allow commercial drivers to also renew online and simplify the process for minors seeking licenses, Gipson said. Those projects are largely on target to go live in 2022.

In the meantime, the staff stresses planning ahead.

People are notified about 30 days before their license expires and you can renew your license up to six months before it actually expires, DPS press secretary Ericka Miller said. If they know it [renewal] is coming up in the next month or two, maybe go ahead and start looking for that appointment right now, because there are wait times in some of these more high-demand areas. Even if your drivers license is valid right now, check it and make your appointment early.
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Jewelry seen in a shop in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City on May 18, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

The Vietnam Gold Traders Association has called on the government to scrap its plan to impose a 2-percent export tax, warning it could hurt the countrys competitiveness.

Vietnam already has low competitiveness compared to other countries, and would cause official exports to fall and illegal exports to avoid the tax to surge, it said in a proposal to the Ministry of Finance.

The VGTA said companies are not allowed to import gold to produce jewelry, but has to source them domestically even though prices are often VND6-8 million ($264-352) per kilogram higher.

Countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore impose no import or export tax and have more advanced technology, it said.

They encourage jewelry exports, which are worth $10 billion for Thailand, $8 billion for Singapore and $6 billion for Indonesia.

Vietnams exports were worth $2.6 billion last year.

There is currently no tax for jewelry with gold content under 95 percent, but the Ministry of Finance has proposed taxing all uniformly, saying customs officials have difficulty in determining gold purity.
Immigrant construction workers are stuck without jobs in Hanoi as the city is under semi-lockdown, August 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh

Faced with one bureaucratic hurdle after another, many workers in Hanoi have simply given up claiming Covid-19 support after losing their jobs to the pandemic.

Vu Thai Hoa visited Thanh Xuan Ward People's Committee in Hanoi's Thanh Xuan District Wednesday morning to enquire about the financial support package for informal workers amid Covid-19. Worth around VND26 trillion ($1.14 billion), the Hanoi package would provide each informal employee affected by the pandemic VND1.5 million, should their documents be valid and approved by authorities.

Hoa, 25, sells clothes on Truong Dinh Street, but has been off work since July 24 when the capital imposed social distancing. At the local People's Committee, he was told to apply for aid via the appropriate civil groups.

As a temporary resident, Hoa would need to confirm he would not receive additional aid back in his hometown.

Learning that 'selling clothes' was not on the 'list', Hoa soon gave up on securing any financial support. Besides, wards would only start accepting applications from Aug. 25 onwards, after Hanoi supposedly ends its social distancing period on Aug. 23, he added.

"The procedures are too complicated, especially since I would need confirmation documents from my hometown," Hoa lamented.

By Thursday, Hanoi had finalized procedures to provide a total VND7.75 billion in financial support to over 5,100 informal workers, according to the municipal labor department. But tens of thousands more informal workers in the capital are still waiting to have their applications approved, with many calling the process simply too complex.

"People are requested to refrain from going out, and if they must, do so along with approval documents. As print shops are all closed due to the pandemic, we don't know where we could print out the forms. Trying to secure documents back in our hometowns is even more impossible, seeing how vehicles entering Hanoi are all stopped," said Tho, who lives in Cau Giay District and had lost her job as a cleaner in May.

Pham Minh Hai, chairman of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front of Quan Hoa Ward, said not all procedures, for example seeking confirmation documents from one's hometown, are that difficult. They can be mailed through the post office, he added.

A representative for the Hanoi labor department said the requirement to gain confirmation documents from one's place of permanent residence serves to avoid "taking advantage" of the policy, and to determine who exactly would get the money.

Thai Trung, secretary of Quan Hoa Ward, said these trying times are when workers need support the most, as many are already in precarious financial situations.

"If we wait until social distancing measures are over, the policy would lose its urgency," he said, adding authorities could make use of existing databases and technologies to lighten application procedures.

No more hoops

Numerous experts have proposed Hanoi simply scrap the requirement to get confirmation documents from one's hometown to receive Covid-19 support.

Nguyen Thu Giang, deputy head of Community Health Development Institute, said while such requirements might be necessary to prevent people from taking advantage of the policy, precarious financial conditions amid a pandemic should warrant immediate assistance.

Giang suggested Hanoi could consider either adjusting the requirement or even scrapping it entirely. For example, those who wish to receive financial support could provide a one-time document to receive the money, with local authorities informing each other of the transaction so one person could not receive aid twice.

"Instead of forcing workers in dire circumstances to prove their identities, local authorities could do that themselves," she said.

Certain localities have resolved such issues successfully. Nguyen Thi Hong Loan, an official responsible for poverty alleviation in Ward 15 of Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City, said the ward simply scrapped the temporary-permanent residency conundrum entirely, which lightened procedures immensely.

Informal employees would only need to contact their civil group leaders, provide information about their jobs and present their identity cards to receive the money. People would also not be able to receive money twice since their identity card information had already been recorded in a database, meaning duplicates would be detected immediately, Loan said.

Hanoi has recorded 2,395 local Covid-19 cases since the fourth coronavirus wave hit Vietnam in late April. Several past cases were contained within quarantine zones and locked down areas.
Aerial photo taken on Aug. 13, 2021 shows a herd of wild Asian elephants in Mojiang County of Pu'er City, southwest China's Yunnan Province. At 11:48 p.m. Thursday, which was also World Elephant Day, the herd of 14 wandering wild Asian elephants that caught global attention returned to their traditional habitat in Mojiang County of Pu'er City. (Photo by He Yougang/Xinhua)

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's, GMW.cn makes no representations as to accuracy, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information.
A Long March-3B carrier rocket carrying the Zhongxing-2E satellite blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Xichang, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 6, 2021. The satellite has entered its preset orbit. Friday's launch was the 383rd mission of the Long March rocket series. (Photo by Guo Wenbin/Xinhua)

XICHANG, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- China sent the Zhongxing-2E satellite into space on a Long March-3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province at 0:30 a.m. Friday.

The satellite has entered its preset orbit.

Friday's launch was the 383rd mission of the Long March rocket series.

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Editor: JYZ
Russia-occupation forces in Donbas again violated the ceasefire and fired two times at the positions of the Ukrainian defenders, two soldiers have been wounded, the press center of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) headquarters reported.

"As a result of enemy shelling, two soldiers received shrapnel wounds. The soldiers are in a hospital. The health of one of the wounded is moderate, the other is in a satisfactory condition," the headquarters said.

The zone of responsibility of the North task group was shelled from 122mm artillery systems and 120mm and 82mm mortars.

Ukrainian servicemen opened fire to respond to the shelling.

As of 7:00 am, on August 14, no ceasefire violations were recorded.
Ukrainian rescuers continue to assist in battling wildfires in Greece

he joint task force staff the State Emergency Service of Ukraine on August 13 in Greece tackled areas of wildfires near the settlements of Ellinika and Kamatriades.

"During the day, fires were tackled on a total area of 3.2 hectares," the press service of the State Emergency Service said.

Work is scheduled to continue on Saturday August 14.

As reported, on August 6, firefighters from the joint task force of Ukraine arrived in Greece to help fight devastating wildfires. A hundred rescuers of the State Emergency Service with the necessary equipment flew out of the Kyiv airport.
Eight law enforcement officers have been injured during a protest on Bankova Street, where the President's Office is located, a source in law enforcement authorities has told Interfax-Ukraine.

"Eight law enforcement officers were injured: one National Guard received cut wounds, seven more suffered from gas," the source said.

According to the source, the police were not injured by an explosion. The exploded package, according to unconfirmed information, was used to distract attention.
Criminal proceedings opened for committing intentional assault upon law enforcement officers during protest in Kyiv

Criminal proceedings have been opened for committing intentional assault upon law enforcement officers during a protest in the center of Kyiv, the National Police has told Interfax-Ukraine.

"Criminal proceedings have been opened for committing intentional assault upon law enforcement officers," the National Police said.

In turn, a source in law enforcement authorities told Interfax-Ukraine that currently no person has been detained.
Seven police officers and one National Guard serviceman suffered from the actions of protesters in the center of Kyiv near the President's Office. Several citizens are also among the victims, according to the website of the Kyiv police.

"Now seven police officers and one soldier of the National Guard suffered from the actions of the protesters. There are also several citizens among the victims," the police said.

"On August 14, during a planned action near the Office of the President of Ukraine, clashes between protesters and law enforcement officers took place. The police examined the participants' belongings, but most of them refused to show the contents of the bags, and later provoked a conflict with the use of smoke bombs and stones thrown towards law enforcement officers. Seven police officers and one soldier of the National Guard suffered from the actions of the protesters. Several citizens are also among the victims," the police said.

Law enforcers continue being on guard during the action and urge its participants not to disturb public order.
Health Minister Hala Zayed announced on Thursday that on that day 100,224 people received the coronavirus vaccine across Egypt.

According to Health Ministry spokesperson Khaled Meghad, the vaccination centers witnessed a high turnout from citizens and travellers alike.

He also added that 56,002 citizens received their first dose of the vaccine while 44,222 citizens received their second dose of the vaccine.

The travellers vaccination centers in Cairo and Giza witnessed their highest turnout so far, according to Meghads statement.

The turnout is likely related to the fact that Thursday was declared an official holiday marking the start of the Islamic Hijri lunar year in Egypt, meaning both public and private sectors were granted the day off.

Earlier this week, on Sunday, Egypt received a shipment of 261,600 shots of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine  currently reserved for travellers  as part of a deal between the African Unions African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) and J&J that was inked last March, which was funded by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).

It also received a new shipment of of 525,000 AstraZeneca doses provided by Romania as part of a tripartite agreement between the two countries and AstraZeneca Pharmaceutical Company.

According to an earlier statement of Minister Hala Zayed, Sinopharm, Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Sputnik V, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are currently available at all vaccination centres nationwide.

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Navigation in the new Nagea Hammadi barrage returned to normal after authorities dealt with the sinking of a mud-laden tugboat that sank in the area, the water resources ministry said on Friday.

Tugboat Nasser 261 sank due to a hole in the vessel's hull, the ministry said, without reporting any casualties, the ministry said in a statement.

While under tow by another vessel, the tugboat sank 300 metres away from the entrance of the barrages navigation locks, the ministry added.

The barrages general administration and water police exerted significant effort in a bid to keep the tugboat away from the navigation track, the statement said.

The ministry said the large quantity of water in the vessel, however, caused it to sink with the entire load.

Navigation is now back to normal and vessels have been passing through the locks of Nagea Hammadi at the usual rates, the ministry added.

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Egypts Berenice Naval Base, located on the Red Sea coast near the country's southern frontier, received on Thursday the guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61), a statement by the US embassy in Cairo said.

The USS Montereys visit is considered the first of its kind for a US warship to the largest military base in the Red Sea, Berenice.

Commander of the Egyptian Naval Force Ahmed Khaled, Commander of US Naval Forces Central Command Brad Cooper, and commanding officer of Berenice Naval Base Waleed Aly Atiaa were hosted on the US warship, according to the statement.

The US Ambassador to Egypt Jonathan Cohen also accompanied the commanders who toured the ship.

Cohen said the ships visit to the Egyptian Red Sea base reflects the strong maritime cooperation between Egypt and the US.

Together we are combating smuggling, trafficking, and piracy, and ensuring safety at sea, Cohen added.

In April 2020, Egypt joined the US-led Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) to become its 34th member.

The CMF is an enduring multinational coalition formed in 2002 and committed to upholding the rules-based international order by countering illicit non-state actors, safeguarding freedom of navigation, and promoting security, stability, and prosperity.

According to the embassy, during the tour the group spoke with crew members and took part in a gift exchange with the ships commanding officer Joseph Baggett.

I am honoured that Monterey was able to conduct this historic first visit to the Berenice Naval Base, the statement quoted Baggett as saying.

In January 2020, Egypts Berenice military base was inaugurated by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi with the aim of "securing the country's southern coasts, protecting economic investments and natural resources and facing security threats in the Red Sea.

The 155-acre base is home to land, air and naval forces, is also designed to secure global navigation extending from the Red Sea to the Suez Canal and associated economic areas, according to a presidential statement at the time.

It houses naval and air bases, a military hospital and a number of combat and administrative units as well as shooting and training fields for all kind of weapons. The base also includes an international airport, a seawater desalination plant and container storage yards.

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Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said Saturday that the state seeks to restructure the process of providing subsidies for Egyptians not eliminate the subsidies for various commodities, which amount to EGP 275 billion annually.

El-Sisis made these remarks during a ceremony to inaugurate various housing projects in Badr City, northeast of the capital, where he is set to open 47,876 housing units.

After the inaugural event, the president toured housing units which are being constructed in Badr City to accomodate state employees set to be relocated to the New Administrative Capital.

The state bears a huge cost to provide alternative housing to the Egyptians, the president said.

The aim behind the national, mega projects that are being implemented by the state is to improve the living conditions of citizens, he noted, adding that the state does not get any profits from such projects.

The cost of subsidisation is nearly EGP 3 trillion in ten years while the cost of developing the entire Egyptian countryside is one-third of such cost, the president noted.

The Decent Life Initiative, whose budget is estimated at EGP 700 billion, is being implemented with the aim of improving standards of living, infrastructure and services, and targets 58 percent of Egypts 102-million population, who live in 4,658 villages across the country.

Im not saying this so as to cancel subsidies, but to restructure it, he indicated.

The president's comments on subsidies come days after he said that while the state plans to continue subsidising bread, the price of a subsidised loaf, however, should be raised from a decades' low of 5 piastres so the government could use savings to provide students with much needed meals in schools.

El-Sisi said the Egyptian state needs to exert all efforts to bring about "a bright future," stressing "that things cannot continue as they were in the past."

The president noted that he deals with all critical issues in a systematic way, stressing that he chose to follow "the difficult path" of reform.

"People say that I chose the very difficult path; if I chose the easy path I would have just kept the poor in their predicament and would have just raised subsidies,' he said.

I must arrange the cards in this country' in order for it to become an country of significance."

Meeting housing needs amid population growth

El-Sisi added that "unplanned population growth hinders the state's development strategy," and that the expansion in the construction of unsafe housing has been destroying the country since 2011.

Egypts population of 102 million increased by nearly 2 percent growth rate in 2020, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).

The expansion of the housing sector and elimination of slums has been an area of intense focus for the state in recent years, with 1,426 major housing projects built in the last six years alone, according to housing ministrys figures.

Plans to eliminate slums have progressed in tandem with the development of new urban communities.

According to the Informal Settlements Development Fund (ISDF), unplanned residential areas comprise 40 percent of urban construction in the country and are home to 22 million people.

The ISDF says the government hopes to eliminate unplanned residential areas entirely by 2030.

The model housing communities which have been built to relocate hundreds of thousands of slum residents include Asmarat complex in Moqattam, Masaken Othman, the Mahrousa Projects, and Bashayer Al-Kheir.

Since 2014, as part of the state's efforts to meet population growth, the housing ministry has constructed 165,958 housing units at a cost of EGP 41 billion, and is currently working on an additional 74,927 units.

El-Sisi also pointed out that he is keen on solving the problems in all sectors such as roads, ports, airports and water to change the lives of citizens from a "no state to a state".

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Defence Mohamed Zaki, Minister of Housing Assem El-Gazzar, other state officials and top army commanders.

Madbouly, from his side, said that the problem of overpopulation should be seriously handled.

The housing issue was very important for the state over long decades, he said, adding that the state has adopted a strategy for handling the overpopulation problem, based on building new cities and overhauling old houses.

The state gave due attention to the file of housing over the past seven years in order to improve the living standards of Egyptians nationwide, Madbouly said.

Over the past seven years, the state was successful in doubling the establishment of housing units in Egypt, compared to the past 40 years, according to him.

Madbouly further mentioned that the state builds 225,000 homes in one year and aims to increase the construction work in the period to come.

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Egypt received on Friday night 1,766,400 doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine under the COVAX initiative, Health Minister Hala Zayed said.

This is the third of several shipments of a total of 40 million doses to be provided to Egypt under the COVAX initiative, Health Ministry Spokesman Khaled Megahed stated.

More doses will arrive in the coming period, Megahed added.

The vaccines will be tested at the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) labs, pointing out that AstraZeneca is a two-dose vaccine taken three months apart, he noted.

AstraZeneca is 76 percent effective against symptomatic COVID-19 and 100 percent effective against severe cases, Megahed added.

Egypt has recently received millions of doses of the Sinopharm, Sinovac, Sputnik, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

On Tuesday, Egypt received another shipment of AstraZeneca provided by Romania as part of a tripartite agreement between the two countries and AstraZeneca Pharmaceutical Company.

The shipment comprised 525,000 doses of the vaccine, according to a statement by the Egyptian health ministry.

A day earlier, the first shipment of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine arrived at Cairo International Airport.

The shipment comprised 261,600 doses of the vaccine, Zayed said, asserting that other shipments will follow.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has an efficacy of 85.4 percent against severe coronavirus symptoms and 93.1 percent against hospitalisation.

The step, which comes in cooperation with the African Union (AU), is in line with the country's plan to make vaccines available for Egyptians and those travelling abroad, the minister added.

The AUs special African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) signed in March a $2 billion deal with Johnson & Johnson to purchase 220 million doses with funds from the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).

More vaccines are scheduled to arrive in Egypt this month as the country seeks to expand the inoculation process which started earlier this year.

According to the WHO, as of 10 August, a total of 5.7 million vaccine doses have been administered in Egypt with 1.8 million fully vaccinated individuals and 3.8 million people vaccinated with at least one dose.

Egypt has reported 285,158 coronavirus cases thus far, including 233,772 recoveries and 16,609 deaths.

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Their remarks came in response to the arrival of 1.76 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Egypt on Friday night. The shipment is the third of several shipments of a total of 40 million doses to be provided to Egypt under the COVAX initiative.

Ambassador of Germany to Egypt Frank Hartmann said on Saturday that "seeing this new vaccine delivery arrive in Egypt [through COVAX] with many more to come is a great joint success.

COVAX is co-led by GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), working in partnership with UNICEF as well as the World Bank, civil society organisations, manufacturers, and others.

COVAX has so far shipped over 188 million COVID-19 vaccines to 138 participants around the world.

COVAX is not a one-off project, it is an ongoing commitment. Germany as ACT-A's second-largest donor will spare no efforts to further support and advance this powerful multilateral instrument. Only together can we assure a long-term success in our fight against the global pandemic," Hartmann said.

British Ambassador to Egypt Geoffrey Adams said in the statement that he is proud that the UK is one of the largest donors to COVAX.

The arrival of this third COVAX shipment comes at a crucial time, with the pandemic continuing to present challenges as new variants emerge worldwide. I am proud that the UK is one of the largest donors to COVAX, which is providing vaccines to protect millions of Egyptians. The UK is committed to ensuring equitable vaccine access to all, Adams said.

The US Ambassador to Egypt Jonathan R. Cohen said that his country as a partner of Egypt in the fight against COVID-19, and the largest donor to COVAX worldwide, welcomes the 13 August arrival of another 1.76 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to protect the Egyptian people.

Ambassador Christian Berger, head of the European Union delegation to Egypt said that Fridays COVAX shipment of vaccines offers additional access to vaccines for Egyptian citizens.

Team Europe is providing 2.47 billion in support of the COVAX facility globally. We will come out stronger together with our partners in Egypt," Berger stated.

Ambassador of Japan to Egypt Noke Masaki said he is delighted to see the arrival of additional doses through the COVAX facility, especially as Japan co-hosted with GAVI the Summit on COVAX in June and announced its contribution of $1 billion.

I also hope to see positive impacts of our support through UNICEF for cold storages for vaccines to 760 posts across Egypt by the end of August, Masaki said.

Last month, Egypts Health Minister Hala Zayed said that Egypt is cooperating with UNICEF to provide the country with 63 vaccine storage refrigerators free of charge. The refrigerators, with a total storage capacity of around 619,000 doses, will be used to store the Pfizer vaccine doses scheduled to arrive in Egypt within days, the minister said.

Egypt has recently received millions of doses of the Sinopharm, Sinovac, Sputnik, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

More vaccines are scheduled to arrive in Egypt this month as the country seeks to expand the inoculation process which started earlier this year.

We need to reach 70 percent of the population vaccinated as a critical milestone to halt the pandemic. We as WHO with our partners, including civil society, call for equity of vaccine allocation leaving no one behind, fully supporting the government of Egypts efforts for vaccine availability and production to cover all the people living in Egypt and beyond, Naeema Al-Gasseer, the WHO representative in Egypt, said.

Al-Gasseer was referring to the fact that Egypt is among the few countries where vaccination is offered not only to Egyptians, but to all people in Egypt, including refugees and migrants.

Jeremy Hopkins, the UNICEF representative in Egypt, said the AstraZeneca shipment on Friday is important for Egypt as we increase momentum for the deployment of the vaccine nationwide, accompanied by an increase in demand from people in Egypt, which is very encouraging.

Egypt has scaled up its vaccination rates in the past months, opening hundreds of vaccination centres across the country that have the capacity to vaccinate thousands of people per day.

On Thursday, Zayed stated that on that day as many as 100,224 people were inoculated across Egypt.

The Canadian Ambassador in Egypt Louis Dumas stated that no one is safe until we are all safe, stressing that Canada is committed to doing its part to support equitable access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines around the world, including Egypt.

According to the WHO, until 10 August, a total of 5.7 million vaccine doses had been administered in Egypt, with 1.8 million fully vaccinated individuals and 3.8 million people vaccinated with at least one dose.

Egypt has reported 285,158 coronavirus cases thus far, including 233,772 recoveries and 16,609 deaths.

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Egypts Minister of Local Development Mahmoud Shaarawy said on Saturday that the ministry aims to install 1.5 million energy-saving streetlights nationwide, at a cost of EGP 201 million, saving around EGP 1.6 billion during FY 2021/2022 (about $12.8 million and $101.9 million, respectively).

In a statement, Shaarawy indicated that the project focuses on replacing street and road lighting across the country with more energy-saving efficient models.

In the projects early stages, the ministry has achieved a savings of EGP 9.5 billion (about $605.3 million) by installing 2.7 million energy-saving light bulbs nationwide, Shaarawy said.

The project is being implemented across all governorates by the local development ministry in coordination with the Ministries of Electricity and Finance as well as the Arab Organization for Industrialization.

It comes within the framework of the government's plan for the year 2021/22 to rationalise public spending, especially with the increase in energy consumption, with Sharaawy emphasizing the importance of the project in improving lighting within Egyptian cities, villages and between governorates.

The project also aims to enhance street safety at night, lower electrical bills, and supporting local manufacturers of this type of bulb as well as employ local workers, Sharaawy said.

Moreover, a database of streetlights across the country has been established and is currently being used in maintenance as well as other technical and statistical matters, the minister noted.

The project includes the provision and installation of energy-efficient streetlights with capacities of 100 and 120 watts in all governorates and programmed electronic counters that turn the lighting on and off according to sunrise and sunset times throughout the year, the statement said.

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Delegates from war-torn Libya launched a new round of UN-led talks via video conference on Wednesday aiming to reach a compromise ahead of planned elections.

The meeting comes six weeks after the failure of negotiations held in Switzerland between the 75 participants from all sides gathered for the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya was forced to acknowledge the failure of that session after four days, due to a lack of consensus among the delegates.

On Wednesday, the forum will again try to agree on a constitutional framework to govern the crucial parliamentary and presidential elections in December.

Oil-rich Libya was plunged into chaos after dictator Moamer Kadhafi was toppled and killed in a 2011 NATO-backed uprising.

Two rival administrations later emerged. While Turkey supported an administration in Tripoli, the Libyan National Army's (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar enjoyed backing from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russia.

Under a UN-backed ceasefire agreed last October, an interim administration was established in March to prepare for presidential and parliamentary polls on December 24.

The agreement was widely hailed as "historic" at the time.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.

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The United States says it is sending a special envoy to Ethiopia as the fast-moving conflict in the Tigray region has spread into neighboring regions and Ethiopia's government this week called on all able citizens to stop the resurgent Tigray forces once and for all.

The widening war in Africa's second-most populous country, with 110 million people, is also a growing humanitarian crisis. Millions of people in Tigray remain beyond the reach of food and other aid as the United Nations and U.S. say Ethiopian authorities allow just a small fraction of what's needed. And hundreds of thousands of people in the Amhara and Afar regions are displaced as Tigray forces move in, vowing to go to the capital, Addis Ababa, if needed to stop the fighting and remove the blockade on their region of 6 million people.

It's one of these cases where we've run out of words to describe the horror of what civilians are being inflicted, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters this week. More conflict can only lead, sadly, to more civilian pain.

Here's a look at the latest in the nine-month war and what pressure the U.S. special envoy might apply.

WHAT IS THE U.S. SEEKING IN ETHIOPIA?

The U.S. announced overnight that special envoy Jeffrey Feltman would travel to Ethiopia, neighboring Djibouti and the United Arab Emirates, a key Ethiopia ally, starting on Sunday. This is a critical moment, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan tweeted. Months of war have brought immense suffering and division to a great nation, that won't be healed through more fighting. We call on all parties to urgently come to the negotiating table.

That seems highly unlikely. Ethiopia's government this year declared the Tigray People's Liberation Front, which dominated the government for nearly three decades before Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took office in 2018, a terrorist group. The Tigray forces have set several preconditions for talks and say Abiy no longer has the legitimacy to govern. They retook much of the Tigray region in June in a dramatic turn in the war as Ethiopia's military retreated.

What began as a political dispute has now killed thousands of people.

Discussing what pressure the U.S. could apply to encourage negotiations, a congressional aide told The Associated Press that I understand all options are on the table, from Global Magnitsky (sanctions over human rights violations) to an executive order on sanctions, to removal from (the African Growth and Opportunity Act), to more restrictive measures on assistance, as well as ways to block Ethiopia's efforts to get cash from international financial institutions. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on policy discussions.

Officials and lawmakers in Washington have signaled impatience as Ethiopian officials deny widespread human rights abuses such as gang-rapes and forced expulsions of ethnic Tigrayans or blame the Tigray forces.

The Ethiopian government's prickly dismissal of a new Amnesty International report on shocking sexual violence against Tigrayan women during the war reflects the tone-deafness with which the government is handling the multiple conflicts and humanitarian crises across the country, Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Sen. Jim Risch tweeted on Thursday.

WHAT DOES ETHIOPIA'S GOVERNMENT SAY?

Ethiopia's government has repeatedly expressed frustration, alleging without evidence that the U.S., U.N. and others are taking the side of the Tigray forces or supporting the fighters with aid. It has asserted that disproportionate attention is paid to the Tigray people and not enough is done to address alleged abuses by Tigray forces in the Amhara and Afar regions.

The most urgent allegation was raised by the U.N. children's agency, which cited credible information from partners about deadly attacks last week on a camp for newly displaced people in Afar. A U.N. team plans to assess the scene as soon as security allows, the agency said Thursday. Ethiopia's government has blamed the Tigray forces, whose spokesman Getachew Reda denied it but said they're willing to cooperate in an independent investigation.

In the Amhara region, humanitarian groups are having trouble reaching their colleagues in Woldiya, one center of the fighting, amid a communications blackout. Now the Tigray forces have formed a military alliance with the Oromo Liberation Army, also designated by Ethiopia as a terrorist group.

On Thursday the prime minister's spokeswoman, Billene Seyoum, told reporters that the government's call to arms this week, signaling an end to a unilateral cease-fire, meant that Ethiopians are urged to stop the Tigray forces by all means necessary. She said this is not a result of the military's inability to take on the Tigray forces, and asserted that in the millions, people are taking this call.

WHAT ABOUT THE FATE OF EVERYDAY PEOPLE?

Caught in the middle are civilians, and efforts to reach them with aid are increasingly challenging because of the Ethiopian government's concern that it will end up helping the Tigray forces.

Just 10% of the aid needed for Tigray reached the region in recent weeks, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Samantha Power, told reporters after a brief Ethiopia visit last week in which the prime minister did not meet her. USAID has estimated that up to 900,000 people in Tigray face ``man-made'' famine conditions while phone, internet and banking services remain cut off.

The U.N. World Food Program on Friday said at least 30 trucks a day must enter the region to address the need and what has arrived so far is a drop in the ocean.

Meanwhile, Ethiopia's government has suspended the operations of two major international aid groups, the Dutch section of Doctors Without Borders and the Norwegian Refugee Council, accusing them of spreading misinformation. This has further deterred many humanitarian workers from speaking openly, worried about retaliation. It also means efforts to respond to the crises in the Amhara and Afar regions could be affected.

Some humanitarian organizations may now alter their public messaging campaigns or self-censor to avoid facing suspension. This would further contribute to Ethiopia's closing civic space, the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies wrote on Thursday.

That means even less knowledge about conditions on the ground as many journalists face government-imposed restrictions, it said, adding that civilians will suffer.

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A US delegation on Friday urged Tunisian President Kais Saied swiftly to restore democracy more than a month after he suspended parliament, raising charges of "a coup."

Jon Finer, the deputy national security advisor, and the top US diplomat for the Middle East, Joey Hood, traveled to Tunis and met both Saied and civil society leaders.

Finer delivered a message from President Joe Biden "urging a swift return to the path of Tunisia's parliamentary democracy," a White House statement said.

The White House advisor also "discussed with President Saied the urgent need to appoint a prime minister designate who would form a capable government able to address the immediate economic and health crises facing Tunisia," it said.

Saied on July 25 froze parliament for 30 days, lifted parliamentary immunity and sacked the prime minister as well as other top officials.

The largest party in parliament accused him of staging a coup, charges dismissed by Saied.

His intervention came amid mounting economic and public health concerns triggered by one of the world's worst outbreaks of Covid-19.

Tunisia was the birthplace of the Arab Spring revolts a decade ago and had often been described as the Arab world's biggest success story in transitioning to democracy.

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The U.S. sanctioned an individual and businesses it says are involved in an oil-smuggling network that supports Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force, Bloomberg reported.

The Treasury Department on Friday placed financial restrictions on a foreign broker, Mahmood Rashid Amur Al Habsi, who worked with senior Revolutionary Guard officials and facilitated shipments of Iranian oil, including to customers in East Asia, according to a department statement.

The sanctions included businesses associated with al Habsi, including his Oman-based company, Nimr International Llc, which Treasury said facilitates the shipment of Iranian oil.

Also sanctioned was Oman-based Orbit Petrochemicals Trading Llc, which facilitated oil deals to obscure the Revolutionary Guards involvement, Treasury said.

Senior officials in the Revolutionary Guard use proceeds from Iranian oil exports to help fund the groups activities, the Treasury Department said.

The move comes as efforts to revive the multinational nuclear deal on Iran have faltered and amid heightened tensions with the inauguration of Irans new hard-line president, Ebrahim Raisi.

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Five Palestinians were wounded when Israeli army fired rubber bullets against a protest rally in eastern Nablus on Friday.The Palestinians were protesting the establishment of a settlement on lands of Bayt Dajan village in eastern Nablus.Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters against protesters.
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Libya's 5+5 commission, formally named the 5+5 Libyan Joint Military Commission, started its 7th meeting in Sirte on Saturday.Two weeks ago, the commission announced the immediate reopening of the Mediterranean coastal highway linking the country's long-divided eastern and western cities, after over a two-year closure, according to Afrigate News.Meanwhile, patrols of the General Department for the Protection of Diplomatic Missions have been escorting members of the UN Support Mission for Libya (UNSMIL) and commission members during their visit to Sirte, which they embarked on yesterday.
Lebanon's army Saturday seized fuel from gas stations to curb hoarding amid crippling shortages as the central bank chief stood firm on his decision to scrap fuel subsidies.

As Lebanon's economic crisis deepened, one of the country's top private hospitals said it could close due to power outages caused by shortages of diesel.

Lebanon is grappling with a financial crisis branded by the World Bank as one of the planet's worse since the 1850s.

Foreign currency reserves are fast depleting, forcing the central bank to scale-down funding for imports in an effort to shore up the little money Lebanon has left.

The Lebanese pound has lost more than 90 percent of its value on the black market, and 78 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.

On Wednesday central bank chief Riad Salameh said he would scrap fuel subsidies to ease pressure on foreign reserves which have fallen to $14 billion.

His decision sparked panic, with huge queues forming outside bakeries and petrol stations as Lebanese -- 78 percent of whom live below the poverty line -- struggled to stock up.

Salameh told a radio station Saturday he would not back down.

"I will not review the removal of subsidies on fuel unless the use of compulsory reserves is legalised," by a parliamentary vote, he said.

Fuel shortages have led to power cuts lasting more than 22 hours a day, forcing the closure of businesses.

Decrying an "imminent disaster", the American University of Beirut Medical Centre said it would be forced to cease operations within 48 hours.

Without fuel, "forty adult patients and fifteen children living on respirators will die immediately," it warned in a statement.

"One hundred and eighty people suffering from renal failure will die poisoned after a few days... Hundreds of cancer patients, adults and children, will die in subsequent weeks."

- Army deploys-

Fuel importers blame the crisis on a delay by the central bank in opening credit lines to fund imports.

Salameh on Saturday accusing importers and distributors of hoarding fuel to sell at higher prices in the black market, or across the border in Syria.

With the situation rapidly deteriorating, the army raided gas stations Saturday and seized fuel to distribute to desperate customers.

A statement said the military confiscated more than 78,000 litres of gasoline stored at two gas stations as well as 57,000 litres of diesel fuel from a third one.

Pictures and video footage posted by the army on its social media pages showing soldiers working pumps at gas stations and filling up car tanks.

An AFP correspondent said troops were deployed at several gas stations north of Beirut, where hundreds of vehicles were trapped in long queues to fill up on petrol.

Video footage posted online showed motorists cheering as the army raided gas stations.

But some Lebanese remained bitter. "The army's decision is too late," said a motorist who had been waiting for hours in the scorching heat.

After the army's action, many petrol stations across the country which had been closed claiming they had no fuel, reopened.

- Political crisis-

The central bank's funding of fuel and other basic commodity imports has contributed to foreign reserves falling by more than 50 percent from their pre-crisis level of more than $30 billion.

Salameh said inaction by politicians led Lebanon to its breaking point.

"Everybody was aware... they were aware in government, parliament and the president's office" that reserves were falling, he said.

Salameh has headed the central bank since 1993 and is suspected by many Lebanese of helping facilitate large transfers of money abroad by the political elite during mass protests that began in October 2019.

He is under judicial investigation in Lebanon, Switzerland and France over several cases, including the diversion of public funds and illicit enrichment.

At home, many blame him for capital controls in place since 2019 that have trapped dollar savings and denied even the poorest segment of the population free access to their deposits.

Political wrangling to form a new government has added to Lebanon's dire situation.

The last cabinet resigned amid public outrage following last August's monster explosion at Beirut port that killed more than 200 people.

International donors have pledged hundreds of millions of dollars in humanitarian aid to Lebanon.

But the aid is conditional on the formation of a new government prepared to spearhead reforms and the resumption of talks with the International Monetary Fund.

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The insurgents have captured much of northern, western and southern Afghanistan in a breakneck offensive less than three weeks before the U.S. is set to withdraw its last troops, raising fears of a full militant takeover or another Afghan civil war.

The Taliban captured all of Logar province, just south of the capital, Kabul, and detained local officials, said Hoda Ahmadi, a lawmaker from the province. She said the Taliban have reached the Char Asyab district, just 11 kilometers (7 miles) south of Kabul.

The insurgents also captured the capital of Paktika, bordering Pakistan, according to Khalid Asad, a lawmaker from the province. He said fighting broke out in Sharana early Saturday but ended after local elders intervened to negotiate a pullout. He said the governor and other officials surrendered and were on their way to Kabul.

The Taliban also took control of Maimana, the capital of northern Faryab province, said Fawzia Raoufi, a lawmaker from the province. Maimana had been under siege for a month, and Taliban fighters entered the city days ago. Security forces finally surrendered Saturday, she said.

Sayed Hussan Gerdezi, a lawmaker from the neighboring Paktia province, said the Taliban seized most of its local capital, Gardez, but that battles with government forces were still underway. The Taliban said they controlled the city.

The Taliban meanwhile attacked the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif from several directions, setting off heavy fighting on its outskirts, according to Munir Ahmad Farhad, a spokesman for the provincial governor.

The Taliban have made major advances in recent days, including capturing Herat and Kandahar, the country's second- and third-largest cities. They now control 20 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, leaving the Western-backed government with a smattering of provinces in the center and east, as well as Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani delivered a televised speech Saturday, his first public appearance since the recent Taliban gains. He vowed not to give up the ``achievements'' of the 20 years since the U.S. toppled the Taliban after the 9/11 attacks.

The U.S. has continued holding peace talks between the government and the Taliban in Qatar this week, and the international community has warned that a Taliban government brought about by force would be shunned. But the insurgents appear to have little interest in making concessions as they rack up victories on the battlefield.

``We have started consultations, inside the government with elders and political leaders, representatives of different levels of the community as well as our international allies,`` Ghani said. ``Soon the results will be shared with you,'' he added, without elaborating further.

The president had flown to Mazar-e-Sharif on Wednesday to rally the city's defenses, meeting with several militia commanders, including Abdul Rashid Dostum and Ata Mohammad Noor, who command thousands of fighters.

They remain allied with the government, but during previous rounds of fighting in Afghanistan, warlords have been known to switch sides for their own survival. Ismail Khan, a powerful former warlord who had tried to defend Herat, was captured by the Taliban when the insurgents seized the western city after two weeks of heavy fighting.

Tens of thousands of Afghans have fled their homes, with many fearing a return to the Taliban's oppressive rule. The group had previously governed Afghanistan under a harsh version of Islamic law in which women were forbidden to work or attend school, and could not leave their homes without a male relative accompanying them.

Salima Mazari, one of the few female district governors in the country, said she has never even considered surrendering.

``There will be no place for women,'' said Mazari, who governs a district of 36,000 people near Mazar-e-Sharif. ``In the provinces controlled by the Taliban, no women exist there anymore, not even in the cities. They are all imprisoned in their homes.''

The withdrawal of foreign troops and the swift collapse of Afghanistan's own forces _ despite hundreds of billions of dollars in U.S. aid over the years _ has raised fears the Taliban could return to power or that the country could be shattered by factional fighting, as it was after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989. It's also prompted many American and Afghan veterans of the conflict to question whether two decades of blood and treasure was worth it.

Afghans have been streaming into Kabul's international airport in recent days, desperate to fly out, even as more American troops have arrived to help partially evacuate the U.S. Embassy.

The first Marines from a contingent of 3,000 arrived Friday. The rest are expected by Sunday, and their deployment has raised questions about whether the administration will meet its Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline.

The U.S. Air Force has carried out several airstrikes to aid its Afghan allies on the ground but they appear to have done little to stem the Taliban's advance. A B-52 bomber and other warplanes traversed the country's airspace Saturday, flight-tracking data showed.

The Taliban meanwhile released a video announcing the takeover of the main radio station in the southern city of Kandahar, which fell to the insurgents earlier this week, renaming it the Voice of Sharia, or Islamic law.

In the video, an unnamed insurgent said all employees were present and would broadcast news, political analysis and recitations of the Quran, the Islamic holy book. It appears the station will no longer play music. It was not clear if the Taliban had purged the previous employees or allowed them to return to work.

The U.S. invaded shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks, which al-Qaida planned and carried out while being sheltered by Taliban. After rapidly ousting the Taliban, the U.S. shifted toward nation-building, hoping to create a modern Afghan state after decades of war and unrest.

Earlier this year, President Joe Biden announced a timeline for the withdrawal of all U.S. troops by the end of August, pledging to end America's longest war. His predecessor, President Donald Trump, had reached an agreement with the Taliban to pave the way for a U.S. pullout.

Biden's announcement set the latest offensive in motion. The Taliban, who have long controlled large parts of the Afghan countryside, moved quickly to seize provincial capitals, border crossings and other key infrastructure.

``The security situation in the city is getting worse,`` said Kawa Basharat, a resident in Mazar-e-Sharif. ``I want peace and stability; the fighting should be stopped.''

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July was the hottest month globally ever recorded, a US scientific agency said Friday, in the latest data to sound the alarm about the climate crisis.

"July is typically the world's warmest month of the year, but July 2021 outdid itself as the hottest July and month ever recorded," said Rick Spinrad, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

"This new record adds to the disturbing and disruptive path that climate change has set for the globe," Spinrad said in a statement citing data from the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).

NOAA said combined land and ocean-surface temperature was 1.67 degrees Fahrenheit (0.93 degrees Celsius) above the 20th-century average of 60.4 degrees Fahrenheit, making it the hottest July since record-keeping began 142 years ago.

The month was 0.02 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the previous record set in July 2016, which was equaled in 2019 and 2020.

However according to data released by the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, last month was the third warmest July on record globally.

Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist at the Breakthrough Institute, said it is not unusual for agencies to have small differences in data.

"The NOAA record has more limited coverage over the Arctic than other global temperature records, which tend to show July 2021 as the second (NASA) or third (Copernicus) warmest on record," Hausfather told AFP.

"But regardless of exactly where it ends up on the leaderboards, the warmth the world is experiencing this summer is a clear impact of climate change due to human emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases," he said.

"The extreme events we are seeing worldwide -- from record-shattering heat waves to extreme rainfall to raging wildfires -- are all long-predicted and well understood impacts of a warmer world," he said.

"They will continue to get more severe until the world cuts its emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases down to net-zero."

'Sobering' IPCC report

Last week, a UN climate science report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change provoked shock by saying the world is on course to reach 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming around 2030.

"Scientists from across the globe delivered the most up-to-date assessment of the ways in which the climate is changing," NOAA's Spinrad said.

"It is a sobering IPCC report that finds that human influence is, unequivocally, causing climate change, and it confirms the impacts are widespread and rapidly intensifying."

With only 1.1 degrees Celsius of warming so far, an unbroken cascade of deadly weather disasters bulked up by climate change has swept the world this summer, from asphalt-melting heatwaves in Canada, to rainstorms turning city streets in China and Germany into rivers, to untamable wildfires sweeping Greece and California.

NOAA said the land-surface only temperature for the Northern Hemisphere was the highest ever recorded for July -- 2.77 degrees Fahrenheit (1.54 degrees Celsius) above average, surpassing the previous record in 2012.

Asia had its hottest July ever, surpassing 2010, it said, while Europe had its second-hottest July, trailing only 2018.

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When global health officials created COVAX, a U.N.-backed effort to share coronavirus vaccines, it was supposed to guarantee the world's most vulnerable people could get doses without being at the mercy of unreliable donations.

It hasn't worked out that way. In late June, COVAX sent more than 530,000 doses to Britain - more than double the amount sent that month to Africa, where fewer than 2% of the population is immunized.

While poor countries joined COVAX to receive donated doses, higher-income countries were enticed to join as an insurance policy in case their private vaccine deals fell through. Most rich countries have declined to buy COVAX doses after acquiring enough shots through private deals. But some, including the U.K. and Canada, tapped into the initiative's meager supply even after reserving most of the world's coronavirus vaccines.

The result is that poorer countries have landed in exactly the predicament COVAX was intended to avoid: depending on the whims and politics of rich countries for donations.

If we had tried to withhold vaccines from parts of the world, could we have made it any worse than it is today? asked Dr. Bruce Aylward, a senior advisor at the World Health Organization, during a public session on vaccine equity.

The U.S. never got any doses through COVAX, although Saudi Arabia, Australia and New Zealand did. Canada got so much criticism for taking COVAX shipments that it said it would not request more. In the meantime, Venezuela has yet to receive any of its COVAX doses. Haiti has received less than half of its share, Syria about a 10th.

British officials confirmed the U.K. received about 539,000 COVAX vaccines in late June and that it has options to buy another 27 million. Both Britain and Canada noted that COVAX was also open to higher-income countries.

However, Brook Baker, a Northeastern University specialist in access to medicines, said it was unconscionable that rich countries would dip into COVAX supplies at a time when its biggest supplier, the Serum Institute of India, stopped exporting vaccines to deal with a surge of cases on the subcontinent. That left nearly 60 countries with few options. So far, the initiative has delivered less than 10% of the doses it promised.

COVAX is run by the World Health Organization, the vaccines alliance Gavi and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. The program is now trying to regain credibility by getting rich countries to distribute donated vaccines through its system, Baker said, adding that many donations are aimed at currying political favors.

With the exception of China, donations are coming in tiny fractions of what's been pledged, an Associated Press tally of vaccines promised and delivered has found. Dr. Christian Happi, of Nigeria's Redeemer's University, said donations from rich countries are completely unreliable, as they have already hoarded the global supply and are now moving on to inoculating children and planning booster shots.

We cannot just wait for them to come up with a solution, he said.

COVAX is well aware of the problem. During its last board meeting in June, officials conceded they had failed to achieve equitable distribution. But they decided against blocking rich countries from getting more vaccines, reasoning that without them, it would be difficult to secure deals with some manufacturers.

During a subsequent call with partners, Gavi CEO Dr. Seth Berkley said COVAX intended to honor the agreements it had made with rich countries but would ask them to adjust their allocated doses to request fewer vaccines, according to a meeting participant who spoke about the confidential call on condition of anonymity. Among the reasons Berkley cited was the potential risk to its balance sheet. In the last year, Britain alone has given more than $860 million to COVAX.

In response to an AP request for comment, Gavi said the initiative aims to deliver 2 billion doses by early 2022 and that the vast majority of the COVAX supply would go to developing countries.

Gavi said COVAX now has enough money and pledged donations to one day cover 30% of the population in the world's poorest countries. But it has made big promises before.

Back in January, COVAX said it had ``secured volumes'' totaling 640 million doses to deliver by July 2021. By last month, COVAX had only shipped 210 million doses.

With COVAX sidelined, vaccine donations have become a political contest. China has already exported 770 million doses and last week announced its own goal of sending 2 billion doses to needy countries by the end of the year _ exactly the same amount as COVAX's initial plan.

That's far ahead of the rest of the world, according to the AP tally. Britain has delivered just 4.7 million doses of 30 million pledged, and the European Union has given 7.1 million and another 55 million through COVAX contracts.

The U.S. has so far delivered 111 million doses, less than half of what was promised. Several U.S. lawmakers argued Wednesday that the government should seize the opportunity for diplomacy by more aggressively seeking credit for the doses it ships overseas.

We should have the American flag on every vial, Rep. Juan Vargas, a Democrat from California, said at a hearing on the state of the pandemic in the Middle East.

U.S. President Joe Biden, in announcing the U.S. donations, described the doses as a way to counter Russia and China influencing the world with vaccines.

The key to strengthening vaccine cooperation and building the Great Wall of immunization is to ensure equitable access, Wang Xiaolong of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said last week after China hosted a forum on fair vaccine distribution.

The COVAX board has agreed to go back to its basic assumptions about vaccinating the world before the end of the year. High on its list: An updated definition of fair and equitable access.

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On 9 August, the first batch of the US Johnson & Johnsons Janssen (JNJ.N) Covid-19 vaccine arrived in Cairo. The 261,600 doses received will be distributed between 126 vaccination centres, with priority given to people travelling abroad.Khaled Megahed, Ministry of Health spokesman, said the first batch of JNJ.N is the initial shipment of 20 million doses under a contract between Egypt and the African Export-Import Bank. This month Egypt will receive further shipments of the Oxford AstraZeneca, the Russian Sputnik and the Chinese Sinopharm vaccines via COVAX, a global agreement established by the Geneva-based GAVI vaccine alliance and the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the distribution of vaccines. This is in addition to local production of the Covid-19 Sinovac vaccine, said Megahed.The ministry has singled out 126 centres of the countrys 400 centres to vaccinate people who are travelling abroad. These centres will provide travellers with a printed copy of the vaccination certificate with QR codes, said Megahed. He added that travellers can register on the ministrys website http://egcovac.mohp.gov.eg and make an appointment for the vaccination within 72 hours.Five million of the 10 million citizens registered on the ministrys website have already been vaccinated.According to Megahed, Egypt will receive 148.2 million doses of coronavirus vaccines by the end of this month, sufficient to vaccinate 83.7 million people.Production of one million doses of the Sinovac vaccine has already begun at Egypts Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccines (VACSERA).VACSERA is scheduled to produce more than 200 million doses of the vaccine by the end of this year, enough to meet the governments target of vaccinating 40 million citizens and exporting the surplus.Health officials are currently examining the possibility of vaccinating children against the highly contagious Delta variant. The Health Ministrys Scientific Committee to Combat Coronavirus has identified children as particularly vulnerable to the Delta Plus virus. Vaccinating children aims to boost their immunity against the mutated specie. Vaccinations will be prioritised after the elderly and those with chronic disease have received their jabs, said Megahed.Taha Abdel-Hamid Awad, professor of chest diseases and allergies at the Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, says vaccines are particularly important for children. Recently there has been a spike in coronavirus infections among children, many of whom are asymptomatic. We need to urgently vaccinate children with chronic diseases such as diabetes, Mediterranean fever, and cancer, said Awad.The immunity system of children responds like adults, forming antibodies when they receive vaccines. The initial target group for vaccination are aged between 12 and 18, said Awad, who adds that a national awareness campaign to inform children and parents about the importance and benefits vaccination is urgently needed.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 12 August, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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On 5 August the cabinet announced that Hassaballah Al-Kafrawi, who served as housing minister from 1977 to 1993, had died. In 1976, prior to his cabinet appointment, El-Kafrawi seved as governor of Damietta.



It is with deep sorrow and sadness we announce that today we lost one of Egypts civil engineering symbols who had offered great services to the country in all the posts he assumed, read the cabinet statement.



Al-Kafrawi was born in the village of Kafr Suleiman in Damietta on 22 November 1930. After obtaining his bachelor degree in civil engineering from Alexandria University in 1950, Al-Kafrawi served as the chief engineer for irrigation projects in the Nile Delta city of Mansoura.



In 1957 he was selected as one of the engineers responsible for supervising construction works at the High Dam in Aswan.



Al-Kafrawis son Abdel-Aziz told Channel One TV on Saturday that within weeks of the end of the 1956 war my father was named one of the engineers asked to cooperate with their Russian counterparts to take charge of implementing the first construction works of the High Dam in Aswan.



Al-Kafrawi stayed in Aswan until the first stage of the High Dam was completed in 1964. During this period, he gained a lot of experience in implementing national mega development projects, said Abdel-Aziz.



In 1967 Al-Kafrawi was appointed manager of electricity projects in the three canal cities  Port Said, Suez, and Ismailia  that had been devastated during the war. This was a very difficult period for my father. It came after the 1967 war setback and Israeli bombing of the three cities, said Abdel-Aziz.



After the 1973 War, he was named as the chairman of the Executive Authority for Reconstruction Works at the Suez Canal zone. The experience late minister Al-Kafrawi gained during the period he served in the Suez Canal area between the two wars of 1967 and 1973 was the one which led late president Anwar Al-Sadat to appoint him chairman of the authority responsible for reconstructing the three cities of Port Said, Suez, and Ismailia, said Abdel-Aziz, adding that it is during this period  between 1973 and 1976  that my father got his big experience in reconstructing and building cities.



After serving as governor of Damietta Sadat named Al-Kafrawi as minister of housing and reconstruction. He replaced Othman Ahmed Othman, the founder of the Arab Contractors Company.



The first instructions Al-Kafrawi received as minister of housing was to build new industrial cities that could accommodate factories, create jobs and attract people from the densely populated Nile Valley.



During this period Egypt was facing a severe housing crisis and president Sadat wanted the ministry to build at least two million housing units in new communities, said Abdel-Aziz.



Al-Kafrawi changed the name of his ministry in 1978 to the Ministry of Reconstruction and New Communities to reflect this new role. He also established the Reconstruction and Housing Bank which became responsible for funding new housing.



In 1979 he began construction on 10 Ramadan city on the Cairo Ismailia desert road. It was set up both as a housing and industrial city, and now  42 years later  it is called the Citadel of Egyptian Industry, said his son.



10 Ramadan city comprises 3,000 factories with investments exceeding LE84 billion in value and is home to three million people.



Between 1977 and 1993, when he left the ministry, Al-Kafrawi was the main architect of a new generation of cities.



Al-Ahram political analyst Osama Al-Ghazali Harb said in an article published on Saturday that Al-Kafrawi should be described as the father of new cities.



He was the architect and builder of at least 17 new cities, among the most prominent of which are 10 Ramadan, 6 October, Sadat, New Damietta, New Salhiya, and Badr, said Al-Ghazali.



Poet Farouk Geweida, a close friend of Al-Kafrawi, said on Monday that Al-Kafrawi wanted Sadat city to be Egypts administrative capital instead of Cairo. When Sadat died in 1981, however, these ambitions were shelved and Sadat city became an industrial town. It is no secret that Sadat gave Al-Kafrawi many powers to fulfil his housing mandate and when Hosni Mubarak took office in 1981 he asked Al-Kafrawi to continue with his mega development projects, said Geweida. In 1982, following the Israeli withdrawal from Sinai, Al-Kafrawi began work on Al-Salam canal to reclaim 400,000 feddans and turn Sinai into a productive agricultural community.



Industrialist Mohamed Guindi, another close friend of Al-Kafrawi, recalled that, in 1982, the then Israeli minister of agriculture, and later prime minister, Ariel Sharon visited Egypt to discuss cooperation in cultivating Sinai. When Al-Kafrawi knew that Sharon wanted to rent land in Sinai he refused to meet with him, said Guindi.



Al-Kafrawis main achievement in the 1980s was to develop Egypts Mediterranean coast. Until the mid-1980s most of the coast was a desolate area inhabited by Bedouins and shepherds, said Harb. Al-Kafrawi proposed to Mubarak that the Ministry of Housing and Reconstruction begin building a number of tourist resorts stretching from Alexandria until Marsa Matrouh.



He began with the construction of Marakia tourist village. It was a success, and quickly followed with other developments.



My father was particularly proud that not only he was the father of a new generation of new cities, but of a generation of engineers and architects who are now cabinet ministers and high-ranking officials responsible for implementing mega-development projects across Egypt, including the New Administrative Capital, said Abdel-Aziz.



He used to call them my students and they include current Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli, and the current Minister of Housing Assem Al-Gazzar.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 12 August, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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In a speech delivered last week during the inauguration of Silo Foods, a new food industrial complex in Menoufiya, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi pointed to the anomaly of 20 loaves of subsidised bread costing the same as one cigarette.

He said the price of subsidised bread would increase, and though he did not specify an amount he said the increase would not be large. The actual cost price per loaf, which retails at five piastres, is 60 to 65 piastres, said the president.



Economist Hani Tawfik argues that the decision to raise the price of bread is long overdue, and had been shirked by previous presidents.



It is a courageous decision because [Al-Sisi] knows it will lower his popularity, said Tawfik.



Raising the price of bread is a sensitive subject. The decision to reduce the subsidy in 1977 triggered protests nationwide. In August 2017, the government deregulated the price of flour and diesel fuel for bakeries as part of its new subsidy programme.

Under the new system, the Ministry of Supply sells wheat to mills for LE 4,000 ($256) a ton and the mills sell the flour they produce to bakeries at LE 4,700 ($300) a ton. The prices are subject to review every three months.



Per capita wheat consumption in Egypt is about 180kg, compared to the international average of 85kg per person, and since the introduction of electronic subsidy cards in April 2014 people entitled to the smart cards have been able to buy bread at five piastres ($0.0032) per loaf.



Former Minister of Supply Gouda Abdel Khalek told Al-Ahram Weekly that the budgetary allocation for bread subsidies, which amounts to EGP 48 billion ($3 billion), is a drop in the ocean when it comes to the overall national budget of EGP 1.8 trillion ($115 billion). To eliminate bread subsidies entirely would have a terrible impact on poor families, he said, and even raising the price of subsidised bread is a source of political anxiety.



More than 65 million Egyptians benefit from the governments social protection programmes, one of which allocates five loaves of bread per day to eligible citizens. Subsidy card holders who do not use their daily entitlement of five loaves per person since 2014 receive 10 piastres for every loaf they do not purchase. They can use this amount, called bread points, to purchase other subsidised goods in excess of the set quotas.



The Ministry of Supply had earlier proposed reducing the daily subsidised bread entitlement to four loaves and increasing bread points to 20 piastres in an attempt to save on the hard currency used for importing wheat.



According to the Ministry of Supply, subsidised bread consumption ranges from 2.5 to 3.8 loaves per person per day. A report released by the ministry proposed directing the additional points to purchases of other food products, such as rice and macaroni, in the hope that promoting alternatives to bread would change consumer patterns and reduce bread consumption.



Currently, more than 120 billion subsidised loaves are distributed annually. According to the Ministry of Finance, 3.7 per cent of the beneficiaries from the subsidy programme use their entitlements, while 26.3 per cent opt to replace bread with other goods they can obtain with their smart cards.



Heba Al-Leithi, a consultant with the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS), told the Weekly that the government should first screen subsidy lists to identify the neediest families. Then, when it raises prices, it should exempt these families. Because bread is so important to the poor, she said, the government should consider subsidy cards exclusively for bread and then introduce a full or partial entitlement system based on the needs of eligible families.



Al-Leithi notes that the bread subsidy level has been reduced in recent years via successive reductions in the weight of a loaf. In August last year the government reduced the weight of an individual loaf from 110 to 90 grams in response to the rising cost of wheat.



It would have been better, she argues, to sharpen the focus on the neediest by introducing a system of full or partial support, or by offering them cash subsidies.



The CAPMAS consultant is concerned that a price hike will alter food consumption habits in potentially harmful ways and fears the poor will be forced to reduce consumption of high protein foods, fruits and vegetables.



The cost of bread should remain stable for the poorest families, she said.



Former supply minister Gouda Abdel-Khalek argues the government should save resources by lifting hidden subsidies for the rich, such as those offered to local automobile manufacturers who are entitled to lower custom duties on imported automobile parts. Given custom duties on fully manufactured imported vehicles can reach 100 per cent, domestic car assemblers are in a position to make huge profits. Abdel-Khalek also points out that even a small levy on capital gains from stock market transactions would cover the cost of subsidising bread many times over.



Tawfik counsels prudence and a clearer focus on the neediest. This decision should not be implemented until after the completion of the database of the poor who are entitled to subsidies. Once the database is in place, he says, in-kind subsidies can be replaced by cash subsidies. Around 30 per cent of the population lives below the poverty threshold and exposing them to more pressures is extremely dangerous and holds political risks for the regime.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 12 August, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Everyone has the right to healthy, safe, and affordable shelter, which includes all basic services and facilities while allowing them freedom of choice without discrimination and ensuring the legal right to own their housing or be tenants without the threat of expulsion or forced eviction, said Nafisa Hashem, first undersecretary and head of the Housing and Utilities Department at the Ministry of Housing, during the online launch of the first National Housing Strategy for Egypt on Monday.

The unveiling of the strategy coincided with World Habitat Day, this year held under the slogan of Housing for All: A Better Urban Future.

The vision of the Ministry of Housing focused on enabling every citizen to exercise his or her right to live in a safe environment fully equipped with infrastructure and connected to employment opportunities and adequate services, with the state taking on the responsibility to provide a minimum standard of decent housing for all citizens, particularly low-income groups, those speaking at the launch webinar said.

The webinar cast light on the ministrys action plan for housing, which focuses on subsidised housing for low-income families, support for middle-class families, and making housing available for high-income segments of the population.

The new Housing Strategy is designed to clarify the national vision for the housing sector, raise the efficiency of achieving its objectives, provide a vehicle for linking and integrating its policies with other sectors, and enable all the parties to develop long-term plans that raise their efficiency and performance.

The strategy also aims to mark a shift from house construction alone to a larger concept of integrated urban development, emphasising the core role housing plays in achieving development, stimulating the economy, reducing poverty, and enhancing social inclusion, as those in the webinar explained.

Hashem pointed to several challenges that needed to be addressed in implementing the new Housing Strategy, including an unbalanced distribution of housing units, the reluctance of private capital to invest in rented housing and the increased emphasis on ownership, closed and vacant units, and rent controls for the privately rented housing stock.

The issue of housing has been an intractable one over recent years, with the new strategy noting that the high rate of population growth, the increase in migration from rural areas to cities, and the directing of available public funds to support the construction of new housing units have made it difficult to cope with the increase in population in urban areas.

It added that these factors and others had led to the emergence of informal areas in many cities and the growth of informal housing since the mid-1970s.

The new Housing Strategy was prepared by the Housing and Utilities Department at the Ministry of Housing, utilities and urban communities in cooperation with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme.

The need for developing new housing strategies in Egypt and worldwide has been prompted by the global increase in urbanisation rates and the consequent increase in demand for housing and basic urban services, especially as the population of informal and poorer areas in the world has increased from 725 million in 2000 to an estimated 889 million in 2020.

This increase has widened the gap between social groups and raised the vulnerability and deprivation of the poor.

The issue of adequate housing has topped international development agendas as a result, in particular the New Urban Agenda and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Goal 11 to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, and to upgrade slums by 2030.

In 2013, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme issued a Global Housing Strategy to assist member states in promoting the right to adequate housing. The Council of Arab Ministers of Housing and Reconstruction at its 30th session in December 2013 then decided to prepare an Arab Strategy for Housing and Sustainable Urban Development.

The Secretariat of the Arab League has assigned great importance to the development of strategies and programmes to achieve sustainable development in the Arab countries, including of housing, with the technical support of the UN Human Settlements Programme. It endorsed the strategy in 2016.

Egypt adopted the overall direction of the Global and Arab Housing Strategies by drawing up a roadmap towards achieving the goal of adequate housing for all. Before its development, the Ministry of Housing, with the participation of consultants, developed a Reference Document for Housing Strategies and Policies in 2013.

In 2014, the ministry prepared tools to monitor the current situation of housing in the country, ongoing programmes for housing, and other data related to the sector.

In cooperation with house builders and other stakeholders, as well as the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS), and after workshops and discussions with housing experts, UN-Habitat in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing launched the Egypt Housing Profile in 2016.

This included an analysis of the housing sector in the country and focused on affordable housing polices, programmes, and projects. The profile is the core of Egypts new Housing Strategy and aims to provide the necessary support for comprehensive discussion and real understanding of the sector with a view to the effective direction of the new strategy.

Based on the profile and various international human-rights agreements and treaties, Egypt issued its new Housing Strategy this week, bringing together sectoral visions, Egypts 2030 Vision, and urban and economic development plans to enhance the relationships between housing and other development and service sectors and reinforce effectiveness and efficiency.

This strategy has become more pressing in the light of the spread of the global Covid-19 pandemic, which once again has stressed the importance of the right to adequate housing that is healthy and safe for all.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 8 October, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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The government is establishing integrated industrial complexes nationwide in an effort to meet local demand for various industrial goods.

The complexes are not only meant as units serving specific industrial activities, but will also be the centres of an integrated system providing the environment and infrastructure necessary for a strong industrial sector.

Last week, the first phase of Silo Foods, a food industries complex built and operated by the Armed Forces-affiliated National Service Projects Organisation in Menoufiya governorate, was inaugurated and will provide 13 million Egyptian students with daily school meals.

The first phase of the complex covers 102 feddans of land out of a total planned area of 135 feddans and comprises 10 factories producing 40 food products, including flour, pasta, biscuits and chocolate, baked items, juice, and milk.

From its side, the Ministry of Trade and Industrys Industrial Development Authority (IDA) is establishing 17 industrial complexes in 15 governorates at a total cost of LE10 billion.

According to Minister of Trade and Industry Nevine Gamea, they will include 5,046 industrial units and provide 48,000 direct job opportunities.

They are equipped with administrative buildings, training centres, service and logistics facilities, and bank branches to link them to integrated production chains, she said, adding that the ministry had been working to facilitate procedures and remove any obstacles facing investors.

Four other complexes are now fully operational, Gamea said. The first is in Sadat city in Menoufiya and has 296 units, each ranging between 300 and 720 square metres in size. Some 277 units have been allocated for pharmaceutical, engineering, and food production.

The second is in Port Said and has 118 units, each ranging between 300 and 840 square metres in size. 117 units have been allocated to various activities, including chemicals, engineering, food, and spinning and weaving.

The third complex is in Badr City and is equipped with 87 units, each ranging between 680 and 1,360 square metres in size. The complex has been allocated for the food, engineering, and chemical industries.

The fourth, called Morghan, is in Alexandria and has 238 units working on plastic production.

The ministry has planned seven complexes, with a total of 1,657 units in the governorates of Alexandria, the Red Sea, Gharbiya, Beni Sweif, Minya, Sohag and Luxor, Gamea said in October last year. Unit areas range from 48 to 792 square metres.

The complexes include industries such as plastics, food, engineering, chemicals, building materials, furniture and garments and are meant to localise new and technologically-advanced industries, she said.

Gamea travelled to Qena and Luxor this week to inspect the complexes dedicated to small and medium-sized industries in Howa, Qena, and Luxors Baghdadi area. The Howa complex has been completed, she said, and comprises 420 industrial units. It will soon be offered to investors with a view to beginning production.

The Baghdadi complex in Luxor has also been completed and will be dedicated to activities such as food, engineering, chemicals, ready-made garments, furniture, and building materials at a total cost of LE816 million.

The complex will provide 5,700 job opportunities and has 206 units.

Gamea said that opportunities in the complex were offered to investors in October 2020. Some units were allocated, and others are being allocated at present.

Mohamed Al-Zallat, head of the IDA, said it was following up on the progress of the industrial complexes countrywide in order to produce an appropriate climate for investors and facilitate procedures, especially for small investors and entrepreneurs.

The IDA helps investors through the allocation process and licensing procedures and backs them in their operations, Al-Zallat said, adding that it also works with the relevant state authorities to support investment and localise production.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 12 August, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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No diplomats are crowding the rooftop of the US Embassy in Kabul to evacuate the city by helicopter, as was the case during the Fall of Saigon in 1975. The total withdrawal of US troops, expected to end by the 20th anniversary of the 11 September, 2001 attacks in New York and Washington, has been handy and orderly, accompanied by vague, rather meaningless pledges by US President Joe Biden that the United States will not abandon Afghanistan.

The reality on the ground is that in just four days since the beginning of this week, Taliban fighters have seized five provincial capitals across the north and one in the southwest, and continue to press on in their brutal offensive. Such sweeping victories have further stoked fears that the insurgents could envelop Kabul, and restore the Islamic Emirate they once lost after US forces easily advanced to occupy Afghanistan in late 2001.

On Monday, the Taliban seized another northern city, Aybak, the capital of Samangan Province, after brief clashes with government troops. In the neighboring province, despite pledges to begin operations to retake Kunduz, Afghan troops still reeling from the weekends assault had not carried out any form of a counterattack on the city by nightfall. And security forces evacuated from another northern province, Sar-i-Pul, had effectively ceded it to the Taliban who had seized its capital on Sunday.

For his part Afghan President Ashraf Ghani refused to acknowledge these defeats, and instead blamed Bidens administration for abandoning his country and refusing to provide air cover to deter Taliban troops advancing on Kunduz.

Meanwhile, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, has left for Qatari capital Doha to urge the Taliban leaders to stop the offensive. Ambassador Khalilzad will be in Doha to help formulate a joint international response to the rapidly deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, the US State Department said in a statement. The US diplomat will press the Taliban to stop their military offensive and negotiate a political settlement, which is the only path to stability and development in Afghanistan, it added.

The Taliban attacks on provincial capitals violate the 2020 peace deal between the Taliban and the United States, which Khalilzad had negotiated and signed in Doha. Under that deal, which precipitated the American withdrawal from the country, the Taliban committed to not attacking provincial centers like Kunduz.

Experts on Afghanistan noted that over the past decade, the Taliban have courted fighters from Afghanistans northern neighbours, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, to lay the groundwork for their current military campaign. They found scores of eager recruits among people who were unhappy with the presence of foreign forces and who despised Afghan leaders, especially those of the Northern Alliance, for corruption and cooperation with the American occupation.

With the capture of five northern cities in just four days, and more than half of Afghanistans 400-odd districts since May, that recruitment strategy appears to have paid off. Now experts warn that if the insurgents are able to conquer the north, squashing the countrys best hope for a grass- completely roots resistance strong enough to take on the Taliban, the country could fall to them hands.

As the insurgents captured those cities, releasing hundreds of inmates from prisons, hoisting their flag over town squares and sending victorious fighters surging through their streets, they have set off mass panic. Thousands of northern residents have fled their homes, fearing life under Taliban rule or a return of brutal urban combat if government security forces try to retake the cities.

The lack of a counteroffensive underscores the highly tenuous position of the Afghan government in the face of the insurgent groups rapid advance into urban centers. Resupply lines to government forces are severed, and the cities and districts still under government control, long considered islands under threat, are even more cut off and isolated.

US airstrikes in support of the Afghan forces have been muted and prominently concentrated away from the north. On Sunday, as Afghan troops reeled from their defeats, it was clear that the United States was not coming to their rescue.

The Talibans military victories have also not moved Biden to reassess his decision to end the US combat mission by the end of the month, senior administration officials told The New York Times on Sunday. But the violence shows just how difficult it will be for Biden to end 20 years of war while insisting that the US has not lost the war in Afghanistan.

In a speech defending the US withdrawal last month, Biden said the United States had done more than enough to empower the Afghan police and military to secure the future of their people.

Declaring that the United States had accomplished its mission of denying terrorists a safe haven in Afghanistan long ago, he said in April that all American troops will leave the country by 11 September. That aAugust, by which time the White House has said all military operations against the Taliban will have ceased. Troops from NATO countries too have now withdrawn.

Biden conceded that after nearly 20 years of war, Americas longest on foreign soil, it was clear the US military could not transform Afghanistan into a modern, stable democracy. As in Somalia before, decision makers in Washington have obviously concluded that Afghanistan will always remain a failed state where nothing could be done to save the country or keep it united.

The extreme poverty in many of Afghanistans regions, the dominance of tribal and ethnic allegiances over any sense of Afghan nationalism and the widespread influence of extremist Islamist ideology are all factors that are likely to keep the country divided for many years to come.

Women, secular Afghan artists, professors and Western-tied non-governmental organisations working on development projects in different parts of the country are also expected to face a dire future as Taliban fighters advance to take over more cities. Other regional powers, such as Iran, Turkey and Russia are also expected to play an influential part in Afghanistans future and benefit from its resources or trade routes.

Leon E Panetta, who served as defense secretary under former US President Barack Obama, said he was surprised not to see more air support from the US military for the Afghan troops they trained for years, but he did not hold out hope that the situation would improve much even with the help of American forces. Lets face it. The most you can hope for now is some kind of stalemate between Afghan forces and Taliban fighters, he said in an interview.

For nearly two decades, the United States and NATO have engaged in the nation-building pursuit of training, expanding and equipping Afghanistans police, army and air forces, spending tens of billions of dollars in an attempt to build government forces that can safeguard their own country.

However, US officials are describing a bleak result: Despite this enormous effort, the undertaking has produced only a troubled set of forces that are woefully unprepared for facing the Taliban, or any other threat, on their own. In the months that followed, it became apparent that the Afghan forces deployed across the country could not stop the Taliban offensive.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 12 August, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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The radical and sudden changes imposed by Tunisian President Kais Saied last month that included the firing of the countrys prime minister and the suspension of parliament have affected the Islamist political party Ennahda the most, notably because it was the main political force in the Tunisian parliament.

Now suspended from power, the party faces popular anger, as well as the disappointment of its supporters and of some of its leaders. With public rejection, internal conflicts, and concerns over the behaviour of party leader Rachid Ghannouchi, who is doing everything in his power to remain at its head, the party is weakening by the day and may be close to disintegration.

While Ennahda has been trying to gather its strength and calm things down by calling for a national dialogue in Tunisia to end the crisis, a lobbying contract it signed with the US public-relations agency Burson Cohn & Wolfe has surfaced, making its mission to regain popular trust even more complicated.

According to reports, the party is using such lobbying in a bid to sway public opinion against Saieds recent decisions, targeting particularly decision-makers and the media in the United States. The party is looking for US support and a revamped communications strategy in order to manage what is turning into a difficult period for it and to put the president in a bad light.

Receiving foreign funding by political parties is prohibited by Tunisian law, and the apparent willingness of Ennahda to pay a US agency to intervene in Tunisian politics has led the countrys judiciary to open an investigation into the matter.

Spokesperson of the Tunisian Court of First Instance Mohsen Dali said in a statement to the Tunisian TAP news agency that the public prosecutor was collecting data on the lobbying contract and would either open a new case as a result or add the new contract to an already existing case regarding lobbying contracts concluded by Ennahda before the Tunisian legislative elections in 2019.

In a statement, Ennahda said that no contract had been signed with any agency abroad either through its legal representatives or through its leaders. It said that it had not made any financial transfers abroad or received funds from outside Tunisia.

Ennahda is proceeding with normalising its violation of the laws regulating the work of political parties in Tunisia in order to achieve its agenda, ignoring all the legal consequences and resulting actions that could reach the point of the dissolution of the party, said Sghaier Hidri, a Tunisian political expert.

It is not the first time that Ennahda has resorted to such illegal practices. In the 2019 elections, as revealed by a Court of Auditors report, the party also concluded a contract with an US public-relations company, and the Tunisian judiciary recently opened an investigation into this matter.

These violations could lead to the dissolution of the Islamist movement, especially in the light of the liberation of the judiciary from political pressures, he added.

However, for many the lobbying contracts and the controversies surrounding them seem to be just part of growing concerns about a party that was once powerful enough to control the judiciary.

Under the pressure of changes resulting from the presidential announcements, the party that for decades presented itself as unbreakable even when in exile has found itself internally weakened by cracks that threaten its very existence.

Ghannouchi, long the public face of the Islamist movement in Tunisia, is today at the centre of such criticisms, except that it is not his political opponents this time round who are attacking him, but his own followers.

The 80-year-old is being blamed for the fall of the government, the seizure of power by Saied, and the anger of the Tunisian people.

More than 100 Ennahda youth members, including MPs and members of the countrys Shura Council, the upper house of parliament, have sent a letter to party leaders calling for the immediate dissolution of its executive office.

They have also demanded the creation of a crisis unit, expressing their support for the decisions of the president, who responded to the demands of a large section of Tunisian society.

Their call, however, was ignored by the partys leaders, who decided that Ghannouchi should remain at the head of the party. This announcement was rejected by several members, who then walked out of a party meeting.

Key Ennahda figure Lotfi Zitoun, who resigned last November, has voiced harsh criticisms of the party, saying that it could not read the signs, had been wrong in its assessments, and had not listened to the Tunisian people.

In 2019, I advised Ennahda to leave power. Eight years were enough. But no one listened to me, and this is where these three more years have led, Zitoun told the Tunisian Mosaique FM radio station, echoing others who have chosen silence in the face of the leadership of Ghannouchi.

The current conflicts within Ennahda reflect concerns that Ghannouchi has been leading the party towards disintegration as a result of his authoritarian leadership style.

However, these conflicts may also be manoeuvres to put Ennahda in a different light in order to calm things down with its opponents. The next few days will tell us more about the fate of this once unbreakable political party, Hidri concluded.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 12 August, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Since its discovery in 1954 inside a sealed pit located at the southern side of the Great Pyramid on the Giza Plateau, its hull made up of 1,224 intact pieces of cedar wood, the royal boat of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu has always sparked fascination worldwide.It is a masterpiece of the ancient craft of shipbuilding, and its discovery helped scholars to gain a better understanding of boat construction in ancient times. The boat occupied the headlines of papers worldwide as it was reassembled and put on display in a museum specially built to showcase it on the Giza Plateau.The boat and its museum were landmarks of the plateau until late last week when the boat made its last voyage, not to eternity but to its permanent exhibition at the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM).The area surrounding the Giza Plateau and the GEM were closed to vehicles, while pedestrians and inhabitants of the neighbouring residential area tried to catch a glimpse of Khufus boat as it crossed the streets during its last voyage from the plateau to the GEM.Mounted on a smart, remote-controlled vehicle, especially brought from Belgium for the task, the boat began its 7km journey. Nothing could be seen of it, as it was carefully and scientifically wrapped and packed inside a large black box decorated with a Khufu boat-shaped maquette.Some 48 hours later, the boat had safely terminated its journey to the GEM. It took us more than eight months of studying, planning, preparing and hard work to successfully execute one of the most important, challenging, and unique engineering and archaeological projects, Al-Tayeb Abbas, assistant to the minister of tourism and antiquities for archaeological affairs at GEM, told Al-Ahram Weekly.

The dream finally came true, he said, adding that the transport of Khufus first boat aims to preserve the biggest, oldest, and most valuable organic monument in human history and to exhibit it in a building dedicated to the two boats of Khufu at the GEM.



The 4,600-year-old boat was originally on display in a museum bearing its name at the location where it was originally discovered at the southern side of the Great Pyramid.



This museum marred the aesthetics of the Great Pyramid, however, the only surviving Wonder of the Ancient World. It was also not equipped with the necessary technological equipment to house and display this magnificent artefact.



With the development of museological techniques and the necessity to preserve the boat for future generations, the decision to transport the boat was taken.

Atef Moftah, supervisor-general of the GEM, said that many ideas had been suggested and studies proposed to transport Khufus first boat from its place on the Giza Plateau to the GEM. But at first it was thought that this would be more dangerous than keeping it in its original location, because the ideas were focused on dismantling, moving and reassembling the boat in its new location at the GEM.This was considered almost impossible engineering-wise, he pointed out.The idea of transporting the boat, which is 42 metres long and weighs 20 tons, in one piece was then considered, in much the same way as the statue of Ramses II had been transported from Ramses Square in Cairo to the GEM.After the approval of the Permanent Committee of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) in accordance with the antiquities protection law, said Mustafa Waziri, secretary-general of the SCA, preparations for the transportation of Khufus first boat began.In August 2020, the boats old museum on the Giza Plateau was closed. Archaeological and engineering committees in collaboration with local and international scientific institutions took more than eight months to prepare the boat for its final departure.Protecting the boat and not exposing it to any risk during the transportation process was the top priority, Waziri said.The new building at the GEM is equipped with the latest scientific and exhibition technology, in addition to high-tech monitoring and measurement devices to preserve this important and unique organic monument, he added.

The first boat is now in place at the Khufu Boats Museum at the GEM, waiting for the arrival of its twin.



The wooden beams and parts of this were unearthed from the original pit on the Giza Plateau and taken to the GEM for restoration and reconstruction in collaboration with a Japanese archaeological mission funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Before the transportation process, a radar survey was conducted to detect the rocky ground under the old boat museum on the Giza Plateau, as well as of the road on the eastern side to ensure its ability to withstand the weight and metal tensioners used for the transportation.A team of skilled restorers from the Conservation Centre of the GEM and the SCA carried out laser scans of the boat and professionally packed it for transportation.Eissa Zidan, director of the conservation and transportation of artefacts at the GEM, told the Weekly that the boat was scientifically examined and a detailed report on its conservation condition was prepared. The body of the boat was mechanically cleaned and sterilised. Fragile areas were consolidated and cracks repaired, he said.The boat was then wrapped with special paper and foam and then inserted inside a metal cage and surrounded with a special padded frame fixed to the cage in order to prevent any movement during transportation. Monitoring devices were installed to monitor minute by minute the temperature and humidity within the boat as well as the vibration during transportation.Moftah said the metal cage had been specially designed and manufactured to surround the boat to transport it in one piece. Metal anchors and scaffolding were installed outside and inside the old museum building for consolidation, he said.The process of moving the boat out from its old location was challenging, he added. But the committee from the GEM and the SCA, along with experts and engineers from consulting offices and the Faculty of Engineering at Cairo University, had succeeded in solving any problems, and plans were developed to consolidate the boat and the old museum building.Finally, smart, remote-controlled vehicles were brought from abroad to transport the boat. These were able to overcome any obstacles along the route and manoeuvre in curves and spins as well as absorb any vibration.The smart vehicles successfully proved their ability to execute their task during simulations, taking the same trip loaded with weights simulating that of Khufus boat.After months of work, Abbas said, the transportation of the boat was completed successfully, highlighting a journey that some thought it would be almost impossible to achieve.The whole world will now be able to view the boat in its new permanent exhibition at the GEM after its opening, he said, showing that the modern Egyptians are able to prove, in every challenge they face, that they are capable of achievements like those of their great ancestors.Khufus boat is the largest ancient royal vessel ever found in Egypt and one of the oldest planked vessels in the world. It was built for king Khufu, the second Pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty of Egypts Old Kingdom.Once all the pieces were uncovered after its initial discovery, the boat had to be assembled. Ahmed Youssef Mustafa (now Haj Ahmed Youssef), then chief restorer of the Department of Antiquities, was responsible for the boats reassembly and reconstruction.In order to do so, he had to undertake meticulous study. He studied drawings on ancient Egyptian walls and tombs as well as the construction techniques of modern boats used on the Nile. Based on his research, Youssef took almost 14 years to solve the puzzle, and piece by piece he succeeded in reconstructing the boat.The discovery of the boat created a scientific debate among scholars, as some Egyptologists saw it as a solar barque, a boat to carry the dead king of Egypt, resurrected and floating with the Sun god Re on his eternal journey across the sky.Others proposed that it was a pilgrimage boat used by king Khufu during his lifetime, however. Archaeologists who investigated the boats remains also found evidence of rope markings, clearly showing that the boat had indeed been used in water.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 12 August, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Over the last century, literature and film have portrayed a series of housing crises in Egypt of one sort or another. Images of overcrowded rooms, crumbling housing, and unpainted redbrick and concrete towers carpeting once fertile land match regular news reports capturing a housing problem, housing and urban-policy expert Yahia Shawkat writes in his recent book Egypts Housing Crisis: The Shaping of Urban Space.



This is the bottom line of the argument that this researcher is trying to make: Egypt has a serious housing problem that has been getting worse over the decades and has been causing serious damage to the countrys urban fabric.



Shawkat also acknowledges the basic fact that in Egypt housing is a major social and political issue and that housing policy has been a top agenda issue for almost every government over the past eight decades.



In the 1940s, the then government decided to work on increasing housing capacity in order to cope with a fast-growing population. The original plan was to do this in an orderly manner that would not inflict harm on Egypts fertile agrarian land. However, by the 1970s it had become clear that the expansion had not been enough to accommodate the increasing demand and that it had not been orderly or undamaging to rural areas.



Today, Shawkat notes that Egypt is perhaps the world leader in per capita housing production, with building at almost double Chinas rate and housing units counted in the millions. However, his book also notes that the problem of housing and its negative impact on urban space persists.



The reason for this problem and for the failure to see it resolved relates not just to the growing population, however. Nor does it only relate to the many social and political changes that the country has gone through during the past 80 years. Instead, Shawkat says, the problem is related to all these aspects and to economic policies adopted without sufficient consideration being given to their impact on this problem.



Neoliberal policies, corruption, and bad planning are the culprits for the housing problem, he says, perhaps more than the growing population that has been more often than not blamed by successive governments for a range of problems including that of housing.



Going through volumes of official statements and policy papers, Shawkat examines the long story of the housing crisis in Egypt and approaches it in its rural and urban aspects. Today, he says, there are millions of mostly poor but also middle-income families living in precarious legal and physical conditions.



He recalls that in the 1940s a significant part of the rural population lived in privately built houses in izbas (hamlets). Those who were not housed within these hamlets had to build their own houses, mostly of mud-brick and stone.



In the city, people either lived in houses that they had built or bought, or in apartments that were made available, mostly for rent, by the government or private sector. But if you wanted to live in the city and were not a regularly employed worker or government employee or affluent enough to build or rent in the new districts, your only option was to self-build, Shawkat says, perhaps settling for a courtyard house (hoash) or shack (isha).



Despite all these forms of housing, many of them were inadequate. Homes were overcrowded. Workers accommodation on rural and industrial estates came with surveillance and coercion  and proper accommodation was simply out of reach for many, Shawkat writes. World War II then made things even more challenging, he adds.



He quotes Mahmoud Riad, a prominent architect of the time, on the housing problem in 1945. Two years later in Imbaba in Cairo, the state introduced one of the earliest public-housing estates with the first formulation of rent-control measures, he notes.



In the 1950s, after the socialist republic replaced the colonial-era monarchy in 1952 there was a boom in government-built housing. Meanwhile, decolonisation along with mass migration in the 1950s and 1960s fundamentally reshaped housing in Egypt.



Throughout the 1960s, existing housing was no match for the increase in urban residents. This coincided with the abolition of hamlets, the sequestration of the estates of large land-holders, and the nationalisation of industry.



A new speculative building spree saw a high incidence of the demolition of buildings in good condition to build ones that were larger and more profitable, Shawkat writes.



THE 1970S AND BEYOND

For about a decade, the government and private sector built no more than one third of urban-housing provision.



Then in the mid-1970s, the state opted for the Infitah (open door) economic policy during which the government promised to eradicate once and for all the housing problem in Egypt.



In 1979, a government policy paper on the housing crisis presented plans to build new cities outside Cairo. However, the situation still got worse, not just due to insufficient units, but also to the declining availability of rented apartments as the market was becoming geared towards owing apartments or houses with the inflow of cash from the oil-rich countries.



With government housing being expensive and being built in remote areas  and private housing out of reach  the marginalised poor would largely rely on self-build and through moving their constructions out of the cities, Shawkat writes.



The situation continued to deteriorate into the 1980s. The new president, Hosni Mubarak, promised to find a solution, but as Shawkats book notes, during his 30 years in office Mubarak was not able to resolve a problem that had also challenged his predecessors.



The 1986 census showed the beginning of what would be the inexorable erosion of renters in Egypt. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, tamlik or private ownership was almost the norm, and petrodollars were there to help. In urban Egypt, home purchases almost doubled in the 1976-1986 period to nearly four per cent of households, and doubled again to eight per cent by 1996, Shawkat writes.



In 1998, the government passed a new mortgage law, and a few years down the road rent-control policies were abolished in favour of liberalised rents. But the problem of housing in general was not resolved, and it seemed to be getting worse.



Calls for greater social justice brought in hopes of a fair settlement to the housing problem that had been increasingly affecting the poor also middle-income families. But the answers to these calls were still hard to find. Shawkat quotes Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli saying in 2017 that there would be a major breakthrough in the housing problem within four years, for example.



That same year, the census indicated that government housing production had seen the biggest decade-on-decade increase, Shawkat notes. This was not only about post-2014 housing policy, but was also a result of a policy initiated in 2005 when the state decided to increase the building of housing units in the informal sector.



Shawkats book also examines the increase in self-built housing, prompted in many cases by the sheer accessibility and autonomy of building ones own house and by the fact that an irregular income means that incremental building is the most adequate way to acquire a home  one builds as conditions allow.



Ultimately, it is cheaper to self-build than to buy, he says, though the problem can be that self-built houses at times end up as informal buildings that can lack services as basic as water and sewerage. They can also be threatened by demolition, and they are not always aesthetically pleasing.



On many occasions, the state has adopted regulations to put a freeze on the construction of self-built homes or to order their demolition. On other occasions, these buildings have been tolerated by the state, sometimes to compensate for political or economic disappointments.



The earthquake that hit Egypt in October 1992 and caused the collapse of a few thousand buildings also raised questions about many self-built houses, especially those around big cities in ashwaeiat (informal areas) in the 1990s. Upgrades were promised, though the work was not always licensed. By the time for the 25 January Revolution in 2011, the issue was still unresolved, as was the rest of the housing problem.



Shawkat notes that at the same that Madbouli was promising an end to the housing problem in 2017, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi ordered the removal of all transgressions on state-owned land. A committee was formed to take back land illegally taken over by individuals to build houses on in what was seen as a reversal of the off-and-on state de facto tolerance of informal self-building.



THE SITUATION TODAY

As Shawkats book shows, the path towards dealing with decades of informal self-building has not been easy.



There has also been a shift from the socialist rent controls that prevailed from 1952 until the death of former president Gamal Abdel-Nasser in 1970 to the khiliw system of key money and then by the growth of private ownership rather than renting.



The failure of the state to step in with realistic answers to the shortage of rented housing has challenged many families and caused the significant disrepair of many apartment buildings because of neglect by landlords irritated at imposed rent controls.



Eventually, rent control was being circumvented altogether, Shawkat notes, with some rents going up by 20 per cent, according to a 2008 study.



Finally, Shawkats book does not only offer a detailed and thoroughly referenced history of housing policies in Egypt since their introduction in the 1940s, but it also gives a thorough mapping of many elements of the housing problem, especially those related to affordability and finance.



The book contains a plea for prompt treatment to avoid a worsening situation. Large-scale homelessness, Shawkat says, is not a problem that Egypt is immediately facing, but it is not one that the country is immune to.



Yahia Shawkat, Egypts Housing Crisis: The Shaping of Urban Space, Cairo: AUC Press, 2020, pp271.

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RIGHTS TO THE CITY

With a degree in architecture from Cairo University and now in a PhD programme in anthropology at the City University of New York, researcher Omnia Khalil has long been a dedicated activist for urban rights.



Cairo, her hometown, is a city that gets a lot of attention in this regard, she says, and also a lot of concern.



This is a big city, a multi-layered city, with such a long and diverse history, but it is also a city that has been facing a lot of dilapidation that has been harming its architectural wealth and its social fabric, Khalil said.



When I look at one of the older neighbourhoods of this city, like that of Sayeda Zeinab, I see a lot of beauty. I see a fabric of Islamic architecture, and I see a place that shows a real design. However, I also see a lot of deterioration, she added.



According to Khalil, the dilapidation that Sayeda Zeinab and other neighbourhoods of Cairo has been seeing is not just in terms of the poor maintenance of the neighbourhood and buildings. It is also, she argues, the social fabric of the neighbourhood that has suffered.



Until a few decades ago, this was not what we would call a popular neighbourhood, but rather a neighbourhood for civil servants who were until a few decades back part of the middle class. But today this is no more  the vast majority of civil servants are no longer able to assume significant financial responsibilities, and of course financial challenges have been on the increase, she said.



The maintenance of a neighbourhood, Khalil argued, is partially about public services, but it is also about the ability of residents to maintain their own houses and buildings. Today, in older neighbourhoods like Sayeda Zeinab and even in some more modern neighbourhoods around downtown Cairo, public services and the financial capacity of the residents have been on the decline.



The 1992 earthquake was a defining moment for Cairo, she said. It was not just about the city that suddenly tumbled down as a way of showing its state of disrepair. It was also about buildings that had to go through exhaustive restoration and those whose restoration was not licensed as they were deemed likely to fall down anyway, she added.

1992 was thus a revealing moment because it showed the level of degradation of state services that should have included following up on the maintenance of buildings in older neighbourhoods. It also showed the inability of many residents to find themselves alternative shelter.With the economic policies of liberalisation that came in the early 1990s, Khalil said, it was highly unlikely that this course of incremental decline was set for a reversal. The poor were becoming poorer, and the investment of the state in public services like decent pavements and pedestrian crossings was simply out of the question.It was very clear that the urban management of the city was just not there; and it was not just a temporary failure, rather the opposite; this became the norm and we got to see main roads in the city being very poorly paved and the demolition of old buildings and the construction of new ones that are out of the architectural context, she said.The need for enough houses to go round was offered as a justification for the demolition of older buildings and the construction of new taller ones. But the fact of the matter is that there would not have been that much need for all these new buildings had all the apartments that could be put out for rent been on the market, Khalil argued.We were seeing an increasing number of apartments being closed as the owners were looking to end rent controls and to demolish their apartment buildings to allow for newer ones that can be sold rather than rented, she said. Laws and regulations have been simply inefficient in addressing the problem, and this has continued for decades, she added.According to Khalil, the construction boom has been exaggerated compared to the real needs of the city. This is not just about the heart of Cairo, but also about the new residential compounds on the outskirts of the city, she said.It would have been better if there were efficient regulations to allow for the optimum use of all available units.Today, she added, with the growing urban expansion on the outskirts of the city and the possibly upcoming move of executive bodies to the New Administrative Capital, there are real question marks about the future of Cairo.Rejecting the pessimist view that assumes that upon the inauguration of the new capital Cairo will be left to disrepair, Khalil sees a plan to upgrade several parts of the city to make it a real business and tourism hub.In her view, this is partially good and partially bad. It is good, she argued, because it means that Cairo will not be left behind. But, she added, it is bad because it raises serious questions about the capacity of limited-income residents to hold on to the city they call home.This, she added, is not just about the residents of poorer neighbourhoods, but also about the economically better-off zones. We saw that the residents of large segments of Masr Al-Qadima had to be evicted into relatively remote even if new and upgraded buildings, and we also saw the residents of eastern Cairo waking up to their streets being turned into highways to connect the city to the NAC. In both cases, the urban fabric of the city is being changed, she argued.What would have been ideal, she argued, would have been for the poorer neighbourhoods to be upgraded in a way that would have still accommodated the residents rather than having them evicted. It would have been better for Cairo to have been connected to the NAC through alternative roads rather than the construction of close to 40 flyovers that have cut through main roads in Cairo.Development is a legitimate process, but the right to the city should be maintained, Khalil said.Today, she added, there is a lot of work to be done to make sure that residents who continue to live in the city can maintain their basic urban rights. Putting an end to unplanned demolitions and constructions is a priority, Khalil said. Making sure that evictions are only done to the minimum possible is another. Improving the quality of roads, pavements, and public transport is a must, she added.Residents should be able to continue to live in the city, and if they have to go, they shouldnt need to move out. Mega-development schemes should not be executed at the expense of residents, Khalil said.Above all, we should be mindful of monitoring the gap between those living in posh compounds on the outskirts of the city and those who live in informal areas around it, she stated.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 19 November, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Algerian

An Algerian man watches as forest fires sweep woodland in the Ait Daoud area of northern Algeria, on August 13, 2021. AFP

Algerian

Burnt woodland surrounds a mountain town due to forest fires in the Ait Daoud area of northern Algeria, on August 13, 2021. AFP

Algerian

Algerian firefighters battle a forest fire engulfing woodland in the Ait Daoud area of northern Algeria, on August 13, 2021. AFP

Algerian

Algerians inspect the damage at their home due to forest fires in the Ait Daoud area of northern Algeria, on August 13, 2021. AFP

Algerian

A French firefighting plane restocks with water off the coast of the city of Bejaia, some 220 km east of the capital Algiers, as they help fight forest fires in Algeria on August 13, 2021. AFP

Algerian

An Algerian woman inspects the damage at her home due to forest fires in the Ait Daoud area of northern Algeria, on August 13, 2021. AFP

Algerian

An Algerian man inspects the damage at his home due to forest fires in the Ait Daoud area of northern Algeria, on August 13, 2021. AFP

Algerian

An Algerian woman inspects the damage at her home due to forest fires in the Ait Daoud area of northern Algeria, on August 13, 2021. AFP

Algerian

Smoke billows during a forest fire engulfing woodland in the Ait Daoud area of northern Algeria, on August 13, 2021. AFP

Algerian

Smoke billows during a forest fire engulfing woodland in the Ait Daoud area of northern Algeria, on August 13, 2021. AFP

Algerian

Volunteers attempt to put out a fire in the forested hills of the Kabylie region, east of the Algerian capital Algiers, on August 12, 2021. - Blazes raged across northern Algeria as the country observed a national day of mourning for dozens of people killed in the latest wildfires to sweep the Mediterranean. AFP

Algerian

Firemen work near the village of Toudja during fires in the Kabyle region, east of Algiers, Friday, Aug.13, 2021. AP

Algerian

A French water-dumping aircraft dumps water on a fire near the village of Toudja, in the Kabyle region, East of Algiers, Friday, Aug.13, 2021. Dozens of fires began devouring forested mountainsides in the Berber region of Kabyle Monday. The President declared a three-day mourning period to honor the lives lost. AP
Egypt and Greece often face similar challenges related to the environment and the security of their states and populations. Cooperation between the two countries against geophysical and geopolitical challenges is proof of the deeply rooted ties between Egypt and Greece.

Over the last week, Greece has faced a series of dangerous wildfires that have raged in various parts of the country, fanned by strong winds and supported by a difficult mountainous terrain with limited access and dry weather conditions. More than 200 fires have appeared across the country, with the main fronts being located north of the greater Athens area, Greeces densely populated capital city, on the island of Evia, and in the south and southwest of the Peloponnese in the regions of Ilis, Messinia, and Mani.

A dangerous front has erupted near Olympia, the historical site of the ancient Olympic Games. Currently, the major front in Attica near Athens has been contained, thus allowing for the more efficient relocation of fire brigade forces to the other ongoing fronts. Hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes after coordinated efforts by the Greek authorities that have coped with the fires with success while avoiding casualties among the civilian population.

In this dark hour for Greece, Egypt under President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi has promptly responded to this emergency, demonstrating its solidarity and the spirit of excellent cooperation between the two countries. The Egyptian Armed Forces have dispatched two Chinook helicopters to Greece to participate in the ongoing efforts of the Greek authorities to extinguish the fires.

These two helicopters are manned with double crews and are equipped with all the most modern equipment and advanced systems to help the ailing Greek side. This important initiative is the result of directives issued by President Al-Sisi as supreme commander of the Egyptian Armed Forces to support all friendly countries in times of crisis, according to an official accompanying statement.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri had earlier contacted his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias for an initial estimation of the situation in Greece. Shoukri stressed Egypts solidarity with the friendly people of Greece during these difficult times, expressing his confidence in the Greek authorities ongoing efforts to contain the blazes, according to a statement by Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Hafez.

All that matters in life is action. Egypt with its altruistic and effective assistance to Greece has once again proved its dynamic presence in the Mediterranean and its commitment to stand by a friendly state in its hour of need. Environmental challenges and security concerns often extend beyond the borders of a single state and require joint coordinated efforts, especially between like-minded states.

Egypt and Greece are indispensable allies in the Mediterranean, and their national interests coincide in many fields  geopolitical, energy-related, and, of course, relating to threats emanating from the environment. The wildfires in Greece and the ongoing dispute with Ethiopia over the water of the Nile in Egypt are such cases. Cooperation between Egypt and Greece in these and other areas can advance the national interests of each and secure stability in the Mediterranean.

The writer is a lecturer in geopolitics at the University of Athens in Greece.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 12 August, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Tunisia is the theatre of the Muslim Brotherhoods last stand against us. If they win, they will have succeeded in their plan to achieve power in the periphery, partially compensating for the loss of their position at the centre  in Egypt. If they lose, it will be the end of them.

This battle is so crucial for them that they will resort to every weapon at their disposal, including illegitimate means. Let us not forget how they fought in Egypt where their weapons ranged from deceit and fraud to outright violence and bloodshed until they managed, for the first time in their history, to gain control of the government of the country located at the heart of the Arab world and the most important centre of the Islamic world. They then brazenly declared that they would stay in power for 500 years. As we look back on their behaviour until their reverberating fall on 3 July 2013, we can observe a considerable degree of similarity between the Egyptian and Tunisian experiences, which enables us to anticipate their next steps in Tunisia today.

In Egypt in the post-January 2011 period, the Muslim Brotherhood launched their bid with a lie. They officially stated that they had no aspirations to power and would not field a candidate for the presidency. As soon as nominations for that office opened, they nominated not one candidate but two. More lies followed. Mohammed Morsi, their last candidate, pledged that if he won he would form an inclusive council representative of political forces and outlooks. He also said he would designate a national figure who enjoyed the respect and general approval of all political forces as prime minister. As we know, when he became president he appointed someone known for his pro-Muslim Brotherhood sympathies as prime minister and formed a government heavily weighted in favour of this organisation. All thought of a presidential council went out the window.

Such devious plans and stratagems culminated in the nightmarish presidential decree Morsi issued in November 2012, just four months after taking office. With that decree, he abolished all political and legal recourse against his decisions. Note that this is exactly what Tunisian President Kais Saied stands accused of in certain circles despite the fact that his actions were grounded in a constitutional provision whereas Morsis decree had no constitutional foundation whatsoever. During their year in power, the Muslim Brotherhood demonstrated their dismal failure at managing the affairs of the state. Their incompetence is ultimately what precipitated the mass uprising against them on 30 June 2013.

In Tunisia, Ennahda, which is the Tunisian chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood, used the same kinds of deception. Their initial dissembling, their pretence of flexibility, their feigned acquiescence to the civil, secular state convinced many at home and abroad that the Islamist movement in Tunisia was more mature than its counterpart in Egypt. Their ruses enabled them to win a parliamentary majority and form a government, but soon their sham was exposed just as it had been exposed in Egypt. They had no development project to speak of. Their sole concern was to consolidate control, place members and loyalists in key government positions, and pursue the Muslim Brotherhoods ultimate goal of empowerment.

The practical result of their machinations was total government paralysis at a time, moreover, of severe economic instability and decline, with nationwide unemployment climbing to over 18 per cent. As conditions grew from bad to worse, the governments ineptitude at managing the Covid-19 pandemic and inability to get the vaccine out to more than seven per cent of the population were the last straw.

On 15 July, Tunisia recorded 205 Covid related deaths in a single day, the highest ratio of fatalities to population in the world. Popular anger exploded.

On 25 July, President Saied stepped in, availing himself of the provisions of Article 80 of the Tunisian constitution which permits the president to take exceptional measures in instances that warrant them. He dismissed the prime minister, suspended the Islamist-majority parliament and took other urgent steps, prompting throngs of Tunisians throughout the country to take to the streets again, this time to express their support and jubilation.

The Tunisian Muslim Brothers now had the opportunity to demonstrate the extent to which they benefited from the experience of their peers in Egypt. And they did. They orchestrated counter demonstrations in which they accused the president of staging a coup and appealed for international intervention to defend democracy. At home, they began to threaten recourse to violence and a return to terrorism and bloodshed, just as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt did. It is curious how quickly certain political circles in the West chimed in with the coup narrative to describe the Tunisian presidents actions at a time of national crisis while they remained mum when Morsi concentrated all powers in his hands and attempted to free himself of all checks and balances.

In light of the similarities we have seen so far between the Tunisian and Egyptian experiences, we can expect the Tunisian Muslim Brothers to turn to violence just as occurred in Egypt, from the attacks against protestors outside the presidential palace to the events at Rabaa and Nahda squares. The Tunisian authorities are currently investigating a number of Ennahda members who resorted to violence during that partys sit-in outside the parliament building last week. Like the Muslim Brotherhood at Rabaa, Ennahda also protested that its sit-in was peaceful. One also hears reports that some Ennahda leaders might be brought to trial on charges of corruption and receiving illicit campaign donations from abroad during the 2019 elections.

The glare has also focused on the movements Secret Apparatus, long suspected of involvement in a number of political assassinations. It has even been suggested that an investigation might be opened against the Ennahda leader himself, the speaker of the suspended parliament Rached Ghannouchi, because of suspicions surrounding his sources of income at the time he served as chief public prosecutor. Will the Tunisian Muslim Brothers resort to violence in order to preempt such measures? Or will President Saied beat them to the punch?

*A version of this article appears in print in the 12 August, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Qatars Shail Holding Group donates $10,000 for Ethiopias Nile dam GERD



Ahram Online, Saturday 14 Aug 2021



The GERD has been a file of paramount importance to Egypt and Sudan for a decade now due to the threat it imposes on their water securities



The Qatar-based Shail Holding Group has donated $10,000 for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) reported on Saturday.



The ENAs report, which cited a statement by Ethiopias Ministry of Foreign Affairs, added on Saturday that Business Development Director of Shail holding group Hassan Al Samadi handed over the donation to Ethiopias Ambassador in Doha Samia Zekaria.



"General Manager of theQatari holding group thanked Ethiopias embassy in Qatar for its continued support in its investment in Ethiopia," the news agency said.



Shail Holding Groupis currently constructing a factory of battery recycling and processing in Debre Birhan town of Amhara Region, according to ENA.



The Qatari holding group is considered one of the leading establishments in Qatar active in supplying and exporting processed ferrous and non-ferrousmetalsproductsand industrial final products.



The GERD has been an issue of paramount importance to downstream Egypt and Sudan for a decade now due to the threat it imposes on their water securities.



The two downstream countries have been negotiating with Ethiopia for ten years to reach a comprehensive and legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the GERD, which Addis Ababa has been building on the Blue Nile since 2011, but to no avail as the upstream country rather seeks mere guidelines that can be modified any time at its discretion.



Last month, the UN Security Council held a session on the GERD in an attempt to settle the dispute over the near-complete dam but has not succeeded so far to achieve any progress. Also, the latest round of African Union-brokered talks held in Kinshasa in April stalled.



Egypt, which relies on the worlds longest river for more than 95 percent of its renewable water resources, fears that the unilateral filling and operation of the massive hydropower project will significantly diminish its water supply, which at 560 cm per person annually is already well below the international threshold for water scarcity.



Egypt is considered one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, as it receives around 60 bcm annually  mainly from the River Nile  though its needs stand at around 114 bcm.



https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/419030.aspx
KYODO NEWS - Aug 14, 2021 - 13:58 | Feature, All, Japan

Japan will give national public employees up to 10 days of paid leave a year to receive fertility treatments starting next January, in a bid to support couples hoping to have a baby as the country grapples with a rapidly declining birth rate.

"The public sector will take the initiative," Yuko Kawamoto, president of the National Personnel Authority, said Tuesday at a press conference, indicating she hopes the move will encourage the private sector to follow suit.

An online survey, conducted in January and February, receiving responses from roughly 47,000 national public employees, showed 1.8 percent were undergoing fertility treatment while 10.1 percent said they have experience with it and 3.7 percent said they had considered it.

Among people who have experienced fertility treatment or were considering it, 62.5 percent said it was "very difficult" to balance it with work while 11.3 percent said it was "impossible," the most common reasons being the need to make frequent visits to the doctor, cost and scheduling conflicts with work.

The National Personnel Authority's new scheme aims to ease the burden by enabling full-time and part-time national public employees to take five days of paid leave, with five additional days available if necessary.

The time off can be broken up and used flexibly, such as by taking a few hours off to see the doctor during work, for example.

Increasing access to fertility treatment has been a focus for Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who pushed for it to be covered by Japan's public health insurance from next April.

The number of babies born in Japan fell to a record low of 840,832 in 2020, with the recent downward trend exacerbated by the social and economic impact of COVID-19.

The total fertility rate, or the average number of children a woman is expected to give birth to in her lifetime, stood at 1.34, down from the previous year by 0.02 point.

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Japan posts record low 840,000 newborns in 2020
KYODO NEWS - Aug 14, 2021 - 20:00 | World, All

North Korean Ambassador to China Ri Ryong Nam called the United States a "common threat" to the two countries, adding that Pyongyang and Beijing should work together to respond to it, the Global Times reported Saturday.

In an interview with the tabloid of the Chinese Communist Party, Ri criticized Washington for conducting military drills across East Asia, including those with South Korea.

The United States has been aiming to "strengthen military ties with its allies and to put pressure on China," Ri said.

Regarding the U.S.-South Korea military exercises that effectively started on Tuesday, Ri reiterated what North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's younger sister and close aide, Kim Yo Jong, had said in a statement released the same day.

Ri said Washington and Seoul will be forced to "pay a dear price," adding North Korea will further increase the "deterrent of absolute capacity" to deal with a military threat posed by the United States.

The United States and South Korea began a preliminary military training drill on Tuesday ahead of their annual summertime exercise starting next Monday.

Pyongyang has lambasted joint military drills between Washington and Seoul as a "rehearsal for war" and invasion.

With North Korea sharpening its rhetoric against the United States and South Korea over the joint exercises, Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative for Pyongyang, is arranging to visit Seoul late this month, a U.S. government official said Saturday.

Sung Kim made a trip to Seoul in June to meet with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts.

U.S.-North Korea negotiations on denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and sanctions relief have been stalled for around two years.

The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, who took office in January, now plans to keep its North Korea policy flexible while building on an agreement reached during a 2018 bilateral summit that included Pyongyang's commitment toward denuclearization.

North Korea, however, has expressed unwillingness to hold talks with the Biden administration unless Washington withdraws what Pyongyang considers its hostile policy position.

The United States and North Korea have no diplomatic relations.
KYODO NEWS - Aug 14, 2021 - 16:28 | All, Japan

South Korea on Saturday marked the 30th anniversary of the day the first South Korean woman publicly spoke out about her experiences as a "comfort woman" during World War II as it commemorated those who were forced to work in the Japanese military's wartime brothels.

In a prerecorded video message for the Japanese Military Comfort Women Victims Memorial Day, President Moon Jae In reiterated that his government will seek to restore the honor and dignity of the women while pursuing solutions based on a "victim-centered approach."

The president's message, which was delivered as part of a government-sponsored ceremony held online due to the coronavirus pandemic, did not contain any overt criticism of Japan over the issue.

Moon credited the accounts of former comfort women for increasing the international community's interest in women's rights and facilitating discussions about them.

The memorial day was established in December 2017 by the Moon government.

After Kim Hak Soon related her wartime experiences publicly on Aug. 14, 1991, other former comfort women in South Korea and elsewhere came forward with their stories. Kim died in 1997 at age 74.

The comfort women issue remains a source of tension between South Korea and Japan, which ruled the Korean Peninsula from 1910 until it was defeated in World War II in 1945.

But as time has passed, many of the elderly women have died. Today only 14 of the women recognized by the South Korean government as former comfort women are still alive.

In 2015, Japan and South Korea agreed to "finally and irreversibly" settle the comfort women issue, with Japan offering an apology to former comfort women for their suffering and providing 1 billion yen ($9.1 million) to a foundation tasked with helping them financially.

Cash payments were then made to many of the eligible women, but the foundation was dissolved in 2019 after some women who were against the bilateral agreement called for its dissolution.

Some comfort women and their bereaved families have pursued a legal avenue to seek compensation from the Japanese government. The Seoul Central District Court in January ordered the Japanese government to pay damages to 12 plaintiffs.

With the ruling finalized but the Japanese government remaining uninvolved in the case on the grounds of sovereign immunity, the plaintiffs are exploring the seizure of Japanese government assets in South Korea.

Moon said after the ruling that he felt "a bit perplexed" by it and expressed readiness to explore solutions that are acceptable to the plaintiffs based on the 2015 bilateral agreement and hold talks with the Japanese government to that end.

The South Korean government has since set up a consultative body involving representatives of the plaintiffs and a support group for former comfort women.

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New Delhi:

Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday released a book Experiential Learning  Gandhijis Nai Talim, in the national capital, marking the occasion of Teachers Day. The book, which was released simultaneously in 13 languages, contains basic principles of Gandhis Nai Talim, along with the work and education curriculum for schools, D.Ed, B.Ed and faculty development programmes for teachers, according to a government statement.

The Curriculum was brought out in 13 languagesAssamese, Tamil, Bengali, Odiya, Kannada, Malyalam, Punjabi, Marathi, Telugu, Gujarati, Urdu, Hindi and Englishin consultation with the state councils of educational research and training.

Also Read | Millennials ditching corporate jobs for teaching: Study

Javadekar, speaking on the occasion said, We would like to take experiential learning to all levels of education involving all states and all stakeholders, adding Gandhijis Nai Talim or basic education was a holistic approach of developing body, mind and soul, by making a productive art, craft or community engagement activity as the centre of learning.

The HRD minister lauded the efforts of Mahatma Gandhi National Council of Rural Education for having involved all stakeholders in bringing out the curriculum.

The book seeks to supplement the efforts of a movement which is being carried out across educational institutes to promote Nai Talim, work education and experiential learning, the statement said.

This book is expected to inspire this movement to cover progressively 25 crore students of educational institutes at different levels in the country covering 80 lakh primary school teachers and 20 lakh secondary school teachers, spread over 17.5 lakh primary schools and 2.5 lakh secondary schools across the country, the statement added.

Also Read | On Teachers Day over 6,000 Punjab college teachers go on mass leave

The book and the project were a joint effort of the Universities in the state, state SCERT and Mahatma Gandhi National Council of Rural Education (MGNCRE), under the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

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Dhaka:

Motorcyclists without helmets will be barred from buying fuel at filling stations in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka, police said.

The move is part of efforts to quell tensions after the city of nearly 20 million people was rocked by angry protests about poor road safety last month.

The petrol pumps (owners) have already been told not to sell fuel to any motor bikers without helmets, Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said on Tuesday.

Also Read | Tropical Storm Gordon hit US Gulf Coast; one killed, 20,000 residents without power

He added that a maximum of two people were allowed on a bike and pillion passengers must also wear a helmet.

Protests across Dhaka and other cities in August saw tens of thousands of teenage school pupils and students block the streets to demand better road safety on Bangladeshs chaotic and corruption-ridden transport network, after a speeding bus killed two teenage pedestrians.

In the wake of the protests, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas cabinet approved a new transport law stipulating harsher punishments for offenders.

Read More | Akshay Kumar is Road Safety Brand Ambassador

Bangladeshi highways are some of the deadliest in the region with around 12,000 dying in road accidents every year, according to a private group that monitors accidents.

In the Eid al Adha holidays last month, 259 people were killed and 960 people were injured in 237 road accidents in the space of 13 days.

In Dhaka, like elsewhere in Asia, more than two people riding a motorbike or a moped is a common sight. Many times, none of them wear helmets.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Congress leader P Chidambaram on Tuesday blamed the Narendra Modi government at the Centre for rise in petrol and diesel prices, saying "excessive taxes" caused the spurt. He demanded that petrol and diesel be brought under GST.

Chidambaram, who was former finance minister, slammed the government in a series of tweets and demanded that petrol and diesel be brought under the GST immediately.

Also Read | Indian Air Force's MiG-27 plane crashes near Rajasthan's Jodhpur

"Relentless rise in prices of petrol and diesel is not inevitable. Because, the price is built up by excessive taxes on petrol and diesel. If taxes are cut, prices will decline significantly," he said.

The central government blaming the states is a "spurious argument", Chidambaram said, urging the Centre and states to act together to address the issue.

Read More | Petrol, diesel prices hit all-time high for eighth day

"The BJP forgets that its boast that BJP is ruling 19 States. Centre and States must act together and bring petrol and diesel under GST. Congress demands that petrol and diesel be brought under GST immediately (sic)," he tweeted.

For the eighth consecutive day, petrol and diesel prices touched highest levels on Monday across the country mainly due to fall in rupee and a sharp rise in crude oil rates. While petrol price in Delhi rose to a record Rs 79.15 a litre, diesel was up to a fresh high of Rs 71.15, according to price notification of state-owned fuel retailers.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday accused the Congress of compromising national security for political gains and alleged that Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) was supporting ground for Naxalites during the UPA government.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi, BJPs firebrand spokesperson Sambit Patra also levelled a series of allegations against several Congress leaders, including Digvijaya Singh and Jairam Ramesh, saying that they romanticised the Naxalism.

National security is an issue of paramount importance and to play with national security only for political opportunism is something which the Congress has been doing so, Patra told reporters.

Also Read | On rising fuel prices, Congress gives it back to BJP - Bahut Hui Mahangai Ki Maar

Showing a letter allegedly written by Comrade Surendra to Comrade Prakash on September 25, the BJP leader claimed that Congress leader Digvijaya Singhs phone number was mentioned in it. He alleged that the letter revealed that several Congress leaders were willing to assist and fund the Naxals.

The National Advisory Council, the coterie of those who were closest to the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi, was the supporting ground for Naxalites, Patra said.

Suggested Read | Then and now: BJP leaders on fall of rupee

Patra also claimed that former union minister and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had written a letter to the Maharashtra Government to release Mahesh Raut, an activist who was arrested in for his Naxal links.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

A raft of key issues such as the US sanctions on import of Iranian crude oil, boosting cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and finalising a pact on encrypted defence technologies will be the focus of the inaugural two-plus-two talks between India and the US here on Thursday, official sources said.

Indias plan to ink a Rs 40,000 crore deal with Russia to procure a batch of S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems may also figure in the talks, the sources indicated Tuesday.

ALSO READ: Hyderabad Twin Blast Verdict: Aneeq Sayeed, Ismail Chaudhary convicted; two set free

Issues like enhancing trade, effectively dealing with terrorism and Indias concerns over the Trump administrations decision to make changes in the H1B visa programme are also expected to figure prominently in the talks, they said.

Under the new framework finalised last year, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will hold talks with the US Secretary of State Mike R Pompeo and Secretary of Defence James Mattis.

As Secretary Pompeo arrives here tomorrow from Islamabad, India will also try to get his view about the new government in Pakistan headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan, the sources said.

Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford will also be part of the US delegation.

ALSO READ: CJI Dipak Misra recommends Justice Ranjan Gogoi as next Chief Justice

Swaraj will have a separate bilateral meeting with Pompeo while Sitharaman will have a one-on-one meeting with Mattis on Thursdaymorning before the delegation-level two-plus-two talks.

Twelve officials from each side are expected to attend the talks which will be followed by a luncheon meeting.

In the afternoon, Swaraj, Sitharaman, Pompeo and Mattis will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The sources said the focus of the talks will be to lift the strategic engagement between the two countries to a whole of government approach covering a wide range of areas for cooperation.

Significantly boosting defence and security cooperation, including in areas of co-development of military platforms, will be a priority, they said.

Referring to Indias yet to be inked S-400 missile deal with Russia, the sources said it was for the US to decide on what steps it may take.

Indias position on the issue has been that it will go ahead with the deal notwithstanding American sanctions on military transactions with Moscow.

On US sanctions on import of Iranian oil, the sources said India will also explain to the US delegation its position on the issue, including how the import has been crucial for Indias energy security.

In May, the US withdrew from the landmark Iran nuclear deal and re-imposed the sanctions that had been suspended in return for curbs on Tehrans nuclear programme.

Iran is Indias third largest oil supplier after Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The US sanctions on import of Iranian petroleum products will be effective from November 4.

India and the US will also attempt to firm up a long-negotiated agreement which will provide for obtaining critical and encrypted defence technologies by the Indian military from the US, official sources said.

Both sides will discuss the long-pending Communications, Compatibility, Security Agreement (COMCASA), the sources said.

The COMCASA will help India obtain critical and encrypted defence technologies for Indian defence platforms from the US.

The sources said ways to bolster cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and ways to deal with challenge of terrorism will figure prominently in the talks.

The US delegation will arrive here on Wednesday. While Secretary Pompeo will leave from India Thursday evening, Secretary Mattis will depart on Friday.

Defence Minister Sitharaman will host a dinner for him on Thursday evening.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

In yet another tragic incident, a section of the 50-year-old Majerhat bridge on the arterial Diamond Harbour Road in south Kolkata collapsed on Tuesday evening, leaving one dead, trapping several people and crushing many a vehicle. The search and rescue operation is still underway to clear the place.

The Majerhat bridge, which runs over the Majerhat Railway Station and connects the city centre with the heavily populated Behala, vast areas of the southwest suburbs and neighbouring South 24 Parganas district, caved at around 4.45 pm during rush hour.

Following the mishap, police confirmed the death of one person while declared 21 others, including three women injured.

Read | Mumbai: Part of bridge collapses at Andheri station, five injured

Here are the highlights on Majerhat bridge collapse:

# 01:36 pm: Suo-motu case registered at Alipur police station against unknown responsible persons (maintenance agency) under sections 304, 308, 427 and 34 of IPC.

Kolkata's Majerhat bridge collapse: Suo-motu case registered at Alipur police station against unknown responsible persons (maintenance agency) under sections 304, 308, 427 and 34 of IPC. #WestBengal (file pic) pic.twitter.com/HDMRmV2w2T  ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2018

# 01:07 pm: 1 death is confirmed. 2 people are feared trapped in debris. Rescue operations underway. Beams of flyover are really heavy so it's taking time to cut them and rescue people. Case will be registered against those responsible: DC (south) Meeraj Khalid on Majerhat bridge collapse.

1 death is confirmed. 2 people are feared trapped in debris. Rescue operations underway. Beams of flyover are really heavy so it's taking time to cut them&rescue ppl. Case will be registered against those responsible: DC (south) Meeraj Khalid on Majerhat bridge collapse. #Kolkata pic.twitter.com/BmmxvMV26V  ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2018

# 11:12 am: My brother worked here. 2 people, including him, are trapped under debris. I told the police officers about it but they have not taken any step: Partho Deb, brother of a metro construction worker allegedly trapped under the debris of Majerhat bridge in South Kolkata.

# 07:05 am: Latest visuals of search and rescue operations at the spot where part of Majerhat bridge collapsed yesterday. Clearance work is also underway.

Kolkata: Latest visuals of search & rescue operations at the spot where part of Majerhat bridge collapsed yesterday. Clearance work is also underway. #WestBengal pic.twitter.com/E4GcegtQDR  ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2018

The victim, who has been identified as Soumen Bag, was a resident of Thakurpukur Bag and returning home from College Street in central Kolkata when the tragedy took place. The injured, on the other hand, have been shifted to nearby SSKM and CMRI hospitals.

One minibus, four cars and a few motorbikes were also hit by the Majerhat bridge collapse in the crowded Alipore area.

Read | Himachal Pradesh: 6 injured after bridge collapses in Chamba

Meanwhile, chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is currently in Darjeeling, ordered a probe into the incident. She has also announced a compensation of Rs five lakh to the family of the dead and Rs 50,00 each to the injured.

Banerjee said she will cut shot her Darjeeling tour and flew to Kolkata to take a stock of the situation.
Security arrangements have been strengthened across Tripura, particularly along the 856 km long border with Bangladesh, to prevent any untoward incident during the 75th Independence-day celebrations, a senior police officer said on Saturday.

Inspector-General of Police Arindam Nath said police and BSF were keeping a close vigil along the border after two BSF personnel were gunned down by the banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) in Dhalai district on July 26. Nearly 2,000 police personnel will be deployed at the venue and Quick Response Team (QRP), Heavy Radio Flying Squad vans, and members of combat forces of Kolkata Police will be present, he said. Para-military forces along with sniffer dogs are conducting search operations in the interior parts of the States and are checking all vehicles and passengers at different places including the national highway.

Security at the national highway, bus terminus, crowded market places and at the airport has been increased. Different drop gates have been established at different points of entry to the capital Agartala.

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Islamabad- An Islamic cleric in Pakistan continued to rape his own daughters for many years. Activist and lawyer Rahat Austin posted a video on Twitter informing about the incident. According to the aggrieved girls, the cleric used to wake them up from sleep and then rape them. He would then ask them to bathe and pray. Then he would sit down and give them knowledge of the Quran. The aggrieved girls said that when they protested, the maulvi used to say that every father in the world does all this to his daughters.

An Islamic Cleric in Pakistan raped his doughters for years. He had 2 wives and 6 doughters. According to the victims, "he wake them up, rape them, ask them to have bath, pray and then he taught them Quran".He told them that every father in the world treat his daughters this way pic.twitter.com/JMw5pQ9mF1 ? Rahat Austin (@johnaustin47) August 12, 2021

The girls then narrated the ordeal to their mother. She said that when they protested, the cleric used to threaten to do bad things if she told them. The said maulvi has done two nikahs. He has 6 daughters from 2 wives. One of these daughters was raped for 5 years. For this, he used to pick up the girls from 4 a.m. onwards. Sometimes he used to call her at 2-3 p.m. and rape her. At night, when he wanted to, he would pick up the girls.

Sometimes, at 12 p.m., the maulvi would pick up the girls. One of the victims slept with her maternal uncle, but her maternal uncle could not find out anything about it, because when the cleric used to do these things, everyone else in the house slept. However, it is not confirmed when the video and the case are from.

Initiated friendship then raped minor

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BRUSSELS: A heatwave, the worst in ten years, is sweeping across Southern Europe, triggering raging wildfires across verticals. Experts have linked wildfires to record-high temperatures as Europe is in the midst of the heatwave due to the heat dome which is a high-pressure bubble that traps heat within a certain area, according to reports.

Temperatures in Siracuse, Italy, reached 48.8 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.The World Meteorological Organization said that it would be investigating the validity of this temperature report. If verified, it would become the highest temperature ever recorded in Europe.

Notably, Greece has been one of the badly affected countries, with over 100,000 hectares of forestry and farmland burned in less than two weeks, according to the European Forest Fire Information System. The Greek government said there have been nearly 600 fires since the beginning of August. The fires broke out as Greece was roasted by the most intense and protracted heatwave in around 30 years, with temperatures in many parts of the country reaching 42 to 45 degrees Celsius.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Thursday that the country came across the biggest ecological disaster of the last few decades, as multiple blazes erupted across the country powered by the extended heatwave recently.

Ethiopian performing artists heed call to back war effort

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New York Assembly to suspend impeachment probe against Governor Andrew Cuomo
The economic transformation of Botswana from scratch to a successful developing country (upper-middle-income economy) is remarkable. When Botswana gained independence in 1966, it remained economically and politically backward. Only a handful of people had acquired university education and very few were literate. Cattle rearing and animal husbandry were only assets of the countrys economy, but nearly one-third of its cattle were destroyed by the drought of the 1960s. This impaired countrys economy to misery. Most of its youth had to go to South Africa for wage work. And, most importantly, it is a landlocked country of Africa having issues of cross-border transportation and access to the sea.

There were other incidents if we further explore to identify how situations had hindered the fortune of Botswana from progressing. Poor quality of soils, very low or no investment in agriculture and industry, lack of skilled human resources, frequently recurring drought, and resistance in adopting new technology by traditional farmers were some reasons we can cite. Therefore, Botswanas economic transformation was due to the amalgamation of political and economic success via visionary and untamed policies throughout its democratic history wherein democratic practices had never undergone into crisis.

The only country that experienced rapid economic growth within a short time is China, and Botswana is now classified as another country that made much progress. Therefore, there are some factors where we can connote how Nepal, a landlocked country, can transform its economic status into a much progressive path as Botswana do.

Similarities and differences

Nepal shares similar status to Botswana regarding its problem in cross-border transportation, low investment in industry and problems in adopting new technology in agriculture, the outflow of most youth in the Gulf countries and abroad for wages etc. In addition to this, Nepal faces two challenges as Botswana does. They are geographical or locational challenges and economic constraints. We have the problem of access to the market, expensive transportation costs with no alternative routes for cargo transportation, minimal inflows of FDI, etc. But, we have a good quality of soil, no recurring drought etc, which shows good prospects investing in economic development.

In the context of Botswana, its political stability is worthy of citation. Since Sir Seretse Khama was first elected the president of the country, enthralling policies relating to economic, investment, development and bureaucratic functioning continued till today. They have given impetus to progressive economic transformation.

In contrary to this, we have not experienced political stability since the reestablishment of the multi-party democracy in 1990. This instability has not given impetus to stable policies as Botswana experienced. After the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2006, we have been, in some way, subservient to politics, which has circumvented our institutional capacity and regulatory framework of the nation.

Policies and priorities

Political transition into a stable government system is inevitable, but economic transformation owes much emphasis also. The elucidation of the importance of political stability and stable policies depict that the economic transformation of Botswana may be a lesson to Nepal.

Buildings in Gaborone, Botswana. Photo: Creative Commons Zero

Botswana entered into multilateral trading with neighbouring countries and abroad, thus establishing a framework for adopting policies relating to adjustment or reform in imposing tariff, taxes, customs duty or agreements vis-a-vis privileges in access to remote markets in neighbouring countries. This is done to export its manufactured products and services to remote consumers and markets. Botswana enunciates a concerted effort in implementing an investment policy from the late 1990s for bringing more FDI into the country but orienting them to export the manufactured products and services. It tried to set up a strategy on economic diversification, meaning it tried to invest consistently in sectors other than the diamond mining industry too.

The investment policy also envisioned infrastructural development policies like the development of energy or power and water projects which are instrumental to economic growth. The government of Botswana allocates its budget to investment and infrastructure policies with its largest share. The spearheaded success of Botswana is due to its policy in exploring and exploiting resources with the idea of a joint venture with foreign investors despite widespread nationalisation.

In this regard, Nepal has also experienced the inflows of FDI since 1981but introduced its legal and regulatory framework in 1992 through Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Act. The greater challenge for Nepal to attract FDI are the access to remote markets, within and abroad. Nepals particular policy in easing inflow FDI orienting them to manufacture products and services, prioritising much on export, seems lacking.

The institutional capacity on establishing welcoming economic, investment and fiscal policies, limiting and controlling privatisation while easing opportunities to joint venture share with companies, is important as in Botswana. Similarly, the state orientation on a market-based economy is also a must. A favourable macro-economic policy is necessary.

In addition to this, Nepals attitude with neighbouring states for bilateral, multilateral and regional economic agreement for access to market, adjustment or reform mechanisms relating to tariff, custom duty, taxes, etc are a must. Prioritising the exploration of resources is also a ground of concern.

Nepal and Botswana share the same locational challenges and problems of economic constraints. The model of fiscal policy, investment policy, monetary policy, development policy and policies as well as strategies regarding trade and partnership adopted by Botswana may be a lesson to Nepal. Adjustment and arrangement to existing policies favouring economic boost as Botswana practises may be instrumental.

Therefore, Botswanas exponential economic transformation and the reason behind its success may be a lesson to Nepals economic transformation. An in-depth exploration of multitudes of areas about how a particular country with similar characteristics transforms its economic status with democratic practices needs a critical study. Botswana is an example of this, from which Nepal can learn lessons. Besides this, the attitude of leaders is rudimental in nation-building.
Kathmandu, August 14

The Ministry of Health and Population has informed that the countrys Covid-19 tally has reached 805,190 as of Saturday afternoon.

The ministry said 2,624 new cases were confirmed in the country in the past 24 hours.

In this period, 8,667 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 1,947 returned positive. Likewise, 4,906 people underwent antigen tests for the virus, of which an additional 677 tested positive.

Of total tests, 22.46 per cent of the PCR and 13.79 per cent of antigen samples returned positive, keeping the overall per-day positivity rate at 19.33 per cent.

As of today, there are 39,405 active cases across the country. Of them, 3,403 are hospitalised, 760 in intensive care units and 186 on ventilators.

In the past 24 hours, 1,320 people have achieved recovery whereas 20 deaths have been reported.

Of the total cases so far, 680,815 people have achieved recovery. Likewise, 10,259 died, according to the ministry. The countrys recovery rate is 93.2 per cent and the death rate 1.5 per cent.

Likewise, 3,303,578 people have received their full dose of the Covid-19 vaccine while 4,674,318 have received their first dose. Today, 94,789 people were vaccinated throughout the country.
Digital Gov

Treasury taps Code for America for tax credit tool

The Treasury will roll out a new, mobile-friendly bilingual signup tool to help enroll eligible applicants in the Child Tax Credit program as it continues to extend the expanded safety net for American families.

Wally Adeyemo, deputy secretary of the Treasury, said in a statement on Friday the agency was working with Congress to create a permanent signup tool allowing America's most vulnerable families -- those who do not earn enough income to file taxes annually -- to access the expanded CTC program.

The administration said it would partner with the civic technology non-profit Code for America to release an initial version of that platform in order to more quickly enroll new families.

"Today 61 million children across America are benefiting from the advance child tax credit, helping families put food on the table and meet the needs of the next generation," Adeyemo said. "We want every eligible family to have access to the advance child tax credit, which is why we will continue our outreach efforts to drive enrollment as our children return to school."

The new tool, called GetCTC, would feature Spanish translation and allow for families to apply to the program on their mobile devices. Many advocates pointed out that these were critical components for any platform seeking to reach underserved communities. The announcement comes just a week after the Office of Management and Budget submitted a study looking at measuring barriers facing historically underserved communities in accessing government services.

Code for America estimated the new platform will help prevent four million families from being left out of the advance child tax credit program.

"The child tax credit is one of the most meaningful expansions of the social safety net in a generation with the potential to reduce child hunger and keep millions of families out of poverty. That's why Code for America is excited to be in the final stages of development of GetCTC," David Newville, senior program director for tax benefits at Code for America, said in a statement. "GetCTC will be a mobile-friendly online portal, available in Spanish too, that will make accessing the CTC simple."

He added: "We will continue to work to make sure that every family in our nation gets the tax benefits that belong to them."

The joint announcement from the White House and Treasury Department said the administration was also committing to a multi-year effort to expand outreach around the CTC program, as well as providing funding "to ensure the effort is fully resourced."

Families enrolled in the program were sent initial payments of up to $250 or $300 per child on July 15, and began receiving their second round of payments this week. The Treasury Department said it had already delivered $15 billion in payments to families with an estimated 61 million children in August.

An additional 1.6 million children were covered in the second round of CTC payments. However, the White House noted that, due to a "technical issue," 15% of families who received their first payment via direct deposit in July would receive their second round of payments via a paper check in the mail.
In this article, we will be looking at 10 utilities stocks with over 3% yield. To skip our detailed analysis of utility stocks, you can go directly to see the 5 Utilities Stocks with Over 3% Yield.

In the midst of a prolonged economic recession and threats of rising inflation and interest rates, investor circles and the stock market at large have been prone to rising uncertainty and insecurity. Throughout this all, the utilities sector with stocks such as NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES), NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG), and American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE: AWK) among others, leading the fray, has slowly but surely been becoming an investment option investors are growing more fond of. This is particularly the case as investors begin to consider the utilities sector as an attractive and profitable alternative to bonds.

According to a Reuters report, this sentiment is backed up by increasingly positive performance on the part of utilities stocks. For instance, the S&P 500 utilities index as of this March was able to outperform the market at large, with gains of about 9.3% as compared to the benchmark S&P 500's mere 4.3% gain during the same month. Some professionals have been noted to comment that this outperformance of utilities stocks may be attributed to their tendency to naturally perform better during economic downturns, as these stocks are more likely to pay dividends and are more stable than others.

Joseph Quinlan, who is the head of CIO market strategy at Merrill and Bank of America Private Bank based in New York, has been reported to comment that investing in utilities then becomes a "defensive positioning" for investors looking to hedge against a downturn. For those in the market looking to stay safe but still remain part of the market at the same time, the utilities sector thus ends up becoming an attractive investment opportunity.

The above statements have also been backed up by an Edward Jones report on the utilities sector, published this August. According to this report, the sector itself has historically proven to be an integral portion of stable investment portfolios, for the sheer fact that utilities stocks tend to pay high percentages in dividends, and have also historically been known to steadily grow their dividends over time. This consistent and steadily growing passive income stream thus helps investors pouring money into utilities stocks hedge against inflation and reduce its impact on their financial standing. On the bit about the utilities sector also acting as a defensive position for investors wanting to remain in the market, albeit safely, the report has also mentioned that utilities stocks tend to offer just this sort of positioning. After all, the companies making up this sector are typically among the few that are little affected by economic volatility and downturns. Based on all of the above, the Edward Jones report has mentioned a recommended equity weight for utilities in investor portfolios as well, which stands at 4%.

Story continues

While the utilities sector is proving to be a good counter to rising economic uncertainty and inflation, the entire hedge fund industry is still feeling the reverberations of the changing financial landscape. Its reputation has been tarnished in the last decade, during which its hedged returns couldnt keep up with the unhedged returns of the market indices. On the other hand, Insider Monkeys research was able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that outperformed the S&P 500 ETFs by more than 124 percentage points since March 2017. Between March 2017 and July 2021, our monthly newsletters stock picks returned 186.1%, vs. 100.1% for the SPY. Our stock picks outperformed the market by more than 124 percentage points (see the details here). Thats why we believe hedge fund sentiment is an extremely useful indicator that investors should pay attention to. You can subscribe to our free newsletter on our homepage to receive our stories in your inbox.

Pixabay/Public Domain

Let's now look at the 10 utilities stocks with over 3% yield.

Our Methodology

Insider Monkey tracks the data of about 866 hedge funds, which we have used to pick utility stocks that are popular among hedge funds today. The stocks selected are also all part of the Russell 2000 Index, and are thus small-cap stocks. Their dividend yields and hedge fund holders have been mentioned below, with the stocks being ranked from the lowest to the highest yield. Finally, we have taken care to include stocks with mostly positive analysts' ratings and strong fundamentals as well.

Utilities Stocks with Over 3% Yield

10. Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SWX)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 23 Dividend Yield: 3.3%

Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SWX) is a purchaser, distributor, and transporter of natural gas in Arizona, Nevada, and California. The company ranks 10th on our list of utilities stocks with Over 3% Yield. It operates through its Natural Gas Operations and Utility Infrastructure Services segments.

This June, Julien Dumoulin-Smith, an analyst at BofA, upgraded shares of Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SWX) from Underperform to Neutral. The analyst also placed a $69 price target on the stock.

In the second quarter of 2021, Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SWX) had an EPS of $0.43, missing estimates by $0.04. The companys revenue was $292.80 million, up 11.57% year over year and beating estimates by $2.19 million. Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SWX) has gained 14.77% in the past 6 months and 20.41% year to date.

By the end of the first quarter of 2021, 23 hedge funds out of the 866 tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SWX) worth roughly $159 million. This is compared to 17 hedge funds in the previous quarter with a total stake value of approximately $80.8 million.

Like NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES), NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG), and American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE: AWK), Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SWX) is a good stock to invest in.

9. Portland General Electric Company (NYSE: POR)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 21 Dividend Yield: 3.4%

Portland General Electric Company (NYSE: POR) is an integrated electric utility company and ranks 9th on our list of utilities stocks with over 3% yield. The company generates, purchases, transmits, distributes, and retails electricity in Oregon. It operates six thermal plants, seven hydroelectric plants, and three wind farms.

Paul Fremont, an analyst at Mizuho, just this June raised the price target on shares of Portland General Electric Company (NYSE: POR) from $41 to $51, a $10 jump. The analyst also currently holds a Neutral rating on the stock.

In the second quarter of 2021, Portland General Electric Company (NYSE: POR) had an EPS of $0.36, in line with estimates. The companys revenue was $537 million, up 14.5% year over year and beating estimates by $52.99 million. Portland General Electric Company (NYSE: POR) has gained 20.61% in the past 6 months and 21.69% year to date.

By the end of the first quarter of 2021, 21 hedge funds out of the 866 tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in Portland General Electric Company (NYSE: POR) worth roughly $68.5 million. This is compared to 19 hedge funds in the previous quarter with a total stake value of approximately $105 million.

Like NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES), NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG), and American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE: AWK), Portland General Electric Company (NYSE: POR) is a good stock to invest in.

8. New Jersey Resources Corporation (NYSE: NJR)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 12 Dividend Yield: 3.5%

New Jersey Resources Corporation (NYSE: NJR) is an energy services holding company that offers regulated gas distribution and retail and wholesale energy services. The company ranks 8th on our list of utilities stocks with over 3% yield and operates through its Natural Gas Distribution, Clean Energy Ventures, Energy Services, and Storage and Transportation segments.

Gabriel Moreen, a Mizuho analyst, holds a Buy rating on shares of New Jersey Resources Corporation (NYSE: NJR) as of this May. The analyst also raised his price target on the stock at the same time, with the new target being $45.

In the fiscal third quarter of 2021, New Jersey Resources Corporation (NYSE: NJR) had an EPS of -$0.15, missing estimates by $0.03. The companys revenue was $367.59 million, up 22.95% year over year and also missing estimates by $3.94 million. New Jersey Resources Corporation (NYSE: NJR) has gained 1.77% in the past 6 months and 11.60% year to date.

By the end of the first quarter of 2021, 12 hedge funds out of the 866 tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in New Jersey Resources Corporation (NYSE: NJR) worth roughly $26.8 million. This is compared to 13 hedge funds in the previous quarter with a total stake value of approximately $36 million.

Like NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES), NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG), and American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE: AWK), New Jersey Resources Corporation (NYSE: NJR) is a good stock to invest in.

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 16 Dividend Yield: 3.5%

ALLETE, Inc. (NYSE: ALE), an energy company operating through its Regulated Operations, ALLETE Clean Energy, and Corporate and Other segments, ranks 7th on our list of utilities stocks with over 3% yield. The company also offers regulated utility electric services in Wisconsin, serving about 15,000 electricity customers, 13,000 natural gas customers, and 10,000 water customers. It also serves customers in Minnesota.

This March, Paul Fremont at Mizuho raised his price target on shares of ALLETE, Inc. (NYSE: ALE) from $55 to $62, while reiterating a Neutral rating on the stock as well.

In the second quarter of 2021, ALLETE, Inc. (NYSE: ALE) had an EPS of $0.53, beating estimates by $0.01. The companys revenue was $335.6 million, up 37.99% year over year and beating estimates by $52.7 million. ALLETE, Inc. (NYSE: ALE) has gained 9,75% in the past 6 months and 16.33% year to date.

By the end of the first quarter of 2021, 16 hedge funds out of the 866 tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in ALLETE, Inc. (NYSE: ALE) worth roughly $94.2 million. This is compared to 11 hedge funds in the previous quarter with a total stake value of approximately $90 million.

Like NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES), NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG), and American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE: AWK), ALLETE, Inc. (NYSE: ALE) is a good stock to invest in.

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 9 Dividend Yield: 3.6%

Spire Inc. (NYSE: SR) is a purchaser, retail distributor, and seller of natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial, and other end-users in the US. The company ranks 6th on our list of utilities stocks with over 3% yield and operates through its Gas Utility and Gas Marketing segments.

As of this June, Morgan Stanley has retained its Equal Weight rating on shares of Spire Inc. (NYSE: SR). Additionally, the firm also holds an $84 price target on the stock, with analyst Stephen Byrd covering Spire Inc. (NYSE: SR).

In the fiscal third quarter of 2021, Spire Inc. (NYSE: SR) had an EPS of $0.06, beating estimates by $0.03. The companys revenue was $327.8 million, up 2.09% year over year and beating estimates by $3.02 million. Spire Inc. (NYSE: SR) has gained 10.45% in the past 6 months and 12.88% year to date.

By the end of the first quarter of 2021, 9 hedge funds out of the 866 tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in Spire Inc. (NYSE: SR) worth roughly $20.9 million. This is compared to 15 hedge funds in the previous quarter with a total stake value of approximately $35.1 million.

Like NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES), NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG), and American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE: AWK), Spire Inc. (NYSE: SR) is a good stock to invest in.

Click to continue reading and see the 5 Utilities Stocks with Over 3% Yield.

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Disclosure: None. 10 Utilities Stocks with Over 3% Yield is originally published on Insider Monkey.
A picture of a green truck of a police unit in Cameroon

The arrest of Rebecca Enonchong, an investor in African tech startups and CEO of a US-based software company herself, is the latest example of Cameroons worrying love for arbitrarily detaining its citizens in recent years.

The Cameroonian born tech entrepreneur lives in the US but was in Douala, Cameroons main port city, this week. According to reports, she was invited by an arm of the countrys police to supposedly answer questions over an investigation of a family member, but was arrested after a complaint of contempt of court by the governments attorney general on Aug. 10. Enonchong announced her release on Aug. 13.

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In addition to detaining those who are critical of the government, Cameroon is also notorious for restricting internet access especially as it tried to limit information spreading globally about its actions during the Anglophone crisis.

Enonchong is best known in Africa for being the founder of AppsTech, which operates in the US and Cameroon, and for co-founding the African Business Angels Network, which promotes early-stage investment in startups in the continent. With over two decades as an entrepreneur, she is a highly revered figure on African tech and innovation.

Investors and key figures in Africas tech scene petitioned for her release. AfriLabs, the largest network of innovation hubs on the continent where Enonchong is board chair, described her arrest as a blatant disregard for the rule of law.

We are disappointed with the Cameroonian government on this development and we strongly ask they #FreeRebecca, AfriLabs said. It was the birth of another unfortunate hashtag in the central African country that has been the source of many recent concerns for human rights observers.

A spree of curious detentions and repression in Cameroon

Enonchongs arrest follows a similar event at the end of May when Cameroonian police threw Amungwa Tanyi Nicodemus, a human rights lawyer, in jail. He was accused of inciting terrorism after making a complaint about a procedure in a clients case. Human Rights Watch said the charges were bogus and has called for his immediate release.

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Last December, a Cameroonian-born German engineer Wilfried Siewe was finally released from jail after almost two years. He had been arrested after police found a video of a protest held in Berlin against Paul Biya, Cameroons 88-year-old president who reportedly rules the country from the comfort of a hotel in Switzerland.

Some initial observations on Enonchongs case suggested that her pointed criticisms of Cameroons repressive government may have played a role in her detention. She has often used her Twitter account, which has over 120,000 followers, to directly weigh in on Cameroons most sensitive political issues, including a crisis in the English-speaking half of the country that has led to over 4,000 civilian deaths.

Its Cameroon, so be very concerned

A picture of Enonchong leaving a court on Aug. 11 showed her in the company of Edith Kah Walla, the leader of the Cameroon Peoples Party (CPP), part of the opposition to Biyas government. Enonchongs case was heard at Court of First Instance in Cameroons economic capital Douala. At the court hearing on Aug. 12, Alice Komthe first French-speaking Cameroonian woman to be called to the Cameroonian barwas present, as was the attorney general who brought the case.

Rebecca is being held for outrage a magistrat or Contempt of Court but then the charge of contempt in many of such cases is mainly used to silence critics, Kathleen Ndongmo, a Cameroonian fellow at the Open Internet for Democracy Initiative, told Quartz. She believes the international community was right to be concerned, describing Enonchongs arrest as a deliberate attempt to silence those who speak up for the oppressed in Cameroon.

Fidelis Ndeh-Che, another Cameroonian tech entrepreneur, was arrested and jailed in questionable circumstances in 2019. It was a story that Enonchong, in a widely-shared Twitter thread, memorialized as a tragic story of one of Africas most brilliant minds in tech. He is now serving a life sentence for treason in a Cameroonian prison.

This piece was updated following Rebecca Enonchongs release on Aug. 13.

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FILE PHOTO: The Apple Inc logo is seen hanging at the entrance to the Apple store on 5th Avenue in New York

By Joseph Menn and Stephen Nellis

(Reuters) - After a week of criticism over a its planned new system for detecting images of child sex abuse, Apple Inc said on Friday that it will hunt only for pictures that have been flagged by clearinghouses in multiple countries.

That shift and others intended to reassure privacy advocates were detailed to reporters in an unprecedented fourth background briefing since the initial announcement eight days prior of a plan to monitor customer devices.

After previously declining to say how many matched images on a phone or computer it would take before the operating system notifies Apple for a human review and possible reporting to authorities, executives said on Friday it would start with 30, though the number could become lower over time as the system improves.

Apple also said it would be easy for researchers to make sure that the list of image identifiers being sought on one iPhone was the same as the lists on all other phones, seeking to blunt concerns that the new mechanism could be used to target individuals. The company published a long paper explaining how it had reasoned through potential attacks on the system and defended against them.

Apple acknowledged that it had handled communications around the program poorly, triggering backlash from influential technology policy groups and even its own employees concerned that the company was jeopardizing its reputation for protecting consumer privacy.

It declined to say whether that criticism had changed any of the policies or software, but said that the project was still in development and changes were to be expected.

Asked why it had only announced that the U.S.-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children would be a supplier of flagged image identifiers when at least one other clearinghouse would need to have separately flagged the same picture, an Apple executive said that the company had only finalized its deal with NCMEC.

The rolling series of explanations, each giving more details that make the plan seem less hostile to privacy, convinced some of the company's critics that their voices were forcing real change.

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"Our pushing is having an effect," tweeted Riana Pfefferkorn, an encryption and surveillance researcher at Stanford University.

Apple said last week that it will check photos if they are about to be stored on the iCloud online service, adding later that it would begin with just the United States.

Other technology companies perform similar checks once photos are uploaded to their servers. Apple's decision to put key aspects of the system on the phone itself prompted concerns that governments could force Apple to expand the system for other uses, such as scanning for prohibited political imagery.

The controversy has even moved into Apple's ranks, with employees debating the move in hundreds of posts on an internal chat channel, Reuters reported this week.

(Reporting by Joseph Menn and Stephen Nellis; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
I like to think of successful brand-building as creating a company that customers would be upset to separate from their identity, growth marketing expert Julian Shapiro told us earlier this week. For example, theyd cease to be the man with Slack stickers all over his laptop. Or the woman who no longer wears Nike shoes every day. And that bugs them.

Shapiro comes from a technical background, as a repeat startup founder and open-source web developer. But these days, as the co-founder of growth education company Demand Curve and startup growth agency Bell Curve, he advocates telling your story by speaking from the heart. We interviewed him earlier this week to hear more about how he sees marketing in 2021.

Elsewhere on TechCrunch and Extra Crunch this week, we published guest columns about using influencers in early-stage brands, the global retail media spending trend and talked to Growth Folks, a growth marketing organization in India.

But first, here are a couple of the most recent recommendations from founders in our startup growth marketer survey. (If theres a growth marketer that youve enjoyed working with, please tell us here.)

Marketer: Bili Sule, alGROWithm

Recommended by: Femi Aiki, Foodlocker

Testimonial: Bili has a proven track record of driving growth, as the former vice president of Growth Marketing at Jumia Nigeria and as a senior growth consultant for Founders Factory Africa. Shes able to cut through the jargon/vanity metrics and has found a way to consistently and reliably engineer growth for us. Whats unique about Bilis approach is that her strategy moves beyond just marketing. She is data driven and takes an iterative experimental approach to unlocking growth across various business pillars, from marketing to product and operations.

Marketer: Jack Abramowitz

Recommended by: Marwen Refaat, GameFi

Testimonial: "Jack is incredibly talented at both growth hacking as well as building an automated growth engine. He has been tremendously helpful to our team."

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Building a growth community in India with Ayush Srivastava of Growth Folks: India is producing a huge, well-funded new generation of startups and increasing sophistication in growth marketing is one reason why. "Companies have started realizing the true importance of having a fully functional growth team and they have started acknowledging their one metric that matters as well," Srivastava told us in a recent interview. "The growth marketers have also started setting up a lot of experiments and have taken a data-driven approach to solving a problem. Now, I see many startups going out of the box and putting in efforts to find new ways of acquisition. They havent restricted them to acquiring users via the traditional ways and thats why you see so many ideas going viral so easily."

(Extra Crunch) Early-stage brands should also unlock the power of influencers: Jonathan Martinez, an experienced growth marketer, breaks down influencer marketing. Martinez notes, When reaching out to influencers, its a sheer numbers game in capturing their attention and pitching your brand, but there are myriad ways to increase response conversion.

(Extra Crunch) Whats driving the global surge in retail media spending? Cynthia Luo, head of marketing at Epsilo, discusses what modern marketing is in 2021. Luo also talks about how businesses have had to adapt during the COVID-19 pandemic. Luo says, As e-commerce turns into a dream marketing channel, reaping the benefits of retail marketing is only possible if the marketplace equips brands with the right tools and data sets.

The art of startup storytelling with Julian Shapiro: Eric Eldon, Extra Crunch managing editor, spoke with Julian Shapiro, about how companies communicate with the public. Shapiro offered insights from his experience as an angel investor, Im interested in businesses with product-led growth, brand affinity moats and who get harder to compete with the larger they get.

(Extra Crunch) Growth tactics that will jump-start your customer base: Jenny Wang, principal investor at Neo, gives insights on the challenges startups now face to launch their customer base and provides some tactics to help them do so. In this article, Wang discusses what the playbook was like five years ago and says,   its never been harder to corral eyeballs and hit a breakout adoption trajectory.

Salesforce State of Marketing: Salesforce published a marketing report that uses data from a double-blind survey they conducted. The survey has five main chapters, Marketers Embrace Change with Optimism, As Customers Go Digital, Marketing Steps Up, Collaboration Drives the Market-from-Anywhere Era, Marketing Is Spelled D-A-T-A and Metrics and KPIs Continue to Evolve. When looking at digital channels, they mentioned that, Even those digital channels that may have been classified as emerging in recent years are seeing mass adoption. Mobile messaging, for instance, is used by 69% of marketers, and nearly two-thirds of organizations use audio media like podcasts and streaming ads. The report lists out the five Most Valuable Marketing Metrics/KPIs and looks ahead at Digital Marketing Tactics.

Is there a startup growth marketing expert that you want us to know about? Let us know by filling out our survey.
Rocking a sharp fuchsia pink blazer with high cut trousers and a flower behind one ear, Goitse, a Botswanan college student living in Rwanda, is described as an ardent feminist who loves a soft life.

When she hears about a South Africa rape case trending on twitter, she likes and retweets the post to show solidarity with the sisterhood, quoting a news story and expressing that as a woman she is always scared of losing her life to domestic violence.

A fellow user DMs her an insult and Goitse wonders what she should do next.

While the above scenario is from an online game recently unveiled by Kampala-based civic tech organization Pollicy in a bid to educate women across Africa on digital safety, those in Uganda, who claim online abuse has worsened say it could be just a normal real life day for any woman in the country.

Digital safe-tea features heavy references to the cities the characters live inincluding one to Nigerias Feminist Coalitionand can be played in English, Luganda, Swahili and French.

Due to a number of reasons such as the digital gender gap, lack of opportunities for women, patriarchy, misogyny, and cultural practices, women across Africa tend to have lower digital literacy skills which makes them more susceptible for threats such as online violence, surveillance, and stalking, says Pollicy founder and director Neema Iyer.

Online violence has the potential to manifest as offline, real-world violence.

Digital safe-tea provides women with digital safety training to confront online violence scenarios

Digital safe-tea, which uses a choose your own adventure format similar to those featured in the popular 80s books, lets players take on the personas of Goitse, Aisha, and Dami, three distinctly young African women. After reading the dialogue in the interactive game, players on a phone or laptop use the back and forward arrows or click on text bubbles to progress through the plot lines, in which the women confront doxing, phishing, online dating scams, impersonation, revenge porn, dogpiling, a term used to describe a mob attack, and cyber stalking.

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Online violence has the potential to manifest as offline, real-world violence.

Digital safe-tea, which features heavy references to the cities the characters live inincluding one to Nigerias Feminist Coalitioncan be played in English, Luganda, Swahili, and French. It was created after Pollicy realized that digital safety training was mostly targeted at human rights defenders (HRDs) or journalists in Africa, despite many more online users thanks to Covid-19.

A study by Pollicy in five African countries found that 29% of their respondents did not know where to turn to for information on online safety and security. In addition, the only action that 80% of their respondents took to secure their online safety was frequently changing their passwords.

As more people move online during the pandemic, harassment of minorities increases on digital platforms

The issue of online harassment of marginalized communities, including women, is a global one. A study of US participants focused on nearly 3,000 tech workers by nonprofit Project Include found that harassment and hostility has moved into the digital sphere via bullying through email and other online activities. This is heightened during the pandemic as online interactions increase.

While Uganda has many organizations focused on online abuse against women, more interdisciplinary or intersectional research from the country using a combination of quantitative and qualitative data is needed, but many groups dont have the tools or the capabilities to capture it, says Iyer, who has recently been appointed to Facebooks newly launched Global Womens Safety Advisory Board.

Every time youre going to post a photo of yourself online, you go through the mental gymnastics of how are people going to react? What are they going to say?

However a poll conducted by start-up Digital Woman Uganda in the countrys east earlier this yearto be published next monthfound that even four out of five rural women had experienced some form of online violence, an under-documented area. This is despite the fact that only a small proportion of women in rural areas are online  around only a quarter of rural women.

A study by Pollicy in five African countries revealed that 80% of women resort to changing passwords frequently to stay safe online.

Black, Indigenous and people of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people, sex workers, and people with disabilities face higher rates of incidence and orchestrated attacks targeting their identities, say HER Internet, a Ugandan woman-led organization that advocates for the digital rights and internet freedoms of women focusing on lesbian, bisexual and queer women and female sex workers.

Digital training is rarely included in education curriculums, Iyer points out. With cybercrime laws suppressing voices and protecting governments over people, much of the onus of creating safe digital spaces still depends on how tech companies respond to the needs of women online. But their response is often lackluster, some claim.

Social media giants struggle to protect women online

Quartz reached out to Twitter for a statement on online violence against women. In its response, Twitter reaffirms its commitment to keeping women safe online stating, Abuse and harassment disproportionately affect women and underrepresented communities online, and has no place on our service. They add that 65% of abusive content thats enforced on Twitter is now surfaced proactively for human review instead of relying on reports from people using Twitter.

If someone is being attacked online a lot of Ugandans will have these trust circles, where they come together and basically demolish whoever has attacked them.

Facebook plays a huge role in supporting abusers, says Ugandan Lindsey Kukunda, executive director of Her Empire, which runs feminist programs including digital safety initiative, The Mentors Network.

When one Ugandan woman posted a photo of herself captioned looking good earlier this year, Kukunda says she received hundreds of insults within minutes. Kukunda announced she would set up a page to name and shame the perpetrators, until they apologized to the victim. She approached the woman hurling the most insults at the one who had posted the photo, who Kukunda says reported her to Facebook.

Kukunda alleges that she received a message from Facebook on their policies stating, If they received another report about me, they would take down not just my personal profile but every single one of my businesses [pages.]

In a written statement to Quartz responding to criticisms raised by Ugandan women about Facebook and online safety, Cindy Southworth, Facebooks Head of Women Safety wrote, To keep women safe from abuse, exploitation, and harassment online and offlineWe work with over 200 womens safety organizations, and have recently launched the Womens Safety Hub and our new Global Womens Safety Expert Advisors, a group of 12 nonprofit leaders, activists, and academic experts, including Neema Iyer of POLLICY, who help us develop new policies, products, and programs that better support the women who use our apps, no matter where they are in the world.

Facebooks recent initiatives around womens online safety seem to be a direct response to the ongoing criticism.

Female victims of online harassment are behind the movement to create safe digital spaces for women

When Ugandan digital communications expert and influencer Patience Ahumuza posted a playful tweet of herself in a miniskirt a year ago, it was the beginning of the #wearthatmini campaign, encouraging other Ugandan women to do the same, in a move to mark their digital space and to encourage body positivity. Hundreds of women have uploaded photos since.

Every time youre going to post a photo of yourself online, you go through the mental gymnastics of how are people going to react? What are they going to say? says Ahumuza of why she started the campaign.

I didnt expect women to participate, let alone keep pushing it.

In May, a Ugandan tabloid took one of her photos, altered it to make her legs bigger and published it on Facebook without her consent. The post was flooded with insults. Ahumuza, who received a death threat, says she asked the paper to take it down, but theyve refused.

Today, every woman has a story of online abuse says Ahumuza, adding that one friend and one relative remain trapped in abusive relationships because their partners are threatening them with revenge porn if they leave.

I will pay for the rest of my life, says Ugandan model Judith Heard, who had her nude photos leaked online, first in 2013 and then again five years later. Today she is constantly reminded about the incidents, which she says pushed her to the brink of suicide, with her childrens schoolfriends taunting them about it.

It changed everything. Everything, Heard tells Quartz. She now considers herself a womens digital rights activist and warns others about interacting with strangers in their direct messages, and about what they post.

To take matters worse, Heard was arrested when the pictures began to circulate because Uganda does not have a law protecting women against the non-consensual circulation of intimate photos, but instead has an antipornography act which can be used as a reason to litigate cases against women whose nudes are leaked. Quartz reached out to the Ugandan ICT minister for comments, but has not yet heard back.

But Iyer glimpses some hope through some online trends such as those she calls trust circles, where feminist groups band together online to support women being harassed.

If someone is being attacked online a lot of Ugandans will have these trust circles where they come together and basically demolish whoever has attacked them, she says.

Its very beautiful to see.

Women resort to being their sisters keeper when they see their fellow women being attacked online.

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KIRKLAND, QC, Aug. 13, 2021 /CNW/ - Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced the initiation of a rolling submission to Health Canada for molnupiravir, an investigational twice daily oral antiviral agent currently in trials as a potential treatment for COVID-19. Merck is developing molnupiravir in collaboration with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.

Investigational antiviral pill molnupiravir (image not actual size) (2020) (CNW Group/Merck Canada Inc.)

The rolling submission process was accepted under the Minister of Health's Interim Order, which allows for the review of early safety, quality and efficacy data while later-stage clinical trials take place. Further findings from the ongoing molnupiravir development program will be shared with Health Canada as they become available. Health Canada will make a decision only when all necessary evidence has been submitted and reviewed.

Phase 2 interim results from the Phase 2/3 MOVe-OUT clinical trials were presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in July. Phase 3 of the trial, evaluating molnupiravir twice daily for five days in non-hospitalized adults with confirmed SARS-CoV-2, five days or less following symptom onset and at least one risk factor associated with poor disease outcomes, is underway and includes sites in Canada.

About the MOVe-OUT study

MOVe-OUT (MK-4482-002) is a Phase 2/3, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multi-site study evaluating orally administered molnupiravir in non-hospitalized participants at least 18 years of age with laboratory confirmed COVID-19 and symptom onset within five days prior to randomization. The trial plans to enroll a total of 1,850 participants with mild or moderate COVID-19. A total of 1,550 patients in the Phase 3 portion of the trial will be randomized 1:1 to receive either molnupiravir (800 mg) or placebo twice daily for five days. The primary efficacy objective is to evaluate efficacy of molnupiravir compared to placebo as assessed by the percentage of participants who are hospitalized and/or die during the period from randomization through Day 29. For further information regarding the trial please visit clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04575597).

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About Molnupiravir

Molnupiravir (EIDD-2801/MK-4482) is an investigational, orally administered form of a potent ribonucleoside analog with antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19. Molnupiravir has been shown to be active in several preclinical models of SARS-CoV-2, including for prophylaxis, treatment, and prevention of transmission, as well as SARS-CoV-1 and MERS. Molnupiravir was invented at Drug Innovations at Emory (DRIVE), LLC, a not-for-profit biotechnology company wholly owned by Emory University.

About Merck

For more than 130 years, Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases in pursuit of our mission to save and improve lives. We demonstrate our commitment to patients and population health by increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today, Merck continues to be at the forefront of research to prevent and treat diseases that threaten people and animals  including cancer, infectious diseases such as HIV and Ebola, and emerging animal diseases  as we aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world.

In Canada, Merck markets a broad range of vaccines, pharmaceutical and animal health products and is one of the top R&D investors in Canada, with investments totaling $93.58 million in 2020 and more than $1.3 billion since 2000. Based in Kirkland, Quebec, Merck employs approximately 592 people across the country. For more information about our operations in Canada, visit www.merck.ca and connect with us on YouTube and Twitter @MerckCanada .

Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co. Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA.

This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA (the "company") includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline products that the products will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of the global outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19); the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company's patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.

The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company's 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC's Internet site (www.sec.gov).

Merck Canada Logo (CNW Group/Merck Canada Inc.)

SOURCE Merck Canada Inc.

Cision

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NEW YORK, Aug. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The ultraviolet (UV) disinfection equipment market size is expected to increase by USD 2.06 billion during 2020-2024, registering a CAGR of over 14% during the forecast period. Advanced UV Inc. (US), American Ultraviolet Inc. (US), Atlantic Ultraviolet Corp. (US), Danaher Corp. (US), Evoqua Water Technologies LLC (US), Halma Plc (UK), Kuraray Co. Ltd. (Japan), Lumalier Corp. (US), SITA Srl (Italy), and Xylem Inc.(US) are some of the prominent vendors likely to contribute significantly to the market growth.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Ultraviolet Disinfection Equipment Market by Application and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2020-2024

Download Our Free Sample Report and gain access to a detailed customer landscape matrix comparing key industry-driven parameters.

The market is driven by the evolving benefits of UV disinfection equipment and rising concerns over freshwater scarcity. In addition, the growing demand for ultrapure water and the surging emergence of UV-C LED disinfection equipment will further offer significant opportunities for the market players to grow. However, the lower cost of conventional chlorine-based technology and minimal need for regular maintenance of equipment might hinder the market growth during the forecast period.

The ultraviolet (UV) disinfection equipment market covers the following areas:

Ultraviolet (UV) Disinfection Equipment Market Sizing

Ultraviolet (UV) Disinfection Equipment Market Forecast

Ultraviolet (UV) Disinfection Equipment Market Analysis

The ultraviolet (UV) disinfection equipment market report presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters. Technavio analyzes the market by Application (Drinking water, Wastewater, Industrial water, and Others) and Geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and MEA). Drinking water constituted the largest segment in 2019 and will continue to retain its market position in terms of size and share during the forecast period. By geography, 33% of the market's incremental growth will originate from APAC with China and Japan emerging as the key contributing economies in the region.

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1. Executive Summary

2. Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 01: Parent market

2.2 Market characteristics

Exhibit 02: Market characteristics

2.3 Value chain analysis

2.2.1 Inputs

2.2.2 Inbound logistics

2.2.3 Operations

2.2.4 Outbound logistics

2.2.5 Marketing and sales

2.3.6 Aftermarket and service

2.3.7 Industry innovations

3. Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 04: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 05: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2019

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 - 2024

Exhibit 06: Global - Market size and forecast 2019 - 2024 ($ million)

Exhibit 07: Global market: Year-over-year growth 2019 - 2024 (%)

4. Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five Forces Summary

Exhibit 08: Five forces analysis 2019 & 2024

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

4.4 Threat of new entrants

4.5 Threat of substitutes

4.6 Threat of rivalry

4.7 Market condition

Market condition - Five forces 2020

5. Market Segmentation by Application

The 4 segments have been ranked based on their market size in 2019. Drinking water constituted the largest segment in 2019, while the smallest segment was industrial water. The 2019 market position of both the segments will change in 2024.

Buy the ultraviolet disinfection equipment market forecast report for exhaustive analytical data on the segmentations.

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 15: Application - Market share 2019-2024 (%)

5.2 Comparison by Application

Exhibit 16: Comparison by Application

5.3 Drinking water - Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Exhibit 17: Drinking water - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 ($ million)

Exhibit 18: Drinking water - Year-over-year growth 2019-2024 (%)

5.4 Wastewater - Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Exhibit 19: Wastewater - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 ($ million)

Exhibit 20: Wastewater - Year-over-year growth 2019-2024 (%)

5.5 Industrial water - Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Exhibit 21: Industrial water - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 ($ million)

Exhibit 22: Industrial water - Year-over-year growth 2019-2024 (%)

5.6 Others - Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Exhibit 23: Others - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 ($ million)

Exhibit 24: Others - Year-over-year growth 2019-2024 (%)

5.7 Market opportunity by Application

Exhibit 25: Market opportunity by Application

6. Customer landscape

Technavio's customer landscape matrix comparing Drivers or price sensitivity, Adoption lifecycle, importance in customer price basket, Adoption rate and Key purchase criteria

Exhibit 27: Customer landscape

Customer landscape analysis

7. Geographic Landscape

The 5 regions have been ranked based on their market size in 2019. North America ranked first as the largest region, while MEA was the smallest region in 2019. In 2024, APAC will surpass Europe and become the second-largest segment as compared to 2019.

Buy the report now to obtain meticulously researched actionable insights on the emerging and potential regional markets.

7.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 27: Market share by geography 2019-2024 (%)

7.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 28: Geographic comparison

7.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Exhibit 29: North America - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 ($ million)

Exhibit 30: North America - Year-over-year growth 2019-2024 (%)

7.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Exhibit 31: Europe - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 ($ million)

Exhibit 32: Europe - Year-over-year growth 2019-2024 (%)

7.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Exhibit 33: APAC - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 ($ million)

Exhibit 34: APAC - Year-over-year growth 2019-2024 (%)

7.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Exhibit 35: South America - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 ($ million)

Exhibit 36: South America - Year-over-year growth 2019-2024 (%)

7.7 MEA - Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Exhibit 37: MEA - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 ($ million)

Exhibit 38: MEA - Year-over-year growth 2019-2024 (%)

7.9 Key leading countries

Exhibit 39: Key leading countries

7.10 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 40: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)

8. Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

8.1 Market drivers

8.1.1 Evolving benefits of UV disinfection equipment

8.1.2 Rising concerns over freshwater scarcity

8.1.3 Emergence of customized UV disinfection equipment

8.2 Market challenges

8.2.1 Availability of refurbished UV disinfection equipment

8.2.2 Lower cost of conventional chlorine-based technology

8.2.3 Need for regular maintenance of equipment

8.3 Market trends

8.3.1 Growing demand for ultrapure water

8.3.2 Emergence of UV-C LED disinfection equipment

8.3.3 Rapid development of large-scale commercial plants

9. Vendor Landscape

9.1 Overview

9.2 Vendor landscape

9.3 Landscape disruption

Analysis of Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

Competitive scenario

9.4 Landscape disruption

Technavio's Analysis on the impact of Disruption Threats by comparing Disruptive sources and Factors driving disruption

Industry risks

10. Vendor Analysis

10.1 Vendors covered

10.2 Market positioning of vendors

10.3 Advanced UV Inc.

Overview

Business Segments

Key Offering

Segment Focus

10.4 American Ultraviolet Inc.

Overview

Business Segments

Key Offering

Segment Focus

10.5 Atlantic Ultraviolet Corp.

Overview

Business Segments

Key Offering

Segment Focus

10.6 Danaher Corp.

Overview

Business Segments

Key Offering

Segment Focus

10.7 Evoqua Water Technologies LLC

Overview

Business Segments

Key Offering

Segment Focus

10.8 Halma Plc

Overview

Business Segments

Key Offering

Segment Focus

10.9 Kuraray Co. Ltd.

Overview

Business Segments

Key Offering

Segment Focus

10.10 Lumalier Corp.

Overview

Business Segments

Key Offering

Segment Focus

10.11 SITA Srl

Overview

Business Segments

Key Offering

Segment Focus

10.12 Xylem Inc.

Overview

Business Segments

Key Offering

Segment Focus

11. Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

11.1.1 Market definition

11.1.2 Objectives

11.1.3 Notes and Caveats

11.2 Currency conversion rates for US$

11.3 Research methodology

11.4 List of abbreviations

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Technavio's in-depth research has direct and indirect COVID-19 impacted market research reports.

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Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

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KABUL -- The road to Kabul's international airport is clogged with thousands of people who are rushing to leave the country.

Thousands of others stand in long queues, stretching for kilometers, outside the capital's only passport office, desperately trying to secure travel documents.

Others frantically rush around downtown Kabul, a city of some 5 million people, running last-minute errands before fleeing their homes.

The fear and panic gripping Kabul is palpable as the Taliban militant group marches on the capital following a devastating, monthslong military offensive during which it has seized large swaths of the war-torn country.

"It's a feeling of shock and sadness compounded by brutal uncertainty," says Timor Sharan, a former civil servant and the director of the Afghanistan Policy Lab, a Kabul-based think tank. "Shopping in the city today, I felt people were gripped by a sense of being stuck; stuck in an uncertain future and never able to dream, aspire, think, and believe anymore."

The Taliban has captured 24 of Afghanistan's 34 provincial capitals as of late on August 14 and seized control of over half of the country's roughly 400 districts in a blistering campaign since the start of the final withdrawal of foreign troops on May 1.

After effectively seizing control of Afghanistan's west, south, and most of the north, the extremist group is advancing on Kabul, directly threatening the survival of the internationally-backed central government. Residents fear a bloody Taliban takeover of the city and the prospect of living under the brutal, oppressive rule of the fundamentalist Islamist group.

"People are terrified," says Jawid Ahmadi, a Kabul resident. "On the streets and bazaars, every single person is talking about how to leave Afghanistan."

Ahmadi says he applied for passports for his family of four. It is a process that usually requires three working days but now takes up to three months, he says. The fee for a passport has also soared, from around $80 several months ago to almost $500 -- a huge price for many Afghans.

Some 20,000 to 30,000 Afghans are fleeing abroad every week, according to the International Organization for Migration, which says that as many as 1.5 million Afghans could flee westward this year.

Photo Gallery: Fleeing Fighting, Afghans Flood Into Kabul And Gather At Pakistan Border Tens of thousands of people have been flooding into the Afghan capital, Kabul, and gathering at the Pakistan border to escape the escalating fighting between Taliban militants and government forces. As more provincial capitals fell to the Taliban, Afghanistan's Refugees and Repatriations Ministry said that more than 35,000 families had arrived in the capital over the last week and that officials are struggling to provide them food and shelter. Share on Facebook

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Meanwhile, the price of some food staples like flour has surged by 30 percent, while gas prices have almost doubled in recent weeks, even as poverty spreads and a humanitarian crisis worsens.

Fear Of Taliban Attack

Kabul residents express mounting fears over a possible Taliban military assault on the densely populated city, a worst-case scenario that would lead to lead to wide-scale casualties and destruction.

"A Taliban military takeover of Kabul would result in the loss of everything that was gained in the last 20 years," says Haroun Rahimi, an assistant professor of law at the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul. "It would also be very bloody," he adds. "People are not only scared of losing their rights but also afraid of dying."

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on August 14 said his "focus is on preventing further instability, violence, and displacement of my people," as pressure grew on him to resign, a move that might end the fighting and pave the way for an interim government that includes the Taliban.

His comments came as the insurgents advanced on Kabul.

The Taliban seized Pul-e Alam, the provincial capital of Logar Province, on August 13. The city is just 70 kilometers from Kabul.

The next day the Taliban had captured the entire province. Hoda Ahmadi, a lawmaker from Logar, said the militants had reached Chahar Asyab, a strategic district in Kabul Province that lies just 11 kilometers south of the city's borders.

During the country's devastating civil war in the 1990s, Hekmatyar Gulbuddin, one of the country's most notorious ex-warlords and a former militant leader, used Chahar Asyab as a base from which to indiscriminately fire thousands of rockets at Kabul that killed tens of thousands of people.

Repressive Laws

There is also dread among residents in Kabul, which has witnessed major social, economic, and democratic gains over the past 20 years, that their hard-won rights will be rolled back.

The extremist group has reimposed many of the repressive laws and retrograde policies that defined its brutal 1996-2001 rule, when the Islamist group gained notoriety for oppressing women, massacring ethnic and religious minorities, and publicly executing alleged criminals.

In many new areas under its control, the Taliban has forced women to cover themselves from head to toe in a burqa, banned them from working outside the home, severely limited girls' education, and required women to be accompanied by a male relative if they leave their homes.

There have also been several reports of young women being forced to marry Taliban fighters.

Meanwhile, men have been banned from trimming or shaving their beards. They have also been forced to pray five times a day, while listening to music and watching television are again outlawed in some areas.

Human rights groups and the Afghan government have also reported summary executions taking place of government officials and captured Afghan soldiers.

After seizing control of the western city of Herat on August 12, Taliban fighters paraded two alleged looters through the streets, with black char smeared on their faces.

In the southern city of Kandahar, which was also captured on August 12, the insurgents were reported to have forced nine female employees of a bank to leave and warned them not to return to their jobs. They were escorted home.

Written by Frud Bezhan in Prague with contributions from RFE/RL's Radio Azadi correspondents in Afghanistan. Their names are being withheld for their safety
Canada plans to resettle more than 20,000 Afghans to protect them from Taliban reprisals, Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino has said.

The plan will focus on people who are particularly vulnerable, including women leaders, human rights defenders, reporters, persecuted religious minorities, and members of the gay and lesbian community, Mendicino said on August 13.

It covers both people who want to leave Afghanistan and those already in neighboring countries.

The effort is in addition to a previously announced initiative to welcome thousands of Afghans who worked for the Canadian government as interpreters and as employees of the Canadian Embassy and their families, Mendicino told a news conference.

"As the Taliban continues to take over more of Afghanistan, many more Afghans' lives are under increasing threat," he said.

Mendicino did not provide a timeline for the resettlement program, but Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan said some Canadian special forces were in Afghanistan taking part in the relocation effort.

"The challenges on the ground are quite immense," he said.

The announcement came as the Taliban continues to seize provincial capitals with little resistance from government forces.

"We know the situation is dire. It's getting worse by the hour," Mendicino said.

Based on reporting by Reuters
Taliban fighters have taken control of Mazar-e Sharif, a major northern Afghan city that was one of the last in the country still under government control.



The capture of the city, some 100 kilometers from the border with Uzbekistan, came on August 14 just hours after President Ashraf Ghani vowed not to give up the achievements of the last 20 years, and after Taliban forces seized yet more provincial capitals.



The offensive, which has spanned several weeks, has stunned U.S. officials who had hoped Afghan forces would hold their own. It has forced U.S. President Joe Biden's administration to speed up plans to evacuate civilians ahead of the deadline of August 31 for withdrawing all U.S. military forces.



Biden, who has come under increasing criticism in Washington, defended the rapid U.S. pullout in a statement released by the White House.



"Over our country's 20 years at war in Afghanistan, America has sent its finest young men and women, invested nearly $1 trillion, trained over 300,000 Afghan soldiers and police, equipped them with state-of-the-art military equipment, and maintained their air force as part of the longest war in U.S. history," he said.



"One more year, or five more years, of U.S. military presence would not have made a difference if the Afghan military cannot or will not hold its own country. And an endless American presence in the middle of another country's civil conflict was not acceptable to me," he said.



Biden also authorized an additional 1,000 U.S. troops for deployment to Afghanistan, raising the number being deployed to roughly 5,000. Biden said the additional troops were needed to "make sure we can have an orderly and safe drawdown" of U.S. and allied personnel.



Biden didn't provide details about the additional 1,000 troops except that the decision to deploy them had been "based on the recommendations of our diplomatic, military, and intelligence teams."

Earlier on August 14, in a brief televised address, Ghani said he was consulting with local leaders and international partners on the situation in the country. He did not announce his resignation, something that some observers had speculated was possible.



"As your president, my focus is on preventing further instability, violence and displacement of my people," Ghani said. He also said the "remobilization of armed forces is a top priority."



Given the rapid advance by the Taliban, and the paltry resistance being put up by government forces, it's unclear how long it will be before the capital, Kabul, is also captured.



A Radio Azadi reporter in Mazar-e Sharif said that Taliban fighters entered the city's police headquarters and briefly skirmished with security forces in a central square. Taliban fighters then moved to the city's central jail and released hundreds of prisoners.



Abdul Rashid Dostum, a notorious former warlord who commands thousands of fighters in the region, was seen fleeing north, with a convoy of vehicles and weaponry, toward the Uzbek border city of Termez.



Video obtained by RFE/RL's Uzbek Service showed a large number of vehicles reportedly linked to Dostum's militia trying to cross the Khayraton bridge over the Amu Darya river later August 14. The river runs along the border between the two countries.



Abas Ebrahimzada, a lawmaker from the Balkh province where Mazar-e Sharif is located, told the Associated Press that the national army surrendered first in Mazar-e Sharif. That prompted pro-government militias and other forces to lose morale and give up in the face of the Taliban onslaught, he said.



Afzal Hadid, head of the Balkh provincial council, said that security forces were escaping toward the border.



"The Taliban have taken control of Mazar-e Sharif," he told Reuters. "All security forces have left Mazar city."



Ebrahimzada also said that Dostum as well as another warlord, Ata Mohammad Noor, had fled the province and their whereabouts were unknown.

Ghani flew to Mazar-e Sharif -- a city of around 500,000 people -- earlier this week to rally the city's defenses, meeting with several militia commanders, including Dostum and Noor, who command thousands of fighters.



Earlier on August 14, Taliban fighters overran Sharana, capital of southeastern Paktika Province, and later captured Asadabad, the capital of eastern Kunar Province as well.



The new seizures bring the number of provinces now controlled by the Taliban to 24, out of a total of 34.

The Taliban meanwhile released a video announcing the takeover of the main radio station in the southern city of Kandahar, renaming it the Voice of Sharia, or Islamic law.

In the video, an unnamed insurgent said all employees were present and would broadcast news, political analysis, and recitations of the Koran, the Islamic holy book. It appears the station will no longer play music.

The Biden administration has rushed to try and bolster Afghan government forces, while also providing defense for American civilians at the embassy and elsewhere.



The first U.S. Marines from a contingent of 3,000 began arriving in Kabul on August 13 to help in the evacuation, and to secure the citys airport. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that most of the 3,000 additional troops will be in place by August 15 and "will be able to move thousands per day" out.

Kirby acknowledged on August 13 that it appeared Taliban fighters were trying to isolate the city, but said the capital was not "in an imminent threat environment."

The Taliban's rapid offensive has picked up pace as U.S.-led international troops aim to complete their withdrawal by August 31. The deadline was set after Biden announced in April that he was ending U.S. involvement in the war after nearly 20 years.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on August 13 expressed concern about the situation and urged the Taliban to halt their offensive and negotiate in good faith.

"The message from the international community to those on the warpath must be clear: seizing power through military force is a losing proposition. That can only lead to prolonged civil war or to the complete isolation of Afghanistan," Guterres said.

Guterres also said he was "deeply disturbed" by accounts of poor treatment of women in areas seized by the Taliban.

"It is particularly horrifying and heartbreaking to see reports of the hard-won rights of Afghan girls and women being ripped away," Guterres said.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Uzbek Service, AFP, AP, BBC, and Reuters
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Studies of the genetic makeup of cheetahs show that the animals have a dramatic lack of genetic diversity. Usually, animals that display this monochromatism are on the track to extinction. Yet, in areas in which human and nonhuman predators are not prevalent, the cheetah populations thrive.Given the bleak genetic outlook of the cheetah, which of the following would explain the thriving population?A. Some zoologists have found that many cheetahs in captivity are infertile.B. Genetic patterns in laboratory tests are often contraindicative of patterns exhibited in the wild.C. Biologists who conduct genetic testing predict that recessive traits will appear more frequently with inbred species.D. Farmers in Africa shoot cheetahs because they believe the animals are a threat to their livestock.E. DNA analysis is the most accurate predictor of the genetic health of a species.
The Syrian Observatory said that the negotiations in Daraa were extended until tomorrow, Tuesday, after reaching a dead end.

According to the observatory, the Damascus delegation demands raising the Syrian flag over the Al-Omari Mosque, full control of Daraa and the deployment of checkpoints throughout the area, in addition to displacing a number of wanted persons or surrendering themselves and their weapons.

While the CC in Houran did not reach a clear response regarding the mandatory service for the people of Daraa, the peoples delegation and the negotiating committee demanded that their service be within the Eighth Brigade.

The negotiations were attended by the head of the security committee in southern Syria, Husam Louka, the head of the Military Security Branch, Louay Al-Ali, Brigadier General Ghiath Dallah, the commander of the First Corps and the DM, General Ali Ayoub.

According to the Syrian Observatory, the Damascus government delegation threatened to destroy Daraa over the heads of its people if its demands were rejected.

In a related context, Damascus forces shelled with artillery and tanks the city of Daraa al-Balad, in addition to targeting the city with heavy machine guns. Intense gunfire was heard in Daraa al-Balad this evening, after the Russian delegation left the city of Daraa, without revealing the results of the last meeting.

A

ANHA
45 films you never realised got banned, from Wonder Woman to Shrek 2

Since the dawn of time  well, the start of cinema  many films have been banned in certain countries due to ridiculous reasons.

Thanks to strict laws or conflicting beliefs, censors from all around the world  China, Ireland, Lebanon, to name just a few  continue to work hard determining whether new releases are fit to be screened in cinemas.

While some titles, including graphic horror films The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Human Centipede 2, get banned for obvious reasons, there is a long history of unexpected features  such as Disney releases and inoffensive superhero films  that failed to make the cut.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Stanley Kubricks controversial film A Clockwork Orange, which despite getting nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, found itself at the centre of a ban in several countries (South Africa, South Korea, etc) in 1971.

In fact, Kubrick himself imposed a ban on the film being shown in the UK in 1973 right up until his death in 1999.

Below is a roundup of the 45 films you never realised were banned  and the reasons why.

Scroll through the gallery to see what made the list.

Read More

Elijah Wood shares unimpressed reaction to Lord of the Rings moving production from New Zealand to UK

Thor: The Dark World director reveals major plot changes that led to films failure

Spider-Man: No Way Home official merchandise reveals Marvel film spoiler about former villain
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) -A group of opposition Congress members will present on Friday a request for a political trial against center-left Argentine President Alberto Fernandez for "poor performance in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic," lawmakers said.

The request is largely symbolic, with political tensions rising ahead of congressional elections scheduled for Nov. 14. Even sponsors of the measure acknowledged they do not have the votes to pass the bill.

Among other charges, they accuse the Peronist leader of violating the country's quarantine rules when he held a small party at his residence to celebrate his wife Fabiola Yanez's birthday in July of last year.

A government decree had forbidden such gatherings at the time.

The scandal broke after a photo of the party circulated in local media this week.

In a speech on Friday in the province of Buenos Aires, Fernandez said he regretted his actions.

"Fabiola called a meeting with her friends, a toast, which should not have happened... and which I regret," Fernandez said.

A bill to be presented by members of the Juntos por el Cambio (Together for Change) party in Congress calls for Fernandez's impeachment "for violation of measures taken by the authorities to prevent the spread of an epidemic."

Argentina, a country of 45 million people, has had 108,500 deaths related to COVID-19 so far, according to official data.

"This was a crime that had ethical, moral and governance implications," Waldo Wolff, one of the deputies who signed the impeachment request, told reporters.

"Beyond not having the votes, it is the right time to bring this up on behalf of a great number of citizens who agree with us," Wolff said.

(Reporting by Eliana Raszewski and Lucila Sigal, writing Hugh Bronstein and Dave Sherwood; Editing by David Gregorio and Rosalba O'Brien)
A strong earthquake killed at least 29 people in Haiti on Saturday, emergency officials said, in the latest challenge to a Caribbean nation still recovering from a devastating 2010 quake.

Jerry Chandler, who heads the countrys civil protection agency, announced the toll as the nation began counting the costs of the disaster.

The tremors have hit days before a tropical storm is expected to make landfall, and Prime Minister Ariel Henry said he was mobilizing all available government resources to help victims in the affected areas.

The epicenter of the quake was about 125 kilometers (78 miles) west of the capital of Port-au-Prince, the U.S. Geological Survey said, and widespread damage was reported.

Jerry Chandler, Haitis director of civil protection, told the AP that the death toll stood at 29 and that teams will be sent to the area for search and rescue missions.

Henry said on Twitter that the violent quake had caused loss of life and damage in various parts of the country, and also appealed to Haitians to unify as they confront this dramatic situation in which were living right now.

He declared a one-month state of emergency for the whole country. At a press conference, he said he would not ask for international help until the extent of the damages is known.

Videos posted to social media showed collapsed buildings near the epicenter and people running into the streets.

People in Port-au-Prince felt the tremor and many rushed into the streets in fear, although there did not appear to be damage there.

Naomi Verneus, a 34-year-old resident of Port-au-Prince, said she was jolted awake by the earthquake and that her bed was shaking.

I woke up and didnt have time to put my shoes on. We lived the 2010 earthquake and all I could do was run. I later remembered my two kids and my mother were still inside. My neighbor went in and told them to get out. We ran to the street, Verneus said.

The impoverished country, where many live in tenuous circumstances, is vulnerable to earthquakes and hurricanes. It was struck by a magnitude 5.9 earthquake in 2018 that killed more than a dozen people, and a vastly larger magnitude 7.1 quake that damaged much of the capital in 2010 and killed an estimated 300,000 people.

Story continues

The National Hurricane Center has forecasted that Tropical Storm Grace will reach Haiti late Monday night or early Tuesday morning.

The earthquake struck more than a month after President Jovenel Moise was killed, sending the country into political chaos, and humanitarian aid groups said the earthquake will add to the suffering.

Were concerned that this earthquake is just one more crisis on top of what the country is already facing  including the worsening political stalemate after the presidents assassination, COVID and food insecurity, said Jean-Wickens Merone, spokesman for World Vision Haiti.

Catholic priest Fredy Elie, who began working with the Mission in Haiti Congregation after the 2010 earthquake, told The Associated Press that access to the area is hindered by criminal gangs and was pleading for help.

Its time to open the road to those who want to help  They need help from all of us, Elie said.

Biden Announces US Aid

US President Joe Biden has authorised immediate US help to quake-hit Haiti, said a White House official.

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in an official tweet, also put out his thoughts and prayers for the earthquake-hit nation. Canadians are thinking of everyone affected by the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Our hearts go out to those who have lost loved ones, and those who have been injured  and were standing ready to provide assistance in any way we can, he said.

With inputs from AP, AFP

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1. Yes. It already exists for Fort Hood campuses. The mask policy should be uniform.

2. Yes. Other districts are defying the ban. KISD should put kids first and follow suit.

3. No. Whether a mask mandate is a good idea doesnt matter. Dont break the law.

4. No. Students shouldnt be forced to wear a mask. The governors order is correct.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say. There could be serious consequences either way.

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U.S., Other Countries Preparing To Reduce or Evacuate Diplomatic Staff from Afghanistan

Aug. 13, 2021 (EIRNS)The U.S. State and Defense Departments announced yesterday that the U.S. military will be supporting the drawdown of the U.S. diplomatic presence in Kabul down to a core diplomatic presence before the end of August, due to the collapsing security situation. In order to facilitate this reduction, the Department of Defense will temporarily deploy additional personnel to Hamid Karzai International Airport, said State Department spokesman Ned Price.

The embassy remains open and we plan to continue our diplomatic work in Afghanistan, Price stressed. The United States will continue to support consular services, and that includes the processing and operations of the Special Immigrant Visa program, and will continue to engage in diplomacy with the Afghan government and the Afghan people. Those functions include supporting peace, security, assistance, cooperation on counterterrorism; consular services, as weve been talking about, especially in the context of the Special Immigrant Visa program (for Afghans who worked as translators for the U.S. military).

Minutes after Price finished up at the State Department, Defense Department spokesman John Kirby appeared in the Pentagon briefing room to provide some details on the military deployment. Itll start with the deployment of three infantry battalions, two Marine and one Army, to the airport in Kabul, all of which are already present in the region. They will be followed by a combined Army-Air Force support element of around 1,000 personnel which will land in Qatar to facilitate the processing of the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants. Thirdly, a brigade combat team from the 82nd Airborne Division will deploy to Kuwait and will function as a quick reaction force should things go south in Kabul. All told, about 8,000 troops will be deployed, about 3,000 of whom will go to the airport in Kabul at the outset of the deployment. They will join the 650 that have remained to provide security at the airport and at the U.S. embassy.

Kirby stressed that these forces are being deployed to support the orderly and safe reduction of civilian personnel at the request of the State Department and to help facilitate an accelerated process ofof working through SIV applicants. He went on: This is a temporary mission with a narrow focus. The goal is to complete the reduction of civilian personnel and the evacuation of SIV applicants by Aug. 31, along with the U.S. military withdrawal. Kirby refused to speculate on what happens after that.

And its not just the U.S. which is preparing to evacuate people from Kabul. Several other countries are reported to be planning to pull their diplomatic staff out of Kabul as well, including the U.K., Canada and Turkey. Britain said it would deploy around 600 troops to help its citizens leave while other embassies and aid groups said they too were getting their people out, reported Emirati daily The National. Its best to reduce our footprint not just because theres an increasing threat of violence but also resources, an official at the Turkish Embassy in Kabul said on Aug. 13. Medical facilities are under massive pressure. We also are mindful of Covid-19 and testing has almost come to a pause.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Australia's biggest city announced tighter COVID restrictions including heavier fines and tighter policing on Saturday as authorities battled to contain a Delta outbreak and said they were seeing the "most concerning day of the pandemic" so far.

After months of pursuing a "COVID zero" strategy, Australia has been struggling to bring a resurgence of coronavirus cases under control, with more than 10 million people under lockdown in its two largest cities and the capital Canberra.

Residents of Sydney, going into an eighth week under stay-at-home orders, will now face heftier fines for flouting rules or lying to contact tracers, with current restrictions proving insufficient to stop the spread.

Lockdown restrictions were also extended across the entire state of New South Wales for the first time this year, coming into force on Saturday afternoon for at least seven days.

Police would boost patrols and checkpoints while hundreds more defence force personnel will help enforce stay-at-home orders as the outbreak in the most populous state of New South Wales hit another daily record of 466 community cases.

"Today is the most concerning day of the pandemic that we've seen," state premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney.

Describing efforts to curb the outbreak as a war against the "diabolical" Delta strain, Berejiklian said Australia was facing a significant threat from the outbreak.

"For some time, we thought Australia was different to other parts of the world, but we're not."

Police commissioner Mick Fuller said he had sought additional powers after officers reported people using loopholes to evade restrictions.

Residents are still allowed to leave their homes for exercise, shopping, health care and essential workbut police would ramp up efforts to enforce restrictions, he said.

Rules for leaving Sydney were also tightened to prevent the outbreak from spreading further into other regions.

The nation's capital, which is surrounded by New South Wales, was sent into lockdown earlier this week while the second-largest city of Melbourne is battling its own outbreak.

The resurgence has increased criticism of the country's sluggish vaccine roll-out, with just a quarter of eligible Australians so far fully vaccinated.

Explore further Sydney tightens lockdown as Delta outbreak intensifies

 2021 AFP
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Guatemala has declared a new state of emergency and will impose an overnight curfew from Sunday to contain a surge in COVID infections due to the Delta variant, President Alejandro Giammattei said.

The 30-day state of emergency is being implemented due to a rebound in cases attributed to the "more aggressive" Delta variant, Giammattei said in a televised address on Friday.

"The Delta variant is highly contagious. It is causing new outbreaks and many governments have had to impose new restrictions on their populations as a mitigation measure. Guatemala cannot be the exception," he said.

Guatemala, with about 17 million inhabitants, has been recording more than 4,000 new infections a day, with 407,564 cases and 11,006 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Under the state of emergency, which must be ratified by Congress, an overnight curfew will be imposed from Sunday, running from 10:00 pm to 4:00 am.

It also provides for speeding up the purchase of supplies to deal with the pandemic, establishes minimum and maximum prices for essential goods and bans mass meetings, although demonstrations that comply with social distancing measures will be allowed.

"The measures are focused on containing the virus," said the president, a trained doctor who has faced regular street protests to demand his resignation due to allegations of corruption and accusations of mishandling the pandemic.

He previously imposed a state of emergency in March last year when Guatemala recorded its first coronavirus case.

Explore further Guatemala cancels order for Russian vaccines

 2021 AFP
Australian firm, Fortescue Metals Group, will begin work in Papua New Guinea to explore opportunities in PNGs energy sector.

This follows the signing of a geothermal deed of agreement between the firm and government, through Kumul Consolidated Holdings Ltd, on Tuesday.

Picture Credit: Fortescue Metals Group

PNG Prime Minister James Marape said this was an indication that investors were still interested in investing in the country despite the downturn in the economy brought on by the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

In the midst of a global pandemic, countries are looking for investors and Papua New Guinea has a friend closer to home, choosing PNG as an investment destination, said Marape.

He said PNG can be a hub for generating clean energy into the future.

As reported by The National, Fortescue Chairman Dr Andrew Forrest said this deed will mark PNGs first step towards developing a significant industry that will never run out of resources.

Renewable energy is infinite, said Forrest.

He said they will ensure that development occurs at no cost to the environment.

Our project team is with you now in PNG to meet with responsible people and authorities.

Prime Minister (James Marape), it is my genuine hope that we stand side by side representing PNG to the world showing just how strong it can be in this new era in what will be the world's largest industry, said Forrest.

Public Enterprises and State Investment Minister William Duma said the agreement recognized the government's support for the commercial development of PNGs geothermal resources.

He said this would support green industrial operations domestically or be used to export energy to international markets, setting the path for sustainable green energy in the country.

Such a project would require social, environmental, and technical feasibility studies to be carried out for geothermal power generation facilities, power transmission lines, and possibly a coastal port and industrial precinct, he said.

Duma also mentioned provinces with potential for further exploration which included West New Britain, Miline Bay, Madang, East Sepik, and Morobe.

Statement





Next : Align gas projects, says Twinza
The claim: Ivermectin is an effective treatment for COVID-19

Several states have logged 1 million coronavirus cases as the highly contagious delta variant continues to wreak havoc across the country. To slow the spread of the virus, public health officials are encouraging Americans to get vaccinated.

But on social media, some have hatched a different plan to treat COVID-19: using anti-parasite products designed for farm animals.

"Less than a hour after taking Ivermectin paste per my body weight I was mostly symptom free," reads an Aug. 8 testimonial on Facebook. "Was in bad shape until then!"

The post, which includes a photo of an apple-flavored paste for treating parasites in horses, only accumulated about 200 shares within three days. But similar posts touting ivermectin have been widely shared across platforms, and farm supply stores across the country are running low on anti-parasitics for horses, cows and pigs.

"(Hydroxychloroquine) and treatments like ivermectin cure coronavirus within days. Always has," an Instagram user wrote Aug. 4.

They don't.

Fact check: Fauci's emails don't show he 'lied' about hydroxychloroquine

"There is no evidence that ivermectin is effective for treatment," Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an assistant professor at the Medical University of South Carolina, said in an email.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media users who shared the claim for comment. One of them, Shayne Ward, said in a Facebook message that he's heard "countless stories of people that Ivermectin has helped get over Covid."

"Fact Check that!" he wrote.

Ivermectin not proven to treat COVID-19

Ivermectin has been promoted as a COVID-19 cure throughout the pandemic. Scientists are still studying whether the drug could be used as a treatment, but so far there's little data to suggest it's effective against COVID-19.

Ivermectin is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat certain kinds of parasites and neglected tropical diseases, including scabies and parasitic worms. It is not approved to treat any viruses.

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A framed photo of his family sits in front of a COVID-19 patient in an intensive care unit in Osage Beach, Mo., on July 26, 2021.

Some limited studies have suggested ivermectin could help treat COVID-19. But other, more rigorous research has found little or no impact.

"The reason for the interest in ivermectin is that studies in the lab have shown it can block viruses from multiplying in experimental settings  i.e. in a petri dish  and so people hoped this would mean it could help treat COVID-19 in people too," Dr. Denise McCulloch, an infectious disease specialist with the University of Washington's School of Medicine, said in an email. "Unfortunately, the few high-quality studies that have been done to date do not demonstrate a beneficial effect of ivermectin when it is used in people with COVID-19."

Two of the highest-quality studies available include a double-blind, randomized trial in Colombia and a meta-analysis of 14 studies involving more than 1,600 participants, McCulloch said.

More: What science has learned works and what doesnt in COVID-19 treatments

The Colombia study found that, among adults with mild COVID-19 cases, a five-day course of ivermectin "did not significantly improve the time to resolution of symptoms." The meta-analysis, published in late July, concluded that "the reliable evidence available does not support the use of ivermectin for treatment or prevention of COVID19 outside of welldesigned randomized trials."

Those findings have been clouded by the publication of lower-quality studies and research with potential sources of bias, experts say.

One non-peer reviewed study widely cited by ivermectin proponents was posted on Research Square in November. The preprint platform withdrew the study in July "due to an expression of concern communicated directly to our staff."

A peer-reviewed meta-analysis of 15 trials, published in the July/August issue of the American Journal of Therapeutics, found that "large reductions in COVID-19 deaths are possible using ivermectin." But experts told PolitiFact, an independent fact-checking outlet, that some of the trials the study included were not high-quality, and some of its authors were affiliated with a pro-ivermectin group.

Absent more randomized, controlled clinical trials, scientists remain skeptical about the benefits of ivermectin in treating COVID-19.

"To extrapolate from how much drug is needed to work in the test tube to how much is required to work in a human being against the virus makes these trials and all the meta-reviews published less than worthless  its dangerous," Dr. Benhur Lee, a microbiology professor at Mount Sinai's Icahn School of Medicine, said in an email.

Officials say drug should 'only be used within clinical trials'

Public health officials and pharmaceutical companies have advised against taking ivermectin to treat COVID-19.

The FDA said in April 2020 that people should not take ivermectin unless it's "prescribed to them by a licensed health care provider and is obtained through a legitimate source." The agency reiterated that position in March.

Fact check: 6 of the most persistent misconceptions about COVID-19 vaccines

"The FDA has not reviewed data to support use of ivermectin in COVID-19 patients to treat or to prevent COVID-19; however, some initial research is underway," the FDA says on its website. "Taking a drug for an unapproved use can be very dangerous."

The FDA warns that ivermectin products for animals can be toxic to humans due to their high concentration of the drug. ABC News reported in February that there had been an uptick in calls to poison control centers related to ivermectin.

The World Health Organization has also warned against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19, saying the drug should "only be used within clinical trials." Merck, the pharmaceutical company that makes ivermectin, said in February it had found "no scientific basis for a potential therapeutic effect against COVID-19 from pre-clinical studies."

People wait in cars to get a COVID-19 test, Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021, in Miami.

Clinical trials studying whether ivermectin could be used to treat COVID-19 are ongoing. Until those trials conclude, experts told USA TODAY it's tough to say with certainty how the drug affects COVID-19 patients.

Our rating: Missing context

Based on our research, the claim that ivermectin is an effective treatment for COVID-19 is MISSING CONTEXT. Scientists are still studying whether ivermectin could be used to treat COVID-19. While some studies have shown promise, experts say the more scientifically rigorous studies conducted to date more frequently find no connection between use of ivermectin and improved COVID-19 recoveries. Public health agencies and pharmaceutical companies have warned against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19.

Our fact-check sources:

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Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Ivermectin not proven COVID-19 treatment
Codehesion is South Africas top mobile app developer and makes it easy for companies to build a new smartphone app.

For most companies, a smartphone app is a core part of their business. Unless a company has their app on peoples smartphones, they are losing out on business.

It can, however, be a daunting task to conceptualise a new app and get the right company to build and launch it.

Good news is that Codehesion is smartphone app specialists who help companies every step of the way.

Founded in 2017 by Hector Beyers, an experienced software architect with a Masters degree in Computer Engineering, the company focuses solely on developing world-class smartphone apps.

Codehesions software engineers take care of everything  planning, design, building, and getting it listed on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

After the app is completed, companies have the option to support the app themselves or use Codehesion on a retainer.

Should a company use its own development team to maintain the app, Codehesion provides complete training to support the transition. It also provides a fallback option to remove risk.

Free app consultation

Codehesion offers South African businesses a free and easy consultation process.

This consultation process helps with planning the best route to develop the app and forecasting how much it is expected to cost.

Beyers encouraged companies who are looking for a new Android or iOS app to contact them via their website.

For a risk-free consultation  Contact Codehesion here.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  The California Department of Justice said Friday that it will not bring criminal charges against a utility whose equipment sparked a 2018 fire that killed three people and destroyed more than 1,600 homes and other structures.

The department said it found insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution against Southern California Edison for the Woolsey Fire.

The fire forced nearly 300,000 residents of Los Angeles and Ventura counties to flee flames that burned across more than 150 square miles (39,000 hectares).

Investigators found that high winds blew a loose guy wire into electrified conductors, causing an electrical arc and a first ignition. The utility's poor vegetation control near its lines contributed to a second ignition when its lines became electrified by the first arcing, they found.

But the department concluded that it couldn't prove beyond a reasonable doubt not only that the utility's equipment caused the fire, but that the company knew it was causing a risk and ignored it in a gross deviation from what a reasonable utility would have done in the same situation.

The decision contrasts with the numerous criminal charges brought or planned against Pacific Gas & Electric, the nation's largest utility.
Israel PM receives third vaccination against COVID-19

Afghanistan's militia recaptures a part of Baghlan Province from Taliban

Putin: It is necessary to put an end to irresponsible policy of imposing foreign values

Armenia FM holds phone talks with Georgian counterpart

Merkel asks Putin to focus on humanitarian issues during negotiations with Taliban

Armenia MOD strictly criticizes companies catering the army, orders to fix the shortcomings quickly

Karabakh emergency situations service: Searches for remains of servicemen in Fizuli region were fruitless

Nearly 5,800 US soldiers deployed at Kabul International Airport

Armenia police enhance service in Kapan and Goris

9,000 people evacuated from Afghanistan by US since Aug. 15

Armenia PM returns to Yerevan after visit to Kyrgyzstan, greeted by Security Council members at airport

Health minister: Monitoring requirement to wear face masks indoors will help curb spread of COVID-19 in Armenia

Putin gives Merkel flower bouquet, her mobile phone's ringtone heard at that moment

Taliban to not announce members of future government until Aug. 31

Armenia legislature to convene session on August 24

Dollar still dropping in Armenia

Armenia parliament speaker, China ambassador discuss cooperation

Russias Lavrov to Armenias Mirzoyan: I invite you to Moscow at convenient timeframes for you

Yerevan citizen goes into company's building with grenades, demands meeting with director

Ardshinbank and Russian Fora-Bank offer instant money transfers by phone number

Remarkable item discovered during excavations in Van Province

Armenia, Karabakh FMs discuss situation due to Azerbaijan-Turkey aggression

Two people apprehended during scuffle between local residents, police in Yerevan neighborhood

16 prominent politicians join Australian Friends of Artsakh group

NATO: More than 18,000 people evacuated from Kabul since Taliban takeover

Local residents, police clash in Yerevan neighborhood

Armenia MOD announces start of 3-month training for reservists

Pristina asks Azerbaijan to recognize Kosovo independence

Yerevan judge wears T-shirt with Artsakh flag during international competition

ArmLur.am: Internal investigation underway at Armenia MOD on finding of 3 soldiers dead in Syunik Province

Yerevan hospital provides clarification on babys death

508 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Russia peacekeepers in Artsakh begin demining 20 hectares of Kolkhozashen village

Armenia premier: We support establishment of Eurasian Association

Armenia ombudsman: New income sources needed for residents of Syunik Province villages that are now border communities

The Wall Street Journal: Diplomats had warned Blinken of quick fall of Kabul

Russia PM: Eurasian Economic Union countries economy gradually recovering

PM: Armenia considers necessary creating base for natural gas, oil, oil products single markets for EEU development

White House does not have clear information on exactly how many Americans are still in Afghanistan

Newspaper: Armenia Chamber of Advocates is at authorities target

Oman spends $175m to build botanical garden

Nigerias Lagos state bans street begging

Men in Pakistan sexually assault, grope woman who was shooting TikTok video

S.Korea plans to grant legal status to animals

Armenia Ambassador to Ukraine presents credentials to Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Armenia Investigative Committee: Fellow soldier detained on suspicion of murders of 3 servicemen

US Department of State: There are 6,000 people at Kabul airport

France, Germany, UK concerned about Iran's up to 20% uranium enrichment

France's Macron discusses settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Putin

Turkish FM: Turkey maintains ties with Taliban's representatives through different channels

Terrorist blows himself up near national intelligence headquarters in Somalia

G7: Taliban must ensure that Afghanistan does not become host to terrorist threat to international security

Few people killed during Independence Day rally in Afghanistan's Asadabad

Karabakh emergency situations service: Remains of 3 more Armenian servicemen found in Jrakan region

Son of ex-mayor of Armenia's Gyumri detained

Armenian soldier who was found dead last night was a veteran of 44-day Karabakh war (PHOTO)

Armenia Labor and Social Affairs Ministry: No data on number of Artsakh-Armenians who temporarily settled after war

Karabakh State Minister receives Union of Banks of Armenia delegation

Armenia finance minister has new deputy

Armenia Parliament Deputy Speaker receives China Ambassador

Zakharova: Russia is ready to support Armenia and Azerbaijan with demarcation of border

Russian MFA: Russia calls on Baku and Yerevan to exchange POWs via "all for all" formula and for mine maps

Armenia territorial administration and infrastructure minister introduces acting head of town hall of Talin

Zakharova comments on Aliyev's statement, says supplying weapons is Russia's sovereign right

8-month-old girl dies at medical center in Yerevan, forensic medicine expert examination designated

Lavrov: Russia supports pan-national dialogue in Afghanistan amid battles in Panjshir

Azerbaijan troops withdrew from area they occupied on border with Artsakhs Yeghtsahogh village, mayor says

Desperate Afghans are trying to invade airport and seize empty buildings of embassies

Turkey evacuates top officials of defeated government of Afghanistan

Zakharova: Russia, Hungary FMs will discuss situation in Karabakh

Opposition vice-speaker of Armenia parliament: Issue of enclaves, Meghri corridor being discussed?

Dollar continues losing value in Armenia

Armenia government transfers about $1,163,600 to National Security Service

Armenia PM attends Eurasian Intergovernmental Council meeting in narrow format (PHOTOS)

Missing soldiers families on meeting with Armenia Security Service chief: We cant be satisfied until there are results

Armenia defense minister briefs ombudsman on situation related to finding 3 soldiers dead

14 million people in Afghanistan face severe hunger

Karabakh FM: Azerbaijan is attempting to rewrite history of Shushi

Armenia, Kyrgyzstan to intensify economic ties (PHOTOS)

Relative of Armenian missing soldier: Ask relatives which official has asked about their condition
YEREVAN.  As of Saturday morning, 430 new cases of the coronavirus were confirmed in Armenia, and the total number of these cases has reached 234,227 in the country, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Also, seven more deaths from COVID-19 were registered, making the respective total 4,685 cases.

One more case of coronavirus patients dying from some other illnesses was recorded in Armenia in the past one day, and the corresponding overall death toll in the country is 1,132 now.

The number of people who have recovered over the past one day is 214, the total respective number so far is 222,397, and the number of people currently being treated is 6,013.

And 7,077 COVID-19 tests were conducted in Armenia over the past one day, while 1,428,670 such tests have been performed to date.
Russian Ambassador Sergey Kopirkin and his family continue to get familiarized with the sights of Armenia during his vacation. We learn about this from the Facebook page of the Russian embassy in Yerevan.

On Thursday, they visited Armavir Province, got acquainted with a number of local sights, also visiting the 10th-century Saint Shushanik Church in Bagaran village, and the 12th-century Holy Trinity Church.

During the visit, Kopirkin visited also the service site of the Russian Federal Security Service border guard detachment in Armenia, and the positions located near the Armenian-Turkish border. He met with the Russian and Armenian border guards there, got familiarized with their tasks and how they serve together, protecting the borders of Armenia.
Freed hostages returning to the United States at an airport in New Windsor, N.Y., on Jan 25, 1981.

Theres lots of news reporting these days about Iran taking American citizens prisoner.

On July 13, the U.S Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced conspiracy charges against members of the Iranian intelligence services for plotting to kidnap an Iranian American journalist from New York City for rendition to Iran. And indirect talks are ongoing between the U.S. and Iranian governments about the release of four Americans currently imprisoned in Tehran.

The Biden administration has pledged that any nuclear deal with Iran would include the release of these innocent American hostages. As the first victims of Irans horrific habit of capturing and torturing Americans, I and the others held with me know all too well both the pain they are going through and the flimsiness of U.S. government assurances.

Still waiting for compensation to come

For 444 days, from Nov. 4, 1979 to Jan. 20, 1981, we were subjected to the depravity of a criminal regime that callously and brutally uses Americans as pawns in its ongoing war against the Great Satan.

When we finally saw the light of day and set foot on U.S. soil, Secretary of State Cyrus Vance told us, Dont worry, youll be taken care of. He said this in response to our request for compensation for the pain and suffering of over a years captivity, which included beatings, solitary confinement, mock executions and forced confessions.

For the next 34 years, this promise went unfulfilled. Our lives were upended; our health and psyches were broken. Many of our brethren died, and yet our elected leaders failed to act. Only in 2015 did Congress authorize the payment of $4.4 million  or $10,000 for each day of captivity  to the surviving members of this ordeal and their families. Upon hearing the news, one of us, Rodney Sickmann, said: I had to pull over to the side of the road, and I basically cried.

Barry Rosen, a former hostage at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran, during a welcome back parade in New York City in January 1981.

His tears and those of the 34 other surviving hostages are still being shed today. Six years on from the passage of the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act, we have yet to receive full payment of the funds authorized by Congress.

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While our government dithers, we and our families continue to live with the trauma visited upon us over 40 years ago. Meanwhile, we watch with incredulity and anger as American officials negotiate sanctions relief for the Government of Iran that held us captive, while ignoring the unpaid debt to their own citizens. These same officials point to a host of legal and bureaucratic reasons why they cant fulfill the mandate given them by Congress.

Conciliation will be a challenge: What will Joe Biden do about the Iran-al-Qaida connection?

Our compensation was to be drawn from the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, which is the same account that the U.S. government uses to pay other claimants, such as the 9/11 victims and their families. Theres simply not enough money to satisfy everyone, they say.

The former administrator of the USVSST Fund has publicly stated that we should receive all of what we are entitled to immediately. The fact is that this injustice could easily be resolved with the stroke of President Bidens pen. According to our lawyers, he and the attorney general have the authority to order the Funds Special Master to pay us. We do not seek special treatment or privileged consideration. We only ask that our government honor the commitments made to those who have sacrificed their lives and well-being in its service.

Our suffering is no longer a concern

Failure to act is a stain on our national honor. Americas leaders cannot present themselves as beacons of justice without bringing to a close this painful chapter in our nations history.

Their pledges to protect and defend the rights of those Americans currently held prisoner in Iran ring hollow as long as they turn a deaf ear to our pleas and ignore the open wound that still festers. The laudable goal of Secretary of State Blinken and Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens to lift up, honor and protect those who serve our nation as our voice in foreign lands, and their families, cannot become reality until our wounds are healed and our wrong is righted.

No military solution: Biden can end 'forever wars' only if he scraps Trump policies and pursues peace with Iran

The worst part of the hostage experience is the persistent fear of those in captivity that they have been forgotten. Those of us who have survived that ordeal still live with this fear every day. The steady news reporting of prisoner releases and rapprochement prospects with Iran vividly reminds us of the pain of the past. But even worse is the feeling that, 40 years after being freed, our suffering and sacrifice are no longer of concern.

Time is not on our side. If the Biden administration truly cares, it must act now.

Barry Rosen, the last U.S. Press Attache to Iran, was one the 52 Americans held hostage in Iran from 1979-81. He is an adviser to UANI (United Against a Nuclear Iran) and a founding member of Hostage Aid Worldwide.

You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden can end our wait for compensation and justice: 1979 Iran hostage
A worldwide organization of doctors called the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine urged the use of "gender-inclusive language" such as "chestfeeding," "parents milk" and "human milk feeding" in new guidelines.

"ABM recognizes that not all people who give birth and lactate identify as female, and that some of these individuals identify as neither female nor male," said in a document posted July 29 .

Eight doctors and the organization co-authored the document on "infant feeding and lactation-related language and gender," and said that "the use of de-sexed or gender-inclusive language is appropriate in many settings."

One of the co-authors, Dr. Laura Kair of the UC Davis Childrens Hospital, said in a statement that, "language has power."

REP. CORI BUSH SCORCHED FOR REFERRING TO WOMEN AS BIRTHING PEOPLE:' SHE'S REDUCING MOTHERS 'TO A FUNCTION'

"The language that we use should be as inclusive as possible when discussing infant feeding," she wrote. "When working with patients it is best to ask them their affirmed terminology. When communicating medical research, language should accurately reflect the population studied so as not to mask research needs."

Critics have slammed such language, including actress Kirstie Alley, who said she was "tired" of phrases "nullifying" women and their ability to breastfeed.

"Im a little tired of the degrading and nullifying of women and their abilities. Breastfeeding is one of our abilities. Its a beautiful and important ability. Knock off the nullifying of women fir the sake of lunatics. Equal rights does not equal insanity," Alley tweeted Saturday morning.

The guidance comes after President Bidens administration used the phrase "birthing people" instead of "mothers" in a 2022 budget proposal, and other medical groups , Democratic politicians and universities employ such language.

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"The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed nations, with an unacceptably high mortality rate for Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and other women of color. To help end this high rate of maternal mortality and race-based disparities in outcomes among birthing people," the 2022 White House fiscal year budget proposal, released in June, stated.

REP. SMITH CHALLENGES BIDEN BUDGET DIRECTOR ON 'ABSOLUTELY ABSURD' USE OF TERM BIRTHING PEOPLE

Ahead of Mothers Day this year, Rep. Cori Bush used the phrase "birthing people" to advocate for the safety of Black mothers and their children.

"Every day, Black birthing people and our babies die because our doctors dont believe our pain. My children almost became a statistic. I almost became a statistic. I testified about my experience @OversightDems today. Hear us. Believe us. Because for so long, nobody has," Bush wrote.

Bush's comments were lampooned by conservatives, as well as others who feel the term diminishes them.

"Birthing people"  you mean women or moms?," Republican South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace tweeted in response to Bush. "The left is so woke theyre stripping from women the one thing that only we can do."

DEMOCRATS REPLACE 'WOMEN' WITH 'BIRTHING PEOPLE'

"The rise of birthing people and chestfeeding follows a well-established pattern: Universities carry the terminology from once-fringe activist groups to the professional classes during what passes for their education. Graduates bring it with them to hospitals, law firms, big business and, of course, politics. A new consensus about apparently settled questions such as the definition of motherhood is established before ordinary Americans are even aware that new terms exist, much less that the liberal establishment wants to mandate their use," journalist Matthew Walther wrote in a May New York Post op-ed, titled, " Sorry, but theyre called mothers  not birthing people ."

"Birthing people" should be a line in the sand for all decent and rational Americans. It is not a question of so-called "political correctness," which is often a simple matter of politeness," he added.
Washington Examiner

Preelection concerns that President Joe Biden wasnt physically or mentally up for his new job at age 78, the oldest-ever chief executive, are now settling in as the public sees him slow-walking, refusing to consider questions at press conferences, and seemingly befuddled with the crisis in Afghanistan.
Ghani gave no sign of responding to a Taliban demand that he resign for any talks on a ceasefire and a political settlement, saying "re-integration of the security and defence forces is our priority, and serious measures are being taken in this regard".

He spoke soon after the insurgents took Pul-e-Alam, the capital of Logar province that is 70 km (40 miles) south of Kabul, according to a local provincial council member.

The Taliban did not face much resistance, the provincial council member told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

The gain of the city, a key staging post for a potential assault on Kabul, comes a day after the insurgents took the country's second- and third-biggest cities.

American troops have begun flying in to Kabul to help in the evacuation of embassy personnel and other civilians, a U.S. official said.

The Pentagon has said two battalions of Marines and one infantry battalion will arrive in Kabul by Sunday evening, involving about 3,000 troops.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he would have triumphed over an impeachment investigation.

The 63-year-old Democrat, who announced this week he would resign after Attorney General Letitia James released an explosive report claiming he engaged in sexual misconduct with 11 women and fostered a culture of intimidation, said he did the right thing and indicated the New York State Assembly also made the correct decision in announcing its impeachment proceedings would be suspended.

I feel like I did the right thing. I did the right thing for the state. Im not gonna drag the state through the mud, through a three-month, four-month impeachment, and then win, and have made the State Legislature and the state government look like a ship of fools, when everything Ive done all my life was for the exact opposite. Im not doing that. I feel good. Im not a martyr. Its just, I saw the options, option A, option B," he said in a New York Magazine profile published Friday evening.

BILL DE BLASIO WARNS A 'VERY CLOSE EYE' SHOULD BE KEPT ON CUOMO DURING HIS FINAL DAYS

Carl Heastie, the speaker of the New York State Assembly, said there were two reasons the impeachment investigation was set aside.

"First, the purpose of the Assembly Judiciary Committee's impeachment investigation was to determine whether Governor Cuomo should remain in office. The governor's resignation answers that directive," he said in a statement Friday afternoon. "Second, we have been advised by Chair Lavine  with the assistance of counsel  of the belief that the constitution does not authorize the legislature to impeach and remove an elected official who is no longer in office."

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The panel uncovered "credible evidence in relation to the allegations that have been made in reference to the governor," Heastie said in his statement. "Underscoring the depth of this investigation, this evidence concerned not only sexual harassment and misconduct but also the misuse of state resources in relation to the publication of the governor's memoir as well as improper and misleading disclosure of nursing home data during the COVID-19 pandemic."

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Cuomo, who has defended his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and denied the allegations of sexual harassment, is slated to step down in less than two weeks. Heastie said the impeachment inquiry will be suspended on Aug. 25, the day Cuomo is set to be replaced by Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul.

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Tags: News, Andrew Cuomo, New York, Impeachment, Healthcare

Original Author: Daniel Chaitin

Original Location: Andrew Cuomo brags about saving New York lawmakers from looking like 'ship of fools' with impeachment
Trevor Bauer is still on administrative leave from MLB. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

Warning: The following article contains graphic allegations of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer was the subject of a protective order by a second woman in 2020, according to the Washington Post.

Bauer is currently on administrative leave from MLB as the league investigates allegations of assault against him. Bauer reportedly engaged in what began as consensual sex with a woman that turned violent. Bauer is accused of choking a woman unconscious during sex, having anal sex and punching her in the head multiple times, all without the woman's consent. He has not pitched for the Dodgers since June 28.

Prior to that encounter, Bauer was reportedly involved in another similar incident that led a different woman to seek a protective order against Bauer in 2020. An Ohio woman sought a protective order against Bauer after reportedly receiving repeated threats from the pitcher.

The 2020 protective order stems from an encounter the woman had with Bauer in 2017, when he pitched for Cleveland. A police report was filed after the woman showed pictures of her red eyes to police, claiming Bauer was responsible.

Police arrested the woman for underage drinking at the time. The woman was an adult at the time of the encounter, but was not the legal drinking age. It's unclear whether police investigated the woman's allegations following the 2017 encounter, according to the Post.

The woman also claimed Bauer caused bruises on the woman's face and blood in her eye after reportedly choking and punching her during sex without consent in 2018.

The Post was able to obtain text messages between Bauer and the woman, in which Bauer reportedly said he would go to jail for murder if he met up with the woman again.

The Post also obtained copies of messages Bauer allegedly sent the woman, which her lawyers said prompted her to seek an order of protection. I dont feel like spending time in jail for killing someone, reads one. And thats what would happen if I saw you again.

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The Ohio woman sought the order after reportedly receiving threats from Bauer, including Bauer allegedly telling the woman he would send a video of the two having sex to a member of the woman's family.

MLB investigators reportedly sought information from the 2017 encounter, but the police report was expunged, according to the Post.

Trevor Bauer, his lawyer and agent deny all allegations

In a statement to the Post, Bauer's lawyer and agent called the allegations against Bauer "categorically false."

Bauer released a statement Saturday claiming the Washington Post ran a "salacious story" full of false information.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

Bauer attempted to discredit the Ohio woman's story, saying the woman is trying to extort Bauer for money.

The Dodgers declined to comment when asked if they were aware of the allegations in Ohio before signing Bauer.

More from Yahoo Sports:
MAIDUGURI (Reuters) - Attackers killed 22 commuters on a road near the capital of Nigeria's Plateau state, a morgue attendant told Reuters, in the latest outbreak of violence across Africa's most populous nation in which scores of civilians have been killed this year.

Armed attackers have increasingly targeted Nigeria's roads and unrest has been roiling several regions.

In Jos, capital of Plateau state in the country's middle belt, a morgue attendant who asked to remain anonymous said security forces had brought 22 bodies to the hospital on Saturday.

A military spokesman said in a statement that troops had responded to a distress call on Rukuba road in the Jos North local government area and had arrested 12 suspects, after an unspecified number of people were killed and injured.

It appealed for further information and said it had stepped up security patrols in the area.

Elsewhere three children in northeastern Borno state were killed by unexploded ordnances left on a bridge, according to Unicef. Two children sustained mild injuries and three others were in critical condition.

Unicef said unexploded ordnance are small enough to pick up or kick around, putting children, who can mistake them for toys or objects of value, at particular risk.

In Plateau state Governor Simon Bako Lalong said in a statement he would not allow any form of lawlessness to disrupt the state, and commended security agencies for their quick response.

His statement did not specify the number killed. A police spokesperson said they would issue a statement later and declined to comment further.

Conflicts between farmers and cattle herders in the middle belt have killed thousands of people and displaced half a million over the past decade, according to French medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres.

A 12-year war against Islamist militants in northeast Nigeria meanwhile has killed an estimated 350,000 people and displaced millions.

(Reporting by Maiduguri newsroom and Lanre Ola; Additional reporting by Tife Owolabi; Writing by Libby George; Editing by David Holmes)
Australia's biggest city announced tighter Covid restrictions including heavier fines and tighter policing on Saturday as authorities battled to contain a Delta outbreak and said they were seeing the "most concerning day of the pandemic" so far.

After months of pursuing a "Covid zero" strategy, Australia has been struggling to bring a resurgence of coronavirus cases under control, with more than 10 million people under lockdown in its two largest cities and the capital Canberra.

Residents of Sydney, going into an eighth week under stay-at-home orders, will now face heftier fines for flouting rules or lying to contact tracers, with current restrictions proving insufficient to stop the spread.

Lockdown restrictions were also extended across the entire state of New South Wales for the first time this year, coming into force on Saturday afternoon for at least seven days.

Police would boost patrols and checkpoints while hundreds more defence force personnel will help enforce stay-at-home orders as the outbreak in the most populous state of New South Wales hit another daily record of 466 community cases.

"Today is the most concerning day of the pandemic that we've seen," state premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney.

Describing efforts to curb the outbreak as a war against the "diabolical" Delta strain, Berejiklian said Australia was facing a significant threat from the outbreak.

"For some time, we thought Australia was different to other parts of the world, but we're not."

Police commissioner Mick Fuller said he had sought additional powers after officers reported people using loopholes to evade restrictions.

Residents are still allowed to leave their homes for exercise, shopping, health care and essential work -- but police would ramp up efforts to enforce restrictions, he said.

Rules for leaving Sydney were also tightened to prevent the outbreak from spreading further into other regions.

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The nation's capital, which is surrounded by New South Wales, was sent into lockdown earlier this week while the second-largest city of Melbourne is battling its own outbreak.

The resurgence has increased criticism of the country's sluggish vaccine roll-out, with just a quarter of eligible Australians so far fully vaccinated.

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The Taliban is not the south  the North Vietnamese army, said President Biden on July 8, correcting himself and continuing. Theyre not  theyre not remotely comparable in terms of capability. Theres going to be no circumstance where you see people being lifted off the roof of an embassy in the  of the United States from Afghanistan. It is not at all comparable.

The likelihood theres going to be the Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely, he added.

Gauging the strength of the Taliban as compared to the Afghan National Security Forces that the U.S. has over many years trained and equipped, he said, Relative to the training and capacity of the ANSF and the training of the federal police, theyre not even close in terms of their capacity.

We do not here question the geopolitical wisdom of leaving Afghanistan after 20 years of war. Biden is right that America succeeded in its initial mission to uproot the Taliban and kill Al Qaeda militants and render the largely lawless nation incapable of harboring terrorists who aimed to attack the United States as they did on 9/11. He is right that the people of Afghanistan will ultimately have to determine their own future, and that the cobbled-together country may not ultimately be able to cohere as a unified political entity. He is right that the process of leaving Afghanistan swiftly was initiated by President Trump, who now gallingly insists none of this wouldve happened on his watch.

But either because Biden got bad intelligence or failed to absorb good intelligence with an open mind, there is now no doubt he was wrong, very wrong, about the strength of the Afghan governments forces and the Taliban, and he was wrong, very wrong, about the near-term consequences of American withdrawal. That is on the commander-in-chief as our nation scrambles to rescue its people and suffers what by any legitimate reading is a large setback in the eyes of the world.
TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's main opposition Conservative Party was criticized by some of its own members on Saturday for a "tasteless" ad put out targeting Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a day before he is expected to call an election in the hope of securing a majority in Parliament.

"The only reason for an election is because Trudeau wants a majority," reads the tagline of the 37-second ad released on Friday.

The video shows Trudeau's head pasted on top of Veruca Salt, a character from the 1971 film "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", in which she throws a fit for not getting what she wants.

The ad drew anger online, with some viewers calling it tasteless. Later, some Conservative members of parliament expressed their dissatisfaction.

Todd Doherty, a British Columbia MP wrote on Twitter that expected the Conservative Party to be better: "This is embarrassing."

Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) was not available for an immediate comment.

Trudeau is planning a snap election https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/canada-pm-trudeau-is-planning-call-snap-election-sept-20-sources-2021-08-12 for Sept. 20 and is expected to make the announcement on Sunday, Reuters reported this week, as the ruling Liberals push for a vote two years ahead of schedule.

A survey by Abacus on Thursday put the Liberals at 37% and the Conservatives at 28%.

"Well, I suspect I was never getting your vote, but I agree that video is dumb. Sadly they don't ask me my opinion on these things...," Ontario CPC MP Scott Aitchison wrote on Twitter in response to a reader who asked whether the ad would get people to vote for the Conservatives.

On Saturday, the Liberal Party released its own ad, featuring Trudeau.

"Let's think even bigger Canada. Let's be relentless. Let's keep moving forward, for everyone," Trudeau said in the minute-long spot.

(Reporting by Denny Thomas; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP)  Two men were detained Saturday on suspicion of sexual assault in a case that shook Alibaba Group, the worlds biggest e-commerce company, Chinese police announced.

The men, identified by the surnames Wang and Zhang, were suspected of the crime of forcible molestation, police in the eastern city of Jinan said in a statement. It said they were under coercive measures, a euphemism for detention.

There was no evidence to indicate the men committed rape, a different charge under Chinese law, the police statement said.

Alibaba was shaken last week after a female employees complaint on an internal company website that she was sexually assaulted by a manager surnamed Wang became public. The woman complained Alibaba failed to act after she reported the incident to its human resources department.

The woman, surnamed Zhou, had flown into Jinan on July 27, the police statement said. Her team successfully signed a deal with Jinan Hualian Supermarket and decided to celebrate that night with a banquet. They invited a man surnamed Zhang from the supermarket as well as his colleagues.

The first assault took place at the dinner, after Zhou had to leave the room to throw up from drinking too much. Zhang from the supermarket chain accompanied her and molested her on the way back to the banquet room, police said.

Later, Wang, the woman's manager at Alibaba, went with another female dinner guest to take the drunken Zhou back to her hotel. After dropping her off in her room, they went to call for taxis.

However, instead of leaving and going back to his hotel, Wang went back inside. He went to the front desk, holding Zhou's national ID card, and had a key made for himself, police said. The hotel had called Zhou to get her consent before giving him the key.

Wang entered her room a total of four times that night. Police said he assaulted her after returning to her room alone. According to the investigation, he then ordered condoms online, but they did not arrive until later.

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The next morning, after the woman, Zhou, had woken up she allegedly made a phone call to Zhang from the supermarket and told him her room number. Police said he came over to her hotel and assaulted her, taking her underwear and leaving a box of unused condoms in the room.

Zhou reported the assaults to Jinan police the same day after having checked out from the hotel. On July 29, the day after, police in Jinan said they had to extend the review period another 30 days before they could formally file a case, owing to its complexity.

After Zhou went public with her accusations and her story went viral, the police listed her case formally in the system as a sexual assault case.

Alibaba did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Women in China face a very steep uphill battle in trying to get justice for any form of sexual violence. Whether it's sexual harassment or rape, victims often face the burden of evidence in court.

"Its hard for many victims to win a sexual assault case in court," said Li Ying, a lawyer and director of the Yuanzhong Gender Development Center, told state-owned China Daily. Even if the victims have the evidence, they have to prove the perpetrator acted against their will.

Still, some have been heartened, after a limited #MeToo movement emerged in China in 2018. Then, young women went public with accusations against the men who had assaulted or harassed them, opening up the public conversation in a way that had not been seen before.

However, the movement faced a tremendous amount of pressure from local and central authorities, as well as extensive censorship, and was obstructed.

In response to the #MeToo movement, China codified sexual harassment in its civil code last year, but did little to lay out guidelines for enforcement. While the law provides protection for women against any form of sexual violence, enforcement remains difficult.
At just short of 20 years, the now-ending U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan was America's longest war. Ordinary Americans tended to forget about it, and it received measurably less oversight from Congress than the Vietnam War did. But its death toll is in the many tens of thousands. And because the U.S. borrowed most of the money to pay for it, generations of Americans will be burdened by the cost of paying it off.

Heres a look at the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, by the numbers, as the Taliban in a lightning offensive take over much of the country before the United States Aug. 31 deadline for ending its combat role and as the U.S. speeds up American and Afghan evacuations.

Much of the data below is from Linda Bilmes of Harvard Universitys Kennedy School and from the Brown University Costs of War project. Because the United States between 2003 and 2011 fought the Afghanistan and Iraq wars simultaneously, and many American troops served tours in both wars, some figures as noted cover both post-9/11 U.S. wars.

THE LONGEST WAR:

Percentage of U.S. population born since the 2001 attacks plotted by al-Qaida leaders who were sheltering in Afghanistan: Roughly one out of every four.

THE HUMAN COST:

American service members killed in Afghanistan through April: 2,448.

U.S. contractors: 3,846.

Afghan national military and police: 66,000.

Other allied service members, including from other NATO member states: 1,144.

Afghan civilians: 47,245.

Taliban and other opposition fighters: 51,191.

Aid workers: 444.

Journalists: 72.

AFGHANISTAN AFTER NEARLY 20 YEARS OF U.S. OCCUPATION:

Percentage drop in infant mortality rate since U.S., Afghan and other allied forces overthrew the Taliban government, which had sought to restrict women and girls to the home: About 50.

Percentage of Afghan teenage girls able to read today: 37.

OVERSIGHT BY CONGRESS:

Date Congress authorized U.S. forces to go after culprits in Sept. 11, 2001, attacks: Sept. 18, 2001.

Number of times U.S. lawmakers have voted to declare war in Afghanistan: 0.

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Number of times lawmakers on Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee addressed costs of Vietnam War, during that conflict: 42

Number of times lawmakers in same subcommittee have mentioned costs of Afghanistan and Iraq wars, through mid-summer 2021: 5.

Number of times lawmakers on Senate Finance Committee have mentioned costs of Afghanistan and Iraq wars since Sept. 11, 2001, through mid-summer 2021: 1.

PAYING FOR A WAR ON CREDIT, NOT IN CASH:

Amount President Harry Truman temporarily raised top tax rates to pay for Korean War: 92%.

Amount President Lyndon Johnson temporarily raised top tax rates to pay for Vietnam War: 77%.

Amount President George W. Bush cut tax rates for the wealthiest, rather than raise them, at outset of Afghanistan and Iraq wars: At least 8%.

Estimated amount of direct Afghanistan and Iraq war costs that the United States has debt-financed as of 2020: $2 trillion.

Estimated interest costs by 2050: Up to $6.5 trillion.

THE WARS END. THE COSTS DONT:

Amount Bilmes estimates the United States has committed to pay in health care, disability, burial and other costs for roughly 4 million Afghanistan and Iraq veterans: more than $2 trillion.

Period those costs will peak: after 2048.
Ashraf Ghani. SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP via Getty Images

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday made his first public appearance since the Taliban quickened the pace of their offensive ahead of the United States' departure from the country. As the insurgents continue to seize provincial capitals and head toward Kabul, Ghani said in a televised speech that he has begun "consultations" with other political leaders in Afghanistan.

He did not go into detail about those consultations, but Victoria Fontan, a professor of peace studies at the American University in Afghanistan, told Al Jazeera it's possible he may be working on a transition to a different government  a step American University in Afghanistan law professor Haroun Rahimi believes will be necessary to avoid a "worst case scenario."

Fontan said it's possible "this solution could end the current violence," though she added that the Taliban "have already rejected this type of negotiated settlement." Read more at Al Jazeera.

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Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) are calling on the Indian Health Services and Interior Department to support survivors of Indian boarding schools. Charlie Riedel/AP

Democratic lawmakers Sharice Davids, Elizabeth Warren called boarding schools "a stain" in US history.

US had established more than 350 Indian boarding schools across 30 states by the mid-19th century

Survivors say finding American burial sites like those in Canada is a matter of 'when,' not 'if'

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Lawmakers on Friday urged Indian Health Services (IHS) to provide support to the survivors and families affected by the US Indian boarding school system.

In a joint letter to Elizabeth A. Fowler, acting director of IHS, Democratic congresswoman Sharice Davids of Kansas, and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts implored the department to work in collaboration with other departments as new revelations of the boarding school system come to light.

"The Indian Boarding School Policies were created and implemented by the federal government as brutal tools to terminate cultural, family, and Native identity," the Democrats wrote, calling an investigation into the schools "a long-overdue and crucial step as the federal government begins to acknowledge and address the harms created by these policies."

In June, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland launched the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative to review records and explore possible mass, unmarked graves near boarding schools throughout the country.

"The Interior Department will address the inter-generational impact of Indian boarding schools to shed light on the unspoken traumas of the past, no matter how hard it will be," Sec. Haaland said at the time.

"I know that this process will be long and difficult. I know that this process will be painful. It won't undo the heartbreak and loss we feel. But only by acknowledging the past can we work toward a future that we're all proud to embrace."

The calls for action come as the remains of hundreds of Indigenous peoples, mostly children, were found outside several Canadian boarding schools earlier this year. The gruesome discoveries prompted Sec. Haaland to launch the initiative.

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Sen. Sharice David and Sen. Elizabeth Warren

By the mid-19th century, the US had established more than 350 Indian boarding schools across 30 states, designed to strip Indigenous children of their languages, spiritualities, and traditions.

Babies and children taken from their families were relocated hundreds of miles away and placed into barracks where many were often physically and sexually assaulted by the nuns and priests who ran them.

Children were forbidden to speak their languages; and if caught, could either have a needle stabbed through their tongue or whipped with a wooden ruler.

The US coined the boarding school policy "Kill the Indian, Save the Man."

"We urge IHS to consider potential protections for those experiencing trauma from the Indian Boarding School Policies and the revelations that will continue to emerge during the course of the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative," the letter read.

"The Indian Boarding School era is a stain in America's history, and it is long overdue that we begin to formally investigate the past wrongs and ongoing harms of these policies."

Giovanni Rocco, deputy press secretary for Sec. Haaland, told Insider that they'll begin consulting with tribes in late fall "where we will discuss ways to protect and share sensitive information, and how to protect grave sites and sacred burial traditions."

Kevin Killer, president of the Oglala Lakota Nation on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, told Insider exclusively that the discovery of the mass graves in Canada is a brutal reminder of what his nation in particular endured in Indian boarding schools.

"It's hard to put into words the hurt this is bringing up within our tribal nation about what our youngest ancestors had to endure for being born as Lakotas," he said.

"We will work together as a nation to ensure their memories are honored properly and find resolution by all legal means available to ensure this will not happen in the future," he added.

For many living survivors, it's not a matter of if there are mass, unmarked graves in the US, but where.

Ruby Left Hand Bull Sanchez, a Sicangu Lakota, attended St. Francis, an Indian boarding school in South Dakota. She told Insider that on her first day there, a nun shoved a bar of lye soap in her mouth for speaking Lakota.

Today, although Lakota was her first language, to speak it is too traumatic, she said; it dredges up too many awful memories.

For the Indigenous children who have yet to be discovered, Sanchez said they are "still stuck here" and cannot move on to the next place until they are returned home and given the proper prayers, songs, and burial.

Read the original article on Insider
The skyrocketing COVID-19 surge in Florida is shattering records and ravaging the states younger population.

Florida has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks because of the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus, which has led to a major increase in state hospitalizations. By next week, 68% of hospitals are expected to reach a critical staffing shortage, according to an Aug. 9 survey by the Florida Hospital Association.

The majority of Florida's new cases are among individuals between the ages of 20 and 39, who remain among the least vaccinated age groups in the state.

Hospital officials are also seeing an influx of young, healthy adults filling their wards across the state, many requiring oxygen. In the past week in Florida, 36% of the deaths occurred in the under-65 population, compared with 17% in the same week last year when the state was experiencing a similar COVID surge.

Kristen McMullen, a 30-year-old woman from West Melbourne, Florida, died earlier this month  a week after giving birth to her daughter via emergency C-section.

Statewide, Florida set a record last week, reporting 151,415 new COVID-19 cases, according to the state health department. The state reported an all-time high of 24,869 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID Data Tracker.

Florida is the national leader in COVID-19 deaths, averaging more than 150 a day in the past week. Health officials say the number of deaths jumped significantly from 600, reported in the previous week, to more than 1,000 reported this week. New deaths tallied by the state health department raise the total coronavirus death toll to 40,766.

Each day the question is how can this possibly get worse. Worster. Worstest. And it does, physician Eric Topol, founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, tweeted.

Also in the news:

As the highly contagious delta variant causes pediatric cases of COVID-19 to skyrocket, experts agree: adults and older children should be vaccinated and everyone should wear masks to keep kids and teachers safer at in-person school.

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 About 2.7 million people with severely weakened immune systems should be able to receive a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine, the CDC decided Friday afternoon. The Food and Drug Administration had decided late Thursday to allow extra shots for people who are immunocompromised, but left it up to the CDC to define exactly who should get the additional doses.

Texas is now bringing in 2,500 nurses from across the U.S. to battle the latest surge of COVID-19.

 A Southeast Georgia county has suspended in-person classes and remote instruction for all its ten schools until Sept. 7, after hundreds of students and employees were exposed to COVID-19 during the first two weeks of classes.

As more than 90% of counties in the U.S. experience high or substantial transmission of COVID-19, face masks are becoming harder to find across the country, including in some COVID hot spots.

People who choose not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 may end up paying the cost, as employers mandate vaccination and insurance companies look at ways to make the unvaccinated shoulder a larger share of their medical bills.

Memphis basketball assistant coach Larry Brown said Friday that he contracted the delta variant of COVID-19 following his attendance of the 2021 Nike EYBL Peach Jam Basketball Tournament last month.

Since July 1, there's been a 700% increase in the week-over-week average of COVID-19 infections in the United States. The nation was at a low point in new cases in late June, with an average of about 10,000 a day. Today the average is closer to 125,000 a day.

 Today's numbers: The U.S. has had more than 36.6 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 621,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The global totals: More than 206.5 million cases and 4.3 million deaths. More than 167.6 million Americans  50.5% of the population  have been fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

 What we're reading: Different beliefs about the vaccine have caused a lot of tension among families, friends and colleagues. So, what should we do if we dont agree with someones choice to not get vaccinated? Read the full story.

Keep refreshing this page for the latest news. Want more? Sign up for USA TODAY's Coronavirus Watch newsletter to receive updates directly to your inbox and join our Facebook group.

Dr. Kristen Rogers, left, works with occupational therapist Rebecca Russo and physical therapist Taylor Amedee to assist COVID-19 patient Joan Bronson on Tuesday at Ochsner Medical Center in Jefferson, Louisiana.

Education Department urges Texas, Florida to reverse school mask bans

U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona is weighing in on the escalating tension between state governors and local authorities over whether universal masking mandates should be implemented in schools.

The secretary sent letters Friday urging Republican governors in Florida and Texas to reverse their rulings banning mandates in schools and said the Department of Education stands with local leaders and school administrators who have adopted masking requirements in defiance of governors.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' office this week threatened the salaries of local school officials who proceed with mask mandates after DeSantis last month prohibited county school boards from imposing masking requirements on students. Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Orange and Palm Beach counties have announced mask mandates anyway.

In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order banning mask mandates in schools, and some districts have also said they would defy this order. Cardona wrote a similar message of support for those school leaders.

Some may be better off canceling plans during COVID-19 surge, experts say

Health experts say travel risks vary from person to person, but it may be time for certain travelers  especially those who are unvaccinated or susceptible to severe illness from the virus  to postpone their trips.

Purvi Parikh, an immunologist who has worked as an investigator for some of the COVID-19 vaccine trials, advises vaccines for travelers since the majority of the recent COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations are among unvaccinated people. She also suggests checking local guidance and infection rates before booking a flight.

Read more.

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Why some unvaccinated Americans are changing their tune and how that could help curb latest COVID surge

As more and more unvaccinated people lose loved ones to COVID-19, a chorus of regrets has started to resonate. Experts say those voices could persuade fence-sitters to get vaccinated  a crucial step toward ending the pandemic.

The human mind has reality constraints that make it difficult to grasp the severity of a situation before personally experiencing it, New York University Psychology Professor Jay Van Bavel told USA TODAY. Once you're in a hospital bed, you can no longer deny the virus, he said.

Reasons vary among those who won't get jabs: concerns about side effects and long-term consequences; misconceptions about the vaccine such as the false claim that the shots will impact fertility; a failure to grasp how deadly the virus can be. And others are awaiting full FDA approval, which could come as early as this month.

Van Bavel said words of warning from those formerly opposed to vaccines are an effective tool to persuade those who are hesitant or opposed.

Personal stories are one of those things that can cut across partisan divides, unlike statistics and scientific data, he said. Read more.

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States that had a grip on COVID-19 now seeing a crush of cases

The COVID-19 surge that's sending hospitalizations to all-time highs in parts of the South is also clobbering states like Hawaii and Oregon that were once seen as pandemic success stories.

After months in which they kept cases and hospitalizations at manageable levels, they are watching progress slip away as record numbers of patients overwhelm bone-tired health care workers.

Oregon  like Florida, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana in recent days  has more people in the hospital with COVID-19 than at any other point in the pandemic. Hawaii is about to reach that mark, too.

This, despite both states having vaccination levels higher than the national average as of last week. On its worst day in 2020, Hawaii had 291 patients hospitalized with the coronavirus. Officials expect to hit 300 by the end of this week.

"Our doctors and nurses are exhausted and rightfully frustrated because this crisis is avoidable," said David Zonies, associate chief medical officer at Portlands Oregon Health & Science University. "It is like watching a train wreck coming and knowing that theres an opportunity to switch tracks, yet we feel helpless while we watch unnecessary loss of life.

 Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Andrew Selsky; The Associated Press

Disastrous combination: Wildfires linked to thousands of COVID cases, study says

Last years historic wildfire season also made the pandemic worse, according to a new study.

Fine particulate air pollution has been previously linked to an increase in COVID-19 cases and deaths, and researchers have now found connections between poor air quality from wildfire smoke and U.S. COVID data, according to a release from Harvard University.

The study found that an increase in air pollution led to a rise in cases and deaths over the course of weeks. In some of the hardest-hit counties, the study blamed air pollution for cases and deaths that increased by more than 50%.

The study, published by Science Advances on Friday, estimates that in total, nearly 20,000 cases and 750 deaths were linked with the poor air quality. The research focused on California, Oregon and Washington, where last years worst fires burned.

In this study we are providing evidence that climate change  which increases the frequency and the intensity of wildfires  and the pandemic are a disastrous combination, the release quotes Francesca Dominici, the senior author of the study.

 Joel Shannon, USA TODAY

US border officials are seizing fake COVID vaccine cards every day

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officials said Friday they are intercepting the import of counterfeit CDC vaccine record cards every single day.

At the port of Memphis, officials have seized at least 121 shipments of over 3,000 of these counterfeit cards, which mostly come from China and may contain spelling and grammar errors, the department said Friday.

These vaccinations are free and available everywhere, said Memphis Area Port Director Michael Neipert in a statement. If you do not wish to receive a vaccine, that is your decision. But dont order a counterfeit, waste my officers' time, break the law, and misrepresent yourself.

The department said the shipments are destined all over the U.S. It also emphasized that according to the FBI, the buying, selling or use of counterfeit vaccine documents is a federal crime.

The seizures come as college campuses are raising concerns about students using fake vaccine cards amid vaccine mandates for the fall term. Some institutions have said expulsion is on the table for students who are caught using the counterfeits.

Latter-day Saints leaders urge members to get COVID vaccine, wear masks

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints again urged its 16 million-plus members to help limit the spread of COVID-19 by getting vaccinated and wearing a face mask in public settings.

In a statement this week, the latest in a series of encouragements to its members, church leaders said, "We can win this war if everyone will follow the wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders."

Utah, where the church is based, is experiencing substantial or high levels of COVID transmission in nearly every county.

Contributing: The Associated Press; The Tallahassee Democrat; Liz Freeman, Naples Daily News; Sara-Megan Walsh, The Ledger

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Florida COVID surge getting worse; wildfire smoke linked to cases
Aug. 13A Harford County judge said he would deliver a verdict next week on the guilt and criminal responsibility of a man accused of shooting at his neighbor, firing more than 200 rounds during a standoff with police and killing a dog in early 2020.

After three days of witness testimony, closing arguments were heard Friday in the matter of Benjamin Thomas Murdy, who is facing five counts each of attempted first- and attempted second-degree murder and over a dozen counts of assault in addition to charges of destruction of property, reckless endangerment, animal cruelty and use of a firearm, in connection to the roughly 90-minute incident outside his home in the 4500 block of Oak Ridge Drive in Street that took place on Jan. 21, 2020.

Murdy, 45, has pleaded not criminally responsible  Maryland's version of the insanity defense.

Defense attorney Stephen Tully has argued that Murdy was suffering from undiagnosed and untreated bipolar disorder exacerbated by personal stress and his use of Zoloft, an antidepressant not meant to treat bipolar patients.

Pointing to voluminous text messages sent the day before and of the alleged offense, as well as video of the incident, assistant state's attorney Charles Fitzpatrick has contended that Murdy was acting rationally and clearly understood the criminality of his conduct.

Judge Kevin Mahoney said he would reconvene the court next Friday, Aug. 20, with a verdict on both Murdy's guilt and whether or not he appreciated the criminality of his conduct or could conform his behavior to the law. Murdy has opted for a bench trial, rather than trial by jury, which is why Mahoney is hearing the case.

While it is the state's legal burden to prove Murdy's guilt of the underlying crime, it is the defense's burden to prove he was not criminally responsible for the alleged offense.

Closing arguments Friday began with Fitzpatrick, who said Mahoney should carefully evaluate the messages Murdy sent the day before and day of the incident. He said they offered a glimpse into what was going on in the defendant's head and showed he was in his right mind. In the messages, Murdy discussed plumbing regulations, exchanged angry messages with family members and expressed worries about work.

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"You have a minute-by-minute breakdown of what is going on in the defendant's mind," Fitzpatrick told the judge. "You do not always get that."

Video of the incident also showed Murdy's intent to kill, Fitzpatrick argued. As his neighbor Robert Schell was backing down his driveway to take the trash out, cameras on Murdy's home captured a phone conversation where he said he was going to shoot him  just before the gunfire starts. That, Fitzpatrick said, illustrated a clear intent to harm Schell, as well as the police officers in the vicinity, who also testified to hearing bullets whiz around them.

"He is giving you rational reasons; he is angry and maladaptive," Fitzpatrick said.

Murdy was angry, Fitzpatrick said, when things were outside his control and blamed others for family issues. He also said it is possible he could have been under the influence of high-potency marijuana or even LSD. When he was given a toxicological screen at the hospital, he tested positive for marijuana, but he was not tested for hallucinogens. Murdy also brought up LSD to the Harford County Sheriff's deputies several times. Marijuana can be detected up to 30 days after using, Tully said, and its presence is not suggestive that he smoked it the night of the incident.

The state's expert forensic psychiatrist, Annette Hanson, testified Thursday that she believed Murdy's alleged behavior was more suggestive of intoxication than mental illness.

On the first day of trial, Fitzpatrick introduced multiple videos into evidence where gunshots are heard, as well as photos of the damage to Schell's truck, boxes of ammunition piled under the window Murdy allegedly shot from and the guns themselves.

Tully, the defendant's lawyer, said the incident should not be minimized, but that his client was not in his right mind as a combination of medication, personal stress and bipolar disorder. He said that Murdy, after months of his condition worsening, was not able to appreciate the criminality of his actions the night of Jan. 21, 2020.

In addition to a family history of mental illness, Tully said Murdy had stopped taking his Zoloft days before the alleged incident and was suffering side effects the drug's manufacturer recommended seeking professional help for  symptoms like acting on negative impulses, contemplating suicide and aggression, among others.

"He seems to have gotten every single one of them," he said.

Tully also questioned Murdy's intent to harm and level of intoxication, noting that only three bullets hit a deputy's cruiser and that he had no alcohol in his system when tested the day after the incident, despite the fact he told officers that he had been drinking all night. Witnesses for the defense further testified that they had never seen Murdy in the state was in on Jan. 21.

Witnesses testified that Murdy was disjointedly rambling about strange things and claimed to see his dead brother during and directly before the alleged incident. Tully also said his client's statement made to police directly after his arrest was "as bizarre a statement a defendant can give as I've ever seen."

Video of Murdy in the back of a sheriff's cruiser directly after the alleged shooting showed him rambling about a variety of topics  from how he had drunk alcohol to naming famous baseball players.

Tully was skeptical of the prosecution claiming marijuana intoxication played a part in the incident, saying more risk came from a drunk person than someone who was high. Hanson, state's forensic psychiatrist, said that she had advocated against legalized marijuana as part of a professional association and that forensic psychiatrists were seeing more and more cases of marijuana inducing criminal behavior. Murdy had said he had used marijuana to calm down and sleep.

"Her explanation of what took place .... almost reminds me of the 1950s," Tully said.

The possibility of LSD influencing the event, Tully said, was also unexplored and unsubstantiated by evidence. He also pointed out the Murdy said he was scared, raising the issue of an imperfect self defense, which he asked the judge to consider. Fitzpatrick countered that it was rational for Murdy to be scared that police were in front of his house.
Nearly two million people have been urged to evacuate their homes amid heavy rainfall in parts of Japan.

Highest-level rain warnings have been issued in a number of prefectures, including Fukuoka and Hiroshima.

One woman has died and her husband and daughter are missing after a landslide destroyed two homes in Nagasaki prefecture.

More than 150 troops, police and firefighters have been sent to help with rescue operations in the area.

"They are carefully searching for the missing residents, while watching out for further mudslides as the heavy rain continues," a local official told the AFP news agency.

The west of the country is worst affected but heavy downpours are expected across the country in coming days.

In Saga prefecture, a hospital evacuated patients to its upper floors on Saturday after the nearby Rokkaku river overflowed and flooded the building, Kyodo News agency reported, citing local authorities.

In total, non-compulsory evacuation warnings are now in place for more than 1.8 million people across seven prefectures, according to Japanese broadcaster NHK.

Yushi Adachi, from Japan's meteorological agency, described the current rainfall as "unprecedented".

"It's highly likely that some kind of disaster has already occurred," he said.

Streets in Fukuoka prefecture were photographed flooding on Saturday

Experts warn the rain is forecast to continue throughout the week

Local television footage showed submerged roads. Rivers in Saga and Fukuoka have overflowed with water levels still rising, local media reports said.

An official in Kumamoto, south-western Japan, said a 76-year-old man was missing after trying to secure his fishing boat.

The flooding comes just weeks after heavy rain caused landslides and prompted rivers to burst their banks, killing dozens.
BEIRUT (AP)  A top medical center and one of Lebanon's oldest and most prestigious university hospitals warned on Saturday it may be forced to shut down in less than 48 hours due to fuel shortages, which would threaten the lives of its critically ill patients.

In a stark warning, the American University of Beirut Medical Center, said 55 patients dependent on respirators, including 15 children, and more than 100 people with renal failure who are on dialysis would be immediately threatened.

The somber statement underscored the severity of Lebanon's economic crisis, which has paralyzed the country. Fuel shortages have prompted many owners of large private generators to turn off the machines.

Lebanon has for decades suffered electricity cuts, partly because of widespread corruption and mismanagement in the small Mediterranean nation of 6 million, including 1 million Syrian refugees.

The situation deteriorated dramatically this week after the central bank decided to end subsidies for fuel products  a decision that will likely lead to price hikes of almost all commodities in Lebanon, already in the throes of an unprecedented crisis, soaring poverty and hyperinflation.

Over the past days, hundreds of businesses, including malls, restaurants and food deliveries, have shut down due to diesel and gasoline shortages. People wait for hours in long lines at petrol station to fill up their tanks.

Some gas station owners have been refusing to sell, waiting to make gains when prices increase with the end of subsidies. On Saturday, Lebanese troops deployed to petrol stations, forcing the owners to sell fuel to customers.

In its statement, the American University of Beirut Medical Center said it was facing imminent disaster due to the threat of a forced shutdown" starting on Monday morning.

Forty adult patients and fifteen children living on respirators will die immediately, it said, adding that the lives of hundreds of cancer patients, both adults and children, would be in grave danger in subsequent months. The hospital blamed the government and officials, saying they were fully responsible for this crisis and unfolding humanitarian catastrophe."

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The hospital appealed urgently to the Lebanese government, the United Nations and aid agencies to help supply the fuel before it is forced to shut down.

Lebanese hospitals are also facing severe shortages of medicines and medical products amid the country's unprecedented economic and financial crisis.

People currently get an average of two hours of electricity a day from the notoriously corrupt state company that has cost state coffers more than $40 billion over the past three decades. Many private generators that fill the gap have had to stop due to diesel shortages.

Several other private and public hospitals in Lebanon face similar shortages and have said they are running out of fuel and medical supplies.

Dr. Firas Abiad, director general of Rafik Hariri University Hospital, which leads the countrys coronavirus fight, tweeted on Saturday that in order to preserve fuel, only two of the centers seven generators are currently running.

The staff, working in most difficult conditions, continue to provide their services nonetheless, Abiad said.
Republican Party leadership in one Michigan county censured three GOP lawmakers on the state Senate Oversight Committee after the panel recommended investigations of individuals suspected of using the fraud claims for personal gain.

The executive committee of the Macomb County GOP unanimously approved a censure resolution on Thursday against state Sen. Ed McBroom, the Oversight Committee's chairman, as well as state Sens. Lana Theis and John Bizon, according to party officials. The censure follows the panel's determination that the state's 2020 election results were accurate and not subject to fraud.

COLORADO SECRETARY OF STATE ORDERS COUNTY TO STOP USING VOTING EQUIPMENT AFTER SECURITY BREACH



The resolution's language focused on the committee's recommendation that Democratic Attorney General of Michigan Dana Nessel investigate individuals who pushed election fraud claims "to raise money or publicity for their own ends, the Detroit News reported.

"If you are profiting by making false claims, that's pretty much the definition of fraud," McBroom said in July.

After reviewing the report in full, the department has accepted Sen. [Ed] McBroom and the committees request to investigate, Lynsey Mukomel, Nessel's press secretary, told the Washington Examiner on July 8.

"[The First Amendment] was written so that you could question your government at any level, without worrying about them coming after you, said Macomb County GOP Chairman Mark Forton.

The state's Oversight Committee concluded its investigation of the 2020 general election in Michigan in June, and McBroom said at the time that the results "were accurately represented by the certified and audited results," despite repeated claims by former President Donald Trump and others who have insisted fraud occurred.

The committee's report on the investigation disputed various allegations of widespread fraud, including claims that votes were changed in Antrim County's voting machines.

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As one of its recommendations, the committee suggested the state attorney general consider investigating those who have been utilizing misleading and false information about Antrim County to raise money or publicity for their own ends.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

McBroom, whose district does not include Macomb County, said the censure didn't faze him.

"Im not going to worry too much about it. Im not running in Macomb County," he said, according to the Detroit News.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, Michigan, 2020 Elections, Republican Party, GOP, State Legislatures

Original Author: Jeremy Beaman

Original Location: Michigan county GOP censures lawmakers who sought state inquiry into 2020 election fraud
Photo credit: Bryn Lennon - Getty Images

Ferrari F1 officials are apparently no hurry to speed up Mick Schumacher's learning curve by moving him to a different team.

Italian media is reporting that the Formula 1 constructor is in talks with the Haas F1 Team about keeping Mick Schumacher at the American team for 2022. There have been rumors suggesting the 22-year-old rookie, and son of seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher, could be heading to another Ferrari-powered team for 2022 at Alfa Romeo.





However, Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has sounded confident about keeping the young German on board, and Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto is now delivering a similar message.



"This year has been more difficult for the Ferrari driver academy, but we have to give the kids time to grow," Binotto told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "Mick Schumacher's first season is about learning without pressure, and we are currently discussing with Haas to confirm him there."





Photo credit: Bryn Lennon - Getty Images

Schumacher's Alfa Romeo move could have been at the expense of another Ferrari junior, Antonio Giovinazzi. But Binotto indicates that Ferrari is also still happy with the 27-year-old Giovinazzi.



"Giovinazzi remains our reserve driver, the first alternative to our (Ferrari) drivers," Binotto said. "He is showing growth every year and I hope that he can stay at Alfa because he deserves it."



Giovinazzi entered the summer break 18th in the F1 standings with 1 point that he earned with a 10th-place finish at Monaco. Schumacher is scoreless and in 19th place. His best finish was a modest 12th at Hungary.
A state agency that advocates for Minnesotans with disabilities has announced plans to boycott the Minnesota State Fair over the absence of mask mandates and other safety measures that would help contain the possible spread of the coronavirus.

In a strongly-worded letter, the Minnesota Council on Disability criticized state leaders for not requiring masks, vaccines or crowd limits at this year's fair which begins in two weeks. As justification for boycotting the 12-day event, the organization cited a recent surge in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations, largely driven by the highly contagious delta variant.

The state on Friday reported 389 COVID-19 hospitalizations, up from 90 in mid-July. The positivity rate of COVID-19 testing has more than doubled in the past month to 5.1%  surpassing the 5% threshold that state health officials warn indicates substantial viral spread.

Leaders of the state council say the absence of mask and vaccine mandates will unnecessarily prevent many people with disabilities such as Down syndrome and autism from attending the fair, because studies have shown they are at significantly greater risk of contracting the virus and suffering serious complications.

"By not creating a safe place for all Minnesotans to gather, [the Council on Disability's] presence at the State Fair this year would reinforce the message to society that the lives of people with disabilities are less important," the St. Paul-based agency wrote in its letter. "But, others have attempted to frame this issue as freedom from vaccines or masks rather than as a right for Minnesotans with disabilities to be healthy and alive."

As of Friday, masks will not be required for those who attend the fair, but are "strongly encouraged" for those who are not fully vaccinated, according to the latest health and safety guidelines posted on the fair website. Proof of vaccination will not be required for guests, staff or vendors. However, the fair encourages all who are eligible to be fully vaccinated. The State Fair, which draws more than 2 million people each year, "does not anticipate" limits on daily attendance, according to its website.

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So far, at least seven COVID-19 outbreaks involving more than 180 people have been identified since early August at fairs and festivals in Minnesota. Outbreaks are defined in Minnesota as three infections involving unrelated people who attended the same event.

The 15-member Council on Disability was created five decades ago to advise the governor, lawmakers and the public on disability issues, and has been a prominent voice for expanding employment and other opportunities for people with disabilities. Traditionally, the agency has maintained a visible presence at the State Fair, operating a large booth where visitors can learn about its advocacy work. The Council has also worked with fair organizers in recent years to expand access to the fair for people who use wheelchairs, and to provide interpreters for fair visitors who are deaf or hard of hearing.

E. David Dively, executive director of the Council on Disability, said his agency's staff contacted State Fair officials nearly a half-dozen times since May expressing the urgent need for well-publicized COVID-19 safety protocols, but fair officials did not seek the agency's input before determining its current safety guidelines.

By not requiring masks, vaccines or crowd limits, Dively said, fair organizers are effectively barring thousands of people with disabilities from attending because the health risks would be too great. For instance, research published last fall found that adults with Down syndrome are nearly five times more likely to be hospitalized from COVID-19 and 10 times more likely to die from the virus than the general population.

"This lack of action continues the trend of de-prioritizing marginalized communities," the council's letter said. "These policies, or lack of policies, appear to be overlooking Minnesotans with disabilities and other marginalized communities, making people's health a secondary priority."

Staff writer Jeremy Olson contributed to this report.

Chris Serres  612-673-4308

Twitter: @chrisserres
An 8-year-old child looks at flames near his backyard in Monrovia as the Bobcat fire burns on Sept. 15, 2020. (Los Angeles Times)

In 2013, I unintentionally touched off a journalistic controversy when, in a short piece on counterfactual letters to the editor, I mentioned that denying the existence of evidence for climate change was an example of the kind of factual inaccuracies I try to keep off the page. A follow-up explaining my thinking as an editor on this drew more controversy. In many quarters at the time, climate change denial was considered a mainstream opinion occasionally worthy of print space.

Today, with the latest report by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warning that the window for humanity to decarbonize is rapidly closing, there is scarcely any disagreement among our letter writers about the reality of global warming. Even politicians notorious for their previous rhetoric and actions on climate change are now expressing agreement with the science, if not the need for society to do much about the problem.

Since the IPCC report was released Monday, our readers have expressed everything from despair to resolve to curb climate change. Letters denying the science still trickle in, but this isn't anything like 2013.



To the editor: The Times' Aug. 9 editorial on the U.N. climate report focuses on world leaders and their policies. But as one reader wrote in response to an earlier editorial on President Biden's electric vehicle push, "Industrial policy is a fool's errand.... Tastes, incomes and production costs determine what gets bought and sold."

If that's the case, then let's change our tastes, incomes and production costs.

As consumers we can stop buying stuff we don't need. As manufacturers we can choose not to be overcompensated. We can use the savings in executive salaries to ease production costs and boost the incomes of frontline workers, who could then afford to buy stuff they do need. We can embrace a simpler lifestyle that places less of a burden on the planet.

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None of this requires government regulation or policy. What it requires is looking around and asking, whether it's stuff or money, do I need all this?

Mary Bomba, Los Angeles

..

To the editor: Even as The Times' pages fill with scientific warnings about how quickly we must act to avoid the worst of global warming, a Bloomberg article on your Business pages tells us that U.S. carbon emissions will surge this year. The economy is springing back and fossil fuel use is increasing.

The market prices of coal, oil and natural gas in no way reflect the catastrophic effects they are having on our planet. This is why "business as usual" cannot be allowed to continue. Putting a rapidly escalating tax on carbon is essential to rendering fossil fuels less and less attractive economically. That in turn will accelerate the adoption of alternatives.

New fossil fuel exploration should cease now. Clean-energy infrastructure must be placed on a war footing. Conservation, forestation and many other solutions clamor for implementation. And poor nations must be helped by rich ones.

It is high time for the world, led by the U.S., to accept we are all in the same boat that will founder unless we get serious.

Grace Bertalot, Anaheim

..

To the editor: I do not accept the idea that our response to climate change will fail as it has with the pandemic.

Reducing greenhouse gasses does not rely on micro-level decisions made by individuals. Rather, it depends on the macro policies put in place by government. Placing a substantial price on carbon at its source is the best way to significantly impact global temperatures.

For inspiration, we can look back on the 1980s. It was then that the world became aware of the enlarging hole in the atmosphere's ozone layer, created by the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in aerosol products, refrigeration and air conditioning.

Though initially skeptical about the need for government intervention, President Reagan listened to the science and, ultimately, signed onto the Montreal Protocol of 1987, a global treaty to phase out CFCs. Reagan realized that government needed to quickly address this emergency and, consequently, incentivize the production of CFC-free products.

Likewise, private citizens alone cannot solve climate change. Our environmental story will not echo our COVID-19 tragedy if government does what it is meant to do: Act in big ways to solve big problems.

Sarah Freifeld, Valencia

..

To the editor: Our beautiful and wondrous planet will undoubtedly regenerate itself and go on with or without humans. What is truly threatened or may need saving right now is humanity.

Perhaps natural selection is already playing out. When the human animal does nothing to protect its young by refusing vaccination, consumes products it does not need, flies in planes and goes on cruises and burns fossil fuels while the very life systems that support it are contaminated and altered by its activities, what else are we to conclude?

It would have been nice if humans could have heeded the wake-up call that was COVID-19. It is beyond sad that we are taking many non-human animals and plants down with us in the mass extinction crisis that is happening right now.

But there is hope. Nature bats last.

Gina Ortiz, Claremont

..

To the editor: In 1968, I went to a movie theater and watched a blockbuster science fiction movie. The shocking twist ending, that we had destroyed our planet, brought the character played by Charlton Heston to his knees in horror.

Today, my horror is that "Planet of the Apes" was not necessarily science fiction.

Shelby Popham, Los Angeles

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) said Friday she is deploying up to 1,500 National Guard troops to support hospitals as Delta continues to reach across the United States.

Why it matters: 733 Oregonians are currently hospitalized with severe cases, including 185 in intensive care, Brown said.

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The state's health department is looking to provide additional assistance, and Brown has requested FEMA support and funding.

What she's saying: "I know this is not the summer many of us envisioned, with over 2.5 million Oregonians vaccinated against COVID-19," Brown said in a video message. "The harsh, and frustrating reality is that the Delta variant has changed everything."

"I cannot emphasize enough the seriousness of this crisis for all Oregonians, especially those who might need emergency or intensive care," she added, urging people to get vaccinated.

"Delta is highly contagious, and we must take action."

Worth noting: Brown recently mandated masks in indoor spaces.

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KYIV (Reuters) - Police clashed with protesters from a nationalist party near the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Saturday when they tried to break through a police cordon.

Reuters TV footage from the scene showed members of Ukrainian police and protesters spraying tear gas at each other. The protesters attacked with long sticks and threw car tires and stones while the policemen barely fought back.

Interior minister Denys Monastyrskiy said eight policemen were injured during the clashes and a criminal probe had been launched. He wrote on Facebook that the clashes began when the police tried to search protesters on their approach to the president's office but they resisted.

"The Constitution guarantees the right for peaceful protests. Everyone who had undergone basic checks would have been allowed to enter the square in front of the President's office," he said.

The right-wing National Corps party organized the rally to protest against a plan known as the Steinmeier formula, which provides special status for the Donbass region, controlled by pro-Russian separatists.

The group said the violence was provoked by police officers when they blocked access to the building, and some protesters got injuries as a result.

"This regime... is in fact anti-Ukrainian," Andriy Biletsky, a party leader, was quoted by the website as telling his supporters.

(Reporting by Reuters TV and Ilya Zhegulev, writing by Maria Tsvetkova, editing by Christina Fincher)
Tina Peters, a Mesa County clerk, is accused of allowing information to be leaked to Ron Watkins. Mesa County, OAN/Youtube

Colorado's secretary of state said that a county clerk is accused of "assisting" in a security breach.

Sensitive election data collected during the breach was leaked to Ron Watkins, Vice reported.

Watkins, who is believed by some to be 'Q,' shared information from the leak on his Telegram channel.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

A pro-Trump election official in Colorado is accused of assisting in the compromising of voting machines and allowing someone to leak sensitive data to a prominent QAnon influencer, according to Vice.

Tina Peters, a county clerk in Mesa, Colorado, and so-called "Trump Truther," permitted surveillance cameras to be turned off for up to two months, it is alleged. During that time, she has allowed someone to steal information that was then leaked to QAnon figurehead Ron Watkins, the media outlet reported.

Read more: Dozens of people who supported radical right-wing efforts to overturn the 2020 election currently sit on government boards running places like the Holocaust Memorial and the Kennedy Center

At some point in May, Peters's office reportedly ordered officials to turn off the surveillance cameras monitoring Mesa County's voting equipment, according to evidence from Colorado's Democratic Secretary of State Jenna Griswold.

The cameras were not turned on again until this month, Vice reported, which broke the equipment's "chain of custody" and means that the machines cannot be used in November's city, town, and school district elections.

"This is troubling for the entire state of Colorado to have someone in a trusted position, literally trusted to protect democracy, allow this type of situation to occur," Griswold said during a Thursday press conference. "To be very clear, Mesa County Clerk and Recorder allowed a security breach and by all evidence at this point assisted it."

On May 23, an unknown person gained access to one of the Election Management Systems machines from Dominion Voting Systems used by Mesa County, Vice reported. That person was then able to download an image of the machine's hard drive, a process repeated on May 26, a cybersecurity expert told Vice.

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On May 25, Dominion employees visited the country to conduct a highly-regulated "trusted build" upgrade to the voting machines' software, the media outlet said.

According to state law, only staff from Griswold's office, Mesa County, and Dominion are permitted to be in the room during a "trusted build."

Peters, however, invited an unauthorized non-employee into the room during the process, the Associated Press reported. She misled Griswold about his employment status, CBS Denver said.

While the unauthorized man was there, he allegedly illegally captured footage of the machines being updated.

On August 2, this footage was posted to Watkin's Telegram channel. The former 8chan owner and administrator has fervently promoted the QAnon conspiracy theory, and some people believe that him and his father could be the infamous 'Q.'

According to Griswold's team, the footage included an image that accidentally linked the leak to Mesa County.

Griswold issued an order last week authorizing her staff to travel to Mesa County to inspect the election system, but when they arrived, Peters was nowhere to be seen.

Peters was on her way to MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell's "cyber symposium" in South Dakota, Vice reported.

While speaking at the event, the Colorado Newsline reported that Peters accused Griswold's office of "raiding" her county's office.

At the South Dakota symposium, Vice said that Watkins showed the audience images that appear to have been taken from the Mesa County machines on May 23 and May 26.

Griswold's office is investigating the security breach, Colorado Newsline reported. An investigator with 21st Judicial District Attorney Dan Rubinstein's office is also looking into related potential criminal conduct, according to the local paper.

Read the original article on Business Insider
PARIS (Reuters) -Protesters have marched in cities across France for a fifth consecutive weekend against rules compelling them to show a COVID-19 health pass for daily activities, but in lesser numbers than a week ago.

Crowds rallied through the streets of Paris, Marseille, Nice, Montpellier and other towns, waving placards reading "Pass=Apartheid" and chanting "Freedom, freedom".

Since last Monday, citizens have been required to show the pass in public places, proving that they have been vaccinated or have recently been tested negative for the coronavirus.

After a week of leniency from the police, the government has vowed to get tougher on health pass checks, and testing, unless prescribed by a doctor, will no longer be free from October.

The protests have united a disparate group against President Emmanuel Macron's legislation, which is meant to help contain a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections spreading across France and help safeguard the country's economic recovery.

The total number of participants in the latest protests had diminished to almost 215,000, according to the interior ministry, after a steady rise from 114,000 on the first Saturday of protest on July 17 to 237,000 on Aug. 7.

Authorities had initially anticipated that the 217 overwhelmingly peaceful rallies around the country would total around 250,000 demonstrators.

The number of people being treated for COVID-19 in intensive care units has more than doubled in less than a month, standing at 1,831 as of Friday. That's less than a third of the third lockdown peak of 6,001, but high enough to trigger restrictive measures in certain areas.

Health Ministry data showed nine in every 10 COVID patients recently admitted to intensive care had not been vaccinated. A majority of French support the health pass, surveys show.

Among the protesters are remnants of the anti-government "Yellow Vest" movement that shook Macron's leadership during 2018-2019, and also other citizens who are anti-vaccine or consider the health pass to be discriminatory.

Vaccination rates jumped after Macron unveiled his health pass plans last month. Almost 70% of all French people have now received one dose and 57.5% are fully vaccinated.

(Reporting by Benoit Van Overstraeten and Michaela CabreraEditing by Christina Fincher and David Holmes)
Three retired Philadelphia police officers are facing criminal charges for lying under oath during the 2016 retrial of Anthony Wright, who spent 25 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit.

Former homicide detectives Frank Jastrzembski, Manuel Santiago and Martin Devlin have been hit with counts of perjury and false swearing for the allegedly fake testimony they provided in connection with a 1991 rape and murder case. The Philadelphia District Attorneys Office in a statement on Friday accused the group of lying both in and out of court about their on-duty roles in the investigation, interrogation, and wrongful conviction of an innocent man.

Wright was only 20 years old when he confessed to the 1991 killing of 77-year-old Louise Tally. He was convicted in 1993, but he and his legal time have long argued he was coerced into making the admission.

Years later, additional DNA testing placed a different man, Ronnie Byrd, at the scene of the crime and ultimately proved that he raped and killed Talley, according to the court filing. Despite this newfound evidence, prosecutors continued to pursue Wright as a potential accomplice.

During his retrial in 2016, Wright said he only signed the alleged confession, which the police wrote out, after the interrogating detectives threatened him with bodily harm, according to the Innocence Project.

The three former detectives testified falsely under oath about both the evidence used to convict Wright and their knowledge of the DNA evidence that ultimately exonerated him, court document reads.

Wright was exonerated and freed with jurors deliberating for only an hour.

An attorney for the three men, Brian McMonagle, denied any wrongdoing by the former detectives.

These good men dedicated their careers to fighting for justice for victims of crime, McMonagle told CNN on Friday. They are innocent of these charges and will be vindicated at trial.
MOSCOW (AP)  Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday urged authorities to strengthen their efforts to fight wildfires across northeastern Siberia, calling the situation unprecedented as fires threatened people's homes.

Speaking in a video call with top officials, Putin noted that 13 forest fires in the Sakha-Yakutia region are raging within five kilometers (3 miles) of populated areas and emphasized the need to closely monitor the situation to protect residents.

Yakutia is the largest of Russia's 85 regions, a vast territory bigger than Argentina. It has faced a spell of particularly devastating wildfires this year following months of hot, dry weather and record-breaking temperatures. Flames previously threatened a dozen of villages, and several were evacuated. The provincial capital of Yakutsk, several other cities and hundreds of villages have been blanketed in choking smoke from the blazes.

Emergencies Minister Yevgeny Zinichev reported to Putin on Saturday that his ministry has deployd 5,000 personnel, 765 vehicles and 19 aircraft to combat the wildfires in Yakutia.

He said the thick smoke from wildfires has grounded firefighting planes, adding that efforts were being taken to relocate them to another base where they could operate again starting Monday. For now, firefighters have to rely exclusively on helicopters to fight the flames, Zinichev said.

On Saturday, officials reported 108 active forest fires burning across nearly 1.3 million hectares (3.2 million acres) in Yakutia. Authorities have expanded a state of emergency in Yakutia to help transfer in firefighting resources from other regions.

In recent years, Russia has recorded high temperatures that many scientists regard as a result of climate change. The hot weather coupled with the neglect of fire safety rules has caused a growing number of wildfires that authorities say have consumed 15 million acres this year in Russia.

Experts in Russia decry a 2007 decision to disband a federal aviation network tasked to spot and combat fires and turn over its assets to regional authorities. The much-criticized transfer led to the forces rapid decline.

___

Follow APs coverage of climate issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman spoke with Lithuania's foreign minister on Friday and reiterated U.S. support for the country in the face of pressure from China over its decision to develop ties with Taiwan, the State Department said.

Sherman told Gabrielius Landsbergis the United States was "resolute in our solidarity" with Lithuania, a NATO ally and a partner as a member of the European Union, over what she termed China's "coercive behavior" towards Vilnius, the statement said.

The two diplomats also discussed the political situation in Belarus, reaffirming support for the Belarusian pro-democracy movement and calling on the president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, "to immediately halt a campaign of orchestrating irregular migrant flows across its borders," it said.

China this week demanded that Lithuania withdraw its ambassador in Beijing and said it would recall the Chinese envoy to Vilnius in a row over the Baltic state allowing Chinese-claimed Taiwan to open a de facto embassy there using its own name.

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
The Woolsey fire burns in the hills above Thousand Oaks on Nov. 9, 2018. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Southern California Edison will not face criminal charges for its role in the 2018 Woolsey fire, the California Department of Justice said Friday.

An investigation by fire officials determined that high winds led a loose wire owned by SCE to make contact with conductors and spark the fire, which killed three people and burned 100,000 acres in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, according to a statement by the California Department of Justice.

SCE itself had admitted that its equipment was "likely associated" with the fire.

But the California Department of Justice said Friday that based on a thorough investigation into the cause of the Woolsey fire by the state attorney general's office, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and the Ventura County Fire Department, officials found "insufficient evidence to establish beyond a reasonable doubt" that the utility unlawfully caused "a fire or committed any other felony violation of California law."

The investigation involved examining video of the fire; statements from witnesses, fire officials and experts; autopsies; and a review of physical and scientific evidence from the fire, according to the justice department.

Justice officials said that to press criminal charges, prosecutors would have to prove the company's equipment caused the fire and that the SCE "was aware that its actions presented a substantial and unjustifiable risk of causing a fire [and] that it ignored this risk," according to the statement.

"Acknowledging the tragic loss of life and offering condolences to the families, the California attorney general's office has therefore closed the investigation into this matter," the justice department said.

Power companies have faced scrutiny for contributing to devastating wildfires throughout California. SCE has faced numerous lawsuits from insurance companies and victims' families. In January, SCE said it would pay $2.2 billion to settle insurance claims from the Woolsey fire.

Story continues

A year before the Woolsey fire, investigators determined that SCE power lines sparked the Thomas fire, a huge blaze that killed two people and later resulted in deadly mudslides that resulted in 21 more deaths.

Last month, Pacific Gas and Electric said in a utility report that its equipment might have sparked the Dixie fire, which has so far burned more than 510,000 acres, making it the second largest wildfire in the state's history.

PG&E did face criminal charges for its role in causing the 2018 Camp fire in Paradise, which left 85 people dead and destroyed more than 13,900 homes. In March 2020, the company pleaded guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter. In June, it was ordered to pay $4 million for its role in the fire.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Maurice "Reggie" Shepperson tested positive for COVID-19 in July and died on Tuesday, his family and friends told USA TODAY. Marcia Hildreth/GoFundMe

A vaccinated Southwest Airlines flight attendant died from COVID-19 on Tuesday, USA TODAY reported.

Maurice Shepperson was put on a ventilator in a Las Vegas hospital, his mother told the outlet.

Shepperson tested positive for COVID-19 in early June after flying to Hawaii, she told USA TODAY.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

A Southwest Airlines flight attendant died from COVID-19 less than two months after he tested positive following a work trip to Hawaii, his family and friends told USA TODAY on Thursday.

Maurice Reginald "Reggie" Shepperson, 36, died on Tuesday, Dawn Shepperson, his mother, told the paper.

Shepperson tested positive for coronavirus in early July, Marcia Hildreth, a friend and fellow Southwest flight attendant, told USA TODAY.

Both Hildreth and Shepperson's mother told the paper that he was fully vaccinated.

More than half of the US population has had two shots, meaning they're fully vaccinated against COVID-19, data from the CDC showed.

A UK study recently found that having two vaccine shots lowers the risk of infection from the Delta variant by 50% to 60%, compared with unvaccinated people. Another UK study in July found that two doses of the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines were 88% and 67% effective, respectively, against symptomatic COVID-19 from the Delta variant.

Shepperson often flew to Hawaii for work, his mother told USA TODAY. She told the paper that she joined Shepperson for one of the trips in early June. This was one of the last plane journeys that he took for Southwest before testing positive for the virus, his mother said.

Insider has reached out to Southwest for comment. A Southwest spokesman confirmed to USA TODAY that an employee died on Tuesday, but declined a request for further details.

"We are heartbroken over the loss of our Southwest employee," the spokesperson said in a statement to the paper. "Out of respect for the family, we do not have additional information to share."

Story continues

Shepperson spent one month in a Las Vegas hospital, where he was put on a ventilator, his mother and Hildreth told USA TODAY.

"It hurt me so bad because it was just so quick," his mother told USA TODAY. "I didn't have time to really even acknowledge what was going on."

In a separate interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, his mother said Shepperson drove himself to the hospital after saying that he couldn't breathe.

Hildreth set up a GoFundMe page on Friday to raise money for the funeral expenses on behalf of Shepperson's mother. So far, it's reached nearly $4,500.

Southwest is one of three airlines in the US that are not requiring employees to get vaccinated, CNN reported on Wednesday. CEO Gary Kelly said the company will "continue to strongly encourage" that workers get vaccinated, but won't require it.

In February, a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 55% of Americans said they had already been vaccinated or would get a shot as soon as possible. That figure rose to 69% in July.

Read the original article on Business Insider
MADRID (AP)  Human rights groups on Saturday denounced Spain's expulsion of unaccompanied children to Morocco, calling the deportations illegal and urging an immediate halt to the process.

Amnesty International spokesman Angel Gonzalo said the deportations of minors began Friday and continued Saturday. The Spanish radio station Cadena Ser said 15 children were deported from Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta so far.

The Interior Ministry and Spanish police did not immediately respond to requests for comment or confirm the numbers of children affected.

We are writing to the Ministry of Interior asking them to stop these expulsions immediately, and asking for transparency over their actions, Gonzalo said, adding the organization was speaking with prosecutors as these expulsions violate international law.

Spain is legally obliged to care for young migrants until their relatives can be located or until they turn 18.

Save The Children, meanwhile, urged Spanish authorities to assess the needs of each child and not deport them en masse. According to data it has collected, about a quarter of the migrant children it interviewed in Ceuta had suffered abuse in their homeland.

Hundreds of unaccompanied minors were among a surge of 10,000 people who tried to enter Ceuta in May by scaling a border fence or swimming around it. Morocco has since taken back most of the migrants.

The episode took place after Spain agreed to provide medical treatment for the Sahrawi leader heading the fight for an independent Western Sahara, which was annexed by Morocco in the 1970s. Rabat reacted furiously and recalled its ambassador in Madrid.

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Follow all AP stories on global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration.
President Joe Biden and Republicans are still struggling to reach an amenable infrastructure deal. As the two sides work to craft a deal, several interested parties, some surprising, are watching what happens with bated breath.

Hundreds of business organizations and other groups signed a coalition letter in February urging lawmakers to adopt a fiscally and environmentally responsible infrastructure spending package. Among the signatories was Westminster Speed and Sound, a Maryland-based company that specializes in car audio and other mobile electronics.

Mark Miller, CEO of the company, told the Washington Examiner that improving hard infrastructure is of interest to his company because everything it does revolves around automobiles, for example, upgrading vehicle audio systems.

People in this country not only use roads for business purposes but also for pleasure, he said. Whether going for a weekend getaway or the annual family vacation, good roads are important to us as Americans.

Another group that signed the coalition letter is the International Sign Association, which represents some 2,500 members who produce on-premise signage. David Hickey, vice president of advocacy with the group, explained during an interview that for every infrastructure project, signs need to be made, and he added that infrastructure spending doesnt just affect large corporations.

For the most part, these are mom and pop-type, small, many times family-owned manufacturing businesses that design, manufacture, install, and maintain signage, Hickey said of his associations membership.

He told the Washington Examiner that while many people never even think about the need for signs or who produces them, there is actually an entire industry that revolves around their usage, and a sizable infrastructure package would be a major deal.

There is going to be a huge need for signage when it comes to all the different kinds of projects that come with it, Hickey said. Just going with your basic construction and street signage, thats going to be huge.  Theres a lot of signage need.

Story continues

The real estate industry also has a vested interest. According to Charlie Oppler, president of the National Association of Realtors, a substantial and sustainable infrastructure package that includes investments in surface transportation, broadband, and water infrastructure is needed.

Oppler said the past year has shown the importance of investing in telecommunications infrastructure as it is essential for virtual learning and entrepreneurship.

More broadly, surface transportation modernization and improvement will provide untold benefits to our nations communities and property owners, he told the Washington Examiner in a statement.

Some environmental groups are also on board for an infrastructure package. Eileen Murphy, vice president of government relations with the New Jersey Audubon, told the Washington Examiner that one proposed piece of an infrastructure package that stands out to her group is the creation of a Civilian Climate Corps that would create jobs to help the environment.

Roads are also crucial to the retail food and baking industries, which rely on vehicles to transport food and baked goods to thousands of stores across the country. Andy Harig, vice president of tax, trade, sustainability, and policy development at FMI, the Food Industry Association, pointed out the importance of strong infrastructure and noted that pandemic-era supply chain issues showed how crucial improvements are.

Modernizing our nations infrastructure is an important issue that will benefit both the food retail industry and our customers, given that all the product we sell is transported via roads, rails, bridges, and ports, he said.

While varied industries are calling for Congress to pass an infrastructure package, funding is also a major concern. David Ditch, a policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation, said that while members of both parties want to see bolstered infrastructure, agreeing on how to pay for it is a heavy lift.

Theres a much bigger appetite for the spending than there is for paying for the spending, Ditch emphasized.

Bidens proposal to hike the corporate tax rate to pay for infrastructure has not only been met with enmity by Republicans, but also by many of those same varied industries hoping for an infrastructure package to come to fruition.

The Chamber of Commerce, which organized the coalition letter, announced its public opposition to Bidens plan to raise the corporate tax rate and called the notion dangerously misguided.

We strongly oppose the general tax increases proposed by the administration which will slow the economic recovery and make the United States less competitive globally  the exact opposite of the goals of the infrastructure plan, the group said in a statement.

It is yet to be seen when and if a package will make its way to the Oval Office, but hundreds of businesses and industries across the country are now holding their breath.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, Magazine - Special Section, Toll Roads, Infrastructure, Transportation, Business, Environment, Joe Biden, Chamber of Commerce, Supply chain, Food, Taxes, Congress

Original Author: Zachary Halaschak

Original Location: The surprising interests desperate for spending on roads and bridges
British Embassy in Berlin - Michael Sohn/AP

Suspicions about a British embassy security guard accused of spying for Russia were aroused after he stopped withdrawing money from his bank account, it was claimed last night.

Police and MI5 became interested in David Smith, 57, after they noticed he had not used debit or credit cards for some time, according to the German magazine Spiegel.

The authorities in Berlin suspected he had an alternative source of cash, which they now believe were funds from the Russian intelligence services handed over in exchange for secrets about his job at the British embassy in the city.

This information he is said to have provided was believed to have been low-grade and included material such as lists of visitors to the embassy, according to the magazines sources in German intelligence.

On at least one occasion it included references to staff at the German foreign ministry.

Mr Smith, known as Smudge, was arrested on Tuesday at his home in Potsdam, a 30-minute drive from the German capital where he worked.

It is understood he was employed locally by the embassy where he had worked for three or four years.

It emerged that the former RAF serviceman was firearms trained and had worked as a member of the Germany Guard Service (GGS), a civilian force often made up of ex-Servicemen who are employed to protect military bases.

Erich Schmidt-Eenboom, the author of books about German intelligence, said Mr Smiths work for the GGS could be of interest to investigators.

Was he a watchman, or something more senior? We simply dont know, he said.

Soviet memorabilia was in plain sight at the home Mr Smith had once shared with his wife, who is believed to be from Odessa, Ukraine, before she moved out.

Among other items in his home were letters sent from the Dnipropetrovsk province of the Ukraine, and a biography of Reinhard Heydrich, the high-ranking Nazi.

British national David Smith being handcuffed and led into an unmarked van by police on Tuesday afternoon - Henry Bodkin

Senior politicians have questioned the quality of vetting procedures given the abundance of evidence pointing towards potential sympathy for Russia.

Story continues

On Friday night, shopkeepers near his home described Mr Smith as a gentleman who spoke fluent German, liked coffee, pastries and buying flowers and potted plants.

Verkark Khayah, who works at the Backerei Exen, recognised Mr Smith from a photograph obtained by The Telegraph showing the moment of his arrest on Tuesday.

He would come in for coffee every now and and again, he said. He would often sit outside and eat a croissant at about eight in the morning. He spoke German really well.

The alleged spy was also identified at a nearby florist.

Yvonne Weigand, whose mother runs Emmy florists, said he showed a preference for potted house plants with lots of greenery.

I dealt with him a couple of times because Im the one who speaks to the English-speaking customers, but he would speak German to me as well, she said.

Whitehall officials believe Mr Smith offered the Russians a list of persons entering and exiting the embassy.

However, because British agents normally use aliases when signing in to embassies the information is thought to have been low risk.
The houseboat docked in London has everything you could need - except a bathroom. Jam Press

A houseboat docked in Rotherhithe, London, is on the market for 100,000, or about $138,000.

The boat has a large seating area on the upper deck and an open-plan kitchen on the main deck.

The owner told Insider he transformed the bathroom into a walk-in closet, but there are toilets and showers nearby.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

A houseboat named Hippo that's docked in Rotherhithe, London, is on the market for 100,000, or about $139,000, Jam Press reports. It's just missing one key amenity: a bathroom.

Hippo the houseboat, docked in Rotherhithe, London. Jam Press

Source: Jam Press

Monty Bhurjee, who has spent the last three years living aboard and renovating Hippo, told Insider he removed the bathroom to make room for a walk-in closet. Bhurjee said there are communal toilets and showers that are cleaned daily a one-minute walk away.

A view of Hippo from the outside. Jam Press

Bhurjee said he has a lot of clothes and doesn't regret the transformation because he spends a lot of time away from home. He thinks if you have an active lifestyle, you wouldn't mind either.

The boat has a walk-in closet. Jam Press

On the deck, there's a large seating area that's perfect for entertaining.

The boat's upper deck. Jam Press

Hippo is docked across the river from Canary Wharf, according to Jam Press, and there are lots of restaurants and bars nearby.

A view from inside the boat. Jam Press

Source: Jam Press

Below the upper deck, the main deck is home to the kitchen and living space.

The main deck. Jam Press

In the kitchen, there's wall storage and built-in shelving for dishes and pantry items.

The kitchen has wall storage. Jam Press

According to Jam Press, the boat has modern appliances, too.

A microwave in the boat. Jam Press

Source: Jam Press

In the living area, there's room for a desk and couch.

The main deck's living area. Jam Press

Bhurjee said he has used the space as a home office during the pandemic.

A makeshift office on the main deck. Jam Press

Above the desk, there are wood-stained cabinets for additional storage.

A close-up of the cabinets. Jam Press

The boat has industrial-style light fixtures.

A light fixture with two bulbs. Jam Press

They give the space a classic look.

A office area of the deck. Jam Press

On the lowest deck, there's a bedroom that fits a full-sized bed, according to Jam Press.

A nightstand in the bedroom. Jam Press

Source: Jam Press

The boat's engine hasn't been run in three years, Jam Press reported, so if you want to take it for a ride, you'll have to get it checked out first.

Story continues

A close-up of controls. Jam Press

Source: Jam Press

See the home's listing on River Homes (at the link below) to find out more.

The living area on the main deck. Jam Press

Source: River Homes/Waterside Property Specialists

Read the original article on Insider
Taliban fighters have been seizing territory across Afghanistan. Allauddin Khan/AP

The Taliban were pictured dragging accused thieves through Herat, Afghanistan, on Friday.

Photos taken by an Afghan journalist show men tarred in black with nooses around their necks.

The Taliban has captured multiple key cities in recent days and is slowly advancing to Kabul.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

The Taliban were seen dragging men accused of theft through the streets of the newly-captured city of Herat in Afghanistan on Friday.

Photos taken by journalist Bilal Sarwary show men tarred in black with nooses around their necks being paraded through the streets as armed militants flank them. Some of the militants are pictured pulling at the nooses.

"Taliban accused these men of theft, their faces were colored with black color, to embarrass them and were paraded in Herat city after the Friday prayers," Sarwary wrote alongside the pictures.

Another video shows a crowd of people following the men.

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The images come one day after the Taliban seized control of Herat, which is the country's third-largest city.

"The city looks like a frontline, a ghost town," provincial council member Ghulam Habib Hashimi told Reuters. "Families have either left or are hiding in their homes."

Taliban insurgents also seized Afghanistan's second-largest city, Kandahar, on Friday.

A US defense official has since said there is mounting concern that the militant could make a move on Kabul, the country's capital, within days.

"Kabul is not right now in an imminent threat environment, but clearly ... if you just look at what the Taliban has been doing, you can see that they are trying to isolate Kabul," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said, according to Reuters.

President Joe Biden has been receiving regular briefings from his national security team on efforts to remove American civilians.

On Thursday, he announced plans to send 3,000 additional troops to Afghanistan to help evacuate US embassy staff.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A Texas district judge granted Harris Countys request for a temporary order that prevents the enforcement of Gov. Greg Abbott's recent executive order banning face masks mandates in public schools, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Why it matters: The order allows the county to temporarily enforce mask mandates for students and school faculty as COVID cases continue to tick up throughout Houston.

Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.

The big picture: Abbott threatened to take school districts, public universities and and local governments to court if they defied his mask ban.

A judge granted two school districts in Dallas and Bexar counties the temporary power to require masks despite Abbott's order.

Go deeper: Florida and Texas schools defy governors' orders banning mask mandates

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Country musician Jason Isbell performing live in 2017. (Getty Images)

A music venue in Fort Worth, Texas called Billy Bobs Texas is receiving backlash for announcing earlier this week they have a new vaccination policy for all guests.

The policy has been set for a gig by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, a country group from Nashville.

Speaking about the criticism for hosting a vaccine-only concert. the venues general manager, Marty Travis, said he has been referred to as "Hitler."

I dont care if they call me Janet Jackson. Lets just get to the show and have a good time and move on to our next gig. Its not that big a deal, Travis told Rolling Stone in a recent interview.

But, man, it is Uproar City down here, like I ripped a picture of the pope in half.

In June, Texas governor Greg Abbot signed a policy that made it illegal for all Texas businesses to require their customers to be vaccinated. According to the legislation, businesses may lose their liquor license or other contracts and permits if they create their own vaccine mandates.

Travis is still moving forward with the vaccine mandate at Billy Bobs.

Im not trying to make history, Im just trying to make a living, he continued. I think if I stuck my neck out there and said, This is Billy Bobs policy, they might come after me. But Im doing one event, one night. By the time I get to Saturday morning, nobodys going to give a s***.

Ahead of tonights concert, Isbell announced that all his concerts going forward would require attendees to show proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test.

The Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter posted on Twitter today: Bring your vax card or negative test and mask up and lets have ourselves a good time.

He recently cancelled a concert in Houston, Texas, when a venue declined to comply with his proof of vaccination policy.

The concert was then moved from the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion to Billy Bobs in Fort Worth, a city that is a four-hour drive from Houston.

Texas most popular region, Harris County, has defied its governor with a mask mandate, just as the state has seen a growing number of delta variant cases in its hospitals. The hospital admission for children with the virus is at a record high in Texas.

Story continues

You have to have an ID to get a stamp to get a drink. You have to have a ticket to get to the door, said Travis.

Well, now, you have to have the vaccine card or a 72-hour Covid-19 test. To me, operationally, its just another checkpoint.

Read More

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Prosecutors have reportedly filed a contempt motion and a hearing is scheduled for Thursday connected to Megan Thee Stallion restraining order

Tory Lanez may wind up back in jail as a result of his surprise cameo at the Rolling Loud music festival last month.

His presence there may have been a violation of his restraining order from Megan Thee Stallion, as previously reported by theGrio.

Now it looks like the Canadian rapper is at risk for jail time after prosecutors took action, TMZ reports citing unnamed sources.

(Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for BET/ Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images)

Prosecutors are said to be looking to have bail paid by Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, revoked for allegedly violating the conditions of the restraining order, according to the outlet.

Documents from prosecutors have been filed and a hearing is scheduled for Thursday for the contempt motion. Peterson could have his bail fully revoked, which could lead him to have to pay more in bail or be jailed pending trial, TMZ reports.

If convicted of his initial charges, Peterson faces 22 years and eight months in prison, theGrio previously reported.

Lanez was arrested last October after allegedly shooting Megan, real name Megan Pete, in the foot during a July 2020 altercation.

The Canadian rapper faces felony assault charges, which he pleaded not guilty to in November.

Lanez was issued a protective order in October that stated he was not to be within 100 feet of Megan, according to NME.

Lanez appeared on stage with rapper DaBaby at the Rolling Loud festival in Miami on July 25. Megan also performed at the festival and was still backstage when DaBaby performed his set.

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The post Tory Lanezs bail at risk of being revoked over Rolling Loud appearance: report appeared first on TheGrio.
The long and likely court-intensive process of drawing Wisconsins next political map is underway.

The U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday delivered the states population data. It was originally due to states back in the spring.

Im glad the Biden Administration has finally gotten the data to us after dragging their feet for months, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said Thursday. Soon we will begin the robust map drawing process and Im confident we will draw a map that the governor will sign.

Republicans control the Wisconsin legislature and will, for the most part, control the map drawing process. Though there is an expectation Democrats and voting advocates will file lawsuits to challenge the Republican map.

On Thursday, the National Democratic Redistricting Committee warned lawmakers to draw maps that it finds acceptable.

For too long Wisconsinites have had to reside in one of the most gerrymandered states in the country. With the release of the U.S. Census Data, we now have the opportunity to change that and draw new maps, NRDC Wisconsin Director Elizabeth Trevino said.

Along those lines, Gov. Evers has proposed a Peoples Map Commission to draw a map that meets his wishes.

Vos said Republicans are offering people the chance to draw a map of their own.

Today, the legislature announced a website for the public to participate in the map drawing process. Any Wisconsin resident can submit a statewide map, regional plan, or community of interest to the legislature, Vos added.

It will take some time to begin the map-making process. Vos said the peoples maps arent due until mid-October.

He is not saying when lawmakers will begin the process of drawing their maps, or when lawmakers will finish the maps.

The hope is to have the new political maps finished in time for the spring elections of 2022.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: States, News, Wisconsin, Census, Census Bureau

Original Author: Benjamin Yount, The Center Square

Original Location: Wisconsin begins process of drawing new political map after census data released
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Congresswoman Cori Bush wont shrug and go home to enjoy a recess while evictions begin. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Sometimes progressives are unreasonable in demanding actions from the Biden administration or the broader Democratic Party that just arent feasible. The White House cannot, for example, just by an act of will force the filibuster to cease to exit so long as one Senate Democrat (say, Joe Manchin) finds it in his rational self-interest to defend that obstructionist Senate tradition and benefits politically from Democratic criticism. Similarly, progressive commitments to sweeping legislative concepts like Medicare for All or the Green New Deal, which turn into opposition to more incremental measures that can get through Congress, often seem self-destructive and even immoral, at least to me.

But in demanding that the White House deal with the consequences of its own apparent screwup in dealing with an eviction moratorium that has profound real-life implications for millions of vulnerable Americans, Missouri representative Cori Bush is not being unreasonable at all.

By way of background, in late June the U.S. Supreme Court put the world on notice that it would not accept the legitimacy of the CDCs eviction moratorium (in place since last September) beyond the end of July, unless Congress acted to give it a statutory basis. For reasons that remain obscure, the administration waited until the 11th hour to deal with the problem, then Joe Biden himself issued a panicky request that Congress bless the moratorium with legal authority to continue, when it was really too late for it to happen before the moratorium expired on July 31.

Instead of shrugging and going back home to begin a planned House recess, Cori Bush, who experienced eviction and homelessness earlier in her life, decided to put the White House on the spot with a series of overnight protests at the Capitol, as Punchbowl News reported:

The Missouri Democrats sit-in protest over her partys botched handling of the eviction moratorium has lasted four days. Shes been joined by colleagues, other members of the Squad and a growing number of supporters. And now, its exceedingly clear that the Democratic Partys leadership and the White House have a problem on their hands.

What Bush wants is very clear: an extension of the eviction moratorium by the president with the recognition that it will be challenged and perhaps struck down in court. This would buy time for Congress to move forward on legal authorization for the moratorium as it might have done had the administration not dithered for nearly a month. In turn, that will increase pressure on lawmakers to act expeditiously on an extension either right now (since the Senate is still in session to deal with the infrastructure bill and a FY 2022 budget resolution, which the House will at least temporarily return to ratify) or when the August recess ends.

Its still unclear how the administration let this crisis occur. Perhaps the earlier signs of an economic boom and widespread job openings convinced White House officials that the case for the moratorium had been fatally undermined, or that pressure for evictions would ebb naturally. Or perhaps it was assumed the rental assistance authorized in both the 2020 and 2021 COVID-19 stimulus bills would get to the root of the problem sooner rather than later, resolving back-rent claims and literally buying off landlords. Indeed, in the face of Bushs protests, Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to House Democrats expressing some fresh anger at the slow implementation of Congresss plans by both the administration and the states, as CNN reports:

Pelosi wrote that some in our Caucus have now chosen to focus instead on how we could get the money allocated in the December Omnibus and the Biden American Rescue Plan in the hands of the renters and landlords.

Overwhelmingly, our Members support extending the moratorium, the Speaker continued. Universally, our Members demand that the $46.5 billion provided by Congress be distributed expeditiously to renters and landlords.

So arguably the Biden administration has screwed up efforts to deal with the eviction crisis twice and cannot just blame the current situation on Congress or the courts. Yes, in general its good that Team Biden does not have the kind of scofflaw attitude toward court rulings that Team Trump exhibited so regularly in various bad causes. But given its tardiness in responding to the SCOTUS warning, the White House should make an exception and try again in court, in part to buy time as Bush suggests, but also because theres a chance the rapidly changing situation created by the Delta variant might convince the courts the public-health rationale for the eviction moratorium is still compelling.

Its sad it has taken an act of courage by a freshman member of Congress to bring this crisis to official Washingtons urgent attention. At a time when some are obsessed with performative shows of bipartisanship and others just want to take an August break, Cori Bush is asking those at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue to do their real jobs.
He seems like a serial killer.

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seriously. his videos seem like a villain origin story.

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What a sick and disturbing individual.





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This is all so gross. Why does anyone collect bones?

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Gross.

Azealia is currently contacting him for new ingredients

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What in the Ed Gein is this man doing

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Lets hope theres no nipple-belt in his home.

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The wall of spines is seriously creeping me out.

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What a weirdo.

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i want to punch this scrawny fucker in the face. the spines hung on the wall made me feel so sad and weird.

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"My pride and joy is my human spine collection."



This is gross.

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.bruh I really like faux skulls and skeletons for aesthetics. Think Halloween or witchy home decors or osteology purposes.



But not like this. Wtf bruh, WHY. This is too much . Shut that down

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Mte. he could just have 3D printed a skull from an image of a real skull instead of being a creep

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YES!! Thats exactly it. That couldve been really cool. This is just too crazy and unsettling

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Yeah, same, but I dont want ACTUAL remains from a real person who had a life and loved ones. That just seems sick and disrespectful of peoples remains.

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exactly

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Didn't we go through this already on Tumblr?

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Right. The more things change the more they stay the same.

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I mean, that was literal grave robbing. Like she went to a cemetery and picked up remains. Its possible that some of his skeletons were ethically sourced ie medical donation after death.



But my anthro and archeologist friends would say these arent really used in the classroom anymore, because there are other, better ways to study bones to train for identification. (Weirdly I was just having this conversation with an ex coworker, they returned our teaching skeleton that was in our basement)



Additionally, depending on how he's sourcing some of these remains, he and the place he is purchasing from could run into some NAGPRA issues...

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You wrote the phrase "some of his skeletons were ethically sourced" and just kept going for two more paragraphs...

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that's what i was about to comment, like we've been here before & i still don't like it

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Bonegazi 2.0 let's Go

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There's a post going around on tumblr right now that twitter is like tumblr five years ago because users migrated there but tiktok is tumblr five years ago organically.

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lol I made this exact comment

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i fondly remember the Toe Incident

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unfortunately this kind of thing is an american pastime

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the glee in this fucking guy's eyes is so sick. i just saw a video of him on twitter making a meme video where he's running and dancing around with foot bones. his energy is so evil

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Just saw that video in one of the Twitter threads, "Types of bone collectors."



Types of bone collectors? My God, how many of him are out there?

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a video of him on twitter making a meme video where he's running and dancing around with foot bones



Dr. Facilier is shook.

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not to be old but god i hate tik tok

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That poor cat looks like it would like to be excluded from this narrative.

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mte. Someone save the cat.

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weird af

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very reminiscent of the tumblr account that stole bones from graveyards. i think they even turned out to be stolen from black people as well. this jon guy is an absolute psychopath and i hate that he's popular on tiktok.

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Saudi Aramco is looking for deals that will boost investor confidence in the worlds largest oil company. These deals could include asset sales or supply agreements, according to a Reuters report that quoted Aramco chief executive Amin Nasser. Life was easy for the Saudi giant until recently. It pumped oil, sold it on international markets, and used the revenues to fund much of the Saudi economy.

Now, things are quite different.

While Aramcos top priority is still its biggest shareholder - the Saudi government - global trends are pushing it towards diversification.

The asset sale plan mirrors that of UAE neighbor Adnoc, which has been selling minority stakes in its energy assets to monetize them while it still can. Now that oil prices have recovered from the pandemic lows, it is the best time for this. Yet, Adnoc has been divesting assets for four years and has so far generated some $30 billion in proceeds in that period. The latest divestment plan is a listing of the Emirati companys drilling business. The proceeds will reportedly be used for clean energy projects.

Aramco is in a very similar position to Adnoc, so it is no wonder that it has taken a page out of its new playbook. Both state-owned companies have found themselves in unchartered territory with the energy transition push, which has shaken the very foundations of their existence. Like all other oil producers, both must find a way to survive in a world where oil demand is expected to be much lower.

The obvious way is to expand into low-carbon energy projects, just like Big Oil is doing. And this seems to be the path Adnoc and Aramco have chosen. Earlier this week, after the release of Aramcos second-quarter and first-half results, chief executive Amin Nasser said the company was looking into new deals to unlock capital.



Related: Biden Administration Takes Aim At Soaring Gasoline Prices While he didnt detail these deals, Reuters recalls an earlier report based on unnamed source information that said Aramco planned to sell a stake in its gas pipeline business in a scheme identical to the one it used to divest a minority interest in its oil pipeline business. That deal, with a consortium led by EIG Global Energy Partners, was worth $12.4 billion.

Another possible field for dealmaking is hydrogen. At the financial results release call with analysts, Nasser said, We are looking to capture a big percentage of that market, we have an advantage, echoing remarks made by Aramcos chief technology officer earlier this year.

We see a real market forming, Ahmad Al Khowaiter told CNBC in late June. This is an opportunity for us to supply a new market, a growing market, and a sustainable market, because it is a decarbonized energy product.

The executive also said that the hydrogen market was at an inflection point, with technologies for the use of the gas becoming mature and commercially available.

We have the lowest-emission hydrocarbons, Al Khowaiter also said at the time. We have an ability to capture CO2 and therefore supply hydrogen reliably at reasonable cost, without the CO2.

This month, Aramco said it had signed a preliminary agreement with the German government for joint work in the hydrogen area, which, based on comments made by Nasser, will take the form of Saudi hydrogen supply to Germany.

These plans sound like a no-brainer, but questions remain. For instance, would this shift to hydrogen and possibly other low-carbon products be able to generate the same level of revenues as Aramcos core business? This question is vital because the Saudi major has been working hard to make ends meet - meaning distribute the dividends it has promised to distribute - amid the pandemic, the oil demand slump, and now the renewable push. It has even turned to borrowing to do this.

Of course, it will be quite a while yet before Aramco is forced to choose between oil and low-carbon energy if the choice is ever presented to it. What the company appears to be doing now is greening up its CV while monetizing its energy assets in a favorable price environment.

Related: Japans Overambitious LNG Targets Could Transform The Industry

The whole Gulf is doing this precisely because the price environment is favorable. Big Oil is doing it, too, and for the same reasons. But it has already been called on what some may see as a greenwashing bluff.

None other than BlackRocks Larry Fink last month noted that divesting, whether done independently or mandated by a court, might move an individual company closer to net zero, but it does nothing to move the world closer to net zero.

To be fair, however, it is neither Big Oils nor Aramcos or Adnocs job to work to reduce global oil demand. This is the job of governments and maybe finance titans such as BlackRock. Oil companies have learned to go with the flow and adjust as it carries them into new territories, whether they are pubic supermajors or state-owned giants such as Aramco.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Streetwise - San Francisco's Women Supervisors

by Frank Dunnigan

March 2017

March is Womens History Month, and a time to take a look at the many female office-holders who have served on San Franciscos Board of Supervisors. Over the past 96 years, 34 women have been members of the board, with many advancing to higher offices during the course of lengthy political careers.

Interestingly, todays 6-5 female majority on the board (Supervisors Breed, Cohen, Fewer, Kim, Ronen, Tang) is NOT the first time this balance has occurred, as incorrectly stated by some recent commentators. The board has had previous female majorities as far back as 1981-1985 when 6 out of the 11 Supervisors were women: Hutch (succeeded by Kennedy), Nelder, Renne, Silver, Walker, Ward; and again from 1993-1996 when 7 out of the 11 Supervisors were women: Achtenberg (succeeded by Leal), Alioto, Bierman, Conroy (succeeded by Teng), Kaufman, Kennedy (succeeded by Katz), Migden.

NOTE: The official San Francisco Board of Supervisors website and various on-line listings are considered by many to be incomplete/inaccurate. The author is deeply indebted to long-time WNP member and retired City Hall political observer Paul Rosenberg for providing a reliable source of information and fact-checking for this months column.

* indicates incumbent

Roberta Achtenberg  Achtenberg, an attorney, ran in 1988 for the Assembly seat vacated by Art Agnos when he became mayor. She did not win, but was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 1990 (same election as Carole Migden), thus becoming one of the boards first two LGBTQ women. Achtenberg resigned in 1993 when she was appointed to a post in the Clinton administration. She ran for mayor in 1995, and later served on the SF Chamber of Commerce and the Cal State University Board of Trustees before being appointed to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission in 2011.

Angela Alioto  Politically active for decades, Alioto worked on her fathers two successful campaigns for mayor in 1967 and 1971. An attorney, she was elected Supervisor in 1988, a position she held until 1997, including serving as board president. She herself made three bids for the office of mayor in 1991, 1995, and 2003, and has been running her own law firm since leaving the board. She remains active in both civic affairs and local politics, having been elected to a seat on the Democratic Central Committee in June 2016.

Michela Alioto-Pier  Alioto-Pier made her first run for a Congressional seat at age 28 in 1996 after working as an aide to Vice President Al Gore. She won the primary, but not the general election. In January 2004, Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed her to fill his recently vacated seat on the board, and she was twice elected on her own before being impacted by term limits. She ran for mayor in 2011, and is currently managing her familys vineyard business. Alioto-Pier is the granddaughter of former Mayor Joseph Alioto and the niece of former Supervisor Angela Alioto.

Alicia Becerril  An attorney, Becerril was a member of the Board of Appeals and the Landmarks Advisory Commission. She was appointed by Mayor Willie Brown in 1999 to complete the term of board member Jose Medina who left to accept appointment to a statewide office. She was defeated in her first election bid in November 2000, later becoming an administrative law judge.

Sue Bierman  Appointed to the Planning Commission by Mayor George Moscone in the 1970s, Bierman was 68 years old when she was first elected to the board in 1992 and was subsequently re-elected in 1996. She was termed out of office in 2000, appointed to the Port Commission in 2003 by Mayor Willie Brown, and was still serving in that capacity when she died in 2006.

*London Breed  In 2004, Breed, executive director of the African-American Art/Culture complex, was appointed to the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency by Mayor Gavin Newsom who then appointed her to the Fire Commission in 2010. In 2012, Breed was elected Supervisor after winning the seat from incumbent Christina Olague, who had been appointed earlier that year by Mayor Ed Lee to fill the vacancy created by Ross Mirkarimis election as Sheriff. Breed was re-elected in 2016.

Julie Christensen  Appointed by Mayor Ed Lee in 2015 to replace Supervisor David Chiu who had been elected to the State Assembly, Christensen had previously served on the Advisory Board for the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR). She was unsuccessful at her first election bid in November 2015.

Carmen Chu  In 2007, Chu was appointed to the board by Mayor Gavin Newsom to complete the remaining term of former Supervisor Ed Jew. She was twice elected on her own before being appointed Assessor by Mayor Ed Lee in 2013, winning her own full term in 2014.

*Malia Cohen  With a Masters Degree in Political Science, Cohen worked as a field organizer in Gavin Newsoms first campaign for mayor, and then as a legislative aide to a San Mateo County supervisor before being elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 2010 and re-elected in 2014.

Annemarie Conroy  An attorney, Conroy was appointed by her godfather, Mayor Frank Jordan, in 1993 to replace Doris Ward who had just been appointed City Assessor. Defeated at her first election bid in 1994, she was later appointed Director of the Treasure Island Development Authority and later to the Office of Emergency Services. She also served on the Police and Fire Commissions.

Dianne Feinstein  First elected to the board in 1969 (the fourth woman in board history) and then re-elected in 1973 and 1977, Feinstein ran for mayor in 1971 and 1975, though did not win. She became the first female board president and later the first female mayor, upon the death of George Moscone in 1978, before winning two additional terms on her own and serving until 1988. After a gubernatorial bid in 1990, she was elected to the U.S. Senate from California in 1992, again, the first California woman in this role, being sworn in a month prior to Barbara Boxer who was elected the same day. At age 83, Feinstein is the oldest currently serving Senator.

*Sandra Lee Fewer  A member of the School Board, Fewer won a hotly contested race for the District 1 (Richmond District) seat in the 2016 election, taking office in January 2017.

Ella Hill Hutch  First elected in 1977, Hutch was the first African-American woman to serve on the board. She was re-elected in 1980, but died in office in 1981. Mayor Dianne Feinstein then appointed Willie B. Kennedy to succeed Hutch.

Leslie Katz  Appointed by Mayor Willie Brown to serve out the remainder of Supervisor Willie B. Kennedys term after she took a seat on the BART Board, Katz had a background as an attorney and a member of the City College governing board. She won election to the Board of Supervisors in her own right in 1996, and later served on the Port Commission.

Barbara Kaufman  First elected in 1992, and re-elected in 1996, Kaufman had been the host of a consumer advocacy radio program. She later became board president and after being termed out returned to managing real estate investments and running the local office of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Willie B. Kennedy  A long-time San Francisco retail executive, Kennedy was appointed by Mayor Dianne Feinstein in 1981 to fill the remaining term of Supervisor Ella Hill Hutch, who died in office. Kennedy was then elected in 1984, 1988, and 1992, remaining in office until she resigned in 1996 to join the BART Board of Directors just before she would have been impacted by term limits.

*Jane Kim  An attorney, Kim was elected to the School Board in 2004 and 2008, becoming that groups president in 2010. She won a surprise victory for the Board of Supervisors in the November 2010 election, becoming its first Korean-American member.

Susan Leal  Appointed as the boards first Latina member by Mayor Frank Jordan in 1993 to complete the term of Roberta Achtenberg who left to accept a Federal appointment, Leal then won election in her own right in 1994. From 1997 to 2004, she served as City Treasurer, from 2004 to 2009 was General Manager of the Public Utilities Commission, and is now with Harvard University.

Fiona Ma  First elected to the board in 2002, Ma served until 2006 when she won election to the State Assembly. In 2014, she won election to the State Board of Equalization, and in 2016, was elected its Chair.

Sophie Maxwell  Maxwell (daughter of the late Enola Maxwell who previously ran for the board) was first elected in 2000 during the return to district elections. Sophie Maxwell was then re-elected twice and served until 2010 when she was termed out.

Clarissa Shortall McMahon  A practicing lawyer since 1935, McMahon was appointed by Mayor Elmer Robinson in 1953 to fill a seat vacated by Supervisor John J. Sullivan, thus becoming the boards second female member. She was subsequently elected three times on her own, serving until 1966 when she left to return to her law practice. She was also a candidate for the SF Charter Reform Committee in 1978.

Carole Migden  Elected to the board in 1990 in the same election as another LGBTQ woman, Roberta Achtenberg. Migden served on the board until 1996, when she became a member of the California State Assembly, serving there until 2002. She was then Chair of the State Board of Equalization from 2002-2004, and then a member of the California State Senate from 2004-2008, but failed to win re-nomination in the 2008 primary.

Margaret Mary Morgan  In 1921, Morgan was elected and became the first woman to serve on the board. Prior to election, she managed a printing firm in the Financial District, returning to that business after one four-year term on the board. She was also involved with the California Federation of Business/Professional Womens Clubs and the California League of Women Voters.

Jane McKaskle Murphy  Murphy served on the Police Commission before being appointed by Mayor George Moscone in 1977 to complete the remaining term of Dorothy von Beroldingen following her appointment as judge. Murphy was never elected to a full term of her own, returning to the Police Commission after leaving the board.

Wendy Nelder  First elected in 1980, Nelder served on the board until 1991. She was part of the first female-majority board of Supervisors (Hutch, Nelder, Renne, Silver, Walker, Ward) when seated in January 1981. Her father, Al Nelder, a retired Chief of the San Francisco Police Department, also served on the board in the mid-1970s, and her one-time father-in-law, Harold Dobbs, was a board member and board president in the 1960s, as well as a three-time candidate for mayor in 1963, 1967, and 1971. In a footnote to history, Wendy Nelders adult children, Amy and Jeff, are the only San Franciscans who can claim their mother and both grandfathers as members of the Board of Supervisors.

Christina Olague  Appointed in January 2012 by Mayor Ed Lee to fill the remaining term of Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi who had been elected Sheriff, Olague did not win election in her own right that fall, being defeated by London Breed.

Louise Renne  Appointed by Mayor Dianne Feinstein to fill her own vacant board seat after becoming mayor in 1978, Renne was later elected in her own right. She lost a 1982 congressional primary to Barbara Boxer, continuing as supervisor, and serving until 1986, when she became San Franciscos first female city attorney. She briefly ran for mayor in 1987 hoping to succeed Dianne Feinstein, but then continued as city attorney until 2001, when she returned to private law practice.

*Hilary Ronen  A former immigrant rights attorney and aide to Supervisor David Campos, Ronen was elected to the board in 2016 to replace her boss who had been termed out.

Carol Ruth Silver  First elected to the board in 1977 and twice re-elected, Silver lost a third re-election bid in 1988 and later ran for Congress, but was defeated by Michela Alioto-Pier (who herself would later be elected to the board). Silver made a new bid for a board seat in 2000, but voters did not return her to office. She was later appointed director of the San Francisco Sheriffs Office of Prisoner Services.

*Katy Tang  An attorney, Tang worked as legislative aide to Supervisor Carmen Chu before being appointed to the board by Mayor Ed Lee in 2013 to take over the seat after Chus appointment as Assessor. Tang has since been elected twice in her own right, and has served as board president.

Mabel Teng  First elected to the Community College Board in 1990, Teng was elected supervisor in 1994 as the first Asian-American female board member and then re-elected in 1998. She lost her bid for a third term in November 2000 by a razor-thin margin of just 38 votes. In 2002, she was elected as Assessor. Teng resigned in 2005, citing family issues.

Nancy Walker  A member of Citizens for Representative Government (CRG) since the early 1970s, Walker was first a candidate for the board in 1977, but was elected on her second run in 1979. She was re-elected three times, and also served as board president. She chose not to seek re-election in 1990.

Doris Ward  Ward became a member of the Community College Board in 1972, won a second term, was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 1979, and then re-elected four more times, becoming board president in 1991. She was also one of several candidates who ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1987 to succeed Sala Burton, who had died in office. In 1993, Mayor Frank Jordan appointed Ward as City Assessor (naming Annemarie Conroy as board replacement). Ward was then elected assessor in her own right in 1994 and again in 1998. In 2002, she was defeated in a runoff by former two-term Supervisor Mabel Teng.

Dorothy von Beroldingen  The first woman appointed to the San Francisco Civil Service Commission in 1964, von Beroldingen was named to the board by Mayor Jack Shelley in 1966 to replace Joseph Tinney, who had been appointed Assessor to replace Russell Wolden, who had been removed from office. During her time on the Board of Supervisors, von Beroldingen also became the first woman appointed to serve on the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District board of directors. She remained a supervisor until 1977, when she was appointed municipal court judge by Governor Jerry Brown, and then later served as a superior court judgea position which she held until just before her death in 1999.

Historical Footnote:Dianne Feinstein is widely regarded as the first woman mayor of a major U.S. city. However, members of the Board of Supervisors have long rotated among themselves in filling the role of mayor upon that persons absence from San Francisco. It was in this regard that the San Francisco Chronicle reported on June 18, 1954: San Francisco has a female mayor for the first time when Supervisor Clarissa McMahon serves as acting mayor.

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The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) says that, of the US$11,794,109 indicated as loss through the liquidation of three companies, US$4.15 million has been recovered.



It said efforts were still ongoing to make further recoveries of locked-up funds.



A statement issued by the Trust said that, as at the time the current Management was appointed in 2017, the Trust was saddled with a largely non-performing investment portfolio.



It said that, though the audit ended December 31, 2020, the major issues raised predates the present administration with some dating as far back as 1985.



The Trust was reacting to the current Auditor-Generals Report on the Public Accounts of Ghana: Public Boards, Corporations and other Statutory Institutions for the period ended 31 December 2020 and subsequent publications in the media.



The statement said the Trust invested US$6.08 million in Ningo Salt Limited (NSL) in July 2005, US$3,650,000 in Granite and Marbles Limited in July 1994 and US$5,038,153 in Canada Investment Fund for Africa (CIFA) in June 2005.



It said in the case of NSL, the US$6.08 million stated as loss has reduced to US$1.93 million.



It said the loan of US$4.15 million was granted through Ecobank Ghana Limited and the Bank has fully repaid SSNIT with interest and the investment was made in July 2005.



On Granite and Marbles Limited, SSNIT managed to retrieve its unpaid Social Security Contributions of GH428,337.07.



The statement said all the loans were converted to equity prior to the liquidation, meanwhile, the Liquidation was underway and yet to be completed.



It said the final accounts were yet to be submitted to the parties by the liquidator, which investment was made in July 1994.



On CIFA, the Trust said it had recovered US$2,064,109 of the total investment, meanwhile, CIFA had been under liquidation since 2015.



The statement said as per the Fund Managers 2019 report to shareholders, the liquidation process was yet to be concluded. The investment was made in June 2005.



It said that Subri Industrial Plantation Limited (SIPL), established in 1985, was owned by a consortium of financial institutions with the Government having a majority stake of 80.40 percent.



SSNIT had a 13.60 percent equity stake in the company which was divested to Plantations Socfinaf Ghana.



It said Management has been in contact with the Ministry of Finance to have the Trusts portion of US$626,522.47 transferred to SSNIT since 2015.



The Trust assured the public on it would continue to engage the Ministry to retrieve the unpaid funds.



It said that, as part of efforts to prevent such occurrences in the future, a new investment policy that better controls the investment process had been developed and was being implemented.



Also, professionals and experts have been appointed to Boards of subsidiary companies, which had led to major improvements in the corporate governance of these entities resulting in better returns on investments.



The statement said that, under the current Management, some significant strides had been made to rebalance investments.



The Trust, for instance, had made savings of over GH231millikn on legacy investments related cost through renegotiation since 2017.



It said that efforts have been made to ensure that the Trust gets the best deal when liquidations were evoked on some of these non-performing legacy investments.



That, as evidence of prudent management of funds, the Trust had increased the net assets from GH8,406million in 2016 to GH11,350million as of December 2020 (unaudited accounts) representing an increase of 35 percent.



The Trust assured all contributors, pensioners and the public that it would continue to review its investments and ensure that it maintains and deploys funds in only viable investments.



The statement said the Trust would at all times manage workers social security contributions judiciously to safeguard the ability to continue paying monthly pensions

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The Deputy Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party, Mame Yaa Aboagye has commended the youth for their immense contribution towards the development of this country. She appealed to them to embrace government policies for their benefit.



The National Youth Authority (NYA) on Wednesday launched this years International Youth Day in Accra with a call on the youth to develop innovative solutions to address some of the challenges confronting the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic.



It was a day set aside and recognised by the United Nations (UN) to underscore the immense contributions of young people and also raise awareness of challenges facing the worlds youth.



This years celebration has the global theme Youth Engagements for Global Action and highlights ways in which young people are enriching institutions and the needed efforts to enhance youth representation and engagements.



Mame Yaa, commemorating the day, urged the youth to embrace government's initiatives such as Free SHS, Planting for Food and Jobs among others to better their lives.



She also advised them to be responsible citizens, The youth are the future leaders and deserve our best commendation and protection. They are the solution to the numerous challenges in our country and this is why the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government has rolled out several youth programmes to empower them to take their destiny into their own hands and create their own jobs.



She further called on the youth, especially ladies, to focus on their education and develop innovative solutions to the economic challenges.

Source: Peacefmonline









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Police have commenced investigations into an alleged assault on a Journalist at Bortianor in Accra.



A news brief from the Police said the assault was carried out by some men believed to be Police personnel over a misunderstanding in connection with a piece of land.



It said the said parcel of land was allegedly being claimed by two parties, one of whom was said to be police personnel.



The brief urged anyone with credible information that could assist in the investigations to contact the nearest Police station.



Informants are encouraged to call the following numbers: 18555 or 191 or send a WhatsApp message to the Police number 0206639121.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Seasoned Jounalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has expressed disgust over the President's convoy, asking why he has to be in a procession of a long fleet of cars any time he goes out on official duties.



In Ghana, it is a common trend to find the President and Vice President of the Republic, government officials and politicians among others in a convoy on an official or political assignments.



It is in fact a familiar scene for Ghanaians to see a fleet of cars through town with Police riders leading and blowing sirens.



"But has it ever occurred to any person that it's very annoying?" Kwesi Pratt rhetorically asked.



To Kwesi Pratt, there's nothing so provocative to Ghanaians than to see a convoy.



His outburst emanates from a recent video circulating on social media showing a very long presidential convoy.



He explained that many Ghanaians are suffering and looking up to the President and his government to fix the economy but the convoy they parade around show they're insensitive to the plight of Ghanaians.



"Leadership by example...the sacrifice should start from the top," he said, amidst the recent strike action by the University Teachers Association of Ghana(UTAG).



He wondered why if the President is attending an assignment, there should be about thirty-nine (39) cars following him but he will turn around to tell Ghanaians to "tighten their belts".



"39 cars in one convoy!!!. . . when you are driving around Ghana in a 39-car convoy how do you call on people to tighten their belt," he fumed.



"Is not driving around with a 39-car convoy difficult to do? This is not about learning Pythagoras theory, it's common sense," he added.



''There's nothing annoying as a convoy. You speak with every person; there's nothing that showcases official opulence and insensitivity than a convoy . . . one of the things to tackle is the menace of convoy."



Mr. Pratt admonished the President to reduce his convoy.







Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia says the Akufo-Addo-led government is determined to do more to reduce the suffering of Ghanaians.



He noted that the Government, over the past four years, had worked hard to significantly reduce a chunk of the sufferings imposed on Ghanaians by the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.



In a Facebook post on Friday to mark International Youth Day, the Vice President listed about 50 hardships, which the previous NDC government imposed on Ghanaians, which the government of President Akufo-Addo had worked hard to reduce through various interventions.



Some of those interventions include; relative stability in electricity supply, resumption of public sector employment which was frozen, online and easy access to government services, revival of national health insurance, restoration of allowances for nursing and teacher trainees, restoration of employment for nurses, free access to senior high school, among several others.



Dr. Bawumia preceded the 51 sufferings the Akufo-Addo's government had reduced, with a direct message to the Ghanaian youth, acknowledging challenges they were facing including effects of the Coronavirus pandemic, and reiterated governments resolve to address them.



"Yesterday, we marked the International Youth Day in Ghana and across the world. I would like to remind the youth of our dear country that the NPP promised to reduce the suffering Ghanaians were going through under the economic mismanagement of the NDC," Dr. Bawumia wrote.



"After four years in office, what is clear is that even though many Ghanaians are facing challenging times especially as a result of the economic implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of the NPP under the leadership of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has, through policies implemented, delivered largely on its promise of reducing the suffering of Ghanaians even though we have a lot more to do in that direction."



"We have not completely eradicated hardships, but we have made significant progress.



We count on your continuous support as we deal with the other challenges facing our nation.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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KARACHI, Pakistan (AP)  Attackers targeted a truck in the Pakistani port city of Karachi on Saturday evening, killing at least nine people and wounding nine others, police said.

Javed Akbar Riaz, a senior police officer, said over 20 people, including women and children, were riding in the truck, returning from a wedding ceremony when the attack happened. Five women and four children were killed, said Qarar Abbasi, a doctor at Karachis main hospital.

Riaz said an initial investigation suggests the attackers followed the truck and then threw hand grenades or some sort of improvised explosive devices at one side of the truck.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. The motive for the bombing was not known, though police were quick to rule out sectarian violence.

Karachi police chief Imran Yaqub Minhas denounced the attack as an act of terrorism" as Pakistan marked Independence Day on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, Pakistani security forces killed three militants during a shootout following a militant attack on a security patrol in the restive southwestern Baluchistan province, the military said.

In a brief statement, the military said there was an exchange of gunfire after militants opened fire on a security vehicle near Shahrig in the Loralai district. One soldier was also killed and two were wounded during the exchange.

No one claimed responsibility for that attack as well, but Baluch separatist groups have often claimed such attacks in recent years.

Baluchistan has been the scene of frequent militant attacks and a long-running insurgency by groups seeking independence for the mineral- and gas-rich province bordering Iran and Afghanistan. The Pakistani Taliban also have a presence there.
In this June 2, 2021 photo made available by NASA, technicians prepare Boeing's CST-100 Starliner for the company's Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) in the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. On Friday, Aug. 13, 2021, Boeing and NASA officials said the capsule is grounded for months and possibly even until next year because of a vexing valve problem. Credit: NASA via AP

Boeing's astronaut capsule is grounded for months and possibly even until next year because of a vexing valve problem.

Boeing and NASA officials said Friday that the Starliner capsule will be removed from the top of its rocket and returned to its Kennedy Space Center hangar for more extensive repairs.

Starliner was poised to blast off on a repeat test flight to the International Space Station last weekcarrying a mannequin but no astronautswhen the trouble arose. A similar capsule was plagued by software issues in 2019 that prevented it from reaching the space station.

"We're obviously disappointed," said John Vollmer, vice president and program manager of Boeing's commercial crew program. "We will fly this test when we're ready to fly it and it's safe to do so."

Kathy Lueders, head of NASA's human exploration office, said it's "another example of why these demo missions are so very important to us ... to make sure we have the system wrung out before we put our crews on."

Boeing's performance is in stark contrast to that of SpaceX, NASA's other contracted taxi service. SpaceX has flown 10 astronauts to the space station in just over a year, with four more due to launch aboard the company's Dragon capsule at the end of October. Elon Musk's company will mark another first next month when it launches a billionaire into orbit with three guests, two of them contest winners.

Vollmer said moisture in the air somehow infiltrated 13 valves in the capsule's propulsion system. That moisture combined with a corrosive fuel-burning chemical that had gotten past seals, preventing the valves from opening as required before the Aug. 3 launch attempt.

As of Friday, nine of the valves had been fixed. The other four require more invasive work.

Rain from a severe thunderstorm penetrated some of the capsule's thrusters at the pad, but engineers do not believe that is the same moisture that caused the valves to stick. Engineers are trying to determine how and when the moisture got there; it could have been during assembly or much later, Vollmer said.

The 13 in question are among dozens of valves that are tied into thrusters needed to get the capsule into the proper orbit and to the space station, and to also re-enter the atmosphere at flight's end. All the valves worked fine five weeks earlier and performed well in the 2019 test flight, Vollmer said.

Vollmer said it's too soon to know whether the valves will need to be replaced or even redesigned. Aerojet Rocketdyne supplied the valves, along with the rest of the propulsion system.

Given all the uncertainty, Vollmer was reluctant to say when Starliner might be ready for another launch attempt. Boeing will need to work around other space station traffic, as well as a NASA asteroid mission that's due to launch on the same kind of rocket from the same pad in October.

"Probably too early to say whether it's this year or not," Vollmer told reporters.

Explore further Boeing Starliner launch faces further delays

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
New research shows the interactions of crop insurance, climate change and corn yield risk. Credit: NC State University

A new study suggests that crop insurance serves as a disincentive for farmers to adopt climate change mitigation measures on their croplands.

The study by researchers at North Carolina State University examined the interactions of warmer temperatures, crop yield risk and crop insurance participation by farmers. For the study, researchers developed models using historical county-level corn and soybean production data in the United States, with an eye toward understanding the production impacts of rising temperatures.

The researchers found that variation in crop yields due to higher temperatures rose when more farmers had crop insurance. Interestingly, the results showed greater variability effects for corn yields than for soybean yields.

"This could be an unintended consequence of providing subsidies for crop insurance," said Rod M. Rejesus, professor of agricultural and resource economics at NC State and the corresponding author of the research study. "The concept of moral hazard could be present here. If insurance will cover crop losses due to various effects like drought or severe weather, a farmer may not want to pay the extra expense for climate change adaptation efforts such as using cover crops to improve soil health, for example."

Climate changeincluding warmer temperaturesincreases the variability of crop yields; farming becomes a riskier proposition as this variability rises.

The study models indicate that an increase of daily minimum and maximum temperatures of 1 degree Celsius would increase county-level corn yield variability by 8.6 bushels per acre if 80% of farmers in a county have crop insurance. The same temperature rise in a county with 10% crop insurance participation would increase corn yield variability by just 6.2 bushels per acre.

The researchers pose possible solutions to this quandary for policymakers. They include providing more subsidies to encourage farmers' use of climate change mitigation effortslike soil health practicesand starting high-level policy conversations about how to possibly tweak rules and guidelines that govern crop insurance contracts in order to reduce the disincentive effects.

Rejesus will continue to study the effects of climate change, crop yields and crop insurance, including the role of certain climate mitigation efforts by farmers.

The paper appears in the European Review of Agricultural Economics. Former NC State Ph.D. student Ruixue Wang is the paper's first author. NC State postdoctoral researcher Serkan Aglassan also co-authored paper.

Explore further US corn and soybean maladapted to climate variations, study shows

More information: Ruixue Wang et al, Warming Temperatures, Yield Risk and Crop Insurance Participation, European Review of Agricultural Economics (2021). Ruixue Wang et al, Warming Temperatures, Yield Risk and Crop Insurance Participation,(2021). DOI: 10.1093/erae/jbab034
After walking down a gravel road to do recon on a fire cresting into the trees, a wildland firefighter grimaces as he walks back to his crew on Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021, at the Bedrock Fire north of Lenore, Idaho. Lenore is about 30 miles east of Lewiston, Idaho. Credit: Pete Caster/Lewiston Tribune via AP

The U.S. Forest Service said Friday it's operating in crisis mode, fully deploying firefighters and maxing out its support system as wildfires continue to break out across the U.S. West, threatening thousands of homes and entire towns.

The roughly 21,000 federal firefighters working on the ground is more than double the number of firefighters sent to contain forest fires at this time a year ago, and the agency is facing "critical resources limitations," said Anthony Scardina, a deputy forester for the agency's Pacific Southwest region.

An estimated 6,170 firefighters alone are battling the Dixie Fire in Northern California, the largest of 100 large fires burning in 14 states, with dozens more burning in western Canada.

The fire began a month ago and has destroyed more than 1,000 homes, businesses and other structures, much of it in the small town of Greenville in the northern Sierra Nevada.

The fire had ravaged more than 800 square miles (well over 2,000 square kilometers)an area larger than the city of Londonand continued to threaten more than a dozen rural and forest communities.

Containment lines for the fire held overnight, but it was just 31% surrounded. Gusty and erratic winds were threatening to spread the fire to Westwood, a lumber town of 1,700. Lightning could spark new blazes even as crews try to surround a number of other forest fires ignited by lightning last month.

A sign for The Rock on the Ridge Church is seen in Greenville, Calif., after the Dixie Wildfires Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. California's largest single wildfire in recorded history is running through forestlands as fire crews try to protect rural communities from flames that have destroyed hundreds of homes. The Dixie Fire is the largest single fire in California history and the largest currently burning in the U.S. It is about half the size of the August Complex, a series of lightning-caused 2020 fires across seven counties that were fought together and that state officials consider California's largest wildfire overall. Credit: AP Photo/Eugene Garcia

"Mother nature just kind of keeps throwing us obstacles our way," said Edwin Zuniga, a spokesman with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, working together with the Forest Service to tamp out the blaze.

Meanwhile, firefighters and residents were scrambling to save hundreds of homes as flames advance across the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in southeastern Montana.

The blaze was still burning near the tribal headquarters town of Lame Deer, where a mandatory evacuation remained in place and a second fire was threatening from the opposite direction.

Smoke from the blazes grew so thick Friday morning that the health clinic in Lame Deer was shut down after its air filters could not keep up with the pollution, Northern Cheyenne Tribe spokesperson Angel Becker said.

Smoke drove air pollution levels to unhealthy or very unhealthy levels in portions of Montana, Idaho, Oregon Washington and Northern California, according to Environmental Protection Agency air quality monitoring.

Burnt vehicles are seen in Greenville, Calif., after the Dixie Wildfire Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. California's largest single wildfire in recorded history is running through forestlands as fire crews try to protect rural communities from flames that have destroyed hundreds of homes. The Dixie Fire is the largest single fire in California history and the largest currently burning in the U.S. It is about half the size of the August Complex, a series of lightning-caused 2020 fires across seven counties that were fought together and that state officials consider California's largest wildfire overall. Credit: AP Photo/Eugene Garcia

An air quality alert covering seven Montana counties warned of extremely high levels of small pollution particles found in smoke, which can cause lung issues and other health problems if inhaled.

The fires near Lame Deer combined have burned 275 square miles (710 square kilometers) this week, so far sparing homes but causing extensive damage to pasture lands that ranchers depend on to feed their cows and horses.

Gusts and low humidity were creating extremely dangerous conditions as flames devoured brush, short grass and timber, fire officials said.

Hot, dry weather with strong afternoon winds also propelled several fires in Washington state, and similar weather was expected into the weekend, fire officials said.

In southeastern Oregon, two new wildfires started by lightning Thursday near the California border were spreading through juniper trees, sagebrush and evergreen trees.

A metal bench stands in front of a burned structure in Greenville, Calif., after the Dixie Wildfire Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. California's largest single wildfire in recorded history is running through forestlands as fire crews try to protect rural communities from flames that have destroyed hundreds of homes. The Dixie Fire is the largest single fire in California history and the largest currently burning in the U.S. It is about half the size of the August Complex, a series of lightning-caused 2020 fires across seven counties that were fought together and that state officials consider California's largest wildfire overall. Credit: AP Photo/Eugene Garcia

Gov. Kate Brown declared an emergency for one of the fires to mobilize crews and other resources to the area of ranches, rural subdivisions and RV parks about 14 miles (23 kilometers) from the small town of Lakeview.

The blaze grew from a lightning strike to 11 square miles (28 square kilometers) in less than 24 hours, said Tamara Schmidt, a U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman.

Authorities Thursday evening ordered the evacuation of an RV park that stood in the path of the Oregon's Patton Meadow Fire.

The fires are near the area torched Oregon's Bootleg Fire which started July 6 and burned an area more than half the size of Rhode Island before crews gained the upper hand. The fire is not yet fully contained and was the nation's largest until being eclipsed by the Dixie Fire.

Triple-digit temperatures and bone-dry conditions in Oregon, enduring a third day of extreme heat, could increase fire risks through the weekend.

A church sign is seen partially melted in Greenville, Calif., after the Dixie Wildfire Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. California's largest single wildfire in recorded history is running through forestlands as fire crews try to protect rural communities from flames that have destroyed hundreds of homes. The Dixie Fire is the largest single fire in California history and the largest currently burning in the U.S. It is about half the size of the August Complex, a series of lightning-caused 2020 fires across seven counties that were fought together and that state officials consider California's largest wildfire overall. Credit: AP Photo/Eugene Garcia

Smoke from a wildfire obscure the empty streets of Greenville, Calif., after the Dixie Wildfires Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. California's largest single wildfire in recorded history is running through forestlands as fire crews try to protect rural communities from flames that have destroyed hundreds of homes. The Dixie Fire is the largest single fire in California history and the largest currently burning in the U.S. It is about half the size of the August Complex, a series of lightning-caused 2020 fires across seven counties that were fought together and that state officials consider California's largest wildfire overall. Credit: AP Photo/Eugene Garcia

The remains of a burned U.S Postal truck is seen in Greenville, Calif., after the Dixie Wildfires Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. California's largest single wildfire in recorded history is running through forestlands as fire crews try to protect rural communities from flames that have destroyed hundreds of homes. The Dixie Fire is the largest single fire in California history and the largest currently burning in the U.S. It is about half the size of the August Complex, a series of lightning-caused 2020 fires across seven counties that were fought together and that state officials consider California's largest wildfire overall. Credit: AP Photo/Eugene Garcia

Charred metal and ash are all that remain of "Pete" Reyna's Chicago Park home which burned Wednesday night due to the River Fire, Aug. 7, 2021. Credit: Elias Funez/The Union via AP

Charred metal and ash are all that remain of "Pete" Reyna's Chicago Park home which burned Wednesday night due to the River Fire, Aug. 7, 2021. Credit: Elias Funez/The Union via AP

The burned vehicles of "Pete" Reyna await cleanup and removal from this Chicago Park neighborhood, Aug. 7, 2021. Credit: Elias Funez/The Union via AP

A classic Chevrolet El Camino valued at $35,000 was lost along with the home of "Pete" Reyna Wednesday evening in Chicago Park, Aug. 7, 2021. Credit: Elias Funez/The Union via AP

Charred remnants of vehicles sit in the driveway of Porfirio "Pete" Reyna's Rumford Court home in Chicago Park where everything, including his home were a total loss due to the River Fire. Reyna, like others have already begun looking at rebuilding, Aug. 7, 2021. Credit: Elias Funez/The Union via AP

PG&E has completed their damage assessment of the River Fire and has begun repairing the damaged infrastructure, Aug. 7, 2021. Credit: Elias Funez/The Union via AP

Smoke from a wildfire obscures a stand of trees on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021, near Ashland, Mont. In southeastern Montana, communities in and around the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation were ordered to evacuate as the Richard Spring Fire grew amid erratic winds. Credit: AP Photo/Matthew Brown

The fire map of the River Fire, which started Wednesday Aug. 4, shows the 2.600 acre footprint which straddles the Nevada County and Placer County borders, Aug. 7, 2021. Credit: Elias Funez/The Union via AP

Firefighters watch a hillside burn on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Wednesday, Aug 11, 2021, near Lame Deer, Mont. The Richard Spring fire was threatening hundreds of homes as it burned across the reservation. Credit: AP Photo/Matthew Brown

A plume of smoke rises from the Richard Spring wildfire on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021, north of Lame Deer, Mont. The fire spread quickly Wednesday as strong winds pushed the flames across rough, forested terrain. Credit: AP photo/Matthew Brown

This satellite image provided courtesy of Maxar Technologies shows the natural color overview of the Lame Deer and Richard Spring wildfire in Montana on Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. Maxar collected new high-resolution satellite imagery Aug. 13th of the two wildfires burning in southeastern Montana near the evacuated town of Lame Deer. Credit: Satellite Image 2021 Maxar Technologies via AP

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows a shortwave infrared (SWIR) satellite imagery overview of the Lame Deer and Richard Spring wildfire in Montana on Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. Maxar SWIR satellite imagery is able to penetrate the wildfire smoke and clearly detects the hot spots and active fires. Burned trees and vegetation appears in shades of orange/rust, healthy (not burned) vegetation appears in shades of blue. Credit: Satellite Image 2021 Maxar Technologies via AP

Climate change has made the U.S. West warmer and drier in the past 30 years and will continue to make the weather more extreme and wildfires more destructive, according to scientists.

More than 6,000 square miles (almost 16,000 square kilometers) have been burned in the U.S. so far this year. That's well ahead of the amount burned by this point last year, but below the 10-year average, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

Parts of Europe also are burning, including in Greece, where where a massive wildfire has decimated forests and torched homes, and was still smoldering 10 days after it started.

Explore further Major wildfires threatening towns in Montana, California

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
This image made available by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows temperature differences from average values in July 2021 around the world. On Friday, Aug. 13, 2021, U.S. weather officials said Earth in July was the hottest month ever recorded. Credit: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information via AP

Earth sizzled in July and became the hottest month in 142 years of recordkeeping, U.S. weather officials announced.

As extreme heat waves struck parts of the United States and Europe, the globe averaged 62.07 degrees (16.73 degrees Celsius) last month, beating out the previous record set in July 2016 and tied again in 2019 and 2020. the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Friday. The margin was just .02 degrees (.01 Celsius),

The last seven Julys, from 2015 to 2021, have been the hottest seven Julys on record, said NOAA climatologist Ahira Sanchez-Lugo. Last month was 1.67 degrees (0.93 degrees Celsius) warmer than the 20th century average for the month.

"In this case first place is the worst place to be," NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad said in a press release. "This new record adds to the disturbing and disruptive path that climate change has set for the globe."

"This is climate change," said Pennsylvania State University climate scientist Michael Mann. "It is an exclamation mark on a summer of unprecedented heat, drought, wildfires and flooding."

Earlier this week, a prestigious United Nations science panel warned of worsening climate change caused by the burning of coal, oil and natural gas and other human activity.

Warming on land in western North America and in parts of Europe and Asia really drove the record-setting heat, Sanchez-Lugo said. While the worldwide temperature was barely higher than the record, what shattered it was land temperature over the Northern Hemisphere, she said.

Northern Hemisphere temperatures were a third of a degree (.19 degrees Celsius) higher than the previous record set in July 2012, which for temperature records is "a wide margin," Sanchez-Lugo said.

July is the hottest month of the year for the globe, so this is also the hottest month on record.

One factor helping the world bake this summer is a natural weather cycle called the Arctic Oscillation, sort of a cousin to El Nino, which in its positive phase is associated with more warming, the NOAA climatologist said.

In this Monday, July 26, 2021, file photo, cows graze as smoke rises from the Dixie Fire burning in Lassen National Forest, near Jonesville, Calif. A historic drought and recent heat waves tied to climate change have made wildfires harder to fight in the American West. On Friday, Aug. 13, 2021, U.S. weather officials said Earth in July was the hottest month ever recorded. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger, File

Even with a scorching July and a nasty June, this year so far is only the sixth warmest on record. That's mostly because 2021 started cooler than recent years due to a La Nina cooling of the central Pacific that often reduces the global temperature average, Sanchez-Lugo said.

"One month by itself does not say much, but that this was a La Nina year and we still had the warmest temperatures on record ... fits with the pattern of what we have been seeing for most of the last decade now," said University of Illinois meteorology professor Donald Wuebbles.

While the world set a record in July, the United States only tied for its 13th hottest July on record. Even though California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington had their hottest Julys, slightly cooler than normal months in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire kept the nation from approaching record heat levels.

The last time the globe had a July cooler than the 20th century average was in 1976, which was also the last year the globe was cooler than that normal.

"So if you're younger than 45 you haven't seen a year (or July) where the mean temperature of the planet was cooler than the 20th century average," said Princeton University climate scientist Gabriel Vecchi.

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Men, Conservative Party supporters and those who wanted Britain to leave the EU, are more likely to want to retain Britain's nuclear deterrent, a study shows.

Those who endorse superior military power worldwide as an important foreign policy goal and people who want to protect the transatlantic relationship are also more likely to be in favour of nuclear weapons, according to the research.

Those who voted 'remain' in the EU referendum are less likely to support keeping nuclear weapons relative to those who voted to leave the EU. Supporters of Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the SNP, UKIP, the Green Party, and Plaid Cymru are less likely to support keeping nuclear weapons.

The study, published in the European Journal of International Security, was carried out by Ben Clements, from the University of Leicester, and Catarina Thomson, from the University of Exeter.

Academics used data from the new UK Security Survey to analyse attitudes towards the possession of nuclear weapons among the British public, the majority of who supported retaining nuclear weapons.

Dr. Thomson said: "We have found the recurring 'gender gap' found on state use of conventional military force extends to Britain's nuclear force capabilities, with men more in favour of retaining the nuclear deterrent than women.

"Political preferences have a significant role to play in affecting people's likelihood of supporting of Britain retaining its nuclear weapons. Identifying with political parties with a clear nuclear stance is generally significant in affecting people's views on the UK nuclear programme.

"Our data suggest that supporters of parties that do not take an anti-nuclear stance, such as the Liberal Democrats or UKIP, are less likely to support keeping nuclear weapons. Those who voted for Britain to remain in the EU are less likely to agree with the statement that the UK should keep its nuclear weapons. This provides further evidence of the potency of views on the Brexit debate for other issues in the post-referendum political landscape, concerning both domestic and external policy."

Dr. Clements said: "Views on nuclear weapons are clearly underpinned by attitudes towards core foreign policy debates relating to Britain's international role and relationships. Those who consider it is important for Britain to maintain a superior military power worldwide are more likely to agree that the country should retain its nuclear weapons compared to those who do not hold these views.

"It seems people perceive the nuclear dimension of US-UK bilateral relations to be particularly important to the overall stability of the broader 'special relationship' and to be particularly beneficial for Britain's defence capabilities. This may be because so few countries in Europe possess nuclear weaponsjust Britain and Franceso such capabilities are seen as less relevant or even undesirable for those who support security cooperation with the continent."

The survey was fielded by YouGov between 1 25 April 2017 (before the official announcement of the snap general election), with a representative sample of 2,002 adults in Britain. The data was weighed by age, gender, social class, region, level of education, how respondents voted at the previous election, how respondents voted at the EU referendum, and their general level of political interest.

More information: Ben Clements et al, The 'ultimate insurance' or an 'irrelevance' for national security needs? Partisanship, foreign policy attitudes, and the gender gap in British public opinion towards nuclear weapons, European Journal of International Security (2021). Ben Clements et al, The 'ultimate insurance' or an 'irrelevance' for national security needs? Partisanship, foreign policy attitudes, and the gender gap in British public opinion towards nuclear weapons,(2021). DOI: 10.1017/eis.2021.17
A man checks his car buried in the mud after floods and mudslides killed about three dozens of people, in Bozkurt town of Kastamonu province, Turkey, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. The death toll from devastating floods and mudslides in northern Turkey rose to at least 31 on Friday, officials said, as emergency services searched for survivors in collapsed buildings or swamped homes, shops and basements. An opposition politician said more than 300 people may be unaccounted-for.Credit: AP Photo

The death toll from severe floods and mudslides in coastal Turkey has climbed to at least 40, the country's emergency and disaster agency said Saturday.

Torrential rains that pounded the Black Sea provinces of Bartin, Kastamonu and Sinop on Wednesday caused flooding that demolished homes, severed at least five bridges, swept away cars and rendered numerous roads unpassable. Turkish disaster agency AFAD said 34 people were killed in Kastamonu and six in Sinop.

Nine people remained hospitalized in Sinop and one person was missing in Bartin province, according to the agency. But some residents said on social media that there are hundreds more missing, a statement also made by an opposition lawmaker.

About 2,250 people were evacuated across the region, some lifted from rooftops by helicopters, and many were being temporarily housed in student dormitories, authorities said.

Climate scientists unequivocally say that climate change is leading to extreme weather events as the world warms because of the burning of coal, oil and natural gas. Such calamities are expected to happen more frequently as the planet warms.

Experts in Turkey, however, say interference with rivers and improper construction also were contributors to the massive damage in Turkey's floods.

A man watches the destruction after floods and mudslides killed about three dozens of people, in Bozkurt town of Kastamonu province, Turkey, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. The death toll from devastating floods and mudslides in northern Turkey rose to at least 31 on Friday, officials said, as emergency services searched for survivors in collapsed buildings or swamped homes, shops and basements. An opposition politician said more than 300 people may be unaccounted-for.Credit: AP Photo

A man tries to reach his mud-filled home after floods and mudslides killed about three dozens of people, in Bozkurt town of Kastamonu province, Turkey, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. The death toll from devastating floods and mudslides in northern Turkey rose to at least 31 on Friday, officials said, as emergency services searched for survivors in collapsed buildings or swamped homes, shops and basements. An opposition politician said more than 300 people may be unaccounted-for.Credit: AP Photo

People watch the destruction after floods and mudslides killed about three dozens of people, in Bozkurt town of Kastamonu province, Turkey, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. The death toll from devastating floods and mudslides in northern Turkey rose to at least 31 on Friday, officials said, as emergency services searched for survivors in collapsed buildings or swamped homes, shops and basements. An opposition politician said more than 300 people may be unaccounted-for.Credit: AP Photo

People walk on a mud-covered road after floods and mudslides killed about three dozens of people, in Bozkurt town of Kastamonu province, Turkey, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. The death toll from devastating floods and mudslides in northern Turkey rose to at least 31 on Friday, officials said, as emergency services searched for survivors in collapsed buildings or swamped homes, shops and basements. An opposition politician said more than 300 people may be unaccounted-for.Credit: AP Photo

People watch the destruction after floods and mudslides killed about three dozens of people, in Bozkurt town of Kastamonu province, Turkey, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. The death toll from devastating floods and mudslides in northern Turkey rose to at least 31 on Friday, officials said, as emergency services searched for survivors in collapsed buildings or swamped homes, shops and basements. An opposition politician said more than 300 people may be unaccounted-for.Credit: AP Photo

Photo shows the destruction after floods and mudslides killed about three dozens of people, in Bozkurt town of Kastamonu province, Turkey, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. The death toll from devastating floods and mudslides in northern Turkey rose to at least 31 on Friday, officials said, as emergency services searched for survivors in collapsed buildings or swamped homes, shops and basements. An opposition politician said more than 300 people may be unaccounted-for.Credit: AP Photo

A man watches the destruction after floods and mudslides killed about three dozens of people, in Bozkurt town of Kastamonu province, Turkey, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. The death toll from devastating floods and mudslides in northern Turkey rose to at least 31 on Friday, officials said, as emergency services searched for survivors in collapsed buildings or swamped homes, shops and basements. An opposition politician said more than 300 people may be unaccounted-for.Credit: AP Photo

Geologists have said that construction narrowed the river bed and the surrounding alluvial flood plain of the Ezine stream in Kastamonu's Bozkurt district, where the damage was most severe, from 400 meters (1,312 feet) to 15 meters (49 feet). Residential buildings were built along the waterfront.

During severe rains, the contracted stream has limited area in which to move and can overflow. Videos posted by residents showed water rushing downstream in Bozkurt as the surrounding buildings and roads flooded.

One geologist, Ramazan Demirtas, explained the river bed narrowing on Twitter and said that humans were to blame for this week's disaster.

The floods struck on the heels of wildfires in southern Turkey that devastated forestlands in the seaside provinces of Mugla and Antalya, which are popular with tourists. At least eight people died and thousands of residents were forced to flee.

Explore further Death toll in Turkey's flash floods soars to 27

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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CALmatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California's state Capitol works and why it matters. Dan Walters has been a journalist for nearly 60 years, spending all but a few of those years working for California newspapers.
Donald Trump and the Republican Party he shaped represent the fading face of the United States, winning over an older, more rural, and overwhelmingly caucasian bloc of voters that reflected the countrys past more than its more urban and diverse future.

The latest data from the 2020 census, which the government released on Thursday to kick off the congressional redistricting process, illustrate that fact in incredibly stark terms. It shows that the white population fell for the first time in history during the last decade, and that Americans continued to cluster in growing cities and suburbs, whether in Texas, Georgia, Virginia, or New York.

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Perhaps most strikingly, while metro areas grew, vast stretches of the country continued to bleed population. About 53 percent of all U.S. counties shrank between 2010 and 2020. You can see them in the sea of burnt orange on the graph below, rural regions and small towns that often have few residents to begin with. In total, they were home to about 50.5 million people in a nation of more than 331 million.

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This isnt a new story per se. Rural America and small towns have been losing residents for decades. But the trend seems to have accelerated. From 2000 to 2010, for instance, only around one-third of all counties lost residents.

Given what we already knew about Trumps base of support, it seemed likely that most of these emptying counties voted Republican in the last election. But how many, exactly? Mark Muro of the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings ran the numbers for me.* He found that, in the 1,636 counties that shrank during the 2010s, the former president won a majority of votes in 90 percent of them. (Muros team had to exclude Alaska from its numbers because of a technical glitch.) If a corner of America is depopulating, it is almost certainly part of Trump country.

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This is not to say that Trump country on the whole is in decline. The former president only received about 19 percent of his 74 million votes from counties with shrinking populations, according to Muro and his teams analysis. Overall, the counties where he won added 7.8 million people during the previous decade. But Biden counties nearly doubled that total, expanding by 14.9 million individuals. Blue America is driving Americas population growth.

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Its unclear at this point whether the population trends of the past decade are set to continue. Muro noted to me, for instance, that metro-area growth softened during the last third of the 2010s, pre-pandemic. Its also possible that the post-COVID acceptance of remote work could be a countervailing force that spreads Americans around ever-so-slightly more outside of big blue cities, though so far the pandemic doesnt seem to have fundamentally changed the countrys moving patterns.

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But the fact that places with diminishing populations so overwhelmingly backed our last president is one more data point in a bigger story about how the country has been polarizing between thriving metros dominated by Democrats and increasingly conservative communities that are either growing more slowly than major cities or are in outright decline. This is true both demographically and economically (though of course those things are intertwined). The Metropolitan Policy Program has previously found, for instance, that Biden counties generated 70 percent of the countrys GDP.* Republican counties represent a waning, traditional economic base, situated in struggling small towns and rural areas, Muro told me. And the census story underscores the sense that growth, in the most literal sense, is somewhere else. Prosperity is out of reach.

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Pundits spent years and untold pixels arguing about whether economic anxiety actually motivated many Trump voters, an idea that seems shakier as time goes on and conservatism delves deeper into its anti-vax, anti-CRT politics. Whats more obviously true is that a large share of todays Republicans live in parts of the country, including deindustrialized rural areas, that are simply remote from the sort of institutions, from government to colleges to major corporations, that tend to generate wealth and growth. The political tragedy of Americas shrinking communities is how that alienation has helped lead them to embrace a reactionary populism dedicated to waging culture wars and leveraging our outdated electoral structure to make sure a minority of the population can continue to govern rather than, say, taking steps that might actually revitalize small towns and farming communities. The sort of robust immigration and public investment favored by progressives might help bring a place back to life, after all; owning the libs for the next decade or so will not. Trump voters, regrettably, have made it clear which they care about more.
The Biden administration is getting ready for Afghanistans capital to fall as the Taliban continues to make incredibly swift territorial gains. Amid the likely fall of Kabul, the White House is getting ready to accept the idea that there wont be any significant American diplomatic presence in Afghanistan after Aug. 31, reports Axios. That is the date President Joe Biden has said the withdrawal of U.S. troops will be complete. That change marks a stark reversal for the Biden administration that had expected Kabul to stay under the power of the Afghan government, at least in the near future. That is now looking increasingly unlikely as Taliban fighters neared the outskirts of Kabul and seized other key areas around the country.

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Taliban fighters seized the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistans fourth-largest city, on Saturday. That means the Afghan government now controls two major cities, Kabul and Jalalabad, near the border with Pakistan in the east. The city fell largely without a fight as the Taliban continued to make gains and now control about 20 of the countrys 34 provinces.

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Earlier in the day Saturday, the Taliban also took control of all of Logar province, which is just south of Kabul. The capital of Logar province, Pul-e-Alam, considered one of the gateways to Kabul, also fell largely without a fight. Other towns close to Kabul also appeared close to falling. These latest gains for the Taliban came after militants took control the countrys second and third-largest cities earlier in the week.

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As Kabul appeared increasingly under threat, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani gave a televised speech Saturday in which he urged the international community not to abandon Afghanistan. He said he has been talking with local and international leaders and gave no hint he was ready to give in to Taliban demand that he resign immediately. As your president, my focus is on preventing further instability, violence and displacement of my people, Ghani said. The Pentagon has said some 3,000 troops will be arriving in Kabul by Sunday evening to assist in the evacuation of the embassy. Now Kabul looks a lot like it did in the 1990s when the Taliban rose to power as families are desperately selling everything they can and trying to do everything possible to leave the country.
Slates homepage editors spend a lot of time looking for editorial photos to put on our site. Those searches sometimes yield unexpected results: random, perplexing, and mesmerizing photos that dont belong on the homepage, but that are too good not to share. Every week, well share the weirdest photo from the wires.

What were you hoping to find?

A photo of the members of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the headquarters of the United Nations, or the changing climate, to accompany our coverage of the alarming new climate report you may have heard about.

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What did you find instead?

A large adult balloon floating behind a protest banner, both bearing slogans in German. The text on the balloon boys chest reads, Klimaschutz bei CDU/CSU? Nichts als heie Luft! which means, per Google Translate, Climate protection at the CDU/CSU? Nothing but hot air! On his left leg is the logo for the climate advocacy organization Campact. The Kohle Stoppen banner in the foreground translates to Stop Coal.

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Whats the actual backstory here?

The bespectacled, suited man meant to be represented by the balloon is Armin Laschet, minister-president of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and current head of the countrys ruling party, the Christian Democratic Union. As leader, Laschet is the official party candidate in Germanys upcoming elections to replace outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel. Laschet represents the same political coalition as Merkel, the CDU/CSU, which allies the Christian Democratic Union with a smaller regional party known as the Christian Social Union in Bavaria. Right now, the CDU/CSU is leading the electoral polls.

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So the next German chancellor could be a balloon?

Not quite, though balloons have historically played a larger part in global politics than you might expect.

This inflatable effigy of Laschet was created by Campact as part of a campaign to denounce the CDUs inadequate environmental and energy policies. An April blog post by Campact staffer Lara Eckstein explains the organizations plan to fly the balloon in a prominent setting and spread photos and videos of it across social media in order to undermine Laschet and his partys image as a climate leader. On June 5, Campact debuted the 5-meter-tall balloon in Dusseldorf, the capital of Laschets state, and shared a photo of the floating candidate along with a firm message: We make it clear: Those who block #climateprotection cannot become chancellor.

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"Klimaschutz bei CDU/CSU? Nichts als heie Luft!"



Mit einem 5 Meter groen #Laschet-Ballon protestieren wir heute in Dusseldorf gegen die klimafeindliche Politik von @ArminLaschet.



Wir stellen klar: Wer #Klimaschutz blockiert, kann nicht Kanzler werden #cdulvv21 #cdu pic.twitter.com/6BtHuqQ7yS  campact (@campact) June 5, 2021

The balloon was used in other climate protests throughout the summer, which brings us to this weeks photo, taken on Aug. 7. That day, thousands of people gathered in Luetzerathalso located in Laschets state, which was recently hit by deadly floodingto form a 2.5-mile human chain between that village and the neighboring village of Keyenberg. The reason? Both areas are set to be bulldozed to make way for new coal mines, with the approval of the CDU-led government. The arm-linked activists were aiming not only to halt future mining but also to expose Lachet and his partys environmental commitments as so much hot air.

Why is this the weird photo of the week?

As dedicated readers of this column know, we at Slate love nothing more than big ol floats.
Domestic extremist groups could use the new restrictions meant to stem the spread of COVID-19 as an excuse to launch attacks, the Department of Homeland Security warned. Pandemic-related stressors have contributed to increased societal strains and tensions, driving several plots by domestic violent extremists, and they may contribute to more violence this year, warned the Department of Homeland Security in its latest terrorism bulletin.

The risk of attacks surrounding COVID-19 restrictions is an example of how online forums that spread conspiracy theories have also called for violence. Actors are increasingly exploiting online forums to influence and spread violent extremist narratives and promote violent activity, reads the bulletin. Such threats are also exacerbated by impacts of the ongoing global pandemic, including grievances over public health safety measures and perceived government restrictions. Amid the emergence of new COVID-19 variants, the potential for new restrictions could become a rationale to conduct attacks, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

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It isnt just about the pandemic. As part of the threat assessment, DHS also warned there has been concern among law enforcement that the broader sharing of false narratives and conspiracy theories will gain traction in mainstream environments, resulting in individuals or small groups embracing violent tactics to achieve their desired objectives. These conspiracy theories often have to do with former President Donald Trump and the lie that he won the election. Recently, DHS warned local officials of potential violence sparked by an increasing but modest level of individuals calling for violence in response to the unsubstantiated claims of fraud related to the 2020 election fraud and the alleged reinstatement of former President Trump.

Beyond the domestic threat, DHS also warned of a heightened threat environment ahead of the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The Homeland continues to face a diverse and challenging threat environment leading up to and following the 20th Anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks as well religious holidays we assess could serve as a catalyst for acts of targeted violence, notes the bulletin. DHS pointed out that al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula recently released the first English-language copy of its Inspire magazine in more than four years. That shows how foreign terrorist organizations continue efforts to inspire U.S.-based individuals susceptible to violent extremist influences.
The COVID situation in Austin, Texas, is worrying. Like the rest of Texas, the area around Austin is experiencing an unusually bad surge that is straining local resources: in the 2.3 million-person region, there were only two ICU beds remaining on Tuesday. And like the rest of Texas, Austin has been unable to mandate masks without violating an order from the governor. Theres also been a shift in who is getting sick. As the more contagious delta variant spreads and as more adults are protected by vaccines, patients are skewing younger. Since July, more than 780 children have been admitted to Texas hospitals with COVID, and since the start of August, 40 children on average have been hospitalized each day. With the start of school just days away in Austin and the virus tearing through the school-aged population, parents are trying to figure out how to shift the way they think about their childrens risk.

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The good news is that children have little risk of dying from COVID. And even in Austin, where doctors have reported seeing an influx of children in hospitals in the region, pediatricians have a surprisingly reassuring message: Your kid is going to be OK.

Children represent around 14 percent of COVID cases nationwide, but fewer than 0.03 percent of those cases resulted in death, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Children can spread the virus, and infants and children with underlying medical conditions or weakened immune systems are considered at higher risk, but overall, very few will experience anything worse than a fever and cough if they contract the virus, even with the delta variant. Almost always its mild and transient and it goes away and theyre back to normal, said Dr. Don Murphey, an Austin pediatric infectious disease specialist who chairs the Texas Medical Associations science and public health council.

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Still, doctors said they understood why parents were anxious. Murphey has personally seen an influx of pediatric cases in childrens hospitals across Texas over the past couple weeks. The severe cases have been worse than in the early pandemic, too. Kids are getting sicker than wed seen in the past, said Dr. Lauren Gambill, a professor of pediatrics at the Dell Medical School at UT Austin.

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For the most part, the pediatricians said, the children they see with severe cases are unvaccinated teenagers, many of whom seemed to have been healthy otherwise. Murphey said its not clear if teenagers are more vulnerable or if teenagers are simply more likely to catch COVID because of activities and behavior. (He advises parents to treat children of all agesat least those with the same vaccination statusas if theyre at equal risk.) Once again, theres good news: children 12 and older are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. As of now, 36 percent of 16- and 17-year-olds and 24 percent of 12- to 15-year-olds are vaccinated nationwide, according to the AAP.

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The teenagers arent the only ones being hospitalized in greater numbers, though. Central Texas is also experiencing a severe outbreak of RSV, a common respiratory virus that can be dangerous for infants. It is highly unusual to see RSV outside of the winter, and experts believe the outbreak is simply the delayed onset of the standard winter outbreak, which children avoided by staying home and wearing masks: They lost a year of their normal viral illnesses building up immunity, Murphey said. Now theyre catching up. Some of the physicians estimated that there were about as many pediatric hospitalizations from RSV as there were from COVID, and some have seen cases of children infected with both. It doesnt appear that COVID puts RSV patients at higher risk or vice versa.

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The case numbers in Austin are worse than they were early in the pandemic, but even there, the pediatricians arent advising parents to act like its the spring of 2020 all over again. There are several major differences. Vaccines protect the adults who live with the children from getting more severe cases. Authorities have now established the efficacy of distancing, mask-wearing, and proper ventilation, all of which have been shown to make school settings safer. And schools taking full precautions can have a very low rate of transmission. Its important to remember that we have a lot more information than we had 18 months ago, Gambill said. And most pediatricians agreed that the hardships of remote learning and social isolation could no longer be ignored. Dr. James Anderson, a pediatrician at Austin Regional Clinic Far West who works primarily with pediatric mental health, says he prioritizes mental health because of the increase hes seen of depression and anxiety. To me, kids are lower risk, and I have to balance what is their mental health, versus the risk of COVID, he said. The COVID impact isnt just sickness.

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Experts agree that as long as the current delta-driven surge lasts, kids should keep indoor gatherings to small numbers and their social activities outside as much as possible. In May, could your kid have done indoor gymnastics or dance class? said Dr. Ari Brown, the CEO of 411 Pediatrics in Austin. Sure, because case counts were low. But now, indoor activities where you have close contact with kids who arent vaccinated? Thats a riskier proposition.

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Most also agreed schools should require students to wear masks. (On Monday, Austin ISD announced that it will mandate face masks, in defiance of Gov. Greg Abbotts executive orders banning such mandates.) Sometimes we worry kids wont be able to wear them, but kids are pretty amazing, Gambill said. Gambill said her 3-year-old daughter wears a mask to school every day and has no issues keeping it on. Theyre capable of rising to challenges, she said. The pediatricians were universal in saying that given the virus lower risk to children, they would personally send any children aged 3 or older to in-person classes, given the usefulness of socialization starting at that age.

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I really do try to reassure families that most of the kids who get COVID are going to be fine, Brown said. Its justits not a zero risk choice. But your child needs to go to school. You can try to mitigate risk as much as you can by masking, not letting them stick their hands in their mouth, but at a certain point youre choosingyou know theres a decent chance theyll be exposed.

Still, each pediatrician we spoke with also stressed that every risk calculation was a personal one and that there was no single correct decision. If theres a medically vulnerable adult in the childs household, that changes the calculation. As does the parents anxiety. The kids pick up on it, Anderson said. He said that while he strongly recommended that young children go to daycare and older children attend in-person classes and regular social activities with other kids, some families will find that any given activity is not worth the stress. If the parents arent comfortable, I would probably not recommend it.

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And because of the unresolved questions about long COVID among teenagers, some parents might be more conservative. According to Gambill, the conversations about risk in the world of pediatric medicine havent been able to move beyond hospitalization and death because there isnt enough information about long COVID and children to know how to factor it in. Murphey said that he suspects Texas will begin to see more chronic fatigue cases for children, but he hasnt seen much of it yet. Without much information, the pediatricians said, and given the rarity of the anecdotal cases, parents should continue to think about risk in terms of active illness.

More importantly, they advised parents not to hunker down and wait for a return to normalcy as they thought about risk. Murphey pointed out that some guidelines for when parents should ease back on restrictions rely on potentially unattainable goals. Theyre low rates, and weve almost never been that low, except in the spring, he said. If you look at recommended rates, its hard to say, were going to wait to get that low.

Anderson also advised against putting hopes for normalcy on an unknown future improvement in the pandemic. The fatalism from keeping pushing it back is hard on the kids, he said. We need to normalize their life as much as possible, within the comfort level of their parents.

There is room for parents to hope beyond the rise and fall of case numbers, though: Health experts believe that a vaccine for children younger than 12 is just a few months away. At that point, the pediatricians said, they would breathe a lot easier.
The FDAs power of emergency use authorization, or EUA, was introduced in 2005 as a way to get the anthrax vaccine out to the armed services. Since then, it has been used to bring desperately needed vaccines to market quicklymost recently, the three COVID vaccines currently in use in the U.S.: Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J all received emergency use authorization from the FDA.

These vaccines were all authorized for emergency use based on only a few months worth of data. Now, with almost nine more months of data and cases surging thanks to Delta, employers, public health officials, and individuals are wondering: When will the COVID vaccines receive full FDA approval?

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On Fridays episode of What Next: TBD, I spoke with Sarah Owermohle, a health care reporter for Politico, about the painstaking FDA approval process and whats really at stake when it comes to approving the COVID vaccines.

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Lizzie OLeary: Toward the end of last year, an important group of doctorsthe Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committeebegan meeting to evaluate the COVID vaccines. They voted in favor of emergency use authorizations for all three vaccines currently used in the U.S., and shortly afterwards the FDA granted the EUAs. Could you lay out the relationship between that advisory committee, the FDA, and the various authorizations?

Sarah Owermohle: The advisory committees have played an important role for the FDA for years. In the case of this vaccine committee, there were a lot of virologists and vaccine experts and pediatricians, and they had representatives from FDA, from CDC, from the NIH, who laid out the concerns that could be had about vaccines by asking questions: Have you had enough data from pregnant women? Have you had enough data from people who are above the age of 80 or 90? Why are there not enough nonwhite people in this trial?

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When this panel is asking its questions, do you ever get hints about things they or the agency might want to see as a vaccine moves toward full approval, after that emergency use authorization?

Thats one valuable thing about these panels. Outside experts dont have to be as diplomatic as government officials do. They will very explicitly say, You are missing information about this, and I want to see this. And those companies have been working on answers for those questions and a more complete picture of what their vaccine does, who it does it for, and how well it does it for different populations.

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When FDA approves something, theyre putting their stamp on it, saying This is safe and effective. Its benefits absolutely do outweigh its risks, and also, we know what those risks are. When the Pfizer vaccine rolled out, there were reports of serious allergic reactions that were not seen in the early data that was submitted for the authorization. Once you roll something out to the broader population, you are going to get a bigger picture of how a vaccine works or doesnt work, or what risks happen. The idea is that with approval, they know what those risks are for a wide range of people. For every person.

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Because they have more data?

Exactly, they have more data. They have tens of thousands of people that theyve been tracking for months and months. And so theyre hitting a higher bar than they did for the authorization. And ideally all those questions are answered.

I think a lot of people are wondering, whats taking the FDA so long? Is that a fair question to ask?

It is! Especially when people have only just recently gotten familiar with how the vaccine development process works. The answer is that it generally does take them months to approve something. There is a lot of urgency with the COVID vaccine, but what theyre doing in those months between authorization and eventual approval is going through raw data for tens of thousands of people. So where the emergency use authorization depended on 15,000 people, overall trials had to be 30,000 people. And youll get people enrolled with any range of medical issues, people across the board on age, people with any other socioeconomic factors that can play into this, people with different jobs where they could be highly exposed. The FDA has to go through all of that information, all those thousands of pages about those thousands of people. Thats ultimately why its taking this long.

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What else goes into the process that we might not think about? I didnt know, for example, that there are inspectors looking at facilities.

That is vital because the consistency of vaccines is crucial, obviously. Just as they are asking all the companies about the data in different populations and who was enrolled in clinical trials, they are doing onsite visits to factories, batch-testing different batches that come off the production line to make sure theyre exactly like each other. Theyre looking at the hygiene, the safety. Thats one of the major reasons that another vaccine, AstraZeneca, hasnt even bothered filing for authorization yet, and might not even file for approval. They havent gotten those production questions sorted out.

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You wrote a story saying the FDA is expected to approve the Pfizer vaccine by early September, and that people within the FDA were working around the clock. I have to admit, I read it and thought, wait a minute, werent they already working around the clock?

Fair. Hey, I even thought that. It is typical that it takes this amount of time for a vaccine or new medicine to be approved. The FDA actually by law is required to review new drugs and vaccines in a certain amount of time. And they have not reached that time limit with these vaccines.

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A lot of parents are waiting on what the FDA has to say about vaccines for kids, and what the clinical trials for those pediatric vaccines show. What do we know about the trials for kids?

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What we know about them is that theyre a lot smaller than the adult trials. Where the adults, for each manufacturer, had to enroll at least 30,000 adults, these trials actually are only a few thousand kids. Its hard to enroll kids, especially very, very young children. They are going down to as young as six months old. We know that data are expected in the fall, probably Pfizer and Moderna first because they started their trials earliest.

Does approving the vaccines for adult usefull approvaldelay the emergency use authorization for kids, or are they totally separate tracks?

It does not delay at all, but the tracks could merge. There are real questions right now within FDA and even within the vaccine manufacturers about whether they would apply for emergency use in children. Emergency use has to be something done because the benefits far outweigh any sort of risk. And its not that they think that the vaccines are risky to children, but severe COVID-19 is less risky to children than it is to adults. And so it is possible, especially if theyve already got the foundation of adults and teenagers being approved for this, that they might wait out emergency use authorization for children.

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There have been some large employers mandating vaccines. The military is doing it. How much does full approval matter in making employers comfortable with mandates, and making employees comfortable with those mandates?

I think its essential. And thats one of the reasons why Biden officials have been so keen for FDA to approve as fast as possible. They have to A, have vaccines actually be approved or else theyre definitely going to face legal battles from armed service members who say, Why am I required to get something thats not approved? And B, there has to be a safety argument for it, that we need you to have this for your own safety. That ones an easier argument to make.

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In a poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation, roughly 30 percent of unvaccinated people said theyd be more likely to get a fully approved vaccine, rather than one with an emergency use authorization. Do you think full approval might really sway people, or is it more of a proxy for discomfort with the whole process?

Kaiser actually touched on this in that poll because when they asked respondents, Is it approved? Is it authorized? two-thirds thought it already was approved. Theres a general public lack of understanding about this process. And I dont blame people. Its a regulatory process that few people have had to understand before this pandemic. But I think youre totally right that this could be just kind of a proxy for general safety concerns or general hesitations. Theres going to have to be much more dialogue to get people on board with this.

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On Aug. 12, the FDA gave emergency authorization for booster shots for immunocompromised people. But youve reported that some folks in the Biden administration worry that the need for boosters might feed fears that the vaccines are ineffective and slow down vaccination rates. You also note that right now, the FDA has only an acting commissionerPresident Biden hasnt named a permanent person to the post. How does the lack of a permanent head of the FDA play into all of this?

While the acting commissioner, Janet Woodcock has been there for decades and is very experienced, I think that there is this general desire that someone on top of the agency can really be its mascot, be the person on the airwaves and on the television who can say here is what to expect about an FDA vaccine approval, to have that public face. That right now is basically falling on Fauci, who people do broadly trust, but hes not the head of the FDA.

Internally, FDA is a massive place and a really well-oiled machine. The vaccine department is headed up by a man called Peter Marks who is well-trusted, well-respected, regardless of political party. He worked closely with the Trump administration and now with the Biden administration. So in terms of the vaccine decisions, it doesnt actually matter whos on top of the agency. And I know that sounds weird, but I think its more about these lingering confidence questions and the public facing aspects of this.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
Waterless toilets from France installed in national park

Two eco toilets use earthworms to process human waste.

Two vermicomposting toilets have been placed in the Slovensky raj national park. (Source: Facebook/Obec Hrabusice)

While the idea of building toilets in Slovensky raj National Park back in the 1870s, when first tourists began to visit the area, was not on peoples minds, the national park now takes pride in two new composting toilets.

The facilities have been installed in the Sucha Bela gorge in the locality of Zlabky, where several hiking trails come together.

The 11,000 eco toilets were bought in France.

In national parks in Switzerland, Germany and France, such toilets are already common, Hrabusice mayor Jana Skokanova told the SITA newswire.

The village of Hrabusice is located in the Spis region, which a part of the national park also covers.

Dew worms in the toilet

Two vermicomposting toilets, one for ladies, the other for gentlemen, are placed in a wooden hut.

They work on the principle of latrines, said Skokanova.

There is no water inside the toilets, a two-metre-long belt stretching from them, which slides back into a plastic container in which there are dew worms. The worms feed on humus.

When the container is full, we have to remove the humus, the mayor added.

Even while some people may find it strange using an outhouse that looks like a 15th century facility, Skokanova admits that there is something interesting about these toilets.

Hiking in skirts

Slovensky raj (Slovak Paradise) is considered to be one of the most beautiful places in Slovakia for its gorges, waterfalls and caves, as well as canyons.

Organised tourism in Slovensky raj began after 1873, when the first tourist organisation, the Hungarian Carpathian Association, was established in the Spis town of Kezmarok.

Different locations of the paradise were made accessible to tourists over the next one hundred years. One of the largest Slovak caves, Stratenska jaskyna, which was discovered in 1972, has not been opened to the public to date.

The first tourist guide on eastern Slovakia was published in 1920, but the name Slovensky raj first appeared in travel literature a year later, in the magazine Krasy Slovenska (The Beauties of Slovakia). The first map of hiking trails in Slovensky raj was published in 1924, making the area accessible to everyone.

In 1936, Edo Nemcek published the first tourist guide on Slovensky raj, which was declared a national park 52 years later.

Spectacular Slovakia travel guides

14. Aug 2021 at 9:00 | Compiled by Spectator staff
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Facebook Inc and Amazon.com Inc have asked the US government for approval to operate a new undersea data cable between the Philippines and California after China Mobile agreed to exit the plan, a government agency said on Friday. The two companies told the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) they intend to start commercial operation by late 2022 and said the new data connection will provide significant new capacity on routes where capacity demand continues to increase substantially each year.

The companies in a joint filing said the new cable will help to support Facebook applications and provide Amazon and its affiliates with capacity to support Amazons cloud services and connect its data centers.

A Facebook spokeswoman said the project parties agreed "the best path forward to complete the construction and bring the... cable system into operation was to restructure the system ownership, allowing the parties to deliver on the goal of bringing connectivity to more people and regions."

Amazon and China Mobile did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The United States has repeatedly expressed concerns about Chinas role in handling network traffic and potential for espionage. Around 300 subsea cables form the backbone of the internet, carrying 99% of the worlds data traffic.

In September 2020, Facebook, Amazon and China Mobile withdrew their application to connect San Francisco and Hong Kong as part of the Bay to Bay Express Cable System. In March, Facebook withdrew a separate FCC application for a Hong Kong to California cable.

In April 2020, the FCC approved Alphabet Inc unit Google's request to use part of a US-Asia undersea telecommunications cable, that excluded Hong Kong, after US agencies raised national security concerns.

Google agreed to operate a portion of this 8,000-mile (12,875-km) Pacific Light Cable Network System between the United States and Taiwan, but not to Hong Kong. Google and Facebook helped to pay for the construction of the completed link but US regulators have blocked its use.

The companies in August 2020 abandoned the proposal to use the Hong Kong portion.

In May 2019, the FCC voted unanimously to deny China Mobile the right to provide services in the United States, citing risks that the Chinese government could use the approval to conduct espionage against the US government.
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FILE - In this Jan. 15, 2021, file photo, Dr. Yomaris Pena, Internal Medicine Physician with Somos Community Care at a COVID-19 extracts the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine out of a vial at a vaccination site at the Corsi Houses in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York. U.S. health regulators have authorized extra doses of the COVID-19 vaccines in people with weakened immune systems to better protect them from the virus. The announcement Thursday, Aug. 12. by the Food and Drug Administration applies to millions of Americans who take immune-suppressing medicines because of organ transplants, cancer or other disorders.(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
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Since returning to Vietnam after spending two years studying art therapy in New York under the prestigious Fulbright program, 32-year-old Nguyen Huong Linh has made it her mission to help Vietnams marginalized communities cope with trauma.

Linh, who completed her undergraduate studies at Korea National University of Arts in 2014, had long dreamt of connecting her passion for art with gender activism and art therapy.

Shortly after graduation, Linh began introducing the concepts of body awareness, gender equality, and reproductive health to children in Vietnam through a series of 12 books she authored and illustrated herself.

Her dream was lifted to new heights in 2017 when she was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to a Masters program in art therapy at New Yorks School of Visual Arts.

Upon returning to Vietnam, COVID-19 restrictions forced her to spend two weeks at a centralized quarantine facility in Hanoi before she could enter into the community.

Rather than spend those two weeks sitting idly, Linh launched MAI:tri - an online space which provides one-on-one therapy consultation and self-reflection through art.

Her first customers were her roommates at the facility.

The positive responses she received from her roommates at the quarantine facility have motivated Linh to continue down the art therapy path, inspiring a blog and a series of videos on the topic.

For a time, Linh ran MAI:tri out of Ho Chi Minh City where she hosted therapy workshops for vulnerable demographics, including underprivileged teens, medical practitioners, and social activists who face mental health issues.

Ive been trying to re-adapt to Vietnamese culture and have spent a lot of time reflecting on what I learned during my time abroad. Ive realized that the various presumptions and stigmas that surround mental therapy are a hindrance to the growth of the discipline in Vietnam, Linh explained.

Linh is facing these presumptions and stigmas head-on.

She now runs MAI:tri out of Hoi An City in the central Quang Nam Province in order to broader her customer base both in the city and in nearby Da Nang City.

She also hosts clients from across Vietnam in online consultations, and prides herself on offering LGBT-friendly services.

When shes not busy with MAI:tri, shes focuses her attention on a charity which funds consultations for young women, cancer patients, and survivors of abuse.

In early 2021, after the COVID-19 pandemic and the historic flooding in Vietnams central provinces took massive physical and mental tolls on her fellow Vietnamese, Linh initiated a series of 20 free webinars that focused on holistic healing practices, including yoga, art therapy, movement therapy, creative writing, and breathwork, to over 3,200 participants.

According to Linh, continuous social distancing, a lack of human connections, and work/study burnout, has left many feeling dejected, dissociated, and hopeless.

Daily depressing COVID-19 updates have helped breed fear and discord in communities. Such negative feelings have taken negative tolls on the health of many.

Finding a mental health therapist is as important as finding a doctor for our physical diseases, said Linh.

According to Linh, the stigma around mental health in Vietnam is gradually easing, a phenomenon she sees as uplifting for Vietnams public health outlook during such tumultuous times.

She strives to offer art as a self-care method which can help people observe their emotions in a more intuitive manner compared to the usual dialogue approach.

With the help of Linh, I was able to awaken my inner therapist and compliment and guide myself through the traumatic childhood memories without fear or constraint, a participant in Linhs webinar said.

For the time being, Linh is working on a new series of workshops for Ho Chi Minh City residents who are struggling with long days spent inside amidst social distancing.

The event has gathered nearly VND55 million (US$2,400) which will be donated to the citys needy through local charities.

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HAVANA -- Cuba, grappling with a dire COVID-19 outbreak fueled by the Delta variant, said "only 21,000," or 0.8% of the 2.5 million people inoculated with its homegrown vaccines, had fallen ill with the disease so far.

Of those, 99 or 0.003% of those inoculated had died, in what state biopharmaceutical corporation BioCubaFarma said late on Thursday was an encouraging sign that the shots were working, including against Delta, in particular to prevent severe illness.

"This is really promising data," BioCubaFarma head Eduardo Martinez said on state-run television. The corporation is on track to produce the doses necessary to fully inoculate the whole population with its three-shot vaccines, Abdala and Soberana 2, by September, he added.

Skeptics of the Cuban vaccines pointed out the data still yielded a case-fatality rate of 0.47%. Cuba had previously said that rate in the first week of August was 0.93% for the whole country regardless of vaccination status.

Any reliable comparison is tricky, with recent reports from provincial state news outlets suggesting underreporting of both cases and deaths in official statistics amid Cuba's worst outbreak since the start of the pandemic.

The island state of 11 million inhabitants is racing to fully inoculate its population as it battles one of world's the highest COVID-19 caseloads, with more than 8,000 confirmed cases per day for the last two weeks.

Authorities started a mass vaccination campaign in Havana in May with Abdala and Soberana 2 which they say have proven to be more than 90% effective in late phase clinical trials, although the data has yet to be published in peer-reviewed journals.

Cuba has developed an unusually large biotech sector for a country its size, partly in a bid for sovereignty given crippling U.S. sanctions.

It is the only Latin American country to have advanced with a COVID-19 vaccine to late phase trials, and Abdala and Soberana 2 have elicited interest from countries worldwide.
Check out the news you should not miss today:

Politics

-- At a meeting on Friday with the Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked the Japanese government to continue donating vaccine doses to Vietnam amid the country's acceleration of its vaccination campaign to curb the increasing COVID-19 spread.

COVID-19 Updates

-- Vietnam on Saturday morning reported 9,180 new cases of COVID-19, including 3,531 cases in Ho Chi Minh City, increasing the country's tally to 255,748, including 92,738 recoveries and 5,088 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

-- Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday have decided to extend the social distancing measures under the municipal People's Committee's directive No.16 as the pandemic situation is still very complicated.

-- Medical staff at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi on Friday successfully delivered two babies born to coronavirus patients.

-- Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province in southern Vietnam will continue to apply social distancing measures under the municipal People's Committee's directive No. 16 from 0:00 on Monday as an effort to contain the surging COVID-19 cases.

Society

-- Police officers in Nha Trang, a coastal resort city in south-central Vietnam's Khanh Hoa Province, on Friday have arrested a drug addict who tested positive for the coronavirus after he escaped from a blockaded area.

-- The Dong Nai General Confederation of Labor has spent VND33 billion (US$1.4 million) supporting workers who have been affected adversely by COVID-19.

-- An 18-year-old man in the southern province of Binh Phuoc whose hand was incubated in his abdomen after a labor accident has convalesced from COVID-19 after completing his treatment at a local hospital in 19 days.

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Market monitors in two districts of Vietnams Ho Chi Minh City have discovered a large volume of COVID-19 test kits and other medical equipment smuggled from China.

The smuggled goods, including rapid test kits for coronavirus, disinfectant sprayers, blood oxygen meters and oxygen cylinders, were found in a container at a warehouse in Binh Tan District, said the Ho Chi Minh Market Surveillance Department on Friday.

Particularly, the quantity of oxygen generators seized amounts to 13,828, the department reported.

Most of the smuggled products were made in China, without sub labels in Vietnamese as required by law.

There were no invoices or other documents related to the goods, which included a number of commodities showing signs of violations of industrial property rights of some trademarks that are being protected in Vietnam.

The total value of the smuggled goods is estimated at billions of Vietnam dong (VND1 billion = US$43,800).

One day earlier, at another inspection at Tin Thuc International Trading Co., Ltd. in Tan Phu District, the department found and seized 80 rapid COVID-19 test kits and 30 blood oxygen meters without invoices and relevant documents.

Similar to the case in Binh Tan, all these goods were made in China and had no sub labels in Vietnamese.

In addition to such smuggled medical devices, the department, in conjunction with local police, also seized more than 67,200 medicine tablets without documents from a house in Binh Tan on Tuesday.

The pills, worth around VND200 million ($8,750), were brought illegally from China into Vietnam and advertised to be capable of curing COVID-19.

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Firefighters rescued five people trapped in a fire that burned four houses in the southern Vietnamese province of An Giang in the early hours on Friday.

The blaze broke out at the house of 60-year-old Nguyen Thi My Dung at 270 Ha Hoang Ho Street in Long Xuyen City, An Giang at around 4:40 am the same day.

Local people called firefighters for help as the inferno quickly spread to adjacent houses.

Five fire trucks, 40 firefighters, and two water tankers from the citys department of urban works were mobilized to the scene to extinguish the fire.

Rescuers managed to help five people stuck in the fire get out.

The blaze completely destroyed two houses and partially damaged two others.

Initial damage was estimated at VND620 million (US$27,270).

Long Xuyen City police have coordinated with other functional forces to examine the scene and investigate the cause of the fire.

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A court in south-central Vietnam has sentenced a local man to nine months in prison for his non-compliance with COVID-19 prevention regulations and insulting law enforcement officers, just four days after his offence.

The Peoples Court of Tay Hoa District, Phu Yen Province, on Thursday gave the nine-month jail term to Phan Van Thong, 51, for his resisting on-duty law enforcement officers, under Vietnams Penal Code.

Earlier on August 9 morning, an inspection team of the districts Hoa Dong Commune caught Thong and his wife violating the COVID-19 social distancing rules under the Prime Ministers Directive 16 by selling meat and vegetables at home.

The team asked them to stop their business, but they did not follow, claiming that the team was causing difficulty to their family.

Thong even cursed and insulted the teams members with vulgar words, chased the law enforcement officers out of his house yard, and prevented them from making a report on his violation.

Despite the fact that Dinh Ngoc Sum, the teams head and the deputy chairman of the commune, remained in the yard, Thong then locked the house gate.

Thong insisted not to open the gate despite requests from the other members of the team.

Police were called to the scene and they forced Thong to open the gate and detained him.

At court, Thong admitted his crime and showed a repentant attitude.

Considering Thong committed the offence for the first time, the court decided to award him nine months imprisonment.

It was thanks to the shortening of court proceedings by local law agencies that the case was brought to trial only four days after Thongs offence.

Two similar cases occurred in the province in late July with three men sentenced on the same charge as Thong.

In one case, 28-year-old Tran Minh Luan got 12 months in prison, while Pham Van Hieu, 34, and Nguyen Tan Thach, 29, received a nine-month jail term each in the other.

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Authorities should inform people about the type of vaccine they will get before their travel to the inoculation sites, Nguyen Van Nen, secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, said after an inspection at a COVID-19 vaccination venue in Hoc Mon District on Friday afternoon.

Friday was the last vaccination day in the districts Hoc Mon Town, according to Nguyen Le Trong Tam, the towns chairman.

Todays vaccine is Vero Cell, which is warmly received by many people, Tam reported to the Party chief at a vaccination site set up at Nguyen An Khuong Middle School.

Only 300 cases under medical isolation are expected to be inoculated later at their homes.

Nen talked with some vaccine recipients being monitored post vaccination at the venue.

He asked the people whether they knew the brand of the vaccine doses they received and if doctors had given them clear consultancy before administering shots, to which many replied with an affirmative answer.

I have researched a lot of information and waited until today to get vaccinated, said Huynh Phu Noa, a 54-year-old local man, claiming that authorities had informed him that the designated vaccine is Vero Cell in advance.

Its good to get a COVID-19 vaccine shot, regardless of brands, Noa added.

After the inspection, Nen mentioned the incident occurring at an immunization venue in District 1 on Friday morning, when some people expressed their disappointment to receive Vero Cell vaccine jabs.

Functional forces at the aforementioned venue followed the existing vaccination procedure, in which people only know the type of vaccine they will be injected with after undergoing all screening steps at the inoculation facilities.

We should draw experience [from the case in District 1] and inform people about the type of vaccine in advance, so only those who accept the vaccine will travel to get the shots, Nen advised.

We dont have choices at the moment, the Ho Chi Minh Party chief added as he said about Vietnams COVID-19 vaccine sourcing.

We have tried to access a lot of sources, but the supply is extremely limited.

I assert that its not the case that we have options to choose and buy preferred vaccines but we dont buy them.

According to WHO, the best vaccine is the one that comes first.

Nguyen Van Nen (left), secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, talks with a medical worker at a COVID-19 vaccination venue in Hoc Mon District, Ho Chi Minh City, August 13, 2021. Photo: Dan Thuan / Tuoi Tre

The batch of Vero Cell vaccine that Ho Chi Minh City is possessing is sponsored by Saigon Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. and has been carefully inspected by the Ministry of Health, according to Nen.

The municipal authorities rejected the borrowing proposals of many localities to prioritize the use of this vaccine for people in the city, he explained.

Our goal is to get through this difficult time in a month, and our key to success is vaccination, the leader said.

In the current vaccine scarcity, the support and cooperation from the people plays a decisive role, he affirmed.

Currently, about 4.3 million people in Ho Chi Minh City have been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to Duong Anh Duc, deputy chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee.

The city sets a target of at least seven million people getting vaccinated, and many more later, Duc said.

When we reach that coverage, we will achieve herd immunity.

And once herd immunity is achieved, many activities can return to normal like before.

Nationwide, over 14 million vaccine shots have been administered in Vietnam since the country rolled out vaccination on March 8, with some 1.2 million people having been fully vaccinated.

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An aid package of 13 metric tons of medical supplies worth over US$5.3 million from the Swiss government arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday.

The relief shipment, sent by the Swiss Humanitarian Aid which is part of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, included 30 ventilators, 500,000 antigen test kits, and 300,000 antibacterial masks.

A cargo plane transporting the supplies departed from Zurich for Ho Chi Minh City, which is currently Vietnams biggest coronavirus hotspot with 140,539 infections recorded in the on-going fourth wave.

The donation was earlier announced during the visit to Vietnam by Swiss Vice President and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis from August 4 to 6.

During the visit, the Swiss Vice President shared the difficulties that Vietnam is facing.

He agreed that the two countries should continue to share experience in COVID-19 prevention and control while pursuing economic recovery and strengthening bilateral health cooperation, particularly the transfer of production technology for COVID-19 vaccines and drugs.

The medical supplies were transported to Cho Ray Hospital for storage after arriving at Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

They are expected to be distributed to pandemic prevention units later.

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With more than 255,000 coronavirus cases, including over 5,000 deaths, documented since early 2020, Vietnam now ranks 80th and 69th in the world in terms of infection and fatality, respectively, the Health Ministry reported.

The ranks are among the 222 countries and territories with COVID-19 statistics, the ministry said on Friday.

With 9,180 new coronavirus cases announced on Friday evening, Vietnam has registered 255,748 infections since early 2020, when the pandemic hit the country, the ministry reported.

The pandemic has now spread to 62 out of 63 cities and provinces of Vietnam, with Ho Chi Minh City topping the list with more than 140,000 infections, followed by Binh Duong with nearing 39,600 and Long An with over 13,200.

The only province in Vietnam has yet to be affected by COVID-19 is Cao Bang, where measures against coronavirus penetration are strictly applied.

The countrys overall COVID-19 death toll had amounted to 5,088 by Friday evening.

Ho Chi Minh City has also led the nation in coronavirus fatality with 4,030 deaths, followed by Binh Duong with 309, the ministrys data shows.

Meanwhile, nearly 3,600 COVID-19 patients recovered during Friday, taking the total recoveries since early 2020 to over 92,700.

Since late April, when the pandemics fourth outbreak erupted in Vietnam, 251,753 domestic infections have been recorded, with the highly contagious Delta variant of coronavirus dominant in most of the cases.

Among the 62 localities suffering from COVID-19, four have recorded no new infections over the past 14 days, namely Quang Ninh, Bac Kan, Tuyen Quang and Lai Chau.

The country is accelerating immunization to drive back the COVID-19 spread, with more than 14 million vaccine doses having been administered nationwide by Friday evening.

In Vietnams capital city of Hanoi, whose population is more than eight million, the number of people receiving the first and second jabs reached over 1.7 million and 110,300, respectively.

Meanwhile, among the nine million residents Ho Chi Minh City, over 4.5 million people have received the first shots and some 149,000 others have got two full doses.

The country has targeted to obtain 150 million vaccine doses to inoculate 70 percent of it 98 million population to reach herd immunity, but it has so far got only over 20.5 million does from different sources, including COVAX Facility, contractual purchases and donations, the health ministry reported.

Localities strengthen epidemic control measures

With a determination to put the pandemic under control by September 15, Ho Chi Minh City has announced a plan to boost epidemic prevention and control in the period from August 15 to September 15. This period is divided into two 15-day stages, with specific tasks set for each stage.

Binh Duong Province, one of Ho Chi Minh Citys neighbors, has set up an emergency resuscitation field hospital for COVID-19 patients at Becamex International Hospital in Thuan An City. The new medical facility is well furnished and has 437 intensive care beds.

Meanwhile, the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho has set up 320 teams, each of which has at least six members, for sample taking and rapid testing for coronavirus in the community. These teams are assigned to complete their tasks in nine districts of the city within nine days.

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The marriage of Crystal Strauss and John Tiedjen Kimberly Kendall Corral/Instagram





An Ohio woman married the man convicted of killing her half-brother 32 years ago when their unlikely love blossomed after writing to the prisoner to say she forgave him.

In 1989, Tiedjen was jailed for the murder of Straus' brother, but the conviction was overturned in June when it was revealed that prosecutors did not hand over relevant crime scene photographs at the time of the trial, The Times reports.

Meanwhile, Tiedjen, 57, awaits a retrial and is under house arrest but has managed to find time to marry Crystal Strauss the sister of the man he was convicted of murdering.

Tiedjen's lawyer, Kimberly Corral, married the couple, with paralegals acting as the witnesses.

"It was a beautiful little ceremony," Corral said, according to The Times.

Kimberly Kendall Corral marrying Crystal Strauss and John Tiedjen Kimberly Kendall Corral/Instagram

How they met

In 2016, Straus, 45, sent a letter to Tiedjen to tell him that she forgave him of his crime, but their ensuing communication convinced her of his innocence.

"We both had something in common, the loss of Brian," Tiedjen said in an interview with The Washington Post. "We started talking, and it just sparked."

On New Year's Eve 2019, Straus and Tiegjen declared their love for one another - and then Tiedjen asked her to marry him.

Before joining the couple as man and wife, Corral said: "You have been through an incredible journey to get here and as we know there is a lot of road ahead of us. We are not there yet and as the system fights against us, you two, hand in hand, fight together."

The death of Brian McGary

Brian McGary, Straus's half-brother, had lived in Tiedjen's family home from the age of 15, and they were best friends.

In April of 1987 McGary, 18, was found dead, with fatal stab and gunshot wounds from Tiedjen's rifle.

Tiedjen said they had returned after a heavy night of drinking and smoking cannabis and that he had passed out.

Tiedjen was arrested four days after and was interrogated by a detective who - according to the Plain Dealer newspaper - told Tiedjen he would smash his head against a table, falsely stated he had Tjedjen's DNA on the gun, and told him he could get a better deal if he would admit he shot McGary in self-defense.

Story continues

A number of appeals have been launched by Tiedjen and his legal team, but in 2014, an attorney for Tiedjen obtain the police case file that showed that police took 87 crime scene photographs of McGary's death - but prosecutors only submitted 10 for use at the trial.

Defense attorney Corral has questioned whether the police doctored the crime scene and moved Tiedjen's glasses to the floor to make it seem like a struggle ensued.

Another theory the police did not consider was suicide, said Tiedjen's lawyers. The photos show a piece of paper sticking out of McGary's pocket. Corral believes it could be a suicide note, The Times reported.

A date has not yet been announced for Tiedjen's new trial.

Read the original article on Insider
The exercise ZAPAD/INTERACTION-2021 is underway at the Qingtongxia Combined Arms Tactical Training Base in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. This is the first time that the Russian army or even a foreign army is invited by China to participate in the PLA's strategic exercise in China. As Global Times writes, it is also the first time that Russian servicemen used main battle weapons and equipment provided by the Chinese military on a large scale. It is also a joint drill aimed at maintaining regional security by neighboring countries when the situation in South Asia changed greatly.

First, with close strategic coordination, Chinese and Russian militaries show the world the new heights of the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between the two. That Russian troops use Chinese weapons and form joint groups together with the PLA troops in the drills is the highest level of military cooperation between countries except a military alliance. This is sufficient proof of the values of the strategic coordination between China and Russia, who are not allies, but their relations weigh more than allies.

China and Russia are not allies, so they won't ask the other to abide by any binding obligations or coerce the other to serve their own strategic objectives. But their relations go beyond an alliance and their cooperation level exceeds that of many allies. Their mutual trust is unprecedentedly high. It shows that as long as two countries fully understand and communicate with each other and trust each other's strategic intentions, they can build a solid partnership and they don't need an alliance treaty and form cliques by making common enemies.

Although the joint exercise was pre-arranged, it echoes the timetable of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The two-decades-long war of the US leaves a torn and uncertain Afghanistan in the Eurasian continent. As US troops withdraw, the Taliban have launched major offensives and seized a number of provincial capitals in key areas. The worsening security situation in Afghanistan not only makes the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process hard to achieve, but also leaves room for international terrorist forces to expand in Afghanistan. Afghanistan may once again become the center where extreme forces threaten regional and global security.

The northern Caucasus region of Russia has long extricated itself from terror forces. The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China is one of the safest places in the world. These achievements are a result of joint efforts of the military and police departments as well as local and central governments of China and Russia. The two countries will not allow any external force to jeopardize their national security. The security and stability of the core areas of the Eurasian continent concerns the common strategic interests of China and Russia and they shoulder major power responsibility to maintain it.

The situation in Afghanistan is at a critical juncture. The China-Russia joint exercise serves as a powerful deterrence to the restless international terror groups and showcases the responsibility of the two major military powers.

Amid the winds of change in international politics, certain countries attempt to bring the international landscape back to the Cold War state. They even go against the trend of history by hyping a new cold war between the Western world and China, Russia to consolidate their hegemonic status.

In the face of such international countercurrents, the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between China and Russia in a new era carries decisive weight to ensure the right track of the evolution of the global pattern.

The China-Russia joint drills in Qingtongxia will be noticed by countries in all regions including the Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea, the Pacific and the South China Sea. It will remind countries which are trying to fan confrontation and hatred by making use of the pandemic - they shouldn't have the illusion that they will pay nothing for simultaneously provoking the two major military powers and can build strategic advantages against the backdrop of the ravaging pandemic.

The ability of China and Russia and their militaries to cope with the pandemic is much better than that of the various "alliances." It is known that large-scale infections occurred after the military exercises between NATO countries, but it will not happen in Qingtongxia.

As the drills in Qingtongxia go on, the military activities of NATO in the Black Sea and those of Quad member states in the South China Sea are also ratcheting up. It is not up to the will of China and Russia to avoid a new cold war, while it is not up to the will of Western countries to win over this cold war.

If certain countries conceive a new iron curtain from the Atlantic to the Pacific via the Indian Ocean, the sound of artillery from Qingtongxia is the best answer to such plots.
Head of Crimea Sergey Aksenov told that he was in Kerch during a downpour. When Russian President Vladimir Putin called him, he was standing up to his waist in water.

"Of course. When you called me, I was waist-deep in water, when I reported to you, I was standing right on Chernyshevsky - Zhenya Dudnik intersection, the head of the region said.

Earlier it was reported that the president held a meeting on liquidation of the consequences of flooding and forest fires in the Russian Federation via videoconference. During the meeting, Putin asked Aksenov whether he was in Kerch at the time of the emergency.
The Armenian Armed Forces have again opened fire on Azerbaijani army positions in the direction of Tovuz district, Trend reports with reference to the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan.

At 23:05 (GMT+4) on August 13, units of the Armenian Armed Forces, from positions in the village of Chinari, Berd district, launched a fire at positions of the Azerbaijani army in the village of Munjuglu, Tovuz district, with small arms, the ministry said.

As the Defense Ministry stated, there are no casualties among the personnel of the Azerbaijani army.

At present, the situation in this direction is stable, the operational situation is controlled by the Azerbaijani army units.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu expressed condolences in connection with the crash of the Be-200 amphibious aircraft of the Russian Defense Ministry in Turkey.

I learned with deep sorrow the news of the deaths of the Turkish and Russian crews in the tragic plane crash that occurred during the extinguishing of a fire in Kahramanmaras. We express our condolences to the Turkish and Russian peoples. Their heroic sacrifices will not be forgotten!" the minister wrote on Twitter

The Be-200 amphibious aircraft of the Russian Ministry of Defense crashed in Turkey today. On the board, there were five Russian servicemen and three representatives of Turkey.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is sure that forest fires do not pose a threat to residential buildings in Yakutia, but the situation must be kept under control.

"At the moment, there are no threats to residential and socially significant objects in Yakutia, but 13 forest fires foci are located in 5 kilometres away from settlements, so I ask you to keep constantly the situation under control and report on how it is developing," he said at a meeting on liquidation of the consequences of flooding and forest fires in Russia.

Putin instructed to assess the damage caused by wildfires and restore destroyed houses and premises.
Russias coronavirus fatalities grew by 819 in the past 24 hours reaching 169,683, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Saturday, TASS reports.

This is the highest number since the start of the pandemic. On Thursday, the crisis center reported 808 coronavirus deaths, and on Friday - 815.

The conditional mortality rate stands at 2.58%, based on data provided by the crisis center.

Moscow confirmed 57 COVID-19 deaths, St. Petersburg - 48, the Irkutsk Region - 39, the Krasnodar Region - 34, the Perm Region - 29, while the Rostov and the Nizhny Novgorod regions reported 28 fatalities each.
Russian amphibious aircraft Beriev Be-200 crashed in Turkey, the press service of the department informs.

"On August 14, 2021, at about 15.10 Moscow time, while extinguishing fires in the Republic of Turkey near the settlement of Adana, a Russian Be-200 plane crashed," the message reads.

It is clarified that at the time of the crash, there were five Russian servicemen and three representatives of Turkey on board. They showed the fire points to the crew.

At present, a commission of the Russian Ministry of Defense, as well as a plane and a helicopter of the Turkish Air Force, have been sent to the crash site to participate in search and rescue operations.

According to the NTV channel, all people on board of the helicopter were killed. Communication with the crew disappeared shortly after the start of extinguishing: after taking water, the plane could not gain the desired altitude and crashed into the rocks.

The aircraft of the Russian Navy, was sent to assist Turkey in extinguishing wildfires on July 8. The aircraft crew was trained at the Center for Combat Use and Retraining of Flight Personnel of the Naval Aviation of the Russian Navy in Yeisk (Krasnodar Territory) and had practical experience in performing such tasks, TASS reports.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the Taliban to immediately halt its offensive in Afghanistan, warning that the country is spinning out of control, Al Jazeera reports.

The message from the international community to those on the warpath must be clear: seizing power through military force is a losing proposition. That can only lead to prolonged civil war or to the complete isolation of Afghanistan, Guterres told reporters on Friday.

Guterres called on all parties to do more to protect civilians. He also said he was deeply disturbed by early indications that the Taliban are imposing severe restrictions on human rights in the areas under their control, particularly targeting women and journalists.

It is particularly horrifying and heartbreaking to see reports of the hard-won rights of Afghan girls and women being ripped away from them, he said.
Two Azerbaijani servicemen have been killed in a road accident in Kalbajar district (liberated from Armenian occupation), Trend reports citing the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

As a result of an accident that occurred on the evening of August 13, Lieutenant Eldar Hasanli and sergeant-conscript Anar Jafarov were killed.

The fact is under investigation.

The leadership of the Ministry of Defense expresses its deepest condolences to the families and friends of the killed servicemen.
Hanoi is determined to separate F0 cases from the community, thoroughly trace F1 (F0 contacts), localize and scale down red zones, and protect and expand green zones, gradually stopping the Covid-19 outbreak.

Hanoi is determined to separate F0 cases from the community

The Governments Resolution 86 on urgent measures to fight Covid-19 stipulates that within 14 days of social distancing, green zones must be identified and protected, and detailed roadmaps developed to turn yellow zones into green zones, and to turn orange zones into yellow zones and narrow red zones.

The policy is in an effort to return the city to normal.

In an Official Dispatch No 18 from the Hanoi Mayor, the city is divided into three zones  green, orange and yellow. Concrete tasks and solutions are specified for each zone.

In green zones, or areas with no infections, Hanoi asks every citizen to strictly follow the measures to prevent the pandemic and only go out when necessary. People have been asked to set up self-governing areas and checkpoints to protect green zones.

A number of green zones have been set up and expanded in all 30 districts of Hanoi, creating fortresses in the fight against Covid-19.

Some districts have established hundreds of checkpoints to protect green zones, including 400 in Hoang Mai, nearly 200 in Hoan Kiem, 145 in Ung hoa and 219 in Thanh Tri.

The green zones are supervised by residential quarters and sub-quarters. They are managed under the model of three layers and four on-the-site which aim to prevent disease from penetrating the zones and prevent cross-infections in localities.

For the orange zones, or the areas with risks, including factories, production facilities, agencies, markets, supermarkets, hospitals and clinics, Hanoi has told local authorities to examine and approve anti-pandemic plans of working units. The units can only operate if they satisfy anti-pandemic requirements.

Every officer, worker and invidiual has been told to follow regulations on making medical declarations with QR Codes when they go to work or shop.

As for red zones, or isolated zones, local authorities set isolation or medical quarantine measures within a reasonable area. The authorities have the right to make decisions on applying stricter measures to ensure that the virus cannot spread in the zones.

People in red zones must strictly observe the measures as directed by the local authorities.

Hanoi strives to control the outbreak by August 25.

From August 9 to August 17, Hanoi is organizing the largest ever testing campaign. 1.3 million samples will be taken for RT-PCR tests, and 2 million samples for rapid tests.

People are divided into several groups, depending on the risk levels.

Red groups are communes and wards with high and very high risks. Subjects are classified based on epidemiological factors, the people who move a lot, or high-contact places such as supply chains, markets, forces participating in epidemic prevention and control, workers, and security guards at buildings.

Orange groups are factories, enterprises, production facilities, agencies, supermarkets, markets, hospitals and clinics.

Green groups are subjects in zones without Covid-19 who travel less than others.

The principle is giving priority to testing high-risk areas, isolating red groups and orange groups containing red groups, cases with SARS-CoV-2 symptoms, and those who travel a lot and have contact many people.

While prioritizing testing of red and orange groups, the testing of households in green zones will also be carried out quickly to protect and expand green zones.

The city wants to stop new clusters, protect green zones and step by step repel the outbreak.

Hanoi Party Committee Secretary Dinh Tien Dung affirmed that social distancing is the best solution now. He has asked agencies to build plans and ensure peoples normal life if the outbreak gets worse.

Regarding quarantine zones, the city will tighten control and have solutions on transporting and providing essential goods, food and foodstuff to every house.

The urgent task is to strictly abide by the principle of "people isolate from other people", "family isolate from family", and people stay where they are".

Huong Quynh

Hanoi conducts massive testing campaign with 3.3 million samples From August 9 to 17, Hanoi will provide 1.3 million tests using the RT-PCR technique, and 2 million rapid tests in an aim to screen and isolate Covid-19 pathogens from the community as quickly as possible.
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  The number of new COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations in New Mexico surged Thursday, continuing a troubling trend that has renewed questions about the capacity of a state hospital system thats already dealing with high occupancy rates and staffing shortages.

State health officials reported 1,281 new cases, though 331 of those infections from Lea County are old cases  they date back over the course of at least six months  but were not previously reported due to data delays.

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An official with Nor-Lea Hospital District in Lovington said later Thursday the unreported cases stemmed from a technical failure involving rapid test results, but said patients were notified promptly whether they had tested negative or positive for the virus.

In addition, the hospitals marketing and foundation manager Jordan Benard said COVID-19 patients make up half the hospitals current occupancy, but said no patients have been transferred from neighboring Texas, which has seen explosive virus growth.

Nor-Lea Hospital District regrets the error, Benard said. However, all patients who tested positive throughout this period were notified promptly and given appropriate counseling.

Even with those older cases excluded, the 950 new cases reported Thursday included 281 infections in Lea County and came just one day after top state health officials said a surge in cases could lead to more than 1,000 new virus cases a day by the end of this month  the highest level since January and more than 10 times higher than in early July.

Trends have been going in the absolute wrong direction, and that seems to me mostly due to the highly contagious (delta) variant, state epidemiologist Christine Ross told reporters during a briefing this week.

Like other southeastern New Mexico counties, the COVID-19 vaccination rate in Lea County lags behind the statewide average.

A total of 43.4% of Lea County had gotten all vaccine doses necessary to be fully vaccinated as of Thursday, compared to the state rate of 65.7% of state residents age 18 and older who have completed their vaccine series, according to state Department of Health data.

State data released this week also shows a total of 92.6% of new COVID-19 cases statewide and 92.8% of virus-related hospitalizations since February have occurred in unvaccinated individuals.

However, state Human Services Secretary David Scrase said this week vaccinated individuals can still contract and spread the virus, even though they typically have milder symptoms than unvaccinated residents.

Meanwhile, state health officials also reported Thursday that 293 people were hospitalized around New Mexico with COVID-19 symptoms.

That marked a significant increase from a day earlier when 258 individuals were hospitalized due to the virus. It also represented a roughly 280% increase from a month ago, when there were 77 virus-related hospitalizations.

The recent surge in new cases and hospitalizations is happening despite the fact New Mexico has one of the nations highest vaccine administration rates  trailing only Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont, according to recent data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Other states have seen even worse outbreaks, such as neighboring Texas that has a rate of COVID-19 spread that is approaching record-high levels.

New Mexicos death rate from the virus remains far below the states mid-December peak, though state health officials reported four additional deaths Thursday that brought the states death toll to 4,441 since the pandemic hit the state in March 2020.

With a new school year underway in New Mexico and most students attending classes in person, the recent surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations has also generated debate about vaccine and face mask policies.

During this weeks briefing, Scrase cited recent modeling from Los Alamos National Laboratory statisticians that found universal mask-wearing in schools could lead to fewer new COVID-19 cases than if only limited mask-wearing policies are in place.
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Calls for the blanket defunding of police are literally killing us. The proof is in the spike of homicides in cities that brutally cut their police budgets during the last year.

That said, it doesnt mean that programs cant be implemented to shift police priorities and share duties with other specialists, like mental health professionals, to respond to carefully screened 911 calls.

Now wait before you react. Im not talking about sending out a lone social worker on a potentially dangerous call or cutting the number of officers on the street. This is about thoughtfully pairing the two forces as a first responder team. Its about recognizing that there are 8 million people in this country struggling with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder  to say nothing of all the other mental health maladies  and most police officers are simply not trained to deal with them.

Society has unfairly foisted the duty of managing the mentally unstable upon police, coinciding with a glut of street guns and ill-conceived bail reforms, and it is way past time to lift some of the burden off these officers.

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Teaming cops and mental health clinicians is one idea currently being tested nationwide, in Boston, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and in several cities in northern California, among others.

(In Albuquerque, Mayor Tim Keller recently created the Community Safety Department to send social workers, housing and homelessness specialists and violence prevention and diversion program experts to homelessness and down-and-out calls as well as behavioral health crises in place of armed officers.)

In Houston, the sheer size of the county is a hindrance to a timely team response, so 150 officers are equipped with iPads that instantly put them in touch with specialists at their Center for Mental Health. When confronted with someone in mental distress the officer can get real-time advice on how to handle the situation.

An assessment of the Houston program, which began in 2017, found that remote help from behavioral experts allowed officers to come to an on-scene resolution in 42% of mental health calls. Other subjects were safely sent to an emergency room or psychiatric hospital, and only two were taken to jail.

The success of this team approach is encouraging, especially when you consider that about a quarter of all those shot and killed by police each year are mentally ill citizens experiencing a crisis.

So, thats one idea to modernize policing. Another has been tried and tested in Eugene, Oregon, for decades.

Thirty years ago, officials in Eugene dared to try something different. After realizing how much time officers were spending responding to non-violent calls involving someone sleeping in a park, dumpster diving behind a luxury building or a homeless person acting strangely they decided to refocus efforts. They created the Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Street program, CAHOOTS for short. It has freed up police officers to concentrate on serious crimes.

CAHOOTS has a mobile van staffed with a medic  an EMT or registered nurse  and an experienced crisis worker. They dont wear uniforms, which can heighten fear among the mentally ill, and they are trained to mediate tense situations. They are most often called upon to respond to suicidal subjects, intoxicated or disorderly people or requests for a welfare check. Most importantly, the citys 911 operators are specially trained to determine when a CAHOOTS team can be safely dispatched instead of a squad car. In 2019, CAHOOTS teams responded to more than 18,580 calls that otherwise would have diverted police officers. And they do it for a fraction of the cost of sending in sworn law enforcement.

This is a big deal, and the CAHOOTS idea has spread to places as diverse as Denver and New Yorks Harlem neighborhood. Whenever the powers that be can compassionately respond to the mentally ill and, at the same time, reduce the strain on overworked cops, it is a win-win. A 2017 study from the Treatment Advocacy Center showed police officers spent 21% of their time responding to or transporting people with mental illness at a cost that year of $918 million. Im betting the figures are even higher now considering the emotional effects of the pandemic.

Look, the idea of simply stripping millions of dollars from police departments, with no concrete plans for how to deal with the shortfall of first responders, is a recipe for disaster. The CAHOOTS model shows us a tested and proven way forward. Every mayor, police chief and community activist should take notice.

www.DianeDimond.com; email to Diane@DianeDimond.com.
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ESPANOLA, N.M.  New Mexico State Police on Friday said a man wanted for pointing a gun an officer during an encounter in June has been arrested.

State police said they were working with police in Espanola to arrest the man on June 14 in connection with a recent stabbing when he got out of a vehicle and pointed a gun at a state police officer. The officer fired at the man but he ran away and escaped.

State police and officers from the Espanola police followed numerous tips over the summer as they searched for the 37-year-old resident of Chamita. He was finally located Wednesday inside a home in La Mesilla and arrested without incident after a standoff.

He faces multiple charges for pointing the gun at the officer and earlier incidents that include kidnapping and domestic assault.

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  Anne Haines passion for helping small businesses from marginalized communities succeed started early.

The founder and CEO of the Albuquerque-based community development financial institution Dreamspring said she saw the impact of barriers to economic access firsthand when she moved into public housing in New York City with her family as a child. During a presentation hosted by the Economic Forum of Albuquerque last week, she recalled seeing her talented, well-educated neighbors stymied by poverty and cycles of violence.

There were so many hopes and dreams that were extinguished, Haines told the audience.

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She said it was this passion that inspired her to found Dreamspring after relocating to New Mexico in 1994. By 2020, Dreamspring operated in 17 states has nearly 50 employees, and the growth isnt stopping anytime soon.

Haines announced that Dreamspring is planning to grow its lending level and number of loans tenfold between 2019 and 2024. By doing so, Haines said shes optimistic that Dreamspring will be able to foster a more inclusive environment that can offset the impact of income inequality in New Mexico and across the country.

Nurturing entrepreneurship is a way to overcome some of the barriers to economic exclusion, Haines said.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Haines said the lender was pressed to dramatically scale up the number of loans it made to economically challenged small businesses in order to meet demand. Through the federal Paycheck Protection Program, Dreamspring provided forgivable loans totaling $64.5 million to around 1,700 New Mexico businesses. Haines said the forgivable loan funding helped save 9,990 New Mexico jobs, primarily at small businesses that had a higher risk of going under during the pandemic.

It was passion and belief in community and belief in the interconnectedness of all of us that drove that impact, she said.

Dreamspring intends to build on that growth over the next few years. By 2024, Dreamspring hopes to operate in all 50 states and disburse 15,700 loans totaling $216 million annually, according to materials provided by the financial institution.

So why does this matter? Not only do smaller businesses add to the unique character of a community, Haines said they also provide a vital pathway for women and people of color to reduce income inequality.

Data compiled by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation showed that economic inequality resulted in $13 trillion in economic activity being lost nationwide over the last 20 years. In New Mexico, production of goods and services could have been as much as 26% higher with lessened income inequality, Haines said.

More so than most companies, small and micro businesses have leaders who arent white men. Haines said during the presentation that a quarter of small and micro businesses nationwide are owned by people of color, and 40% are owned by women. Both figures are significantly higher than in larger companies, Haines said.

Because of that, Haines said the route to reducing inequality goes through the small business community and those who finance it.

This means that we, collectively, have a tremendous opportunity for advancing economic inclusion, which has such a ripple effect on our growth, she said.

Stephen Hamway covers economic development, health care and tourism for the Journal. He can be reached at shamway@abqjournal.com.</p>
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

Peace, love. and latrine cleanup?

The Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico has asked visitors to tread lightly along Forest Road 76 after the agency restored a site where thousands of free spirits gathered earlier this summer.

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The Rainbow Family of Living Light held its annual gathering from late June through the first week in July on the Camino Real Ranger District near Taos.

Forest Service teams estimated about 5,000 people camped out during the events July 4 peak, when the group prayed for world peace from sunrise to noon.

Groups of more than 75 must have a permit for forest events.

But Hilary Markin, a Forest Service spokesperson, said the group refused, claiming that no one member can represent them in the permit process.

In lieu of a permit, we worked with them to minimize environmental damage, Markin said.

The group first told the Forest Service about the planned event days before arriving on the federal land.

The agency responded by treating the incident like a fire or other natural disaster, with a resource protection plan, management team and rehabilitation plan.

The Rainbow Family could not be reached for comment about the event and cleanup.

According to their website, the loosely-affiliated group expounds a vision of cooperation and coexistence for the healing and the betterment of humankind.

Annual events that draw global participants are a chance to cleanse, rejoice, celebrate and become in beautiful ways.

Markin said the forest team worked with the Rainbow Family during and after the event on a watershed-focused effort to protect soil health, water quality, archaeological sites and sensitive wildlife species.

About 20 Rainbow affiliates stayed behind after the event concluded to ensure the group cleared out and cleaned up.

It involved removing trash, man-made structures like ovens, fire rings, swing sets, and mounding the latrines so they dont settle in a way that would create depressions and catch water, Markin said.

Restoration work also included reseeding and mulching bare earth worn down by campers and covering up user-made trails.

Were already starting to see plant growth from that native seed mix, which is really encouraging, Markin said.

Forest Road 76 is still in bad shape from rains and increased use, Markin said.

The first Rainbow Gathering was held in 1972 in northern Colorado. Before this year, events had been hosted on the Gila National Forest in 1977, the Carson in 1995 and the Santa Fe in 2009.

Theresa Davis is a Report for America corps member covering water and the environment for the Albuquerque Journal.
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

Bet you didnt know there was a World War II cargo ship named for Jean-Baptiste Lamy, the first archbishop of Santa Fe.

Yola J. Yoakum, runner-up in a New Mexico scrap metal drive, christened the SS Archbishop Lamy during the ships 1942 ceremonial launching in California.

There was also a cargo ship named for the city of Hobbs.

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The SS Hobbs Victory was launched on Jan. 9, 1945, and tasked with delivering 6,000 pounds of ammunition to American troops fighting in the Pacific. Tragically, a Japanese kamikaze plane crashed into the ships port side on April 6, 1945, and the Hobbs Victory sank near Okinawa.

Dating from the Civil War to the present, there have been 95 ships named for some aspect of New Mexico, a state that doesnt often get close to wet, much less an ocean.

There are ships named for seven (New Mexico) territorial governors, three (state) Medal of Honor recipients, (frontiersman) Kit Carson and (Albuquerque-based journalist) Ernie Pyle, said John Taylor, author of the 2018 book New Mexicos Navy. There are two ships named for Gallup; two for Albuquerque, a submarine and a patrol frigate; and two for Santa Fe, a light cruiser and a submarine. There was a ship named for Wagon Mound, a patrol craft named for Deming and the Tularosa, a gasoline tanker.

An exhibit based on Taylors book is on display at the Los Lunas Museum of Heritage and Arts through Aug. 21. It consists of four rooms, each devoted to a specific topic such as fighting ships and supply and support vessels; 25 panels with descriptive text; 50 photographs; and 13 models, including an eight-foot replica of the battleship USS New Mexico.

The actual USS New Mexico was in service from 1918 to 1946. The ship was struck by Japanese kamikaze aircraft on Jan. 6, 1945, and again on May 12, 1945. In the first incident, off the coast of Luzon in the Philippines, 30 men, including the ships commanding officer, were killed.

The captain asked a crewman who went to his aid if the ship was alright, Taylor said. The crewman told him it was, and then the captain died.

The New Mexico survived that kamikaze attack and also the second one near Okinawa, which killed 54 men and wounded 119.

But then it was chopped apart (in 1947) and sold for scraps, Taylor said. It might have been turned into razor blades. You may have shaved with part of it this morning.

Taylor, 74, a California native, comes by his interest in the Navy honestly. He was in the Navy ROTC program at Stanford University, where he earned a bachelors degree in general engineering and a masters in nuclear engineering. He served in the Navy from 1970 to 1975 and was an officer on the USS Nautilus, the worlds first nuclear sub.

He moved to New Mexico to work at Sandia National Laboratories for 35 years. He lives now in Peralta and is the author of 17 books, including the recently published New Mexico in World War II, written with Richard Melzer, professor emeritus of history at the University of New Mexico-Valencia.

Taylor said the New Mexico-related vessel closest to his heart is not one named for something or someone in the state, but one for which a place in New Mexico was named.

Responding to a Navy campaign soliciting cities to memorialize lost ships, Albuquerque adopted the USS Bullhead, a submarine that was the last U.S. Navy ship sunk by the enemy in World War II. Albuquerques USS Bullhead Memorial Park, near the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center, is named for the doomed sub.

The Bullhead was sunk by aircraft off the coast of Bali on Aug. 6, 1945, the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Taylor said. The wreckage was never found.
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ANDERSON, Calif. - California issued a mandate last week that requires all healthcare workers to be fully vaccinated by the end of September.

The Anderson Walk-In Clinic is now incentivizing its employees to get vaccinated by giving fully vaccinated employees a $100 gift card to any place they choose.

This program is already popular with healthcare workers like Barbara Morales, a medical assistant at the Anderson Walk-In Clinic.

For personal reasons, Morales and other healthcare workers had put off getting vaccinated. As the Delta variant continues to spread and more information is shared, Morales softened her stance on the vaccine.

"It just seemed like they rushed the vaccine in the beginning, so I was pretty hesitant with it," Morales said. "But the more COVID goes on and everything that theyre coming up with it makes a lot of sense to get the vaccine."

Morales told Action News Now she chose her gift card to go to Home Depot. The majority of that gift card will be used to help remodel her kitchen.

While the gift card is a popular incentive, Morales wants healthcare workers to be role models to get more people vaccinated.

"Last year we were heroes, this year people are being turned away," Morales said. "Show some incentive, show your support, as we all have during the entire pandemic. Lets stay together, lets stay united, give the incentive, and go get more people to go do it."

Morales said she knows it is hard to sway people away from their ideas, especially about getting vaccinated, but hopes people make the right choice for themselves and their families.

While she also knows some of her co-workers are hesitant to get vaccinated, Morales thinks most of them will end up getting the vaccine before the end of September.
TEHAMA COUNTY, Calif. - Five cases of the COVID-19 Delta variant have been verified in Tehama County, according to the Tehama County Health Services Agency.

Tehama County is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases. There are currently 176 active COVID-19 cases in isolation.

Six COVID-19 positive patients are currently hospitalized.

A month ago there were only 10 to 15 positive COVID-19 cases in isolation reported on a daily basis, TCHSA said.

Of the 305 new positive COVID-19 cases reported since Aug.1, only 7 have been fully vaccinated.

The percentage of fully vaccinated Tehama County residents is still at 39%, according to TCHSA.

There is a lag time between positive test results and the variant results but TCHSA says that the highly contagious Delta variant is in the county.

TCHSA says it is working to address the surge in COVID-19 cases.

Due to lack of resources, Tehama County has requested the assistance of state resources and staff who will help to follow up with positive COVID-19 individuals.

The county is utilizing a survey tool that texts individuals and prompts them to fill out a questionnaire on CalConnect.

California Connected is the state's contact tracing program.

This program allows public health workers from communities across the state to connect with individuals who test positive for COVID-19 and work with them, and people they have been in close contact with, to ensure they have access to confidential testing, medical care, and other services, TCHSA said.

People who have tested positive for COVID-19 will receive a questionnaire via text message from the CA COVID Team to complete it upon.

Due to the surge in COVID-19 cases the State Public Health Officer of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has issued new orders as of Aug. 5.

The orders are used to prevent the spread of the virus in hospitals, Skilled Nursing Facilities, and Intermediate Care Facilities.

The facilities identified in these orders must either:

Verify visitors are fully vaccinated

Or for unvaccinated or partially-vaccinated visitors, verify documentation of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of each visit

These orders apply to only indoor visitations that occur in the facilities identified.

The new mandate also enforces all unvaccinated employees of healthcare facilities and healthcare settings to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Individuals who qualify for an exemption from this mandate must complete weekly or twice weekly testing for COVID-19.
CHESTER, Calif. - People were going to be allowed back into Chester on Friday but the weather changed that.

Action News Now spoke with people in the town who are still choosing to stick around.

Troy Dunker has lived in Chester for over 30 years. He's choosing not to evacuate and is helping his community as much as he can.

"We're going around checking on animals we have a list of more than 50 houses we've been stopping at, we've been doing it every day or every two days to check on the animals," Dunker said.

He says he's been stopping here at the Holiday Market daily to get produce for the animals.

Dunker says that it's heartbreaking to see his hometown like this but understands why people can't come back yet.

"I wasn't really surprised, we've been around the area and there's a lot of stuff spotting everywhere I wasn't surprised they called off the escorts to escort people back in," Dunker said.

The streets around town remain empty for now with a lot of thick smoke filling the area.

As officials keep a close eye on the increase in fire activity there's still no word on when people will be able to return.

Dunker says he's been feeding around 100 animals a day, he says he feels safe staying in Chester and has no plans to evacuate.

The Sheriffs Office said it canceled the repopulation due to overnight Dixie Fire activity and is taking extreme caution.

It said there was an increase in fire activity with several spot fires in the area of Johnsons Grade CR A13 and the Highway 36 corridor.

Chester, Lake Almanor, and Prattville cannot repopulate. This includes Big Meadows, Rock Point Campground, and Canyon Dam Boat Launch.
TRINITY COUNTY, Calif. - The Trinity County Sheriffs Office issued evacuation orders due to the River Complex.

The Sheriffs Office said the end of Coffee Creek Rd, west of the Sugar Pine Trail is under an evacuation order.

People who live in the area or are visiting should leave the area.

The River Complex Fire has burned 36,945 acres and is 10% contained.

The Snow Fire is burning in the Trinity Alps Wilderness, just south of the northern boundary of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.

The only known size of the fires are listed here:

Haypress Fire: 23,698 acres and 3% contained

Summer Fire: 11,398 acres and 2% contained

Cronan Fire: 1,826 acres and 3 % contained

There are other fires in the area that make up the total complex and are 2% contained in total, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
CHICO, Calif. - California healthcare workers, teachers and other school staff are now required to get fully vaccinated in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Right now, the Chico Unified School District has around 750 teachers, but the new vaccine mandate is leaving teachers very conflicted as to whether to get the shot or not.

"It's a really complex issue, said Melinda Hildebrandt, a teacher a Hooker Oak Elementary. I think some teachers are fearful if they don't get the vaccine, I think others are fearful with what will happen if they do get the vaccine."

Hildebrandt told Action News Now that some of the staff have medical reasons to not get vaccinated, but are now feeling forced into doing something they do not want to do.

"I know that can be a really scary thing for them, said Hildebrandt. I know it is scary for other staff members who have family members at home who have health issues. It could be really hard on their families if someone got COVID in their house. It's really not a black and white issue."

A large portion of our teaching staff has already been fully vaccinated, so we do not anticipate this new requirement to lead to a large loss of teachers for the 2021-22 school year, the Chico Unified School District said in a statement to Action News Now regarding the vaccine mandates impacts on staffing.

Regardless of that vaccination status, all school staff is still required to mask up while inside school doors.

They will need to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 15 or agree to weekly testing.

Meanwhile, healthcare workers are facing the same struggle as to whether get vaccinated or not.

Sharon Kaplan works at Enloe Medical Center and believes that healthcare workers have such a passion for their jobs that they will listen to this new vaccine mandate.

"You're going to make me cry it has been hard, it's been really hard," said Kaplan.

Kaplan has been working in critical care for almost 30 years and told Action News Now that seeing the pandemic behind hospital doors has probably been the hardest thing she has ever had to do.

"We had this huge increase in the COVID cases lately, and it is starting to impact the hospital, said Kaplan. Most of the people are unvaccinated, but I think that it will get more people vaccinated is a good thing."

Shasta County Public Health said that for hospital personnel, not including Mercy, 51% are unvaccinated, 7% are partially vaccinated and 43% are fully vaccinated.

All California healthcare workers will have until Sept. 30 to be fully vaccinated or get their second shot. They will only be able to skip the vaccine if they have a medical or religious reason.
15th August 2021, Independence Day is not only celebrating our nation's independence but also applauding the Citizens of our country in fighting against the deadly virus and staying Independent and self-sufficient. The Godrej Group has recently conducted a research and study Little Things We Do, which highlights the daily practices, behaviours and things to do activities implemented by individuals during the lockdown .

The study reveals how Lockdown has evolved individuals from different walks of life and transformed their preferences to become more Independent. The research was conducted by Innovative Research Services based on the discussions with 2700+ Indians across the following cities (Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Chandigarh, Indore, Kochi, and Lucknow).

According to the insights from Little Things We do research by Godrej showcase:

16% of respondents have more control on their time management when working from home which has helped them maintain work-life balance

58% of respondents adopted a physical or mental fitness activity (yoga, Zumba, walk, meditation, etc.) and 36% quit unhealthy habits (such as smoking, overspending, junk eating, alcohol etc.) to keep themselves healthy and happy following the lockdown

60% men made financial donations to the underprivileged and 53% women donated Little Things such as distributed sanitizers, food packets, old clothes, blankets, medical devices, etc. to those in need

45% of respondents indulged in little pleasures like freshly cooked breakfast on a daily basis

11% respondents learnt new skills such as cooking, painting, etc. through DIY videos by influencers

ShopClues, Indias leading online marketplace, is ready to celebrate the Independence Day with the announcement of their new campaign #ShopIndiaMovement

On Supr Daily between 12th and 15th August 2021, customers can avail of a flat 40% cashback on their grocery orders

Don't Miss

Supr Daily App : Freedom Sale (12th - 15th August)https://t.co/d4UUvconHG



Flat 40% cashback on everything



Use the app to get milk & groceries, daily. pic.twitter.com/BB6KpkQHjq  BigkartDeal  (@BigkartDeal) August 12, 2021

HomeFirst launches #HomeFirstKeHeroes Campaign to celebrate armed forces veterans on Independence Day

Dalmia Bharat Group & Bhushan Kumars T-Series brings audiences a special song this 75th Independence Day. Titled Mauka Hai

LG Electronics India, today announced its latest Freedom is Good consumer campaign offers for its diverse range of products such as Television, Refrigerators, Washing machines, Air Conditioners, among others.

Avail exclusive Independence Day offers on them and also enjoy some additional benefits such as cashback up to 17%* and low cost EMI up to 12 months*

*T&C Apply

Know more on https://t.co/aY1iAj7cma#LGAppliances #HomeAppliances #ExclusiveOffers pic.twitter.com/5B38eXcQ7h  LG India (@LGIndia) August 11, 2021

TATA Tea Premium celebrates this Independence Day by bringing out a unique #DeshKaKulhad collection in partnership with Rare Planet

Godrej Group commemorates 75th year of Indias Independence with a unique campaign #FreedomIs

India's 75th #IndependenceDay is just around the corner. And we've been thinking about what freedom is to different people in our beautiful nation. Comment below, tweet or share this video with your version of #WhatFreedomIs. We can't wait to hear your replies. pic.twitter.com/I68vZEGzvL  Godrej Group (@GodrejGroup) August 13, 2021

#DeshSeHaiHum campaign by Candere to celebrate 75 years of Independence

ACC Ltd. releases Bhuj Ki Bhujayein short film to celebrate the 75th Independence Day

ACC Limited, marking its 85th Anniversary this year, celebrates the heroism and valour of 300 women during the Indo-Pak war in 1971 through its short film called Bhuj ki Bhujaye inspired by ACCs association with Bhuj -The pride of India film #ACCDeshNirman #BuildingProgress pic.twitter.com/eKPaD57oDw  ACC Limited (@ACCLimited) August 14, 2021

This Independence Day, Samsung Extends CSD Benefits to Defence Personnel at Samsung Smart Plazas on Consumer Durables

Work, play, chill this Independence Day weekend with your new Samsung Air Conditioner. Enjoy limited period offers like free installation, up to 15% cashback and a 5-year comprehensive warranty. Buy now: https://t.co/TyBZp1ZkMX. T&C apply. #OwnNow #Samsung pic.twitter.com/fpyBlmekAV  Samsung India (@SamsungIndia) August 13, 2021

This 75th Independence Day, leading short video app - MX TakaTak collaborates with Arjun Kanungo to release a new patriotic track- Jaya Hey

#MXTakaTak ke stars aaye hai ek saath to create a TakaTak track - 'Jaya Hey' as a celebration of our 75th Independence Day!



Participate in the #IndependenceDay challenge and win prizes like a cool bike, a camera aur bahut kuch!  pic.twitter.com/OXhxyGmONh  MX TakaTak (@MXTakaTak) August 13, 2021

Supported by Anil Agarwal Foundation, Vedanta Group, Dhamaka Records is out with their first track, an Independence Day anthem

This Independence Day get #JeeneKiAzaadi with MAK Lubricants by BPCL

IDFC Mutual Fund salutes the spirit of its Advisory and Distributor Partners , with its latest film #DeshKaNivesh it pays tribute to those who power the financial independence of India's investors

BIC Cello have launched a video campaign titled #AzaadiJoKalamUthaKaiMile to celebrate Independence Day

CashKaro has recently announced its Independence Day campaign #HumIndianHain

FRIENDS Adult Dry Pants celebrates Azadi Mubarak with #DryPantsPehnoBaharNiklo

Upstox Independence Day Campaign

Voltas celebrates Independence Day with a new DVC, based on the theme of nation-building

This Independence Day, Luminous Power Technologies launches the #SolarKeSainik campaign

Independence day campaign- Nilons #SwaadKiAazadi campaign expresses solidarity to all street food vendors and the public at large

Jeep India Lights up Asia's Largest Outdoor Brand Installation on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway in the Indian Tricolour, to Celebrate India's 75th Year of Independence

Country Delight Kahe Good Morning India - An I-Day Anthem to celebrate Apke Cup Mein Apki Azaadi

82.5 Communications releases an Independence Day campaign for ACC

Trell Celebrates Independence Day with #AzaadHoAzaadRaho
Manish Maheshwari, the Managing Director of Twitter India, has been moved and will take up a new position in the US. Manish Maheshwari has been promoted to Senior Director in the Revenue Strategy and Operations department of the social media giant.

According to media reports, Maheswari will be reporting to Deitra Mara, senior director, global strategy and operations at Twitter. Kanika Mittal, current head of sales at Twitter and Neha Sharma Katyal, business head, Twitter, will co-lead India and will report to Sasamoto.

UP police had previously arrested Manish Maheshwari in connection with a viral video. The Managing Director of Twitter India will be going to the United States with a new post, days just after The Central government announced that Twitter has finally complied with the Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code, Rules 2021.

In a tweet, Yu Sasamoto, VP of Twitter's Japan, South Korea, and Asia Pacific (JAPAC) region, said, "We can confirm that Manish is staying at Twitter and moving into a new role based in San Francisco as Senior Director, Revenue Strategy and Operations focused on New Market Entry."

He also welcomed Maheshwari in a tweet , saying, "Thank you to Manish Maheshwari for your leadership of our Indian business over the past 2+ years. Congrats on your new US-based role in charge of revenue strategy and operations for new markets worldwide. Excited to see you lead this important growth opportunity for Twitter.'
Followed by the strong positive trend for television ad volumes in H1 2021, July 2021 re-affirms advertisers trust in the medium. As per BARC Indias THINK Report, titled July 21 Ad Volume Analysis, ad volumes for July 2021 registered 23% growth vis-a-vis July 2019 and 14% growth over July 2020. July 2021 also witnessed 15% growth against June 2021, recording the highest growth for the period since 2018. With 869 new advertisers in July 2021, 2,153 advertisers and 3,558 brands were actively advertising on television, resulting in a total of 145 million seconds of ad volumes.

Ad Volumes for July are promising, and this has further fueled growth for the industry. Owing to a significant increase in the number of new brands and advertisers turning to television, the share of new entrants in the overall pie is the highest in July 2021 over the last 3 years. Moreover, combined Ad Volumes for January to July 2021 are also the highest with 1,019 million seconds. Data continues to encourage the markets confidence in TV as one of the most trusted mediums for advertisers, said Aaditya Pathak, Head  Client Partnerships & Revenue, BARC India.

E-commerce, Education, and Agriculture categories have registered the highest ad volumes in July 2021, over the same period for 2019 and 2020. Ad volumes for Auto, Retail, Telecom Products & Computers categories continue to revive steadily. With 2.01 million seconds ad volumes, Delhi Skill & Entrepreneurship University, a new entrant, found itself a spot in the Top 10 Advertisers for July 2021. While all language genres have registered a positive growth, Punjabi, Assamese, English and Southern languages genres, led this growth in July over June 2021.
It is rare that U.S. Department of Defense officials, blinded by their zealous pursuit of the latest variant of U.S. military diversity policy, reveal that policys intellectual vacuousness. Recent comments by the Navys top, uniformed personnel officer, however, did just that, exposing the Pentagon diversity policys intellectual bankruptcy and providing a focus for those who, following their commitment to the Constitution and the rule of law, genuinely believe Americas sons and daughters in uniform deserve the best leadership available.

On August 3, 2021, VADM John Nowell, Jr., Chief of Naval Personnel, made public comments arguing for reinstating the use of photographs in selection boards, justifying that position by saying that not using photographs is hurting diversity. He lamented that the Navys recent data (accumulated after the policy had been changed so it no longer included official photographs in personnel files the promotion boards used) show the new practice has hurt diversity. Rather than acknowledging that such evidence proves diversity policies undermine meritocracy in the military, Admiral Nowells further comments revealed the dishonest disregard for objective evidence and truth that pervades the pursuit of anti-white, racial discrimination in the name of diversity in our military.

He said, Its a meritocracy. Were only going to pick the best of the best, but were very clear with our language  that we want them to consider diversity across all areas. Right? And therefore  I think having a clear picture on this just makes it easier. So, actually, our data show that it would support adding photos back in.

Admiral Nowell also said, I think we should consider reinstating photos in selection boards. We look at, for instance, the one-star board over the last five years, and we can show you where, as you look at diversity, it went down with photos removed. (Emphasis added)

So, the Navys data show that when color-blind promotion boards do not use photos, they select the best  but that these results differ (fewer minority selectees, i.e., diversity  went down) compared to the selections (more minorities) when promotion boards do use photos that show candidates skin color (facilitating the use of racial preferences).

The Navys data are strong evidence of the negative effect that using racial preferences has on meritocracy and therefore the quality of the selection board outcome. Shockingly, that conclusion apparently escaped this 3-star flag officer whose job is to oversee Navy personnel policy. Ever true to the mantra that diversity policies never lower quality or involve lowering standards to make minorities more successful, he predictably claims the process, when influenced by photo-enabled racial preferences, is still a meritocracy.

Admiral Nowells explanation of the Navys data proves that diversity (when considered by a promotion board) means racial preferences. Would he admit that considering diversity (race) in a promotion board is, in practice, the extension of racial preferences? Not likely. Just call it diversity. That places the topic beyond the reach of critical thinking (and legal) analysis and discussion.

If only the best of the best will be chosen, why does a board need to know each candidates skin color? There is no evidence showing that skin color correlates positively with demonstrated performance and/or performance potential at a higher rank. Nor is there evidence to show that skin color correlates with the various traits and characteristics that make one an effective leader, such as integrity, judgment, professional competence, empathy, loyalty, et al.

Instead, these comments reveal the intellectually bankrupt attempt by those in power to deny that diversity inspired, race-based affirmative action in military promotions involves both anti-white discrimination and lowering standards. Admiral Nowell gives no substantive rationale for how and why skin color must be considered to identify the best of the best. He gives no explanation for how what is called diversity makes one candidate better than other candidates (the best). All that is said is the word diversity, and we are then expected to accept that as justifying ending the discussion and warranting a change in policy.

No, Admiral, the use of racial preferences in promotion boards is not a meritocracy. Racial preferences are, instead, antithetical to meritocracy. To claim that their use is (or is even consistent with) a meritocracy is a lie. Racial preferences use skin color where there is no evidence that race has anything to do with one candidates merit versus that of another. Injecting race is nothing more than a substitute for merit, using subjective, dubious (and clearly unproven, as to merit) notions that are based on skin color.

Defense Secretary Austins recent guidance that senior military leaders, and officers in general, will look like the rest of the force (i.e., racial demographic parity -- apparently wearing the same uniform is no longer enough) is apparently the driving force. It, too, is intellectually vacuous and an undeniable admission that quality is being sacrificed for the sake of racial demographic parity.

Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen want competence in their leaders ability to get them on and off the battlefield, accomplishing the mission with minimal loss of life. They care little for diversity-hired substitutes for the leadership they need and deserve. Hal Moores men, and those who have studied the battle at LZ X-Ray, would attest to the fact that his battalions soldiers cared not at all what his (or his subordinate leaders) skin color was. Those who survived did so because of Colonel Moores superior leadership and the bravery of Soldiers and Airmen of all colors and ethnicities.

The Chief of Naval Personnels meritocracy claim is dishonest doublespeak. It is untrue on its face. Its context -- race-based preferences in military promotions -- is extremely bad policy for a long list of reasons. His words also reflect a betrayal of our Constitution and DODs systemic violation of Section 601 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Until our courts intervene, for so long as the U.S. military continues down its current path, its ability to defend the Nation will progressively weaken.

Equally troubling is the Pentagons implicit moral failure. One of Americas legendary combat leaders, Medal of Honor recipient Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston, USMC (ret.), has observed: Americas Moms and Dads gift their children for the purpose of defending the country. Our moral responsibility is to provide them the best possible leadership and, to the extent possible, return them safely to the gifting family. Substituting the best possible leadership with diversity promotions to satisfy a political agenda would be an egregious moral failure, worsened only by DODs facially dishonest claims of meritocracy.

Mr. McQuarrie is a former U.S. Army officer, having served first in the Infantry and then in the Judge Advocate Generals Corps. He is a retired litigation partner from the international law firm Norton Rose Fulbright. The opinions expressed are his alone and are not those of the Department of Defense or of Norton Rose Fulbright.

Image: United States military.

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Another horrific instance of violence in America occurred on August 7: the killing of Chicago police officer Ella French and the shooting of her partner. The two brothers arrested in this case include 21-year-old Emonte Morgan, who received a sentence of probation in 2019 for robbery in lieu of jail time. His brother, Eric Morgan, was also on probation.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot's tepid response to the killing was a statement that it's "time for us to come together as a city." When Lightfoot visited the hospitalized officer, dozens of Chicago police officers reportedly turned their backs on her, and she was "scolded" by the officer's father. She dismissed the incident by posting that "in a time of tragedy, emotions run high."

No, the officer's father was not "running high," and the idea that "guns" were responsible is ridiculous. Ella French died and her partner was seriously wounded because of the evil of violent criminals, because those criminals had been let out on the streets with no jail time at all, and because criminals have been emboldened by politicians who are too quick to attack and call for defunding the police.

Unfortunately, Ella French was not the only officer killed recently in Chicago or in America as a whole. Three hundred sixty-nine officers died in the line of duty in the USA in 2020; so far in 2021, 194 have died. Some of these deaths occurred because of the toxic environment in which police officers work. Without the support of liberal politicians, the police are alone on our streets. Their job has always been a dangerous one, but it is made more dangerous because of city and state leaders, and of the Biden administration, that refuse to wholeheartedly support them.

America is a violent country. There were over 16,000 murders and non-negligent manslaughters in the USA in 2019. And there were nearly 100,000 forcible rapes, 268,000 robberies, and 821,000 aggravated assaults. Violent crimes totaled 1.2 million that year, and the numbers may be 25% higher in 2020 (statistics will be out later this year).

America is more violent than many other developed countries. By contrast, there were 929 murders in Japan in 2020, 779 in France in 2018, 788 in Germany, and 681 in Britain in similar periods. Those countries have a smaller population than the U.S., but nonetheless, the murder rate, adjusted for population, is much lower. In 2019, the murder rate in Germany was 0.8 cases per 100,000  in the USA it was 5.0 per 100,000, 6.25 times higher. And estimates for 2020 and 2021 put America's murder rate even higher, perhaps 7.8 times higher than Germany's.

Closer to home, Canada is by no means a utopia: its crime rate, overall, is twice that of the U.S., and its per capita GDP is 40% lower. But the murder rate in the U.S. is three times that of Canada, and our rate of violent assaults is twice that of our peaceful neighbor to the North. Something is amiss in America, and it is getting worse in cities and states controlled by liberals.

Just going to the grocery or to church is dangerous, and it's especially dangerous for those who are helpless  the elderly, the disabled, and children. According to the CDC, physical abuse of senior citizens is increasing, with murders of men aged 60 to 69 "skyrocketing." Perhaps for political reasons, attacks on Asian-Americans have garnered much publicity  with the excuse that "it's Trump's fault" because he identified China as the source of the COVID epidemic  but in fact, violent assaults against senior citizens regardless of ethnicity "have surged in recent years," according to the CDC. In a recent year (2016), non-fatal assaults of elderly men stood at 136.3 per 100,000, a figure that includes only emergency room admissions, and it is increasing under our current president.

The first obligation of government is to protect its citizens, whether from foreign attack or violence in their own country. Government is not fulfilling its obligation, particularly amid the movement to defund the police. Despite attempts to rebuild departments, policing in many cities remains understaffed and inadequate in the face of rising crime rates. And politicians and judges have decided to empty prisons onto the streets or to not send criminals to prison in the first place. There's nothing like "out on parole, no time served" to embolden a violent criminal.

Americans have a sense that crime is spiraling out of control, and they are right. No matter where one lives, every trip outside the home involves danger, and even in the home, one is not safe. In 2017, 1.7 million home burglaries took place, and the numbers are rising in 2020 and 2021. Fully 75% of homes will be burglarized in the next twenty years. Just sitting in one's living room or sleeping in the bedroom can be dangerous as criminals fire into the home.

We live in an era of barbarism, and liberal politicians are turning away from the problem because the solution involves strong action against politically protected groups. Black males constitute only 6.5% of the U.S. population, but they commit nearly 50% of all murders. Biden's $1-trillion infrastructure bill contains plenty of money for broadband, but nothing for policing. And his proposed $4-trillion American Families bill has plenty for free babysitting but nothing to keep us safe. Police departments are not fully staffed, and the result is more violent crime.

The solution is more aggressive policing, more apprehensions, and longer sentences for criminals. Those who commit crimes must know that there will be severe consequences. Illinois's death penalty was abolished in 2011 by then-governor Patrick Quinn, a Democrat. The consequence of killing Ella French will not be as severe as it should have been, and criminals know it.

The only way to address violent crime is to double or triple funding for the police and give them the authority to go after violent offenders. The police are our heroes  Ella French was a hero  and heroes need to know that we have their backs.

Jeffrey Folks is the author of many books and articles on American culture including Heartland of the Imagination (2011).

Image via Pixy.

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Sharon Wrobel reports in The Algemeiner that US Representatives Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and five other Democrats have called for the US Treasury to stop granting tax exemptions to American charitable organizations active in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem. Once the government gets in the act, its going to start looking at all charitable organizations, sweeping in BDS activities as well.

I am sure that Squad members Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib, Pressley, along with Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman, believe sacrifices must be made for the Cause, as long as others make the sacrifices. I cannot give legal advice, but I suspect that it is civilly and perhaps even criminally unlawful to use the Internal Revenue Service, or any other Federal agency, to harm somebody with whom you disagree. This means that, were Secretary Yellen to act on this incitement, her career (but not those of the aforementioned Democrats) might be at serious risk.

This is far from an isolated incident when it comes to leftists sacrificing others in their efforts to destroy Israel. Ben & Jerrys acceded to pressure to end sales of its ice cream in what it calls the Occupied Palestinian Territories and is now losing business wholesale. Numerous states are invoking anti-boycott laws to disqualify the company from doing business with them, while a Forbes article implies a breach of fiduciary duty:

But Unilever has a fiduciary duty to its shareholders. It is now time for Unilever to find ways to terminate that old arrangement that takes Unilever shareholders hostages by Ben & Jerrys independent board.

I am sure Students for Justice in Palestine and similar entities will fight to the last Unilever stockholder and Ben & Jerrys employee to make the Middle East Judenrein. Nonetheless, the Democrats in question do have a good idea provided that we modify it a bit and in ways not to their liking.

Nonprofit organizations such as 501(c)(3) entities (professional and religious) and 501(c)(5) entities (labor unions) must understand something upfront when they get involved in Middle Eastern politics. There is a war in the Middle East between Israel and terrorists. Running parallel to that war, there is a nonviolent civilian theater here in the United States.

Before a nonprofit organization gets in involved in the civilian theater in America, it had better realize that it is customary during wartime to harm the enemy by whatever lawful means are at hand. That nonprofits status will be targeted whenever lawfully possible for reasons related or unrelated to BDS. It is easy enough to search the Internet for legitimate reasons to file Form 13909 complaints against nonprofits that support Boycott, Divest, Sanction (BDS), a movement to delegitimize and sanction Israel. These searches would have never occurred had the organizations remained neutral.

The Internal Revenue Service has some very explicit rules for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations, and some may even apply to 501(c)(5) unions, although I do not know and cannot give legal advice. The IRS is not going to revoke the tax-exempt status of pro-Israel groups or, for that matter, anti-Israel groups that comply with the rules. However, should you be looking at a Form 13909 (which can be downloaded here), youll see why the IRS might in fact revoke a tax exemption. In the context of the BDS movement, the Form 13909 factors most likely to be applicable are as follows:

Organization is involved in a political campaign. 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations, including churches, are absolutely forbidden to try to influence elections. At least one 501(c)(3) professional organization and one church that have joined the BDS movement published derogatory remarks about Donald Trump on their official websites before the 2020 election. Income/Assets are being used to support illegal or terrorist activities. Rev. Rul. 75-384 makes it unequivocally clear that illegal includes nonviolent but unlawful civil disobedience. Illegal actions by individuals who act on their own do not count but acts that an organization orchestrates do. One major 501(c)(3) BDS supporter has published on its own website several accounts of civil disobedience in which its members, including those in leadership roles, were arrested. Form 13909 does not include a check box for ultra vires acts, which means acts outside the organizations scope as defined by its articles of incorporation, bylaws, charter, and mission as reported to the IRS on Form 990. There is however a place on the form for other facts supporting a complaint. Again, I cannot give legal advice but Ultra Vires Acts: Why Nonprofits Must Follow Their Articles & Bylaws warns that, among other things, Directors and Officers insurance might not cover directors who involve their organizations in ultra vires activities.

The following actions by left-leaning organizations might qualify as ultra vires acts:

First, the Modern Language Association considered a boycott of Israel which drew this response from the Louis Brandeis Law Center:

The Brandeis Center letter informed the MLA President and Executive Director in writing that the proposed resolution is ultra vires  that is, outside the legal framework by which the MLA has been established  and as an organization that is incorporated in the state of Maryland, likely illegal under Maryland corporate law. Further, the proposed resolution is inconsistent with the mission and programs that the MLA reports to the Internal Revenue Service.

The MLA rejected the boycott, and some members who wanted it quit as a result, but they are no great loss because their success would have put their organization at risk for the reasons described by the Brandeis Law Center. Also note, the boycott of Israeli academic institutions, as called for by Palestinian civil society I am sure Palestinian civil society is fine with putting the MLAs existence at risk because, after all, sacrifices (by anybody other than Palestinian civil society) must be made for the Cause.

Second, the American Studies Association was sued unsuccessfully for ultra vires acts, as (I understand) the court decided that their charter and mission gave them enough leeway to join the BDS movement, and the plaintiffs could not show $75,000 in damages. It should go without saying, although it apparently doesnt, that allowing ones members to bring an acrimonious political controversy under ones roof, to the extent it leads to litigation, is nonetheless bad for morale, cohesion, and membership retention. Cornell Law School Professor William Jacobson filed a complaint (probably a Form 13909) against the ASA over this issue as well.

Third, some 501(c)(5) teachers and teaching assistants unions joined the BDS movement even though their charters and/or Form 990 tax returns cite only collective bargaining as their reasons for existence.

Representatives Ocasio-Cortez, Bush, Pressley, and Tlaib let the genie out of the bottle and they cannot put it back. I encourage Israels supporters to research every single 501(c) nonprofit organization that has joined the Palestinian cause to see whether the group (1) uses 501(c)(3) resources to influence an election, (2) engages in unlawful civil disobedience, or (3) engages in ultra vires activities beyond the scope of activities the organization has reported to the IRS.

Remember, that the IRS is a federal agency that is responsible for meeting a highly professional, non-partisan, and impartial accounting standard. In this, its distinct from the partisan weapon the Squad would like it to be, and it probably takes a dim view of those who provide it with inaccurate information. Any Form 13909 complaint must be supported with objective evidence that the IRS can verify for itself, as opposed to having to take the complainants word for it. Copies of web pages can be attached to the form to support the complaint.

Civis Americanus is the pen name of a contributor who remembers the lessons of history and wants to ensure that our country never needs to learn those lessons again the hard way. He or she is remaining anonymous due to the likely prospect of being subjected to cancel culture for exposing the Big Lie behind Black Lives Matter.

Image: The Squad by Andrea Widburg, using public domain photos.

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In a few days, we may see the Taliban flag over the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. What a way to remember the 20th anniversary of 9/11! Once again, we defeated the enemy, stayed for a while, and then handed them the victory they couldn't win on the field.

By the way, I disagree with those who say that we were "nation building" in Afghanistan. Our presence was strategic, a military base in a region that we need to be present in.

Yes, Representative Mike Rogers is right, and we will call it Biden's Saigon:

U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on the rapidly deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. "For months, I have pressed President Biden for a plan to avoid the very situation that is now happening in Afghanistan. Now, American lives are at risk because President Biden still doesn't have a plan. Weeks ago, President Biden promised the American people that we would not have a Saigon moment in Afghanistan  Now, we are watching President Biden's Saigon moment unfold before us. "The turmoil happening in Afghanistan is a surprise to no one. Unfortunately, I believe the worst is yet to come. "Our allies are watching as Afghanistan rapidly deteriorates and President Biden still claims he does not regret his unconditional withdrawal. Make no mistake, the consequences of President Biden's haphazard withdrawal will be felt for decades. "All we needed was a plan to avoid this very moment. Mr. President, where is the plan?"

Where's the plan? No plan  just we have to do it differently from how Trump did it. "I am not Trump" is all we heard from the guy hiding in the basement. Yes, indeed, he is not Trump, as we learn every week at the gas station, watching the border, and now in Afghanistan.

What happened after we handed Vietnam to the communists in 1975? They were emboldened in Central America, Cuban troops were running around in Africa, Iran collapsed, and we started hearing all of those jokes about the U.S. being a paper tiger. Maybe all of those aforementioned things would have happened anyway, but projecting weakness did not help.

God only knows what happens now. Fasten your seat belt, because it will be turbulent.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).

Image: National Archives.

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It is madness for the United States not to control its borders and who lives here.

In The March of Folly, Barbara Tuchman notes that misgovernment is of four kinds: (1) tyranny or oppression, (2) excessive ambition, (3) incompetence or decadence, and (4) folly or perversity. Folly is the pursuit of a policy contrary to the self-interest of the constituency or state involved.

To qualify for folly, the policy must meet three criteria: it must be perceived as counter-productive in its own time, not just in hindsight; a feasible alternative course of action must have been available; and the policy in question must be that of a group and persist beyond any one political lifetime. The four major examples of folly described in the book are bringing the wooden horse inside the walls of Troy despite urgent warnings not to do so; the Protestant secession from the Catholic Church, caused by the folly and perversity of six popes between 1470 and 1530; the loss of America by the British, primarily over taxation, when the retention of America would have been worth far more for the mother country economically and politically than any sum ever raised by taxation; and America's folly in following the defeated French into Vietnam and ignoring abundant evidence that the Vietnamese did not want us there and that our mission was doomed unless we were willing to engage in full-scale unrestricted war  which we were not.

The American policy of permitting millions of unvetted aliens into the country satisfies all three criteria to be deemed folly.

Everyone knows why it is happening. Democrats want to do to the rest of the country what they did to California. By flooding California with millions of poor people from third-world countries, Democrats were able to transform California from a vibrant two-party center-right state to single-party far-left Democrat rule of all three branches of government. To state the obvious, poor people need more government services and are more likely to vote for Democrats than Republicans. As the great Rush Limbaugh used to say, "it's difficult to compete with Santa Claus."

The number of illegals currently storming our southern border and the numbers already living here are Deep State secrets. The Democrats and their allies in the media don't want the American people to know the magnitude, lest the voters become aroused and demand that the invasion be stopped. The Dems have no intention of stopping the invasion until the Californication of the country has been completed.

But there are warning signs of how large the numbers are. Three years ago, a Yale study estimated that there may be more than 22 million "undocumented" living in the country. Customs and Border Enforcement show an explosion of enforcement actions. For all of fiscal year 2020, there were 646,000. For fiscal year 2021, just through the end of July, there have been 1,510,000. Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas just reported that there were 212,672 migrant encounters on the U.S.-Mexico border in July 2021. For July 2020, the number was 40,929.

What are the demographics of the invaders? We don't know. The Biden administration is doing everything it can to shield this information from the public. It is safe to assume that the majority of those flooding across the Rio Grande are not their home countries' "best and brightest." It is also safe to assume that the vast majority are desperately poor, speak little or no English, and have low education levels. We know that tens of thousands are diseased. Many have criminal histories. There have been reports that ICE has been ordered to release even those with confirmed criminal histories or outstanding warrants. Are there terrorists among them? Undoubtedly.

Applying the Tuchman three-prong test for folly, all three criteria have been met. The policy of permitting hundreds of thousands of unscreened aliens into the United States is clearly counterproductive and against our national interests. A viable alternative is readily available: you simply stop the invaders at the border and send them back to Mexico. As to the third test, the requirement that the policy persist beyond one political lifetime, Democrats have wanted to change the fundamental demographics of the country since the massive overhaul of our immigration laws in the 1960s under the direction of Ted Kennedy.

If Congress had the cojones to do so, it could solve the illegal immigration problem in about five minutes. It would require passing three pieces of legislation. The first would require that every worker in the U.S. be E-Verified. The second would declare that American-born offspring of illegal alien mothers are not entitled to birthright citizenship. Currently, the United States and Canada are the only first-world nations that give birthright citizenship to the children of illegal alien mothers. Finally, Congress would pass a law overruling the Plyler v. Doe Supreme Court decision that mandates free public-school education for illegal alien children.

Image: BBC World Service via Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0.

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When Irish-born Mary Doherty took her husband Jim on his first visit to Ireland, they drove the twenty minutes across the border into Derry/Londonderry. This was in 1973, during the Troubles when the tensions between the people of the Republic of Ireland and the British government were at their peak. The rogue IRA (Irish Republican Army) was doing its best to rid Ireland of the English, ultimately to have a Free State consisting of all 32 counties and not just the 26 agreed upon in 1921 after the War of Independence. Vehicle and pedestrian checkpoints were manned by armed British soldiers as the possibility of IRA bombings and shootings was ever-present.

As they walked into the sidewalk checkpoint hut, a female British guard extended her arm to take Mary's handbag for inspection. Mary declared she was a United States citizen and would not be cowed into complying with British demands. No one was going to rifle through Mary's bag, no matter how strongly the matron insisted. Notice would have been taken that Mary's slight brogue was not the Derry twang  she was from the Republic. The push was on, and the argument continued round and round. The male guards watched, shifting from foot to foot, and Jim already had it figured his wife would be hauled off.

You see, Mary was raised on a farm in Keelogs a mile up the road from Buncrana and remembered the bitterness that the war brought to County Donegal. The bloody Black and Tans, the British irregulars, would raid the farms in the areas, searching the cottages for arms and grown sons. Mary's brothers hid out in the damp bog fields while the soldiers tossed their Grannie's house. One time, annoyed that no hidden arms were discovered, one Tan swept his arm across Grannie's cupboard, crunching on the shattered cups and plates on his way out the door.

Mom never did get her handbag searched, and Dad eventually stopped sweating.

Among the governmental policies to remind those Irish of who was in charge in the U.K. counties of Northern Ireland, the insidious ploy of hiring Irish Catholic women while leaving Catholic Irish men without a source of employment was the meanest. What it told the man was that he and his abilities were worthless, but the wife has something to contribute. The family would live on what she earned while the man of the house could idle away his time. Not only was this playing with Irish income, but it was playing with Irish heads.

When any government proposes to tell you what you are worth, you are in danger of believing it if you have no internal resources to fight back. Efforts to belittle you because of who you are or what you think will succeed as long as you allow it.

When any government proceeds to make you dependent on their largesse, you will lose your self-esteem and worthiness. Efforts to make you feel comfortable by paying you to remain idle at home are a dangerous step. Those Irish men had no choice because no jobs were open to them.

Americans have a choice. Sitting on your duff while collecting a check may make you feel smug inside when it should make you squirm. When the payments stop, you may have lost the ability to secure employment at a level with which you are comfortable. And a bit of your self-worth just slipped a rung.

Irish men went "on the dole" by collecting government handouts. While the wife worked, the husband waited. Many a time a pint in the pub brought scant solace.

Americans are "on the dole" when the government relieves them of paying rent, pays them to stay home, and pays their college debt. They won't have to worry about others belittling them because the degrading process has already begun  and it will have been self-inflicted.

Now that I think of it, it's hard to imagine anyone demanding Mary Doherty loop that mask behind her ears.

Molly Maffei Baldwin is a retired New Jersey elementary teacher. She now lives comfortably in small-town Texas. She may be contacted by email at mollymaffeibaldwin@yahoo.com.

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Joe Biden's team at the White House spends a lot of time obsessing about 'optics.' They insist there will be no Saigon-style evacuation in Afghanistan as Americans bail out. Last July 8, Joe assured us there was no chance of Taliban takeover. It's always about the optics, not the facts on the ground.

So what is one to make of Joe Biden heading off for a five-day vacation?

A major U.S. military commitment in Afghanistan is collapsing before the entire world's eyes.

And the White House? Nobody's home at the White House. Joe's got other things to do. The White House says Biden is off to play with his grandchildren. He'll catch up when he gets back.

Which is atrocious optics, and much, much more. His entire presidency so far has been a failure of leadership and planning. Afghanistan is its culmination.

First, what's going on with the multi-billion-dollar intelligence community that they could miss an event as big as this? And why do their leaders still have jobs?

Second, what's going on with the Pentagon, in particular its military leader, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley? Why have billions of dollars in Humvees, Blackhawk helicopters, rockets, and advanced weapons of war, been abandoned to the Taliban? Why have the supposedly U.S.-trained Afghani soldiers folded like cheap suits and fled in terror, leaving a huge treasure trove of captured booty to the terrorists? In an orderly retreat, you don't normally arm your enemy on the way out. Any planning there, any leadership? Just a lot of pass the buck. As for Milley himself, he's got his priorities, too -- ranting on about the Reichstag fire and the Jan. 6 Capitol fracas, calling a Trump aide "Rasputin," comparing Trump voters to Hitler, accusing President Trump of a non-existent coup, and musing about "white rage" and critical race theory. Tucker Carlson has a good rundown here. Besides that, what's with this putting of 3,000 U.S. troops in harm's way to evacuate the U.S. embassy. Did he try to get Joe to stop with his hare-brained pullout plan before he left the embassy defenseless and forced to ship troops in again? Why does this general who makes George McClellan look masterly by comparison, still have a job?

Third, what's going on with the refugees, many of whom have collaborated with the U.S. and have legitimate reasons to flee. Anybody plan for that? Biden announced his pullout in April and apparently nothing was done. According to this piece here, Biden officials are scrambling to find some, any, country that can take some of them at least temporarily, starting with the 80,000 in the Kabul perimeter with obviously more outside. They're trying to muscle Albania and Kosovo into taking them, while Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, have all said no. Putin's Russia might have been a good place to put them, given Russia's spacious land and its huge Central Asian population, but Biden blew up that bridge earlier with his insults to Putin, he apparently never planned for that. Meanwhile, the refugees are desperate, given that they are crowded into broiling hot Kabul with no housing, no food, no services. Some are threatening to set themselves on fire if they don't get papers. And in reality, they should be shown mercy, these are real refugees, not people in designer clothes with cash to pay smugglers in a quest for a bigger benefits package. No planning, nobody home.

What's going on with the Afghan central bank? When the Taliban closes in, what happens to the $9.5 billion in reserves? Are there any plans to get it out, or just burn the joint and all the cash in it (the U.S. could easily replace the cash or M3 and M4 if it came to that) to keep it out of the Taliban hands? Or will the Taliban be flinging money -- and drawing allies from cash-strapped hellholes like Venezuela and Cuba for its war-booty bonanza?

Lastly, what's with the embassy? According to CNN analyst Peter Bergen, the U.S. may move its embassy to the Kabul airport. Out on Twitter, the word being spread around is that Kabul airport is where the Taliban is circling right now in a bid to break into the city. If both reports are true, then the U.S. will be jumping from the frying pan into the fire. What kind of planning is this?

It's not a plan at all. It's a sign to the world that nobody's in charge in the U.S. Biden who should have been shunted off to the dog tracks by now is instead at the White House, but now on vacation, prioritizing playing with his grandkids, eating ice cream. It's a massive failure of leadership from a man who has never been anything but a motor-mouthed politician. He's never done anything, he's never been on top of events, but here we are. The biggest foreign policy failure since Vietnam is on us, and Joe has gone on vacation.

Image: Screen shot from CNN video, posted on shareable YouTube

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Afghanistan is a disaster of untold dimensions. It's a story so big that it's actually drawing mainstream media interest, given the monumental scale of failure from our country's sorry leadership.

Nothing beats this analysis from a CNN contributor who blasts Joe Biden to smithereens in the most damning presentation of facts so far. That CNN would publish this is almost as newsworthy as the unfolding Afghanistan fiasco.

Peter Bergen is an old war correspondent who was onto bin Laden back in the 1990s and actually interviewed the monster. He knows his stuff.

In his analysis, he puts all of the blame squarely on Joe Biden.

His most important points:

One, Biden's sudden pullout from Afghanistan is identical to the sudden U.S. pullout from Iraq in 2011. That was when ISIS began its blitzkreig and almost toppled Baghdad. Who was behind that? Sure enough, Joe Biden, who learned literally nothing from that fiasco. As a matter of common sense, President Obama sent the troops back, bailing Biden out. But it made no impression on Biden. He went on to repeat his disastrous mistake in Afghanistan. Bergen writes:

Now Biden is presiding over a debacle entirely of his own making in Afghanistan  and one that has unfolded more swiftly than even the most dire prognostications.

Two, the ISIS blueprint is obvious. It's not just in the blitz with toppling regional capitals; it's in the strategy and tactics. It's obvious at least to everyone but Joe Biden. Bergen notes that the Taliban has been attacking prisons and releasing their inmates, who go on to join the Taliban and fight with them, giving them a big bank of recruits. The government says most are criminals. But that's significant. As Eric Hoffer wrote in The True Believer, those are precisely the kind of people who seek to erase their ruined lives and become fanatics in charge of a revolutionary movement. Biden of course is clueless.

Three, Biden's current strategy of negotiating with the Taliban, hoping they'll turn into nice swamp creatures addicted to cocktail parties, foreign aid, and consultant contracts, is idiocy. The stupid approach did start with President Trump, but considering all the Trump actions Biden has thrown out, it's pretty amazing that Biden kept this one. This is how bad it's been:

Khalilzad traveled to Doha this week where he has led "peace" negotiations with the Taliban for the past three years "to help formulate a joint international response to the rapidly deteriorating situation in Afghanistan." Good luck with that. During the last rounds of negotiations that started under the Trump administration, Khalilzad entered into agreements with the Taliban that stated in exchange for a total US withdrawal, they would break with al Qaeda and enter into genuine peace talks with the Afghan government. The Taliban have reneged on those agreements, according to the United Nations and the Afghan government.

The Taliban doesn't follow agreements any more than a wild animal would. Biden is clueless.

It gets worse. Bergen then gets into the prisoner issue again, and his conclusion is a doozy:

Meanwhile, Khalilzad agreed to pressure the Afghan government to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners, several of whom simply rejoined their old comrades on the battlefield once they were released. It's hard to recall a more failed and counterproductive diplomatic effort. Maybe British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's attempt to reach a lasting peace agreement with Adolf Hitler in 1938 in Munich on the cusp of World War II?

Neville Chamberlain is about Biden's speed, except that Chamberlain was a reasonably honorable man and in the end understood his failure. Biden never learns.

Bergen forecasts some horrible things coming down the pike based on these idiotic decisions from the U.S.'s commander in chief.

One, the Taliban is going to dance around and carve out a "victory" for itself on 9/11 as Biden withdraws U.S. troops entirely. It's not been like Iraq, where troops were eventually kept there under another name, and ISIS was eventually destroyed by President Trump. Biden is staying his disastrous course and claims he has "no regrets."

Two, the Taliban, like Iraq, is going to make itself a magnet for "foreign fighters" and I suppose "Taliban brides," and all the other crap that came of that wretched era. President Trump shut it all down in a matter of months. But Biden is actually setting the stage for the whole thing to flourish all over again.

Bergen is a polite writer and scratches his head in his conclusion:

Why Biden chose one path in Iraq and another in Afghanistan isn't clear. But what is clear is that a predictable debacle is now unfolding under Biden's watch in Afghanistan.

Conclusion: Biden is a disaster as a leader, and he's the author and owner of the fiasco in Afghanistan.

Bergen may be scratching his head as to why Biden could be so foolish, but what many of our readers will be scratching their heads about is how this piece got published on CNN.

Perhaps they're looking for credibility these days, and they've easily got it in Bergen. Perhaps they're looking to go mainstream. The other thing is, the Biden clown show can't be ignored anymore  too many news agencies on it. It all might come down to their recent past, which got them in this predicament: turning themselves into a fourth-rate Democrat propaganda organ didn't work out so well for them ratings-wise. The network must know this and have concluded that their only recourse to draw back listeners is to publish credible analyses like this.

Image: Screen shot from CNN video via shareable YouTube.

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It is no secret that the Biden administration has a serious cyber-security problem. In fact, American vulnerability under the new president has ushered in a period of unprecedented cyber-activity against the U.S., and new attacks have wrought havoc against all sectors of the economy and critical infrastructure.

Headlines from the beginning of the year through deep into the summer have been dominated by attacks against entities including Apple, Colonial Pipeline, beef supplier JBS, and Kaseya, and these hacks all have happened in the aftermath of the wide-ranging SolarWinds attack, which affected tens of thousands of public and private organizations.

In response, the various agencies operating under the Biden administration have rolled out, on what seems to be a monthly basis, initiative after initiative all in an effort to stay ahead of the next major attack. Some of these initiatives include the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s "Reduce the Risk of Ransomware Campaign" and a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) program that is providing grants to state and local government agencies to spend toward improving cyber-security.

Grant spending is actually one of the lesser discussed aspects of the new Senate-approved $1.2-trillion infrastructure bill, as the bill includes a whopping $1 billion in additional spending for the FEMA grant program. If the bill is eventually signed into law as it is currently written, there would be $200 million in new grant spending available in 2022, $400 million for 2023, $300 million for 2024, and $100 million for 2025. The actual beneficiaries of the grant program will be chosen by officials at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), a sub-division within DHS.

And CISA, the agency that is perhaps the most directly responsible for overseeing the security of America's critical infrastructure, just recently announced a new Joint Cyberdefense Collaborative at the Black Hat cyber-security conference on August 5. In remarks made by newly minted CISA director Jen Easterly, she described the new initiative as an effort to harness the expertise of the public sector  namely, the companies that many refer to as the "Big Tech" giants that dominate the Silicon Valley scene. With their help, CISA hopes to better defend America against cyber-attacks against critical infrastructure and other valuable targets.

Easterly, who was confirmed to her post in July months after being nominated, takes over as the first non-interim appointee to the post since Chris Krebs was fired by former President Trump in late 2020 after making controversial statements with regard to the security of the 2020 presidential election.

Although the main companies being enlisted into this effort, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, are easy to criticize by many on the right for their liberal bias and pronounced efforts over the past few years at encouraging online censorship, particularly Google, they are among the most advanced companies in the cyber-security space.

Microsoft, for one, which is the company responsible for perhaps the most commonly used anti-virus suite in the world, Microsoft Defender Antivirus (formally Windows Defender), has also created the Microsoft Detection and Response Team (DART). DART works with several outside security organizations around the world and provides investigative services to both public and private entities, including those in the financial sector.

Additionally, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud Services also provide a security net to their millions of customers globally against the inescapable online threats that proliferate daily.

The experience and know-how of these companies is the exact kind of expertise needed to improve CISA's current strategy, especially as the U.S. continues to play catch-up in the cyber-sphere.

With the rise of international state-sponsored Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) and Ransomware, as well as the growing global cyber-war happening internationally, it seems that Easterly's initial vision for CISA's new direction is appropriate, albeit occurring later than it should have been for the agency.

Julio Rivera is a business and political strategist, the editorial director for Reactionary Times, and a political commentator and columnist. His writing, which is focused on cyber-security and politics, has been published by websites including Newsmax, Townhall, American Thinker and BizPacReview.

Image: Blogtrepeneur.

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Quite often, I must resist the temptation to fall back on Tucker Carlson videos because he expresses so well something I've wanted to write. However, when it comes to America's utterly ignominious retreat from Afghanistan on Biden's watch, it's impossible for me to do better than Tucker did. In a few minutes, he reminds us of America's disgraceful retreat from Saigon, of the endless treasure we lost in Afghanistan (not just money, but the lives, happiness, and well-being of tens of thousands of men), and of the architects of the disaster who never pay a price  although the Afghanis are paying a terrible price.

So here's Tucker, along with his interview with Erik Prince. After watching the video, I've got a few more words from an astute friend:

Former Navy Seal: There should be a lot of people in Washington getting fired | https://t.co/cdbT2xoZkY  Bookwormroom (@Bookwormroom) August 14, 2021

But wait! There's more awfulness when you understand that the Chinese have already made huge inroads into Afghanistan. Here's my friend's extremely astute email on the subject:

So, as shocking as the Taliban advance footage may be, that is NOTHING compared to the underlying message of incompetence, dereliction, and quite possibly corruption. One of the basic tenets of military withdrawal is that, if you can't take materiel and equipment with you, you render it useless so it can't be used against you. Every trained military person knows this and had done so for millennia. Capitulation or defeat are the only normal circumstances where this doesn't happen  because you're dead and or otherwise can't act. I don't see that being the case here. What we're seeing now is a new phenomenon  healthy undefeated troops effectively giving their enemy their own arms as they walk away. There is no excuse. Every Humvee, every drone, every ammunition crate, should be DESTROYED before withdrawal. The Biden administration and the Biden administration generals in charge of this dereliction are effectively giving our technology to the Chinese waiting in the wings, and to the Taliban knocking on the door of our embassy in Kabul. It is shameful. And I have to ask, is it corrupt also? Was there some kind of deal struck? Why else would we leave intact usable arms, materiel, and munitions for our enemies? Cui bono? Clearly the ultimate beneficiaries are the CCP. Does the CCP have some kind of leverage that could bring about what would otherwise be military insanity?

I really have nothing to add. We retire from a bloody and ultimately pointless fray humiliated and insanely stupid or, possibly, deeply compromised.

Image: Taliban seize abandoned American weapons and supplies (an image from an Australian report about the Taliban seizing American supplies, a subject the MSM won't touch). YouTube screen grab.

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A year ago yesterday, according to the solar Gregorian civic calendar (Jewish and Arab calendars are lunar and somewhat different), on August 13, 2020, representatives of Israel and the United Arab Emirates signed a joint statement of intent, establishing full diplomatic relations between the two nations. One of the many outstanding accomplishments of the Donald J. Trump (R) administration, this document of intent was formalized a month later at a White House signing ceremony, with Bahrain as an additional signatory, as the Abraham Accords.

Named after Avraham (Abraham), the father of half-brothers Yitzhak (Isaac) and Ishmael from whom the Jews and Arabs respectively claim ancestry, the Abraham Accords declare:

We, the undersigned, recognize the importance of maintaining and strengthening peace in the Middle East and around the world based on mutual understanding and coexistence, as well as respect for human dignity and freedom, including religious freedom. We encourage efforts to promote interfaith and intercultural dialogue to advance a culture of peace among the three Abrahamic religions and all humanity. We believe that the best way to address challenges is through cooperation and dialogue and that developing friendly relations among States advances the interests of lasting peace in the Middle East and around the world. We seek tolerance and respect for every person in order to make this world a place where all can enjoy a life of dignity and hope, no matter their race, faith or ethnicity. We support science, art, medicine, and commerce to inspire humankind, maximize human potential and bring nations closer together. We seek to end radicalization and conflict to provide all children a better future. We pursue a vision of peace, security, and prosperity in the Middle East and around the world. In this spirit, we warmly welcome and are encouraged by the progress already made in establishing diplomatic relations between Israel and its neighbors in the region under the principles of the Abraham Accords. We are encouraged by the ongoing efforts to consolidate and expand such friendly relations based on shared interests and a shared commitment to a better future.

Nice words. Admirable goals. But as they enter the second year, have these words been translated into reality; have any of these goals been met?

Despite some setbacks and the expected unexpecteds  e.g., the Wuhan coronavirus with its attendant problems, Hamas's bombardment of Israel, and Israel's active response  diplomatic relations have been established, ambassadors exchanged. And there have been more positive developments. Fulfilling the signers' hopes of "[w]e support science, art, medicine, and commerce to inspire humankind," contacts in these fields from all involved are being established with plans for further expansion. At Israel21c, Abigail Klein Leichman elaborates on some of the progress in a very busy and productive year for all involved.

Every day brought another "first" between Israel and the UAE. In October, Etihad Airlines launched a Hebrew-language website to help Israeli travelers book reservations. Thousands of Israeli tourists flooded the UAE until Covid-19 put a temporary stop to that. ... Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics reported that between September 2020 and June 2021, Israel exported $197 million worth of goods to the UAE and imported $372 million worth of goods from the UAE. Groups formed quickly to foster connections. Among them are the Abu Dhabi-Israel Business Hub, UAE-Israel Business Council, Israeli-Emirati Forum, UAE-IL Tech Zone, Gulf-Israel Women's Forum, Gulf-Israel Green Ventures and UAE Israel Innovation Office. ... One of the most remarkable results of the Abraham Accords was the March announcement of a $10 billion UAE investment fund earmarked for the Israeli energy, manufacturing, water, space, health-tech and agri-tech sectors.

There are also the beginnings of academic cooperation with students and faculty exchanges, health care and medical research cooperation, and medical researcher exchanges, plus numerous planned joint business cooperation and exchanges. Although these Arab nations have given verbal support and sometimes a bit more to the so-called Palestinian cause, they do not share a border with Israel, so they have maintained low-key, discreet relations with Israel over the years. Therefore, the future of the Abraham Accords seems more solid than other agreements Israel has signed with its Arab neighbors in the past. For instance, the Camp David Accords between Israel's Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egypt's President Anwar Sadat, negotiated with the help of President Jimmy Carter (D) 43 years ago, did end the formal state of war between the two nations, which border each other, but the peace is icy cold  admittedly better than a hot deadly war  with minimal diplomatic exchanges but no cultural or business contact. The Oslo Accords, signed between Israel's Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and the PLO's Mahmoud Abbas and Yasser Arafat, with the help of President Bill Clinton (D) 28 years ago, is now remembered for their meaningless handshake, as Arafat, Abbas, and those they represented never had any intention of fulfilling it. And they didn't.

While problems remain, while there have been disagreements with still more to surely come, there are some solid reasons to be more optimistic about the Abraham Accords. Some. For those who care about peace, let's hope. And then work to support them.

Image via Pixy.

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In World War 2, the United States lost 400,000 men. This works out to about 300 deaths per day. Some days saw few men killed; at other times, thousands were killed in a single day. Okinawa alone, the final battle, saw more than twelve thousand Americans killed in less than one hundred days, a horrific flood of death. Could the America of today endure such losses?

The reason for mentioning this is because we must assess America's stomach for the next war. The strategy by which North Vietnam defeated the United States was simply to kill as many Americans as possible in the shortest amount of time  not for strategic gain, but for psychological advantage. It worked. We lost.

Undoubtedly, these facts figure into the gruesome calculus of the communist Chinese military dictatorship. Consider that a modern aircraft carrier, the largest ship in the United States Navy, has a complement of more than five thousand personnel. Sinking just one of these ships, especially if it caused heavy loss of life (a nuclear strike could instantly kill everyone on board), would be a devastating shock, both militarily and psychologically. Not only would our military commanders be stunned to the core, but our civilian population would be so shaken as perhaps to demand a complete abandonment of our interests in Asia.

Consider the reverse side of this: that the communist Chinese military forces could, with relative ease, absorb heavy losses of personnel. Indeed, they could use them as a flag around which to rally outrage and incite demands for revenge against the U.S.

We must therefore consider two vital questions: how likely is communist China to initiate total war against the United States? If it does so, then what will be the American response?

Numerous scenarios are possible. They are being meticulously analyzed. These two questions, however, must be answered first, in preparation for any eventuality.

The likelihood of China launching a direct, major attack on the United States is small but not entirely negligible. What is far more likely is an attack on American allies and interests in Asia. Specifically, invasions of Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam, and even Japan could happen simultaneously in an effort to overwhelm our response capabilities. This would put the ball in our court. American leaders would need nerves of steel in deciding what to do  counterattack, retaliate, or retreat  because surely, there could be no halfway measures at that point, no "proportional" response. Would we risk the almost inevitable escalation to nuclear conflagration? Or would we, to use the term made famous by the late Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, "go wobbly"? The wrong decision would likely be fatal.

American retreat would hand China the resources and power not only to dominate the Pacific but, eventually, to bully the United States into complete submission to its further demands, which would be endless and onerous. The alternative to surrender is total war, the complete and permanent destruction of their nation or ours.

Nerves of steel.

Undoubtedly, China understands this. The Chinese dictators well understand that an attack on the United States would be irrational, an almost hopeless endeavor. Yet history shows that Japan in 1941 was warned by no less a figure than its own Admiral Yamamoto not to even try, but it rolled the dice anyway and bombed Pearl Harbor. Once the war started, Yamamoto gave it his all and was killed in the process.

China's leaders can be irrational. They acted with reckless abandon in lying about, and exporting, the coronavirus, thereby inflicting millions of deaths worldwide. As both America and China suffer weakening economies and social disruption, miscalculation is easy, and over-optimism is a natural outcome of that. The Chinese may feel that their moment has finally come. They may decide that it's now or never. They may be right.

The greater question is not so much what the Chinese will do, but rather, how will we react in the worst-case scenario? That scenario moves closer every day. Can we sustain another Battle of Okinawa? Are we too far gone in wokeness to stiffen our spines, and shed vast quantities of our blood, once more, for freedom?

Moreover, what do the Chinese think we will do? Upon that depends everything.

Image via Pexels.

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A BBC journalist who is being expelled from Russia has spoken of her devastation after being told she can never return to the country.

Moscow correspondent Sarah Rainsford was told by the Russian authorities that her visa would not be renewed and that she must leave before it expires at the end of the month.

I am being expelled and I have been told that I cant come back  ever, she told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

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Ms Rainsford, who first went to the country as a student in the 1990s, said she had spent almost a third of her life living there.

To be honest, its devastating personally but it is also shocking.

Russia has never been a posting for me, it is not just any old place, it is a country that I have devoted a huge amount of my life to trying to understand.

The BBC has denounced the decision by the Russian authorities not to extend her visa as a direct assault on media freedom.

Officially the Russians have linked the decision to difficulties Russian journalists have had in obtaining or extending visas from the UK.

Ms Rainsford said she hold also been told that it was connected to sanctions imposed by the UK on Russian nationals for corruption and for human rights violations in Chechnya.

However, she said she believed that it was another sign of the way the country was increasingly turning in on itself.

There were clear signs for Russian media, there have been really serious problems in recent days and weeks for Russian independent journalists, she said.

But until now, for the foreign press, wed kind of been excluded from that, somehow shielded from all of that, but this is I think a clear sign that things have changed.

It is another really bad sign about the state of affairs in Russia and another downward turn in the relationship between Russia and the world and a sign that Russia is increasingly closing in on itself.

She said it appeared that the Russians preferred not to allow foreign journalists, like her, who could speak the language and communicate directly with people in the country.

It is much easier to have fewer people here who understand and can talk directly to people and hear directly peoples stories and to relate them, she said.

It is much easier to have people who perhaps dont speak the language, dont know the country so deeply.

I just think it is indicative of a really increasingly difficult and repressive environment.
Boris Johnson is facing calls from a former head of the British Army to launch an urgent humanitarian aid operation in Afghanistan amid fears of a looming refugee crisis.

As the UK began an operation to extract its remaining nationals from the country, Lord Dannatt said there was still time to show Afghans they were not being completely abandoned.

Thousands of refugees fleeing the Taliban have been pouring into the capital Kabul as the militants continued their lightning advance across the country.

The collapse of Afghan government forces followed the decision of the Biden administration to withdraw all remaining US forces, prompting other allies  including Britain  to follow suit.

While Lord Dannatt said he shared the anger of many military veterans who served there at the way the country was being left to its fate, he insisted it was still not too late for the UK Government to act.

It is okay to extract our British citizens. What about mounting a humanitarian operation in Kabul to look after some of the refugees, to build some camps, bring in some humanitarian supplies? he told BBC Breakfast.

At least lets show to the Afghan government we are not completely abandoning them and that we still stand side by side with them. It is quite possible to do that.

I think our Government should be thinking about that kind of response even though it has now pulled the plug on our wider military response.

There may come a moment when our last troops have got to go but until that point, let us do what we can to help with the humanitarian crisis, even if we have given up helping on the military side.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Johnson should seek emergency meetings of Nato and the UN Security Council to develop a joined-up international response to the crisis.

While the decision to withdraw soldiers from Afghanistan was not one made by the British Government alone, more can, and must be done to ensure this withdrawal does not result in a humanitarian crisis, he said.

We have an obligation to the people of Afghanistan and a responsibility to lead the international efforts over the coming days and weeks to support the Afghan government.

The first of 600 British troops taking part in Operation Pitting to assist in the withdrawal of remaining UK citizens began leaving for Afghanistan on Friday.

They will also help with the relocation of Afghans who helped British forces when they were in the country and now face reprisals if they fall into the hands of the Taliban.

Boris Johnson said on Friday the current situation was the inevitable logical consequence of the decision by the Biden administration to withdraw all remaining US forces by the 20th anniversary next month of the original 9/11 terror attacks.

The Prime Minister insisted the sacrifices of the British armed forces who fought in the country had not been in vain, but said there was no question now of a military solution to halt the Taliban onslaught.

He said the Government would use whatever political or diplomatic levers it could  including the UK overseas aid budget  to try to ensure that Afghanistan did not become a breeding ground again for international terrorism.

However there was anger among MPs across the political spectrum at the way events had unfolded with calls for Parliament to be recalled from its summer break so they can discuss the crisis.
An investigation has been launched into Plymouth gunman Jake Davisons possession of a shotgun and a firearms licence, which were returned to him in July after being removed at the end of last year.

Davison, 22, killed his mother on Thursday in the Keyham area of the city before going on to shoot dead four more people, including a three-year-old girl, and injure two others.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) announced on Friday it will investigate Devon and Cornwall Polices decision-making in relation to Davisons possession of the weapon and certificate.

The move came amid an outpouring of grief for the victims of the atrocity, with hundreds attending a candlelit vigil close to where the incident took place.

The IOPC said on Friday evening it had launched an investigation following a mandatory referral from Devon and Cornwall Police which contains preliminary information that Davisons firearm and licence were returned to him in early July this year.

The certificate and shotgun had been removed by police in December 2020 following an allegation of assault in September 2020, the watchdog said.

According to reports, Davisons firearms licence was returned after he attended an anger management course.

He killed his mother before going on to shoot dead four more people (PA)

IOPC regional director David Ford said the referral related to Thursdays events as well as police contact with Jake Davison prior to the incident, including the forces role and actions regarding firearms licensing.

He said: We will examine what police actions were taken and when, the rationale behind police decision-making, and whether relevant law, policy and procedures were followed concerning Mr Davisons possession of a shotgun.

It will also look at whether the force had information concerning Davisons mental health and if this was appropriately considered.

No investigation will take place into the forces response to the shootings, he added.

An outpouring of grief took place on Friday evening (Ben Birchall/PA)

Hundreds of people placed flowers and candles in North Down Crescent Park on Friday evening.

Plymouth Sutton and Devonport MP Luke Pollard tweeted images of the vigil and the victims names, writing: Tonight our community came together to remember the victims of the shooting in #keyham.

Mourners had tears in their eyes (Ben Birchall/PA)

Davison shot his 51-year-old mother Maxine Davison, also known as Maxine Chapman, at a house in Biddick Drive before he went into the street and shot dead Sophie Martyn, aged three, and her father Lee Martyn, aged 43, in an attack witnessed by horrified onlookers.

He killed Stephen Washington, 59, in a nearby park, before shooting Kate Shepherd, 66, on Henderson Place. She later died at Derriford Hospital.

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Davison also aimed and shot at two local residents  a man aged 33 and a 53-year-old woman  who are known to each other, in Biddick Drive.

They suffered significant injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for the issue of how Davison came to legally own a gun to be properly investigated and described the shooting as an absolutely appalling incident.

Flowers were left close to where the incident took place (Rod Minchin/PA)

Witness Peggy Holliday told how she had just finished having a tattoo and was walking to a shop when she heard screaming.

She told ITV News West Country: A couple of the gunshots went off and I ran opposite a pub and the owner came out and he shouted at me get in here, get in here now.

She said she literally clung underneath one of the pool tables for dear life before she froze.

It literally felt like a living nightmare, she said.

Devon and Cornwall Police received multiple calls about the incident at 6.11pm, with armed and unarmed officers arriving at the scene within six minutes and Davison found dead by 6.23pm.

Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer told Sky News that those present had faced some of the most challenging scenes.

Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer spoke about the challenging incident (Rod Minchin/PA)

It is believed that the mass shooting, which police are yet to establish a motive for, began with a domestic-related incident between Davison and his mother.

Weve never in my time had homicide followed by a rampaging firearms attack on random members of the public and then taking ones life, Mr Sawyer said.

That is without precedent in my time as chief constable.

Mr Sawyer described members of the public who witnessed what happened as extremely traumatised and said they were being supported by specialist officers.

Police officers continued to work at the scene on Friday (Ben Birchall/PA)

Davison was one of thousands of people in the Devon and Cornwall Police area to have a firearms licence granted to him, the chief constable said on Friday.

Mr Sawyer said Davisons licence would form part of the police investigation into the incident, including when it was granted, whether it was granted correctly, and whether it was ever removed and then restored.

Detectives are also examining Davisons social media output and phone use, police confirmed.

Police are looking into Davisons social media output (PA)

Social media posts and interactions offered insight into the mind of a man who was interested in guns and America, while his social media use suggests an obsession with the incel culture, meaning involuntary celibate , a culture which has amassed a following online among some men who feel they are being oppressed by women due to a perceived lack of sexual interest.

On Friday, forensic officers in protective clothing could be seen conducting fingertip searches at the scene, while a coroners ambulance was filmed leaving the area.

A large yellow tent was set up in the area, with several uniformed officers posted around the cordon.

Dozens of flowers, cards and soft toys have been left in tribute to the victims near the scene.

Cards and soft toys have paid tribute (Rod Minchin/PA)

One note read: Rest in peace. Thoughts and prayers with you all. A tragic loss. Such beautiful souls. Love to all.

Flags in Plymouth are being flown at half-mast following the atrocity, while Smeatons Tower was lit up as a mark of respect to the victims on Friday night.

A minutes silence will be held on Monday at 11am and books of condolence are available for the public to sign at several locations.
Marysville, CA (95901)

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Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High around 90F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low 59F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
Gandhi's account was temporarily suspended last week after he tweeted pictures of the family of a victim of alleged rape and murder

New Delhi: A week after temporarily suspending his account, Twitter restored Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's handle Saturday, but not before the principal opposition party accused it of bias.

Gandhi's account was temporarily suspended last week after he tweeted pictures of the family of a nine-year-old victim of alleged rape and murder in Northwest Delhi. Twitter deemed it violation of its rules.

Sources said the Twitter accounts of some of the party leaders who had shared the same pictures have also been restored.

"Rahul Gandhi's Twitter account has been unlocked," a party functionary said, adding the accounts of some of the leaders have also been restored.

The former Congress chief had made a strong outburst on Friday accusing Twitter of "interfering in the national political process" and said shutting down of his handle amounted to an "attack on the country's democratic structure".

Gandhi, in a YouTube video statement titled "Twitter's dangerous game", alleged that it was not a neutral and objective platform and was "beholden to the government.

Questioning Twitter's action, Gandhi had said the company was denying millions of his followers the right to an opinion, which was unfair.

"It's obvious now that Twitter is actually not a neutral, objective platform. It is a biased platform. It's something that listens to what the government of the day says," Gandhi had alleged.

In the wake of the friction with the Congress, Twitter has transferred its India head Manish Maheshwari, against whom an FIR was registered in Uttar Pradesh in connection with a probe related to a video of an alleged hate crime, to the US.

While the company did not specify any reason for the change, it said Maheshwari will move to the US as Senior Director (Revenue Strategy and Operations) and focus on new markets in his new role.
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
ICE

Very few people know of the Type 147 wagon from Volkswagen. Initially known as the Kleinlieferwagen, and over the years as Fridolin, this funny-looking car saw its destined use in the hands of the German Postal Authority (GPA). As history goes, the GPA came to Volkswagen with a request to build them a vehicle worthy of transporting as much German mail as possible.Initially, the GPA looked at using one of the famed micro-vehicles from Goggomobil, the Transporter. Having fallen short of GPAs needs, it was Volkswagens turn to offer the perfect vehicle. Under the GPAs requests for cargo space, a payload of 750 lbs (340 kg), and sliding doors for easy loading and unloading, VW went to work What did the GPA get? Well, a vehicle that would soon turn into a 6,000-piece production span over 10 years, according to VW. Since the needs of the organization differed from anything VW had at the current time, what you end up looking at is an amalgam of vehicles, all neatly wrapped up in a postal delivery machine.Overall, VW relied on parts from their air-cooled engine cars. At its base, a Karmann Ghia chassis supports an engine and transmission from a Beetle, while rear elements are all Type 2 Microbus. If the front of the bugger looks familiar, thats because the headlight assembly and hood are a Type 3 Notchback.Coming in with a weight of over a ton, it seemed to be the right fit for the GPAs needs and wants. In its use, it even caught the attention of another postal service, this time the Swiss. However, as VW mentions, 1,000 models were spat out for the Swiss, but they made some changes themselves.For the Swiss, VW was asked to furnish a different interior , after all, no two countries have the same flag, while more windows offered a better view inside. Possibly because of Swiss terrain (never been), a larger engine was asked for, and disc brakes to help safely control the beast. For added safety, exterior mirrors were added to the front fender.Now, if youve ever met a mail worker, you know the level of brutality their vehicles are exposed to; the Fridolin was no different. Over the years, with rust, rain, and potholes beating away at the cars, less than 200 models are reported to be left.Some of them have ended up in the hands of custom car tuners , while others are sitting in museums or unknown garages. Ive added a couple of images in the gallery to show you just what some tuners have in mind.A few years back, on the other hand, an impeccable 1969 Fridolin surfaced on Oldbug . When I say impeccable, I really mean it. The things got a little over 10K on the odometer, and the paint doesnt even have any rust on it. It looks like its been sitting in someones living room, let alone a garage. How much did it sell for? Around $95k. Yeah. Makes you want to rethink driving yourvehicle. The future is electric after all.Listen, you want an investment tip? Find a car that is slowly disappearing and hold on to it. Maybe itll turn out to be a $100K gem 50 years from now.
The famous car vlogger is now in Los Angeles, where shes teaming up with some of her celebrity pals and acquaintances and, in the process, gets a good look at some of their most unique vehicles. Shes already done a video with comedian slash ventriloquist Jeff Dunham, where she detailed the Chariot SUV from the 2018 Netflix series Lost in Space.This time, shes going for something different, but still with Dunham: a ride in his Ferret tank.Its not technically a tank, but a scout armored car, and the fact that Dunham owns it and is road-legal is no secret to car enthusiasts. The man famous for creating the act of Achmed the Dead Terrorist has a very eclectic taste in collectibles , so his collection includes anything from hot rods, to classics, modern cars and this Ferret tank.Dunham and Achmed take Supercar Blondie to the Starbucks drive-through, where Achmed, who owns the ride and describes it as his daily, orders a couple of fancy, high-calories drinks. The opening segment segues into a bit of cross-promotion (Duhnam has tickets to sell, and theyre not going to sell themselves), before were treated to the most important part: a presentation of the armored vehicle.Its a 1965 model that has been rendered road-legal. This means that it has a rearview camera in the cabin, turning lights, and all weapons demilitarized. The grenade and smoke grenade launchers, as well as the 13 mm Browning machine gun are fake, but they still make for a striking visual when the Ferret drives down the street.Speaking of which, Dunham says the Rolls-Royce engine delivers 140 hp and a max speed of 60 mph (96.5 kph), but he was able to take it all the way up to 70 mph (112.6 kph) once on an empty Los Angeles street . He also shows Supercar Blondie how the machine gun would have been operated back in the day, and how you drive the armored vehicle. In case youre wondering about the price of one such toy, Dunham says no one should pay more than $40,000 for it so, in this sense, its a relatively cheap entry in his collection.
The Carnival Cruise ship "Legend" is shown docked at the Port of Tampa Thursday, March 26, 2020, in Tampa, Fla. Thousands of cruise ships employees are not working in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Kevin Baker, a maintenance technician, drives a hydrogen fuel cell bus out of the terminal, Tuesday, March 16, 2021, in Canton, Ohio. Hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, is increasingly viewed as a vital answer to troubling questions about how to slow the catastrophic effects of climate change attributed to the planet's 1.2 billion cars and trucks, nearly all of which burn gasoline and diesel. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
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Bakersfield, CA (93308)

Today

Sunny. High near 95F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low around 70F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
Case data

Since the beginning of the pandemic, neither the state nor the county nor school districts themselves have provided regular accessible public data about COVID-19 cases in schools. If you would like to share information about what is happening in your school, contact reporter Emma Gallegos at egallegos@bakersfield.com or 661-395-7394.
Capt. Eric S. Kellum, a Beaumont native, is now the commanding officer of the USS Arlington, a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship.

Kellum took over the post from Capt. Christopher Chowdah Hill during a Aug. 6 change-of-command ceremony in the Atlantic Ocean.

I could not be more excited and humbled to take command of the best damn ship in the Navy! Kellum said in a statement. The crew is motivated, professional, and the ship looks great and is firing on all cylinders. Arlington has an incredible mission and capability, and is at the forefront of ensuring our competitive advantage in the high end fight.

Kellum is now the eighth commanding officer the Arlington has seen during its lifetime.

He was previously assigned to a staff position with the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, D.C., after previously serving as the executive officer and commanding officer of the USS Fort McHenry.

Commissioned on April 6, 2013, Arlington is the eighth San Antonio-class ship and third named after Arlington County in Virginia. It is also one of three ships named in honor of the victims of Sept. 11, alongside the USS New York and USS Somerset.

Lamar State College Orange recently held a retirement reception to celebrate the careers of four of its faculty members retiring this year.

Lorrie LeBlanc, Denise Lumpkin, Charlene Paulk and Kathryn Smith together gave a combined 67 years of service with the nursing program at LSCO.

President Tom Johnson thanked the forever-Gators for their many years of service and wished them well in retirement.

A Southeast Texas educator has been recognized by the Agriculture Teachers Association of Texas and inducted into its hall of fame.

During the organizations annual award ceremony amid its conference, ATAT inducted 25 teachers from across the state to its 2021 Texas Hall of Fame, including Larry Peveto, who taught at Beaumont High School, Buna High School, Vidor High School and Newton High School.

The Texas Hall of Fame recognizes and honors agricultural science teachers whose careers, achievements and contributions stand exemplary. Inductees are known as well-rounded professionals who have proven their success with FFA activities, in the classroom, as well as community involvement. They have proven their desire to provide students with opportunities for premier leadership, personal growth and career success over a significant period of time.

Without educators like Mr. Peveto, ATAT and Texas FFA wouldnt be where they are today, Ray Pieniazek, executive director of ATAT, said in a statement. Our agriculture education teachers spend countless hours in professional development to better serve our students and prepare them for their future. We thank him for his years of service, and we honor his commitment with this Hall of Fame recognition.

jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com

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BOULDER, Colo. (AP)  Theres a running joke at Dan Wagners house about the DIY welding and construction shop he set up in his backyard. At random moments throughout the day, his roommates yell out eee-yerrrr, mimicking the high-pitched grinding noise thats become a soundtrack to their lives this summer.

Theyre going to miss me when Im gone, Wagner said, laughing.

That sound is a byproduct of the project Wagner and a team of University of Colorado Boulder students have spent thousands of hours working on this year: designing and building a tunnel boring machine.

The CU Hyperloop team is one of 12 groups in the world competing to build a machine that will chew through nearly 100 feet of earth to create a tunnel as fast as possible.

The Not-A-Boring competition is hosted by The Boring Company, founded by Elon Musk with the goal of building tunnel infrastructure that allows for rapid transit like high-speed trains.

The contest is cloaked in secrecy, and team project manager Wagner, who graduated from CU Boulder in May, is allowed to say only that the competition is happening soon.

The goal  to dig a tunnel and be able to drive a remote-controlled car through it  sounds deceptively simple.

How do you dig through solid earth? How are you going to power the machine? Wheres the dirt going to go? How do you keep the tunnel from collapsing?

CU Hyperloop team members have spent more than a year trying to answer those questions and are now in the process of building a more than 2,000-pound, 15-foot-long machine to put their answers to the test.

Beyond the experience of competing in an international competition sponsored by Musk  and the acclaim that brings  joining the CU Hyperloop team also gives students high-stakes, hands-on experience they dont get in the classroom.

The buck stops with us, so if one of us screws up, the whole team has to come around them and figure out how to fix it, Wagner said. Its totally different from a classroom setting, where a teacher is either looking over your shoulder or ready to bring the hammer down if you screw up.

A lot of things need to happen all at once in order to dig a tunnel.

The tunnel boring machines cutting head  which looks a bit like a cheese grater attachment on a food processor  will turn at 20 revolutions per minute to tear up the earth, propelled by a 200-pound motor that uses repurposed car jacks to push the machine along.

The dirt feeds through the holes in the cutting head into a cavity in the machine, where it mixes with water and is pumped through a swimming pool tube back to the surface.

At the rear of the machine, what looks like a tarp tunnel used for dog agility training will gradually unfold like a massive accordion, lining and supporting the tunnel so a remote-controlled car can drive through it.

The entire digging process will only take a few hours, but to make it happen, students have been working anywhere from 30 to 70 hours a week for more than a year to design and build the tunnel boring machine. There are separate subteams working on power, circuits, software, propulsion, excavation, soil removal, structure and tunnel support.

In late July, teams of students were working in Wagners backyard and at a lab on campus.

Students worked at crimping connectors, wiring motors and debugging computer software to make sure all of the machines parts can talk to each other and to the students.

Senior Toby Savage and sophomore Max Balasubramaniam worked to create a filter for the machines raw data so that the team can monitor its positioning and not end up off track.

Not everything we work on is stuff we were taught in school, so we definitely have to improvise and do a lot of research like we would in any industry, Savage said. Thats the hardest part, but also the coolest part.

Its also higher stakes than some students are used to, Balasubramaniam said.

I came in as a freshman, and my classes werent doing too much that was supercritical. If I screwed up, there wasnt much that didnt work. Thats not the case here. Everything has to work. Everything is mission critical, he said.

A few miles away, students worked on the steel skeleton of the tunnel boring machine in Wagners backyard.

The project is made possible through a combination of private and university funding for the $50,000 budget and sheer force of will.

When the team realized the machine needed a metal sphere to help with maneuvering and that buying one would cost anywhere from $600 to $1,000, students purchased three woks made of 18-gauge steel for $30 apiece, cut them into pieces and rewelded them to fit the machine.

Paying a manufacturer to custom-make the steel rings for the tunnel support system would have cost nearly $6,000, so instead the team ordered a device that bends half-inch steel rods into rings. It takes three students rocking back and forth on the device to bend the steel, but it works.

Essentially everything we can do in-house, we do in-house because its like an order of magnitude cheaper, Wagner said. Thats the huge benefit of a team like ours, is that while we dont have any money, we have a ton of free labor.

While offering up their free labor, the CU Hyperloop students also gain invaluable experience in engineering.

Senior Cody Wheeler said hes enjoyed helping younger students get involved and learn systems like computer-aided design.

Then theres the entire innovative design aspect of things, where we have to think of our own original ideas and actually be able to implement them right now, which is awesome, he said.

Sophomore Collin Ruprecht said he joined the project not expecting a lot of responsibility because he was a freshman.

Suddenly I was doing a large part of a major subsystem, he said. I was really glad that I was able to get a lot of experience  and it wasnt just like, Here, hold a wrench.

Since July, the team has moved the tunnel boring machine from Wagners backyard into a workshop in Lafayette. Theyre still finishing construction and are planning to conduct smaller digging tests before the competition.

At the end of the day, the competition is more about innovation and recruitment than it is the actual tunnels, Wagner said.

Theres really no way to get experience with tunnel boring, as it stands right now, except through this competition, Wagner said. Theres also new tech being developed. As far as were aware, nobodys ever tried this kind of tunnel support system before, so were going to be the first, and well see if it works.
One student was killed and another was taken into custody Friday after a shooting at a middle school near downtown Albuquerque during the lunch hour, police said.

Police say the shooting happened in a grassy field near the track at Washington Middle School in Albuquerque during one of the lunch hours sometime around 12:45 p.m. local time Friday.

They add that both students were boys around 13 years old.

Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Scott Elder said during a new conference with police that it was a terrible day for the school district and for the whole community.

"I want to send out my thoughts and prayers to all of our students, all of our families that are impacted by this horrible event," he said.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Friday that she was heartbroken and more work needs to be done to address gun violence in the state.



When officers arrived, they transported the victim to a nearby hospital, where the boy died from his injuries.

Students at the school say bullying may have played a factor in the shooting, and police say they are investigating those reports.

Officials with Albuquerque Public Schools say they are setting up counseling services for students at the school.

Albuquerque sister station KOAT spoke to eighth-grader Amari Asbury with his mother present. He said he was at lunch when the shooting happened. He said there was a fight of some sort when a student pulled out a gun and fired shots.

"All you hear is boom, boom, boom," he said. "Everybody just starts running."

The gunfire at Washington Middle School marked the second shooting in Albuquerque in less than 24 hours. The city is on pace to shatter its homicide record this year, having already matched within the first eight months of the year the previous annual high of 80 homicides set in 2019.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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FILE - In this Feb. 17, 2021 file photo, Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo speaks during a news conference accompanied by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in Minneapolis. Activists in Minneapolis are making a second attempt to get rid of the city's police department, more than a year after George Floyd's death at the hands of officers.
BECKET  Like Water, one of three dances presented this week at Jacobs Pillow by the 45-year-old Dallas Black Dance Theatre, was a birthday
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Community News Editor / Librarian

Jeannie Maschino is community news editor and librarian for The Berkshire Eagle. She has worked for the newspaper in various capacities since 1982 and joined the newsroom in 1989.
NORTH ADAMS  This spring, Kimber King went to detox for two weeks and then to rehab, but was kicked out after she stopped at a store while out for a medical appointment, breaking a program rule. She came home to her apartment in North Adams.

"I didn't want to tell my family I was out of rehab," she said. "I ended up using, and I was home by myself."

She remembered a business card in her wallet for a hotline called Never Use Alone that she picked up when at a needle exchange in North Adams. The hotline takes the callers location and stays on the line with them while they use drugs. If they become unresponsive, the operator calls emergency medical services.

"I know the people who ended up dying are the people who come out of rehab and use, King said. I just wanted to be safe.

She called the number. If she hadn't, she likely would be dead.

The hotline is like a virtual version of a supervised consumption site, also known as supervised injection sites  places where people can use drugs they bring while trained staff watch for overdoses. Hotline supporters say it's a useful harm-reduction tool to decrease overdose deaths.

Jessica Blanchard, a volunteer hotline operator who lives in southwest Georgia, picked up the phone when King called.

How to reach out The Never Use Alone hotline can be reached at 800-484-3731 and 800-972-0590.

I always anticipate the worst happening, said Blanchard, who has been volunteering with the hotline for a year. But, I doubled down on how I felt with her because I knew what a high risk she had of becoming unresponsive.

That's because tolerance can change after detox or a period of abstinence, increasing the risk of overdose.

When King did become unresponsive, Blanchard called for help. Stephen Murray, a lieutenant with Northern Berkshire EMS, was a member of the team that responded.

"We showed up for a reported overdose, and nobody was there who was awake and answering us," he recalled. "That's usually a sign somebody has called 911 and got nervous and ran.

Sometimes people leave because they are afraid they will get in trouble, he said, even though a law in Massachusetts bars people who call for medical help because of an overdose from facing drug-possession charges.

The EMS team gave King naloxone, medication that reverses an opioid overdose, and Murray gave her lifesaving breaths, King said.

"At that point, I woke up. I remember it pretty well," King said. "It's a lot, seeing all those people in your house. ... Stephen was really good about being like, 'I'm here, you're not in trouble.' They asked me, 'Why did the person that was here leave you?' ... I said I was on the phone with Never Use Alone.

Murray was shocked when he found out that Never Use Alone had brought him to King's door. He has been in recovery from substance use disorder for 10 years. Outside his work in EMS, he is an administrator for the Never Use Alone hotline, training volunteers and reviewing calls for quality assurance.

"Kimber would be dead had she not called the hotline. It would have been another horrible fatal overdose," he said. "The impact that has on the community is monumental. ... The ripple effect is terrible."

Murray launched an additional Massachusetts hotline to augment the national one. From Great Barrington to North Adams to Plymouth, Murray said, he and Never Use Alone have distributed thousands of business cards like the one King picked up and put in her wallet.

The sad part is that in the time we've launched the Never Use Alone hotline, more than 100,000 people have died from fatal overdoses," Murray said. "Any of those 100,000 could be Kimber, had they called the hotline. And Kimber could have been one of those 100,000.

Overdose deaths increased in 2020

Across the country last year, overdose deaths hit a record high, of 93,000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported. In Berkshire County, 56 people died of opioid overdoses last year  that's an increase of 44 percent from the previous year  according to preliminary data.

During the first six months of 2021, fatal opioid overdoses statewide decreased by an estimated 5 percent compared with the same period in 2020, recently released preliminary data shows.

During the first three months of 2021, Northern Berkshire EMS responded to 15 overdose calls, two of which were fatal, according to early data from the group, which serves North Adams, Williamstown, Hancock, Clarksburg, Florida, Rowe, Monroe and New Ashford, as well as the Vermont towns Stamford and Readsboro.

The COVID-19 pandemic proved difficult for those with substance use disorder. Support meetings werent held in person, and people struggled with isolation, King said.

A lot of people were suffering, she said.

During the first few months of the pandemic, Northern Berkshire EMS responded to an increase in fatal overdoses, rolling out to nearly as many fatal overdoses during the first four months of the pandemic as it did in all of 2019.

In Murray's seven years in emergency medical services, he has not seen an overall decline in the number of fatal overdoses.

"That tells me what we're doing isn't working," he said. "I am really sick of responding to fatal overdoses. It's incredibly heartbreaking."

The hotline has the support of some local organizations. The Berkshire Overdose Addiction Prevention Collaborative, for example, gave money to print hotline business cards.

"We're so happy that he contacted us and asked us to support the Never Use Alone effort," said Jennifer Kimball, coordinator for the collaborative and principal planner for public health at the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. "Because the drug supply is inconsistent. ... We know it's a fact that people who use alone are at a higher risk of death of overdose. People cannot Narcan themselves. It may seem odd to people, but this is a very effective tool."

The hotline has taken 4,000 calls, according to its website. It uses a phone connection to replicate a supervised consumption site, which does not exist in the U.S.

Supervised injection sites gain favor worldwide. Could they exist in Berkshires? PITTSFIELD  If drug users could inject themselves under medical supervision and without the threat of getting arrested, it could save lives. But would the community support 

Were kind of filling a void where people arent able to access these sites in person, Murray said. But, we can have someone sit on the phone with them in case they overdose, and activate EMS.

Operators can help people find treatment resources if asked, but its not their goal, Murray said. The only thing we are doing is staying on the hotline until you feel youre safe.

Blanchard, a former emergency room nurse in Georgia for more than a decade, got involved in the hotline a year ago, volunteering as an operator. She also is the organization's education director.

Blanchard said she is the last operator called in the phone-tree system.

I know if a call makes it to me, Im it. Im at the end of the line, she said. I never turn my phone off.

She has taken calls in the middle of the night. The work is worth it for her.

I had a caller call me back one day and he said, 'Jessie, because of you, my momma didnt have to pick out my casket today.' Those are the things that keep you answering the phone. To find out someone who you made a call on moved into long-term abstinence. Or has worked on themselves in such ways that they now have a relationship with their family. ... Or they are able to see their kids. Thats good stuff.

No one who has talked to a program operator has died, Murray and Blanchard said. But, it's not risk-free. Callers are notified that the system isnt foolproof, Murray said.

The hotline's goal is to lower, not eliminate, risk, Murray said.

"People ask all the time; Can you keep me safe? " Blanchard said. "No, using drugs is dangerous. What I can do is call you some help if you get in trouble."

She, Murray and King support the idea of creating supervised consumption sites.

Video and news report: Montreal's efforts aim to 'demystify' realities of supervised injection sites MONTREAL  The bearded man had 20 minutes to go until the doors opened at Cactus Montreal, so, he paced up and down the sidewalk. Cactus Montreal is one of the Canadian city's four supervised 

Legislation filed in the Statehouse would create two or more supervised consumption sites, as a pilot effort, for the purpose of reducing the risks of disease transmission and preventing overdose deaths. A virtual hearing is scheduled for both bills Sept. 27 at the Statehouse.

A legal battle has been waged over a proposed supervised injection site in Philadelphia, which would have been the first in the country.

Amy Lieberman is a senior attorney at the Network for Public Health Law's Harm Reduction Legal Project. When it comes to the hotline, she said, "No federal or state statute makes it illegal to simply know that someone is using a controlled substance in another place," she said in an email. The Berkshire District Attorney's Office promoted the hotline in a public service announcement last year.

We operate in what seems to be a legal gray area," Murray said. He points to good Samaritan laws, which protect people who call for help when someone has an overdose. Forty-seven sates, including Massachusetts, where the law also protects the person who overdoses, and the District of Columbia have some type of law, according to the Government Accountability Office.

"That is our guiding philosophy, that the actions of our operators are covered by good Samaritan laws," Murray said. "It gets more complicated with supervised consumption sites because those are physical locations. The people who answer our calls are just people. They are not mandatory reporters."

To avoid any possible interference with Murray's job at Northern Berkshire EMS, he is not a hotline operator and plays an administrative role instead.

Opponents of safe-consumption sites say they enable people to use drugs. State Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli, D-Lenox, said that when he first heard of the sites, he saw them as "just a place to legally inject heroin  that was my initial knee-jerk reaction. He since has changed the way he thinks about them and now feels it's a step toward treatment.

King does not view safe-consumption sites as enabling people.

People are going to use drugs either way," she said. It's about reducing risk for her. Legalizing the sites, she said, "I think it would save a lot of people."

Recently, she had a cousin die alone of an overdose. It could have been easily avoidable.

I just want this stigma to go away

King is telling her story with the hope of changing public views of substance use disorder.

"I had to feel ashamed about this all the time. I just want this stigma to go away," she said.

"I want people to know you can't hate us any more than we hate ourselves. We do this because we have some underlying trauma. Usually, mental health issues. Everybody is struggling. Some people do it with legal things like alcohol or gambling. It doesn't make anybody 'less than.'

Since King first called the hotline, she has gone back to rehab.

"I'm not perfect," she said. "Im just taking it day by day now.

Blanchard and Murray are part of her recovery now  she texts Blanchard and often sees Murray.

"Theyve had a huge impact on my life, King said. I'm just blessed to have met them and have them be a part of my sobriety.

On the Fourth of July, King went to a barbecue at Murrays house.

"He's so far in his recovery," she said. Seeing him with his family, she said, "He's thriving. It's obviously a good person to look up to."

King, a waitress for years, has been interested in being an EMT. She is planning to start a class in September.

"After this experience with Stephen, Ive been looking up EMT courses, she said. Hes definitely inspired me to chase this dream.  Now, Im going to do it.

Since the hotline helped her, she now hands out the business cards to other people.

"I give them out all the time," she said. "I'm hoping that maybe I can save another person.
BOISE - The Idaho Broadband Advisory Board recently awarded $10 million in CARES Act funding to 13 broadband projects across Idaho. The 13 awarded projects will serve more than 20 rural communities and more than 2,391 unserved or underserved Idaho households. Locally, Idaho County, Lewis County and the Nez Perce Tribe were selected to receive grants totaling over $1 million to improve rural broadband in the area.

As part of the awards, the Nez Perce Tribe applied for and was awarded a $314,989 grant for the communities of Lapwai and Thunder Hill in Nez Perce County.

Idaho County applied for and was awarded a $496,509 grant for the communities of Pollock, Whitewater, Westlake, Caribel, and Kooskia.

Lewis County applied for and was awarded a $198,603 grant for the communities of Rural Winchester, Craig Junction and Central Ridge.

You can view all of the awarded projects below or by clicking HERE.

These projects satisfy the CARES Act Federal Register guidance, designed to address key areas of public health and safety by improving opportunities to telework, improving access to telehealth services, facilitating distance learning, and improving public safety.

The Idaho Broadband Advisory Board is proud to help support expanded broadband services to unserved and underserved households and rural communities across Idaho, said Idaho Broadband Advisory Board Vice-Chairman Senator Carl Crabtree. These funding awards are just the beginning. The Idaho legislature appropriated additional funding for further broadband service expansion and the board looks forward to funding projects to help advance connectivity in the areas of Idaho that need it most.

Eligible applicants and awardees must be a local government or tribal government within the state of Idaho or an Idaho state agency, as described in Idaho Code section 67-1226. A county and an unincorporated community may agree in writing to have the county apply on behalf of the unincorporated community.

To meet CARES Act funding criteria, all awarded projects must be completed and operable and verified no later than December 31, 2021.

The Idaho Broadband Fund consists of funds appropriated by the legislature for financial assistance of broadband infrastructure in Idaho to promote equal access in economic development, public safety, telehealth and education.
KAMIAH - The Idaho Fish and Game is continuing to receive and investigate reports of dead deer in the Kamiah area. So far, approximately 150 white-tails have been found dead near the Kamiah area. At this time, tests have come back negative for both Bluetongue and Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD). Tests were also negative for Adenovirus Hemorrhagic Disease, which is a similar hemorrhagic disease and been known to occur in Washington.

Additional tests are currently being conducted to determine the causes of death. The results of those tests are still pending. "We are working hard to find out what disease we are dealing with," says Jana Livingston, regional wildlife biologist.

Due to the potential deer-to-deer transmission route, the IDFG is encouraging folks to remove food and water sources that congregate deer. The IDFG is also encouraging the public to report any deer that appear symptomatic (lethargic deer exhibiting respiratory distress) or the disposal of dead deer carcasses. Reports can be made online at https://idfg.idaho.gov/conservation/wildlife-health/add.

Deer can be taken to Simmons Sanitation for disposal at the expense of the Department. Contact the Clearwater region Idaho Fish and Game office for more information at (208) 799-5010. Fish and Game staff will continue to provide updates as more information is obtained.
BIG RAPIDS  A comparison of Big Rapids' marijuana shops to establishments in the city that sell alcoholic beverages has recently become a hot topic of discussion among residents.

In recent weeks, the Pioneer published articles about Big Rapids 11th marijuana shop opening, and another story regarding a twelfth-related shop coming soon.

On social media, readers expressed mixed opinions about the evolving industry within city limits.

Some asked, How many more shops does Big Rapids need? On the other end of the spectrum, others pointed to the amount of establishments that offer alcohol.

To better understand the ordinances and laws in place for each type of establishment, the Pioneer contacted Paula Priebe, Big Rapids community development director, and Carol Shepard, enforcement specialist with the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.

Here is what we learned...

MARIJUANA:

In 2018, Michigan voters approved the legalization of adult-use recreational marijuana. A decade prior, voters OKd medical marijuana measures.

Big Rapids first marijuana dispensary opened its doors in March 2020. Since, then 10 similar stores have also opened, with at least a 12th shop on the horizon.

Shortly after the approval of adult-use recreational marijuana, Michigan municipalities, by law, were required to either opt in and allow marijuana establishments, or opt out. Some municipalities set a cap on how many medical and/or recreational dispensaries it would ultimately allow.

Big Rapids chose not to go that way when writing the ordinance, Priebe said.

When writing the ordinance that includes a cap, it makes things difficult for city officials, she explained. In the early stages, Big Rapids officials saw other Michigan communities with caps receive an abundance of applications.

When a cap is set, there are three different avenues a municipality can take when to determine which businesses can come to town: lottery, merit-based approach, and limited by zoning.

When we were initially opting in, there were a number of local business owners, entrepreneurs, and other people in the community who said, Im interested in opening a marijuana business, Priebe said.

However, getting into the marijuana industry at the state level can be complicated, take a lot of time, and become expensive, she added.

Ultimately, Big Rapids officials opted to not set a cap on the number of marijuana businesses allowed within city limits. There are, however, regulations in place as to where business cannot go, such as within 500 feet of K-12 school when measured in a straight line from property line to property line. Or, more than 400 feet from the Mecosta-Osceola Intermediate School District building in downtown Big Rapids.

Theres been more interest than anyone expected, and there will be competition, Priebe said.

Theres no other industry, at least from the citys perspective, where we say, Well, theres already two hair salons two blocks from here. You dont get to open your hair salon, she added.

The shops have also occupied many vacant properties. Out of the 11 shops operating in the city, 10 of them renovated previously vacant buildings.

They have to do a number of renovations for safety and security features within the facilities that are required by state law, Priebe said. There is a much higher degree of remodeling and renovation done by this (marijuana) industry than all of the others combined in recent years.

In 2020, Big Rapids received payments of $84,003 from the Marihuana Regulation Fund. The city received $28,000 for every licensed retail store and microbusiness  three at the time  within its jurisdiction.

ALCOHOL:

Unlike the marijuana industry, aws and ordinances on the number of establishments that can legally provide alcohol  for purchase and/or consumption  are determined by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.

In the city of Big Rapids, with a population of about 10,600 residents, there are currently 18 different alcohol-related licenses issued based on a retailer tier.

A retailer tier consists of stores, restaurants, hotels, bars, and clubs that hold licenses which allow the sale of alcohol to consumers.

The retailer tier is broken down into two groups: on-premises licensees that may sell alcohol to customers for consumption on the premises where it is sold; and off-premises licensees that may sell alcohol to customers for consumption somewhere else.

Most retailer licenses are quota licenses, which means that there are a limited number of specific license types allowed based on the population of a local governmental unit, Shepard stated in an email to the Pioneer.

Once the quota limit for a license type is met, no new licenses of that type can be issued in that local governmental unit, Shepard explained.

A Specially Designated Merchant (SDM) allows a convenience store, grocery store, or gas station to sell beer and wine to consumers for consumption off the premises.

An on-premises retailer may also hold an SDM license to allow customers to purchase beer, wine, and mixed spirit drink products for takeout.

A Specially Designated Distributor (SDD) allows a convenience store, grocery store, or gas station to sell spirits to consumers for consumption off the premises.

An SDD license is almost always held in conjunction with an SDM license. The only on-premises retailers that may hold an SDD license are Class C and B-Hotel licensees.

In Big Rapids, there are currently five out of 11  SDM licenses available for use. Four SSD licenses have been issued and there are currently eight retail on premises licenses issued  which are both at capacity.
The facility will produce two to three million doses per month initially

Department of Biotechnology and BIRAC under the Mission Covid Suraksha announced by the Government of India, under Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0 to accelerate the development and production of Indigenous COVID Vaccines, have launched a project to augment production capacities of Covaxin.

Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), Hyderabad, is the first site under this project to receive from CDSCO, a loan license for supplying Covaxin Drug Substance produced at its repurposed facility to Bharat Biotech. Indian Immunologicals will supply the first lot of commercial Covaxin Drug Substance to Bharat Biotech. The facility will produce two to three million doses per month initially, and another four to five million doses from its new facility at Karkapatla, in the next few weeks.

Speaking on this achievement Dr Renu Swarup, Secretary, DBT and Chairperson, BIRAC said, The government has worked relentlessly to provide all possible support for ramping up Covaxin production in the country and speed up Covaxin inoculation drive. The loan license agreement by CDSCO for Indian Immunologicals to produce Covaxin Drug Substance is a major milestone, achieved in a very short period. The DBT-BIRAC support under Mission Covid Suraksha aims to meet the Covid-19 vaccine requirement of our country. I congratulate the team for the efforts put in for this achievement.

IIL is also working on another COVID -19 vaccine and the animal trials are underway currently and is expected to come out by next year for human vaccination," said Dr K Anand Kumar, MD, IIL.
Nine students from Brandon University are receiving a $7,500 boost each thanks to funding from the school and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

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Nine students from Brandon University are receiving a $7,500 boost each thanks to funding from the school and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

According to a Friday news release from BU, the nine pupils received this funding after winning an NSERC Undergraduate Student Research award, which is designed to help students gain research experience that complements their studies.

In total, five chemistry students, three biology students and one student from BUs department of geography and the environment will use this $7,500 to advance various research topics.

For example, chemistry student Changmin Lee will use his funds to try and design new cancer-preventing compounds.

Meanwhile, biology pupil Kieran Taylor is more interested in using this $7,500 to try and develop rapid tests to accurately and economically detect leaf diseases in soybean crops.

And as a student of geography and the environment, Courtney Izzard wants to try and find quicker methods of restoring ravaged peatlands back to their former glory.

The remaining recipients of this $7,500 grant from NSERC and BU include: Corbin Glufka, Jeffrey Li, Joel Hardy, Keagan Morrison, Reid Opperman and Taylor Goodon.

"Many amazing discoveries have grown from student research projects into the type of trailblazing work that defines careers," said Dr. Heather Duncan, associate vice-president of research at BU.

"Support from NSERC is truly invaluable in helping these projects get off the ground and in giving students the support that they need (to) grow as researchers."

 The Brandon Sun
The Kiwanis Club of Brandon is currently searching for a new location to store its collection of approximately 100 bikes, especially with a new fall auction set to take place on Sept. 11.

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The Kiwanis Club of Brandon is currently searching for a new location to store its collection of approximately 100 bikes, especially with a new fall auction set to take place on Sept. 11.

Kiwanis bike auction committee chairman Keith Scott told the Sun on Friday the club traditionally stores its bike overflow at Kullbergs old furniture warehousealso known as the International Harvester Buildingthat used to be located at the corner of 18th Street and Pacific Avenue.

"That building has been, of course, torn down, and the second spot that we used as an intermediary location at the Peoples Market Place has, subsequently, been rented out," he said. "So we are looking for an overflow space of some type."

While there are plenty of paid storage facilities located in and around Brandon, Scott told the Sun that Kiwanis operates as a non-profit organization and doesnt have a large budget to work with.

As such, the club is asking if any local business or property owners would be willing to offer up some storage space that can accommodate approximately 80 to 100 bikes for little or no cost.

"Basically anything that doesnt have a leaky roof," Scott said. "It doesnt need to be warm storage or anything, just your sort of run-of-the-mill storage that keeps our bikes from getting wet."

A new storage location is especially needed right now that Kiwanis members are getting ready for a new fall auction scheduled to take place on Sept. 11, inside the Keystone Centres Canada Room starting at 10 a.m.

While the clubs first-ever virtual bike auction this past spring proved to be a success  where the club sold 100 bikes and raised just under $5,000  Scott said the fall auction will be a welcome return to their traditional in-person format.

"We have space for 150 people apparently, so were going to go with a live auction this time," he said. "So you can go and kick the tires and ride it around a bit and whatever."

The Kiwanis Club of Brandon has been running bike auctions for more than a decade, serving as one of the organizations two major fundraising events.

Most of the bicycles up for sale at each auction are provided by the Brandon Police Service, which doesnt have the capacity to permanently store every stolen or abandoned bike recovered.

If each stolen or abandoned bike isnt claimed after 30 days, police hand them over to the Kiwanis Club for auction.

However, Scott also clarified that approximately eight per cent of their current stock is donated through alternative means.

While the storage issue is an annoying wrinkle, Scott remains optimistic about their fall auction, especially since the demand for bikes has skyrocketed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Plus, all the funds generated for this upcoming auction will go toward renovating a pre-existing playground in Brandons east end.

"Were trying to raise as much money to go towards that project as we can," Scott said.

Anyone looking to potentially donate some storage space to the Kiwanis Club of Brandon, or inquire about their upcoming fall bike auction, can contact Scott directly by calling 204-534-7476 or sending an email to kdscott007@gmail.com.

 kdarbyson@brandonsun.com

 Twitter:@KyleDarbyson
A family has suffered ever since a man secretly recorded intimate images of his two stepdaughters and hacked one of their phones, a court heard on Friday afternoon.

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A family has suffered ever since a man secretly recorded intimate images of his two stepdaughters and hacked one of their phones, a court heard on Friday afternoon.

The man pleaded guilty in March to making child pornography between January 2016 and 2019, possessing child porn and voyeurism.

A publication ban was placed on any information that could identify the victims and by extension the accused, who was their stepfather.

The victims and their mother, along with several others people, sat in the courtroom behind the accused.

"I always thought it was my fault you decided to take those photos and videos because mom had kids and I was a kid at the time," one of the stepdaughters read from her victim impact statement.

"The one person my mom should have pushed away was you. I really hope youre happy with your decision but youre simply scared you were caught  you thought you were stealthy."

Crown attorney Rich Lonstrup said the man had 147 unique photos and 62 videos of the victims. Some of the images were secretly downloaded from one of their cellphones and others were taken in the bathroom.

The man also had 15 images of child abuse from the internet, which did not show his stepdaughters, Lonstrup said.

The man was in a position of trust when he violated his stepdaughters trust, according to the Crown, which has devastated them.

"Whatever happens today, a life sentence has been pronounced and its the victims who are serving it," Lonstrup said.

He recommended a total sentence of 33 months in prison for the charges. A recent decision in the Supreme Court of Canada dramatically increased the range of prison sentences for child abuse cases, but Lonstrup said he came to the recommendation before the decision was handed down.

The mans former stepdaughters and partner all read their victim impact statements in court.

One woman said she felt like her life was not worth living in the aftermath of discovering her stepfather made child porn of her and she attempted suicide twice in the aftermath. She said it feels like there is a little girl inside her too scared to come out in case the same thing happens again.

The other step-daughter told the court she was the one who found the images while the rest of the family was away.

"This mans actions have affected my life so much since that day I found these photos and videos, something as simple as a good family memory he was involved with is tainted with what he has done," she told the court through tears.

The revelation came as an absolute shock and was gut-wrenching, the mans former partner said in her victim impact statement. She said she felt anger, shame and guilt she brought someone into her daughters lives who put them in such danger.

The whole family now struggles with depression and other mental health issues, she said, and some things will never heal.

All three women spoke through tears and broke down crying while reading their victim impact statements.

The man, who sat in front of the judge, looked away while the victims spoke and closed his eyes.

Nothing said in court on Friday can change the harm or life-altering consequences of the crime for the victims and family, said defence lawyer Andrew Synyshyn. The incident will forever change them.

The man takes full responsibility for what he did, Synyshyn said, but doesnt know what drove him to commit the crime.

"Its a situation where we are human, we are fallible, we make decisions and choices, sometimes for no reason that we know and (the man) to this day continues to struggle with why he chose to take the actions he did and what it was that drove him to do so," Synyhsn said.

Synyshyn jointly recommended the 33-month sentence with the Crown attorney. He argued the videos were a violation of the victims, but the man never shared them or did anything other than have them.

The accuseds life was also affected by sexual abuse, Synyshyn said, and he continued it with his stepdaughters. He has suffered upheaval and discord in his own life and has past trauma he needs to work through.

The man did not make a statement to the court during the Friday sentencing hearing.

Judge Patrick Sullivan said the incident makes his "skin crawl" and he was at a loss for words.

"You stood in the place of a father to these people, they loved you, they trusted you. What a grotesque abuse of that relationship," Sullivan said to the man.

The fact the videos were taken in the bathroom, where people are meant to have privacy, also makes it more serious, the judge said.

While the man did not show remorse in the pre-sentence report prepared before court, Sullivan said he deserves credit for pleading guilty and sparing the victims the experience of testifying.

Sullivan endorsed the joint recommendation and sentenced the man to 33 months in prison. He also ordered him to provide a sample of his DNA to police and banned him from using the internet except for work.

The man was led away to jail by Manitoba Sheriff officers after the judge delivered his decision.

 dmay@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @DrewMay_
Winds forecast to fan wildfires over the weekend in British Columbia are a "direct threat to life and property," a BC Wildfire Service official says.

The White Rock Lake wildfire burns west of Vernon, B.C., on Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. More than a dozen temperature records have fallen across southern and central British Columbia as a heat wave intensifies, adding to challenges facing crews battling nearly 270 wildfires in all corners of the province. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Winds forecast to fan wildfires over the weekend in British Columbia are a "direct threat to life and property," a BC Wildfire Service official says.

The provincial government is asking tourists to leave, or avoid, the communities of Armstrong, Spallumcheen, the Okanagan Indian Band and parts of the Regional District of North Okanagan in the southern Interior.

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said the government is making this unusual plea to better protect lives.

"While we're acting out of an abundance of caution, the situation is very serious and could very well get worse quickly," he said in a media briefing Friday.

Farnworth acknowledged the rise in wildfires in the province can be linked to climate change and will be something the government needs to plan for.

Cliff Chapman, director of provincial operations for the wildfire service, said forecasters expect to see winds up to 30 kilometres per hour on Saturday and double that on Sunday, fanning the flames of some of British Columbia's largest fires.

Chapman said if the winds arrive, the wildfire service expects to see aggressive fire behaviour in forests that are tinder dry from recent heat waves, with the potential for embers to push out ahead of the blaze creating significant growth.

There are almost 270 wildfires burning in the province. More than 6,200 properties have been evacuated because of the threat of a fire, while residents in about 27,000 properties have been placed on evacuation alert to be ready to leave.

More than 1,488 wildfires have been started since April 1, burning more than 6,000 square kilometres.

The community of Logan Lake, southwest of Kamloops, was ordered to evacuate Thursday night, sending thousands fleeing from their homes due to the 380-square-kilometre Tremont Creek wildfire.

Logan Lake Mayor Robin Smith said municipal fire crews have come from as far away as Elkford, Mackenzie and Burnaby to help put up sprinklers to protect area homes.

"I do want to just congratulate the community in evacuating in a safe and orderly manner," she said.

"We did manage to get everybody out fairly quickly, so that was encouraging for us."

Vancouver Coastal Health and Providence Health Care said in a statement that they are working with the Interior Health authority to house seniors from an Armstrong, B.C., long-term care home who have been displaced by the wildfire.

Residents of some communities have been critical of the actions or inactions of the service after homes and businesses were lost last week as the White Rock Lake wildfire was fanned by high winds.

Farnworth said those who are asked to leave their properties need to do so, or risk endangering the lives of firefighters and first responders.

"Evacuation orders are put in place to protect lives," he said. "When people ignore that, then what often happens ... is firefighters can be diverted from fighting fires to rescue them."

Forests Minister Katrine Conroy reinforced that plea, adding that she understands residents may be hesitant, but they need to leave their homes immediately when given the order.

Environment Canada said a heat wave gripping much of southern and coastal B.C. should ease by Sunday and could be replaced by showers in some areas. But there's concern the shift could also bring lightning, creating the potential for more wildfires.

Public health officials in the Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health authorities said they are concerned about the rise in temperatures expected over the coming days.

"This is considered an emergency situation," said Dr. Michael Schwandt, a medical health officer with Vancouver Coastal Health. "It can be a life-or-death situation for many people."

He added that his health authority has received feedback from the public on how it managed the "heat dome" event in late June that contributed to the deaths of hundreds of people.

The number of cooling centres has been increased, as has the work being done on outreach.

"We can always improve and constantly improve. This is climate change adaptation and will be a topic for years to come," Schwandt said.

Dr. Ariella Zbar, a medical health officer with Fraser Health, said there are also concerns about the harm posed by wildfire smoke.

She urged children, seniors and those with pre-existing health conditions to limit the amount of time they spend outdoors to reduce the risk posed by smoke.

Metro Vancouver is continuing its air quality advisory, warning of high concentrations of fine particulate matter expected to persist through Saturday.

The district said outflow winds are bringing smoke from wildfires burning in B.C. and Washington state into the region.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13, 2021.
VANCOUVER - The United States has presented a "fatally flawed" case against Meng Wanzhou that is riddled with evidentiary gaps and doesn't meet the threshold for extradition, one of the Huawei executive's lawyers said Friday.

Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei, arrives at her extradition hearing at B.C. Supreme Court, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, August 12, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jimmy Jeong

VANCOUVER - The United States has presented a "fatally flawed" case against Meng Wanzhou that is riddled with evidentiary gaps and doesn't meet the threshold for extradition, one of the Huawei executive's lawyers said Friday.

Eric Gottardi began the defence team's response in B.C. Supreme Court to a request by the United States that the senior Chinese telecom executive be extradited to face charges of fraud in a New York court.

Meng is accused of misrepresenting Huawei's relationship with tech equipment company Skycom in a 2013 presentation to HSBC, putting the bank at risk of violating U.S. sanctions against Iran.

But Gottardi told the judge that the United States, which is represented by lawyers for Canada's attorney general in court, failed to make clear exactly how Meng's actions amount to fraud.

Both Meng and Huawei deny the charges.

"The alleged deception is ambiguous at best and the risk of economic loss to the alleged victim, HSBC, is wholly illusory," Gottardi told the judge.

"One of the things that makes this case so unusual is the difficulty in pinning down exactly what risk is alleged by the requesting state to form the basis of the fraud."

Meng's long-awaited extradition hearing is unfolding nearly three years after her arrest at Vancouver's airport in December 2018 soured Canada's relationship with China.

Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were arrested days after Meng in what has widely been seen as retaliation, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pledged to continue fighting for their release.

On Friday, Meng's team of star lawyers took aim at government lawyers' claims that Meng's presentation was an artful and intentional effort to distance Huawei from Skycom and reassure the bank that it was protected from any sanction-related risk.

Government lawyer Robert Frater has argued Meng called the meeting after Reuters articles alleged Skycom tried to sell Hewlett-Packard equipment in Iran, raising sanctions concerns at the bank.

Frater told the court HSBC was entitled to honest and forthright information about its clients in order to make decisions about the financial services it offered but was denied that right by Meng's deception. As a result, he said HSBC suffered risks of deprivation  a fundamental element of fraud  that included possible financial loss, reputational damage and penalties.

Gottardi rejected that characterization and accused Frater of presenting "vague and shifting theories" about the risks the bank faced.

Instead, he said Meng's presentation was entirely factual and there is not a "scintilla" of evidence linking it to any decision HSBC made that might have put it at risk of civil or criminal liability.

Frank Addario, another of Meng's lawyers, said that the United States record of the case, upon which Canada relied to arrest Meng, contains "zero evidence" that either Skycom or Huawei violated sanctions.

Court documents from the defence say Skycom made payments from its Chinese bank account to British firm Networkers' HSBC U.K. bank account, and HSBC cleared those payments through a U.S. subsidiary.

If HSBC violated sanctions by clearing payments through the United States, that was on the bank and not on Meng, the lawyers argued.

"It is not an offence to send non-related payments from a bank in China to a bank in the U.K., which is all that Skycom did. It was HSBC's choice how to clear the payments," Gottardi said.

Eight years after the presentation, the risk of prosecution or civil penalty for HSBC has not materialized, he added.

The court has heard that an extradition case is not a trial, and the role of the judge is limited to determining whether the requesting state has presented enough evidence to support a case for a possible finding of guilt.

Government lawyers have repeatedly warned Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes that she would go beyond her job description if she began weighing competing inferences, which falls in the jurisdiction of a trial.

But Gottardi also told Holmes her job goes beyond rubber-stamping the extradition request and she's responsible for determining whether enough evidence has been presented to support a plausible case against Meng.

"Evidentiary sufficiency cannot be assessed in the abstract."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13, 2021.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Mining billionaire Andrew Forrest can recall the exact moment when his passion for marine conservation began. He traces it back to when he was a young boy, camping with his parents along the Ningaloo coastline in the north-west of WA. As a kid, I was completely amazed by the stars, and one night I asked my father why are there stars out there on the ocean? Forrest says. And he said theyre not stars, theyre boats clearing away everything for the prawn farming industry. They were literally dredging the bottom of the ocean and clear-felling the coral. And I couldnt work out why that was a good thing, why did environmental destruction have to go hand-in-hand with business? Andrew Twiggy Forrests has long had a passion for ocean conservation. Credit:Cameron Myles. Decades later, Forrests perspective hasnt changed. And now, armed with a PhD in marine biology and an estimated $27.2 billion in personal wealth from his interests in iron ore juggernaut Fortescue Metals, hes attempting to back up that passion with action. This week, he launched an unexpected challenge to a $500 million tie-up between controversial Brazilian meat processor JBS and Tasmanian salmon farmer Huon. JBS first lobbed its offer for Huon last Friday, pitching the deal as a growth opportunity for the company which pulls in around $6 billion in annual sales in Australia through its numerous subsidiaries including Primo and Hans. With Huons founders (and 53 per cent majority shareholders) Peter and Frances Bender on side, the JBS proposal appeared a done deal. However, on Wednesday, Forrests investment firm Tattarang more than doubled its existing 7 per cent stake in Huon and its billionaire chairman issued JBS a challenge: do better.

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Loading Forrest wants the international operator to agree to a raft of improvements at the fisher, including adopting no pain, no fear standards when killing livestock, removing the fish content of the fishmeal fed to the salmon, adopting carbon-neutral production and moving its farming operations from Tasmanias Macquarie Harbour into deeper waters. Ive said to JBS this is how we run our operations, this is the objectives we have for Huon, and we challenge you to meet our standards and objectives not only in Tasmania but all around the world, Forrest says. Im delighted Im in a position where I can be an industry player, albeit a small one, and challenge them to meet those standards. However, late on Friday, JBS lobbed an unexpected grenade in the battle for Huon, announcing it would run an off-market takeover bid in parallel to its initial scheme of arrangement, with a goal of acquiring a 51 per cent controlling stake in the business. This would, in effect, negate any chance of Forrest obstructing the scheme, which requires majority shareholder approval, and may force the mining magnate to show his hand and possibly launch his own, competing bid. It is unclear what end-game Forrest has in sight after the extraordinary, and unprompted, provocation.

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Huge matter of angst for Tasmanians Huon Aquaculture began in 1986 in Tasmanias picturesque Hideaway Bay in the town of Dover, a place considered Australias southernmost town of significance - or at least the last one where you can buy petrol and supplies. The Benders, a husband and wife duo, have run Huon since 1994 and listed it on the stock exchange in 2014, valuing the company at around $500 million. Last financial year, the company sold 25,000 tons of fish, predominantly heads-on, gutted (or HOG) salmon and a small quantity of trout. The company claims the title of Tasmanias second-largest salmon farmer, coming in behind fellow listed player Tassal and ahead of private operator Petuna. In total, Tasmanias salmon industry is a $1 billion-year business, larger than both the states dairy and beef industries. Its also a highly controversial one. For years, Tasmanian locals have protested the salmon industrys impact on the states iconic natural environment, along with the perceived treatment of the fish themselves. Recently this has come to a head after renowned author Richard Flanagan published a new book Toxic: the Rotting Underbelly of the Tasmanian Salmon Industry. How about consulting Tasmanians, on the conditions you place? Its not up to him to, at the last minute, suddenly say here are the environmental conditions for somebody else to buy in. Former Greens leader Bob Brown In it, Flanagan labels Tasmanian salmon as the battery hen of the sea and claims fish in farms operated by the big three salmon farmers are fed chicken beaks and offal, carcinogens, and fishmeal containing other jeopardised fish stocks. Its release struck a chord among Tasmanias 500,000-odd populace, turning many locals off salmon and galvanising local green groups into action.

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Former Australian Greens leader Bob Brown is one disgruntled local. He tells The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald there is a rising tide of anger against the salmon industry and Huons sale to JBS was not being viewed favourably in the community. Loading The mood is one of apprehension and disgust that the Tasmanian owners of this company are simply throwing it to international buyers, Brown says. Weve suffered the environmental impacts of industrial fish farming, but now, on top of that, the profits are going to flow out of this state which is just a huge matter of angst for the people of Tasmania. Brown says he supports Forrests broader goal of challenging JBS to improve its environmental standards but criticises the billionaire for not coming down to Tasmania himself to speak to locals on what changes would be best for the community. How about consulting Tasmanians, on the conditions you place? Its not up to him to, at the last minute, suddenly say here are the environmental conditions for somebody else to buy in. We have environmental conditions for [Forrest] to buy in. Forrest says hes been unable to visit as he is currently hammered down working on Fortescue Future Industries, the companys green hydrogen and ammonia offshoot. But he has sent experts down to study the local situation and report on Huons operations. In walks JBS

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Those operations are, according to Forrest, heading down the right path, and while Huon wasnt there yet, it was trying its hardest to address community concerns and solve some environmental issues associated with salmon farming. He says Tattarangs initial 7 per cent stake in Huon, acquired in June, was intended to investigate how he could help turn the company into a standard-bearer for the broader industry. Former Greens leader Bob Brown says there is significant angst in the community over the proposed tie-up. We were building up a stake, and we had a conversation with the Benders saying our priority was the environment and animal husbandry, and they were okay with that, he says. And then in walks JBS. The Brazilian meat processing giant has a chequered past. Four years ago, it was embroiled in a bribery and corruption scandal which resulted in millions of dollars in fines and put its controlling shareholders in jail. It has also faced claims of slave labour, illegal deforestation links, and queries over its animal welfare practices. Its no surprise then that Forrest is seeking commitments from JBS to adopt a no pain, no fear approach and to generally improve its husbandry and sustainable practices. He says his stake in Huon now means he can reach out and talk to the company on a strong footing without appearing as too much of a bleeding heart greenie.

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They already have tantalising proof it exists. Their experiment will either confirm those findings - and put someone on a short path towards a Nobel Prize - or refute them, suggesting, perhaps, that there is something fundamental about the universe we simply do not understand. An underground laboratory The most unexpected thing about being 1025 metres below the surface of the Earth is that it is really hot and really humid. Arriving at the bottom of the mineshaft is like landing at an airport on a tropical island, except everything is black and dirty and you are required to carry your own emergency oxygen supply. The shaft is narrow, steep and twisting. Our Toyota HiLux takes about 30 minutes to drive the eight kilometres to the bottom, where the shaft takes a sharp left and then suddenly levels and opens out. We get out and walk into a huge room carved out of the rock. At the entrance to the dark matter laboratory. Credit:Joe Armao

Elisabetta Barberio runs her hand along the undulating walls. Painted white and bathed in floodlights, it has the quality of an underground cathedral. Our voices echo up to the 14-metre-high ceiling. We are at a point in physics, she says, where everything we think we know is only a tiny fraction of the universe. She is an explorer searching for a particle unseeable and untouchable. What is dark matter? The atoms that make up you and me and everything we see can interact with the world via four forces of nature. Dark matter only gets one: gravity. You cant touch it. It does not reflect light. It is a ghost.

Its story begins a sliver of a second after the big bang. The early universe was dense, hot and full of dark matter; as it expanded and cooled, the dark matter stretched out with it, like a ball of dough spread onto a counter. Dark matter was first predicted in the 1930s, and strong evidence amassed in the 60s, but it took until the 90s for scientists to find a way to really see it. Over a long enough distance, light gets pulled around by gravity; scientists found they could trace that path as light is warped by the gravity of dark matter, and produce a map. Everyone knew there was a lot of dark matter out there. But the first maps still came as a shock. The visible galaxy is just a little thing in the middle of this enormous dark body, says Professor Kenneth Freeman, an Australian National University astronomer who has made several key contributions to the field.

You dont know what it is, but it is there. It changed our whole ideas about how galaxies formed, how the universe evolved. The big bang blasted out a physics-confetti of particles across the universe. When physicists simulate the big bang on supercomputers minus dark matter, the universe they get looks nothing like ours. A map of the distribution of the universes dark matter. The bright areas represent the highest concentrations - they are also where galaxies form. To turn chaos into stuff, something needs to give it shape. In our universe, the web of dark matter plays that role. Its gravity tugs the universe into shape. Gas becomes stars and dust becomes planets. Once you add in dark matter the sims are really astonishingly good at reproducing what we see, says Professor Tamara Davis, a dark matter astrophysicist at the University of Queensland.

The fact there is something out there that needs to be explained is without doubt. We have now measured many of its properties, but we still dont know what it is. The power of WIMPs For more than 50 years, scientists have been searching for it. Many candidates, like black holes, have been ruled out. The searchlight is now trained on WIMPs: Weakly Interacting Massive Particles. These particles would be heavy and slow-moving, physicists think, and float through normal matter almost without trace, interacting with our world mainly via gravity. They are not made of the electrons and protons that make up our atoms but of something else altogether.

Its almost like this parallel universe of dark matter which sits on top of what we see in daily life, says Professor Ulrik Egede, a particle physicist at Monash University. So far no one has found one, not through years of search, not through smashing atoms harder and harder together at the Large Hadron Collider. Well, almost no one. There is a lab buried under a mountain in Italy hearing a very curious signal. More on that in a moment. Professor Elisabetta Barberio stands inside the underground lab. Credit:Joe Armao Barberios underground cathedral took eight months to excavate, blasted out of the basalt in four-metre increments. We had already drilled 200 kilometres of tunnels. Elisabetta wanted one of her own, says Troy Cole, Stawell Gold Mines general manager.

Six-metre-long rock-bolts were drilled into the walls to hold them steady, and then everything covered by a layer of shotcrete and two layers of radiation-blocking TekFlex. Theres about as much engineering down here as the Burnley Tunnel, the mining engineers say. Next to come is a 10-metre crane, to handle the 200-tonne iron-and-polyethylene shield that will cover the detector. When she first came down here in 2014, Barberio remembers picking over cobwebs and past disused machinery. The mine was dying. Stawells gold mining history stretches back to the 1850s, when tens of thousands of prospectors were drawn to the citys goldfields, lured by dreams of a nugget to make their fortune. About 250 kilometres of tunnel now wind under Stawell, but there are no nuggets left. Instead, piles of crushed ore are brought to the surface and then treated to extract a tiny amount of gold - perhaps four teaspoons in every truckload. Trucks enter the mine. A full tray of rock produces about two teaspoons of gold. Credit:Joe Armao

We were running out of ore, says David Coe, health, safety, environment and community manager at Stawell Gold Mines. We had got to 1646 metres in depth, and there was no more ore to chase. And we knew eventually we would close. In 2012, Stawell Gold Mines started searching for a future for the mine (one idea that thankfully never got up: turn the mine into an underground mushroom farm). Coincidentally, Swinburne astrophysicist Jeremy Mould had started a letter-writing campaign to the nations underground mines, looking for somewhere to house a small dark matter experiment. Separately, Professor Barberio - based at the University of Melbourne and now director of the new Centre for Dark Matter Particle Physics - was in talks with Italian colleagues about doing their own dark matter search. The three groups found each other and in 2014 toured the mine site, discovering it was perfect. Planning for the lab started in earnest. Then in 2016, the ground disappeared from under their feet. The mines owners put the site into caretaker mode. Cole, who had worked on the site since 1998, had to watch as the 250 employees shrank to just 12. The lab looked finished. In 2017, Arete Capital Partners, a global private equity group, purchased the mine and restarted operations. Meanwhile, the scientists had pulled together a coalition of funders including the federal and state government and the Italian Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare. In 2019, with funding secure, excavation began; the hope is the lab will be up and running next year.

It is hoped it will operate for at least 50 years, drawing scientists and investment from around the world. Theres nothing else like it in the southern hemisphere. Full-time employment at the mine is now back up to 243. Its definitely gone through a rollercoaster of emotion, says Cole. From a sector that was just about packed in, to where it is now, its good. Keeping the noise down Why go to all this effort to build a lab underground? Because to detect the impossibly faint signal of dark matter, one must first mute the deafening roar of the universe. Radiation shows up as static on a dark matter detector. And everything emits radiation, even bananas. Thats part of the reason its so hot down here: the rock surrounding us contains tiny traces of uranium, which decay and release heat.

Take pouring the concrete floor of the lab. Barberios team spent six months testing cement samples for radiation levels, eventually settling on a special product from Brisbane. When researchers arrive at the lab they will have to shower, lest their bodies carry tiny radiation-emitting particles from the surface. In the coming months, the crane will carefully bring in the dark matter detector itself, which looks like an oversized oil drum studded with thick cables. Inside, sitting in a chemical bath, are an array of hollow copper tubes. Inside those tubes sit seven ultra-pure thallium-doped sodium iodide crystals - the purest ever made. A cutaway of the dark matter detector. The copper tubes containing the crystals are at the centre. Like dark matter, these crystals are also strange artefacts. Atoms in the crystals are packed so tightly together that, in theory, eventually a dark matter particle has to hit one. If it works, the lab thinks it might get three collisions a month. These collisions will release energy which can be picked up by a set of detectors surrounding the crystals.

The crystal will see everything. If it sees dark matter, it will produce light, says Barberio. Loading Which brings us to the lab in Italy, buried under a mountain. For 20 years scientists working in a lab beneath Gran Sasso, a snow-covered peak in the Apennine range, say they have been detecting dark matter. Almost no one believes them. A range of other experiments looking in the same range have found nothing. There are many other experiments on Earth that are looking for dark matter, they have seen nothing, they have not seen a hint, says Egede.

That said, no one has been able to offer a good explanation for what the Italians are seeing either. Perhaps the most convincing part of the Italians signal is the way it changes. Imagine the planet Earth as it orbits the sun, as the sun itself moves through the web of invisible dark matter. In summer, the Earths orbital path takes it in the same direction as the sun, and in winter it takes it in the opposite direction. This is exactly what the Italians see: as Earth moves faster through the dark matter in summer, the signal gets stronger, and in winter it gets weaker. Thats why the Stawell lab is being built, using a detector identical to the Italians. If it finds the same signal, that would be pretty strong proof, says Egede, time to start booking your tickets to Stockholm. What happens if they dont find a signal is almost more intriguing. Because we are fast reaching the point where detectors are sensitive enough that there will be no place for dark matter to hide. Science works by putting up a theory and then testing it until it breaks. In perhaps 20 years time, well be at that point with dark matter. If we still havent seen dark matter, it is hard to see how we could, says Egede.
Paddington Reservoir Gardens, a heritage-listed public space in Sydneys eastern suburbs, has been taken over by social users, wedding parties and exercise classes to the annoyance of nearby residents and other park users.

Wedding photographers bringing bridal parties who scream and cheer after every photo are very loud, resident Denis McCarthy said.

Paddington residents have been disturbed by the noise of wedding couples, exercise classes and people making online videos at Paddington Reservoir Gardens. Credit:Louise Kennerley

Wedding photographers will often use drones. These are noisy, dangerous and intrusive to other park goers and residents.

Paddington Reservoir operated between 1878 and 1899 supplying water to parts of Sydney, and was later used as a service station until the roof collapsed in 1990. Reminiscent of the ancient Baths of Caracalla in Rome, the Gardens were opened in 2009.
Living oyster breakwaters being trialled in NSW coastal areas could help hold back rising Australian sea levels which have risen at a greater rate than the global average in recent decades according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The IPCC report released last week said it had high confidence that sea levels will continue to rise in the 21st century and beyond, contributing to increased coastal flooding and shoreline retreat along sandy coasts.

Professor Melanie Bishop from Macquarie University examining oysters at low tide near Roseville Bridge. Credit:Edwina Pickles

To guard against sea level rises international environmental experts now favour living breakwaters made of oysters which can grow and increase in height over time and also support a variety of marine life, rather than sea walls as have been used in the past.

Nature Conservancys Ocean Programs Director Chris Gillies said Australia was far behind the US and Europe in adopting the new approach.
A growing number of mental health leaders are warning the aggressive pursuit of zero-COVID through lockdowns is coming at too high a cost to peoples wellbeing and we must learn to live with the virus, amid surging calls for help.

Prominent psychiatrist and former Australian of the Year Patrick McGorry said eliminating COVID-19 was unsustainable and should be abandoned as soon as the 70-80 per cent vaccination threshold was reached.

The zero-COVID idea in the long run, once all the vaccines are available, it seems to me like its very unrealistic and the consequences of it, including for mental health, would be something Id be concerned about, he said.

Psychiatrist and former Australian of the Year Patrick McGorry.

The national cabinet-approved plan for living with COVID says lockdowns will become unlikely but possible at 70 per cent double dose vaccination and highly targeted only at 80 per cent.
When Anna Kiriakopoulos booked a winter getaway to the Gold Coast she didnt know what the next day would involve, let alone the next six weeks.

But as Victoria was plunged into its fourth lockdown on her May 28 departure date, the Fitzroy North resident discovered she was ineligible for a refund because she hadnt cancelled 45 days beforehand.

Anna Kiriakopoulos is trying to recoup $800 that she paid for an ill-fated trip to the Gold Coast Credit:Joe Armao

Had we planned to go a day earlier, things would have been different, she said. How are you meant to predict a lockdown six weeks in advance?

Ms Kiriakopoulos and her partner, Andrew, have spent more than two months trying to get a refund for their ill-fated holiday but have had no luck.
We have seen a huge increase in orders for beginner-style guitars during the pandemic, especially when an area goes into lockdown, he said. It seems like a combination of boredom and having less money to spend on other parts of their budget has led to more money going into hobbies that can be done at home. Clinical psychologist Adrian Allen said hobbies enhanced mental health by providing a diversion from work and daily life stresses. They enable us to develop a sense of mastery, and this enhances our ability to cope, he said. This is an important buffer against anxiety and depression. Dr Allen said hobbies add variety and structure to the day which is helpful in the monotony of lockdown. Hobbies provide us with a sense of purpose and keep us focused on something we can control - this is a particularly useful counter to the uncertainty of lockdown, he said.

Krissie Vitasa started learning Korean last month after spending last years lockdown watching Korean-language television and movies on streaming services, which also piqued her curiosity about South Korea and its culture. I eventually started picking up common Korean words and even sentence structures while watching and reading subtitles, and wondered to myself, why not take up a lockdown challenge and learn another language, she said. Ms Vitasas online beginners Korean course runs for 10 weeks, every Monday for two hours a night. She also spends up to two hours on the weekend on homework. Learning Korean has allowed me to step away from my day-to-day and do something different, she said. It breaks up my weekly routine and challenges me. Claudia McDonnell has also used lockdown to learn another language, downloading an e-book to teach herself Lebanese Arabic: I havent started the e-book yet, but Ive been ringing my aunties to practise Lebanese with them.

Claudia McDonnell has been playing her grandmothers piano during lockdown. Credit:Rhett Wyman Loading Ms McDonnell, a university student from Kogarah Bay, has also been baking sourdough every weekend and playing her grandmothers piano, an instrument she learned when she was younger but never stuck with it. Last year in lockdown I would spend hours at the piano practising songs I was learning off YouTube, she said. Im not an expert at piano at all, but it has really helped with my mental health and allowed me to relax. Kate Tye purchased a ukulele last year after a friend offered to teach her ocean swimming group how to play.

When Sydneys latest COVID-19 outbreak reached The Shire, Ms Tyes weekly ukulele sessions moved outside to a local park until tighter restrictions forced their practice online. Kate Tye has taken up the ukulele during lockdown. Credit:Edwina Pickles We cant be together socially, but its fantastic we can meet through Zoom to continue our practice, she said. Annmarie Rayer has become a daily ocean swimmer during the pandemic, braving the wintry waters of Oak Park Rock Pool in Cronulla without a wetsuit. After your swim, you feel euphoric, not just from the cold water but from the beauty of a sunrise, the discovery of an octopus and the conversations you have, she said.

Loading Ms Rayer said swimming has been her wellbeing and sanity check and helped her form social connections with women of different ages and backgrounds. Its definitely the light in my lockdown day, she said. My mum was part of the swimming group for years and can no longer go due to Alzheimers. Like Ms Rayer, Joel Bennetts has taken to the ocean during Greater Sydneys lockdown. But Mr Bennetts dives deep below the waves off Bronte Beach to photograph a world of starfish, sea urchins, blue gropers and seaweed ruffled by currents.

Mr Bennetts has long been a surfer, but credits his mother with igniting an interest in photography. I found a box of my late mothers photographs when I was 13, and I remember there were a lot of ocean scenes, seaweed and shells, he said. Joel Bennetts, pictured in waters off Bronte Beach, has taken up underwater photography during the pandemic. Credit:Edwina Pickles Mr Bennetts, executive chef of The Fishbowl Group, also freedives, which he said requires a focus on breathing and sense of calm to successfully descend beneath the ocean. Its such a good pastime, he said. Theres only so many times you can sit on your phone scrolling.
Loading Our teams get on top of the cases and clusters that we know about. If we dont know about it, we cant get on top of it. A mystery case reported on Friday in Roxburgh Park has now been linked to the Glenroy outbreak. Mr Foley also urged Victorians to get tested whenever they had symptoms. We really do need to get that 33,000 [per day testing] number back up to that 40,000 number to help us track down those chains of transmission, he said.

There are now 14,000 primary close contacts connected to the current Victorian outbreak. Three people are in hospital, with one person in intensive care. Breakdown of Victorias latest cases Of the 21 new local cases announced in Victoria on Saturday, 15 of the 21 cases are linked to the Glenroy outbreak. Of these, two are students at Glenroy West Primary School, one is a staff member and 10 cases have been found in three households linked to the school. One case is a household contact of a student who had previously been recorded as a case and one is a student from a school in Laverton who took a bus supervised by a previously-reported Glenroy case. Another three cases are linked to Al-Taqwa College, including one student, one staff member and one household contact of a known case associated with that cluster. Another two are linked to the Newport outbreak, in household contacts from two different households who are linked to two different players who attended a Newport football game. The last case is a household contact of a previously-reported infection linked to the Caroline Springs Square Shopping Centre. Exposure sites top 450 as Royal Womens Hospital added The entrance to the Royal Womens Hospital was added as a tier 2 exposure site on Saturday afternoon, taking the number of venues and public transport routes listed by health authorities past 450.

A positive case visited the entrance to the hospital on August 6 between 7.25am and 8am, and again between 10am and 10.35am on the same day. The hospital was among five tier-2 exposures added on Saturday, with the other entries including a supermarket in Melbournes north-west and a childcare centre in the inner-east. Bosisto Street Residential Apartment Complex in Richmond. Workers from the Health Department were seen at the apartment building on Saturday morning in full protective gear. Credit:Luis Ascui The Bosisto Street residential apartment complex in Richmond, just off Bridge Road, was added late on Friday for an exposure across an almost two-week period, after a case attended the building. The complex is listed as a tier 2 exposure site between 12am on August 2 and 11.59pm on Friday, August 13, meaning anyone who visited the building during that period must isolate until they test negative for the virus.

Some residents at the complex will be considered tier 1 contacts and will need to isolate for 14 days. A number of stores in Broadmeadows Central, Coles supermarkets in Glenroy and at the Richmond Icon building and Pickfords Pharmacy in Carlton were also listed as tier-2 sites late last night. Earlier on Friday, health authorities identified Chadstone Shopping Centre in Malvern East as a tier-2 exposure site. Anyone who attended the major shopping centre between 4.26pm and 5.40pm on August 7 must get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result.

More drive-through vaccination clinics planned A day after launching a campaign to vaccinate 1 million people over five weeks, the Victorian government said more drive-through vaccination centres would be opened in Melbournes north, west and south-eastern suburbs. Mr Foley said drive-through vaccination sites would be created in Wyndham and Whittlesea. The drive-in centres which have gone so well in its first week, like in Melton, will be expanded.

Friday was a record day for vaccinations in Victoria, with 29,490 doses administered across state clinics. Traces of COVID detected in regional wastewater catchments Mr Foley said there had been new detections of COVID-19 fragments in wastewater at both Shepparton and Lakes Entrance in the last week. The suburbs of concern include Shepparton, Kialla and small parts of Shepparton North and Orrvale between Monday and Wednesday, and Lakes Entrance, Lake Bunga, Kalimna, Lake Tyres and the Lake Tyres Aboriginal Trust from Sunday to Wednesday.

Loading Anyone living or visiting these areas who has even the slightest of symptoms must isolate immediately and get tested. In his daily update on Friday, Professor Sutton said the new wastewater detections were significant as both areas do not have any active COVID-19 cases or current exposure sites. NSW to enter statewide lockdown NSW will enter a snap, statewide lockdown after it recorded 466 new local cases and four deaths on Saturday.

Deputy NSW Premier John Barilaro told regional MPs that the entire state would enter a lockdown from 5pm on Saturday afternoon for at least seven days, an MP unauthorised to speak on the issue told The Age. Nationals Minister Melinda Pavey confirmed the statewide lockdown via social media. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian had earlier announced that the 10-kilometre limit on movement in Greater Sydney would be cut to five kilometres from Monday. Mr Foley said the situation in NSW was deteriorating daily and that only critical, end of life requests for entering Victoria were being approved.

Mr Foley said authorities had received 12,000 applications from Victorians who were stuck in NSW and about 6 to 7 per cent of all applications were being approved. Loading Displaced Victorians who have been unable to return home from NSW have begun gathering at the Albury Showgrounds in caravans and tents as they try and complete 14 days of quarantine inside the border bubble. I cant give those people any commitments as to what their particular circumstances are, Mr Foley said. As tough and as personally disturbing as it is to see some of the really heartbreaking cases being declined, its sadly for a really good reason. We do not want to be where NSW is.
My curiosity led me first to history, where I discovered that the word risk first appeared in English as a noun for mass experience in 1661, when it was defined as peril, jeopardy, danger, hazard, chance. Four of those words inspire fear. That was baked into our idea of risk from the beginning, and especially for parents, the anxiety has been building ever since. For many, modernity shifted the burden of responsibility for lifes uncertainties from God and religious institutions  where people used to go when peril hit  to the family unit and ultimately, the individual consumer. Risk these days is tied up with identity, politics and class: each of us is expected to decide whats best and defend our position with zeal. Or at least thats what Id been taught as an American. Freedom. Choice. Dont tread on me. These were the ideals Id learnt to romanticise growing up in Massachusetts, where the American Revolution began. The trouble is, as individuals, were all remarkably bad at assessing risk. If were not careful about who and what we surround ourselves with, we can drift into extremes  arguing for selfish recklessness or the fiction of zero risk, claiming reason while relying on feelings. Paul Slovic helped me understand that. A soft-spoken psychology professor at the University of Oregon, he was one of the first researchers to examine how humans perceive the risks around them. He started to identify our risk-assessing flaws with a study in the 1970s that presented test subjects with different causes of death, asking them to compare the dangers in pairs and choose which one was more deadly, and by how much. Again and again, people got it wrong. They said tornadoes were more likely killers than asthma, even though asthma causes 20 times more deaths. They said lung cancers were a more potent killer than stomach cancers (theyre not). Overall, most respondents rated diseases and accidental death as roughly equal. In fact, death by disease is 18 times more likely. With additional studies, Slovic concluded that were not as rational as we think. Were driven by emotion and the information that fires us up. Were more afraid of new risks we dont understand and we obsess over what we hear more about from the media and friends.

Attention is akin to a spotlight, Slovic told me on one of our many calls and video chats while I was working on my new book, Into the Rip (Simon & Schuster, out September 29). It shines on some piece of information and everything out of the spotlight might not be seen. So in the current pandemic moment, many of us know that lockdowns and closed borders have limited Australias COVID-19-related deaths to nearly 950. But do we know how many deaths last year were from influenza and pneumonia? (2122.) In other words, theres a groupthink momentum to risk perception that can be hard to see. None of us are an island of individualism; were more like schools of fish. And if were not careful about who and what we surround ourselves with, we can drift into extremes  arguing for selfish recklessness or the fiction of zero risk, claiming reason while relying on feelings. Now heres the good news: especially in Australia. The building blocks of a more risk-savvy society  one that manages risk with moderation and calm  are all around us. Even before the pandemic, the more time I spent watching my kids in Nippers, the more I started to see it as a form of risk training that should be a model for Australia and the world. Every week, I saw children who could barely memorise their times tables pushed further into a turbulent ocean. They were being exposed to moderate dangers that required the suppression of emotion  tears were ignored like a passing squall  while learning about the limits of human certainty and the power of practice and communal effort.

Everyone on that beach, parents and children in the water, together, worked towards the goal of making hundreds of kids proficient enough to stay relatively safe and help other people in need. What a word, proficient: Skilled in doing. Not perfect. Not heroic. Just skilled and active. Thats what risk researchers say more of us need to do. Build toward mastery. Resist knee-jerk risk aversion. After all, even pain can be positive. One study from Norway, for example, found that children who hurt themselves falling from trees and tall obstacles as children are less likely to be afraid of heights when theyre adults. As parents, some of us forget that long-term logic, instead reining our children in because we fear injury. Many of us also fail to model bravery in our own lives, unless were pushed. During the Black Summer fires, many of the volunteer firefighters I met told me they had only signed up after a relative or friend pressed them to commit. They saw that as a good thing. Baz was my recruiter. After he challenged me to get my Bronze Medallion and join him in the water, I flopped and flailed my way into lifesaver-dom. I failed my first Bronze swim assessment (400 metres nearly broke me) and then I had to take lessons with the same instructor who taught Baz and his younger sister, Amelia. It was humiliating. It hurt. It was frightening. And it was worth doing  I eventually passed, and the benefits stretched beyond practical skills. My willingness to endure discomfort led to deeper connections with my children and my community. On my first day with rescue boards, I understood  for the first time  what we were all getting into when I found myself far out to sea with a group of fellow trainees, paddling and sweating where Id seen whales breach. The view of the coast called out for exclamation. When our guide, Dave, showed us how to spin and eskimo-roll, we all looked like fools, slipping, sliding and giggling like awkward tweens.

But there was a point to all that play. We needed to have command of the board because wed be expected to paddle out, save a drowning swimmer and return to shore. A few years earlier, a surfer died after crashing into the craggy outcrop we were just then paddling past. Part of the reason we need to embrace risks and new challenges when theyre lacking in our lives is because it helps keep our own self-regard in perspective. Dave stopped us a few metres past there, a short paddle from where the rolling swell was breaking. The ocean heaved, with sets coming in every few seconds. We each took two turns racing towards the beach, with the surge of the surf thrusting us forward. On my first try, I slid back on my board and rode forward without a problem. On my second, a giant wave toppled me off the side. Compared to Bazs crash, I was even more of a sloppy mess, tumbling in the churn of sea and sand. Then my feet hit the sand. I stood, shook my head and walked away unhurt  feeling completely alive. And smiling. Loading Getting smashed, I realised, is only a small moment of learning how to deal with risk. Theres also the sublime, humbling experience of bobbing in a majestic sea; and the childlike laughter of being a novice with so much room to improve. I walked away that day thinking of a line Ive always loved from Blaise Pascal, one of historys first risk researchers and most angst-ridden philosophers: We are something but we are not all.
But Zhaos Afghanistan broadside was something else entirely. The tweet eclipsed the war-crimes report to become the biggest news in Australia and the turning point of a second national reckoning  this time on the subject of China. There had never been a moment before then where the entire national conversation, from the prime ministers courtyard to the suburban barbecue, was about Chinas offensive, coercive diplomacy, the former senior government official said.

Zhao had already made headlines once before, for a tweet in the early days of the pandemic in which he floated a conspiracy theory that the virus originated in the United States. When did patient zero begin in US? Zhao wrote. How many people are infected? What are the names of the hospitals? It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe us an explanation! That time, the US State Department summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest the accusation.

Earlier that month, the inspector-general of the Australian Defence Force had released the results of a four-year investigation into alleged war crimes committed by elite Australian troops in Afghanistan. The investigation, which described a systemic culture of brutality and lawlessness, implicated 25 soldiers in the unlawful killing of 39 civilians and prisoners, with most of the incidents taking place in 2012. The report dominated news headlines for weeks and sparked a torturous national reckoning. To then see the countrys most grievous sins  already documented by its own government  weaponised in a sarcastic tweet from a foreign official was an almost incomprehensible insult. I dont think you could imagine a communication that couldve been more perfectly shaped to be inflammatory in Australia, and so perfectly insensitive, a former senior Australian government official said.

But the tweet, posted by a diplomat named Zhao Lijian , represented a different kind of aggression. Shocked by murder of Afghan civilians & prisoners by Australian soldiers, he wrote. We strongly condemn such acts, & call for holding them accountable. Attached was a digital illustration of an Australian soldier restraining an Afghan child with a large Australian flag while preparing to slit the boys throat. Dont be afraid, the caption read, we are coming to bring you peace! When the tweet appeared online that morning, there were audible gasps in Parliament House.

On the morning of Monday, November 30, 2020, Prime Minister Scott Morrison was working from his official residence when an aide alerted him to a tweet by a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman. Morrison was about to finish a two-week quarantine after returning from a brief diplomatic visit to Japan, and had spent most of the morning on the phone with Australian wine exporters, discussing Chinese tariffs that had just taken effect (some as high as 212 per cent) the latest in an escalating string of punitive economic measures imposed on Australia by Beijing.

Rory Medcalf, head of the National Security College at the Australian National University and author of Indo-Pacific Empire, said Australia was something of a diplomatic proving ground for China: a liberal democracy and American ally that, despite its middle-power status, is stymieing Chinas efforts to dominate the region. China has been making an example of the country thats setting an example for pushing back, he said.

The tariffs on Australian goods had apparently been imposed in retaliation for Canberras recent efforts to counter Chinas influence, like barring Huawei from building 5G infrastructure in the country, passing laws against foreign interference in Australian elections and civil society and calling for an independent inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus.

At the time of the tweet, Australia was under a series of actual and threatened Chinese trade sanctions targeting roughly a dozen goods, including wine, beef, barley, timber, lobster and coal. The government had limited room to manoeuvre: the Chinese market accounts for 36 per cent of Australias total exports and, according to one estimate, one in 13 Australian jobs.

I dont think you could imagine a communication that couldve been more perfectly shaped to be inflammatory in Australia, and so perfectly insensitive.

But Morrison also took care to convey that Australia was prepared to talk whenever China was ready. I would hope that this rather awful event hopefully may lead to the type of reset where this dialogue can be restarted without condition, Morrison said. The triangulation was an implicit acknowledgment of Australias vexed position  and of how closely Chinas bellicose rhetoric was paired with bruising economic and political pressure.

Less than two hours after Zhaos post, Morrison was on TV delivering a live address from his residence. He denounced the truly repugnant tweet and asked for an apology from the Chinese government. The Chinese government should be totally ashamed of this post, Morrison said. It diminishes them in the worlds eyes.

In his early career , Zhao  who did not respond to interview requests for this article  gave few hints at his future emergence as Chinas wolf warrior diplomat. Daniel Markey, the former South Asia head of the US State Departments policy-planning staff, first met him in 2011. In that initial interaction, Zhao was tagging along with a more senior Chinese embassy official. While Markey and the senior official discussed Pakistan and India, Zhao spoke very little, if at all.

Zhaos recent ascent through the ranks mirrors Chinas broader awakening to its own power, a development that has been decades in the making but was rapidly accelerated by the pandemic. Today, with the pandemic continuing and the battle to control what comes next beginning in earnest, a newly wary world is watching as China discovers its voice  one that sounds a lot like Zhao Lijian.

Zhaos timing has proved exquisite. As Chinas leader, Xi Jinping, forged a more muscular and confident foreign policy, Zhao was there to introduce a new, chaotic tone into Chinese diplomacy, one that proved perfectly complementary to the presidents vision. Online and in the media, Zhao was called the wolf warrior diplomat, a moniker taken from a pair of ultra-nationalistic Chinese action films of the same name.

At first, Zhao was seemingly on his own, wielding Twitter as his personal cudgel while only a small number of other Chinese diplomats were even on the platform. As his bosses and colleagues in Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs churned out bland statements about win-win co-operation and building a community of shared future for mankind, Zhao attacked detractors with an almost savage glee: criticisms of China were dirty lies and a foreign official whom Zhao disagreed with was a person without soul and nationality.

It would be tempting to dismiss Zhaos tweet as a one-off provocation and Zhao himself as a bit player in this geopolitical drama. But, in fact, his influence has been immense. Despite being almost entirely unknown, even in China, until two years ago, Zhao has managed to rapidly and completely transform how China communicates with its allies and adversaries. His unbridled style of online rhetoric has spread throughout the Chinese diplomatic corps, replacing the turgid mix of evasive diplomatese and abstruse Communist jargon that characterised the nations public statements for decades.

But by the time Zhao returned to Beijing after four years in the US, the shift in the mood and tenor of the bilateral relationship was unmistakable: The Obama administration had announced its pivot to Asia; Xi Jinping was president and Communist Party leader; and a downward spiral was taking hold between the two countries. If Zhao drew any conclusion from his time in Washington, it was very likely the same one dawning on so many others in both capitals: China had arrived and the era of diplomatic quiet and biding their time was over.

When the executive fell short of Zhaos expectations during one such collaboration, the executive was made to endure a criticism session, during which Zhao enumerated all the ways he had been disappointed. Hes just simply not a very nice person, period, the executive said. Even some of Zhaos colleagues were said to regard him as prickly, pretentious and unusually nationalistic.

American foreign policy hands who interacted with Zhao during this period recall a young diplomat tasked with internal affairs, like preparing reports and briefing superiors. When he did work directly with outsiders, though, Zhao could prove memorable. A business executive who collaborated with Zhao on a number of projects recalled him as extremely critical, arrogant, unfriendly and just mean.

In Washington, Chinese diplomats had a reputation for being professional, well-prepared and insular. Most lived in the same apartment buildings or in embassy-provided housing, and spent their free time in the Bethesda area north of the city. They kept to themselves and to the local Chinese ethnic community, eating mostly at Chinese restaurants.

Zhao joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1996 and rose quickly through the ranks, serving at first in the Department of Asian Affairs in Beijing. In 2009, just after then US president Barack Obama began his first term in office, Zhao became first secretary in the political section at the Chinese embassy in Washington  a plum assignment for a diplomat on the rise.

I didnt think much of him, said Markey, who is now a senior research professor at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He was just kind of there.

At the same time, the US, disillusioned and disenchanted after a decade and a half of pouring money, resources and attention into Pakistan with little to show for it, was pulling back its presence. US embassy staff members, once very active in the Pakistani media and on social media, started disengaging. Into that void stepped Zhao, who became the sole voice on all things CPEC, both on Twitter and in more staid official communications. He was the face of Chinese diplomacy in Pakistan and Afghanistan, said Imtiaz Gul, the executive director of the Centre for Research and Security Studies in Islamabad. He was in the media far more than the ambassador.

The Pakistani government seemed to be announcing a new batch of Chinese investment every week, but there was no spokesperson responsible for handling CPEC issues, and the messages were sometimes unclear or incomplete; the Chinese embassy, meanwhile, stayed mostly silent.

Zhao had arrived at a moment of deep uncertainty in Pakistan. The first projects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) were just getting underway. Through CPEC, which began in 2013, China had committed an initial total of about $US46 billion in energy and infrastructure investment, which amounted to roughly 20 per cent of Pakistans gross domestic product. The partnership was a cornerstone of Xi Jinpings signature foreign policy project, the Belt and Road Initiative, an enormous effort to build infrastructure throughout Asia and beyond in order to strengthen Chinas position as the hub of global commerce.

Pakistan was one of the first non-communist countries to switch diplomatic recognition from the exiled government in Taiwan to the Peoples Republic of China, in 1950, and it placed a bet on Chinas rise well before other regional players. Chinese diplomats refer to Pakistan as their iron brother and all-weather friend; Pakistani politicians often describe the two countries friendship as higher than the Himalayas, deeper than the deepest sea in the world and sweeter than honey.

Zhao arrived in Pakistan five years later, in the northern autumn of 2015, and almost immediately began tweeting in earnest. He had reason to believe that an outspoken Chinese diplomat would be well received in the country. Zhao had served in Pakistan before, in his first foreign assignment with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; it was a posting uniquely favourable to aggressive Chinese diplomacy.

At every step, Zhao benefited from the American failure in Pakistan and the lessons it left behind for the next would-be superpower. Zhao won praise for repeatedly highlighting Pakistans sacrifices in the war on terror, a point that many Pakistanis felt the US had failed to recognise properly. We started noticing Beijing pushing that line around 2011, 2012, when things deteriorated with the US, Wajahat S. Khan, a Pakistani journalist who covered CPEC extensively, said. And this guy just took it to the next level.

A Twitter presence was part of Zhaos diplomatic persona from the beginning of his posting to Pakistan. But as Zhao became more comfortable, his pace, and especially his tone, began to change. In early July 2016, he posted a flurry of provocative tweets. First was a cartoon caricature of President Obama as World War II poster girl Rosie the Riveter, superimposed over a grainy photo of the Capitol Building. From I have a dream to I have drone, Zhao captioned it. The next day, he posted a cartoon showing an American missile striking a grave labelled Afghan Peace Talks, saying, Pakistan Minister of Interior Nisar: US droned Afghan peace talks to death.

Zhao also gained fans back home on Chinese social media, where a richer and more nationalistic population was hungry for champions who could translate their countrys growing power into a forceful global presence. The call to be more assertive and to respond to criticism was coming from Chinas top leaders, said Alessandra Cappelletti, who teaches at Xian Jiaotong-Liverpool University and has researched Zhaos social media activity. But, she added, the real impetus was bottom-up, a consequence of an increasingly nationalistic society which was starting to feel that Chinas voice needed to be heard in a more convincing way in the international arena.

The international environment had also changed. When Zhao arrived in Pakistan, Donald Trump was still months away from winning the New Hampshire primary. Trumps rise through the northern spring of 2016 and his election as US president that November signalled that the old rules were gone. Its not a coincidence that Zhaos era traces the Trump era pretty closely, Small said. It made things seem possible and acceptable, thanks to the mirroring of the US that goes on in the Chinese side. No one in the Chinese system would have been doing this on social media before Trump.

Its not a coincidence that Zhaos era traces the Trump era pretty closely. It made things seem possible and acceptable, thanks to the mirroring of the US that goes on in the Chinese side.

With his rhetoric towards China in particular, Trump created an opening for an equally forceful response. If the US president says China rapes our country, they have a lot of discursive space, said Julian Gewirtz, a former senior fellow for China studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, an American nonprofit thinktank specialising in US foreign policy.

More broadly, the Chinese leadership may simply be taking a cue from the power that its aiming to replace. Part of it is watching us and learning and modelling themselves on how we behave, a former US Department of Defence official said. Were pretty aggressive. Are we wolf warriors? Or is that just the way great powers handle themselves?

The first real test of Chinas road to rejuvenation  and of the wolf warriors ability to help the country get there  came from Hong Kong and the pro-democracy protests that swept across the city in early 2019. That year, as the protests gained momentum, a new wave of Chinese diplomats joined Zhao on Twitter.

Right before things kicked off in Hong Kong, there was basically no diplomatic presence for China on Twitter, other than Zhao, said Bret Schafer, the media and digital-disinformation fellow at the Alliance for Securing Democracy, a US national security advocacy group. Now weve seen an explosion of accounts come online. Beijing also began experimenting with covert information operations on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, including creating fake profiles and pages. The response to the Hong Kong protests marked Chinas first major foray into so-called information warfare on Western social media.

In July 2019, as the protests in Hong Kong raged, Zhao engaged in his most contentious and high-profile dispute yet. After 22 United Nations ambassadors signed an open letter denouncing Chinas crackdown on the Uighurs and other Muslim and minority communities, Zhao took to Twitter to criticise American hypocrisy. If youre in Washington, DC, you know the white never go to the SW area, because its an area for the black & Latin, he wrote. Theres a saying black in & white out, which means that as long as a black family enters, white people will quit, & price of the apartment will fall sharply.

Susan Rice, the former US national security adviser and United Nations ambassador, replied: You are a racist disgrace. And shockingly ignorant too. In normal times, you would be PNGed for this, she tweeted, using slang for persona non grata  expulsion from a host country. She called on Cui Tiankai, then serving as Chinas ambassador to the US, to do the right thing and send him home  a public communique made possible by the fact that Cui had joined Twitter the previous week, part of the crop of new Chinese diplomatic accounts inspired, perhaps, by Zhaos runaway success.

The next day, Zhaos tweet had been deleted. Still, he wasnt backing down: He soon replaced it with a map highlighting Washingtons racial segregation, and he replied to Rice on Twitter. You are such a disgrace, too, he wrote.

And shockingly ignorant, too. I am based in Islamabad. Truth hurts. I am simply telling the truth. I stayed in Washington DC 10 years ago. To label someone who speak the truth that you dont want to hear a racist, is disgraceful & disgusting.

Two weeks later, Zhao announced on Twitter that he was leaving Pakistan. He did not mention a new posting. It seemed that Zhao had finally gone too far, even by the new standard he helped set.

In fact, Zhao had been given a promotion, to deputy director-general of the information department at the Foreign Ministry  a posting that often serves as a stepping stone to an even larger role within the diplomatic corps.

According to reporting by Reuters, when Zhao came back to Beijing, he found a group of young staff members gathered outside his office to cheer his return.

Zhao took to his new role with the same gusto he had displayed in Pakistan. On Thanksgiving weekend in 2019, he tweeted about what he was thankful for: the United States, for squandering trillions of dollars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria ... He also suggested that, given its history of racial discrimination, the US should look at itself in the mirror before criticising China over human rights. But I suggest youd better not to do it, in particular before going to bed, he said. It will cause you nightmire [sic].

Credit:

As the pandemic accelerated beyond Chinas borders, Xinhua, the official state news agency, called the outbreak in the US the Trump pandemic and suggested that China could easily withhold exports of medical equipment, without which the US would be engulfed in the mighty sea of coronavirus. When the Netherlands changed the name of its representative office in Taiwan to include the word Taipei, China warned that it could withhold medical aid in response.

No offender was too small: The Wall Street Journal reported that when a Sri Lankan activist named Chirantha Amerasinghe criticised the Chinese government as low class on Twitter, the Chinese embassy in Colombo replied, Total death in #China #pandemic is 3344 till today, much smaller than your western high class governments.

The campaign was not all punitive, though; it also included incentives for good behaviour. One facet of the response was mask diplomacy: wielding Chinas near-monopoly over essential personal protective equipment manufacturing as a tool for rewarding friends and punishing perceived enemies. Huawei, the embattled Chinese telecom giant, donated 800,000 face masks to the Netherlands, a few months before the country was set to hold its 5G telecom auction. More donations went to Canada and France, neither of which had decided on their 5G infrastructure.

According to data from a 14-country survey released by the Pew Research Centre in October, just weeks before Zhaos Australia tweet, negative views of China have soared in the past year, hitting historic highs in nine of the 14 countries. The change was especially stark in countries such as Australia, Sweden and the Netherlands, which have been on the receiving end of Chinas most bellicose diplomacy.

In Australia, unfavourable views have risen 24 percentage points since 2019, the largest single-year change in the country since Pew began conducting the survey in 2008. Sixty-one per cent of respondents said that China had done a bad job handling the pandemic; the most negative views came from Chinas regional neighbours, Australia, Japan and South Korea. (Only the US received a worse grade for its pandemic response.)

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Even within China, the new tone has sparked unease, with prominent scholars and former-diplomats pushing back against the hardliners. Zhang Feng, a prominent foreign-policy scholar, published a blog post on Chinas self-defeating discourse. Once too abstract and difficult to understand, Zhang wrote, Chinas diplomatic discourse had now swung in the other direction.

Why dont we take the high road and compete against the US at the diplomatic level using honest information? he wrote. To flaunt like this, and get into a spitting war with America while dressing it up as an eye for an eye, is really just playing into Americas tactics and in the end hurts Chinese foreign relations and weakens Chinas morals internationally.

Similarly, a Peoples Liberation Army general named Dai Xu pointed out that the wolf warriors had failed to win China any friends or goodwill. China has provided assistance to so many countries, benefiting them in so many ways, but at this critical moment, none of them has taken any unified action with China, he wrote. The only thing the wolf warriors had achieved was to knock on the door of the American Empire with great fanfare and declare, Im going to surpass you, Im going to replace you and I will become the best in the world. 

Even if [Chinas] reputation is damaged, the view of China being powerful and having a louder voice and greater strength is still there.

But Chinas leadership may not care about the countrys favourability  at least with certain audiences. The 14 countries measured in the Pew survey are all advanced democracies, many of them in Europe. There are other audiences, particularly in parts of the world that dont feel a strong sense of allegiance to the US-led order, where people love this stuff, Julian Gewirtz said. Trolls are popular, too. In the post-Trump era, where trust in long-term US support for developing countries is uncertain, sticking it to Europe and the US may be a winning play, especially as Chinese aid and investment surge and China occupies more of the global leadership role that the West once carved out for itself.

One of the provocative tweets from Zhao Lijian; the response of Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs was to give him a promotion.

Zhaos tweets offer a window into the global audience that China seeks to cultivate. Just before his confrontation with Susan Rice, Zhao promoted a United Nations resolution echoing Chinas position on Xinjiang. Among the signatories he highlighted were Russia, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, Algeria, the Philippines and Belarus  a broad coalition of developing countries, many of which will power future global economic growth and some of which have found themselves on the receiving end of scolding from the US over human rights.

During Mays 11-day conflict in Gaza, Zhao tweeted a cartoon image of a bald eagle dropping a missile on the territory. See what #HumanRights defender has brought to #Gaza people, he wrote. With wolf-warrior diplomacy, China is positioning itself as a leader of the non-Western world, and betting that other members of the bloc are just as eager to see a world free of Americas overbearing influence.

In the US and the other rich Western countries included in the Pew survey, meanwhile, the intended message may actually be landing exactly as hoped. Even if [Chinas] reputation is damaged, Gewirtz said, the view of China being powerful and having a louder voice and greater strength is still there.

Scott Morrison was shocked by this Zhao Lijian tweet, which depicted an Australian soldier about to slit an Afghan boys throat. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen; Zhao Lijian/Twitter

Australia may be a harbinger. It remains on the receiving end of a withering campaign of both hard and soft power, ranging from propaganda and threats to broad trade sanctions. The Chinese have engaged in economic coercion before against single industries, like Norwegian salmon or Philippine bananas, James Curran, a professor of history at the University of Sydney, said. Australia is taking it across a broad range of fronts simultaneously.

The country has taken steps, since the passage of the anti-foreign interference laws in 2018, to diversify its economy and reduce dependence on China, but four decades of nearly unquestioned enthusiasm for the fruits of Chinas growth have left it in a precarious position. Last year, exports of goods and services to China accounted for 8 per cent of Australias total gross domestic product. Other resource-rich exporters in South America and Africa are similarly exposed, as are Asian economies and emerging markets dependent on China for supply chains, investment and infrastructure. (Australia has been spared the worst of the possible fallout because of record high prices in iron ore, the one commodity for which China is heavily dependent on Australia.)

In Australias case, at least, the point of wolf-warrior diplomacy is, in fact, to be disliked  or, more precisely, feared. Its possible China will have some soft-power setbacks for what theyre doing, Rush Doshi, a former Brookings Institution fellow and the author of The Long Game, a book on Chinese grand strategy, said. But is soft power going to rule international relations or is hard power?

In the uproar surrounding Zhaos tweet and the Australian reaction, the source of the offending image garnered little attention. It was created by a young graphic artist who goes by the name Wuheqilin. His first illustration, titled A Pretender God, depicted a group of Hong Kong protesters worshipping a grotesque Statue of Liberty, which holds a petrol bomb and a keyboard. His cartoons earned him a glowing profile in Global Times  a daily tabloid newspaper under the auspices of the Chinese Communist Partys flagship Peoples Daily newspaper  as well as the nickname Wolf Warrior artist.

Soon after A Pretender God came another piece, Cannon Fodder, which showed a child in a Guy Fawkes mask standing in the middle of a railway track, a slingshot raised at an oncoming train. Beside the tracks stands a group of smiling adults holding umbrellas to shield themselves from the splatter of blood that is sure to result. A woman to the childs right appears to depict Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen, while a trio of dogs with wagging tongues wear collars resembling the American flag. But perhaps the most interesting symbol is unintentional: the train itself, which appears to stand for China as it hurtles down the tracks  implacable, unyielding and seemingly unable to change course.

Edited version of a story first published in the New York Times Magazine.  2021 The New York Times Company.

To read more from Good Weekend magazine, visit our page at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times.

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It is unprecedented in my experience, Ive never sued a member of the royal family and other than divorce actions Im not aware of anyone who has, Boies told USA TODAY. Boies said his team tried to open settlement talks with Andrews lawyers but they would not engage. (The princes lawyers declined to comment for this story.) He said Giuffre, facing an August 14 deadline to file her lawsuit, ran out of time to further pursue a settlement. Virginia Roberts Giuffre outside a Manhattan court with her lawyer David Boies in August, 2019. Credit:AP Giuffre has been accusing Andrew publicly, in other lawsuits and in the media, since 2015, and has been ignored or dismissed by the palace media operation  but embraced by the British tabloids who have long mocked Andrew as Randy Andy. Boies argues Giuffres suit is based on the bedrock principle of the American and English justice systems, that no one is above the law, not even the queens alleged favourite child.

It applies equally to everyone and wealth, position, title, family connections  none of that insulates someone from being required to answer in court for allegations, Boies says. And part of this is sending a message that you cant, simply by stonewalling and hiding behind castle walls, avoid being held to account for these (accusations). Melville-Brown says formal legal proceedings can be a hammer blow to any vestige of Andrews reputation that remains, regardless of his denials. No matter what he does, the public is likely to react negatively, the lawyer told USA Today. If he speaks out again in his own defence, he will be seen as self-serving or tone-deaf; if he keeps silent, he will be seen as self-protective with something to hide, she says. Meanwhile, the pitiless lenses of the tabloids are once again trained on Andrew, who, with his ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York, were spotted by paparazzi arriving Tuesday at Balmoral, the queens Scottish estate where she spends six weeks every summer and hosts multiple members of her family. Since 2011, Andrew has been been shamed and scorned due to his Epstein and Giuffre links, forced in 2019 to give up his royal roles, seen only occasionally in public since, and mostly relegated to riding his horses on the grounds of his residence, Royal Lodge, close to Windsor Castle.

Two consecutive US attorneys in Manhattan have publicly demanded Andrew cooperate with the FBI investigating Epsteins alleged sex-trafficking and Andrews longtime friend Ghislaine Maxwells alleged involvement (for which she is awaiting trial in federal court in New York after pleading not guilty). It never happened: Andrew says he doesnt know anything about those matters. He also has denied ever meeting Giuffre, despite a decades-old picture shared on the internet that shows the two together in Maxwells London home. Prince Andrew pictured with Virginia Giuffre at the home of Ghislaine Maxwell (right) in London in 2001. I can absolutely categorically tell you (a meeting) never happened, he told the BBC in an interview in 2019, which was widely condemned. I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever. Giuffre, now a mother of three, a former Floridian and now a resident of Australia, is one of Epsteins many accusers, dating from her teen years in Florida. She claims Epstein and Maxwell trafficked her to Andrew three times, in New York, London and the US Virgin Islands, when she was 17, which is the age of consent in New York.

She is suing Andrew in federal court, even though she is invoking New York state laws on sexual abuse, because thats where cases involving mixed citizenship are heard, Boies says. Although she had reached the age of consent at the time of her alleged encounters with Andrew, Boies says she was subject to the inherent coercion of sex-trafficking, which trumps the issue of consent, real or alleged. In addition to sexual abuse laws, she is invoking the new Child Victims Act of New York, which extended the statute of limitations for civil suits by adults alleging sexual abuse when they were under the age of 21. If Andrew is served with the lawsuit at his Windsor home, his options would include trying to get it dismissed (before deposition) or a motion for summary judgment (after deposition), settling the case out of court, or defending himself at a trial, says Arick Fudali, managing lawyer at the Bloom Firm in LA, which represents eight other Epstein accusers. Its tough to say how likely it is this case will go to (civil) trial, says Fudali. Trials are rare in these types of cases but they do happen, and if/when he is served, his options in avoiding a trial become limited.

One bit of good news for the royal: Because this is a civil case, not a criminal case, Andrew cant be extradited or arrested and frog-marched out of Windsor Castle. Mark Stephens, a specialist in international law at a major London law firm, told the Associated Press that Andrews legal team could seek to delay as long as possible by citing the Maxwell criminal case (criminal matters take precedence over civil matters), or by claiming immunity as a member of the royal family. At best, Boies says, Andrew can only delay the case, not kill it. Ignoring Giuffre and her accusations is no longer an option, he says. So what, ultimately, do he and Giuffre want from Andrew? A vindication of her credibility, an apology and an acknowledgement of what happened, Boies says. Does he expect him to comply? Probably not.
The Islamic Emirate instructs all its forces to stand at the gates of Kabul, not to try to enter the city, the Taliban said in a statement, referring to the groups formal name. Negotiations are underway to ensure that the transition process is completed safely and securely, without putting the lives, property and honour of anyone on danger. Core US team members were working from the Kabul airport, a US official said, while a NATO official said several EU staff had moved to a safer, undisclosed location in the capital. The airport remained under Western control, but a NATO official said it had been closed to commercial flights late on Sunday local time. People are flooding into Kabul to escape the Taliban takeover of their provinces. Credit:

Helicopters were landing at the US embassy in Kabul as diplomatic vehicles left the compound. The rapid shuttle runs by helicopters came on Sunday morning local time as wisps of smoke rose from the embassys roof. US officials previously said that diplomats inside had begun destroying sensitive documents. Taliban fighters were in the city districts of Kalakan, Qarabagh and Paghman. The insurgents did not immediately acknowledge their presence in the capital. However, government offices suddenly began sending workers home early on Sunday as military helicopters buzzed overhead. An Afghan official said forces at Bagram air base, home to a prison housing 5000 inmates, have surrendered to the Taliban. Bagram district chief Darwaish Raufi said on Sunday that the surrender handed the one-time American base over to the insurgents.

The Taliban earlier seized Jalalabad, the last major city outside of Kabul held by the countrys increasingly isolated central government, cutting off the capital to the east and tightening their grip on the nation as tens of thousands fled their rapid advance. The fall of the last major city outside the capital secured for the insurgents the roads connecting Afghanistan to Pakistan, a Western official said. It followed the Talibans seizure of the major northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif. There are no clashes taking place right now in Jalalabad because the governor has surrendered to the Taliban, a Jalalabad-based Afghan official said. Allowing passage to the Taliban was the only way to save civilian lives.

The fall of Mazar-i-Sharif, confirmed by a provincial council official, was another important capture for the hardline militants, who have swept through the country in recent weeks as US-led forces withdrew. US President Joe Biden said on Sunday he had approved additional military forces to go to Kabul to help safely draw down the American embassy and remove personnel from Afghanistan. In a lengthy statement, Biden defended his decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan, arguing that Afghan forces had to fight back against Taliban fighters sweeping through the country. Based on the recommendations of our diplomatic, military and intelligence teams, I have authorised the deployment of approximately 5000 US troops to make sure we can have an orderly and safe drawdown of US personnel and other allied personnel, Biden said. A US defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said of the 5000 Biden announced, 4000 were already previously announced. About 1000 were newly approved and would be from the 82nd Airborne Division.

Members of the Taliban drive through the city of Herat, Afghanistan, west of Kabul, on Saturday. Credit: Britain is also rushing troops back into the country to evacuate citizens amid concern Kabul could soon be overrun. Security forces from Mazar-i-Sharif were escaping towards the border, Afzal Hadid, head of the Balkh provincial council, told Reuters. The Taliban have taken control of Mazar-I-Sharif, he said. All security forces have left Mazar city. The city appeared to have fallen largely without a fight, although sporadic clashes were continuing nearby, he said. Earlier in the day, the rebels seized a town south of Kabul that is one of the gateways to the capital.

Many Afghans have fled from the provinces to the capital, driven out by fighting and fearful of a return to hardline Islamist rule. As night fell on Saturday, hundreds of people were huddled in tents or in the open in the city, by roadsides or in carparks, a resident said. You can see the fear in their faces, he said. Loading
Ltd, which is fighting with American retail firm com, has reported a massive loss of Rs 1,147 crore for the June quarter as compared with Rs 553 crore of loss announced in the same period of the last financial year. The company reported revenues of Rs 1,406 crore in the June quarter of the current financial year as compared to revenues of Rs 1,355 crore announced in the same period of fiscal 2021.

In a statement to the stock exchanges, the company said the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic has created economic disruption throughout the world including in India. Consequently, the revenue and profitability for the quarter ended June 2021 have been adversely impacted. "The second wave across India has raised concern over economic growth and business conditions. while the restrictions are currently more localized and for a shorter duration as compared to the previous year," said the statement.

Moreover, the increasing pace of inoculation and efforts by the government are likely to help mitigate some of the adverse impacts. The impact of the pandemic may differ from that estimated as on the date. The company will continue to closely monitor any material changes to future economic conditions, it said.
The Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) on Saturday said it has proposed to schedule three flights a week from to from August 22, to enhance Europe connectivity.

Air India will operate services on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday in the LHR-COK-LHR sector from August 22. CIAL Managing Director S Suhas in a release said the updated schedule will stimulate the aviation as well as tourism sectors in the time of the distress. "CIAL is delighted to host 3 flights from a week. This is the highest number of services that have been scheduled in this sector in the history of CIAL. It gives a shot in the arm for the effort taken by Government of Kerala and CIAL to establish frequent connectivity to Europe," Suhas said. As per the current schedule, Air India operates one LHR-COK-LHR service this week.

"The AI 150/149 arrives on Wednesday, (August 18) at 0345 HRS and departs at 0550 HRS LT. Two more services have been enlisted from 22 August 2021 making the total weekly operation three in this much-favoured sector," the release said.

The new timetable schedules the operation of flights in the sector on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday.

AI 150/149 arrives COK at 0300 and departs to Heathrow at 1320. On Wednesdays and Fridays, the arrival and departure operations are scheduled at 0345/1320. The will take 10 hrs.

CIAL has waived parking and landing fee to the airlines operating in the European sector as part of its persistent effort to improve global connectivity, it said. India currently belongs to the UK Government's amber list. Entering the UK from places on the amber list requires three COVID-19 tests the first, at least three days prior to departure; the second, on the day of arrival or before Day 2; and the third, on or after Day 8.

Home quarantine for 10 days is also mandatory. For UK nationals who are fully vaccinated, neither quarantine nor the Day 8 test is required.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President on Saturday said Parliament is the "temple of the country's democracy" which provides the highest forum to discuss, debate and decide issues for the well-being of people, remarks that came against the backdrop of the continuous disruptions that led to the abrupt curtailment of the tumultuous Monsoon session.

In a televised address to the nation on the eve of the 75th Independence Day, the President also referred to the second COVID-19 wave, and said the country is yet to come out of its devastating effects. He asserted this is the time for extra care and caution, and people should not let their guard down.

President Kovind also sought to address the concerns raised by protesting farmers' unions against the three contentious farm laws, saying the series of agricultural marketing reforms will empower our annadata' farmers and help them get better price for their produce.

Referring to the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics, he lauded the "stellar" performance by the country's sportspersons.

President Kovind said when India won independence, many sceptics thought democracy would not survive in India.

Little did they know that roots of democracy were nurtured in this soil in ancient times, and even in modern times India was ahead of many western nations in offering franchise to all adults, regardless of any distinctions."



The founding fathers had reposed their faith in the wisdom of the people, and we, the people of India' have made India a strong democracy, he added.

We have adopted the system of parliamentary democracy. Therefore, our Parliament is the temple of our democracy which provides us highest forum where we discuss, debate and decide issues for the well-being of our people, the President said.

Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned sine die on August 11, two days ahead of the scheduled date of August 13, after a stormy Monsoon session that witnessed unruly scenes in the Upper House on Wednesday when the Insurance bill was being passed.

The Government and the opposition parties had traded charges over the early close to the session which was marred by continuous disruptions since it commenced on July 19.

The opposition parties accused the government of crushing their voice in Parliament, "murdering" democracy and bringing "outsiders" as marshals to beat up MPs, a charge denied by the government. The government on its part had alleged that it was pre-planned by the opposition to not allow Parliament to function.

Kovind also said it is a matter of great pride for all Indians that the country's Parliament will soon be housed in a new building.

"It will be a fitting statement of our outlook. It will honour our legacy while also walking in step with the contemporary world, he said, adding that it is more than symbolic that the new building will be inaugurated in the year of the 75th anniversary of Independence."



The President also said that India must strive for more equality in an unequal world, more justice in unjust circumstances, adding, Justice has come to encompass a larger range of connotations, including economic and environmental justice. "The road ahead is not easy.

He said the country has to negotiate many twists and turns, but it has the benefit of incomparable guidance.

It comes to us from diverse sources, from the venerable seers of millennia ago, down to the sages and leaders of more recent times. In the spirit of 'unity in diversity', we as a nation are following the right course."



The President noted that the country has suffered from a terrible second COVID wave due to the new variants and other unexpected factors.

I am deeply sad that many lives could not be saved and many more suffered immensely in this phase of an unprecedented crisis. I speak for the whole nation when I say that I share the grief of all the affected families with the same intensity, he added.

We can take solace from the fact that more lives have been saved than the lives lost. It was our collective determination to overcome the challenge that helped us see the weakening of the second wave. Once again, our corona warriors, the doctors, nurses and health workers, the administrators, and others, risked everything to contain the impact of the second wave."



The President said the second wave brought the country's public healthcare infrastructure under stress.

The reality is that no infrastructure, even of advanced economies, could withstand a crisis of such enormous proportions, he added.

Efforts were made on war-footing to plug the gaps. The leadership rose to the challenge, and the government's endeavours were supplemented by initiatives of the states, private sector healthcare facilities, the civil society and others, he said.

In this extraordinary mission, foreign nations shared the essentials generously, just as India had reached out to many nations with medicine, equipment and vaccines, he said.

Due to these efforts, the nation breathes a sigh of relief with the return of a semblance of normalcy, he added.

If we have learned our lessons well, we know that this is the time of extra care and caution. We shall not let our guard down. Vaccines are the best possible protection science offers to us."



The President said under the world's biggest vaccination campaign going on in our country, more than 50 crore fellow citizens have been vaccinated so far.

I urge all eligible citizens who are yet to get vaccinated to do so at the earliest and also inspire others."



He said the economic impact of the pandemic is as disastrous as its health impact.

The government has been concerned about the lower middle classes and the poor, as well as about the small and medium industries, he said, adding, It has been sensitive to the needs of the labourers and of employers who have been facing hardships due to the lockdowns and movement restrictions



President Kovind said it is heartening to note that rural India, particularly the agriculture sector has kept growing against all odds.

Noting that India has won the highest number of medals in the 121 years of its participation in the Olympics, President Kovind said, "Our daughters have achieved world class excellence in playgrounds overcoming many adversities."



Along with sports, epoch-making changes are taking place in the participation and success of women in all walks of life, he said.

From higher educational institutions to armed forces, from laboratories to playgrounds, our daughters are making their mark, he added.

In this success of our daughters, I see a glimpse of a developed India of the future, the President said, adding, I urge every parent to learn from the families of such promising daughters and provide opportunities to their daughters also to explore avenues of growth."



Kovind also urged the youth of Jammu and Kashmir to work on realising their aspirations through democratic institutions.

A new dawn is rising in Jammu and Kashmir. The government has initiated the process of consultation with all stakeholders who have faith in democracy and the rule of law. I urge the people, especially the youth, of Jammu and Kashmir to utilise this opportunity and work on realising their aspirations through democratic institutions."



Kovind said modern industrial civilization has posed serious challenges before humankind.

Climate change has become a reality of life, with seas rising, glaciers melting and temperatures soaring. India is proud of not only adhering to the Paris climate agreement but doing more than what the country has committed to protect the climate. However, the world desperately needs a course correction."



Referring to his recent visit to Ladakh during which he paid homage to the brave soldiers at the 'Dagger War Memorial' in Baramulla, the President said he noticed that the war memorial has a motto inscribed: mera har kaam desh ke naam' which means, each and every deed of mine is for the nation.

All of us should imbibe this motto as a mantra and work with full devotion and dedication for the development of the nation. I would like that all of us to come together to take India forward on the path of progress with the spirit of keeping the interest of the nation and society foremost, he added.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Superintendents of Police of all districts in Delhi have been instructed to be vigilant ahead of Independence Day, informed on Saturday.

check vehicles and identity cards of commuters as security has been tightened in the capital ahead of celebrations.

Earlier on Friday, a high-level meeting of top officials of was held to discuss a new intelligence alert about miscreants who could try to infiltrate the security at the Red Fort on August 15." A high-level meeting of the top officials of the Delhi Police is underway. The agenda of the meeting is August 15 security and to discuss the fresh intelligence alert shared by the agencies," sources told ANI.

"An attempt could also be made to create a law and order situation at various religious sites in Delhi," sources added. Meanwhile, a full dress rehearsal was held at Red Fort on Saturday morning.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Over 38,667 fresh cases reported

India reported 38,667 fresh infections on Saturday, taking the cumulative caseload to 32.1 million, according to central health ministry data. The country saw 478 more deaths due to the pandemic, taking the death toll to 430,732. The active caseload is at 387,673, while the total recoveries have surged to 31.3 million. As many as 536 million vaccine shots have been administered since the nationwide inoculation programme kicked off on January 16. Of these, 6.3 million were given on Friday. Read more

Belief in herd immunity paved way for second wave: Experts

Experts feel a key reason that paved the way for the massive second wave in April-May this year was the belief that a majority of Indians had achieved herd immunity against Covid, a report in ThePrint said. Herd immunity is achieved when a majority of the population becomes protected from a virus either by exposure or through vaccination. The comments were made at a session the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology held on lessons learnt and unlearnt during the pandemic, and how India as a country handled the pandemic. A number of senior scientists took part in the discussion, the report said. Read more

Mumbai sees 'first Delta Plus death'

The Delta Plus variantdesignated as a variant of concern in Indiahas been detected in the genome sequence of a woman who died of Covid in Mumbai, a report in ThePrint said. The woman, a 63-year-old who was reportedly fully vaccinated, died on 27 July. She is believed to be Mumbais first Delta Plus death. The Delta Plus variant has been garnering attention due to its presence in increasing infections and deaths among Covid patients in India. The first reported death due to the variant was from the town of Ratnagiri in Maharashtra on 13 June in a completely unvaccinated patient, the report said. Read more

Children born during pandemic may have reduced cognitive performance: Study

A new US study has found that children born during the Covid pandemic have significantly reduced verbal, motor, and overall cognitive performance compared to those born before, a report in the Hindustan Times said. To study the pandemics on early childhood cognitive development, researchers from Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University examined general childhood cognitive scores in 2020 and 2021 against the preceding decade by leveraging a large ongoing longitudinal study of child neurodevelopment, the report said. Read more

Kerala: Demand for hospital beds, ICU goes up

As Kerala continues to report tens of thousands of Covid cases, the pressure is visible on the overworked health machinery and demand for beds and ventilators too are on the rise, a report in the Hindustan Times said. Hospitalisation has gone up considerably, but there is no shortage of oxygen visible in private and government hospitals, the report said. Read more
High levels of chronic disease in India, such as diabetes and hypertension, helped stoke the brutal waves that hit worlds second-most populous nation during the pandemic, researchers said.

The findings from one of the few large-scale studies of Covid-19 in India showed patients from the southern district of Madurai had a higher risk of dying than those in China, Europe, South Korea and the U.S., even though 63% of those tested were asymptomatic. Chronic health conditions in the community may have played a role, according to the report published in The Lancet.

For years India has faced an escalating non-communicable disease crisis as its middle-class expands and leads a more sedentary and affluent lifestyle. That makes them susceptible to ailments such as diabetes and heart disease that account for almost two-thirds of all deaths in the country. Those existing conditions may have allowed the to do more damage, boosting cases and fatalities and potentially fueling the near collapse of Indias health system.

The death rate was 5.7% among Covid-19 patients with at least one existing health condition, compared to 0.7% in those who were otherwise healthy, the researchers found. The data came from more than 400,000 people who underwent testing known as RT-PCR in Madurai from May 20 to Oct. 31, 2020, during Indias first wave.

The findings that hypertension and diabetes actually predict acquisition of Covid itself, or at least being tested positive on an RT-PCR test, in itself is a significant finding, Ramanan Laxminarayan, the studys lead author and founder of the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy, said in an interview. Lets just say India had half the diabetes and hypertension that we have, we probably would have seen a far smaller impact of the second wave.

Managing health conditions that are common in the population should be at the top of the list for any government response to curbing the pathogens toll, he said.

Mass Underreporting

The researchers also highlighted what appears to be a mass underreporting of Covid cases and deaths in India after assessing the ratio between infections and fatalities, and the number of people in Madurai who were already producing infection-fighting antibodies between Oct. 19 and Nov. 5 last year. The results showed that testing found only 1.4% of infections, and just 11% of the expected number of deaths were detected.

Some scientists have estimated that as many as 5 million people may have died after Indias hospitals were overwhelmed during the second wave that peaked mid-May, a fraction of the official total tally of about 430,000 during the entire pandemic. The death toll is lower than what would have been expected given the number of known infections, the researchers said.

Researchers from the state government of Tamil Nadu, the University of California, Berkeley, Princeton University and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health also contributed to the study.

It comes as India prepares for an expected third Covid wave that some experts forecast will be smaller than the second and could peak in October -- blunted in part by a growing wall of vaccinations and naturally acquired antibodies from past outbreaks. A national survey in July found that two-thirds of Indians above the age of six had been exposed to the coronavirus.
Army personnel on Saturday greeted their Pakistani counterparts on their nation's and exchanged sweets along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.

The sweets were presented by the Indian Army personnel to their Pakistani counterparts at Chilehana Tithwal Crossing Point in The Tangdhar sector in north Kashmir's Kupwara district.

"On August 14, the Indian Army as a warm gesture, presented sweets to the Pakistan Army at Chilehana Tithwal Crossing Point to extend best wishes to Pakistan on their displaying the will to maintain peace along the LoC," an army official said.

He said over the years, India has continuously endeavoured to strengthen the bilateral relations with Pakistan through goodwill gestures like this one across the spectrum to ensure peace and tranquility in the region.

"The Awam (people) has appreciated the efforts of the Indian Army to maintain peace in the villages along the LoC. These positive endeavours by the Indian Army will further the cause towards prolonged peace along the LoC," the official said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government on Saturday decided to delegate powers to manage COVID-19 to the district authorities instead of taking a statewide call on restrictions and lockdown.

It also decided not to open schools in the districts where the positivity rate is above two per cent. The government came up with district specific plans as the Technical Advisory Committee on COVID-19 was of the opinion that the second wave was not over. "We cannot formulate a statewide COVID-19 management plan. It should be district specific," Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai told reporters after chairing a meeting with the experts, ministerial colleagues and officers. He said the decision on restrictions will be taken based on the positivity rate in the district concerned. According to Bommai, the experts expressed concern that the positivity rate was not dipping and lingering between 1,600 to 1,800 cases per day. Towards the end of first wave, the cases had come down to 300 cases a day, he explained. "We have to prevent COVID-19 because this disease is still around. Since the cases are still remaining between 1,600 and 1,800, we need to be careful," he said. It was decided in the meeting to increase vaccination and testing in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Mysuru, Hassan, Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga and Bengaluru Rural. Further, the testing and vaccination should be increased in the villages up to 10 km inside from Kerala and Maharashtra borders, which are witnessing spurt in cases. Testing should also be increased in Bengaluru, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Ballari, Bidar, Koppal, Haveri, Vijayapura, Tumakuru and Chikkamagaluru, the chief minister said. The government also decided to set up six genome testing labs in the next three weeks in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Shivamogga, Kalaburagi and Belagavi to track the new variants.

Regarding vaccination, the chief minister said as of Saturday four crore people have been vaccinated. The state has a stock of about 15 lakh vaccines while it will receive 30 lakh by the month end. "We are demanding more vaccines. Next week I am going to meet the union health minister. We are getting 65 lakh vials every month, which should be increased to one crore. If that arrives, we can vaccinate all the districts," Bommai said. About Bengaluru city, he said he said bed and ICU facilities should be increased for children. He noted that the positivity rate is 0.75 in the city. "At present, hospitalisation is very less. If 40 per cent of the oxygen beds are occupied, then further strict rules will be adopted. This power has been given to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike commissioner," Bommai said. To a question, the chief minister said a case has been filed in the Kerala High Court against for insisting upon a negative RT-PCR test report for people arriving from that state. "It's a different matter that we will fight it out legally but I would like to say that the first wave started from Kerala and maximum cases related to second wave is in Kerala. Hence, Kerala has to control COVID cases," the chief minister said. He said Kerala's failure in containing COVID is causing trouble to Karnataka, which has been impacting the health infrastructure and human lives. "It's my opinion that controlling COVID is better than filing cases in the High Court," Bommai quipped. Regarding opening of schools, the chief minister said schools will be opened from September 23 and not August 23. The classes will resume in two batches alternatively. "The Standard Operating Procedure is ready regarding how many students should be allowed and what precautions to be taken," the CM added. With regard to festivals, Bommai said guidelines and conditions would continue this year as well.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President on Saturday greeted citizens on the 75th Independence Day, saying the world looks up at the miracle of India which reflects a plurality of traditions and yet is the biggest and most vibrant democracy.

In his address to the nation on the eve of Independence Day, the President said India has reasons to be proud of the considerable distance travelled.

He said Mahatma Gandhi taught that slow and steady steps in the right direction are preferable to rapid strides in the wrong direction.

"It is a matter of great joy for me to wish all Indians, living in India and abroad, a very Happy Independence Day! This day has a special significance as it marks the beginning of the 75th year of India's independence for which 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' is being celebrated. My hearty congratulations to you all on this momentous occasion!" the President said.

" is a festival of freedom for us. This was made possible by generations of freedom fighters; some known, many unknown. They made great sacrifices. Today, you and I breathe under free skies thanks to their heroic deeds. I bow in respect to the pious memory of those brave martyrs," he added.

The President said that Mahatma Gandhi and all other heroes provided a blueprint to liberate the nation from colonial rule and also to rebuild it.

"Our nation, like many others, suffered great injustices and tyranny under foreign rule. What distinguishes India, however, is that the character of our nationalist movement, led by Mahatma Gandhi, was based on the principles of truth and non-violence. He and all other heroes provided us with an invaluable blueprint to not only liberate the nation from colonial rule but also to rebuild it. Gandhiji's struggle was for a return to Indian ethos and for human dignity," he said.

"Now as we look back to the seventy-five-year journey of our republic, we have reasons to be proud of the considerable distance we have travelled. Gandhiji taught us that slow and steady steps in the right direction are preferable to rapid strides in the wrong direction. The world looks up at the miracle of India, home to the plurality of traditions and yet the biggest and most vibrant democracy," he added.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan Rangers and Border Security Force (BSF) on Saturday exchanged sweets at Attari-Wagah border near Amritsar, Punjab on the occasion of Independence Day of Pakistan.

"As per the long-standing traditions, security forces of the two sides exchange sweet on special occasions. These traditions help maintain peace and prosperity on the border. Today, Pakistan Rangers shared sweets on their independence day at Attari-Wagah border," BSF commandant Jasbir Singh told reporters on the border.

"We will also gift sweets to them tomorrow," he added.

A day ahead of India's independence, Pakistan is celebrating its 75th independence day amid strained ties with New Delhi. Even after the declaration of a ceasefire agreement earlier this year, things have not gone well between the two sides amid the crisis situation in Afghanistan.

Earlier this month, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai had said the government's consistent position has been that India desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan and is committed to addressing issues, if any, bilaterally and peacefully in an atmosphere free of terror, hostility and violence.

"The onus is on Pakistan to create such a conducive atmosphere by taking credible, verifiable and irreversible action to not allow any territory under its control to be used for cross-border terrorism against India in any manner," he had said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President on Saturday said is the "temple of the country's democracy" which provides the highest forum to discuss, debate and decide issues for the well-being of people, remarks that came against the backdrop of the recent ruckus and continuous disruptions that led to the abrupt adjournment of the two Houses.

In a televised address to the nation on the eve of the 75th Independence Day, the President also referred to the second COVID-19 wave, and said the country is yet to come out of its devastating effects. He asserted this is the time for extra care and caution, and people should not let their guard down.

President Kovind also sought to address the concerns raised by protesting farmers' unions against the three contentious farm laws, saying the series of agricultural marketing reforms will empower our annadata' farmers and help them get better price for their produce.

Referring to the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics, he lauded the "stellar" performance by the country's sportspersons.

President Kovind said when India won independence, many sceptics thought democracy would not survive in India.

Little did they know that roots of democracy were nurtured in this soil in ancient times, and even in modern times India was ahead of many western nations in offering franchise to all adults, regardless of any distinctions."



The founding fathers had reposed their faith in the wisdom of the people, and we, the people of India' have made India a strong democracy, he added.

We have adopted the system of parliamentary democracy. Therefore, our is the temple of our democracy which provides us highest forum where we discuss, debate and decide issues for the well-being of our people, the President said.

Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned sine die on August 11, two days ahead of the scheduled date of August 13, after a tumultuous Monsoon session that witnessed unruly scenes in the Upper House on Wednesday when the Insurance bill was being passed.

The Government and the opposition parties had traded charges over the abrupt end of the Monsoon session which was marred by continuous disruptions since it commenced on July 19.

The opposition parties accused the government of crushing their voice in Parliament, "murdering" democracy and bringing "outsiders" as marshals to beat up MPs, a charge denied by the government. The government on its part had alleged that it was pre-planned by the opposition to not allow to function.

Kovind also said it is a matter of great pride for all Indians that our Parliament will soon be housed in a new building.

"It will be a fitting statement of our outlook. It will honour our legacy while also walking in step with the contemporary world, he said, adding that it is more than symbolic that the new building will be inaugurated in the year of the 75th anniversary of Independence.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal's speech at CII's plenary session on Thursday stirred a hornet's nest due to his comment on Tata Sons' recent stand on e-commerce.

The Tata Sons has, Reuters reported, raised concerns over the proposed Consumer Protection Rules for e-commerce.

The government's tough new announced on June 21 were aimed at strengthening protection for consumers.

The new rules limit flash sales and platforms to have a stake in sellers, bars misleading advertisements, and mandating a complaints system, among other proposals.

Goyal said at the annual meet of the Confederation of India Industry that industry should not look for ways to circumvent government policies like foreign direct investment norms.

"When I see Tata Sons that they are objecting for some consumer benefit laws or regulations that I am bringing in, then frankly it hurts...," he said, adding "me, myself, my company, we need to move forward from that", news agency PTI reported.

He also urged domestic firms to use made in India goods, even if they are a bit expensive, and show some willingness to support MSMEs and pay their dues timely.

"What is our commitment towards India, we need to introspect that," he said, adding there is a need to increase synergy between industry chambers.

The Hindu newspaper reported on Friday that after the ministers remarks causing a kerfuffle in the government, the was asked to pull down the video from its YouTube channel. An edited version was uploaded on Thursday night but this was also blocked by Friday evening.

Kya aapke jaisi company, ek do aapne shaayad koi videshi company kharid li Uska importance zyaada ho gaya, desh hith kam ho gaya? (A company like yours, maybe you bought one or two foreign companies, now their importance is greater than interest? Goyal said at the event, apparently in reference to the Tata group, according to The Hindu report. Banmali Agrawala, president, infrastructure, defence and aerospace at Tata Sons, was present at the virtual meeting on Thursday.

The minister also suggested that industry chamber can take the lead in creation of a fund with Rs 10,000 crore corpus to provide domestic startups early stage funding, as foreign companies are buying out startups at cheaper rates.

"They should all...Tatas, Ambanis, Bajajs and Birlas, all of you should be pitching in. Even if you pitch with Rs 100 crore, Rs 200 crore, Rs 500 crore each, the country's startups will get a huge a support...

"Please help in creation of value for our startups, and you will get profit in that also.... even if one out of 10 companies does well...and I would go to the extent of saying that if 1 or 2 or 4 or 10 cases.. go bad, this much you can sacrifice for the country...I seek your apology if somebody did not like my words," he said, reported PTI.



Scroll.in website reported Saturday that some Opposition leaders have criticised Goyals remarks.
Apparel to major markets such as the US, Europe, UK, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Japan, and Australia are recording healthy growth and the sector would contribute significantly in achieving India's USD 400 billion target for the current fiscal year, said on Saturday.

Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) Chairman A Sakthivel said apparel are picking up in every western market.

"Exports to the US increased by 22 per cent during January-May 2021 as compared to the same period of previous year," he said while addressing the members of the council at the 42nd Annual General Meeting.

The chairman said he has represented the government for fast- tracking free trade pacts with the European Union, UK, US, Australia and Canada.

India has been facing duty disadvantages against competitors in the major overseas destination. India's exports face a duty disadvantage of 9.6 per cent for exports to EU vis-a-vis exports from other countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia, Turkey, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In the UK, Bangladesh continues to enjoy preferential trade benefits after the UK's departure from the EU, he said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Management Act, 2016, was passed by the Parliament in order to curb generation in the country and eliminating single-use plastics from the next year. The environment ministry on Thursday notified the ban on the use of single-use plastic items from July 1, 2022. With less than a year left for achieving the target, the country needs a robust strategy to achieve this unrealistic feat being laid out in Management Amendment Rules, 2021.

However, if environmentalists are to be believed, the target seems Sisyphean.

Rahul Choudhary, lawyer, Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment, said the task was difficult, given the governments reluctance to adhere to deadlines. We have seen that the governments extend deadlines or do not bother about them. Given no proper implementation plan, it doesn't seem that the government would achieve this within the given timeframe.

Atin Biswas, programme director for solid waste management unit at the Centre for Science and Environment, while welcoming the Centres move of increasing thickness of polythene bags from 50 microns to 120 microns by December 31 next year, said, It is not the first time the government has come out with such a deadline. Its the implementation that has been an issue.

Lack of will to comply and challenges in enforcing the rules and regulations have been an issue. First, the government needs to have an audit on why it has not been able to achieve the target yet, said Kanchi Kohli, senior researcher at Delhi-based think-tank, Centre for Policy Research (CPR).

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, Single-use plastics, often also referred to as disposable plastics, are commonly used for plastic packaging, and include items intended to be used only once before they are thrown away or recycled. These include, among other items, grocery bags, food packaging, bottles, straws, containers, cups, and cutlery.

By a simple qualitative definition, any plastic item designed to be used once and then immediately discarded is single-use plastic. However, without detailed technical classification, it will be difficult to achieve the larger goal of curbing plastic pollution, Choudhary said.

India generates approximately 9.46 million tonnes (MT) of plastic waste per year. This figure is based on the Central Pollution Control Boards projection that an estimated 25,940 tonnes per day of plastic waste generated in the country. Of this, 15,384 tonnes of plastic waste, or nearly 60 per cent, is collected and recycled while the remaining 10,556 tonnes of the plastic waste remains uncollected and littered in the environment, Javadekar told the Lok Sabha in November 2019.

According to a report by the Australia-based Minderoo Foundation published in 2021, China is the largest producer of single-use plastic, followed by the US and India. However, while India generates 5.58 MT of single-use plastic annually, China produces six times more, at 25.36 MT, and the US 17.19 MT. It said of the 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic produced since its invention in the 1930s, only nine per cent has been recycled.

However, single-use plastic has made a big comeback in the country with Covid-19. The prolonged lockdown has had a good effect on the environment in general by bringing down pollution levels but the increased use of masks, gloves, face shields, PPE kits, sanitiser bottles, etc to fight the pandemic has given rise to new concerns.

According to a World Economic Forum report in China, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment estimates that hospitals in Wuhan produced more than 240 tons of waste daily at the height of the outbreak, compared with 40 tons during normal times. Based on these data, consulting firm Frost & Sullivan predicts that the US could generate an entire years worth of medical waste in just two months because of Covid-19.

India generated 56,898 tonnes of Covid-19 bio-medical waste between June 2020 and June 2021, data from the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change shows.

In his address to the nation from the Red Fort on Independence Day in 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had vowed to take Indians along in a nationwide commitment to end the use of single-use plastic.

In October 2019 at the Sabarmati riverfront in Ahmedabad, he said there would be no ban on single-use plastic, just a gradual phase-out of its use by 2022.

The Sikkim government passed the countrys first plastic-bag ban in 1998. Eighteen states have imposed a complete carry-bags, while five other states have imposed partial prohibition at religious and historical places, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) told the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2019.

The Centre had asked for single-use plastic items to be eliminated from across the country in three phases. In Phase-II starting from January 1, 2022, the sale and manufacture of earbuds, plastic sticks, balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks and polystyrene (thermocol) would be stopped. From July 1, 2022, 13 items, including plastic plates, cups, glasses, and other cutlery, would be phased out.

Possible solution

Choudhary believes that a blanket ban will not stop manufacturers from producing single-use plastic products. There is a complete bag manufacturing of plastic bags in Uttarakhand. There is also a provision of a fine up to ~5 lakh in the state but plastic can be easily seen on the banks of the Ganges," he said.

Finding substitutes for use-and-throw plastic and ensuring alternative livelihoods for producers, waste pickers and other groups involved in the business will go a long way in solving the problem. The government should not only place fines for not adhering to the guidelines but incentivise producers to switch to more sustainable products. Along with proper monitoring, promoting responsible consumerism is very important, said experts.

Vinod Sharma, who owns a plastic-bag manufacturing unit in Delhi is worried about the future as the government issues new guidelines. We have been in this business for the past 20 years. The new guidelines will only increase the bribe rates of the authorities. The government should help the industry in switching to alternative products by incentives and subsidies, he says.

Ramphal, a shopkeeper, who sells single-use plastic bags in Pataudi said the move was an attack on the middle class. Any alternative to plastic bags costs twice as much to customers. Plastic bags cost Rs 150 per kg, whereas fabric bags cost Rs 230 per kg. Paper bags cost Rs 5-10 per piece. Ramphal urged the government to make the alternative products tax-free in case of a blanket ban on plastics.



(The writer tweets from the handle @nitinaayog)
In his annual broadcast to the armed forces on the eve of Independence Day, Defence Minister gave congratulations for an impressive list of achievements, starting with an Olympic gold medal won by an Army Subedar, Neeraj Chopra, in the javelin throw.

Chopra, along with other Olympic medallists from the three services have been invited to the celebrations at the Red Fort tomorrow, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation.

Rajnath lauded the ceasefire on the India-Pakistan Line of Control that has seen quietness on that border since February. He said the ceasefire was holding due to our (the militarys) vigilance and indomitable valour. Ceasefire violations have also come down since February 2021.

In Eastern Ladakh, efforts are being made to resolve the differences on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) through dialogue with China. The process of disengagement has been completed at some places, said the Raksha Mantri (RM).

The RM stated that in the Union Budget for the current year 2021-22 Capital outlay has been increased from Rs 1.13 trillion to Rs 1.35 trillion, which is 18.75 per cent higher than the previous financial year.

Singh stated that of the 36 Rafale fighters contracted with France, 26 have arrived in India. On July 28, the Rafale was formally inducted into 101 Squadron at Hashimara Air Force Station of Eastern Air Command Soon the remaining Rafale aircraft will also arrive in India," he said.

The RM also mentioned the Union Cabinets clearance on January 13 of 83 Tejas Mark 1A fighters for the Indian Air Force (IAF) at a cost of Rs 45,696 crore. Hindustan Aeronautics will manufacture these aircraft in India itself strengthening the aim of Atma Nirbhar Bharat in the field of defence, he said.

Rajnath heaped praise on the navys Directorate of Naval Design and Cochin Shipyard Ltd at the completion by the indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC-1) of its four-day maiden sea voyage on August 8.

INS Vikrant was designed by Indians. Built with more than 76 per cent indigenous material, the vessel is a major achievement of Atma Nirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India), said Rajnath.

The defence minister also lauded another Make in India initiative that took off recently  the Rs 40,000 crore construction of six conventional submarines under Project 75-India.

In a frontline technology breakthrough, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had successfully demonstrated hypersonic flight with the testing of Hypersonic Technology Demonstration Vehicle (HSTDV), the RM said.

Listing breakthroughs by the DRDO in the sphere of tactical missiles, Rajnath mentioned the launch of an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) through a man portable launcher. The New Generation Akash (Akash-NG) missile was also test fired successfully. The flight test has validated the functioning of complete weapon system consisting of the missile with indigenously developed Radio Frequency Seeker, Launcher, Multi-Function Radar and Command, Control & Communication system, said the RM.

Praising the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), the minister pointed to the incredible achievement of building the Atal [Behari Vajpayee] Tunnel It was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on October 03, 2020. The 9.2 kilometre-long tunnel is the longest in the world, constructed at the height of more than 10,000 feet, said Rajnath.

The BRO created another world record in July by constructing a 52 kilometre-long charcoal road in Eastern Ladakh, crossing over Umlingla Pass, at an altitude of 19,300 feet.

announced that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has decided to set up 100 new Sainik Schools to prepare future generations of versatile brave warriors. All these schools will be co-ed which also benefit the daughters of our country, he said.

Rajnath said that Continuous efforts are being made to increase the participation of women in all branches of the Indian Army I extend my best wishes to 83 women soldiers who passed out in May 2021 after 61 weeks of rigorous training, he said.

Singling out the military for its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the defence minister said all wings of the MoD had established hospitals. To address the shortage of oxygen in the medical system, 935 medical oxygen plants based on technology of DRDO are being set up in every district hospital funded by PM Care across the country, said Rajnath.

He also praised the DRDO for its major breakthrough in finding medicine for treating Covid-19. One of its laboratories, the Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (INMAS), in collaboration with Dr Reddy's Laboratories (DRL), Hyderabad developed a very effective drug called 2-Deoxy-D-Glucose (2-DG) for treating Covid-19 patients.
Afghan President says he will not give up the achievements of the last 20 years and that consultations are underway.

He delivered a brief and vague televised address on Saturday, his first public appearance in days following a major advance.

"Under the current situation, remobilising the Afghan security and defense forces is our top priority," said Ghani, as reported by TOLOnews

"I assure you that as your president my focus is to prevent further instability, violence & displacement of people. I'll not allow imposed war on Afghans to bring further killings, loss of the gains of the last 20 years, destruction of public property," added Ghani. He said he was in talks with world leaders to discuss the situation in the country, where in only a matter of weeks the have captured key provincial capitals and secured customs border posts, bleeding his government of precious revenue.

The insurgents have seized most of northern, western and southern and are battling government forces some 11 kilometers (7 miles) south of Kabul.

The United States is set to withdraw its last forces by Aug. 31, raising questions about the survival of Ghani's Western-backed government.

The U.S. invaded after the 9/11 attacks nearly 20 years ago.

The seized a province just south of Afghanistan's capital and launched a multi-pronged assault early Saturday on a major city in the north defended by powerful former warlords, Afghan officials said.

The insurgents have captured much of northern, western and southern in a breakneck offensive less than three weeks before the United States is set to withdraw its last troops, raising fears of a full militant takeover or another Afghan civil war.

The Taliban captured all of Logar and detained its provincial officials, Hoda Ahmadi, a lawmaker from the province, said Saturday. She said the Taliban have reached the Char Asyab district, just 11 kilometers (7 miles) south of the capital, Kabul.

The Taliban also attacked the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif from several directions, setting off heavy fighting on its outskirts, according to Munir Ahmad Farhad, a spokesman for the provincial governor. There was no immediate word on casualties.
The first forces of a Marine battalion arrived in Kabul at week's end to stand guard as the US speeds up evacuation flights for some American diplomats and thousands of Afghans, spurred by a lightning Taliban offensive that increasingly is isolating Afghanistan's capital.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said elements of a battalion were now in Kabul, the vanguard of three Marine and Army battalions that the US was sending to the city by the end of the weekend to help more Americans and their Afghan colleagues get out quickly.

The Taliban, emboldened by the imminent end of the US combat mission in the country, took four more provincial capitals Friday, heightening fears they would move soon on the capital, which is home to millions of Afghans. Clearly from their actions, it appears as if they are trying to get Kabul isolated, Kirby noted at a Pentagon briefing.

The Pentagon also was moving an additional 4,500 to 5,000 troops to bases in the Gulf countries of Qatar and Kuwait, including 1,000 to Qatar to speed up visa processing for Afghan translators and who fear retribution from the Taliban for their past work with Americans, and their family members.

The remainder 3,500 to 4,000 troops from a combat brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division were bound for Kuwait. Kirby said the combat troops would be a reserve force on standby in case we need even more than the 3,000 going to Kabul.

The temporary buildup of troops for US evacuations highlights the stunning pace of the Taliban takeover of much of the country, less than three weeks before the US is set to officially end nearly 20 years of combat in

President Joe Biden has remained adamant about ending the US mission on August 31, insisting the American and NATO mission that launched on October 7, 2001, has done what it could to build up a Kabul-based Afghan government and military that could withstand the Taliban when Western troops finally withdrew.

Friday's latest significant blow was the Taliban capture of the capital of Helmand province, where American, British and other allied NATO forces fought some of the bloodiest battles in the past 20 years. Hundreds of Western troops died there during the course of the war, in fighting that often succeeded in knocking back Taliban fighters locally, only to have the Taliban move back in when a Western unit rotated out.

The State Department said the embassy in Kabul will remain partially staffed and functioning, but Thursday's decision to evacuate a significant number of embassy staff and bring in the thousands of additional US troops is a sign of waning confidence in the Afghan government's ability to hold off the Taliban surge. The Biden administration has not ruled out a full embassy evacuation.

The US had already withdrawn most of its troops, but had kept about 650 troops in to support US diplomatic security, including at the airport.

The Biden administration warned Taliban officials directly that the US would respond if the Taliban attacked Americans during the stepped-up deployments and evacuations.

Americans are preparing a military base abroad to receive and house large numbers of those Afghan translators and as their visa applications are processed. The Biden administration has not identified the base, but earlier was talking with both Kuwait and Qatar about using US bases there for the temporary relocations.

As of Thursday, the US had flown 1,200 Afghans former American employees and their families whose visas are farthest along in the approval process to Fort Lee, Virginia.

State Department spokesman Ned Price said the US soon will have evacuation planes flying out daily, for those Afghan translators and who manage to reach the Kabul airport despite the fighting.

The number of Afghans flown out under the special visa programme is going to "grow very quickly in the coming days", Price said Thursday.

The viability of the US-trained Afghan army was looking increasingly dim. A new military assessment says Kabul could come under Taliban pressure as soon as September and, if current trends hold, the country could fall to the Taliban within a few months.

Shortly before Price's announcement of the evacuation of some embassy staff, the embassy urged US citizens to leave immediately reiterating a warning it first issued Saturday.

The latest drawdown will further limit the ability of the embassy to conduct business, although Price maintained it would still be able to function. Nonessential personal had already been withdrawn from the embassy in April after Biden's withdrawal announcement that same month, and it was not immediately clear how many staffers would remain on the heavily fortified compound.

As of Thursday, there were roughly 4,200 staffers at the embassy, but most of those are Afghan nationals, according to the State Department.

Apart from a complete evacuation and shuttering of the embassy, Price said other contingency plans were being weighed, including possibly relocating its operations to the airport.

Britain also was sending 600 troops to on a short-term basis to help its nationals leave the country.

Canada was sending special forces to help Canadian staff leave Kabul, a source familiar with the plan told The Associated Press. That official, who was not authorised to talk publicly about the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity, did not say how many special forces would be sent.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
has lifted travel restrictions from 11 countries including India on Friday, local media reported.

The country's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) revised its travel list and removed 11 countries from Category C, ARY News reported on Friday.

The authority lifted travel restrictions on incoming passengers from 11 countries including India, Argentina, Bhutan, Maldives and Brazil. However, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, South Africa, Nepal are among 11 countries that are still listed in Category C, ARY News added.

However, the authority has allowed the Pakistani citizens to travel back home from Category C countries but a COVID-19 test would be mandatory for them, local media reported.

In an attempt to curb the spread of coronavirus, the authority also banned domestic air travel for unvaccinated people.

In June, Pakistan's National Command and Operation Centre had imposed travel restrictions on travellers coming from 26 countries including India.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Red Sea reefs off the Israeli resort of Eilat host some of the greatest coral diversity on the planet.

A symphony in splendid technicolor, the reefs are among the world's most resilient coral colonies against warming seas. They have also become an unlikely battleground, caught between Israeli diplomatic and business interests, and ecological groups that fear this natural treasure could be in danger.

A clandestine oil deal struck last year as part of the historic agreement establishing formal diplomatic ties between and the United Arab Emirates is turning Eilat into a waypoint for Emirati oil headed for Western markets.

Initially hailed as a move that could cement fledgling diplomatic ties and further Israel's energy ambitions, the deal is now in question after Israel's new government opened a review. The decision has upset investors and risks a diplomatic spat with Israel's Gulf allies.

The UAE and Israel, which normalised relations last year as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords, have since signed over $830 million in trade deals and inked numerous trade and cooperation agreements.

But the deal between the Europe-Asia Pipeline Company, an Israeli government-owned corporation, and MED-RED Land Bridge, a joint Israel-Emirati venture, remains a secret.

Senior officials in former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government including his former energy, foreign and environment ministers said they didn't know about the deal until it was announced last September, after the accords were signed at the White House.

The pipeline company, known as EAPC, was founded in the 1960s to bring Iranian oil to when the countries had friendly relations. Its operations are shrouded in secrecy, ostensibly for security reasons.

Israeli environmental groups have asked the country's Supreme Court to halt oil shipments, citing EAPC's questionable safety record and the risk posed by parking supertankers alongside Eilat's fragile coral ecosystems.

As for an oil spill, it's not a question of if it will happen, but when it will happen, said Assaf Zvuloni, a Nature and Parks Authority ecologist in Eilat. Even a small rupture or human error would have disastrous consequences, he said.

suffered its worst ecological disaster in February, when a spill in the eastern Mediterranean coated virtually all of its 270-km (170-mile) coastline with oil. The petitioners three Israeli environmental groups argued that incident would be dwarfed alongside a massive oil spill off Eilat.

Israel long lacked natural resources. But that began to change after the 2009 discovery of natural gas in the Mediterranean Sea and Israel's first exports.

The deal with the UAE would expand this fledgling energy sector, with oil shipped across Israel in a pipeline to the Mediterranean port of Ashkelon and on to European markets.

Yona Fogel, executive of one of the Israeli partners in the project, told public broadcaster Kan in June that the UAE deal will produce for EAPC earnings of hundreds (of millions) and perhaps billions of dollars without raising the risk to the environment whatsoever.

Ksenia Svetlova, an ex-lawmaker and director of Mideast relations with the Mitvim Institute, an Israeli think tank, said the project is especially appealing because it provides an alternative to the Suez Canal. The canal, the main waterway for Gulf exports to the West, was paralyzed early this year when a massive tanker ran aground there.

The Emiratis are gaining a cheaper, alternative route, something that they can use in case they need to divert some of the tankers to this direction, she said.

But opponents say the potential cost is irreversible damage to a natural wonder.

The EAPC terminal dominates a stretch of Eilat shoreline a kilometre (half mile) north of Israel's Coral Beach Nature Reserve. Its cranes and pipes jut into the Red Sea's aquamarine and navy blue waters. The air reeks of petroleum.

For now, multitudes of corals still bloom on neighbouring reefs, attracting fish in kaleidoscopic abundance.

A senior government official said Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office asked the Supreme Court for additional time to respond to the environmentalists' challenge. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to reporters.

Israel's new environment minister has pledged to scrap the pipeline altogether and her ministry has frozen the company's planned expansion of operations, pending a government decision.

The Gulf of Eilat is in real danger because of the Med-Red pipeline, and the state of Israel doesn't need to be the oil bridge for other countries, Tamar Zandberg said upon taking office in June. Her office declined interview requests.

No less important is a future spill's impact on tourism, Eilat's lifeblood. Meir Yitzhak Halevi, a freshman lawmaker who was Eilat's mayor from 2003 until June, said he was left in the dark about EAPC's operations and called for complete transparency.

An ecological disaster would also likely impact the ecosystems of Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, all of which share the gulf's waters.

We have a real potential loss to humanity and to global biodiversity, said Gidon Bromberg, head of the cross-border EcoPeace environmental group.

EAPC dismissed environmental concerns as unfounded, claimed the inherent danger in the arrival of tankers is zero and contended that hundreds of tankers docked at the adjacent Jordanian port of Aqaba in the past decade.

The company refused interviews, as did Emirati officials. But Hebrew daily Israel Hayom recently quoted unnamed Emirati officials as saying cancelling the deal is definitely a violation of diplomatic agreements and could damage relations.

Meanwhile, EAPC has confirmed it has initiated operations. At least eight oil tankers moored in Eilat in 2021, up from an average of one every five years, according to the court petition, which contends the agreement could bring over 100 oil vessels each year.

EAPC has had a poor safety record. A 2014 pipeline rupture spilled millions of gallons of crude oil in a desert nature reserve. In the 1970s, a series of spills nearly eradicated Eilat's coral reefs.

Yossi Loya, a marine biology professor at Tel Aviv University, said the reefs managed to recover over the past decade a rare exception to the deterioration of reefs worldwide.

This is one of the diamonds in the crown, and therefore it's very important to protect them, he said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The has claimed to have captured two more provincial capitals in after over-running over a dozen in the past one week.

spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid on Friday posted on his social media account that the insurgents captured Tirin Kot, the capital of Uruzgan province, and Firoz Koah, capital of Ghor province, reports Xinhua news agency.

He also said that most parts of Pul-e-Alam, the capital of Logar province, has fallen to Taliban, adding that clashes continued at an intelligence agency office and two army bases in the city.

Pul-e-Alam, about 60 km south of the national capital of Kabul, has witnessed heavy clashes since early Friday when stormed the city from different locations.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan's Defence Ministry said in a statement earlier Friday that at least 21 Taliban members were killed following an airstrike on the outskirts of Pul-e-Alam.

A militants' vehicle, weapons and ammunition were destroyed by the raid, which was carried out by the Afghan Air Force, according to the Ministry.

The Afghan government is yet to confirm the claim by the Taliban of capturing Tirin Kot and Firoz Koah.

In Herat province, Taliban said that Ismahil Khan, a former anti-Soviet jihadi leader, together with provincial officials, military commanders and hundreds of soldiers surrendered to the Taliban members.

The Taliban members captured Herat city on Thursday.

Earlier in August, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) expressed deep concerns about the safety of civilians in several provincial capitals for fear that tens of thousands were trapped by the intense fighting.

--IANS

ksk/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Russian Deaths at a Record



Russia reported 819 new deaths from Covid-19 on Saturday -- its biggest-ever daily tally. The rising toll is being driven by the delta strain, though on a more positive note daily new cases have leveled off, with the latest figurse showing them up just 0.3% to 22,144. Read more

Mask-Wearing Urged in Belgium Over the Winter



Belgium may require face masks at work and schools throughout the winter, according to advice from government scientists reported by the Belga news service. Coronavirus-related measures would be linked to hospitalizations, with the lowest alarm level requiring masks at work or higher education. Secondary-school pupils may need masks if more than 30 Covid patients are admitted to hospital every day. Children would be home-schooled if more than 95 patients are hospitalized per day. The government must still decide whether to accept the advice. Read more

Sydney Tightens Lockdown



Authorities are tightening restrictions, increasing fines and ramping up policing in Sydney in a bid to contain the delta outbreak in Australias most populous city, after cases surged to a record on Saturday. Melbourne is in the second week of its sixth lockdown since the pandemic began.



New South Wales state recorded 466 new cases in the local community Saturday, up 19% from the previous record the day before. The vast majority of new cases were in Sydney, which is failing to contain the outbreak despite entering its eighth week of lockdown against the delta strain.



Deputy Premier John Barilaro said in a tweet that all of the state would enter a weeklong lockdown from 5 p.m. Read more

Florida Sets Record for Weekly Cases



Florida set a record for weekly Covid-19 cases with confirmed infections rising 12% to 151,415 for the seven days through Thursday, even as Governor Ron DeSantis defends his ban on mask mandates in schools.



Florida posted an additional 1,071 deaths in the past week, a daily average of 153, according to a weekly report published by the state health department. By comparison, Florida was posting an average of 185 deaths per day last August, Johns Hopkins University data show. Read more
The spillover has already begun, before the have even reached Kabul. City after city is falling as the Islamist insurgents draw closer to the capital. And it will only get worse from here as the conflict expands beyond Afghanistans borders.

Jihadist groups based in the country, some with transnational agendas like al-Qaeda, now have a template for defeating governments backed by major powers and have been emboldened by the Talibans lightning-fast advance. This is happening as the jihadi ecosystem is experiencing the lowest counter-terrorism pressure in the last two decades, effectively getting free rein. Asfandyar Mir, South Asia security analyst for the U.S. Institute for Peace, says its a dangerous combination when threats go up at the same time efforts to combat them go down.

Central Asian jihadists have been flexing their muscle, anti-China jihadists have attacked Chinese personal in Pakistan, more regional violence is extremely plausible  the threat is ongoing, and we are just talking about an escalation from this point onwards, Mir said. The collapse of the Afghan republic following the U.S. departure would have regional significance like the post-9/11 invasion, or the withdrawal of Soviet troops and fall of the communist regime theyd backed. This is a seismic shift that will change politics in this part of the world in ways hard to foresee.

Expect the immediate danger to be regional  in South and Central Asia  as geography and capability limit the initial damage. Chinese interests in Pakistan have already taken a hit. In April, a car bomb exploded at a luxury hotel hosting Beijings ambassador in Quetta, not far from strongholds in southern The attack was claimed by the Tehrik-i- Pakistan, or the Pakistani Taliban, a loosely organized terrorist group with ties to al-Qaeda, based along the vast Afghan-Pakistan border.

Last month, a bomb blast on a bus traveling to a dam and hydro-electric project in Dasu, near the Pakistan border with China, killed 12 people, including nine Chinese citizens. No one has claimed responsibility, but Beijing was so concerned that it hosted Taliban representatives for a meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi. At stake is $60 billion in projects in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a crucial part of President Xi Jinpings wider Belt and Road Initiative, along with significant Chinese mining interests inside

While this wasnt the Talibans first visit to China, the seniority of the Chinese representatives was unprecedented, as was the very public message that Beijing recognizes the group as a legitimate political force, Yun Sun, the Stimson Center think tanks China program director, noted this week in an essay on the national security platform, War on the Rocks. After posing for photographs with the groups co-founder and deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Wang described the Taliban as a crucial military and political force in that is expected to play an important role in the peace, reconciliation, and reconstruction process of the country.

What Beijing wants in return is for the Taliban to live up to a commitment to sever all ties with terrorist organizations, including the TTP and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (an outfit Beijing blames for unrest in its Xinjiang region that Washington removed from its list of terror groups in October after finding there was no credible evidence it continues to exist.) Any further attacks on Chinese nationals working in South Asia, whether claimed by the Taliban or operating with its blessing, will no doubt impact future ties, though its unclear what China would do in retaliation.

With no major political or diplomatic push to blunt the Talibans advance or rein in the groups operating in its shadow, including al-Qaeda  much diminished 20 years after the U.S. invaded Afghanistan to destroy them and their Taliban hosts  its a matter of when, not if, theres an upsurge in terror attacks. The danger is particularly acute for the six countries bordering Afghanistan. Beyond China, they include Iran and Pakistan  as well as nearby India, which will be closely watching its only Muslim-majority province of Kashmir, the object in two of its wars with Pakistan, for resurgent violence. Russia will be concerned about the impact on Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan and any terrorist blowback onto its territory.

Theres the possibility that the major powers  the U.S., Russia and China  might step in and convince their allies and friends to end hostilities. But analysts think thats unlikely. The situation has festered since the U.S. and the Taliban reached their agreement in February last year, and will continue to do so.

Extended inertia is more probable. Look at Syria. After a decade of war and some significant U.S. investment in money, military involvement and political capital, Bashar al-Assad is still president. The country has the worlds largest population of internally displaced people (6.7 million), while 6.6 million refugees subsist mostly in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan. The threat posed by terror groups operating in and around Syria, as well as the use and proliferation of chemical weapons, remains a real concern. So does the conflicts tendency to be a flashpoint for external players like Russia, Turkey, Israel and Iran.

For Afghanistan, the next worry would be that foreign fighters again start pouring in from around the world. Insurgents from other nations are there now, but mostly from neighboring countries. Once they come from further afield, it increases the probability of attacks spreading much more widely.

Husain Haqqani, Pakistans former ambassador to Washington and now director for South and Central Asia at the Hudson Institute, says the Taliban remain connected to al-Qaeda and other terror groups by ideology, shared finances and training, and even marriage. Given that jihadists do not think much of borders and consider the current global order un-Islamic, it is only a matter of time before they set their sights on Europe and the U.S. again, he said.

Its hard to see how this ends well. Unless major powers do more than hold their collective breath and hope for the best, the fallout from their indifference will be felt well beyond Afghanistans borders.
On a standalone basis, Bayer Cropscience net profit rose 0.8% to Rs 253.70 crore on 15.3% increase in net sales to Rs 1,415.90 crore in Q1 June 2021 (Q1 FY22) over Q1 June 2020 (Q1 FY21).

Profit before tax gained 2.4% to Rs 320 crore in Q1 FY22 as against Rs 312.60 crore in Q1 FY21. The Q1 result was declared after market hours yesterday, 13 August 2021.

Commenting on the Q1 results, D. Narain, the chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director (MD) of Bayer CropScience, said, "In an environment that saw continued COVID-19 related challenges around market access, farmer liquidity, production & logistics, our Q1 sales continued its double-digit growth in FY 2021-22, building on a similar growth trajectory from Q1 of FY 2020-21. This was driven by strong crop protection sales and product liquidation, continuing the trend from previous quarters. Our hybrid corn seed supplies were affected by delayed availability of some key hybrids due to late harvesting and crop acre shifts. Despite this, we delivered Q1 of FY 2021-22 volumes at par with Q1 of FY 2020-21, which had also seen a strong double-digit growth compared to Q1 of FY 2019-20."

Elaborating further on overall profitability for the quarter, D. Narain stated, "Our hybrid seeds distribution business especially in cotton and rice was significantly impacted due to overall market conditions and supply constraints. Despite this, we registered a strong growth in gross profit mainly driven by our crop protection business. The continuing COVID-19 environment diluted our overall profitability growth due to higher logistic costs, higher costs of corn seed production and a return to near-normal operating cost levels in Q1 of FY 2021-22, compared to Q1 of FY 2020-21 where field activities had to be abruptly halted due to COVID-19 restrictions."

In Q1 FY2021-22, Bayer CropScience continued to scale-up its smallholder initiative 'Better Life Farming' to 9 states in India with 600+ Better Life Farming Centers, despite several COVID-19 challenges. The company's strategic efforts to acquire new farmer customers via expansion of new business models, including the Better Life Farming Centers and broader portfolio access continued to see strong growth momentum in line with its long-term growth strategy.

Sharing an outlook for the future, D. Narain, stated, "With COVID-19, the external business environment remains uncertain in the short term. However, with increasing emphasis on good health and nutrition, the agriculture industry is poised for strong growth. Bayer CropScience will continue to support Indian smallholders with access to innovative seeds & crop protection inputs, crop advisory and capacity building on the use of modern agronomic practices. In order to widen the reach of our agri-solutions, we will continue to expand value chain collaborations, e-commerce partnerships, support scale-up of farmer collectives and introduce tailored digital farming solutions."

Meanwhile, the company announced the resignation of Rolf Hoffmann as an executive director and chief financial officer (CFO) of the company with effect from 31 August 2021. The company announced the appointment of Simon Britsch as an additional director with effect from 1 September 2021 and designated as whole-time director and CFO of the company with effect from 1 September 2021.

Bayer CropScience is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of healthcare and nutrition.

Shares of Bayer CropScience rallied 3.70% to close at Rs 6,090.90 on BSE.

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Glenmark Pharmaceuticals posted a 20.7% rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 306.53 crore on 27.6% increase in net sales to Rs 2,946 crore in Q1 FY22 over Q1 FY21.

Consolidated profit before tax rose 24% to Rs 443.55 crore in Q1 FY22 over Q1 FY21. EBITDA grew by 20% to Rs 573.6 crore in the quarter ended 30 June 2021 as against Rs 478.1 crore in the previous corresponding quarter.

Sales from the formulation business in India for Q1 FY22 stood at Rs 1225 crore as against Rs 779.9 crore in the previous corresponding quarter, recording a growth of 57.1%. Q1FY22 was a landmark quarter for the India business, with both the COVID and non-COVID portfolios of the company performing well. The India business outperformed industry growth continuing the trend of the past several years. As per IQVIA MAT June 2021, Glenmark's India business recorded growth of 35.4% as compared to the IPM growth of 14.7%.

In North America, the company registered revenue from the sale of finished dosage formulations of Rs 787.8 crore for the quarter ended 30 June 2021 as against revenue of Rs 742.6 crore for the previous corresponding quarter, recording a growth of 6%. On a constant currency basis revenues grew 9% YoY during the quarter.

For Q1 FY22, revenue from Africa, Asia and CIS (ROW) region came at Rs 268.6 crore as against Rs 212 crore for the previous corresponding quarter, recording growth of 26.7%. Glenmark Europe's operations revenue for the first Quarter of FY22 stood at Rs 305.9 crore as against Rs 273.9 crore recording a growth of 11.7%. Glenmark's revenue from its Latin American and Caribbean operations was at Rs 67.50 crore for the First Quarter of FY2021-22, as against Rs 65.8 crore, recording growth of 2.5%.

R&D expenses stood at Rs 283.7 crore (representing 9.6% of sales) as compared to 10.8% last year.

Glenn Saldanha, chairman and MD of Glenmark Pharmaceuticals said, "It was a landmark quarter for the company with positive momentum in all our key markets. Our commitment towards the fight against COVID19 was reflected in FabiFlu becoming the number one brand in the India pharma market in April. We launched our first nebulizer, Arformoterol Inhalation solution from Monroe, US. We have a strategic roadmap to grow consistently and profitably over the year. We also have a clear plan in place to reduce debt by enhancing free cash, prioritizing over R&D investments and capital expenditure going forward."

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals is a global research-led pharmaceutical company with presence across generics, specialty and over-the-counter (OTC) business with operations in over 50 countries.

Shares of Glenmark Pharma fell 1.33% to Rs 563.20 on BSE.

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A US judge has ruled that infringed upon the patents of high-tech speaker and audio technology company Sonos.

According to an initial ruling from a US International Trade Commission (ITC) judge, infringed on five Sonos patents.

"We are pleased the ITC has confirmed Google's blatant infringement of Sonos' patented inventions. This decision re-affirms the strength and breadth of our portfolio, marking a promising milestone in our long-term pursuit to defend our innovation against misappropriation by Big Tech monopolies," Sonos Chief Legal Officer Eddie Lazarus told TechCrunch on Friday.

In January last year, Sonos sued tech giant for allegedly copying its wireless speaker design, urging the International Trade Commission (ITC) to ban Google products like laptops, phones and speakers.

Sonos CEO Patrick Spence testified before the US House antitrust committee that Google "blocked the company from enabling both Amazon's Alexa assistant and the Google Assistant from being active at the same time".

Google said in its countersuit that "while Google rarely sues other companies for patent infringement, it must assert its intellectual property rights here".

"We are disappointed that Sonos has made false claims about our work together and technology," Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda was quoted as saying.

According to Sonos, starting in 2016 shortly after the first Google Home was launched, it began warning Google about patent infringement but to no avail.

Sonos said it accused Google of infringing on a total of 100 patents.

Google even countersued audio company Sonos for patent infringement, alleging that the tech giant contributed "substantial Google engineering resources" to help Sonos in the past.

Google has always maintained that its technology was developed independently and it was not copied from Sonos.

--IANS

na/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The launch of Chinas national ETS is expected to help achieve the goals President Xi Jinping set in September: bringing the countrys carbon emissions to a peak by 2030 and reducing them to net zero by 2060. Photo: VCG

China is set to launch (link in Chinese) a national carbon trading market on Friday, as the worlds largest greenhouse gas emitter considers an emissions trading scheme (ETS) a key part of its strategy to transition to a low-carbon economy.

Chinas national carbon market is expected to become the worlds largest once it is up and running, outpacing Europes, as total annual carbon emissions of just the first batch of companies involved amount to more than 4 billion tons (link in Chinese), according to official estimates.

The first batch involves more than 2,000 power generation companies, which account for more than 40% of Chinas energy-related carbon emissions, according to the International Energy Agency.

Here are five things to know about Chinas upcoming nationwide ETS.

What is an ETS?

The EU launched the EU ETS in 2005, which is the worlds first international ETS. Later, countries including South Korea, New Zealand and Switzerland, as well as some regions in the U.S., followed suit. Today, an ETS is seen as a crucial step in reducing emissions of greenhouse gases responsible for global warming, as it can put pressure on companies to reduce their emissions.

Under an ETS, governments set quotas for the amount of greenhouse gases that a company can emit during a certain period. The companies that spew less greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than they are permitted to can sell remaining quotas via the system in the form of carbon credits, while buyers are those who see emissions exceed their allotments and want to avoid paying fines.

The launch of Chinas national ETS is expected to help achieve the goals President Xi Jinping set in September: bringing the countrys carbon emissions to a peak by 2030 and reducing them to net zero by 2060.

Before the launch of the national ETS, China had already established regional ETSs in eight provinces and cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. Seven of the regional ETSs started trading in 2013, while the one in the eastern province of Fujian kicked off three years later. These regions allow companies to buy carbon credits equivalent to as much as 5% to 10% of their original quotas or actual emissions. The average price of carbon credits traded on the regional ETSs stands at 50 yuan ($7.73) per ton, analysts at Guotai Junan Securities Co. Ltd. estimate, far lower than the 250 yuan equivalent per ton in the EU ETS in 2020.





China will no longer launch any new regional ETS after the national one, and the current regional ETSs will be gradually included (link in Chinese) in the national ETS, according to draft regulations released by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment in March.

Who will trade on the market?

Initially, Chinas national ETS will only cover the electricity generation sector. A batch of 2,225 electricity companies (link in Chinese) will participate in the trading.

In addition to electricity, the trading system will eventually cover seven other industries (link in Chinese), including petrochemical, chemical, construction materials, steel, nonferrous metal, papermaking and aviation. Companies that emit greenhouse gases equivalent to more than 26,000 tons of carbon dioxide a year will be included in the system.

It is expected that financial institutions will indirectly engage in the carbon market, as central bank Governor Yi Gang in April said that the carbon market should be a financial market in nature and allow carbon financial derivatives trading.

How does the pricing mechanism work?

Multiple analysts expect the initial price of carbon credits traded on the national market to be set at around 50 yuan per ton. The average price is expected to rise to 52 yuan per ton in 2022, 71 yuan per ton in 2025, and 93 yuan per ton by 2030, according to a survey of 567 respondents conducted by the China Carbon Forum, a non-profit organization.

Carbon credits to be traded wont be allowed to rise or fall more than 10% in a daily session, which is similar to the limits on most of Chinas stock market, according to regulations released last month. The trading session will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday. The maximum size of a single transaction will be less than 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Whats the verification mechanism?

The regional ETSs provide a hint of how the national systems verification mechanism will work. Like the EU ETS, Chinas regional ETSs adopt a so-called MRV procedure  monitoring, reporting and verification. Companies are required to monitor and report the amount of greenhouse gas emissions to local regulators, who will then dispatch technical groups (link in Chinese) to conduct on-site inspections. The regulators can also engage third-party agencies to verify the emissions reports.

How will the system help China achieve its carbon goals?

Such systems are one of the three major methods to reduce carbon emissions across the globe. ETSs are seen as a more sustainable way (link in Chinese) than the other two  granting subsidies to green businesses and imposing higher taxes on energy-intensive industries or companies.

An ETS helps companies with low-carbon emissions to raise money from the market by selling carbon credits, giving them incentives to further reduce emissions. In addition, its pricing mechanism enables regulators to have more practical expectations about the progress of energy-intensive companies business transformation.

Denise Jia contributed to this report.

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China Sets July Launch for Carbon Emissions Trading Scheme

Contact reporter Tang Ziyi (ziyitang@caixin.com)

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Century-old buildings on Shangjieli Silver Fish Street in a historical part of the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao have received a makeover, as part of a government plan to speed up the renovation of old communities. The street, located near Qingdao's railway station, is home to some of the earliest buildings constructed during the German occupation of the city in the early 20th century

Aug 20, 2021 05:43 PM
Stone credits their lawyer Kevin Morris with securing the deal: Its almost so ancient to think about someone in the room saying, If its online, you can have that. Can you imagine that? That really happened. Were proud of the fact that we said, Lets put the show online and build that audience. If we can own half that, lets just do that.'

The shows enduring popularity  reflected in mega-deals like the HBO Max streaming pact  has kept the cash flowing. For these self-proclaimed serial entrepreneurs, that has meant funding for new projects, like the hit Broadway show The Book of Mormon.

Asked about the biggest change in his life as a result of the new ViacomCBS deal, Stone replies that it wont change my day-to-day. Im not going to buy a new watch. Were a media company. We use the proceeds from this to invest.

He goes on to list some of the projects he and Parker have invested in. They include a horror movie, a musical, a South Park 3d video game, and a deep fake movie: We have a studio with a dozen people who are deep fake artists.

Stone says, A couple movies go to ViacomCBS, and a couple are carved out because we have partners. The deep fake one is in the deal. He adds that the pair are planning theatrical films.

There are also projects outside the media world. I think were really for the first time going to bring Tegridy Weed into real life, says Stone, referring to an episode of South Park in which a character starts a marijuana business. He also reiterates something the pair have said before: that they want to acquire Casa Bonita, a Colorado restaurant that has featured in the series, and which recently filed for bankruptcy.

South Park Studios stands as one of the most successful enterprises ever launched by animation creators. But Parker and Stone arent wedded to it for life. Asked whether hes surprised ViacomCBS has never tried to buy out their stake in the company, Stone replies: Were not anxious to end the show. But someday we will sell that interest.
Photo: Golden Life Management Joseph Creek Village

The regional manager for a number of Interior care homes has been barred from nursing for three years for failing to protect vulnerable women from a male resident in a Cranbrook care home.

In a recently posted consent agreement, the British Columbia College of Nurses & Midwives cancelled Joyce Turner's nursing registration for a three-year period, after numerous incidents of sexual misconduct against cognitively impaired and/or otherwise vulnerable women by a single man was documented by staff at Cranbrook's Joseph Creek Care Village. The incidents occurred between 2018 and 2020.

[The reported incidents] were serious in nature so that the Director of Care, Community Manager, mental health, and the police were involved in several instances, the British Columbia College of Nurses & Midwives said in a recent consent agreement.

The BCCNM was not satisfied that Ms. Turner, in her administrative role, took steps to verify that the incidents were reported, to report the incidents herself to Community Care Facilities Licensing, or to address the risk of harm to vulnerable female residents in a meaningful and substantive manner, which in BCCNM's view left female residents in her care vulnerable to sexual predation.

Turner was the regional manager for Golden Life Management which owns Joseph Creek Village, and she oversaw a number of facilities in the region. The company owns 17 facilities in B.C. and Alberta.

In the consent agreement, the BCCNM says Turner did not properly manage specific and systemic issues at Joseph Creek Care Village ... that were necessary to protect vulnerable female residents from the unwanted sexual advances, aggression, and assaults by a male resident with a known history of sexual misconduct, who himself was vulnerable resident with unmet care needs.

In a brief statement, Golden Life Management would not comment on the specific incidents that occurred at Joseph Creek Care Village, only stating the investigation by the BCCNM did not involve Golden Life.

Although an investigation was conducted by BCCNM, our executive team nor Ms. Turners direct supervisor was ever contacted during the investigation to discuss the case, Golden Life said in a statement.

Golden Life Management endeavours to protect all residents that reside in our villages. We report all reportable incidents and create health and safety plans with the applicable parties including Interior Health, family, mental health doctors, and RCMP to ensure the safety of those in our care.

The BCCNM says Turner agreed to the cancellation of her nursing registration, and she'll be unable to work as a licensed practical nurse in B.C. for at least three years.

Turner no longer works for Golden Life, as she quit the company in May of this year to move closer to her family in Alberta.


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An employee at Smoke 1 Tobacco Products at 2101 McCallie Ave. said a man came into the store, picked up a cigar, lit it, and started smoking it. When the employee told him to pay for the cigar, the man handed a fake $100 bill that had pink writing printed on it in Japanese. The man said he did not have any money on him to pay for the cigar. When the officer spoke to the man he argued, saying the money was real and told the officer that he did not have other money. The employee said he did not want to prosecute but he wanted the man to leave the store and he wanted him trespassed. The officer told the man he is not allowed back on the property and if he comes there he will be arrested for trespassing. The fake money will be turned into property.

* * *

A man at the Comfort Inn and Suites at 2341 Shallowford Village Dr. said someone took two of his suitcases off the top rack of his car. He said he left the suitcases on the top rack overnight. He said they were full of clothing and miscellaneous items. No suspect(s) or further information is available at this time.

* * *

A woman on Benton Avenue said she was going through some personal issues with her husband and asked for police for assistance because she needed to get her bank cards and her cellphone from him. Police assisted her with this matter and left without incident.

* * *

Officers responded to Patten Chapel Road regarding a 911 hang up. Upon arrival officers spoke with a woman and man regarding the call. The woman said she called and hung up following a verbal disagreement between herself and her boyfriend. She said everything was fine and she simply walked away from the argument. Both of them have separated for the day.

* * *

An officer went to McCutcheon Road and Gunbarrel Road to do a wellness check. The officer found the man sitting on the curb with his feet in the street. The officer asked him if he was okay and he said that he was. He asked for a ride to Brainerd Road and the officer took him there.

* * *

A man on Vance Avenue called police to say someone stole his Fuji bike off his vehicle. The man said the bike was chained to the bike rack and, when he went to his car in the morning, the bike rack and bike where gone. The man said his wife noticed the bike rack on the ground near their home but the bike was gone.

* * *

A caller said a Mazda car was blocking a driveway on East 5th Street. Police arrived and saw on the pole a sign saying that vehicles would be towed at the owner's expense. The vehicle was towed by A1 Towing without issue.

* * *

A Rock Creek Outfitters manager at 2200 Hamilton Place Blvd. called police to say he had two women come in to the store, grab some items and run out. He said they stole about $720 worth of items. He saw them get into a blue SUV, but no further info at this time.

* * *

An employee at Walmart at 2020 Gunbarrel Road told police she had detained a shoplifter and had her in the AP office. The officer made contact with the suspect and identified her. She was Mirandized and consented to a search of her handbag. Nothing else was located. The woman had skip scanned merchandise and passed all points of sale without paying for the stolen merchandise. The total value of stolen and recovered merchandise was $22.56. Walmart chose not to prosecute and did not trespass her.

* * *

An employee at Old Navy at 2220 Hamilton Place Blvd. told police he had two women shoplift from the store and flee the scene. The officer saw the camera footage and it showed two women grab multiple items of merchandise, conceal it within bags, and pass all points of sale without paying for the stolen merchandise. The suspects attempted to take more as they loaded up other bags but were thwarted when trying to take those bags as well. The suspects fled in a tan Chevy Tahoe. The stolen items are worth around $150 in value.

* * *

Police were called to Target at 1816 Gunbarrel Road where they were told a Honda was damaged while it was parked and unoccupied in the Target parking lot. Police saw fresh damage to the driver's side near the rear of the vehicle.

* * *

Police saw a black Nissan Altima and a white BMW 320i illegally parked on Cowart Street. Both vehicles were parked the wrong direction in the street. The vehicles were parked in a no parking zone and had not attempted to pull to the side of the street. The vehicles were obstructing the southbound lanes of Cowart Street. The vehicles were a traffic hazard so tows were called. Shackleford Towing responded to the scene and towed the vehicle. Parking citations were also issued to the vehicles.

* * *



An officer responded to a damaged property on Cuscowilla Trail where a tree appeared to have knocked down power lines connecting to a power pole running south on Cuscowilla Trail from Mauldeth Road. EPB responded on scene and repaired the power line.

* * *

A woman on Koblentz Circle showed police a video of a Nissan Altima driving by her residence, and in the video, as the car is passing you hear a ping which resembles a rock hitting a metal object. In the video it is unclear if the vehicle throws a rock or not. The woman said that she has no property damage that she can see at this time. Police spoke with the vehicle driver who said that she was just driving by herself and that she didn't throw a rock and had no clue if a rock was thrown or not. No action was taken.

* * *

Police responded to Chandler Avenue on a noise complaint. Once on scene police saw approximately 50-75 vehicles parked and blocking the roadway for emergency vehicles. Also approximately 100 people were standing in the roadway having a block party. Police utilized emergency equipment and vehicle rumblers to clear the area.

* * *

A manager at Imbibe Liquor at 1616 Broad St. said two heavy-set women entered the store and filled several shopping bags with Crown Royal liquor bottles. He believed nearly $800 worth of liquor was stolen. The suspects left in a silver Hyundai with a temp tag.
With its memorable quotes, snippets of history, and the perfect mixture of drama and comedy moments, Forrest Gump was a major hit movie in 1994 and continues to be a well-loved movie decades later. Tom Hankss portrayal of Forrest is one of the successful actors most memorable roles and led to his second Oscar.

Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump | Sunset Boulevard/Getty Images

While viewers go on an emotional roller coaster following Forrest Gumps life in the movie, sharing his joy and shedding bittersweet tears, that audience connection couldve been lost if it wasnt for Director Robert Zemeckiss commitment to the production process.

Zemeckiss deep connection to ensuring the movie brought Forrest and his story to life even resulted in his depression after the movie was released. His behind-the-scenes work resulted in amazing visual effects and a compelling movie, even after cutting some fascinating scenes from the Tom Hanks classic.

Forrest Gump met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in this deleted scene

Although Tom Hanks improvised some classic scenes and quotes from Forrest Gump, certain scenes didnt even make the final cut of the award-winning 1994 movie. In the 25th anniversary DVD set, fans found deleted scenes from the beloved classic. One fascinating scene left out of Forrest Gump involved Forrest running into Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his supporters.

The scene showcased the Selma march, and in the deleted scene Forrest distracts several dogs trying to attack Dr. King and fellow protestors by playing fetch with the dogs. In a Yahoo! article, screenwriter Eric Roth said that the unused scene was filmed on the first day of shooting and was ultimately cut from the movies final version.

He explained the reason behind the cut by saying:

I think we felt we went a bridge too far. We wanted to honor Martin Luther King and the march and the importance of that, obviously. So Im glad we didnt use it.

Other deleted scenes from the iconic film

The MLK scene is the most noted deleted scene of Forrest Gump. However, the 25th anniversary DVD set includes other deleted scenes from the movie. One involves Forrest Gumps success as a ping-pong player. When recovering from a gunshot wound from Vietnam, Forrest Gump learns to play ping-pong and quickly becomes a master.

I can play Ping-Pong in my sleep. Is there a category for that, @ittfworld? #ForrestGump25 pic.twitter.com/Nm7Ks33gFB  Forrest Gump (@ForrestGumpFilm) May 21, 2019

While he is sent to China to play on the All-American Ping-Pong Team in the movie, the scene of him playing the table game with the China Ambassador did not make the final cut. The ambassador was George Bush Sr., and during their ping-pong game, Forrest hits Bush Sr. in the crotch with a ping-pong ball.

Deleted scenes are part of creating a movie, and so are altered versions. IMDb highlighted the alternate versions that ran on varying television networks.

The location for many Forrest Gump boat scenes

With the few deleted scenes from Forrest Gump, many memorable moments remain, bringing the movie well-deserved critical acclaim. From partnering with Bubba in his shrimping business to Forrest buying his own shrimping boat to fulfill his promise to Bubba when his friend is killed in action in Vietnam, boat scenes were a highlight of the movie.

The boat scenes are portrayed in Bayou La Batre, Alabama. However, they were actually shot in the waters off the coast of South Carolina. The hurricane scene was even filmed on the Atlantic Ocean instead of the Gulf of Mexico.

IMDb revealed that a jet engine was used to create the hurricane winds seen on film and the still shots and newsreel shots from the onshore aftermath were real news shots from the destruction caused by Hurricane Hugo in South Carolina in 1989.

RELATED: Tom Hanks and a Forrest Gump Co-Star Once Played Competing Stand-Up Comedians
Duggar family fans and critics know all about the current Duggar news surrounding Josh Duggar. Police arrested Josh in April 2021 for allegedly obtaining child sexual abuse material. Now, an affidavit from a Homeland Security investigator sheds even more light on the case. And the affidavit notes Josh allegedly didnt have the proper permits to operate his used car lot. Heres what the document said.

Does Josh Duggar have a job? Anna Duggar says Josh works very hard

Josh and Anna Duggar in 2015 | Kris Connor/Getty Images

Prior to breaking Duggar news, Josh Duggar worked at a used car lot. According to Distractify, the car lot is owned by the Duggar family in general. Though, it likely doesnt bring in much money for his wife, Anna, and their six (soon to be seven) children.

Jim Bob likely owned (or perhaps still owns) the car lot Josh works. Jim Bob owns lots and rental properties, In Touch Weekly reports, and Jessa Duggar even commented on this in the past. My dad has a lot of rental properties, Jessa said back in 2018. Thats kind of how they start out. Thats how they make their first little bit of money.

Anna noted via Instagram Josh works very hard for her and the kids, too. When a fan asked Anna how she affords her kids, she answered, Yes, my husband is a diligent worker and provides well for our family.

Josh Duggar news: Court document discusses alleged permits Josh didnt have for his car lot

Josh Duggar seen selling used cars one year after scandalas source says 'he looks happy' https://t.co/v0HpXoSR7e pic.twitter.com/MvU0NvrkVQ  People (@people) May 18, 2016

A Reddit user found an affidavit from Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Gerald Faulkner. The document details the latest in Josh Duggar news regarding his alleged crimes and trial. Within the document, Faulkner describes exactly how FBI agents tracked Joshs alleged illegal activity. And his car lot came up.

Additional internet research of the car dealership revealed an online article published in November 2018 regarding the owner, Duggar, having alleged to operate the business, Wholesale Motorcars, without the proper permits, the affidavit reads. The article further explained, due to the lack of proper permits, the Washington County, Arkansas Fire Marshall addressed these issues in person with Duggar on multiple occasions.

Radar Online reported on the issue back in February 2019 as well. The publication notes Josh was found in violation of an ordinance, as he needed a permit to run Wholesale Motorcars. Additionally, the publication alleges Josh was warned of the issue three times before he fixed it.

How is Josh Duggars trial getting paid for?

Josh Duggars photo after his arrest | Washington County Sheriffs Office via Getty Images

Now that Josh Duggar is out of work following the Duggar news of his arrest, whos paying for the trial? Many suspect the money comes from Jim Bobs deep pockets. The Duggar patriarch allegedly made a lot of money thanks to TLCs Counting On. But, now that the network canceled the show, an insider told The Sun Jim Bob should anticipate losing a ton of money.

The family was roughly paid $80,000 for each chunk of filming, and some seasons were longer than others, but they were picking up on average $850,000 a series, the insider said. I think a lot of people will be shocked to learn they were earning that much, and it all went to Jim Bob who invested some of it for the family and handed the rest out.

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RELATED: Where Are Josh Duggars 6 Kids? Reports Claim the Duggar Family Doesnt See Them Often
The Pogues love a treasure hunt! After they find the $400 million in gold that sunk with the Royal Merchant ship in season 1 of Outer Banks, season 2 focuses on a different kind of treasure  the Cross of Santo Domingo. But to open the cross, the Pogues need Denmark Tanneys key.

Is Denmark Tanney real? Find out who the fictional Outer Banks Season 2 character is based on.

[SPOILER ALERT: Spoilers ahead for Outer Banks Season 2.]

E. ROGER MITCHELL and JONATHAN DAVISS | JACKSON LEE DAVIS/NETFLIX  2021

Pope Heyward seeks Denmark Tanneys treasure in Outer Banks Season 2

Outer Banks fans first heard of Denmark Tanney in season 1, when the Pogues learn Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline) lives on Tanneyhill. This was the plantation Tanney bought with the gold from the Royal Merchant.

Throughout season 2, we learn Pope Heyward (Jonathan Daviss) is a distant relative of Denmark Tanney, a famous ex-slave. We also learn the gold wasnt the only treasure Tanney possessed.

CARLACIA GRANT, MADISON BAILEY, and RUDY PANKOW | JACKSON LEE DAVIS/NETFLIX  2021

After a strange meeting with affluent Charleston resident Carla Limbrey (Elizabeth Mitchell), Pope learns about his familys possession of Denmark Tanneys key. The key will open the Cross of Santo Domingo, which Limbrey believes houses a shroud that has the power to heal her illness.

Outer Banks Season 2 legend of Denmark Tanney

As Tanneys story goes, he was a freed man in Charleston who was wealthy enough to buy the freedom of his three sons. When Tanney tried to buy his wife Cecelia and daughters freedom, Carla Limbreys paternal ancestors refused.

Cecelia took her freedom into her own hands and tried to escape enslavement. But she was stoned to death instead.

Later, Denmark Tanney tried to gather his wifes remains. Limbreys family hanged him for doing so.

Outer Banks Denmark Tanney is based on Denmark Vesey

As it turns out, Denmark Tanney is based on Denmark Vesey, a Black carpenter in South Carolina who also fought for his freedom. Vesey was killed in 1822 after plotting a rebellion on behalf of the slaves.

Veseys message was simple  the slaves were determined to right themselves. He also said:

We are determined to shake off our bondage, and for that purpose, we stand on a good foundation; many have joined, and if you will go with me, I will show you the man who has the list of names, and who will take yours down (via The Atlantic).

As the outlet reports, Vesey and Tanneys lives were different but similar in ways. Like Tanney, Vesey could buy his freedom, but with lottery winnings instead of sunken treasure. And, like Tanney, when Vesey tried to buy his wife and childs freedom, their master refused and he started planning his rebellion.

Freedmans Assembly of God in Outer Banks is based on Denmark Veseys church

Vesey could not rebel without a following. According to David Robertsons book Denmark Vesey: The Buried Story of Americas Largest Slave Rebellion, Vesey could not have progressed as far as he did without the organization and membership of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

JONATHAN DAVISS | JACKSON LEE DAVIS/NETFLIX  2021

RELATED: Outer Banks Season 2, Episode 8 Recap: The Cross

In Outer Banks Season 2, Pope and the Pogues discover Freemans Assembly of God. Denmark Tanney erected the church so he could preach to other freed slaves.

Stream all 10 episodes of Outer Banks Season 2 on Netflix.
Have boxed cake mix at home and want to spruce it up a bit? No stranger to using shortcuts in cooking and baking Ree Drummond knows what to do. Make her Easy Neapolitan Cake. The Pioneer Woman host takes boxed cake mix to the next level with this easy dessert.

Boxed cake mix is the base of Ree Drummonds Easy Neapolitan Cake

The Pioneer Woman star Ree Drummond | Monica Schipper/Getty Images for The Pioneer Woman Magazine

Making her Easy Neapolitan Cake on an episode of The Pioneer Woman Drummond admitted that it could be made using homemade cake batter but the storebought stuff is a quick and easy shortcut. And who doesnt want a dessert thats quick and easy?

Her recipe calls for a box of classic vanilla cake mix. Feel free to choose any variation just make sure its in the vanilla family because the batters going to be flavored to get the classic Neapolitan combination of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. So grab any boxed cake mix just make sure its vanilla.

The Food Network star achieves the classic Neapolitan flavors with freeze-dried strawberries and cocoa powder

RELATED: The Pioneer Womans Easy Strawberry Ice Cream Disappears Like That at the Drummond Ranch

How does Drummond get the pink layer of strawberry and brown layer of chocolate nestled in with a ribbon of vanilla? She gets creative. Making the cake from her home  the Drummond ranch is in Pawhuska, Oklahoma  the cookbook author said she uses freeze-dried strawberries from the grocery store for the strawberry layer.

She grinds them up in the food processor until they form a powder. Then Drummond mixes some of the powder with the cake batter. The result? Pink cake batter that packs some serious strawberry flavor.

To make the color even more vibrant Drummond suggested adding a few drops of red food coloring. As for the chocolate layer, Drummond uses some cocoa powder. Then she scoops the batter into different parts of a loaf pan for a marbled look.

Finally, its time for the cake to go into the oven. Once its done baking Drummond drizzles it with a two-ingredient chocolate ganache before serving. Thats it. Boxed cake mix becomes the Pioneers Womans Easy Neapolitan Cake in less than two hours, according to Food Network.

The Pioneer Woman has other cake recipes that start with boxed cake mix

RELATED: The Pioneer Woman: Ree Drummonds No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars Are an Easy Summer Treat

This isnt the only Pioneer Woman cake recipe that has boxed cake mix on the ingredient list. Drummond has others. The key to taking it to the next level? Doctoring it up with mix-ins or elevating the way its served.

Take Drummonds recipe for Clementine Sprinkle Cake. It starts with boxed cake mix  this time its vanilla confetti flavor  but it gets a boost of flavor from fresh clementine juice and zest. As an added touch Drummond puts a few clementine slices on top.

Thats not all. Then theres the Pioneer Womans Top Secret Chocolate Cake. A seriously chocolatey dessert, it starts with a box of dark chocolate cake mix. Once again Drummond amps up the flavor with mix-ins such as chocolate chips. Like the Easy Neapolitan Cake, she frosts it with chocolate ganache.
Have The Resident fans truly seen the last of Dr. Mina Okafor? In season 4, the character bid farewell to her friends and colleagues at Chastain Park Memorial Hospital as she prepared to move away. The tearful sendoff seemed like the perfect end to Minas story. However, some fans have remained hopeful that shell return in the future. Is there a chance Mina could appear in the Fox medical dramas upcoming season 5?

Shaunette Renee Wilson as Dr. Mina Okafor in The Resident Season 2 | FOX Image Collection via Getty Images

Dr. Mina Okafor left Chastain Park Memorial Hospital in The Resident Season 4

The Resident introduced Dr. Mina Okafor (played by Shaunette Renee Wilson) as a talented surgeon in season 1. A rising star at Chastain Park Memorial Hospital, Mina became one of the first to try new surgical technology. Her talent saved several lives during her time in Atlanta. She had a sarcastic and cynical attitude, but her caring side showed over time.

Mina developed a close friendship with Nic Nevin (Emily VanCamp), Conrad Hawkins (Matt Czuchry), and Devon Pravesh (Manish Dayal) at Chastain. Additionally, in season 4, she began a relationship with Dr. AJ Austin (Malcolm-Jamal Warner).

However, when Mina faced possible deportation, she decided to leave her life at Chastain behind to move home to Nigeria. She planned to help her mother, who was also a doctor, take on new patients.

My mother wont always be able to sustain this many surgeries a day. Shell need help This is the answer to my visa problem. Its the answer to everything. I dont want to fight anymore. Leave on my own before I can be deported. Im going back to Nigeria, she said during season 4 episode 9.

After a heartwarming farewell party with her co-workers, Mina left Chastain for the last time.

Why did Shaunette Renee Wilson leave The Resident and will she return in season 5?

In reality, Wilsons departure from The Resident came down to a personal decision. After her final episode aired, the actor took to Twitter to reveal why she chose to exit the medical drama. She wrote:

After deeply thoughtful reflection, I approached the producers some time ago asking to leave the show and they agreedand gave my character a wonderful sendoff. I am appreciative of them for allowing me to embody as beautiful of a soul as Dr. Mina Okafor. I would also like to thank the studio, network, cast, crew and, most of all, the wonderfully dedicated fans of The Resident for their support over the last four seasons.

While the showrunners were disappointed to see Wilson go, they understood her decision. In an interview with TVLine, co-showrunner Andrew Chapman assured that she could always return to The Resident if she wanted.

We knew she was leaving pretty close to the beginning. She asked to be let go. We were heartbroken, and we love the character of Mina. We love Shaunette. She was so foundational to the show, just such a presence, he said, later adding, We made it super clear to Shaunette that we love her, and if she decides that she wants to come back to The Resident, the doors open.

It seems unlikely that Wilson will return so soon after she decided to leave, so viewers probably wont see her in season 5. However, with the door open, theres always a possibility in future seasons.

The Resident Season 5 premieres on Sept. 21

Fox announced in July that The Resident would return on Sept. 21, and it looks like the rest of the cast will be included. However, there have been a few slight changes to the roster.

Anuja Joshi, who plays Devons love interest, Dr. Leela Devi, has been bumped up to a series regular, so viewers will see much more of her. Meanwhile, Morris Chesnut, who plays Dr. Barrett Cain, will appear less during The Resident Season 5, as hes taken on a starring role in Foxs Our Kind of People.

RELATED: What is The Resident and Gilmore Girls Actor Matt Czuchrys Net Worth?
Pakistani Christian couple released from death row granted asylum in Europe

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Two months after being acquitted by a high court and surviving death threats, a Pakistani Catholic mother and her partially paralyzed husband, who were on death row for seven years on false blasphemy charges, have arrived in Europe.

Shagufta Masih and her husband, Shafqat Emmanuel, faced death threats after reports of their acquittal by the Lahore High Court broke in early June. In 2014, a session court had sentenced the couple to death by hanging.

We are so relieved to finally be free. The last eight years have been incredibly hard, but we are so happy to be reunited with our children, said Shafqat Emmanuel on behalf of the family, according to ADF International, a human rights group that supported the Christian couple.

Although we will miss our country, we are happy to finally be somewhere safe, added Emmanuel, who was the watchman of a school in the Gojra area of Toba Tek Singh district in Pakistans Punjab Province.

The Catholic couple was arrested in July 2013 under Pakistans blasphemy laws after a local imam accused them of committing blasphemy by sending him an offensive text message.

Maulvi Mohammed Hussain, a leader at a local mosque, claimed that Emmanuel used his wife's cellphone to send an anti-Islamic text message. He later claimed other messages followed. Hussain said he was praying when he received the offensive text message from an unknown number.

The Muslim cleric reportedly showed the text message to two other imams before approaching his counsel for legal proceedings. He and his lawyer later claimed they both received subsequent blasphemous messages.

Masihs brother, Joseph, previously told the BBC that his brother-in-law had been tortured and forced to make a false confession.

The text messages were also alleged to have been written in English. Aside from being illiterate, Shafqat and Shagufta are not familiar with the English language  written or spoken.

ADF Internationals Director of Advocacy for Asia, Tehmina Arora, said in a statement that their case is not an isolated incident but testifies to the plight that many Christians and other religious minorities experience in Pakistan today.

The couples lawyer, Saif Ul Malook, said, These cases are very difficult to litigate, due to the concern for security. There is a very real threat to the life of the clients and the lawyers.

Christians are often targeted by both Pakistans blasphemy laws meant to protect Islamic sensitivities and by hardliners who carry out violence and have killed scores of believers in the past several years.

The blasphemy law, embedded in Sections 295 and 298 of the Pakistan Penal Code, is frequently misused for personal revenge. It carries no provision to punish a false accuser or a false witness of blasphemy.

Islamist extremists also use the law to target religious minorities  Christians, Shias, Ahmadiyyas and Hindus.

While the right to religious freedom is protected by the Pakistani constitution, many face severe persecution and denial of their fundamental rights to freedom of expression and assembly, Arora said.

Hopefully, the blasphemy laws in Pakistan will soon be abolished, so others wont suffer the same fate as Shagufta and I, Emmanuel said.

The couple's country of asylum has not been disclosed due to security concerns.
Christian preacher to file lawsuit against police after false claims of hate speech thrown out

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After a court refused to admit a hate speech case against her, a Christian street preacher in the United Kingdom says she's suing the police for arresting her on the false accusation that she threatened to stab gays and non-believers while she was preaching outside a tube station.

A judge ruled this week that there was no case to answer as the words of Hazel Lewis, a 49-year-old preacher who was arrested under the Public Order Act while preaching outside Finsbury Park tube station in North London last February, had not been threatening or abusive, The Telegraph reported.

Lewis said she is now planning to sue the Metropolitan Police.

I am delighted that the judge has seen through the lies and has vindicated me, she was quoted as saying.

During her trial at Highbury Magistrates Court last month, Officer Stuart Day said that a video recording played before the court showed that one of her accusers very much sounds like he is trying to goad her into commenting on his sexuality. She does not, however, take the bait.

The accusation against the preacher included that she had made a child cry and used threatening language as she told one of the accusing men, You are an advocate of Satan and I rebuke you in Jesus name, according to Christian Today, which added that she told listeners that they should be more concerned with knife crime in their neighborhood than her peaceful preaching from the Bible.

Throwing out the case against Lewis, District Judge Julia Newton observed: The defendant is alleged to have said, you are an advocate of Satan and I rebuke you in Jesus name. I dont find those words threatening. These words were certainly disagreed with. I do not find that they were abusive either.

Newton added: Further, in relation to distress. It is clear that (a witness) was disturbed and found them to be unpleasant. She said that other people were distressed. She said that she was distressed and found these words were unpleasant. However, that does not amount to harassment, alarm or distress. In addition, there is no evidence as to why the children were crying. Whilst there was a lot of noise, there were a lot of things that could have led the children to cry. I find that there is no case to answer.

Christian street preachers not only have to contend not with hate-speech laws in the U.K., they also have to protect themselves against acts of violence, the news portal Spiked noted, citing a few recent cases of harassment.

Hatun Tash, an ex-Muslim who is now a critic of Islam and a Christian preacher, was stabbed at Speakers Corner in Hyde Park in London, it said. The horrifying incident was captured on camera. Despite there being an estimated 30 witnesses, the perpetrator is still at large.

Lewis also commented on the dangers street preachers face, adding: There are dangers out on the streets  I have had urine thrown at me and have been threatened. But Christians are called to preach the Gospel of salvation and hope in any situation, no matter how tough, so I am not afraid.  Despite this experience, I am determined to keep preaching.
Former Pfizer VP urges pregnant, childbearing age women not to get COVID vaccine; CDC disagrees

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A former Pfizer executive recently advised that women of childbearing age and those who are already pregnant should consider opting out of taking the COVID-19 vaccine, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week that the vaccines are safe and don't show an increased risk of miscarriage.

On Wednesday, the CDC advised pregnant women to get the COVID-19 vaccine, stating that it found no increased risk of miscarriages among those who've been vaccinated.

While the CDC's guidelines have advised that pregnant women get the vaccine to help protect against the possible risk for severe illness or adverse pregnancy outcomes, stating it was unlikely to pose a risk for people who are pregnant, it previously added that there was "limited data on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant people.

It adds that because the vaccines haven't been studied on mothers who are breastfeeding, "there are limited data available on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in people who are breastfeeding, effects of vaccination on the breastfed baby," and "effects on milk production or excretion.

The CDC's updated guidelines added: "Recent reports have shown that breastfeeding people who have received mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have antibodies in their breastmilk, which could help protect their babies. More data are needed to determine what protection these antibodies may provide to the baby."

Last Wednesday, Michael Yeadon, who served as vice president and chief scientist for allergy and respiratory at Pfizer until 2011, raised some concerns about the COVID-19 vaccines use on pregnant and childbearing age women during Life Site News Stop the Shot conference, where he was one of the speakers.

We never, ever give experimental medicines to pregnant women," said Yeadon, Ph.D., in a presentation.

Yeadon, who holds degrees in biochemistry, toxicology, and a Ph.D. in respiratory pharmacology, launched his own biotech company after working in the pharmaceutical industry for 32 years. Since the novel coronavirus outbreak, he's attracted some media attention and criticism for questioning the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.

He argued that pregnant women who've been told that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe for them and their preborn babies have been "lied to."

Thats bad enough because what that tells me is that theres recklessness. No one cares. The authorities do not care what happens, Yeadon asserted.

You never, ever give inadequately tested medicines, medicinal products, to a pregnant woman, he continued. And that is exactly what is happening. Our government is urging pregnant women, and women of childbearing age, to get vaccinated. And theyre telling them theyre safe. And thats a lie because those studies have simply not been done.

Since data show that only some 22% of pregnant women have received one or more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine are among the organizations that have also urged women to get vaccinated.

"Data have shown that COVID-19 infection puts pregnant people at increased risk of severe complications and even death," the organizations asserted in a joint statement.

COVID-19 vaccination is the best method to reduce maternal and fetal complications of COVID-19 infection among pregnant people, added Dr. William Grobman, president of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.

Dr. J. Martin Tucker, president of ACOG, added the group encourages its members to enthusiastically recommend vaccination to their patients."

Yeadon, however, also contended during his presentation that the COVID-19 vaccines haven't undergone adequate toxicology testing to assess their effects on the reproductive system.

As an example of why he's raising questions about the safety of the vaccines for pregnant and childbearing age women, he noted the thousands of birth malformations resulted from pregnant women taking thalidomide to treat morning sickness 60 years ago. At the time, he said, studies did not assess that thalidomide was toxic for babies in the womb.

So here we are. Theres been potentially hundreds of millions of women of child-bearing potential [injected] with products which are untested in terms of impacts on fertilization and development of the baby, he continued.

Yeadon added that one study out of Japan found high concentrations of the spike protein in the ovaries, organs and tissue when tested on rats.

What we find is the vaccine [in rats] doesnt just distribute around the body and then wash out again, which is what youd hope, he said. It concentrates in ovaries of rats, and it concentrates at least 20-fold over the concentration in other background tissues like muscles.

You dont want this product in your ovaries. Its simply not necessary to induce immunity to have a vaccine in your ovaries. And, as its concentrating in the ovaries, getting higher concentrations over time, they have not even defined what the maximum levels are or when that occurs, he added.

And I will tell you, a general rule of thumb in toxicology is, if you dont have any data to contradict what youve learned, thats the assumption you make for humans. So my assumption at the moment is that is what is happening to every female whos been given these vaccines. These vaccines are concentrating in her ovaries, he said.

Yeadon concluded his presentation by directing a message to women of childbearing age and younger: I would strongly recommend you do not accept these vaccines.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, however, stressed the urgency for women to get vaccinated, assuring them that the vaccines are safe.

In a statement released Wednesday, Walensky said: CDC encourages all pregnant people or people who are thinking about becoming pregnant and those breastfeeding to get vaccinated to protect themselves from COVID-19. The vaccines are safe and effective, and it has never been more urgent to increase vaccinations as we face the highly transmissible Delta variant and see severe outcomes from COVID-19 among unvaccinated pregnant people.

Though the CDC's advice pertains to all COVID-19 vaccines, an official told The Washington Post that "the one-shot Johnson & Johnson version has not been studied as much as the versions produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna."
Crystal Guynes believes her daughter has a way of making people feel special.

Most people dont ever forget her, said Guynes of her daughter Tori McCreash.

The long-time Vernons Kuntry Bar-B-Que employee has a specialty for cheering people up, giving and receiving hugs and for always being there for her two children, 11 and 14, and both her work family at Vernons and the community.

Now her family, friends and community members are rallying around the 39-year-old as she fights for her life at HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe.

On Aug. 4, McCreash experienced a medical emergency in her home. The medical team who attended to her believes she fell, suffered severe head trauma and broke several vertabrae in her neck resulting in cardiac arrest. Her children found her and called 911. But its unknown how long she was without oxygen.

In an update posted Friday morning, her medical team remains cautiously optimistic as she shows a few small signs of progress fighting back from the medical emergency.

She turned 39 on Aug. 5 in the hospital, the day after her accident.

During her time in the hospital, friends have started an update page on Facebook  Tori McCreash Updates & Prayer Requests  to share updates about her progress. The page is at www.facebook.com/ToriMcCreashUpdates/ and updates on her condition are regularly shared on the page.

Two of her good friends  Lauri Malone and Becky Sutton  organized a prayer circle on Thursday night outside the hospital.

Malone met McCreash about six years ago when they were working together. They worked together for five years and developed a bond.

McCreash helped Malone through hard times and Malone calls her friend a problem solver and a helper.

You give her a problem anything from boyfriend problems to paying the light bill, shes the kind of person who steps in and helps, Malone said. If she saw someone struggling shes someone thats going to get in there and help.

Malone felt called to put together a prayer circle for McCreash.

I felt Got put it on my heart to do this for Tori. Shes the type of person who is always there for everybody else. I wanted to do something so that everyone shes done something for could be there for her, Malone said.

Guynes said those prayers came at just the right time Thursday night. It was touching and enlightening. Im always hearing more and more about people whose lives were touched by Tori, Guynes said.

She said the family is most in need of prayer for Tori and for financial assistance with medical and financial needs.

Visit any First Financial Bank Texas branch and ask for the Tori McCreash Benefit Account  Lana Brannon to donate to the family. A Venmo account which ties directly to the First Financial account, @ToTo_2021 Lana Brannon comes up as well.

shernandez@hcnonline.com
A former longtime Houston-area police officer is headed to prison after being convicted of sending child pornography to an undercover detective working out of Montgomery County.

On Tuesday, John Paul Hollingshead III, 41, of Houston, was sentenced to 10 years by presiding 435th District Court Judge Patty Maginnis upon entering a guilty plea for the second-degree felony offense of promotion of child pornography, according to court records.

In September 2019, Hollingshead messaged a decoy being used by an undercover Montgomery County Precinct 1 Constables detective on the social media app Kik Messenger. The conversation lasted until December 2019 and at one point included Hollingshead sending the decoy photos and videos featuring child pornography, according to a probable cause affidavit in the case.

Hollingshead communicated under the display name John C. The detective identified John C. as Hollingshead through his Texas drivers license and a Facebook profile. A subpoena linked John C. with Hollingshead through the IP address used during Kik messaging, according to court records.

On Oct. 30, 2019, Hollingshead sent the decoy two photos and two videos showing a nude boy between 8 and 10. The boy is being engaged sexually by an adult female in one photo and both videos, the affidavit detailed.

Hollingshead was taken into custody in March 2020.

Hollingsheads LinkedIn profile, cited in the affidavit, lists him as having been an officer with the Brookside Village Police Department between March 2007 and May 2017. On Thursday, the Montgomery County District Attorneys Office confirmed Hollingshead was a former officer with the southeast Houston-area police department.

His LinkedIn listed Hollingshead as having been most recently employed as a pilot at a small regional airline.

Hollingsheads defense attorney did not return a request for comment.

jose.gonzalez@chron.com

twitter.com/jrgzztx
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio (AP)  One teenage boy has been arrested and another is still being sought in a shooting that killed a Wisconsin teen who was staying at a home in a Cleveland suburb, police said.

Clifton Heights police said Saturday that a 14-year-old suspect was picked up by Medina police and taken to a juvenile detention center. A 16-year-old suspect is still being sought. Both are charged with murder, felonious assault and improper discharge into a home.
PHOENIX (AP)  President Joe Biden has commended the leadership of two Arizona and Florida school district superintendents after the districts' boards recently implemented mask requirements in defiance of their Republican governors.

Biden spoke separately by phone Friday with Superintendent Chad Gestson of the Phoenix Union High School District and interim Superintendent Vickie Cartwright of Broward County Public School, the White House said in a statement Saturday.
STONINGTON, Conn. (AP)  A Connecticut school board has reversed the district's decision to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day on the 2021-22 school calendar after hearing criticism about the move made back in June.

The Stonington Board of Education voted 3-2 last week to restore the name Columbus Day, at least for the time being, with some members arguing that a public hearing should be held before such a change is made, The Day of New London reported.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  Iowa voting rights advocate Deidre DeJear announced Saturday she will seek the state's governorship in 2022.

Working families have been hit hard over the past few years. They are worth the fight," DeJear, a Democrat, said in a campaign statement ahead of an announcement ceremony in suburban Des Moines. As your governor, I will spend my time working on solutions by bringing together Iowans from river to river to meet our challenges head on."

DeJear, 35, gained attention in 2018 when she became the first Black candidate in Iowa to win a statewide primary ahead of her unsuccessful campaign for Iowa secretary of state. She was defeated by incumbent Republican Paul Pate.

She stepped down in July from a state commission charged with holding public hearings to gather feedback about upcoming redistricting proposals in order to travel the state to explore running for governor.

A Mississippi native, DeJear attended high school in Oklahoma and moved to Des Moines to attend Drake University. DeJear later got her political start working on Barack Obama's winning campaign for the 2008 Iowa Democratic presidential caucuses.

After the 2018 election, DeJear became a senior Iowa adviser to then-California Sen. Kamala Harris' 2020 presidential campaign.

DeJear joins state Rep. Ras Smith of Waterloo among Democrats hoping to challenge Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, next year. Reynolds, governor since 2017, is expected to seek re-election.
BRIDGEPORT  Contractor Anthony Stewart spent much of his childhood in the East End before life and work took him out of town and out of state, even for a time to South America, Africa, Europe and Japan.

This week, Stewart was back where it all started, cutting a ribbon on a new Stratford Avenue building that will house his Ashlar Construction firm until it can permanently relocate to the Honey Locust Square the developer is erecting two blocks away.

I wanted to be located on Stratford Avenue and (in) the community Im making such an investment in, Stewart said in an interview Friday. I feel its a game-changer. People see me everyday. I walk up and down the street, buy from local restaurants. I feel happy about it.

Stewart has not exactly been a stranger to the East End in recent years. Though Ashlar was previously headquartered downtown, Stewarts company was selected by the city in late summer 2018 to take on the long-promised Civic Block redevelopment of a run-down section of Stratford Avenue between Central and Newfield avenues, since dubbed Honey Locust Square.

The firm also built the soon-to-open Newfield Avenue public library.

But Stewart is aware of the impatience some in the East End feel regarding the slower-than-anticipated progress at the Civic Block, which he has attributed to a lengthy environmental clean-up, work stoppages from the COVID-19 pandemic and also, more recently, the rising costs of building materials.

In April he said he hoped to open portions of the project before June, 2022. On Friday that had changed to sometime late summer, early fall of next year.

So having his office nearby, Stewart hopes, will put any lingering doubts to rest about his commitment to the area.

We did what we said we were gonna do, Stewart said.

The just-opened structure at 1376 Stratford Ave. where Wednesdays ribbon cutting occurred contains four apartments and also offices for Alliance for Community Empowerment, an anti-poverty nonprofit.

Im so proud to share this moment with you all, Sharon Skyers-Jenkins, Alliances board chairperson, told the crowd Wednesday. Its a moment that embodies what we do at Alliance to help make an impact and effectuate change in families.

She continued, Im excited and grateful that we can partner with our homegrown developer, Mr. Anthony Stewart. Hes the embodiment of what Bridgeport is about and thats to put your money where your mouth is and to help effectuate change, housing and development, especially in areas where theyve been under-served.

Born in Georgia, Stewarts family moved to Bridgeport in 1962 when he was a baby and lived in the East End until he was 14 when they relocated to Shelton. After a career, mostly in construction, that found him working elsewhere in Connecticut, overseas, and then in New York City, he founded Ashlar in 2014, moved the business to Cheshire, then, in 2016, to downtown Bridgeport.

At a 2018 ceremony announcing Ashlars selection for the Civic Block, Stewart had said the project is going to be a catalyst for other development in the East End, and if we have our way we are going to make sure it acts as a catalyst and other developments happen.

Stewart said Friday he was proud to have Alliance as a tenant.

They offer a lot of community services, energy assistance, rent assistance, he said. They do a lot to help.

Besides Ashlars future headquarters, Honey Locust Square just down the street will support a long-awaited East End grocery store and additional retail/restaurant/office space.

Its not going as fast as Id like it to go, Stewart said Friday. The pandemic has skyrocketed my costs. And part of my issue is to try and keep negotiating to get better deals on things to be able to still do what I want to do.

For example, he said the still-to-be-erected steel framework was originally going to cost $600,000 but now stands at $800,000.

Overall what was a $9.6 million construction job is approaching $10.6 million, Stewart said. People who dont do it look and say, Its going slow. They dont know how it works. Its hard. This is really hard.

Councilwoman Eneida Martinez represents the East End and attended Wednesdays event. She praised Stewart and, acknowledging some of the setbacks Honey Locust has faced, said, We have to be patient and give him time.

Were very appreciative  ecstatic  about him being able to develop in the East End and more so to have his office right there, Martinez said. We do see progression. Yes, its been slow (but) I think the ribbon cutting is a step into what we have coming.
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP)  A firefighting plane from Russia crashed Saturday in a mountainous area in southern Turkey, killing the eight crew members and emergency workers aboard, Russia's Defense Ministry said.

The Russian ministry said five Russian and three Turkish citizens were on the amphibious Beriev Be-200, which crashed while trying to land in Turkey's Adana province. A team to investigate the accident was dispatched to the Kahramanmaras area, Turkish state media said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin offered his condolences to the families of the Russian crew who died in the crash and asked the defense minister to prepare documents to give them posthumous awards. The crashed plane belonged to the Russian navy.

Putin also sent a telegram of condolences to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the death of the Turkish citizens, saying that Russians together with Turks are dealing with the natural disaster that happened in your country and we feel unity in grief."

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted he was greatly saddened by the deaths and said their heroic sacrifices would not be forgotten.

Turkey has fought some 300 wildfires in the last 16 days that have killed eight other people, consumed forests and homes and sent thousands fleeing.

Kahramanmaras governor Omer Faruk Coskun told Anadolu that a wildfire had begun after lightning struck trees.

We had dispatched a plane to the area but we lost communication with the plane a while ago and it crashed. The situation is very new. We dispatched many units to the area where the plane crashed, he said.

The Be-200 is a two-engine amphibious aircraft used in Russia and other nations to fight forest fires. It is capable of dropping up to 270 metric tons of water in multiple runs during a single mission.

Wildfires in Turkey's Mediterranean region began in late July and have incinerated thousands of acres of forests, mostly in the seaside provinces of Mugla and Antalya. The fires came as Turkey and the whole Mediterranean endured a prolonged heat wave.

Climate scientists say there is little doubt climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas is driving more extreme events, such as heat waves, droughts, wildfires, floods and storms.

Northern Turkey has been hit this week by flash floods that have killed at least 57 people along its Black Sea coast, turning streets into raging torrents. On the north side of the Black Sea, Russian authorities in the Krasnodar region evacuated over 1,500 people due to flooding.

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Isachenkov reported from Moscow.

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Follow all AP stories on climate change issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate.
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP)  Days after getting bitten by a shark, Jordan Prushinski asked her parents to buy her a shark tooth necklace at a gift shop just as her family was leaving Ocean City, Maryland.

It will be a souvenir of the incident. I was bitten by a shark, and its a shark tooth necklace, the 12-year-old said a day later at the familys home in Plains Twp. while sporting the necklace.

Jordan, who received 42 stitches as a result of the shark bite, remains in good spirits and her pediatrician said her wounds are healing beautifully.

She never panicked during the incident, walked out of the emergency room and vows to return to the ocean again one day.

Shes been a trooper, her mother, Melissa Prushinski, said. She has taken it so well. Shes a fighter.

Jordan said she was splashing in shallow water near 119th Street Aug. 2 when she felt something smack her leg.

I thought it was a horseshoe crab, she said.

Lifeguards quickly wrapped her wounds and her parents rushed her to a nearby emergency room.

Jordan, who said she felt no pain until doctors injected her with anesthesia for the stitches at the hospital, said the toughest part about the ordeal has been keeping up with the onslaught of media requests from around the country and world.

She appeared on Good Morning America and ABCs World News Tonight in addition to being featured in newspapers across the country.

But she realizes shes one of the few people on earth to have been bitten by a shark  and people are curious about her story.

I keep thinking, why me? Jordan said.

Because Jordan and her family were dealing with the incident so well, family and friends decided to help her laugh about the shark encounter.

When she returned home, she entered her bedroom to find a shark inner tube planted by her grandmother. She promptly put it in the familys pool.

A friend of Melissa Prushinski sent a I Survived A Shark Attack T-shirt to the home, along with shark gummy candies.

While experts are debating what type of shark bit Jordan based on the bite marks, several said it certainly shouldnt be considered a predatory attack. The incident likely was a result of Jordan and the shark inadvertently bumping into each other in the water, they said.

She got very lucky, her father Robert Prushinski said. Thank God she is in good spirits with it. If he would have chomped into her, there would have been major problems.

Jordan was supposed to be away this weekend with her traveling softball team for a tournament. The incoming seventh grader at Solomon Plains Junior High School is looking forward to playing soccer this upcoming season for the Wilkes-Barre Area Wolfpack.

She suffered no muscle, ligament or tendon damage, so her parents expect her to be ready to compete in athletics again in the near future.

As for the inevitable scars, Jordan said shes not worried and might not take the advice of doctors to seek plastic surgery.

I want a cool scar because it will be a souvenir from the incident, Jordan said.

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Online:

https://bit.ly/3jHoZH8
Matias Delacroix/AP

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP)  The Haitian judge assigned to oversee the investigation into the assassination of President Jovenel Moise has withdrawn from the case citing personal reasons, a decision that might delay the much-anticipated probe.

Judge Mathieu Chanlatte, who was named to oversee the case less than a week ago, announced his decision in a letter, the dean of the Court of First Instance in Port-au-Prince, Magistrate Bernard Saint-Vil, said on Friday.
LINVILLE, N.C. (AP)  Four hikers were injured at one of North Carolina's most popular tourist attractions when lightning from a fast-approaching storm struck near them, a Grandfather Mountain official said.

One of the hikers  part of a group of seven walking around MacRae Peak  was taken to the hospital following Friday's strike, according to Landis Taylor with the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation.
MUNCIE, Ind. (AP)  A judge has ruled that a former Ball State University professor who accessed child pornography on his campus computer for at least three years will remain a convicted felon.

Robert Yadon had asked a Delaware County judge to reduce his 2018 conviction of possessing of child porn from a felony to misdemeanor status.
HOUMA, La. (AP)  A Louisiana man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for intentionally burning down a house in 2019.

Deondre Brown, 31, of Houma, pleaded guilty earlier this week to two counts of simple arson and one count of falsely communicating a planned arson, prosecutors said. State District Judge David Arceneaux ordered Brown to serve five years on each count of simple arson and 10 years on the third charge. Each sentence will run consecutively, The Courier reported.

Browns conviction resulted from a fire that occurred Nov. 5, 2019 in a Houma neighborhood. Deputies and the Houma Fire Department were called about 5:30 a.m. to a house fire in the Ashland North subdivision, the Terrebonne Parish Sheriffs Office said.

With help from the Louisiana State Fire Marshals Office, investigators determined the blaze had been set intentionally, the sheriffs office said.

Though no injuries were reported, the fire destroyed the home, leaving a family homeless, authorities said.

Following an investigation, detectives developed Brown as a suspect and issued a warrant for his arrest.

Despite the difficult situation prosecutors find ourselves in with facing this pandemic, (District Attorney Joe Waitz Jr.) and our office remain committed to doing our best to keep the public safe from dangerous individuals like Deondre Brown, said Terrebonne Parish Assistant District Attorney Amanda Mustin, who prosecuted the case. Deondre Brown was already on parole when he deliberately set a house in Ashland North on fire, which resulted in the damage of two other homes as well. It was imperative that we remove him from society so as to protect the public from further harm.

Browns conviction will help provide closure for the victims, Mustin added.

The victims are still trying to recover from their loss but at least they now have the satisfaction that Deondre Brown has accepted responsibility for his actions and will not be free to cause such harm again for some time, she said.

Browns attorney, Cheleste Gottschalk of Houma, could not be reached for comment.
BALTIMORE (AP)  Maryland health leaders on Friday said they fully supported a federal decision allowing third shots of coronavirus vaccines for immunocompromised people.

Maryland Department of Health Secretary Dennis Schrader described it as another important tool" to protect vulnerable residents with severely weakened immune systems as the delta variant continues to surge.
BALTIMORE (AP)  Gov. Larry Hogan appears ready to let Marylands state of emergency from COVID-19 fully expire Sunday as planned, despite urging from some legislators to extend it further due to case increases from a highly contagious variant.

House of Delegates Speaker Adrienne Jones and several of her lieutenants -- all of them Democrats -- wrote the Republican governor on Friday asking him to reverse course and keep the emergency in place, The Baltimore Sun reported.

Now is not the time to end the stated public health emergency -- not only because of the limitations it will put on our state response but also because of the message that it sends to the public at large about the urgency of this situation, particularly as we prepare to send our children back to school, the legislators wrote.

Hogan and his staff have said the state remains well-positioned to weather the pandemic without a formal emergency designation, which began in March 2020.

A Hogan spokesman acknowledged the letter, thanking the legislators for noting Maryland is a pandemic response leader.

Part of what has kept us a national leader is how we have incorporated our public health response  and all of the testing, tracing, surge capacity, and vaccine distribution infrastructure the state built from scratch  into the day-to-day operations of state government, spokesman Mike Ricci said in a statement.

As in other parts of the country, cases have risen in Maryland in recent weeks due to the delta variant of the coronavirus. More than 520 people with COVID-19 were hospitalized as of Saturday, according to Maryland Department of Health data, compared to fewer than 100 a month ago.

Hogan announced in mid-June that Maryland would end most of the states pandemic restrictions on July 1, but the state of emergency remained in place to provide a transition for a number of legal and technical matters.

Actually, two orders will expire at 11:59 p.m. Sunday -- a general state of emergency and the existence of a catastrophic health emergency.

State law allowed Hogan under the emergency to shut down schools and businesses, order people to stay at home and call up the National Guard. Dozens of other related orders also will expire Sunday, the newspaper reported.
MOSCOW (AP)  Russia could renew a visa for a BBC journalist to let her resume work in Moscow if British authorities give a visa to a Russian journalist, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Saturday.

Russia has refused to renew a visa for BBC correspondent Sarah Rainsford in an effective expulsion amid simmering tensions with Britain  a move that the British government and the BBC condemned Friday as an assault on media freedom.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova rejected what she described as British unfounded accusations and Russophobic cliches and insisted that the Russian action was a retaliation to U.K.'s refusal to extend a visa to a Russian news agency correspondent or anyone who could replace him.

Zakharova said the journalist, whom she didn't name, had to leave Britain along with his family in the summer of 2019 after British authorities failed to renew his visa even though he strictly abided by official rules. She charged that British authorities also refused to issue visas to any other journalist to replace him.

We have repeatedly warned on different levels that such approach is inadmissible and we wouldn't reconcile with it, Zakharova in a post on a messaging app. We have urged them to review the discriminatory approach ... and pointed out that otherwise we would respond accordingly.

The BBC called on Moscow to revise its move. BBC Director-General Tim Davie said that the expulsion of Sarah Rainsford is a direct assault on media freedom which we condemn unreservedly.

The U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office condemned the move as another unjustified step by the Russian authorities and rejected Moscows claim of discriminatory action against Russian journalists based in the U.K.

Russian journalists continue to work freely in the U.K., provided they act within the law and the regulatory framework, it said.

Zakharova insisted, however, that Russias refusal to renew Rainsfords visa was analogous to Londons action in respect to her Russian colleagues.

Rainsford told the BBC Today program that she has spent a third of her life in Russia and called Moscow's move devastating.

Its another really bad sign about the state of affairs in Russia and another downward turn in the relationship between Russia and the world  a sign that Russia is increasingly closing in on itself, she said.

I am being expelled - its not a failure to renew my visa, although technically thats what it is," Rainsford noted. Im being expelled and Ive been told that I cant come back, ever.

But Zakharova challenged that, saying that Rainsford's visa could be renewed and she could come back to Russia if British authorities give a visa to a Russian journalist.

Thats exactly what we offered when we called on London to resolve that journalist visa deadlock, Zakharova said.
DENVER (AP)  Safeway faces $339,000 in fines following a workplace accident at a milk packaging plant in Denver in which an employee lost four fingers.

The Denver Post reports that the U.S. Department of Labor notified the grocer this week that they have until Sept. 13 to address workplace safety violations and pay the fines, request a conference with officials or contest the investigation's findings before an independent review commission.
EILAT, Israel (AP)  The Red Sea reefs off the Israeli resort of Eilat host some of the greatest coral diversity on the planet.

A symphony in splendid technicolor, the reefs are among the worlds most resilient coral colonies against warming seas. They have also become an unlikely battleground, caught between Israeli diplomatic and business interests, and ecological groups that fear this natural treasure could be in danger.

A clandestine oil deal struck last year as part of the historic agreement establishing formal diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates is turning Eilat into a waypoint for Emirati oil headed for Western markets.

Initially hailed as a move that could cement fledgling diplomatic ties and further Israels energy ambitions, the deal is now in question after Israels new government opened a review. The decision has upset investors and risks a diplomatic spat with Israels Gulf allies.

The UAE and Israel, which normalized relations last year as part of the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords, have since signed over $830 million in trade deals and inked numerous trade and cooperation agreements.

But the deal between the Europe-Asia Pipeline Company, an Israeli government-owned corporation, and MED-RED Land Bridge, a joint Israel-Emirati venture, remains a secret.

Senior officials in former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government  including his former energy, foreign and environment ministers  said they didn't know about the deal until it was announced last September, after the accords were signed at the White House.

The pipeline company, known as EAPC, was founded in the 1960s to bring Iranian oil to Israel when the countries had friendly relations. Its operations are shrouded in secrecy, ostensibly for security reasons.

Israeli environmental groups have asked the country's Supreme Court to halt oil shipments, citing EAPCs questionable safety record and the risk posed by parking supertankers alongside Eilats fragile coral ecosystems.

As for an oil spill, it's not a question of if it will happen, but when it will happen, said Assaf Zvuloni, a Nature and Parks Authority ecologist in Eilat. Even a small rupture or human error would have disastrous consequences, he said.

Israel suffered its worst ecological disaster in February, when a spill in the eastern Mediterranean coated virtually all of its 270-kilometer (170-mile) coastline with oil. The petitioners  three Israeli environmental groups  argued that incident would be dwarfed alongside a massive oil spill off Eilat.

Israel long lacked natural resources. But that began to change after the 2009 discovery of natural gas in the Mediterranean Sea and Israel's first exports.

The deal with the UAE would expand this fledgling energy sector, with oil shipped across Israel in a pipeline to the Mediterranean port of Ashkelon and on to European markets.

Yona Fogel, executive of one of the Israeli partners in the project, told public broadcaster Kan in June that the UAE deal will produce for EAPC earnings of hundreds (of millions) and perhaps billions of dollars without raising the risk to the environment whatsoever.

Ksenia Svetlova, an ex-lawmaker and director of Mideast relations with the Mitvim Institute, an Israeli think tank, said the project is especially appealing because it provides an alternative to the Suez Canal. The canal, the main waterway for Gulf exports to the West, was paralyzed early this year when a massive tanker ran aground there.

The Emiratis are gaining a cheaper, alternative route, something that they can use in case they need to divert some of the tankers to this direction, she said.

But opponents say the potential cost is irreversible damage to a natural wonder.

The EAPC terminal dominates a stretch of Eilat shoreline a kilometer (half mile) north of Israel's Coral Beach Nature Reserve. Its cranes and pipes jut into the Red Seas aquamarine and navy blue waters. The air reeks of petroleum.

For now, multitudes of corals still bloom on neighboring reefs, attracting fish in kaleidoscopic abundance.

A senior government official said Prime Minister Naftali Bennetts office asked the Supreme Court for additional time to respond to the environmentalists' challenge. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

Israels new environment minister has pledged to scrap the pipeline altogether and her ministry has frozen the companys planned expansion of operations, pending a government decision.

The Gulf of Eilat is in real danger because of the Med-Red pipeline, and the state of Israel doesnt need to be the oil bridge for other countries, Tamar Zandberg said upon taking office in June. Her office declined interview requests.

No less important is a future spills impact on tourism, Eilats lifeblood. Meir Yitzhak Halevi, a freshman lawmaker who was Eilats mayor from 2003 until June, said he was left in the dark about EAPC's operations and called for complete transparency.

An ecological disaster would also likely impact the ecosystems of Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, all of which share the gulfs waters.

We have a real potential loss to humanity and to global biodiversity, said Gidon Bromberg, head of the cross-border EcoPeace environmental group.

EAPC dismissed environmental concerns as unfounded, claimed the inherent danger in the arrival of tankers is zero and contended that hundreds of tankers docked at the adjacent Jordanian port of Aqaba in the past decade.

The company refused interviews, as did Emirati officials. But Hebrew daily Israel Hayom recently quoted unnamed Emirati officials as saying canceling the deal is definitely a violation of diplomatic agreements and could damage relations.

Meanwhile, EAPC has confirmed it has initiated operations. At least eight oil tankers moored in Eilat in 2021, up from an average of one every five years, according to the court petition, which contends the agreement could bring over 100 oil vessels each year.

EAPC has had a poor safety record. A 2014 pipeline rupture spilled millions of gallons of crude oil in a desert nature reserve. In the 1970s, a series of spills nearly eradicated Eilat's coral reefs.

Yossi Loya, a marine biology professor at Tel Aviv University, said the reefs managed to recover over the past decade  a rare exception to the deterioration of reefs worldwide.

This is one of the diamonds in the crown, and therefore its very important to protect them, he said.
STOCKTON, Mo. (AP)  A Christian boarding school in southwest Missouri has been sued three times this month over allegations that students were abused.

The latest of the lawsuits was filed Tuesday in Cedar County Circuit Court on behalf of a Texas teen with autism and bipolar disorder. It accuses Agape Baptist Church, which operates Agape Boarding School, of negligence, infliction of emotional distress and battery by staff and other students, The Kansas City Star reports.
For the second time in three years, San Francisco is angling to purchase Pacific Gas & Electrics power lines within the city. City officials say theyre motivated by three urgent issues: A change in PG&Es billing procedures that would increase the citys electric bill, San Franciscos determination to move faster than the rest of California to confront climate change, and PG&Es abysmal recent record of negligence, under-investment, and bankruptcies.

Though proposals to turn PG&E into a publicly-governed nonprofit have the potential to improve safety, decrease prices, and advance state climate initiatives, by separating San Franciscos system from the rest of PG&E territory, city officials are seriously undermining their stated goals.

The roots of San Franciscos fight with PG&E stretch back over a century and deep into the Sierra Nevada mountains. In 1913, when Congress granted San Francisco the authority to dam Hetch Hetchy Valley for its water, it restricted the city from selling power produced by the dam for private profit. That decision left San Francisco in control of a sizeable supply of hydropower, while PG&E owned the power lines needed to get that power across the Central Valley and into San Franciscans homes and businesses.

This mismatch between power supply on the one hand and distribution on the other has provoked a century of conflict over who  a government agency or a private corporation  should provide San Franciscos electricity.

San Francisco first considered the municipalization of PG&Es power lines in the mid-1920s, in the midst of an all-out statewide battle for control of electric power. Voters in Los Angeles and Sacramento had recently created public power agencies to replace private electrical service in their regions, and both were struggling in court to repossess pieces of the unwilling companies distribution networks. In the end, it took LAs Department of Water and Power and Sacramentos SMUD 25 years each to complete their respective takeovers.

Nothing about the complex and litigation-filled process of municipalization has gotten speedier in the intervening decades, as Boulder, Colorados decade-long failed attempt demonstrated last year. As Mayor Breed and other officials make their latest case for municipalization, forward-thinking justifications that acknowledge the long road ahead are the ones that will matter.

Chief among these long-term arguments, so far, is that San Francisco can fight climate change better and faster if it controls its own grid. But in their public statements, city officials are once again confusing the power supply with how power gets distributed. Through the citys Hetch Hetchy power supply and CleanPowerSF, the citys local clean power provider, most San Franciscans are already receiving low-carbon electricity, delivered by PG&E. Incentivizing more customers to sign up for this existing program could make a substantial difference in San Franciscos carbon footprint. Changing who owns the delivery system, though, offers relatively small climate benefits while soaking up billions of dollars that could be put to work creating more major emissions reductions.

Other, less flashy issues offer much more meaningful chances for San Francisco to decarbonize. Transitioning the citys existing buildings away from fossil-fueled heating and cooking appliances, or improving MUNIs reach and affordability, stand out as politically-challenging but vital climate projects that city leaders have so far proved more skittish about.

The other major long-term argument for municipalization is about the principle of public ownership. Today, as in the 1920s, many Californians feel that public goods like electricity should be directly controlled by the public, rather than provided for a fee by private corporations. In the long term, public ownership has benefited both Angelenos and Sacramentans through lower electrical rates, more reliable service, and more publicly-accountable governance.

PG&Es abysmal recent record adds to the compelling argument for public ownership  but San Francisco officials current approach isolates the city at a moment when its regional influence can help achieve more substantial change. In 2019, efforts by San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo and others to convert the entire PG&E system to public ownership received only tepid support from most of San Franciscos elected officials.

This isolationism isnt just a missed opportunity; it also has direct consequences for San Franciscos neighbors. Even though San Francisco officials havent wanted to admit it, their current proposal would leave PG&Es other customers on the hook for the companys gargantuan wildfire liabilities.

If this most recent fight continues, San Francisco voters will have to weigh in  as they have nearly a dozen times in the last century  on who should own the citys electrical grid. This time, though, climate change and its concurrent crises, drought and wildfire, are changing the equation. Rising to that global challenge requires collective action, but all San Francisco officials are offering so far is isolationism.

Josh Lappen is a PhD candidate at Oxford, where he studies the history of energy and electrification. A lifelong Californian, he currently lives in San Francisco.
In this weeks news, there are some troubling indicators for air travel volume in the weeks ahead as the highly transmissible COVID delta variant continues to spread through the U.S. and the world; the European Union will continue allowing Americans to visit, although that could change on short notice; the U.S. CDC adds France and some other nations to its do not travel list; Hawaii reimposes limits on restaurant capacity and group sizes; Frances Caribbean islands tell all visitors to leave; New Zealand extends its border closure into 2022; Alaska Airlines adds three SFO routes to Mexican resorts for the winter and will begin Reno-Palm Springs service; Air Canada and Allegiant add California routes; JetBlue finally kicks off JFK-London flights; Delta resumes some London routes; Emirates boosts its San Francisco schedule; Singapore Airlines will begin LAX-Taipei-Singapore service; more airlines tell employees to get vaccinated; a new Alaskan airline eyes transpacific flights from SFO and LAX next year; new carriers in South Korea and Europe plan U.S. flights; and Alaska Airlines sets a date for opening its new SFO lounge.

It looks like the big resurgence of airline travel this year may have peaked out as the spread of COVID 19s delta variant in the U.S. appears to be scaring off some travelers. During late July and early August, the number of passengers screened at TSA checkpoints approached or exceeded 2 million a day, but now there are indications that those numbers will go down. Southwest Airlines said in an SEC filing this week that it is seeing an increase in close-in trip cancellations during August, as well as a deceleration in close-in reservations. The airline attributed the changes to the surge in the delta variant. Meanwhile, credit card data analyzed by JP Morgan Chase showed that spending on airline tickets during late July fell by 20% from its peak earlier in the month, although that could partly reflect the typical decline in air travel during the fall months.

And a new consumer survey of 1,000 adults conducted on Aug. 4 by tourism marketing consultants at Longwood International uncovered a growing resistance to travel. Under the headline Delta variant setting off alarm bells for travel industry, the firm said its new poll found that one-third of travelers have postponed trips specifically because of the delta variant, up from 25% who said so in a survey two weeks earlier. And the percentage who said coronavirus will greatly impact their travel decisions in the next six months increased to 34% from 21% in a poll a month ago. News of rising numbers of infections, hospitalizations and deaths clearly is changing the perception of trip safety for some travelers, said Amir Eylon, CEO of Longwoods International. And reports of so-called breakthrough infections among the vaccinated and increasing coronavirus cases among children may also be weighing on travel and travel planning.

Americans planning to travel to Europe dodged a bullet this week as the European Union decided to leave the U.S. on its safe countries list  for now, at least. There were some concerns that the recent surge in U.S. COVID cases could have threatened that status and led the EU to again close its doors to American visitors. The website Schengenvisainfo.com, which tracks coronavirus-related travel restrictions, cited an unnamed EU official as saying the bloc would continue to allow U.S. travelers although the list will be reviewed again in two weeks or even earlier if the coronavirus situation changes. The EUs rules say that to remain on its safe list for travel, a foreign nation should have no more than 75 new COVID cases per 100,000 residents over the previous 14 days, and the U.S. had three times that many as of Aug. 1, according to the Washington Post. The current number is closer to 400, or more than five times the E.U. threshold, the Post reported.

Meanwhile, the Biden Administration continues to maintain its ban on visitors from the E.U., the U.K. and some other countries  a stance that gives the Europeans more ammunition to reimpose a ban on Americans. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week added more nations to its list of Level 4 COVID risks, which means the CDC is advising Americans not to travel there. The biggest tourist destination among the new Level 4 countries is France; others now at Level 4 include French Polynesia (i.e., Tahiti and neighboring islands), Israel, Iceland, Thailand, and Aruba. Last month, the CDC put the U.K. on its Level 4 list. The U.S. still requires a negative COVID test result from anyone flying here from a foreign country.

Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag

Another example of COVIDs delta variant affecting tourism comes from Hawaii, which is reducing size limits on social gatherings and imposing new indoor capacity restrictions on restaurants and bars. Citing a sharp rise in COVID cases, Governor David Ige said this week that dining establishments and bars will have to limit the number of indoor patrons to 50% of capacity, and the maximum permissible size of social gatherings will be reduced from 25 to 10 for indoors events and from 75 to 25 for outdoor venues. Hawaiis COVID case rate has jumped by 160% over the past two weeks. Hawaii has not changed its rules for entry to the state.

In the Caribbean, coronavirus infections on the French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe are now so bad that local officials have imposed a three-week lockdown and asked all tourists to leave the territory as soon as possible. Hotel accommodations are limited to residents and essential workers, and all retail establishments except for grocery stores and drugstores were ordered to close. And across the Pacific, the island nation of New Zealand  which has been virtually shut off from the world for a year and a half  now says it expects to keep its borders closed to visitors into next year, when it expects to begin a phased reopening.

In California route news, Alaska Airlines is giving Bay Area residents some new options for travel to Mexico this winter. The airline said this week it plans to introduce weekly seasonal service from San Francisco International to three Mexican resort destinations  Loreto, Mazatlan and Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo  from Dec. 18 through April 16. The new flights will operate on Saturdays. Elsewhere in the state, Alaska will revive Palm Springs-Reno/Tahoe service five days a week from Dec. 16 through March 16. In southern California, Air Canada will begin flying four times a week from Orange County Airport in Santa Ana to Vancouver starting Oct. 2, increasing to daily frequencies in 2022. And low-cost Allegiant Airlines latest announcement of new routes includes California service from Orange County to Phoenix-Mesa and to Sioux Falls, S.D., and from Palm Springs to Provo, Utah, all starting Nov. 19.

In international route developments, JetBlue this week finally launched its long-planned transatlantic expansion, introducing daily flights from its New York JFK base to London Heathrow. The airline is using new long-range Airbus A321s configured with 138 seats, including a front cabin with 24 redesigned Mint suites. JetBlue first announced the London route plans more than two years ago. It also plans to kick off flights from JFK to Londons Gatwick Airport in late September. Meanwhile, Delta has followed United and British Airways in ramping up service to the U.K. now that it has reopened to vaccinated U.S. travelers. The airline said it will resume Seattle-London Heathrow service on Oct. 7 with three flights a week, and four weekly flights from Detroit to London beginning Oct. 11. It already operates London routes from Atlanta and New York JFK, and the latter will increase from seven flights a week to 14 on Oct. 6. With Deltas joint venture partner Virgin Atlantic, customers can also seamlessly connect to LHR with over 30 flights from Boston (BOS), Los Angeles (LAX) and Miami (MIA), as well as ATL and JFK, Delta said.

In other international developments, Emirates is increasing San Francisco-Dubai frequencies this month from four flights a week to five and also increasing capacity on its Boston and New York JFK routes. Singapore Airlines on Aug. 25 will start flying from Los Angeles to Singapore via a stop in Taipei three times a week with fifth-freedom rights, i.e., passengers can fly only the LAX-Taipei segment if they want. In fact, according to Simpleflying.com, current travel restrictions mean it is not possible to fly between Singapore and Los Angeles on this service. Taiwan is not allowing transit passengers at present, so the service is only bookable either between Singapore and Taipei or between Taipei and Los Angeles.

After United Airlines announced last week that all its 67,000 employees would have to be vaccinated against COVID by Oct. 25, some other airlines have followed suit. Frontier Airlines said it has told all employees to complete their shots by Oct. 1; as an alternative, the airline said, they can provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test on a regular basis. And Hawaiian Airlines set a Nov. 1 deadline for workers to be vaccinated, although it could allow exceptions for medical or religious reasons. American, Delta and Southwest are all encouraging their employees to get the vaccine, but so far they have stopped short of making it mandatory.

A new low-cost airline in Alaska wants to connect U.S. cities including San Francisco and Los Angeles to Asian destinations like Tokyo and Seoul starting next year, with flights operating via a stop in Anchorage. Its called Northern Pacific Airways and its an affiliate of the intrastate carrier Ravn Alaska. The fledgling airline plans to acquire a fleet of 12 Boeing 757s over the next two years, and that aircrafts limited range will probably restrict the carriers transpacific routes to Japan and South Korea. Airline officials say they hope to operate from gateways in the Lower 48 including SFO, LAX, New York, Las Vegas and Orlando, and part of their strategy will be to encourage passengers to make an Anchorage stopover of a few days so they can explore the state on their way across the Pacific. Northern Pacific Airways hopes to start intercontinental operations by next summer.

New foreign airlines continue to set their sights on service to the U.S. in the months ahead. In South Korea, a start-up carrier called Air Premia plans to seek U.S. government approval to begin flying to Los Angeles from Seoul Incheon in the second quarter of next year, using a Boeing 787-9. Rights to LAX-Seoul non-stops are currently held both Korean Air and Asiana, companies that are planning to merge  although reportedly not until 2024. Air Premia is expected to begin its first scheduled service next week on a domestic route between Seouls Gimpo Airport and the Korean resort island of Jeju  the busiest airline route in the world, already served by 11 airlines.

Meanwhile, the new Norse Atlantic Airways is moving ahead with plans to start flying between Europe and the U.S., filling in the void left by the low-cost carrier Norwegian Air after it suspended its many transatlantic routes due to the pandemic. Norse Atlantic said this week it has agreed to lease another six 787-9 aircraft, for delivery in December of this year. With the aircraft it had already lined up, that will give the carrier a total of 15 787s. We very much look forward to welcoming customers on both sides of the Atlantic on board these state-of-the-art aircraft as soon as demand for transatlantic travel resumes, said Norse Atlantic CEO Bjorn Tore Larsen. Although it hasnt yet announced any specific route plans, Norse Atlantic reportedly hopes to fly from U.S. points like Los Angeles, New York and Florida to European destinations including Oslo, Paris and London, among others.

Mike Siegel/TNS

In airport news, Alaska Airlines has set an Aug. 31 opening date for its new Alaska Lounge at San Francisco International, located in Terminal 2 where it is taking over the space formerly occupied by an American Airlines Admirals Club. At more than 9,000 square feet, it will be Alaskas second largest lounge after the one at its Seattle-Tacoma home base. It will offer food including soups, salads, oatmeal and made-to-order pancakes; a full bar with local beers and wines, and an espresso bar. Alaska Lounge membership costs $350 for Mileage Plan elites or $450 for non-elites.
IRCC is providing financial support for services that help newcomers integrate and contribute to the Canadian economy and local communities.

Canada allocates $100 million to support integration of newcomers during pandemic IRCC is providing financial support for services that help newcomers integrate and contribute to the Canadian economy and local communities.

Canada allocates $100 million to support integration of newcomers during pandemic IRCC is providing financial support for services that help newcomers integrate and contribute to the Canadian economy and local communities.

Canada allocates $100 million to support integration of newcomers during pandemic IRCC is providing financial support for services that help newcomers integrate and contribute to the Canadian economy and local communities. Alexandra Miekus Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced $100 million in funding to ensure settlement services for newcomers meet their needs during the pandemic.



The funding will be rolled out over the next three years and is aimed at adapting the delivery of settlement services to newcomers so they reflect the pandemic and post-pandemic context.

This funding is provided through the Immigration Departments Service Delivery Improvement (SDI) program, which funds new projects offered by settlement service providers in areas such as needs assessment, information, language training, skills development, employment-related services, and community connections.

Under the 2020 funding process, IRCC selected 78 projects.

These projects will explore how to better integrate newcomers in their new communities and support the settlement sector as it recovers from the pandemic, IRCC said in a statement.

Throughout the pandemic, many settlement services have moved online. SDI funding will help IRCC determine the kinds of services newcomers need while taking into account the increased reliance on online service delivery.

Discover if Youre Eligible for Canadian Immigration

Among the selected projects are one that will test whether artificial intelligence can be used to develop settlement strategies for new immigrants, one that aims to develop service approaches with an anti-oppression framework, and one that will link newcomers with employers in rural communities prior to their arrival to see if this encourages them to settle in these areas.

Settlement services play a fundamental role in Canadas immigration system. From work to housing to language training, they set newcomers up for success. During this challenging year and a half, I think its safe to say everyone has needed support in some form or another. One can only begin to imagine the additional hurdles this pandemic has presented newcomers trying to start their lives in Canada. These new SDI projects will help us enhance and improve settlement services so every newcomer can reach their full potential here, said Marco Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, in a press release.

Settlement services provided by the Government of Canada are designed for people who arrive in the country as economic immigrants, through family class sponsorship, or as refugees and protected persons. They focus on helping people overcome the specific challenges of the newcomer experience, such as finding a job, finding housing, or learning English or French, and ultimately helping them succeed in Canada.

IRCC-funded settlement services are available to all permanent residents and protected persons.

According to the IRCC Settlement Outcomes 2021 Report, the majority of newcomers who have received settlement services said that they found the services helpful and relevant to their needs. Newcomers indicated that these services enhanced their knowledge of life in Canada, improved their English or French language skills, prepared them for the Canadian labour market, and helped them connect with organizations in their communities.

During the period spanning April 1, 2015, to March 31, 2019, more than one million newcomers received settlement services in Canada, according to the same report.

As part of its 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan, the Canadian government is seeking to welcome at least 401,000 new immigrants per year, starting this year. This is the most ambitious immigration plan in Canadian history. In total, IRCC spends approximately $2 billion per year on grants and contributions related to settlement programs, the highest amount in the world.

Discover if Youre Eligible for Canadian Immigration

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A $3 million settlement has been reached in the 2016 death of a Black woman shot by Baltimore County police after a standoff, a county official and attorneys for the womans family confirmed to a newspaper Wednesday.

The Baltimore Sun reports that the settlement comes five years after Korryn Gaines death and resolves claims brought by her parents, daughter and estate, according to a copy of the agreement obtained by the newspaper.

A county police officer shot the 23-year-old Gaines during a standoff at her Randallstown apartment in 2016, killing her and injuring her then-5-year-old son, Kodi.

Left unsettled are the legal claims brought by attorneys for Kodi, who was shot in the elbow and face and underwent surgeries for his injuries.

In 2018, a county jury awarded the Gaines family about $38 million, one of the largest verdicts ever against a Baltimore-area police department. Most of the jurys award  $32 million was for Kodi. But the next year, a county judge overturned the jurys decision, finding that the officer, Cpl. Royce Ruby, acted reasonably. Then, a Maryland appeals court ruled the judge erred in wiping out the jury award.

The jury had awarded about $5.4 million to the family members who have now settled with the county. That included $4.5 million to Gaines daughter, Karsyn; a total of $607,000 to her parents; and $300,000 to her estate.

The settlement had been reached in recent weeks but was not signed by all parties until Wednesday. It states that the plaintiffs have agreed to dismiss their claims, which forever ends the Litigation.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 13)  Over 30,000 individuals in Metro Manila violated minimum public health and safety protocols during the first week of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the Philippine National Police reported on Friday.

Data from Joint Task Force Covid Shield showed a total of 30,150 were apprehended, fined, and warned for violating various public health and safety protocols and quarantine guidelines at 34 quarantine control points in Metro Manila from Aug. 6-11.

PNP chief PGen. Guillermo Eleazar said police tallied a little over 5,000 violators per day during that period.

The PNP also logged 2,100 non-Authorized Persons Outside of Residence (APORs) violators in Metro Manila, with a daily average of 350.

Some 3,228 non-APOR violators were sanctioned in NCR Plus, averaging 538 per day.

Police data also showed around 110,027 violators were recorded in Metro Manila and four nearby provinces in those six days.

Laguna was under ECQ while Cavite and Rizal were under modified ECQ. Bulacan was placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions.

Malacanang on Friday announced a new set of quarantine classifications for several areas until August 31.

It has yet to decide on the quarantine level of Metro Manila beyond August 20.

RELATED: Laguna, Iloilo, CDO to ease to MECQ from Aug. 16-31
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 14)  The Department of Health on Saturday said it was ready to face any investigation on the use of its pandemic response funds worth more than 60 billion.

The Commission on Audit's report flagged "various deficiencies" involving some 67 billion that "contributed to the challenges encountered and missed opportunities by the DOH during the...state of calamity/national emergency and [cast] doubts on the regularity of the related transactions."

A Senate panel will conduct an inquiry on COA's findings on Aug. 18 at 11 a.m.

"We are open to all types of investigation, hindi po kami aatras diyan (We are not backing out)," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a briefing, adding the DOH has always been "transparent" with its budget spending.

Vergeire reiterated that the 67-billion budget was "accounted for," and asked the public to withhold their judgment until they see all the evidence.

At the House of Representatives, a lawmaker wants an inquiry into the special risk allowance for healthcare workers following complaints of delayed releases and alleged discrepancies in the released amounts.

A hospital employees' union earlier warned about the possible consequence of the government's supposedly unfulfilled promises of benefits.

Jao Clumia, president of the St. Luke's Medical Center Employees Association said in a television interview: "Kung no choice na, mag-re-resign na sila, sino pang mag-a-alaga sa mga pasyente dito sa loob ng ospital?"

[Translation: If they already have no choice but to resign, who will take care of the patients in hospitals?]

Vergeire is seeking a dialogue with the concerned healthcare workers to address their grievances.

"Sana po mapagusapan nating lahat ang mga inyong hinanaing para po hindi tayo umabot sa mga ganitong aksyon dahil ito po ay makakaapekto lalong lalo na sa sitwasyon natin," she said when asked about the matter.

[Translation: I hope we can talk about your grievances so we do not reach a point where you have to resign because this is going to affect our situation.]

"Kailangang kailangan po namin kayong alagaan ang ating mga kababayan," she added.

[Translation: We really need you to care for our fellow Filipinos.]
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 14)  Authorities are checking the condition of the first batch of COVID-19 vaccine recipients to see if the doses' effectiveness lessened six months after inoculation.

Current COVID-19 vaccines have high protection rates during the first six months, Food and Drug Administration Director General Eric Domingo said, but whether a booster shot is needed afterwards remains unclear.

"Titingnan natin kung bababa ang protection at kung mangangailangan ng extra bakuna later [We will see if the protection goes down and if we will need extra shots later]," Domingo said during CNN Philippines' Just The Facts on Saturday.

He pointed out that by September, it will be six months when the first recipients of the vaccine from the Philippine General Hospital received their initial shots.

"Our doctors in PGH are monitoring these health workers who have been vaccinated," Domingo added. "Sa ngayon, okay pa naman tayo. Hintayin natin sa susunod na taon kung mangangailangan tayo ng booster [For now, we're still okay. We will wait until next year if we'll need boosters.]

Talk of vaccines' effectiveness comes amid the detection of so-called breakthrough infections among fully vaccinated individuals.

The FDA said about 0.001%, or 116 out of the 9.1 million individuals who have completed their COVID-19 vaccination in the country, caught the coronavirus at least 14 days after their last dose.

This was not news to experts.

"Wala tayong sinasabi na 100% na maproprotektahan... pero lagi tayong [nagsasabi] the benefits outweigh the risks," said Dr. Lulu Bravo, Philippine Foundation for Vaccination Executive Director. "Inaasahan natin na mild lang ng symptoms na maari niyong makuha."

[Translation: We are not saying we will be 100% protected but we've always said the benefits outweigh the risks. We expect that you will only have mild symptoms (if you get infected).]

However, it does not mean fully vaccinated individuals should be complacent either since they could still be carriers of the coronavirus, especially the highly contagious Delta variant.

"What we're really concerned about in the Delta variant, it is exquisitely proficient, it is very good at replicating in hosts, and spreading that will lead to an overflow of cases and eventually overwhelm our healthcare systems," said Dr. Mark Edsel Ayes, Philippine Genome Center Clinical Genomics Lab Head. "If you do unfortunately get infected by the Delta variant, you are effective in spreading the disease as someone who is not vaccinated."

He added that if transmissions continue to occur, the public can expect new and potentially more dangerous variants.

"The virus will only mutate if it is allowed to spread and stay in hosts," Ayes warned.

"As there are more infections occurring, the chances of mutation may cause the eventual emergence of a variant that will no longer by neutralized by the antibodies, so it's kind of like a race against trying to vaccinate as many people as possible and limiting the chances the virus has to eventually mutate," he added.

Infectious disease specialist Dr. Rontgene Solante also pointed out that the Delta variant does not have any distinct symptoms, so the solution remains to be continuous implementation of health protocols and vaccination.

"[Vaccination is] the only way for me, that we can really close the gap between transmission and surge of cases and controlling the pandemic," Solante said.
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HENNING, Tenn. (AP)  Find the good and praise it.

It's a phrase the late Alex Haley, author of the 1976 novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family, often said during his life, from his days residing in the small West Tennessee town of Henning through his world travels as a journalist and writer. His seminal book about the horrors and injustices of slavery include messages of perseverance, courage and strength.

Now, on the occasion of his 100th birthday, the author's bridge-building legacy is being invoked once again as a kind of antidote to an especially contentious period of American life. A ribbon-cutting at the renovated Alex Haley Museum and Interpretive Center took place Friday, and a community celebration featuring music, food and a fashion show is scheduled Saturday.

Haley's life was filled with examples of living by those words. There was the time he encouraged close friend Fred Montgomery to become his hometown's first Black mayor, pushing back at resistance from some of the town's white populace.

Haley, who was Black and died in 1992, also is remembered in this month's re-release of a 2003 book entitled Finding the Good, by former Associated Press journalist Lucas L. Johnson II.

Johnson's book discusses the life of Montgomery, who befriended Haley in Henning. As young boys, they would swim together and write love poems to girls. Haley had wanted to write a book about Montgomery, who was born into a family of sharecroppers and endured racism in the Jim Crow South before becoming a successful plumber, farm owner, alderman and mayor. Johnson weaves Montgomery's story with examples from his own life dealing with racism, family members grappling with substance abuse and incarceration, and issues of faith.

Haley is most well known for Roots, which earned him a Pulitzer Prize and was turned into a TV miniseries watched by a record-setting 130 million people when it was released in 1977. Haley also wrote The Autobiography of Malcolm X, based on interviews with the civil rights leader.

The Henning museum and the home where Haley lived with his grandparents from 1921 to 1929 are state historic sites.

In his book, Johnson includes examples of Haley's influence on himself and Montgomery. In this month's re-release, Johnson updates his book to bring Haley's message of finding the good into the context of current-day issues like the coronavirus and the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white police officer in Minnesota.

Prayerfully, I started looking for the good, Johnson writes. "And I found the inspiring stories of health-care workers and first responders  as well as everyday people  who risked their lives to help others.

I saw people who had once ignored the reality of racism remove their blinders, embrace humanity, and work alongside non-whites to create change, he continues. I saw hope for a truly divided nation.

Finding the Good has received praise from Roots actor Louis Gossett Jr., civil rights leader James M. Lawson Jr., and Bernice A. King, daughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

The re-release also includes a timely foreword by former Tennessee governor and Republican U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, who was friends with Montgomery and Haley and cites Haley's inspirational motto.

Alexander, state and local elected officials, and Haley's grandson, Bill Haley, attended Friday's event marking the renovation of the museum, located on the grounds of his boyhood home. The museum sits near the location of a house Haley bought for Montgomery, another example of Haley finding the good. Alexander and other speakers cited Haley's favorite phrase during their remarks.

As a boy, Alex Haley would sit alongside his grandmother on the porch of the 10-room, bungalow-style house and listen to her tell stories about his ancestors.

Bill Haley called the home the spiritual center, the lifeblood of his grandfather's interest in his family's oral history, their roots.
DANBURY  The 15-year-old girl wounded in a shooting at the Danbury Fair mall this week may soon be released from the hospital, the citys police chief said.

Police have not identified the girl, who was shot during an altercation between two groups Wednesday evening inside the mall near the entrance to Macys.

Danbury Police Chief Patrick Ridenhour said the girl could be released from Connecticut Childrens Medical Center in Hartford as soon as Friday.

Ridenhour said police have made significant progress in the investigation and should be able to release more information in the very near future.

Police have described the shooter as a male possibly in his early teens with a thin build and shoulder-length dreadlocks.

Police said at least eight people were involved in an altercation with another group around 7 p.m. During the incident, one person drew a handgun and fired a single shot, striking the girl in her upper chest, police said.

The girl was with one of the groups involved in the dispute, according to police, but its not clear whether she was the intended target of the shooting. Police initially said Wednesday evening they believed the intended target may have been a white male who may have brandished a hammer during the confrontation.

Witnesses inside the mall described hearing a loud boom or bang that sent shoppers running for cover. Several described hiding in back areas and fitting rooms while employees locked the doors.

Danbury police, state police and law enforcement agencies from the surrounding area converged on the mall Wednesday night.

The mall was immediately locked down following the shooting. Police reviewed security video footage, which showed those involved in the altercation left the mall soon afterward. As police cleared each of the stores, customers and employees were able to exit the mall.

Mall officials have not responded to repeated requests for comment since the shooting.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  A Carnival cruise on which 27 people tested positive for COVID-19 just before the ship made a stop in Belize City this week was headed back to Galveston, Texas Friday after stopping in Mexico.

The positive cases were among 26 crew members and one passenger on the Carnival Vista, which is carrying over 1,400 crew and nearly 3,000 passengers, the Belize Tourism Board said in a statement. The ship arrived Wednesday in Belize City.

All 27 were vaccinated, had mild or no symptoms, and were in isolation, according to the statement. The tourism board said 99.98% of the ship's crew was vaccinated, as well as 96.5% of its passengers.

Carnival said in a statement Friday that it was managing a small number of positive COVID cases, but did not specify the number.

We have managed the situation utilizing stringent health protocols which included placing those who tested positive in isolation and close contacts in quarantine, the statement said.

The company said it had notified all passengers on the current trip and the prior one. It said Belize health officials had randomly tested 68 Vista passengers as they disembarked and all were negative.

The ship docked in Mexico's Caribbean port of Cozumel Thursday. Passengers were scheduled to disembark in Galveston on Saturday.

Hector Sosa, spokesman for the health department in Mexico's Quintana Roo state, said Friday that they were advised well in advance of the ship's arrival of the positive cases and authorities made sure they were isolated.

Other passengers were allowed to disembark in Cozumel Thursday, he said.

It is not the first time it has happened, Sosa said. We have had three cruise ships where the same thing has happened. Nonetheless, he said their precautions have worked and not put anyone at risk.

Carnival is requiring passengers to be vaccinated, though there are exceptions for children and people with medical issues. The cruise line said in a statement Aug. 4 that passengers must wear a mask in certain indoor areas, and provide a negative COVID test within three days of embarkment for cruises beginning Aug. 14.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on its website that it had investigated the Carnival Vista and the ship remains under observation.
OREGON CITY, Ore. (AP)  A Clackamas County employee has been charged with a hate crime after police say he painted a swastika on the sidewalk next to a memorial display for a Black man who died inside the countys jail.

Collin Williams, who is white, was arrested Thursday and also charged with criminal mischief and abuse of a memorial, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported. It wasn't immediately known if Williams, 20, has a lawyer to comment on his behalf.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  Oregons governor said Friday she will send up to 1,500 National Guard troops to hospitals around the state to assist healthcare workers who are being pushed to the brink by a surge of COVID-19 cases driven by the Delta variant.

Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, said the first group of 500 Guard members will be deployed next Friday to serve as material and equipment runners in the most stricken hospitals and to help with COVID-19 testing, among other things. Troops will be sent to 20 hospitals around Oregon.

There are 733 people hospitalized with the virus in Oregon as of Friday, including 185 people in intensive care units  more than 60 people more than just a day before and nearly double what the number was two weeks ago.

I cannot emphasize enough the seriousness of this crisis for all Oregonians, especially those needing emergency and intensive care, Brown said, reiterating that message. When our hospitals are full with COVID-19 patients, there may not be room for someone needing care after a car crash, a heart attack, or other emergency situation.

The Delta variant now makes up 96% of all samples tested, up from just 15% six weeks ago, according to Oregon Health Authority data.

The harsh, and frustrating reality is that the Delta variant has changed everything," the governor said.

Oregon, once viewed as a pandemic success story, has seen that progress slip away in recent weeks as the highly contagious Delta variant gains a foothold in counties with lower vaccination rates. The state kept an indoor mask mandate and social distancing rules in place until June 30, shut down restaurants, bars, gyms and other businesses repeatedly since March 2020 and had strict indoor capacity limits for businesses long after other states had returned to near-normal.

Amid the surge, Brown has mandated masks for all students and staff in K-12 schools when classes resume later this month regardless of vaccination status and a new statewide indoor mask mandate took effect Friday.

But earlier this week, hospitals warned that Oregon's record-setting virus hospitalization numbers were pushing them to capacity and some have already had to start delaying care for non-COVID conditions. Several counties in southern Oregon, where fewer than half of eligible adults are vaccinated, are particularly hard hit.

All hospitals in Jackson and Josephine counties, in the state's southwest corner, are at capacity, with patients on gurneys in hallways and emergency rooms overflowing. The counties teamed up to ask the state to set up a medical tent for non-COVID patients. They are awaiting a response.

This is the worst condition our hospitals have seen, likely ever. I dont know that anyone could recall a time where weve had this much pressure on our health care system, Josephine County Public Health Manager Michael Weber told reporters Thursday on a conference call.

Oregon Health & Science University said dire projections show the state will have 1,000 hospitalized COVID-19 patients on Labor Day if nothing changes, leaving Oregon short 400 to 500 hospital beds.

This is the worst-case scenario that Oregonians worked so hard to avoid in March 2020," the hospital said in a statement. Its a shocking number, and one that was repeatedly checked against other available data and the effects of the current surge observed in other states.

There were 1,785 new or presumed cases statewide Friday and seven deaths. Other deaths this week included a 19-year-old woman in the state's rural northeastern corner.

About 29% of adults in Oregon are unvaccinated and more than 102,000 vaccine doses have been thrown away because of non-use. More than 70% of eligible residents have had at least once shot, and 65% are fully vaccinated, according to state data.

____

Associated Press Writers Andrew Selsky in Salem, Oregon and Sara Cline in Portland contributed to this report.

____

Follow Gillian Flaccus on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/gflaccus.
SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (AP)  Rhode Island child welfare authorities have determined that neglect contributed to the "near fatality" of a 5-year-old child in June, officials said Friday.

The Department of Children, Youth & Families in a statement said it had previously been involved with the family of the child from South Kingstown, but was not involved with the family at the time of the June 25 incident.
LAS VEGAS (AP)  Public anger about classroom mask mandates in Las Vegas stopped a school board meeting multiple times, and several people were escorted out by police, including a woman who was handcuffed and later charged with a misdemeanor, officials said.

The woman was ticketed for disrupting a public meeting and was not arrested, Clark County School District police Sgt. Bryan Zink said Friday.

Zink estimated about 400 people attended the Thursday evening school trustees session that was moved from a smaller district venue to the Clark County Commission auditorium because of the expected large turnout and protests during recent public meetings.

A parade of speakers berated school board members for following a directive enacted last week by Gov. Steve Sisolak requiring K-12 students and school employees in the Las Vegas and Reno areas to wear masks on buses and inside school buildings, regardless of vaccination status. The Democratic governor modeled the move on guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The school year began Monday in and around Las Vegas, the fifth-largest district in the nation, with face coverings required for more than 300,000 students and about 18,000 teachers. A district order cited CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics and Southern Nevada Health District recommendations. Distance learning options also were offered.

You have to take the vaccine and wear a mask? parent Jim Blockey complained Thursday to KLAS-TV. Its ridiculous.

Bonnie Taylor, a frequent speaker at board meetings, read aloud the trustees' oaths of office and waved a piece of paper that she said she was serving upon them to cease and desist any and all unconstitutional policies and behaviors.

People in the audience applauded.

Always remember there are way more of us than of you, Taylor said. You work for us. Were not going to back down.

Others, like teacher Sarah Comroe, called face coverings a welcome protection against COVID-19 and dismissed the protesters as this very loud, small group, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

I have over 200 students, Comroe said. Every single one is happy to wear their mask.

President Linda Cavazos paused the meeting three times and board members left the room as shouting from the audience intensified.

The contentious board meeting came about 24 hours after several hundred parents and some school district employees waved signs and protested mask and vaccination policies outside district administrative offices.

Monica Cortez, an assistant superintendent, drew shouts Thursday when she reported that the district was promoting vaccinations for students and their families, along with correct mask use and physical distancing, the Review-Journal reported.

Melody Hendry, the mother of three children and a registered nurse, told the board on that masks create physical and psychological harm to children by restricting oxygen intake and raising blood carbon dioxide levels and breeding bacteria.

This is abuse, she said.

Later, Superintendent Jesus Jara said the district was focused on making the best decisions for students and employees, following the guidance of medical experts.
ESPANOLA, N.M. (AP)  New Mexico State Police on Friday said a man wanted for pointing a gun an officer during an encounter in June has been arrested.

State police said they were working with police in Espanola to arrest the man on June 14 in connection with a recent stabbing when he got out of a vehicle and pointed a gun at a state police officer. The officer fired at the man but he ran away and escaped.
The Allies' reckless withdrawal has plunged Afghanistan back into darkness and allowed the Taliban  that horrifying group which brutalised the Afghan population and provided safe haven to Osama bin Laden  to take most of the country in just a few days.

It's a terrible irony that by the 20th anniversary of 9/11 in a few weeks, the whole country may be ruled by the Taliban again.

The abandonment, first conceived by President Trump and carried out by President Biden, is a monstrous betrayal.

Like other nations involved in this tragedy, Britain has suddenly jettisoned all the moral obligations we have formed over 20 years.

It's as though we had chosen to take a vulnerable family into our care, and then, in defiance of all promises of support, abandoned them. We should be profoundly ashamed of ourselves.

The Allies' reckless withdrawal has plunged Afghanistan back into darkness and allowed the Taliban  that horrifying group which brutalised the Afghan population and provided safe haven to Osama bin Laden  to take most of the country in just a few days

It's a terrible irony that by the 20th anniversary of 9/11 in a few weeks, the whole country may be ruled by the Taliban again

I will never forget visiting Afghanistan late in 2001 following the Nato invasion. Under the Taliban, women had been forbidden to go to school, let alone work, while their rulers revelled in public executions and the destruction of the nation's heritage.

The capital city had been reduced to a grim, grey ghost town  emptied of 90 per cent of its population  and the country was almost entirely devoid of healthcare or education, let alone electricity. And that is the nightmare, which  thanks to Western folly  is now returning.

It is true that the West's intervention never fulfilled the vision of unrealistic optimists. But its achievements should not be downplayed either.

As I saw for myself, not least through my involvement with Turquoise Mountain  the charity I founded in 2006  millions of individual lives were transformed. Millions of women and many men went to school for the first time, found jobs, earned incomes for their family.

A country where the life expectancy had been less than 40 began to develop a healthcare system. Millions of refugees returned. And Nato support for the Afghan forces enabled them to keep the Taliban at bay.

Now these gains have been thrown away without any rational justification. Since 2016, the Allied military has been maintaining a fragile peace rather than fighting a bloody war.

The abandonment, first conceived by President Trump and carried out by President Biden, is a monstrous betrayal

Just 2,500 Nato troops were successfully supporting the Afghan forces and this  although small in scale  was crucial to Afghanistan's survival Above: An abandoned Bagram US air base

Just 2,500 Nato troops were successfully supporting the Afghan forces and this  although small in scale  was crucial to Afghanistan's survival.

The Allies' withdrawal was completely unnecessary and like a keystone in an arch, its removal has led to a collapse in the entire structure.

This outcome is not only a humiliation for Western governments, but is also an indictment of our intelligence agencies who complacently failed to warn of the resurgence in the Taliban.

Only last month, President Biden claimed the chances of the fanatics 'overrunning everything and owning the whole country' were 'highly unlikely'.

This outcome is not only a humiliation for Western governments, but is also an indictment of our intelligence agencies who complacently failed to warn of the resurgence in the Taliban

The results of this blinkered approach are already becoming obvious. Just as the retreat by the French military and the UN from Rwanda sparked a savage civil war in 1994, so the West's policy is a recipe for certain, terrible conflict

Yet, that is precisely what is happening. With all its might and hi-tech sophistication, the US has allowed itself to be beaten by medieval dogmatists on horseback.

Britain has failed just as miserably. With energetic diplomacy, we could have built a new coalition with other countries, living up both to our international responsibilities and to the Government's own post-Brexit rhetoric about Britain taking its place on 'the global stage'.

Instead, the Government has compounded the folly of the military withdrawal by cutting aid to Afghanistan by 76 per cent as part of its penny-pinching reduction in the international development budget.

The results of this blinkered approach are already becoming obvious.

Just as the retreat by the French military and the UN from Rwanda sparked a savage civil war in 1994, so the West's policy is a recipe for certain, terrible conflict.

This in turn will create a humanitarian disaster, with millions fleeing Afghanistan and seeking shelter across the world.

At the same time, the triumph of the Taliban will generate dramatic instability in the region as major powers seek to take advantage of the vacuum left by the West. And renewed impetus will be given to jihadism by the Taliban's ascendancy.

It is as if our government has learnt nothing from the recent past. Their decision is a monstrous act of self-harm which is counter to our national interests and our ethical duties. We are going to pay a very high price for this failure to stand by an ally and by millions who so badly needed us.

Rory Stewart is the author of The Places In Between which documents his walk across Afghanistan in 2001-2002.
While most of the country was learning to take life more slowly during lockdown, Nicola Walker was doing the opposite. 'I was learning how to pilot a powerboat,' she says, proudly showing off her speedboat licence as she tells me about her new crime drama, Annika.

In it, Nicola plays DI Annika Strandhed, the recently appointed head of the Marine Homicide Unit in Glasgow, which tackles crimes committed on the rivers and lakes of Scotland.

'My co-star Jamie Sives and I had to pass our tests otherwise we wouldn't have been allowed out on the River Clyde behind the steering wheels of these powerful boats to film scenes,' she says.

Nicola Walker, 51, stars as head of the Marine Homicide Unit in Glasgow, DI Annika Strandhed (pictured) in a new series

Nicola, 51, is clearly pleased to have passed with flying colours. 'We had to know, and show, what to do if someone falls overboard, navigate our way around buoys and many other things.'

Jamie Sives  best known for his role as Jake in the BBC's hit thriller Guilt  plays diver DS Michael McAndrews. Annika's other colleagues include the headstrong DS Tyrone Clarke (Ukweli Roach), and DC Blair Ferguson, a role taken by Katie Leung, Cho Chang in the Harry Potter films.

But it's Norwegian Annika who takes centre stage, and she has lots of quirks including using literary and historical references to solve crimes. In the opening episode it's Captain Ahab's search for a giant white whale, in the novel Moby-Dick, that she draws upon.

In later episodes, Norse tales and Henrik Ibsen's play An Enemy Of The People are on her mind. 'She certainly doesn't do things by the book,' says Nicola.

'Her management skills are unorthodox  she skipped a leadership course to go on a mini break to Madrid  and is awkward with her team when she first meets them.

'She tells them she should have brought them cupcakes on the opening day  in fact she offers them Norwegian liquorice, which is an acquired taste.' The work of the marine homicide unit is not for the faint-hearted.

Nicola, who got her speedboat license during lockdown, said she and Jamie were able to do their own thing on set. Pictured: Jamie Sives as Annika's colleague Michael

The first of the six episodes features the discovery of a man's body with a harpoon through his neck, while a later story concerns the drowning of a deeply unpopular scientist in Loch Katrine, Glasgow's main water source.

Happily, the fun-filled filming process was in sharp contrast to the brutal storylines. In fact, once Nicola and Jamie had received their speedboat licences there was no stopping them.

'Normally on the set of a TV drama you're so infantilised  if you go to the toilet someone comes with you and almost waits outside, walkie-talkie in hand, telling the producer how long they reckon you're going to be before you're back on set,' she says.

'But, on this, we had far more freedom. The rest of the crew were on a floating platform but we couldn't actually see them because they'd floated off.

'Jamie and I were able to do our own thing, which included quite fast figures of eight in our RIBs [rigid inflatable boats], before someone came on the walkie-talkie to tell us to get back into position for the next shot.

Nicola (pictured) revealed Anikka's character has been given a teenage daughter for TV, despite having a son on BBC Radio 4's version

'But the production team's radios weren't always reliable. Walkie-talkies, very cold Scottish weather and very fast RIBs don't do too well together and often Jamie's radio would die within a few minutes of filming starting, freeing us up and making the two of us answerable to no one for large chunks of the working day!'

The character of Annika was already familiar to Nicola. The creation of writer Nick Walker  no relation  she's played her in six series of Annika Stranded on BBC Radio 4, where she's a leading light in Oslo police's murder squad.

But in lockdown a plan was hatched to give her a new life on TV, with the character transplanted from Norway to Scotland.

'On radio Annika has a son and that's been changed to a teenage daughter, Morgan, but essentially it's the same character,' says Nicola.

Like many productions that are about to arrive on our screens, the filming of Annika took place in the shadow of Covid-19.

'Scotland actually went into a second lockdown just as I was travelling up to Glasgow by train to start filming,' says Nicola. 'During the first, I'd been with my husband [actor/writer Barnaby Kay] and our teenage son Harry, which was great.

'The second lockdown was tougher because I had to stay in Scotland and film completely away from my family. I didn't see them for three months.

'But at least we got the shoot completed. I remember reading the script for the first time and thinking to myself, 'This will be impossible to film during Covid.'

'Sometimes it's only afterwards that you take in what you've done. The other day I was thinking, 'What an achievement to have made Annika under those circumstances. How the hell did we do that?'

Nicola hopes to be back on the water filming season two of the TV series later this year  and hopefully getting a bit more screen time at the steering wheel.

'When I watched the episodes, I was hoping there'd be more of me in the boat than there actually was,' she says.

'It never really feels as if we were out there, for hours at a time, making tight turns and chasing suspects, in the freezing cold. But trust me  we were!'

Annika, Tuesday, 9pm, Alibi.
A woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer after being dismissed by doctors in numerous appointments is now inspiring other survivors with her return to the circus.

Laura Miller, 42, from Bognor Regis, explained that she began treatment for stage three invasive breast cancer after discovering a lump in her breast, while putting on a costume for her circus act at a show in Puerto Rico in 2012.

The aqua aerial artist said medics initially tried to reassure her that the lump wasn't serious because she was in her early 30s at the time, however a referral for a biopsy revealed the devastating disease.

She had to go through three surgeries, six months of chemo, three weeks of radiotherapy and a year of targeted Herceptin treatment, followed by two reconstructive surgeries.

Treatment took two years and she had to give up performing and move back in with her parents, but to keep herself motivated she envisioned holding on to her aerial ring, and after two years she is finally back performing with the circus.

Laura describes her act as 'Aquatic Aerial Ring', which involves combining the elements of air, water and fire. She beings the performance in the air and then plunges into a tank of water before spinning back up into the air repeatedly.

The act ends with Laura jumping into the water for a final time, as it is set on fire.

Laura Miller, 42, (pictured) from Bognor Regis, has returned to job as an aqua aerial artist following treatment for stage three invasive breast cancer

'Before I was diagnosed with cancer, I was at the peak of my fitness and I had been in Germany and Spain touring. I was in Puerto Rico with aqua circus when I found a lump in my breast during a costume change,' she told FEMAIL.

'I just saw in the mirror a lump on my breast and thought "what's that?", but I ignored it for a couple of days.'

'A couple of days later I saw it again and I thought I should get this checked out. The contract was only two months, so I waited until I came back to the UK.

'I went to the doctors. I remember it very clearly, she checked it and said, "There is something there, but you're so young it's probably just hormonal".'

Laura was referred to a breast cancer service where she was examined.

'Again, they said: "I don't think it's anything serious but we'll do an ultrasound just to be on the safe side",' she recalled. 'During the ultrasound, she said "I really don't think there's anything to worry about, but we'll do another one in three months time".

At her next check up three months later, Laura was again told it was nothing serious, but doctors decided to do a biopsy to put her mind at rest

Having previously been reassured in numerous appointments, she had booked a flight to Spain to see her partner Bruno Antares, 68, the next day.

She also chose not to tell her family members about the appointment, except her mother to avoid causing them any worry.

She said: 'I went back for the results ten days later, absolutely thinking that it was fine and nothing was wrong with me.

'But it was grade three invasive breast cancer.

Laura (pictured during her act) said she was reassured at multiple doctor appointments that a lump in her breast was likely not serious, before being diagnosed with cancer

'I had a flight to Spain booked for the day after my results because I had been so sure that everything was going to be fine.

'I was going to see my partner in Spain and we were going to carry on with our lives. It was a very, very big shock.

'I hadn't told my sisters or anybody because I didn't want them to worry. Just my mum, she came with to the appointment and even then I said, "Wait outside, it's fine".

'Then when they told me and I had to call her back in, it was just the most heartbreaking time for me.

'To see her face. I think it's worst for your loved ones than for yourself, to see them suffering. My partner flew back to England the next day.'

Laura said she's 'lucky' to have a very close family and friends around her.

The aqua aerial artist had three operations to remove the cancer after being diagnosed.

'I then had six months of chemotherapy, three weeks of radiotherapy and a year of Herceptin treatment, which is targeted therapy for every three weeks,' she explained.

Laura who had treatments for two years, said getting her fitness back was a slow process with some days where she couldn't make it to the gym, but now she's back performing

'I then had two reconstructions operations for my breasts, so it was about two years of treatments.'

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Laura said that she initially expected to only have one year off work after hearing from her consultant about the treatment she would have go through.

Despite dedicating her time to her recovery without the added pressure of any children or dependants, she revealed it was a slow process to get her fitness back.

Laura said: 'I would go to the gym maybe five days a week. I would drive there then do a little bit of stretching and maybe walk a mile on a machine.

'I remember one day driving to the gym and walking up to the door but I just had to turn back around.

'I just didn't have the strength in me, but the next day I did. I think with treatment like this you have good and bad days.

'When you have bad days, just listen to your body and take it easy.'

Laura who became a dancer at Butlins after completing her A-Levels, explained that she had always wanted a job in showbusiness.

She said it wasn't until after her partner, a trapeze artist turned technical support, came to England to work at the resort as an aerial artist that she began to work towards her current profession as an aqua aerial artist.

Bruno, who was working alongside his brother and sister-in-law, trained Laura to take his pregnant sister-in-law's place in their act.

Laura (pictured) said being unable to work during treatment also took away her identity, because she suddenly found herself living with her parents, which makes her return to performing even more meaningful

Having fallen in love, she then traveled to France with him and continued perfecting her craft.

'For me my whole life is in the circus doing my act and performing, it's not just losing your job it was also losing my identity. We stopped travelling and I suddenly found myself living at home with my mum and dad,' Laura said.

'All I could envision was to get back, hold onto my aerial ring. I could see myself holding onto it in my mind and that was my motivation.

'I wanted so badly to get back to my life. I was very determined and I still count my blessings everyday, some people after the operations I've had can't even lift their arm shoulder high.'

Laura joined the Young Breast Cancer Network page on Facebook to connect with other women under age 45 who've been diagnosed with the disease.

She said: 'Breast cancer is awful for anybody but for young women there's extra challenges involved. For example fertility, after chemotherapy you might not be able to have children.

'Young Breast Cancer Network is a safe space to talk to each other about how you feel and everything. It was a friend of mine called Victoria Yates who actually set it up.

'She came and saw me perform a couple of days ago, all these years later. Once I had gone through my treatment, it became nice to give back to the girls and give them hope now.

'Inspiration, that it can get better.

'In the beginning when I met Victoria, we had a Breast Cancer Network meet up where we all went for lunch and there was about 40 of us.

Circus Extreme, which is the UK's largest circus is now touring the country until the end of October with its dare devil acts.

'When I joined it was a couple of hundred members in the group, now I think there's about 4,000.

'I'd go to a hospital appointment with my mum and people would assume I was there with her because breast cancer is still seen as an illness that can happen to older women and it does, but there is still unfortunately a lot of younger women who have it.

'A couple of years ago one of the girls on the Young Breast Cancer Network put a post up that she was in an amateur weightlifting competition after her diagnosis.

'I wrote 'I'm really happy for you' and she sent me a message saying; 'thank you Laura, I'm so grateful to you because you inspired me so much.

'When I was lying in bed having chemo, I would see your posts on Facebook about how you got back to performing again and it gave me such inspiration and hope for the future'.

'I didn't even know this girl and I thought it was really lovely. That's what the Young Breast Cancer network is about, giving each other hope.'

Just two years after she began working again, Laura was invited to participate in the 40th International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo.

She said it was a privilege as the performance is 'like the Oscars of the circus world'.

Laura, who is currently performing as part of Circus Extreme, explained that the circus is a nice crowd and there is never a dull moment working on the show.

She said it's difficult to describe the feeling that it gives and admitted she appreciates the audience reaction even more following the covid lockdowns.

She spent time training to become a yoga teacher during the challenging period.

Circus Extreme, which is the UK's largest circus is now touring the country until the end of October with its dare devil acts.

Laura said: 'Just to see the joy on people's faces and know that you've given them that little bit of magic is a lovely feeling. The circus gives you a chance to get away and forget about your problems.

'Forget about anything happening in your life for a couple of hours, while you're transported to another world. After everything I've been through, I appreciate everything so much more now and again after the past year to be here.

'When I was working abroad it was hard not seeing my family as much, but they would come and visit. My mum and dad wouldn't have seen some of the beautiful places in the world if they weren't visiting me on my job.

'My dad, he passed away last year, but he was so proud of my job. He could sit and watch show after show after show. My mum comes and sees me when she can.

'I couldn't go to my niece's wedding because I was working in Germany, but there's so many good positive things about the circus life that makes it worth it.
A sun-loving PhD student has urged young Australians to be diligent with skin checks and aware of small changes after a small mole on her right leg was actually a grade three melanoma.

Lucy Bartho, 26, from the Gold Coast, was diagnosed earlier this year in late February after first visiting her GP in December 2020.

While the doctor didn't seem 'too concerned', she was referred to a skin specialist who instantly knew the small mole was cancerous.

Lucy told Daily Mail Australia the mole was on the back of her inner calf, half the size of her smallest fingernail and looked 'ugly' and discoloured, as a result her mum prompted her to make the appointment with the skin specialist swiftly.

That series events would later lead to the discovery of a second cancerous mole that likely saved her life.

Lucy Bartho, from the Gold Coast, (pictured) was diagnosed earlier this year in late February at the age of 26 after visiting her GP in December 2020

Lucy told Daily Mail Australia the mole was on the back of her inner calf, was half the size of her smallest fingernail and looked 'ugly' and discoloured

'I love being out in the sun and wear sunscreen, but I could've been more cautious,' she said

As the mole was in an awkward position on her leg, it could have gone unnoticed, but luckily, Lucy and her family have annual skin checks.

'I love being out in the sun and wear sunscreen, but I could've been more cautious,' she said.

'I wasn't worried at first because I trusted the doctors and knew what had to be done.'

The mole was determined to be an aggressive grade three melanoma (not to be confused with stage three cancer) and had started moving deeper into Lucy's skin.

Without hesitation, the skin specialist said the mole needed to be removed.

The mole was determined to be an aggressive grade three melanoma (not to be confused with stage three cancer) and had started moving deeper into Lucy's skin (pictured after surgery)

On April 1 she had surgery to remove tissue closer to the muscle to decrease the possibility of any lingering cancer cells

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Lucy was then referred to the melanoma skin clinic at the Robina Hospital for further checks.

'At the hospital the doctor said she was concerned the skin specialist hadn't removed enough surrounding tissue where the cancer was found,' she said.

On April 1 she had surgery to remove tissue closer to the muscle to decrease the possibility of any lingering cancer cells.

After the surgery Lucy was left with ten stitches in her leg and was bedridden for a week, then went back to her GP for what she thought would be a final full-body examination.

But the tests detected a second cancerous mole on her buttocks which was on the verge of turning cancerous as well.

Instantly Lucy was worried about whether the initial cancer had spread elsewhere around her body.

After the prognosis doctors conducted a biopsy before sending Lucy back to the hospital to remove the second mole.

After the surgery Lucy was left with ten stitches in her leg and was bedridden for a week, then went back to her GP for what she thought would be a final full-body examination

The tests detected a second cancerous mole on her buttocks which was on the verge of turning deadly cancerous. But the results from the biopsy determined both cancerous moles were not linked

Lucy admitted she was far more concerned about the second melanoma detection than the first but the results from the biopsy determined both cancerous moles were not linked.

'If I had waited to get my skin checked I likely would've had a very different outcome,' she said.

As the cancer was detected and removed early, no chemotherapy treatments were required.

Today she is awaiting to have her three month checkup.

Lucy considers herself to be 'very lucky' and feels the detection was a wake-up call to not only be sun smart but to be diligent with skin checks.

'It's so important and I hope other young people get their skin checked regularly too,' she said, adding: 'I still can't believe it happened to me.'

Lucy admitted she was far more concerned about the second melanoma detection compared to the first, as she was worried it had spread

As the cancer was detected and removed early, no chemotherapy treatments were required

According to Cancer Council, sunscreen should be applied 20 minutes before exposure to UV to create a protective barrier

Common areas skin cancer can develop Skin cancer develops primarily on areas of sun-exposed skin, including the scalp, face, lips, ears, neck, chest, arms and hands, and on the legs in women But it can also form on areas that rarely see the light of day - your palms, beneath your fingernails or toenails, and your genital area Skin cancer affects people of all skin tones, including those with darker complexions When melanoma occurs in people with dark skin tones, it's more likely to occur in areas not normally exposed to the sun, such as the palms of the hands and soles of the feet Source: Mayo Clinic Advertisement

According to Cancer Council, sunscreen should be applied 20 minutes before exposure to UV to create a protective barrier.

Sunscreen should also be reapplied after swimming and after every four hours.

For the average adult, the recommended amount of sunscreen per application equates to 35mL or seven teaspoons.

The equivalent of one teaspoon should be applied to the head and neck, two teaspoons for the torso, and one for each arm and leg to reduce the risk of sunburn, sun spots, wrinkles and skin cancer.

Failure to apply enough sunscreen or forgetting to reapply after swimming or exercising can result in sunburn as the product is loses its effectiveness.

Wearing sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat as well as sitting in the shade when the sun is at it's peak between midday and 3pm is crucial for total protection.
J.R.R. Tolkien's books have garnered blockbuster movies, a global fan following and now a $1billion Amazon series which is set to be produced in the UK, rather than New Zealand.

The news that the company has relocated filming to Britain after New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced strict border controls were here to stay is sure to be welcomed by Tolkien enthusiasts.

Hardcore fans of the Birmingham author's work have long speculated on the real-life locations in the UK which may have inspired the settings used in the fantasy novels.

It is thought the landscape of the industrial Black Country, a West Midlands area located near where Tolkien grew up, shaped the imagery of Mordor, the realm of the evil Sauron in Middle-Earth.

Elsewhere, the Shire, home to the hobbits, is often thought to have been based on Worcestershire, while Malvern Hills in the county inspired the White Mountains.

The great mountain range travelled in Lord of the Rings is supposed to have been inspired by the hills after the author visited a friend who was based there.

Amazon has yet to reveal the locations where its as-yet untitled series will be filmed, but has confirmed the relocation to the UK and that production will start from next year.

Here, FEMAIL reveals the British places and items that inspired key scenes in Tolkien's books...

The Black Country = Mordor

It's long been thought that the hellish landscape of Mordor in Tolkien's novels was inspired by the industrialised Black Country (pictured), near the author's childhood home of Birmingham

Experts have suggested Tolkien's description of the evil Sauron's stronghold (pictured) could easily have applied to the factories and forges of the Midlands

It's long been thought that the hellish landscape of Mordor in Tolkien's novels was inspired by the industrialised Black Country, near the author's childhood home of Birmingham.

Experts have suggested Tolkien's description of the evil Sauron's stronghold could easily have applied to the factories and forges of the Midlands.

Carol Thompson, who was the curator of The Making of Mordor exhibition in 2014, told the BBC that Tolkien's 'poisoned region' in Middle-Earth resonated strongly with the Black Country's look during his childhood.

'Its filthy air, ravaged landscape and fiery skies must have seemed like an ominous presence, ready to engulf his beloved home and all that he valued,' she said.

She continued: 'He associated industrial progress with the destruction of the countryside, the loss of traditional values and skills, and the corrosion of society.

In Sindarin, one of the Elvish languages created by the author and used in Middle-Earth, Mordor even translates as 'black lands'.

The Midlands area was seemingly first referenced as the Black Country by a young Queen Victoria.

During an introductory tour of Birmingham and Wolverhampton, the then 13-year-old princess wrote in her diary about the coal-blackened faces of her subjects living in industrial Britain.

'The men, woemen [sic], children, country and houses are all black,' she wrote, inadvertently giving the area the name that it still has today. Her 1832 diary entry predates the first published use of the phrase by 14 years.

Faringdon Folly = Orthanc

The author behind The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien: The Places that Inspired Middle-earth, John Garth, believes Saruman the White's fearsome tower in Isengard, the Orthanc, draws its roots from Faringdon Folly (pictured) in Oxfordshire

The Faringdon Folly, which was built on a hill used as a defensive location in both civil wars and the Second World War, faced major local opposition in the 1930s, sparking an epic planning row. Pictured, the Orthanc

Tolkien lived in Oxford for much of his adult life, picking up his academic career as a professor in the country in 1925.

The author behind The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien: The Places that Inspired Middle-earth, John Garth, believes Saruman the White's fearsome tower in Isengard, the Orthanc, draws its roots from Faringdon Folly in Oxfordshire.

The Faringdon Folly, which was built on a hill used as a defensive location in both civil wars and the Second World War, faced major local opposition in the 1930s, sparking an epic planning row.

When its backer Lord Berners was asked by a planning subcommittee why he wanted the tower, he is meant to have replied: 'The great point of the tower is that it will be entirely useless.'

Despite the local muck-slinging planning permission was eventually given, but with a provision that it could not tower more than three feet above the surrounding trees.

Garth argued that the row outside Oxford would have been familiar to Tolkien, and quickly found its way into the Middle-Earth fiction culminating in two rival towers.

'Faringdon Folly isn't a complete physical model for Orthanc,' he told The Observer in 2020.

'It's the controversy surrounding its building that filtered into Tolkein's writings and can be traced all the way to echoes in the scene where Gandalf is held captive in Saruman's tower.'

Malvern Hills = The White Mountains

The author's inspiration for the White Mountains was the green and mist-soaked uplands of Malvern Hills (pictured) in Worcestershire

The Ered Nimrais mountain range, known colloquially as the White Mountains (pictured), marked the border between the kingdoms of Rohan and Gondor in Tolkien's Middle-Earth

The Ered Nimrais mountain range, known colloquially as the White Mountains, marked the border between the kingdoms of Rohan and Gondor in Tolkien's Middle-Earth.

His inspiration for the great mountain range was the green and mist-soaked uplands of Malvern Hills in Worcestershire.

The Lord of the Rings author visited them often during the 1930s, according to Countryfile, arriving on the early train from Oxford and spending the day there.

The link was confirmed by the novelist's friend George Sayer, author of the biography of CS Lewis, who remembered hiking with Tolkien in the Malvern Hills.

The Lord of the Rings author 'lived the book as we walked, sometimes comparing parts of the hills with, for instance, the White Mountains,' he said.

A previous report in the Malvern Gazette also added of the pair's trips: 'By day, they tramped the hills and Tolkien compared them with his own creation, the White Mountains of Gondor.

'At night, to entertain him, Mr Sayer brought out a tape recorder, for Tolkien had never seen one before. He was fascinated and asked if he might record some of the poems in The Lord of the Rings to find out how they sound to other people.

'He recorded several long passages and, when he heard them played back, his confidence in the work returned.'

Sarehole Mill and rural Wales = The Shire

The roots of The Shire have never been confirmed, with fans speculating different areas helped shape the place. For instance, Sarehole Mill (pictured), historically in Worcestershire but now part of Bimingham, is strongly thought to be the inspiration for The Shire

Meanwhile, the website for Visit Wales claims Tolkien is rumoured to have stayed in the appealing Powys village of Talybont-on-Usk in the 1940s while penning parts of his novels. The site says his 'nostalgic depiction of The Shire was inspired by rural Wales (pictured)

The Shire (pictured) is an idyllic inland area settled exclusively by hobbits and largely sheltered from the goings-on in the rest of Middle-Earth

Revealed: The Welsh language inspired Tolkien's Elvish in the Lord of the Rings The Lord of the Rings author was known to be heavily influenced by the Welsh language. Cardiff University's Dr Carl Phelpstead told the BBC that the Elvish language bears a close resemblance to Welsh. He said the author knew both the modern and medieval language very well, adding: 'It's not so much that he borrowed Welsh words, more the sounds. This particular Elvish language is very like the sounds of Welsh and deliberately so.' Visit Wales said that Tolkien lived near a railway station in Birmingham, where Welsh words first appeared in his life. Tolkien later said: 'Welsh is of this soil, this island, the senior language of the men of Britain; Welsh is beautiful.' Advertisement

The Shire is an idyllic inland area settled exclusively by hobbits and largely sheltered from the goings-on in the rest of Middle-Earth.

The roots of The Shire have never been confirmed, with fans speculating different areas helped shape the place.

For instance, Sarehole Mill, historically in Worcestershire but now part of Bimingham, is strongly thought to be the inspiration for The Shire.

The 16th-century working watermill powered by the River Cole is first believed to be referenced in the 1937 bestseller The Hobbit.

Bilbo Baggins sets off on his great adventure by running 'past the great Mill, across The Water, and then on for a mile or more'.

Today, the mill is a museum, with a permanent Tolkien exhibition.

Meanwhile, the website for Visit Wales claims Tolkien is rumoured to have stayed in the appealing Powys village of Talybont-on-Usk in the 1940s while penning parts of his novels.

The site says his 'nostalgic depiction of The Shire was inspired by rural Wales.

This was at a time when industrialisation was transforming the British countryside, much to the author's dismay.

It also notes that he named the Hobbit settlement of Crickhollow after nearby Crickhowell.

White Horse Hill = Barrow-downs

Fans are split over the inspiration for Barrow-downs - which was a series of low hills east of the Shire. Many insist they are shaped on White Horse Hill in Oxfordshire (pictured)

A former place of a battle, it's a location used by Tolkien where swords and spears clash once again in his novels (pictured)

Fans are split over the inspiration for Barrow-downs - which was a series of low hills east of the Shire.

A former place of a battle, it's a location used by Tolkien where swords and spears clash once again in his novels.

Many insist they are shaped on White Horse Hill in Oxfordshire, with its prehistoric horse hill figure, while others suggest they reflect the burial site of Waylands Smithy near Ashbury, according to The Telegraph.

Meanwhile, expert Garth believes Maiden Castle in Dorset, which is one of the largest and most complex Iron Age hillforts in Europe, is the atmospheric Barrow-downs.

A year before Tolkien wrote the action-filled passage, Garth argued, major excavations at the castle had been written about in a newspaper column by his friend REM Wheeler, meaning it is likely he was also aware of the work.

Moseley Bog = The Old Forest

Moseley Bog (pictured) - an often forgotten nature reserve in Birmingham - is said to have inspired J R Tolkien's vision for The Lord Of The Rings trilogy

He said the Bog inspired the mystical Old Forest (pictured) Frodo and his Hobbit companions travel through in the books

Moseley Bog - an often forgotten nature reserve in Birmingham - is said to have inspired J R Tolkien's vision for The Lord Of The Rings trilogy.

The author would play in the grassy area with his younger brother, Hilary Tolkien, when they were children.

He said the Bog inspired the mystical Old Forest Frodo and his Hobbit companions travel through in the books.

Now a Local Nature Reserve, Moseley Bog was an ideal place for Tolkiens childhood adventures.

'It is an ancient place with Bronze Age burnt mounds and a mill pool, probably a storage pool for Sarehole Mill,' said the Tolkien Society.

Edgbaston Waterworks Tower and Perrott's Folly = Two Towers of Gondor

During part of his childhood Tolkien lived in Edgbaston in Birmingham, and the area's landscapes can be spotted in the Lord of the Rings' Two Towers, according to many fans. It is believed the eerie towers were inspired by two local buildings the Perrott's Folly (pictured), and Edgbaston Waterworks Tower

The two Birmingham buildings are said to have shaped the Minas Morgul and Minas Tirith towers in the Lord of the Ring novels, which both taking the shape of the inspirational builds (pictured one of the Lord of the Ring films)

During part of his childhood Tolkien lived in Edgbaston in Birmingham, and the area's landscapes can be spotted in the Lord of the Rings' Two Towers, according to many fans.

It is believed the eerie towers were inspired by two local buildings the Gothic tower Perrott's Folly, and Edgbaston Waterworks Tower.

The author would've passed these buildings regularly as a child since he lived in a nearby street at the time.

The extraordinary 96ft high Perrotts Folly is named after John Perrott who had it built in 1758, and was originally part of a hunting lodge.

Meanwhile, Edgbaston Waterworks features a Victorian chimney tower that was part of a complex of buildings designed by Joseph Chamberlain and William Martin in 1870.

The two Birmingham buildings are said to have shaped the Minas Morgul and Minas Tirith towers in the Lord of the Ring novels, which both taking the shape of the inspirational builds.

Warwick Castle = Elven forests

The Elven forests draw a link to the woods around Warwick and Warwick Castle (pictured), argued the author behind The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien: The Places

However, previous studies have suggested the Elven forests (pictured) are linked to Latuterbruunen, a valley in Switzerland where a quaint village sits amid snow-capped mountains

The Elven forests draw a link to the woods around Warwick and Warwick Castle, argued the author behind The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien: The Places.

The picturesque woodland was familiar to Tolkien, who married his partner Edith at St Mary's Immaculate Roman Catholic Church in the city.

His principal biographer Humphrey Carpenter also remarked that the author 'found Warwick, its trees, its hills and its castle, to be a place of remarkable beauty'.

Tolkien also travelled to the area on romantic breaks with Edith, while a professor in Oxfordshire.

However, previous studies have suggested the Elven forests are linked to Latuterbruunen, a valley in Switzerland where a quaint village sits amid snow-capped mountains.

Tolkien acknowledged the link in 1950, writing to his son: 'From Rivendell to the other side of the Misty Mountains the journey... including the glissdale down the slithering stones into the pine woods... is based on my adventures in Switzerland in 1911.'

University of Birmingham's 'Old Joe' Clock Tower = Eye of Sauron

It's an iconic building for any University of Birmingham students, past or present - but the Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower (pictured) also inspired Tolkien

The tower's brightly shining clockface is believed to have shaped the Eye of Sauron (pictured) in the author's novels

It's an iconic building for any University of Birmingham students, past or present - but the Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower also inspired Tolkien.

Known affectionately as Old Joe, the build dominates over the Edgbaston campus and can be seen from far and wide.

During the First World War, the University of Birmingham was requisitioned by the army as the 1st Southern Military Hospital and various parts of the campus were used as temporary wards, including the Great Hall.

In November 1916, Tolkien was brought to the hospital from the Somme after being diagnosed with trench fever, which is transmitted by lice, and causes fever.

He stayed in the hospital for six weeks and at night, the tower's brightly shining clockface is believed to have shaped the Eye of Sauron in the author's novels.

The Eye of Sauron keeps watch over Middle-Earth from its highest tower, the Dark Tower, located in northwest Mordor, near Mount Doom.
Prince Charles looked in great spirits today when attending the Grampian Highland Games in Scotland, and even enjoyed a small glass of whisky at the event.

The Prince of Wales, or the Duke of Rothesay as he's officially known while north of the border, donned his finest Scottish garb, sporting the family kilt in a green and red tartan, along with a brown leather sporran.

Looking on fine form, the heir to the throne, 72, paired his traditional attire with red knee-high socks, a tweed jacket and a tie.

Prince Charles (pictured) looked in great spirits today when attending the Grampian Highland Games in Scotland, and even enjoyed a small glass of whisky while at the event

The Prince of Wales (pictured), or the Duke of Rothesay as he's officially known while north of the border, donned his finest Scottish garb

According to The Press and Journal, 850 tickets were made available for the Highland Games in Braemar.

The one-off event was held at the Princes Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park, between 11am and 3pm.

It was hoped that this event would offer a 'glimmer of hope' that all games will be able to return over the next few years, said the Grampian Games Association alongside the Highland Games Association.

Dozens of Highland Games have been cancelled over the last two years due to the coronavirus - with famous Braemar Gathering postponed until September 2022.

The prince (pictured) sported the family kilt in a green and red tartan, along with a brown leather sporran

The one-off event was held at the Princes Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park. Pictured, the prince enjoying a small glass of whisky

At the moment, the only other Highland Games planned for this year is the Argyllshire Gathering Oban Games on Thursday, August 26.

Highland Games across Scotland attract more than 300,000 spectators each year and usually offer a great boost to the tourism sector.

Prince Charles' visit to the event comes after the future king was yesterday spotted out on a solemn drive in the Scottish Highlands - before he faced crisis talks with other senior royals about his brother Prince Andrew's sex abuse lawsuit in the US.

The heir to the throne was behind the wheel of a Range Rover as he made his way past the Balmoral estate back to his own neighbouring Birkhall residence with just an aide for company.

It was hoped that this event would offer a 'glimmer of hope' that all games will be able to return over the next few years, said the Grampian Games Association alongside the Highland Games Association. Pictured, Prince Charles (centre)

Dozens of Highland Games have been cancelled over the last two years due to the coronavirus - with famous Braemar Gathering postponed until September 2022. Pictured, the royal starting some of the races

It is believed he had earlier travelled to a remote spot in the beautiful Aberdeenshire surroundings before making his way back three hours later.

The Prince of Wales had been touring Scotland as part of his latest round of royal engagements with his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and arrived at Birkhall on Thursday.

Senior royals have gathered at The Queen's Scottish holiday home Balmoral Castle in the wake of the sex abuse allegations lobbied against Prince Andrew by Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Roberts - now Giuffre.

The Duke of York, 61, had already arrived in Balmoral where he faced his mother, the Queen, on Monday after news of the sensational law suit broke.

At the moment, the only other Highland Games planned for this year is the Argyllshire Gathering Oban Games on Thursday, August 26. Pictured, Charles at the event

Highland Games across Scotland attract more than 300,000 spectators each year and usually offer a great boost to the tourism sector. Pictured, Charles at the Highland Games

Prince Charles' (pictured) visit to the event comes after the future king was yesterday spotted out on a solemn drive in the Scottish Highlands - before he faced crisis talks with other senior royals about his brother Prince Andrew's sex abuse lawsuit in the US

It has since emerged the royal is unlikely to attend Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, marking her 70th year as head of state, next summer should he still be embroiled in the incendiary civil case.

Elsewhere the head of Scotland Yard, Dame Cressida Dick, warned British police would assist any enquiries into the Duke's sex abuse allegations.

Roberts, 38, on Monday filed a civil lawsuit in New York against Prince Andrew, formally accusing him of sexually abusing her while she was being trafficked by billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The Duke of York has always vehemently denied all charges made by Roberts.

Roberts has requested 'punitive damages' be awarded by a judge and demanded a 'trial by jury' for the 'physical, psychological' injuries she says she suffered.
There could be a mobile price cap put into place in the future, a telecom expert believes, due to the rising cost of phone contracts.

Price is the most important factor for consumers when choosing a provider, according to research from Telness Technologies, a cloud technology company, which is why a cap could potentially be implemented.

Martina Klingvall Holmstrom, co-founder of Telness Technologies, believes a cap - similar to the energy price cap introduced by the Government - could be good for the industry.

She said: 'A cap is pretty likely to happen and I think it could be good for the market. We need differentiation in the industry and a cap will enhance the market meaning operators can offer customers different things and give consumers more choice.'

A telecoms expert believes that a smartphone price cap could be put in place in the future

What would a cap entail?

If a cap was introduced, it could be implemented in a number of ways, according to Martina.

One suggestion is to put an upper limit in place with consumers not able to pay more than a certain amount a month. The cap would likely affect the airtime and data element of a contract, rather than the cost of the phone itself.

This is due to mobile phone access now becoming a necessity, as opposed to a luxury, with people needing access to one to live and work.

As a result of rising handset prices, prices for mobile phone contracts can even be around 60 or 70 a month for newer models. But while the phones themselves drive prices up, so too does the usage in terms of airtime and data, in particular.

Alternatively, there could be a minimum price put in place in order to ensure vital infrastructure works can be afforded by operators.

Martina said: 'Another suggestion would be to put a cap in place for minimum pricing instead to help operators support an infrastructure for customers.

'At the moment, operators are so similar. There is a constant price wars with costs for consumers too low to support the building of new infrastructure.

'In this scenario, a cap could focus less on price and instead force operators to be more innovative and different to other providers.'

Maintaining and improving infrastructure is very important to the mobile industry but it can be costly.

For example, the 5G rollout that is ongoing in the UK is currently only available in certain towns and cities. But with more infrastructure in place, the more widely available it will become.

Whilst a minimum cap is likely to be shocking to consumers, it could help them in the long term as it would give them more advanced options in the future, according to Martina.

Why is a cap needed?

Ultimately, telecoms is a necessity, like energy, Martina says, as the user needs it in their daily lives and businesses.

Therefore, like energy, it could benefit from a cap, to stop rising prices getting out of hand.

One reason she believes a cap would be beneficial for the industry is because 'mobile services all selling the same sort of products', for example, similar contracts for similar phones.

This means differentiators are hard to come by and, as a result, price is the real battleground.

Martina said about the potential cap: 'Telephone firms are pretty much the same with similar offerings. Therefore, pricing becomes very important.'

As such, instead of rising prices to create competition, having a cap in place will create actual differentiation between providers.

Martina Klingvall Holmstrom, co-founder of Telness Technologies, believes a mobile cap could be good

Martina says as an example: 'Before the roaming cap, there was one network that said their customers didn't have to pay extra to use their plan abroad. But as a result, other providers started to do this.'

She said once the roaming cap was in place, providers could put other deals on to separate themselves from their rivals, creating more competition.

Another reason to impose a cap is due to the ever growing need for mobile phones and on-the-go internet access.

'Working from home is a major drive to have a cap. Ten years ago, you didn't have to have a phone but now we can't survive without one.

'Due to Covid and the lockdowns, consumers have to do much more online. You have to work from home and use more data. It is a completely different environment to a decade ago  instead of having a phone for fun, it is now a necessity.'

She believes another of the main problems in the industry is the lack of customer satisfaction.

'I would like to see the customer experience being appreciated in order to build up trust and satisfaction within the area.

'There is a customer service baseline with other industries but not in telecoms. It is so important to so many people. Networks need to gain trust and gain good customer experiences.'

Ofcom said as mobile usage has gone up over the years, prices have actually gone down

How realistic is the idea of a cap?

Whilst a cap might seem like a far fetched idea to some, Martina uses the example of data roaming again, to highlight the likelihood of it happening.

Previously, travellers from the UK were able to use their mobile data, minutes and texts within the EU without incurring extra charges, after firms were banned from charging customers extra fees.

After Brexit, this was scrapped and firms have started charging again.

However, Martina says this highlights that it is not a big leap to suggest that caps on your phone bill would be introduced.

'It wouldn't be something that would be very new.'

Despite this, industry regulator, Ofcom, said the price of mobiles has actually gone down as usage has increased.

This suggests the market has already become more competitive over the years - and potentially a cap would not be needed.

It added mobile customers typically pay a lower price if they take a Sim-only deal.

However, at the same time, its latest Pricing Trends report also found that some operators prices rose for new, and many existing, customers in 2021.

For example, BT/EE increased prices by 3.9 per cent from March 2021 across landline, broadband, TV, BT Sport and mobile, Three introduced price increases of 4.5 per cent, to be applied each April, and Vodafone has introduced price rises of 3.9 per cent, again to be applied each April.

As more people work from home, they will rely on their smartphones and internet access more

How would this affect the market?

Martina believes there would be more competition in the market if introduced.

She said: 'If caps were announced tomorrow say, you'd have big operators jumping in in an effort to try and attract customers away from rivals, creating an even bigger price war and potentially leading to smaller ones going out of business.'

However, there is a risk that a cap may backfire and 'kill off different segments of the industry', according to Martina.

She said: 'Whilst some firms are too big to fail, they would probably be happy about price caps as it might actually end up making it harder for smaller companies to compete.'

For example, if a cap is set too high, other, smaller firms may not be able to compete and will have to exit the market.

She said: 'However, some of the smaller, more agile networks might be able to respond faster as they're not weighed down by high IT costs.'

Meanwhile, caps often see pricing cluster near the or at the top of the permitted level.

She added that it will also depend on how fast different operators can adapt  if they can at all.

Many larger firms have infrastructure and high costs to keep up with but as they are giants in the industry and have huge existing customer bases, they will likely be able to adapt reasonably well.

Overall, Martina believes a cap would be good for the industry.

She said: 'I actually think a cap could be good. Whilst it depends on the type of cap, it could lead to a more competitive and innovative space.'

What is in place to help customers manage bills?

At present, if someone switches providers, renews their contract or enters into a new contract with their current provider, they can request a bill limit which will be included in their contract.

Those who are in contract can ask their supplier to apply one but they have no obligation to do so.

Most will send texts to customers who are nearing the end of their data, minutes or text usage.

If you feel like you need help with your bills, speak to your provider and see if they can help you set up a limit or a payment plan.
Len McCluskey is under pressure to reveal how much union money he spent on concealing the fact of his relationship with Jeremy Corbyn's former chief of staff.

The outgoing Unite general secretary will use his forthcoming memoir to finally confirm his romance with Karie Murphy.

Mr McCluskey, nicknamed 'Red Len' and a key ally of the former Labour leader, is now facing scrutiny about his use of funds provided by Unite members after he boasted about engaging the union's lawyers to suppress reports about their relationship in a game of 'cat and mouse' with the Press.

Gerard Coyne, one of the candidates running to succeed Mr McCluskey, who is retiring next month after more than a decade at the helm of Unite, called on him to come clean.

Len McCluskey is under pressure to reveal how much union money he spent on concealing the fact of his relationship with Jeremy Corbyn's former chief of staff. The outgoing Unite general secretary will use his forthcoming memoir to finally confirm his romance with Karie Murphy. (Above, Miss Murphy and Mr McCluskey in December 2019)

Gerard Coyne (above), one of the candidates running to succeed Mr McCluskey, who is retiring next month after more than a decade at the helm of Unite, called on him to come clean

Mr Coyne said last night: 'Many members will be asking if their money has been spent in playing legal 'cat and mouse' with the media.

'That is why I have called for transparency on all Unite spending and why members should use their vote now to make a real change in Unite.'

Mr McCluskey refused last night to disclose the amount spent, with his spokesman declining to comment. The 71-year-old had always strongly denied claims about his relationship with Miss Murphy, who was Mr Corbyn's chief of staff.

In his book, Always Red, he tells how they kept their romance secret. 'As Karie became more high-profile, rumours abounded about our personal connection,' he writes.

'The media, desperate for a way to undermine Corbyn, constantly threatened to expose that we were involved. We had no intention of providing them with that ammunition.

'So we engaged the press in a game of cat and mouse, getting [Unite's assistant general secretary for legal services] Howard Beckett to use his legal genius to knock out gossipy stories. We wanted our relationship to be kept private, away from the public gaze.'

In January 2019, Unite threatened legal action after the couple were pictured holding hands at a New Year's Eve party and it was reported on the Guido Fawkes political blog that they had shared a hotel room.

Mr McCluskey will use the book, which will be published during Labour's annual conference next month, to blame Sir Keir Starmer (above, in July) for the party's crushing defeat at the 2019 general election due to his pro-Remain stance when he was the party's Brexit spokesman

After the Daily Mail approached Unite for comment, Mr Beckett told the newspaper in a statement: 'The claims that Len McCluskey shared a room with Karie Murphy are untrue, vexatious and malicious and intended to cause harm to these characters... 'The reality is that this was a group of friends who shared a New Year's Eve... Assertions to the contrary... are defamatory and if printed ...will result in litigation.'

Miss Murphy, a former nurse, was at the centre of a row over Labour's selection of an election candidate in Falkirk in 2013.

She was temporarily suspended from the party after it was alleged Unite had flooded the local branch with members in an attempt to win her the nomination.

After voluntarily withdrawing from the contest, she was cleared of any wrongdoing.

Mr McCluskey will use the book, which will be published during Labour's annual conference next month, to blame Sir Keir Starmer for the party's crushing defeat at the 2019 general election due to his pro-Remain stance when he was the party's Brexit spokesman.

Unite, one of Britain's largest unions, cut funding to Labour last year over frustrations with Sir Keir's leadership.
The amount of university students accepting deferred places has risen by 31 per cent, which is the largest increase since Ucas data started in 2012.

So far 16,800 students have accepted deferrals, which is up from 12,790 this time last year.

Students have been put off by the prospect of online lectures and some have even been offered free accommodation and 10,000 to defer their application.

Almost one in three GCSE entries got the top results as ministers consider an overhaul to stop grades becoming meaningless and degraded because exams were cancelled and teachers had the final say

Certain universities are offering cash incentives to defer due to stiff competition this year

Molly Kingsley, co-founder of the parent campaign group UsForThem, told The Telegraph: 'People are just saying they don't want to do it online.

'You have got to remember, a lot of these students have just had a year and a half sat in their rooms behind a screen.

'So the prospect of more of the same, students will just say 'thanks but no thanks', and who can blame them?

'There has been no fee reduction  9,000 is far too much to pay for a Zoom course. We have heard this repeatedly.'

Certain universities are offering cash incentives to defer due to stiff competition this year.

Record numbers have been accepted to study at Russell Groups this autumn as nearly half of British students were awarded A or A* in their A-level results.

Also, teenagers trying to get places at sixth-forms and colleges face an unprecedented battle with each other for A-level places as state schools become increasingly selective over who they admit for the next two years.

Almost one in three GCSE entries got the top results as ministers consider an overhaul to stop grades becoming meaningless and degraded because exams were cancelled and teachers had the final say.

Prospective medical students at the University of Exeter are being offered 10,000 in cash and free accommodation if they agree to defer their course.

Record numbers have been accepted to study at Russell Groups this autumn as nearly half of British students were awarded A or A* in their A-level results

The number of school leavers wanting to study medicine at the Russel Group university has surged by 20% this year, putting it in danger of breaching a government-imposed cap on numbers.

Officials want students to delay until 2022 to free up space on this year's course, and hope that the unprecedented financial incentives - and the offer to guarantee a place - will tempt them to do so.

But director of the Higher Education Policy Institute Nick Hillman said the rising number of deferrals showed the 'market power is shifting back to universities'.

He claims students who missed out on Russell Group university places may choose to 'hedge their bets' and try next year.

He added: 'Normally they would let you in anyway, and this year they are just not doing that so much.

'Or normally you would go to clearing, and then this year they are not in clearing.'
A California dad has been banned from his daughter's elementary school after allegedly punching a male teacher in the face during an argument over the mask mandate on the first day of school on Wednesday.

The teacher was left with lacerations to his face and sent to the emergency room after defending the principal from the 'serious physical altercation' at Sutter Creek Elementary School, 30 miles south east of Sacramento.

The father - who has not been named by officials - had been an hour late to pick up his daughter, Amador County Unified School District Superintendent Torie Gibson told BuzzFeed.

But he became angry after seeing the child and the school's principal wearing masks as they came out of the school building. The school is following California's mask mandate in schools, which was announced in July.

Returning to the school later, the father allegedly began verbally attacking principal, claiming that the 'kids are treated like animals.'

'The dad went totally crazy,' Gibson said.

A male teacher - who has also not been named - then stepped in to protect the school's female principal, and the father is alleged to have got physical, punching the teacher in the face.

'The teacher was bleeding,' Gibson told KCRA 3. 'He had some lacerations on his face, some bruising on his face, and a pretty good knot on the back of his head.'

The teacher was treated at an emergency room for injuries and released late Wednesday night.

Police arrived to Sutter Creek Elementary on Wednesday after the parent left the scene and are now investigating the situation. The teacher returned to work the next day

Amador County Unified School District Superintendent Torie Gibson (pictured) said the teacher was left with 'lacerations on his face, some bruising on his face, and a pretty good knot on the back of his head'

Gibson said the incident began when the father became incensed after he saw some staff members in the teachers' lounge who were not masked.

Since the students were released from classes for the day, the guidelines allow for fully vaccinated teachers to forgo masks while indoors when students are not present.

'Dad was upset feeling like there was a double standard,' Gibson said.

The principal had walked away, which is when the father reportedly called the Amador School District's office and yelled at some of Gibson's staff members about the mask mandate.

Gibson says he then returned to the school grounds and went to the principal's office.

The male teacher who had witnessed the earlier confrontation, followed the upset parent realizing that the principal was alone in her office.

As things escalated, the teacher stepped in between the parent and principal which is when he was allegedly struck several times.

In a letter to parents informing them of the situation Gibson wrote: 'Assaulting a staff member will never be tolerated on any school campus, and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law'

Sutter Creek Police Department was not available to comment on the situation

The Sutter Creek Police Department were called to the scene by another staff member after the father left the school.

Gibson said she offered the teacher some time off after the 'pretty traumatic' incident, but he was back at work on Thursday. 'He's all about the kids,' she said.

'We are not the ones making the rules/mandates,' Gibson reminded the parents. 'We are the ones required to follow/enforce them if we want to keep our doors open and students at school five days a week.'

'If I ask nothing more of you this school year it is this. Take a breath, pause, listen, and walk away if necessary. Assaulting a staff member will never be tolerated on any school campus and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,' Gibson wrote in a letter sent to parents Thursday.

The Sutter Creek Police Department in a Facebook post Thursday afternoon confirmed officers were 'dispatched to a local elementary school regarding a disturbance between a parent and a staff member concerning COVID-19 procedures and facial maskings.'

The incident is currently being investigated by the department. Findings will be forwarded to the Amador County District Attorney's Office for review and possible criminal prosecution.

Gibson told The Sacramento Bee that the district's position is that the incident 'absolutely should be prosecuted' by law enforcement. Sutter Creek Police Department was not available to comment on the situation.

The California Department of Public Health in July issued guidance requiring that K-12 schools mandate masks for students while indoors unless a doctor's note is received by the school.

The Amador County Public Schools Board of Trustees agreed to enforce the controversial decision to mandate masks in a special meeting on August 4.

On the same day of the altercation at Sutter Creek Elementary, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the requirement for teachers and other staff at K-12 schools, both public and private to either be vaccinated or face weekly testing, across the state but there is no vaccine mandate at this time for K-12 students.

The effect went into on Thursday and will go into full effect on October 15.

Most parents support mask mandates in schools but don't believe children should be required to get COVID-19 shots, a new poll finds. The survey, conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), that six in 10 parents agree that unvaccinated students and teacher s should wear face coverings in the classroom.

However, roughly the same share of mothers and fathers say they don't think school administrators should mandate vaccines. It come as the country's largest teacher's union, the National Education Association, says it supports vaccine requirements for educators.

A new poll finds 63% of parents of children believe unvaccinated students and staff should be required to wear mask while 36% oppose. But 58% of mothers and fathers of 12-to-17-year-olds don't want schools to require children to get vaccinated while 42% support it

Parents who identify as Democrats were more likely to support mask and vaccine mandates Republicans were more likely to oppose it. Pictured: A kindergarten student attends class at the Resurrection Catholic School in Los Angels, February 2021

For the report, the team surveyed 1,259 parents and guardians of children under age 18 between July 15 and August 2. They found that 63 percent of parents of children between ages five and 17 believe unvaccinated students and staff should be required to wear mask. The remaining 36 percent said they did not think face coverings should be mandated.

There were large racial and ethnic disparities between parents' thoughts on masks. About 83 of black parents and 76 percent of Hispanic parents support mask requirements compared to 54 percent of white parents. Parents were also split along party-lines with 88 percent of Democrats saying their child's school should require masks and 69 percent of Republicans saying school should not.

However, when it came to vaccine requirements, a majority of parents said they do not support vaccine mandates.

The survey found that 58 percent of mothers and fathers of 12-to-17-year-olds, who are eligible to get vaccinated, don't want schools to require children to get vaccinated while 42 percent support it.

Parents of teenagers who have already gotten the vaccine were more likely to be in favor of COVID-19 vaccine requirements.

'Despite controversy around the country about masks in schools, most parents want their school to require masks of unvaccinated students and staff,' KFF President and CEO Drew Altman said in a news release. 'At the same time, most parents don't want their schools to require their kids get a COVID-19 vaccine despite their effectiveness in combatting COVID-19.'

There were also racial and political divides on the subject of Covid vaccine mandates. Approximately two-thirds of Democratic parents support vaccine mandates and three-quarters of Republican parents opposing mandates. What's more, the majority of white and black parents oppose schools requiring vaccines while Hispanic parents were split about 50/50.

Three-quarters, or 75 percent, of parents of vaccinated children said they believe schools should mandate vaccines. Meanwhile, 83 percent of parents of unvaccinated children oppose such requirements.

It comes as the largest teachers' union in the U.S. said it supports policies requiring teachers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or to get tested regularly.

'It is clear that the vaccination of those eligible is one of the most effective ways to keep schools safe,' said Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, in a statement.

Pringle's statement comes two days after Randi Weingarten, the leader of the second-largest union, American Federation of Teachers, said she supported vaccine mandates.

'We believe that such vaccine requirements and accommodations are an appropriate, responsible, and necessary step,'. Pringle said. About 90 percent of teachers who belong to the National Education Association are fully vaccinated.
The bucolic peace of an English village has been shattered by a spate of attacks by vandals using baked beans.

Cans of the beans have been poured through letterboxes and over cars in picturesque Wonersh, Surrey  and residents are fed up.

Now police are urging anyone with information to spill the beans.

A mystery felon has been throwing baked beans over a car in the village of Wonersh, Surrey

The miscreant has dumped beans on doorsteps and poured them through the letterboxes of houses

Police said: 'Local officers have received reports of incidents in Wonersh where beans and other food have been poured on to residents front doors and cars overnight. The victims are understandably distressed by this unacceptable behaviour'

In one crime scene photo posted on Surrey Polices Waverley Beat Facebook page, four empty cans of Heinz beans lie discarded near a doorstep with some of their contents on the ground nearby.

In another, baked beans deposited on the roof a grey car are seen dribbling down the drivers side windows and doors, leaving lurid trails.

Reporting the crimes in an accompanying post, police said: Local officers have received reports of incidents in Wonersh where beans and other food have been poured on to residents front doors and cars overnight. The victims are understandably distressed by this unacceptable behaviour.

Local officers will be patrolling the area and keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.

A number of residents commented on the post, expressing concern.

Hope you catch those horrendous criminals  otherwise house prices in Wonersh will plunge, wrote Donna Sommerfield.

Mark Stanley quipped: What half-baked idiots would do this? I hope they get thrown in the can! Absolutely Heinzous crime.

Sparking a debate about the quality of different brands of baked beans, Penny Hawkins said: At least they were Heinz  could have been worse.

The parish is home to a population of just over 3,000 and is used to low levels of reported crime.

Given the strength of feeling about the bean attacks, those responsible could be toast if caught.
From the moment you step out of your home, the fear is palpable. On the crowded streets of Kabul people gather in huddles, just one question on their lips: When will they get here?

The answer could be all too soon: as I write, Taliban forces  the they to which everyone refers  are just 50 miles from my home city, heading determinedly towards the capital they are resolved will be under their control within days.

And they are right to be confident. One Afghan region after another  including half of the countrys 34 provincial capitals  has fallen to this violent and bloody regime and its brutal laws with terrifying speed.

An Afghan judge hits a woman with a whip in front of a crowd in Ghor province, Afghanistan August 31, 2015

Afghan member of parliament, Shukria Barakzai, lies in her hospital bed after having survived an attack by a suicide assassin in Kabul, Afghanistan, 22 November 2014

Every day we wake to yet more grim news. Yesterday morning we learned the Taliban had captured the strategically important trade hub of Kandahar 100 miles from Kabul; by the afternoon, they had taken Pol-e-Alam, a mere 50 miles from the capital.

By the time you read this who knows what else may have come to pass?

Hundreds of civilians have already been slaughtered, while stories of horror are legion  some so appalling as to barely be believed.

The gouging of a womans eyes in front of her terrified family; girls as young as 12 wrenched from the arms of their weeping mothers to become sex slaves for Taliban warriors; men punished or even killed for offences as simple as listening to the wrong music, or for daring to be educated.

Such incidents are not new, of course, but petrifyingly familiar in the history of my country, where the suffering of its people has long been burned into the scorched earth.

Now another bloody chapter is unfolding across this ancient and troubled land.

In Kabul, the city where I have spent so much of my life, the streets are heaving not only with anxious locals, but with tens of thousands of refugees who have poured in from the regions in a desperate attempt to save themselves from the Talibans advance.

Many have arrived with little more than the clothes on their backs and are now camped out in parks, in empty warehouses and on the outskirts of the city. They have no water, no food and no sanitation.

This is a city gripped by fear and uncertainty  as well as a bewilderment at the way history is repeating itself in the most devastating of ways.

In a matter of weeks, 20 years of hard-won rights following the Talibans defeat by Coalition Forces in 2001 in the wake of 9/11, has been wiped out.

It is almost unbearable for me, a reminder of the fragility of the improvements gained and reinstatement of our rights  those of women, in particular.

Back in the early 1990s, women were largely treated as equals in Afghan society. In the cities  which had been opened up to the modern world  women were educated, pursued careers as well as family life and we made our contribution to society.

As a young woman, I attended Kabul University to study physics and I had my sights set on a career as a writer. Back then, politics seemed to belong to others.

Mounting violence between the moderate Afghan government and the guerrilla warfare of the Mujahideen  the Islamic fighters who had resisted the Soviet occupation and triumphed in the decade-long war  put paid to both that notion and my studies.

Afghan women and men walk past female election candidate Shukria Barakzai's campaign billboard in Kabul

Internally displaced Afghan women, who fled from the northern province due to battle between Taliban and Afghan security forces, gather to receive free food being distributed by Shiite men at Shahr-e-Naw Park in Kabul on August 13, 2021

I watched with horror as the Taliban, whose founders were drawn from the Mujahideen, took over swathes of the country, bringing oppression and chaos in their wake with their fundamentalist interpretation of Islamic scripture.

Far worse was to come. In September 1996, the Taliban swept to power in Afghanistan.

Everyone faced draconian restrictions, but it was women who paid the heaviest price: brutalised and marginalised, one by one our rights  to education, to a job, to a social presence  were all but eliminated.

We were not allowed to work outside the home, had to conceal ourselves in a burqa whenever we dared to leave the house and be accompanied by a male relative.

In many ways, we were little more than chattels.

Many of the educated middle-classes fled Afghanistan to pursue a life in exile, but I chose not to join them.

I stayed and was determined to do my bit, running secret schools and trying to promote hope for the future where only fear and sorrow lay. I had to fight in the only way I knew against the injustices all around me.

I was beaten in the streets and arrested three times, but I survived, placing my faith in the international community which, I felt sure, would support us.

It took five years but, in 2001, air strikes by joint U.S. and UK military forces swiftly followed by fierce fighting on the ground forced the Taliban into retreat.

What followed was two decades of tireless struggle and sacrifice to reclaim a significant portion of our rights  rights for which I fought first as MP for Kabul, helping to draft Afghanistans post-Taliban constitution, and by founding Aina-e-Zan, a weekly newspaper which championed the voices of women.

That struggle paid off. A new generation of Afghan women returned to schools, universities and the workplace, growing up in a culture of freedom and at liberty to dream and choose the life they wish.

Those dreams are evaporating. Today, schools and universities are closing one by one as the Taliban move their fight from rural to urban areas with dizzying pace, from Kandahar in the south to Faryab and Badakhshan in the north.

Right now, two thirds of Afghanistan is under Taliban control  a control that is even more merciless and violent than in the past, its insurgent ranks fuelled by a host of other international terrorist networks, from Isis extremists and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Chechen and Uighur guerrillas.

Armed with Humvees, rockets and a host of powerful machine guns, todays fighters are better equipped than their predecessors and have better technology at their fingertips.

They feel the momentum is with them  a momentum that has been building with frightening rapidity since the dawn of this year  and it is easy to understand why.

Even before the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops was confirmed by President Joe Biden in April, the signs were ominous.

I felt chilled to the bone when, in mid-January, I woke to the news that two female judges working for the Afghan Supreme Court had been shot dead in Kabul, ambushed by unidentified gunmen as they walked to work on a Sunday morning.

Bombings followed, including a girls school, a horrifying sign of things to come, for since then the stories emerging from across the land are ever bloodier and more stomach-churning.

In the provinces of Kandahar and Ghazni, in southern Afghanistan, newly empowered Taliban recruits are taking the opportunity to enact revenge for ancient grievances.

In Malistan, Ghazni, one group cut out a womans eyes in front of her husband and children, before slaughtering her for a crime that was never revealed.

In northern Afghanistan, Jihadist commanders are ordering imams to bring them lists of unmarried women and girls aged 12 to 45. They are viewed as qhanimat  spoils of war to be divided up among the victors.

In some villages, Taliban recruits are going door-to-door looking for young girls to marry against their will, forcing them into a life of sexual servitude. So determined are they that no virgin will escape their clutches that they check drawers, wardrobes and even suitcases in homes where desperate mothers deny they have young daughters to ensure they are telling the truth.

Women are not required to wear full face covering under the Afghani government, as they were under the Taliban, though many still do

It is the stuff of nightmares  and nor do men escape this pitiless inhumanity. In Urozgan province, the only man with a masters degree, a gentle engineer, was shot simply because he was the most educated person in his city.

In Herat province, another man was assassinated by the Taliban in his car for the crime of being a government employee  and therefore an enemy.

This week, a man was forced to walk barefoot in the baking sun until he lost consciousness, after he was caught listening to pop music rather than recitations of Islamic scripture.

Little wonder people have fled to Kabul, descending in ever larger numbers on the capital each day with their meagre clutch of possessions. Abandoning their cars on the outskirts of the city, entire multi-generational families have erected makeshift camps.

Many sleep on the streets or in local parks, seeking whatever shade they can from the unforgiving summer heat. Earlier this week, one woman gave birth outdoors with nothing more than her headscarf to protect her modesty.

Last night, I visited one camp, taking bags of clothes from my home, and wept as I heard their stories of displacement.

These people have nothing: no food, no water and no sanitation, so disease beckons.

The Afghan government is doing its best to marshal relief efforts, but the reality is Kabul is not equipped to deal with thousands of displaced civilians  even without the spectre of the Taliban forces almost visible on the horizon.

So a siege mentality pervades. While the U.S. and UK send in troops to help evacuate their citizens, the rest of us can only await our fate. There is nowhere for us to go.

We are all scared, and I have particular reason to be. As an outspoken campaigner for womens rights, I know that I am a target who has featured near the top of the Talibans assassination wish list for many years.

There have been several attempts on my life in recent years, even during the peace that followed the Coalition victory over the Taliban.

In 2003, when I was helping to draft the constitution, I narrowly missed being caught in a nitrate bomb explosion, timed to go off as I left our parliament.

I had changed my schedule at the last minute that day, so it exploded hours after I had left, but it was frightening proof of their deadly intent.

I have been on my guard ever since, varying my routine and keeping only a tiny trusted few abreast of my plans.

Stranded people cross the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, in Chaman, Pakistan, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021

But you cannot live life in a vacuum, and, on a beautiful sunny morning in November 2014, my car was the target of a suicide bomber as I made my way in convoy to parliament.

The last thing I remember is talking on my mobile with friends, making plans for dinner that night  and being aware of a red car approaching from the side.

I later learned that that car rammed into the side of the armoured vehicle I was in, before the driver detonated explosives which would reduce my car to a near-burnt-out shell.

But, at the time, when I opened my eyes, I didnt even know whether I was dead or alive. The first thing I was conscious of was my driver weeping. It was a miracle that either of us survived, the car a mangled heap of metal.

I spent three months in hospital and suffered injuries all over my body, the effects of which linger to this day, affecting my balance. But I was lucky. Three civilians standing nearby when the bomb was detonated lost their lives that day, while many others were wounded.

I know I remain a target, an outspoken troublemaker whom the Taliban would love to make an example of. Fear runs through every single vein in my body. In truth, I dont know how long I will survive when  and it feels like when not if  the Taliban get here.

But I also know I cannot leave. I am a single mother to five children  twin boys aged ten, and daughters aged 23, 19 and 17. I have a responsibility for the country they inherit. If people like me leave, then who will fight back?

Nor am I the only person at risk: every single Afghan who opposes the Taliban and their vile creed is endangered.

We are paying the price of Western hypocrisy and abandonment. Last year, countries rolled out the red carpet for the Taliban at the so-called peace talks in the Qatari capital Doha.

In this picture taken on August 13, 2021, a Taliban fighter holds a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) along the roadside in Herat, Afghanistan's third biggest city, after government forces pulled out the day before following weeks of being under siege

But any hint of negotiation was a charade on their part, an empty PR gesture to pacify the West and create the conditions for the Coalitions complete withdrawal  and it worked. On the ground, a lack of leadership and politicking has left Afghans facing the bleakest of circumstances.

I hope the world is watching, and I hope that it feels ashamed. Bidens decision to pull out of the country was utterly irresponsible  not only for Afghans, but for the Western allies it will come back to haunt. Shame on them for playing with our lives and human rights

Even so, I refuse to let go of hope. It is the quality that my own mother always clung to in the desire for a better future for her daughter, and which I now share with my own children.

It means that even as the armoured cars roll towards Kabul, I am trying to place my faith in the resilience of this land and its brave and benighted people.

No matter how dark the clouds are, I am looking at the end of the night and sunrise beyond.

n Shukria Barakzai is a womens rights activist and a former Kabul MP who has also served as Afghanistans ambassador to Norway.
Two St. Louis deputies were fired for working on Rep. Cori Bushs security detail without permission from the sheriff, after reports the Missouri Democrat spent more than $70,000 on private security since in a matter of two-and-a-half months.

Sheriff Vernon Betts confirmed Friday that deputies Tylance Jackson and Maurice Thompson were dismissed last month, and the pair had been warned already that they needed to fill out forms for their second jobs.

Bush, D-Mo., hiring two police officers to work on her security team raises questions given her fiery push to defund the police.

Federal Election Commission filings this month show that Bush spent $69,120 in 'security services' from April 15 to June 28  the span of about two-and-a-half months. She said shes willing to spend $200,000 on security because she fears for her life.

"I didn't fire them for working security for Cori Bush," Betts of the pair of deputies said in a phone interview. "I fired them for not following proper procedures for working secondary. So they just happened to be working for Cori Bush. Doing what they did, they would have gotten fired no matter who they were working for."

Betts said that second jobs are common among his deputies: of the 160 deputies, he estimated that 150 moonlight in other jobs - with permission. Betts said he wants to approve all second jobs so they dont interfere with deputies regular duties.

FILE - In this Aug 3, 2021 file photo, Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., speaks to crowds that attended a sit-in at Capitol Hill in Washington. Two St. Louis sheriff's deputies who worked secondary jobs providing security for U.S. Rep. Cori Bush have been fired from the sheriff's office. But Sheriff Vernon Betts said, Friday, Aug. 13, the deputies were fired for failing to get approval for their moonlighting jobs, not for whom they worked for. (AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades File)

Two St. Louis deputies, pictured above, were fired for working on Rep. Cori Bushs security detail without permission from the sheriff, after reports the Missouri Democrat spent more than $70,000 on private security since in a matter of two-and-a-half months

Sheriff Vernon Betts confirmed Friday that deputies Tylance Jackson and Maurice Thompson were dismissed last month, and the pair had been warned already that they needed to fill out forms for their second jobs

Bush, D-Mo., hiring two police officers to work on her security team raises questions given her fiery push to defund the police

Betts said the deputies were first warned to fill out the appropriate paperwork and get approval to protect Bush when they accompanied the congresswoman in plain clothes to the St. Louis Justice Center in the spring

Betts said the deputies were first warned to fill out the appropriate paperwork and get approval to protect Bush when they accompanied the congresswoman in plain clothes to the St. Louis Justice Center in the spring.

The sheriff said weeks later, the pair were again working for Bush when they accompanied her to the Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis County.

Its understandable why Bush might want added protection - St. Louis, the city she represents, has the highest murder rate in the entire country. The citys murder rate is at a 50-year high and the citys budget calls for eliminating 100 empty positions at the police department.

When asked over the weekend why she spent $70,000 on security while continuing to call for defunding the police, the Missouri Democrat rambled on in a confusing response.

'I think what we have to look at is the fact that I made it to Congress in 2020, I was elected to Congress, and we are still fighting this same fight. We're still fighting to save black lives. That was not  that work was not done before I got here,' she said while avoiding answering the question.

'This is the reason why I ran, was to save lives, to save my son's life,' she dodged.

Bush, 45, appeared to insinuate that the issue among Democrats regarding the 'defund police' movement is the messaging.

'So, I don't believe  as far as my  as far as my colleagues, I absolutely empathize. I empathize,' she said.

'But you know what? The same thing that the Republicans will do, which is figure out how to work with this on the comms spaces, that's what we have to do,' she suggested.

When asked if the Democrtic Party has a 'messaging issue', Bush said 'no', but her answer appeared to claim otherwise.

'No, I'm saying that we can also  that that's another way that you can tackle this,' she said.

'You have to tackle it from more than one place. We have to work on what we want to say, what is our message, but then we also have to understand that we have to save lives too.'

Bush insisted: 'I'm here to stand up for my community.'

She also doubled-down during her interview on her calls to strip law enforcement of their funding.

'My job is to save lives, the lives of my community, because, when we're  when we're talking about every single year increasing the budget for police, and then the budget for, like, Health and Human Services continuing to shrink, and St. Louis being number one for police violence year after year after year, number one, number two for homicides year and year, after year,' she confusingly stated.

'So, when we're adding more money to the police, but we're still dying,' Bush added in an incomplete thought.

Bush said Thursday that she is willing to spend another $200,000 in personal security because she has feared for her life.

'I'm going to make sure I have security because, I know, I have had attempts on my life,' Bush told CBS News in an interview outside the Capitol . 'And I have too much work to do, there are too many people that need help right now, for me to allow that.'

'So if I end up spending $200,000, if I spend $10 more on it  you know what, I get to be here to do the work,' she added.

She questioned when asked about criticism over her spending on Thursday: 'They would rather I die? You would rather me die?'

'Is that what you want to see?' Bush continued in awe. 'You know, because that could be the alternative.'

The security payments were made to New York-based RS&T Security Consulting LLC and a Nathaniel Davis of St. Louis, Missouri.

Bush added in her Thursday interview: 'So suck it up, defunding the police has to happen.'
Boris Johnson has been urged to support three days of paid miscarriage leave for bereaved families after he and his wife Carrie suffered their own loss.

The couple revealed they are expecting a baby before Christmas after losing a child earlier this year. One in four in the UK experience a miscarriage.

SNP MP Angela Crawley has introduced a Private Members Bill seeking three days paid leave for all those who lose a baby  including if the tragedy takes place before 24 weeks.

The couple revealed they are expecting a baby before Christmas after losing a child earlier this year. They are pictured above at their wedding earlier this year

Miss Crawley has won support from four parties but not the Conservatives.

She has urged the Prime Minister to use his own experience to back her plan, saying: It could have been an opportunity to consider the impact that [a miscarriage] would have had on other families.

Currently, a mother is eligible for maternity leave and associated pay if she has a stillborn baby after week 24.
A student died hours after failing a crucial university exam - never knowing it would be later upgraded to a pass.

Cardiff University pharmacy student Mared Foulkes, 21, did not see the improved result and within 12 hours of hearing the bad news was found on rocks under Britannia Bridge over the Menai Strait.

Her family described her as a 'loving daughter' and an 'amazing friend and sister'.

Today a coroner held a pre-inquest hearing in Caernarfon to deal with preliminary matters with the family's lawyer before a full inquest is held in October.

It heard she had driven onto the bridge before getting out of her car before she was found dead below the road.

Her parents believe her failed exam result is 'directly relevant' to why she died.

Kate Sutherland, acting senior coroner for North West Wales said the death of Miss Foulkes, of Cae Uchaf Farm, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, was reported to her as having occurred on July 8 last year.

The pre-inquest heard that Mared had been working in a pharmacy on the day she received the result by email.

Cardiff University pharmacy student Mared Foulkes, 21, never saw the improved exam result

The pre-inquest heard she was found on rocks under Britannia Bridge over the Menai Strait

She said Mared had driven her car onto Britannia Bridge. 'She had left the engine running and left the car', Ms Sutherland said.

The coroner and family lawyer Chaynee Hodgetts then discussed what the scope of the full inquest would be.

Ms Hodgetts said the family believe there was a link between Mared's initial exam result and her actions.

She told the pre-inquest: 'It's the family's position that the result she received from Cardiff University, shortly before proceeding to the bridge, is directly relevant.'

Ms Hodgetts said Mared 'received her exam result saying she had a critical fail of 1 per cent... in the relevant module and proceeded to the bridge before it was corrected later.

'Tragically, she never found out.'

Ms Foulkes had been a student at Cardiff University, which later upgraded the exam mark

The coroner said she was persuaded that the mark within 12 hours of her death was relevant to the case.

She accepted the family's request for a representative of Cardiff University to attend the full inquest in person, unless COVID-19 issues prevent them coming to Caernarfon.

The pre-inquest heard that that will be Head of School, Professor Mark Gumbleton.

The coroner said: 'He will be asked to take us through the report about how the (exam) results were reached.

'I won't be able to consider a Prevention of Future Deaths report without someone from the university to help me understand the results system and how results are shared.'

Prof Gumbleton will also be given time to obtain Mared's 'personal tutor record' and other documents, added the coroner.

Ms Sutherland said the full inquest would be held in Caernarfon and take up to two days.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid admitted the Governments own costs were too high and said its single post-holiday PCR test package will fall from 88 to 68

Ministers finally moved to tackle the travel testing rip-off last night  slashing the cost of their own Covid tests by a fifth in the hope private firms will follow.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid admitted the Governments own costs were too high and said its single post-holiday PCR test package will fall from 88 to 68.

A two-swab NHS Test and Trace package will be cut from 170 to 136.

Mr Javid also accused some private testing firms of acting like cowboys by advertising misleading prices on the Government website and vowed to boot them off within days.

But the changes were dismissed by the travel industry last night, with bosses saying the price cuts amounted to tinkering.

The head of Gatwick Airport said testing should be removed altogether for the double vaccinated to restore shattered passenger confidence and help the industry through a desperate time.

Ministers were branded hypocrites this week after repeatedly calling on private firms to drop their prices but failing to cut their own for summer.

The Mail reported on Thursday how the Department of Health was charging more than four times what the cheapest private provider was advertising on the Governments website. This ratio has doubled from earlier this summer.

It is understood that officials do not want NHS Test and Trace travel swabs to dominate the market and hope the move will nudge private firms into bringing their own prices down so more families looking for a well-earned break can afford to go abroad.

Industry insiders have previously said the Governments own prices have inflated the market and that they wont bring down their own costs until ministers move first.

Officials will now also conduct a rapid review of the firms listed on the Government website and boot off any deemed to be ripping off or misleading consumers. The internal review will start this weekend and last ten days. Providers failing to meet necessary standards will be immediately removed.

It will run alongside the review being conducted by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), ordered by Mr Javid last week after a flood of complaints from customers about receiving swabs and results late or not at all.

This has led to some having to extend their quarantine period or even miss flights.

Announcing the latest moves, Mr Javid suggested he was expecting the CMA initial findings within days so swift action can be taken.

Officials will now also conduct a rapid review of the firms listed on the Government website and boot off any deemed to be ripping off or misleading consumers

He added: I know how much people have looked forward to their summer holidays and that the cost of PCR testing can be a barrier to that. That is why I am determined to protect consumers and hard-working families from exploitative practices and ensure high quality tests are available at a reasonable price.

I am pleased to announce that with immediate effect were slashing the price of day 2 and 8 tests from NHS Test and Trace by a fifth  this will benefit people right across the UK...

Ive also ordered my department to urgently review the list of private providers on gov.uk to ensure pricing is clearer and transparent.

Any provider found to be misleading the public will be kicked off. Too many providers are acting like cowboys and that needs to stop.

The public should be allowed to enjoy their summer holidays without having to face excessive costs or anxiety.

There are more than 400 private firms listed on the Governments website. Yesterday, the average price of a single PCR swab across them all was 90.

Prices are listed between 20 and 400.

However, as the Mail reported this week, the cheapest rates are often not realistically obtainable for many, as when clicking through to each firms website they are mostly out of stock or offered in centres, meaning many would have to travel hundreds of miles to take advantage of them. It is this practice that Mr Javid is looking to clamp down on.

There are more than 400 private firms listed on the Governments website. Yesterday, the average price of a single PCR swab across them all was 90

However, the new Government price could still add more than 250 to the cost of a foreign break for a family of four.

For an unvaccinated family, it could add more than 500.

The travel industry last night dismissed the price cuts as tinkering and said they do not go anywhere near far enough.

Karen Dee, CEO of the Airport Operators Association, said: It is time for the Government to get a grip on testing and replace costly PCR tests with more affordable rapid tests for low-risk countries and bring international travel in line with the rest of the economy.

Paul Charles, of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said: Even with the changes, test costs are still far too high to restore confidence to travel, and also far higher than most European countries.

Providers who are making substantial profits during the pandemic are acting unethically when consumers are being forced to take these PCR tests by Government. Its the policy that urgently needs reviewing, not just pricing.

A guest holds a COVID testing kit at the window of the Radisson Blu hotel near Heathrow Airport, London, where they are undertaking a 10-day quarantine in the Government-designated quarantine hotel

Queen Elizabeth rules the waves again

By Transport Correspondent

The Queen Elizabeth took to the high seas yesterday for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

Holidaymakers boarding the ocean liner  one of Cunards most luxurious and spacious  hailed the voyage as the beginning of the end of the pandemic for them.

Many said it was the first cruise they had been on since we were plunged into lockdown last year. Only the double-jabbed were allowed on board.

The sold out seven-day domestic voyage, which will take 800 passengers along the Jurassic Coast and around the Isles of Scilly before heading to Scotland, will return to Southampton next Friday.

It set off last night, marking the Queen Elizabeths first voyage since March last year. The liner boasts staterooms, suites, a plethora of restaurants and even a shop-lined promenade.

Passengers spoke of their elation to be back on the seas after so long. Tim Dillon, 74, and wife Kate, 71, from Hull, last went on a cruise two years ago.

Mr Dillon, who used to manage his own engineering firm, said: We usually cruise four or five times a year but this is our first for two years and we are looking forward to getting back into it. Its a big moment  the beginning of the end of the pandemic, or at least we hope so.

He added: We have to be double-vaccinated and we have to get a test now before we board. I dont know how much safer you are going to get.
The middle-aged man in a blue zip-up top and jeans is David Smith enjoying a family reunion in his native Scotland.

An ordinary man, with an ordinary name  what could be more ordinary than Smith, after all  attending an ordinary get-together with his relatives a few years ago. Or so everyone thought.

This week David Ballantyne Smith, a security guard at the British Embassy in Berlin, was arrested on suspicion of being a spy who had allegedly been selling secrets to the Russians.

The middle-aged man in a blue zip-up top and jeans is David Smith enjoying a family reunion in his native Scotland

The allegations were greeted with incredulity by disbelieving neighbours in Ayr, where his mother still lives.

Some thought they must have the wrong chap, that it was a case of mistaken identity; his family, presumably, have been left equally shellshocked.

Smith, who is now being held in an undisclosed location and is awaiting trial, may, of course, be completely innocent of all charges.

But what is clear is that certain intriguing facts have already emerged about David Smith.

He may have driven an old Ford Fiesta, for example.

But the registration plate was RU1801: the first two letters of Russia followed by the numbers that represent the year that Alexander I became tsar.

The clues  in other words  that Smith may not be all that he seemed and that his loyalties may, in fact, lie elsewhere were not simply confined to his ground-floor flat on the outskirts of the German capital.

Smith drove an ageing Ford Fiesta, pictured, to get to his job in the British Embassy

Inside was a Russian flag in the corner of the living room, along with an old badge with a Russian navy crest on the wall, a life-size Rottweiler toy wearing a Russian hat, a bookshelf with titles all written in Russian Cyrillic script and a Soviet military cap, with a hammer and sickle emblem over a red star, to mention just some of the Russian memorabilia and merchandise on display in his apartment.

There was also, perhaps almost inevitably in the circumstances, a John Le Carre novel featuring his famous intelligence agent George Smiley.

But, given what has come to light since his arrest on Tuesday, you wouldnt, in all honesty, have needed someone of the calibre of George Smiley to ask certain questions about David Smith.

This was not lost on the German press. Bild, the countrys biggest-selling newspaper, said the storyline was reminiscent of an Austin Powers-style spy satire.

Smith had Russian military memorabilia including a Russian flag and uniform cap

Is it possible Smith, 57, even occasionally drove his 16-year-old Fiesta (with its coded nod to Russia displayed on its plates) to work at the British Embassy, situated on the boulevard that runs up to Berlins Brandenburg Gate, instead of taking the tram?

It would come as no surprise if he did, considering how little attempt he appears to have made to conceal his love affair with Russia, which suggests his possible motivation for becoming an alleged spy may have been ideological as well as financial; he is suspected of disclosing sensitive information about British activities in exchange for cash.

Admittedly, Smith was not a diplomat nor did he occupy a desk job at the embassy; he was a security guard.

Nevertheless, his potential value to a hostile foreign power such as Russia should not be underestimated.

Even seemingly mundane intelligence, like, for example, the physical layout of the building, can be useful in building up a picture of an adversary.

Smith was arrested by German police at his apartment in Potsdam on August 10

In Germany, privacy rules mean he is still referred to as David S in some sections of the media. Indeed, David S seems more in keeping with a spy drama than plain David Smith.

We now know a little more, however, about the balding, middle-aged occupant of the rented ground-floor flat in a post-war apartment block in Potsdam on the outskirts of Berlin  near Sanssouci, the old Prussian royal palace  with a rubber plant in the window, who drove that beaten-up Ford and took a packed lunch to work.

He was born in the Scottish town of Paisley in July 1964. His mother still lives near Ayr.

Smith is understood to have worked for Caledonian Airways while he lived in Scotland.

It was while he was abroad that he met his future wife Svetlana, who was from Odessa in Ukraine. The couple were married in 2002 in his native Scotland.

Until recently, they lived together at his flat in Potsdam.

She was a lovely lady and they were inseparable, said a former colleague who worked with Smith at the RAF base in Bielefeld, north-west Germany. But she completely vanished from the flat in February. I dont know why or what happened to her.

Smith lived in this apartment complex in Potsdam. A former colleague said he wanted to move to Germany as he was fascinated by World War II

Smith was a member of the Germany Guard Service (GGS), which was hired by the Ministry of Defence to patrol the Bielefeld military garrison; he was recruited as a locally employed civilian.

The GGS was formed as part of an agreement between Britain and Germany to employ non- military personnel to perform armed-service functions alongside British forces.

Smith, who is believed to have been at the base from about 2007 to 2015, would have been equipped with a 9 mm Browning pistol for his role as a dog handler. The former colleague described him as a dog lover and said he had a German Shepherd named Blaze.

He moved to Germany initially because he had a fascination with the war and would visit historic sites around the country, especially those that had some sort of Nazi background, the ex-colleague told the Mail.

There are some woods around near Berlin that still contain some artefacts from the war. Its popular with metal detectorists and Smith was among them.

I remember seeing a photo of him wearing a helmet that he dug up. He was very proud of it.

Smith is believed to have left the GGS before the withdrawal of the British soldiers from Bielefeld and later took up a role at the embassy in Berlin.

On paper, at least, he had the right CV for the post of security guard. He had relevant experience in this line of work and had been employed indirectly by the Ministry of Defence in the past during his time with the GGS.

The British Embassy in Berlin uses a number of outside contractors. But Smith is believed to have been what is known as local hire who was employed directly by the embassy.

Such staff usually undergo a shorter vetting process than UK-based civil servants or top-level diplomats representing the country abroad. One of the questions the investigation at the embassy will need to examine is whether someone with the kind of politically significant material uncovered in his home was a suitable person to act as a security guard  even if he was not acting for a foreign agent.

He was being monitored by MI5 and German intelligence for months before being finally arrested.

He first came under suspicion, according to German news magazine Der Spiegel, because he started paying with cash for everything and had not used any credit or debit cards or withdrawn any cash from his account for months.

German prosecutors allege that on at least one occasion he conveyed documents he had obtained in the course of his professional activities to a representative of a Russian intelligence service. In return for his information the suspect received a currently unknown quantity of cash.

Extra money is always a possible motivation for some individuals, said Mike Woodiwiss, a former RAF intelligence officer who used to operate in Germany. People did succumb to espionage.

Berlin, of course, is often the backdrop for East-West spy dramas. Germanys security services had warned that Russian espionage was still very much a reality  as it was during the Cold War  and had already carried out a crackdown on alleged spies.

The potential threat was highlighted last year when a suspect arrested over the murder of an ethnic Chechen, who had fought against Russia, was linked to Russian intelligence.

In June this year a scientist was arrested at Augsburg University for allegedly passing secrets to the Russians.

But it has been nearly a decade since the last high-profile British spy case.

In 2012, Edward Devenney, a Royal Navy petty officer, was jailed for eight years for planning to hand over classified coding material to Russia after being caught in an MI5 sting operation.

Two years earlier, the glamourous Anna Vasilyevna Kushchyenko, a Russian-born intelligence officer (better known as Anna Chapman) was stripped of her British citizenship, which she had obtained by marriage and used to enter America, and deported to Moscow after admitting being an agent for a foreign country.

Back in Scotland, on a housing estate in the locality of Doonfoot, near Ayr, in the shadow of the ruins of Greenan Castle, Smiths mother declined to comment yesterday.

Who wants to know? she demanded when asked about her son, before slamming the door.

If he is indeed convicted, David S now faces having the door slammed on him for a very long time.
Secoriea Turner, eight, was killed July 4, 2020, while riding in an SUV with her mother and her mother's friend near the Wendy's restaurant where Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old black man, had been killed by a white police officer just weeks earlier

Two alleged gang members have been indicted on charges related to the death of an eight-year-old girl who was gunned down during Black Lives Matter riots in Atlanta last year.

Secoriea Turner was killed July 4, 2020, while riding in an SUV with her mother and her mother's friend near the Wendy's restaurant where Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old black man, had been killed by a white police officer just weeks earlier.

A grand jury returned a 37-count indictment against Julian Conley, 19, and Jerrion McKinney, 23, on Friday.

Conley is charged with malice murder and felony murder in Secoriea's killing, and both men face aggravated assault, gun and gang-related charges.

'This case is the highest priority for my office,' Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said, calling it 'one of the saddest cases I've seen.'

'We are alleging that Mr. Conley fired into the car when it failed to stop and respect their barricade, and that led to the tragic killing of Secoriea Turner,' Willis said during a news conference.

Both men had previously been arrested in connection with Secoriea's killing and were being held without bond.

A grand jury returned a 37-count indictment against Julian Conley, 19, (left) and Jerrion McKinney, 23, (right) on Friday. Conley is charged with malice murder and felony murder in Secoriea's killing, and both men face aggravated assault, gun and gang-related charges

Pictured: Charmaine Turner, mother of Secoriea, speaks outside of the Fulton County Courthouse after the two gang members were indicted in her daughters death on Friday

Fulton County District Attorney Fanni Willis (pictured) speaks during a news conference at the Fulton County Courthouse in downtown Atlanta on Friday

Conley, 20, was arrested last year. An attorney for Conley who no longer represents him has previously said he was peacefully protesting and witnessed the shooting but did not open fire himself. No new attorney for Conley was listed in online court records.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation last week announced the arrest of 23-year-old McKinney. No attorney who could comment on the charges was listed for him in online court records.

Willis said the two men were members of the Bloods street gang.

As the driver of the car Secoriea was in pulled in near where Rayshard Brooks died at the hands of police, someone opened fire on the vehicle, police said

Wendy's restaurant was set on fire the day after Brooks' killing, and people protesting police brutality camped out at the site during the weeks that followed.

Makeshift barricades had been set up in the area by members of the Bloods street gang who were protesting the killing of Brooks.

Willis said Brooks was also a member of the gang, but lawyers for his family said they had no knowledge of such an affiliation.

Authorities said armed men had been blocking roads and turning some drivers away. As the driver of the SUV Secoriea was riding in approached the barricade, armed people began walking toward the vehicle and signaling that the driver couldn't pass, according to officials.

'We are alleging that Mr. Conley fired into the car when it failed to stop and respect their barricade and that led to the tragic killing of Secoriea Turner,' Willis said.

Willis said Conley and McKinney are accused of guarding the barricade and encouraging the commission of various crimes as part of their participation in the Bloods, including aiming a firearm at at least two other people in a car the same day Secoriea was killed.

Rayshard Brooks, 27, the father of three daughters and had a stepson, was killed 12 June 2020, during a confrontation with two APD officers in the parking lot of a Wendy's restaurant

The Wendy's restaurant (pictured) that was set on fire by demonstrators after Rayshard Brooks was killed is seen on June 17, 2020 in Atlanta. Secoriea Turner was killed nearby weeks later

Family and friends of Secoriea Turner present floral arrangements during her home-going service at New Calvary Missionary Church in Atlanta's Sylvan Hills community

L. Chris Stewart and Justin Miller, attorneys for the family of Brooks, said they 'have no knowledge or information regarding any alleged gang affiliation of Rayshard Brooks'.

Willis said she has video evidence that shows other people besides Conley and McKinney were involved in Secoriea's killing, and she urged anyone with information to call her office.

The city stopped tolerating protesters occupying the Wendy's site after Secoriea's killing, and the charred shell of the restaurant was demolished on July 14, 2020.

Secoriea's parents, Charmaine Turner and Secoriey Williamson, said the indictment brings them closer to justice for their daughter.

'We are thankful that at least two of the men have been captured and pray and hope that more arrests are made,' Turner said at a news conference after the charges were announced.

Bodycam footage of Rolfe left and Brooks right above. The Atlanta Civil Service Board announced its decision to reverse the termination of Rofle's employment with the force in May

A man armed with a rifle stands guard at the memorial that has grown around the Wendy's restaurant that was set on fire after Rayshard Brooks was killed, on June 16, 2020 in Atlanta

Turner and Williamson filed a lawsuit in June against the city and city officials.

It says city leaders showed negligence in failing to remove armed vigilantes who gathered at the site along with peaceful protesters, creating a dangerous situation that led to the girls death.

Atlanta Police Officer Garrett Rolfe, 27, fatally shot Brooks, 27, twice in the back as he ran from police during an arrest outside a Wendy's on June 12, 2020

Meanwhile, Brooks was shot dead by an Atlanta cop in June 2020 outside of the very same Wendy's near where Secoriea was shot and killed.

Brooks was allegedly a Bloods gang member and his death sparked the gang's takeover of a section of the city's downtown, according to an arrest warrant.

The gang operated the area around the burnt-out restaurant under the guise of 'peaceful protestors' in an 'autonomous zone' and set up illegal barriers.

They wouldn't let police or anyone else in, officials say.

The details of Brooks' alleged gang affiliation was revealed in an arrest warrant for McKinney, which was obtained by The Atlantic Journal-Constitution (AJC).

This new information comes to light more than a year after Atlanta Police Officer Garrett Rolfe, 27, fatally shot Brooks, 27, twice in the back as he ran from police during an arrest outside the Wendy's on June 12, 2020.

Rolfe was originally called to the Wendy's last June when Brooks fell asleep at the wheel in the drive thru.

Bodycam and dashcam footage shows the officers arriving on the scene to find the black father-of-four asleep.

The cops and Brooks are seen in the footage having a calm conversation for more than 40 minutes with Brooks initially cooperating with officers.

When Brooks failed a sobriety test and the officers tried to arrest him, a scuffle broke out and Brooks grabbed one of the officer's Tasers and ran off.

He was shot twice by Rolfe, with the officer claiming Brooks turned to fire the Taser in his direction.

The white cop's shooting of a black man in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder sparked outrage and protests in the community.
Tonya Fea, 49, (pictured) faces three months in prison after she admitted to drowning her 10-week-old golden retriever named Jenny in a pond because she didn't want to pay veterinarian bills

A New Jersey woman faces three months in prison after she admitted to drowning her 10-week-old golden retriever named Jenny in a pond because she didn't want to pay veterinarian bills.

Tonya Fea, of Jefferson Township, pleaded guilty to animal cruelty on Thursday - over two years after she drowned the puppy in April 2019.

The dog was discovered submerged in a cage, which had been weighted down with a glass vase at a nearby West Milford pond, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office.

'I panicked,' the 49-year-old mother of three told the judge when asked for a reason why she put the dog in the water.

'What was the reason for the panic?' Judge Marilyn Clark replied.

'You say you panicked, but you had a vet appointment that morning and you chose not to take the dog to the vet, you chose to take the dog in a cage and submerge it in a lake. So what were you panicking about?'

According to the terms of her plea deal, Fea will spend 180 days in jail followed by five years of probation for the crime, along with 100 days of community service.

The 10-month-old female golden retriever was named Jenny by the animal rescue who discovered the animal at a West Milford pond

The crystal vase Fea used to weigh the cage down with so it would fully submerge underwater

She will not be legally able to own a dog, as well.

Fea initially maintained that the puppy, which was named Jenny by Last Resort Animal Rescue and was 'dead and ice cold' when found, had already died when she put it in the water.

Prior to her arrest, the animal rescue had put up a $12,000 reward for anyone who could identify the person responsible for the dog's death.

'It appears to be an approximately 10-week-old female golden retriever puppy who was killed/drowned and submerged into the pond in the crate,' the post read.

'Weighted down with the heavy crystal vase perhaps, or maybe struck with it.'

During Thursday's virtual court hearing, Fea cried as the admitted that the pup was alive when she tossed it in the water, 'but (was) just laying there' prior to the drowning.

She also revealed that she did not check the dog's pulse or breathing before loading her up in a cage and driving to a nearby pond, according NorthJersey.com.

Fea's attorney, Richard Baldi, asked his client why she chose to submerge the pup underwater, to which she replied the ground was too cold to bury her.

Fea (pictured with her son) is a mother of three

'You knew the ground was frozen so burying it was very difficult, so you decided to submerge [the dog] in the pond?' Feas attorney asked.

'Yes,' she responded.

Baldi also added that Fea had only adopted the dog days before her death, and that she had already booked a veterinary appointment.

However, Fea refused to go into further detail when pressed about her concerns regarding the pricey vet bills.

Court records show that she and originally told responding officers that the dog was dead when she submerged it in the pond, but did admit 'I guess I could have checked more,' NorthJersey.com reports.

The outlet claims that an autopsy proved the dog had died of asphyxiation from water and was alive prior to being put in the water.

Meanwhile, Fea is scheduled for sentencing on October 5.
The new head of the NHS has issued an impassioned appeal for the public to come forward for cancer checks amid fears thousands are still staying away to avoid being a 'burden'.

Amanda Pritchard said the health service was 'open and ready to treat people' and warned Britons could be risking their lives if they did not consult GPs about symptoms.

A new NHS 'help us, help you' campaign will launch nationwide on Monday across billboards, TV and social media.

It will seek to raise awareness of the key signs of lung, abdominal and urological cancers and encourage those affected to come forward.

The new head of the NHS has issued an impassioned appeal for the public to come forward for cancer checks amid fears thousands are still staying away to avoid being a 'burden'. Amanda Pritchard (above) said the health service was 'open and ready to treat people' and warned Britons could be risking their lives if they did not consult GPs about symptoms

A new NHS 'help us, help you' campaign (above) will launch nationwide on Monday across billboards, TV and social media. It will seek to raise awareness of the key signs of lung, abdominal and urological cancers and encourage those affected to come forward

The adverts will feature people with a range of symptoms, such as prolonged stomach pains, a persistent cough, blood in the urine or a lump

Abdominal and urological cancers, which includes prostate and bowel, account for 44 per cent of all cancer diagnoses and 41 per cent of cancer deaths in England

An NHS poll found three in five people remain concerned about burdening the service, which has been under huge strain due to Covid. Half said they are more likely to delay seeking care now than before the pandemic.

The survey of 2,000 adults also revealed a shocking lack of awareness of cancer symptoms. Around a quarter of a million people were checked for cancer in June.

But Mrs Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, fears there are tens of thousands more who are not coming forward. Figures show there were 285,413 fewer hospital admissions for cancer between April 2020 and March this year than the year before.

Across the 12 months, cancer admissions fell by an average of 17 per cent.

But the number of people receiving treatment has been back at usual levels since March, NHS England said.

Mrs Pritchard said: 'We are open and ready to treat people with potential cancer symptoms... It's incredibly important that people recognise the common symptoms that can signal a cancer diagnosis  and it's vital that they take action by making an appointment with their GP that could ultimately save their life.'

Health Secretary Sajid Javid added: 'The NHS is open for us all and anyone who has concerns should come forward.'

The adverts will feature people with a range of symptoms, such as prolonged stomach pains, a persistent cough, blood in the urine or a lump.

Abdominal and urological cancers, which includes prostate and bowel, account for 44 per cent of all cancer diagnoses and 41 per cent of cancer deaths in England.

But the NHS survey reveals many people are unaware of common warning signs.

Three in five did not recognise discomfort in the abdominal area for three weeks or more as an indication of cancer. And two in five were not aware that a persistent cough for more than three weeks was a sign of potential lung cancer.

Doctors are concerned the symptom could be confused for Covid. Dame Cally Palmer, director of the NHS cancer programme, said: 'If you are experiencing any worrying symptoms, please see your GP.'

Patients whose condition is diagnosed early typically have between five and ten times the chance of surviving compared with those found late.

Michelle Mitchell, of Cancer Research UK, said the campaign comes at 'a crucial time'.
Police in Oregon have arrested a 57-year-old Washington woman and charged her with felony assault after she attacked a shopper who had an 'Abolish ICE' sticker on her car.

Moe Darling McLeod was filmed by Alyssa Cuellar as she launched herself at her.

Cuellar was shopping at a Safeway supermarket in Astoria, Oregon, on August 8 when the altercation unfolded.

McLeod's husband Vince, said to be a Marine veteran, passed Cuellar's red Chevrolet and commented on the bumper sticker.

Moe McLeod, 57, angrily confronted a shopper at a grocery store in Oregon on August 8

Alyssa Cuellar, pictured with her partner, filmed the confrontation in the store's parking lot

Vince McLeod can be seen passing Cuellar's red Chevrolet, with its 'Abolish ICE' bumper sticker, on the way to his blue pick up. He turns and yells abuse at Cuellar

Cuellar, who was in the parking lot some distance away, began filming on her cell phone.

He then yelled at her: 'F*** you.'

McLeod came over to Cuellar, and confronted her - asking why she was filming her husband.

'That my husband - he's a Marine. He's not going to touch your car, you little c***,' said McLeod.

'You're a f****** c***.'

McLeod, her husband and the boy walk away. Cuellar tells other shoppers what happened, and the McLeod returns and starts brawling with Cuellar

Cuellar filmed the incident, and then called 911. Moe McLeod was stopped and questioned shortly after

Noticing a boy with McLeod, Cuellar said: 'Great example for your child.'

McLeod said that she was setting a good example for her child and accused Cuellar of harassing her husband.

McLeod demands Cuellar stop filming, screaming in her face: 'It's America b****!'

As McLeod, her husband and the child begin to walk away, Cuellar explains to passersby that the McLeod's had started harassing her for no reason.

McLeod then turns around, runs towards Cuellar and punches her, knocking her cell phone from her hand.

Both women seem to hit the ground.

Cuellar's Facebook page shows her actively campaigning for causes she believes in

One Facebook user, Darla Song, said that the couple had been abusive to her, too

McLeod is then heard telling a witness: 'I didn't touch her.'

Cuellar, audibly sobbing, returned to her car and called 911.

She later wrote on Facebook that McLeod 'ended up physically pulling me down to the cement after I finally regained my things she had previously scattered and broke, and proceeded to scratching my chest, my back, my glasses on the cement, my knee which is also now swollen and bruised.'

Police in Astoria said that McLeod, who is from Ilwaco, Washington - 16 miles north, across state lines - was booked on Wednesday at the Clatsop County Jail.

'The victim in the incident, following some concerning comments from a man about a sticker on her vehicle, began video recording the man concerned that something would happen to her vehicle,' said Astoria police in a statement.

'She was then confronted by the man's wife, Moe Mcleod, who verbally accosted her, then physically assaulted her.'

They added that 'the video released is very disturbing'.

Vince McLeod was previously working as a realtor, but the company, Long Beach Realty, said in a statement that they had 'parted ways' a year ago.

'We do not tolerate or agree with that type of behavior,' they said.
A Covid denier with his mask not fully covering his nose has been caught hurling vile insults at police officers in an epic anti-lockdown rant outside a petrol station.

The footage, shared on TikTok, shows a man arguing with officers in an expletive-laden outburst in which he repeatedly calls them 'f**king dogs' and objects to Sydney's current stay-at-home-orders.

'You've abused me all my life, bro. Fine me for abusive language, read the tickets, read them,' he shouts.

'$21,000 worth of government issued tickets because of you guys. "Oh you don't have a P-plate on, oh you don't have a mask on", do you feel f**king proud of yourselves?'

A giggling woman has filmed her Covid-denier friend hurling vile insults at police in an epic anti-lockdown rant outside a petrol station

The clip, filmed outside a petrol station in Sydney, shows a patrol car parked in front of the man's sedan as he's filling up.

It's not clear what happened in the lead up to the confrontation but the man appears to be objecting to the use of his mask.

'Do this when you get home, there are 300 people sick, 11 deaths. Put it over a fraction of this entire population,' he says.

'Twenty eight million people locked in their homes for no f*cking reason. Good on ya.'

The officers, who ignore most of the man's abuse, then reply: 'good on you', which again sets him off.

The officers, who ignore most of the man's abuse, then reply: 'good on you', which again sets him off

'What do you mean good on me? I'll see you in court, you f*cking dog,' he shouts.

'You serve me,' the man says, before the officer replies: 'I serve nothing'.

'You serve me, under a legislation that was made last year. Health Act 1905 gives you the right to f*ck me over,' he continues, making reference to an unknown order.

'F*cking dog, you can kiss my f*cking ass. You c*cksucker, and you can't give me a move on order because I live right there,' he says pointing to a building.

'Now f*ck off. F*ck off,' he says as the woman behind him filming giggles and he tells her to get back in the car.

Commenters were quick to defend the police in the video, dismissing the man's claim of being a victim.

'Why do you people always think they are only out to get you? They are doing their job,' one person said.

'Feral bogans with a camera,' another added.

'Cops handled this guy well,' a TikTok user said.
Queensland has recorded six new Covid cases overnight - including a one-year-old baby - after the state's premier tightened its border restrictions with NSW to prevent the Indian delta variant of the virus from travelling north.

At Saturday morning's press conference deputy chief health officer Dr James Smith announced that the new cases - which include five adults - are all in isolation and pose no risk to the community.

They are linked to the original Indooroopilly cluster which now stands at 143 cases.

Health minister D'Arth announced that overnight 22,774 people came forward for a Covid test and 15,558 vaccines were administered, after the state ramped up its efforts to get more jabs in arms.

Dr James Smith revealed the youngest of the positive cases was hospitalised where they remain in a stable condition and is the sibling of another child in hospital with Covid-19.

A seventh case was identified as a four-year-old child from Cambodia who is currently isolating in hotel quarantine.

Minister D'Arth reiterated her concerns that they are dealing with a virus far more contagious than the one that circulated last year, as a 'significant proportion' of children are infected with the Indian delta strain.

'It spreads through children more, and children are being impacted with this virus more than what we saw from last year,' she said.

Queensland recorded six new locally acquired Covid-19 cases on Saturday including a seventh case in hotel quarantine, with health officials confirming no cases posed a risk to the community

She also emphasised vaccination, mask wearing and social distancing were critical in combating the spread of the outbreak, but noted ATAGI has not changed age requirements for vaccinations.

Currently, children aged 16+ can access Pfizer jabs, while children aged 12 to 15 years old with vulnerable medical conditions can access vaccination.

Overall authorities said they were satisfied with the level of outbreak containment and expressed their satisfaction with Saturday's case numbers.

'We want to extend our thanks to all those families that have done it pretty tough in quarantine it's not easy, it is a challenge,' Dr Smith said.

'The fact they have been so good and so compliant means we have been really able to get on top of this cluster.'

'They have essentially done a really good job and have kept this community safe.'

On Friday Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk imposed stricter rules on essential workers commuting along the state's border with NSW

Minister D'Arth noted compliance numbers were 'good' as police enforced tighter border controls overnight.

From 1am Saturday morning anyone travelling from the ACT are now required to enter hotel quarantine, advising only Queensland residents and those with relevant exemptions are permitted to enter the state.

On Friday Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk imposed stricter rules on essential workers commuting along the state's border with NSW after recording seven new local Covid cases.

On Friday Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk imposed stricter rules on essential workers commuting along the state's border with NSW

Health Minister Yvette D'Arth emphasised vaccination, mask wearing and social distancing were critical in combatting the spread of the outbreak

Residents who live in seven LGAs on either side of the NSW-Queensland border are allowed to cross the border for a 'permitted purpose', including work, medical treatment, care of a family member and childcare.

Under new Queensland Health restrictions, however, teachers, childcare workers, hospitality workers, sales reps and construction workers on non-critical projects are not permitted to enter Queensland from NSW.

Fears the Indian delta strain had spread to Cairns after two positive cases last week appear to have diminished, after no new cases were recorded in the state's far north.
Throughout my childhood, the same cry would come from my mother in the kitchen: What would you prefer tonight? Fish or chicken curry?

Years later, I often find myself asking my children that very same question.

And, just as I did when my mother asked, just as anyone of Indian descent like me would, my children understand that curry is used as a blanket term to describe any South-Asian savoury dish with a sauce.

Of course, for many others the word curry is just shorthand for an Indian meal of any kind.

But one young Indian-American blogger wants it to disappear altogether. In the parlance of her generation  shes 27  Chaheti Bansal wants the term to be cancelled, arguing that its roots are in colonialism and it has been, in her words, popularised by white people who couldnt be bothered to learn the actual names of our dishes.

I confess, I had to smile. For while I have often raised an eyebrow at the way the word curry is used by my non-Indian friends, I have never thought it might be racist.

Throughout my childhood, the same cry would come from my mother in the kitchen: What would you prefer tonight? Fish or chicken curry?, writes Anjum Anand

Simplistic, yes, using the word curry as an umbrella term for the rich, regionally-variable, sophisticated and complex Indian cuisine that I love  even if they do know the names of their favourite dishes.

And, yes, supposedly it entered common parlance courtesy of British East India Company employees who adopted the Tamil word Kari  which actually means spiced  as a catch-all for Indian cuisine.

But, to be honest, even as a food writer and creator of Indian-inspired meal kits, even I dont know all the proper names for dishes from certain regions, where the language, and the script it is written in, differs from Hindi, which I speak.

And racist? Well, as the proud British-born daughter of Indian parents, I would say quite resolutely curry is not racist.

Whatever its provenance, I have never heard the word curry used with anything but affection. While many may not know it is a broad-brush term for a national cuisine that is far richer and more nuanced that they realise, they are simply delighted to be eating it.

I am thrilled at the way the abundant flavours of my parents homeland have been embraced by people from colder, drizzlier northern Europe, even if they dont understand the subtle differences between dishes when they order a takeaway or visit their local curry house.

My parents both came to the UK in the 1960s, from the fertile plains of Punjab in Northern India, a region known as the countrys breadbasket, and the origin of many of the food and flavours we tend to think of as making up Indian food.

Tandoori chicken, naan (though this bread came from Central Asia originally), delicious tarka dal, even the flavours of a tikka masala, have all come to us from the Punjab.

That cuisine formed the backdrop to my upbringing, during which I developed my passion for cooking that would later become my career.

I have now spent more than 20 years showcasing proper Indian food and attempting to make it accessible through cookbooks, TV series and now The Spice Tailor. The brand brings authentic Indian meals and meal-kits  including, yes, curries  to those who dont have the time or inclination to cook from scratch.

Like many first-generation immigrants, my parents were keen to serve the food of their homeland to their children to maintain the connection with their heritage.

However, curry houses were originally set up to appeal to native Brits. The first was established in 1810 in Londons Mayfair, by an ex-Army surgeon called Sake Dean Mahomed whose customers were English viceroys and governors who had picked up a love for spicy food in India.

Two centuries later, and proper Indian restaurants as well as old-school curry houses are fixtures all over the land, from small villages to High Streets everywhere. A Friday night curry, whether eat-in or takeaway, is now as big a part of the national tradition as fish and chips.

Indeed, curry is so woven into the fabric of this country that, by 2001, without a hint of irony, our then foreign secretary Robin Cook referred to chicken tikka masala as a true British national dish. That Georgian-era Mayfair restaurateur can not have imagined that when he set up his trail-blazing venture.

Of course, what we eat here in typical Indian restaurants doesnt bear much resemblance to the food of my childhood. Many dishes are diluted with cream or nut pastes to help soften and sweeten the flavours  an expensive undertaking in India, where those ingredients were traditionally expensive. Proper Indian food is tastier and lighter.

Many of the regional dishes served in curry houses have only the loosest relationship with their origin. Take the vindaloo  a spicy pork dish originating in the southern state of Goa but which over here has become a byword for a very hot, spicy dish, with too much chilli.

Even given my own heritage, it was only when I filmed a cookery show for the BBC and made my first vindaloo, that I became aware of the many subtle and gorgeous layers of flavour in a true version of the dish.

Thats why Ive called my own vindaloo-inspired dish Fiery Goan Curry (The Spice Tailor, 2.90), to steer away from what most understand a vindaloo to taste like.

What it boils down to is that I dont think we should get ourselves into too much of a hot sweat about the labels we use. Fundamentally, people love what they think of as curry  the mingled flavours of Indian-inspired food along with what it represents  a delicious cuisine to be shared over the dinner table with friends, family and good cheer.

Yes, lets try to educate people about the wonderful regional differences that lie behind the name, from the banana-leaf steamed fish of Kerala, to the tandoori dishes of the North, with its delicious yoghurt-based marinades, the steamed savoury lentil cakes of Gujarat or even the refined mustard-rich dishes of Kolkata.

Into these Indian dishes have poured centuries of other wider cultural differences  Central Asian, Portuguese, British and even French  resulting in a wonderful melting pot of flavours and influences.

So what if not one of these dishes could correctly be called a curry? Lets not get hung up on a word. Lets instead educate, inform and open peoples eyes to the rich variations that Indian food can offer.

Fish or chicken curry from the kitchen? Yes please.

Pork Vindaloo

An authentic vindaloo has a fair amount of chillies  but these are not its defining flavour  and has a light liquor rather than thick sauce. This combination of spices, vinegar, ginger and garlic works well with the richness of pork.

Serves 4

7 fat cloves garlic, peeled

13 g peeled ginger, roughly cut

3 tbsp white wine vinegar, or to taste

Salt, to taste

4 tbsp, plus 1 tsp, vegetable oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

400g pork shoulder with some fat on it, cut into 1 in cubes

50g belly of pork, cut into 1 in pieces

Sugar, to taste

For the spice mix

1 tsp cumin seeds

tsp coriander seeds

5-10 dried red Kashmiri chillies (or 3-6 dried red chillies), cut in half and shake out the seeds

6 black peppercorns

3 green cardamom pods

4 cloves

1 in shard cinnamon

For the spice mix, using a grinder, make them into a fine powder. Using a blender, make a paste of the ginger, garlic and vinegar.

Add this to the pork along with the spices and salt and put it in the fridge to marinate for a few hours.

Heat 4 tbsp of the oil in a non-stick saucepan. Add the onion and fry until golden brown.

Add pork and marinade and brown gently, over a moderate heat for 6-7 minutes.

Turn the heat to a low setting, cook until the pork is tender, around 45-50 minutes, checking every so often and adding a splash of water from the kettle when the pot looks like its running dry, so that it stews, as much as possible, in its own juices.

Once the pork is tender, taste, adjust seasoning and serve.

Some people like to add a little sugar to their vindaloo  but its really for you to decide.

Pork vindaloo

Chicken Tikka Masala

This dish is supposed to have been born when a customer wanted sauce with his tandoori chicken tikka, but its roots lie in Indian favourite, butter chicken.

The velvety, rich, tomato-based curry does have a few steps but you can skip grilling the chicken in the tandoori marinade, and not pass it through a sieve (pick out the spices, though).

Serves 4

6 medium boneless chicken thighs

8 cloves garlic

20g ginger, peeled

2 tbsp vegetable oil

80g butter

1 black cardamom pod

6 green cardamom pods

2 cm shard cinnamon

4 cloves

 medium onion, finely chopped

500g vine tomatoes, pureed

1-2 tbsp tomato puree

2-4 whole small green chillies, pierced with knife

 tsp red chilli powder

 tsp paprika powder

1 tsp garam masala

Salt, to taste

1 tsp sugar, or to taste

80-100ml single cream

For the marinade

3 tsp lemon juice

110g Greek yoghurt

2 fat cloves garlic, grated into a pastel 10g ginger, made into a paste

 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp paprika powder, for colour

1 tsp cumin powder

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Chicken Tikka Masala

Mix together all the marinade ingredients with 1 tsp of salt. Add the chicken and marinate overnight in the fridge.

Blend the garlic and ginger, using a little water.

Heat the oil and half the butter in a large non-stick pan and add the whole spices, onion and seasoning and cook until soft and browned on the edges. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until the moisture has evaporated.

Add the tomatoes, tomato puree and cook down until the resulting paste releases oil, around 20 minutes.

Then turn down the heat and brown the paste, stirring often, until it darkens, around 6-8 minutes.

Add 250ml water, bring to the boil, then pass through a sieve. Discard the solids. Keep the sauce to one side.

Heat the grill to 240c. Place the chicken thighs and marinade on a foil-lined baking tray and cook for 8 minutes or until charred.

Remove from the heat and reserve the juices. Cut the thighs into pieces.

Heat the remaining butter and add the green chillies, sauce, a splash of water, chicken and its juices, chilli powder, paprika, garam masala, sugar and seasoning. Simmer, stirring until the chicken is cooked through.

Take off the heat, stir in the cream and serve.
The boyfriend of hiker Esther Dingley has paid an emotional tribute to the search teams from France and Spain who tried to find her body after he reported her missing 10 months ago.

In a lengthy social media post Dan Colegate, 38, praised the heroes who not only attempted to find his girlfriends body but also rescued other people on the mountain range.

He revealed he and Esthers mum Ria has met with the lead investigator in Toulouse, France, who had outlined their findings that the experienced hiker most likely slipped and fell to her death.

Dan, who found his girlfriends body after almost a year of searching, said he did not have words to describe how challenging the last few months had been.

French police said he had covered hundreds of miles along the French-Spanish border looking for the 37 year olds body.

An autopsy found that British hiker Esther Dingley died instantly after plummeting 100ft from a rocky ledge.

The 37-year-old suffered multiple bone fractures in the fall, which was '100 per cent an accident', a source at the prosecutor's office said.

'The final report will be compiled, but effectively the case will be seen as closed.'

The boyfriend of hiker Esther Dingley has paid an emotional tribute to the search teams from France and Spain who tried to find her body after he reported her missing 10 months ago

Dan Colegate, 38, (right) praised the heroes who not only attempted to find his girlfriend Esther Dingley's body but also rescued other people on the mountain range

An autopsy found that British hiker Esther Dingley, 37, died instantly after plummeting 100ft from a rocky ledge and suffered multiple bone fractures in the fall, which was '100 per cent an accident'

Details of the autopsy were sent to the French prosecutor investigating her death and Esther's boyfriend Dan Colgate who found her body earlier this week.

Posting on his and Esthers joint Facebook page, Dan wrote: 'I expect some of you will have seen some of the recent statements made by the French authorities overseeing the investigation into Esther's death.

'Myself and Esther's mum visited the lead investigator in Toulouse this morning and they provided us with all the information they have at this time.

'It is, of course, up to them now to release that information once it is formally confirmed.

'The purpose of this post is simply to express my, and the rest of the family's, continued gratitude and admiration for the work done by all of the various police teams that have been involved on both sides of the border -since day one of the search - both of the search and rescue units and both of the investigative teams.

'I simply don't have the vocabulary to fully express how challenging these past months have been, but I am certain that without the support, courage and determination of the individuals assigned to lead this case and their team members, those difficulties would have been significantly increased.

'We've thanked everyone in person already, but I wanted to say it publicly. Having experienced first hand how hard it was to find answers, I honestly don't think they could have done more.

'The only difference between me and them was that I only had a single task, while they continued to rescue others as well. They are heroes.

'Thank you all, from the bottom of our hearts.

French investigators earlier said Esther fell to her death after losing her footing on a rocky ledge near to the 2,300ft summit of the Pic de la Glere which straddles the French-Spanish border.

Esther went missing on November 22 while solo hiking in the Pyrenees. She was reported missing by Colegate on November 24, just a day before her trip was due to end, sparking a massive manhunt.

The search was suspended in December due to deteriorating weather but resumed in the Spring and human remains, later confirmed to be a piece of Esther's skull, were found last month.

Esther went missing on November 22 while solo hiking in the Pyrenees. She was reported missing by Colegate on November 24, just a day before her trip was due to end, sparking a massive manhunt

In an exclusive interview with MailOnline the Public prosecutor in charge of the investigation Christophe Amunzateguy suggested Dingley had lost her footing as she was wearing a pair of worn hiking boots that failed to give her any grip on the rocky path.

Dingley was wearing a pair of worn La Sportiva hiking shoes, rather than a Kahtoola Microspikes traction system that she had with her.

The spikes are marketed as the gold standard crampon-style add-ons for mountains in frozen conditions.

Mr Amunzateguy said the shoes were worn after months of use, and clearly the soles were a bit smooth.

Dan (left) revealed he and Esthers mum Ria has met with the lead investigator in Toulouse, France, who had outlined their findings that the experienced hiker most likely slipped and fell to her death

The Public prosecutor in charge of the investigation suggested Dingley had lost her footing as she was wearing a pair of worn hiking boots that failed to give her any grip on the rocky path

He admitted the events leading to the Dingleys death might never be known.

He said: The exact and precise circumstances of the death we will never know, a person who falls, and the condition of the body, make the investigation very complicated.'

The prosecutor said all the evidence so far gathered by his forensic teams points to an accidental death.

He is waiting for the results of an autopsy before making public his findings.

The accidental theory is now more than strong because the body was found directly below a kind of rocky peak, he said.

We believed that Esther would have fallen because along this wall, we found items that belonged to her and they ended up at the bottom.

We estimate the fall at about twenty or even thirty meters.

Items from her rucksack, including her phone were found scattered on a rocky ledge spread close to remains of her body that were discovered earlier this week by Colegate.
Jordan, 31, was arrested after he allegedly posted dozens of threats directed at Walt Disney World on Twitter

A Florida man has been arrested after he allegedly posted dozens of threats directed at Walt Disney World on Twitter.

Steven Jordan, 31, was taken into custody by Pinellas County deputies after the Central Florida Intelligence Exchange found the threats on his day-old Twitter account, Fox 13 News reported Friday.

Jordan created the account on August 8 and posted 186 tweets within a three-hour period, officials said. The account was suspended by Twitter the next day.

'@Disney or we will blow up all of your execs houses with C4,' one tweet read.

'@Disney I will toss a hand grenade threw their loft window,' another stated.

His motive for the posts remains unclear.

Jordan's motive for the alleged threats of violence against Disney remains unclear

Jordan's Twitter account took aim at Activision Games, calling company executives derogatory names and tweeting on the video game developer's recent controversies.

The company recently had an employee walkout last month to protest the company's responses to a recent sexual discrimination lawsuit and demanding more equitable treatment for underrepresented staff.

The arrest was the result of a joint effort between detectives with the Pinellas Sheriff's Threat Management Section and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, who worked together to determine that Jordan was the man behind the Twitter account.

The outlet reports that Jordan, who had been convicted in 2019 for making a false report about planting a bomb, explosive or weapon of mass destruction, readily admitted to investigators that he made the threatening tweets.

Jordan is being held on a $10,000 bond at the Pinellas County Jail.
Tropical Depression Fred's path has shifted toward the west, lessening fears of destruction in mainland Florida while the panhandle and the Keys continue bracing for severe weather.

The National Hurricane Center put out a heavy rainfall and flood advisory to the southern and central parts of Florida until Monday.

The Florida panhandle and west coastline could experience tropical storms conditions on Sunday and Monday.

The Southeast and central Appalachia can also expect heavy rainfall and flooding going into Sunday as the storm hits the front of the area.

The National Weather Service in Miami has reduced the amount of rainfall Florida will experience to two to five inches.

Behind Fred is Tropical Depression Seven, which is expected to hit the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic on Saturday and Sunday.

TD Seven will more than likely turn into TS Grace, the seventh storm in the Atlantic since the start of hurricane season.

This satellite image shows a Tropical Storm Fred in the Caribbean as it passes south of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic at 8am EST, Wednesday

Fred is estimated to hit Florida around 2pm on Monday. Florida and surrounding states are expected tp experience tropical storm conditions

Miami city works prepare sandbags for residents ahead of Tropical Depression Fred

Broward County to the Keys should suspect 39 to 57 mph winds and should prepare for flooding and possible tornadoes.

Fred's wind speed is currently at 30 mph, below the tropical storm measure of 35 mph, as of the 5pm update from the National Hurricane Center.

Wind speeds are expected to reach tropical storm speeds later Friday night of around 40 mph and reach a maximum of 60 mph by Sunday.

A tropical storm warning went into place on Friday for the regions from Key Largo to the Dry Tortugas and Florida Bay.

Fred was 210 miles southeast of Key West as of 5pm and has sustained winds of 35 mph.

As of 2pm, TD Seven was 775 miles east of the Leeward Islands and is following a similar path to Fred, heading toward south Florida.

It could cause up to 45 mph winds and rainfall in Florida by Wednesday night.

Tropical Depression Seven is expected to reach Tropical Storm status and change its name to Grace. It is the seventh storm to form in the Atlantic during hurricane season this year

Seven is following a similar path to Fred and is expected to affect Florida by Wednesday night

The US and Caribbean islands have been warned of potential floods and mud slides. Fred weakened to a tropical depression on Wednesday night as it continued to dump vast quantities of rainfall in its path, but could strengthen back into a tropical storm as it moves towards Cuba and mainland USA.

Some 300,000 customers were without power in the Dominican Republic and more than a half million were affected by swollen rivers that forced part of the aqueduct system to shut down, government officials reported.

After a quiet month of no named storms in the region, Fred became the sixth of the Atlantic hurricane season late Tuesday as it moved past the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on a forecast track that would carry it toward Florida over the weekend.

Government crews with megaphones walked through impoverished neighborhoods in the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo ahead of the storm urging those in low-lying areas to evacuate.

Vehicles move through a flooded street during the passage of Tropical Storm Fred in Santo Domingo

Men take a boat off a beach before the arrival of Tropical Storm Fred in Dominican Republic

Hours later, the government reported flooding in one courthouse.

Meanwhile, Florida and the Bahamas are in the direct path of what forecasters are calling the storm's 'cone of uncertainty,' meaning it may or may not see any destruction at all, according to WTVY.

Some form of TD Fred is expected to touch down on Florida soil by Saturday around 8am, with winds estimated to be around 45 mph. By Sunday at 7am, it could be as far north as Dothan, Georgia with winds increasing to 65 mph, the outlet reports.

The Bahamas are expected to see slightly lighter winds around 35 to 40 mph between Thursday and Friday morning as Fred makes his way stateside.

Tropical storm warnings were discontinued in the US territories after pelting the islands with rain, leaving some 13,000 customers without power in Puerto Rico.

Fred was centered 25 miles south of Cap-Haitien, Haiti, on Wednesday night and moving west-northwest at 15 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. It had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph.

Palm trees sway in the wind and rain during the passage of Tropical Storm Fred in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on Wednesday

Forecasters said Fred was expected to become a tropical storm again Thursday as it moved near the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas and then pass north of the northern coast of central Cuba on Friday.

Residents of Florida were urged to monitor updates as the storm makes its way north.

Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi had closed government agencies on Tuesday at noon and officials noted that some gas stations had shut down after running out of fuel.

More than a month had passed since the last Atlantic storm, Hurricane Elsa, but this time of summer usually marks the start of the peak of hurricane season.

The storm was expected to produce rainfall of 3 to 5 inches over the Dominican Republic with up to 8 inches in some areas.
Geronimo the alpaca has won a brief stay of execution  thanks to the Daily Mail.

Lawyers for the animals owner Helen Macdonald said yesterdays revelations in the Daily Mail about other healthy alpacas being wrongly slaughtered are being used as evidence for a renewed legal fight for his life.

They lodged a claim for judicial review at the High Court in London yesterday including an application for a temporary injunction to halt the enforcement of the warrant for Geronimos execution recently granted to the Government.

Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca have been campaigning to stop his execution

Geronimo's owner Helen Macdonald, pictured, lost a 50,000 legal case last month although she has been given another opportunity to take a case on Monday which could lead to a reprieve for the alpaca

Last night the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) told Miss Macdonalds legal team Geronimo would have at least a 72-hour stay of execution to 4pm on Monday until they could respond to the latest petition.

It comes after she lost a 50,000 legal battle with the department, which won the right just over a week ago to euthanise Geronimo within 30 days.

The new claim for judicial review also asks Defra to hand over data relating to alpacas that tested positive for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) but were found to be clear of the disease after death.

Almost 125,000 people have signed a petition seeking to save Geronimo, an eight-year-old alpaca sentenced to death after twice testing positive for bTB following his arrival in Britain from New Zealand in August 2017.

His plight has won the support of several celebrities including actress Joanna Lumley and BBC Springwatch presenter Chris Packham. He has been kept in isolation at her farm in Wickwar, South Gloucestershire, ever since he was imported.

Miss Macdonald claims the Enferplex blood tests he was given were flawed because Defra insisted he was primed or injected with a protein called tuberculin to make them more sensitive. Campaigners say injecting the protein prompts an immune response in camelids, an animal group including llamas and alpacas, causing a false positive test for bTB.

Geronimo has not been tested for four years and his vet has insisted he would be dead by now if he was infected with the disease.

Miss Macdonald, a veterinary nurse, said last night: The Daily Mails article was vital in our renewed legal efforts to save Geronimo. Defras case against us failed to disclose that other alpacas had been primed with tuberculin and culled before post-mortems revealed they didnt actually have TB.

This has enabled us to go for an interim injunction because they failed to disclose information which would have been beneficial to our case. We have an opportunity to prove the evidence that Defra put before the court failed to acknowledge issues with the testing.

She added: Thanks to the Daily Mail we have a chance of saving Geronimo and putting right a miscarriage of justice.

It will help make it more difficult for Defra to put alpaca owners through the nightmare I and others have endured. Its becoming clear Defra has culled other healthy animals and should have investigated the misdiagnoses of these alpacas.

Yesterdays Daily Mail featured the harrowing stories of two farmers whose alpacas and llamas were slaughtered by Defra after testing positive but were later found to be disease free at post-mortems

Lawyer Jan Mugerwa, of Olephant Solicitors, who is representing Miss Macdonald and Geronimo, said: We are making an interim application to the courts to seek disclosure of information relating to camelids and seeking an injunction to overturn the warrant. Tory MP Andrea Jenkyns, who has set up a parliamentary animal rights group called Animals Matter, is also lobbying Environment Secretary George Eustice to save Geronimo. She wants him to consider retesting the alpaca.

Miss Jenkyns said: Lessons have to be learnt and this cant happen in the future.

Supporters can watch Geronimo via a webcam in his enclosure and others have vowed to form a human shield around him if Defra officials arrive to slaughter him.

Yesterdays Daily Mail featured the harrowing stories of two farmers whose alpacas and llamas were slaughtered by Defra after testing positive but were later found to be disease free at post-mortems.

Both said their animals had been repeatedly primed with tuberculin for the Enferplex blood tests.

John Carr-Ellison, who had five llamas put down on Defras orders, said: All of them had false positives. It is a miscarriage of justice.

Ann Price, whose three-year-old alpaca Diva was also culled after a suspected false positive test, said: It was cruel  my husband had to hold her as they shot her. She knew what was going to happen. It has got to stop.

Defra said nobody wanted to cull infected animals but insisted it was necessary to stop the spread of disease and protect the livelihoods of those affected.
Police have launched an investigation after a serving West Mercia officer and a three-year-old child were found dead at a house in Kidderminster.

The bodies of Dave Louden, 39, and the child were discovered in the Worcestershire town by officers from the same force following concerns for their welfare.

The name and sex of the child have not been released.

Ambulances, paramedics and a Hazardous Area Response team attended the scene.

An investigation has been launched into the deaths, which are being treated as unexplained and have been described by the force as a 'tragic incident'.

Emergency crews found the body of West Mercia Police officer Dave Louden, 39, and a three-year-old child at a property in Kidderminster, Worcestershire

Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Jones said: 'It is with great sadness that I share the news that a serving police officer and a three-year-old child have passed away.

'While the circumstances of the deaths are not fully known, this is clearly a tragic incident and our deepest condolences are with family and colleagues.'

A police spokesman said: 'Earlier today we attended an address in Cairndhu Drive in Kidderminster following concerns for the welfare of a man and young child.

'On arrival officers found the man, aged 39, and a three-year-old child had sadly passed away. The man was a serving West Mercia Police officer.

'We have launched an investigation into the deaths, which are currently being treated as unexplained. It is with great sadness that we share this news today.

'Whilst the circumstances surrounding the deaths are not fully known, this is clearly a tragic incident. Our deepest condolences are with the officer's family, friends and colleagues.'

Cairndhu Drive in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, where the discovery was made (file image)

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: 'We were called to reports of a medical emergency at a property on Cairndhu Drive at 9.21am.

'Two ambulances, a paramedic officer and our Hazardous Area Response Team attended the scene. On arrival we discovered two patients, a man and a young child.

'Sadly, it quickly became apparent that neither patient could be saved and they were confirmed dead at the scene.'

Kidderminster is a large market town with an estimated population of 55,000, and is located 17 miles south-west of Birmingham.
Residents of Greater Sydney will see the radius they are allowed to travel in reduced from 10 kilometres to just five, with fines for breaching health orders increased dramatically

NSW hit a record 466 new Covid cases on Saturday including 26 in the western regions, forcing the government to introduce a lockdown of the regions for seven days.

The news was first confirmed by Deputy Premier John Barilaro on Twitter at 2.30pm - not at the regular 11am Covid press conference with Gladys Berejiklian.

'To minimise movement and protect our communities from the evolving Covid-19 situation in Sydney, stay-at-home orders will be introduced for all of regional NSW from 5pm tonight,' Barilaro wrote.

NSW Health have since released a statement stating that residents living outside of the Greater Sydney areas will be locked down until 12.01am on Sunday August 22.

'Following updated health advice from NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant, stay-at-home orders will apply to all people who live in regional NSW. This means the whole of New South Wales will be under stay at home restrictions from 5pm today.'

The new stay-at-home measures will replace any existing orders already in place in regional NSW.

New South Wales has shattered another record confirming 466 new coronavirus cases on Saturday morning as the state's ongoing Delta crisis deepens

On Saturday NSW Health announced all residents living outside of the Greater Sydney areas will be locked down until 12.01am on Sunday August 22

This means everyone must stay at home unless they have a reasonable excuse to leave, with residents unable to have visitors from outside their household including family and friends.

People fulfilling carers' responsibilities are permitted to have one visitor for compassionate reasons.

Two people who are in a relationship but do not live together may also visit each other.

All hospitality venues in regional areas must shut, including pubs, restaurants and cafes, except for takeaway.

Mask mandates are also in place and must be worn when working outdoors, by school staff, in outdoor markets, outdoor shopping strips, and in outdoor queues when waiting for takeaway services.

NSW Health has given a one-day grace period for planned weddings and funerals in regional areas which may still go ahead until 12.01am on Monday August 16 but only if guests are from areas that have not already been subject to a lockdown.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed she increased fines and slashed the exercise radius in Sydney to tackle the ongoing outbreak

NSW fragile fragile rural and regional health system is unable to cope with the surging Sydney cases

From Monday, only small funerals and memorial services of 10 persons will be permitted in the regions.

The Australian Medical Association has also released a statement with AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen claiming the health system can 'no longer manage' surging cases.

'The piecemeal approach to lockdown isn't working. It creates an 'us versus them' mentality between LGAs, when really, we need to treat this virus like it's everywhere, all the time. Every person in NSW must play their part or more people are going to get sick and sadly, more people are going to die,' the statement read.

'Doctors from across NSW are exhausted and concerned for their community. Our already fragile rural and regional health system will be unable to cope with increases in cases.

'Rural and regional doctors have supported their communities through bushfires, floods and Covid. Many have been unable to get locums or take leave.'

The statement also said healthcare professionals were ramping up efforts to vaccinate NSW residents but emphasised time was needed for the jabs to work.

'It's our worst day ever. We are in a really, extremely concerning situation,' Premier Berejiklian said on Saturday morning after the state recorded 466 new Covid cases

'Until we can get more jabs in arms, we need all residents to obey the restrictions.'

Earlier, Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed she would dramatically increase fines, slash the exercise radius in Sydney and call in more troops for suburban streets to tackle the spiralling situation.

She said the record numbers came from 130,000 tests and made Saturday 'the worst day for Sydney' in the pandemic.

The premier also admitted that of those 466 cases, a staggering 390 were likely to have been infectious in community.

There were also four deaths confirmed overnight including a man in his 70s, a man in his 80s, a woman in her 40s and a woman in her 70s. The woman in her 40s was in palliative care and unvaccinated.

'It's our worst day ever. We are in a really, extremely concerning situation,' Premier Berejiklian said.

'This is the worst situation New South Wales has been in since day one, and as a consequence of that, the worst situation Australia has been in.

All of regional NSW is set to join Sydney in a statewide lockdown from 5pm Saturday, with NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro confirming the move via Twitter

There are 345 infections that are still under investigation, with the potential for people infectious in public at an all-time high

'When your largest state is so heavily impacted, it has an impact on the national economy and health system.

'We will get through this. But September and October will be very difficult.'

NSW Police will enforce Operation Stay At Home at midnight on Sunday which will see a swathe of new restrictions and mandates in place.

Residents will see the radius they are allowed to travel in reduced from 10 kilometres to just five, with fines for breaching health orders increased dramatically.

There will be $5,000 fines for anyone caught breaching quarantine, lying on a permit or contact tracing. This amount is up from the $1,000 police were giving out at the start of the latest lockdown.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed the figures from 130,000 tests, saying it was 'the worst day for Sydney' so far in the pandemic

GREATER SYDNEY NEW RESTRICTIONS AND FINES - SATURDAY * Residents living in Greater Sydney must be given a permit to leave the region * Travel radius for residents of Greater Sydney reduced from 10km to 5km * Residents are also unable to visit their second homes except for under special circumstances * $5,000 fines for breaching quarantine, lying on a permit or contact tracing * $3,000 fines for breaching two-person exercise limit and wrongfully entering regional NSW * Those who are eligible for the singles bubble in 12 LGAs of concern must register their companion online * These LGAs are Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield, and parts of Penrith * $320 payment plan for those having to isolate while awaiting test results and are unable to work will also be set up Advertisement

Sydneysiders - and those in the regions - will be handed a $3,000 fine for breaching the two-person exercise limit. There will also be $3,000 fines for Sydneysiders found wrongfully found entering regional NSW.

'From Monday there will be 500 extra ADF officers on the ground as well, following a request by NSW Police,' Premier Berejiklian said.

'From Monday, the health orders will be formally enforced from midnight, however between now and then police will still be able to impose these additional fines, even though the health orders kick in on Monday morning.'

Berejiklian also identified new changes to be made to the 'singles bubble' which refers to people who live on their own nominating a person who can visit them.

'In affected local government areas you will need to register your single buddies so people are not abusing that rule,' she said.

She reiterated there has been no cases linked to people operating under the singles bubble but the new restrictions are being imposed to ensure spread doesn't occur.

Of the four deaths confirmed on Saturday, the man in his 70s died at Liverpool Hospital while the man in his 80s and woman in her 40s died at Concord Hospital.

A woman in her 70s from south-western Sydney died at Campbelltown Hospital.

Travel freedoms within the state have also been altered significantly after it was found a number of Sydney residents were exploiting loopholes and exposing regional areas to the virus.

Zoran Radovanovic, 52, from Sydney's suburb of Rose Bay is being treated for the virus in Lismore Hospital after allegedly driving 720km to Byron Bay to view a property.

'You will need a permit [to travel to regional NSW], which will be effective from next Saturday but between now and then police can stop you and seek evidence for what you are doing,' the premier said.

There were 26 infections recorded in western NSW including Dubbo, Walgett and Wellington.

Sydneysiders will be handed a $3,000 fine for breaching the two-person exercise limit

Sydneysiders will wake up to a harsher lockdown after a string of new rules were enforced following 390 new Covid cases on Friday

'This is the worst situation New South Wales has been in since day one, and as a consequence of that, the worst situation Australia has been in'

Fines of $5,000 will be handed out to those breaching public health orders, a huge jump from the previous $1,000 penalty (pictured police in Bondi)

Zoran Radovanovic has been charged by police after he sent Byron Bay into a snap lockdown for allegedly driving from Sydney while infected with coronavirus

In positive news a $320 cash payment will be offered to anyone who needs to isolate after taking a Covid test - and would be financially effected for doing so - in a bid to prevent potentially infected residents going in to work.

'We have the $320 immediate payment now available, so if people are waiting at home, they have access to the disaster payment if they are out of work but if there is somebody who was working who has been asked to stay home for various reasons they are waiting for their results, they will be eligible for the $320 payment,' Berejiklian said.

The payment plan for those unable to work while awaiting Covid test results will be limited to nine LGAs that have been hit the hardest in the recent outbreak.

The payments may be extended beyond those areas if needed and will operate in a similar way to the $450 plan Victoria introduced last year in a bid to stop people from going to work while potentially infected.

For those eligible for the singles bubble, they will now have to register the names of their companion online to make it easier for police carrying out compliance checks.

The restrictions apply to those living in the 12 LGAs of concern - which include Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield, and parts of Penrith.

Residents in Greater Sydney are unable to go between multiple houses they own under the new restrictions

Residents eligible for the singles bubble in 12 LGAs of concern must register their companions online. These LGAs are Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield, and parts of Penrith

Residents will need a permit to leave Greater Sydney under the new rules enforced on Friday night

The bubble was set up at the end of last month so those living alone could have a designated visitor as long as they live within 5km of each other.

Police Minister David Elliott put forward the idea after noticing residents were taking advantage of the loophole.

'The problem is people were abusing the singles bubble,' he said.

'We had cases of blokes visiting Kylie's house on Friday, Michelle's house on Saturday and then it was over to Caroline's house on Sunday.

'That's how this thing has spread.'

Meanwhile, fragments of the virus have been found in the sewage treatment plant in the outback NSW town of Broken Hill - where there are no confirmed cases.

'This is of particular concern... everyone in the area is urged to monitor for the onset of symptoms, and if they appear, to immediately be tested and isolate until a negative result is received,' NSW Health said.

A dozen new venues have been added to the state's list of exposure sites including a medical centre in Dubbo and a Thai restaurant in Newcastle - sparking fears regional parts of the state could see similar outbreaks to that of Sydney.

Residents from Newcastle, Cessnock, Dungog, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Muswellbrook, Port Stephens and Singleton local government areas were due to be freed from lockdown on Friday morning but will remain confined to their homes until next Thursday.

Dubbo was also thrown into lockdown at 1pm on Wednesday.

Several venues in Dubbo, central NSW, have been listed as exposure sites with 26 active cases linked to the area (pictured queue at testing site in Dubbo)

NEW NSW EXPOSURE SITES Anyone who attended the following venues during the times listed must immediately get tested and isolate until receiving further advice from NSW Health: Merrylands, Trims Fresh Merrylands - Friday 6 August from 11:05am to 11:15am St Marys, Aldi - Sunday 8 August from 2:30pm to 6:30pm, Monday 9 August from 7:00am to 1:00pm and Tuesday 10 August from 6:00am to 3:00pm Seven Hills, Garrad's Pest Control Supply - Monday 9 August from 8:00am to 5:00pm, Tuesday 10 August from 8:00am to 5:00pm, Sunday 8 August from 8:00am to 5:00pm Jesmond, R-Harn Thai Eatery - Monday 9 August from 5:35pm to 6:00pm Anyone who attended the following venues at the times listed is a close contact and must get tested and isolate for 14 days since they were there, regardless of the result: Jesmond, Priceline Pharmacy - Wednesday 4 August from 12:50pm to 12:55pm Dubbo, Bawrunga Medical Services - Wednesday 4 August from 4:45pm to 5:45pm Strathfield, Sydney Haejanggook Restaurant - Sunday 8 August from 7:30am to 10:00pm and Monday 9 August from 7:30am to 10:00pm Ultimo, Building D, Tafe Ultimo - Monday 9 August from 4:30am to 12:30pm and Tuesday 10 August from 4:30am to 12:30pm Dubbo, Snap Fitness, Gymnastic Area - Tuesday 10 August from 4:30pm to 5:30pm Dubbo, Dubbo Sportsworld - Tuesday 10 August from 4:45pm to 6:00pm Dubbo, Blues Meats - Wednesday 11 August from 1:20pm to 1:30pm Dubbo, United Petrol Station - Thursday 12 August from 12:20pm to 12:40pm Advertisement
The United States and Qatar are reportedly finalizing a deal to temporarily house thousands of Afghans who helped the U.S. military and their families as conflict between the Taliban and the Afghan government continues to escalate.

As many as 8,000 people from Afghanistan could be temporarily housed in Doha, Qatar, while awaiting decisions on their Special Immigration Visas (SIV) to the United States, a source told CNN.

The source told CNN that, if US diplomats are able to make the deal with Qatar, an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 Afghans would arrive in Doha 'soon.'

'We are evaluating all available options. We have no announcements to make on third-country relocation sites for Afghan SIV applicants,' a spokesperson for the US State Department told the outlet.

DailyMail.com has confirmed that Qatar officials are 'in advanced discussions' to house thousands of Afghan citizens.

Special Immigrant Visa applicant Aman Ali Hossain shows a Certificate of Appreciation from the United States Navy, for his work as a combat linguist in 2013 in Helmand province, while seeking help with his visa application at Herat Kabul Internet cafe on August 8, 2021 in Kabul

Special Immigrant Visa applicant Ayazudin Hilal poses with his family at his home July 26, 2021 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Ayazudin worked as a combat translator with the US Army in Kunar province for three years on the front line

Smoke rises after fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel in the city of Kandahar, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan on Thursday

A Taliban fighter holds a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) along the roadside in Herat, Afghanistan's third biggest city, on Friday

Photos and documents are seen that attest to Abdul Rashid Shirzad's time working as a translator with the US military are pictured on a table on July 21 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Shirzad worked for more than two years with the Navy Seals. His SIV application was denied without any explanation in 2016, two years after his stint with U.S. special operations forces ended

DailyMail.com has reached out to the government in Qatar, as well as the State Department, for more information and additional comment.

President Joe Biden's administration has been holding secret talks with other countries in a desperate attempt to secure deals to temporarily house the at-risk Afghans, four US officials told Reuters.

The Biden administration has explored having Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan take in thousands of applicants, but that effort has made little progress.

The White House has also had discussions with such countries as Kosovo and Albania - which underscores the administration's desire to protect Afghans from Taliban reprisals while safely completing the process of approving their US visas.

With the Taliban swiftly tightening their grip on Afghanistan, the United States announced on Thursday it would send 1,000 personnel to Qatar in bid to speed up processing SIV applications.

Zarmina Kakar a women's rights activist cry during an interview in Kabul, Afghanistan on Friday. Kakar was a year old when the Taliban entered Kabul the first time in 1996, and recalled a time when her mother took her out to buy her ice cream, back when the Taliban ruled. Her mother was whipped by a Taliban fighter for revealing her face for a couple of minutes

Internally displaced Afghans from northern provinces who fled due to fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel take refuge in a public park in Kabul on Friday

Afghans inspect a damaged building after airstrikes in Lashkar Gah on Sunday after airstrikes in southern Afghanistan reportedly damaged a health care clinic and high school in the capital of Helmand province

Afghans take refuge in a public park Kabul on Friday after the Taliban completed their sweep of the country's south

Taliban fighters stand guard inside the city of Ghazni, southwest of Kabul on Friday

Qatar, a peninsular nation surrounded by Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf, is about 600 miles from Kabul as the crow flies - and houses a large US military base.

Afghans who served as interpreters for the US government and in other jobs are entitled to apply for the SIV program.

So far, about 1,200 Afghans have been evacuated to the United States and that number is set to rise to 3,500 in the coming weeks under 'Operation Allies Refuge.'

Some of those Afghans are going to a US military base in Virginia to finalize their paperwork, and others directly to US hosts.

Abdullah Abdullah, the Chairman of Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation, arrives for Afghan peace talks in Doha, Qatar on Thursday

Abdul Salam Hanafi, member of the Taliban negotiating team and the Taliban delegation, arrive for Afghan peace talks in Doha, Qatar on Thursday

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, pictured, reportedly spoke with his Qatari counterpart on Thursday to thank the country

An aerial view shows Doha, the capital of Qatar, where recent peace talks have been held

The 1,200 Afghans evacuated are but a fraction of the 21,000 people in the SIV application pipeline and the Biden administration is still struggling to find temporary homes for the evacuees.

Advocates estimate the total number of evacuees under the SIV program at between 50,000 and 80,000 when family members are included.

Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, president of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service resettlement organization, called it 'deeply troubling' that the US has 'no concrete plan in place to evacuate allies who are clearly in harm's way.'

'It is baffling why the administration has been taking so long in order to secure these agreements,' she said.

Some countries were hesitant to take in Afghans because of concerns about the quality of security vetting and health screening for COVID-19 before they were allowed to fly, two officials told Reuters.

The United States has offered economic and political concessions to Kosovo for taking in several thousand Afghans, but there is concern in Washington about its ability to house the Afghans, sources said.

Special Immigrant Visa applicant Ayazudin Hilal, right, receives a Mission Essential Personnel Heart Award in 2011 in Kunar province, where Ayazudin was working as a combat translator

SIV applicant Ayazudin Hilal, left, is pictured in 2011 in Kunar province, where Ayazudin was working as a combat translator

Afghan Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants crowd into the Herat Kabul Internet cafe seeking help applying for the SIV program on August 8, 2021 in Kabul, Afghanistan

Many Afghans are in desperate need of assistance completing the forms and obtaining required human resources letters, a particular challenge for those whose US government work ended years ago

Dawlatt Naimati, 22, from Kunduz, stands outside the Herat Kabul Internet cafe where she is seeking help applying for the U.S. Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) on August 8, 2021 in Kabul

SIV applicant Nazifa Sultani, 43, poses near her home on July 31, 2021 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Nazifa was a maid who worked from 2014 to 2021 for various security companies, including US and UK government contractors, cleaning their villas

James Miervaldis, chairman of the board of No One Left Behind, an organization that helps SIV applicants get to the United States, said there now appeared to be little chance that most of the SIV applicants will be evacuated.

'The math and the timeline just do not add up,' he said. 'Those people are not going to be able to leave.'

The issue has been closely watched by lawmakers in Congress, including Biden's allies.

'We have to follow through on our promises to the thousands of Afghans who risked their lives to help us. It's time for the Biden (administration) to cut the red tape and get this done,' said Democratic congresswoman Sara Jacobs.

On Friday, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani - a member of the Qatar's ruling Al Thani family - released a statement on Twitter praising the 'positive results' from the meetings

Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with his Qatari counterpart on Thursday to thank the country for supporting 'U.S. efforts to provide safety and security to Afghan nationals,' CNN reported.

Representatives from the Taliban and the Afghanistan government held talks with envoys from countries - including the U.S., United Nations, Pakistan and China - this week in making steps toward peace.

On Friday, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani - a member of the Qatar's ruling Al Thani family - released a statement on Twitter praising the 'positive results' from the meetings.

'We welcome the positive results of the international meeting on the peace process in Afghanistan in Doha,' the foreign minister tweeted.

'[We] call on all participating parties to take more steps towards building confidence and intensify efforts to reach a political settlement and a comprehensive ceasefire as soon as possible.'

In a statement to DailyMail.com, Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the foreign minister met with Head of the Political Office of the Taliban Movement Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and his accompanying delegation on Saturday.

The ministry said the meeting dealt with reviewing the latest developments in Afghanistan at the security and political levels. The meeting also followed up on the peace talks taking place in Doha.

'HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, during the meeting, called on Taliban to de-escalate and agree to a ceasefire, to contribute to efforts aimed at speeding up the process aimed at reaching a comprehensive political resolution that guarantees a prosperous future for Afghanistan's government and people,' the statement reads.

'The State of Qatar, in cooperation with the United Nations and international partners, continues its efforts that have been ongoing for many years to establish peace, security, and stability in Afghanistan.'

The ministry noted participants in international meetings in Doha about the state of Afghanistan also 'stressed that they will not recognize any government in Afghanistan that is imposed using military force.'

Former Emir of Qatar Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who ruled Qatar from 1995 until 2013 when he abdicated the throne, has previously held peace talks between the U.S. and the Taliban throughout the War on Terror.
Hooligan drivers spotted doing 'donuts' on a popular beach inches away from children have convinced cops to crackdown on four-wheel drive use at the tourist spot.

Footage captured from inside a lifeguard patrol ute on August 13 shows a red 4WD swerving dangerously around Teewah Beach in the Cooloola recreation area.

The ute is very close to children who are fishing on the shoreline. The ute continues to make several tire patterns in the sand before coming to a halt next to a tent filled with people.

As the lifeguards approach the driver again takes off, throwing the tail of the car around in shallow water before driving erratically towards a group of people walking on the beach.

The video was shared on the Queensland Environment Department Facebook page and the post suggests visitors may be stopped from using the area because of the actions of the driver.

'We're reviewing visitor capacities for the Cooloola Recreation Area following ongoing poor behaviour and unsafe activities by some visitors to Teewah Beach,' the post reads.

Footage captured by Queensland lifeguards shows a red ute swerving violently and doing donuts on a popular Teewah beach in the Cooloola recreation area

'Some people were risking their own safety and the safety of others by treating Teewah Beach as a drag strip.

'The ongoing Operation Sand Strike between us and the Queensland Police Service highlights the dangerous risk-taking activities of some drivers'.

Facebook users were outraged at the dangerous driving in the footage, calling for the driver's national park permits to be cancelled.

The driver swerves near children fishing before pulling up next to a tent and violently speeding off towards walkers while fish-tailing down the beach

'Cancel their permits straight away. Then start a registry and blacklist offenders names/vehicle rego from getting future permits to ALL national parks and beaches ever again,' one commenter wrote.

Another added: 'Punish the criminals, not the population. I should be able to take my family for a trip without fear of them getting squashed by hoons.

'And as a law abiding citizen who pays my fair share for track maintenance and policing, I should be able to do it whenever I like.'
The ACT has recorded just one new Covid case on Saturday as health officials scramble to work out how a Canberra high school student contracted the virus despite not having a known link to any other infectious site or person.

On Saturday morning ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr announced Australia's capital had identified one case, bringing the territory's total active infections to seven.

Minister Barr confirmed the additional case was a close contact of a previous infection.

The ACT has recorded one locally acquired case that is linked to a previous Covid-19 infection

A record high of 4,500 tests were collected across the territory with an additional pop-up clinic set up specifically in relation to the Gold Creek Holy Spirit schools in Gungahlin.

'We appreciate that there is significant demand for testing. Yesterday at Exhibition Park a test was conducted every 45 seconds. We have increased capacity at Exhibition Park today and we anticipate the tests being able to be conducted every 30 seconds,' said Minister Barr.

During Saturday's press conference ACT Minister for Health Rachel Steven Smith took the opportunity to apologise over reports cars were turned away from a drive-in clinic after spending hours queuing for a test.

'Unfortunately there were quite a number of cars that had more than one person needing to be tested and that meant that there were just a few cars at the end of the day that had to be turned away,' Smith said.

'We apologise for that but it is also really important that we continue to look after our staff and continue to look after the public.'

The ramp up in testing comes as a 14-year-old student from Gold Creek School has left health authorities baffled on how the teen contracted the virus after no known links to exposure sites.

On Saturday ACT Minister for Health Rachel Steven Smith apologised over reports cars being turned away from a Covid-19 drive-in testing clinic

Urgent genomic testing is underway after the student attended the school in the capital's north, while infectious from Monday August 9 to Wednesday August 11.

The teenager had not travelled outside the territory or visited any of the listed exposure site venues in the ACT.

During Saturday's Covid-19 press conference chief health officer Kerryn Coleman said they are still investigating the Gold Creek student case.

'I am pleased that we locked down when we did. It was definitely the right decision and it has clearly reduced the risk to our community,' said ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr

'We have no further update, genomic sequencing is still being conducted' she said.

Despite the positive case ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr considered it good news for the territory but said they were taking it 'one day at a time.'

'I am pleased that we locked down when we did. It was definitely the right decision and it has clearly reduced the risk to our community, so that was absolutely thing to do,' he said.

A pop-up testing clinic has been set up in relation to the myster Covid-19 case of 14-year-old student from Gold Creek School with no known links to exposure sites

All students and teachers at the Golden Creek school are being treated as close contacts.

Students and staff at the Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School are being considered casual contacts, as they share some services and facilities with the neighbouring school.

With the ACT in lockdown until at least Thursday, Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the territory would need to record no local cases before an end to the lockdown could be announced.

'The most important thing is what we can do ... over the weekend to ensure that we get to the close contacts, get them in isolation so that they are not a risk to people in the community.'

The ACT is in lockdown until at least Thursday, with Chief Minister Andrew Barr saying the territory would need to record no local cases before an end to the lockdown is in sight

There are almost 4000 close and casual contacts under investigation.

Mr Barr was frustrated at some ACT residents who left the city, mainly heading to the NSW south coast, ahead of the lockdown coming into force.

A 20-year-old Canberra man was charged with breaching coronavirus restrictions and assaulting police shortly after the lockdown began.

Police will be highly visible over the weekend in the ACT and NSW enforcing public health orders.

Faced with overwhelming demand for testing, the ACT government is bolstering staff at existing centres and opening sites at Gold Creek and Brindabella.

It is also seeking to reduce demand by asking Canberrans not to get tested unless they have symptoms or have been identified as a close contact by ACT Health.

Federal support has been made available to workers who lose hours and businesses forced to temporarily close.
A rogue protester gatecrashed the NSW Covid press conference on Saturday morning to yell out a bizarre reference to WWII.

The unidentified man cried out 'Nuremberg 2.0' seconds before NSW police commissioner Mick Fuller spoke to the waiting pack of journalists.

Mr Fuller was visibly unimpressed by the interruption, glaring at the anonymous protester before speaking about the fines residents would now be subject to under the harsher Greater Sydney lockdown.

The term Nuremberg is infamous for a series of war trials held in Germany between 1945 and 1946, soon after the end of World War Two.

The trials resulted in a number of former Nazi leaders being indicted and tried as war criminals by the International Military Tribunal.

Sydney residents can expect even tougher restrictions and bigger fines after 466 new cases on Saturday (pictured, people exercising on the Bay Run in Sydney's inner-west)

The protester's phrase refers to an online conspiracy theory perpetuating Covid-19 is a hoax and all individuals and organisations involved in managing the pandemic - including governments - will one day be held accountable for their 'crimes against humanity'.

According to the ABC, google trends even show an increase in searches for the Nuremberg trials and 'Nuremberg trials 2021'.

Among many misleading and false claims attributed to German-American lawyer Dr Reiner Fuellmich are suggestions that Covid-19 vaccines are 'in violation of all 10 of the Nuremberg Codes'.

The Nuremberg Code was a set of 10 principles developed in 1947 following the trials of Nazi doctors accused of running inhumane, and often deadly, experiments on concentration camp prisoners without their consent, according to Full Fact.

The first principle of the Code states that 'voluntary consent is essential'.

Conspiracy theorists hold the incorrect view that Covid vaccines are 'experimental', and that individuals are being coerced against their will into having the jab.

Full Fact stated the Nuremberg Code would 'only be relevant at the research trial stage of a vaccine's development, not its rollout to the general public'.

On Saturday, NSW recorded a staggering 466 new Covid cases, forcing the government to dramatically increase fines, slash the exercise radius in Sydney and call in more troops for suburban streets.

Ms Berejiklian said the numbers came from 130,000 tests and made Saturday 'the worst day for Sydney' in the pandemic - as the state fights a losing battle to contain the Indian delta strain despite seven weeks of lockdown.

There are 345 infections still under investigation, with the potential for 390 residents to have been infectious while in the community.

There were also four deaths confirmed overnight, including a man in his 70s, a man in his 80s, a woman in her 40s and a woman in her 70s. The woman in her 40s was in palliative care and unvaccinated.

'It's our worst day ever. We are in a really, extremely concerning situation,' Ms Berejiklian said.

From Monday, NSW police (pictured) can issue fines of fines of $5,000 for those found breaching public health orders

'This is the worst situation NSW has been in since day one, and as a consequence of that, the worst situation Australia has been in.

'We will get through this. But September and October will be very difficult.'

From Monday, residents living in Greater Sydney will need a permit to leave the region - and anyone found breaching public health orders will be be fined $5,000 - instead of the $1,000 previously handed out.

Restrictions still apply to those living in the 12 LGAs of concern - which include Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield, and parts of Penrith.

So far, just 24.4 per cent of people in NSW are fully vaccinated and close to three million people still need to get a second Covid vaccine shot for 70 per cent of the population, aged 16 and over, to be properly protected.
Police in New Jersey were called on Friday to an unexplained barrel in a quiet road - and inside found human remains.

Officers attended the scene in Ridgefield Park - a town of 13,000 people, just across the Hudson River from Manhattan - at around 10.30am on Friday.

People living on the corner of Hobart Street and Teaneck Road said they believe the container was dropped off overnight, between 1-6am on Friday.

Local news website Daily Voice reported that victim was female, and forensic experts were trying to establish how she died.

Police in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, on Friday were called to reports of a strange barrel left in the street (pictured)

Officers are seen inspecting the green barrel, in footage obtained by CBS News

Mark Musella, Bergen County prosecutor, confirmed the grim discovery.

'Human remains were located in the container, and the circumstances of the death and the origin of the container are being investigated,' he said.

The barrel was dusted for fingerprints and was eventually put into a large black van and taken away just after 2.30pm.

Jim Donohue, who has lived in Ridgefield Park for decades, told North Jersey.com that he was riding his bike when he noticed a helicopter flying overhead, and a heavy police presence in a residential neighborhood.

Local residents told of their shock at the grim discovery in their neighborhood

The corner where the barrel was found in Ridgefield Park was described by locals as unremarkable

He described the area as 'quiet,' with 'very little crime'.

Since 1986 there have been only six homicides, according to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program.

The most recent murder was in 2010.

'It's so scary to know that somebody just stuffed somebody in a barrel, like they are nothing,' one resident told CBS 2.

'It's so scary. That's really brutal.

'I hope they caught whoever it was because I don't want to have to look over my shoulder.

'I want my kids to be able to play outside.'
A visit to a handy website is all you need to do to make sure of exactly how far away you can travel after Gladys Berejiklian changed lockdown laws across NSW on Saturday.

From midnight Sunday locked-down residents in Greater Sydney and the rest of NSW have been told they cannot travel further than 5km from their home.

The tightened restrictions were announced as the city struggles to control an ever-growing outbreak of the contagious Indian delta strain of Covid-19.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced 466 new cases were recorded on Saturday, with a staggering 390 likely to have been infectious in the community.

A handy website (pictured) will show you a five-kilometre radius from your home address

For those who don't know exactly where the 5km boundary from their house extends, there is an easy way to check.

The website KM From Home allows users to enter their address and see a red circle on a map which will indicate where they can travel to.

The website was established after Ireland brought in a similar radius rule last year and has now been tweaked for use anywhere.

To use the service simply allow the website to access your location - a popup will appear - or you can type your address or even drag a pin to the correct point on the map.

Click here to use the service.

GREATER SYDNEY'S NEW RESTRICTIONS AND FINES - SATURDAY AUGUST 14 * Residents living in Greater Sydney must be given a permit to leave the region * Travel radius for residents of Greater Sydney reduced from 10km to 5km * Residents are also unable to visit their second homes except for under special circumstances * $5,000 fines for breaching quarantine, lying on a permit or contact tracing * $3,000 fines for breaching two-person exercise limit and wrongfully entering regional NSW * Those who are eligible for the singles bubble in 12 LGAs of concern must register their companion online * These LGAs are Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield, and parts of Penrith * $320 payment plan for those having to isolate while awaiting test results and are unable to work will also be set up Advertisement

New restrictions are being enforced from midnight Sunday, limiting people to travelling only 5km outside of their home as NSW records 466 new cases on Saturday

Residents in NSW have been hit with a swathe of new restrictions.

From midnight on Sunday the travel radius for residents has been reduced to 5km, with fines being bumped up to $5,000 for breaching quarantine, lying on a permit or contract tracing.

$3,000 fines will be issued for breaching the two-person exercise limit or wrongfully entering regional NSW.

Those who are eligible for the singles bubble in the 12 LGAs of concern must register their companion online.

The 12 LGAs of concern include Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield, and parts of Penrith.

A $320 payment plan has also been set up for those having to isolate and who are unable to work while waiting for test results.
The Afghan taliban tightened their territorial stranglehold around Kabul on Saturday, as refugees from the insurgents' relentless offensive flooded the capital and US Marines returned to oversee emergency evacuations.

With the country's second and third-largest cities having fallen into Taliban hands, Kabul has effectively become the besieged, last stand for government forces who have offered little or no resistance elsewhere.

Insurgent fighters are now camped just 50 kilometers (30 miles) away, leaving the United States and other countries scrambling to airlift their nationals out of Kabul ahead of a feared all-out assault.

US embassy staff were ordered to begin shredding and burning sensitive material, as units from a planned re-deployment of 3,000 American troops started arriving to secure the airport and oversee the evacuations.

A state department spokesperson said it was 'standard operating procedure' to destroy sensitive material and logos for embassy drawdowns to avoid propaganda efforts.

A US official said two battalions of Marines and one infantry battalion will arrive in Kabul by Sunday evening, involving about 3,000 troops.

'They have arrived, their arrival will continue 'til tomorrow,' the U.S. official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

An infantry brigade combat team will also move out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to Kuwait to act as a quick reaction force for security in Kabul if needed, the Pentagon has said.

A Taliban fighter looks on as he stands at the city of Ghazni, Afghanistan

For Kabul residents and the tens of thousands who have sought refuge there in recent weeks, the overwhelming mood was one of confusion and fear of what lies ahead

The Taliban standing on a roadside in Kandahar after taking over more parts of Afghanistan. The scale and speed of the Taliban advance has shocked Afghans and the US-led alliance that poured billions into the country

Plumes of smoke rise into the sky after fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel in Kandahar

The Taliban has rapidly seized provinces in Afghanistan since the US left. They inciting violence and fear in the citizens of Kabul as they move closer to seizing the city

Kabul has been surrounded by Taliban seized land and the citizens who have moved there for safety are now fearful

A host of European countries - including Britain, Germany, Denmark and Spain - all announced the withdrawal of personnel from their respective embassies on Friday.

For Kabul residents and the tens of thousands who have sought refuge there in recent weeks, the overwhelming mood was one of confusion and fear of what lies ahead.

'We don't know what is going on,' one resident, Khairddin Logari, told AFP.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was 'deeply disturbed' by accounts of poor treatment of women in areas seized by the Taliban, who imposed an ultra-austere brand of Islam on Afghanistan during their 1996-2001 rule.

Taliban fighters are going door-to-door and forcibly marrying girls as young as 12 and forcing them into sex slavery as they seize vast swathes of the Afghanistan government forces.

Jihadist commanders have ordered imams in areas they have captured to bring them lists of unmarried women aged from 12 to 45 for their soldiers to marry because they view them as 'qhanimat' or 'spoils of war' - to be divided up among the victors.

Fighters have then been going door-to-door to claim their 'prizes', even looking through the wardrobes of families to establish the ages of girls before forcing them into a life of sexual servitude.

'It is particularly horrifying and heartbreaking to see reports of the hard-won rights of Afghan girls and women being ripped away,' Guterres said.

The Taliban is also killing Afghan government troops who surrender, the US claimed.

The US Embassy in Kabul has been ordered to destroy sensitive materials as Biden sends in 3,000 troops to help evacuate

The US Embassy in Kabul has been ordered to destroy sensitive materials - including papers, computers, and anything with logos on it - to avoid it being used in propaganda

Taliban fighters drive an Afghan National Army vehicle through a street in Kandahar

Video taken in Faryab province last month did appear to show Taliban fighters massacring 22 Afghan commandos after they had surrendered, including the son of a well-known general.

Hundreds of government troops have surrendered to the Taliban since fighting escalated in May with the withdrawal of US troops - some without firing a shot, others after being cut off and surrounded with little or no chance of reinforcement or resupply from the government in Kabul.

The Taliban has now seized around two-thirds of the country from the government in a little over three months, with ten cities falling to the jihadists in the last week alone - while several others are on the verge of being captured.

The scale and speed of the Taliban advance has shocked Afghans and the US-led alliance that poured billions into the country after toppling the Taliban in the wake of the September 11 attacks nearly 20 years ago.

Days before a final US withdrawal ordered by President Joe Biden, individual soldiers, units and even whole divisions have surrendered -- handing the insurgents even more vehicles and military hardware to fuel their lightning advance.

Despite the frantic evacuation efforts, the Biden administration continues to insist that a complete Taliban takeover is not inevitable.

'Kabul is not right now in an imminent threat environment,' Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Friday, while acknowledging that Taliban fighters were 'trying to isolate' the city.

Officials took pains to avoid describing the operation as an evacuation as they announced that the State Department would reduce its civilian footprint of 4000 people to a 'core diplomatic presence.'

'Our embassy remains open and our diplomatic mission will endure,' said State Department spokesperson Ned Price on Thursday.

The moves triggered fresh questions about whether Biden had been right to announce a complete withdrawal, 20 years U.S. forces and allies ousted the Taliban from Kabul.

Officials insist they always had contingency plans to help American staff leave safely but critics said the result was chaos.

Even allies have expressed concern. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said the Trump administration had forged a 'rotten deal' with the Taliban that risked allowing terrorists to return.

'I've been pretty blunt about it publicly and that's quite a rare thing when it comes to United States decisions, but strategically it causes a lot of problems and as an international community, it's very difficult for what we're seeing today,' he told Sky News.

The Taliban offensive has accelerated in recent days, with the capture of Herat in the north and, just hours later, the seizure of Kandahar - the group's spiritual heartland in the south.

Kandahar resident Abdul Nafi told AFP the city was calm after government forces abandoned it for the sanctuary of military facilities outside, where they were negotiating terms of surrender.

'I came out this morning, I saw Taliban white flags in most squares of the city,' he said. 'I thought it might be the first day of Eid.'

Eid is one of two celebrations in the Islamic faith.

Pro-Taliban social media accounts have boasted of the vast spoils of war captured by the insurgents - posting photos of armored vehicles, heavy weapons, and even a drone seized by their fighters at abandoned military bases.

Taliban militants gather around after taking control of Lashlar Gah in Helmand on August 13. The Taliban now controls almost 60 per cent of the country

In Herat, the Taliban captured long-time strongman Ismail Khan, who helped lead the defense of the provincial capital along with his militia fighters.

Pul-e-Alam, capital of Loghar province, was the latest city to fall on Friday, putting the Taliban within striking distance of Kabul.

Helicopters flitted back and forth between Kabul's airport and the sprawling US diplomatic compound in the heavily fortified Green Zone - 46 years after choppers evacuated Americans from Saigon, signaling the end of the Vietnam War.

The US-led evacuation is focused on thousands of people, including embassy employees, and Afghans and their families who fear retribution for working as interpreters or in other support roles for the United States.

Pentagon spokesman Kirby said that most of the troops shepherding the evacuation would be in place by Sunday and 'will be able to move thousands per day' out of Afghanistan.

'Capacity is not going to be a problem,' he said.
Gladys Berejiklian's new 'singles bubble' registrar will inadvertently become a list of who's sleeping with who as part of a broader NSW-wide crackdown designed to track daily movements.

The premier announced the introduction of a form at Saturday's press conference that asks individuals to 'sign up' their 'single buddy' to in order to have them in your house.

It was originally invented to give those living alone during lockdown a 'buddy' to socialise with but the new mandate will allow the government to keep track of who is sleeping with who - and it's now known who will have access to the information.

'Unfortunately some people were trying to get around the rules imposed,' the premier said on Saturday morning, hinting that singles were visiting more than one person.

'In affected local government areas you will need to register your single buddies so people are not abusing that rule.'

She reiterated there has been no known cases linked to people operating under the singles bubble but the new restrictions are being imposed to ensure spread doesn't occur.

'We can't predict where things will go but we can certainly take precautionary measures, and that's why we are taking those precautionary measures,' Berejiklian said.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the introduction of a portal people must sign up with in order to comply with the 'Singles Buddy' mandate - brought in to support people living alone

Sydneysiders woke up to a harsher lockdown after a string of new rules were enforced following a record 466 new Covid cases on Saturday

Despite the announcement, no form to register a lover is live on the government website as of Saturday afternoon.

NSW hit a record 466 new Covid cases on Saturday including 26 in the western regions, forcing the government to introduce a state-wide lockdown for seven days.

There are currently 12 LGA's of major concern as dictated by the NSW government: Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield, and some suburbs of Penrith.

Anyone living in the listed LGAs can only have a single buddy who also lives within their same LGA.

While people in Greater Sydney cannot travel more than 5km from their home, there is no restriction on visiting a partner based on 'compassionate grounds'.

While people in Sydney cannot travel more than 5km from their home, there is no restriction on visiting a partner based on compassionate grounds, which include mental health reasons

Premier Berejiklian identified new changes to be made to the 'singles bubble' which refers to people who live on their own nominating a person who can visit them

Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed the figures from 130,000 tests, saying it was 'the worst day for Sydney' so far in the pandemic

Alongside an update to the bubble, Berejiklian also dramatically increased fines, slashed the exercise radius in Sydney and called in hundreds more troops for suburban streets to tackle the spiralling situation.

She said the record 466 cases came from 130,000 tests and made Saturday 'the worst day for Sydney' in the pandemic - as the state fights a losing battle to contain the Indian delta strain despite seven weeks of lockdown.

The premier also admitted that of those 466 cases, a staggering 390 were likely to have been infectious in community, and admitted they were concerned by a growing outbreak in western NSW.

'It's our worst day ever. We are in a really, extremely concerning situation,' Premier Berejiklian said.

GREATER SYDNEY NEW RESTRICTIONS AND FINES - SATURDAY * Residents living in Greater Sydney must be given a permit to leave the region * Travel radius for residents of Greater Sydney reduced from 10km to 5km * Residents are also unable to visit their second homes except for under special circumstances * $5,000 fines for breaching quarantine, lying on a permit or contact tracing * $3,000 fines for breaching two-person exercise limit and wrongfully entering regional NSW * Those who are eligible for the singles bubble in 12 LGAs of concern must register their companion online * These LGAs are Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield, and parts of Penrith * $320 payment plan for those having to isolate while awaiting test results and are unable to work will also be set up Advertisement

'This is the worst situation New South Wales has been in since day one, and as a consequence of that, the worst situation Australia has been in.

'We will get through this. But September and October will be very difficult.'

Residents of Greater Sydney and the regions will see the radius they are allowed to travel in reduced from 10 kilometres to just five.

There will be $5,000 fines for anyone caught breaching quarantine, lying on a permit or contact tracing. This amount is up from the $1,000 police were giving out from the start of the latest lockdown.
A Woolworths, major regional train station and a shopping plaza have been added to the growing list of exposure sites dotted across NSW.

NSW Health has flagged several sites that were visited by Covid-19 cases in the state's regional suburbs in recent days.

Residents who exercised at Fitness Focus in Dubbo - specifically the gymnastics area - on Monday August 9 from 3.53pm to 5.50pm have been advised to get tested immediately and isolate for 14 days regardless of results.

Several sites in Woy Woy, on the Central Coast, have also been exposed to the virus including a Woolworths and the Deepwater Plaza shopping centre.

NSW will enter a seven-day statewide lockdown from 5pm after recording 466 new locally acquired cases of Covid-19 and four more deaths.

On the state's worst day during the pandemic so far, Deputy Premier John Barilaro said on Twitter the stay-at-home orders would be introduced on Saturday for all of regional NSW.

Dubbo residents (pictured) are asked to follow stay-at-home orders as positive cases grow

The Deepwater Plaza in Woy Woy, on the Central Coast, was exposed to the virus on August 11 from 11:40am to 12:20pm

Regional New South Wales Exposure Sites Anyone in attendance at the following venues at the following times must immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days regardless of the result: Dubbo - Fitness Focus - Monday August 9 from 3.53pm to 5.50pm Anyone in attendance at the following venues at the following times must immediately get tested and isolate until given a negative result: Woy Woy - Deepwater Plaza - Wednesday August 11 from 11:40am to 12:20pm Woy Woy - Woolworths - Sunday August 8 from 1:10pm to 1:55pm Central Coast and Newcastle Line, Strathfield Station to Wyong Station - Saturday July 31 from 9:59am to 11:34am Advertisement

'To minimise movement and protect our communities from the evolving Covid situation in Sydney, stay-at-home orders will be introduced for all of Regional NSW from 5pm tonight,' he said.

NSW Health have since released a statement stating that residents living outside of the Greater Sydney areas will be locked down until 12.01am on Sunday August 22.

The Central Coast and Newcastle train Line between Strathfield Station to Wyong Station was also exposed on Saturday July 31 from 9:59am to 11:34am.

After recording more than 2000 fresh cases in the past week, Saturday's infections have set a new record for case numbers in NSW - prompting a string of new restrictions.

The four deaths were a woman in her 40s, a man in his 70s, a woman in her 70s, and a man in his 80s.

This brings the number of coronavirus-related deaths to 43 during the current outbreak, with NSW recording 99 overall.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian described the outbreak as an 'extremely concerning situation' and told reporters on Saturday morning travel restrictions would be tightened in Greater Sydney effective from Monday.

'You can do activity within your local government area but instead of 10km from your home, it will be 5km from your home and that's for all of Greater Sydney,' she said.

The police presence will also ramp up in affected LGAs, with officers able to impose larger fines of $5000 for breaching public health orders.

'There will be a visible and increased police presence in the affected local government areas including deployment of specialised commands, and including the riot squad, highway patrol, and increased presence more broadly,' Ms Berejiklian said.

The Wyong train station has also been added to NSW's growing list of exposure sites

Police on horseback are seen patrolling in Bondi on Saturday following the enforcement of new restrictions

An additional 500 ADF personnel will be deployed on top of 300 already in NSW.

Also from next week, people in Greater Sydney will need a permit to travel to regional NSW while single people in affected LGAs will need to register their 'single buddies' online to make it easier for police conducting compliance checks.

Sydneysiders - and those in the regions - will also be handed a $3,000 fine for breaching the two-person exercise limit. There will also be $3,000 fines for Sydneysiders found wrongfully found entering regional NSW.

Ms Berejiklian told reporters people leaving their house for exercise had to be either actively exercising or supervising children.

'Exercise means exercise, many people know that but unfortunately some people were trying to get around the rules imposed,' she said.

In positive news a $320 cash payment will be offered to anyone who needs to isolate after taking a Covid test - and would be financially effected for doing so - in a bid to prevent potentially infected residents going in to work.

'We have the $320 immediate payment now available, so if people are waiting at home, they have access to the disaster payment if they are out of work but if there is somebody who was working who has been asked to stay home for various reasons they are waiting for their results, they will be eligible for the $320 payment,' Berejiklian said.

The Woolworths in Woy Woy has also been exposed to the virus following a record 466 cases announced on Saturday

New restrictions are now being enforced across NSW after record breaking Covid-19 cases were announced

The payment plan for those unable to work while awaiting Covid test results will be limited to nine LGAs that have been hit the hardest in the recent outbreak.

The biggest increases in case numbers in western Sydney were in Blacktown, Doonside, Mount Druitt, Maryland, Guildford and Auburn, the Premier said.

Of the new local cases, 121 are linked to known outbreaks and 345 are under investigation, while 87 people were in the community for all or part of the time they were infectious.

The isolation status of 303 people is also under investigation.

Sydneysiders will be handed a $3,000 fine for breaching the two-person exercise limit

Of the new local cases in NSW, 121 are linked to known outbreaks and 345 are under investigation

The new lockdown restrictions for regional NSW means everyone must stay at home unless they have a reasonable excuse to leave, with residents unable to have visitors from outside their household including family and friends.

People fulfilling carers' responsibilities are permitted to have one visitor for compassionate reasons.

Two people who are in a relationship but do not live together may also visit each other.

All hospitality venues in regional areas must shut, including pubs, restaurants and cafes, except for takeaway.

Mask mandates are also in place and must be worn when working outdoors, by school staff, in outdoor markets, outdoor shopping strips, and in outdoor queues when waiting for takeaway services.

NSW Health has given a one-day grace period for planned weddings and funerals in regional areas which may still go ahead until 12.01am on Monday August 16 but only if guests are from areas that have not already been subject to a lockdown.

From Monday, only small funerals and memorial services of 10 persons will be permitted in the regions.
An academic has proposed the school subject English be renamed after suggesting the name was an 'act of assimilation' for Indigenous Australians.

Dr Melitta Hogarth from the University of Melbourne raised the issue during her address at the Australian Association for the Teaching of English conference.

The Indigenous former schoolteacher suggested the subject to instead be called 'Language Arts' or 'Languages, Literacy and Communications'.

'It wasn't enough that First Nations peoples had been dispossessed of their lands, their children stolen but also their languages were silenced and it was dictated within the government controlled missions that English should be spoken,' she said.

Dr Melitta Hogarth from the University of Melbourne proposed the English school subject be renamed to 'Language Arts' or 'Languages, Literacy and Communications'

'A supposedly superior language, the language of the oppressor, and just to make sure you didn't know who the oppressor was let's call that subject English.

'So I'm left asking, is subject English just another act of assimilation?'

Not everyone was on board with her idea, including Federal Education Minister Alan Tudge who labelled it as 'nonsense'.

'This is not just political correctness gone mad, but it actually makes me angry that such views are in our universities' education faculties - the place that trains our future teachers,' he told the Courier Mail.

'Everyday Australians are just sick of this sort of rubbish that infects our universities.'

Not everyone was on board with the radical suggestion, with Federal Education Minister Alan Tudge labelling it as 'nonsense'

Dr Hogarth, who has taught Indigenous children in schools, said she expected her suggestion would provoke some 'outrage' but added she felt the title of English didn't properly describe what was studied in the subject.

Poll Do you think the subject English should be renamed? Yes No Do you think the subject English should be renamed? Yes 55 votes

No 1322 votes Now share your opinion





There was not one English language but 'many Englishes', she said.

'Within the rationale of subject English, it refers to the linguistic and cultural diversity of the country but then counters this by stating that you need to be able to communicate in Standard Australian English,' she said.

She said she hoped the education community would be open to new ideas and that her peers and colleagues had shown her great support.

Dr Hogarth is a Senior Research Fellow In Indigenous Education at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education and previously spent 20 years working in Queensland schools.
BBC journalist Sarah Rainsford revealed her 'devastation' at being expelled from Russia and told she can never return in move of retaliation by Kremlin.

Moscow correspondent Sarah Rainsford was told by the Russian authorities that her visa would not be renewed and that she must leave before it expires at the end of the month.

'I am being expelled and I have been told that I can't come back - ever,' she told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

Russia has expelled senior BBC journalist Sarah Rainsford in retaliation for Britain 'discriminating' against the Russian press

Ms Rainsford, who first went to the country as a student in the 1990s, said she had spent almost a third of her life living there.

She said: 'To be honest, it's devastating personally but it is also shocking.

'Russia has never been a posting for me, it is not just any old place, it is a country that I have devoted a huge amount of my life to trying to understand.'

The BBC has denounced the decision by the Russian authorities not to extend her visa as 'a direct assault on media freedom'.

Officially the Russians have linked the decision to difficulties Russian journalists have had in obtaining or extending visas from the UK.

Moscow has refused to renew a visa for Rainsford, state TV reported, in an effective expulsion amid simmering tensions with the UK

Ms Rainsford said she had also been told that it was connected to sanctions imposed by the UK on Russian nationals for corruption and for human rights violations in Chechnya.

However, she said she believed that it was another sign of the way the country was increasingly turning in on itself.

'There were clear signs for Russian media, there have been really serious problems in recent days and weeks for Russian independent journalists,' she said.

'But until now, for the foreign press, we'd kind of been excluded from that, somehow shielded from all of that, but this is I think a clear sign that things have changed.

'It is another really bad sign about the state of affairs in Russia and another downward turn in the relationship between Russia and the world and a sign that Russia is increasingly closing in on itself.'

She said it appeared that the Russians preferred not to allow foreign journalists, like her, who could speak the language and communicate directly with people in the country.

'It is much easier to have fewer people here who understand and can talk directly to people and hear directly people's stories and to relate them,' she said.

'It is much easier to have people who perhaps don't speak the language, don't know the country so deeply.

Rainsford, a Russian-speaker, is an experienced BBC foreign correspondent who has also done stints in Havana, Istanbul and Madrid

'I just think it is indicative of a really increasingly difficult and repressive environment.'

It is an unusual move that signals a further deterioration in already poor ties between London and Moscow.

It follows a crackdown before parliamentary elections in September on Russian-language media at home whom the authorities judge to be backed by malign foreign interests intent on stoking unrest.

State TV blamed Britain's treatment of state-backed Russian broadcaster RT and of online state news outlet Sputnik, saying neither could get accredited in Britain to cover international events, for the expulsion.

'Sarah Rainsford is going home. According to our experts, this correspondent of the Moscow's BBC bureau will not have her visa extended because Britain, in the media sphere, has crossed all our red lines,' Rossiya-24 said.

'The expulsion of Sarah Rainsford is our symmetrical response,' it said.

Rainsford, a Russian-speaker, is an experienced BBC foreign correspondent who has also done stints in Havana, Istanbul and Madrid.

Russia's relations with the West have sunk to the lowest levels since the Cold War, following Moscow's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, accusations of Russian interference with elections, hacking attacks and other tensions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin described an incident involving a Royal Navy ship in the Black Sea earlier this year was a provocation, and Moscow warned that the military could fire to hit intruding warships if they do not heed warnings

Relations between Russia and Britain have remained particularly strained after the 2018 poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the UK.

It was an attack with a Soviet-designed nerve agent that British authorities said had almost certainly approved been 'at a senior level of the Russian state'  an allegation Moscow denies.

In a June incident that further aggravated ties, Russia said one of its warships fired warning shots and a warplane dropped bombs in the path of the British destroyer HMS Defender to chase it away from an area near Crimea that Moscow claims as its territorial waters.

The UK, which like most other nations did not recognise Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, insisted the Royal Navy ship was not fired upon and said it was sailing in Ukrainian waters.

Russian President Vladimir Putin described the incident as a provocation, and Moscow warned that the military could fire to hit intruding warships if they do not heed warnings.
A man is fighting for his life in hospital after being stabbed on Oxford Street in front of horrified shoppers.

The victim was discovered by police with multiple stab wounds near Oxford Circus Tube station at 7.17pm on Friday.

According to a Metropolitan spokesperson, the man, believed to be in his 20s, is currently fighting for his life in hospital.

A man is fighting for his life in hospital after being stabbed on Oxford Street in front of horrified shoppers on Friday night

Armed police arrived on the busy shopping street after the attack and enquiries are still ongoing.

Officers at the scene say they discovered the victim with multiple stab wounds on the busy London street.

A statement reads: 'Officers attended along with London Ambulance Service.

'A man, believed to be aged in his 20s, was found suffering stab injuries and taken to hospital. He remains in a life-threatening condition.

Armed police arrived on the busy shopping street after the attack near Oxford Circus Tube station at 7.17pm on Friday and enquiries are still ongoing

'A crime scene remains in place and inquiries are ongoing. At this early stage of the investigation, no arrests have been made.'

A witness who took a photo of the scene said, according to The Sun: ' was there when they pulled up. Two X5's and an ambulance car followed by a helicopter and an ambulance.'

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police on 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting CAD 6520/13Aug. To remain anonymous contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Officers at the scene say they discovered the victim with multiple stab wounds on the busy London street

According to a Metropolitan spokesperson, the man, believed to be in his 20s, is currently fighting for his life in hospital

This comes after a 16-year-old boy was repeatedly stabbed in broad daylight at park in north London.

The victim, who has not been named, suffered multiple knife wounds when he was attacked in Lordship Recreation Ground, Tottenham, on August 1.

He was taken to hospital, but lost his fight for life on Tuesday. His family are being supported by specialist officers.

Two other 16-year-old youths arrested on suspicion of attempted murder have been bailed.

Officers attended along with London Ambulance Service and the victim still remains in a critical condition

The victim is believed to be the 23rd teenager to be murdered in the capital this year.

Only three times in the previous 12 years have more teens been murdered in the capital in a calendar year.

The current murder rate is in danger of exceeding the post-war record of 29 teenagers murdered in the capital in a calendar year in 2008.
Britain's wild west PCR testing for travel regime where swabs that were supposed to cost 2 actually sold for more than 100 was caused by a lack of regulation, industry experts have claimed.

In one of the most embarrassing moments of the testing fiasco, the Government had to change a company's 1.99 listing on its website showing approved PCR testing providers to show that its kits actually cost 117.

And insiders say the broken system was caused by experts pushing for more expensive PCR tests as a requirement for travel, the decision to allow private providers to sell the tests and a lack of oversight on the Government's part to prevent middlemen companies profiteering.

It means companies like Corporate Travel Management  which has received a one-star rating in 210 out of 217 reviews on Trust Pilot for its tests  could enter the market without being blocked.

Minister have only now, finally moved to tackle the market  dropping the cost of their own Covid tests by a fifth in the hope private firms will follow.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid admitted the Governments own costs were too high and said its single post-holiday PCR test package will fall from 88 to 68. A two-swab NHS Test and Trace package will be cut from 170 to 136.

Mr Javid also accused some private testing firms of acting like cowboys by advertising misleading prices on the Government website and vowed to boot them off within days.

But the changes were dismissed by the travel industry last night, with bosses saying the price cuts amounted to tinkering.

The head of Gatwick Airport said testing should be removed altogether for the double vaccinated to restore shattered passenger confidence and help the industry through a desperate time.

Ministers were branded hypocrites this week after repeatedly calling on private firms to drop their prices but failing to cut their own for summer.

Britain's wild west PCR testing for travel regime where swabs that were supposed to cost 1.99 actually sold for 117 was caused by a lack of regulation, industry experts have claimed

Pictured: Passengers waiting in line outside the Testing Centre in the Arrival Hall of Terminal 5 at London's Heathrow Airport

But the testing troubles began in earnest when the Government decided to introduce testing as a requirement for travel earlier in the year, experts said.

SAGE described the gold-standard PCR test as the 'key defence' against variants coming into the country from abroad back in January 21, because these can be used to sequence mutant strains of the virus.

But the NHS's calamitous Test and Trace system did not have the capacity to meet demand from travellers so the decision was made to open the market up to the private sector, paving the way for rogue firms to set whatever price they chose.

George Batchelor, a health economist at Edge Health, told the Daily Telegraph: 'Expensive PCR tests are always going to be better than cheaper lateral flow tests.

'Two tests are always going to be better than one, so why not more and more testing, they argued?

'There was never another side to the coin and that was against a backdrop of the NHS test and trace capacity not meeting demand. The testing capacity would have to come from the private sector.'

Research by airline consultancy Skytrax shows airport PCR tests were available for as little as $8 (5.70) in Mumbai, India, in April. The cost in Britain was nearly 100

The Government identified providers capable of delivering the tests and lab facilities, listing around 430 on its website.

It also provided its own NHS package, which inflated the market because of its previous price of 88.

Middlemen firms acting as commercial fronts that buy testing expertise for laboratories quickly spotted a way to profit from the hectic market and little was done to regulate firms or protect consumers.

The UK Accreditation Service is ostensibly performing that job but firms are not audited for their timeliness or prices.

It meant companies like Corporate Travel Management entered the market without interference. The firm offers tests for people returning to Britain priced at 210.

More than 400 firms rushed to get in, with some naming themselves Aardvark or 0001doctor in order to rank at the top of approved lists of providers, company bosses claimed. Neither company has been accused of misrepresenting their products.

It comes after Mail reported how the Department of Health was charging more than four times what the cheapest private provider was advertising on the Governments website. This ratio has doubled from earlier this summer.

It is understood that officials do not want NHS Test and Trace travel swabs to dominate the market and hope the move will nudge private firms into bringing their own prices down so more families looking for a well-earned break can afford to go abroad.

Officials will now also conduct a rapid review of the firms listed on the Government website and boot off any deemed to be ripping off or misleading consumers

Industry insiders have previously said the Governments own prices have inflated the market and that they wont bring down their own costs until ministers move first.

Officials will now also conduct a rapid review of the firms listed on the Government website and boot off any deemed to be ripping off or misleading consumers. The internal review will start this weekend and last ten days. Providers failing to meet necessary standards will be immediately removed.

It will run alongside the review being conducted by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), ordered by Mr Javid last week after a flood of complaints from customers about receiving swabs and results late or not at all.

This has led to some having to extend their quarantine period or even miss flights.

Announcing the latest moves, Mr Javid suggested he was expecting the CMA initial findings within days so swift action can be taken.

He added: I know how much people have looked forward to their summer holidays and that the cost of PCR testing can be a barrier to that. That is why I am determined to protect consumers and hard-working families from exploitative practices and ensure high quality tests are available at a reasonable price.

I am pleased to announce that with immediate effect were slashing the price of day 2 and 8 tests from NHS Test and Trace by a fifth  this will benefit people right across the UK...

Ive also ordered my department to urgently review the list of private providers on gov.uk to ensure pricing is clearer and transparent.

Any provider found to be misleading the public will be kicked off. Too many providers are acting like cowboys and that needs to stop.

The public should be allowed to enjoy their summer holidays without having to face excessive costs or anxiety.

There are more than 400 private firms listed on the Governments website. Yesterday, the average price of a single PCR swab across them all was 90

There are 441 private firms listed on the Governments website. Yesterday, the average price of a single PCR swab across them all was 90.

Prices are listed between 20 and 400.

However, as the Mail reported this week, the cheapest rates are often not realistically obtainable for many, as when clicking through to each firms website they are mostly out of stock or offered in centres, meaning many would have to travel hundreds of miles to take advantage of them. It is this practice that Mr Javid is looking to clamp down on.

However, the new Government price could still add more than 250 to the cost of a foreign break for a family of four.

For an unvaccinated family, it could add more than 500.

The travel industry last night dismissed the price cuts as tinkering and said they do not go anywhere near far enough.

Karen Dee, CEO of the Airport Operators Association, said: It is time for the Government to get a grip on testing and replace costly PCR tests with more affordable rapid tests for low-risk countries and bring international travel in line with the rest of the economy.

Paul Charles, of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said: Even with the changes, test costs are still far too high to restore confidence to travel, and also far higher than most European countries.

Providers who are making substantial profits during the pandemic are acting unethically when consumers are being forced to take these PCR tests by Government. Its the policy that urgently needs reviewing, not just pricing.
A British embassy security guard accused of spying for Russia aroused suspicions after he had not used his debit or credit cards for some time.

David Smith, 57, caught the attention of police and MI5 after his lack of bank withdrawals it was claimed.

Authorities in Berlin believed he had another source of income and was given funds by the Russian intelligence services in exchange for secrets about his job at the British embassy.

David Smith, 57, a British embassy security guard accused of spying for Russia aroused suspicions after he had not used his debit or credit cards for some time

According to the German magazine Spiegel, as reported by The Telegraph, information he passed was believed to have been 'low-grade'.

It included material such as lists of visitors to the embassy, according to the magazine's sources in German intelligence.

Just months before his arrest, he was also dumped by his Ukrainian wife Svetlana Makogonova, who is said to have walked out on him in February after almost 20 years of marriage.

Smith had Russian military memorabilia including a Russian flag and uniform cap (pictured) and authorities in Berlin believed he was given funds by the Russian intelligence services

Smith was arrested on Tuesday at his home in the city of Potsdam, south west of Berlin, 30 minutes' drive from the embassy in Berlin.

It is understood he was employed by the embassy, where he had worked for three or four years.

It emerged that the former RAF serviceman was firearms trained and had worked as a member of the Germany Guard Service (GGS).

Smith lived in this apartment complex in Potsdam, a 30 minutes' drive from the embassy in Berlin

This is a civilian force often made up of ex-servicemen who are employed to protect military bases.

Soviet memorabilia was in plain sight at his home, and there were also letters sent from the Dnipropetrovsk province of Ukraine.

It is thought even his Ford Fiesta car number plate RU 1801 is a reference to the year Alexander I took power as Russian tsar.

Senior politicians have questioned the quality of vetting procedures given the abundance of evidence pointing towards potential sympathy for Russia.

Investigators quizzing suspected spy Smith are believed to be looking into his relationship with his Ukrainian wife who is said to be of Russian heritage.

Smith drove an ageing Ford Fiesta, pictured, and it is thought even his number plate RU 1801 is a reference to the year Alexander I took power as Russian tsar

Smith is rumoured to have had a daughter with the mystery woman during their marriage.

But neighbours said he had been living alone for some time before he was arrested this week at his one bedroom ground floor flat.

The whereabouts of his wife are unknown and it is uncertain whether they are divorced, estranged or just living apart.

But letters in his flat which were visible from a window came from the Dnipropetrovsk province in eastern Ukraine, suggesting that his wife may be living there and could have recently written to him.

Investigators are thought to be quizzing Smith about any contact he has had with his wife who is reported to be from Odessa.
The shelves of supermarkets across regional NSW have been stripped bare after panic buyers packed their trolleys following news the entire state was in lockdown.

A massive queue formed outside Woolworths in Griffith, in central NSW, on Saturday afternoon with toilet paper running out at 4pm.

Similar scenes were reported across the region.

Footage from Griffith Woolworths showed dozens of shoppers filling their trolleys and stocking up on essentials - despite supermarkets staying open during lockdown.

Meanwhile, a Coffs Harbour local was so desperate they offered to sell their spot in a Woolworths queue on a Facebook group because of wait times of up to an hour.

Similar scenes were seen at supermarkets in Broken Hill, in far-western NSW, with bread, milk and toilet paper in high demand.

Fragments of the virus were recently found in a sewage treatment plant in the outback town, despite there being no confirmed cases in the area.

One resident in Coffs Harbour, in north-eastern NSW, was so desperate they offered to sell their spot in a queue on a Facebook group at a Woolworths with wait times estimated at 40 minutes

Griffith lockdown soon panic buying  Posted by Jack Patel on Friday, August 13, 2021

The shelves of supermarkets around regional New South Wales have been stripped bare after panic buyers packed their trolleys following the lockdown announcement.

'This is of particular concern... everyone in the area is urged to monitor for the onset of symptoms, and if they appear, to immediately be tested and isolate until a negative result is received,' NSW Health said.

Long lines were also seen at the registers of the Ulladulla Woolworths on the South Coast while a store in Jindabyne, in the Snowy Mountains, had queues spilling out the doors.

The new restrictions around regional areas mean everyone must stay at home unless they have a reasonable excuse to leave, with residents unable to have visitors from outside their household over including family and friends.

People fulfilling carers' responsibilities are permitted to have one visitor for compassionate reasons.

Supermarkets across the state were flooded with shoppers on Saturday afternoon after it was announced the state would go into lockdown at 5pm

Lines were seen spilling outside some supermarkets in regional NSW on Saturday

Two people who are in a relationship but do not live together may also visit each other.

All hospitality venues in regional areas must shut, including pubs, restaurants and cafes, except for takeaway.

Mask mandates are also in place and must be worn when working outdoors, by school staff, in outdoor markets, outdoor shopping strips, and in outdoor queues when waiting for takeaway services.

NSW Health has given a one-day grace period for planned weddings and funerals in regional areas which may still go ahead until 12.01am on Monday August 16 but only if guests are from areas that have not already been subject to a lockdown.

The new restrictions around regional areas mean everyone must stay at home unless they have a reasonable excuse to leave

The bread section is seen completely sold out at a Woolworths in Broken Hill amid panic buying

Another busy supermarket is seen following 466 new cases across NSW

From the 466 cases, a staggering 390 were likely to have been infectious in community.

There were also four deaths confirmed overnight including a man in his 70s, a man in his 80s, a woman in her 40s and a woman in her 70s. The woman in her 40s was in palliative care and unvaccinated.

'It's our worst day ever. We are in a really, extremely concerning situation,' Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

'This is the worst situation New South Wales has been in since day one, and as a consequence of that, the worst situation Australia has been in.'

There are now a total of 42 infections in western NSW after nine more cases were recorded on Saturday.
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At least 40 people have now died following severe flooding and mudslides in coastal Turkey, the country's emergency and disaster agency said Saturday - with hundreds more feared missing.

Torrential rains that pounded the Black Sea provinces of Bartin, Kastamonu and Sinop on Wednesday caused flooding that demolished homes, severed at least five bridges, swept away cars and rendered numerous roads unpassable.

Turkish disaster agency AFAD said 34 people have now lost their lives in Kastamonu and while a further six have been killed in Sinop.

Meanwhile nine others remained hospitalised in Sinop and one person was missing in Bartin province, according to the agency.

But residents on social media claimed there are hundreds more missing, a statement also made by opposition politician Hasan Baltac, who told Halk TV that residents had contacted authorities seeking information about 329 people.

Locals in Bozkurt react as they stand near partially collapsed buildings as the area was hit by flash floods that swept through towns in the Turkish Black Sea region

A drone photo shows flooded Babacay village after torrential rain caused severe flooding in the Ayancik district of Sinop

The floods struck on the heels of wildfires in southern Turkey that devastated forestlands in the seaside provinces of Mugla and Antalya, which are popular with tourists (Pictured: A collapsed building in Bozkurt in Kastamonu province)

Turkish disaster agency AFAD said 34 people have now lost their lives in Kastamonu and while a further six have been killed in Sinop (Pictured: Aftermath in Ayancik)

A local walks among the devastated homes in Babacay village after severe flooding in Turkey's Black Sea region

A family climb atop rubble in Ayancik, Turkey, after their village was destroyed by severe rainfall and floods

Aerial photo shows the damage to Babacay village following the extreme weather in Turkey

Babacay village in the Sinop region of Turkey was one of many to be severely damaged following flooding this week

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to rebuild homes, bridges and roads on Friday (Pictured: Flooded Babacay village)

About 2,250 people have been evacuated across the affected Turkish region, some lifted from rooftops by helicopters, and many were being temporarily housed in student dormitories, authorities said (Pictured: Babacay village)

Climate scientists unequivocally say that climate change is leading to extreme weather events as the world warms because of the burning of coal, oil and natural gas (Pictured: Babacay village)

Experts in Turkey say interference with rivers and improper construction have also contributed to the massive damage in the country's floods (Pictured: A collapsed building in Bozkurt in Kastamonu province)

Videos posted by residents showed water rushing downstream in Bozkurt (pictured) as the surrounding buildings and roads flooded

Geologists have said that construction narrowed the river bed and the surrounding alluvial flood plain of the Ezine stream in Kastamonu's Bozkurt district, where the damage was most severe (Pictured: Aftermath of flooding in Bozkurt)

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended a funeral for the first victims on Friday and led a prayer with several hundred residents in Bozkurt, Kastamonu, one of the worst hit cities.

He told the crowd: 'We will do whatever we can as a state as quickly as we can, and rise from the ashes.

'We cant bring back the citizens we lost, but our state has the means and power to compensate those who lost loved ones.'

The leader vowed to reconstruct demolished homes, roads and bridges, adding: 'Like many parts of the world, our country has been struggling with natural disasters for a while.

'Its the same in America, Canada, Germany and other parts of Europe.'

About 2,250 people have been evacuated across the affected Turkish region, some lifted from rooftops by helicopters, and many were being temporarily housed in student dormitories, authorities said.

Climate scientists unequivocally say that climate change is leading to extreme weather events as the world warms because of the burning of coal, oil and natural gas. Such calamities are expected to happen more frequently as the planet warms.

Experts in Turkey, however, say interference with rivers and improper construction have also contributed to the massive damage in Turkey's floods.

Geologists have said that construction narrowed the river bed and the surrounding alluvial flood plain of the Ezine stream in Kastamonu's Bozkurt district, where the damage was most severe, from 400 meters (1,312 feet) to 15 meters (49 feet). Residential buildings were built along the waterfront.

During severe rains, the contracted stream has limited area in which to move and can easily overflow.

Videos posted by residents showed water rushing downstream in Bozkurt as the surrounding buildings and roads flooded.

One geologist, Ramazan Demirtas, explained the river bed narrowing on Twitter and said that humans were to blame for this week's disaster.

The floods struck on the heels of wildfires in southern Turkey that devastated forestlands in the seaside provinces of Mugla and Antalya, which are popular with tourists. At least eight people died and thousands of residents were forced to flee.

It comes after search and rescue crews recovered 10 bodies Friday.

Meanwhile, wildfires that have ravaged Greece for more than a week were brought under control on Friday, with the fire department saying there were no longer any 'major active front, just scattered pockets'.

It comes amid blistering temperatures this week which are expected to rise again on Friday as the 'Lucifer' heat dome continues to grip southern Europe.

The death toll from Turkey's flash floods soared to 27 on Friday as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan prepared to inspect one of the hardest-hit regions and lend his moral support

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was preparing to inspect hardest-hit Kastamonu and lend his moral support on Friday after more than 1,700 people were evacuated across the region, many being temporarily housed at student dormitories

Search and rescue workers evacuate a girl during flash floods that have killed 27 in Bozkurt, a town in Kastamonu province, Turkey

World scientists believe that natural disasters like those in Turkey are becoming more intense and frequent because of global warming and climate change

Floods in Turkey are the latest in a bout of extreme weather in the Mediterranean which has baked in blistering temperatures this week and which are expected to rise again on Friday as the 'Lucifer' heat dome continues to grip southern Europe

The devastation across Turkey's northern Black Sea regions came just as the disaster-hit country was winning control over hundreds of wildfires that killed eight people and destroyed swathes of forest along its scenic southern coast.

Turkey also suffered another bout of flooding in the northeastern province of Rize last month that killed six.

Speaking in Bozkurt late on Thursday, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu described the scenes as 'the most severe flood disaster I have seen.'

'The destruction is huge,' Kerem Kinik, head of the Turkish Red Crescent, told NTV. 'I hope that the missing are safe and that the number of deaths doesn't increase.'

Bozkurt resident Yilmaz Ersevenli told NTV that he left his house to move his car to a safe area as the waters began to rise, but soon got swept away by the gushing floods. He managed to save himself by holding on to a tree that had also washed away.

'I nearly lost my life trying to save my car,' he said.

In Bartin province, at least 13 people were injured when a section of a bridge caved in.

In total, five bridges collapsed in the floods while two others were damaged, AFAD said. Dozens of villages are still without power and several roads remain blocked.

Aerial images shows debris strewn across the land after flash floods and mudslides in Bozkurt district of Turkey on Friday

Rescue operations are ongoing in the region of Bozkurt, Kastamonu, Turkey on Friday after search and rescue teams uncovered 10 bodies overnight

Residents survey the damage after flash floods and mudslides caused by heavy rainfall in Zafer village, Turkey on Friday

Search and rescue efforts in Bozkurt district of Kastamonu, Turkey, continued on Friday morning after the death toll from the flash floods rose to 27

Search and rescue efforts continued on Friday morning ahead of a visit from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Cars were left strewn across streets and stuck in mud after floods and mudslides hit a residential area in Bozkurt district of Kastamonu in Turkey

Turkey's disaster and emergency agency said severe floods and mudslides had killed at least 29 people with others missing on Thursday

TURKEY: The floods battered the Black Sea coastal provinces of Bartin, Kastamonu, Sinop and Samsun on Wednesday, demolishing homes and bridges and sweeping away cars as helicopters scrambled to rescue people stranded on rooftops

Search and Rescue team members evacuate locals during flash floods which have swept through towns in the Turkish Black Sea region

World scientists believe that natural disasters like those in Turkey are becoming more intense and frequent because of global warming and climate change.

They also pose a serious challenge to Erdogan two years before Turkey's next scheduled general election.

The powerful Turkish leader was roundly condemned on social media for tossing out bags of tea to locals while visiting one of the fire-ravaged regions when the wildfires were first spreading at the end of July.

Polls show that the climate is a top priority for up to seven million members of Generation Z whose votes Erdogan will need to extend his rule into a third decade in the 2023 vote.

'I offer my condolences to the loved ones of our 17 fellow citizens who lost their lives,' he said when the toll was still 17 on Thursday night.

His office said that Erdogan was speaking on the phone to regional leaders and promising to deliver all the assistance available to the state.

Emergency services said waters briefly rose in some parts as high as 13ft (4m) before subsiding and spreading across a region stretching more than 240km (150 miles) wide.

Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli warned on Wednesday that the area was facing 'a disaster that we had not seen in 50 or 100 years'.

Rescuers have been forced to evacuate a hospital holding 45 patients - four of them in intensive care - in the region around the coastal city of Sinop.

Images on television and social media showed stranded villagers being plucked off rooftops by helicopter and bridges collapsing under the force of the rushing water below.

The Anadolu state news agency said Thursday that rescuers were focusing on a four-floor apartment building that partially crumbled and another one next to it that completely collapsed.

Images showed parts of both river-front buildings toppling into the rushing flood of brown water below.

Turkey's disaster response authority said 25 people had lost their lives in the northern Kastamonu province and two in the neighbouring region of Sinop. One person was still missing.

Weather services predicted rains to continue to lash the affected area for the remainder of week.

Flames rise after a forest fire broke out in Bucak district of Burdur, Turkey

TURKEY: Firefighters are still working to extinguish wildfires in Mugla province, an area popular with tourists that runs along the Aegean Sea

TURKEY: At least eight people and countless animals died and thousands of residents have had to flee fierce blazes

The devastation across Turkey's northern Black Sea regions came just as the disaster-hit country was winning control over hundreds of wildfires that killed eight people and destroyed swathes of forest along its scenic southern coast

GREECE WILDFIRES UNDER CONTROL

Fires burning for over a week that caused Greece's worst ecological disaster in decades were finally brought under control on Friday.

The fire department said there was no longer any 'major active front, just scattered pockets' of wildfires.

Rain and falling temperatures helped the fire-dousing effort, but crews remain on alert for possible flare-ups in hard-to-access ravines on the island of Evia and in the region of Arcadia in the Peloponnese, a spokesman said.

But with high winds forecast for the weekend, the bulk of a huge multinational force that assisted Greek firefighters this week remains in place, civil protection spokesman Spyros Georgiou said.

'They are helping to monitor the perimeters of burned areas in Evia and Arcadia, which are many kilometres (miles) long,' he said.

'Many of them are actually requesting to remain,' Georgiou said.

Mitsotakis on Friday appointed a new minister in charge of recovery from natural disasters in a bid to defuse growing anger over the struggle to curb wildfires that have charred thousands of hectares of forest.

The new deputy minister, Christos Triantopoulos, will be responsible for aid and recovery from natural disasters, a new post created to compensate businesses and families hard hit by recent blazes.

Hundreds of homes and many businesses have been destroyed in Evia, Arcadia and the outskirts of Athens in the prolonged fire wave that struck Greece from late July and intensified last week, during the worst heatwave in decades.

Greece is just one of a number of countries in the Mediterranean region that have been hit by a savage fire season.

Heatwaves have become more likely due to climate change, scientists say. As global temperatures rise over time, heatwaves are predicted to become more frequent and intense, and their impacts more widespread.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Thursday described the infernos as Greece's 'greatest ecological disaster in decades'.

He pledged hundreds of millions of euros in reconstruction, reforestation and flood prevention works.

'[Recovery funds] will begin to be disbursed in a few days... and they will be greater than ever before, to all those affected,' the prime minister told a news conference on Thursday.

The government has come under withering criticism from locals in stricken areas whose income from agricultural products and tourism has been wiped out.

There have been growing calls for the resignation of top public safety officials who as recently as June had insisted that the country was well-prepared.

Mitsotakis on Thursday said the country had battled some 600 blazes in a week, some of them 'mega fires'.

But he admitted: 'It seemed that this particular phenomenon exceeded our capabilities and the preparations put in place.'

In a sign of the potentially shifting front of Europe's fires, three French Canadair aircraft that had been dispatched to Greece were redeployed to Sicily.

An aerial photograph of forest near the village of Pefki on the island of Evia, Greece, shows the damage caused by wildfires that burned for over a week

Fires burning for over a week that caused Greece's worst ecological disaster in decades were finally brought under control on Friday after thousands of hectares of forest went up in flames

A shepherd walks with his goats near a burnt area around Krioneritis village on Evia island on Thursday after devastating fires ravaged the region

Greek villagers have refused to evacuate and are working around the clock to save their homes as wildfires continued to ravage the island of Evia

HEAT WARNINGS FOR SPAIN, FRANCE, ITALY AND PORTUGAL

Temperatures have soared over southern Europe this week and are forecast to peak again on Friday with highs of 104F (40C) expected in Italy.

Meanwhile the Spanish weather office said that 15 of Spain's 17 regions were on alert for high temperatures, with the mercury forecast to reach a high of 104F (40C) on Friday in much of the country.

Authorities issued health alerts for Florence and Bologna for Friday and Saturday as wildfires charred the country's south.

Temperatures could hit 115F (46F) in the provinces of Seville, Cordoba and Jaen in the southwestern Andalusia region.

Hot weather, also expected to push the mercury to 104F (40C) in Portugal, is expected to last until Monday.



Temperatures topped 100F (38C) by early afternoon on Thursday in Rome, as the 'Lucifer' heat dome kept its grip on southern Turkey

Stifling heat hit Rome on Thursday, driving people indoors at midday, triggering drinking water restrictions, and turning public libraries into cooling 'climate shelters'

The local National Health Service offices in Rome and Bologna telephoned older residents who live alone to see if they needed groceries or medicines delivered so they wouldn't venture out in the searing heat

A young boy cools off in a fountain in Piazza Castello in Turin as temperatures topped 100F across much of southern Europe - and are expected to rise again on Friday

Meanwhile firefighters brought a wildfire in a forest in Spain's northeastern region of Catalonia under control on Friday as scorching temperatures put most of the country at risk for blazes.

About 100 firefighters had worked overnight to tame the blaze in the Spanish province of Tarragona, which forced the evacuation on Thursday of about 30 campers and has destroyed about 75 hectares (185 acres) of protected forest, Catalonia's firefighting service said in a tweet.

The fire was under control on Friday morning, but 11 water trucks, a helicopter and two water-dropping planes were still at the scene of the blaze, the service added.

Elsewhere in Spain, dozens of firefighters were battling a wildfire which broke out on Thursday evening near the town of Rubia, in the verdant northwestern region of Galicia.

This fire has so far destroyed about 200 hectares of land, the regional government of Galicia said in a tweet.

Firefighters have been carrying out hundreds of operations through the Italian island of Sicily, as well as in the southern Calabria region. Meanwhile overnight, about 30 people were evacuated after a large fire broke out in a nature reserve near Tivoli, east of Rome

ALGERIA ARRESTS 22 SUSPECTED ARSONISTS AFTER WILDFIRES KILL 69

Algeria has arrested 22 people suspected of being behind the most devastating wildfires in the country's history that killed 65 people, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said on Thursday, calling the fires a 'disaster' and urging the preservation of national unity.

Dozens of forest fires have hit mountainous areas in northern Algeria since Monday, mainly in Tizi Ouzou, the main province of the Kabylie region east of the capital, Algiers.

'Some fires have been caused by high temperatures but criminal hands were behind most of them,' Tebboune said in a live speech on state television.

'We have arrested 22 suspects, including 11 in Tizi Ouzou. Justice will perform its duty.'

At least 28 military men were among the dead as the North African country deployed the army to help firefighters contain fires that ravaged several houses in forested areas.

'It's a disaster ... disaster. But our strength will not collapse,' Tebboune said, praising aid caravans from other provinces to provide affected regions with food, medicine and donations of other material.

'We must preserve national unity... I insist on national unity,' he added.

In addition to soldiers on the ground, the army has been using six helicopters to extinguish blazes. The are supported by two firefighting planes hired from the European Union and which have been in action since early Thursday.

The government will receive two more planes from Spain on Friday and a third one from Switzerland in the next three days, Tebboune said.

Tebboune has declared three days of national mourning starting on Thursday after the death toll climbed to at least 69, including 28 soldiers deployed to help overstretched emergency services.



Residents in Tizi Ouzou, Algeria, desperately try to extinguish wildfires after at least 69 people, including 28 soldiers, were killed fighting the blazes

Algeria has arrested 22 people suspected of being behind the most devastating wildfires in the country's history that killed 65 people

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has declared three days of national mourning starting on Thursday after the death toll climbed to at least 69, including 28 soldiers deployed to help overstretched emergency services

Volunteers unloaded humanitarian aid to people affected by the wildfires in Ait Daoud village, in the region of Kabylie in Algeria

A woman carries bottles of water for people affected by wildfires in the village of Ait Daoud, in northern Algeria on Thursday

UN REPORT: MAN-MADE GLOBAL WARMING MUST BE REVERSED

The UN report, which as been dubbed a 'code red for humanity', said the Earth is likely to warm by 1.5C within the next 20 years  a decade earlier than previously expected  and heatwaves, flooding and droughts will become more frequent and intense.

Scientists had expected temperatures to rise by 1.5C above pre-industrial levels between 2030 and 2052 but now believe it will happen between this year and 2040.

'It's just guaranteed that it's going to get worse,' said report co-author Linda Mearns, a senior climate scientist at the US National Center for Atmospheric Research. 'I don't see any area that is safe Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.'

The report by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was produced by 200 scientists from 60 countries.

Drawing on more than 14,000 scientific papers, the review included the latest knowledge on past and potential future warming, how humans are changing the climate and how that is increasing extreme weather events and driving sea-level rises.

The authors said it was 'virtually certain' that heatwaves 'have become more frequent and more intense across most land regions'.

They also said a rise in sea levels approaching two metres by the end of this century 'cannot be ruled out', while the Arctic is likely to be 'practically sea ice-free' in September at least once before 2050.

If temperatures continue to rise, there could be devastating effects here on Earth, including a dramatic loss of sea-life, an ice-free Arctic and more regular 'extreme' weather

'We can't wait. The signs are unmistakable': Biden urges US action after doomsday UN report says global warming is ALREADY causing extreme weather and the world will heat up by 2.7F by 2040 - a decade earlier than forecast US President Joe Biden has sounded the alarm on climate change following the release of a bombshell United Nations report dubbed a 'a code red for humanity.' 'We can't wait to tackle the climate crisis. The signs are unmistakable. The science is undeniable. And the cost of inaction keeps mounting,' Biden said in a statement Monday, as he urged the US and world nations to swiftly limit greenhouses gasses. The Earth is likely to warm by 2.7F within the next 20 years - a decade earlier than previously expected - and heatwaves, flooding and droughts will become more frequent and intense, according to the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment. On Monday, 234 experts warned in the report that the US is headed for disaster. Flooding, deadly fires and heat waves will not only become the norm but will intensify in a warming world, warns the 3,949-page assessment. Humans have already heated the planet by roughly 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1C), since the 19th century, largely by burning coal, oil and gas for energy  with the US being one of the world's top producers. Scientists had expected temperatures to rise by 2.7F (1.5C) above pre-industrial levels between 2030 and 2052 but now believe it will happen between this year and 2040. Advertisement

However, some experts say there is still hope that cuts in emissions of greenhouse gases could stabilise rising temperatures.

Scientists involved in the report said the 1.5C or 2C thresholds are not cliff edges the world will fall off, but that every bit of warming makes a difference, so it is important to curb temperature rises as much as possible.

Professor Richard Betts, from the Met Office Hadley Centre and a contributing author to the report, said: 'Like the speed limit on a motorway, staying below it is not perfectly safe and exceeding it does not immediately lead to calamity, but the risks do increase if the limit is passed.

'Limiting warming to 1.5C clearly needs much more urgent emissions cuts than is currently happening, but if the target is still breached we should not assume all is lost and give up - it will still be worth continuing action on emissions reductions to avoid even more warming.'

The report by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was produced by 200 scientists from 60 countries.

Drawing on more than 14,000 scientific papers, the review included the latest knowledge on past and potential future warming, how humans are changing the climate and how that is increasing extreme weather events and driving sea-level rises.

The authors said it was 'virtually certain' that heatwaves 'have become more frequent and more intense across most land regions'.

They also said a rise in sea levels approaching two metres by the end of this century 'cannot be ruled out', while the Arctic is likely to be 'practically sea ice-free' in September at least once before 2050.

Following the report, Prime Minister Boris Johnson called it 'sobering reading' and said it was clear the next decade was going to be pivotal to securing the future of the planet.

'We know what must be done to limit global warming - consign coal to history and shift to clean energy sources, protect nature and provide climate finance for countries on the frontline,' he added.

And US President Joe Biden urged the country and world nations to swiftly limit greenhouses gasses.

He said in a statement: 'We can't wait to tackle the climate crisis. The signs are unmistakable. The science is undeniable. And the cost of inaction keeps mounting.'

Meanwhile UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the new report a 'code red for humanity'.

He warned: 'The alarm bells are deafening, and the evidence is irrefutable: greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel burning and deforestation are choking our planet and putting billions of people at immediate risk.'

And Anthony Blinken, US Secretary of State, said in a statement: 'Today, the United States joined nearly 200 IPCC member governments in approving the Working Group I contribution to the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report.

'The report finds we are already edging closer to a 1.5 degrees Celsius [2.7F] warmer world, and every day emissions rise the prospects for averting the worst impacts of climate change become dimmer.

'This is why it is essential that all countries - in particular the major economies - do their part during this critical decade of the 2020s to put the world on a trajectory to keep a 1.5 degrees Celsius [2.7F] limit on warming within reach.

'This is why the United States has committed to a 50-52 percent reduction in emissions from 2005 levels in 2030 and is marshaling the entire federal government to tackle the climate crisis. We cannot delay ambitious climate action any longer.'

The UN scientists modelled the changes in annual mean temperatures worldwide based on 2.7F (1.5C), 3.6F (2C) and 7.2F (4C) global warming

These graphs show how human influence has warmed the climate at a rate unprecedented in at least the last 2,000 years
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President Biden has defended the American troop withdrawal from Afghanistan even as the Taliban take over whole swathes of the country - and has blamed predecessor Donald Trump for a deal that left the warlords 'in the strongest position militarily since 2001'.

He also announced that he was increasing the number of US troops being deployed to protect the withdrawal from the US embassy to 5,000.

Around 1,000 service members are already on the ground and 3,000 more were already being sent next week, before officials announced the deployment of an extra 1,000 as the situation escalated Saturday.

The US Embassy in Afghanistan will be evacuated in 72 hours under the protection of the military, and some staffers have already arrived at the Kabul international airport, according to reports.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Saturday to discuss the 'urgency of ongoing diplomatic and political efforts to reduce the violence,' the State Department said in a statement.

'The Secretary emphasized the United States' commitment to a strong diplomatic and security relationship with the Government of Afghanistan and our continuing support for the people of Afghanistan.'

The president has been slammed by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy for the 'complete mismanagement' of the Afghanistan withdrawal, with US defense officials warning it could be just a matter of a couple days before the Taliban seizes control of Kabul, a city with more than four million people.

McCarthy said: 'The White House has no discernible plan other than pleading with the Taliban. The bungled withdrawal, reminiscent of his failed withdrawal from Iraq, is an embarrassment to our nation.'

'President Biden must continue to provide the close air support necessary for the Afghan government to protect themselves from the Taliban and make sure al Qaeda and ISIS do not gain a foothold due to the Biden administration's disastrous policies.'

But Biden hit back in a statement from Camp David on Saturday afternoon, insisting that he could not force the Afghan army to fight.

He said: 'One more year, or five more years, of US military presence would not have made a difference if the Afghan military cannot or will not hold its own country. And an endless American presence in the middle of another country's civil conflict was not acceptable to me.'

He also hit out at predecessor Trump for the deal with the Taliban that led to the recent withdrawal.

He said: 'When I came to office, I inherited a deal cut by my predecessorwhich he invited the Taliban to discuss at Camp David on the eve of 9/11 of 2019that left the Taliban in the strongest position militarily since 2001.

'Shortly before he left office, he also drew US forces down to a bare minimum of 2,500.

'When I became President, I faced a choicefollow through on the deal, with a brief extension to get our forces and our allies' forces out safely, or ramp up our presence and send more American troops to fight once again in another country's civil conflict.

'I was the fourth President to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistantwo Republicans, two Democrats. I would not, and will not, pass this war onto a fifth.'

Smoke rises about the Kandahar, Afghanistan as Taliban forces took the country's third largest city

The Taliban standing on a roadside in Kandahar after taking over more parts of Afghanistan. The scale and speed of the Taliban advance has shocked Afghans and the US-led alliance that poured billions into the country

Biden wrote a statement from Camp David on Saturday afternoon, insisting that he could not force the Afghan army to fight

The Taliban have moved to within seven miles of Kabul, and taken over swathes of territory across the rest of Afghanistan. The warlords now control 19 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces

Biden's statement in full: 'I will not pass this war on to a fifth president' 'Over the past several days I have been in close contact with my national security team to give them direction on how to protect our interests and values as we end our military mission in Afghanistan. First, based on the recommendations of our diplomatic, military, and intelligence teams, I have authorized the deployment of approximately 5,000 US troops to make sure we can have an orderly and safe drawdown of US personnel and other allied personnel and an orderly and safe evacuation of Afghans who helped our troops during our mission and those at special risk from the Taliban advance. Second, I have ordered our armed forces and our intelligence community to ensure that we will maintain the capability and the vigilance to address future terrorist threats from Afghanistan. Third, I have directed the Secretary of State to support President Ghani and other Afghan leaders as they seek to prevent further bloodshed and pursue a political settlement. Secretary Blinken will also engage with key regional stakeholders. Fourth, we have conveyed to the Taliban representatives in Doha, via our Combatant Commander, that any action on their part on the ground in Afghanistan, that puts US personnel or our mission at risk there, will be met with a swift and strong US military response. Fifth, I have placed Ambassador Tracey Jacobson in charge of a whole of government effort to process, transport, and relocate Afghan special immigrant visa applicants and other Afghan allies. Our hearts go out to the brave Afghan men and women who are now at risk. We are working to evacuate thousands of those who helped our cause and their families. That is what we are going to do. Now let me be clear about how we got here. America went to Afghanistan 20 years ago to defeat the forces that attacked this country on September 11th. That mission resulted in the death of Osama Bin Laden over a decade ago and the degradation of al Qaeda. And yet, 10 years later, when I became President, a small number of US troops still remained on the ground, in harm's way, with a looming deadline to withdraw them or go back to open combat. Over our country's 20 years at war in Afghanistan, America has sent its finest young men and women, invested nearly $1 trillion dollars, trained over 300,000 Afghan soldiers and police, equipped them with state-of-the-art military equipment, and maintained their air force as part of the longest war in US history. One more year, or five more years, of US military presence would not have made a difference if the Afghan military cannot or will not hold its own country. And an endless American presence in the middle of another country's civil conflict was not acceptable to me. When I came to office, I inherited a deal cut by my predecessorwhich he invited the Taliban to discuss at Camp David on the eve of 9/11 of 2019that left the Taliban in the strongest position militarily since 2001 and imposed a May 1, 2021 deadline on US forces. Shortly before he left office, he also drew US forces down to a bare minimum of 2,500. Therefore, when I became President, I faced a choicefollow through on the deal, with a brief extension to get our forces and our allies' forces out safely, or ramp up our presence and send more American troops to fight once again in another country's civil conflict. I was the fourth President to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistantwo Republicans, two Democrats. I would not, and will not, pass this war onto a fifth.' Advertisement

Before the middle of next week, everyone will have been evacuated from the Embassy except for special agents from the Bureau of Diplomatic Security Service and top decisionmakers, including the ambassador, officials told CBS.

Security engineers will also stay behind to continue to shred and burn sensitive materials like documents, electronic devices and items with embassy or agency logos, American flags 'or items which could be misused in propaganda efforts.'

News about the evacuation broke shortly after the Taliban took control of the Afghan northern stronghold of Mazar-i-Sharif Saturday, which was one of the last three major cities under government control.

'The army is not fighting. It is only Atta (Muhammad) Noor and (Marshal Abdul Rashid) Dostum's militias defending the city,' Mohammad Ibrahim Khairandesh, a former provincial council member who now lives in the city, told The New York Times. 'The situation is critical, and it's getting worse.'

Dostum is an infamous warlord and a former Afghan vice president who has survived the past 40 years of war by cutting deals and switching sides, and Noor is longtime power broker and warlord in Balkh Province who fought the Soviets in the 1980s and the Taliban in the 1990s, according to The Times.

The Taliban now controls territories to the North, South and West of Kabul and is squeezing the throat of Afghanistan's capital city, which is where the US Embassy is located and thousands of refugees are trying to flee the country.

The US military is preparing to lower the American flag over the Embassy - if the State Department gives the order - signaling its closure.

'We are probably experiencing the most massive, brutal and opportunistic military campaign of violence and terror, by the Taliban, in the history of our country,' Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammed Haneef Atmar said at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute earlier this week

The situation appears to be dire as insurgent forces have tightened their grip around Kabul after warlords captured two more provinces on Saturday and moved within seven miles of the city.

Herds of civilians who escaped the violence flooded the streets of Kabul and set up camps while diplomats work with other countries to see who's willing to take in Afghan refugees.

The State Department is in talks with several other countries to house US-affiliated Afghan refugees, and Canada has already welcomed 20,000 Afghan refugees threatened by the Taliban, the IRCC - Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada - said in a Twitter statement.

So far, about 1,200 Afghans have been evacuated to the United States and that number is set to rise to 3,500 in the coming weeks under 'Operation Allies Refuge,' with some going to a U.S. military base in Virginia to finalize their paperwork and others directly to US hosts, Reuters reported.

A deal to house about 8,000 Afghans in Qatar, which hosts a large US military base, has been close for weeks, a US official told Reuters, although no official deal has been announced.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani addressed the nation in a minute-long video statement Saturday morning (US time) that was translated into English.

'Afghanistan is in serious danger of instability,' Ghani said.

'Though I know that you are worried about your current situation and your future, I assure you that as your president, my focus is prevent the expansion of instability, violence and displacement of my people,' Ghani said.

'As part of a historical mission, I will do my best to stop this imposed conflict on the Afghan people to result in further killing of innocent people, loss of your achievements of the last 20 years, destruction of public property and prolonged instability.'

He said he's engaging with Afghan and international leaders, and consultations are 'urgently ongoing and the results will soon be shared.'

This was his first public comment since the Taliban demanded he resign in exchange for a reduction in violence.

Between Friday and Saturday, the Taliban made major advances in what's already been an efficient takeover of the country.

They captured Herat and Kandahar, which are the country's second- and third-largest cities, as well as the Logar province, just south of Kabul.

The Taliban continues its swift movement towards Kabul by capturing Mazar-i-Sharif.

Insurgents now control 20 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, leaving the Western-backed government in control of a smattering of provinces in the center and east, as well as Kabul.

The president has been slammed by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy for the 'complete mismanagement' of the Afghanistan withdrawal

Refugees flooded the Kabul in recent days as the Taliban continues to circle the city

Diplomats are working with other countries to see who's willing to take in Afghan refugees who had to flee their homes

The IRCC - Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada - said the country has welcome 20,000 vulnerable Afghans threatened by the Taliban

Encampments of displaced civilians, who fled their homes because the Taliban took over, are set up in Kabul

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has called for Biden to launch US airstrikes against the Taliban after speaking to to US Ambassador to Afghanistan Adela Raz on Friday.

The Kentucky Republican said in a statement that 'this debacle was not only foreseeable, it was foreseen.'

'With that said, it is not too late to prevent the Taliban from overrunning Kabul,' McConnell said.

'The Administration should move quickly to hammer Taliban advances with air strikes, provide critical support to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) defending the capital and prevent the seemingly imminent fall of the city.

'If they fail to do so, the security threat to the United States will assuredly grow and the humanitarian cost to innocent Afghans will be catastrophic.'

But it might be too late. Axios is reporting that the Biden administration is preparing for the fall of Kabul, despite the president's statements in recent days showing confidence in the Afghan military to ward of insurgents.

Hoda Ahmadi, a lawmaker from Logar province, told The Associated Press that the Taliban have reached the Char Asyab district, which is just seven miles south of Kabul.

The American flag flying over what's considered US Territory will be brought down soon and brought back to the United States or a different safe haven, Axios reported.

A Taliban fighter stands guard over surrendered Afghan security member forces in the city of Ghazni, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan on August 13

Afghan policemen inspect a car at a checkpoint along the road in Kabul on August 14

Taliban forces began reclaiming land they lost during the United State's 20-year occupation months before Biden announced his plans to withdraw troops by September 11.

The preceding Trump administration negotiated the terms of a U.S. withdrawal in talks with the Taliban last year.

Between May and June, the Taliban recaptured 50 of Afghanistan's 421 districts, Deborah Lyons, the UN's special envoy on Afghanistan, told Newsweek.

But the troop drawn down sped up the take over, and now the Taliban has a vice grip around the capital.

'Clearly from their actions, it appears as if they are trying to get Kabul isolated,' Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said, referring to the Taliban's speedy and efficient takedown of major provincial capitals this past week.

Kirby declined to discuss the Pentagon's assessment of whether the Taliban will converge on Kabul.

Currently, there are 650 American troops still in the country to help protect the nation's diplomatic presence, according to the Associated Press, but there's no plan for how long the 5,000 Marines and Army infantrymen will remain in the country and there appears to be no appetite from either party to engage the Taliban.

'This is a temporary mission with a narrow focus,' Kirby said.

Stephen Biddle, a professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University, told The Associated Press that sending the troops is a morale killer for the Afghan military.

'The message that sent to Afghans is: 'The city of Kabul is going to fall so fast that we can't organize an orderly withdrawal from the embassy,'' Biddle told the news outlet.

This suggests to Afghans that the Americans see little future for the government and that 'this place could be toast within hours.'

Scroll down for video.

Taliban fighters stand guard inside the city of Ghazni, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan on August 13

The Taliban has rapidly seized provinces in Afghanistan since the US left. They inciting violence and fear in the citizens of Kabul as they move closer to seizing the city

Meanwhile, Biden was on his way to Camp David in Maryland on Friday but didn't speak to reporters.

He's been taking criticism at home and abroad for pulling the troops out of the country.

Ata Mohammed Noor, an Afghan warlord and key US ally during the occupation, said the withdrawal was 'irresponsible' and the sudden exit weakened the Afghanistan military, which Noor said is not in a position to ward off insurgents, Newsweek reported.

He has since warned about a possible civil war.

Within the US, several Republican leaders, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, have ripped Biden for this decision.

Friday night, McCarthy tweeted, 'Tonight we held a call with Afghanistan's Ambassador to the US to discuss the deteriorating situation. I remain deeply concerned with the Biden Admin's mismanagement of their bungled withdrawal. Much like his failed withdrawal from Iraq, it is an embarrassment to our nation.'

Biden continued to defend his decision to pull the troops out of Afghanistan.

On Tuesday, the commander-in-chief said the Afghan military is more powerful than the Taliban.

'The Taliban is not the North Vietnamese Army. They're not remotely comparable in terms of capability,' Biden said this week from the White House. 'There's going to be no circumstances where you're going to see people being lifted off the roof of an embassy in the United States from Afghanistan.'

The president alluded to the $1trillion and 20 years worth of investments to train and arm the Afghan forces.

'And Afghan leaders have to come together. We lost to death and injury, thousands of American personnel. They've got to fight for themselves, fight for their nation,' Biden said.

President Joe Biden (left) has been heavily criticized by Afghanistan allies and Republican leaders like Sen. Mitch McConnell (right) for his handling of the troop withdrawal. McConnell has called on the Biden Administration to call an airstrike

An Afghan policeman stands guard at a checkpoint along the road in Kabul on August 14 as Taliban forces close in on the capital

Passengers trying to fly out of Kabul International Airport amid the Taliban offensive wait in the terminal in Kabul, Afghanistan on August 13

The US is not the only country pulling out of Afghanistan.

European countries - including Britain, Germany, Denmark and Spain - all announced the withdrawal of personnel from their respective embassies on Friday.

For Kabul residents and the tens of thousands who have sought refuge there in recent weeks, the overwhelming mood was one of confusion and fear of what lies ahead.

'We don't know what is going on,' one resident - Khairddin Logari - told AFP.

The Taliban has reportedly been ruthless when during its takeover.

Taliban fighters are going door-to-door and forcibly marrying girls as young as 12 and forcing them into sex slavery as they seize vast swathes of the Afghanistan government forces.

Jihadist commanders have ordered imams in areas they have captured to bring them lists of unmarried women aged from 12 to 45 for their soldiers to marry because they view them as 'qhanimat' or 'spoils of war' - to be divided up among the victors.

They're also killing Afghan government troops who surrender, the US claimed.

Video taken in Faryab province last month appeared to show Taliban fighters massacring 22 Afghan commandos after they had surrendered, including the son of a well-known general.

Hundreds of government troops have surrendered to the Taliban since fighting escalated in May with the withdrawal of US troops - some without firing a shot, others after being cut off and surrounded with little or no chance of reinforcement or resupply from the government in Kabul.

A Taliban fighter looks on as he stands at the city of Ghazni, Afghanistan August 14

Taliban fighters pose as they stand guard along the roadside in Herat on August 14

People walk near a mural of President Ashraf Ghani at Hamid Karzai International Airport, in Kabul. The Taliban has called on Ghani to resign

The scale and speed of the Taliban advance has shocked Afghans and the US-led alliance that poured billions into the country after toppling the Taliban in the wake of the September 11 attacks nearly 20 years ago.

Days before a final US withdrawal ordered by President Joe Biden, individual soldiers, units and even whole divisions have surrendered - handing the insurgents even more vehicles and military hardware to fuel their lightning advance.

Despite the frantic evacuation efforts, the Biden administration continues to insist that a complete Taliban takeover is not inevitable, as McConnell believes.

'Kabul is not right now in an imminent threat environment,' Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Friday, while acknowledging that Taliban fighters were 'trying to isolate' the city.

Officials took pains to avoid describing the operation as an evacuation as they announced that the State Department would reduce its civilian footprint of 4,000 people to a 'core diplomatic presence.'

But that was before Saturday's news that the Taliban have moved to within seven miles of Kabul, which has triggered fresh questions about whether Biden had been right to announce a complete withdrawal.

Officials insist they always had contingency plans to help American staff leave safely, but critics said the result has been chaos.

But even allies have expressed concern. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said the Trump administration had forged a 'rotten deal' with the Taliban that risked allowing terrorists to return.

'I've been pretty blunt about it publicly and that's quite a rare thing when it comes to United States decisions, but strategically it causes a lot of problems and as an international community, it's very difficult for what we're seeing today,' he told Sky News.

The city of Kabul police are patrolling the streets and defending civilians who have flocked to the city

For Kabul residents and the tens of thousands who have sought refuge there in recent weeks, the overwhelming mood was one of confusion and fear of what lies ahead

Afghan police are guarding a checkpoint along a road in Kabul on August 14

The Taliban offensive has accelerated at the end of the week with the capture of Herat in the north and Kandahar - the group's spiritual heartland - in the south.

Kandahar resident Abdul Nafi told AFP the city was calm after government forces abandoned it for the sanctuary of military facilities outside, where they were negotiating terms of surrender.

'I came out this morning, I saw Taliban white flags in most squares of the city,' he said. 'I thought it might be the first day of Eid.'

Eid is one of two celebrations in the Islamic faith.

Pro-Taliban social media accounts have boasted of the vast spoils of war captured by the insurgents - posting photos of armored vehicles, heavy weapons, and even a drone seized by their fighters at abandoned military bases.

Taliban fighters sit on the back of a vehicle in the city of Herat, west of Kabul, Afghanistan on August 14

Flag of Taliban militants is raised at a square in Herat, Afghanistan, after seizing control of the city on August 13.

Taliban flags are being sold in the Herat province, west of Kabul, which was captured Friday

The US Embassy in Kabul has been ordered to destroy sensitive materials as Biden sends in 3,000 troops to help evacuate

Members of Joint Forces Headquarters (JFHQ) are pictured here in the Ministry of Defense's handout deploying to Afghanistan to assist in the draw down of troops from the area
State Trooper #1

Cuomo is accused of sexually harassed a state trooper, referred to in the report as Trooper #1, who he hired onto his protective detail in 2017 - bending the three-year experience requirement.

Although she had only completed two years on the force, the governor reportedly wanted the unnamed trooper in his inner circle.

He is said to have asked a senior member of his security detail to add her to the team even though she did not meet the standard requirement.

'Ha ha, they changed the minimum from 3 years to 2 just for you,' the senior security member told the trooper in an email, which was included in the AG's report.

Once she was on his team, he allegedly harassed her on a number of occasions, including one where he ran his hand across her stomach from her belly button to her right hip while she was holding the door open for him at an event.

'I felt...completely violated because to me...that's between my chest and my privates,' the trooper said, according to Business Insider.

'But, you know, I'm here to do a job.'

He also ran is accused 'running his finger down her back' while they were in an elevator together and saying 'hey you', and kissing her on the cheek in front of another trooper.

'I remember just freezing, being - in the back of my head, I'm like, oh, how do I say no politely because in my head if I said no, he's going to take it out on the detail. And now I'm on the bad list,' the trooper said.

Cuomo also allegedly asked her to help him find a girlfriend and said he wanted someone who 'liked pain', and asked her why she wanted to get married, saying 'your sex drive goes down'.

'Trooper #1 found these interactions with the Governor not only offensive and uncomfortable, but markedly different from the way the Governor interacted with members of the PSU who were men, and she conveyed these incidents contemporaneously to colleagues,' the report reads.

The trooper said she was afraid of being retaliated against if she were to speak out against the behavior.

The State Troopers Police Benevolent Association said in a statement on Tuesday that it was 'dismayed and disturbed' by the findings.

Tom Mungeer, president of the association, said: 'I'm outraged and disgusted that one of my members, who was tasked with guarding the governor and ensuring his safety, could not enjoy the same sense of security in her work environment that he was provided.'

State Entity Employee #2

A doctor says she was sexually harassed while administering a televised COVID-19 test to Cuomo.

The doctor who administered a COVID-19 test to Cuomo she was sexually harassed during the incident.

On May 17, 2020 Cuomo told the medic, in front of cameras 'nice to see you doctor, you make that gown look good'.

The doctor, who appeared in full PPE gear, did not respond to his comment.

Cuomo is accused of sexually harassing the medic while she administered him a COVID-19 test in front of cameras

Cuomo allegedly made comments towards the medic that were sexual in nature. He said: 'Nice to see you doctor, you make that gown look good'

The report also claims that before the test, Cuomo asked her not to swab him so hard that it 'hit his brain'.

She replied that she'd be 'gentle but accurate' and he said 'I've heard that before,' which the doctor said was 'implied in a sexual nature'.

The medic considered the interaction to be sexual harassment and investigators agreed.

Another unnamed 'state entity employee'

The unidentified employee, identified in the report as 'State Entity Employee #1,' said she attended an event with Cuomo in September 2019.

After giving a speech, Cuomo is said to have posed for pictures with her. While the picture was being taken, he 'grabbed her butt'.

'The employee was shocked and discussed it with a number of friends, family and co-workers,' the report says.

She also 'memorialized the Governor's inappropriate touching' contemporaneously, but the report doesn't say how.

'Executive Assistant One'

Cuomo is accused of groping an executive assistant, whose identity remains anonymous, at an event last November after routinely engaging in a pattern of impropriate conduct that began in late 2019.

The report includes photos of Cuomo with a woman described as 'executive assistant one'

The report says Cuomo repeatedly sexually harassed 'Executive Assistant One' when she worked for him by subjecting her to 'close and intimate hugs', 'kisses on the cheeks and forehead', 'at least one kiss on the lips' and 'touching her butt'.

He allegedly referred to her and one other assistant as 'mingle mamas' and asked her repeatedly if she would ever cheat on her husband.

On December 31, 2019, Cuomo asked her to take a selfies of them as they worked together inside his office at the Executive Mansion.

As she held up the camera, Cuomo 'moved his hand to grab her butt cheek and began to rub it' for at least five seconds, the report alleges.

The assistant 'was shaking so much during this interaction' that the photos came out blurry  and Cuomo suggested the two sit down to take one more, the document says.

That photo, showing Cuomo smirking while he sits back on a couch with the aide, is included in the report.

The governor then allegedly told her to send the snap to another aide, Alyssa McGrath - who has also accused Cuomo of sexual harassment - and said 'not to share the photograph with anyone else.'

The woman said she didn't report what happened because she was terrified.

'[T]he way he was so firm with [me] that I couldn't show anyone else that photo, I was just terrified that if I shared what was going on that it would somehow get around,' she told investigators.

Cuomo admitted that he and the staffer took a photo together, but said it was her idea, because 'he does not like to take selfies.'

In November 2020, he allegedly groped her breast at the Executive Mansion in Albany.

'For over three months, Executive Assistant #1 kept this groping incident to herself and planned to take it 'to the grave,' but found herself becoming emotional (in a way that was visible to her colleagues in the Executive Chamber) while watching the Governor state, at a press conference on March 3, 2021, that he had never 'touched anyone inappropriately.'

She then confided in certain of her colleagues, who in turn reported her allegations to senior staff in the Executive Chamber, the report says.

Cuomo, in a defiant address after the report was published, presented a montage of photos of him being tactile with people such as Bill Clinton, his mother and Robert De Niro. He used the photo show to claim he was never abusive, but merely someone who frequently hugged and touched people

Cuomo, who served as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development during the Clinton administration, is seen above planting a kiss on the cheek of former Vice President Al Gore

Cuomo's montage included another image of him planting a kiss on his mother's forehead

Cuomo included a photo above showing the governor grabbing a young boy's face

The assistant was summoned to the mansion under the pretext of having to assist Cuomo with a technical issue involving his phone, the Times Union reported in March.

The two were alone together on the second floor of the residence when Cuomo allegedly closed the door, reached under the woman's blouse and began to fondle her.

'You're going to get us in trouble,' the woman said she told Cuomo, who replied, 'I don't care,' according to the report.

His demeanor 'wasn't like 'ha ha,' it was like, 'I don't care.' . . . It was like in this - at that moment he was sexually driven. I could tell and the way he said it, I could tell,' the woman testified.

The governor then 'slid his hand up her blouse, and grabbed her breast, cupping her breast over her bra,' the report alleges.

A source familiar with the incident told the newspaper that the victim had asked Cuomo to stop.

This was allegedly the only time he touched her; all other instances involved flirtatious behavior.

Lindsey Boylan

Boylan, who was the first accuser to speak out publicly, said that Cuomo made inappropriate remarks to her when she worked as chief of staff to the CEO of the Empire State Development Corporation.

Boylan is seen in Washington Square Park in Manhattan on March 20 at a rally demanding Cuomo resign

Cuomo said that he found her attractive and that he wanted to play strip poker.

She also said that he physically touched her on various parts of her body, including her waist, legs, and back.

She claimed that once she reported her allegations, she was victimized by his team who ran a smear campaign against her while she ran for office.

The alleged harassment took place between 2015 and 2018.

Reports released earlier this year revealed that Cuomo's top aide tried to discredit Boylan and allegedly called at least six former employees looking for dirt on her.

Lindsey Boylan was the first accuser to speak out publicly against Cuomo. She says he made inappropriate comments towards her and physically touched her on various parts of her body

Charlotte Bennett

Bennett worked briefly for Cuomo as an aide. She was a health policy adviser in the New York governor's administration, hired in the spring of 2019 and swiftly promoted to senior briefer and executive assistant only a few months later.

AG Letitia James says her allegations that Cuomo harassed her with a series of comments are corroborated.

Among his alleged remarks are questions about if she'd date older men, asking her help to find a girlfriend, and apparently quizzing her on a sexual assault she had endured.

Charlotte Bennett, who worked for Cuomo last year, told CBS News she felt 'vindicated' by the report

EXCLUSIVE: I feel vindicated, former Gov. Cuomo aide Charlotte Bennett tells @NorahODonnell after New Yorks attorney general said she believed the women who came forward saying they had been sexually harassed by the governor. pic.twitter.com/O6Iwjndwo8  CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) August 3, 2021

Charlotte Bennett worked briefly as a an aide for Cuomo. He allegedly asked her questions about if she'd date older men, asking her help to find a girlfriend, and apparently quizzing her on a sexual assault she had endured

One of the other comments that he made was that he wanted to ride into the mountains with women.

Bennett had a friendly relationship with Cuomo due to their mutual ties to Westchester County, and saw him as a mentor.

Charlotte Bennett made notes about her experience working with Cuomo which she gave to investigators

In an interview earlier this year, Bennett said her first awkward conversation with Cuomo occurred on May 15, 2020.

The report included text messages between Charlotte Bennett and another aide, and conversations she had with her parents where she had she had a 'great conversation' with the 'Governor', and others where she says he made her feel uncomfortable.

'The governor invited me to lift weights with him,' she wrote in one message. 'He challenged me to a push-up competition'.

She had told her parents how he was surprised to learn that she lifted weights and boxed, and that he had asked her to do push-ups in the office.

In another text chain she said Cuomo 'talked about age difference in relationships,' calling his comments 'explicit'.

Charlotte Bennett saw Cuomo as a mentor, but she says he was clear he wanted more

The report also included messages in which Bennett tells a confidant that she was incredibly uncomfortable following an interaction in the office. Bennett said she was 'shaking' and 'so upset and so confused'.

In texts to another aide, Bennett said Cuomo repeated to her 'over and over' that she had been 'raped'.

Cuomo was also recorded singing the popular 1960s love song Do You Love Me?, by the Contours, to Bennett during a phone call in 2019.

According to the New York Post, Bennett initiated the phone call saying, 'Hi, governor. This is Charlotte'.

Cuomo allegedly answered the call with 'Are you ready? Doo, doo, doo,' and proceeded to ask her if she was familiar with the song.

Bennett told him the song was 'before her time'.

Cuomo allegedly continued singing, 'Do you love me? Do you really love me? Do you love me? Do you care?'

Virginia Limmiatis

Virginia Limmiatis worked for National Grid and was wearing a t-shirt with the company's name written across her chest when she says she met Cuomo.

Virginia Limmiatis worked for the National Grid when Cuomo allegedly groped her

He ran his 'two fingers across her chest, pressing down on each of the letters as he did so and reading out the name of the company as he went'.

The report says he then 'leaned in, with his face close to her cheek, and said 'I'm going to say I see a spider on your shoulder' before brushing the area between her shoulder and her breasts'.

'Ms. Limmiatis came forward in this investigation after she heard the governor state, during the March 3, 2021 press conference, that he had never touched anyone inappropriately.

'As Ms. Limmiatis testified to us, 'He is lying again. He touched me inappropriately. I am compelled to come forward to tell the truth... I didn't know how to report what he did to me at the time and was burdened by shame, but not coming forward now would make me complicit in his lie, and I won't do it.''

Alyssa McGrath

McGrath, 35, was the first current employee to accuse Cuomo, and works as an executive assistant.

'In his interactions with another executive assistant, Alyssa McGrath, the Governor made inappropriate comments and engaged in harassing conduct, including: regularly asking about her personal life, including her marital status and divorce; asking whether Ms. McGrath would tell on Executive Assistant #1 if she were to cheat on her husband - and whether Ms. McGrath herself planned to 'mingle' with men'.

She also claimed he looked down her shirt to compliment her on her necklace, told her that she's beautiful in Italian and kissed her on the forehead during an office Christmas party in 2019.

Alyssa McGrath was quizzed by Cuomo about her marital status and divorce and kissed on the forehead by Cuomo at an office Christmas party

Her attorney, Mariann Wang, said on Tuesday that McGrath and another accuser she represents, Virginia Limmiatis, were relieved.

The two women 'feel profoundly grateful to the AG's team for taking this seriously and examining their reports thoroughly and carefully.'

Wang continued: 'Cuomo's misogyny and abuse cannot be denied. He has been doing this for years, without any repercussions.

'He should not be in charge of our government and should not be in any position of power over anyone else.'

'Kaitlin'

Kaitlin - whose second name is not public - met the governor in 2016 at a fundraising event where they were photographed together in a dance pose.

Afterwards, she was hired by him in a junior position but given a salary of $120,000 - a figure so high she says it was laughed at in her interview.

Ana Liss

Liss, 35, worked in the Executive Chamber between 2013 and 2015, during which time she says the governor subjected her to sexual harassment that included being called 'sweetheart' and 'darling', and placing his hand around her lower waist.

Ana Liss (pictured) worked in the Executive Chamber between 2013 and 2015, during which time she says the governor subjected her to sexual harassment that included being called 'sweetheart' and 'darling', and placing his hand around her lower waist

He also kissed her hands and cheek, she said.

Despite feeling uncomfortable, she says she did not report them because 'for whatever reason, in his office the rules were different.'

She added: 'It was just, you should view it as a compliment if the Governor finds you aesthetically pleasing enough, if he finds you interesting enough to ask questions like that.

'And so even though it was strange and uncomfortable and technically not permissible in a typical workplace environment, I was in this mindset that it was the twilight zone and...the typical rules did not apply.'

Anna Ruch

Ruch was a guest at a wedding, as was the governor, in 2019 when she says he put his hands on a section of her back that was exposed by a cut-out in her dress.

She grabbed his wrist to move it away and he responded by saying 'wow, you're aggressive,' according to the report.

Cuomo then grabbed her face with both of his hands and said 'can I kiss you?'

He was pictured kissing her cheek.

Anna Ruch was a guest at a wedding, as was Cuomo, in 2019. She says he put his hands on a section of her back that was exposed by a cut-out in her dress

Karen Hinton

Karen Hinton, 62, spoke to the Washington Post about an incident in which Cuomo summoned her to his 'dimly lit' hotel room and embraced her after a work event in 2000.

She was not among the 11 women on who the attorney general based her report.

Hinton said that she tried to pull away from Cuomo, but that he pulled her back and held her before she backed away and escaped the room.

Peter Ajemian, Cuomo's director of communications, told the Post that Hinton is a 'known antagonist of the Governor's who is attempting to take advantage of this moment to score cheap points with made up allegations from 21 years ago'.

'All women have the right to come forward and tell their story  however, it's also the responsibility of the press to consider self-motivation. This is reckless,' he added.

Karen Hinton, 62, (pictured above) claims the governor summoned her to his 'dimly lit' hotel room and embraced her after a work event in 2000 before she managed to escape

In response, Hinton told the Post that 'attacking the accuser is the classic playbook of powerful men trying to protect themselves' as she said that watching Cuomo's apologetic press conference 'drove me crazy'.

'I really thought the flirt wasn't about having sex,' Hinton said. 'It was about controlling the relationship.'

At the time of the alleged encounter in the hotel room, Cuomo would have been leading the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Hinton was a consultant after moving to California.

The Post reports that Hinton and Cuomo have a contentious past and that they had a major blow up before she left the agency in 1999, remaining on as a consultant.

She had joined Cuomo in Los Angeles to promote a HUD program and later had dinner in his hotel before allegedly receiving a phone call from him stating: 'Why don't you come to my room and let's catch up?'

Hinton said that she began to think it was unusual when Cuomo asked her to avoid being seen by Clarence Day, his longtime head of security, but that she continued to his room anyway.

'I paused for a second,' she told the Post about noticing the low lights in the room. 'Why are the lights so low? He never keeps the lights this low.'

Hinton said they sat on opposite couches and talked about their work at HUD and that Cuomo asked her personal questions about her life and marriage - including if she would leave her husband.

She claims that she grew self-conscious after speaking so much about herself and went to leave.

'I stand up and say, 'It's getting late, I need to go,' ' she said, describing the embrace Cuomo gave her as 'very long, too long, too tight, too intimate'.

'He pulls me back for another intimate embrace,' she said. 'I thought at that moment it could lead to a kiss, it could lead to other things, so I just pull away again, and I leave.'

Hinton told the Post that she viewed the move as a 'power play' for 'manipulation and control' and that the pair never discussed the incident again, although they have remained in touch.

She has both publicly praised Cuomo and been critical of him, especially when working as press secretary in 2015 and 2016 for New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, with whom the governor has an intense rivalry.

The Post spoke to two people who confirmed that Hinton had told them about the hotel incident after it happened.
New South Wales recorded its darkest day since the Covid-19 pandemic began on Saturday with 466 new infections.

By Saturday evening, the state was told another 26 venues had been exposed to the virus.

Everyone in NSW was thrown into lockdown at 5pm on Saturday following the record-breaking number of infections - along with four deaths.

Of the new local cases, 345 are under investigation, while 87 people were in the community for all or part of the time they were infectious - a number health authorities have tried to get as close to zero as possible since the outbreak began.

There are fears the virus is spreading far and wide across NSW following the detection of Covid fragments in sewage in Broken Hill in the far west, where there are no known cases.

'Everyone in these areas is urged to monitor for the onset of symptoms, and if they appear, to immediately be tested and isolate until a negative result is received,' NSW Health said.

NSW Health on Saturday flagged several sites that were visited by Covid-19 cases including 17 in Dubbo alone - which recorded 16 new infections - such as a church and a Priceline Pharmacy.

New South Wales experienced its darkest day since the Covid-19 pandemic began on Saturday with 466 new infections recorded and another 26 exposure sites listed around the state

NSW Health on Saturday flagged several sites that were visited by Covid-19 cases including 17 in Dubbo alone such as the Saint Laurence OToole Church (pictured)

The Priceline Pharmacy in Dubbo was also exposed to the virus on Tuesday August 10 from 1:55pm to 3:55pm

Sydneysiders are seven weeks into a lockdown with no end in sight (pictured residents at Bondi Beach)

Other venues of concern have popped up in the Hunter region and the Central Coast including a chiropractor's office and a train station.

The Saint Laurence OToole Church in Dubbo, in central NSW, was visited by a positive case on Sunday, August 8 between 6:50am and 8:35am.

Anyone who visited the church during those times is considered a close contact and must isolate for 14 days regardless of Covid test results.

The same direction applies to those who shopped at the Priceline store in the town on Tuesday August 10 from 1:55pm to 3:55pm.

A skateshop and various cafes were also listed as exposure sites in Dubbo with close contacts to go into two weeks of isolation immediately.

NSW EXPOSURE SITES ON SATURDAY Anyone in attendance at the following venues at the following times must immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days regardless of the result: Dubbo, Saint Laurence OToole Church - Sunday August 8 from 6:50am to 8:35am Dubbo, Relish Cafe - Tuesday August 10 from 11:55am to 12:30pm Dubbo, Blend Sixty-Six Cafe - Sunday August 8 from 8:20am to 8:35am Dubbo, Storm Riders - Tuesday, August 10 from 1:30pm to 1:35pm Dubbo, Priceline Pharmacy Dubbo - Tuesday August 10 from 1:55pm to 3:55pm Dubbo - Fitness Focus - Monday August 9 from 3.53pm to 5.50pm Anyone in attendance at the following venues at the following times must immediately get tested and isolate until given a negative result. If your date of exposure at this venue occurred in the last 4 days, you must get another test on day 5 from the date of exposure and limit your movements until you get another negative result: Dubbo, Bawrunga Medical Centre - Tuesday August 10 from 12:30pm to 12:35pm Woy Woy - Deepwater Plaza - Wednesday August 11 from 11:40am to 12:20pm Woy Woy - Woolworths - Sunday August 8 from 1:10pm to 1:55pm Charlestown, Priceline Pharmacy Charlestown - Wednesday August 4 from 1:55pm to 2:05pm Cardiff, Woolworths Cardiff - Saturday August 7 from 1:17pm to 1:45pm Charlestown, Charlestown Square Shopping Centre - Wednesday August 4 from 1:04pm to 3:45pm Dubbo, Woolworths Delroy Park - Wednesday August 11 from 11.30am to 11.45am and 5pm to 7pm Dubbo, Chemist Warehouse Dubbo - Saturday August 7 from 2:20pm to 2:35pm Dubbo, Big W Dubbo - Monday August 9 from 10am to 12pm Charlestown, Gadget Mall, Charlestown Square - Wednesday August 4 from 2:38pm to 2:39pm Dubbo, Officeworks Dubbo - Thursday August 5 from 4:23pm to 4:42pm Dubbo, Dubbo East Post Office - Thursday August 5 from 3:57pm to 4:05pm East Maitland, Guzman y Gomez Stockland Green Hills - Saturday August 7 from 2.30pm to 8.30pm, Sunday August 8 from 2.30pm to 8.30pm, Monday August 9 from 2.30pm to 8.30pm and Wednesday August 11 from 5pm to 8.30pm Rutherford, Sprouting Health Chiropractic - Saturday August 7 from 9:45am to 10:25am Dubbo, Kmart Dubbo - Tuesday August 10 from 10:30am to 12am Dubbo, Millers Dubbo - Tuesday August 10 from 1:15pm to 1:30pm Dubbo, Spotlight Dubbo - Tuesday August 10 from 4pm to 4:20pm Dubbo, Woolworths Dubbo - Monday August 9 from 4:05pm to 4:35pm Dubbo, Westpac Dubbo - Monday August 9 from 3:45pm to 3:55pm Central Coast and Newcastle Line, Strathfield Station to Wyong Station - Saturday July 31 from 9:59am to 11:34am Anyone in attendance at the following venues at the following times must immediately get tested and isolate until further notice from NSW Health: Dubbo, Bawrunga Medical Centre - Wednesday August 4 from 4:45pm to 5:45pm Advertisement

Exposure sites have also popped up in Charlestown in Greater Newcastle with alerts being issued for the town's shopping centre and another Priceline pharmacy.

The Guzman y Gomez restaurant in East Maitland was also exposed over several days from Saturday August 7 to Wednesday August 11.

NSW Health has issued a new series of instructions for those who visited several recent exposure sites.

Anyone who attended specific venues listed is urged to get tested immediately and isolate until given a negative result.

However, if the exposure occurred within the last four days, residents must get another test on day five from the date of exposure and limit their movements until a another negative result is received.

Saturday was NSW's worst day on record for Covid infections which prompted Premier Gladys Berejiklian to introduce a raft of new restrictions

Residents are seen soaking up the sunshine in Bondi Beach on Saturday following a record breaking 466 new cases

Saturday was NSW's worst day on record for Covid infections which prompted Premier Gladys Berejiklian to introduce a raft of new restrictions while Sydneysiders try their best to stay hopeful amid a seventh week of lockdown.

The four deaths announced on Saturday were a woman in her 40s, a man in his 70s, a woman in her 70s, and a man in his 80s.

This brings the number of coronavirus-related deaths to 43 during the current outbreak, with NSW recording 99 overall.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro was criticised for announcing the change in restrictions for regional NSW on Twitter on Saturday afternoon - two hours before the lockdown was due to begin.

The new lockdown restrictions mean everyone must stay at home unless they have a reasonable excuse to leave, with residents unable to have visitors from outside their household including family and friends.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro was criticised for announcing the change in restrictions for regional NSW on Twitter on Saturday afternoon - two hours before the lockdown was due to begin

Some commenters said people not on Twitter would not get the information

NSW residents replying to Mr Barilaro's tweet were furious the announcement wasn't made more publicly.

'There's only two hours to go, surely you should get on television and give people some notice?' One person said.

'Very strange that the deputy is announcing this on Twitter. WTF goes on in those meetings,' another said.

'Why wouldn't you announce it at the presser this morning? 2.5 hours notice for those in regional NSW? What if those people aren't on Twitter?' A third added.

REGIONAL NSW LOCKDOWN The lockdown applies for the whole of regional NSW, effective from 5pm Saturday until 12.01am Sunday 22 August 2021. Everyone must stay at home unless they have a reasonable excuse to leave. They also cannot have visitors in their home from outside their household, including family and friends. People still can have one visitor for carers' responsibilities or provide care or assistance, or for compassionate reasons, including where two people are in a relationship but do not live together. All hospitality venues must be closed to the public, including pubs, restaurants and cafes, except for takeaway. Some other retail premises are required to close. Anyone who leaves their home must carry a mask with them. Masks must be worn when working outdoors, by all school staff, by all people in outdoor markets, outdoor shopping strips, and in an outdoor queues waiting for products such as coffee and food. Every employer across NSW must require their employees to work from home unless it is not reasonably practicable. It is a reasonable excuse to leave your home for work  but only if it is not practicable to work from home. There will be a one-day 'grace period' for planned weddings and funerals in the regional areas that have not already been subject to a lockdown. From Monday, small funerals and memorial services of 10 persons only (excluding the persons conducting the service) will be permitted. Advertisement

'This is terrible messaging for rural and regional people! Why has it not been properly announced with clear directions?!' A fourth person said.

After NSW recorded more than 2000 fresh cases in the past week the Australian Medical Association had urged for the statewide lockdown saying the health system could no longer manage the alarming increase in case numbers.

'Our already fragile rural and regional health system will be unable to cope with increases in cases,' AMA NSW President Dr Danielle McMullen said in a statement.

Ms Berejiklian described the current outbreak as an 'extremely concerning situation' and told reporters on Saturday morning travel restrictions would be tightened in Greater Sydney effective from Monday.

'You can do activity within your local government area but instead of 10km from your home, it will be 5km from your home and that's for all of Greater Sydney,' she said.

Travel restrictions in Greater Sydney have been tightened and residents will now have to be within 5km of their home if leaving for essential reasons

A handy website (pictured) will show you a five-kilometre radius from your home address

For those who don't know exactly where the 5km boundary from their house extends, there is an easy way to check.

The website KM From Home allows users to enter their address and see a red circle on a map which will indicate where they can travel to.

To use the service simply allow the website to access your location - a popup will appear - or you can type your address or even drag a pin to the correct point on the map.

The police presence will also ramp up in affected LGAs, with officers able to impose larger fines of $5000 for breaching public health orders.

'There will be a visible and increased police presence in the affected local government areas including deployment of specialised commands, and including the riot squad, highway patrol, and increased presence more broadly,' Ms Berejiklian said.

An additional 500 ADF personnel will be deployed on top of 300 already in NSW.

The police presence will also ramp up in affected LGAs, with officers able to impose larger fines of $5000 for breaching public health orders

Also from next week, people in Greater Sydney will need a permit to travel to regional NSW while single people in affected LGAs will need to register their 'single buddies' online to make it easier for police conducting compliance checks.

The bubble was originally set up to give those living alone during lockdown a 'buddy' to socialise with but the new mandate will allow the government to keep track of who is sleeping with who - and it's now known who will have access to the information.

'Unfortunately some people were trying to get around the rules imposed,' the premier said hinting that singles were visiting more than one person.

'In affected local government areas you will need to register your single buddies so people are not abusing that rule.'

She reiterated there has been no known cases linked to people operating under the singles bubble but the new restrictions are being imposed to ensure spread doesn't occur.

The affected areas where the restrictions will apply are Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield, and areas of Penrith councils.

Anyone living in the listed LGAs can only have a single buddy who also lives within their same LGA.

While people in Greater Sydney cannot travel more than 5km from their home, there is no restriction on visiting a partner based on 'compassionate grounds'.

Sydneysiders - and those in the regions - will also now be handed a $3,000 fine for breaching the two-person exercise limit. There will also be $3,000 fines for Sydneysiders found wrongfully found entering regional NSW.

Sydneysiders - and those in the regions - will also now be handed a $3,000 fine for breaching the two-person exercise limit

Ms Berejiklian told reporters people leaving their house for exercise had to be either actively exercising or supervising children.

'Exercise means exercise, many people know that but unfortunately some people were trying to get around the rules imposed,' she said.

In positive news a $320 cash payment will be offered to anyone who needs to isolate after taking a Covid test - and would be financially affected for doing so - in a bid to prevent potentially infected residents going in to work.

'We have the $320 immediate payment now available, so if people are waiting at home, they have access to the disaster payment if they are out of work but if there is somebody who was working who has been asked to stay home for various reasons they are waiting for their results, they will be eligible for the $320 payment,' Ms Berejiklian said.

The payment plan for those unable to work while awaiting Covid test results will be limited to nine LGAs that have been hit the hardest in the recent outbreak.

The biggest increases in case numbers in western Sydney were in Blacktown, Doonside, Mount Druitt, Maryland, Guildford and Auburn, the Premier said.

A string of new exposure sites around NSW were also listed on Saturday as residents undergo tough new restrictions

For those in lockdown in regional NSW, people fulfilling carers' responsibilities are permitted to have one visitor for compassionate reasons.

Two people who are in a relationship but do not live together may also visit each other.

All hospitality venues in regional areas must shut, including pubs, restaurants and cafes, except for takeaway.

Mask mandates are also in place and must be worn when working outdoors, by school staff, in outdoor markets, outdoor shopping strips, and in outdoor queues when waiting for takeaway services.

NSW Health has given a one-day grace period for planned weddings and funerals in regional areas which may still go ahead until 12.01am on Monday August 16 but only if guests are from areas that have not already been subject to a lockdown.

From Monday, only small funerals and memorial services of 10 persons will be permitted in the regions.

The news of the announcement sparked the dreaded return of panic buying across the state on Saturday afternoon.

Panic buying chaos in NSW. One resident in Coffs Harbour, in north-eastern NSW, was so desperate they offered to sell their spot in a queue on a Facebook group at a Woolworths with wait times estimated at 40 minutes

Another busy supermarket is seen following 466 new cases across NSW

The shelves of supermarkets around regional New South Wales have been stripped bare after panic buyers packed their trolleys following the lockdown announcement

A massive queue formed outside Woolworths in Griffith, in central NSW, on Saturday afternoon with toilet paper running out at 4pm.

Similar scenes were reported across the region.

Footage from the Griffith Woolworths showed dozens of shoppers filling their trolleys and stocking up on essentials - despite supermarkets staying open during lockdown.

Meanwhile, a Coffs Harbour local was so desperate they offered to sell their spot in a Woolworths queue on a Facebook group because of wait times of up to an hour.

Similar scenes were seen at supermarkets in Broken Hill, in far-western NSW, with bread, milk and toilet paper in high demand.
Travellers brawl at Appleby Horse Fair as police send armed officers to tackle 'serious violence' after receiving a tip that rival groups were planning to settle feuds.

Armed officers were sent to the festival in Cumbria after officers got information about groups intending to cause serious violence as part of on-going feuds.

Cumbria Police implemented 'immediate' Section 60 as tensions grow amid fear of serious violence.

Travellers brawl at Appleby Horse Fair as police send armed officers to tackle 'serious violence' after receiving a tip that rival groups were planning to settle feuds

The order will began at 9.30am on Saturday 14 August and will expire at 12.30am on 15 August.

The Section 60 will give officers enhanced stop and search powers, allowing officers to search people without needing to suspect that they may be carrying weapons.

Superintendent Matt Kennerley of Cumbria Police said: 'The police have information that there are a number of groups intending to travel to Appleby Horse Fair this weekend intent on causing serious violence as part of on-going feuds between different groups.

'This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

Armed officers were sent to the festival in Cumbria after officers got information about groups intending to cause serious violence as part of on-going feuds

'In response to this information and to help keep people safe, a number of measures are to be implemented immediately.

'Policing resources will be increased in key areas and at key times.

'In addition, people are likely to see armed police in the Appleby area to allow such officers to respond swiftly and effectively to any potential situation that arises.'

Supt Kennerley added: 'These powers will help our officers to keep people safe.

'However, I also urge anyone with information about potential disorder or any other type of criminality to contact the police.

'Anyone who is seeking to come to the Fair to act violently is no friend to those of us  including Appleby people and the Gypsy and Traveller people - who wish for the Horse Fair to be an enjoyable and safe environment for all.'

Cumbria Police implemented 'immediate' Section 60, which will give stop and search powers, as tensions grow amid fear of serious violence

The fair is an annual gathering for Gypsy, Romany and travelling communities and is billed as the biggest traditional Gypsy Fair in Europe.

Around 10,000 travellers are expected to attend the event who traditionally come to buy and sell horses.

It also offers an opportunity for the traveller community to come together to celebrate their heritage and culture.

The fair is usually held in early June outside the town of Appleby, in Cumbria, and attracts around 1,000 caravans, hundreds of horse-drawn vehicles, and around 30,000 visitors.

Around 10,000 travellers are expected to attend the event who traditionally come to buy and sell horses

Over the years, the mass gathering has generated allegations of violent crime, animal cruelty and mess left in the town.

However the RSPCA, which patrols the fair, has said just a small minority of visitors have ever shown scant regard for animal welfare.

Already travellers have clashed with locals in neighbouring market towns when they decided to set up an overnight camp at the Upper Eden Rugby Club when their camp was sprayed with cow manure and sectioned off with boulders.

But, despite the numbers being at what police said was a 'normal' level, incidents of crime and disorder were at an all time low as a new spirit of cooperation emerged between travellers and locals.
A group of anti-vaxxers and Covid-deniers staged an awkward micro-protest in a shopping centre as shoppers watched in bemusement.

The protesters, dressed head-to-toe in PPE and white masks, walked quietly through Lakeside Joondalup Shopping Centre in Perth while carrying a message mocking the public's acceptance of official pandemic guidelines.

Among the signs were: 'Trust the science' and 'dob on the unvaccinated' - as well as 'trust the government'.

Some of their messages didn't make sense, including 'stay sleep' and 'support dividing Australian's (sic).'

Protest or health promotion? Some observers couldn't quite tell what the group of white-suited activists were on about in Lakeside Joondalup Shopping Centre on Saturday

A group of what appeared to be anti-vaxxers and Covid-deniers have staged an awkward micro-protest in an Australian shopping centre watched by bemused shoppers

The protesters' lack of a crystal-clear message meant people weren't quite sure who they were or what they were standing for.

Shoppers and mall staff went about their business as they looked on, curious as to what the group was on about.

'As ridiculous as they are, I cannot describe the fright I got at work folding clothes, looking up and staring into the masks,' a young woman who was working in a clothing store nearby said.

The group's protest was filmed and posted to Facebook, where commenters mocked the demonstration.

'Trust the science?' I don't think they're sure of the message they're trying to get across,' one person commented.

'Ah the irony. They are the only ones wearing masks in the shopping centre and that's thanks to the measures they are protesting about!', another wrote.

'Good to see the Teletubbies got a new gig' was one of the many amusing comments to the Perth protest on Facebook

Members of the public stood by trying to figure out what the protesters actual message was

'And their point is? Are they for, or against vaccination?' a third asked.

'This is some first year theatre student deep and edgy dumbf***ery right here,' another woman wrote on Facebook.

'Aiming for V for Vendetta, got V for Very Embarrassing instead,' yet another commented.

'This is the best advertisement for condoms I've ever seen,' said a man referring to their full body plastic suits.

'I'm actually lost on what they're message is here do they want us to trust the govt and take naps? Cos I'm down for both,' another man wrote on Facebook.

'Good to see the Teletubbies got a new gig,' and 'Slipknot have really gone PG', were among other comments.
Florida heath officials reported a record number of COVID-19 cases this week as Governor Ron DeSantis faces pushback to his ban of the mask mandate in schools.

Florida has set a new record for weekly infections for the third consecutive week as the state's health department recorded 151,415 new COVID-19 cases over the past week- a 12 percent increase in the last seven days- for an average of 21,630 cases each day.

The state also recorded an additional 1,071 deaths, a daily average of 153, in the health department's weekly report.

This brings the statewide total to 2,877,214 cases and 40,766 deaths.

These growing numbers come as the state set a record for COVID hospitalizations as it contends with a massive surge as the Indian 'Delta' variant dominates this new Covid wave.

Florida has set a new record for weekly infections for the third consecutive week as the state's health department recorded 151,415 new COVID-19 cases over the past week

DeSantis has described CDC recommendations to wear face masks as 'the most significant threat to freedom in my lifetime'

According to data from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), nearly 15,800 patients in Florida are hospitalized with the virus and more than 30 percent of all patients in Florida hospitals are sick with Covid as are over 50 percent of patients in intensive care units.

The state's positivity rate is at 19.3 percent, slightly up from 19.2 percent the week before, and a total of 384,328 new doses of vaccine have been administered in the last week, down from 434,172 doses the week before, the weekly report said.

Florida no longer reports daily COVID-19 cases, instead publicly revealing weekly counts every Friday.

The rising cases come as there has been pushback to governor DeSantis' mask mandate ban.

In July DeSantis issued an executive order to protect 'parents freedom to choose' whether or not their children had to wear mask in schools.

The order noted that 'children are at 'low risk of contracting a serious illness due to COVID-19' and said that 'forcing' children to wear masks could 'inhibit breathing, and adversely affect communications in the classroom and student performance,' among other things.

A group of over 800 Florida physicians published an open letter urging DeSantis to repeal anti-mask laws to protect Florida children

DeSantis has described CDC recommendations to wear face masks as 'the most significant threat to freedom in my lifetime,' and even accused the health agencies of 'medical authoritarianism.'

This comes after Florida department of Health clashed with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and called them out for misreporting the state's COVID-19 numbers.

On Monday, the CDC reported 28,317 new COVID cases were recorded in Florida last Sunday, a record-high that was reported by multiple media outlets.

However, the DOH official Twitter account fired back and said the CDC had overcounted the true 15,000 total.

The state's DOH claimed that the CDC combined multiple days' worth of data into one, leading to an overreport of 13,000 cases.

DeSantis blasted the CDC for the error and also laid into Joe Biden earlier this week, claiming the president is more interested in attacking him to score political points than in halting the spread of the virus.

The Biden administration has pushed back against DeSantis and offered federal financial support to Florida school districts who are defying the governor's ban on mask mandates as the virus continues to surge.

In a letter to DeSantis and state Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardonay said that that districts that lose state funding for complying with mask mandates would have federal funds available to them.

The Biden administration has pushed back against DeSantis and offered federal financial support to Florida school districts who are defying the governor's ban

The Florida DOE has discussed hashing out possible sanctions against school leaders in Alachua and Broward counties who have opted to enact stricter student mask mandates than allowed by the DeSantis administration, Politico reported.

'We are eager to partner with the Florida Department of Education on any efforts to further our shared goals of protecting the health and safety of students and educators,' Cardona wrote. 'If FLDOE does not wish to pursue such an approach, the Department will continue to work directly with the school districts and educators that serve Florida's students.'



State medical professionals are also objecting the governor's order.

Florida is currently the state with the most children hospitalized with COVID-19, the state department of health reported, with infection rates in children at over 19 percent.

A group of over 800 Florida physicians published an open letter urging DeSantis to repeal anti-mask laws to protect Florida children.

'As the virus burns through Florida, health care providers feel we are fighting this fire without any leadership from Gov. Ron DeSantis,' the letter said.

'With schools resuming and children returning to classrooms, Gov. DeSantis' anti-safety strategy puts people at risk, including children,' the letter added.
A suspected gangland people smuggler was arrested while preparing to send another 70 desperate migrants across the Channel.

Ali Ibrahim, originally from Burundi in Africa but now living in luxury in Holland, was arrested near Dunkirk 48 hours ago suspected of being one of the gangland people smugglers who charge migrants thousands of Euros to get on a boat, MailOnline has learned.

The smugglers drive in inflatable dinghies, outboard engines and lifejackets and bury them in the sand dunes or in some cases rendezvous in the dead of night with groups who gather at specified locations after camping out for days in the dunes.

The 28-year-old was driving his Dutch registered van towards a remote location in a vast area of sand dunes named Dewulf behind a vast beach a few miles along the coast between Dunkirk and Leffrinckoucke.

Gendarmes equipped with drones had been watching the area for days as it had been identified as a regular launching area for migrants crossing the Channel.

Gendarmes found Ibrahim's van contained two inflatable dinghies eight meters long, jerry cans full of petrol, two outboard engines and seventy lifejackets

Ali Ibrahim, originally from Burundi in Africa but now living in luxury in Holland, was arrested near Dunkirk 48 hours ago suspected of being one of the gangland people smugglers who charge migrants thousands of Euros to get on a boat. Pictured: A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, yesterday

The sheer danger of making the crossing in overcrowded small boats was underlined just hours after the French police operation  as a 30-year-old African migrant died while attempting to reach the UK.

Appearing in court in Dunkirk yesterday for a fast-track trial  at almost exactly the same time that the tragic fellow African was being loaded into a dinghy together with 37 other migrants  Ibrahim told the judge that 'a friend from his neighbourhood in Holland, called Rachid and nicknamed "Titanic"' who had invested in property, shops and supermarkets had asked him to take the nautical gear directly to Leffrinckouke.

The defendant swore that he had no idea what the gear was to be used for but prosecutors later revealed that his mobile phone records showed he had visited various locations along the north coast of France between Boulogne and Dunkirk and Belgium suggesting he was closely involved in the lucrative smuggling trade.

The alleged deliveries took place at night under cover of darkness.

Text messages on the phone mentioned specific locations on the coast, details about money payments, bank transfers and a message from another smuggler who had subsequently been arrested.

The 28-year-old was driving his Dutch registered van towards a remote location in a vast area of sand dunes named Dewulf behind a vast beach a few miles along the coast between Dunkirk and Leffrinckoucke (pictured)

In court Ali admitted that the seized phone was his but claimed that he had 'lent it to a friend for several days' .

'I was caught in a trap ', he told the judge who replied that he didn't believe him and jailed him for six months as well as banning him from setting foot in France for three years upon his release.

In Dunkirk today prosecutors are still attempting to establish the identity of the ill-fated African who was recovered from the sea unconscious and later died despite being air lifted to hospital in Calais yesterday.

The African's craft was just one of eight small boats which headed out to sea in rough conditions only to be swamped by waves .

Cross Channel ferries and fishing boats radioed French coastguards after seeing small boats in difficulty and a naval patrol vessel, French and Belgian rescuers and fishing boats saved a total of 164 migrant lives.

The previous day the French saved the lives of 108 migrants.

Kesteloot Daniel poses with the damaged motor of his boat at the marina of Gravelines, near Dunkerque, after it was stolen by migrants

Prosecutors in Dunkirk are understood to be questioning known smugglers already in custody about yesterday's fateful boat journey.

Last night it emerged that an investigation into manslaughter, placing human life in danger and other charges has been opened by the Dunkirk prosecutor.

People smuggling, a crime considered as lucrative as drug smuggling, has become a major concern for Police in northern France, Belgium and Holland.

Liasing with UK investigators detectives have dismantled over a dozen major smuggling networks , French Interior minister Gerald Darmaning revealed in Calais in July.

Smugglers are highly organised and drive in nautical equipment and vanloads of migrants from as far afield as Germany, Holland and Belgium.

In other cases migrants with limited means who are recruited as helpers and camp out in the dunes between Calais and Dunkirk are loaded directly into boats on the shoreline.

In many cases people smugglers have been reported as launching several boats simultaneously along the coast to confuse Police and coastguard officers.
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A huge anti vaccine passports march took over central London today as demonstrators waved large placards protesting against the documentation.

Activists flocked to Parliament Square, Whitehall and Piccadilly Circus to pressure the government into ruling them out for good.

The topic has caused issues in Boris Johnson's government, with him facing a Cabinet revolt and being accused of denying people their fundamental freedoms.

Meanwhile hundreds descended on Glasgow City Centre for a Scottish independence march that was hijacked by anti-vaxxers.

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's brother Piers led the takeover as he called for an end to coronavirus vaccines.

The protests come just five days after dozens of anti-vaccine thugs tried to storm the BBC's west London studios - prompting violent clashes with police.

The march, organised by anti-lockdown group Official Voice, was believed to have been directed against vaccine passports and jabs for children.

A huge anti vaccine passports march took over central London today as demonstrators waved large placards protesting against the documentation

Activists flocked to Parliament Square, Whitehall and Piccadilly Circus to pressure the government into ruling them out for good

The topic has caused issues in Boris Johnson's government, with him facing a Cabinet revolt and being accused of denying people their fundamental freedoms

Meanwhile hundreds descended on Glasgow City Centre for a Scottish independence march that was hijacked by anti-vaxxers. Pictured: London today

Today's London rally saw protesters teem into the city centre with placards and printed tops calling for vaccine passports to be abandoned

The crowds lined Parliament Square and posed for pictures in front of Elizabeth Tower - which holds Big Ben - as well as Portcullis House

Today's London rally saw protesters teem into the city centre with placards and printed tops calling for vaccine passports to be abandoned.

The crowds lined Parliament Square and posed for pictures in front of Elizabeth Tower - which holds Big Ben - as well as Portcullis House.

Others flooded Whitehall where they shouted and waved their banners in front of 10 Downing Street during the afternoon.

One placard read: 'Boris leave the kids alone. Vaccinating children will not stop this virus from spreading.' Another simply said: 'No vaccine passport.'

A woman held a sign saying: 'Covid jab? It's a shot in the dark. Trials complete 2023.' And one more bizarrely added: 'The Covid crisis was engineered for evil profit. Say no to vaccine passports.'

Others donned anti-vaxx shirts with messages spewed across them calling for people to stop getting the coronavirus jab.

One said: 'Covid lies equals state tyranny.' Another said: 'Stuff their great reset new normal build back stupider. No to health apartheid. Join the resistance.'

Others flooded Whitehall where they shouted and waved their banners in front of 10 Downing Street during the afternoon

One placard read: 'Boris leave the kids alone. Vaccinating children will not stop this virus from spreading.' Another simply said: 'No vaccine passport'

A woman held a sign saying: 'Covid jab? It's a shot in the dark. Trials complete 2023.' And one more bizarrely added: 'The Covid crisis was engineered for evil profit. Say no to vaccine passports'

Others donned anti-vaxx shirts with messages spewed across them calling for people to stop getting the coronavirus jab

One said: 'Covid lies equals state tyranny.' Another said: 'Stuff their great reset new normal build back stupider. No to health apartheid. Join the resistance'

It comes as Piers Corbyn took a weekend off protesting in London and headed to Scotland where he marched on Glasgow city centre. Pictured: London today

Hundreds had earlier turned out for a Scottish independence demonstration with Saltire and Yes flags streamed across George Square. Pictured: London today

It comes as Piers Corbyn took a weekend off protesting in London and headed to Scotland where he marched on Glasgow city centre.

Hundreds had earlier turned out for a Scottish independence demonstration with Saltire and Yes flags streamed across George Square.

The two marches came to a head in the city centre and there was reportedly a brief standoff before both sides moved on.

The Scottish Independence Movement campaign group organised the Yes march in a bid to draw attention to getting Scotland out of the UK.

A spokesman said: 'We decided against holding a rally due to Covid-19 restrictions just being lifted. We felt as an organisation that it this was too soon so we will disperse when the march finishes at Glasgow Green. Choose your pub wisely.

'We may have musicians in the crowd who may do solo sets at the Green. Regarding Yes stalls at Glasgow Green, if as an organisation you feel you want to set up a stall you are more than welcome, mindful that no rally is taking place.'

The two marches came to a head in the city centre and there was reportedly a brief standoff before both sides moved on. Pictured: London today

Piers Corbyn was recorded stalking through the Merchant City nearby as he joined fellow followers of the Resistance GB group. Pictured: London today

It claims to report on 'Natural Rights, Civil Liberties, Police Abuses and Government Criminality' and live streamed the march online. Pictured: London today

On Monday dozens of anti-vaccine protesters tired to storm the BBC 's west London studios prompting violent clashes with police - with at least one making it inside. Pictured: London today

Monday's protest, organised by anti-lockdown group Official Voice, is believed to have been directed against vaccine passports and jabs for children. Pictured: London today

One man on a bike strapped jobs not jabs on a piece of paper on his back while he walked towards a traffic light in central London

One of the protesters donned a bright yellow shirt with a message scrawled across it

Piers Corbyn was recorded stalking through the Merchant City nearby as he joined fellow followers of the Resistance GB group.

It claims to report on 'Natural Rights, Civil Liberties, Police Abuses and Government Criminality' and live streamed the march online.

On Monday dozens of anti-vaccine protesters tired to storm the BBC's west London studios prompting violent clashes with police - with at least one making it inside.

The protest, organised by anti-lockdown group Official Voice, is believed to have been directed against vaccine passports and jabs for children.

The protesters started at Shepherds Bush Green at around 1pm before making the short journey to the BBC Studioworks site in White City.

The site is used by BBC Studioworks with ITV live programmes such as This Morning and Loose Women filmed there, as well as some live BBC shows. The BBC Worlds News is filmed nearby.

But the main BBC News programme is filmed at Broadcasting House in Portland Place, Westminster.

Crowds gathered in the city centre of the capital on Saturday afternoon as the sun came out

The demonstrators donned tops with bizarre messages on them that they believe to be true

One woman holds aloft a sign as she attends the march in central London on Saturday afternoon while police watch on

One woman wearing glasses and a backpack on the wrong way around holds up a banner as she marches today
The Indonesian army has announced it will no longer carry out vaginal exams on female recruits to 'test their virginity'.

The archaic 'two-finger test' - which is still used in India, Egypt and Afghanistan - saw inspectors assess whether or not the hymens of recruits were broken.

If they were deemed to have had sex, they would not be allowed to join the military as their past alleged sexual behaviour could 'damage the army's image'.

But the invasive testing regime has now officially ended, according to army chief General Andika Perkasa, who confirmed the decision.

'Previously, it was part of the assessment (for female recruits), but now we are no longer doing it,' he told reporters in Balikpapan on Indonesia's section of Borneo island.

'The army always tries to learn and improve things within the organisation.'

Human Rights Watch (HRW) researcher and Indonesia expert Andreas Harsono said the draconian practice has existed solely as a means of gender discrimination (Pictured: Female Indonesian soldiers)

Discriminatory two-finger test was 'necessary for national security', army general once claimed The two-finger testing is the invasive practice of inserting two fingers into the vagina to supposedly assess whether a female recruit has previously had sex. The testing was declared 'illegitimate' by the World Health Organisation back in 2014. It was previously described as being a matter of national security. In 2015, Major General Fuad Basya said: 'If it is not restricted this way, then someone with a bad habit will become military personnel. 'Soldiers are a nation's defenders. They defend a nation's sovereignty, a country's territory and security.' He added that a female recruit who had lost her virginity out of wedlock would 'not have a fit mental state' to be a soldier. 'It may be because of an accident, disease or because of a habit (meaning sex),' he said. 'If it is their habit, the Indonesian military cannot accept potential recruits like these.' An army wife previously told HRW: 'The military wants healthy couples. 'Military men often travel away from home. They should trust their wives.' Advertisement

The practice of subjecting the fiances of servicemen to such exams had also been ditched, the army's commander said.

The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) welcomed the news- calling the tests 'discriminatory and intrusive' - but cautioned they needed evidence the practice had ended.

'We need certainty that the "virginity test" has been ended,' commission head Theresia Iswarini said.

'This test is discriminatory and intrusive. It can bring shame, fear and trauma for victims.'

Human Rights Watch (HRW) researcher and Indonesia expert Andreas Harsono said the draconian practice has existed solely as a means of gender discrimination.

'"Virginity testing" is a form of gender-based violence and is a widely discredited practice,' Harsono wrote.

'The testing includes the invasive practice of inserting two fingers into the vagina to supposedly assess whether the woman has previously had sex.'

The testing was declared 'illegitimate' by the World Health Organisation back in 2014.

'The army command is doing the right thing,' Harsono added.

'It is now the responsibility of territorial and battalion commanders to follow orders, and recognise the unscientific, rights-abusing nature of this practice.'

The two-finger test was previously described as being a matter of national security.

In 2015, Major General Fuad Basya said: 'If it is not restricted this way, then someone with a bad habit will become military personnel.

'Soldiers are a nation's defenders. They defend a nation's sovereignty, a country's territory and security.'

He added that a female recruit who had lost her virginity out of wedlock would 'not have a fit mental state' to be a soldier.

'It may be because of an accident, disease or because of a habit (meaning sex),' he said.

'If it is their habit, the Indonesian military cannot accept potential recruits like these.'

An army wife previously told HRW: 'The military wants healthy couples.

'Military men often travel away from home. They should trust their wives.'
A Chicago police officer has been seriously injured after being hit by a driver who reversed at him during a traffic stop, and dragged along the street just miles away from where fellow officer Ella French was killed last week.

Chicago Police officers were conducting a traffic stop when the the driver of a black Chevy Impala suddenly backed up, dragging one of the cops and pinning his body against a viaduct, the Chicago Police Department said.

The officer discharged his weapon and then hobbled to a nearby SUV with the help of his fellow officers. The driver fled while officers tended to the injured cop.

The officer was reported as seriously wounded and taken to a nearby hospital.

Police are investigating a hit-and-run accident that left an officer seriously injured after a car hit, dragged and pinned him against a viaduct on Friday

The incident occurred in Chicago's South Street, with the suspect fleeing the scene

A witness told ABC 7, that the fleeing driver was dangling from his car as he made his getaway.

'He actually swerved into my lane, hit my car and continued. Flew around the corner like a bat out of hell,' Teccara Murphy said.

Police found the car not far from the crash site. The incident remains under investigation.

There have been no arrests made yet in connection to the incident.

The hit-and-run occurred near where French was shot and killed, and her partner left badly injured, during another traffic stop last on August 7.

French's death was the first fatal shooting of a Chicago officer in the line of duty since 2018 and the first female officer fatally shot on the job in 33 years.

She was one of 10 people killed and 64 wounded by gun violence throughout the city last weekend as the city continues to suffer from high crime rates.

Chicago Police Officer Ella French, pictured, was shot dead last Saturday in the line of duty

The Morgan brothers were said to have been driving with expired license plates, prompting police to pull them over

Two brothers - Emonte Morgan, 21, and his brother Eric, 22, have been arrested and charged for French's death, but an ABC 7 report found that Emonte was actually supposed to be behind bars that day.

Emonte has been connected to a hit-and-run case from April in which a walker was struck in a crosswalk and sent flying against a stop sign.

According to ABC 7, Morgan didn't stop driving until he struck a parked car nearly a mile and a half away.

He was freed on a personal recognizance bond in the wake of the hit and run - despite being on probation for a 2019 robbery conviction at the time.

Chicago Police Department Superintendent David Brown (left) and Mayor Lori Lightfoot referred to slain police officer Ella French as 'Ella Fitzgerald' and 'Ella Franks', respectively

The new information put Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot under fresh scrutiny. Chicago police union boss John Catanzara told Fox News that Lightfoot had to shoulder some of the blame for French's death due to the city's soft stance on crime.

Lightfoot had also been criticized for incorrectly referring to French as 'Ella Franks' and siding with First Deputy Police Supt. Eric Carter in dismissing a traditional bagpipe service for French outside the medical examiner's office.

Carter allegedly said 'We don't have 20 minutes for this s**t.'

Data from August showed murders in the city were nearly the same as the number reported last year, but shootings increased by 15% and the number of people shot in the city rose by nearly 10 per cent year-over-year.

Chicago Police Department said that there were 105 homicides recorded in the month of July.

That is down slightly from last summer, when 107 people were killed in July, but up significantly over 2019, when 44 murders were recorded - representing a 139 per cent increase in monthly homicides within the last two years.

Police say that 471 homicides have been recorded so far in 2021, compared to 462 during the eight months of 2020.

Once again, both numbers are significantly higher than those recorded in 2019, when 290 people were killed in the first seven months of the year, representing a 53.4% increase.
Ghislaine Maxwell - pictured - argued that she had a non-prosecution agreement like Cosby so she should be freed. It was rejected

A Manhattan federal judge has rejected Ghislaine Maxwell's argument to drop the sex trafficking charges against her in the wake of Bill Cosby's overturned conviction.

Maxwell's lawyers argued that - like Cosby - Maxwell had a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) that Jeffrey Epstein signed with federal prosecutors in Florida in 2007.

But US District Judge Alison Nathan said in her Friday ruling that the argument isn't 'persuasive' and Epstein's NPA has no bearing on Maxwell's case because she didn't sign any agreement herself.

That's unlike Cosby's situation, where the Pennsylvania Supreme Court found a decades-old NPA with a different prosecutor that should have shielded him from charges.

Cosby was freed from prison after serving three years of a three-to-10-year sentence in June.

In Judge Nathan's decision, she wrote, 'The (Cosby) case focused on whether prosecutors were required to honor a promise that the court found to be clear in the absence of a formal plea agreement.

'Even if this court agreed with the analysis in Cosby, that opinion sheds no light on the proper interpretation of the NPA in this case.

'After considering the arguments in Maxwells renewed motion and letter of supplemental authority, the Courts view remains unchanged from its April 16, 2021 Opinion & Order

'Under Second Circuit precedent, the NPA does not bind the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York. It thus does not bar the charges in the superseding indictment.'

Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to an eight-count indictment accusing her of providing underage rape victims to Jeffrey Epstein (left). This photo was taken in the early 2000s

Maxwell faces up to 80 years in prison if she's found guilty

Cosby was freed from prison after serving three years of a three-to-10-year sentence in June after Pennsylvania Supreme Court found a decades-old NPA that should shielded him from charges

Maxwell will continue her stay in a Brooklyn federal jail, across the river from the jail where Epstein reportedly hung himself.

She has pleaded not guilty to an eight-count indictment accusing her of providing underage rape victims to Epstein.

Maxwell faces up to 80 years in prison if she's found guilty.

For months, her lawyers have been trying to get the indictment thrown out. All have been unsuccessful.
A Russian firefighter plane employed to put out fires in southern Turkey has crashed into a mountain, killing all eight people on board.

The amphibious Beriev BE-200 aircraft is believed to have exploded upon impact while attempting to land in the mountainous Adana province, the Russian defence ministry said.

The plane, which was carrying five Russian army personnel and three Turkish officers, was pictured in flames as it bellowed thick black smoke into the air.

Anadolu news agency said the plane was linked to the General Directory of Forestry. Search and rescue teams were sent to the area in neighbouring Kahramanmaras.

Private news agency DHA said the plane crashed as it was fighting a forest fire in the inland Bertiz region.

It said the cause of the crash had not yet been identified.

The plane, which was carrying five Russian army personnel and three Turkish officers, was pictured in flames as it bellowed thick black smoke into the air

The plane is reported to have crashed as it was fighting a forest fire in the inland Bertiz region

The crash site shows how only the tail of the plane remains following the hillside inferno

Kahramanmaras governor Omer Faruk Coskun told Anadolu that a wildfire had begun after lightning struck trees.

He said: 'We had dispatched a plane to the area but we lost communication with the plane a while ago and it crashed.

'The situation is very new.

'We dispatched many units to the area where the plane crashed.'

Wildfires in Turkey's Mediterranean region began in late July and have incinerated thousands of acres of forests, mostly in the seaside provinces of Mugla and Antalya.

Turkey's forestry minister, Bekir Pakdemirli, said Thursday that 299 fires had been brought under control over 16 days, by firefighters, helicopters and planes.

The amphibious Beriev BE-200 aircraft is believed to have exploded upon impact while attempting to land in the mountainous Adana province (pictured)

The plane, which was carrying five Russian army personnel and three Turkish officers, was pictured in flames as it bellowed thick black smoke into the air (Pictured: The amphibious Beriev BE-200 model)

Eight people have died in the wildfires, which came after Turkey and the whole Mediterranean region endured a prolonged heatwave.

Climate scientists say there is little doubt climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas is driving more extreme events, such as heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, floods and storms.

It comes as at least 40 people have now died following severe flooding and mudslides in Turkey's Black Sea region - with hundreds more feared missing.

Torrential rains that pounded the provinces of Bartin, Kastamonu and Sinop on Wednesday caused flooding that demolished homes, severed at least five bridges, swept away cars and rendered numerous roads unpassable.

Turkish disaster agency AFAD said 34 people have now lost their lives in Kastamonu and while a further six have been killed in Sinop.

Meanwhile nine others remained hospitalised in Sinop and one person was missing in Bartin province, according to the agency.

But residents on social media claimed there are hundreds more missing, a statement also made by opposition politician Hasan Baltac, who told Halk TV that residents had contacted authorities seeking information about 329 people.
Former chancellor George Osborne has been pictured in public with his new son Beau for the first time since his birth last month.

Baby boy Beau was born in London weighing 6lb 9oz on July 14, with his smiling father, Mr Osborne, 50, and fiancee Thea Rogers, 39, pictured with their newborn in Hampshire today.

The happy couple, who worked together at Downing Street, had announced their engagement to one another in April.

Beau can be seen draped in blue clothes and blankets, and sporting an impressive mop of dark hair.

Mr Osborne and Ms Rogers were attending the wedding of TV chef Clodagh McKenna and millionaire Harry Herbert, whose father Henry was Lord Porchester, the 7th Earl of Carnarvon.

The Irish chef, 46, looked radiant in her angelic lace gown at her wedding ceremony, while 62-year-old Harry - who is the Queen's godson - sported a morning suit which he teamed with a double-breasted cream waist coat and tie and a light blue hue.

The newly-weds were joined in holy matrimony at the 5000-acre estate in Highclere Castle, Hampshire, best known as the iconic setting for popular period drama Downton Abbey.

Harry Herbert was born at Highclere Castle where his family lived.

Former chancellor George Osborne (right) and fiancee Thea Rogers were pictured with Beau for the first time in public at Highclere Castle, Hampshire

The couple, who announced their engagement together in April this year, share a laugh at the wedding of Harry Herbert and TV chef Clodagh McKenna at Highclere Castle

Beau, who was born 6lb 9oz, can be seen draped in blue clothes and blankets, and sporting an impressive mop of dark hair

Highclere Castle (pictured) in Hampshire is best known as the location for British period drama Downton Abbey

Friends described the joy shared by former Evening Standard editor George Osborne and his fiancee Deliveroo executive Thea Rogers after the birth of Beau.

George, 49, found love with Thea, 39, two years ago, with friends describing the couple's mood as 'thrilled and excited' after their son's birth.

Thea was his Chief of Staff when he was Chancellor and before that his special adviser.

Soon after they got together he said of Thea: I probably have never been happier in my life.

The happy couple were snapped together, along with Beau, sharing a laugh with guests at the wedding of Mr Herbert and his new wife and TV chef Clodagh McKenna in Hampshire.

Newly weds: Harry Herbert (left) and wife TV chef Clodagh McKenna were married at Highclere Castle, Hampshire

Harry, 62, is the Queen's godson and was born in Highclere Castle, best known as the location for British period drama Downton Abbey

Harry and Clodagh got engaged in October 2020 after meeting at a Fortnum and Mason lunch through mutual friends in 2017

Irish-born cook Clodagh lives in Hampshire's Broadspear House, a 300-year-old cottage nestled on the grounds of Highclere Park with her husband.

Harry is the Queen's godson and was born in Highclere Castle, best known as the location for British period drama.

Harry's family has owned Highclere Castle since the late 17th century and his father Henry was a longtime close friend and racing manager to Queen Elizabeth II from 1969 until his death in 2001.

Her Majesty reportedly called Henry 'Porchie,' affectionately based on his title, Lord Porchester and he is seen appearing in the first two seasons of The Crown played by Joseph Kloska.

Harry is the CEO of Highclere Thoroughbred Racing and of The Royal Ascot Racing Club.

Guests: Love Island presenter Laura, 36, showcased her unique sense of style in a one-shoulder dress which contrasted panels of pink and black lace fabric

Loved-up: Clodagh announced her engagement to Harry in October after meeting at a Fortnum & Mason lunch through mutual friends in 2017 (pictured together in June)

TV star: Clodagh is regularly seen on This Morning and back in June, Holly Willoughby managed to reveal the bride's secret wedding cake live on air

He is also the grandson of George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon who is best known as the financier who helped uncover the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of Kings, Egypt in 1922.

He and Clodagh got engaged in October 2020 after meeting at a Fortnum and Mason lunch through mutual friends in 2017.

At the time, Harry described the meeting as a 'sliding doors' moment, having been single two years following a 25-year marriage, from which he has three children.

Announcing the engagement on Instagram, Clodagh shared a snap snuggled up with her partner, writing: 'We got engaged! We are over the moon with happiness and thank everybody for the lovely warm wishes.'

Speaking to EVOKE, she previously lauded her fiance for being one of the kindest people she has ever met in her life.

Hes so lovely and he makes me be a better person. Hes made me the happiest Ive ever been in my life. Im so lucky.
The Holiday Guru is always on hand to answer your questions.

This week's issues tackled include the reopening of U.S borders to UK residents - and the travel rules for Spain, Germany and France.

Q. Can you tell me whether there is any update on negotiations between the UK and U.S. to allow UK holidaymakers to visit?

Paul White, via email.

Vibrant: New Yorks famous Times Square, which is currently off-limits to UK tourists

A. The current ban on UK citizens entering the U.S. is unlikely to be lifted before the end of the summer. This is mainly owing to American concerns about the Delta variant of Covid in the UK. Some industry figures, including Robin Hayes, the chief executive of the U.S. budget airline JetBlue, believe the ban could be in place for at least another two or three months.

Q. My wife and I, aged 70, are travelling to Spain by ferry at the end of August. How and when do we need to obtain the necessary form to get there? We are both double vaccinated.

Joe and Jean Byrne, via email.

A. You will need to complete a Spanish government form within 48 hours of your departure. The internet link is: spthm.puertos.es. After completing the form you will be sent a QR (Quick Response) code, like a barcode, which you can either print out or keep on your smartphone to use at the border.

As you are fully vaccinated, you will not need to provide proof of a negative Covid test, but you will need evidence of your jabs through the NHS app.

Q. We wish to travel to Freiburg, in Germany, for an 80th birthday party in September. We fly via Basel airport, which is officially called EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg. While Basel is in Switzerland, Mulhouse in France and Freiburg in Germany, the airport is technically in French territory.

We usually exit via the French gate of the airport, as this is the most convenient route to the autobahn leading to Freiburg.

So should we follow French Covid rules?

M. Briggs, via email.

A. This is complicated. Follow the French rules to start with, and then the German rules for entering Germany. Regulations for both can be found at gov.uk under the each countrys entry requirements page. There is more information at euroairport.com.

The Guru answers a question from a reader who plans to travel to Freiburg in Germany

Q. We are due to fly to Germany on August 20 for a week to visit relatives. Germany is currently on the green list, but we still need to take a Covid test in Germany up to 72 hours before our return and a PCR test in the UK by day two, which would be Sunday, August 29.

However, we are due to fly to Spain on August 29 for three weeks to visit our new apartment. Is there any point in taking a PCR test, given that we are flying out of the country that day?

Kevin Cheal, via email.

A. You still need to follow the official procedure to enter the UK from Germany, as daft as that may sound. There are no special rules in this case.

Q. My wife and I are going to the South of France next week for a fortnight. I understand that, as we are fully vaccinated, we do not need to take any tests before entering France. But what tests are required for our return? Our local pharmacist says we dont need any. Is this correct?

James King, via email.

The Guru clears up confusion over the rules for travelling to and from the South of France

A. Your pharmacist is incorrect. You will need to take a lateral flow test (or antigen test) 72 hours before returning and have proof of this to show your airline or ferry company. You will also need to complete a Passenger Locator Form to show at the UK border.

Within two days of your return, you must take a PCR Covid test. Your PCR test booking number will be required on your Passenger Locator Form. For more details, visit gov.uk/provide-journey- contact-details-before-travel-uk.

WERE HERE TO HELP

If you need advice, the Holiday Guru is here to answer your questions. Email us at holidayplanner@dailymail.co.uk.
Tammy Hembrow has built an empire from her love of keeping fit and healthy.

And on Saturday she showed fans how they can get washboard abs just like her.

The 27-year-old shared a video of herself doing intense abdomen exercises on her fitness brand's Instagram account.

Abs like hers! Tammy Hembrow flaunted her washboard abs as she demonstrated intense workouts from her fitness app in an Instagram post on Saturday

She dressed for the workout in a grey crop top with matching bike shorts and a headband, and used a yoga mat beneath her.

The blonde bombshell began with knee to chest leg raises followed by scissor kicks.

Tammy made it look easy as she did gruelling Russian twists that really targeted her abs.

Keeping fit: The 27-year-old dressed for the workout in a grey crop top with matching bike shorts and a headband. She began with knee to chest leg raises

Breaking a sweat: Tammy made it look easy as followed with scissor kicks (left) and Russian twists (right) that really targeted her abs

'Quick and effective': She then upped the ante with alternating toe crunches, followed by alternating knee to elbow crunches

She then upped the ante with alternating toe crunches, followed by alternating knee to elbow crunches.

The social media star called her circuit style ab workout 'quick and effective' in the caption.

Earlier this week, Tammy showed fans exactly how they can achieve glutes like hers, just by using dumbbells.

Get her glutes! Earlier this week, Tammy showed fans exactly how they can achieve glutes like hers, just by using dumbbells

Exercise: The fitness queen demonstrated sumo squats in her workout video

She began by demonstrating sumo squats and alternating reverse lunges in a workout video shared to Instagram.

She followed that with donkey kicks with the weight wedged under her knee as she curled her leg up.

Next up was fire hydrants with the dumbbell tucked in behind her knee as she lifted her leg.

Working up a sweat! She followed that with alternating reverse lunges

Lifting: Next up was fire hydrants with the dumbbell tucked in behind her knee as she lifted her leg (left). That was then followed by fire hydrants with the dumbbell tucked in behind her knee as she lifted her leg (right)

Tammy said using just a small weight behind the knee for her 'home booty' exercises 'is a great way to increase the burn and intensity of your lower-body home workouts'.

She told body+soul last month she hopes that by showing off her incredible figure, she can inspire other women to have more confidence.

'My body fluctuates - it's not always its best shape ever. I'll post photos of myself at the beach in a bikini and you can see a little bit of cellulite and stuff,' she said.

'It's not always its best shape': Tammy told body+soul last month she hopes that by showing off her incredible figure, she can inspire other women to have more confidence'

'And girls are always commenting on my Instagram saying, "Thank you for showing your real body." I want to show that everybody's body, however it is, is perfect.'

The fashion designer went on to insist her famous behind is 'built not bought' and is the result of hard work in the gym, not surgery.

'It's 100 per cent real. A hundred per cent! It's all natural' the mother of two said.

Tammy has previously revealed she 'hates' it when people falsely accuse her of having undergone a Brazilian butt lift.

'100 percent real': The fashion mogul went on to insist her famous behind is 'built not bought'

She told Studio 10 in December 2019: 'I hate when people accuse me of doing that. I take such offence to it because I worked so hard and it makes me annoyed.'

When asked how she maintains such a curvy backside, Tammy said it was all down to weight training.

'I do a lot of heavy weights. You're not going to build any muscle if you are not doing leg weights,' she explained.

'I see a lot of girls doing cardio and this and that, [but] it's not going to build any muscle really.'
She gave birth to her son Stone in March.

And on Thursday, London Goheen flaunted her ample assets and her trim post-baby body in a tiny black bikini while in Mexico.

The 23-year-old American influencer, who is married to Tammy Hembrow's ex Reece Hawkins, captioned the post: 'Stone's mom (sic).'

'Stone's mum': On Thursday, London Goheen flaunted her ample assets and her trim post-baby body in a tiny black bikini

London shared a series of pictures on Instagram and stares off camera in the racy shots.

Followers praised the stunning influencer for her sizzling images.

'Hot mama,' wrote LA model Celeste Bright.

Too Hot to Handle star Francesca Farago said, 'Oh my f**king god'.

Hot to trot: London shared a series of pictures on Instagram and stares off camera in the racy shots, with her fans and followers loving the images

'So hot I die,' added another follower.

London has been living it up in Mexico with her husband and Aussie influencer Reece Hawkins in a romantic getaway after they welcomed their son in March.

On Sunday, the model showed off her impressive svelte post-baby body in two photos as she's seen lying deck-chair in a brown-and-white polka-dot bikini.

Busting out! London showed off her svelte physique in a skimpy polka-dot bikini as she relaxed by the pool during her Mexican getaway on Sunday

Holiday mode! London has been living it up in Mexico with her husband and Aussie influencer Reece Hawkins in a romantic getaway after they welcomed their son in March

Sporting a sun-kissed complexion, London arched her back and posed seductively for the camera.

'Polka dot bikini, girl,' the new mother wrote in the caption, adding a bikini and smiley-faced emoji.

The influencer has been showing off her trim post-partum physique since arriving for her sun-soaked Mexico holiday last month.

London gave birth to Stone on March 7 after a grueling 34-hour labour.

Leaving little to the imagination: Sporting a sun-kissed complexion, London arched her back and posed seductively for the camera

'We love you baby Stone and being your mama forever is going to be so much fun, I PROMISE,' she wrote in an Instagram caption.

Her partner Reece is already father to two children with his influencer ex-fiance Tammy Hembrow.

The former couple share son Wolf, five, and daughter Saskia, four.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was pictured leaving a hair salon with two of his friends in Beverly Hills on Friday afternoon.

The 74-year-old actor appeared to be living the high life as he kept a cigar in his mouth while chatting with his pals before hopping into the driver's seat of his custom-made Hummer.

The Terminator star's outing comes not long after he penned an essay to express his views about wearing a mask amid the ongoing state of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Enjoying himself: Arnold Schwarzenegger was seen spending time with his friends while leaving a hair salon in Beverly Hills on Friday afternoon

Schwarzenegger was seen wearing a gray graphic-printed t-shirt while spending time with his friends.

The former governor of California sported a pair of black shorts that showed off his still-impressively chiseled legs during the outing.

He also wore a set of gray slip-on shoes, as well as stylish tinted aviator-style sunglasses.

At one point, the Predator star donned a cowboy hat after exiting his Hummer.

Dressed down: The performer was seen wearing a graphic-printed t-shirt and a pair of shorts during his outing

Earlier this week, Schwarzenegger shared a video to his Instagram account to express his views about the ongoing state of the pandemic.

In the clip, he criticized those who refused to wear a mask, as he felt that said individuals only served to keep the current state of affairs regarding the coronavirus going on for longer.

The actor went on to pen an essay for The Atlantic, where he began by making his views about not wearing facial coverings known very early on in the piece.

'You have the freedom to wear no mask. But if you exercise that freedom, you're a schmuckbecause you're supposed to protect your fellow Americans,' he wrote.

Living the high life: The Terminator star kept a cigar in his mouth as he spent time with his pals

Making his views known: Schwarzenegger recently penned an essay for The Atlantic where he expressed his opinions about the pandemic publicly

Schwarzenegger also spoke about the comments that he received regarding his opinions and noted that he felt as if many individuals were misinterpreting a basic tenet of American democracy.

He noted: 'some of the responses really worried me. Many people told me that the Constitution gives them rights, but not responsibilities. They feel no duty to protect their fellow citizens.'

'Our country became great because every generation before us knew that liberty and duty go hand in hand. I am worried that many of my fellow Americans have now lost sight of that,' he added.

The True Lies star also remarked that he had begun to hold pessimistic views about the country as a result of the actions of anti-maskers.

Worried: The Kindergarten Cop star wrote that he was afraid that many Americans felt 'no duty to protect their fellow citizens'

Feeling down: The performer also wrote that he had begun to 'really worry about the future of our country'

Looking forward: Schwarzenegger concluded by writing that Americans 'need to prove to ourselves and to the world that we can unite to defeat a common enemy'

'When I look at the response to this pandemic, I really worry about the future of our country. We have lost more than 600,000 Americans to COVID-19,' he noted.

Schwarzenegger was very open about his disappointment, and contrasted the actions taken by the public during World War II and the opinions of modern citizens.

He asked: 'Americans lived through four years of brutal sacrifice, and we're going to throw fits about putting a mask over our mouth and nose?'

The Kindergarten Cop star expressed that he wanted to see more people adjusting to the pandemic and taking care of their fellow citizens.

Unity: 'We need to prove to ourselves and to the world that we can unite to defeat a common enemy, because, trust me, the coronavirus is not the biggest challenge we will face this century,' he wrote; Arnold pictured in July

'We need to protect ourselves and win this war. We don't need to close our economies again. We just need to come together like the generations of Americans who came before us, and to give just a tiny fraction of what they gave,' he noted.

Schwarzenegger concluded by writing that he wanted more people to serve as role models for others in terms of responding to the conditions set by the pandemic.

'We need to prove to ourselves and to the world that we can unite to defeat a common enemy, because, trust me, the coronavirus is not the biggest challenge we will face this century,' he wrote.
Alessandra Ambrosio showcased her runway-worthy figure on Friday after her morning yoga class in Brentwood.

The 40-year-old supermodel rocked a pale blue crop top and matching leggings that exposed her enviably taut tummy.

After getting in her fitness session, Ambrosio was seen riding down the sidewalk on an electric scooter.

Spotted: Alessandra Ambrosio showcased her runway-worthy figure on Friday after her morning yoga class in Brentwood

The former Victoria's Secret Angel wore her brunette hair in a ponytail that was secured with a scrunchie.

She shielded her eyes from the sun with a pair of gold framed shades and appeared to be wearing little to no makeup.

Alessandra completed her look with some beige flip flop sandals and a brown crossbody bag.

Ambrosio has been getting back into the swing of things since returning to Los Angeles after vacationing in her native Brazil.

Zoom zoom: After getting in her fitness session, Ambrosio was seen riding down the sidewalk on an electric scooter

The runway maven was joined on the getaway by her boyfriend Richard Lee, a fellow model who she has been romantically linked to since February.

Giving her followers a peek at their antics, Ambrosio uploaded a sweet snapshot that showed her and Richard sharing a kiss outdoors.

She was previously involved with Italian fashion designer Nicolo Oddi who founded the brand Alanui with his sister Carlotta.

Getaway: Ambrosio has been getting back into the swing of things since returning to Los Angeles after vacationing in her native Brazil

Romantic: The runway maven was joined on the getaway by her boyfriend Richard Lee, a fellow model who she has been romantically linked to since February

Meanwhile, Alessandra shares her two children Anja and Noah with her ex-fiance Jamie Mazur who co-founded RE/DONE.

Alessandra herself started her own swimwear company GAL Floripa with her sister Aline and their friend Gisele Coria over two years ago.

Her brand is named partly after Florianopolis which is the city in southern Brazil where she gave birth to both of her children.

Last year Alessandra was spotted emerging from an immigration office in Los Angeles reportedly having just become a U.S. citizen.

Sweet: Giving her followers a peek at their antics, Ambrosio uploaded a sweet snapshot that showed her and Richard sharing a kiss outdoors
Jasmine Stefanovic has shared many adorable posts online in the past, featuring her young daughter Harper May, one.

And on Saturday, the 37-year-old shared a heartwarming photo to Instagram of her tiny tot Harper walking hand-in-hand with her husband Karl Stefanovic's older daughter Ava Willow, 16.

The two half-siblings are seen heading towards the shoreline with their backs turned to Jasmine, who took the picture.

Heartwarming: Jasmine Stefanovic, 37, shared a sweet photo on Instagram on Saturday of one-year-old daughter Harper May and Karl's older daughter Ava Willow, 16, together

The shoe designer, who is the wife to Today Show host Karl, tagged the post: 'Sisters.'

'So love this! I always wanted a little sister,' wrote one follower.

'So gorgeous,' added another.

Ava also commented with two flame emojis.

Close-knit: The shoe designer, who is the wife to Today Show host Karl Stefanovic, tagged the post: 'Sisters'

Ava Willow is the daughter of Karl and his ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn.

The former couple, who were married for 21 years, share three children: Jackson, 21, Ava and River, 14.

Karl and Jasmine meanwhile got married in Mexico in 2018 and welcomed their first child, Harper May, last year.

Family: Karl and Jasmine were married in Mexico, in 2018 and welcomed Harper, their first child together, in 2020

Jasmine and Karl finally moved into their new home in Castlecrag, on Sydney's Lower North Shore, in late June.

The couple took ownership of the property just two days before Sydney was forced into lockdown, reports Realestate.com.au.

The Today host and his designer wife purchased the home in March for $3.2million after the house they'd been renting nearby was sold for more than $8million.
Angelina Jolie was seen out on a shopping trip with her son Pax in Beverly Hills on Friday afternoon.

The 46-year-old actress and her son, aged 17, strolled close to one another while pounding the pavement, before making their way around an eyewear store.

The performer is a mother to a total of six children, all of whom she co-parents with her former husband, Brad Pitt.

Sharing the experience: Angelina Jolie was seen stepping out on a shopping trip with her son Pax in Beverly Hills on Friday afternoon

Jolie was dressed in a sleek gray long-sleeve t-shirt during her outing with her son.

The actress also sported a pair of black pleated pants that paired well with her top.

She carried a light brown bag on her right arm and wore a near-matching set of high-heeled shoes during the outing.

Her lovely brunette locks cascaded onto her shoulders and the nape of her neck as she shopped around for sunglasses.

Dressed to impress: The actress wore a sleek gray long-sleeve t-shirt and a pair of pleated black pants during the shopping trip

Jolie and Pax wore matching black facial coverings to keep themselves protected from COVID-19 during their time outside.

The Salt star adopted her first child, Maddox, currently aged 18, in 2002 when he was just a year old.

At the time, she was married to Billy Bob Thornton but the pair ultimately separated in 2003, and she brought up her son by herself.

She went on to bring a daughter named Zahara, aged 16, into her life in 2005.

Working it out: Jolie shares Pax, as well as her other children, with her former husband Brad Pitt, with whom she is currently involved in a custody battle; they are seen with several of their kids in 2009

Jolie began dating Brad Pitt that year after the two met on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, although they did not make their relationship public until 2006.

That year, the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider star announced that she was pregnant with the couple's first child, and she later gave birth to a girl named Shiloh, aged 15, that May.

In 2007, the actress adopted Pax, whom she first encountered during a trip to an orphanage in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The following year, Jolie and Pitt, 57, welcomed a pair of twins named Knox and Vivienne, both aged 13.

Starting a family: Pitt and Jolie met on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith and began dating in 2006, after which they welcomed and conceived several children; they are seen in 2011

The couple eventually became engaged in 2012 and tied the knot in 2014, but their marriage suddenly came to an end two years after it started.

The two began a lengthy custody battle upon their separation, and a tentative agreement concerning their children's welfare was reached in 2018.

Their legal proceedings eventually became acrimonious, with Jolie alleging that the judge in charge of the case had an agreement with Pitt's lawyer.

This past May, the Fight Club star was granted joint custody of the children, much to the consternation of his former partner.
Hunger Games star Liam Hemsworth left one adoring fan completely star struck this week, when she spotted him picking up some groceries at her local Woolies.

Supermarket worker Jamee's day was made when Liam popped into the Woolworths store at Kiama on the NSW south coast, where he's shooting Poker Face nearby with Russell Crowe and sister-in-law Elsa Pataky.

Posting to the Kiama store's official Facebook page, Jamee shared a picture the pair took together after Liam happily obliged to a photo.

Fancy seeing you here! Liam Hemsworth delighted locals this week as he visited a Woolworths store in Kiama and posed for a fan photo

'Great photo with a great bloke,' Jamee wrote in the caption.

In the picture, the 31-year-old hunk is donning a mask, as is Jamee.

'Liam Hemsworth this has made my day,' she said, adding five love heart eye emojis.

For the low-key outing, Liam wore a grey shorts teamed with a grey T-shirt.

New role: Liam, who resides in Byron Bay like the rest of the Hemsworth clan, has just been cast in Russell Crowe's thriller Poker Face, alongside Elsa Pataky

Liam, who resides in Byron Bay like the rest of the Hemsworth clan, has just been cast in Russell Crowe's thriller Poker Face, alongside Elsa Pataky.

According to The Daily Telegraph, 'both the youngest Hemsworth and Pataky have quietly been added to the cast of the flick with Crowe'.

Earlier this week, Russell was seen shooting the film on the NSW South Coast at a sprawling beachside property in Kiama.

Family ties: According to The Daily Telegraph, 'both the youngest Hemsworth and Pataky have quietly been added to the cast of the flick with Crowe'. Elsa and Chris are pictured with Russell recently

Earlier this month the 57-year-old tweeted a picture from the set of the film.

'Shooting in Kiama. What a beautiful place,' he captioned the stunning photo.

It was reported at the end of last month that Russell had been upgraded to director of the film.

He was previously listed as an actor on IMBD, but will now take over from Gary Fleder as director.

It's believed that the change was made due to Australia's coronavirus restrictions, which would make it difficult for American Fleder to arrive Down Under.

Poker Face will also film on location in Sydney's Fox Studios under strict Covid-safe guidelines.
The daughter of an ex-Prime Minister has been looking for love on a dating app.

Malcolm Turnbull's daughter Daisy Turnbull was first spotted on Hinge in June, and she appears to still be active on the love-connection site some months later.

According to The Daily Telegraph, the 36-year-old's profile currently requests someone who shares her love of 'coffee, walks, [the] beach' and 'naps'.

Ready for love: The daughter of an ex-Prime Minister has been looking for love on a dating app. Malcolm Turnbull 's daughter Daisy Turnbull was first spotted on Hinge in June, and she appears to still be active on the love-connection site some months later. Pictured on Hinge

She is also seen in several selfies wearing comfortable cardigans, which the published author says she knitted herself.

Part of Hinge's marketing says the app is 'designed to be deleted', matching its reputation as a place users can find more serious relationships instead of casual hookups.

Daisy, who recently split from her husband of 10 years, ex-army officer James Brown, was also seen on the Hinge dating app back in June by Daily Mail Australia.

Sippy! According to The Daily Telegraph, the 36-year-old's profile (pictured) currently requests someone who shares her love of 'coffee, walks, [the] beach' and 'naps'

Cosy: She is also seen in several selfies (pictured) wearing comfortable cardigans, which the published author says she knitted herself

Her Hinge profile title was very direct, stating, 'Will respond within a minute or totally forget about it.'

She added another confident prompt to her profile: 'Lowkey flex', a phrase usually associated with twentysomethings, which means to subtly brag.

Daisy's no-nonsense prompt could also be a reflection of how busy she is.

Dating! Daisy was also seen on the Hinge dating app back in June by Daily Mail Australia

Tough: Her Hinge profile title was very direct, stating, 'Will respond within a minute or totally forget about it'

She's a mother of two, now 50/50 co-parenting with her ex-husband.

Ms Turnbull is also teacher and director of wellbeing at the exclusive St Catherine's School at Waverley, and a Lifeline counsellor.

She teaches teaches history, religion and business.

She also published her first book in 2021, 50 Risks to Take With Your Kids, and has already talked about writing a guide to consent for teenagers.

Split: She recently split from her husband of 10 years, ex-army officer James Brown (far right). Daisy is pictured with James and her parents Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull

Close: She's a mother of two, now 50/50 co-parenting with her ex-husband. Daisy (pictured at right) Pictured her father Malcolm Turnbull, her ex James and their children

Daisy, whose father was Prime Minister from 2015 to 2018 and a longtime politician before that, modelled raising her kids on her own childhood.

She and her older brother Alex were largely given the freedom to explore and make their own mistakes. They relished in the autonomy it gave them.

'I grew up in the '80s which was riskier in a good way,' she told The Courier Mail.

'There weren't so many concerns around kids walking down the street or bike riding around the block. On a holiday at Northern Beaches one year  I was about 11 or 12  and I caught the bus with a friend from Palm Beach to Avalon to see a movie. Dad told us, 'if you hit Wynyard you've gone too far, turn around and come back'.'

Busy: Daisy is a teacher and director of wellbeing at the exclusive St Catherine's School at Waverley, and a Lifeline counsellor

'As a kid, I remember feeling really excited by the responsibility we were given and that we were trusted by our parents,' she said.

Daisy said she wanted her own children to develop a sense of judgement and responsibility that only comes with being given the freedom to make mistakes.

Following a discussion about the differences between parenting in the 1980s and parenting now, Ms Turnbull wrote a book about encouraging children to take risks.

The self-help book details 50 risks - separated into categories of physical, social and character risks - that parents should allow their children to take.

It's also been speculated Ms Turnbull could enter politics. She told The Sydney Morning Herald she has been approached to do so.
Their romance came to a screeching halt mere hours after leaving the villa.

And Hugo Hammond and Amy Day were brought together for the first time since she slammed his 'patronising behaviour' as they joined their co-stars for a night out at the STK restaurant in London on Friday evening.

The pair arrived separately for the evening with their pals after Hugo made remarks about his journey on the show being 'tragic,' despite being in the early stages of a romance with Amy.

Awkward! Hugo Hammond (L) and Amy Day, both 25, were spotted together on a night out with fellow Love Island cast members to STK restaurant in London on Friday evening

Amy looked sensational for the night out in the city, as she donned a busty black corset top with a patterned mini skirt.

Her toned pins were elongated by wearing black strappy heeled sandals, and she accessorised by carrying a black shoulder bag in her hand.

Amy's dark locks were swept into a side parting and they flowed effortlessly around her shoulders in soft waves.

Meanwhile, Hugo looked in high spirits as he opted for a more casual look - wearing black skinny jeans and a checked shirt for the event - before hugging fellow Love Islander Aaron Francis.

The outing comes after Hugo and Amy clashed in the post-villa chat, with Amy branding Hugo 'fake' for 'friend-zoning' her shortly after they were booted out of the Love Island villa.

Exes: The pair were together for the first time since their romance came to screeching halt, when Hugo branded his journey in the villa 'tragic'

Drama: They arrived separately for the evening with their pals after Hugo made remarks about his journey on the show being 'tragic,' despite being in the early stages of a romance with Amy

Sitting opposite Hugo while still in Spain, Amy lambasted Hugo for his behaviour, saying: 'It's the Hugo show, that's all it is,' and adding: 'I think we need to clear up a few things because I feel like I had my time wasted a little bit, staying with you.'

The bombshell continued: 'I thought there was something there. We leave the villa, and you just flipped and friend-zoned me. You've come across quite fake now.'

Hugo was quick to fire back: 'I completely disagree with you on that front,' with Amy quipping: 'Course you do.'

Pals: Hugo, who looked casual for the outing in black skinny jeans and a checked shirt posed for a photo with fellow love islander Aaron Francis, 24

Bromance: The two of them hugged as they reunited before heading into the restaurant

Attempting to explain himself, Hugo continued: 'We had the chat in there about how we had come to a cross road on our journey and I think that was clear to both of us but apparently not.'

Taken aback, Amy responded: 'I wasn't part of that conversation. That was massively lost in communication.

'I never had a conversation with you where it was, ''we would go this way or we would go this way''. It was, ''let's stop having the pressure on us''.'

Explanation: Attempting to explain himself, Hugo continued: 'We had the chat in there about how we had come to a cross road on our journey and I think that was clear to both of us'

At that moment, Hugo started laughing, much to Amy's dismay.

'You're so patronising,' she said, adding: 'Why are you laughing? This isn't funny.'

Love Island and Aftersun host Laura Whitmore later spoke to both Hugo and Amy via videocall, with Hugo berating his former flame for spending the first in Casa Amor in Tyler Cruickshank's bed and explaining that her actions made him feel as though he was merely a 'green card into the villa'.

Hugo has taken the opportunity to discuss the 'tragic' comment he made with Christine Lampard on Lorraine.

Clearing things up, Hugo explained: 'That was more of a reflection of my journey in there. Obviously Id been there for so long.

'Id tried it with quite a few girls and then some bombshells came in for me and didnt work out, so that wasnt a reflection of Ames herself but more a reflection of me and my journey, and what Id been through in there.'
They both starred in this year's raunchy Netflix drama Bridgerton.

And Phoebe Dynevor and Sabrina Bartlett proved they're friends away from the camera too as they enjoyed a sun-soaked girly trip to Croatia together this week.

Actress Phoebe, 26, who played Daphne Bridgerton in the series, wowed in an orange bikini as she took a bike ride before having cocktails with pal Sabrina, 29, who played Siena Rosso.

Sun: Phoebe Dynevor showed off her figure in an orange bikini on bike ride before enjoying cocktails with Bridgerton co-star Sabrina Bartlett during girly trip to Croatia this week

Radiant Phoebe beamed as she posed on the bike at the Meneghetti Wine Hotel & Winery, teaming her bright swimwear with cream shorts and accessorising with a cap and huge sunglasses

In another shot Sabrina joined her on a bike wearing a pink and black polka dot bikini and statement sun hat.

The pair later enjoyed an Aperol Spritz in the sunshine as they posed for a glowing selfie together before heading out on a fun boat trip.

Fun: The pair enjoyed an Aperol Spritz during their day trip in the sunshine as they posed for a glowing selfie together

The stars - who are both based in the UK - will not have to quarantine when they come home as Croatia is currently on the green travel list.

It comes after Phoebe said she wasn't embarrassed that her mum and dad have watched her sex scenes from Bridgerton, saying they 'probably understand more than most'.

In January, the former Waterloo Road actress told an awards panel: 'Luckily they are in the industry so I guess they probably understand more than most.'

Gals: In another shot Sabrina joined her on a bike wearing a pink and black polka dot bikini and statement sun hat

Gorgeous: Phoebe looked flawless in another selfie from the trip which saw her clad in a blue paisley print sundress

The star's mum Sally Dynevor, 58, plays none other than Coronation Street's Sally Webster, and her dad Tim Dynevor, 59, is an Emmerdale writer.

'I think they are really proud to see me work so hard on the show', the starlet added.

Phoebe became a household name after she turned up the heat with Rege-Jean Page during their raunchy on-screen scenes together.

Her mum Sally, however, has been an established name on the soap since 1986 when Kevin Webster (played by Michael Le Vell) accidentally splashed her while she was waiting for a bus.

Out at sea: The pair also had time for a boat trip as they hopped aboard and enjoyed some drinks at sunset

The British actress also spoke to the platform about her initial worries of her daughter following the same career path as her.

The Greater Manchester native, who shares Phoebe with her husband and Emmerdale writer Tim, said: 'My mother-in-law said 'You mustn't dissuade her. Actors are the most wonderful people in the world and the most fun'.'

The interview with the mother-daughter-duo comes as filming was delayed for the second series of Bridgerton once again, after a Covid outbreak on set.

The stalling of series two filming is said to be causing Netflix 'an expensive headache'.

Steamy! It comes after Phoebe said she wasn't embarrassed that her mum and dad have watched her sex scenes from Bridgerton, saying they 'probably understand more than most'

Due to a previous case, shooting had only just resumed again - but a day after cast and crew returned to the period drama things are once again on ice.

The likes of Phoebe and another co-star Jonathan Bailey, who plays Viscount Anthony Bridgerton, have had to cease work while various members of the production isolate.

'The demand for the second series is huge, so to stop filming again is a real headache,' a source told The Sun. 'This could lead to proper delays and it will be extremely costly for them.'

'Shooting such a big production is expensive at the best of times, let alone when you've got sets staying empty and actors who can't work.'

Understanding: The former Waterloo Road actress told The Mirror, 'Luckily they are in the industry so I guess they probably understand more than most. Pictured: Phoebe with her mum and Corrie star Sally Dynevor, 58

'Filming was stopped immediately as soon as the new positive case was detected but they had only just got back on set.'

'They have a rigorous testing regime, so it's hoped the case was found quickly enough and that no one else on set got it. But a lot of people are now isolating.'

'Filming will start again once it is deemed safe but for now it has been paused indefinitely.'

The series had been shooting at Wrotham Hall in Hertfordshire when the news was delivered concerning the new Covid case.

The first season focused on the romance between Daphne Bridgerton and Simon, Duke of Hastings, the role which Rege-Jean bade farewell to in April to the dismay of his many fans.

The second season will shift the focus to Daphne's brother Anthony Bridgerton, who will go on the hunt for a suitable bride when he meets sisters Kate (Simone Ashley) and Edwina (Charithra Chandran) Sheffield, renamed Sharma for the show.

While he tries to pursue Edwina he finds himself becoming attracted to Kate instead, despite the fact they are often at odds with each other.

A release date has yet to be announced.
Married At First Sight villain Bryce Ruthven claims that his portrayal on the reality show has destroyed his career as a radio personality.

Speaking to the Herald Sun, Bryce said that he's glad that MAFS is being investigated by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) and that he's even considering exploring legal options against Endemol Shine.

'For me it has basically ruined my career in radio,' the 32-year-old said.

Damage: Married At First Sight villain Bryce Ruthven claims that his portrayal on the reality show has destroyed his career as a radio personality

'It basically damaged my potential earnings. If it takes much longer to find a job it (exploring his legal options) would be something you have to seriously consider especially with twins on the way.'

He also said that legal firms have reached out to him and partner Melissa with the interest of representing them.

Bryce exited his gig as an announcer on Hit 104.7 afternoon show in Canberra back in February once Married At First Sight started airing.

Southern Cross Austereo - who own Hit 104.7 - confirmed to Radio Today that he'd resigned from the show, but no reason was given for his departure.

'For me it has basically ruined my career in radio': Bryce also said that legal firms have reached out to him and partner Melissa with the interest of representing them

Bryce recently slammed producers of the show for their 'manipulated' portrayal of him on the series.

He also gloated about his happy ending with fiancee Melissa Rawson, who is currently pregnant with twins.

'Reality TV: Manipulated storyline,' he wrote, then added: 'Reality: Engaged + pregnant.'

He then tagged the show's producers, including executive producer Tara McWilliams, and wrote: 'Apologies the narrative didn't work out the way you wanted.'

Hitting back: Bryce recently slammed producers of the show for their 'manipulated' portrayal of him on the series

Meanwhile, Married At First Sight is being investigated by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) after receiving a high volume of complaints levelled against Bryce.

According to a report by The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday, the media watchdog received 67 complaints from viewers amid claims of mental abuse, gaslighting and domestic conflict during this year's season.

'The ACMA has commenced an investigation into episodes of the 2021 season of Married At First Sight,' an ACMA spokesperson told the publication.

Under investigation: Married At First Sight is being investigated by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) after receiving a high volume of complaints

'A significant proportion of the complaints alleged the program included personally abusive interchanges between participants through gaslighting, social, verbal and mental abuse, and that the program perpetuated and promoted the theme of domestic and emotional conflict.'

Channel Nine - the network behind MAFS - sent out an apology letter back in April after a Change.org petition garnered over 15,000 signatures.

The petition claimed that Endemol Shine, the production company behind MAFS had failed in their duty of care to the show's participants, with viewers describing some scenes as 'distressing'.

Problematic: According to a report by The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday, the media watchdog received 67 complaints from viewers amid claims of mental abuse, gaslighting and domestic conflict during this year's season

'Nine takes seriously the concerns raised by its viewers and makes every effort to ensure that the material it presents is consistent with community standards and complies with Nine's regulatory obligations,' the network said in a letter.

The majority of the complaints were levelled against Bryce, who was paired with Melissa, with the couple now engaged and expecting twins.

Throughout the show, Bryce repeatedly told Melissa, both 32, that she wasn't his type because she didn't have blue eyes.

'The ACMA has commenced an investigation into episodes of the 2021 season of Married At First Sight,' an ACMA spokesperson told The Daily Telegraph

He also voted her the 'fourth hottest' out of this year's brides, flirted with co-star Beck Zemek at the gym and later lied about their conversation.

In addition to getting into a series of altercations with the show's other participants, Bryce was accused of emotional manipulation and gaslighting.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Channel Nine for comment.
She has recently forgiven him for kissing another girl in Casa Amor.

And Millie Court, 24, and Liam Reardon, 21, looked as loved up as ever in Friday night's episode as they both declared their true feelings for one another in an intimate chat.

After the dancing challenge, the couple were entwined in a cuddle on the deck when Liam confessed: 'I feel like I've fallen.'

Moving forward: Millie Court, 24, and Liam Reardon, 21, looked as loved up as ever in Friday night's episode as they admitted they'd fallen in love with each other

Millie then responds, surprised: 'You feel like you've fallen? No, really?' and goes on to admit feels the same way.

'I feel like that as well. Everyday is just stronger and stronger. I look at you and I, you know, feel a certain way.'

Admitting it may be too soon to say those important three words she says: 'And I want to say certain things but I also - you know what I mean?'

Elated: After the dancing challenge, the couple were entwined in a cuddle on the deck when Liam confessed: 'I feel like I've fallen'

How cute! Millie then responds, surprised: 'You feel like you've fallen? No, really?' and goes on to admit feels the same way

The Welsh hunk agreed, revealing that: 'I want say, it's on the tip of my tongue. But I feel like I shouldn't say certain things yet.'

To which Millie replied: 'Yeah me too.'

Liam continued: 'So that's why I'm just telling you where I am now. Without saying it yet.'

Millie seemed melancholy about life on the outside and said: 'But it's mad, you live so faraway,' referring to Liam living in Wales - over 250 miles away from her home in Essex.

But Liam assured her: 'I'll make it work.'

In the Beach Hut, Liam admitted: 'I think when you know you know and I definitely, definitely know.'

Love: Admitting it may be too soon to say those important three words she says: 'And I want to say certain things but I also - you know what I mean?'

Sweet: The Welsh hunk agreed, revealing that: 'I want say, it's on the tip of my tongue. But I feel like I shouldn't say certain things yet'

The show then cut to the pair having a very loved up smooch.

Millie and Liam's romance was rocked in Casa Amor after the Welshman's head was turned by Lillie Haynes, 22, who he passionately kissed during the 'lads' holiday.'

Millie went from elation to heartbreak when Liam returned from Casa Amor. While she was thrilled he came back to the main villa on his own to continue in a couple with her, she was later left devastated to hear he had got to know Lillie Haynes.

In a dramatic moment that aired on-screen, Lillie revealed she was shocked Liam hadn't coupled up with her as she was under the impression he wanted to, after kissing her and sharing a bed with her during his Casa Amor stay.

Millie then chose to break things off with Liam, after sitting down with Lillie to hear her side of the story and coming to the conclusion that he had lied about his time away from her.

But in recent days, Millie has forgiven Liam for betraying her and recently got frisky beneath the duvet in the shared bedroom.

Back to reality: Millie seemed melancholy about life on the outside and said: 'But it's mad, you live so faraway,' referring to Liam living in Wales - over 250 miles away from her home in Essex

At the last recoupling, she took him back, but held off from getting too close to him until now, with the pair getting amorous under the sheets.

Millie decided to give Liam a 'second chance' and previously said of her decision: 'I've liked him from the start, even thought he mugged me off into the next century, but I knew when he came back from Casa Amor there was still something there.

'But I'm excited to give him a second chance, and hopefully your actions and words are loud enough.'

Liam had pulled out all the stops to win Millie back, sending her romantic texts, leaving love notes in her bed and delivering a romantic speech on stage in front of their fellow islanders.

Love is in the air: In the Beach Hut, Liam admitted: 'I think when you know you know and I definitely, definitely know'

Elsewhere on Friday night's episode, Jake Cornish finally told Liberty Poole he loved her after she confronted him over his true feelings for her.

In recent days, Liberty has questioned Jake's genuineness over their romance, with her doubts heightened in the latest challenge in which they were voted the couple with the most one-sided relationship.

And after a candid make-or-break conversation, Jake finally said those three little words four weeks after Liberty first uttered them, but viewers at home were not convinced and accused him of saying 'what she wants to hear'.

Declaration: Friday night's episode also saw Jake Cornish finally tell Liberty Poole he loved her after she confronted him over his true feelings for her

Sitting him down on the roof terrace, Liberty was determined to hear Jake's real feelings for her once and for all and questioned him on why he hadn't said 'I love you' despite her saying it a month previously.

She also confronted him on how much he actually liked her and how much was him playing up to the cameras, while she claimed she didn't want to feel like a 'mug' if their relationship was one-sided.

Arguing his point, Jake said that he didn't want to 'throw out' the words 'I love you' and said that making her his girlfriend meant more than him saying it.

Other islanders began to question their relationship, with Faye telling beau Teddy that she believed the water engineer was a 'showman'.

She told him that he only did the whole 'girlfriend thing' because 'he's a showman', before telling Teddy: 'I promise that they wont work on the outside.
Original Australian Idol winner Guy Sebastian has spoken out about the show's shocking 'fat-shaming' of Paulini Curuenavuli in 2003.

Following a performance during Idol's inaugural season, Paulini was told to 'shed some pounds' by judge Ian 'Dicko' Dickson and had her wardrobe criticised by Mark Holden.

Speaking to Stellar magazine, Guy said that Paulini, who was just 21 at the time, was left in tears after the incident.

Flashback: Original Australian Idol winner Guy Sebastian has spoken out about the show's shocking 'fat-shaming' of Paulini Curuenavuli (pictured) in 2003

'It was disgusting what was said to Paulini,' he told the publication.

'It has aged so badly. I was there that night when she was at the house crying after the show finished,' he added.

'Seeing that footage now makes you realise how much the culture has changed. Things like that are called out now.'

'It was disgusting': Guy said that Paulini was left in tears after being told to 'shed some pounds' by Ian 'Dicko' Dickson

The notorious incident has been blamed for causing a generation of women to suffer from body-image issues.

Footage of the moment judge Dicko told Paulini to 'choose more appropriate clothing and shed some pounds' went viral this year, prompting a wave of outrage from women on social media.

Paulini was just 21 at the time, and had chosen to perform her song in a show-stopping gold dress.

'This is why women have body issues': Australian Idol's notorious 'fat-shaming' incident from 2003 involving a 21-year-old Paulini has been blamed for causing a generation of body issues

Remember this? Footage of the moment judge Dicko told Paulini to 'choose more appropriate clothing and shed some pounds' went viral in July

Celebrity podcast Shameless posted the footage to Instagram and captioned it: 'This is why every millennial woman has body-image issues now, episode two: that time Australian Idol was actual trash.'

The post was soon flooded with comments from women, including outspoken celebrities such as feminist author Clementine Ford.

'Its wild how much this was just the norm then,' Ford wrote.

Backlash: The video, uploaded to Instagram by the Shameless podcast, was soon flooded with comments from women, including outspoken feminist author Clementine Ford (pictured)

Disbelief: 'Its wild how much this was just the norm then,' Ford wrote

'I mean, it still happens obviously. But it was so blatant then. No wonder we all hated ourselves,' she added.

Former Gogglebox star Evie Jones agreed: 'I hated this moment so much! I thought (and still do) @paulini_curuenavuli looked absolutely stunning in this dress.

'Record labels have so much to answer for. Men would make comments like this constantly to female artists. Hideous and dangerous.'

Outraged: Former Gogglebox star Evie Jones agreed: 'I hated this moment so much! I thought (and still do) @paulini_curuenavuli looked absolutely stunning in this dress'

Unimpressed: Model and influencer Steph Claire Smith commented with a facepalm emoji

Take THAT! But it was Paulini herself who had the last laugh, commenting: 'And Ive made many gold dresses look even better since that night in 2004'

Model and influencer Steph Claire Smith commented with a facepalm emoji.

But it was Paulini herself who had the last laugh, responding: 'And Ive made many gold dresses look even better since that night in 2004 [sic].'

Paulini, 38, told Woman's Day in 2014 that Dicko's words affected her tremendously at the time, admitting: '[It] really hurt my confidence. I went backstage and started sobbing.'

Rattled: Paulini, 38, told Woman's Day in 2014 that Dicko's words affected her tremendously at the time, admitting: '[It] really hurt my confidence. I went backstage and started sobbing'

She later told news.com.au Dicko would never have been able to get away with his comments in today's landscape.

'I think it has changed a lot. There's no way anyone could do that today. People would just be outraged. There's no way,' she said.

'And anyway, they shouldn't be able to; these are often young kids standing up there being judged [on talent shows]. We have so many problems with young girls who don't think they're skinny enough.

'There's so much pressure about this mould that you have to fit into - it's all crap.'

Dicko expressed regret over his remarks in 2017, saying: 'I was trying to be nice at the time, can you believe. But I'm glad [Paulini has] gone on to do such great things.'

'There's no way anyone could do that today': She later told news.com.au Dicko would never have been able to get away with his comments in today's landscape
Megan Gale has rubbished claims that her celebrity status led to special treatment during the lockdown.

The model, 46, shared an article by Steve Price titled: 'AFL and celebrities getting special privileges in Covid lockdowns' to Instagram on Friday.

She wrote in a lengthy caption: 'This is a great article by Steve Price and I wholeheartedly agree with his stance.

Anger: Megan Gale (pictured) has rubbished claims that her celebrity status led to special treatment during the lockdown

'People with public profiles shouldn't get special treatment in regards to lockdowns, quarantine or travel during this pandemic. But please keep in mind there are those who have never asked for special treatment nor been offered it.

'I would say special treatment is the exception not the rule. Articles like this, while raising valid points, do however run the risk of leading the public to believe that ALL celebrities have special entitlements and it reinforces that perception.

'This results in people like myself copping hatred and abuse online because the public assume ALL celebrities are being treated differently which is completely unfair and I speak from personal experience.'

She wrote in a lengthy caption: 'People with public profiles shouldn't get special treatment in regards to lockdowns, quarantine or travel during this pandemic'

Megan travelled from Melbourne to Western Australia following her brother Jason's tragic death in July last year - and said she did everything by the book.

'I had great difficulty securing travel into WA last year even on compassionate grounds,' she wrote.

'When I eventually did manage to get clearance to travel, it was still made very difficult for me to board my flight to WA without showing proper documentation and proof of my circumstances.

Loss: Megan travelled from Melbourne to Western Australia following her brother Jason's tragic death in July last year - and said she did everything by the book

'I followed the stipulated procedures like everybody else and completed my 14 day quarantine at the same dark, dingy, dirty hotel with no sunlight or fresh air like everybody else.'

She went on: 'I was however still trolled and abused online because it was simply assumed, due to my profile, that I had skipped quarantine and gotten special treatment. This was based purely on perception not fact.

'And it is articles like this one that reinforce that perception and I feel a responsibility to correct that. Different rules shouldn't apply to different people and in some cases it has and that's beyond wrong.

Tragic end: Jason Gale, 49, (pictured) was last seen at a petrol station on July 14 in Western Australia, and was found dead a week later in bushland next to his 1999 Honda CR-V SUV

'But please don't assume there is this secret celebrity Covid Club where we play by our own rules as it's simply not the case.

'Please don't go online and abuse someone because you assume they have received special treatment simply because 'you read it somewhere'.

'Also think about what that person could be going through before you choose anger and hatred over kindness, compassion and understanding. All due respect to you @steveprice7571 . It was a very good piece. I just wanted to balance out the view and give a more realistic take on it.'

Megan said: 'I followed the stipulated procedures like everybody else and completed my 14 day quarantine at the same dark, dingy, dirty hotel with no sunlight or fresh air like everybody else. I was however still trolled and abused online'

In September last year, Megan broke her silence on her brother Jason's death, which occurred in July.

Jason Gale, 49, was last seen at a petrol station on July 14 in Western Australia, and was found dead a week later in bushland next to his 1999 Honda CR-V SUV.

Following a desperate week-long search by family, friends and police, he was found dead next to his car. The death was not considered suspicious.

Jason, an industrial mechanic, was known for 'going bush' but his friend Belinda Murray said he had never disappeared before.

Hurt: 'Please don't go online and abuse someone because you assume they have received special treatment simply because 'you read it somewhere',' she wrote

Ms Murray said Jason 'really struggled' after watching a man die in a tragic 2018 incident at a wastewater plant south of Perth.

Daily Mail Australia understands Jason was one of a group of colleagues who were there with the victim when he was struck and killed by a pipe.

Megan said it was a difficult decision whether to travel over to Perth for the funeral, and spend two weeks in quarantine by herself, or to remain with family in her time of grief.

Ultimately she chose to travel to Perth, knowing she 'would regret not going' to his funeral, where he was cremated at Fremantle Cemetery.

Power couple: Megan balances her media commitments with motherhood. She is pictured with AFL star fiance Shaun Hampson, 33 (left)

'Part of me wanted to stay in Melbourne and be with my kids and my man at that time when I needed comfort more than any other time in my life,' she said.

'But I also wanted to be in Perth to support my mum, my brother and the rest of my family, and play a part in sending my brother off and putting him to rest.'

The model also revealed her concerns about her attendance drawing 'more media attention' to her brother's death.

Megan balances her media commitments with motherhood, sharing son River, seven, and daughter Rosie, three, with AFL star fiance Shaun Hampson, 33.

For confidential crisis support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14
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They've been enjoying a sun-soaked getaway to Ibiza most of us would dream of for much of this summer.

And Kate Moss and her lookalike daughter Lila Grace looked to be making the most of their extended trip to the party destination as they returned from a boat trip around the island on Saturday.

The modelling agency boss, 47, showed off her incredible and youthful physique in a plunging black swimsuit as she strolled along the pier with her 18-year-old daughter who looked stylish in a peach sundress.

Sun: Kate Moss and her lookalike daughter Lila Grace looked to be making the most of their extended trip to Ibiza as they returned from a boat trip around the island on Saturday after attending Kate's protege Jordan Barrett's wedding

Kate looked beach chic in her flattering swimwear which had a belted design and was teamed with nude sandals, a gold pendant, huge sunglasses and a wicker bag, before changing into a sheer white patterned dress.

Meanwhile Lila looked radiant in a strappy peach and orange lace trim dress which she wore with black sandals as she stepped out with her mother.

The pair both sported a holiday tan and showed off their lithe legs and toned figures for the day out which came just days after they attended Kate's protege Jordan Barrett's wedding on the island.

Wow: Kate looked beach chic in her flattering swimwear which had a belted design and was teamed with nude sandals, a gold pendant, huge sunglasses and a wicker bag

Family: The modelling agency boss, 47, showed off her incredible and youthful physique in a plunging black swimsuit as she strolled along the pier with her 18-year-old daughter who looked stylish in a peach sundress

Holiday: Meanwhile Lila looked radiant in a strappy peach and orange lace trim dress which she wore with black sandals as she stepped out with her mother

Chic: After getting off the boat and heading back to dry land Kate donned a sheer white patterned dress

When Jordan announced his engagement last month, most people assumed that he'd found himself a lucky lady.

But on Wednesday, the Australian model, 24, shocked fans by revealing he is planning on marrying fellow male model Fernando Casablancas, 23, following an intimate ceremony in Ibiza.

The ceremony was attended by no more than 15 of Jordan's closet friends including models Kate, Georgia May Jagger and American playwright Jeremy O. Harris.

Out and about: The pair both sported a holiday tan and showed off their lithe legs and toned figures for the day out which came just days after they attended Kate's protege Jordan Barrett's wedding on the island

Like mother like daughter: Lila appears to be following in her mother's modelling footsteps as she has been involved in several campaigns recently

'It was very spontaneous, but his wedding planner Serena Cook was able to pull some strings to make sure it was very special since his Aussie family couldn't attend,' a source told Daily Mail Australia.

'Champagne and cocktail drinks were flowing, it was very relaxed. Kate (Moss) brought out the rings, and really made sure it was special for him,' they added.

Photos from the festivities show that guests enjoyed Casamigos tequila and RUMOR Rose.

Sun-kissed: Kate looked radiant as she stepped out in Ibiza on Saturday with her daughter and accessorised with a wicker bag

Supermodel: Kate dressed perfectly for the Ibiza heat in a long white dress which she wore over her black swimsuit

Fun day out: Lila appeared slightly overwhelmed by the heat wave in Ibiza as she held her hair off her back

Radiant: Kate opted for go makeup free for he outing to show off her natural beauty and top up her bronzed tan

Essentials: Kate carried her phone and a blue face mask with her as she hopped into the waiting white Range Rover

Jordan looked suave dressed in a black sleeveless silk top, which he wore unbuttoned paired with a matching pants.

His beau Fernando meanwhile opted for a black mesh sleeveless top with matching pants.

The handsome model completed his look wearing a gold head chain.

Outside of his modelling career, Fernando is known as the younger brother of The Strokes rocker Julian Casablancas.

Beauty: The model looked classy as ever as she effortlessly slipped on a white lacy dress outside her white range Rover

Details: Kate completed her look with a pair of small gold hoop earrings and held a blue face mask in her hand just in case

Ocean: Lila was seen arriving back in the port of Ibiza after a boat day together with her mother Kate

Cash: Kate later stopped by an ATM to get some money out before hopping in the white car to head home

Footage from the special day shows the newlyweds sharing their first dance before they both decided to cool off by jumping into a nearby pool.

The couple are understood to have kept festivities going by hosting a private screening of 1977 horror classic The Island of Dr. Moreau.

Barrett announced his engagement on Instagram on July 20, writing: 'I believe in love not the traditional kind, so I guess I just commit new chapter of my life. Also... did I also just get engaged on this date. Yes.'

Casual: Kate was joined by a man as she headed to the ATM who looked summery in a pair of navy short and a white shirt

Glowing: Kate looked stunning in a black swimsuit as she was pictured with her daughter Lila heading back to the port

Quick change: She stopped by the side of the car to pull on her long patterned white dress after her day out on the ocean

Fashionista: Kate launched her own modelling agency in 2016 in her quest to find fashion's next rising star and was certainly putting on a stylish display as she stepped out

Break: Lila looked incredible in the peach slip as she stood and spoke to the man that was with them

Fashionable: The long white dress had a thigh split and was patterned with flowers and a paisley print

Details: Kate had on a pair of nude sandals for her day out in the sunshine which complimented her summery look perfectly

Accessories: Lila completed her look with a few gold necklaces and held a beige wicker handbag full of all the essentials

Meanwhile Lila appears to be following in her mother's modelling footsteps.

She recently posed with her friend Ella, who is the granddaughter of Keith Richards, in collaboration with Disney, raising awareness for MediCinema which creates cinemas in NHS hospitals to improve patient's wellbeing.

Posing in Mickey Mouse T-shirts, the campaign features various celebrities and is called Micke & Friends: The Power of Friendship.

The likes of Laura Whitmore, Reggie and Cobbie Yates, Rochelle Humes, Nicola Adams, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Clara Amfo and Olly Murs feature.

Swimming: Underneath her peach dress Lila appeared to be wearing a white bikini while Kate opted for a black costume

Trip: Kate and Lila have been in Ibiza for the last few months enjoying an extended summer break together
She is a showbiz glamour queen.

And Megan Fox, 35, proved as much whilst flashing the flesh during a recent outing in sweltering Los Angeles.

The Transformers star showed off her taut midriff in a scarlet peekaboo top that also offered a generous glimpse of cleavage.

Showbiz glamour queen: And Megan Fox, 35, proved as much whilst flashing the flesh during a recent outing in sweltering Los Angeles

She teamed the top with a matching pencil skirt redolent of the 1960s and accessorized with a bag in the same color.

Letting her luxurious dark hair down she sharpened her screen siren features with makeup and balanced expertly on a sky-high pair of gold stilettos.

The sizzling sensation has been running around with the svelte blond rapper Machine Gun Kelly, aka Colson Baker, for over a year.

They met shortly before the coronavirus lockdowns on the Puerto Rico set of the film Midnight In The Switchgrass which was finally released late last month.

Off she goes: The Transformers star showed off her taut midriff in a scarlet peekaboo top that also offered a generous glimpse of cleavage

Megan leads the cast of the film alongside Bruce Willis, with Kelly as one of the supporting players amid names like Emile Hirsch and Lukas Haas.

The Irishman producer Randall Emmett, 50, directed the film and his current fiancee Lala Kent, 30, of Vanderpump Rules fame is also in the cast.

When Midnight In The Switchgrass premiered at LA Live last month Megan declined to attend - and announced as much only that day.

'Due to the recent California mask mandate and rise of COVID cases, Megan Fox will no longer be attending the premiere tonight,' her representative told Deadline.

Swanking about: She teamed the top with a matching pencil skirt redolent of the 1960s and accessorized with a bag in the same color

Lala posted Insta Stories snaps of herself at the premiere - including one where she was stood in front of the poster in such a way as to obscure Megan's face on it.

Although there were rumors the post was a dig at Megan, Lala told Access: 'I am not very subtle when I shade people. If I was upset I would have just straight up said it.'

Bruce and Kelly did not attend the premiere either and Kelly was noticeably quiet on his social media about the project.

The day after its release he cryptically tweeted: 'if i dont talk or tweet about a movie im barely in its because its [trash emoji].'

There they are: She met her beau Machine Gun Kelly on the Puerto Rico set of the film Midnight In The Switchgrass (pictured) which was finally released late last month

Emile posted a screenshot of Kelly's tweet to Instagram and wrote: 'We definitely disagree here, Colson! Nothing but respect to you guys though - especially because you and Megan are so f***ing great in this movie.'

Megan recently revealed to Who What Wear that the film 'was definitely a vehicle - Ill be honest - for me to meet Colson.'

She dished: 'I knew he was gonna be in the movie, but the universe was just like: "Go do this. Theres something about this experience thatll be really rewarding for you."'

Megan shares three children - Noah, eight, Bodhi, seven, and Journey, five - with her estranged husband Brian Austin Green whom she is in the process of divorcing.
She addressed coming out as 'queer' for the first time in an interview this month.

And on Saturday, Emma Corrin was pictured arriving at the theatre in Manchester ahead of her performance in play Anna X.

The Crown actress, 25, dressed casually in a collared shirt, a purple jumper, blue sweatpants and Adidas sneakers, as she made her way towards the stage door.

Taking to the stage: The Crown's Emma Corrin (pictured), 25, arrived at the theatre in Manchester on Saturday ahead of her performance in Anna X - after addressing coming out as 'queer' for the first time

Emma added a black pinstripe blazer and green cap, and carried her belongings in a black Prada backpack.

She engaged in conversation with what appeared to be her driver and looked to be in great spirits.

Emma stars in the production as a socialite called Anna. The show is inspired by the Anna Sorokin case - a Russian-born fraudster who pretended to be a wealthy German heiress in order to defraud banks, hotels, and wealthy acquaintances.

Low-key: The actress dressed casually in a collared shirt, a purple jumper, blue sweatpants and Adidas sneakers, as she made her way towards the stage door

Social: Emma engaged in conversation with what appeared to be her driver and looked to be in great spirits

Anna was only released from prison in March this year.

Emma's sighting comes after she addressed coming out as 'queer' for the first time during an interview with Victoria Grimes for ITV News Granada Reports alongside actor Nabhaan Rizwa this month.

The actress said it felt 'scary and revealing' to share the news on social media four months ago when she referred to herself as a 'queer bride' and changed her pronouns to she/they.

Latest role: Emma stars in the production as a socialite called Anna. The show is inspired by the Anna Sorokin case - a Russian-born fraudster who pretended to be a wealthy German heiress in order to defraud banks, hotels, and wealthy acquaintances

Headlines: The sighting comes after she addressed coming out as 'queer' for the first time during an interview with Victoria Grimes for ITV News Granada Reports alongside actor Nabhaan Rizwa this month

She added that she was still defining her gender status and that she has a 'long way to go on her journey'.

In the clip, she says: 'I think visibility is key with these things. My journey has been a long one and has still got a long way to go.

'I think we are so used to defining ourselves. That's the way society works within these binaries and it's taken me a long time to realise that I exist somewhere in between and I'm still not sure where that is yet.

Honest: Emma said it felt 'scary and revealing' to share the news on social media four months ago when she referred to herself as a 'queer bride' and changed her pronouns to she/they

Post: Emma also shared the video on her Instagram Story and wrote in the caption that it was the 'first time addressing queerness and my journey'

'I know the people on social media and around the world who have been talking about it have helped me on my journey.

'When I started posting about it it felt very scary and revealing and I wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do, but the feeling I've got from other people in the queer community has been wonderful.

'I just walked through from where we're staying along Canal Street and it's just an amazing feeling of solidarity, it's a beautiful feeling to be among that sort of thing.'

Discussion: Emma talked to actor Nabhaan and Victoria (both pictured) about her sexuality

In June, Emma marked the end of Pride Month by sporting a rainbow jumper while out and about in London. In April, Emma appeared to announce that she is 'queer'.

Emma shared a picture to Instagram from her new spread in Pop magazine where she was clad in a wedding dress and veil.

She simply captioned the image: 'ur fave queer bride'.

MailOnline contacted Emma's representatives for comment at the time.

She also changed her pronouns to she/they on her Instagram bio earlier this year - meaning she is happy to be addressed by either.

Caption: Back in April, Emma appeared to announce that she is 'queer' in an Instagram post

Pronouns: The actress changed her pronouns to she/they on her Instagram bio - meaning she is happy to be addressed by either

Emma has kept tight-lipped on any talk surrounding her sexuality and dating life.

Back in October, she was asked by Stella magazine if there was a 'boyfriend on the scene', and replied: 'I'd rather navigate this on my own. It's nicer to feel like I'm taking care of me.'

Emma soared into the spotlight last year with her breakout role as Princess Diana in Netflix's The Crown. The British star plays the late Royal in the fourth series of the drama, in a role which has won her widespread critical acclaim.
Shenae Grimes has given birth to her second child, a baby boy named Kingsley Taylor Beech.

The former 90210 actress, 31, announced the arrival of her second child with husband Josh Beech on Instagram on Saturday, posting several intimate snaps capturing mom and the newborn.

'Kingsley Taylor Beech,' Shenae began in the caption. 'Our littlest one made a safe and healthy arrival into the world on Friday the 13th, in true Beech fam fashion! (Jack-O-Lantern emoji).

'Our hearts are bursting with love and gratitude': Shenae Grimes has given birth to her second child, a baby boy named Kingsley Taylor Beech

'Needless to say, our hearts are bursting with love and gratitude. Me and the babe are both doing incredibly well and look forward to settling in at home soon!'

The former Degrassi actress revealed back on Valentine's Day that she was expecting her second child.

To announce the exciting news, the star shared a stunning black and white photo with one hand cradling her growing baby bump.

As she stood with her jeans unzipped and white blouse unbuttoned, she put her pregnant belly on full display for her many Instagram followers.

Oh boy! The former 90210 actress, 31, announced the arrival of her second child with husband Josh Beech on Instagram, posting several intimate snaps capturing mom and the newborn

Baby on board: Shenae revealed she is expecting her second child with her husband Josh Beech with a special post on Valentine's Day

'Here we go again!!! We're feeling incredibly blessed to be growing our family and this gift truly couldn't have come at a better time,' Shenae, who shares nearly three-year-old daughter Bowie with her husband, gushed.

The actress continued: 'We've just settled into our new house and it really feels like home now. Bowie is absolutely itching for a little sibling to play with and look out for.'

After tackling a recent cross-country move in a car 'with a toddler and a dog' during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, she is more than prepared and ready for 'Baby Beech #2.'

Future big sister: To reveal the exciting news, the 31-year-old actress shared a stunning black and white photo with one hand gently cradling her growing baby bump

Precious: As she stood with her jeans unzipped and white blouse unbuttoned, she put her pregnant belly on full display for her 459,000 Instagram followers

On her blog The Damn Thing, she provided more details about her latest milestone, including discovering she was pregnant two days before Christmas.

She prefaced the news by writing she wanted to be mindful of any couples struggling to conceive.

'While we're thrilled to share this news with our supportive community, Josh and I want to first and foremost be mindful of the sensitive nature surrounding a pregnancy announcement,' Grimes began.

'Here we go again!!! We're feeling incredibly blessed to be growing our family and this gift truly couldn't have come at a better time,' she gushed (pictured in 2019)

Read all about it: On her blog The Damn Thing , she provided more details about her latest milestone, including discovering she was pregnant two days before Christmas

She added: 'The ability to conceive naturally is a privilege and a blessing and while it's one we are extremely grateful for, we want to ensure that we acknowledge those whose family planning journeys have been more complicated than our own. We see you, we love you and we want you to know that you are in our prayers.'

In the blog, she revealed, like with little Bowie, her upcoming addition was not 'planned' but she and her man are so excited to grow their family.

The star also remarked that her latest pregnancy is 'a lot less terrifying' than her first and she will keeping fans updated with YouTube videos.
Cinema has been a tool of expression, not only serving as a medium of social change, but also educating the newer generation about stories that they may never hear of. They tell a story with a message or information about their past, such as stories about the independence and the freedom struggle, as is relatable to the present generations.

Bollywood has had many filmmakers who have served to create reels of films that archive historical incidents in the country. Filmmaker Ketan Mehta made films such as the 1994-film Sardar on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and the 2005-film Mangal Pandey, revolving around the national uprising.

He was also involved in making a biopic on Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi with Kangana Ranaut, which finally was made without him in 2019 after the actress and Ketan had a falling out over the language choice in the film, and was called Manikarnika.

Ketan sees cinema as an expression of collective consciousness. The best way of influencing and communicating is through cinema. It is more powerful than other mediums. If you realise, Sardar is one of the more powerful films made on the freedom struggle. If Mangal Panday was about why the rebellion of 1957 failed, Sardar was about why the freedom struggle succeeded in 1947, explains Ketan. Interestingly, Ketan had wanted to first cast Amitabh Bachchan and then Sanjay Dutt in Mangal Pandey over a period of 17 years though he finally succeeded in making the film with Aamir Khan.

To Ketan, films on historical events are also about telling a generation who never really understood the complexity of the process of achieving freedom. For me, the Indian freedom struggle has been one of the most complex exercises in Indian history, says Ketan.

There were so many challenges and the various forces at play that helped arrive at a viable balance and that is what our freedom has been. During the national uprising, there was peasantry, sepoys and civilians all with contradictory perspectives and still the desire for freedom survived and that is the greatness of our civilisation, opines Mehta, who incidentally also made a film in 1995, called Oh Darling Yeh Hai India.

Saluting fighters

For filmmakers such as Shyam Benegal who made the epic 2004-war drama Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose  The Forgotten Hero, and Kabir Khan who made the web series The Forgotten Army Azadi Ke Liye, which was launched in 2020, the idea was to tell the story to a nation that had forgotten them.

When the show dropped, I had many people telling me that they never knew about it, says Kabir Khan who even had the good fortune of interacting with INA members Captain Lakshmi Sahgal and Gurbaksh Dhillon leading to his research and love for the subject. For me, it was recreating my debut documentary into a visual spectacle. Films didnt have budgets for stories made on foot soldiers, which the OTT had.

For Shyam Benegal, who made documentaries on Nehru and the 1996-film The Making of the Mahatma on MK Gandhi, a film like Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose-The Forgotten Hero was also to tell people stories that they never knew about Bose. No one knew what he was. They knew he was a hero. No one knew that he had ideological differences with Gandhi and how he challenged the latter, how his activities transcended nations. No one even knew that he was also married. He fought the British and even succeeded in getting hold of some territories, points out Benegal.

Previously

While Benegals Making of the Mahatma only followed the Richard Attenborough 1982-film Gandhi, Manoj Kumar is known as the man who infused patriotism into audiences through his sometimes biographical and sometimes fictional tales of India. Hes now even known as Mr Bharat after calling himself as Bharat in many films including Upkar (1967), Purab Aur Paschim (1970), Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974), Kranti (1981) and Clerk (1989).

Manojs 1965-film Shaheed on Bhagat Singh, however, brought him close to Bhagat Singhs mother as well. I was making Shaheed with my friend, producer Kewal Kashyap, when we heard that Bhagat Singhs mother was unwell.

We went there and Bhagat Singhs brother Kultar Singh introduced me to her, letting her know that I was playing the role of her son in the film, recollects Manoj Kumar. She looked at me rather intently and then smiled saying that I would be good enough to play the role because I looked like him. It was like a certification for me. Later, when the film won three national awards, I took her along to the stage to receive the award from Smt. Indira Gandhi, who even fell at her feet and hugged her. says Manoj Kumar.

The legendary actor and filmmaker also tells us that Prime Minister of India, Lal Bahadur Shastri was so happy with Shaheed, that he asked me to write a film on his jai jawan jai kisan slogan. I made Upkar for him, adds Manoj Kumar.
VIJAYAWADA: Entry is restricted only to VIPs for the Independence Day celebrations here on Sunday. DGP Gautam Sawang inspected the preparations at the IGMC Stadium on Friday. Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy would hoist the National Flag at the stadium.

The DGP reviewed the rehearsals and mock drill and personally checked about security at places in and around the stadium. He requested those attending the event to wear masks, face- shields and gloves and follow Corona protocol without fail.

He said there was a rainfall prediction from the weather department. Water-proof tents and dais are erected for uninterrupted conduct of the programmes. Besides the CM, all ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs and other public representatives as also top bureaucrats would attend the event.

Municipal commissioner Prasanna Venkatesh with VMC chief engineer Prabhakar Rao supervised the arrangements at IGMC stadium. The commissioner said motors and other equipment would be installed at the stadium to drain out rainwater.

Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan would not conduct the usual At Home function in Raj Bhavan to mark Independence Day in view of prevailing Covid-19 situation.

In a communique from Raj Bhavan, the governor has appealed to the people to follow Covid protocols and advised all to go for the Covid-jabs on a priority basis.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who rejected the argument of Opposition leaders said that this Bill would help in restoring religious harmony. He cited various beef related incidents that created communal tension in the area. (PTI)

Guwahati: The Assam Assembly on Friday passed the Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021, regulating slaughter, consumption and transportation of cattle, even as the Opposition staged a walkout as they wanted to send the bill to the select committee for more deliberation.

The Bill prohibits sale, offer or exposure of beef in areas which are predominantly inhabited by Hindu, Jain, Sikh and other non beef-eating communities. The prohibition will also come into effect within a radius of 5 km of any temple, satra (Vaishnavite monastery), or other Hindu religious institutions. It also may be applicable to any other institution or areas prescribed by the competent authority.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who rejected the argument of Opposition leaders said that this Bill would help in restoring religious harmony. He cited various beef related incidents that created communal tension in the area. The ruling party members welcomed the Bill by shouting the slogan  Bharat Mata Ki Jai soon after the Bill was passed.

Earlier, chaos prevailed in the House as Opposition party leaders did not agree to the passing of the Bill and insisted on sending it to the select committee. There are a total of 76 amendments to the Bill, said Congress leader Debabrata Saikia while arguing for sending the Bill to the select committee.

According to statistics, there are 19.327 crore cows in Assam. Cows are not endangered animals, why are laws being sought for conservation, questioned AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam. He said that the matter has been looked at only through a religious perspective.

The Bill says,No person shall directly or indirectly sell or offer or expose for sale or buy beef or beef products in any form except at places permitted to do so by the competent authority.

For enforcing the provisions of the Act, a police officer, not below the rank of sub-inspector, or a registered veterinary officer, or any person authorised by the state government, shall have the power to enter and inspect any premises within their jurisdictions. Wherever the authorised person finds a reason to believe that an offence under this Act has been or is likely to be committed, the inspection authority has been bestowed the power to act.

All veterinary officers and other persons exercising powers under the Act shall be deemed to be public servants within the meaning of section 21 of the Indian Penal Code, it added.

The Bill, however, brought exemptions for slaughter which is certified by a veterinary officer authorised on this behalf by the state government in the interest of public health.

Slaughter of cattle suffering from incurable, infectious, contagious disease or is a danger to other cattle has been permitted but with due permission from the authorised veterinary officer.

While curbing unregulated slaughter, the Bill envisages to allow the state government to establish gaushalas directly or may direct a recognised organisation or local authority to start institutions for taking care of cattle. No person shall transport any cattle without a valid permit from any place within the state to any place outside the state where slaughter of cattle is not regulated by law. The same will be applicable in case of cattle transportation from another state through Assam to another state.
Planning stringent measures to stem the possible surge of Covid-19 third wave in Bengaluru, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will hold a high level meeting with experts and health officials on Saturday evening.

Addressing the media persons in Bengaluru, Bommai said, Covid-19 cases are rising steadily. Rather than taking steps when situation goes out of control, it is better that we take some precaution now.

Also Read  No Covid-19 lockdown plan for Bengaluru, says Karnataka government

The chief minister further said, We are mulling certain changes in the management of Covid scenario. I will be holding a meeting today evening to discuss scientific measures which can be implemented now to prevent the further spread.

When asked if the meeting will also deliberate on the weekend restrictions and curfew in Bengaluru, Bommai said, Our (Government's) intention is not to cause inconvenience to the people but to ensure that the Covid infection doesnt spread further. I will talk more about it after the evening meeting.
The BBC's Moscow correspondent said Saturday she was told by the Russian authorities that she "can't ever come back to Russia" after her visa was not renewed and she was effectively expelled from the country.

Moscow told veteran correspondent Sarah Rainsford that she would have to leave the country when her current visa expires in August, at a time of simmering tensions between Russia and the West and a crackdown on independent media.

"This is not a failure to renew my visa, although technically that's kind of what it is. I'm being expelled, and I've been told that I can't come back ever," Rainsford told BBC Radio 4.

The journalist called the decision "devastating personally" and "shocking".

"It's not just any old place" she said.

"It's almost a third of my life that I've lived in Russia... I've really loved trying to tell the story of Russia to the world, but it is increasingly a difficult story to tell."

The BBC on Friday accused Russia of "a direct assault on media freedom" and said Rainsford was an "exceptional and fearless journalist."

Rainsford said Moscow had told her the move was a reaction to Britain's decision not to renew the visa of a Russian journalist.

"The 90s was a time of new and exciting freedoms for Russia, and I suppose my career here as a journalist has charted the path through which those freedoms have been reduced and reduced and reduced," she said.

The BBC, which is publicly funded through an annual licence fee of all television set holders but editorially independent of government, is regularly accused of political bias at home.

But it also comes under fire abroad, including in China, where in March this year one of its senior correspondents left for Taiwan, after facing pressure over his reporting.
The United States spent billions supplying the Afghan military with the tools to defeat the Taliban, but the rapid capitulation of the armed forces means that weaponry is now fuelling the insurgents' astonishing battlefield successes.

"We provided our Afghan partners with all the tools -- let me emphasise: all the tools," US President Joe Biden said when defending his decision to withdraw American forces and leave the fight to the locals.

But Afghan defence forces have shown little appetite for that fight and, in their tens of thousands, have been laying down their arms -- only for the Taliban to immediately pick them up.

Read | 'Will not be good for them': Taliban warn India against playing military role

The Taliban's social media is awash with videos of Taliban fighters seizing weapons caches -- the majority supplied by Western powers.

Footage of Afghan soldiers surrendering in the northern city of Kunduz shows army vehicles loaded with heavy weapons and mounted with artillery guns safely in the hands of the insurgent rank and file.

In the western city of Farah, fighters patrolled in a car marked with an eagle swooping on a snake -- the official insignia of the country's intelligence service.

While US forces took the "sophisticated" equipment with them when they withdrew, the Taliban blitz has handed the group "vehicles, humvees, small arms and light weapons, as well as ammunition", Justine Fleischner of weapons-tracking group Conflict Armament Research, told AFP.

Experts say such hauls -- on top of unacknowledged support from regional allies such as Pakistan -- has given the Taliban a massive boost.

Track live updates of Afganistan news here

The weapons will not only help the Taliban's march on Kabul but "strengthen its authority" in the cities it has captured, said Raffaello Pantucci, senior fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

With US troops all but gone, the Taliban now find themselves flush with American-supplied tools, without having to raise a single penny.

"It is incredibly serious. It is clearly going to be a massive boon to them," he said.

Some of that weaponry is now being brazenly paraded ahead of the US troops' 9/11 withdrawal deadline by insurgents who have maintained ties with Al Qaeda, the group behind the 2001 terror attacks.

Washington had prepared for the Taliban to claim its weapons, but the rapid fall of cities was its most dire scenario, Jason Amerine, who led US special forces in overthrowing the Taliban in 2001, told AFP.

"The US equipped the ANA with the assumption that weapons and materiel might fall into Taliban hands," he said, referring to the Afghan National Army.

Read | The Afghan Military was built over 20 years  How did it collapse so quickly?

"The current crisis was a worst-case scenario considered when making procurement decisions."

At Kunduz airport, a Taliban fighter on a red motorbike, head-to-toe in insurgent dress, was filmed staring at a military helicopter sitting on the tarmac.

It is a picture of jubilation mirrored across insurgent-held territory.

While the group will continue to show off these big prizes, the aircraft at least will have no impact on the battlefield without pilots.

"They will be for propaganda purposes only," former CIA counter-terrorism analyst Aki Peritz told AFP.

More useful will be the light arms and vehicles used to navigate the country's rugged terrain.

Coupled with the army's dwindling morale, they will boost the threat the Taliban pose to the Western-backed government.

As the crisis unfolds, Biden's administration says it will still equip an Afghan military that appears on the verge of collapse.

Observers of the Middle East have seen this transfer of arms play out before.

After the US withdrawal from Iraq, the Islamic State (IS) group overran the Iraqi city of Mosul in mid-2014, seizing US-supplied guns and humvees.

The jihadists used their gains to build an Iraqi-Syrian caliphate the size of Belgium.

Like IS fighters in Mosul, joyous Taliban recruits are now posing for photographs with enemy munitions in the newly won cities in all corners of the country.

"This retreat is turning into a rout," Peritz said.
The Taliban seized more major cities on Saturday as they raced towards full control of Afghanistan and inched closer to Kabul. Meanwhile, the US sent troops to evacuate their nationals. Taliban managed to gain more ground in border regions and some regions near Kabul.
Families of those missing after Turkey's worst floods in years anxiously watched rescue teams search buildings on Saturday, fearing the death toll from the raging torrents could rise further.

At least 40 people have died from the floods in the northern Black Sea region, the second natural disaster to strike the country this month.

Drone footage by Reuters showed massive damage in the flood-hit Black Sea town of Bozkurt, where emergency workers were searching demolished buildings.

Thirty-four people died as a result of floods in the Kastamonu district which includes Bozkurt, and another six people died in Sinop, the Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) said.

In one collapsed building along the banks of the swollen river, 10 people were still believed buried. The rapid floodwaters appeared to have swept away the foundations of several other apartment blocks.

Also Read | Going, going... gone? Europe's fast-vanishing glaciers

Relatives of the missing, desperate for news, were nearby.

"This is unprecedented. There is no power. The mobile phones were dead. There was no reception. You couldn't receive news from anyone," said Ilyas Kalabalik, a 42-year-old resident.

"We had no idea whether the water was rising or not, whether it flooded the building or not. We were just waiting, like this. Our wives and children were panicked. Once sun came up in the morning, we saw police officers. They took us from the building and hurled us into a gas station."

Kalabalik was surrounded by residents who were asking each other whether anyone had any news about missing people.

"My aunt's children are there. My aunt is missing. Her husband is missing. Her twin grandchildren are missing. The wife of our building manager is missing along with their two children," Kalabalik told Reuters.

The floods brought chaos to northern provinces just as authorities were declaring wildfires that raged through southern coastal regions for two weeks had been brought under control.

About 45 cm (18 inches) of rain fell in less than three days in one village near Bozkurt.

Torrents of water tossed dozens of cars and heaps of debris along streets, destroyed bridges, closed roads and cut off electricity to hundreds of villages.

The small town of Bozkurt lies in a valley along the banks of the Ezine river in Kastamonu province, 2.5 km (1.6 miles) from the Black Sea.
At least 27 Rohingya refugees were missing after their boat sank Saturday during an attempt to escape a Bangladeshi island camp criticised by human rights groups, officials said.

Nearly 20,000 Rohingya have been relocated to Bhashan Char island, which takes the full force of cyclones that roar across the Bay of Bengal each year.

Bangladesh eventually wants to rehouse 100,000 of its approximately one million Rohingya refugees to the island, moving them from cramped settlements on the mainland.

But some Rohingya say they were coerced into relocating while thousands protested living conditions on the island in June.

After the incident, the United Nations refugee agency said it "remains concerned about reports of refugees being arrested and detained for attempting to leave Bhashan Char".

Police said the small fishing boat sank with 41 Rohingya on board after encountering rough weather in the Bay of Bengal near the island. Fourteen were rescued, while a search operation is underway to locate those still missing.

"Navy ships and a helicopter have also joined the search," Sujit Kumar Chanda, the government administrator for Bhashan Char, told AFP, adding the missing included women and children.

Chanda said a two-year-old was dramatically saved by his father who held the child above water while swimming for safety.

Bangladesh started relocating refugees to the controversial island camp in November, saying the refugee camps in the country's southeast were overcrowded.

Police said scores of Rohingya have fled the island in recent months and been arrested in coastal towns in Bangladesh's Chittagong region.

Abdur Rahim, 27, who fled Bhashan Char months ago, said a lack of work on the island has pushed people to flee.

"Living there is horrible. There is no opportunity to meet relatives. It's like they are keeping us in jail without giving us any opportunities," he said.

Amnesty International's South Asia Campaigner Saad Hammadi said Bangladesh must "ensure that any relocation to the island is voluntary" and refugees have "the right to freedom of movement between the island and mainland, where many of them have their families and relatives".
The Taliban seized a province just south of Afghanistan's capital and launched a multi-pronged assault early Saturday on a major city in the north defended by powerful former warlords, Afghan officials said. The insurgents also captured the capital of Paktika province bordering Pakistan, according Khalid Asad, a lawmaker from the province. He confirmed that Sharana fell to the insurgents on Saturday but could not immediately provide further details.

The insurgents have captured much of northern, western and southern Afghanistan in a breakneck offensive less than three weeks before the United States is set to withdraw its last troops, raising fears of a full militant takeover or another Afghan civil war.

The Taliban captured all of Logar and detained its provincial officials, Hoda Ahmadi, a lawmaker from the province, said Saturday. She said the Taliban have reached the Char Asyab district, just 11 kilometers (7 miles) south of the capital, Kabul.

Follow live updates on Afghanistan's Taliban crisis here

The Taliban also attacked the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif from several directions, setting off heavy fighting on its outskirts, according to Munir Ahmad Farhad, a spokesman for the provincial governor. There was no immediate word on casualties.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani delivered a televised speech on Saturday, his first public appearance since the recent Taliban gains, in which he vowed not to give up the achievements of the 20 years since the US toppled the Taliban following the 9/11 attacks.

We have started consultations, inside the government with elders and political leaders, representatives of different levels of the community as well as our international allies," he said. "Soon the results will be shared with you, he added, without elaborating further.

The president had flown to Mazar-e-Sharif on Wednesday to rally the city's defenses, meeting with several militia commanders, including Abdul Rashid Dostum and Ata Mohammad Noor, who command thousands of fighters.

They remain allied with the government, but during previous rounds of fighting in Afghanistan, warlords have been known to switch sides for their own survival. Ismail Khan, a powerful former warlord who had tried to defend Herat, was captured by the Taliban when the insurgents seized the western city after two weeks of heavy fighting.

Residents of Mazar-e-Sharif expressed fear about the security breakdown.

The situation is dangerous outside of the city and inside the city," Mohibullah Khan said, adding that many residents are also struggling economically.

The security situation in the city is getting worse," said Kawa Basharat. "I want peace and stability. The fighting should be stopped.

The Taliban have made major advances in recent days, including capturing Herat and Kandahar, the country's second- and third-largest cities. They now control 19 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, leaving the Western-backed government in control of a smattering of provinces in the center and east, as well as Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif.

The withdrawal of foreign forces and the swift retreat of Afghanistan's own troops  despite hundreds of billions of dollars in U.S. aid over the years  has raised fears the Taliban could return to power or the country could be shattered by factional fighting, as it was after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989.

The first Marines from a contingent of 3,000 arrived on Friday to help partially evacuate the U.S. Embassy. The rest are set to arrive by Sunday, and their deployment has raised questions about whether the administration will meet its Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline.

The Taliban meanwhile released a video announcing the takeover of the main radio station in the southern city of Kandahar, renaming it the Voice of Sharia, or Islamic law.

In the video, an unnamed insurgent said all employees were present and would broadcast news, political analysis and recitations of the Quran, the Islamic holy book. It appears the station will no longer play music.

It was not clear if the Taliban had purged the previous employees or allowed them to return to work. Most residents of Kandahar sport the traditional dress favored by the Taliban. The man in the video congratulated the people of Kandahar on the Taliban's victory.

The Taliban have used mobile radio stations over the years, but have not operated a station inside a major city since they ruled the country from 1996-2001. At that time, they also ran a station called Voice of Sharia out of Kandahar, the birthplace of the militant group. Music was banned.

The U.S. invaded shortly after the 9/11 attacks, which al-Qaida planned and carried out while being sheltered by Taliban. After rapidly ousting the Taliban, the U.S. shifted toward nation-building, hoping to create a modern Afghan state after decades of war and unrest.

Earlier this year, President Joe Biden announced a timeline for the withdrawal of all U.S. troops by the end of August, pledging to end America's longest war. His predecessor, President Donald Trump, had reached an agreement with the Taliban to pave the way for a US pullout.

Biden's announcement set the latest offensive in motion. The Taliban, who have long controlled large parts of the Afghan countryside, moved quickly to seize provincial capitals, border crossings and other key infrastructure.

Tens of thousands of Afghans have fled their homes, with many fearing a return to the Taliban's oppressive rule. The group had previously governed Afghanistan under a harsh version of Islamic law in which women were largely confined to the home.
The Taliban captured the Afghan city of Pul-e-Alam on Saturday, around 70 kilometres (40 miles) from the capital Kabul, a local provincial council member said.

Follow live updates on Afghanistan here

The Taliban fighters did not face much resistance, he told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

The gain of the city, a key staging post for a potential assault on Kabul, comes a day after the insurgents took the country's second-and third-biggest cities.

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The Taliban seized a province just south of Afghanistan's capital and launched a multi-pronged assault early Saturday on Mazar-e-Sharif, a major city in the north defended by powerful former warlords, Afghan officials said.

Homa Ahmadi, a lawmaker from Logar, says the Taliban control the entire province, including its capital, and reached a district in the neighbouring Kabul province on Saturday. That puts the insurgents less than 80 km (50 miles) south of the nation's capital.

The Taliban have also captured much of northern, western and southern Afghanistan less than three weeks before the United States is set to withdraw its last troops.

Read more: Taliban launch multi-pronged assault on Mazar-e-Sharif

Munir Ahmad Farhad, a spokesman for the provincial governor in northern Balkh province, meanwhile said the Taliban attacked the city of Mazar-e-Sharif from several directions, setting off heavy fighting on its outskirts. There was no immediate word on casualties.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had flown to Mazar-e-Sharif on Wednesday to rally the city's defences, meeting with several militia commanders allied with the government.

The Taliban captured much of southern Afghanistan in recent days in a rapid offensive that has raised fears of a full takeover. Their lightning advance has left the Western-backed government in control of a smattering of provinces in the center and east, as well as Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif.

The withdrawal of foreign forces and the swift retreat of Afghanistan's own troops  despite hundreds of billions of dollars in US aid over the years  has raised fears the Taliban could return to power or the country could be plunged into civil war.

The first Marines from a contingent of 3,000 arrived on Friday to help partially evacuate the US Embassy. The rest are set to arrive by Sunday, and their deployment has raised questions about whether the administration will meet its August 31 withdrawal deadline.

The Taliban meanwhile released a video in which an unnamed insurgent announced the takeover of the main radio station in the southern city of Kandahar, which fell to the insurgents earlier this week.

Read more: Weapon seizures 'massive boon' for Taliban as cities fall

The station has been renamed the Voice of Sharia, or Islamic law. He said all employees were present and would broadcast news, political analysis and recitations of the Quran, the Islamic holy book. It appears the station will no longer play music.

It was not clear if the Taliban had purged the previous employees or allowed them to return to work. Most residents of Kandahar sport the traditional dress favored by the Taliban. The man in the video congratulated the people of Kandahar on the Taliban's victory.

The Taliban have operated mobile radio stations over the years, but have not operated a station inside a major city since they ruled the country from 1996-2001. At that time, they also ran a station called Voice of Sharia out of Kandahar, the birthplace of the militant group. Music was banned.

The US invaded shortly after the 9/11 attacks, which al-Qaida planned and carried out while being sheltered by Taliban. After rapidly ousting the Taliban, the US shifted toward nation-building, hoping to create a modern Afghan state after decades of war and unrest.

Earlier this year, President Joe Biden announced a timeline for the withdrawal of all US troops by the end of August, pledging to end America's longest war. His predecessor, President Donald Trump, had reached an agreement with the Taliban to pave the way for a US pullout.

Biden's announcement set the latest offensive in motion. The Taliban, who have long controlled large parts of the Afghan countryside, moved quickly to seize provincial capitals, border crossings and other key infrastructure. They are now within 80 km (50 miles) of Kabul.

Tens of thousands of Afghans have fled their homes, with many fearing a return to the Taliban's oppressive rule. The group had previously governed Afghanistan under a harsh version of Islamic law in which women were largely confined to the home.
The surrenders seem to be happening as fast as the Taliban can travel.

In the past several days, Afghan security forces have collapsed in more than 15 cities under the pressure of a Taliban advance that began in May. On Friday, officials confirmed that those included two of the countrys most important provincial capitals: Kandahar and Herat.

The swift offensive has resulted in mass surrenders, captured helicopters and millions of dollars of US-supplied equipment paraded by the Taliban on grainy cellphone videos. In some cities, heavy fighting had been underway for weeks on their outskirts, but the Taliban ultimately overtook their defensive lines and then walked in with little or no resistance.

Also Read | Taliban is already inspiring terror beyond Afghanistan

This implosion comes despite the United States having poured more than $83 billion in weapons, equipment and training into the countrys security forces over two decades.

Building the Afghan security apparatus was one of the key parts of the Obama administrations strategy as it sought to find a way to hand over security and leave nearly a decade ago. These efforts produced an army modeled in the image of the US military, an Afghan institution that was supposed to outlast the American war.

But it will likely be gone before the United States is.

While the future of Afghanistan seems more and more uncertain, one thing is becoming exceedingly clear: The United States 20-year endeavor to rebuild Afghanistans military into a robust and independent fighting force has failed, and that failure is now playing out in real time as the country slips into Taliban control.

How the Afghan military came to disintegrate first became apparent not last week but months ago in an accumulation of losses that started even before President Joe Bidens announcement that the United States would withdraw by Sept. 11.

It began with individual outposts in rural areas where starving and ammunition-depleted soldiers and police units were surrounded by Taliban fighters and promised safe passage if they surrendered and left behind their equipment, slowly giving the insurgents more and more control of roads, then entire districts. As positions collapsed, the complaint was almost always the same: There was no air support or they had run out of supplies and food.

Also Read | Taliban imposing 'horrifying' curbs on Afghan women's rights: UN

But even before that, the systemic weaknesses of the Afghan security forces  which on paper numbered somewhere around 300,000 people, but in recent days have totaled around just one-sixth of that, according to US officials  were apparent. These shortfalls can be traced to numerous issues that sprung from the Wests insistence on building a fully modern military with all the logistical and supply complexities one requires, and which has proved unsustainable without the United States and its NATO allies.

Soldiers and policemen have expressed ever-deeper resentment of the Afghan leadership. Officials often turned a blind eye to what was happening knowing full well that the Afghan forces real manpower count was far lower than what was on the books, skewed by corruption and secrecy that they quietly accepted.

And when the Taliban started building momentum after the United States announcement of withdrawal, it only increased the belief that fighting in the security forces  fighting for President Ashraf Ghanis government  wasnt worth dying for. In interview after interview, soldiers and police officers described moments of despair and feelings of abandonment.

On one front line in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar last week, the Afghan security forces seeming inability to fend off the Talibans devastating offensive came down to potatoes.

After weeks of fighting, one cardboard box full of slimy potatoes was supposed to pass as a police units daily rations. They hadnt received anything other than spuds in various forms in several days, and their hunger and fatigue were wearing them down.

These french fries are not going to hold these front lines! a police officer yelled, disgusted by the lack of support they were receiving in the countrys second-largest city.

By Thursday, this front line collapsed, and Kandahar was in Taliban control by Friday morning.

Afghan troops were then consolidated to defend Afghanistans 34 provincial capitals in recent weeks as the Taliban pivoted from attacking rural areas to targeting cities. But that strategy proved futile as the insurgent fighters overran city after city, capturing around half of Afghanistans provincial capitals in a week, and encircling Kabul.

Theyre just trying to finish us off, said Abdulhai, 45, a police chief who was holding Kandahars northern front line last week.

The Afghan security forces have suffered well over 60,000 deaths since 2001. But Abdulhai was not talking about the Taliban, but rather his own government, which he believed was so inept that it had to be part of a broader plan to cede territory to the Taliban.

The months of defeats all seemed to culminate on Wednesday when the entire headquarters of an Afghan army corps  the 217th  fell to the Taliban at the airport of the northern city of Kunduz. The insurgents captured a defunct helicopter gunship. Images of an US-supplied drone seized by the Taliban circulated on the internet along with images of rows of armored vehicles.

Brig. Gen. Abbas Tawakoli, commander of the 217th Afghan Army corps, who was in a nearby province when his base fell, echoed Abdulhais sentiments as reasons for his troops defeat on the battlefield.

Unfortunately, knowingly and unknowingly, a number of Parliament members and politicians fanned the flame started by the enemy, Tawakoli said, just hours after the Taliban had posted videos of their fighters looting the generals sprawling base.

No region fell as a result of the war, but as a result of the psychological war, he said.

That psychological war has played out at varying levels.

Also Read | Kabul not facing imminent threat: Pentagon

Afghan pilots say that their leadership cares more about the state of the aircraft rather than the people flying them: men and at least one woman who are burned out from countless missions of evacuating outposts  often under fire  all while the Taliban carry out a brutal assassination campaign against them.

What remains of the elite commando forces, who are used to hold what ground is still under government control, are shuttled from one province to the next, with no clear objective and very little sleep.

The ethnically aligned militia groups that have risen to prominence as forces capable of reinforcing government lines also have nearly all been overrun.

The second city to fall this week was Sheberghan in Afghanistans north, a capital that was supposed to be defended by a formidable force under the command of Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum, an infamous warlord and a former Afghan vice president who has survived the past 40 years of war by cutting deals and switching sides.

On Friday, another warlord, Mohammad Ismail Khan, a prominent Afghan warlord and former governor, who had resisted Taliban attacks in western Afghanistan for weeks and rallied many to his cause to push back the insurgent offensive, surrendered to the insurgents.

We are drowning in corruption, said Abdul Haleem, 38, a police officer on the Kandahar front line earlier this month. His special operations unit was at half strength  15 out of 30 people  and several of his comrades who remained on the front were there because their villages had been captured.

How are we supposed to defeat the Taliban with this amount of ammunition? he said. The heavy machine gun, for which his unit had very few bullets, broke later that night.

As of Thursday, it was unclear if Haleem was still alive and what remained of his comrades.

As the Taliban carry out an almost uninterrupted sweep of the country, their strength has been in question. Official estimates have long sat at somewhere between 50,000 to 100,000 fighters. Now that number is even murkier as international forces and their intelligence capabilities withdraw.

Some US officials say the Taliban numbers have swelled because of an influx of foreign fighters and an aggressive conscription campaign in captured territory. Other experts say the Taliban have taken a bulk of their strength from Pakistan.

Also Read | UK vows not to turn back on Afghanistan despite embassy pullout

Yet even amid what could be a complete surrender by the Afghan government and its forces, there are troops who are still fighting.

More often than not, as is the case in any conflict since the beginning of time, the soldiers and police are fighting for each other, and for the lower-ranking leaders who inspire them to fight despite what hell lies ahead.

In May, when the Taliban were breaching the outskirts of the southern city of Lashkar Gah, a hodgepodge group of border force soldiers were holding the line. The police officers who were supposed to be defending the area had long surrendered, retreated or had been paid off by the Taliban, as has occurred in many parts of the country over the past year.

Equipped with rifles and machine guns, some dressed in uniforms, others not, the border soldiers beamed when their stubble-bearded captain, Ezzatullah Tofan, arrived at their shell-racked position, a house abandoned during the fighting.

He always comes to the rescue, one soldier said.

Late last month, as the Taliban pushed into Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of Helmand province, an outpost called their headquarters elsewhere in the city asking for reinforcements. In an audio recording obtained by The New York Times, the senior commander on the other end asked them to stay and fight.

Tofan was bringing reinforcements, he said, and to hold on a little longer. That was around two weeks ago.

By Friday, despite the Afghan militarys tired resistance, repeated flights of reinforcements and even American B-52 bombers overhead, the city was in the hands of the Taliban.
Four more Indian wetlands have received international recognition as Ramsar sites taking the number of such protected sites in India to 46 spread over an area of nearly 11 lakh hectares in 20 states.

The new additions are Thol and Wadhwana water bodies in Gujarat and Sultanpur and Bhindawas wetlands in Haryana.

While Haryana gets its first Ramsar sites, Gujarat gets three more after Nalsarovar which was declared in 2012, the Union Environment Ministry said in a statement.

Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary, the largest wetland in Haryana is a human-made freshwater wetland. Over 250 bird species use the sanctuary throughout the year as a resting and roosting site.

The site supports more than ten globally threatened species including the endangered Egyptian Vulture, Steppe Eagle, Pallass Fish Eagle, and Black-bellied Tern.

Also Read | 'Use & throw' out: Centre amends rules for single-use plastic

Sultanpur National Park supports more than 220 species of resident, winter migratory and local migratory waterbirds at critical stages of their life cycles.

More than ten of these are globally threatened, including the critically endangered Sociable Lapwing, and the endangered Egyptian Vulture, Saker Falcon, Pallass Fish Eagle and Black-bellied Tern.

Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat lies on the Central Asian Flyway and more than 320 bird species can be found here.

The wetland supports more than 30 threatened waterbird species, such as the critically endangered White-rumped Vulture and Sociable Lapwing, and the vulnerable Sarus Crane, Common Pochard and Lesser White-fronted Goose.

Wadhvana Wetland is internationally important for its bird life as it provides wintering ground to migratory waterbirds, including over 80 species that migrate on the Central Asian Flyway.

Also Read | Rs 1,000 crore released for conservation of 160 wetlands: Govt

They include some threatened or near-threatened species such as the endangered Pallass fish-Eagle, the vulnerable Common Pochard, and the near-threatened Dalmatian Pelican, Grey-headed Fish-eagle and Ferruginous Duck.

It is a matter of pride for us that four Indian sites get Ramsar recognition. This once again manifests India's centuries old ethos of preserving natural habitats, working towards flora and fauna protection, and building a greener planet, tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

It is a matter of pride for us that four Indian sites get Ramsar recognition. This once again manifests India's centuries old ethos of preserving natural habitats, working towards flora and fauna protection, and building a greener planet. https://t.co/ARKemkU4rj pic.twitter.com/Ibyni7X9vB  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 14, 2021

Wetlands provide a wide range of ecological resources and ecosystem services such as food, water, fibre, groundwater recharge, water purification, flood moderation, erosion control and climate regulation. They serve as a key source of fresh water supply by soaking the rainfall and recharging the groundwater.

The aim of the Ramsar list is to develop and maintain an international network of wetlands which are important for the conservation of biological diversity and for sustaining human life.

Karnataka is the only southern state without any Ramsar site while its neighbours have. There are three such sites in Kerala (Ashtamudi, Sasthamkotta and Vembanad Kol) and one each in Tamil Nadu (Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary) and Andhra Pradesh (Kolleru Lake).
In a significant development, the Bombay High Court has granted an interim stay to the operation of clauses 9 (1) and 9 (3) of the new Information Technology Rules, 2021, for digital media vis-a-vis the adherence to the Code of Ethics.

However, the court declined to stay Rule 14 and 16 of the IT Rules.

In the order, a division bench of the Bombay High Court comprising Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni observed that such compulsory adherence to the Code of Ethics was in breach of the petitioners right to free speech guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution.

According to the court, clauses 9(1) and 9(3) of the IT (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 infringe the fundamental right to freedom of speech under Article 19(1)(a) and was against the substantive provisions of the IT Act, 2002.

Rule 9 was found to be an intrusion on the petitioner's rights under Article 19(1)(a).it goes beyond the substantive law of the Information Technology Act.Therefore we have stayed clauses 9(1) and 9(3). The rule is not stayed in its entirety, the bench observed.

The Bombay High Court had on Friday reserved orders in two pleas  by digital platform The Leaflet and journalist-activist Nikhil Wagle - challenging the recently notified Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2020.

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CPI Rajya Sabha floor leader Binoy Viswam on Saturday questioned the "selective leaking" of Upper House's video footage and internal documents to target MPs and said it was part of an attempt of the Narendra Modi government to "mislead the country and whitewash its own draconian" actions during Parliament's Monsoon Session.

Viswam shot off a letter to Rajya Sabha Secretary General Desh Deepak Verma urging him to set up an inquiry into the happenings of August 11 during the passage of General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Amendment Bill 2021 and stop "selective leaking" of information.

His letter comes a day after CPI(M) floor leader Elamaram Kareem wrote to Verma seeking a probe into the incident and the deployment of "outsiders".

"In order for a fair and just probe into the incident, it is imperative that the Rajya Sabha not be turned into a political tool for the Government and selective leaks related to the events of August 11 must be stopped immediately," Viswam said.

Read | CPI(M)'s Elamaram Kareem seeks action against marshals who 'manhandled' Opposition MPs in Rajya Sabha

"Any probe into these events must abide by principles of justice and as such the complete footage of the house on August 11 be provided to the MPs against whom such allegations are being made in addition to all such complaints or other documents pertaining to them," he added.

Viswam claimed that Opposition MOs, including him, were physically manhandled and targeted by "unknown personnel" in Parliament. These "unfortunate instances" occurred when the government tried to "bulldoze" the passing of the insurance Bill despite repeated requests from the Opposition to send it to a Select Committee.

He said when the government went ahead with passing the "anti-people bill", they exercised their right as MPs to protest.

"It is only the bringing in of over 40 personnel, whose identity is unknown and suspect, that lead to the chaos in the well of the house. The deliberate move to create multiple cordons of security resulted in members of the Opposition, including female MPs being manhandled. During this commotion, I was personally targeted by 4-5 of these outsiders who grabbed hold of me and physically assaulted me," Viswam said.

Also Read | Chair not as neutral as it should be; BJP's 'two gentlemen' will lock down Parliament if they have their way: Chidambaram

He said it was "deeply unfortunate" that the safety and security of MPs was "purposefully compromised" by the government.

The CPI MP from Kerala said the government has used every avenue to portray a "biased and concocted" narrative against Opposition MPs.

"From the selective leaking of privileged property of the Rajya Sabha in the form of CCTV footage and internal documents to the filing of false allegations by the marshals alleging assault by the Opposition MPs, it is clear that the government is actively trying to mislead the country and whitewash its own draconian actions during this session," he said.

He claimed these events occurred at the end of a Parliamentary session that has seen the government abuse its power as it hurriedly passed anti-people legislation such as the Essential Defence Services Bill 2021 while failing to take up discussions on issues of national importance like the Pegasus or the repeal of the three anti-farmer laws.
Arunachal Pradesh government on Saturday signed an agreement with North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) Ltd. for two hydropower projects in Tawang and West Kameng districts.

This comes after the state government scrapped at least 40 such agreements signed with private companies for non-completion of the hydropower projects.

The Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed by PS Lokhande, Commissioner (Hydro) and VK Singh, CMD NEEPCO at Itanagar for the development of the 90MW New Melling project in Tawang district and 120MW Nafra project in West Kameng district.

With Saturday's agreement, the total project allotted to NEEPCO reached six with total installed Capacity of 1325 MW. Out of the six projects, the NEEPCO has commissioned three projects: 600MW Kameng hydro electric project (HEP), 405MW Ranganadi HEP and 110 MW Pare HEP.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu, who attended the function requested CMD, NEEPCO to resolve the issue of Kurung HEP (330MW), for which the MoA was signed in 2015, but the work was yet to start.

"The CM desired that the hydro potential in the state should not be in paper only and it should be developed physically," said a statement issued by Khandu's office.

Further, he also informed that the NHPC is scheduled to commission 2 units of Subansiri HEP (2000MW) by August 2022 and full-fledged commissioning by August 2023, it said.

Agreements scrapped:

Arunachal Pradesh government had allotted hydro projects to several private developers and central public sector undertakings to harness the hilly state's hydropower potential.

"However, most of the private developers failed to implement the projects. So the state government started terminating the MoA for a dismal performance in executing the projects. So far 40 such projects have been scrapped," said the statement.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Secretary, Naresh Kumar, besides some other officials attended the programme.
After a brief lull, tension along the Assam-Mizoram border escalated again on Saturday after unidentified miscreants bombed a government educational institute in Hailakandi district, triggering fear among locals, a senior police officer said. The blast that took place at Sahebmarra around midnight damaged a major portion of a primary school, close to the interstate border, though no casualty has been reported so far, Hailakandi Superintendent of Police Gaurav Upadhyaya told reporters.

Locals in the area suspect that miscreants from the other side of the border bombed the school. According to the SP, more details will be available after a thorough investigation. Meanwhile, AIUDF MLA from Katlicherra, Suzam Uddin Laskar, alleged that people from Mizoram have initiated road construction work in Chuninullah area of Hailakandi, and demanded immediate action from the Assam government.

He alleged that "inaction on the part of the state government has made the boundary dispute critical". Officials in Mizoram are yet to respond to the allegation. Border dispute between Assam and Mizoram had reached a flashpoint with six Assam policemen and a civilian losing lives in a bloody conflict on July 26 in Cachar district. A series of complaints was filed in both the states against top officials, with the Mizoram Police even registering a case against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Assam followed it up by issuing a travel advisory cautioning people from travelling to Mizoram while several organisations resorted to a road blockade to prevent trucks from moving to the neighbouring state. It was after the Centre intervened and neutral forces were deployed along the interstate border, the situation eased considerably with both the states withdrawing the cases against each other.

Two Assam ministers Atul Bora and Ashok Singhal visited Aizawl and the both the state governments subsequently issued a joint statement pledging to maintain status quo and peace along the border. The Assam government also persuaded the organisations staging a blockade to lift it and free movement of vehicles resumed from August 8. Tension along the border with Mizoram in Cachar and Hailakandi districts of Assam has been building up since October 2020 with frequent incidents of land encroachment, grenade blasts reported from these areas.

The two states share a 164.6-km border spanning across Assam's districts of Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj, and Mizorams Kolasib, Mamit and Aizawl. The long-standing dispute has its origin in two notifications -- one of 1875 that differentiated Lushai Hills from the plains of Cachar, and another of 1933 that demarcates a boundary between Lushai Hills and Manipur. Mizoram insists that the boundary demarcation made in the 1875 notification be followed.

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By Chris Kay

High levels of chronic disease in India, such as diabetes and hypertension, helped stoke the brutal coronavirus waves that hit worlds second-most populous nation during the pandemic, researchers said.

The findings from one of the few large-scale studies of Covid-19 in India showed patients from the southern district of Madurai had a higher risk of dying than those in China, Europe, South Korea and the US, even though 63 per cent of those tested were asymptomatic. Chronic health conditions in the community may have played a role, according to the report published in The Lancet.

CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH

For years India has faced an escalating non-communicable disease crisis as its middle-class expands and leads a more sedentary and affluent lifestyle. That makes them susceptible to ailments such as diabetes and heart disease that account for almost two-thirds of all deaths in the country. Those existing conditions may have allowed the coronavirus to do more damage, boosting cases and fatalities and potentially fueling the near collapse of Indias health system.

The death rate was 5.7 per cent among Covid-19 patients with at least one existing health condition, compared to 0.7 per cent in those who were otherwise healthy, the researchers found. The data came from more than 400,000 people who underwent coronavirus testing known as RT-PCR in Madurai from May 20 to October 31, 2020, during Indias first wave.

Also Read  Now, doctors observe diabetes in patients recovering from Covid-19

The findings that hypertension and diabetes actually predict acquisition of Covid itself, or at least being tested positive on an RT-PCR test, in itself is a significant finding, Ramanan Laxminarayan, the studys lead author and founder of the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy, said in an interview. Lets just say India had half the diabetes and hypertension that we have, we probably would have seen a far smaller impact of the second wave.

Managing health conditions that are common in the population should be at the top of the list for any government response to curbing the pathogens toll, he said.

Mass Underreporting

The researchers also highlighted what appears to be a mass underreporting of Covid cases and deaths in India after assessing the ratio between infections and fatalities, and the number of people in Madurai who were already producing infection-fighting antibodies between October 19 and November 5 last year. The results showed that testing found only 1.4 per cent of infections, and just 11 per cent of the expected number of deaths were detected.

Some scientists have estimated that as many as 50 lakh people may have died after Indias hospitals were overwhelmed during the second wave that peaked mid-May, a fraction of the official total tally of about 430,000 during the entire pandemic. The death toll is lower than what would have been expected given the number of known infections, the researchers said.

Researchers from the state government of Tamil Nadu, the University of California, Berkeley, Princeton University and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health also contributed to the study.

It comes as India prepares for an expected third Covid wave that some experts forecast will be smaller than the second and could peak in October -- blunted in part by a growing wall of vaccinations and naturally acquired antibodies from past outbreaks. A national survey in July found that two-thirds of Indians above the age of six had been exposed to the coronavirus.
Three Opposition MPs  one each from Congress, Trinamool Congress and NCP  who are part of the presiding panel of Rajya Sabha refused to chair the proceedings during the entire Monsoon Session, citing that it was "unethical" to preside over the House when their colleagues were protesting.

There are six members in the presiding panel or the Vice Chairmans panel and they are BJPs Bhubaneshwar Kalita and Surender Nagar, BJDs Sasmit Patra, Congress' L Hanumanthaiah, Trinamool's Sukendu Sekhar Ray and NCP's Vandana Chavan.

Hanumanthaiah, Ray and Chavan did not chair the House during the entire Monsoon Session, which saw acrimony between the government and the Opposition. The Session ended on August 11, two days ahead of schedule.

The three MPs informed Deputy Chairman Harivansh, who clears the roster for the presiding officers, about their inability to chair the proceedings during the Session.

Read | RS Chairman Venkaiah Naidu reviews footage of scuffle with marshals

When contacted, Hanumanthaiah told DH that the MPs took the decision after consulting each other. "The whole Opposition was in protest. We were also participating in the protest. In such a situation, it is embarrassing to preside over the House. The government was not listening to us," he said.

The Karnataka MP said it would not have been a problem if the protest was for one or two days. "The protest was continuing. We thought it was not ethical to chair the proceedings when the government refused to accept our demand," he said, adding they had explained the situation to Harivansh.

Chavan said it was morally not correct to preside over the House when they were protesting and there was no sight of easing the deadlock.

"All of us were protesting. Then chairing the proceedings was pretty odd. For myself, I decided not to do chair proceedings. Others also decided not to do so," she told DH.

Also Read | CPI's Binoy Viswam questions selective leaking of Rajya Sabha footage, documents to target Opposition MPs

"I personally met the Deputy Chairman and informed him about the decision. I told him that when the House is functioning smoothly, we will do our job. But the present situation does not allow me to conduct the House," she said.

Ray could not be reached for his comments.

Sources said some MPs tried to reason with the three MPs but they remained adamant in not sitting on the Chair. The MPs said it would be difficult for them to reconcile their position as an MP and Vice Chairperson, as controlling the protesting MPs would have been difficult.

While those in the Vice Chairperson panel in Rajya Sabha took this stand, Opposition MPs in Lok Sabha adopted a different stand and presided over the proceedings, including during Opposition protests. Congress' Kodikkunnil Suresh and Trinamool's Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar among others presided over Lok Sabha proceedings.
A political row kicked up as the Union Home Ministry notified August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to announce that the day will now be observed as such in memory of the struggles and sacrifices of people, and said the pain of partition can never be forgotten.

Congress hit out at the move and released a letter of the Prime Minister to Modi to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan written on March 22 this year in which the former had greeted Pakistan on the occasion of the National Day of Pakistan and said that India desires a cordial relationship with the people of Pakistan.

The political row kicked up ahead of state elections in seven states including Congress-ruled Punjab, where emotions run high on the issue of displacement during partition. The partition issue has also been frequently raked up by the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, which goes to polls in March. In the polarised politics of Western UP in particular, Pakistan has frequently been raked up during polls.

A day before the 75th Independence Day of the country, Modi said on Twitter, "Partitions pains can never be forgotten. Millions of our sisters and brothers were displaced and many lost their lives due to mindless hate and violence. In memory of the struggles and sacrifices of our people, 14th August will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day."

May the #PartitionHorrorsRemembranceDay keep reminding us of the need to remove the poison of social divisions, disharmony and further strengthen the spirit of oneness, social harmony and human empowerment.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 14, 2021

The Prime Minister further said, "May the #PartitionHorrorsRemembranceDay keep reminding us of the need to remove the poison of social divisions, disharmony and further strengthen the spirit of oneness, social harmony and human empowerment."

Soon after, Home Minister Amit Shah greeted the Prime Minister for this "sensitive decision" of celebrating the day in the "memory of the sacrifice and struggle of numerous people displaced due to partition" while the Home Ministry notified August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.

The Home Ministry notification said, " Government of India declares 14th August as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day to remind the present and future generations of Indians of the pain and suffering faced by the people of India during the partition."

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted that this decision is a "testament to his sensitivity". "Announcing August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day is a rightful tribute to the struggles and sacrifices of our people who were a casualty of the Congress ambition and tunnel vision," Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting also hailed the decision saying it would be a fitting tribute to all those who lost their lives due to the partition and would remind the present and future generations of Indians of the pain and suffering faced by the people during the partition, it said.

"Independence Day, which is celebrated on August 15 every year, is a joyous and proud occasion for any nation; however, with the sweetness of freedom also came the trauma of partition. The birth of the newly independent Indian nation was accompanied by violent pangs of partition that left permanent scars on millions of Indians. The pain and violence of partition remain deeply etched in the nation's memory. While the country has moved on to become the largest democracy and the third-largest economy of the world, the pain of partition suffered by the nation can never be forgotten," the ministry said in a statement.

Noting that the partition caused one of the largest migrations in human history, affecting about 20 million people, the ministry said the nation salutes those sons and daughters of our beloved motherland who had to sacrifice their lives in the frenzy of violence.

"Modi ji expresses love for Pakistan when there are no elections but takes refuge in partition as soon as polls come. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had begun the preparation of UP elections. He had greeted Pakistan on March 22 on the occasion of Pakistan Day and given greetings and good wishes to the people of Pakistan on their Independence Day," Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.

The party also shared a screenshot of Modi to buttress the point and released his letter written to the Pakistan Prime Minister.

"Excellency, On the occasion of the National Day of Pakistan. I extend my greetings to the people of Pakistan. As a neighbouring country, India desires cordial relations with the people of Pakistan. For this, an environment of trust, devoid of terror and hostility, is imperative. Excellency, at this difficult time for humanity, I would like to convey my best wishes to you and the people of Pakistan for dealing with the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration," Modi had said in the letter to Khan.

Attacking the Prime Minister for his letter, Surjewala reminded it was between March 22 and March 24 in 1940 that the foundation of the partition was laid when All India Muslim League in its Lahore session presented the concept of Pakistan.

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The Trinamool Congress (TMC) in its official mouthpiece Jago Bangla stated that it does not want to form an Opposition unity against the BJP without the Congress but reminded the grand old party that it has to be treated with respect. The TMC also said that it does not want any third alternative but an alternative to the current ruling dispensation at the Centre.

"We are never speaking of alliance without the Congress. Instead of any third alternative, the oppositions aim should be providing an alternative to BJP, the TMC stated.

Referring to its skipping a meeting of opposition parties at the office of the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge in Parliament on Thursday, the TMC made it clear that it has to be duly invited to such programs.

It reminded the Congress that its sincerity for the unity of non-BJP, secular, democratic parties in the interest of the country is beyond doubt as party supremo Mamata Banerjee recently met Congress president Sonia Gandhi at her residence in the presence of Rahul Gandhi.

Also Read | What went wrong: CPI(M) review says was wrong in equating Trinamool with BJP

Our anti-BJP stand is established inside and outside the Parliament. But we want the opposition unity to take place following specific rules and processes. Actions such as a sudden invitation to attend a procession will not do for the Trinamool, stated the TMC.

Adapting a hot and cold attitude towards the Congress, the TMC reminded the grand old party that it defeated the BJP in West Bengal on its own strength while the Left-Congress alliance drew a blank.

The TMC stated that it was not concerned about the leadership of the alliance but its top priority is to end the anti-people policies of the BJP.

It accused the Congress of failing to fulfill its role at the national level, resulting in the BJP coming to power at the Centre with a massive mandate.

If Congress fought by establishing itself as a credible alternative, then the BJP would not have got so many seats in the last Lok Sabha elections. Hence, lessons have to be learnt from the mistakes in earlier attempts of forming Opposition unity," the TMC stated.
On the eve of 75th Independence Day, Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday averted a "major tragedy" by arresting four militants who were planning to plant a vehicle-based IED in Jammu.

Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Jammu in a tweet said: "Jaish-e-Mohammed module busted, four terrorists arrested, major tragedy averted in Jammu."

He said the arrested militants were planning to collect arms dropped by drones and supply to active militants of the Jaish in Kashmir valley, "planting a vehicle-based IED in Jammu before 15th August and reconnaissance of important targets in other parts of the country."

Ahead of Independence Day, security across the Union Territory has already been heightened.
In a major success, security forces have busted a module of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) tasked to trigger violence by planting a vehicle-based IED on the eve of Independence Day here by arresting four terrorists and their associates, officials said on Saturday.

Giving details, a police spokesman said that four Jaish terrorists, including an Uttar Pradesh resident, and their associates were arrested by the Jammu Police in a drive to root out the militant presence in the district.

"They were planning collection of arms dropped by drones and supply to active terrorists of Jaish-e-Mohammed in Kashmir valley; planting a vehicle-based IED in Jammu before 15th August and reconnaissance of important targets in other parts of the country," he said.

Read more: Recovery of RPG launcher jolts security establishments in J&K

Muntazir Manzoor alias Saifulla of Prichoo Pulwama, a member of JeM, was the first to be arrested in this chain and from him one pistol, one magazine, eight live rounds and two Chinese hand grenades were seized, the spokesman said. His truck used for transporting weapons to Kashmir was also seized, he added.

Subsequently, three more Jaish terrorists, including Ijahar Khan alias Sonu Khan of Mirdan Mohalla in Kandala of Shamli district, Uttar Pradesh, were arrested, the spokesman said.

Khan disclosed that a JeM commander in Pakistan by the name of Munazir alias Shahid had asked him to collect weapons from near Amritsar which would be dropped by a drone, he said.

Khan was also asked by Jaish to do reconnaissance of Panipat oil refinery which he did and sent videos to Pakistan. He was then tasked to do the reconnaissance of Ayodhya Ram janmabhoomi but was arrested before he could accomplish the task, the spokesman added.

Other terrorists, Touseef Ahmed Shah alias Showket of the Jeff area of Shopian district was tasked by JeM commander Shahid and another Jaish terrorist by the name Abrar in Pakistan to take up accommodation in Jammu which he did, the spokesman said.

He was then asked to procure a second-hand motorcycle for causing an IED blast at Jammu. The IED for this purpose would be dropped by a drone, the spokesman said.

Shah was arrested before he could complete this task, he added.

Jahangir Ahmed Bhat of the Bandzoo area of Pulwama district has been arrested in the case and he is a fruit merchant from Kashmir who was constantly in touch with Shahid in Pakistan and had introduced Ijahgar Khan to him, the police official said.

Bhat was further doing recruitment for JeM in Kashmir and in the rest of the country, he said.

Further investigation on the work of the remaining module is in progress, police said.
In a significant judgement, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has said that slaughtering a cow inside one's house cannot be considered to be an act of breach of public order.

A division bench comprising Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Saroj Yadav made the observation while quashing the detention of three men under the National Security Act (NSA) on charges of cow slaughter. "Cutting cow beef in pieces in the secrecy of his own house can at best be described as a matter affecting law and order and not public order,'' the court said in its order delivered a few days back.

''The petitioners and co-accused were mutely arrested when they were found cutting beef in the wee hours of the morning in the house of the petitioners... We also do not know whether the cause was poverty, lack of employment or hunger, which may have compelled the petitioners and the other co-accused to take such a step... It is thus, a matter of quality and degree whether the act has been done in the public gaze and in an aggressive manner with scant regard to the sentiments of the other community or whether it has been done in a concealed manner, which can resolve the question whether the case is one involving public order, or is only a matter affecting law and order,'' it said.

Citing a Supreme Court judgement in a case, the bench also said that it could not be inferred from a solitary incident that the petitioners would repeat the act. "The apex court has held that it is possible for the detaining authority to assume that the accused could repeat the action, but for reaching that conclusion there must be some material and circumstances on record, to justify such a conclusion... in the instant case there was no material for reaching the conclusion that the petitioners/detenues would repeat the activity in future,'' the court said.

The police had arrested Parvez, Irfan and Rahamatullah after they were found to be cutting beef inside their house at Biswan in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur district, about 90 kilometres from here last year. The district administration later slapped the NSA on them stating that their act threatened public order and that there was a possibility that they would repeat the act if released.
This Independence Day markets in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir valley have a huge demand for tricolours with customers, most of them government employees, placing orders for the national flag.

The sudden demand for tricolours touched the sky after Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha led administration ordered the hoisting of tricolour at all government buildings, including educational institutions and offices across the Valley.

The circular in this regard was issued by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, P K Pole last week to almost all major government departments in the Valley. All deputy commissioners have been asked to ensure that rehearsals, Independence Day functions, and the flag hoisting ceremonies, are filmed for official records.

In the Kashmir valley, there are nearly 12000 educational institutes while hundreds of other official locations have also been identified for flag hoisting.

All of a sudden, there is demand for thousands of tricolours which has created a shortage in the market. A flag which in normal times would not cost more than Rs 100 is selling for Rs 500 this time, a shopkeeper in city center Lal Chowk, told DH.

A government school teacher wishing anonymity said that they had no option but to purchase three national flags for Rs 500 each as they have been conveyed that no leniency would be tolerated if the national flag is not unfurled and filmed.

Even female teachers have been asked to reach their respective schools early in the morning, despite this Independence Day falling on Sunday. Arranging a tricolour in a place like Kashmir is also a risky job as you can be attacked by militants or stone-pelters if they come to know, he rued.

The schools have been asked to ensure the attendance of atleast 25 students during the flag hoisting ceremony. However, a teacher from a higher secondary school in Srinagar said many parents of students have already refused to be part of the official functions, fearing being marked as targets by militants and stone pelters.

The order to release videos of rehearsals and flag hoisting ceremonies online may have repercussions in the future, he lamented.

From 1989 to 2018, separatists used to call for a shutdown while militants would warn officials from participating in Independence Day or Republic Day functions in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley. These functions were generally limited to district headquarters, with the main functions held in Srinagar and Jammu cities.
A 'mushaira' (poetic symposium), organised by the Allahabad Central University, was cancelled at the eleventh hour allegedly after objections over invitation to some poets, who had taken part in the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act last year.

According to the sources, the 'mushaira', organised jointly by the Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy, the department of Urdu at the University and its Central Cultural Committee, was scheduled to be held on Friday evening.

Minutes before the formal inauguration of the event, the Varsity officials announced the cancellation of the event without assigning any reason. Poets from different parts of the country had reached the venue by then.

Though the Varsity administration refused to disclose the reasons behind the cancellation, sources said that some saffron organisations and BJP leaders had objected to the presence of a few poets, who had taken part in the protests against the CAA at Shaheen Bagh in Delhi.

''At least two of the poets invited to participate in the programme had not only taken part in the anti-CAA protests but had also made objectionable utterances against prime minister Narendra Modi,'' a local BJP leader said while speaking to DH.

Sources said that the matter had reached the chief minister's office here after some people posted messages on social media objecting to the presence of those two poets and demanding cancellation of the event.

Shaheen Bagh was the site of large scale protests by the women, mostly Muslims, against the CAA. The protests which began in December 2019 lasted for four months.
With her school closed for over a year and little to do at home, 15-year-old Shahida (name changed) started spending more time on social media.

Soon, the teenager was in a relationship with a 24-year-old man, Aadil, who contacted her on a social media site. He told her that he would send her to a good school and look after her well if she married him. Eventually, he managed to persuade the girl to elope with him.

With her family struggling financially since her father lost his job during lockdown, Shahida was excited about the good life that Aadil promised to give her.

At the end of May, when Aadil came to take Shahida with him, child representatives of the Village Child Protection Committee alerted a social worker who stopped the wedding in time.

"Aadil made me believe that I could go to a good school if I married him. He said that would also make my school admission easier," said Shahida, who lives with her family in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district.

"I agreed to his proposal as I hoped to have one square meal a day. I never thought that there might be danger lurking for me," she said.

Rita Paramick, a frontline child protection worker with Save the Children, who stopped Shahida's wedding, said Shahida's is one of the many cases of traffickers using social media to target children, who are spending a lot more time online as schools are closed and they can't even go out to play.

"These days, traffickers have changed their modus operandi. Social media is one platform through which they trap young children like Shahida," she said.

"Children have been out of school for more than a year now and girls like Shahida, who are living in extreme poverty, are always soft targets for predators," she added.

Mamata Sardar, a youth advocate for Save the Children in West Bengal, said girls are increasingly being lured into marriage on social media.

"As most children are now at home and attending classes online, they're glued to social media," she said.

Sardar said she has stepped up vigilance as parents of many children have lost their jobs during the pandemic, leading to an increased possibility of child trafficking.

She said she has counselled at least three girls who were almost ready to marry men who contacted them on social media.

"Since the second wave of the pandemic, I have intervened to stop five child marriages and convinced the girls' parents to let them finish their education before they marry them off," she added.

In one such case, the unemployed father of a 15-year-old girl fixed her marriage so that he would have one less mouth to feed. He didn't even consult his wife.

When the girl's mother found out, she informed a frontline child protection worker of their village in South 24 Parganas. The frontline child protection worker made the girl's father understand that marrying her before the age of 18 was illegal and that he should let her continue her studies.

Anindit Roy Chowdhury, director - Programmes and Policy, Save the Children, said child marriages have risen sharply during the pandemic and are even being held in villages that have not seen any in years.

"Child marriage is extremely harmful to girls. Not only does it mean that they are unable to continue their education but also poses danger to their physical and mental health," he said.
A week after locking their accounts, Twitter on Saturday unlocked accounts of Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi. Soon after, the Congress party tweeted "Satyameva Jayate".

Satyameva Jayate  Congress (@INCIndia) August 14, 2021

In a related development, however, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), which had on Friday written to Facebook and Instagram about violation of Indian laws on their platforms, after Gandhi shared the posts on these platforms "revealing the identity of victims" of the family of the nine-year-old girl, summoned Facebook officials on Tuesday for not responding to its notice.

Facebook, which owns the photo and video-sharing social networking platform Instagram, was summoned over no reply about the action sought against Gandhi's profile. "However, no reply/action taken report has been received by you," the Commission said.

Read | Twitter trying to define nation's politics: Rahul Gandhi on ban

The Commission has asked Facebook officials to appear before it on Tuesday evening in-person at the NCPCR office in Janpath or through video conferencing along with the details of the action taken.

On Friday, Twitter had transferred its India head Manish Maheshwari to the US. While the company did not specify any reason for the change, it took place days after a relentless Congress campaign against the microblogging site for suspending the accounts of its leaders. Twitter India office also saw a protest outside its office in Delhi by the Youth Congress.

Maheshwari was also named in an FIR in UP in connection with a probe related to a video of an alleged hate crime earlier. In a way, Twitter India was at the receiving end from both sides of the political spectrum.

Read | 'Disney Prince' Rahul Gandhi shown the door from only place he was active: BJP on Twitter account suspension

The Twitter accounts of Rahul Gandhi and some other Congress leaders including its communication department chief Randeep Surjewala, AICC general secretaries K C Venugopal, Ajay Maken, party's Whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore, Assam in-charge and former Union minister Jitendra Singh and Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev, were also locked as they had shared pictures tweeted by him of the family of the nine-year-old victim of rape and murder in Northwest Delhi.

This led to a huge political row with protests on the streets and in Parliament and Gandhi on Friday alleging "democracy is under attack".

Congress ran hashtag campaigns "Speak Up against Twitter's hypocrisy" on Saturday after its earlier campaigns "Daro Mat" and "Main Bhi Rahul Gandhi" while Rahul had himself shared an image saying "Digital Dadagiri nahi chalegi" on Instagram.

The Twitter action against Gandhi's account had happened after the NCPCR had issued a notice to the microblogging site asking it to act against the Congress leader's handle for tweeting the pictures.

While the NCPCR had cited the juvenile justice law that mandates the privacy of minor victims to argue for action against Rahul's Twitter handle, Congress had questioned Twitter as to why it did not act when a similar photo was tweeted by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.
The Taliban on Saturday appreciated India's humanitarian and developmental efforts in Afghanistan but warned against playing any role in the military in the neighbouring country.

Speaking to ANI, Qatar-based spokesperson of Taliban Suhail Shaheen said, "If they (India) come to Afghanistan militarily and have their presence. I think that will not be good for them, they have seen the fate of military presence in Afghanistan of other countries. So it is an open book for them. And about their help to the Afghan people or national projects, I think that is something which is appreciated."

If they (India) come to Afghanistan militarily & have their presence, I think that will not be good for them. They've seen the fate of military presence in Afghanistan of other countries, so it is an open book for them: Taliban Spokesperson Muhammed Suhail Shaheen to ANI pic.twitter.com/zIw8vrxHED  ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2021

Shaheen said, "They (India) have been helping the Afghan people or national projects. They did it in the past. I think that is something which is appreciated."

Track live updates of Afganistan news

The Afghan Taliban tightened their territorial stranglehold around Kabul on Saturday, as refugees from the insurgents' relentless offensive flooded the capital and US Marines returned to oversee emergency evacuations.

With the country's second- and third-largest cities having fallen into Taliban hands, Kabul has effectively become the besieged, last stand for government forces who have offered little or no resistance elsewhere.

Insurgent fighters are now camped just 50 kilometres (30 miles) away, leaving the United States and other countries scrambling to airlift their nationals out of Kabul ahead of a feared all-out assault.

(With inputs from agencies)
The Calderone ice formation in central Italy once laid claim to being the southernmost glacier in Europe -- before it shrank and split into much-diminished glacierets.

As climate change drives global temperatures ever higher, the glacier risks melting away into the geological record books altogether.

Situated in a deep valley in the Gran Sasso d'Italia, a massif in the Apennine Mountains, the Calderone glacier first split two decades ago.

Also Read | Code Red: Time to act on climate change

It became the southernmost glacier in Europe after the Corral del Veleta in the Sierra Nevada in Spain melted in the early 20th century.

But since then it has been in headlong retreat: its volume reducing by around 90 percent between 1916 and 1990, according to a 2010 study in the Journal of Glaciology.

"This was the southernmost glacier in Europe and that's why it was an icon and a symbol, but now it is shrinking more and more," glaciologist Massimo Frezzotti told AFP.

"We estimate it could disappear within the next 10-20 years," said Frezzotti, who is president of the Italian Glaciological Committee.

Also Read | Climate change irreversible: Can it be slowed down?

He said the ablation season -- a period, usually the summer, when glaciers lose more mass than they gain -- effectively "disappeared because temperatures increased".

"The duration of the ablation seasons became longer, the rainfall remained constant but there is a reduction in the snowfall and of course the mass balance of the glacier has shrunk more and more," he said.

Massimo Pecci, another member of the group, has been studying the Calderone glacier for the past 25 years.

"Since 2000 we have been witnessing a gradual reduction of the thickness, of the area and a further fragmentation into smaller glacierets," Pecci said.

Global warming caused by human activity -- mostly the burning of fossil fuels -- has pushed up Earth's average surface temperature 1.1 degrees Celsius (2.0 degrees Fahrenheit) compared to mid-19th century levels.

Most of that increase has occurred in the past 50 years.

"We don't know yet how the story is going to end... let's hope it's not going to end," Pecci said.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh said on Saturday that a call on opening schools from the first standard to eighth standards will be taken based on the feedback for the classes from the ninth standard to the 12th standard which will be opened from August 23.

Speaking to media persons here, he said all preparations are being made to commence classes from the ninth standard to the 12th standard as the scourge of Covid-19 has come down drastically in most of the districts. The infections are high in some border taluks.

If opening classes delays, it will have a bearing on the future of children. Several children are already working as child labourers as schools were locked. A future course of action will be taken after observing the situation for a week, the minister explained.

Stating that more parents are in favour of beginning physical classes. Nagesh said as the government has taken all precautionary measures, the parents should send their wards to the school without any fear. Both offline and online teaching modes will be in force, he added.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai on Saturday called on his predecessor B S Yediyurappa and had a discussion amid disgruntlement among a section of BJP ministers and legislators over the Cabinet expansion and allocation of portfolios.

In addition to the brewing discontent, the two leaders also discussed the prevailing political situation in the half-an-hour meeting held at Yediyurappa's residence, sources close to the CM said.

Tourism Minister Anand Singh and Municipal Administration and Small Scale Industries' Minister N Nagaraj (MTB) have openly expressed displeasure over their portfolio, and have sought "weighty" ones.

BJP MLA S A Ramadas and MLC C P Yogeeshwara were among those who are reportedly unhappy over not securing Cabinet berth. A sulking Singh had shut down his office in Hospet in Ballari district earlier this week and called on Yediyurappa before meeting Bommai. Later, the Chief Minister along with Revenue Minister R Ashoka tried to pacify Singh. After the meeting, Bommai said there were no differences of opinion between him and Singh and that both were "united".

He had, however, conceded that Singh wanted a "better" portfolio. Nagaraj had also expressed his desire to have portfolios like public works department and transport. Meanwhile, BJP MLA from Krishnaraja in Mysuru district and former Minister Ramadas and MLC Yogeeshwara called on Bommai on Saturday. Speaking to reporters, Ramadas said he gave a letter in a sealed envelope to the Chief Minister.

"Today I handed over a letter in the sealed cover. I told him (the Chief Minister) to read when he is free. I have explained certain things in the interest of the State and the government," Ramadas said. He added that he has explained in his letter why he did not meet the Chief Minister during his visit to Mysuru on Monday.

Addressing the media outside Bommai's residence, Yogeeshwara, who was a Minister in the Yediyurappa government, however, said, "Earlier also I had met the chief minister and now also I met him. There are no reasons behind meeting him. I have no discontentment. I am a party worker and work accordingly." Bommai took over as the Chief Minister on July 28 two days after Yediyurappa resigned from the post.
Karnataka Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah on Saturday said the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government may not complete its full term and it can collapse anytime.

Siddaramaiah based his conjecture on disgruntlement within the BJP.

This government wont take off. And, I dont think it will complete its term. It can collapse anytime, Siddaramaiah, a former chief minister, told reporters.

Karnataka is scheduled to face its next Assembly election in 2023.

Look at the fighting going on. One senior MLA (MP Kumaraswamy) protests in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue crying injustice by his own party government. Several ministers have said theyre unhappy. Several MLAs are unhappy for not becoming ministers, Siddaramaiah pointed out.

The Congress leader cited the examples of disgruntled BJP leaders such as Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, CP Yogeshwar, SA Ramdas, Arvind Limbavali and Arvind Bellad. All of them remain disgruntled for not being made ministers and are visiting New Delhi. So, theres no stable government in this state, he said.

This is a marked departure from Siddaramaiahs stand; last month he said an early election was unlikely in Karnataka.

Picking holes in the Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommais Cabinet, Siddaramaiah said as many as 13 districts had no representation in the council of ministers. Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Kodagu...13 districts have no ministers. I can understand if 4-5 districts arent represented. Bengaluru alone has seven ministers. Instead, some other district could have been accommodated, he said, adding that a Cabinet should have the right balance of region and caste.

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Dakshina Kannada BJP unit President Sudarshan Moodbidri condemned Mangalore MLA U T Khader for questioning Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal for making allegations of 'Love Jihad' and protesting in his constituency. Moodbidri said that the BJP will continue to raise its voice against 'Love Jihad' and terror activities.

Khader in a press conference on Friday had asked not to politicise the issue of the arrest of a man from Ullal by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

In retort to the MLAs statement, the BJP district president said "We condemn the statements of MLA Khader. The MLA has questioned the VHP and Bajrang Dal for raising voice against the Love Jihad issue related to the former MLAs B M Iddinabbas family. We will continue to question whenever terrorist activities and Love Jihad is reported in any part of the country. The district BJP justifies the protest staged by the VHP and Bajrang Dal in Ullal recently, Sudarshan told reporters on Saturday.

"The country has been witnessing the protest against religious conversion, cow slaughter, terrorism and Love Jihad for the past seven decades. The MLA has issued an immature statement on the recently held protest. There is evidence for Love Jihad in former MLAs family and family members joining the ISIS," he said.

On Khader opposing people from outside holding protests in his constituency, Sudarshan said, Ullal is not in Pakistan and it is in our country. A large number of people from Ullal had joined the protest.

Janashirvada Yatra

The BJP will organise Janashirvada Yatra to introduce the four new ministers who were inducted recently into the Union Cabinet, to the people of Karnataka from August 16. As a part of the Janashirvada Yatra, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrashekar will arrive in Dakshina Kannada on August 17 evening, said Sudarshan Moodbidri. Owing to the Covid-19 restrictions, a mega convention will not be organised in the district. However, he will be accorded a cordial welcome symbolically. The minister in turn will interact with the educationists, entrepreneurs, MLAs, former MLAs of the district. During the meetings, the minister will talk about the Centres initiatives, he added.

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Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has asked the police not to provide zero traffic facility to his motorcade or convoy.

Instead of zero traffic, Bommai will have a signal-free movement.

The zero traffic facility is frowned upon by citizens who are made to wait as police stop all vehicular movement for VIPs.

Bommais latest directive comes days after he said no to receiving a guard of honour (ceremonial welcome) in public places. According to a circular issued by DGP Praveen Sood, the guard of honour will now be confined to the premises of government offices.

Also, the guard of honour will be given only once a day when the VIPs arrive. Soods circular, however, will not apply to visits made by the Governor, judges of the Supreme Court and the High Court.

Earlier in the week, Bommai ordered doing away with the practice of giving gifts and memorabilia during government events. As an alternative, Kannada books can be given.
Students are being sought for a new welding academy at the North West Regional College.

The first two Assured Skills Academies will see 24 successful applicants receive industry-standard welding training during a five-week course at the colleges Limavady and Springtown campuses, followed by two-weeks of consolidation training at one of eight engineering companies participating in the Academies.

Participants who complete the Academy are guaranteed an interview for a welding position at one of the companies.

Sinead Hawkins, Business Skills Manager at North West Regional College, said: This is a fantastic opportunity for new fresh talent to progress in the industry by addressing the skills shortage. This will have a positive impact on the North West City Regions local economy by feeding into local business anchors. We are committed to providing a skills guarantee for a post-Covid economy and future labour market.

Participants will receive 155 per week training allowance, travel expenses and, where eligible, assistance with childcare costs.

Subject to any COVID regulations or restrictions in place at the time, the Academies will be delivered over seven weeks as follows:

Limavady campus - Monday 4 October 2021 to Friday 19 November 2021

Springtown campus - Monday 8 November to Friday 24 December 2021

Applications are welcome from those who meet the criteria irrespective of religious belief, political opinion, age, sexual orientation, disability, race, marital status, gender, whether or not they have dependents and women returning to the workforce. For more information and details on how to apply visit the Assured Skills page on nidirect.

The online application form must be completed by 12.00 noon on Friday 27 August 2021.
Ajay Devgn on Bhuj: "That's the problem with our country, people don't know about such great sacrifices"

Actor Ajay Devgn says the attempt with his latest war drama "Bhuj: The Pride of India" is to chronicle unheard stories of great sacrifices made for the country. Directed by Abhishek Dudhaiya, "Bhuj" is set against the backdrop of the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War.

The film follows IAF Squadron Leader and the then Bhuj airport in-charge Vijay Karnik (Devgn), who reconstructed an entire IAF airbase with the help of 300 women from a local village in Madhapar, near Bhuj, Gujarat to protect the country. Devgn lamented that people of the country are unaware of the sacrifices made by countless heroes during the war. He said even he had never heard the real-life story of Bhuj until the film came to him.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn)

"That's the problem with our country. There are such great sacrifices that people don't know about. It's not there in our history books. And if we don't talk about our sacrifices and heroes, how are we going to love our country?" the 52-year-old actor told PTI in an interview.

Devgn, who has previously featured in patriotic period movies like "Tanhaji" (2020) and "The Legend of Bhagat Singh"(2002), said it's important for the audience to know about the country's history, especially, its hard earned independence.

"People should know because when you get something with difficulty, you keep it close to you. If it comes easy to you, then you don't value it. If they know about these sacrifices, they will know why we are where we are. And if it makes even a two-percent difference, we are sorted. The country is sorted. Then we don't need to say, 'Oh I love my country.' You just need to respect it and it will fall into your every day duties."

The war movie also stars Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha, Ammy Virk, Nora Fatehi and Sharad Kelkar.

"Bhuj", Devgn said, isn't a film about one man but "multiple heroes" and a huge group of women who weren't part of any armed forces.

"They broke their houses to make a runway and I thought it was a great story to tell," he added.

In recent past, Hindi films with historical backgrounds have come under heavy criticism for being jingoistic. Devgn said as a maker, the key is to not dramatise a real event for provoking nationalist sentiments.

"You keep characters and screenplay very real. You should know where to draw the line. In our film, there's no jingoism. In 'Tanhaji' also, there was no jingoism. They were fighting for the country but not crying that they loved their country," he added.

"Bhuj: The Pride of India" is currently available on streaming service Disney+Hotstar.
CORK University Hospital (CUH) is seeing exceptionally high numbers admitted to its emergency department (ED) in recent days, according to a consultant in emergency medicine at the hospital.

Speaking to The Echo, Professor Conor Deasy said there is a combination of reasons for the high numbers being seen at the ED.

We are seeing sicker, more deconditioned patients attend the emergency department with conditions that have likely deteriorated during the pandemic related to difficulty accessing services, he said.

Because people are holidaying at home, our population has swelled rather than decreased for this time of year; inevitably a proportion of these people will suffer injuries and illnesses, and need the services of the emergency department.

Prof Deasy said that patients are also reporting difficulty in seeing their GPs, who he said are also exceptionally busy, and so these patients are then defaulting to the ED in search of medical expertise.

We are required to treat the sickest first to avoid preventable loss of life and people with less urgent conditions are experiencing prolonged waiting times, for which we apologise, but as you will appreciate, are beyond our control, he said.

Our staff are working flat out in their delivery of emergency care.

Speaking about the effect that the closure of Bantry General Hospitals medical assessment unit had on CUH, he said: Inevitably this will have put pressure on CUH and the National Ambulance Service, and added to the distress of patients. Consultants from CUH, supported by CUH management, have gone to Bantry General Hospital to support them at this time while definitive solutions are sought.

West Cork GP Dr Paul OSullivan said that things are now more or less back to normal after the reopening of the Bantry unit, and that GPs are very happy, as it means people can be treated locally.

People want to be seen locally, they dont want to have to be taken an hour-and-a-half or two hours down the road to Cork and essentially be stuck in the emergency department, so were certainly happy with the reopening, he said.

Dr OSullivan said GPs had nowhere to send people other than CUH, putting a huge amount of pressure on GPs and on patients.

Waiting times in CUH are quite high on a daily basis, and having up to 30 ill patients suddenly appearing at CUH would have been very difficult for them to deal with in addition to their normal heavy load anyway, he said.

Dr OSullivan said the additional consultants being taken on at the hospital means that if one was to fall ill, there would be more doctors to take the strain of maintaining a 24-hour rota in a busy hospital.

He said that it is his hope that people can move forward and do what is best for patients and for Bantry.
Burning the Dead: Hindu Nationhood and the Global Construction of Indian Tradition by David Arnold, Berkeley: University of California Press, 2021; pp 268, $70.

Amitav Ghosh writes about the horror and delight that Egyptian villagers expressed when they were told that many Indians burn their dead. The horror was caused, among other things, by Islamic ideals about the Day of Judgment when the dead were resurrected and made to account for their deeds. If the body was burned, what remained to be resurrected, to be judged? The delight in the Egyptians responses was produced by the very same reasonburning meant nobody or nothing was left to be judged, and hence they could live as they pleased without fearing the Last Day (Ghosh 2002: 67). This ambiguity and multivocality has been an important feature of cremation in its modern history, concurs David Arnold in the book under review. Cremation in India was the object of intense attention for the British colonisers, missionaries and European travelers. The open-air, wood-fueled funeral pyre was an utter abomination and a moving spectacle that captured much that was noble and inspiring about India (p 21). It was condemned as unhygienic and offensive, but was not shunned altogether. The hot and humid Indian climate that accelerated putrefaction meant that cremation was the most efficient and sanitary way to dispose the dead, colonial officials realised (pp 5859). For instance, the Bombay plague of the late 19th century underscored the need for cremation to curb the spread of the epidemic (pp 7072). What was considered the grounds for its rejection became the grounds for its qualified endorsement.

Upper caste Hindus who treated cremation as an integral element of their faith, unlike for several lower caste, Dalit and tribal communities who practised other forms like burial, strongly resisted British criticisms of open-air cremation (pp 6267). Cremations were not stopped, but cremation grounds were insulated from public view with the construction of walls, for example, in Kolkata (p 58). Subject to suitable regulation and technical accommodation, the burning ghat might thus be accommodated within the modern, sanitary city and even become one of its exemplary sites (p 56). Arnold sketches out a complex process wherein simplistic distinctions between tradition versus modernity are meaningless. Cremation changed in character as Indians (mainly upper caste Hindus) rallied to its defence responding to the pressures of the modern state.
A few months back, the Financial Times of London carried an interesting headline titled USChina rivalry drives the retreat of market economics: Industrial policy is back in fashion as geopolitical tensions increase. But unfortunately, this is an old story. Rehabilitation of industrial policy, which began after the global financial crisis (GFC), is now almost complete. In fact, the World Investment Report 2018 noted that as many as 101 economies, which account for 90% of the global gross domestic product (GDP), have formally adopted industrial policies after the GFC.

Most of these countries mainly use incentives and performance requirements as tools to guide industrial investments in line with their national priorities. Interestingly, two years back, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) also brought out a publication titled The return of the policy that shall not be named: Principles of Industrial Policy. Certainly, correcting the ideological bias has not been easy, even for multilateral organisations.

This is because, ideologically, industrial policy has always been a point of confrontation. Industrial policy fell into disrepute mainly because the neo-liberal policies under globalisation allowed governments no role in the evolution of industry structure or its diversification. It is even pointed out that multilateral agencies like the World Bank had banished the terminology till the GFC. The slow economic recovery in most countries after the GFC also led to the gradual realisation that industrial policy would at least help the low-income countries, with an undiversified industrial base, to make gains.

Apart from this, there are a host of other reasons for the growing popularity of industrial policy. In the case of developing countries, it was mainly a backlash against the market fundamentalist approach associated with the Washington Consensus promoted by the World Bank and the IMF. It was realised that proactive policies to upgrade and diversify economies demanded an industrial policy prescription. Fears of premature deindustrialisation or missing the boat and the need for co-opting into global value chains added to the momentum. The Chinese example of providing trillions of dollars to favoured industries through hundreds of industrial guidance funds also swayed decisions.

In advanced economies, the reasons are more complex. They include the impact of globalisation that negatively affected manufacturing employment and the success of industrial policies in fast-growing Asian economies. Yet another reason was the arrival of critical new disruptive technologies that threatened the hegemony of advanced economies. The fear of Chinese dominance in the new critical technologies also enhanced acceptability of industrial policies in advanced economies.

Advanced economies realised that a market economy was handicapped in quickly rolling out new technologies, like 5G, internet of things, hydrogen fuels, semiconductors, batteries and electric vehicles, which can reinforce their global dominance. They realised that industrial policies to map out strategies to build these new critical technologies can be a game changer. Certainly, the new popularity of industrial policy and rollback of market economics clearly predates the recent surge in the United States (US)China rivalry.

Currently, the broad view is that a soft industrial policy where the government and the private sector collaborate to increase productivity can play an important role in development. There is a growing acceptance that industrial policy can play a more crucial role in many areas like building digital technologies, tackling climate change, meeting sustainable development goals or even redrawing supply chains in line with strategic objectives. Slowly, the debate moved from a yes or a no to industry policy to a more nuanced approach about their scope and feasibility in diverse economies.

India, where industrial policies laid out the problems and principal objectives of planning for almost half a century, has also generally fallen in line with these global trends. After liberalisation, it has eschewed new industrial policies for almost three decades now. And the National Democratic Alliance government had even gone one step further and dismantled the Planning Commission, the institution that embedded industrial policy into the five-year plans for accelerating growth.

But the continued slowdown in the economy in recent years has forced a quick rethink. Consequently, in her budget speech in 2020, the finance minister repackaged and relaunched an industrial policy in the guise of production-linked incentives (PLI) to create national manufacturing champions in line with national priorities. Initially, around `2 lakh crore was allocated for 13 sectors. Later, the year the Prime Minister made PLI a part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, a package to make the country self-reliant. Clearly, market failures have forced the government to suspend its ideological baggage and revert to an industrial policy by another name.

Surprisingly, in the US, industrial policy is now a favoured proposition to both ends of the political spectrum, acceptable to both progressives and conservatives. Similar is the experience of Germany. In fact, Germany and France have even brought out a manifesto on industrial policy to strengthen their cooperation in the European Union.

However, the evolution of the industrial policy is still at a preliminary stage. In industrialised economies, apart from securing technological superiority, the emphasis of industrial policy is also shifting towards steering the economy towards labour- and environment-friendly technologies. And in developing countries, the trend is on adopting strategies relevant to their stage of development. Now, their policies increasingly favour technologies that reduce the use of fossil fuel and promote green technologies and also those that protect vulnerable groups and promote gender equality. One thing is very clear that the new industrial policy is bound to move beyond just correcting market failures and to map out innovative and sustainable growth strategies that meet the needs of changing times.
The Fifteenth Finance Commission has trodden carefully in dealing with the controversial terms of reference issued to it in the presidential order. The commission had the challenging task of dividing fiscal resources between the union and the states due to the serious uncertainty posed by the pandemic. In many ways, the recommendations of the commission marks continuity. Devolution of 41% in the divisible pool of taxes to the states, despite the nudging of the centre in the terms of reference to review it and the continuation of revenue deficit grants, are some examples. The phasing out of the revenue deficit grants to the states in the next five years is likely to pose challenges to the fiscally weak states. The conditionalities mandated for availing local body grants may deny the much-needed money for them as the states may not have the incentive to undertake the reforms unless the public pressure builds up. On the whole, the report of the commission is on expected lines; it does not disappoint but all the same, like the previous commissions, it is a work in progress.

Finance Commission in Covid Times is the title of the Fifteenth Finance Commissions (FFC) report. The report was written when the first wave of COVID-19 was getting under control and no one had predicted the dramatic devastation caused by the second wave. Even as the economy was on the recovery mode, the sudden spread of the virus in the second wave has cast severe uncertainties on the economic and fiscal landscape of the country. It is not clear how both the union and the state governments will cope with the challenges of saving lives and livelihoods with their eroded fiscal situation. Surely, there will be massive increases in both deficits and debt, and the fiscal consolidation plan will have to be reworked from the one that was recommended by the finance commission. The state governments will have to reprioritise their expenditure allocations towards creating better and more responsive health systems and correct the historical neglect of the sector, besides providing for accelerated vaccination. More importantly, the medium- and long-term economic and fiscal impact of the second wave of the pandemic and how it will impact states finances in the next five years remains uncertain.

It is not the fault of the commission that it did not foresee the catastrophic second wave which has exposed the poor governance capacity of the union and state governments in dealing with the pandemic even after learning lessons from the first wave. The finance commissions report was placed in Parliament on 1 February 2021, along with the explanatory memorandum by the union government as required under Article 281 of the Constitution. The report covers the period from 202122 to 202526. It has four volumes with the detailed analysis of macroeconomic and federal fiscal issues and recommendations in volume 1 and the relevant annexures in volume 2. Volume 3 is devoted to analysing the key departments of the union government to identify their challenges and road map for meeting them, and volume 4 analyses the finances of each state and identifies the state-specific challenges. The report is rich in analysis and should be useful to students of fiscal federalism as well as policymakers.
A one-party dominant Parliament seldom witnesses effective opposition. A government with an absolute majority attempts to centralise powers in times of crisis leading to marginalisation of the opposition and legislature. A fragmented multiparty opposition blunts the impact of what could otherwise be brought to the parliamentary system in terms of legislation, accountability, oversight and scrutiny. What is the role of the legislature in the times of exigencies like a pandemic vis-a-vis a government? Amidst the impasse over the working of Parliament with abrupt disruptions and absence of reconciliatory avenues, how is the oppositiongovernment relationship defined?

The working of a public institution in India is contingent upon political context, apart from being deeply interlinked with other vital institutions. Hence, the relationship between Parliament, executive (government) and the judiciary becomes significant to offer an understanding of the possibilities and limitations facing institutions like Parliament in India. The procedural dimensions of the working of any institution remain inseparable from the larger substantive concerns of democracy. The present juncture of politics, when the confrontation between government and opposition has become a constant amidst deeper judicialisation of politics, raises certain fundamental questions about the way Parliament has been marginalised.

The restoration of the plebiscitary character of democracy, which dominated politics through much of the 1970s and 1980s, has tilted the balance in favour of the executive. The marginalisation of Parliament given the numerical composition of the house as well as the fragmentation characterising the opposition parties has considerably weakened the space of opposition in raising concerns, influencing policies, and demanding scrutiny. Thus, the growing unrest and protest over substantive questions of farm legislations in recent times reflect profoundly on the growing wedge between the procedural working as seen in the passage of legislations and the substantive claims of democracy that are fundamental to the idea of the parliamentary system. Against this background, the current impasse in Parliament amidst the COVID-19 pandemic needs to be examined, while reflecting on the present position of the opposition.
Attorney General Ken Paxton said he has taken the mask battle to the state Supreme Court after the state lost in its attempts to overturn mandates in San Antonio and other municipalities.

Paxton made the announcement late Friday night in a tweet that read, We have taken this mask mandate to the Texas Supreme Court. The Rule of Law will decide.  AGPaxton.

Local entities involved in the appeal  including San Antonio, Bexar County, Harris County, Dallas County and South Texas school districts  were asked to submit briefs supporting their local mandates to the state Supreme Court by 5 p.m. Saturday. A ruling could come at any time after that.

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, who was not surprised by Paxtons latest appeal, said the city and county filed a joint brief supporting the joint lawsuit filed against Gov. Greg Abbott.

Theres a huge outbreak already in the North East (Independent) School District, where they are even considering closing school, Im sure that was mentioned in the brief, Wolff said. And of course we are basing our suit on the fact that these powers were delegated to us by the Texas Legislature and cannot be taken away by the governor.

In the brief, the city and county argue that Abbotts executive order exceeds his delegated authority to suspend laws. The Texas Government Code states he can only suspend laws that prevent, hinder or delay necessary action in coping with a disaster, it points out.

But his emergency order actually prohibits necessary action to cope with a disaster, the brief states.

The real emergency is the rapid rise in COVID-19 infections and the strain on hospital, City and County resources, the brief continues. There is no emergency warranting this Court granting the extraordinary relief of staying a TRO that allows the City and County to take action in a crisis.

If the Supreme Court rules in Paxtons favor, local mandates would be halted until the state court holds a full hearing on the case. God knows when theyll do that, Wolff said.

On Friday, a three-judge panel of the 4th Court of Appeals denied Paxton and Abbotts request to overturn a temporary restraining order granted Tuesday that blocked Abbotts ban on mask mandates and allowed the city to order masks in schools and government buildings.

In his petition, Paxton said, The trial courts order is causing severe and irreparable harm to the state as it is enabling numerous municipalities to issue different responses to the disaster.

But the panel denied his request.

After considering the petition and the motion, this court concludes (the state) is not entitled to the relief sought, Justices Luz Elena Chapa, Irene Rios and Beth Watkins wrote in their Friday ruling.

Matthew Busch /New York Times

On ExpressNews.com: Abbott loses first round in appeal of San Antonio mask mandate

That same day, the 5th Court of Appeals in Dallas also denied the states bid to overturn a mask order by Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins. And in Travis County, a judge granted similar restraining orders against Abbott to Harris County and the South Texas school districts of Brownsville, La Joya and Edinburg, allowing them to keep mask mandates in place.

The latest battle comes as San Antonio and other regions see alarming numbers of young people infected with COVID-19. The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District reported that more than 4,500 people ages 19 and under were infected in June and July  and 1,798 of them were children under 9.

As of Friday, San Antonio reported 1,299 COVID-19 hospitalizations  including 25 children  and 15 new deaths.

Across Texas, 10,593 new coronavirus cases were reported as of Friday afternoon, along with 144 newly reported deaths, according to the state health department.

Local officials say the states efforts to overturn local mandates are jeopardizing time-sensitive responses to a virus that is quickly infecting vulnerable populations.

After the local mandate was upheld on Friday, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said the attorney generals petition says that enabling municipalities to tailor solutions to this public health emergency causes the state harm. The real harm here is putting vulnerable children at risk because of the AGs political theater.

We hope the health and welfare of our children prevail over the political theater that the governor has created, Wolff said Friday.

The local ruling granting the temporary restraining order is in effect through Monday only, when another hearing is scheduled to consider a possible extension and a permanent injunction.

On ExpressNews.com: Citing early spike in cases, North East ISD warns COVID spread could close schools

Although most school districts in the area have adopted the local mask orders, Northside ISD  the areas largest  said it will keep masks optional for now to avoid sending conflicting and confusing messages to its parents ahead of its start of the school year on Aug. 23.

But the neighboring school district, North East ISD, offered a stark warning Friday. Superintendent Sean Maika announced an increase in student-to-student spread of the virus at an elementary school that started classes on July 19, well before the local mask order was adopted at his district. School closures are possible, he said, if the current trend continues.

Guillermo Contreras contributed to this report.

danya.perez@express-news.net | @DanyaPH
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP)  Policies that allow West Virginia officials to refuse to change a transgender person's gender on their birth certificates should be declared unconstitutional, according to a new federal lawsuit.

The American Civil Liberties Union and the Harvard Law School LGBTQ+ Advocacy Clinic on Thursday sued the Department of Health and Human Resources on behalf of two transgender men born in West Virginia, The Exponent Telegram reported.
North East Independent School Districts superintendent sent a video message notifying parents of an increase in COVID-19 cases at Castle Hills Elementary School, which started classes earlier than the rest of the district  and warning of a possible need to close schools if the pandemic worsens on individual campuses.

The data we are seeing now is different than last year or even this summer, Superintendent Sean Maika said. First, we are seeing an increase in cases among students and staff.  Second, we are noticing student-to-student spread. It was rare to have transmission inside of our schools last year.

Castle Hills Elementary was the first NEISD campus to return to classes on July 19, due to its year-round calendar. The rest of the district, the areas second-largest, is slated to return on Monday.

To date, the school has seen 18 confirmed COVID-19 cases among students, and four among its staff, Maika said. The most recent data shows 12 of the student cases are linked to close contact with other infected persons while at the school.

This is a stark change from the 2020-2021 school year, when masks were required and the entire district reported fewer than 24 cases associated with confirmed exposures inside its schools. Castle Hills had a total of 11 reported COVID-19 cases throughout the school year.

Under an order issued by Gov. Greg Abbott that local officials have since challenged in court, masks were optional at the elementary school for its first three weeks of classes. Its principal has estimated only 15-20 percent of students were wearing masks.

This week North East ISD adopted a mask mandate for students and staff ordered by the Metropolitan Health District for all K-12 schools in Bexar County. The health authority took the action under a court order still being disputed by the state that was obtained by San Antonio and Bexar County officials  though the same officials said they would not force school districts to comply with it.

Maika said in the video that his district will strongly recommend masks regardless of how that plays out in the courts.

Abbott has said government mandates are no longer needed to manage the pandemic and has called for personal responsibility instead.

Required Reading: Get San Antonio education news sent directly to your inbox

But local governments and several major school districts across the state have announced they will require masks in schools and public facilities in defiance of Abbotts order. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is trying to stop them in appeals courts.

The 4th Court of Appeals on Friday rejected the states attempt to quash the San Antonio and Bexar County lawsuit, which will be more fully heard on Monday as local officials seek a more permanent ruling allowing mask mandates.

The U.S. education secretary in a letter Friday also came out against the Texas prohibition on mask mandates in schools, warning Abbott and Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath that it contradicts guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and might violate districts authority to provide safe learning conditions.

The department stands with these dedicated educators who are working to safely reopen schools and maintain safe in-person instruction, Secretary Miguel Cardona wrote, adding that districts are allowed to use money they received under the American Rescue Plan Act earlier this year toward implementing the mandates.

While school staff at Castle Hills have continued to emphasize hand hygiene, classroom sanitation and social distancing, the data is showing that such practices are not enough to prevent a spread of the virus, Maika said in the video.

Currently there is a mask mandate in place due to the city and county being granted a temporary restraining order against Gov. Abbott, he said. But regardless of how that plays out in the courts, moving forward I strongly recommend that we all wear face masks to reduce transmission on campus. If spread continues, we may be forced to close schools.

On ExpressNews.com: Amid surging COVID risk, school already has started in San Antonio area - with no masks required

While students were encouraged and praised for wearing masks before the local mandate, only about 15 to 20 percent of them chose to wear one, Castle Hills Principal Betsy Asheim said near the start of the school year.

Cases were initially low at the elementary school, Maika said, but these began to increase as the virus spread throughout the community.

Parents, we need your help, he pleaded. Its so important that you check your child in the morning for symptoms. If they display COVID-19 symptoms, please keep them at home.

Staff writer Jeremy Blackman contribute to this report. danya.perez@express-news.net | @DanyaPH
A federal judge in El Paso on Friday extended her order blocking Gov. Greg Abbotts directive to state troopers to pull over drivers transporting immigrants who pose a risk of carrying COVID-19.

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone lengthened her restraining order by an additional two weeks after a hearing Friday, according to a court filing. Her original order Aug. 3 was set to expire Friday.

In July, Abbott ordered troopers to pull over civilian drivers giving rides to recent immigrants who may be infected with the coronavirus and redirect the drivers to their origin point. If the driver didnt comply, the troopers should seize their vehicles, the order said.

Soon after, the U.S. Justice Department sued Texas and Abbott, describing the governors executive order as dangerous and unlawful.

In the lawsuit, the department said Abbotts order would disrupt federal immigration officials network of contractors and nongovernmental organizations that help host recently arrived immigrants while their legal cases are pending.

On ExpressNews.com: The first immigrants arrested in Gov. Greg Abbott's border crackdown have served their time. Federal officials will decide what happens next

A spokesperson for Abbott didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Abbott has defended his order as necessary to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Texas. Advocates for immigrants say it would disrupt federal immigration efforts and encourage state troopers to racially profile people.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas has filed a separate lawsuit against Abbott on behalf of immigrants rights organizations, also seeking to block the governors order.

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.
Through a small Zoom square from inside a Texas prison, nine immigrants in orange jumpsuits appeared for the first court hearings this week under Gov. Greg Abbotts new directive for state troopers to arrest people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and jail them for state crimes.

Over three hours, each of the men  all from Venezuela  pleaded guilty to trespassing on private property in Del Rio last month. Each was given a sentence of 15 days in jail for the misdemeanor offense, which they have already served in the Briscoe Unit, a prison recently converted into a state-run jail for immigrants at the governors order.

Their state cases now complete, the men instead were made to wait for up to two days to see if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials would take them into federal custody. A prison spokesperson said ICE officials picked up the nine men Thursday morning.

Its still unclear what will happen now that the migrants are under federal jurisdiction. As noted repeatedly by the judge at Wednesdays hearing, criminal convictions can affect immigration proceedings.

A plea of guilty or nolo contendere for the defense charged may result in deportation, the exclusion from admission to this country or the denial of naturalization under federal law, Val Verde County Court Judge Sergio Gonzalez warned each defendant in the virtual hearings.

On ExpressNews.com: Federal judge extends order blocking Gov. Greg Abbott's directive for law enforcement to pull over vehicles transporting immigrants

But immigration authorities have a lot of power in what action they take next, according to Kat Russell, an attorney at RAICES, a nonprofit organization in Texas that provides legal services to immigrants.

They could just release them and ask them to report at a later date in whatever city theyre going to live, or they could send them to detention, she said.

If detained, they also could be released on immigration bonds based on asylum claims or quickly deported, she said, though she doubted the latter since the men were all Venezuelan and their home country is facing distress. ICE officials did not respond to questions about the immigrants.

The arraignment hearings, in which defendants hear the charges against them and enter a plea, were the latest experiment in what is essentially a new Texas criminal justice system for immigrants accused of crossing the border illegally. Though illegally crossing is a federal crime, soaring numbers of immigrants at the Texas border seeking asylum from troubled countries and an ongoing feud with the federal administration led Abbott to send hundreds of state police and Texas National Guard personnel to arrest crossing migrants on state charges.

On Thursday, about another 20 detained migrants are set to go before Gonzalez, the only judge in Val Verde County who handles misdemeanors, as well as family, juvenile and civil dockets. And his caseload is growing rapidly, with as many as 20 new immigrants sent to the Briscoe prison in one day.

Since Abbotts directive began last month, the Val Verde County sheriff said more than 230 migrants have been jailed at the Briscoe prison in Dilley, a small town between Laredo and San Antonio. As of last week, all of the migrants are accused of trespassing onto private property, often just off the Rio Grande.

More than 150 of those arrests have occurred in Del Rio, but Gonzalez so far has only two other court hearings set for immigrants arrested under Abbotts orders. The next set of detained immigrants isnt scheduled to appear for their first court appearance until September or November, Gonzalez said last week.

Its a whole new world, he said. My goal is to make sure these things flow and see where theyre going and see what the numbers are.

Police have also arrested dozens of migrants in neighboring Kinney County, but a prison spokesperson said those detainees have not yet appeared in court.

Abbott, a Republican who is seeking re-election next year, has focused his attention on hardening border policies this summer, blaming Democratic President Joe Bidens dangerous and reckless open border policies, according to a spokesperson.

While the federal govt does nothing, Texas is building a border wall & arresting illegal migrants caught trespassing, Abbott posted on Twitter last week. No more catch & release.

The Del Rio region has seen a surge of border crossings by asylum seekers from countries torn by combinations of violence, political turmoil and economic crisis. Nearly 150,000 immigrants were apprehended by federal officials in the area between October and June, most from Mexico, Honduras, Venezuela and Haiti. Thats up from about 40,000 in the entire year prior.

In Val Verde County, local officials acknowledge theres a crisis, with a lack of transportation, shelter and other resources for the incoming immigrants. The move to arrest those who dont enter at main crossing points, however, has prompted outrage from immigrant rights advocates.

On ExpressNews.com: Video shows 3 versions of the Texas border wall from Bush, Trump and Abbott

After the hearing Wednesday, Laura Pena, legal director of the Racial and Economic Justice Program at the Texas Civil Rights Project, said she is eyeing the next move by the federal government closely.

The big question is to what extent is the Biden administration going to be complicit in this state effort to usurp federal immigration law, she said. We know that they are already complicit because theyre already issuing ICE detainers. Now what?

The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas has also argued the arrests could interfere with peoples constitutional right to seek asylum in the United States. Typically, immigrants apprehended crossing the border are turned over to federal immigration authorities, who either deport them or let them stay in the country if they have pending asylum claims. Texas Department of Public Safety officials have not said if state troopers are arresting those who say they are seeking asylum.

In small border towns, the surge of law enforcement has also sparked confusion as federal, local and state authorities weave around each other.

In Del Rio, local law enforcement officials said DPS told them state police would be arresting only men who were crossing the border without family. But Texas Tribune journalists witnessed one Venezuelan man separated from his wife last month, and the county attorney counted at least three other immigrant arrests where defense attorneys later told him their client had been separated from a wife, sister or parents before being arrested by state police.

From day one, there were representations made to us by DPS that that wasnt going to happen, and Ive certainly made it known to them I dont want any hand in separating families, said Val Verde County Attorney David Martinez, who prosecutes misdemeanor cases.

Martinez said he has either rejected or planned to dismiss cases where he learns the arrestee has been separated from family, but Pena argued at that point the harm has been done.

The whole system is being weaponized against recently arrived asylum seekers, she said.

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.
The developer of a 100-acre, high-density subdivision on Boernes northwest side near Boerne Lake said it has corrected problems with the projects stormwater management that prompted complaints from residents and a local group advocating sustainable development.

On Aug. 9, representatives from KB Home  the company behind Shoreline Park, slated for 360 homes  and an engineering company on the project told city Planning and Zoning Commission members that they acknowledge that mistakes occurred and that protective measures taken since will prevent contaminants from entering the lake.

But while the developers actions were well-received and even congratulated by city officials this week, those complaining about Shorelines stormwater management say problems remain as development continues to prepare for building homes. The developments first five phases have been approved, while phases six and seven  which will drain into Boerne Lake  are being finalized.

Heavy rain in May prompted residents to file complaints with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, citing large amounts of trash and silt leaving Shoreline and flowing into the creeks. Residents said a detention pond thats meant to keep runoff on the property overflowed and that Cibolo Creek was heavily laden with silt, clays, muds and other debris.

Cibolo Creek is a tributary of the San Antonio River that contributes and recharges the Trinity and Edwards aquifers. Contaminants deposited into the creek can affect the entire system.

The San Antonio River Authority found that the property had little to no sediment controls, such as silt screens, and that the detention basin lacked erosion controls. Those systems are meant to divert contaminated water from polluting nearby streams, rivers or lakes.

William Luther /Staff

Nevertheless, the TCEQ found no violations when it visited Shoreline  as well as the Southglen subdivision by a different developer  in June, said Jeff Carroll, Boernes director of development services, during a commission meeting in July.

On ExpressNews.com: Once quaint, now booming; fight brews over development plans at Boerne Lake

KB Home has since installed additional controls, such as rock berms to prevent sediment from leaving the property, Carroll said, adding that he visited the property and thinks the improvements are working well.

Also, KB said it sends someone to the site within 24 hours of heavy rain to ensure the system is functioning properly and/or to address issues that arise.

As a result, the city is satisfied.

KB made repairs as quickly as reasonably possible and has since enhanced the water control measures beyond state or city requirements, the city said in a statement. The improved measures are working successfully as heavy rains last week did not damage the site.

Tim Bannwolf, who chairs the Planning and Zoning Commission, was positive about KB when he appeared on Mayor Tim Handrens Aug. 12 edition of Mayors Minute.

Were hoping that the KB development out at Shoreline will be a model for how you do future developments, not only in Boerne and Kendall County adjacent to important water features like at Boerne Lake, but elsewhere across the state and across the country, Bannwolf said, adding that the city intends to monitor and verify that, in fact, theyre still doing what they said they would do.

William Luther /Staff

But not everyone is as confident that KBs improvements are sufficient. Boerne resident Paula Rae Hilsmeier Beaton, a member of the Boerne Sustainable Development Coalition, said she can still see silt runoff in Cibolo Creek. During a heavy rain Aug. 1, she went there to observe.

It looked just like it did in May, she said. You can see the difference under Ranger Creek Road bridge where Ranger Creek and Cibolo Creek merge. One is normal light brown, and the other this darker, milky brown from the silt.

On ExpressNews.com: Massive amount of reclaimed water was illegally wasted in Boerne

What most concerns some Boerne residents, such as those with the Boerne Sustainable Development Coalition, is what that silt runoff means for the citys lake.

Stormwater in the latter phases of Shoreline Park will naturally flow toward Boerne Lake  which provides 25 percent of the citys drinking water supply  instead of Cibolo Creek. Those opposed to the development, who have been concerned since the project was proposed in 2017, question that if KB cant engineer stormwater runoff on a piece of almost perfectly flat land around the creek, how can it expect to do so on an incline to the lake.

Monte Bach

There is a risk of contamination of the Shoreline spaces that are supposed to happen on the lakes sloping land, said Cal Chapman, an engineer in Boerne. This is one of our citys reservoirs for drinking water.

Given that environmental imperative, KB Home said its implementing a construction design that attempts to maintain the sites predevelopment ecosystem. Its plan includes capturing and treating 1.66 inches of rain each time it rains, about 90 percent of total rainwater every year; planting native plants to reduce water usage; and installing a 300-foot buffer, extended from 150 feet, between the lake and the development. The plan will also use bioswales  or vegetated ditches  and bioretention basins to collect and filter sediment and nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen from the water.

This is actually the first full development in this region that has low-impact techniques, said Troy Dorman, director of water resources at Halff Associates, one of the engineering companies hired by KB to work on the development. Dorman, who spoke to Planning and Zoning Commission members, previously worked for the city of Boerne when it was crafting its low-impact development standards.

But the Boerne Sustainable Lake Coalition doubts that KBs improvements and low-impact development work are enough, citing a 2020 independent assessment on the Shoreline development conducted by Richard Klein, an environmental consultant with Community and Environment Defense Services.

Klein found that the slope reduces the protectiveness of the buffer and sand filters and increases the input of phosphorus tenfold. Excessive amounts of phosphorus can be harmful to bodies of water and their ecosystems. The assessment noted that sand filters are not very effective in removing nutrients, such as phosphorus, and that their slopes should not exceed a 6 percent incline. The slope between Shoreline and the lake is more than 6 percent, which, Chapman said, would make low-impact density techniques ineffective.

Theres no doubt theres still something wrong here, said Beaton of the Boerne Sustainable Development Coalition.

Shoreline has had detractors since its inception. In 2018, the coalition gathered 28,000 signatures on a petition to stop construction. Beaton and others say theyre not out to halt all construction, but rather to have the number of houses planned in the area reduced.

Joe Bergmann, the previous owner of the area where Shoreline is being built, thought the property he sold would house only 20 homes at most, not multiple properties per acre, as KB plans.

Had we known what would happen, we never would have sold it, he said.

Elena Bruess writes for the Express-News through Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. ReportforAmerica.org. elena.bruess@express-news.net
The Texas Supreme Court on Thursday overruled a Houston judge who had provided Texas House Democrats with the legal shelter they requested to avoid civil arrest for absconding from the state Capitol.

After Houston Rep. Gene Wu successfully challenged his warrant in Harris County state district court on Wednesday, 44 additional Democrats had followed in his footsteps, hoping for the same outcome.

The stay from the states highest civil court came swiftly, potentially scrambling the plans of those Democrats and others whod made plans to return home.

A dwindling number of House members remain in Washington, D.C., where they have spent a month rallying for federal voting rights legislation that would supersede existing Texas elections laws as well as bills that Republicans are pushing in Austin. The Democrats have until Monday to respond in court.

Despite the high courts ruling, Texas House Democrats remain committed to fighting back with everything we have to protect Texans from Republicans repeated attacks on our freedom to vote, Wu said in a statement on behalf of the caucus. Instead of trying to calm the situation and find ways to peacefully resolve the situation, Texas Republicans continue to add more fuel to this fire. We will not be deterred. If anything, this action continues to solidify our resolve to stand up for Texans.

ALSO THURSDAY: Houston state Sen. Carol Alvarado ends 15-hour filibuster of GOP voting bill

In his motion to the high court, the states Solicitor General Judd E. Stone had warned that Wus court order could have a domino effect.

Without this courts intervention, every truant member of the House will follow the lead of Representative Wu, file habeas petitions in trial courts throughout the state, disrupt the ability of the Legislature to obtain a quorum, and undercut this courts ability to achieve an orderly and efficient resolution of identical issues presented, Stone wrote.

Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, a Beaumont Republican, on Tuesday had ordered law enforcement to round up the Democratic members whose walkout has brought a special session of the Legislature to a standstill. The House needs 100 members present to vote on legislation; this week upwards of 90 have reported to Austin each day as the Democrats continue their holdout, which began July 12.

BACKGROUND: Heres what happens when Texas lawmakers flee the state to derail legislation

Wus attorneys on Wednesday told district court Judge Chris Morton that a House vote to issue the warrants was not above board because a quorum wasnt present in the chamber. The Democratic lawmakers attorneys have also criticized Gov. Greg Abbott, who has pledged to have the absent Democrats arrested and cabined at the Capitol so the legislative session can resume.

We have an oppressive order from a tyrannical king, attorney Brent Mayr said.

Several Houston-area representatives, including Reps. Senfronia Thompson and Hubert Vo, were pre-emptively released from potential custody on Thursday as a result of the newest writs, attorney Romy Kaplan said.

Three hearings tomorrow concern non-Houston-area representatives, who will be appearing via Zoom to put themselves in Harris Countys jurisdiction, Kaplan said.

A hearing is also scheduled for next Thursday in district Judge Chris Mortons court. He said his approval of Wus writ on Wednesday was conditional, and he will further explore his jurisdiction over the case and over the House of Representatives sergeant-at-arms in Austin.

samantha.ketterer@chron.com
Appearing at a GOP fundraising dinner in Illinois on Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw clashed with a conservative activist after insisting there was not enough election fraud to account for Donald Trumps loss in the 2020 presidential race.

Crenshaw, a Republican from Houston who is considered a rising GOP star, told attendees during a Q&A session not to kid yourself into believing thats why we lost. His statement runs contrary to claims by Trump and many of the former presidents supporters, who contend the election was stolen through a massive voter fraud scheme, of which they have yet to display proof.

Its just something you have to accept, Crenshaw said. Is there a lot of voter fraud? Yeah, there probably is. Enough that Trump won? No, absolutely not. Absolutely not. Five different states? Hundreds of thousands of votes? Youre kidding yourself.

As Crenshaw pushed ahead with his explanation, Bobby Piton, a Republican who is running for Senate in Illinois, heckled the Houston congressman, telling him he was wrong while vowing President Joe Bidens win would be overturned in Maricopa County, Arizona  where officials last month finished recounting the 2.1 million ballots cast during the 2020 election.

TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

I have plenty of proof, Piton said, interrupting Crenshaw. Its gonna flip. You watch.

Last December, Crenshaw was one of 126 Republicans to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons lawsuit seeking to delay the certification of presidential election results in Georgia, Michican, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, all swing states won by Biden. The U.S. Supreme Court  which grew more conservative as three Trump nominees were placed on it during his term  tossed the lawsuit without a hearing.

Crenshaw told the Houston Chronicle editorial board his decision to sign the brief was aimed at putting pressure on states to actually fix their election systems but not actually overturning the results.

The amicus itself does not talk about delaying electoral votes or overturning the electoral votes, Crenshaw said at that time. It doesnt go so far as to say that. If it did, I would have a lot more reluctance to be signing on to it. I would fully admit this was not an easy decision either way.

While some minor cases of election fraud have been identified in local Texas elections, multiple academic studies, a nationwide investigation by the U.S. Justice Department and Paxtons own Election Fraud Unit have yet to discover widespread fraud on the scale alleged by Trump and other Republicans.

After video of Crenshaws comments spilled onto social media, some conservative media figures praised him, as did Democrats who were astonished to find themselves agreeing with a frequent antagonist.

Good for Crenshaw, tweeted Stephen Hayes, editor of The Dispatch, a Trump-critical conservative site. It shouldn't take courage to dismiss loony conspiracies, but in today's GOP it often does.

Crenshaw recently was on the opposite side of Trump in a North Texas congressional election, supporting the winner of the election, Republican Jake Ellzey, while Trump backed the second place candidate, Susan Wright.

A critic of Trump before embracing him following the 2016 election, Crenshaw famously omitted any mention of Trump in the speech he delivered during the 2020 Republican National Convention.

jasper.scherer@chron.com
WASHINGTON  Texas children were hospitalized with COVID-19 at the highest rate in at least a year during the first week of August as the delta variant tore through the state.

With back-to-school season beginning, the week ending Aug. 10 saw an average of 40 children newly hospitalized per day  a 25-percent leap from the week before, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It marked the states highest hospital admissions rate for children in a year.

The spike in youth hospitalizations in Texas, which have climbed rapidly since mid-July, comes as the White House, local leaders and political groups are ramping up pressure on Gov. Greg Abbott to drop his ban on mask mandates, especially in schools.

Its part of a national increase in child hospitalizations that the CDC says is driven by states with lower-than-average vaccination rates. Florida had even more pediatric COVID patients than Texas, with an average of 54 children admitted.

But the number of pediatric hospitalizations for both Texas and Florida is far higher than in other large states including California, with an average of 18 daily child hospitalizations, and New York, which is averaging six.

I think that people should understand, seeing little kids  I mean, four, five, six years old  in hospitals, on ventilators, and some of them passing  not many, but some of them passing  its almost, I mean, its just  well, I should not characterize beyond that, President Joe Biden said this week.

Biden administration officials are looking into whether the president has the power to intervene in Texas as local leaders in the states biggest counties begin to flout Abbotts rules. That could include action from the U.S. Department of Education, though its unclear what that might be.

The White House continues to apply pressure, saying on Thursday that Texas and Florida accounted for nearly 40 percent of all new COVID hospitalizations in the nation over the last week.

INTERVIEW: As schools reopen, Peter Hotez says Houston will pay the price for not doing more with masks, vaccines

The Republican political group the Lincoln Project put out an attack ad targeting Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. It depicts a child on a ventilator in a hospital bed and asks If you could prevent this, wouldnt you? Wouldnt anyone?

I think this is a central question that Abbott and his team are wrestling with right now, said Joshua Blank, a political scientist at the University of Texas at Austin. Bringing children into the conversation changes the calculus in peoples minds.

Its hard to be in the position of elevating a generic principle, in ones freedom not to wear a mask, against the health, safety, and welfare of children, who themselves are required to attend school  already under widely accepted and strict vaccination requirements and dress codes.

If Abbott is conflicted about his stand, he hasnt shown it. On Wednesday night, the governor threatened to sue any school district, public university, or local government that defies his order by requiring face coverings.

The path forward relies on personal responsibility  not government mandates, Abbott tweeted.

A spokeswoman for Abbott pointed to increasing vaccination rates in the state and said that school districts can use safety precautions they put in place last year, such as creating learning pods and providing enhanced hygiene efforts for school buildings, staff, and students.

Texans have learned and mastered over the past year the safe practices to protect themselves and their loved ones from COVID, and do not need the government to tell them how to do so, Renae Eze said. Every Texan has a right to choose for themselves and their children whether they will wear masks, open their businesses, or get vaccinated.

But health experts are increasingly concerned about the way the delta variant appears to be sending more children to hospitals. Only children 12 and up are eligible for vaccines, meaning when school starts thousands of unvaccinated children will be huddled together in classrooms, some without masks.

MASK REVOLT: Gov. Abbott moves to strike down mask mandates enacted by defiant local officials

Meanwhile, hospitals are also seeing an uptick in RSV, which can be life-threatening for babies and young children. The respiratory infection is usually at its highest rates during the winter, but it has had a rampant off-season run this summer.

All of this is the warmup act, Peter Hotez, who co-directs the Texas Childrens Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and is dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told the Houston Chronicle. Were going to pay the price for not being better advocates for vaccinations and wearing masks.

Anthony Fauci, the federal governments top infectious disease expert, said on Thursday there is no doubt that there are more children getting infected.

He said it could possibly be the case that the delta variant is more severe in children than previous COVID variants  as some studies have suggested is the case for adults  but we are not seeing this in a definitive way.

The only thing we know for sure is that more infections mean more children will be in the hospital, Fauci said.

Later in the day in an interview with NPR, Fauci added that he would be very concerned about sending children to a school where teachers and students arent wearing masks and suggested parents should pressure politicians to rethink policies preventing them.

We're dealing with the safety of the children, not any theoretical, libertarian thought about telling people what they can do or not to do, Fauci said. The safety of the children comes first.

Abbott, who is heading into a primary and entertaining a 2024 run for president, isnt out of step with many members of his party.

Polling has shown masks remain a partisan issue. A University of Texas at Austin poll in June found 67 percent of Republicans said they did not wear a mask when in close contact with people outside of their household. Eighty six percent of Democrats said they did.

Matt Rinaldi, the chairman of the state GOP, was threatening to pull his 3-year-old child out of school after Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins issued an order requiring masks in Dallas County schools, businesses and county buildings.

Forcibly masking toddlers is child abuse, Rinaldi tweeted.

Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton moved to challenge the mandate within hours.

Editors note: An earlier version of this story misstated how many Texas children are currently hospitalized for COVID-19.

ben.wermund@chron.com
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking the mask mandate battle to the state Supreme Court after the state was defeated in its attempts to overturn such mandates in San Antonio and other municipalities.

Paxton made the announcement late Friday night in a tweet that read, We have taken this mask mandate to the Texas Supreme Court. The Rule of Law will decide.  AGPaxton.

On Friday, a three-judge panel of the 4th Court of Appeals denied Paxton and Gov. Greg Abbotts request to overturn a temporary restraining order granted Tuesday that blocked Abbotts ban on mask mandates and allowed the city to order masks in schools and government buildings.

After considering the petition and the motion, this court concludes (the state) is not entitled to the relief sought, Justices Luz Elena Chapa, Irene Rios and Beth Watkins wrote in their Friday ruling.

On ExpressNews.com: Abbott loses first round in appeal of San Antonio mask mandate

That same day, the 5th Court of Appeals in Dallas also denied the states bid to overturn a mask order by Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins. And in Travis County, a judge granted similar restraining orders against Abbott to Harris County and the South Texas school districts of Brownsville, La Joya and Edinburg, allowing them to keep mask mandates in place.

Houston ISD, the states largest public school district, has also implemented a mask mandate set to start Monday, a week before the school year begins.

Across Texas, there were 10,593 new coronavirus cases reported as of Friday afternoon, and 144 newly reported deaths, according to the state health department.

Local officials say the states efforts to overturn local mandates are jeopardizing time-sensitive responses to a virus that is quickly infecting vulnerable populations.

The local ruling granting the temporary restraining order is in effect through Monday only, when another hearing is scheduled to determine a possible extension and a permanent injunction.

Guillermo Contreras contributed to this report.

danya.perez@express-news.net | @DanyaPH
As he defended the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone was beaten and tased, he testified before a House select committee.

Fanone, 40, described being dragged into the crowd, stripped of his badge, and threatened with chants to "kill him with his own gun." He said he fell unconscious, suffered a heart attack, and was later diagnosed with a concussion, a brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Now, some social media users are falsely claiming that Fanone played a much different role during the insurrection  not as an officer guarding the Capitol, but as a rioter who stormed it.

Their posts on various platforms were flagged as part of Facebooks efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)

The posts shared July 28 on Facebook and Instagram place two photographs side by side, with text overlaid above them suggesting that theyre the same person.

"Its the same b----," the text over the photographs says. "Yo Michael, we see you."

PolitiFact

The captions published alongside the posts make similarly false claims, or suggest that one person is a "crisis actor" who was pretending to be the other as part of a "deep state" scheme.

But the two men in the photographs are not the same person, and one wasnt pretending to be the other.

One photograph in the posts shows Fanone, the D.C. police officer, during his July 27 testimony before Congress. The other shows Kevin Seefried of Delaware, who was indicted on five charges after entering the Capitol with his son, Hunter Seefried, who was also indicted.

"That is not Officer Fanone," said Sean Hickman, spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., when asked about the second photograph showing Seefried.

Further proof that they are not the same includes their actions and outfits on Jan. 6.

Fanone was dragged into the crowd by rioters on the Capitol grounds that afternoon, the video footage from his body camera shows. The House select committee investigating the insurrection played the footage during his testimony, as Fanone talked about it. Fanone described to lawmakers his whereabouts throughout the day. He said he arrived at the Capitol around 3 p.m.

But around the same time on Jan. 6, Seefried was inside the Capitol. According to court filings, Seefried confirmed in a voluntary interview with the FBI that he had entered the Senate building through a broken window at approximately 2:13 p.m., and that he had brought a Confederate flag to Washington from his home in Delaware, where he usually displays it outside.

And while the photograph of Seefried in the social media posts shows him wearing a sweatshirt and a coat, Fanone was in "full uniform" at the Capitol, he testified. Court documents in the case against another man who allegedly assaulted Fanone confirm that he was dressed that way.

We rate the posts Pants on Fire!
LUSAKA, Zambia (AP)  Supporters of Zambian opposition candidate Hakainde Hichilema have begun celebrating Saturday as early election results show him leading in the tightly-fought, tense presidential race.

Ignoring calls by the Electoral Commission for people to wait peacefully for the final official results, young opposition supporters drove through the streets of the capital, Lusaka, playing music and singing. They gathered at the headquarters of Hichilema's United Party for National Development.

But signaling that he may not accept defeat, President Edgar Lungu asserted that the elections had not been free and fair in three provinces seen as opposition strongholds, citing violence and killings of his supporters, allegedly by the opposition. Lungu claimed that ruling party polling agents had been brutalized and chased away from voting stations, leaving his partys votes unprotected.

Lungu said that although he notified the electoral commission of his concerns, they have continued announcing the results." His Patriotic Front party is "consulting on the next decision we have to make, he said in a statement released by his office.

Lungu's statement indicates that he may challenge the validity of the election in order to stay in power, said analysts.

It is now looking worryingly like he will refuse to stand down and push for the election to be canceled, tweeted Nic Cheeseman, professor of politics at the University of Birmingham, who is in Zambia to follow the elections.

Voter turnout was 15% higher than in the 2016 polls and the early results show a big swing in favor of Hichilema and his UPND, Cheeseman told The Associated Press.

Results from 31 of the countrys 156 constituencies has Hichilema in the lead with 449,699 votes to President Edgar Lungus 266,202. The commission said it will update the results as votes from the constituencies are tabulated and expects to announce the final results by Monday.

An overwhelming turnout, particularly by youthful Zambians who make up a majority of registered voters, saw long lines in front of polling stations on election day, Thursday. Many polling stations had to close late to accommodate the voters, said the electoral commission, which noted that the large turnout was unprecedented.

Sixteen candidates ran for president and some of them have already conceded defeat and congratulated Hichilema on victory, citing results posted at polling centers where votes were counted.

Hichilemas party has claimed victory based on the results displayed at polling centers. However, Lungus Patriotic Front claimed that the incumbent would win.

Votes in Zambia are counted at polling centers and then posted for the public to see. The results from the polling stations are sent to the national election center in the capital, Lusaka, where the final results are announced.

Zambia's military was on the streets of Lusaka and other parts of the country Saturday. The president deployed the military ahead of the election saying it was to curb some outbreaks of violence. Lungu ordered more troops to be deployed in some restive parts of the country after there were two killings on election day.

The opposition alleges the troop rollout is an intimidation tactic by Lungu.

Arriving in trucks, cars and on foot, jubilant Hichilema supporters sang and danced at his party's headquarters in Lusaka.

There was a brief tense moment when two truckloads of government troops arrived. A few soldiers disembarked and chatted with leaders of the opposition supporters. Cheers followed as the soldiers returned into their trucks and eventually left.

Many of the opposition supporters, referring to Hichilema by his initials HH, said they are looking forward his presidency and have little patience to wait for the official results.

HH has to fulfill his promises, especially for the youths who have been struggling with no jobs," said 29-year old Mwinga Haajanzi, who said he is an unemployed Hichilema supporter.

Nurses, teachers have to be paid well. There should be jobs for us, said Haajanzi. "He should know that leadership is not about arresting or intimidating people, it is about using our copper and other resources to uplift the peoples lives.

Others opposition supporters were seen pulling down Lungus posters that are plastered all over the capital.

Zambia's newspapers showed the divide between the opposition and Lungu.

HH gets it and HH takes lead trumpeted the banner headlines of two privately owned newspapers.

In contrast, the state-run Zambia Daily Mail ran with the headline Lungu set for victory-PF, citing an official of the ruling Patriotic Front party.

Lungu won power in 2015 in a snap election after the previous president, Michael Sata, died in office. Lungu narrowly defeated Hichilema, whom he again beat with a small margin for a full term in 2016. Hichilema alleged fraud in both polls and has warned of rigging in these elections.

Critics accuse Lungu of trying to reverse Zambias record of holding regular, credible elections and peaceful transfers of power since 1991 when the country returned to multi-party democracy after being a one-party state for more than two decades.

Lungus party on Friday said it had written to the electoral commission, also alleging the election wasnt free and fair, citing alleged violence by the opposition.

Both Lungu and Hichilema have expressed concern that the election could result in post-election instability.
Despite the heat and smoke, it remains a busy summer for the Aquatic Invasive Species Bureau in Montana.

As of Friday, Bureau Chief Tom Woolf said 49 boats have been found with aquatic invasive mussels, far surpassing the 35 boats with mussels detected last year which, at the time, was the all-time record.

There have been around 70,000 boats checked so far this year, Woolf said.

"Conditions have been rough out there," Woolf said. "Inspectors have had a rough run of it and it's been busy ... we're similar to everywhere, where finding and keeping good people is a challenge."

Invasive mussels, such as zebra and quagga, are a growing problem Montana. Non-native species cause a variety of issues. They can block water flow into hydroelectric turbines  six of Montana's 10 largest power plants by generating capacity are hydro, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. They can also increase maintenance costs for irrigation and municipal water supplies.

That's in addition to the environmental impact, which can be significant. Mussels take food resources from other creatures in the ecosystem. They also have few predators, meaning their populations can expand quickly.

"They basically mine the bottom out of the food chain, they eat all the small stuff and there's nothing for the bigger stuff," Woolf said. "So you end up with smaller fish and small populations."

Funding changes

In 2020 budget documents, the bureau received $6.3 million in funding coming from state sources.

Prevention passes for anglers represented 42% of the funding, while hydroelectric fees represented 40%. Smaller portions were funded by a lodging tax, nonresident boat prevention pass fees and money from the state's general fund.

The department was formed in 2009 and until the 2017 legislative session, it was funded by one-time-only general fund appropriations. In 2016, invasive mussel larvae were confirmed at the Tiber Reservoir in northern Montana, prompting dedicated funding to the bureau.

SB 363, which was passed during the 2017 session, generated approximately $7 million and came from a split between hydroelectric and angler fees.

In 2019, the funding stream was changed and diversified. HB 411 added tax revenue and nonresident boat fees. SB 352 then replaced a fee proposed in HB 411 for resident boats with money from the general fund.

Legislative adjustments in 2019 also reduced the cost of angler prevention passes for non-residents from $15 to $7.50 and exempted all non-resident youth aged 15 and under.

Importantly, SB 363 established the rate for hydroelectric facilities at $795.76 per megawatt to be paid quarterly. Only facilities that produce hydropower greater than 1.5 megawatts have been affected by any state legislation. There are 18 such facilities in the state, a fiscal note attached to the bill said.

Following the 2017 legislation, a hydroelectric plant such as the Madison Dam  which has eight megawatts of capacity  would pay a little over $25,000 per year under that structure.

The next session, in 2019, the rates were amended by HB 411. It set rates of $274.95 per megawatt for facilities that had capacity of 1.5 to less than 25 megawatts, $549.90 for facilities with the capacity of 25 to less than 100 megawatts. Facilities with capacity of 100 megawatts or more would pay $824.85 per megawatt.

In 2021, however, the rates were amended once again. The last legislative session passed SB 384, which established a rate of $397.88 per megawatt of the facility's capacity.

Now, a dam like the Madison will pay around $12,700 per fiscal year toward aquatic invasive species funding.

The U.S. Energy Administration noted there are two dozen utility-scale hydroelectric plants in Montana. In 2014, Northwestern Energy purchased 11 plants for $900 million from PPL Montana and those have a total capacity of around 633 megawatts, according to the company's website.

One facility, the Kerr Dam, now called the Salish-Kootenai Dam, was transferred to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in 2015.

Both NorthWestern Energy and Avista Corporation testified in support of SB 384 during the last legislative session. Tom Ebzery, a Billings attorney representing Avista, said during the state Senate's Fish and Game Committee meeting on March 25 that in 2017, the two companies were paying a combined total of nearly $3 million in fees to support invasive species funding.

"We have supported the AIS program since its inception and continue to do so, but believe another look at the funding of hydroelectric fees needs to be looked at," Ebzery told the senate committee.

A representative from Montana Trout Unlimited noted opposition to the bill, citing concerns with an attached fiscal note. The note states annual revenue from the hydroelectric invasive species fee would drop from $2.8 million to $1.66 million.

Invasive mussels are an expensive problem  a 2019 report by the Montana Invasive Species Council said they could cost $234 million annually in mitigation and lost revenue.

Hope for the future

Despite issues brought on by the pandemic and increased traffic to Montana's natural lands and water, Woolf and the rest of the bureau continue to work on solutions.

Only one Montana body of water or waterway, the Tiber Reservoir, is listed as contaminated by invasive mussels. It is getting closer to being delisted, Woolf said.

There have been no invasive mussel species detected at Tiber over the past five years, he said. Initially, mussel larvae were found, prompting significant mitigation efforts at the reservoir.

A mandatory boat exit check has been enforced over the past five years, along with mussel-sniffing dogs brought in once the water recedes in the fall to check along the shoreline.

A sled that scrapes the bottom of the lake was also used to look for samples. Solid structures are dropped to the bottom of the lake and periodically checked for mussels. Areas around dams and other permanent structures are also checked.

"If you can kill enough of them, they're not close enough together to successfully reproduce (and) that's what we're thinking, is preventing these," Woolf said. "That's how we explain those mussel detections, we have one detection and then we don't see them again.

"We're hopeful we're in that situation entirely  they were established, we detected them and then just weren't able to make it because of that (water) drawdown situation."

Preventing further mussel invasion also comes down to individual actions. Fish, Wildlife and Park's message to boaters of "clean, drain, dry" is important, Woolf said.

He also urged those purchasing boats from out of state to contact them for an inspection. The bureau and its partners operate 43 boat inspection stations statewide for around nine months of the year.

"It is preventable," Woolf said. "The problem is us moving boats around. And all we have to do is clean our stuff."
High Beauty Inc., a Santa Rosa, Calif.-based skincare brand formulated with hempseed oil, closed a $4.17m convertible bridge financing round.

The round was led by RIV Capital, which invested $1.07m, with participation from seventeen additional investors, including ARI Holding, an affiliate of High Beautys Middle East distributor, PIF.VC, Treehouse Global Ventures, and Highlands Venture Partners. Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP, through its investment affiliate SAM Venture Partners, and Consolidated Design West, key vendors of the company, which contributed an additional $3.1m in new capital.

Led by Melissa Jochim, Founder and Formulator, High Beauty is a multiple-branded beauty portfolio that spans channels and borders globally. Both high and canBE naturally high products are formulated with hempseed oil, bioflavonoids and pure essential plant oils, to deliver the benefits of hemp and set a new high for clean beauty standards. The company has global distribution partnerships in the U.S., Canada, Asia, the United Arab Emirates, and the European Union.

The financing was expanded three times to accommodate additional investments from the High Beauty Brand. This included the launch of the companys second brand, canBE naturally, in the United States. Additionally, high launched a line of new biosynthesized cannabinoid products as well as high & bye for blemish-prone skin, both under its exclusive partnership with Lygos.

FinSMEs

14/08/2021
Partners Group, a leading global private markets firm, has announced that it has agreed to acquire 75% controlling stake in fiber-optic broadband provider Atria Convergence Technologies (ACT or the Company) in a transaction that values the company at an enterprise value of nearly US$ 1.2 billion (Rs.9000 crore). The deal is said to be valued at about US$ 900 million (Rs. 6750 crore).

ACT serves around 2 million wired broadband subscribers across 19 cities in India and has over 7,000 employees. Partners Group said that it will work closely with ACT management and TA Associates, which will continue to hold a minority stake, on a value creation plan to support the companys ongoing growth and contribution to the Digital India mission.

ACT is Partners Groups third investment in the telecom space this year after Unity Digital, a telecom tower platform in the Philippines, and Eolo, Italys leading fixed wireless access broadband provider.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including clearance by the relevant merger control authorities.

Commenting on the deal, Manas Tandon, Managing Director, Private Equity, Partners Group, said:

ACT is on the frontline of digitization in India, providing fast, reliable broadband to millions of homes in the country. The Company is an excellent opportunity for us to support the transformation of a growing business through expansion into new markets and development of new product offerings. As existing investors, we have followed ACTs journey for several years and have been impressed with Bala and his teams strategic vision, and their commitment to customer satisfaction, which converges with our focus on operational excellence.

Bala Malladi, Chief Executive Officer, Atria Convergence Technologies, said:

ACT has been a pioneer in the fixed broadband industry with its relentless focus on creating a culture of technological excellence, as well as employee and customer centricity. The company has been at the forefront of facilitating working from home and learning from home during the pandemic and believes in supporting the Digital India mission significantly. Partners Group has been an integral part of the Companys growth journey for several years and is a great believer and supporter of our core values. The firms experience working with global technology companies and its expertise in supporting multi-dimensional growth will be very valuable.
National Drinks in Perfumery: Czech Republic & Bosnia

Columns

CZECH REPUBLIC



BY VIKTORIYA WLASOWA

The Czech Republic is located in the heart of Europe and has a rich history of both animosity and cooperation with its neighboring states, accepting immigrants of all nationalities, and was part of the Austro-Hungarian and Holy Roman Empire, as well as the former socialist camp (which, basically, was also an empire). It isn't a surprise, therefore, that many of the country's national dishes are similar to the cuisines of neighboring (or sometimes not even truly nearby) countries. Tasty roasted ham hock (aka 'pork knuckle'), knedlik (a kind of bread dumpling), sauerkraut, Christmas carp, and apple strudel, among others, can be found dressing German, Austrian, Slovakian, Hungarian, and Polish tables too. Czechs have a rather relaxed attitude towards the matter and are generally not inclined to make a cult out of food.

Preparing Czech style dumplings - knedlik

I do understand that anyone who has ever gotten their hands on veprovy koleno (ham hock/pork knuckle) at Novomestsky Pivovar restaurant (alas, it has recently closed its doors for good) will not be willing to believe me, but the truth is indeed the following: all dishes that Czech cuisine-based restaurants in the country try to lure tourists with are actually holiday dishes made for family feasts and large get-togethers, especially those in the Fall-Winter season, so one "knuckle" is meant to serve not one, but several people. The country's everyday cuisine is nowhere near as fattening or abundant - the majority of Czechs have just one 'serious' (i.e., hot) meal per day and tend to skip late dinners (or supper) altogether. That said, the successful borrowing of worthy ideas from neighbors and immigrants continues - for instance, medovy dort (honey cake), which is now perceived as a very traditional Czech dessert that's featured on the menu of nearly every restaurant, appeared in the Czech Republic just thirty years ago courtesy of Armenian immigrants.

Trdelnik rolls

And if you think that trdelnik rolls made from puff pastry dusted with sugar and cinnamon is some kind of old-fashioned Czech treat, you got it wrong again - it was brought in from Hungary just about 15 years ago. Even a decade ago it wasn't easy to buy buckwheat (essential for any Russian ex-pat), yet now the grain is sold at every supermarket on par with rice, couscous, and bulgur. I am certain that the rather large Vietnamese diaspora will also gradually impact how the Czech cuisine evolves in the future - already, thanks to the Vietnamese, it has become popular to eat fresh herbs in seasons other than spring and summer. In a word, to search for aromas of the Czech cuisine in perfumery equals the search for food aromas in general, since the spread is far too wide.

But what about drinks? Beer, you will likely mention. Or "Becherovka"?! Oh, Czech beer is beautiful and multifaceted; the map of the Czech Republic is literally dotted with breweries, and although there is a style for every taste, "lezak" is considered a national specialty - a bottom-fermented light beer that has a rather bitter taste (by the way, traditionally Czech beer is drunk without any snacks, and if absolutely necessary, one drinks it with a rogalik ("beer bagel") - a dryish crescent-shaped pastry made from wheat flour with salt and caraway seeds).

At the same time, "lezak" is just the Czech name for lager, which is the best-selling beer in the world and is brewed everywhere, really everywhere. So I personally do not see anything specifically Czech in the smell of beer, but if someone insists on the beer aroma as being the Czech national smell, I would advise this person to look for perfumes containing notes of hops because of the Pilsen-type lezak-lager, which is widely available in the Czech Republic, some particularly aromatic hops from the area around the town of Zatec are typically used. The problem is that perfumers do not particularly favor the note of hops - only niche brands ever dare to use it: Nimere Parfums (Single Malt on the Rocks), Anna Zworykina (Fallen Leaves, Honey and Tar), Art Deco Perfumes (Herbs of Scotland), etc.

Many firmly associate the Czech Republic with Beherovka - an herbal bitter. In the early XIX century, Josef Vitus Becher of Karlovy Vary developed a medicine for the stomach that was based on medicinal herbs, and in order to make the tincture more appetizing, he added spices - aniseed, fennel, coriander, cloves, cardamom, etc. These are the actual ingredients responsible for Beherovka's aroma. Similar bitters are widespread in Europe and include Jaegermeister, Bittner, Campari, Aperol, and Riga Black Balsam. In the Czech Republic, Beherovka has a strong competitor, Fernet Stock, which is also Czech, infused with herbs and spices and in no way inferior to Beherovka in terms of richness of taste. However, just like in the joke about the rat and the hamster, Beherovka simply has "better PR" - and I mean that literally; the bitter started to gain worldwide popularity when it was included in Pernod Ricard's portfolio of brands, with the liquor giant advertising their newest addition in the early 2000s. The company also sells Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Chivas Regal whisky, Absolut vodka, and many other kinds of spirits that are very familiar to all liquor connoisseurs. So today, one does not have to travel to the Czech Republic to get their hands on a bottle of Beherovka. Meanwhile, Czechs have long enjoyed consuming Beherovka as part of the Beton cocktail (a mix of beherovka and tonic, an obvious pun since the word beton means "concrete" in Czech).

The composition of "Becherovka" is top secret, so it is hard to tell exactly what medicinal herbs are included in it - however, one can get close by smelling the drink. It is dominated by cardamom, fennel, and cloves, with the quite particular note of dried orange peel as the aroma's light undertone. If you want a perfumery hint at Becherovka, you should look for it in Hermes' Hermessence Cardamusc, or in Serge Lutens' Bapteme du Feu, Demeter's Cardamom, Kenzo Jungle, and Zara For Him (the latter has already been discontinued, but it is still possible to find the fragrance at some outlets).

When people ask me what to try in the Czech Republic that would be Czech to the core and definitely not available anywhere else while being something that the Czechs themselves love, I would advise neither beer nor Becherovka, but the soft drink Kofola. It is featured on the menu of nearly every restaurant, and if the culinary institute of your choice happens not to offer it, then it is not a problem to find Kofola at any grocery store and even in small kiosks where they sell the latest press. In essence, this is a sweet soda much like Coca-Cola or Pepsi Cola, but I guarantee that you will not be able to find this exact version anywhere else - well, maybe except Slovakia, because the beverage is connected to the historical period when the two countries were united as one and the same state.

In 1959, the Czech Research Institute of Crop Production was tasked with developing a "Coca-Cola" type drink that would mainly be based on the country's own vegetal raw materials and, in addition, would make it possible to smartly utilize caffeine, which remained in excess after the production of instant coffee. A team led by Z. Blazek, Ph.D., created the multi-component Kofo syrup, which served as the basis for the carbonated drink launched in 1960. Kofola has become a universal favorite, successfully surviving the fall of the socialist regime, and is now a confident competitor to all imported non-alcoholic carbonated drinks in the country.

Can there be something original in a beverage that was created as a dupe for Coke, one might wonder? One has to try Kofola just once to get it; it is the beverage's generous dose of licorice. In essence, it is a licorice lemonade. Not everybody loves licorice, but if you like it - you will appreciate Kofola and you will miss its taste when you leave the Czech Republic. But Kofola is certainly not just about licorice. The original Kofo syrup consists of 14 ingredients, mostly derived from fruits and herbs native to the country. To make the syrup, juices of apple, cherry, raspberry, blackcurrant, as well as extracts of licorice, aniseed, cardamom, orange, and cinnamon, plus light and dark caramel, as well as sugar, are used. In addition to Kofo syrup, Kofola contains ingredients that are typical for most soft carbonated drinks: water, colorant, flavoring, etc., but, unlike Coke, Kofola does not contain phosphoric acid.

Naturally, they have produced many a flanker to Kofola in recent years - watermelon, apricot, mint, and even dandelion flavors, as well as cherry and raspberry varieties, but I personally prefer the classic version. Traditional Kofola is not cloyingly sweet (sources maintain that it contains 30% less sugar than Coke), has a noticeable bitterish acidity to its flavor, and also a licorice-juniper berry aftertaste. Many people find Kofola most similar to the Soviet soda called Baikal, another well-known Coco-Cola dupe.

As for the scent of Kofola, it is not at all sweet; it contains spicy herbs, lemon peel, and just a bit of licorice. If someone were to reproduce this in perfumery, it would turn out to be a classic men's cologne. Indeed, something similar can be found in modern 4711 colognes, playing on the citrus-spicy theme - Juniper Berry & Marjoram and Mandarine & Cardamom. Truth be told, those two lack the light licorice tone to be truly Kofola-like, but the note of licorice in perfumery is generally problematic - it is either enhanced to the point of sticky candy, or it's completely lost in the overall sound of the fragrance. Licorice is often mentioned when talking about Lolita Lempicka fragrances, but all of them are very far from the Kofola scent. Hermessence Brin de Reglisse by Hermes comes much closer since it combines well-balanced licorice with herbs.

BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA



BY ZORAN KNEZEVIC

Whenever somebody mentions Serbian culture, the first association that comes to mind is plum brandy - slivovitz or slivovica (rakija is its generic name). Slivovica is there with you from the cradle: first, parents treat family and guests once a child is born, then baptized, is going to the army, getting married, it is on the table for all holidays, and finally, at the funeral, when people drink and pour it over the grave.

Slivovica is an important part of wedding rituals - the Godfather who leads the ceremony holds a special wooden flask filled with slivovica. The flask, called Cutura, is decorated with woodwork, and by the flask, you know who is in charge. He meets guests, gives speeches, and leads songs.

For such an important beverage, there is a whole procedure or rather tradition around preparing slivovica. In late August and early September, the whole family goes to orchards to pick plums. Pozegaca is the most desirable plum variety because of its meaty, fleshy fruit and an easily separable pit.

The best part of the harvest is used for jam, plum dumplings, etc, but most of the harvest goes straight to large wooden barrels that are filled up to about 1/5 of the barrel height below the top. In the following months, the plums in barrels start to ferment and turn into thick pulp that rises to the top of the barrel. In Germany, they have Octoberfest, and in Balkan, we also have a similar tradition to prepare for winter and greet fall - we "bake" slivovica. The fermented pulp is ready by the middle of October and families line up to rent (if they don't own) huge distilling boilers, sometimes having to wait for their turn into December. It is a busy time.

The ceremony starts by lighting a fire and drinking brandy from the previous year to show gratitude for the last year's harvest and signify the continuation of the tradition. A shot of it is often splashed into the fire. The fermented pulp is poured into the copper cooker and distillation begins!

The first quarter-liter is considered to be of lower quality, as is the last, so this alcohol is caught in a glass and put aside. Then, about 10 liters of new brandy are distilled. The strength of the alcohol is measured, it has to be about 43 degrees, which will be 40 once the brandy settles. The first 10 trial liters are removed and another cycle starts. 3-4 liters of the 10, the last to be distilled, are added to the second cycle, along with the first glass.

The goal of this alchemy is to aim for pure ethanol. The pulp has a characteristic smell of fermented plums and shares it with the beverage. The whole process requires attention and experience, which the younger generation acquires on the go while helping older family members and paying attention to subtle nuances and details discussed among participants between shared news, jokes, and toasts conducted by their family and neighbors. The process is festive and wholesome, like preparing a magic potion. If done right, slivovitz will be tasty, smooth, and won't leave you with a headache the next day.

Children are not allowed to touch the pulp, alcohol, or measuring instruments. This serious business is reserved for one's dad, grandpa, and visiting neighbors who are always welcome to participate in the distilling, eating, and drinking. Still, there is plenty of work left for children, and one job is to stir the pulp in the barrel so it does not burn since it is believed that a wooden fire is much better than natural gas. Kids bake potatoes, sausages, carry woods, and sit around, being initiated in the secrets of this holy process of distilling alcohol and listening to adult conversations, imagining a picture of the world that awaits once they grow up. If there is a newborn in the house, the father orders about a 10-liter glass container to be sealed, and the year and name of the child are written on the bottle. That's the brandy to be kept for years, to fill the wedding flask.

Adults drink the new brandy, but surprisingly nobody ever gets drunk during the process. The need to attend and operate the process and constant heavy labor keep them just right in a good mood and responsible. The distillation at bigger households with large orchards can last for weeks. Besides plums, apples and pears and other fruits are also fermented, and corresponding brandies are made in much lesser quantities. Also, sometimes thyme, Perforate St John's-wort, wormwood, and juniper are added to the pulp to make aromatic brandy. Usually, it's made in much lesser quantities and kept for if somebody gets sick or for appetizers.
Greenwood Village, Colorado, Aug. 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Selectis Health, Inc. f/k/a Global Healthcare REIT, Inc.) (OTC: GBCS) ("Selectis" or the "Company"), which owns and operates Assisted Living, Independent Living, and Skilled Nursing facilities, announced today that it expects to issue its second quarter 2021 financial results on August 16, 2021.



Conference Call

Selectis invites current and prospective investors to join the shareholder call on August 16, 2021, at 4:15 PM EDT (1:15 PM PDT), during which Selectis management will discuss the Companys second quarter 2021 performance.

The number to call for the interactive teleconference is (877) 705-6003 and the confirmation number is 13722498. A telephonic replay of the call will be available after 6:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on the same day through Monday, August 30, 2021, by dialing (844) 512-2921 and entering the confirmation number 13722498.

About Selectis Health

Selectis Health owns and operates ALF, ILF, and SNF in Arkansas, Georgia, Ohio, and Oklahoma providing a wide array of living services, speech, occupational, physical therapies, social services, and other rehabilitation and healthcare services.

For Further Information Contact:

Brandon Thall

investors@selectis.com
When Talking Heads famously sang, Well, how did I get here?, they were meditating on how time and circumstance wash over us so imperceptibly that one day we wake up to the realization that were living very different lives than we thought. In 2021, Republicans of both the Greenwich and national variety want desperately to convince themselves and others that the racism, hatred, insurrection and stupidity that define their party isnt really who they are.

See, as recently as 60 years ago, nearly all Americans believed government should play a role in regulating the economy, building infrastructure and creating a social safety net, the heart of the New Deal. But big business Republicans reflexively hated regulations and taxes, and they despised the idea of a level playing field. Once the Supreme Court ended legal segregation and the civil rights movement gained traction in America however, mainstream Republicans identifying as conservative, (think of Sarah Palins, real Americans) began sympathizing with this hatred and buying into the rights original culture war issue: that the government was redistributing money from hardworking white people to lazy people of color. Soon, just wanting a middle class, level playing field would be labeled socialism.

But since people in well-educated, progressive Eastern states such as Connecticut were less likely to buy this nativist red meat, Republicans began cultivating the more fertile grounds of the libertarian West and Confederate South. So when traditional Conservative Barry Goldwater of Arizona lost the 1964 presidential election, Republicans were ready to embrace the new Movement Conservative branch of the party which idolized the inaccurate myth of the strong, independent, get government off my back, women back in the kitchen and Black people back in their place white men who tamed America. And to help strengthen the pitch, they welcomed Evangelicals into the party with promises to return America to its also inaccurately claimed Christian roots.

By 1980 when Ronald Reagan became president and Republicans finally got their slashed taxes, gutted regulations and business-friendly supply side economics designed to strangle the middle class, the average Republican-American was already brainwashed that this was the one true path toward making America great. And even though wages stalled, the rich got richer, and we stopped investing in America, the ginned-up culture wars were used to divert our attention. Social programs were cut to pay for revenue shortfalls and explained by Movements as necessary to stop giving those people free stuff. The brainwashing became easier when Reagan eliminated the Fairness Doctrine, allowing Fox News and other hate and fear mongers to lie all over the public airwaves. And what they said over and over, was that only Movement Conservative politicians and policies could ever be good for you and America.

Which is why the economic success of the Clinton years, which proved that the policies of pre-Movement America worked, completely terrified Conservatives, leading the out of power Movement machine to spend every day tearing down the president and his wife, first over cultural and later over mostly imaginary issues. Which takes us to 2000, when all the hard work of the Movements in terms of voter suppression, court packing and gerrymandering in the name of defending those original Conservative myths paid off.

When Bush2 entered the White House, he brought the Movements back, reversing successful economic polices, turning surpluses into deficits, waging illegal wars, and got away with it by pandering to the now entrenched white American supremacy myth. In 2008, Americans thought they had rejected those white supremacists and the Movements by electing Barack Obama, but what they really did was weld them permanently to the Republican Party. And after eight years of obstruction and intolerance, it was time to destroy the New Deal once and for all. To disenfranchise voters, and put women and people of color in their place. To reject American values and look backward to a fictional past instead of seeking a better, inclusive future.

And thats how we got here. The current anti-American madness over insurrection, vaccines, the Big Lie, voter suppression, bigotry and hatred didnt start with Trump. Its been the Republican brand and core philosophy for decades, which by the way, every Greenwich Republican currently on a ballot or in office grew up supporting.

David Rafferty is a Greenwich resident.
At just short of 20 years, the now-ending U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan was America's longest war. Ordinary Americans tended to forget about it, and it received measurably less oversight from Congress than the Vietnam War did. But its death toll is in the many tens of thousands. And because the U.S. borrowed most of the money to pay for it, generations of Americans will be burdened by the cost of paying it off.

Heres a look at the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, by the numbers, as the Taliban in a lightning offensive take over much of the country before the United States Aug. 31 deadline for ending its combat role and as the U.S. speeds up American and Afghan evacuations.
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)  New York health officials said Saturday they would soon issue state guidance on giving additional COVID-19 vaccine doses to people with severely weakened immune systems, now that the federal government is allowing them extra shots.

State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said Saturday that the state's vaccine task force met Friday to discuss the matter and would complete its review quickly.

In the meantime, he encouraged doctors to contact potentially eligible patients and discuss the benefits of receiving an additional dose.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday that transplant recipients and other similarly immune-compromised patients  but not the general public  can get a third dose of the usually two-shot Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the decision.

New York, like some other states, has its own task force of scientists and health experts who review COVID-19 vaccines, a process the state says is meant to ensure New Yorkers' confidence in the inoculations.

The FDA's decision applies to an estimated 3% or less of U.S. adults, including organ transplant recipients. The CDC said others who could qualify include people with advanced or untreated HIV infections and cancer patients who are receiving certain chemotherapies.

U.S. health officials continue to assess if and when to require boosters for everyone, but they say it's not yet needed.

In the meantime, some people have been seeking out extra doses on their own, and the CDC says about 1.1 million people already have gotten one. Some have traveled across state lines or dissembled about their vaccination status to do so.

Countries including Israel, Germany, Russia, France and the United Kingdom have approved third doses for some especially vulnerable people.

However, the head of the World Health Organization recently urged wealthier nations to stop administering extra doses, stressing that vaccines are needed in other countries where few people have received any shots.
SYDNEY  Poland has sent one million COVID-19 vaccines to Sydney where the delta variant continues to spread, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday.

The first of the Pfizer vaccines left Warsaw via the United Arab Emirates and will arrive in Sydney over Sunday night, Morrison said.

Australia bought the vaccines after weeks of negotiations between Morrison and his Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki. Morrison did not reveal the price.

A key factor in being able to secure these doses from our Polish friends has been that we have had a significant outbreak in our largest city, Morrison said.

Sydney has been in lockdown since June 26 due to an outbreak first detected 10 days earlier. Surrounding New South Wales state was entirely locked down from Saturday because of recent infections detected in regional towns and virus found in wastewater in the states north and west.

Residents aged 20-to-39 in Sydneys worst-effected areas would be given 530,000 of the new doses. This age group was responsible for most of the virus spread, Morrison said.

The remaining doses would be shared with other Australian states and territories.

Only 25% of Australians aged 16 and older had been fully vaccinated by Friday. Australia has one of the slowest vaccine rollouts among wealthy countries.

New South Wales reported 415 new infections in the latest 24-your period on Sunday. A record 466 new cases were reported on Saturday. Sundays total was the second-highest tally of the pandemic.

Four people had died overnight, bringing the death toll in New South Wales from the latest outbreak to 46.

___

MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:

 Coronavirus claims more young victims in U.S. as deaths climb

 Protesters in France denounce COVID-19 health pass for 5th straight Saturday

 COVAX only goes so far as rich countries dominate global vaccine allotments

 Iran will impose 6-day general lockdown against coronavirus

___

 Find more AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine

___

HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

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ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The Anchorage Daily News reports that the Foo Fighters rock band is requiring that people who attend their upcoming shows in Alaska be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or receive a negative test result 48 hours before attending.

The 12-time Grammy-winning-band plans to perform in Anchorage on Aug. 17 and 19 at the Denaina Center and in Fairbanks on Aug. 21 at the Carlson Center.

Negative test results or proof of vaccination must be provided before entering   either the original card or copy of card with an ID to match, according to a statement Saturday from Ticketmaster.

___

PHOENIX  Arizona on Saturday reported over 3,000 additional COVID-19 cases for the second straight day.

The states seven-day rolling averages for cases and deaths also continued to rise along with virus-related hospitalizations. The states coronavirus dashboard reported 1,601 hospitalizations as of Thursday, along with 3,418 additional cases and 27 more deaths.

In another development, the superintendent of the Scottsdale Unified School District said increased spread of COVID-19 threatens to end in-person learning.

Also, the Salt-River Pima-Community Indian Community announced residents and visitors must help curb spread of COVID-19 by wearing masks while visiting government offices, businesses and schools on the tribes Phoenix-area reservation.

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OLYMPIA, Wash.  The Washington Department of Health recommended a third dose of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for people with severely weakened immune systems.

The recommendation Saturday comes as the delta variant surges in the country. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday that immunocompromised Americans can get an extra dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for better protection.

The FDAs announcement applies to about 3% of U.S. adults who are especially vulnerable because of organ transplants, certain cancers or other disorders. Several other countries, including France and Israel, have similar recommendations.

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.  President Joe Biden has called school district superintendents in Florida and Arizona, praising them for doing what he called the right thing after their respective boards implemented mask requirements in defiance of their Republican governors amid growing COVID-19 infections.

The White House said in a statement Saturday that the Democratic president had spoken with interim Broward Superintendent Vickie Cartwright in Florida and Phoenix Union High School District Superintendent Chad Gestson in Arizona. Biden thanked them for their leadership and discuss their shared commitment to getting all students back in safe, full-time in-person instruction this school year.

Bidens phone calls of support come as tensions build over whether local school districts can and should require face coverings for students and school staff as in-person classes resume. In Texas, several school districts  along with the states most populous county  won temporary legal victories Friday in seeking to override Republican Gov. Greg Abbotts ban on mask mandates, which they argued is making the COVID-19 pandemic worse.

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  New Mexico health officials say an increase in hospitalizations across the state has prompted them to put out an urgent call for volunteer nurses to help boost the states medical work force.

The New Mexico Department of Health late Friday called on nurses or anyone with a medical license to volunteer to help because they believe hospitals could soon be overwhelmed with patients. They want recently retired health workers or anyone qualified to sign up for the states Medical Reserve Corps.

Hospitals in New Mexico and across the nation are seeing increased hospitalizations because of long-postponed surgeries and a surge in COVID-19 patients. The delta variant of the coronavirus is much more contagious than previous strains.

The state Friday reported 798 additional COVID-19 cases and five new deaths. They bring the count of confirmed New Mexico virus cases since the pandemic began in early 2020 to 218,569 and the number of deaths to 4,446.

State officials said their modeling predicts more than 1,000 new cases a day in the next several weeks.

We ask our nurses, and anyone with a medical license, to once again volunteer with the Medical Reserve Corps, Dr. David R. Scrase, the acting director of the state health department, said in a statement. To get through this together, we need everyone who can provide patient care to work side by side with us during this critical time.

The states Reserve Medical Corps has filled more than 139 requests during the pandemic, deploying 2,750 volunteers.

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MINNEAPOLIS  The University of Minnesota System will join hundreds of colleges nationwide in requiring a COVID-19 vaccination for students and staff at its five campuses.

The mandate approved by the Board of Regents on Friday will take effect once the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gives final approval to a coronavirus vaccine and not just emergency use status. Full approval is expected in the coming weeks.

Faculty and staff at the Twin Cities, Duluth, Rochester, Crookston and Morris campuses must either get vaccinated or undergo regular COVID-19 testing.

The university will allow medical and religious exemptions to this mandate. The University of Minnesota campuses educate about 67,000 students and employ 26,000 people.

System leaders said they will soon share more details about the vaccination requirement, including how much time students will have to get the shots after FDA approval and any consequences for not complying with the mandate.

___

OLATHE, Kan.  The most populous county in Kansas is requiring its employees to submit to weekly COVID-19 testing if they arent vaccinated.

Johnson County Manager Penny Postoak Ferguson said that only 46% of county employees had reported being fully vaccinated as of Wednesday. Countywide, nearly 58% of eligible residents are fully vaccinated.

Beginning Aug. 23, government employees who are not fully vaccinated must get tested once a week. The Kansas City Star reports that employees who work in departments providing direct care to residents are subject to tests up to twice weekly. Similar requirements already have taken effect in school districts, businesses and cities elsewhere.

___

PARIS  Thousands of people, from families to far-right sympathizers, marched in cities across France for a fifth straight Saturday to denounce a COVID-19 health pass needed to enter restaurants and long-distance trains.

Some 1,600 police were deployed for three separate marches in Paris, a week after the health pass went into effect. Liberty was the slogan, with protesters saying the health pass limits their freedom.

Polls show most French people support the health pass.

The marches came as France is facing soaring numbers of new infections, driven by the more transmissible delta variant. In Montpellier, some 7,500 people marched. The city is in the region where the infection rate is above 600 per 100,000 people, among the highest in the country.

On Friday, 46.1 million people in France, nearly 68% of the population, had received at least one vaccine shot. More than 38.8 million, or 57%, had two shots.

NEW YORK  New York health officials say theyll soon issue state guidance on giving additional COVID-19 vaccine doses to people with severely weakened immune systems, now that the federal government is allowing it.

State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker says the states vaccine task force met Friday to discuss the matter. Zucker says the group will complete its review quickly.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced transplant recipients and other similarly immune-compromised patients can get a third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. It doesnt apply to the general public.

New York, like some other states, has its own task force of scientists and health experts who review COVID-19 vaccines, a process the state says is meant to ensure New Yorkers confidence in the inoculations.

The FDAs decision applies to an estimated 3% or less of U.S. adults, including organ transplant recipients. The CDC says others who could qualify include people with advanced or untreated HIV infections and cancer patients who are receiving certain chemotherapies.

___

MONTGOMERY, Ala.  The number of COVID-19 deaths in Alabama are increasing after a case surge fueled by low vaccinations rates and the highly contagious delta variant.

State Health Officer Scott Harris says Alabama is reporting double-digit death numbers for the first time in months. The seven-day rolling average of daily deaths in Alabama rose to 21 deaths per day on Aug. 11, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Harris says the reported deaths were expected to rise as the state experiences a surge in cases and hospitalizations.

Deaths are a lagging indicator. Deaths happen last. We see case numbers go up, we see hospitalizations go up and then we see deaths go up, Harris says.

On Friday, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued a limited state of emergency aimed at giving medical providers flexibility on staffing and capacity decisions and easier shipment of emergency equipment and supplies. The Republican governor stressed she would not be issuing any closure orders or mask mandates.

___

DALLAS  Texas health officials reported 13,614 coronavirus cases and 144 deaths on Friday, the most deaths since Feb. 26.

State health officials registered 11,261 COVID-19 hospitalizations in Texas.

The state is quickly approaching its highest number of hospitalizations during the pandemic  14,218 on Jan. 11, when it was in the throes of a winter surge.

Texas has totaled more than 2.7 million confirmed cases and 54,196 confirmed deaths since the start of the pandemic.

___

SEDALIA, Mo.  Mostly unmasked crowds packed into the Missouri State Fair this week as it opened in Sedalia amid soaring COVID-19 numbers.

Fair officials decided in the spring to bring back the full fair after replacing it with a much smaller youth livestock show last year because of safety concerns, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

State Fair Director Mark Wolfe says his staff anticipated up to 340,000 attendees before the event ends Aug. 22.

Unlike the state fair in neighboring Illinois, masks are optional. Among the unmasked was Brian Eggers, a 55-year-old farmer who lives outside Chillicothe. He lost a close neighbor as well as aunts and uncles to COVID-19 but says he hasnt gotten around to getting vaccinated.

Im not anti-vaccine, but I havent gotten it myself yet, he says, watching a youth livestock show, adding: If God wants to take me, thats his choice.

Jessica Miller, who helmed the vaccination station at the fair, say five patients were immunized in the first 2.5 hours of operation. Some told Miller their jobs were requiring the vaccine.

___
The Samsung Galaxy A03s renders that leaked in May revealed the smartphone will pack a waterdrop notch display and sport a triple camera system on the rear. While those images showed us the Galaxy A03s in Black color, a new set of renders have surfaced, revealing two more colorways - White and Blue.

In addition to showing the Galaxy A03s in new shades, the source reveals that the smartphone will come with a 6.5" HD+ Infinity-V display, Android 11-based One UI Core 3.1, 128GB storage, and 6GB RAM. Although there's a 4GB RAM model as well that was spotted on Geekbench with Helio G35 SoC, and rumor has it that the European unit will have 3GB RAM and 32GB storage onboard.

The source also corroborates previously leaked specs, including a 5,000 mAh battery, 5MP selfie camera, and triple camera on the back consisting of 13MP primary, 2MP macro, and 2MP depth sensor units.

There's no word from Samsung about the Galaxy A03s yet, but the smartphone's support page went live on the company's official Indian website last month, suggesting an imminent launch.

Source
The Xiaomi Mix 4 (no Mi this time around) was unveiled a few days ago and is apparently already in very short supply. While we were under the impression that initial sales in China are scheduled for August 16, it has become clear that Xiaomi recently had a presale event, which quickly exhausted the first batch of phones on the company's home market.

The disappointment among eager fans, unable to secure a unit, was, so big that company president and senior VP, Lu Weibing took to Weibo to apologize for the inconvenience and shed some light on the situation.



Lu Weibing on Weibo

Apparently, stock for the Mix 4 is, indeed, nearly depleted after the presale, with very limited quantities left for August 16, when official sales are still scheduled to kick-off. Lu expects those to move very quickly as well and continues to explain that due to limited Snapdragon 888+ supply and lower yields on the phone's premium ceramic back panel, supplies will be limited going forward as well. To be fair, historically, the Mix line has often been more of a signature, almost tech showcase kind of thing for Xiaomi, so limited availability is not entirely unexpected.

As a reminder, the Mix 4 is available in either an 8GB/128GB variant, or a 12GB/512GB one, for CNY 4,999 ($770) and CNY 6,299 ($970), respectively and is currently exclusive to China. There have been rumors of a potential international release, though, these supply and demand constraints on the Chinese market could put a wrench in that plan altogether.

Some highlights on the Xiaomi Mix 4 include an under-display 20MP selfie camera, beneath a curved 6.67-inch, FHD+, 120Hz AMOLED panel. An 1/1.33-inch 108MP ISOCELL HMX main sensor with OIS, 8MP periscope module with 5x optical zoom and 13MP ultrawide with a free-form lens. Running the show - a 4,500 mAh battery, with 120W wired charging and 50W wireless. There is also ultra wideband (UWB) support on board.

Source (in Chinese) | Via




Haiti - FLASH : Investigating Judge Mathieu Chanlatte withdraws from the file on the assassination of President Jovenel Moise





Friday August 13, 2021, after having accepted this week to investigate the case of the assassination of President Jovenel Moise https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34444-haiti-justice-judge-mathieu-chanlatte-will-investigate-the-case-of-the-assassination-of-the-president-official.html, Judge Mathieu Chanlatte announces that he deports (withdraws) from the file.



Although in his deportation letter he mentions "reasons of personal convenience" it seems that in addition to the lack of logistical means to carry out his training, the lack of security for him and his family, are the main reasons that led him to make this decision.



Me Bernard Saint-Vil, the Dean of the Court of First Instance of Port-au-Prince, will therefore have to find a new judge who agrees to investigate the case of the assassination of the Head of State.



Letter of deportation from Me Mathieu Chanlatte :



"We, Me Mathieu Chanlatte, Judge of Instruction at the Court of First Instance of Port-au-Prince.



Considering the indictment to inform the Public Prosecutor's Office of this Competence;



Considering the ordinance of designation of the Dean, Me Bernard Saint-Vil;



Whereas by order of the Dean, the file of the named Christian Emmanuel Sanon, James Solages, Joseph Vincent, Gilbert Dragon and others, charged with serious suspicions of murder, attempted murder, act of terrorism, night theft with armed hands and criminal association to the detriment of the President of the Republic Mr. Jovenel Moise and his wife Marie Etienne Martine Moise, has been distributed in our criminal investigation office;



Whereas the examining magistrate may withdraw from knowledge of the case at any stage of the proceedings;



For these reasons, we withdraw from the said file for reasons of personal convenience and order its return to the Dean of this tribunal for the legal consequences.



Given by us, Me Mathieu Chanlatte, Examining Magistrate at the Court of First Instance of Port-au-Prince, on Friday, August 13, two thousand and twenty-one (August 13, 2021).



Me Mathieu Chanlatte, Investigating Judge



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34444-haiti-justice-judge-mathieu-chanlatte-will-investigate-the-case-of-the-assassination-of-the-president-official.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34371-haiti-flash-a-4th-police-officer-arrested-in-direct-connection-with-the-assassination-of-president-moise.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















By William Schwartz | Published on 2021/08/09

The opening of "Police University" paints a fairly straightforward picture of this being a youth drama, where everything is driving toward an exciting career as a police officer. The teenage Seon-ho (played by Jin Young) is a genius hacker, but lacks any greater purpose than assisting his brother Seung-beom (played by Choi Woo-sung) with ill-advised romantic schemes. Seon-ho runs afoul of judo athlete Kang-hee (played by Jung Soo-jung) as a part of one of these schemes.

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These moments of "Police University" are genuinely adorable, as is Seon-ho's subsequent scheme of applying to the police academy mostly out of an obvious silly crush on Kang-hee. But there's nowhere as much emphasis on the youth aspects of the story as I was hoping or expecting. We are instead given some pretty horribly mixed metaphors in the form of police detective Dong-man (played by Cha Tae-hyun), whose entire character completely wrecks the premise.

The first, most obvious problem is that Dong-man is not terribly competent. After his case against an illegal casino owner falls apart, Dong-man is party to an accident that indirectly forces Seon-ho to take a hard tilt toward a life of crime. Well, whether this hard tilt was actually necessary is kind of ambiguous. We're explicitly told that Seon-ho's dad Taek-il (played by Oh Man-seok-I) was actually recovering on his own and may not have needed the fancy robot surgery.

All of these details demand elaboration, yet in terms of the story, none of them is particularly relevant. "Police University" whiffs a lot of its propagandistic premise just by all these unfortunate implications. So cops aren't good at their jobs, they don't need to compensate the people they hurt during their line of work, and they also freely recruit from admitted criminals? Was all of this supposed to make being a police officer sound like a noble profession?

All we really needed to set up the cliffhanger was a contrived situation where Dong-man has it in for Seon-ho over a situation not really worth legal prosecution- and all the goofiness at the judo tournmanent already serves that purpose. As cute as "Police University" may be when it focuses on the younger characters, none of this poorly thought through backstory bodes well for the script. I'm likewise ambivalent about how Jung Soo-jung has surprisingly little screentime for a female lead, and Choi Woo-sung has a surprisingly high amount of it given that he's listed as minor cast.

Review by William Schwartz

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"Police University" is directed by Yoo Kwan-mo, written by Moon Min-jung, and features Jin Young, Cha Tae-hyun, Jung Soo-jung, Chu Young-woo, Lee Dal, Yoo Young-jae. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2021/08/09~Now airing, Mon, Tue 21:30 on KBS.
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Published on 2021/08/14 | Source

Korean movie "The Prayer" added to HanCinema database

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"The Prayer" (2020)

Directed by Min Gyoo-dong

With Lee Yoo-young, Ye Soo-jung, Yeom Hye-ran, Choi Byung-mo, Yoon Kyung-ho, Moon Sook,...

Theatrical version of the episode 01 of "SF8" drama series.

Synopsis

"The Prayer" is about robots that replace the care-giving world.

A patient in a vegetative state lying in a nursing home for 10 years, a very exhausted caregiver, and a robot nurse who looks after them both, agonizes over which person to save...

No release date in Korea yet
Chamber to host candidate forum next week

The Henderson County Chamber of Commerce will host a virtual candidate forum for the Hendersonville City Council and mayoral election from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 19.

Invited candidates for mayor are Barbara Volk and DJ Harrington. City Council candidates are Mike Baer, Raphael Morales,

Debbie Roundtree, Jerry Smith, Mike Vesely and Chelsea Walsh. City voters will elect the mayor and two council members.

Each candidate will be given two minutes for opening comments followed by audience questions through the Zoom chat feature.

A moderator will also ask questions and each candidate will be given 90 seconds to answer. Each candidate will get a 2-minute closing statement.

The forum is free. Registration is required here.
LEANDER CLUB raced in 15 out of 47 races on the fourth day of this years Henley Royal Regatta.

It has so far won most of today's events while Henley Rowing Club lost against Headington School in the Junior Womens Eights and is due to compete in the Thames Challenge Cup this afternoon.

At 9.50am, Leander's Seb Devereux was up against Dara Alizadeh, of Cambridge University, in the Diamond Challenge Sculls and won his race easily.

At 10.30am, Leanders A crew won by three and three-quarter lengths race against a composite crew from Nottingham Rowing Club and Leander, which included the latters Olivia Caesar at stroke, in the Town Challenge Cup for womens fours.

Ten minutes later, Henley Rowing Club was defeated by Headington School in the Junior Womens Eights by two and a half lengths. Their rivals stole an early lead in the race and the Henley crew, most of whom were racing at the regatta for the first time, were unable to close the gap.

Their coach Leon Redman said: "They did incredibly well and stepped up to the plate, leaving everything out on the course and doing the best they could.

"It was difficult training during the lockdown but we got them all the equipment that we could, like light weights and ergos, and trained via Zoom.

"They're proud of themselves and can see the improvements they've made throughout the season but Headington put in a strong performance and that's just the way it goes.

"The girls will be staying on site to watch the men's eight racing and can just enjoy the rest of the regatta now. They're happy to have raced at Henley as it's the one event we all look forward to."

At 10.50am, a Leander Club mens quad won by two lengths against the Tideway Scullers School in the Prince of Wales Challenge Cup.

At 11.20am, Leanders Sam Redgrave and its vice-captain Susie Dear won by two and a quarter lengths against Sophie Payne, also of Leander, and Megan Slabbert, of the University of London, in the Hambleden Challenge Trophy for womens pairs.

The following race at 11.30am saw Leanders eight clash defeated by Oxford Brookes Universitys A crew in the Ladies Challenge Plate. The crews were close for much of the race but Brookes ultimately forged ahead to seize victory by two-thirds of a length.

Cox Wilf Le Brocq said: "We had a good race and always knew we were up against a strong opposition so it was good to be able to push them all the way.

"We'd obviously have preferred a different outcome but we can be happy that we never gave up and we're happy with our progress in training - a few months ago, the Brookes crew would have been much further ahead.

"Despite a tough headwind, our time wasn't too slow and it's just great to be racing at Henley after missing last year's regatta - I'll be spending the rest of it cheering on the other Leander crews.

"Training was difficult in the build-up to this week and we were struggling to get everything together for a while but really stepped up in the last few months and couldn't have pushed harder.

"We managed to get a decent time on the water when the restrictions lifted in April and were able to stay motivated during the lockdown."

Then at 11.40am, Leander Clubs B crew beat the Tideway Scullers School in the Town Challenge Cup for womens fours by two and two-thirds of a length.

The final local race before lunch was at 12.10pm, when Georgie Brayshaw and Jess Leyden, of Leander Club, defeated their rivals from Hollandia Roeiclub, Netherlands in the Stonor Challenge Trophy for womens double sculls by one a half lengths.

Following the lunch break, a University of London and Cambridge University composite crew featuring world champion and GB sculler Emily Craig, who lives in Abrahams Road, Henley, beat a University of Worcester and Warrington Rowing Club by four lengths.

At 3pm, Shiplake Colleges A crew beat Peterborough in the Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup for junior womens quad sculls by three and three quarter lengths.

But ten minutes later, Henley Rowing Clubs mens coxed eight lost to Thames Rowing Clubs A crew in the Thames Challenge Cup by one and a half lengths.

In the next race at 3.20pm, Leander Club beat Oxford Brookes University in the Princess Grace Challenge Cup for womens quad sculls by two and a half lengths

At 4pm, a Leander mens four beat Oxford University in the Visitors Challenge Cup by one and three quarter lengths.

Lola Anderson, also of Leander, then easily beat Lydia Heaphy, of University College, Cork, Ireland, in the Princess Royal Challenge Cup for womens single sculls at 4.10pm.

At 5.30pm, following the tea interval, Leanders womens coxed eight is up against Tyne Amateur Rowing Club in the Wargrave Challenge Cup.

A Leander mens four then faces Hollandie Roeiclub, Netherlands in the Stewards Challenge Cup at 5.40pm.

Leanders Matthew Peters and Joe Willis are then up against a Cambridge University mens pair in the Silver Goblets and Nickalls Challenge Cup at 6.30pm.

At 7pm, a Leander junior mens quad will face Windsor Boys Schools A crew in the Fawley Challenge Cup.

Finally, a Leander Club womens eight will go up against a Molesey Boat Club and Leander Club composite crew in the Remenham Challenge Cup at 7.10pm.
SIX barn owls have been successfully bred on the Culden Faw Estate in Hambleden.

The chicks, which have been raised in wooden nesting boxes on the southern side of the estate off Dairy Lane, were in three broods of three, two and one.

Bisham Barn Owl Group, which has been helping the estate to increase the number of barn owls on the land, said the numbers were fairly typical for the wider area.

Paul Warham, a member of the group, said: After last years poor breeding season, it is great to find most barn owl pairs are breeding successfully this year.

The riverside meadows at Culham provide the perfect habitat for them to hunt for voles, their favourite food.

Barn owls will nest when they feel the amount of voles is enough that they can raise a brood. Its unpredictable and ranges from year to year and sometimes they will even skip a year.

The project is part of a licensed British Trust for Ornithology programme to monitor barn owl breeding, juvenile dispersal and adult longevity.

In 2015, two of the boxes were used by nesting barn owls while another box housed a non-breeding female and a further pair was discovered using a natural tree hole.

Over time it is hoped the Culden Faw barn owl population will grow to help re-populate the area.

The group has used different methods to encourage voles to increase, such as leaving a grass verge around a field or larger parts uncropped.

The nesting boxes are made from 9mm exterior plywood and there are now seven or eight on the estate.

Mr Warham said: The important thing is the size of the box as well as the height and the size of the entrance hole.

Barn owls tend to use a safe nesting area year after year. Some people say theyve had the same barn owls in a box for 20 years but its always different pairs as they only have a life span of three or four years.

I started working with Culden Faw Estate about six years ago and we come to check the boxes once a year unless there are chicks and then well check them more often.

The boxes arent always occupied every year so to have three occupied is quite a success.

Alex Dick, manager of the estate, said: It is encouraging to see a number of chicks raised successfully. The breeding fortunes of the owls closely follow the three- to four-year cycle of the vole population.

This, coupled with the other hazards the owls face, makes it all the more important for us to help these wonderful birds in line with the wishes of the estates owners and as part of our ongoing general conservation work.

The Culden Faw Estate, which comprises 3,500 acres of mature beech woods, rolling pastures and unspoilt chalk valley, is owned by billionaire Swiss financier Urs Schwarzenbach.

The Bisham Barn Owl Group was set up in 2014 to monitor and conserve the barn owl population in the Middle Thames area and advises farmers and landowners on installing nesting boxes, which it monitors.
WASHINGTON  For most of the 80-year history of drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, oil companies could rest assured that demand for their product, though subject to short-term swings, was assured in the decades to come.

But certainty that the world will always need more oil has waned, as governments worldwide push to reduce dependence on fossil fuels in a bid to address climate change. Even as oil prices have climbed back up in recent months, exploration in the Gulf of Mexico remains down and offshore drilling rigs are getting scrapped.

Everybodys trying to figure out what the future demands look like, said Erik Milito, president of the trade group National Ocean Industries Association. (The forecasts) are all over the place right now.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Even new offshore rigs aren't immune to the pandemic oil bust

As energy executives, exhibitors and sales representatives head for NRG Park in Houston Monday for the annual Offshore Technology Conference  the largest trade show of its kind in the world  they find their industry at an uncertain crossroads. The rapid spread of the delta variant of coronavirus, which has led attendees to cancel reservations and a major exhibitor, the oil field services giant Schlumberger, to pull out, has added to that uncertainty, renewing worries about economic growth and energy demand.

What to expect at OTC Officials with the Offshore Technology Conference say their safety and health plans for this year's event are constantly under consideration. As of Friday afternoon, here were the protocols they have in place:  OTC staff, contractors and suppliers will be required to wear masks at all times while inside NRG Center.  Masks are encouraged for attendees and exhibitors, but not required. OTC will have free masks available.  Attendees will be asked to follow social distancing protocols while interacting with others.  Attendees who are feeling sick will be asked to attend the conference virtually.  Exhibitors will be asked to routinely disinfect their booths and materials, discouraged from distributing printed materials ane encourage to screen staff for COVID-19, practice social distancing and comply with NRG Park guidelines. For more information on OTC's health and safety protocols, visit 2021.otcnet.org/health-and-safety. See More Collapse

Oil prices, which rose to a recent peak of about $76 a barrel, the highest in three years, have fallen below $70 a barrel amid another surge in COVID-19 infections. Prices are likely to recover in short-term as the latest wave of the pandemic is brought under control and the economy regains momentum, but long-term prospects for oil and offshore drilling are dimming as climate change drives the world to drastically reduce its consumption of fossil fuels.

OTC returns to Houston for the first time since 2019, after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of last years event. In between, the offshore sector, which was just beginning to recover from the two-year oil bust that ended in 2016, took some of the hardest blows from last years historic collapse in demand. Prices of some grades of oil in the United States briefly went negative last spring.

But this years rally in oil markets  even with the recent retreat  has spurred optimism that projects in the Gulf of Mexico put on hold during the worst of the pandemic could get underway before the end of the year, said Justin Rostant, an analyst with the research firm Wood Mackenzie.

Analysts are predicting that Royal Dutch Shell will begin drilling its Whale project in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico later this year, as will Total on its North Platte project. And an announcement is expected any day on Beacon Offshore Developments Shenandoah field, after the company signed a deal with Williams Co. in June to pipe natural gas to shore.

The offshore is recovering from the low level of 2020, when a lot of capital was pulled out of the industry, Rostant said. Were seeing companies returning to investing, which is exciting to see.

Its not all rosy, however. Though companies are beginning development of projects they have worked on for years, they have not returned to searching the Gulf of Mexico for the next generation of oil and gas fields, Rostant said.

Much of that hesitancy comes from Wall Street, which has increased pressure on the oil and gas industry to slow spending and reign in debt, to return more money to shareholders, but that thriftiness could well be temporary. The oil and gas industry has a long history of cutting back capital spending, only to throw caution to the wind once oil-price forecasts show money to be made.

More: Read the latest oil and gas news from HoustonChronicle.com

We went through a long, difficult period with the commodity price, but were coming out of that, Milito said. When you go through an extended period of low pricing, that leads to significant underinvestment in exploration projects.

Wild card

The wild card this time, compared to previous oil busts, is climate change.

Scientists are warning that if the world doesnt begin dramatically slashing greenhouse gas emissions, the world risks unleashing the dramatic and destructive effects of global warming by 2040, including flooded coastlines, crop failures and wildfires.

To avoid that scenario, most of the worlds major economies, including the United States, have pledged to lower greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. Governments are still debating how to accomplish what amounts to a complete overhaul of the worlds energy system in less than three decades, but momentum continues to grow, with corporations, cities and states also pledging to do their parts.

The question is how quickly these efforts will begin affecting oil demand, which is expected to rise to 67.7 million barrels a day next year. In May, the International Energy Agency, which advises the worlds major economies, warned governments that to meet the goal of the Paris climate agreement, new oil and gas development needed to halt immediately.

On HoustonChronicle.com: $3.5 trillion Biden budget moves to shift nation on climate

Offshore projects, which cost billions of dollars and are expected to produce oil and gas for decades to come, are most threatened under such a scenario, said Mike Sommers, president of the American Petroleum Institute. But he dismissed the notion that drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, one of the worlds largest offshore oil fields, would come to an end anytime soon.

Offshore continues to be a key foundation for U.S. oil and gas, he said. About 15 percent of U.S. (crude) production is offshore. Thats a significant portion.

Just days after taking office, President Joe Biden announced he was putting a pause on oil and gas leasing on federal lands and waters, including the Gulf, while officials reviewed those operations contribution to climate change. In June, a federal judge in Louisiana ruled that Biden had to end the pause  a ruling with which the Department of Interior said it would comply.

That will not stop Bidens review of federal leasing practices, but neither is that process preordained. A 2016 review of the U.S. offshore drilling industry by the Obama administration found that greenhouse gas emissions would actually increase if leasing were halted because more oil and gas from carbon-intensive fields abroad would need to be imported.

That message is one oil lobbyists are pushing with the administration, but what success theyre having is unclear, Milito said.

I dont really know the answer, he said. On the permitting side, theyve done what theyre supposed to do, and as a result these major projects are coming online. We are very supportive of (addressing) climate change, and were trying to educate the administration that as long as youre using oil and gas the best place to get them in terms of emissions is the U.S. offshore.

The White House declined to comment.

On HoustonChronicle.com: In Guyana, Exxon oil project stirs international tensions

Next big thing

In the meantime, the Gulf of Mexicos oil and gas industry remains on edge. Beyond climate change, the Gulf faces competition from oil fields off the coasts of Brazil, Guayana and Suriname, which are attracting a lot of hype from oil analysts who see South America as the worlds next big oil and gas play.

The Gulf is still considered attractive because of the amount of infrastructure and expertise established there over the past century. At the same time, however, finding oil and gas there is getting ever more difficult, requiring ever more powerful drilling rigs to reach the Gulfs greatest depths.

Though production there is still expected to grow for a couple more years, forecasts show the amount of oil and gas coming out of the Gulf will begin declining by the early 2030s, Rostant said.

Staff writer Paul Takahashi contributed to this report.

james.osborne@chron.com

twitter.com/@osborneja
Big changes are coming to Texas power market.

The Public Utility Commission and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, announced last month that the agencies would work on a once in a generation plan to overhaul how electricity is sold.

In a joint press conference, PUC Chairman Peter Lake and ERCOTs interim CEO Brad Jones said they did not yet have a blueprint for what the changes will bring, but they expect it will create a more reliable supply of power and avoid tight grid conditions like those that resulted after the February freeze and after numerous power generators unexpectedly went offline in June.

In a memo filed Aug. 4, Lake wrote that a draft of the new market plan will be released by Oct. 21, and the final plan would be published by Dec. 19.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Abbott seems to back fossil fuels in PUC demands

The current market pays power generators as much as $9,000 a kilowatt hour when grid conditions are tight, like when theres almost not enough power to meet demand, but also sometimes plunges into the negative territory when theres an excess of power on the grid.

Although the PUC and ERCOT are exploring their options, Lake dismissed the idea of moving toward whats known as a capacity market, which pays companies to keep backup generation available, whether or not its brought into service. He said that model, which requires more regulation, was not discussed or approved at the Texas Legislatures 2021 session.

Earlier in July, Gov. Greg Abbott sent a letter to the PUC ordering changes. Although Abbott did not request rebuilding the power market, he did task the PUC and ERCOT to creating incentives to build more power generation from thermal sources such as natural gas and coal and to build more transmission lines to those types of power plants. At the same time, he said renewable energy generators should pay additional costs for periods when they dont provide power to the grid.

Alison Silverstein, an Austin-based energy consultant who worked for the PUC from 1995 to 2001 and with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from 2001 to 2004, said one major piece missing from both the power market discussion and Abbotts letter is addressing electricity demand. Texas consumes much more electricity than any other state, according to an analysis by the University of Kansas, using about 429 million megawatts of power in 2019. By comparison, California used about 250 million megawatts and Florida consumed 240 million megawatts.

Demand responses are significantly less expensive per kilowatt hour than building more power plants, Silverstein said. We could be spending a fraction of the money the governor wants to spend on getting new power plants online if we were retrofitting homes and businesses and adopting new energy efficient codes for new buildings.

shelby.webb@chron.com
MARSHFIELD, Mass. (AP)  A look at coronavirus pandemic developments around New England:

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MASSACHUSETTS

Health authorities in the state reported on Saturday that a group of cities and towns located south of Boston have higher positivity rates for coronavirus than the state average.

Massachusetts, like the country, is dealing with a resurgence of cases of coronavirus. The state's 14-day positivity rate was about 2.7%, but numerous towns in Bristol and Plymouth counties and on Cape Cod and the islands are higher than that, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported.

The positivity rate in the city of Fall River is more than twice the state average at 6%, the agency reported. Numerous smaller towns, including Fairhaven, Halifax and Truro, are also more than twice the state average, the agency said.

The trend is not universal. Towns in southern Massachusetts including Marshfield, Plympton and Falmouth remain below the state average.

The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Massachusetts has risen over the past two weeks from 657.14 new cases per day on July 29 to 1,155.86 new cases per day on Aug. 12. That is the highest daily case count of the six New England states.

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MAINE

Police in Maine said they are dealing with a spike in thefts of catalytic converters from cars in the state during the coronavirus pandemic.

Thefts of the converters have been reported around the country during the pandemic. The converters contain precious metals, and the value of precious metals has increased during the pandemic, making the converters a target for thieves.

Maine State Police said it has undertaken a months-long, multi-agency investigation into the thefts in northern Maine. The agency said it recently charged 10 people with scrap metal processors violations as part of its investigation. It said they sold more than 1,000 catalytic converters for more than $190,000.

The theft of catalytic converters has become a major problem for law enforcement in Maine. Catalytic converters are difficult to trace and match up to a particular victims vehicle, Maine State Police said in a statement.

The agency said its investigation into the crimes is still going on and more charges are likely.

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NEW HAMPSHIRE

New Hampshires largest teachers union is supporting its national leadership when it comes to vaccinations.

The National Education Association on Thursday said all educators should be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccination or submit to regular testing. The executive board of the New Hampshire chapter met Friday and voted to support that statement.

Last month, the president of NEA-New Hampshire had said the group would not support calling for mandatory vaccinations for eligible students and staff, saying it was up to educators or parents to decide.

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VERMONT

A lack of court security is forcing the Vermont court system to reduce in-person services at the Grand Isle Superior Court in North Hero.

The new plan will still allow in-person drop off of filings two days per week. The changes will not limit the judiciarys ability to conduct hearings or address other court-related needs of the public.

Since the start of the pandemic, the Grand Isle Courthouse has been conducting proceedings almost entirely remotely principally because the building lacks the ventilation system necessary to meet courts COVID-19 protocols.

Court Administrator Patricia Gabel said the courts would continue to be available via phone and that remote hearings, which have been held in Grand Isle since the start of the pandemic, will continue.

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The Vermont Supreme Court has also authorized a one-year pilot project for remote civil jury trials.

The move comes after a committee studied how to utilize remote hearing technology to increase access to justice and address civil case backlogs.

The issue is especially important as the judiciary continues to navigate challenges associated with COVID-19.

The Judiciary has been using remote technology to facilitate operations in order to ensure access to justice and continuity of operations and to promote the health and safety of judges, staff, and court users during the pandemic, said state court administrator Patricia Gabel.

Considering the ways available technology can assist us in managing our civil docket is an important step in our ongoing effort to leverage technology and adapt our operations to changing conditions, she said.

The pilot project will not affect criminal trials.

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RHODE ISLAND

Democratic Gov. Dan McKee said some immunocompromised Rhode Island residents could begin receiving their third dose of coronavirus vaccines on Saturday.

State officials said residents could get their third doses at the Sockanosset Crossroads Vaccination Site and at hospital vaccination sites. The Rhode Island Department of Health said the state also expects third doses to be available at retail and independent pharmacies in the days ahead.

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CONNECTICUT

The number of daily cases of the coronavirus is rising in all six New England states, and Connecticut has the second highest number in the region after Massachusetts.

The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Connecticut has risen over the past two weeks from 328.29 new cases per day on July 29 to 537.14 new cases per day on Aug. 12. The seven-day rolling average of daily deaths in Connecticut has risen over the past two weeks from 1.00 deaths per day on July 29 to 1.57 deaths per day on Aug. 12.

Massachusetts, which is recording the highest number of new cases per day in the region, is reporting more than 1,100 new daily cases.

The AP is using data collected by Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering to measure outbreak caseloads and deaths across the United States.

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Associated Press writers Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire, and Wilson Ring and Lisa Rathke in Montpelier, Vermont, contributed to this report.
Many Texans really dont like how Gov. Greg Abbott is dealing with the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic  or failing to deal with it, to be blunt.

Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee believes that the governor overstepped his authority under the Texas Disaster Act with his most recent executive order on the subject, issued July 29.

Many of the executive orders Abbott has issued in response to the pandemic have been controversial. GA-38, the one issued in July, was baffling as well. The highly transmissible delta variant had already been identified in Texas and was circulating at an alarming rate. Even so, Abbott doubled down on and beefed up his May executive order barring local government officials  including school districts  from reimposing mask mandates.

THE LATEST NUMBERS: Interactive maps, charts show spread of COVID across Houston

Reading the Disaster Act as a whole, the act places on the governor a duty to, quote, meet the dangers to the state and people presented by disasters, Menefee told a state district judge in Travis County during a Friday hearing on a lawsuit he had filed the day before. After getting a green light from Harris County commissioners, Menefee was seeking a temporary restraining order against the executive order.

Not only can the governor issue executive orders, but theres a duty placed on him, Menefee continued. Reading those together, its clear that the governor cannot use executive orders in a way that demonstrably makes the disaster worse.

This was a legal argument on Menefees part, not a moral one. But if it were a moral one, it would similarly resonate.

Abbott has insisted, for over a year now, that Texans have figured out how to beat the pandemic via diligent displays of personal responsibility and that we therefore have no need for the heavy hand of government.

WHERE TO GET TESTED: COVID testing sites around Houston that don't require a doctor's note

We have demonstrated that we can corral the coronavirus, he proclaimed in April 2020, announcing plans to reopen the state for business  a hubristic claim at the time and a damning one to revisit, as cases and hospitalization numbers are surging again. As of Friday, more than 11,000 Texans were hospitalized with COVID; 3,482 of them were in the Houston area; the Texas Medical Center reported 320 hospitalizations per day this week, compared with 58 per day a month ago.

Abbott may have the political calendar in mind; he faces a GOP primary next spring against two challengers from his right. But Texans dont have the luxury of hoping the pandemic will simply peter out, now that vaccines have entered the chat. Parents, in particular, have been put in a frightening position. Students around the state return to school this month, and Abbotts July executive order bars school officials from requiring them to wear masks.

Is it surprising, then, that were seeing an outpouring of overt protests from local leaders over Abbotts bid to tie their hands? Over the past week, a number of judges, cities, counties and school boards have moved to reintroduce mask mandates despite threats from Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton that the formers order will be enforced.

On Thursday, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, a Democrat, announced a new mask mandate for the countys schools and day care centers. That evening, Houston ISD  the largest school district in the county  voted unanimously to adopt a mask mandate for the school year. And Menefee, as noted, sued Abbott and Paxton outright over the July 29 executive order.

Gov. Abbott has repeatedly misused his authority under Texas disaster laws, Menefee said in a statement. He noted that Abbott himself has acknowledged that the delta variant is ravaging the state: The governors executive order acknowledges this crisis, and then bans any meaningful action to address it.

VACCINE TRACKER: Interactive map shows where you can get vaccinated in Houston

These moves, in Harris County and elsewhere, have met with some backlash. Dozens of parents and students testified, often heatedly, against mask mandates at a recent HISD board meeting. Humble ISD responded to Hidalgos mask mandate by announcing that it will continue to follow the governors orders, not the county judges.

On balance, however, it seems that Texans support the local officials who are leading the charge to protect public health  and the states schoolchildren  due to their concerns over the delta variant, their enduring support for local control or both. And although the legal wrangling will continue, proponents of mask measures have met with some success. After Friday afternoons hearing, for example, District Judge Jan Soifer of Travis County granted the temporary restraining order that Menefee had requested.

The greater question now is why Menefee and others have to go to court in the first place, to battle for the right to pursue common-sense precautions against a deadly pandemic.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious diseases expert, said Thursday that if he were a parent of school-aged children, he would push back against leaders barring masks in the schools.

I would try as best as I can to really change that and to get the CDC recommendations to be implemented, Fauci told NPR. There is no reason not to do that. Were dealing with the safety of the children, not any theoretical, libertarian thought about telling people what they can do or not to do. The safety of the children comes first.

Harris County leaders would agree with that, clearly. Abbott hasnt worked collaboratively with them  or other local leaders across Texas  since the start of the pandemic, but maybe its time he start.

erica.grieder@chron.com
Houston police are investigating a fatal shooting Friday night on Westheimer.

A man was found dead from a gunshot wound inside a crashed vehicle around 8:30 p.m. in the 7900 block of Westheimer near South Voss, according to the Houston Police Department.

The name of the victim has not yet been released to the public.

Witnesses told police that the victim was stopped a traffic light when there was an altercation with a group of men on motorcycles, said Lt. Larry Crowson of the Houston Police Department.

One of the motorcyclists pulled out a gun and shot the victim, Crowson said.

Homicide investigators responded to the scene.

During the investigation, two separate drunk drivers were arrested when they attempted to drive through the crime scene, police said.
Baylor College of Medicine didnt intend for its new-student orientation to become a case study in breakthrough infections.

In retrospect, the photographed smiles and cheery video on Baylors Facebook page, look ominous. On Monday, July 26, around 200 people  mainly first-year medical students wearing hot-pink theme-weekend T-shirts  gathered inside a Baylor building and loaded plates from a breakfast buffet. They werent socially distanced, and in the photos, the only masks visible are in peoples hands or dangle from their wrists.

But why should the affair have been any different? It was Monday, July 26, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions guidelines at the time, it was safe for groups of vaccinated people to gather unmasked.

COVID Help Desk: I'm fully vaccinated and just tested positive. What should I do?

Baylor requires its students to be vaccinated, and 97 percent of the 189-member Class of 2025 were not merely vaccinated but fully vaccinated  a statistic unlikely to be equaled by many other groups in Texas. They were a young, healthy crowd. If it was safe for any large group to gather indoors unmasked, it should have been safe for this one.

As instructed, the first-years did mask up to ride limousine buses two hours north, to the Retreat at Artesian Lakes in the Piney Woods. But after they arrived, they milled about mask-free, playing getting-to-know you games. They ate meals together inside the dining hall, and spent much of their time sitting close together outdoors in small groups. They bunked in the propertys cabins.

On Tuesday, the limo buses carried them back to Houston.

Notably, that was also the day that the CDC changed its recommendation about vaccinated people and masking. An outbreak in Provincetown, Mass., documented by citizen scientists, had shown that delta was different from the variants that had come before. Delta, it turned out, can be passed from vaccinated person to vaccinated person.

That announcement, of course, came too late for the first-years.

In the following days, some of the students began to feel sick.

By the end of the first week of August, 11 of the first-years  six percent of the class  had tested positive for COVID.

Followed CDC guidelines

In the Provincetown outbreak, three-fourths of the people infected were fully vaccinated. The good news was that their vaccinations clearly protected them  they were far less likely than unvaccinated people infected with delta to become so sick they needed to be hospitalized, or to die.

The bad news was that the vaccinated didnt escape scot-free and asymptomatic: 79 percent of the people with those Provincetown breakthrough infections experienced symptoms  coughs, fevers, fatigue, muscle aches, loss of taste and smell.

Something similar appears to have been the case at Baylor. Soon after the orientation, students began reporting the familiar flu-like symptoms to the medical schools administration. One first-year student said they knew of several people who were sick, not just asymptomatic. (Anxious not to jeopardize a budding medical career, the student asked to remain anonymous.)

More from Lisa Gray: Hotez: As schools reopen, Houston will 'pay the price' for not doing more with masks, vaccines

That student is alarmed that the school didnt send a mass email immediately, after the first indication that students at the orientation had been exposed: There was radio silence for a couple of days.

But the medical college's administration wasn't informed that anyone was sick until Saturday, July 31. That evening, two members of Baylors student-affairs staff emailed the first-years and upper classmen who had attended the retreat: There has been a potential COVID exposure, they warned.

As sick and exposed students quarantined, Baylor canceled the first week of in-person classes. Family and friends were disinvited to the Aug. 13 white-coat ceremony, in which first-years take an oath and receive their doctors garb. Many students were angry, said the first-year: They wanted their loved ones to be present.

Baylor followed the CDC guidelines, said Jennifer Christner, dean of Baylor College of Medicine. The cluster of cases  she doesnt call it an outbreak  was contained.

Maybe a best-case scenario

Maybe, as one of the countrys top medical schools, Baylor could have been better prepared for a COVID cluster. Maybe, even before the CDCs announcement, Baylor could have somehow have sussed out that the delta variant plays by different rules, and that even vaccinated people need to wear masks while hanging out with other vaccinated people indoors. Maybe it could have alerted students faster.

But given what Texas educational institutions are up against, the cluster at Baylor College of Medicine may be a best-case scenario. Consider that while the delta variant is filling Texas ERs and ICUS, Texas colleges and K-12 schools begin in-person classes this month. Remember that a patchwork of mask rules applies, with some schools not requiring them. That students under age 12 are ineligible to be vaccinated, and that less than a third of adolescents are vaccinated, and far less than half of college-aged people.

If six percent of students were infected in two days, in a group thats 97 percent fully vaccinated and who follow medical advice, imagine what could happen somewhere else.

None of the Baylor students were hospitalized. None died. None, so far as is known, infected a fragile family member or an unvaccinated friend. The school took measures, and the chain of infections stopped.

In the grim era of the delta variant, that counts as a happy ending.

lisa.gray@chron.com, twitter.com/LisaGray_HouTX
The paddle began at a turnoff on Woodway Drive that countless Houstonians have passed and probably never noticed: Its little more than a gravel parking lot and an overgrown concrete path, winding down to Buffalo Bayou.

On a recent afternoon, Tom Helm pulled up in his Toyota Tacoma, loaded with two canoes and a kayak. The geologist works in the oil and gas industry yet considers himself an environmentalist, avid paddler and occasional canoe guide. Hes used this launch at the edge of Memorial Park for years.

The bayou continues to be at the center of local environmental debates, which commonly pit human-made versus natural infrastructure. Helm and a few other supporters of the waterway led a tour down a 7.9-mile stretch to show the ways its still beautifully wild.

Helm is an ardent supporter of this slow-moving, natural waterway that winds through central Houston. Advocates decades ago rallied to save Buffalo Bayou from channelization. The Army Corps of Engineers recently proposed digging it wider and deeper to mitigate floods, drawing fierce opposition from residents. The Corps agreed to reconsider alternatives.

Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

To Helm, this is the last little pocket of wildness  and he and his peers are ready to counter anyone who reduces it to a trash-ridden, chemical-filled ditch. The city wouldnt exist without the bayou; the Allen brothers established Houston on its banks in the 1830s. The last stretch serves as part of the Houston Ship Channel, emptying into Galveston Bay.

Houston is nicknamed the Bayou City, but the pride there is complicated. Bayou parks and trails arent enough to erase the citys oft-lamented lack of nature. Engineers lined Brays Bayou with concrete, and homeowners and businesses along Buffalo Bayou use concrete and metal to brace its banks.

The bayou today is less pristine oasis and more a place of urban lore, known for floating bodies, discarded cars and alleged would-be robbers making an escape. One cant see an inch into the murky brown water. Tree limbs catch soda cans, plastic bottles and Whataburger cups.

Bayou bingo, Helm calls it  paddlers never know what theyll find among the baby strollers, doll houses and outdoor furniture cushions theyve spotted before.

But theres a more optimistic way to see the waterway, through the eyes of Helm and the others who paddled alongside him. They share an amazement for what the bayou withstood. A gratitude for those who fought for it. An awe for the nature it has.

Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

On HoustonChronicle.com: How Houston flood protection works, and why it sometimes doesnt

A spotted sandpiper flies across the water. A great egret stands on the rivers edge. Sycamore trees offer shade. According to one member of that days paddling group, there are three species of gar, three species of catfish and a whole host of birds.

So many people dont even know about it, said Steve Green, a former river guide who left his sailboat in Clear Lake to paddle along. Those that do really enjoy it.

Experiencing the open secret begins at the boat launch  there are others up and downstream  where one must have the strength to lift a canoe and the tolerance for bushes in lieu of a public restroom. One can then step through the sticky, slimy muck of the bayous edge and begin passing through the citys wilderness, flowing with the current under Loop 610 near the Galleria.

The waters here have drained down from Katy, through Addicks and Barker reservoirs, collecting more runoff along a wiggly path. For much of the summer, it rained so much that the current was too fast for a leisurely, weekend float. Hurricanes such as Harvey and other bad storms can fill the regions bayous, making them deadly. Most of the time, the Buffalo Bayou waters creep slowly toward downtown.

Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

On their paddle, the group calmly passes both public places and sprawling, expensive private backyards. In part, its a tour of the rich and famous, leaving one jealous of what seems to be businessman Tilman Fertittas gazebolike structure and an impressive treehouse nearby. But Helm is pointing out the sandstone and clay. And Bruce Bodsons eyes are on the birds.

Bodson is a self-professed river appreciator, who has worked in environmental law, teaches about environmental topics and is constantly on a river. He wore a Protect Texas Rivers hat that day. He remembers when the Buffalo Bayou regatta was dubbed the Reeking Regatta. To him, the water quality, which has been the scene of wastewater spills, is much improved.

Here, Bodson has lessons to share, about the difference between a damsel fly and dragon fly, a heron and an egret. Sure, planes pass overhead and the only rapids seem to be aided by a railroad bridge. But hes found ecological wonders in every turn that simply take openness and patience to see. He whistles and keeps a mental log as he goes, counting 35 bird species and three species of turtle.

Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Susan Chadwick, a former Houston Post art critic, brought the group together through her work as president and executive director of Save Buffalo Bayou, a feisty nonprofit that often takes engineering projects to task. Much along the way affronted her, perhaps nothing worse than the River Oaks Country Clubs landscaping over the natural beauty.

Look at that, she said as the boats passed the umpteenth failing erosion control effort. Ugly.

Chadwick wished people would leave the waterway be, letting the felled trees line its banks, refraining from attempting to harden its edges and ceasing to build parking garages so close by. In her opinion, the river succeeded with improving water quality and flood control when allowed to do its job naturally.

The foursome rounded the bend toward Brenners on the Bayou restaurant, where jazz played and dishes clinked. The sun pushed through the treetops. The heat lifted. Bugs sang. Helm paddled up and reported hed found some beaver tracks. The moment felt peaceful and pleasant.

Chadwick had noted being on the water gave a specific feeling.

Youre alive, she said.

Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

emily.foxhall@chron.com

twitter.com/emfoxhall
Despite a tag-team effort from hundreds of local officials, census workers and advocates, Houstons response rate in the 2020 census fell short of the national average, census data shows.

About 59 percent of Houston households responded to the 2020 census via mail, phone or internet, ranking it eighth among the top 10 largest cities in America. Nationally, 67 percent of people responded and Texas hit 63 percent. San Antonio and Dallas had about 66 percent and 60 percent, respectively.

The number confirms local organizers fears that the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with the political maneuverings of former President Donald Trump, would lead to a low response rate, resulting in less federal dollars that can go to things such as schools, hospitals and infrastructure repairs. The Texas Demographic Center estimated that for every 1 percent of the population that gets passed over, the state loses $300 million in federal funding.

CENSUS FIGURES: Houston's population grows by nearly 10%, census data shows

In 2010, about 70 percent of Houston households responded to the census, and 67 percent responded in 2000, according to census data. The national average was 74 percent in 2010, and 67 percent in 2000.

Though the census bureau wont release a demographic breakdown of response rates until later this year, advocates fear that the biggest gaps will be in traditionally hard to count groups, which include racial minorities, immigrants, low-income people and LGBTQ+ people, among many others. In a city such as Houston, that effectively covers almost all but a slim segment of the population.

The same communities that are undercounted historically in the census are the same communities that had the highest rates of getting sick and dying from COVID, said Frances Valdez, executive director of Houston in Action, a collective that coordinated outreach efforts between local officials, philanthropists and community groups.

We need to look at the undercounted community and continue to think about how we build infrastructure and systems of engagement that truly meet people where theyre at. Until we do that, we will not have a better count in the next census, Valdez said.

Experts were hopeful that adding an option to fill out the census online would result in a far greater response rate, but a pandemic that no one could have foreseen scuppered those plans.

The Census Bureau was hoping that the self-response rate would far exceed what we had in 2010, but I think, and Im speculating, that the effect of COVID had an impact on that, said Lloyd Potter, the state demographer. But had they not been so technologically (advanced), moving to the internet and so on, I hate to think what the self-response rate would have been if they had just done mailouts and had them mailed back.

The Census Bureau suspended its field operations in March 2020 when the COVID-19 outbreak started to settle in, but the bureau slowly resumed in-person outreach work in May. Outreach workers eventually visited 99.9 percent of households that had not responded themselves, according to census data, but statistics as to how many of those visits solicited a response were not available.

According to local organizers that partnered with the bureau, however, the challenges of reaching hard-to-count communities date back to long before COVID-19. Valdez says she prefers the term undercounted communities, because the census bureaus terminology puts the onus on those who have been passed over.

Were talking about communities that have been historically marginalized through systemic racism and oppression in this country and are intentionally left out, and then every 10 years the government says, No, actually we do want to know about you and how many folks there are, Valdez said.

The 10-year gap between censuses also makes it difficult for newly arrived immigrants to understand the implications of the project, said Angelica Razo, Texas director for Mi Familia Vota.

Its a new routine that we have to normalize, and thats very hard, Razo said.

Making matters worse for the immigrant population was the potential addition of a citizenship question, which advocates say could have spooked the millions of unauthorized immigrants living in the United States. Though the question was eventually nixed from the census after being blocked by the Supreme Court, the damage was already done, Razo said.

There was a sentiment that Trump was using the census to identify people of color and undocumented folks with the citizenship question, and that caused a lot of worry, Razo said. We had to have a lot of conversations on the ground explaining what the census was actually for, but people already had a different perception.

The citizenship question was just one of several moves that had community leaders questioning the former presidents motives with the census.

Deborah Chen, director of civic engagement programs at OCA-Greater Houston, says the Census Bureau was handicapped by the Trump administration, which she says didnt divert the necessary funds to the bureau and left it under-resourced.

Instead, it was left to community groups to fill in those gaps, according to Chen, who said OCA-Greater Houston canvassed over 221,000 households, mostly in the Alief, Gulfton, Asiatown and Sharpstown areas. Response rates in those areas increased between 2 percent and 20 percent, Chen said.

They had translated materials for Asian languages but they were only available via electronic PDF. They didnt have the resources to print those en masse in multiple languages, so we were actually printing it and providing it for the Census Bureau  and giving it to the outreach workers, Chen said.

By 2023, the estimated cost of the census will have been $15.6 billion, according to the Government Accountability Office.

Trump also controversially pushed up the deadline to respond to the census in August from Oct. 31 to Sept. 30. The new deadline was eventually pushed back to Oct. 15 after a court challenge.

Potter, the Texas demographer, said it was regrettable that the census had become politicized.

Demographers think and feel the census should be a pretty boring thing, not something that politicians are talking about unless theyre saying, Fill out your census forms, so the results of the effort to get the citizenship question on there and the changes of when the census was going to end  those kinds of things were not helpful in terms of the logistics of carrying it out, Potter said.

sam.kelly@chron.com

twitter.com/sgonzalezkelly
The beleaguered Starliner spacecraft has suffered another setback: four stubborn valves that will not open.

These valves, and scheduling conflicts with other upcoming missions, will delay Starliners launch for at least two more months. The spacecraft might not even launch this year. It was too soon to say if 2021 is still possible, said John Vollmer, vice president and program manager of Boeings Commercial Crew program.

But each month this uncrewed liftoff slips, Boeing falls further behind SpaceX in delivering NASA astronauts to the International Space Station.

Were obviously disappointed that we were unable to get these issues resolved in time to make this launch window, Vollmer said.

MORE ON THE MISSION: Boeing plans to launch Starliner to Space Station

Boeings CST-100 Starliner spacecraft had already been grounded for more than 18 months as its team fixed software issues discovered during the first uncrewed test flight in December 2019. The company had been feeling confident ahead of its Aug. 3 launch window  and then engineers found 13 valves that werent opening.

Employees split into three shifts, working 24 hours a day, to coax the valves open. The more amenable valves worked reliably once opened, but the team wasnt able to open the four stubborn valves in the Starliners propulsion system.

Boeing had been keeping the spacecraft atop the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket in hopes of fixing the valves and launching in August. But the company ran out of time and needs to make room for other missions. It announced Friday that the spacecraft would be removed from the rocket and returned to a Florida facility for additional troubleshooting.

Although we will not be launching in August, its not for a lack of trying, Vollmer said.

Boeing is developing the spacecraft as part of NASAs Commercial Crew program, where companies (not NASA) own and operate the capsules trusted to carry astronauts to the space station. NASA provided funding and expertise, and it buys seats as a customer, but the companies ultimately designed the spacecraft.

This would be Boeings second uncrewed test flight because a software error prevented the first flight from docking with the space station. After the second uncrewed flight, Boeing would launch a crewed test flight and then could receive NASA certification to begin operational missions ferrying astronauts to the space station.

This second uncrewed flight will not launch before the Lucy mission, which has a 23-day launch window that begins Oct. 16 at the same launch complex at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The Lucy spacecraft will embark on a 12-year journey to study primitive asteroids that orbit the Sun in tandem with Jupiter.

The space station also has a busy schedule. SpaceX is scheduled to launch supplies to the space station in late August, crew on Oct. 31 and then another cargo mission in late December. Joel Montalbano, manager of NASAs International Space Station program, said the companys December cargo mission could be adjusted depending on Starliners next launch date.

But before setting this date, Boeing must finish troubleshooting its valves. The most likely cause, as of Friday, was related to oxidizer permeating through seals in the valve.

Propellant requires a fuel and an oxidizer. The fuel is, essentially, something to burn. The oxidizer is what makes it burn. Starliner uses nitrogen tetroxide as its oxidizer.

In the valves that were stuck, Vollmer said, the oxidizer is believed to have interacted with moisture from the atmosphere. This created nitric acid and caused corrosion.

The same type of valves had been used on Boeings first uncrewed flight and didnt have any issues. However, NASA has seen similar issues. The space shuttle sometimes had corrosion-related problems caused by the oxidizer.

Its pretty standard across the industry to have to deal with the oxidizer vapors, said Steve Stich, manager of NASAs Commercial Crew program.

Still, its hard to have a positive assessment of Boeings performance right now, said John Logsdon, a retired professor and founder of George Washington Universitys Space Policy Institute.

TECHNOLOGY: Boeing's astronaut training goes virtual

It doesnt look very good, Logsdon said. The first test launch had all kinds of problems. They had 18 months stand-down to address those problems, and now they have a new set of problems when they tried to launch it again.

Human spaceflight is just a portion of Boeings overall revenues, but Logsdon said this Starliner saga is not helping the companys public image  especially in the wake of its 737 Max airliner.

Past performance is considered when bidding for contracts, and he said these issues could hurt Boeing in the future. However, the company also has a strong space heritage that could offset its Starliner performance issues.

Its certainly not a positive as far as Boeings engagement in future activities, Logsdon said, but its not a catastrophe.

NASA officials voiced their support for the company Friday. Kathy Lueders, NASAs associate administrator for human exploration and operations, said there were nine times that the shuttle had failures on the launch pad and had to be rolled back.

When this happens, we have to have the maturity to stop, investigate and fix before flying again, she said. And that is what we are doing. We fly when we are ready. We are committed to work with Boeing.

andrea.leinfelder@chron.com

twitter.com/a_leinfelder
AUBURN, Ala.  When I had just moved here  six years ago and a lifetime ago  I was shopping at Publix, wheeling my cart out to the car. My baby sat in the buggy; I hit a bump and the bottle of sparkling water Id just bought skittered onto the ground, exploding. A young man in a Publix uniform ran up; I anticipated frustration (Id made quite a mess) but instead he apologized for my mistake and ran inside to get another bottle to replace it.

I tell that story to illustrate the extreme, sometimes unbelievable courteousness of the South. Here my neighbors think nothing of building a bridge over the creek in my backyard, so that all our children can play on it.

I love this place. Out of all the places in the world, I feel most comfortable in the South. I even like that as a Democrat, I cannot assume that everyone thinks the same way I do. I appreciate the diversity of thought and the spectrum of political views here.

But as I told a friend a few weeks ago, I didnt know that moving here would mean I would be at a disadvantage in future pandemics. As I write this, just 34 percent of eligible adults here in Lee County, Ala., are vaccinated. When I went into Ace Hardware last week, my 6-year-old son and I were the only people in the entire store wearing masks.

The school board passed a mask mandate for public schools two weeks ago, in a meeting I livestreamed, then turned off because it was too painful to watch. Ive been plunged into deja vu, but not the mysterious or pleasant kind. The kind that makes you want to weep. Because even as parts of the country with higher vaccination rates start to return to something resembling normal, were basically back to where we were last year. Our hospital, East Alabama Medical Center, where my younger son was born three years ago, is again being flooded with COVID patients. The delta variant is ripping through our community, and people are furious, but their anger is directed at, variously, the pediatricians who are encouraging vaccines for older children, the City Council who appointed the school board who passed the mask mandate and businesses that are not Pro-Freedom.

I dont like much of what Kay Ivey, our Republican governor, stands for, but she earned my respect when she passed a mask mandate in our deep-red state. And more recently, too, when she bluntly told the unvaccinated that they were putting everyone else at risk. At this point, everyone here who wants a vaccine has had the chance to get one. Others have been begged, cajoled, threatened and reasoned with. But people who compare wearing a mask to being subjected to experimental medical treatment  as they do in a Facebook group for Lee County parents Ive been invited to join  are not particularly susceptible to reason.

Its easy to think, who cares what happens to them, the people who dont believe in medicine, in science? But I care. I live with them, I go to the grocery store with them, I send my children to school with their children. Theres nothing like a pandemic to make you understand how connected we all are. And not always in a good way.

The South is a troubled place, of course, partly because of its devotion to the past. I was raised in northern Florida and now teach creative writing to students who are mainly from the state I now call home, Alabama. I read their stories and essays about what its like to be from here, to live here, to love the natural beauty of a place while they grapple with racism in their communities and monuments that honor evil.

Sometimes it seems as if the South is the butt of the nations jokes, but in my nonfiction class last spring we read an essay about Catherine Coleman Flowers, who is trying to improve her home state Alabama by repairing its appalling sewage problems. We spoke at length about the Amazon unionizers in Bessemer, Ala., a place all my students knew. We talked about what it must feel like to be a normal person going up against the most powerful corporation in the world. I was proud of those workers, proud to share a state with people who were that brave.

But the pandemic has complicated that pride. It has done so by upending one of my deeply held beliefs  that living among people who are different from you is a good thing. That it is good because it challenges you to think and act compassionately. To love your neighbor. I still believe all that, but to be honest, right now Id rather live in a place where everyone thought the same way I do, simply because Id like to live in a place where everyone was vaccinated.

This year has opened my eyes. I have lived in a place where you never meet a stranger, but of course Ive experienced it as a white woman. I can acknowledge the terrible aspects of the South  of the country, the world  but I have the privilege not to have had to deal with many of them firsthand. Ive had the advantage, unfairly, of being able to ignore ideological differences while I go about my day, the days that turn into years, the years that turn into a life.

Southerners are famous for their graciousness. All of that seems lost right now; one only has to witness a City Council meeting, as I did last week, and listen to people ranting furiously about their freedoms and all that they have lost, and stand to lose, by masking to understand that we live in a deeply troubled place. A place where a local pediatrician is mocked online for enrolling her children in vaccine trials, where science and medical advice are sources of deep, unending suspicion.

If only the people who are so opposed to masks and vaccines could put that energy to something that is a real threat, like climate change. But they wont. I sometimes imagine that their houses could be washed away in a flood or burned down by a wildfire, as is happening in some places right now, and theyd still refuse to believe that humans have any effect whatsoever on the weather. You could put them on top of a melting iceberg, you could  well, I could go on. But theres no point, because the idea of truth has suddenly become slippery. There is no truth, it seems. Only what you choose to believe, and how.

I find myself astonished these days, by my fellow humans meanness, their outrageous spitefulness, as if COVID has invaded not only our lungs but also our psyches, the parts of our brains that ask us to care about not only the people we dont know, but also the people we do. The people we see every day, as we drop our children off at school and shop for groceries and do all the things that make a life.

I went to Publix recently and was standing in front of the vast granola bar section, trying to work out which brand had the lowest sugar, when an unmasked store worker asked me if he could help.

I glared at him and said no, though Im not sure whether he could discern my glare, since half my face was covered. And even if he could, Im not sure he would understand why I was glaring, since out of all the people I saw at Publix that day, very few of them were masked.

DiSclafani is an associate professor of creative writing at Auburn University and the author of the novels The After Party and The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
The hunt for missing Democratic Texas House members escalated late Thursday and Friday, as the sergeant-at-arms and law enforcement visited some of the absentees homes with the aim of bringing them to the Capitol.

Earlier this week, Republican House Speaker Dade Phelan issued civil arrest warrants for 52 Democrats who have refused to report to the House for a month now, depriving the Republican majority of the 100-member quorum needed to vote on legislation during two special sessions.

The warrants allow law enforcement to order, and even escort, members back to the chamber. But given that they are not guilty of a crime, members are not at risk of going to jail.

The first step in the search came Wednesday, when the sergeant-at-arms stopped by the Democrats Capitol offices and left copies of the warrants with their staffs.

On Thursday and Friday, law enforcement visited the homes of at least a few Austin Democrats, with the aim of bringing them back to the chamber, but found none of them.

HIGH COURT GO-AHEAD: Texas Supreme Court clears way for civil arrest of AWOL Democrats

It remains to be seen whether the slow-rolling pursuit will force the Democrats hands. The majority of the partys members spent weeks in Washington, D.C., in protest of GOP priority elections legislation that they say amounts to voter suppression. Theyd hoped to sway Congress to pass federal elections legislation that would override such state laws, but that window has closed, at least temporarily, now that both U.S. chambers have recessed for summer.

Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin, said a neighbor who was watching her home Thursday let her know that law enforcement had come by in the late afternoon. She said they left a copy of the arrest warrant signed by Phelan, which shed already received by email.

Im taking it one day at a time, but I will say that the Republicans actions dont encourage me to come back to the House floor, Goodwin said. Ive said it a number of times, but what I think we need to be addressing is the spike in COVID, the delta variant and making sure our schoolchildren are safe.

Goodwin added that Republicans have proposed a bill that would cement in law an executive order by Abbott that prevents schools from requiring face masks. The order is being challenged in court; on Friday, a judge in Travis County granted a temporary stay upholding a Harris County health order requiring masks at schools and day care centers.

I just feel like if we do go back to the House floor, were going to have to fight over that, and we dont have the numbers to keep that from happening, so no, Im not planning to go back to the House floor, Goodwin said. Its definitely about voting rights and elections, but there are other things mixed in.

Meanwhile, Texas Republicans have grown restless waiting for the missing members to return.

TEXAS HOUSE MEMBERS WITH CIVIL ARREST WARRANTS OUT Rep. Alma Allen of Houston Rep. Rafael Anchia of Dallas Rep. Michelle Beckley of Carrollton Rep. Diego Bernal of San Antonio Rep. Rhetta Bowers of Garland Rep. John Bucy III of Austin Rep. Liz Campos of San Antonio Rep. Sheryl Cole of Austin Rep. Nicole Collier of Fort Worth Rep. Philip Cortez of San Antonio Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas Rep. Yvonne Davis of Dallas Rep. Joe Deshotel of Beaumont Rep. Alex Dominguez of Brownsville Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins of San Antonio Rep. Jessica Gonzalez of Dallas Rep. Vikki Goodwin of Austin Rep. Ana Hernandez of Houston Rep. Gina Hinojosa of Austin Rep. Donna Howard of Austin Rep. Celia Israel of Austin Rep. Ann Johnson of Houston Rep. Jarvis Johnson of Houston Rep. Julie Johnson of Farmers Branch Rep. Ray Lopez of San Antonio Rep. Mando Martinez of Weslaco Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer of San Antonio Rep. Terry Meza of Irving Rep. Ina Minjarez of San Antonio Rep. Christina Morales of Houston Rep. Penny Morales Shaw of Houston Rep Sergio Munoz, Jr., of Palmview Rep. Victoria Neave of Dallas Rep. Claudia Ordaz Perez of El Paso Rep. Lina Ortega of El Paso Rep. Leo Pacheco of San Antonio Rep. Richard Pena Raymond of Laredo Rep. Mary Ann Perez of Houston Rep. Ana-Maria Ramos of Richardson Rep. Ron Reynolds of Missouri City Rep. Eddie Rodriguez of Austin Rep. Ramon Romero Jr., of Fort Worth Rep. Toni Rose of Dallas Rep. Jon Rosenthal of Houston Rep. Carl Sherman Sr., of DeSoto Rep. Shawn Thierry of Houston Rep. Senfronia Thompson of Houston Rep. Chris Turner of Grand Prairie Rep. Hubert Vo of Houston Rep. Armando Walle of Houston Rep. Gene Wu of Houston Rep. Erin Zwiener of Driftwood See More Collapse

A little bit frustrated that the biggest item on an agenda in this body today is a prayer, said Rep. Shelby Slawson, R-Stephenville, as she led the invocation as the House was gaveled in Friday. Thats some wrong thinking.

A conservative, self-described constitutionalist group called Texas Freedom Force on Twitter offered crowdfunded rewards  $200 worth of barbecue and Shiner Bock beer  for any law enforcement officer and their department who arrests a Democratic House member. The group encouraged members to videotape or photograph the arrest and email it to them.

TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

Despite the groups reference to other law enforcement agencies, a Phelan spokesman said he is aware of only the Department of Public Safety having a role in serving the civil arrest warrants at this time.

Not quite hiding out

House Democratic Caucus Chair Chris Turner, of Grand Prairie, did not appear to be shaken by the threat of arrests of members.

Republicans decision to seek our arrest does not deter our continued and fierce opposition to their attacks on the freedom to vote, Turner said, though he declined to give details on the Democrats plans.

Caucus officials declined to comment on how many members remain in Washington.

Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, was still there Friday and said the partys House coalition remains united, despite some internal divisions earlier in the week over three Democrats who had reappeared on the House floor.

Certainly the best-case scenario for us would be we stand solid and together and make any decisions that way, Hinojosa said.

Rep. Jon Rosenthal, D-Houston, returned to Texas last week but has not disclosed his location. He said Friday that he was unaware of any widespread effort to physically collect folks and was for the most part going about his life.

Im certainly not running around wearing Jon Rosenthal campaign gear or anything like that, he said. But I feel comfortable being outside and doing the things that normal humans do.

An engineer by training, Rosenthal said he was still having meetings with constituents by phone or Zoom, as he has throughout much of the pandemic.

I wouldnt engage in anything like this if it wasnt such an important, fundamental core issue, he said.

Also Friday, Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, urged the Justice Department in a letter to intervene in Texas and determine that Abbott and Republican lawmakers were engaging in a civil rights conspiracy and violating Democratic members constitutional rights by using the threat of a civil arrest to compel attendance. The process for restoring a quorum is outlined in rules of the House that were unanimously adopted by members, including the Democrats, in the spring.

Johnson said hed spoken with Black lawmakers  Reps. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas, Joe Deshotel of Beaumont and Ron Reynolds of Missouri City  and all of them supported Justice Department intervention.

The adding of this bounty enhances our concern and further clarifies why federal intervention is needed, wrote Gary Bledsoe, president of the Texas NAACP.

taylor.goldenstein@chron.com

jeremy.blackman@chron.com
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Thor: The Dark World has some fans, but it certainly has more haters.

The sequel, released in 2011, is considered something of a mess when compared with other Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films, and director Alan Taylor has now explained why he believes this is the case.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Taylor said that the film he originally had in mind shifted in a major manner  something he suggested wasnt his decision.

He said that these changes, which were made once filming was complete, messed with the continuity of the film.

The version I had started off with had more childlike wonder; there was this imagery of children, which started the whole thing, he said, adding: There was a slightly more magical quality.

Taylor continued: There was weird stuff going on back on Earth because of the convergence that allowed for some of these magical realism things. And there were major plot differences that were inverted in the cutting room and with additional photography  people [such as Loki] who had died were not dead, people who had broken up were back together again. I think I would like my version.

Chris Hemsworths second Thor film is considered one of Marvels worst (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Taylor said that the process was not good for him, stating that his experience on the film, as well as the critically-maligned Terminator: Genisys (2015), left him having to rediscover the joy of filmmaking.

I had lost the will to make movies. I lost the will to live as a director. Im not blaming any person for that, he said.

Taylors next film is The Many Saints of Newark, a film prequel to HBO show The Sopranos. Taylor directed several episodes of the show as well as Game of Thrones, Mad Men and Lost.
Mad Men actor Vincent Kartheiser has accused of on-set misconduct, its been reported.

The 42-year-old is said to have been at the centre of two allegations while working on the third season of HBO Maxs Titans. Despite playing a lead role, the actor was left out of the shows publicity plans.

According to Deadline, the complaints against Kartheiser accused him of disruptive and juvenile behaviour, as well as inappropriate comments.

The allegation reportedly triggered at least two internal investigations by Warner Bros Television, who its said interviewed the accusers remotely due to Covid-19 regulations.

A source told the outlet that Kartheiser was verbally reprimanded after making an alleged on-set outburst that warranted corrective action.

At another stage, he is said to have been assigned a representative to monitor his behaviour. Other claims of misconduct were not corroborated.

Kartheiser vehemently denies the allegations, a spokesperson for the actor told the outlet.

Warner Bros investigated this matter and made clear to Mr Kartheiser its expectations for behaviour on the set, and he agreed to comply with their directives.

Kartheiser, who is best known for playing Pete Cambell opposite Jon Hamm and Elisabeth Moss in Mad Men, signed a one-year deal to appear on Titans.

Vincent Kartheiser is said to have been at the centre of two misconduct allegations (Getty Images)

The actor is married to Gilmore Girls and Handmaids Tale actor Alex Bledel.

The Independent has contacted Kartheiser for comment.
The Taliban are reported to be within seven miles of the Afghan capital, with skirmishes taking place in the outskirts of the city, as they also launched a fresh assault on a northern stronghold attempting to resist the Islamist group.

The sighting of the fighters in the Char Asyab district came after the fall of Logar province, opening the road to the district which is now considered a part of Greater Kabul. This was the latest in a series of moves which isolates the capital, with all routes out now cut.

The militants on Saturday also captured Mazar-e-Sharif, the countrys fourth largest city and a key government stronghold which Afghan forces and two powerful former warlords had pledged to defend.

The latest gains, hands the insurgents control over all of northern Afghanistan, came as Afghanistans president made a much-anticipated speech which was expected to reveal a breakthrough in the talks held with the Talibs in the Qatari capital, Doha.

There had been feverish speculation among some officials and online that Ashraf Ghani would resign, believed to be a key demand of the Taliban to agree to a ceasefire.

An alleged text of a draft deal had been sent to diplomats and the media. If genuine, and there has been no official corroboration of it, the terms amount to an effective handover of power to the Islamists.

Instead, in a brief television address, the president said he would be consulting Afghan and international leaders with a focus on preventing further instability, violence and displacement of my people. He praised the sacrifices made by the security forces, stressing that he will not give up the achievements of the last 20 years.

Passengers walk to the departures terminal of Hamid Karzai International Airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Saturday (AP)

Abdullah Abdullah, the head of High Council for National Reconciliation, and the chief government negotiator, had made fresh proposals at the talks through the Qatari government. He is due to return to Doha in the next few days with clarification of the government position following a meeting of the cabinet on Friday evening.

Mr Ghani, according to some accounts, is under pressure at home and abroad to step down. The US administration has firmly denied reports that it had advised him to do so, and officials from other western governments have issued similar denials.

The Pakistan prime minister, Imran Khan, had said that Taliban leaders had told him they would talk to the Afghan government only after Mr Ghani stands down. But since Pakistan has been the chief sponsor of the Islamist group, his statement was viewed in Afghanistan and the countrys western partners as reflecting an agenda.

Mr Ghani responded earlier this week that some, particularly our neighbours, say if there is no Ashraf Ghani, everything will be OK and peace will return. My question and the question of millions of Afghans is: who would be my successor, and will he be appointed?"

While the Afghan government had held that the Taliban must take part in an election in its quest for running the country, the Islamist group is said to want power-sharing now, with most of the senior positions being held by them.

The main military thrust in the conflict moved back north with the Taliban launching a multi-pronged attack on Mazar-e-Sharif, a traditional bastion of the former Northern Alliance, historical adversaries of the Islamists.

Abas Ebrahimzada, an official from the Balkh province where the city is located, said the national army surrendered first, which prompted pro-government militias and other forces to lose morale and give up in the face of the Taliban onslaught.

President Ghani had travelled to Mazar midweek to hold talks with the Uzbek and Tajik commanders Abdul Rashid Dostum and Atta Mohammad Noor, to bolster the fight against the insurgents.

This was a volte face for Mr Ghani who, with the active encouragement of the US and the west, had attempted to neutralise warlords and their militias, and to give primacy to the Afghan army and police.

The two commanders are said to be in the forefront on the government side who want to continue combatting the Taliban. A number of senior members of the cabinet have also urged against further concessions to the Islamists.

The next step of the Talban on the Afghan capital remains to be seen. They may, according to Afghan security officials, try and strike into Kabul and get to Policharki prison, where significant numbers of Taliban inmates are kept, and bolster the size of their force, a tactic they had carried out with jails in Kunduz and Kandahar.

A major assault on the capital may not take place, given the arrival of American and British forces who have been sent to the country to carry out an emergency evacuation of British and Afghan civilians who had worked for the two governments.

The force, which includes US marines and British paratroopers, will be based at Kabul airport. In addition the US is also moving up to 5,000 troops to bases in Qatar and Kuwait. Following talks in Doha, the Taliban have been careful not to target US and other western troops, focusing on Afghan forces. Washington has repeatedly warned that any loss of American lives would lead to retribution.
The fate of Kabul is now the focal point of the conflict, with the Taliban closing in on the Afghan capital after gaining the three strategic and symbolic prizes they had fought hard to secure.

With the capture of Kandahar, Lashkar Gah and Herat in the south and west of the country, and two cities close to Kabul  Ghazni and Pul-e-Khumri, respectively 80 and 110 miles away  the Islamist group appeared to have cleared the deck for an assault on the capital.

In a huge propaganda coup, the jihadists are also reported to have captured Ismail Khan, the veteran 70-year-old mujaheddin commander who had been leading a militia defending Herat.

He, along with the provincial governor and security officers, was handed over to the insurgents by officials who had changed sides on the promise of no retribution being taken.

The Taliban agreed that they will not pose any threat or harm to the government officials who surrendered, said provincial council member Ghulam Habib Hashimi.

Fierce clashes are also taking place in Logar province, 50 miles south of Kabul, and close to the gates of the capital. Getting there would mean the insurgents would be able to strike into the city and possibly get to Policharki prison, where most of the remaining senior Taliban inmates are kept.

The rapid Taliban offensive has forced thousands of Afghan citizens to flee to Kabul to take refuge, with the World Food Programme warning of a dire food situation and a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding.

The UN have pleaded with Afghanistans neighbours to keep their borders open as civilians take flight. US intelligence assessments this week have warned the Taliban could isolate the capital within 30 days.

But it is unclear whether the Talibs would carry out an assault on the capital with the arrival of American and British forces which have been sent to the country to carry out an emergency evacuation of British and Afghan civilians as well as members of the countries armed forces.

Washington has warned Taliban leaders directly that the US would respond if the Taliban attacked Americans during the temporary US military deployments.

The UK will send 600 soldiers from the 16 Air Assault Brigade while the US will deploy 3,000 troops including a battalion of marines. The forces of both countries are going to be based at Kabul airport.

The airlift is expected to be completed by the end of the month, one of the dates given by the Biden administration for the final pullout of American forces.

The rapidly deteriorating security situation has prompted an international scramble to evacuate foreign nationals from several other countries too.

Germanys foreign minister, Heiko Maas, said his country is reducing its embassy staff in the capital to the operationally necessary, absolute minimum.

Norways foreign minister announced its foreign embassy in Kabul was closing, and Denmarks foreign minister was quoted by DV2 as saying their embassy in Kabul was being evacuated.

Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg and 30 national ambassadors met in Brussels later on Friday on the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan.

Canadian special forces will deploy to Afghanistan to help Canadian staff leave Kabul, a source told the Associated Press.

Australia is working urgently to evacuate the last Afghans who helped its troops and diplomats, prime minister Scott Morrison said on Friday.

Both Washington and London say there are no intentions of using the troops in the Afghan conflict, but defence officials warn of the risks of mission creep if a Taliban attack takes place on the capital while the British and American forces are still there.
Government officials are demanding financial assistance to update failed septic systems after it was revealed toilet water is seeping into Michigan waters.

Unlike public sewer systems, septic systems are private and typically installed in rural areas. The septic tank is located underground, along the main sewer line that extends outside of your home.

Once the waste is deposited into the chamber, solids sink toward the bottom and liquids rise into the soil. Ordinarily, the process should strip the waste of any fecal bacteria or viruses, and thereby, leave clean water in the middle of the tank. But faulty septic systems can cause dirty water to pollute fresh water, rivers, and lakes nearby.

This can cause illnesses  like an E coli infection  in those using the water. The polluted water can also ignite toxic algae blooms  which can make people and animals sick.

With almost 30 per cent of Michigan homes having a septic system, defective septic systems is a common issue over the past decade.

In 2018, a report from the Barry-Eaton County Health Department said that one out four septic systems had possible issues in the county.

Just north of Detroit in Macomb county, 6,126 septic systems were inspected over the course of six years. Of those septic systems, 15 percent had issues like laundry waste seeping into the ground to broken lids. 412 of the tanks had to be replaced or join a public sewer system.

And in Ingham County, a decade of inspections 13 per cent of septic systems were near failure. Some of which were oozing waste into the plumbing system.

Theres also research showing how these septic systems have polluted waterways.

A 2018 study from researchers at Michigan State University (MSU) tested 64 waterways and found that those near septics had higher levels of human fecal bacteria.

Joan Rose, a Michigan State University microbiologist who led the study, told Bridge Michigan this week that the future water supply will be bleak if septics continue to leak polluted water. If we keep neglecting our wastewater, then down the road were going to have more contaminated waters that we cant use.

If the government officials receive the money, they plan on either replacing or repairing failed septic systems.

In a 2018 report , conducted by Public Sector Consultants, 60 per cent of septic tanks in Gratiot, Clinton, and Montcalm counties had dangerous levels of human waste.

Michigan is no stranger to water pollution issues.

From 2014 to 2019, Flints water was contaminated with lead, exposing 99,000 residents in one year alone. The percentage of blood levels among children doubled citywide. High levels of lead in children are linked to learning disabilities, shorter stature, and impaired hearing.

The Midwestern state is home to four Great Lakes, one of the largest freshwater supplies in the world.

The climate crisis is already impacting the Great Lake region with harmful blooms of algae and an uptick of invasive species.

Out of date, decrepit infrastructure and the ongoing climate crisis is also causing Michigan problems.

With the climate crisis causing rising sea levels the city of Detroit has an ever-growing amount of flood because of its combined sewer system, which connects sanitary sewers to storm drains. While there are residents advocating for more adequate flood planning, the state hasnt made plans to improve the infrastructure.
At least 44 people have died in floods in Turkey, with the death toll expected to climb as rescue teams continue to search for those who are still missing.

Torrential rain brought chaos to northern provinces as torrents of water tossed dozens of cars and heaps of debris along streets, destroyed bridges, closed roads and cut off electricity to hundreds of villages in the Black Sea region.

Drone footage showed massive damage in the flood-hit Black Sea town of Bozkurt, where emergency workers were searching demolished buildings on Saturday.

Thirty-six people died as a result of floods in the Kastamonu district which includes Bozkurt, while another seven people died in Sinop and one in Bartin, the Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) said.

In one collapsed building along the banks of the swollen river, 10 people were still believed buried.

The rapid floodwaters appeared to have swept away the foundations of several other apartment blocks.

Relatives of the missing, desperate for news, waited anxiously nearby.

Ilyas Kalabalik, 42, described the situation as unprecedented.

There is no power, said the resident. The mobile phones were dead. There was no reception. You couldnt receive news from anyone.

He added: We had no idea whether the water was rising or not, whether it flooded the building or not.

We were just waiting, like this. Our wives and children were panicked. Once sun came up in the morning, we saw police officers. They took us from the building and hurled us into a gas station.

The wreckage of vehicle is seen amid debris in the town of Bozkurt after flash floods swept through the Turkish Black Sea region (Mehmet Emin Caliskan/Reuters)

Mr Kalabalik was surrounded by residents who were asking each other whether anyone had any news about missing people.

My aunts children are there. My aunt is missing. Her husband is missing. Her twin grandchildren are missing. The wife of our building manager is missing along with their two children, he said.

Turkeys worst floods in years brought chaos to northern provinces just as authorities were declaring wildfires that raged through southern coastal regions for two weeks had been brought under control.

About 45cm (18 inches) of rain fell in less than three days in one village near Bozkurt.

The small town of Bozkurt lies in a valley along the banks of the Ezine river in Kastamonu province, 2.5km (1.6 miles) from the Black Sea.

Turkey and the whole Mediterranean region have been experiencing a prolonged heatwave, which has caused concerns for the elderly and homeless.

Ivan Hristov Nenov, 46, cools off in a fountain at the Las Tendillas square, as a heatwave hits Spain, in Cordoba, southern Spain (Jon Nazca/Reuters)

Spain expected to record its hottest day of the year on Saturday with temperatures topping 45C in parts of the Iberian Peninsula, while Italian authorities expanded the number of cities on red alert for health risks.

In the southern Spanish province of Granada, where the mercury hit 40C by midday, few people ventured outside.

Dominic Roye, a climate scientist at the University of Santiago de Compostela, said the hot air from the Sahara that had brought days of hot weather and wildfires continued to stream over to Mediterranean countries.

With nighttime temperatures forecast to exceed 25C in much of Spain, Mr Roye worried about residents who cannot afford home air conditioning and other vulnerable people.

The more intense the heat, the higher the mortality risk, he said. When you have high night temperatures, our bodies are prevented from resting.

Authorities in Italy also raised concerns about older adults and other people at risk as they expanded heat warnings to 16 cities.

Temperatures in the mid-40Cs were forecast for the Sicilian cities of Palermo and Catania, and as high as 37C for Rome, Florence and Bologna, all places the Health Ministry put on red alert.

Italians sought respite at the sea and in the mountains from the aptly named Lucifer anti-cyclone bringing the hot air from Africa during Italys peak summer holiday weekend.

The heatwave has aggravated fires that have consumed forests in southern Italy, Greece and North Africa.

Additional reporting by Reuters
 Close Watch live as Biden gives update on Afghanistan evacuations

The Taliban must not allow Afghanistan to become a breeding ground for terrorism, Nato has said.

After the alliances foreign ministers met virtually on Friday, they released a statement saying: We will not allow any terrorists to threaten us. We remain committed to fighting terrorism with determination, resolve, and in solidarity.

The message comes after reports that fighters from the militant group massacred nine Hazara men in south-eastern Afghanistan early last month.

Fighters shot six people dead and tortured another three to death in the village of Mundarakht in Ghazni province, eyewitnesses told Amnesty International.

The cold-blooded brutality of these killings is a reminder of the Talibans past record, and a horrifying indicator of what Taliban rule may bring, said Agnes Callamard, the human rights groups secretary general.

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson is to chair a Cobra meeting on Friday afternoon to discuss the current situation in Afghanistan, Downing Street said.

The British government has been widely criticised for its handling of the crisis, with both the prime minister and foreign secretary Dominic Raab away on holiday shortly before Kabul fell.
Violent attacks by incels such as Plymouth gunman Jake Davison will be treated as terrorism if the movement grows, a government adviser says.

Police have been criticised for not treating the tragedy  which saw the gunman shoot five people and himself, after misogynistic social media posts calling himself an involuntary celibate  as terror-related.

Jonathan Hall, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation for the Home Office, said whether or not a threat is categorised as terrorism is a question of scale.

But he added: If we see more of these sorts of attacks, then I have got no doubt that it will be treated more seriously as terrorism.

Incels, who typically blame women for a failure to form sexual relationships, are currently considered part of right-wing terrorism  but Mr Hall acknowledged they are quite separate.

Davison said he was an incel and protested about not losing his virginity as a teenager, in a rambling video posted on YouTube three weeks ago

On a Reddit account, one post was titled Why anti-gun people are evil & disgusting human filth. He also described women as very simple-minded and they aint all that bright.

Mr Hall, said there was no need to change the definition of terrorism, because the current description of violence used to advance an ideological cause is sufficient.

He told BBC Radio 4 that an isolated incident crossing that threshold would probably not be treated as such because it might not make sense to divert resources to counter it.

But he added: If something reaches a scale where it affects, if you like, the national security of the country or the general sense of security, of the population, then you might want to.

Mr Hall added, on the incel threat: It seems part of right-wing terrorism but it is not really. In fact, it is quite separate from it. It is a different sort of ideology.

The question is really one of choice. Do we want to start treating incels as potential terrorists?

Peter Fahy, the former chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, agreed that many people believe misogynistic crimes are not high enough on the list of police priorities.

But he added: When we give high publicity to these cases, which is inevitable given the size of the tragedy, the trouble is it puts thoughts in other peoples minds. We must be careful we dont build these people up too much.

Nazir Afzal, formerly chief crown prosecutor for the north west, also questioned why Davison was not on a police watchlist, saying he was exactly the type of person the authorities should be keeping an eye on.

In his now-deleted posts, Davison set out his hopes for making up for missing out on a sex life as a teenager.

He was a gun enthusiast who praised Donald Trump, and wrote regularly of his hatred for his mother, Maxine, who was the first person he shot dead.

Neil Basu, Britains most senior counterterrorism officer, warned MPs a year ago that young people were being groomed online for terrorism, including incel alongside far-right and Islamist extremism.
US immigration authorities last month detained more than 200,000 people for the first time in 21 years.

The figure is the latest evidence of a steady rise in immigration during 2021 that has strained US humanitarian capacity and tested the limits of the Biden administrations liberal campaign promises.

US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) apprehended 212,672 people in July, according to data released on Thursday, including an all-time record 19,000 unaccompanied minors. The total is a 13 per cent increase on Junes figures.

The causes of the surge are numerous and inter-related: ranging from the partial rollback of restrictive Trump administration policies, to the pandemic, to longer-term forces like war, climate change, and regional instability.

"It is complicated, changing and involves vulnerable people at a time of a global pandemic," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said during a press conference on Thursday.

Migration numbers usually drop during the summer, but the pandemic and its resulting economic devastation seems to have offset this effect.

At the beginning of 2021, the Biden administration rolled back some of the Trump administrations most onerous immigration restrictions like intentional family separation and the Muslim travel, while keeping others.

It hung onto the Trump-era Title 42 programme, which used the pandemic as a justification to immediately turn away most border crossers, even those seeking the legally protected human right of asylum.

More than 45 per cent of the total apprehended in July were turned around under Title 42, according to the figures, though the data reveals even this hard-line policy hasnt deterred many from trying to improve their lot in the United States. Twenty-seven per cent of those held in July had at least one previous contact with authorities.

The administration has offered some carve outs from the border shutdown for all minors crossing alone, as well as a limited number of families.

The American Civil Liberties Union recently revived a lawsuit against the Biden administration, after the president announced in August he was extending Title 42 indefinitely.

The United Nations has also condemned the USs recent practice, begun last week, of flying some of those denied entry under the policy back to Southern Mexico.

Individuals or families aboard those flights who may have urgent protection needs risk being sent back to the very dangers they have fled in their countries of origin in Central America without any opportunity to have those needs assessed and addressed, the UN High Commissioner on Refugees wrote on Wednesday in a statement.

These expulsion flights of non-Mexicans to the deep interior of Mexico constitute a troubling new dimension in enforcement of the COVID-related public health order known as Title 42.

As described in a recent analysis for The Independent, though there has been an uptick in migration across the southern, the seemingly perennial mismatch between the number of people arriving to the US and the ability to process their immigration claims effectively and humanely is largely a political choice.

The US hasnt fundamentally altered its immigration framework for decades, and a 50-50 divided US Senate is unlikely to do so anytime soon, despite the Biden administrations goal of passing comprehensive citizenship reforms.
Early election results in Zambia show opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema ahead in a tight, tense race while the national Electoral Commission has urged people to wait for the final official results to avoid any unrest.

The first set of results announced Saturday from 15 of the countrys 156 constituencies has Hichilema in the lead with 171,604 votes to President Edgar Lungus 110,178. The commission said it will update the results as votes from the constituencies are tabulated and expects to announce the final results by Monday.

An overwhelming turnout, particularly by youthful Zambians who make up a majority of registered voters, saw long lines in front of polling stations on election day, Thursday. Many polling stations had to close late to accommodate the voters, said the electoral commission, which noted that the large turnout was unprecedented.

Sixteen candidates ran for president and some of them have already conceded defeat and congratulated Hichilema on victory, citing results posted at polling centers where votes were counted.

Hichilemas United Party for National Development forecast that he would win, also based on the results from polling centers. However, Lungus Patriotic Front claimed that the incumbent would win.

Votes in Zambia are counted at polling centers and then posted for the public to see. The results from the polling stations are sent to the national election center in the capital, Lusaka, where the final results are announced.

Zambia's military was on the streets of the capital, Lusaka, and in other parts of the country Saturday. President Edgar Lungu deployed the military ahead of the election saying it was to curb some outbreaks of violence. He ordered more troops to be deployed in some restive parts of the country after there were two killings on election day.

The opposition alleges the troop rollout is an intimidation tactic by Lungu.

Zambia's newspapers showed the divide.

HH gets it and HH takes lead trumpeted the banner headlines of two privately owned newspapers, using the initials of Hichilema's name, as his supporters call him.

In contrast, the state-run Zambia Daily Mail ran with the headline Lungu set for victory-PF, citing an official of the ruling Patriotic Front party.

In the capital Lusaka, reaction to the early results was largely muted as people went about their daily morning chores and others set up market stalls to sell live chickens, vegetables, and charcoal.

Others were seen pulling down Lungus posters that are plastered all over the city, which was being swept by dry, dusty winds Saturday.

Lungu won power in 2015 in a snap election after the previous president, Michael Sata, died in office. Lungu narrowly defeated Hichilema, whom he again beat with a small margin for a full term in 2016. Hichilema alleged fraud in both polls and has warned of rigging in these elections.

Critics accuse Lungu of trying to reverse Zambias record of holding regular, credible elections and peaceful transfers of power since 1991 when the country returned to multi-party democracy after being a one-party state for more than two decades.

Lungus party on Friday said it had written to the electoral commission, also alleging the election wasnt free and fair, citing alleged violence by the opposition.

Both Lungu and Hichilema have expressed concern that the election could result in post-election instability.

Nic Cheeseman, professor of politics at the University of Birmingham, told The Associated Press that the results from the 15 constituencies showed turnout was 15% higher than in the 2016 polls.

Cheeseman, who is in Zambia to see the elections, said the early results show a big swing in favor of Hichilemas UNDP party, which garnered 10% more of the vote in the 15 constituencies than in 2016 and that the party had increased its vote share in 11 of the announced constituencies. He said the trend is likely to continue in the majority of results yet to be announced.
Russias defence ministry has said that a Be-200 firefighting aircraft has crashed in Turkey, with five Russian servicemen and three Turkish citizens on board, according to reports.

The Russian independent news agency Interfax reported officials as saying that the plane crashed near Adana in southern Turkey on Saturday when it was due to land, but there has been no details on any casualties yet.

In Turkey, state media also reported that a firefighting plane that had been rented from Russia crashed in a mountainous area in the southern part of the country.

Anadolu news agency said that the plane was linked to the General Directory of Forestry and that search and rescue teams had been sent to the area in Kahramanmaras.

Meanwhile, the private news agency DHA said the plane crashed as it was fighting a forest fire, adding that the cause of the crash had not yet been identified.

Kahramanmaras governor Omer Faruk Coskun told Anadolu that a wildfire had begun after lightning struck trees.

"We had dispatched a plane to the area but we lost communication with the plane a while ago and it crashed, Mr Coskun said.

The situation is very new. We dispatched many units to the area where the plane crashed.

Wildfires in Turkeys Mediterranean region began in late July and have destroyed thousands of acres of forests, mostly in the seaside provinces of Mugla and Antalya.

On Thursday, Turkish foreign minister Bekir Pakdemirli said that 299 fires had been brought under control over 16 days by firefighters, helicopters and planes.

Eight people have died in the wildfires that emerged following a prolonged heatwave, with experts warning that such extreme weather events are more likely due to climate change.

Additional reporting by agencies
Bad news for air travellers as flight tickets are all set to become more expensive yet again. The government has decided to raise the price cap on domestic airfares for the second time in just over two months by 9 to 12 per cent, as per NDTV.

As per the order, the lower limit for flights that have a duration of below 40 minutes was raised from Rs 2600 to Rs 2900, which is an 11.53 per cent hike. The increase was done by the Civil Aviation Ministry.

PTI

Upper cap at Rs 8800

The upper cap has also been increased by 12.82% to Rs 8800.

Flights that are between 40 and 60 minutes now have a lower limit of Rs 3700 instead of Rs 3300 and the upper cap has gone up by 12.24% to touch Rs 11,000.

Flights that run more than 60 minutes but less than 90 minutes have a lower limit of Rs 4500 which is a 12.5% increase and the upper cap has been raised by 12.82% to Rs 13,200.

PTI

Flights of 90-120, 120-150, 150-180 and 180-210 minutes are facing hikes that are of a similar nature.

Ticket prices will be higher than the caps as passenger security fee, user development fee for the airports and the Goods and Services Tax will be added.

It is the fourth hike in airfare caps in 2021. Ticket prices were revised in February, May and June as well.


The Indian national flag, as we know it today, came into existence after a series of developments and modifications. Also known as the Tricolor or Tiranga, the flag was an integral part of the Indian freedom movement.

The national flag is the pride of all the citizens of the country and represents our hopes and aspirations. The late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru called it a flag not only of freedom for ourselves but a symbol of freedom to all people.

Unsplash

Facts about the tricolour

India is celebrating its 75th Independence Day on August 15, 2021. Here are some facts about the Indian national flag that you must know:



1. The first Indian flag was hoisted on August 7, 1906, at Parsi Bagan Square in Calcutta. It consisted of three horizontal stripes of green, yellow and red.

2. The National Flag of India, by law, is to be made of khadi, a special type of hand-spun cloth of cotton or silk made popular by Mahatma Gandhi.

3. The original cloth flag can be made by only one place called the Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha or KKGSS. They are the only licensed manufacturer and supplier of the Indian National Flag.

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4. The saffron colour represents courage and sacrifice while white colour represents truth, peace and purity. Green colour of the flag denotes prosperity while the Ashok Chakra represents the Laws of Dharma (righteousness).

5. Before 2002, normal citizens of India were not allowed to hoist the National Flag except on Independence Day and Republic Day. In 2002, Supreme Court of India amended the flag code and gave rights to all citizens to hoist the flag any time as per the flag code.

6. As per the flag code, the flag must be hoisted in the day time and there should be no flag or any other symbolic representation above it. The Indian flag must never be put on the ground and must never be placed upside down.

Twitter/Gurleen Kaur

7. When a foreign dignitary travels in a car provided by the government, the flag should be flown on the right side of the car while the flag of the foreign country should be flown on the left side.
Major Arun Kumar Pandey was awarded the Shaurya Chakra on eve of Independence Day, as per ANI.

He received the award for his gallantry while fighting insurgents in Jammu and Kashmir.

During an operation in the Valley in June 2020, Major Arun neutralised 2 hardcore terrorists.

Twitter/Wikipedia

In doing so, he struck a crucial blow to the plans of the enemy and this award recognises his bravery.

Five others who were awarded the Shaurya Chakra were Captain Ashutosh Kumar (Posthumous), Captain Vikas Khatri, RFN Mukesh Kumar and SEP Neeraj Ahlawat.

The Shaurya Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice while not engaged in direct action with the enemy.

It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel.

For neutralising two hardcore terrorists during an operation in Jammu and Kashmir in June last year, Major Arun Kumar Pandey has been awarded the Shaurya Chakra this #IndependenceDay pic.twitter.com/b9pUkv3cCS  ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2021





India will be celebrating 74 years of Independence on August 15.

This is our 75th Independence Day as on August 15, 1947, we were finally free of British rule after nearly 200 years of colonisation.

Of course, India remained a Dominion Status in the British Empire until January 26, 1950, when the nation became a Republic.


Canada announced that it will be taking in 20,000 vulnerable refugees from Afghanistan, who face a direct threat from the rapid Taliban offensive in recent weeks.

Programme to resettle the refugees

Announcing the federal government's decision to expand a programme to resettle the refugees, Canadian immigration minister Marco Mendicino said the focus will be on those who belong to groups vulnerable to persecution by the Taliban such as women leaders, human rights workers and reporters.

The announcement came on the heels of repeated calls to the Canadian government to help Afghan nationals that have assisted Canada over the course of the War in Afghanistan.



AFP

Many of the Afghans, including their families, face retribution by the Taliban  whose forces have continued to sweep across and capture large parts of the country with alarming speed.



"M any more Afghans' lives are under increasing threat"

As the Taliban continues to take over more of Afghanistan, many more Afghans lives are under increasing threat, said Mendicino, who did not provide a timetable of the resettling efforts during the press conference.

In response to a question from reporters, Mendicino confirmed that the expanded resettlement efforts would only include Afghans that have already left the country.

While the announcement did not include information on whether they would evacuate Afghan nationals still in the country, Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau said that there were still a number of Canadian flights that have come, and there are more coming.



Reuters

Canada's defence minister Harjit Sajjan also said that the country has signed an MoU with the Manmeet Singh Bhullar foundation to resettle a group of vulnerable Afghan Sikh and Hindu families out of Afghanistan. Over the next several months, we will expand this programme to resettle several hundred remaining Sikhs and Hindus, the minister said.



Several countries, including Spain, Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands announced on Friday that they will be withdrawing staff from their respective embassies in Afghanistan, as the fall of Kabul looks more and more likely with each passing day.

Canada has said it is monitoring the situation in Afghanistan "very closely" and working with its allies on the ground to protect the Canadian embassy and the staff working there.

Reuters

Taliban's advance in Afghanistan

The Taliban made rapid advances in Afghanistan this week, toppling six provincial capitals in 24 hours. According to news agencies citing the local media, the insurgents seized both the second and the third biggest cities in the country on Friday, as resistance from government forces crumbled and fears grew that an assault on the capital Kabul could be just days away.

Kandahar, the economic hub of the south, is now under Taliban control. Herat in the west has also fallen to the hardline Islamist group, reports said.

AP

The Taliban is reported to have been looting people and killing civilians indiscriminately with their offensive taking an especially ruthless turn. As the security situation worsens, the Afghan people are leaving their homes to reach relatively safer places.


A local doctor has exempted dozens of students from wearing masks at school thanks to a medical exemption. According to a CBS report, the school district in California cannot do anything about and the parents are worried for the safety of their children.

Dr. Michael Huangs Roseville office is the man behind this exemption and his phone is ringing off the hook.



ABC

We are fully booked up for the next three months, I can definitely get you in, his receptionist Ashley said on the phone.

Theyre all looking for the same thing: a medical mask exemption.

CBS

At least 50 exemptions have been submitted at south Placer County School districts where about 85 percent of such exemptions have come from one doctor.

Dr. Huang maintains his exemptions are handed out after a physical exam.



When asked whether these exemptions are legitimate and if those students actually require mask exemptions, he said, The mask exemption letter, the one we do provide, each every one of them is after careful clinical exam and given appropriately."

Parents like Lou Foreman sought him out. He says his two Eureka School District kids have breathing issues.

My kids today are in school, theyre not masked and theyve been integrated into their classrooms, he said.

CBS

However, Eureka School District parent Dr. Chris Lillis worries about the immunocompromised kids in his childs 5th-grade classroom.

Im exasperated because I feel like its such a small gesture to wear a mask to protect the health of someone who is less fortunate, and more vulnerable than we may be, he said.

What are the medical excuses?

From breathing problems to something more severe, the California Department of Public Health has been unclear about what it means. On Friday, the state clarified that the exemption needs to come from a doctor and not a parent. The school says they have no way to prove if an exemption is real and there is no other choice but to accept the document.



So school administrators, teachers, theyre not in a position to question medical diagnoses, but they are required to follow guidance, which requires masks in the classroom, said Michelle Eklund, Chief Communications Officer with the Placer County Office of Education.
In a couple of days, India will celebrate 75 years of Independence from the British rule and in order to honour this special day, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared a throwback picture dating back to the year our country tasted freedom for the first time.

The minister posted a picture of the postage stamp that was issued in 1947 to commemorate India's Independence.

Twitter

The postage stamp is dated August 15, 1947 and features India's flag along with the words, "Jai Hind" in Hindi on the top right-hand corner and "India Postage" at the bottom.

"Postage Stamp issued in 1947 to commemorate Indias Independence. #AzadiKaAmritMahotsav," Viashnaw wrote in the caption.



Postage Stamp issued in 1947 to commemorate Indias Independence. #AzadiKaAmritMahotsav pic.twitter.com/qsY3OEQrEN  Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) August 12, 2021

Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is a central government campaign that celebrates India's journey. The campaign began on March 12 this year and will culminate after 75 weeks on August 15 next year.

The stamp is the first postage stamp of independent India and was issued on November 21, 1947. It was valued at three and one-half annas and was meant for foreign correspondence.

The second stamp of independent India was the Ashoka Lion Capital stamp. It was the first stamp issues for domestic use. It was released on December 15, 1947 and valued at 1.50 annas.

Twitter

Another stamp released of a flying aircraft was issued on December 15, 1947.

Twitter

What do you think of this? Let us know in the comments.
The Union Home Ministry has announced that 1,380 police personnel will be awarded medals on the occasion of 75th Independence Day, which will be observed on Sunday.

The recipients will be awarded medals such as the President's Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG), Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG), President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service (PPMDS) and Police Medal for Meritorious Services (PMMS), the ministry said.

Gallantry Awards (Representational Image)

According to the break-up of medals shared by the ministry, a total of 628 personnel have received the Gallantry Awards.

Among the majority of these awardees, 1 PPMG each is being awarded to the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). 398 personnel have been decorated for their gallant action in the Jammu and Kashmir region, 155 for their gallant action in the Left-Wing Extremism affected areas, and 27 for their gallant action in the northeast, the MHA statement said.



Among the awardees, 256 are from the J&K Police, 151 from the CRPF, 20 from the ITBP, and 67, 25 and 20 from the Odisha, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh Police respectively. The remainder is from other states/UTs and Central Armed Police Forces, it added.

TOI

20 personnel from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) have been awarded gallantry medals for exhibiting bravery during a violent face-off with Chinese troops last year.

Twitter

This is the highest number of gallantry medals awarded to the ITBP for the bravery of its men in border face-off/skirmishes/border guarding duties. The awardees include personnel involved in the action at the Galwan Nalla on 15 June 2020, as well as those involved in the violent faceoff in the Finger 4 area and Hot Springs, on 18 May 2020, the ITBP statement read.
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A young woman who was killed in a freak accident in Co Donegal had returned home from the Middle East to attend a friends wedding.

Amanda Kinsella fell from a bus at Ardnawark, Barnesmore Gap, outside Donegal Town at about 3.45pm on Friday afternoon last.

It is understood she was with a number of people on a private bus traveling to an after-wedding party when the tragedy occured.

Ms Kinsella, 27, was airlifted by helicopter to Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, but passed away on Friday evening.

Originally from Co Carlow, she had travelled home for a holiday which included a trip to Donegal for a friend's wedding.

We are deeply saddened to hear the news of the utterly tragic passing of our club mate Amanda Kinsella. We offer our deepest sympathys to her parents Mono and Patricia and siblings Aisling and David. The kindest soul, we will never ever forget her. Ar dheis De go raibh a hanam. pic.twitter.com/eyWepMJOJY  B / T Ladies LGFC (@BenneTinry) August 14, 2021

Her local GAA club in Carlow Bennekerry/Tinryland Ladies Football Club shared a moving tribute to Ms Kinsella on their Facebook page.

"Our Bennekerry Tinryland family and community are deeply saddened and devastated to hear the news of the utterly tragic passing of club mate Amanda Kinsella.

Our hearts are broken. We cant begin to describe how beautiful, talented and truly amazing she was.

"We offer our deepest sympathies to her parents Mono and Patricia and siblings Aisling and David. A super star 100 times over, we will never ever forget her. Ar dheis De go raibh a hanam.

Palatine GAA club also paid tribute to the young woman saying she will be "an immense loss to our club and community."

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Kinsella family on the passing of Amanda. She was a superstar and our hearts are broken."

Members of a number of Middle Eastern clubs including the Arabian Celts and Clan an Oman also paid tribute.

A spokesperson for the Arabian Celts said Amanda was just a fantastic person, on and off the pitch. Kind, funny and full of fun and adventure.

She will be sadly missed by all in Bahrain who were lucky enough to know her.

Gardai are continuing their investigations into the cause of the tragic incident.
Environmental groups in Clare have vowed to vigorously fight plans for a 1.2bn data centre near Ennis which they claim is a climate disaster waiting to happen.

Dublin-based Art Data Centres Ltd has applied to Clare County Council for six two-storey data centre buildings up to 19 metres in height, as well as a two-storey vertical farm.

According to planning files, the developers identified the site at Tooreen following a request for expressions of interest by Clare County Council for the development of a data centre in the county.

Overall development of the site will take longer than five years, and subject to planning approval, construction will begin in June 2023.

Futureproof Clare, Extinction Rebellion Clare, and Clare Environmental Network have vowed jointly to oppose the plans.

The Clare environmental groups claimed it would cause a surge in Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions, put an enormous strain on electricity and water resources, and be incompatible with council policy.

Emanuela Ferrari of Futureproof Clare said: The rapid growth of data centres in Ireland is leading to new gas-fired power stations being built to meet the increased energy demand, and their growth is also adding to pressure to approve the Shannon LNG fracked gas import terminal. Another huge data centre is the last thing we should be building.

Data centres in Ireland are coming under greater scrutiny due to the vast amount of energy and water needed to power and cool them.

Eirgrid and the energy regulator have warned of Irelands electricity grid becoming overwhelmed, which could lead to rolling blackouts, Aisling Wheeler of Extinction Rebellion Clare said.

If Big Tech cannot provide new renewable energy to power their data centres, they should be refused permission, she said.

Theresa O'Donohoe of the Clare Environmental Network claimed public participation has been almost non-existent.

People in Clare were not given adequate information about this data centre and its major environmental impact, including the enormous energy use.

The groups are hosting a webinar about the proposed Ennis Data Centre on Monday evening, with details on the Futureproof Clare Facebook page.

According to pro-data centre industry group Host In Ireland, emissions from the sector were 1.85% of Irelands total in 2020.

In its May report, it said investment in data centre facilities in Ireland totalled 7bn between 2010 and 2020, and the coming five years will see a further 7bn of investment, with 1.33bn to be spent in 2021.

There are now 70 operational data centres in Ireland.
On the night of August 7, Michael Collins saw what looked like something out of a war zone.

As he waited to pass on the narrow road at about 11.15pm, he saw a fire crew and gardai tending to three people lying on the ground around the mangled wreck of a car just outside Schull, West Cork.

There were bits of debris everywhere, he later recalled.

The sight was alarming enough, but what later struck the Cork South-West TD was the amount of time the injured were waiting for an ambulance.

They were waiting for more than two hours, possibly more, for an ambulance, he said.

They were waiting so long, a lady who lives nearby came out and gave them blankets to keep them warm as they lay there on the ground.

Emergency staff, both in ambulances and in hospitals are warning that a "perfect storm" awaits in the health service this winter, and what happened in Schull is a just a taster.

One leading GP says services in Cork have already hit crisis point.

In late July, the HSE told people in West Cork to consider other care options when the Acute Medical Assessment Unit of Bantry General Hospital closed. File picture: Denis Minihane

Dr Denis McCauley, chairman of the GP Committee of the Irish Medical Organisation, said the events of late July, when the HSE told people in West Cork to consider other care options when the Acute Medical Assessment Unit of Bantry General Hospital closed, are an example of what is going to happen on a wider scale.

About a week after people were asked not to go to Bantry, management at an overcrowded CUH told people not to go there and instead to consider "other care options".

On one hand, you had a key local acute facility being closed temporarily, which then led to a cohort of people who would not normally have gone to Bantry going to CUH," Dr McCauley said.

Then that leads to questions about where they go if CUH can no longer handle them.

So, we're going to see more perfect storms.

Cork got it this time because services that were normally available at Bantry weren't available and  surprise, surprise  problems then emerged in CUH.

But these kind of perfect storms are going to hit other areas too.

About a week after people were asked not to go to Bantry, management at an overcrowded CUH told people not to go there and instead to consider 'other care option'. Picture" Dan Linehan

Emergency medicine consultant Dr Peadar Gilligan said we are heading towards "very dangerously overcrowded" emergency departments into the winter months.

And, again, with the number of cases of Covid that are happening, there's an ongoing need to screen patients, but that will become more challenging in the context of major overcrowding.

So it's going to be very, very challenging this winter."

He appealed for people to think twice before calling for an ambulance.

I would certainly appeal to the population not to call an ambulance where it isn't absolutely necessary, he said.

I suppose for every ambulance callout it means that others are delayed in receiving treatments of patients who, for example, suffer major trauma, heart attacks, strokes, and those who are seriously unwell with infection.

The ability of the ambulance service to deliver timely care to those patients is compromised."

Emergency Department at CUH: 'Cork got it this time because services that were normally available at Bantry weren't available and  surprise, surprise  problems then emerged in CUH.' File picture: Dan Linehan

Emergency Department Nurse Moira Wynne, who works in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin and is an Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation rep, agrees with Dr Gilligan.

But she says there also needs to be a countrywide debate around how the ambulance service operates in Ireland.

A certain section of the Irish population think it is almost like a taxi service," she said.

Experts in their field of pre-hospital care, as paramedics are, need to be able to say actually no, you don't need to travel to the hospital in an ambulance today."

Things are crazy now, and then we're heading into winter, which is always another brand of crazy, and I don't know how emergency departments nationally are going to cope with that," she said.

I think we've really at the start of a perfect storm.

And that storm is only going to get bigger and stronger as we come into the winter.

For its part, the National Ambulance Service (NAS) said: Life-threatening calls receive an immediate and appropriate response, while lower acuity calls may have to wait until a resource becomes available.

All 999 calls are clinically triaged based on the patients condition and the nature and location of other 999 calls in the area are understandably not apparent to callers when they call 999.

In recent weeks, the NAS [continues] to experience a surge in demand for services at a time when staff are also working hard to support Covid-related swabbing and vaccinations."

A paramedic, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the country is now at a stage where we will increasingly see more people waiting at the side of the road for an ambulance.

Asked if what TD Michael Collins saw in Schull recently is likely to become more commonplace, Ms Wynne didnt hesitate in her reply.

I don't think it is an exaggeration because at the end of the day there are finite resources, she said.

And it's not as if there is a whole back-up crew waiting in the wings, and therefore people are going to be waiting that bit longer.
No doubt about it, the duvet has transformed traditional housekeeping.

Making beds back in the day with a combination of flat sheets and multiple blankets, a quilt and even a bedspread, must have been a chore exceeding the rigours of trying to drag a cover on a duvet.

Go completely neutral with gleaming white Lexington duvet cover, warmed with creams and pale grey for a relaxing atmosphere (from 37.25 at www.thefinecottoncompany.com).

As for the amount of laundry involved, well, the thought of that makes me want to slip under my own duvet for a snooze.

Very.co.uk's Appletree Cassia duvet cover is set against a grey and blond wood scheme accented with greenery for a fresh but cosy look (from 50).

Arlene Dufferin, director of Bottom Drawer, home to luxury bed linens and accessories at Brown Thomas in Cork, Dublin and Limerick, offers advice for buying and maintaining your duvet experience.

The main advantage of the duvet is the versatility, says Arlene.

The filling can be made from a huge range of products, from finest Hungarian goose down to silk fibres, wool or Tencel, or cheap and cheerful polyester, all offering varying levels of comfort and warmth depending.

Good bed linen is a pleasure to use and a great investment, she says. Although you may pay a little more, fine quality fabrics will remain smooth and comfortable, are easy to care for and last for years. We recommend keeping everything you sleep in natural, so choose pure cotton, silk or linen.

White cotton duvet covers work with all bedroom looks. The Bianca Malmo double duvet cover has a tufted finish offering texture and interest (64 at www.littlewoods.ie).

We hear a great deal about the importance of thread count but, according to Arlene, a higher count doesnt necessarily mean better.

More important is the quality of the yarns used and how the fabric has been finished, she says. A simple guide is to ask where the product is made. Bedlinen made in Europe, especially those from Italy, Portugal, France or Switzerland, will always be of the best quality. We recommend choosing a thread count between 300 and 600. The fine quality yarns and finishing processes of top quality European brands will ensure that your cotton bedlinen is smooth, supple and fabulous to sleep under.

But there are other natural options like silk and linen, the latter she describes as natures wonder fabric; cool, comfortable and yet incredibly strong and resilient.

Linen ages beautifully, becoming softer over time, and can be laundered at high temperatures, she says. The shabby chic style of relaxed, slightly crumpled linen is very attractive and means ironing is unnecessary. For those who love a more tailored, formal style, pure linen can be washed and pressed for the classic five-star bedroom style.

For utter indulgence, Arlene suggests silk. Its a luxurious and sexy fabric, she says. Sleeping in pure silk has definitely been having a moment for over a year now.

This wonderful natural fabric helps prevent fine lines from forming on delicate facial skin, as well as preventing hair from flattening or becoming tangled.

Once the technicalities are out of the way, Arlene, says, choosing bed linen should be fun. Choose something gorgeous, comfortable and great quality. If you are visiting us in-store, take a photo of your bedroom in advance so we can help you with your choices.

When choosing which colours to use we would recommend staying fairly neutral with your duvet cover and using colourful accessories to create accents of colour rather than overpowering your room with big bold prints. Theres always an opportunity to let your creativity flow and reflect your personality with splashes of colour if thats what you love.

Harvey Norman's Bianca Kyoto double duvet is finished in a gentle monochrome pattern with faux fur and warm metallics providing a layered and textured finish (double duvet set 40).

Getting back to practicalities, especially if youve invested in linens you want to keep in good nick, Arlene says, We recommend its washed at 40 degrees or less at least once every two weeks.

Putting them in a hot wash to remove stubborn stains occasionally is fine but lower temperatures will help to preserve the fabrics. Non-biological capsules are always best for coloured bed linen to prevent bleaching out the colours. For whiter than white duvet covers you can use biological liquids and powders. Try to keep your laundry sorted before washing and keep similar coloured bedlinen together and away from your jeans and socks. Try to avoid using fabric conditioners unless you just like the scent.

And, as we love a top tip, Arlene has a trick for getting an older white duvet that may be yellowing back to its original brilliance.

Pre-soak it in warm water with half a cup of white vinegar for about an hour. Then machine wash them as normal, but add half a cup of baking soda to the machine along with your washing detergent.
This Week in Review

A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.
For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune.
Mike has reported on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem's wildlife, wildlands and the agencies that manage them since 2012. A native Minnesotan, he arrived in the West to study environmental journalism at the University of Colorado.
Jennifer Dorsey is chief copy editor for the News&Guide and one of the editors for local articles printed in the Jackson Hole Daily.
Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 85F. Winds light and variable.

Tonight

Widely scattered showers or a thunderstorm this evening. Then partly cloudy. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.

Tomorrow

Mostly sunny skies. High around 85F. Winds light and variable.
KBS2's newest coming-of-age romantic comedy-drama "Police University" starring "Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds" actor Cha Tae Hyun, B1A4 member and "Love in the Moonlight" actor Jinyoung, and f(x) member and "Sweet & Sour" actress Krystal recently premiered and its great plot and amazing cast enticed fans and viewers.

The two recent episodes of the drama reached 5.2 percent and 6.5 percent viewership ratings respectively, reaching a new high among the Monday and Tuesday dramas.

In the third episode of "Police University," which will broadcast on August 16, the interesting dynamics and brewing potential relationship between crime detective and professor Yoo Dong Man (Cha Tae Hyun) and Judo professor Choi Hee Soo (Hong Soo Hyun) captured the fans and viewers' attention, anticipating the two characters' next moves.

'Police University' Episode 2 Recap: Yoo Dong Man Meets Kang Seon Ho and Oh Kang Hee

In the previous episode of the highly anticipated drama, detective and professor Yoo Dong Man (Cha Tae Hyun) and the rest of the faculty and professors of the National Police University welcomed the new batch of aspiring police officers into the university.

With this, he also welcomed hacker Kang Seon Ho (Jinyoung) whom he had an exhilarating encounter with which started their personal vendetta against each other.

Although the detective basically lured the students into the gates of hell by testing each and everybody's vigor, aptitude, and mental stability, Kang Seon Ho is still determined to reach his goal of becoming an honorable police officer.

The young man took inspiration from his fellow captain and unit leader, Oh Kang Hee (Krystal), who once said that she would do anything she wants freely without any regrets.

Meanwhile, as Yoo Dong Man (Cha Tae Hyun) plots new tactics on how to get rid of Kang Seon Ho (Jinyoung) from the university, secrets have been unraveled one after the another which had the viewers on the edge of their seats.

On the other hand, the beautiful Judo professor Choi Hee Soo (Hong Soo Hyun) admires Yoo Dong Man (Cha Tae Hyun) from afar.

Her charming smile and locking gaze toward the other professor hinted at her admiration and curiosity about the newcomer, and it received positive response from the fans and viewers.

When asked whether she likes the professor, Judo master Choi Hee Soo (Hong Soo Hyun) simply answered with a smile, "I want to be his friend."

'Police University' Episode 3 Spoiler: Yoo Dong Man and Choi Hee Soo's Potential Romantic Relationship

In the preview that KBS2 recently published, the shocking and unbelievable secret of Kang Seon Ho (Jinyoung) has been revealed.

While detective Yoo Dong Man (Cha Tae Hyun) processes the new information, Kang Seon ho grows closer with his fellow student and crush, Oh Kang Hee (Krystal).

But what caught the fans and viewers' attention is the scene where Yoo Dong Man and Choi Hee Soo engaged in an unexpected "skinship" or physical contact, which made the viewers' hearts flutter for a moment.

The physical touch stunned the tiger professor, his eyes shook as he was wrapped in the beautiful Judo professor's embrace.

On the other hand, professor Choi Hee Soo didn't seem to be fazed by the sudden contact but instead, his confident, sweet, and knowing smile caught the eyes of the viewers.

With this heart-fluttering moment, the Judo professor created a subtle and gentle atmosphere as she stared at the other professor. The obvious and romantic scene intrigued and ignited the curiosity of the fans and viewers as to what kind of relationship and chemistry the two opposing professors will show as the story progresses.

The "Police University'' production team shared that the drama consists of colorful and refreshing characters from different generations. ""Police University" is a drama that the whole family can comfortably enjoy together as it shows empathy, laughter, and sympathy to viewers."

'Police University' Drama Summary and Further Details

The drama "Police University" depicts the stories of students and professors' day-to-day struggles in National Police University while professor Yoo Dong Man (Cha Tae Hyun) teams up with his students Kang Seon Ho (Jinyoung) and Oh Kang Hee (Krystal) in a collaborative investigation.

B.A.P.'s Yoo Youngjae, rookie actors Lee Dal, Chu Young Woo, veteran actor Lee Jong Hyuk also appear in the drama series.

Director Yoo Kwan Mo and screenwriter Moon Min Jung worked together in the new drama series. "Police University" is produced by KBS Drama Production.

"Police University" airs every Monday and Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. KST on KBS2. It is also available in VIU for international streaming.

While you're here, check out "Winners" OST sung by Han Seung Yoon for "Police University" here:

Follow KDramastars for more Kdrama, KMovie, and celebrity news updates!

KDramastars owns this article.

Written by Elijah Mully.
The US Geological Survey said it's likely that casualties are "high" after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck near Haiti Saturday morning.

"High casualties are probable and the disaster is likely widespread," according to the USGS.

Haiti's Civil Protection told CNN there have been fatalities and damage.

A tsunami threat that had been issued for the region has passed, according to the US Tsunami Warning System.

The earthquake was about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) northeast of Saint-Louis-du-Sud and 10 kilometers deep, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, left between 220,000 and 300,000 people dead and injured hundreds of thousands more. That was 13 kilometers deep.

A 5.2-magnitude aftershock hit later in the morning about 20 kilometers west-northwest of Cavaillon, Haiti, according to the USGS.

Haiti is in the cone of Tropical Storm Grace, and the storm could have an impact on the area from Monday into Tuesday, CNN Meteorologist Haley Brink said.

"We're concerned that this earthquake is just one more cirsis on top of what the country is already facing -- including the worsening political stalemate after the president's assassination, COVID and food insecurity," Jean-Wickens Merone, a spokesman with World Vision Haiti, said in a statement.

Haitian President Jovenel Moise was killed July 7.

Merone is in Port-au-Prince, about 100 miles from Saint-Louis-du-Sud, and said the shaking there lasted "more than five to ten seconds," and both sides of his house were shaking.

Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry was on his way to the most devastated areas on Saturday morning, according to his official twitter account.

Henry said he has mobilized the government to assess and help.

"Following the earthquake that caused enormous damage in the South, Grand'Anse and Nippes, I have already mobilized the entire government team to adopt all necessary measures- as a matter of urgency," the tweet read.

Correction: An earlier version of this story gave the incorrect depth of Saturday's earthquake near Haiti. It was 10 kilometers deep, according to the USGS.

The-CNN-Wire

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Stuart LePage, of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, sprints to place a salmon in a vessel to be lifted by a helicopter and transported up the Fraser River past a massive rock slide near Big Bar, west of Clinton, B.C., Wednesday July 24, 2019. Pacific salmon can no longer access hundreds of kilometres of spawning streams or floodplain habitat after decades of urban, agricultural and resource development around British Columbia's Lower Fraser River, a study by researchers at the University of B.C. has found. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
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According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United States clearly stands out: we spend far more on health care per capita than any other country in the world, yet life expectancy is shorter than in other developed countries that spend far less. Despite having a higher total expenditure on health care per capita than any other country in the world, the U.S. health outcomes consistently rank lower than many OECD countries.

In the 1970s, the U.S. ranked comparably to other OECD countries in terms of health care expenditure and life expectancy. The shift towards becoming an outlier primarily occurred in the 1980s when life expectancy in the U.S. started increasing relatively more slowly than in other countries. At the same time, health care costs have increased rapidly, leading to an unequal development that is up to four times more costly, while life expectancy remains low.

Now, for Americans, analyses of life expectancy compared to other OECD countries appear grim. A 2020 report on life expectancy at birth  the average number of years a newborn can expect to live if current death rates do not change  placed the U.S. (with 76.30 years) far behind the leading country, Iceland (with 81.70 years). Although it has some of, if not the most, advanced health technology in the world combined with the highest total expenditure on health care per capita, the U.S. still lags behind in life expectancy estimates.

So with increased spending and no tangible benefits to the consumer, that begs the question: Where is the money going? Harvard professor David Cutler identified three significant areas of waste in U.S. health care spending: health care administration, greed/capitalism, and higher (unnecessary) utilization. Cutler reports that approximately one-third of all health care spending in the U.S. goes to health care administration. While Big Pharma and hospital systems engage in price gouging, high-tech care is over-provided, and routine care is underprovided.

Despite the U.S. spending significantly more on health care, the percentage of money spent in the public sector by GDP, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA, are actually within range of other OECD countries. However, when private spending is added, the difference in health care spending between the U.S. and other OECD countries is staggering. While many may argue that private health care is more efficient and higher quality than those operated by the government, research has shown that this is not the case.

The tool that the U.S. lacks is the power of negotiation. The price of health care services in the U.S. is not priced equally amongst all consumers. With countless private insurance companies, each company must individually negotiate with every hospital entity. This enables health care companies to charge however much they deem fit to insurance companies in the interest of profit. In addition, the cost per visit, hospital stay, and procedure is consistently higher in the U.S. than that of other countries. Though the free market was designed to cultivate competition and fair pricing, the inelastic nature of health care allows health care providers to charge whatever they want. Consumers remain helpless and are forced to comply.

In other countries with a centralized insurance system, the government can negotiate directly with hospital entities and get a standardized price on procedures. This has worked in countries like the U.K., who have contracts with medical device companies that drive the cost of hip replacements down. Meanwhile, the average hip replacement in the U.S. costs $40K versus $12K in the U.K.

However, a single-payer system in the U.S. may not be feasible. With insurance companies gaining more and more wealth, this equates to more political and negotiating power. On this front, Vivian Lee, president of Verily Health Platforms, presents a compelling argument. In her book, The Long Fix: Solving Americas Health Care Crisis With Strategies That Work for Everyone, Lee advocates for a health care system that will pay for results instead of action. According to Lee, the switch from a fee-for-service payment system to a value-based payment plan would align doctors extrinsic motivation (payment) with their intrinsic motivation (purpose and mastery).

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, taking a deeper look into the systemic issues in our health care system is even more important. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that life expectancy in the U.S. declined by 1.5 years in 2020. Since World War II, when life expectancy dropped by 2.9 years between 1942 and 1943, this was the largest one-year decline. The CDC reports that the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to approximately 74 percent of the decline in life expectancy. Even this jarring data masks some of the darker outcomes of the pandemic: socioeconomic inequities translating into health outcome disparities. The British Medical Journal reports that when the average life expectancy in the U.S. decreased by 1.87 years between 2018 to 2020 (8.5 times the average decrease in peer countries), racial and ethnic minority groups experienced an even sharper decline. Indeed, between 2018 and 2020, life expectancy among Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black populations declined by 3.88 and 3.25 years, respectively.

The state of the health care system in the United States remains one of the largest burdens on the country. Unfortunately, there is no simple solution. As medical students, we must work to uproot the years of private health care insurance profits, regulate the cost of medical devices and prescription drugs, align our payment system with patient-centered care, and shift our philosophy from treating illness to preventing it. The question remains how we drive systemic change in a deep-rooted industry while training inside of it.

Leonard Wang and Lily Nguyen are medical students.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. --- PeaceHealth's chief executive Todd Salnas released a statement in response to the recent protests regarding PeaceHealth's new vaccine requirement.

On Friday, roughly a hundred community members and medical workers gathered outside of the RiverBend location to protest the requirement for the second time this week. Salnas said he and his team were disappointed by some of the misinformation and rumors circulating around the events.

RELATED: PEACEHEALTH'S VACCINE REQUIREMENT DRAWS DOZENS OF PROTESTERS

The statement reads as follows:

"After falling into the single digits in early July, COVID-19 hospitalizations at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend have risen dramatically, reaching a record high of 51 this week. Hospitalizations are projected to rise until at least mid-September. This is a public health emergency.

Getting vaccinated is the single best way to protect ourselves from the worst effects of the virus, and to reduce the likelihood of doing harm to others. Thats why PeaceHealth is moving forward with a new policy requiring all caregivers to be vaccinated or submit a qualifying exemption by Aug. 31.

We recognize this issue evokes strong emotions and differing opinions within our hospitals, clinics and communities, and we support the right of our caregivers to express opinions in an unofficial capacity outside of work. We are concerned, however, about some of the misinformation and rumors circulating at recent protests and in the media about the vaccine, the virus and PeaceHealths internal practices and policies.

PeaceHealth has been carefully tracking the vaccine status of hospitalized COVID-19-positive patients since the start of the pandemic. While the percentages fluctuate from day to day, these sobering statistics demonstrate that the vast majority of patients hospitalized at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend have been unvaccinated. This aligns with data reported by hospitals throughout the nation.

PeaceHealth receives standard clinic visit payments from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) to reimburse our costs for administering the vaccine. Caregiver vaccination rates are not a factor in determining CMS reimbursement or payment rates to PeaceHealth.

We have seen a significant increase in the number of patients arriving at our hospitals with serious illnesses, unrelated to COVID. We believe many of these patients grew sicker after delaying care during the pandemic, and that these illnesses are unrelated to side effects from the vaccine.

Throughout the pandemic, it has been an essential value for PeaceHealth leadership to be transparent, honest and engaged with our caregivers. We are discouraged and disappointed by some of the rhetoric that a small number of our caregivers have engaged in both within and beyond our walls, and we feel compelled to defend our integrity.

Regarding the science related to the vaccine and the virus, we continue to follow the best guidelines and advice from the respected organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, the Oregon Health Authority and our own highly experienced physician leaders and infectious disease and prevention team. Every decision we make is grounded in the best available data, with patient and caregiver safety top of mind.

We want to express deepest gratitude to all of our caregivers and providers, whose dedication, compassion and resilience over these last 17 months has been nothing short of amazing. The PeaceHealth team will continue to remain focused on the safety and well-being of our patients and each other, and unified in our Mission to deliver safe, compassionate care every time, every touch."
As experts race to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 by encouraging vaccinations and mask wearing, hospital systems in a handful of states are now straining to keep up with the surge.

Eight states, many of which have lagged the national average for vaccinations, have Covid-19 patients that account for at least 15% of their overall hospitalizations: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada and Texas, according to a CNN analysis of data from the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Of all Covid-19 hospitalizations, these eight states' combined totals make up approximately 51% of patients, though the states account for only around 24% of the nation's population, according to Census data.

"In the past week, Florida has had more Covid cases than all 30 states with the lowest case rates combined. And Florida and Texas alone have accounted for nearly 40% of new hospitalizations across the country," White House Covid-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said Thursday during a White House briefing.

Data published Friday by the Florida health department reported 151,415 new Covid-19 cases over the past week, a record for a seven-day period during the pandemic.

Florida has the second-highest rate of new cases per capita, with slightly more than 100 new cases per 100,000 people each day over the past week. That's behind only Louisiana.

On the heels of that, Florida is the latest state to report 50% of its residents as fully vaccinated, according to CDC data published Thursday.

The percentages of Covid-19 patients in intensive care units are even worse, with Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi approaching half of ICU beds in use for such patients, HHS data from Thursday show.

Mississippi on Friday reported 5,023 new cases, another daily record, the state Department of Health said. Of the new cases, 98% of those are in unvaccinated people, the state's dashboard shows.

A shortage of health care workers

Gov. Tate Reeves said a shortage of health care workers is exacerbating the strain on hospitals, saying the state lost 2,000 health care workers last year.

He said a call has gone out to out-of-state workers -- 73 hospitals have requested 65 physicians, 920 nurses, 41 CRNAs, 59 advanced practice nurses, 34 physician assistants, 239 respiratory technicians and 20 EMT paramedics.

In Florida, Brevard County officials issued an urgent plea this week for residents to try to avoid using ambulance services for nonemergency calls or going to hospitals for Covid-19 tests.

First responders and departments are feeling the effects of the Delta coronavirus variant surge throughout the country.

In Memphis, Tennessee, emergency departments are overworked due to the pandemic, with August having the potential to be the busiest month in the history of the city's fire department, Fire Chief Gina Sweat said.

Due to constraints "on all levels" of bed capacity, Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville is limiting elective cases and declining transfer requests from many other facilities, officials said while announcing the hospital and emergency department are "completely full."

And Chief Medical Officer Dr. Geoff Lifferth at Sumner Regional Medical Center in Gallatin, Tennessee, said the hospital had no more open beds. "As an ER doc and a healthcare administrator, this past week has been one of the most exhausting and disheartening of my career," he said in an emotional Facebook post.

In Texas, the Department of State Health Services said a shortage of pediatric ICU beds in Dallas County is related to a shortage in medical personnel.

"Hospitals are licensed for a specific number of beds and most hospitals regularly staff fewer beds than they are licensed for. They can't use beds that aren't staffed. With the increase in COVID cases, hospitals are experiencing a shortage of people to staff the beds that they are licensed for," health department spokesperson Lara Anton said.

Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday that more than 2,500 medical personnel will be deployed to hospitals around the state to care for the increasing number of Covid-19 patients.

In Oregon, Gov. Kate Brown said Friday she is ordering the deployment of up to 1,500 Oregon National Guard members to support health care workers due to a surge of hospitalizations in the state due to the rapid spread of the Delta variant.

"I know this is not the summer many of us envisioned, with over 2.5 million Oregonians vaccinated against COVID-19," Brown said. "The harsh, and frustrating reality is that the Delta variant has changed everything. Delta is highly contagious, and we must take action now.

FDA authorizes 3rd dose to immunocompromised

The FDA on Thursday authorized an additional third dose to be administered to people with compromised immune systems. On Friday, vaccine advisers to the CDC voted unanimously on Friday to recommend an extra dose of vaccine for some immunocompromised people. CDC Dr. Rochelle Walensky quickly endorsed the vote, which means people can begin getting third doses right away.

At a meeting of CDC vaccine advisers, Dr. Heather Scobie said a disproportionate number of vaccine breakthroughs are among immunocompromised people. Almost one-third -- 32% -- of vaccinated breakthrough cases are among that group, she said.

While immune compromised people make up about 2.7% of the adult population -- about 7 million people -- they're more vulnerable to infection, said Dr. Amanda Cohn, the executive secretary of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

She said vaccine effectiveness is about 59% to 72% in immunocompromised people, compared to 90% to 94% overall.

"Immunocompromised people are more likely to get severely ill from Covid-19. They are at higher risk for prolonged SARS-CoV-2 infection and shedding and viral evolution during the infection and treatment, particularly amongst hospitalized patients," Cohn said.

Mask mandate push and pull continues

With the school year getting underway, the debate over mask mandates among parents, educators and political leadership continues nationwide, as children under age 12 are not yet eligible for Covid-19 vaccines.

Over the past few days, heated scenes have played out in Georgia and Tennessee as local school boards and officials considered mask mandates for staff and students, only to be met with loud opposition from some parents.

In suburban Atlanta, more than 550 cases have been reported this week in the Cobb County School District. Cobb County does not mandate masks but does "strongly encourage" them for students and staff, according to the district's public health guidelines posted on its website.

In Florida, three educators in Broward County died from Covid-19-related complications this week, the teachers union president, Anna Fusco, told CNN. The educators died in a roughly 24-hour span between Monday night and Wednesday morning, she said.

Broward County School Board Chair Rosalind Osgood responded Friday on CNN to a question about reports that three of the educators were unvaccinated.

"I was also told they were unvaccinated," she said.

The district, which opens classrooms to students next week, is using money to encourage staff members to get vaccinated.

Broward County has had 138 employees test positive for Covid-19 since August 1, according to the system's Covid dashboard, which was updated on Thursday.

School system closes due to dozens of cases

The Ware County School System in South Georgia will close until August 27, due to a sharp increase in the number of Covid-19 cases reported among students and staff members, the district announced Friday.

Ware County Schools, which has 5,900 students, on Friday reported 76 cases Covid-19 among students and 67 positive tests among staff. Almost 680 students and 150 employees are quarantined.

"Some staff members are dealing with their own illness or sickness in their families, so they are unable to work right now. Staff members at two schools are grieving significant losses," the district said on Facebook. "For those reasons and others, we felt the best course of action was to hit the pause button and give staff and students time to recover physically and emotionally."

In-season extracurricular practices and competitions will continue as scheduled, the release said.

The-CNN-Wire

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BENA, Minn. (AP)  Sheriffs officials say an accidental shooting at a residence in Cass County has taken the life of a 3-year-old girl.

Sheriff Tom Burch reports deputies responded to the home in Bena about 4 a.m. Friday and learned that the toddler had been shot by a 5-year-old boy in the residence. Burch says family members began rushing the girl to Essentia Health hospital in Deer River and were intercepted by Deer River ambulance.

The child was pronounced dead at the hospital, despite live-saving efforts. An autopsy will be done by the Midwest Medical Examiners Office as the investigation continues.
ALBERT LEA, Minn.  A Freeborn County judge has dismissed civil lawsuits filed by a restaurant owner against the State of Minnesota, the City of Albert Lea, Governor Tim Walz, and several others.

Melissa Lynn Hanson, 57 of Hayward, was charged in early 2021 with nine misdemeanors for allegedly opening her business, The Interchange Wine & Coffee Bistro in Albert Lea, in violation of pandemic restrictions ordered by Governor Walz.

Hanson responded by filing four separate civil lawsuits against over a dozen local and state officials and law enforcement, including Governor Walz and Albert Lea City Attorney Kelly Martinez, accusing them of harming her business by enforcing unjust and fraudulent executive orders.

A district court judge has now thrown out all of Hansons lawsuits, stating in court documents that Hansons claims lack merit; have been made in bad faith; and pose a risk to the rights of other litigants, the public, and the courts.

Hansons criminal prosecution is still pending, with no further court hearings currently scheduled.
MASON CITY, Iowa - The explosion of cases of the delta variant and a rise in treating patients for COVID-19 is prompting MercyOne North Iowa to encourage folks to get vaccinated.

President and CEO Rod Schlader says the number of patients being treated has more than doubled since last week, as has the number of patients being placed in critical care and requiring a ventilator. 85% of those being treated have not been vaccinated; for those in critical care, that number is 100%.

The spike is putting a strain on resources, as bed space has been severely reduced. There are 20 beds that are occupied with COVID patients, with a COVID unit that can take up to 25 patients. If that unit is filled up, it means the hospital will be forced to restrict elective surgeries and procedures. In addition, Schlader says the hospital does not have many nurses and clinicians to assist like in the first surge, with many working longer hours.

"We were getting contract nurses from the state, the state provided us some. Those are not available right now. We have several positions we're trying to fill with contract labor, and we can't find them."

Schlader heavily encourages those who have not yet been vaccinated to get a shot, in order to reduce COVID-19 cases, and help those on the front lines.

"It's our community, and if we don't encourage one another to be vaccinated, it affects all of us."
BRITT, Iowa - After a year off due to the pandemic, Hobo Days is back this weekend. But before the carnival gets underway on Main Street and folks line up for some mulligan stew at City Park, there will be a parade Saturday morning. And the grand marshal of that parade is one of Britt's very own.

At nearly 102 years old, Henry Gremmer has lived through it all. During World War II, he was a supply driver in the infantry as part of the Pacific theatre, going from locations like the Aleutian Islands and Okinawa.

"In Hawaii, I went to the Marshall Islands. The Air Force wanted them in case one of their bombers got damaged, they could go there for repairs."

After receiving an honorable discharge, he returned to Iowa, started a family, and was a farmer for many years until he retired. Likely due to his story, he was originally asked to be the grand marshal last year.

"I didn't know what it was about, so I said well, might as well. I didn't know all of this was going on."

His grandson Robert Roth recalls the times of coming to Hobo Days while growing up. Now, he feels his granddad is worthy of being honored.

"He's hardworking, he's a good guy, he's pretty honest about everything and straightforward."

So what part is Henry looking forward to the most?

"I have never been where I was in the parade. All I get to see is people," he says with a laugh.

Before riding around in a convertible and waving to the public tomorrow, you might be asking yourself, what's the secret to living to 101?

"I quit smoking when I was 29, I don't drink much liquor. I haven't had a beer in 33 years."

The parade gets underway at 10 a.m. Saturday morning. For a complete list of events, click here.
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 87F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 62F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near an inch.
A group of conservative activists pushed ahead with its anti-government street rallies in downtown Seoul, Saturday, the eve of National Liberation Day, but ran into a watertight blockade by riot police amid the authorities' warnings about the further spread of COVID-19. Yonhap



A group of conservative activists pushed ahead with its anti-government street rallies in downtown Seoul, Saturday, the eve of National Liberation Day, but ran into a watertight blockade by riot police amid the authorities' warnings about the further spread of COVID-19.



The conservatives, led by Jun Kwang-hoon, a politically controversial pastor, began a three-day street walking event at Seoul Station at 6 a.m. in defiance of warnings by the government and police, which have said the gatherings are in violation of strict social distancing rules amid the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic.



They chose to march individually, instead of in groups, toward the central Seoul district of Gwanghwamun but were halted by riot police who had installed safety fences and checkpoints on streets around Seoul Station. Some minor clashes occurred between rally participants and police officers.



Police also surrounded Gwanghwamun with vehicles and safety fences and installed temporary checkpoints at a total of 81 locations, including major Han River bridges.



Jun, who organized a massive street rally in Gwanghwamun during last year's National Liberation Day, vowed to get 10 million people to join the three-day walking event to "celebrate" the national holiday and call for the impeachment of President Moon Jae-in. Monday has been designated as an alternative holiday for National Liberation Day, which falls on Sunday this year.



"The police blocked the sidewalks where anyone could walk freely and sealed off most of the subway station exits, completely blocking the free passage of the people," a rally participant said, vowing to file a lawsuit against the authorities.



A female participant was seen protesting fiercely to police after being restrained near City Hall Station. Jun did not show up at the walking rally due to his attendance at another scheduled event.



Traffic congestion is expected throughout central Seoul, Saturday, as liberal and labor activists hold their own street rallies to celebrate the day.



Liberal activists plan to stage a string of one-man demonstrations in the heart of the capital to promote their campaign for peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula.



The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), a militant umbrella group, also plans to organize a series of one-man demonstrations near Seoul Station and two other locations, beginning at 4 p.m., to call for the suspension of a joint military exercise by South Korea and the United States, and measures to improve the welfare of workers.



The KCTU said it expects about 200 people to participate in the event.



Earlier this week, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum urged people to refrain from traveling or meeting in groups during the long weekend holiday, saying new COVID-19 patient numbers have reached record highs following the summer vacation season. (Yonhap)


New Delhi: After several users reported eye strain, headaches and even migraines owing to the high visual contrast in new Twitter design with buttons, links and new font called Chirp, the micro-blogging platform on Saturday announced to change the contrast on all buttons. The company said in a post that it is making contrast changes on all buttons to make them easier on the eyes "because you told us the new look is uncomfortable for people with sensory sensitivities". Twitter Re-Designs Its Website With New Chirp Font, High Contrast Features & Less Visual Clutter.

"We're listening and iterating. We've identified issues with the Chirp font for Windows users and are actively working on a fix," the Twitter Accessibility account posted.

Notice anything different? Today, we released a few changes to the way Twitter looks on the web and on your phone. While it might feel weird at first, these updates make us more accessible, unique, and focused on you and what youre talking about. Lets take a deeper look.  pic.twitter.com/vCUomsgCNA  Twitter Design (@TwitterDesign) August 11, 2021

After Twitter announced a new redesign of its website with a new font this week, some users took to the platform saying it is difficult for them to read the posts.

"PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let us change the font back. It's incredibly difficult for me to read with, and it physically hurts to look at it," posted one user.

"Same. I can't believe they claimed this would be easier to read because it is definitely much harder to read," said another.

"Today, we released a few changes to the way Twitter looks on the web and on your phone. While it might feel weird at first, these updates make us more accessible, unique and focused on you and what you are talking about," the company said.

Earlier, Twitter announced that it was rolling out its Chirp font to the Twitter app and feed. The company detailed the Chirp font as one part of a broader brand refresh, unveiled in January, and now it said that it is ready to be used.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 14, 2021 01:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
A lightning strike sets a single mom's home on fire after moving in less than two weeks ago. Lisa Hanes, the owner of the said home at Clarkston, Michigan, lost her house after a bolt of lightning struck right to her gas meter in the middle of the night due to the wicked summer storms on Wednesday.

Hanes said she heard an explosion, which woke her right up. But she thought the sound was just from lightning that struck very close by, so she went back to bed. After a couple of minutes, Hanes noted that somebody pounded on her window and told her that her house was on fire.

The incident happened 13 days after she and her daughter moved into the residence. She said everything was brand new and came from hard work. Hanes noted that she was working full time and recently started Door Dashing part-time to furnish the place.

READ NEXT: Plano, Texas House Explosion Leaves 6 People Hospitalized

Firefighters responded to her home and tried to save few things owned by her 11-year-old daughter, Eastyn.

The single mom said all she wants to save was the baby pictures. Hanes noted that she grabbed about 10 copies and took them out of the burning home.

Fortunately, her daughter did not see the traumatic event as the little girl was out of town when the fire occurred.

Single Mom Lisa Hanes Receives Support After Lightning Set Her Home on Fire

Despite the tragic incident, the single mom shared that she was still "thankful and grateful," as many people showered them with kindness.

Hanes' friend organized a page where monetary donations were sent by people who wanted to help them. As of this writing, more than $22,000 was collected from at least 263 donors.

Apart from the monetary donations, the owner of the dance studio that Hanes' daughter attends for at least six years gave her daughter free tuition.

"We gave her free tuition so she won't have to pay for dance the entire season while Lisa gets back on her feet," The Dance Shoppe owner Lauren Lenter said.

Lisa Hanes and her daughter are currently staying with her parents for now.

Lightning Strikes Affected 7 People While Hiking; 4 Injured

Lightning strikes also victimized seven people at Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. The incident took place on Friday that left four people injured. Authorities have yet to provide the identities of the victims, who were hiking around the peak at Grandfather Mountain.

At around 12.05 p.m., lightning struck MacRae Peak as a storm passed over it abruptly. One hiker reportedly had fallen and was airlifted to a hospital with a head injury. One victim reportedly suffered from burns, while others had sustained injuries from the nearby lightning strike.

A representative from Grandfather Mountain reported that all seven victims managed to evacuate on foot. According to Daily Mail, lightning kills an average of 49 people per year, with Florida and Texas having the highest number of fatalities.

READ MORE: Tornadoes and Severe Storms Continue to Threaten Millions in South

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Protect Your Home from Lightning - From StrongHomes
A Florida mom was accidentally shot and killed on Wednesday by her toddler while she was on a work-related Zoom video call, police said.

According to Altamonte Springs police, the toddler found a loaded and unsecured gun inside their home at Altamonte Springs on the outskirts of Orlando and accidentally shot his mom in the head.

Florida Mom Shamaya Lynn on Zoom Call When Shot by Her Toddler

A co-worker, who was on the Zoom call with Shamaya Lynn, saw the 21-year-old Florida mom fell backward after hearing a loud bang.

Lynn's colleague, who called 911 past 10:30 a.m., told police that the Florida mom failed to return on the screen after that and only saw the toddler in the background.

Police rushed to the scene after receiving the call from Lynn's colleague, who said that she believed that the Florida mom had been shot. Police said cops and paramedics found Shamaya Lynn with a fatal gunshot wound to the head.

Police department spokesperson Master Police Officer Rob Ruiz said that first-responders did their best to render aid, but it was too late.

According to authorities, another toddler was also inside the house. And both children, including the one who fired the handgun, were not harmed. Police said they are now in the care of relatives.

Investigators said the gun belonged to the toddler's father. Authorities said an investigation is ongoing to determine if any charges will be filed against the father, who was not identified.

Ruiz urged everyone who owns a firearm to always keep it locked and secured to avoid this kind of incident.

READ NEXT: Arizona Man Confessed to Killing Parents, Younger Brother After Argument

Other Kids Who Accidentally Shot Their Parents, Brother

The shooting of Florida mom Shamaya Lynn came just days after a 29-year-old father in North Carolina was accidentally shot and killed by his 2-year-old.

Markovia Durham and his son were visiting the boy's grandmother in Gastonia, near Charlotte, when the accident happened. The unnamed toddler reportedly picked up the gun, thinking it was a toy, and shot his father in the back while he was eating dinner.

A 25-year-old mother was also shot dead in North Carolina last February after one of her five kids discovered a pistol inside her purse. In April, a toddler in Houston found an unlocked gun and shot his eight-month-old baby brother that led to his death.

Father on Zoom Call Killed by His Son

Last year, a 72-year-old father in Long Island was killed by his son while he was also on a Zoom video call. Police said his 32-year-old son fatally stabbed his father while he was on a Zoom video call with about 20 people.

Some participants in the Zoom meeting called 911 after witnessing part of the attack. His son later confessed to investigators that he used several knives and stabbed his father several times because his father would not die.

READ MORE: Florida Janitor, 86, Who Kills Boss for Firing Him After 31 Years of Work, Says He Felt 'Disrespected'

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Adrianna Grant

WATCH: Florida Toddler Accidentally Shoots, Kills Mother on Zoom Call - From WKMG News 6 ClickOrlando
Midlands auctioneer Matt Dunne had some very successful sales recently.

First online land sale

Matt Dunne Auctioneer recently used the platform LSL Auctions for selling a seven-acre field with small farm yard at Kileenmore, Killeigh, Tullamore, Co Offaly, about three miles from Town. Whilst the land wasnt top grade, said Matt Dunne it was in the right location and 10 people registered to bid!

On the day, four active bidders arrived at the auction rooms and the remainder were online. Bidding opened up at 70,000 with increments of 2,500. The bidding moved at a ferocious pace between the room and online, with one of the active parties sipping a coffee in a cafe on the Champs Elysees.

According to the auctioneer, another interested party is working hard in Sydney Australia and wants to invest some money in Ireland in anticipation of coming home. The eventual buyer is a native of Portarlington and is based in Dubai. The reserve was 85,000 on the day and the owner was thrilled with the eventual selling price of 110,000 which was 25% over the initial reserve.

If you are interested in selling land, Matt Dunne Auctioneers has many interested under bidders. Contact 057 8623349 or 087 2586247.

Land at the Borness, Mountmellick, sells at auction

Friday, July 30, was also a busy day for the Portarlington-based auctioneer.

With the help of the LSL Auctions property platform, he held a hybrid auction on the lands in Hammer Lane, Mountmellick. The vendor was Mr Aidan Keogh. A fragmented holding of residence with 40 acres was put up for sale in 10 lots.

Lot 1: Bungalow on one acre. Sale agreed prior to auction.

Lot 2: Four acres sold for 37,000.

Lot 3: 17 acres of commonage plus farmyard  withdrawn, now quoting 100,000 current bid 85,000.

Lot 4: 3  acres. Sold for 35,000.

Lot 5: 1.05 acres. Withdrawn at 15,000, under active negotiation.

Lot 6: 2.25 acres. Sold at 19,000.

Lots 7,8 and 9: All sold to one buyer after the auction.

Lot 10: A traditional turf bank: Sold for 8,000.

The owner of the property was delighted with the outcome and he couldnt believe the interest generated by the marketing campaign.

Matt Dunne believes this hybrid approach is what suits people best. According to the auctioneer, if they are tech savvy and it suits them, they will bid online, but the older generation prefer the more traditional method of attending the auction in person.

If you have any land you want to sell, please make sure and ring the property experts Matt Dunne & Associates, on 057 8623349 or 087 2586247.
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NOT only will there be 24 hour charity sleep-out, fast and a 12k walk in Pallsgreen this weekend there is also the auction of a very unique item - an All-Ireland 2020 programme signed by the Limerick players.

Programmes themselves are rare, not to mind signed by the champions. Click here for more information and to bid.

Organised by Mike O'Riordan, the charity event takes place from 5pm this Saturday on the church grounds in Nicker.

The participants include Mike, Saoirse Corbett, Tara Campbell, Aine Looby, Sarah Dillon, Maurice Barrett, Ellie Phelan and her younger sister - 16-year-old Sarah.

Like so many sadly, Ellie and Sarah's lives have been touched by cancer.

My nana and grandad died of cancer. My mam was pregnant with me when my grandad died. I wanted to do this for them and for all the people who have been through the same experience as my mom and family. I've seen my sister and all the hard work she does and I wanted to do that too, said Ellie, at a socially distanced official launch in Pallasgreen.

She could be wrapped up in her warm bed tonight but instead is looking forward to sleeping outside. Hopefully it wont lash rain like last year.

Its great to be part of it because it will support the work that the Irish Cancer Society do. What they do is incredible and it's so badly needed as well. I'm glad to help out in any way that I can, said Sarah.

All are welcome to drop in and drop some money into a bucket.

Every cent raised from the event will go to the Irish Cancer Society.
THE chief executive of Ryanair has said a fresh investment from his airline will see more than one million passengers fly through Shannon over the next year.

Eddie Wilson was speaking to the Limerick Leader after the budget airline confirmed a number of new routes from the local airport, including the return of services to London Luton and Birmingham in Britain, plus flights to Budapest, Turin, Fuerteventura and the Scottish capital of Edinburgh.

This summer, Ryanair will operate 16 routes from the local airport, with 18 in the winter.

And Mr Wilson said its the engagement Shannon has kept with his firm during the dark days of the Covid-19 pandemic, when the vast majority of the flights out of the base were grounded, which has led to this weeks good news.

He said: We lost almost 1bn last year. So its not unreasonable for us to say we are going to apportion our assets which are completely moveable to where we have long-term certainty on costs. Airports have engaged with us throughout the pandemic, thinking ahead. Shannon is in the same boat as Stockholm, Turin and Paris  all these places have come to us, because they know coming out of the pandemic, due to all the airline bankruptcies, there are going to be less airline seats.

In a statement, Ryanair says its new services will support the creation of 600 new jobs in the Mid-West.

Mr Wilson says in terms of the airlines base at Shannon, around 65 pilot and cabin crew jobs are back in place.

He also indicated that if there is sufficient demand for some of the new routes, services could increase.

Absolutely, he said when asked, And when you are recovering from a pandemic, you tend to take a hedged approach. Its why we have one or two services to some destinations a week. Those routes which work will get more. The great thing about having a based aircraft is if a route doesnt work, you can switch to another one and Shannon wont suffer.

Mr Wilson says Ryanair is effectively planning to exceed its pre-pandemic passenger numbers through Shannon.

It comes in stark contrast to Aer Lingus which is closing its base in the airport, with little clarity on its schedule, including the crucial London-Heathrow link.

Aer Lingus is part of the wider IAG group which most people conveniently forget. Its headquartered in Madrid. We are point-to-point and fly to secondary airports as well as major airports. You are able to grow traffic based ion price, added the Ryanair boss.
THE return of En Plein Air to Adare has brought a welcome sense of normality in the village and has also unleashed a desire among painters to get back and active into the art community.

But the event, which takes place this Sunday, August 15, will be adhering very strictly to Covid-19 guidelines, organiser Andrew Timoney of the Draiocht Gallery emphasises.

The idea behind En Plein Air, is to bring artists together at various sites around Adare to paint what their artist eye sees and all under the summer sky.

We have had a good response, Andrew said but, as always, he is expecting a last-minute rush of registrations. Past events have attracted up to 50 competitors but he expected they would probably cut off entries at 40 this year..

We couldnt do it last year and this year we are much more aware of the safety guidelines and we are accommodating all of that, he explained, adding that he very much welcomes the positive reaction he is getting from locals. He is also pleased that a great many of this years competitors are new to the competition.

Competitors can register online on the Draiocht site or in person this Saturday. All canvases must be stamped and validated in advance, either on Saturday afternoon or from 8.30am on Sunday.

The sites, all close to the village, are chosen in advance by Andrew and his team but while they assign the site, artists choose their own vista.

Many artists Andrew explained will choose to begin work at dawn or early in the day. But all the participating artists must be in place between mid-day and 2.30pm when the judges do their walk-through.

Throughout the day, members of the public are free to wander through the sites where the artists are working at their easels but must keep social distance.

From 3.30pm judging will take place at Draiochts and this years judges are Henry Morgan and Eleanor Swan. Unlike previous years, Andrew pointed out, there will be no gathering at the gallery to announce the winners. Instead, they will be invited by phone or text to come to the gallery where social distancing and masking will operate.

Once again, the medical devices company Regeneron is the main sponsor and the winner of this years En Plein Air will receive 1000.

There are also runner-up prizes of 300 and 200 and this year, for the first time, there are framing prizes sponsored by Sebastian Stacpoole and Art Mad.
Amid the unrest in Afghanistan, the World Punjabi Organisation has urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to evacuate 257 Afghan Hindu and Sikh families from Kabul.

International President of World Punjabi Organisation Vikramjit Singh Sahney said it was the need of the hour to bring the Afghan-origin Sikhs and Hindus safely to India as their lives are in grave danger, PTI news agency reported.

Sahney had last year sent three chartered flights to evacuate 500 Hindu and Sikh families from Kabul, Ghazni and Jalalabad, and other areas of Afghanistan.

The President of the World Punjabi Organisation also requested the home minister to grant citizenship to those who had already come to India under the Citizenship Amendment Act enacted last year.

Meanwhile, Taluban has warned India against playing a military role in Afghanistan.

Speaking to ANI, Qatar-based spokesperson of Taliban Suhail Shaheen said, "What do you mean by military role? If they come to Afghanistan militarily and have their presence. I think that will not be good for them, they have seen the fate of military presence in Afghanistan of other countries. So it is an open book for them. And about their help to the Afghan people or national projects, I think that is something which is appreciated."

The Taliban, which was ousted by US forces in 2001, now controls over half of the provincial capitals and is gradually encircling Afghanistans national capital Kabul.

The insurgents have captured much of northern, western and southern Afghanistan in a breakneck offensive less than three weeks before the United States is set to withdraw its last troops.

In just the last 24 hours, the country's second and third-largest cities -- Herat in the west and Kandahar in the south -- have fallen to the insurgents as has the capital of the southern Helmand province, where American, British and NATO forces fought some of the bloodiest battles of the conflict.

Tens of thousands of Afghans have fled their homes, with many fearing a return to the Taliban's oppressive rule. The militant group had previously governed Afghanistan under a harsh version of Islamic law in which women were largely confined to the home.

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The Punjab government on Saturday announced that people entering the state will have to provide a negative RT-PCR report or should be fully vaccinated against covid-19. The new order comes into force from 16 August, said Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh.

The state government will implement strict monitoring of people entering the state particularly of those coming from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu, which are showing increased positivity in the covid-19 cases.

The directions, issued after Chief Minister Amarinder Singh held a Covid review meeting here, also said there will be strict monitoring of people coming from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu.

Amarinder Singh expressed concern about the positivity rate in Himachal Pradesh and other parts of the country, which probably also pushed Punjab's positivity rate marginally up to 0.2 per cent in the last week, according to an official statement.

The new restrictions will apply to all those entering Punjab by road, rail or air, the chief minister said, adding if a person does not fulfil either of the criteria, he/she will have to undergo RAT (rapid antigen test) unless they recently recovered from Covid.

Amid reports of Covid cases from schools, the CM also directed that only fully vaccinated teaching and non-teaching staff, or those recently recovered from Covid, physically teach in schools and colleges. Online learning option will remain available to all children, he said.

Several school students have tested positive for coronavirus over the past few days. Punjab has so far reported 5,99,846 coronavirus cases and 16,334 fatalities.

Meanwhile, Punjab on Friday reported 89 new cases of the coronavirus, taking the infection count to 5,99,846, according to a medical bulletin.

With no Covid-related death reported on Friday, the toll stood at 16,334.

The number of active cases rose to 568 as against 533 on Thursday.

Amritsar reported 19 new COVID-19 cases, followed by 12 in Kapurthala and 10 in Mohali.

With 53 recoveries from the infection, the recovery count reached 5,82,944, the bulletin said.

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The Taliban appreciated India's humanitarian and developmental efforts in Afghanistan such as building the Salma Dam, roads, and other infrastructure projects in the country. But the Islamist fundamentalist group has also warned India against playing a military role in Afghanistan.

Speaking to ANI, Qatar-based spokesperson of Taliban Suhail Shaheen said, "What do you mean by military role? If they come to Afghanistan militarily and have their presence. I think that will not be good for them, they have seen the fate of military presence in Afghanistan of other countries. So it is an open book for them. And about their help to the Afghan people or national projects, I think that is something which is appreciated."

"We appreciate everything that has been done for the people of Afghanistan like dams, national projects, infrastructure and anything that is for the development of Afghanistan, for its reconstruction, for economic prosperity and for the people of Afghanistan," Shaheen added.

Assurance to diplomats and embassies

Fearing an escalation of violence between Afghan forces and Taliban, many countries including India and the United States had evacuated staff from consulates located in provinces that had fallen under the Taliban. Many countries have cut the number of staff even as the Taliban said that the diplomatic community will not be targeted.

"About assurance to diplomats and embassies, there is no danger from our side to them. We will not target any embassy, any diplomat that we have said in our statements, not once but many times. So it is our commitment that is being published is in media. On India's concerns, I think it is up to them. About us, our position is clear we are not targeting any diplomat or embassy," Suhail Shahen told ANI.

Half of the provincial capitals

The Taliban, which was ousted by US forces in 2001, now controls over half of the provincial capitals and is gradually encircling Afghanistans national capital Kabul, a city whose fall will signal a complete control of the Islamist fundamentalist group over the country. In their latest blitz, the Taliban fighters have reportedly taken control of Logar province, which is about 80 kilometres away from the capital.

About safety of Sikhs and Hindus

Asked about the safety of Sikhs and Hindus living in Afghanistan specifically about the incident when a gurdwara in Paktia province had brought down the Sikh religious flag, the Taliban spokesperson claimed that the flag was brought down by Sikh community themselves and minorities will be allowed to practice their rituals.

"That flag was removed by the Sikh community there. They removed that themselves. When there were reports in the media, we reached to our officials in Paktika province and informed them about that and then our security forces went to the gurdwara and asked about the problem," said Shaheen adding the group has assured that the community can perform their religious rituals and ceremonies.

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A beetle that lived about 49 million years ago is so well-preserved that the insect looks like it could spread its strikingly patterned wing coverings and fly away. That is, if it weren't squashed and fossilized.

Wing cases, or elytra, are one of the sturdiest parts of a beetle's exoskeleton, but even so, this level of color contrast and clarity in a fossil is exceptionally rare, scientists recently reported.

The beautiful design on the ancient beetle's elytra prompted researchers to name it Pulchritudo attenboroughi, or Attenborough's Beauty, after famed naturalist and television host Sir David Attenborough. They wrote in a new study that the pattern is "the most perfectly preserved pigment-based colouration known in fossil beetles."

Related: Meet the beetles: Stunning museum specimens from London

When the researchers described the beetle beauty, it was already in the collection of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS) in Colorado, where it had been on display since it was identified in 1995. Paleontologists found the fossil that year in the Green River Formation; once a group of lakes, this rich fossil site spans Colorado, Wyoming and Utah, and dates to the Eocene epoch (55.8 million to 33.9 million years ago).

Scientists initially classified the fossil as a long-horned beetle in the Cerambycidae genus. But while its body shape resembled those of long-horned beetles, its hind limbs were unusually short and beefy, which led the museum's senior curator of entomology  Frank-Thorsten Krell, lead author of the new study  to question if the beetle might belong to a different group.

In the study, the authors described the beetle as a new genus in a subfamily known for its robust and powerful hind legs: frog-legged leaf beetles. The fossilized insect, a female, is only the second example of a frog-legged leaf beetle to be found in North America, Krell told Live Science in an email (no modern beetles in this group live in North America today, according to the study). On P. attenboroughi's back, dark and symmetrical circular patterns stand out in sharp contrast against a light background. This suggests that bold patterns were present in beetles at least 50 million years ago, the researchers reported.

Digital reconstruction of Pulchritudo attenboroughi. (Image credit: Denver Museum of Nature and Science)

For a beetle to fossilize as well as this one did, "you need a very fine-grained sediment," Krell said. Silt or clay at the bottom of a lake is the best substrate for fossilizing insects, and the beetle must sink quickly into the silty lake bottom before its body disintegrates. "And then it should not rot, so an oxygen -poor environment on the lake floor is helpful," he said.

However, questions still remain about how sediments in the lake bottom preserved the beetle's high-contrast colors so vividly, Krell added. Visitors to the DMNS can admire P. attenboroughi for themselves, as the renamed fossil is back on display in the museum's "Prehistoric Journey" exhibit, representatives said in a statement .

The findings were published Aug. 6 in the journal Papers in Paleontology .

Originally published on Live Science.
Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs on the ceiling of Hypostyle Hall within the Temple of Hathor in Egypt. (Image credit: Paul Biris via Getty Images)

Some ancient societies had written languages, but deciphering their texts can be a Sisyphean task. So, how do experts figure out how to translate ancient words into modern ones?

The answer is multifaceted, but one famous example embodies some of the best practices: the decoding of the Rosetta stone , discovered by a French military expedition in Egypt in July 1799, which helped pave the way to the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs.

The stone contains a decree of Ptolemy V that was inscribed in three writing systems: Egyptian hieroglyphics, demotic script (used by the Egyptians between the seventh century B.C. and the fifth century A.D.) and ancient Greek. Written in 196 B.C., the decree stated that Egyptian priests agreed to crown Ptolemy V pharaoh in exchange for tax breaks. At the time, Egypt was governed by a dynasty of rulers descended from Ptolemy I, one of Alexander the Great's Macedonian generals.

Related: What if Alexander the Great left his empire to one person?

At the time the stone was discovered, both hieroglyphics and demotic script were undeciphered, but ancient Greek was known. The fact that the same decree was preserved in three languages meant that scholars could read the Greek portion of the text and compare it with the hieroglyphic and demotic portions to determine what the equivalent parts were.

"The Rosetta inscription has become the icon of decipherment, in general, with the implication that having bilinguals is the single most important key to decipherment. But notice this: although copies of the Rosetta inscription were circulated among scholars ever since its discovery, it would take more than two decades before any significant progress in decipherment was made" Andreas Stauder, an Egyptology professor at Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes in Paris, told Live Science in an email.

Hieroglyphic writing contains signs that represent sounds and other signs that represent ideas (like how nowadays people use a heart sign to represent love) said James Allen, an Egyptology professor at Brown University. Up until the scholar Jean-Francois Champollion (1790-1832) started studying hieroglyphs, "scholars basically believed that all hieroglyphs were only symbolic" Allen told Live Science in an email, noting that Champollion's most important "contribution was to recognize that they could also represent sounds."

The Rosetta stone was key to deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. (Image credit: Fotosearch via Getty Images)

Since Champollion "knew Coptic  the last stage of ancient Egyptian, written in Greek letters  he could figure out the sound value of hieroglyphs from the correspondence between the Egyptian hieroglyphs and the Greek translation on the Rosetta Stone," Allen said.

"Champollion's knowledge of Egyptian Coptic meant that he was able to see the connection between the ancient symbols he was studying and the sounds that he was already familiar with from Coptic words," said Margaret Maitland, principal curator of the Ancient Mediterranean at National Museums Scotland. Maitland pointed out that it was the Egyptian scholar Rufa'il Zakhur who suggested to Champollion that he learn Coptic.

"Champollion studied Coptic with him and Yuhanna Chiftichi, an Egyptian priest based in Paris. Arab scholars had already recognized the connection between the ancient and later forms of Egyptian language [such as Coptic]," Maitland said.

"Egyptian hieroglyphs could simply not have been deciphered without Coptic," Stauder said.

Three decipherment problems

While Egyptian hieroglyphs were deciphered in the 19th century, there are still a number of ancient languages that are not understood today.

"There are basically three kinds of decipherment problems," Allen told Live Science. Egyptian hieroglyphic writing falls into the category of a case in which "the language is known, but not the script," said Allen. Put another way, scholars already knew the ancient Egyptian language from Coptic, but did not know what the hieroglyphic signs meant.

Related: Is Latin a dead language?

Another decipherment problem is where "the script is known, but not the language," Allen said. "Examples are Etruscan, which uses the Latin alphabet, and Meroitic, which uses a script derived from Egyptian hieroglyphs. In this case, we can read the words, but we don't know what they mean," Allen said. (The Etruscans lived in what is now Italy, and the Meroitics lived in northern Africa.)

The third type of decipherment problem is where "neither the script nor the language are known," Allen said, noting that an example of this is the Indus Valley script from what is now modern-day Pakistan and northern India, as scholars don't know what the script is or what language it represents.

Piecing languages together

There are a number of lessons that scholars working on undeciphered scripts can learn from the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs.

"One of the main theses of our book is that it's generally better to consider an ancient script in its cultural context," said Diane Josefowicz, a writer who holds a doctorate in science history and co-authored the recently published book " The Riddle of the Rosetta: How an English Polymath and a French Polyglot Discovered the Meaning of Egyptian Hieroglyphs " (Princeton University Press, 2020). Josefowicz noted that Thomas Young (1773-1829), a British scientist who also tried to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs, "approached the decipherment like a crossword puzzle because he didn't really care about ancient Egypt ," Josefowicz told Live Science in an email.

"Champollion was much more interested in Egyptian history and culture, and because of this he was one of the first to make extensive use of Coptic, a late form of ancient Egyptian, in his study of hieroglyphics," Josefowicz said.

Being able to relate an undeciphered script to a language or language group is vital, Stauder added. Champollion needed to know Coptic in order to understand Egyptian hieroglyphs, said Stauder, who noted that scholars who deciphered ancient Mayan glyphs used their knowledge of modern Mayan languages while deciphering the glyphs.

Stauder noted that scholars who are trying to decipher Meroitic are making more progress because they now know that it is related to the North-East Sudanese language family. "The further decipherment of Meroitic is now greatly helped by comparison with other languages from the North-East Sudanese and the reconstruction of substantial parts of the lexicon of proto-North-East-Sudanese based on the currently spoken languages of that family" Stauder said.

Maitland agreed, saying, "languages that still survive but are currently under threat could prove crucial to progress with still undeciphered ancient scripts."

Originally published on Live Science.
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Even if you dont know Ady Barkan by name yet, theres a good chance youve seen him on your TV screen.

The 37-year-old has spent his life advocating for progressive causes, and his work has only increased in fervor since he was diagnosed with the terminal neurodegenerative disease ALS in 2016. Not Going Quietly, the SXSW audience award-winning documentary by Nicholas Bruckman, tells the story of his life and Be A Hero, his movement for healthcare reform in America.

Hey hey hey, party people! Barkan said on Thursday at the reception before the Not Going Quietly premiere at Plaza La Reina in Los Angeles, speaking via eye gaze technology. I am going to play against type and refrain from any high-flying oratory right now. If you want to hear me wax poetic about democracy or reflect upon fatherhood and mortality, join us at the theater in an hour and you will get plenty of that. Instead of a long speech, I will just share some words of gratitude, he said before publicly thanking his wife, Rachael, and other friends, family and collaborators.

Amy Landecker (Transparent), who co-hosted the event, told Variety that Barkan officiated her wedding with Bradley Whitford (Transparent, The West Wing) two years ago: To say we have a close connection to him would be an understatement. Barkan and Whitford first met at a political action event to speak to Senator Dianne Feinstein years ago, and their families became fast friends, with Whitford eventually joining Not Going Quietly as an executive producer. Landecker is most struck by Barkans selflessness: To find out when youre only 32 years old that you have ALS, when you have just married the love of your life and you have a newborn baby on the way, and then to decide  instead of to just go into despair  to go into action and run around the country advocating for the rest of us is  she said. You know, most of us dont have that kind of commitment to other people.

John Favreau, host of Pod Save America, also co-hosted the event and shared what hes learned from his friendship with Barkan. There are times in the film youll see where [Barkan] can get frustrated and angry and scared and exhausted. Which I think is why the film is so powerful. I tend to think that idealized versions of our heroes let the rest of us off the hook, said Favreau. Because if all we see is our heroes as icons, without flaws or fears or doubts, then it becomes easier for us to say, Well, thats not me. I cant be that courageous. I cant be that selfless. I cant be the kind of person who sacrifices that much, who gives that much of myself to others. [But] we choose to be brave. Ady makes that choice. Rachael makes that choice. Liz [Jaff, co-founder of Be A Hero,] makes that choice. The entire Be A Hero team has been literally telling us for years that we can all be heroes.

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Given that, after its shuttered 2020 edition, the 74th Locarno Film Festivals ident features a prowling, growling, resurgent leopard and the distinctly tumescent tagline Cinema is Back its somewhat ironic that the festivals top prize should go to a film about erectile dysfunction.

In other ways, however, Indonesian director Edwins fabulously if nonsensically titled Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash is perhaps the ideal Golden Leopard winner, in what is a strange year for the world, and a strange year for the Swiss festival, which is finding its footing under the new artistic direction of Giona A. Nazzaro.

As an admixture of several distinctly populist genres that still, as Variety critic Jay Weissberg noted, uses impotence as a metaphor to make a broader critique of a toxic culture that puts so much emphasis on virility, the film is among the best exemplars of Nazzaros avowed ambition to shift the Locarno selection toward more genre-inflected fare. Yet as a work of social relevance from an internationally established filmmaker, awarding it is also a nod to the auteur-driven arthouse tradition for which Locarno has until now been better known.

That dual impulse is also reflected in another of the decisions handed down from the international competition jury, headed by director Eliza Hittman, with veteran hellion Abel Ferrara scooping best director for Zeros and Ones. Here though, despite the presence of star Ethan Hawke and the outline which might make one envisage a straightforward, near-future sci-fi flick, the mainstream-friendly genre elements are a kind of false flag operation, potentially luring the unsuspecting, thrill-seeking viewer into a deliberately obscure, challenging thesis on pandemic-era paranoia and pessimism, which, according to Weissberg, is probably most successful in reproduc[ing] the general state of unease and insecurity thats plagued most of us during lockdown.

With the Special Jury Prize going to A New Old Play, an epic, three-hour-long history of 20th century Chinese theater and society, from Chinese artist and filmmaker Qiu Jiongjiong, we might seem to be back to obscure, forbidding business as usual for Locarno awardees. But thats unfair to a film thats far less stodgy than its description, in also being a surprisingly playful afterlife dramedy, featuring exquisitely composed, self-consciously theatrical tableaux as its striking, whimsical aesthetic.

The acting awards, too, are pretty unimpeachable: Best actress Anastasiya Krasovskaya absolutely electrifies Russian film Gerda in a difficult and physically demanding role, while its hard not to enjoy the mischief of awarding best actor jointly to Mohamed Mellali and Valero Escolar, the two real-life plumbers who bring such irrepressible charm to the inventive The Odd-Job Men. It is perhaps a small disappointment that Chema Garcia Ibarras critically beloved and hotly tipped Espiritu Sagrado has to make do with a Special Mention, but still good to see it recognized, alongside another Special Mention for home-team favorite Soul of Beast, from Swiss director Lorenz Merz.

Away from the main competition, in the Cinema of the Present section dedicated to emerging filmmakers, the main award goes to Francesco Montagners quietly absorbing Brotherhood, a Czech documentary following brothers fending for themselves when their father is incarcerated for extremist activities that picked up quite a bit of buzz on the ground. Hleb Papous taking the emerging director award for Il Legionario is perhaps a slightly safer choice, but here again, it may be that the expertly crafted thriller elements in this story of a riot police officer faced with evicting his own family from the building theyre occupying appealed under the new genre-friendly regime.

The sections Special Jury Prize goes to Emilie Aussels LEte Leternite, in which a heady, lazy last summer of childhood is painfully interrupted by tragedy. And for the first time this year, this sidebar also fields two acting awards, which go to well-established German actress Saskia Rosendahl for Sabrina Sarabis No Ones With the Calves, and first-time actor Gia Agumava, for Elene Naverianis Wet Sand. Speaking of first-timers, and again of films that skew genre, the Swatch First Feature Award goes to Charlotte Colberts impressive #MeToo horror She Will, and a Special Mention goes to another female director, Araceli Lemos, for her excellent feature debut about faith, mysticism and displacement, Holy Emy.

With only two awards yet to be revealed at tonights closing ceremony  the audience prize and the Variety Piazza Grande Award  due credit should go to the various juries for avoiding the pitfalls of a selection that was perhaps a little less consistent and convincing overall than this remarkably solid winners list might suggest.

The full list of Locarno award winners so far:

International Competition

Golden Leopard

Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash, (Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar Tuntas, Edwin, Indonesia, Singapore, Germany)

Special Jury Prize

A New Old Play, (Jiao Ma Tang Hui, Qui Jiongjiong, Hong Kong, France)

Best Direction

Abel Ferrara, (Zeros and Ones, Germany, U.K., U.S.)

Best Actress

Anastasiya Krasovskaya, (Gerda, Natalya Kudryashova, Russia)

Best Actor

Mohamed Mellali, Valero Escolar, (The Odd-Job Men, (Sis Dies Corrents), Neus Ballus, Spain)

Special Mentions

Soul Of A Beast, (Lorenz Merz, Switzerland); Espiritu Sagrado, (Chema Garcia Ibarra, Spain, France, Turkey)

Cinema of the Present

Golden Leopard

Brotherhood, (Francesco Montagner, Czech Republic, Italy)

Best Emerging Director

Hleb Papou, (Il Legionario, Italy, France)

Cine Plus Special Jury Prize

LEte Leternite, (Emilie Aussel, France)

Best Actress

Saskia Rosendahl, (No Ones With the Calves, Sabrina Sarabi, Germany)

Best Actor

Gia Agumava, (Wet Sand, Elene Naveriani, Switzerland, Georgia)

First Feature

Swatch First Feature Award

She Will, (Charlotte Colbert, U.K.)

Special Mention

Holy Emy, (Agia Emi, Araceli Lemos, Greece, France, U.S.)

Leopards of Tomorrow Short Film Competition

Swiss Life Pardino dOro

Creature, (Criatura, Maria Silvia Esteve, Argentina, Switzerland)

SRG SSR Pardino doro, Best International Short

Neon Phantom, (Fantasma Neon, Leonardo Martinelli, Brazil)

SRG SSR Silver Pardino, International Competition

The Demons of Dorothy, (Les Demons De Dorothy, Alexis Langlois, France)

Leopards of Tomorrow, Bonalumi Engineering Best Direction Prize

Eliane Esther Bots, (In Flow Of Words, Netherlands)

Medien Patent Verwaltung AG Award

Home, (Imuhira, Myriam Uwiragiye Birara, Ruanda)

Special Mentions

First Time (The Time For All But Sunset  Violet), (Nicolaas Schmidt, Germany)

Locarno Film Festival Short Film Candidate for the European Film Awards

In Flow Of Words

National Competition

Swiss Life Golden Pardino, Best Swiss Short Film

Strangers, (Chute, Nora Longatti, Switzerland

Swiss Life Silver Pardino

After A Room, (Naomi Pacifique, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland

Swiss Newcomer Award

Flavio Luca Marano, Jumana Issa, (It Must (Es Muss) Switzerland)

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The next generation of artists and filmmakers need guidance, and many in Hollywood have long grappled with how to offer training and support. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is trying to achieve that through its Academy Gold Rising program, which completed its fifth year of over 100 entertainment enhancement and mentorship for students and young professionals.

Of course, Hollywood is still not an even playing field, even despite dramatic changes in the industry in the last few years. Still, as Christine Simmons, the chief operating officer for the Academy tells Variety, shes optimistic.

I dont know that many Black CEOs, Simmons says. We have industry folks mentoring and matching these young people, so that trail that we had to run uphill, barefoot, in the snow, can be eliminated. But, more importantly, they can see people that look like them that are actually doing it.

The makeup of where the participants are in their lives vary. Some enter with their passion for storytelling pouring from their veins, ready to take the movie world by storm. And then there are others who are at a crossroads, unsure of their relationship with the artistic medium, and are seeking guidance.

Eliana Pipes, a Los Angeles native of Puerto Rican, Black and queer background, is an alumnus of two Gold programs  Gold Rising and the Gold Fellowship for Women, which offers financial support and mentorship to emerging female filmmakers. I grew up in Culver City, a block away from Sony Pictures studios, she shares. Because of the way the industry is structured, and even though it was so close I could throw a pebble from my house and hit the wall, it was still a million miles away.

Academy Gold opened those doors for Pipes to gain access into spaces such as Disney and Warner Bros that she feels have always been intentionally closed off.

Pipes was a creative development intern at HBO during her time in the 2017 inaugural class. She attended Columbia University for her undergrad degree, and recently graduated with her masters in playwriting from Boston University, and is finishing up her first animated short film, Nails, which was part of her project under another Gold program, Gold Womens Fellowship, which she was selected for in 2019 and was the inaugural recipient of the Wavelength Fellowship for artists who identify as BIPOC female or non-binary.

This years program ran from June 21 to its conclusion on Aug. 7, venturing through every aspect of the Hollywood industry, ranging from The Magic of Sound in Film to The Path to Becoming a Hollywood Agent. All the panels are moderated and mentored by the industrys greatest leaders, including Oscar-winning animation director Pete Docter and Academy president David Rubin.

It isnt enough to give motivational speeches to inspire someone to want to go into the business. Gold Rising provides hands-on training, focusing on the tactical tools that bring them to the next level.

The Oscars have been the source of criticism and controversy, especially in years where the awards ceremony only nominated white actors in its top categories. But others in Hollywood have noted that awards cant be given to non-white performers if there arent enough performances out there  and people of color working behind-the-scenes.

I felt we could be more holistic, more actionable and operationalize it, and not just rely on the passion of some, Simmons says.

Like many communities of color, too many are unaware of the careers that could be explored and executed in the business aside from being an actor, Simmons herself identifies with. I knew I could be a doctor or a lawyer, and I chose a doctor. and then I didnt get into medical school.

She shares stories of one woman coming into the program and wanting to be an actor and switching to archiving, or a student from Morehouse College told her he realized he didnt want a career in the industry. I love when people, who are in historically underutilized communities, can say, thats not for me and go find something else that they are passionate about. Weve saved them many years of trauma.

All Gold Rising internships through this years 25 partner companies are paid, and Production Track students receive stipends. Some of their partners included AMC Networks, CAA, Paramount Pictures and Warner Media. In addition, before the pandemic and program being virtual, the Academy had also offered a limited number of one-time stipends to out-of-state students to help offset travel and housing costs.

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Nicki Minaj and her husband, Kenneth Petty, were accused in a lawsuit on Friday of intimidating a woman who says Petty sexually assaulted her in 1994, and of trying to bribe the woman to recant her story.

Jennifer Hough filed the suit in federal court in Brooklyn. She alleges that Minaj and her associates have repeatedly reached out to her and to her family, trying to get her to issue a statement denying that the sexual assault occurred. She also states that one associate came to her house and offered her $20,000 to sign a document recanting the allegation, and offered to have Minaj send a happy birthday video to her daughter.

The suit also seeks to hold Petty accountable for the 1994 sexual assault, using the New York State Child Victims Act. The act, signed into law in 2019, opened a two-year lookback window allowing victims of child sex abuse to file lawsuits that otherwise would fall outside the statute of limitations. The deadline to file such lawsuits is Saturday, and the New York courts have been flooded with such claims in recent days.

According to the suit, Hough was 16 years old when she encountered Petty at a bus stop in Queens, N.Y. She alleges that he accosted her with a knife, and led her to a nearby house, where he forcibly raped her, according to the suit. Petty, who was also 16, was quickly arrested and charged, and later accepted a plea deal to a count of attempted rape.

The case resurfaced in 2018, when Petty began dating Minaj, a global superstar. After posting a photo of herself with Petty, Minaj responded to comments about his past conviction: Kenny was 15, she was 16 and, in a relationship, but go awf Internet.

In a subsequent radio appearance, Minaj claimed that Petty was falsely accused and falsely stated that Hough had written a letter recanting her statement.

In March 2020, Minaj called Hough and offered to fly her to Los Angeles, according to the suit. She also offered to send her publicist to meet Hough and craft a statement recanting the rape charge, the suit alleges. Hough declined, and told Minaj: I need you to know woman to woman, that this happened.

However, she alleges other intermediaries continued to contact her, including an attorney who offered legal advice on how to recant her statement. She alleges that she was repeatedly contacted over the ensuing months, and felt harassed and threatened. She moved three times in the space of a few months, and changed her phone number, according to the suit.

According to the complaint, she has not worked in more than a year, and is suffering from depression and paranoia. The suit accuses Petty of sexual assault, and Petty and Minaj of witness intimidation and harassment.

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Vincent Kartheiser was the subject of multiple investigations for his behavior on the set of Season 3 of the HBO Max series Titans, Variety has confirmed.

Kartheiser was cast as the villain Jonathan Crane, a.k.a Scarecrow, in the third season of the DC superhero show earlier this year. According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, Kartheiser was first the subject of a complaint for what was described as making inappropriate comments onset. WBTVs Labor Relations department investigated and found that his actions did not warrant being fired from the show but did warrant corrective action.

A second complaint was made some time later, which led WBTV to assign a representative to keep an eye on activities on the set. Due to COVID protocols, interviews were conducted virtually by the Burbank-based investigators.

Reps for WBTV declined to comment.

Vincent Kartheiser vehemently denies the allegations, a spokesperson for the actor said. Warner Bros. investigated this matter and made clear to Mr. Kartheiser its expectations for behavior on the set, and he agreed to comply with their directives.

Kartheiser is best known for his role as Pete Campbell in the critically-acclaimed AMC series Mad Men. His recent TV credits include Casual and The Path at Hulu, the Nat Geo miniseries Saints & Sinners, the Sky TV series Das Boot, and The OA at Netflix. His feature credits include starring opposite Melissa Leo and Adam Scott in the Netflix feature The Most Hated Woman in America, which premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival.

Deadline first reported the allegations against Kartheiser.

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KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  As a Taliban offensive encircles the Afghan capital, there's increasingly only one way out for those fleeing the war, and only one way in for U.S. troops sent to protect American diplomats still on the ground: Kabul's international airport.

A steady stream of people makes its way first to ticket sale counters set up on the parking lot outside the terminal. They push their luggage, load carts with carpets, television sets and mementos, stuff clothes inside purses to make their weight limit as they slowly inch forward.

The lucky ones, those who managed to get a ticket for a flight out to anywhere, then wait more than three hours to make it inside the terminal, bidding tearful goodbyes to loved ones they are leaving behind.

As the Taliban draw closer, the lines and the panic only grow.

I packed whatever I could to start a new life away from this war," said Naweed Azimi, who flew to Istanbul with his wife and five children, fearful the Taliban would kill him for working with NATO as a subcontractor.

Kabul International Airport  formally known as Hamid Karzai International Airport, after the country's first president following the U.S.-led overthrow of the Taliban in 2001  sits just northeast of the city. Its single runway is long enough to accommodate military aircraft; the airfield as a whole can accommodate over 100 planes on the ground.

Surrounded by perimeter fencing and secured by multiple checkpoints, the airport is in sight of the mountains ringing the Afghan capital. Those flying out have for years had to trudge with their luggage up to outdoor screening points before getting to the terminal  a precaution meant to prevent insurgent suicide bombings.

On an ordinary day, the terminal would be filled with Afghans in business suits and traditional dress, mingling with tattooed military contractors sporting wraparound sunglasses and aid workers from all corners of the world.

That sedate crowd has been replaced with panicked travelers scrambling to leave Kabul. Afghan airlines Ariana and Kam Air have every seat booked for at least the next week, airport workers said. Those with a plane ticket in hand also have to get a coronavirus test at a clinic amid the pandemic in order to leave.

I had never see such a rush at the airport before, said Farid Ahmad Younusi, an Afghan businessman who said he abandoned a contracting firm worth $1 million and fled Kandahar with the Taliban trying to find him. Now Taliban have everything that I worked for over the past 20 years.

The airport rush is only expected to get worse  and even more complicated.

Afghan security forces, who maintain bases at the airfield, were joined this week by some of the 3,000 American Marine and Army troops whose mission is to evacuate staff from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. The Biden administration has not ruled out a full embassy evacuation. As of Thursday, there were roughly 4,200 staffers at the embassy, but most of those are Afghan nationals, according to the State Department.

"This is a specific, narrowly focused, tailored mission to help with the safe, secure movement of the reduction of civilian personnel in Kabul, as well as to help support the acceleration of the special immigrant visa process by the State Department, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Friday. Those visas are for Afghans who once worked for the U.S. government and feel threatened by the Taliban.

With the Taliban nearing Kabul's doorstep, Afghans and U.S. personnel can't count on driving out of the country. The Taliban on Saturday tightened their grip around Kabul by capturing all of Logar province, reaching just 11 kilometers (7 miles) south of the capital, Kabul.

Those at the airport on Friday night described paying $375 and more for rides from the northern city of Kunduz on unpaved roads to avoid Taliban checkpoints, a trip that typically costs around $40.

The cars don't even take a break, said Yousuf Baghban as he waited for his flight out. "If you stop, you are gone.

Having abandoned Bagram Air Base  which served as the American military's main hub in Afghanistan  ahead of the final U.S. pullout at the end of the month, the U.S. military will now have to rely on flying people out of the Kabul airport.

We will be able to move thousands per day but thats just the airlift capacity, Kirby said.

There may also be the need to move the operations of the U.S. Embassy to the airport as well, if the Taliban push into Kabul and begin battling for control of the city, though State Department spokesman Ned Price repeatedly declined to discuss that possibility. The Kabul airport also has Turkish troops guarding the facility.

The airports history mirrors that of the country's troubled modern times. Soviet engineers built the airport in 1960 as a gift while America offered its own help developing Afghanistan's airfields during the Cold War. After the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the airport became a key military base for Moscow. It suffered damage during the intra-Afghan war that followed and became a target for airstrikes in the U.S.-led invasion in 2001.

The West gave tens of millions of dollars to rebuild the airport and clear it of mines and unexploded bombs. Japanese donations bought metal detectors and helped build the airport's new international terminal.

For now, commercial flights continue at the airport. Air India, Dubai-based carriers Emirates and FlyDubai, Pakistan International Airlines and Turkish Airlines all either have flights en route or planned to Kabul for the next days. Local Afghan airlines continue to fly as well.

But passengers worry that at any moment the Taliban could come, closing the country's airspace.

On Friday night, passengers pushed through security checkpoints, lines and more checks to board a Kam Air flight to Istanbul. One traveler, Tawfiq Beg, said the Taliban killed his uncle, a militia commander, three weeks ago. Beg's father sold some of the family's land  at half its value  to be able to afford his ticket out.

Maybe this was the final goodbye, Beg said.

___

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Officials from the City of Laredo and Webb County announced on Friday that 367 positive cases of COVID-19 and three related deaths have occurred over the past two days.

The city now has 47,885 positives and 880 deaths historically dating back to the start of the pandemic locally in March of 2020.

Fridays totals were just behind the 370 from Wednesday. Its the fourth-most cases announced in recent history also behind the 414 from last Friday and the 378 from July 30. Before those cases, the last time the city had positive figures that high in a report was on Feb. 2 when 386 were announced.

With another significant day of cases added, Laredo finished with a recent high in positives this week.

Laredo ended this week with 1,081 positives, breaking other recent highs all set in consecutive weeks including 890 from July 31 - Aug. 6, 686 from July 24-30, 333 from July 17-23 and 176 from July 10-16.

Outside of the latter, each of these previous weeks was the highest overall total in months. That was the last time the city had eclipsed 1,000 cases in a week, as the city finished with 1,047 from Feb. 6-12. It was the last of a stretch of 14 straight weeks that all broke quadruple digits.

This week, however, topped the latest figures as it was the highest since the week of Jan. 30 to Feb. 5 featured 1,218 cases. The highest overall week in recorded history was Jan. 9-15 which had 5,217  nearly than 1,400 more than any other.

Meanwhile, more deaths continue to come in. Three more fatalities were reported Friday including a pair of men who died Tuesday in their 40s and 50s as well as a woman in her 90s that died July 22.

Laredos last six reports which have encompassed totals from the previous two or three days have seen the city announce over three or more deaths on five occasions. Prior to that, dating back to the time the city started providing non-daily updates on May 27, the city had only one of 13 reports with more than three deaths, and that report featured 10 deaths with many backdated.

Active cases in Laredo continue to rise, jumping up to 906 from 824 two days ago. Its the most in a day since Feb. 6 which featured 1,016. Active cases consisted of 302 people below the age of 19, 465 from age 20-49 and 139 above 50 years old.

The city stated that of the current active cases that have been investigated, 78.6% are not vaccinated. Consequently, only 48 fully-vaccinated individuals this year have been hospitalized with a breakthrough case.

Laredo Health Director Richard Chamberlain confirmed Wednesday that the local hospitals were not treating any of the migrant population inside their facilities.

Hospitalizations remained at a similar overall level, falling down one to 81 on Friday. But serious cases have elevated. Patients in the intensive care unit totaled 31, up from 29 on Wednesday, 25 on Monday and 17 the week prior.

Laredos rolling seven-day positivity rate sits at 15.6%. Texas rolling positivity rate is 18.6% and the United States is 11.2%.

As of the latest data from Thursday, the Texas Department of State Health Services reports Laredos hospital region has a COVID-19 hospitalization rate of 19.4%. Thats down slightly from Tuesdays recent high of 22.1%, which was the citys highest figure since reporting 30.4% on Feb. 16.

Laredos hospitalization rate is the 10th highest in Texas with Galveston and Corpus Christi leading the way at 29.5% and 28.3%, respectively.

Previously, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had said that any rate above 10% was a red flag, and above 15% was used as the states benchmark to close bars and decrease businesses maximum occupancy. However, that practice has since been halted by the state.

Also according to DSHS data, Laredos total hospital capacity has risen in recent days to accommodate the overflow of patients. Capacity is listed at 474, up from 392 four days ago. Available beds is listed at four, up from one two days ago, and ICU beds are at zero for the 11th straight day.

As Laredo is medically underserved and with facilities understaffed, its hospital capacity has been diminished despite being nowhere near its previous high in hospitalizations of 249 in January when it was receiving help from the state, something that has been denied this time around.

As of the most recent vaccination data from the city, Laredo has a total of 77.9% of its eligible population over 12 years of age fully vaccinated, or 168,236 people. Additionally, around 17.9% have received only one shot, thus giving the area around 95.8% of its eligible population being at least partially vaccinated.

However, around a third of Laredos total population is below the age of 18. That means that a significant segment of the citys actual population may not be vaccinated, as those under 12 are unable to do so.

As for its elderly, the city reports that 94.8% of those age 65 and up have been at least partially vaccinated.

Over the course of the pandemic, 380,792 tests have been administered. An estimated 46,099 people have recovered from a previous infection.

zdavis@lmtonline.com
The Laredo Police Department announced on Friday that an arrest has been made in the fatal shooting of a woman earlier this week in north Laredo. It was the eighth homicide of 2021.

Jose Angel Chavez-Ramirez was arrested Thursday allegedly transporting migrants. The 37-year-old man was charged with Murder (F/1), Smuggling of Humans (F/3) and Evading Arrest with a Motor Vehicle (F/3).

Laredo police stated that they received a call of an open door to a residence at the 9000 block of Cornell Drive on Tuesday, Aug. 10 at approximately 5:30 p.m.

Officers arrived at the scene and said they discovered a body of a woman, identified later on as Sylvia Adriana Medrano Gonzalez, 51.

Gonzalez was observed by investigators from the LPD Crimes Against Persons Unit as having gunshot wounds.

Police said that the Crimes Against Persons Unit developed several leads, and on Thursday, Aug. 12, a patrol officer followed one of them.

An arrest report states that the officer spotted a Chevy SUV near N. Stone Avenue and Galveston Street at approximately 5:26 p.m. which was connected to the homicide investigation.

Police said the officer attempted to pull over the car but the SUV tried to elude them. Eventually it stopped at the intersection of Plum Street and N. Martin Avenue before several suspects left the vehicle and ran in different directions, the report states. Police stated that they located all of these suspects.

The driver of the vehicle was identified as Jose Angel Chavez-Ramirez, 37. The United States Border Patrol had 10 migrants turned into their custody stemming from the incident.

LPD interviewed Chavez-Ramirez after the incident regarding the recent homicide.

Afterwards, police said that they were able to present enough evidence to the district attorneys office from their investigation to charge Chavez-Ramirez in the murder of Gonzalez.

Chavez-Ramirez was booked at the LPD headquarters and transported to the Webb County Jail under a $700,000 bond.

Police said that the case remains under investigation and additional arrests may be pending.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Mexicos president is on a drive to convince people to send their kids back to school in September, and on Friday the government released some frightening figures on what the effects of the pandemic have been on schoolchildren.

The Interior Department says a total of 5.2 million students under 18 did not register for classes last year, and that domestic violence increased 24% in the first quarter of 2021, compared to the same period of 2020, before the pandemic gained force.

The department also cited increases in child homicides and teen pregnancies, rises which presumably resulted in part from kids not being at school. The broader effects of the pandemic  cancellation of activities, social distancing and economic pressures  may have also played a role.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador says children need to be back in physical classrooms, for social development as much as academic reasons.

But given that Mexico is experiencing its highest surge to date in coronavirus infections  but not hospitalizations  many parents are loath to send their kids back to classes.

The high drop-out rate during the pandemic may be due to the fact that many parents in Mexico did not see much value in enrolling their kids in online classes, which have been the only option available in most states since schools closed.

Not only is internet coverage spotty in Mexico; parents say it is hard to keep kids focused on online classes. In addition, most Mexicans who can afford it send their kids to private schools and tuition fees didn't seem worth it for online classes.

Mexico has suffered almost 247,000 test-confirmed deaths, but because so little testing is done, official figures suggest the real toll is closer to 370,000.

Mexico has now vaccinated about 59% of adults with at least one dose; but only about half of them are fully vaccinated.
The daughter of Robert F. Kennedy has won a federal legal battle to claim an urn planter from the front yard of "Hickory Hill," the family's former home in McLean, Va., after a judge ruled that an agreement made in 2010 by the estate's new owner to relinquish it was binding, even though he made it under the mistaken belief that the urn was a family heirloom.

Lawyer Kerry Kennedy, the seventh of Robert and Ethel Kennedy's 11 children, grew up at Hickory Hill, which her family moved into in 1957. In December 2009, Ethel Kennedy sold the property, with a pool, tennis court and nine-bedroom, 11-bathroom house to communications executive Alan Dabbiere for $8.25 million, real estate records show. Dabbiere agreed to lease back the property to Ethel Kennedy through May 2010, as home buyers often do to allow the residents time to pack up.

So in the spring of 2010, court records show, Ethel Kennedy wrote a memo to her nine surviving children, saying "There are a number of items of personal property that I would like to give you." She provided a list of the items, prepared by Sotheby's, and a "draft order" of selection for the siblings, by order of birth, court records show. Each Kennedy sibling could pick three items in a "snake draft" with the ninth child also picking tenth, the eighth child picking next, and so on.

Kerry Kennedy chose the urn planter in the front yard, which she said she treasured because it was just outside her bedroom window and was one of the few things the family owned that had belonged to her uncle, President John F. Kennedy, her grandfather Joseph P. Kennedy, and to the previous owner, Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson. When Jackson died in 1954, his executors sold the estate to then-Sen. John F. Kennedy, who swapped residences with his brother Robert in 1957, while deeding it to their father until 1965.

After Ethel Kennedy moved out in May 2010, Kerry Kennedy tried to make arrangements to pick up the urn. But Dabbiere resisted. He felt the urn conveyed with the property as a fixture. The two sides emailed back and forth.

At the time, Kerry Kennedy mistakenly believed that the urn had been brought to Hickory Hill by Jackie Kennedy, from her own family's estate, in the 1950s. So Dabbiere agreed to a compromise: He would keep the urn for 10 years, and then relinquish it to Kennedy.

In an email written in June 2010, Dabbiere wrote: "Kerry, the purpose of this email is to memorize [sic] our conversation that the Urn in the front of Hickory Hill will remain as your property and we give up any rights to it conveying with the property and in exchange you agree that the Urn will stay in its current place for 10 years from today's date - June 16th, 2010. At that time, you are free to take the urn. I will sign a copy of this email and send you a signed PDF version via email."

But in the course of renovating and researching Hickory Hill, Dabbiere found that Jackie Kennedy had not brought the urn there. It had been there when Jackson purchased the house in 1941. When Kerry Kennedy began asking about retrieving it early, in 2018, Dabbiere resisted.

"The history was the key reason I agreed to convey the urn back to her," Dabbiere told The Post last year, "after I believed it had conveyed to me with the property." Dabbiere, 59, is the chairman of OneTrust, which manages privacy and security for the computers and mobile devices of government agencies and private organizations. At that time, he said the urn should stay at Hickory Hill. "I believe this is a mutual mistake of fact and consequently the email agreement to convey the urn back to Kerry is in question. I believe this is a situation where the courts can and will decide fairly based on the facts."

Kennedy filed suit last July, and after both sides briefed and argued the case, U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga granted summary judgment for Kennedy on June 23. He ruled that the 2010 email was "a valid enforceable agreement," and that the urn was personal property, not a fixture of Hickory Hill, in part because it wasn't physically attached to the property and had been moved from time to time.

Trenga said that Kerry Kennedy didn't know in 2010 that the urn wasn't brought to the property by her Aunt Jackie, so she hadn't intentionally defrauded Dabbiere. And the judge found that Dabbiere had learned of the urn's true origins in 2015, but hadn't raised that with Kennedy until 2020, so he couldn't rescind the contract "based on mutual mistake or fraud" because Virginia has a two-year statute of limitations.

And the contract itself made no mention of the urn's origins. "The alleged mutual mistake," Trenga wrote, "had nothing to do with the substance of the contractual bargain and did not affect the performance of that contract." Dabbiere had the urn for 10 years and received his end of the contract, the judge ruled. Now it is time for Kennedy to receive her end of the contract.

Kennedy said that "the dispute regarding the urn has been resolved to our satisfaction and the urn is in the process of being returned to me." She said it would be placed at her home near the famed Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, Mass., next month.

Dabbiere said in an email the case was "being resolved to everyone's satisfaction."
Lynda M. Gonzalez /Staff Photographer /Lynda M. Gonzalez /Staff Photographer

Texas Democrats are criticizing Gov. Greg Abbott and his response to local governments and school districts that are defying his executive order banning face mask mandates.

In a news release on August 11, Abbott announced any school district, public university, or local government official that decides to go against his order will be taken to court. He notes the Texas Disaster Act states that the governor has the power to guide the state through emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Director General of Energy & Climate Change, Pep Malagrava says he's expecting to receive an avalanche of requests for solar panels from businesses in September, to alleviate the steady increase in electricity prices since June.

The Government says it's extremely concerned about rising electricity prices and the impact they will have on businesses and families.

The first measure to lower the electricity bill is a self-consumption installation, which reduces energy costs by up to 40%, said Malagrava.

The Balearic Islands will receive 13.3 million euros worth of aid from Brussels and subsidies of 15%-35% are also available, depending on the project.

There will be a dramatic increase in requests for solar installations, even more so when the depreciation will be reduced as the cost of lighting continues to rise, said Ahorroluzygas.com.

It costs 12,000-25,000 euros to install solar panels for companies and 6,000 euros for private properties.

There are already around 3,000 photovoltaic installations in the Balearic Islands, which generate 34 Megawatts of energy, including 2,151 in Mallorca which generate 22.2 MW.

The Government has issued 11.5 million euros worth of grants for solar panels in the last three years.

"These projects have led to a significant reduction in electricity consumption thanks to clean and alternative energy," explains Malagrava.

The PP has asked the Government to increase Local Cooperation funds to compensate for this year's increase in the electricity tariff.
The National Police have arrested three "skippers" of migrant boats. They belong to a criminal organisation in the northeast of Algeria and have been charged with facilitating illegal immigration, crimes against the rights of foreign citizens, and belonging to a criminal organisation.

The organisation has fixers, the ones who offer trips by boat to Spain for the equivalent of some 1,000 euros. Their selling is in the likes of cafes and their targets are usually young people. Then there are the ones who are responsible for the supplies - the boat, the fuel, a GPS device. They are usually the skippers of the boats.

A police investigation started on August 1 after 21 migrants were rescued and then detained. They had been at sea for more than 40 hours - the journey should normally take half this length of time. The police ascertained that two of the 21 were part of a criminal organisation involved with the transport of migrants.

On July 31, a boat with seventeen migrants had been intercepted. The police found that one of them was also a skipper and a member of the same criminal gang. Another one had previously been in Spain and had committed robberies in Alicante.

On Saturday, 15 migrants were intercepted off Cabrera and 14 more off Formentera. A further 17 were detained after their boat arrived in Portals Vells.
It is with a heavy heart that I write this column. Brother-in-law Jacob (sister Emma's husband) was admitted to the hospital while we were at the Outer Banks. We were able to talk to him and Emma on Thursday night, but Jacob was very weak and losing out fast. He was airlifted to a bigger hospital. We arrived home from our vacation around 9:45 p.m. and Jacob lost his battle to his illness a little before 1 a.m. Sunday morning. It still does not seem real that he has also been taken from us.

Jacob is 48 and so is sister Emma. They had 26 years of marriage together. Emma was a great nurse to Jacob since his illness, and Jacob wanted her beside him in the hospital. Emma and her children and Jacob's mother were all by his bedside when he passed away.

In eight months' time we have lost three very dear people and our grief is so strong. We question why but we know God is in control and makes no mistakes. It doesn't make it any easier.

Longtime readers of this column know how close Jacob's family and ours were. Not a weekend went by it seemed that we weren't doing something together, until we both had married children and grandchildren and we were sometimes busy with our own families. We would always get together for Thanksgiving and Christmas, taking turns to host it. Sisters Verena and Susan would also be there. It doesn't seem possible that last Thanksgiving we were all together here along with son-in-law Mose, sister Susan and brother-in-law Jacob. No one was sick and life was good. Now in less than eight months, three out of our families have gone on before us.

Sister Emma will have many lonely days. Jacob and Emma have two married daughters. Three sons are still at home: Jacob, 21; Benjamin, 19; and Steven, 14. Jacob and Steven both have muscular dystrophy. Our sympathy goes out to them, but we grieve right along with them. Jacob and my husband Joe are first cousins, so they have always been close and always leaned on each other when they needed help.

The viewing/visitation starts today (Aug. 9) at 2 p.m. and tomorrow at 10 a.m. Funeral services will be on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at Jacob and Emma's house. We want to do laundry this morning before we go, but it's supposed to rain. Hopefully it will hold off until it's dry.

Our trip to the Outer Banks was very nice, but when we heard about Jacob our minds were always on him. I'm so glad we got to talk to him, even if it wasn't much since he was so weak.

On Wednesday, Aug. 4, Joe, son Kevin and I left home at 2:45 a.m. to meet the two charter buses at the home of Joe's employer. All the employees and families (wives and children under 16) were there with their luggage.

After loading up, we headed out around 4 a.m. We arrived at the motel in Nags Head, North Carolina around 8:30 or 8:45 p.m. if I remember right. Everyone went to go take their luggage to their rooms. Joe's employer, Daniel, ordered pizza for everyone, so we all gathered in the dining area to eat a late supper. The motel had a pool and was right along the Atlantic Ocean, with a nice beach. A lot of the people went swimming or walked out along the beach.

On Thursday we went to Corolla to see the wild horses on the beach. On Friday morning Joe and son Kevin left at 4:45 a.m. to go fishing with a guide. They caught some fish on the ocean. They came back around noon. Around 5 p.m. we left again to go on the two-hour dolphin cruise. We saw a lot of dolphins. We drove through the Allegheny Mountains both times and through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

It was a nice trip, but with Jacob being ill and then passing away it made us glad to be back home with our loved ones. Son Joseph and daughter Lovina had left Friday for Iowa to attend a reunion with their special friends and family. They arrived back on Sunday and it was good to all be together again. Please pray for us and also for sister Emma and family as they mourn for her dear husband/father/grandfather. God's blessings to all!

Lovina's Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife, and mother of eight. Her newest cookbook, Amish Family Recipes, is available wherever books are sold. Readers can write to Eicher at PO Box 1689, South Holland, IL 60473 (please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply); or email LovinasAmishKitchen@MennoMedia.org and your message will be passed on to her to read. She does not personally respond to emails.

Oatmeal Crunch Bars

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon soda

1 cup quick oats

Mix all ingredients. Spread mixture into ungreased 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 22 minutes.
A world-class Health Information Management System (HIMS) is set to launch next year by the Delhi government. The health department has completed the vendor selection and bidding process and is working to streamline the project and place before the cabinet.



Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the Health Information Management System will be a monumental step towards getting the people of Delhi freedom from their problems. The project will bring about a revolution in the healthcare infrastructure of Delhi. As part of the project, Health Cards will be assigned to each citizen, which will be a repository of medical information. Doctors will be able to see patient's medical history using the card and the patients will be able to take appointments from home.

Delhi government is trying to implement HIMS in all government hospitals in the capital. The private hospitals of the city will also be connected in a phased manner with the system.





Source: IANS The first phase of the preparation will be completed by the end of this year and can be implemented in the beginning of the next year. Once the project is implemented, people can get an appointment with the doctor they wish to see by accessing an online portal from the comfort of their homes. The eHealth Card will be distributed through a door-to-door campaign which will have the entire medical history of the cardholder and will be able to get treatment at any hospital on the HIMS system.Source: IANS

Kejriwal held a meeting to review the progress of the Health Information Management System along with the Health Helpline and the eHealth Card which are two crucial landmarks the project aims to achieve. Reviewing the project with Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, Kejriwal instructed the officers to expedite the timelines. He said that the Delhi government is committed to providing the best and most modern healthcare facilities to the people of Delhi. Delhi will be the first state to have such a world-class system after the implementation.
When makers of Ajay Devgns Bhuj: The Pride of India released the films trailer, we had already lost our hopes and kept our expectations low.

At times, it so happens that trailers are not greatly executed but the movies turn to be better than what was shown to the viewers.

Well, this is clearly not the case with Ajays recent release.

The film is based on the Indo-Pak War of 1971 and Ajay Devgn plays IAF Squadron Leader Vijay Karnik, who was in charge of the Bhuj airport at the time of the war.

In the film, you will see how the officer saved the border area in Gujarat from the Pakistani Army by re-constructing an entire IAF airbase with the help of 300 women from a local village in Madhapar.

We woke to bad reviews by the critics and were waiting for the audience to give the final verdict. Before we jump to what the audience felt, heres what the film critics had to say:

Hindustan Times wrote, The silver lining is too thin to ignore the dark, dark cloud that is Bhuj. It looms large and sinister over the future of war films in India. If this is how gutsy we're already getting with hate, I wonder what to expect next.

 Hindustan Times

Quint also didnt approve of the movie and wrote, There is no easy way to say this. Bhuj: The Pride of India is basically a slow death by loud noise. Every character that appears-- screams and leaves. The background score wrestles with the sound of machine guns and fighter planes, Ajay Devgn and others then use their lung power to be heard over the obnoxious music bed and we can't even hear ourselves think numbed as we are by the assault.



 Quint

NDTV wrote, A sad apology for a war film, Bhuj: The Pride Of India is an unmitigated blowout. It hobbles through a maze of explosions, dogfights, and battlefield braggadocio without so much as pausing for breath and allowing the audience to figure what on earth is going on.



 NDTV

Well, people are also echoing similar emotions, and here are the five reasons that they didnt approve of the movie:



1. Poor VFX

People seemed pissed in this regard as they felt Ajay Devgns movie has taken Bollywood's VFX game way back and felt that they were looking at a 'video game'.

 Twitter

2. Direction Fails & A Waste Of Time

People also werent happy with how the movie was directed and executed, as they felt it was a 'complete waste of time' and didnt fulfil their expectations at all.

 Twitter

3. Cinematography Is Plain B*llShit

A lot of Twitter users went to say that scenes looked unrealistic and didnt add much value to the films story.

 Twitter

4. Horrible Editing & Story-Telling

These are the two biggest aspects that make either make a movie work or tank. In this case, both the elements havent been able to help the movie get an average rating from the viewers.

A lot of people even compared it to Salman Khans Radhe.

 Twitter

5. Not A Perfect Tribute

With bad dialogues and even worse acting, people said this is not how a movie should celebrate Indian soldiers and their pride.

 Twitter

We wonder how would the movie's team react to such horrible reviews by the viewers.
A can of worms seems to have opened up on social media as people feel flabbergasted after Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal made remarks on the Indian industry on Thursday, especially Tata Motors.

A rather serious and upsetting remark which was casually hurled at the Indian industry by the Union Minister insisted that the industries in our country were 'not working in the interest of the nation and were simply going against India'.

 Reuters

In his statement at the annual meet of the Confederation of India Industry, Piyush Goyal specifically came after Tata Group and called it out for infrastructure, defence and aerospace.



He said, Me, Myself, My company  We all need to go beyond this approach.

Furthermore, to this, he remarked, Kya aapke jaisi company, ek do aapne shaayad koi videshi company kharid li Uska importance zyaada ho gaya, desh hith kam ho gaya? (A company like yours, maybe you bought one or two foreign companies, now their importance is greater than national interest? leaving most of the CEOs confused and riled up.

Piyush Goyal's 19-min tirade against Tata group at the annual meet of the CII stirred up a hornets nest in higher echelons of the govt. the CII was asked to pull down the video from its YouTube channel. @tragicosmicomic reportshttps://t.co/zTLctUagJP  Sobhana K Nair (@SobhanaNair) August 14, 2021

While the Tata Group refused to comment on the remarks by Union Minister Piyush Goyal, only a day prior to Goyals accusations did Tata announce its intention to give each Olympian who could not get a podium finish, a car.

A sweet and generous gesture for those who missed the bronze medal by just an inch, Tata Groups felicitation was very warmly received on social media.

And on the other hand, what wasnt pleasantly received were the comments by Piyush Goyal which were equated to an unhinged rant. A lot of business professionals, industrialists and even fellow politicians came together to slam the statements.

Here are some of the reactions on Twitter -

Union Ministers unhinged rant at CII meeting.



Pressure of working in an underperforming one man show must really be getting to them ! https://t.co/jj4Wzptz6V  Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) August 14, 2021

An unprovoked 19-minute tirade by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal at the Confederation of Indian Industry asserting industry went against national interest left CEOs baffled. Parts of the video were taken down. The Hindu has a recording of his remarks.https://t.co/8CmVQVg2iK  Ananth Krishnan (@ananthkrishnan) August 14, 2021

You reap what you sow INDIA INC



Bombay Club 1.0 created NDA/BJP Govt between 2012-2014.



Threw collective weight behind one individual and not even one party.

&

now @PiyushGoyal terms them anti - national.



@FollowCII https://t.co/HkVzvVROAE  Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) August 14, 2021

Clearly Indian industry wasnt anti national when it was buying Piyush Goyals firm at nearly 1000 times face value. Time for them to start doing business again with the minister and his family to earn the nationalist tag!https://t.co/n21mtPBY3X  Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) August 14, 2021

Piyush Piramal Goyal lashes out at Indian industry and says they are against national interest. Targets the Tata group and raises eyebrows. The irony of it all. https://t.co/oU3lynmuqv  Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) August 14, 2021

The kind of language used against industry captains&calling their work against nations interest is shameful to the core&he is Indias Commerce Minister!

CII should demand an apology instead of helping him by pulling down the video. Stand up to bullying! https://t.co/dPblCaBrmG  Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) August 14, 2021

On one hand BJP Govt has given contract to build New Parliament of India to Tatas and on the other hand BJP Minister Piyush Goyal (as per media reports) is calling them Anti-National BJP double speak knows no limits !!  Jaiveer Shergill (@JaiveerShergill) August 14, 2021

On one hand BJP Govt has given contract to build New Parliament of India to Tatas and on the other hand BJP Minister Piyush Goyal (as per media reports) is calling them Anti-National BJP double speak knows no limits !!  Jaiveer Shergill (@JaiveerShergill) August 14, 2021

As people come together to fend off the allegations against the Tata group and the Indian industry as a whole, on which side of the debate do you find yourself?
Twitter seems to be having a field day today when it comes to explosive and controversial comments being doled out like candy in a sweet shop.

From actors and actresses to businessmen and now politicians, shots are being fired from every direction and this time, they seem to be coming from none other than senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy.

Turns out, a Twitter user got under the BJP leaders skin after he went on to slam Swamy for being 'bitter and envious' for not getting a ministry of his choice.

The user by the name of @blittzzkrieg wrote, Sir, Im a huge fan of you. I would support you if you criticized Modi and the government when they do something wrong. But every tweet of yours is against him. It just sounds like youre anti Modi because he didnt give you the ministry that you wanted. A view that many others on Twitter had gathered.

However, not keeping quiet this time, Subramanian Swamy said something that has shaken things up, especially since he ended up giving the real reason for not being in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi when it came to certain things.

I am anti Modi policies for the economy & foreign policy and I am ready to debate with any responsible on it. Have you heard about participatory democracy? Modi is not King of India  Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) August 14, 2021

The Rajya Sabha MP wrote back, I am anti Modi policies for the economy & foreign policy and I am ready to debate with any responsible on it. Have you heard about participatory democracy? Modi is not King of India."

Will the bureaucrat duo Jaishankar and Doval ever apologise to the nation for the mess they have landed India in the international scene? They were given a free hand because Modi trusts politicians not peer level politicians. Now we in a mess with all our neighbours.  Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) August 14, 2021

The Tweet to which Swamy replied had come after Swamy had posted on Twitter, Will the bureaucrat duo Jaishankar and Doval ever apologise to the nation for the mess they have landed India in the international scene? They were given a free hand because Modi trusts politicians not peer level politicians. Now we in a mess with all our neighbours.

Since then, a lot of drama has been stirring on the micro-blogging site where people are busy picking sides in this sudden Modi vs. Swamy dynamic.

One user wrote, Now you've started to understand Swami. Its a case of sour grapes & swollen ego, while another one wrote, He being not appointed as our Finance minister is a huge loss to the nation, not to him anyway.

Please stop quoting this petty reason whenever he speaks negative about his policies or decisions.

I agree he is not King of India because King(s) left in 1947 but he is democratically elected Head of India Sir I am also big fan of you. Please support Modi, who is doing good for India. Request..  pD (@sf_pd) August 14, 2021

So correct, I have got this feeling since last year aug /September onwards.

He has become anti modi for sure. Look at all his latest tweet, sarcastic one where he wrote why was Amit Shah absent in Rajya Sabha, I was wondering when did AS join Rajyasabha??  Karnator (@Karnator3) August 14, 2021

That's nothing to do with what he wanted..



He is working as a well wisher real support of Modi



Always showing Modi government the pit falls



Rest all are just buttering and flattering for the ministry  JIGYASU   (@JIGYASU94201095) August 14, 2021

No. Right Criticism by Sri Subramanian Swamy. You must learn to accept by subject and judiciously. Personalities does not matter. Diplomatic relations very important to if 130 Cr people have to be protected. Mr Subramanian Swamy is right with his opinion  CS RAJAGOPALAN (@CSRAJAGOPALAN) August 14, 2021

Criticizing one single person (Modi), who is solely responsible for the mess & chaos in the country is called nationalism. Every citizen have full right to criticize the government and the person who governs in many bad ways. Mr. Swamy is doing what reasonable citizen need to do  Syed Jahangeer ||  ||  (@Syed23Jahangeer) August 14, 2021

Seems like people will be at it for a while...
Dear Savvy Senior,

Can you tell me what I need to do to replace a variety of important documents? Our house burned down a few months ago, and we lost everything including our home property deed, car titles, old tax returns, Social Security, Medicare and Covid vaccine cards, birth certificates, marriage license and passports.

Stressed Seniors

Dear Stressed,

Im very sorry for your loss, but youll be relieved to know that replacing important documents that are destroyed, lost or stolen is pretty easy once you know where to turn. Here are the replacement resources for each document you mentioned.

Birth certificates: If you were born in the United States, contact the vital records office in the state where you were born (see CDC.gov/nchs/w2w/index.htm for contact information). This office will give you specific instructions on what you need to do to order a certified copy and what it will cost you  usually between $10 and $30.

Car titles: Most states offer replacements through a local department of motor vehicles office. Youll need to complete a replacement title application form and pay the application fee, which varies by state. Youll also need to show ID and proof that you own the car, such as your vehicle registration or your license-plate number and VIN (vehicle identification number). To get an application, go to DMV.org, pick your state, and print it or fill it out on the site.

Property deed: To access your house deed, contact your county clerks office, where deeds are usually recorded  you may be charged a small fee to get a copy.

Marriage certificate: Contact the vital records office of the state you were married in to order a copy (see CDC.gov/nchs/w2w/index.htm). Youll need to provide full names for you and your spouse, the date of your wedding, and the city or town where the wedding was performed. Fees range from $10 to $30.

Social Security cards: In most states (except in Alabama, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and West Virginia), you can request a replacement Social Security card online for free at SSA.gov/myaccount.

If you live in a state that the online service is not available, youll need to fill out form SS-5 (see SSA.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf to print a copy) and take it in or mail it to your nearby Social Security office along with a number of evidence documents that are listed on this form. For more information or to locate the Social Security office that serves your area, call 800-772-1213 or see SSA.gov/locator.

Medicare cards: If you are enrolled in original Medicare, you can replace a lost or damaged Medicare card by calling Medicare at 800-633-4227, or by logging into your

MyMedicare.gov account. If, however, you get Medicare health or drug benefits from a Medicare Advantage Plan, such as an HMO, PPO, or PDP, youll need to call your plan to get your card replaced.

COVID-19 vaccination card: Your first step is to go back to your vaccination site and see if theyll give you a replacement. Bring an ID and try to recall the date you were vaccinated. If thats not feasible, contact your state health department immunization information system (see CDC.gov/vaccines/programs/iis/contacts-locate-records.html) where you should be able to print out a replacement sheet.

Tax returns: To get copies of old tax returns start with your tax preparer, who usually keeps copies of your returns on file. You can also get copies of federal returns directly from the Internal Revenue Service. Youll need to fill out and mail in IRS form 4506. To download this form IRS.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506.pdf or call 800-829-3676 and ask them to mail you a copy. The cost is $43 for each return requested.

Passports: You can apply for a replacement passport at a Passport Application Acceptance Facility. Many post offices, public libraries and local government offices serve as such facilities. You can search for the nearest authorized facility at iafdb.travel.state.gov. The fee is $145.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior book.
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ISTANBUL (AP)  The death toll from severe floods and mudslides along Turkey's Black Sea coast has climbed to at least 57, the country's emergency and disaster agency said Saturday, as authorities disputed reports that dozens more people were missing.

Torrential rains that pounded the Black Sea provinces of Bartin, Kastamonu and Sinop on Wednesday caused flooding that demolished homes, severed at least five bridges, swept away cars and rendered numerous roads unpassable. Turkish disaster agency AFAD said 48 people were killed in Kastamonu, eight in Sinop and one in Bartin.

Eight people remained hospitalized, according to the agency.

Speaking late Saturday in Kastamonu, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said 15 of the dead had not been identified yet. He slammed opposition parties, social media users and media for claims that hundreds could be missing. He said a total of 77 cases of missing persons remained in Kastamonu and Sinop but emphasized that doesn't necessarily mean they were dead. He added the previous number of missing persons was 143, including duplicate names and some reached alive.

The Kastamonu provincial governors office also said reports that there were 250 to 300 unidentified bodies were untrue. It did not specifically address how many people could be missing in the flooding.

Some residents in Kastamonu shared names and photos of missing people on social media since the floods began. The deputy chairman of Turkey's main opposition party, Engin Altay, said he was informed there were more than 300 people reported missing, adding the official numbers appeared to be lower. The state needs to be transparent, he said from Kastamonu hours before the interior minister spoke.

In Sinop, floodwaters almost completely wiped out the village of Babacay, leaving toppled homes, damaged bridges and rubble in their wake. A five-story apartment building constructed on a riverbed was destroyed, along with numerous homes.

Rescue teams and sniffer dogs kept up their painstaking task of trying to locate the missing. AFAD said 5,820 personnel, 20 rescue dogs, 20 helicopters and two search planes were at the disaster spots.

About 2,250 people were evacuated across the region amid the floods, scores of them lifted from rooftops by helicopters. Many are being temporarily housed in student dormitories.

Climate scientists unequivocally say that climate change is leading to more extreme weather events as the world warms because of the burning of coal, oil and natural gas.

Experts in Turkey, however, said human interference with rivers and improper construction also contributed to the massive flood damage.

Geologists say construction narrowed the river bed and the surrounding alluvial flood plain of the Ezine stream in Kastamonus Bozkurt district, where the damage was most severe, from 400 meters (1,312 feet) wide to 15 meters (49 feet). Residential buildings were also built along the waterfront.

During severe rains, the constricted stream can only overflow. Videos posted by residents showed water rushing downstream in Bozkurt as buildings and roads flooded. One geologist, Ramazan Demirtas, explained the river bed narrowing on Twitter and said humans were to blame for this week's disaster.

Across the Black Sea, days of heavy rain also produced flooding in broad areas of southern Russia. Authorities in the Krasnodar region said Saturday that more than 1,400 houses flooded following storms that swept the area this week. About 108,000 residents of 11 settlements were left without power.

The regional Russian emergency headquarters said over 1,530 people have been evacuated. The Black Sea resort city of Anapa was among the worst affected. Officials have warned that heavy rain was expected for another two days.

The floods struck on the heels of wildfires in southern Turkey that devastated forests in the seaside provinces of Mugla and Antalya, which are popular with tourists. At least 16 people died in those wildfires  including eight emergency workers as their firefighting plane crashed Saturday  and thousands of residents and tourists were forced to flee.

___

Associated Press writer Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.

___

Follow AP's coverage of climate change issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change
Don and Gail Duford of Midland are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. The former Priscilla Gail Waite married Don on Aug. 14, 1971, at Gordon Street Church of God in Midland. Together they raised three sons Rob Duford, Paul Duford and Stuart Duford as well as six grandchildren. During their lifetime, they have also welcomed a number of adoptive children and grandchildren into their family. Don is one of the pastors at Christian Celebration Center. Gail is a retired office manager from Dr. Mark Cadotte's Dental Practice. The couple plans to celebrate their anniversary with a trip to Florida in January 2022.

How they met: Gail and Don met on a blind date when Gail was 14 and Don was 16. Their first date was at the Sunset Drive In movie theater.
MSU Extension of Midland County and cooperating parent educators sponsor the Parents Corner. Send submissions to Midland County MSU Extension Educator, Lisa Treiber, 220 W. Ellsworth St., Midland, MI 48640

Homestead Sunday. Step back in time at Chippewa Nature Centers log cabin, timber frame barn and one-room school for a family friendly afternoon at the Homestead Farm and Log Schoolhouse. Try your hand at grinding corn, pumping water, writing on a slate board, working in the garden, tilling the field, or watering the animals. The Homestead and Schoolhouse will be open Sundays, 1-5 p.m., offering weekly activities, in August. All ages are invited (under 18 w/adult). Please bring a mask.

Food Safety Q & A. MSU Extension offers a week 30-minute informational program about food preservation. A short presentation will be shared focusing on a timely topic, leaving plenty of time for Q & A. The next session title is: Peach Salsa. Join in on this quick free presentation Aug. 16, at 1 p.m. To register, visit: https://www.canr.msu.edu/events/summer-food-safety

Mastodons, Mammoths and Opossums, Oh My! An Ice Age Exploration. Through hands-on activities at Chippewa Nature Center, children will discover living and extinct Ice Age Mammals that have called Michigan Home. Participants will explore the trails for clues to help learn how mastodons, mammoths and opossums adapted to the harsh Ice Age environment on Aug. 17, 2-3:30 p.m. This event is designed for ages 5+ (under 18 w/adult). Pre-registration is required, visit www.chippewanaturecenter.org. Please bring a mask.

Informed Renter. MSU Extension is hosting an online program to teach tenants their rights and responsibilities as renters, on Aug. 17, from 3-4:30 p.m. Participants will learn about Getting their Money in Order, Oat is the Landlord Approval Process, Understanding the Rental Process, Understanding Your Lease, Rental Options, Being a Good Tenant, Communicating Effectively with your Landlord and more. To register for this free informational session please visit mimoneyhealth.org once on the site, click on online classes you will be taken to a list of courses being offered. The Informed Renter is in the list, click on that one and you will be taken to the registration page.

Story Hour. Come spend an hour learning about nature at Chippewa Nature Center, on Aug. 19, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. or 11 a.m. to noon. The hour will include a story, crafts, and other age-appropriate activities. The entire program will be held outdoors so dress for the weather. This event is designed for ages 3-5 years w/adult. Pre-registration is required, visit www.chippewanaturecenter.org. Please bring a mask.

Insect Exploration at Sylvan Solace Preserve. Explore the fields and woods of Sylvan Solace Preserve in search of insects. Look under logs, underground and on leaves and flowers for bugs, slugs and other creatures on Aug. 19, from 2-3:30 p.m. Chippewa Nature Center will bring bug boxes, nets, spoons and field guides to aid in the investigation. Meet Naturalist Michelle Fournier at Chippewa Watershed Conservancys Sylvan Solace Preserve at 4600 W. Pickard in Mt. Pleasant. This event is designed for all ages (under 18 w/adult). Pre-registration is required, visit www.chippewanaturecenter.org. Please bring a mask.

Preserving MI Harvest Series. Michigan State University Extension will be offering a series of food preservation classes online, these free online classes will be offered on Thursdays, at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. The topic on Aug. 19 will be Picked a Peck of Peppers  Now What? These sessions will not be recorded, they will only be offered live. Supporting materials will be emailed to all participants after each broadcast. Join in the fun, sign up for one, some or all these educational sessions. There is time at the end of each program to ask questions. To register visit: https://events.anr.msu.edu/PreserveSummer21/

Trail Trash Pick-Up. Stroll along Chippewa Nature Centers trails while helping remove trash that has gotten left behind on Aug. 21, 9-11 a.m. Please wear long pants, socks, and close-toed shoes and bring a water bottle, sunscreen, and insect repellent. CNC will provide gloves unless you would like to bring your own, trash grabbing tools, and garbage bags. This event is designed for ages 5+ (under 18 w/adult). Pre-registration is required, visit www.chippewanaturecenter.org. Please bring a mask.

Animal Communication. Communication isnt just for us humans, wildlife has different ways to stay in touch with each other, too. Join an Interpretive Naturalist to explore the world of animal communication at Chippewa Nature Center on Aug. 21, 10-11:30 a.m. Participants will be walking the trails to find different activity stations to help them communicate like different species. This event is designed for all ages (under 18 w/adult). Pre-registration is required, visit www.chippewanaturecenter.org. Please bring a mask.

Family Yoga. Bring the whole family together to enjoy a program that blends yoga, nature, and education at Chippewa Nature Center, Aug. 21, 10-11 a.m. This fun collaboration with Creative 360 is designed to bring families together to practice yoga and enjoy the outdoors! Class will be held outside at the Homestead Farm. Please bring a towel or yoga mat for each family member. This event is designed for ages 3+ (under 18 w/adult). Pre-registration is required, visit www.chippewanaturecenter.org. Please bring a mask.

Safe Food = Healthy Kids. Looking for a training for your childcare center or home? Michigan State University Extension is hosting several online sessions which includes education credits. Learn what the best practices are for food safety to help keep kids safe. Topics include cleaning and sanitizing, cooking, storing food, common allergens, and personal hygiene. The workshop can count towards annual training hours for licensed childcare providers. This is also an approved training of Great Start to Quality. The next class will be offered: Aug. 23, 6-9 p.m. to register visit: https://www.canr.msu.edu/safe_food_healthy_kids/events There is no charge to participate in this session. Other dates will be offered, they are included on the link listed.

Sleep Education for Everyone Program. MSU Extension will be offering a virtual program beginning Mondays, Sept. 13-Oct. 18, noon to 12:30 p.m. Each session is designed to last about 30 minutes. The program will begin with a short 2 to 3-minute educational video created to deliver key concepts. The rest of the Zoom time is spent discussing the topics, brainstorming solutions to possible obstacles to improving sleep, and goal setting. There is no cost for the workshop. The program is supported financially by MSU Extension and the Michigan Health Endowment Fund. To register please visit https://events.anr.msu.edu/sp/

MSU Extension Tai Chi for Diabetes. Join MSU Extension for an opportunity to develop tai chi skills from the comfort of your home. Our instructor will guide you step-by-step, through each movement. Although this program was created to prevent and improve the control of diabetes, this program has helped many people with and without diabetes to gain better health, improve balance, immunity, relaxation, and quality of life. Everyone can learn and enjoy these 10 easy lessons beginning Sept. 14-Nov. 16 at 12:30 p.m. each week. They are being offered at no charge. To register visit: https://events.anr.msu.edu/tachifordiabetes2021 or contact Anita Carter 906-360-9732.
MIDDLETOWN  While the city experienced the third-lowest growth in the state over the past decade, it has become more diverse and a bit older, according to the new U.S. Census Bureau data.

Following a statewide trend, Middletown also saw less school-aged children between 2010 and 2010, the data showed. The total number of children statewide under 18 fell by 10 percent during the 10-year span, even as Connecticuts overall population grew by a modest 1 percent.

Connecticut saw an overall population increase of 0.89 percent, or about 32,000 people, while Middletown saw an increase of 0.14 percent, or 69 people, the data showed.

Mayor Ben Florsheim said these numbers reflect what hes seen within the city. He said hes seen an uptick in young adults moving to the city, as well as an increase in people choosing to retire in Middletown.

He cited the decline in school-aged residents as another reason to improve the education system, saying it will attract new and growing families.

Education is the most important thing, Florsheim said. Thats the first thing they look for.

Neighboring towns had vastly different results. Cromwell had the second-highest population increase in Middlesex County, behind Old Saybrook, with a jump of 1.57 percent or 220 people.

Of the 15 municipalities in Middlesex County, 10 experienced a decrease in population in the last decade.

Durham saw a decrease of 3.19 percent, or 236 people. Portland dropped by 1.3 percent, or 124 people. Middlefield decreased by 4.7 percent, or 208 people.

While below the average for the state, Middletowns population change was favorable compared with others in the county. The census data also revealed detailed age and race statistics for the city.

Middletowns percentage of residents who identify as Hispanic increased by almost 12 percent, adding 1,688 people in the last decade. The percentage of Black residents increased by over 13 percent, or 572 people. Overall, the percentage of non-white residents in the city increased from 28.4 percent to 36.4 percent.

According to the data, the average age of residents in Middletown has increased substantially.

In 2010, there were 38,566 residents over the age of 18, and 9,082 under the age of 18. In 2020, the number of residents over 18 increased to 40,072 people, while the number of residents under 18 dropped to 7,645.

Middletown Planning, Conservation & Development Director Joseph Samolis said he hasnt reviewed the data yet, but will help guide decisions going forward.

It also helps ups identify where there might be gaps or room for improvement, he said.

Florsheim shared a similar sentiment.

I think its really something we need to be responsive to in city government, Florsheim said. Im not worried by these numbers, but it reinforces some things we need to focus on.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  It's only a few days into the new school year, but New Mexicos largest district is reeling from a shooting that left one student dead and another in custody after, according to police, the victim tried to protect another boy who was being bullied.

The gunfire at Washington Middle School during the lunch hour Friday marked the second shooting in Albuquerque in less than 24 hours. With the city on pace to shatter its homicide record this year, top state officials said they were heartbroken by what they described as a scourge.

These tragedies should never occur. That they do tells us there is more work to be done, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said.

The boy who was killed, identified by police on Saturday as 13-year-old Bennie Hargrove, was a hero, Police Chief Harold Medina said Friday night in a brief statement.

He stood up for a friend and tried to deescalate a violent confrontation between classmates, Medina said. He said the incident was a tragedy that has shaken our community.

A probable-cause statement released Saturday said the 13 year-old boy was charged with one count each of open murder and unlawfully carrying a deadly weapon on school premises. The Associated Press does not generally identify juvenile crime suspects.

A witness, a third 13-year-old boy, told detectives after the shooting that the shooting occurred after Hargrove approached the suspect to tell him to stop bullying and punching a smaller boy.

The witness said the suspect held a gun behind his leg so Hargrove couldn't see it when he approached and the suspect then chambered a round and shot at Hargrove multiple times, according to the probable-cause statement.

A police officer assigned to the school heard the shooting, ran over to the boys and handcuffed the suspect to a fence before radioing for help and tending to the injured boy until medical personnel arrived, the statement said.

Police later learned that the suspects father right before the shooting had discovered that his gun was missing and went to the school, where he arrived to see his son in handcuffs, the statement said.

The 13-year-old witness also told police that the suspect had been a nice boy but recently picked on other boys and acted as if he was a gang member, the statement said.

It wasn't immediately known whether the suspect has a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.

Friday marked the third day of classes for Albuquerque's public school district. While students won't return until Tuesday, Superintendent Scott Elder said the staff will be making preparations to ensure students have access to counseling and any other support services they need.

Of course it's extremely difficult," he said of something like this happening so early in the school year. There's a lot of pressure in the community. People are nervous. It was a terrible incident that happened between two people. It should have never happened. ... This shouldn't happen in the community. It certainly shouldn't happen at a school.

Police said more officers will be present when students return, hoping to provide a sense of security and in case students have any more information about the shooting they want to share.

Gunfire also rang out Thursday night at a sports bar and restaurant near a busy Albuquerque shopping district. Police said one person was killed and three were injured after someone pulled out a gun during a fight.

No arrests have been made in that case. Investigators were reviewing surveillance video and interviewing witnesses.

Authorities identified the man who was killed as Lawrence Anzures, a 30-year old boxer from Albuquerque.

A makeshift memorial of flowers and candles grew Friday outside the restaurant, providing more evidence of the frustration that families having been feeling.

The shootings come as Mayor Tim Keller convened his latest session with other officials to talk about curbing violence and crime in the city. His administration is hoping to come up with recommendations for improving the criminal justice system and addressing the problem of repeat offenders. The mayors office noted that for most Albuquerque homicides this year, more than 45% of charged offenders and nearly 60% of suspects have criminal records.

For low-level offenders, we need to bolster diversion programs and real access to resources to change their lives, Keller said in a statement. But for violent offenders, we have to stop the revolving door.

___

Davenport reported from Phoenix.
Almost 60 years have gone by since the Thresher, then the Navy's newest nuclear-powered submarine, plummeted to the bottom of the sea during a deep-dive test. Now, recently declassified documents are adding to the confusion and debate around the service's deadliest submarine loss.

Documents released by the Navy in July describe a series of events aboard the submarine Seawolf -- one of the ships that was searching the area after communications were lost with the Thresher on April 10, 1963. The Seawolf heard a series of sounds that have led to speculation that the Thresher's crew may have been alive longer than previously thought.

However, experts on the submarine's sinking dismiss the possibility.

"You could see the men on the Seawolf hoping against hope thinking the sound might be some survivors and recording them," Chris Drew, author of a book that investigated the incident, "Blind Man's Bluff," and a former military journalist, explained. "There's a lot of sounds in the ocean."

The Thresher sank with 129 men aboard. In its wake, the Navy created a submarine safety program, SUBSAFE, to ensure that future submarine hulls would stay watertight and that they can recover from unanticipated flooding.

The new documents show that the Seawolf arrived in the area the Thresher was believed to have sunk on the morning of April 11, 1963, just over 24 hours after the sub disappeared. The declassified log shows that, over a series of four dives, the submarine reported hearing various pings and sounds it thought might be the missing Thresher.

At one point, the Seawolf broadcast: "We hear your underwater telephone. If you will send 5 dashes we will have positive Identification -- send 5 dashes." There is no report of five dashes being received, but the Seawolf continued to try to get a fix on the source of the pings.

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About halfway through its search, the submarine reported a "total of 37 pings heard counted."

The Seawolf also reported sailors "may hear very weak voice" over their underwater receivers. They asked for a repeat of the message, but one was never received.

On one dive, the Seawolf reported metal on metal banging heard on sonar. In between requests to "bang 5 times on hull," the submarine reported hearing more bangs, but a later entry conceded "he does not give us number asked for."

The log also notes that what the sailors were hearing "could be sounds from [destroyers] in vicinity."

Crushed by Ocean Pressure

Unbeknownst to the Seawolf at the time, every major investigation has concluded that, by the time it began its first dive search, the Thresher had already been crushed by the ocean pressure after sinking to 2,400 feet -- 400 feet past what its hull could take.

Norman Polmar, an author and naval analyst who wrote the book "Death of the USS Thresher," discounts the possibility that what the Seawolf heard was surviving sailors in a still intact Thresher.

"I don't believe it," Polmar flatly told Military.com in an interview.

Polmar points to the recordings from the Navy's underwater Sound Surveillance System, or SOSUS, as key evidence in forming his opinion.

"We know from the SOSUS tapes ... that the submarine imploded," he said. "If it imploded, that means they collapsed inward. Everyone died instantly -- there was no clanging on the metal."

Drew also pointed out that it's highly unlikely the submarine could still float, or have positive buoyancy.

"[The Thresher] couldn't have just been maintaining positive buoyancy and nobody can find them," he told Military.com in an interview.

Drew noted that both the Seawolf and the surface ships that were part of the search-and-rescue efforts all had sonar systems.

"If a massive submarine is sitting at 1,000- to 2,000-feet deep for a day, don't you think sonar would have picked it up?" he asked. "It doesn't make any sense."

Unsurvivable Waters

Drew, who co-authored Robert Ballard's recently released memoir "Into the Deep: A Memoir From the Man Who Found Titanic," said the famed undersea archaeologist, who surveyed the Thresher wreck shortly before he located the Titanic, confirmed that the submarine sank in unsurvivable deep waters.

"[Ballard] said it was far enough from the continental shelf that it just went straight down and then once they got a little past crush depth ... that was it," Drew said.

Both Drew and Polmar noted that there could be any number of explanations for what the Seawolf crew heard and reported in 1963.

"You can be 500 miles from something and, because [of] underwater currents, the temperature gradients and other things, hear something that's 500 miles away," Polmar said.

He was quick to note, though, that "it might have been the other ships and submarines that were in the area."

In fact, one entry in the Seawolf report notes several times that other Navy ships in the area were making noises that made it difficult to listen for sounds from the Thresher.

The newly released details also draw attention to the fact that disagreement remains on what initially caused the Thresher to lose power and sink.

The Navy's official position is that an inadequate welding technique caused a pipe to fail on the submarine.

Retired Vice Adm. Ron Thunman, who commanded the Thresher's sister sub, the Plunger, summed up the Navy position in an oral history interview in 2012.

"A pipe ruptured, and the spray grounded the electrical systems. ... It caused the reactor to [shut down]," Thunman said.

In addition, the Navy later learned that if you try to blow a submarine's ballast tanks from that deep a depth, as the Thresher did, the air piping would cause ice to form and prevent the sub from surfacing.

"So, [the Thresher's commander] had no propulsion; he had no blow system, and they lost the ship," he said.

Thunman went on to become deputy chief of naval operations, and he was the officer who ordered Ballard to survey the Thresher wreck in the 1980s as part of an agreement that also gave the oceanographer funding to find the site of the Titanic.

Electrical Failure?

However, Polmar, along with Bruce Rule, wrote an analysis in Navy Times in 2013, on the 50th anniversary of Thresher's loss, arguing for a different cause for the power failure.

Rule was the analyst who studied the recordings related to the loss of the Thresher and testified before the Navy's court of inquiry on the incident. He went on to serve as the lead acoustic analyst in the Office of Naval Intelligence for 42 years, retiring in 1992.

Rule and Polmar argued that acoustic evidence indicated that an electrical failure, not a leak or flooding, caused the reactor's coolant pumps to shut down.

Polmar, who once spoke with the Thresher's first commander, Dean Axene, said the naval officer told him that one of the Thresher's final messages to ships on the surface supports his theory.

Shortly before contact was lost, the Thresher sent a message that read: "Experiencing minor difficulty, have positive up-angle, attempting to blow."

Polmar told Military.com that Axene said "the only thing that he could think of at test depth, 1,300 feet, that he would describe as a minor difficulty, was a reactor shutdown because that happened periodically, not regularly, but every now and then, and there was a procedure for restarting it."

Rule, in an open letter to Navy leadership in 2013, wrote that the message was "evidence those difficulties did not involve flooding with the catastrophic effects such flooding is known to create at great depth."

Those still passionate about answering all the questions about the Thresher, including former naval officers and family members of the crew, hope to get more answers as the Navy releases more documents.

Ultimately, neither Polmar nor Drew feel that the revelations of the sounds heard by the Seawolf change their understanding of the submarine's sinking.

Drew said the new details are "very intriguing, alluring" but ultimately a footnote in the larger Thresher saga.

Polmar said he "wouldn't even give it that much credit."

In 2019, a memorial to the Threshers crew was unveiled at Arlington National Cemetery.

"Their sacrifice will now rightfully be memorialized at our nation's most hallowed grounds beside tributes here to generations of fallen heroes," Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said at the time.

-- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin.

Related: Navy Declassifies 300 Pages of Probe into 1963 USS Thresher Disaster
Almost 85 million households, or 67% of the population, own a pet, and military families are no different than the general population. In addition to the usual companionship and security reasons, military families may find that an animal provides company for an alone-at-home adult or extra love for kids with a frequently absent parent.

For all the joy of pet ownership, there are challenges and costs as well. Vaccinations, licenses (for some pets), food, toys and pet sitting are costs for all pet owners. But just like so many other aspects of life, military families have extra considerations when bringing an animal into the family. Be sure youve problem-solved these unique issues before you make Fido or Fluffy a member of your household.

1. Permanent Change of Station Moves

Having a pet makes every step of a PCS move just a little bit more difficult. What will you do with your lizards while the packers are at your house? What temporary lodging accepts pets? Will your pet cope with a long car ride, or will you consider sending it by air? If you fly your animals, who will be with them at one end or the other while you drive? If you drive, how will you find pet-friendly lodging along the way?

2. Renting with a Pet (or Multiple Pets)

Not all landlords welcome pets into their property. That may not be a problem if you stay in the same place for decades, but thats not typically how military life works. Being a pet owner limits your options for rentals, which is especially difficult in tight rental markets like were facing right now. You may have to sacrifice other wants such as location, schools or size in order to find a rental property that accepts pets.

The difficulty in finding housing may increase if you have multiple pets, unusual pets, large pets or specific breeds of dogs. In addition to personal preferences, landlords may be dealing with homeowners associations or insurance policies that have restrictions about the types, quantities and breeds of pets.

In addition, a landlord may want you to provide a refundable or nonrefundable pet deposit, and also may charge additional rent each month that you have a pet in the property. These costs can add up.

Before you get a pet, figure out what youre willing to sacrifice in order to find pet-friendly accommodations every time you move, and how youll pay any additional costs to rent a house that accepts pets. Carefully consider the challenges presented by certain breeds of animals and how youll overcome those challenges each time you move.

3. Living on Base

Many military installations have a limit on the number and type of pets you can have if you live in military housing. Our family always has had a two-pet rule for this specific reason; Ive yet to see a limit that is lower than two pets. In addition, some bases limit the breeds of dogs that you can have on base.

Even if you dont think that youll ever want to live on base, you cant predict the future. You may discover that you want or are required to live on base at certain locations, particularly overseas. Which brings us to 

4. Going Overseas

PCSing with pets is one thing. PCSing overseas with pets is an entirely different level of difficulty. Weve moved overseas with pets four times, and the level of planning, preparation and precision involved is typically the hardest part.

First, there is the cost and logistical challenges of moving your pets overseas. This has two main parts: the cost of physically getting your pet to the new location, and then the cost of making sure that your pet is accepted at the new location, with the appropriate vaccinations, testing, registration and possibly quarantine.

Not every location offers government-sponsored transportation that accepts pets, and sending pets through commercial airlines has become increasingly more difficult. Temperature concerns, direct flight requirements and crate requirements present challenges when youre on the militarys timeline.

In addition to the physical movement issues, most overseas locations have rules about what types of pets may come and what steps you need to take to bring them into the country. This typically includes pre-shipment vet visits, paperwork that needs to be signed by specifically authorized veterinarians, requirements for the size and type of crate that is required, specific pick-up requirements and, often, mandated quarantine at your expense.

Once you get to the new country, you are dealing with the same issue that youd have within the United States -- finding a place that will accept your pets -- except that youre working in a foreign culture, possibly in a foreign language, and you already may have restrictions on the locations where youre allowed to live.

You may find that you end up boarding your pets, sometimes for extended periods, at one end or the other. We had cats that boarded for a total of two months during one move -- one month of quarantine and an additional month while we waited to get into our new housing. These costs add up quickly.

5. Training, Deployment and Travel

For single service members, pet ownership has an extra level of difficulty because you will need reliable help to give your pet the necessary time while you are away for training or a deployment. Leaving your beloved animal with someone for months at a time is a huge responsibility, and you may struggle to find the right person. Even for those in relationships, there can be similar challenges. Many left-at-home partners like to travel while their service member is gone, perhaps going home to see family or pursuing a trip that theyve been planning. Paying for pet care makes travel much harder.

None of these are reasons to pass on pet ownership, but you definitely want to think through these challenges. Many are simply a matter of extra expenses. Sometimes, though, you may find that youre living somewhere that you dont want to be, or that the family has to travel separately to accommodate the need to transport the pets, or other sacrifices need to be made. Being prepared for these possibilities makes the whole process a lot more rewarding and fun.

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Indias cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed the 52-crore mark and until now the Union government has provided more than 54.04 crore vaccine doses provided to states and union territories (UTs). At the current rate of vaccination, India would reach a critical mass of 70% fully vaccinated people by March next year, says a research note.

In the report, State Bank of India (SBI) says, "If we go by the present vaccination rate of 45 lakh per day, then the critical mass of 70% may be covered by end November 2021 for the first dose and by 15 March 2022 for the second dose. If the daily vaccination rate falls to 30 lakh per day, then it would take 455 days or 15 months, while if the rate increases to 1 crore, then all adults in the country can be vaccinated in five months."

COVID-19 cases in the US are currently at a six-month high. "In the last one-month, new COVID cases in the US have jumped four times. However, with rising vaccination doses countries are experiencing lower deaths," SBI points out while highlighting the importance of vaccination.

In India, during the past 50 days, daily new COVID cases and deaths have remained almost constant. "In the last 50 days, the daily cases have averaged to 3.0 per 1 lakh population, while daily deaths average to 0.6 per 1 million," SBI says.

With rural India leading from the front, the daily vaccination numbers have again started to gather pace. During the past month the speed of vaccination has accelerated. At present, the seven-day moving average (MA) is about 45 lakh and 43% of the eligible population is vaccinated with the first dose and 12% with the second dose.

The latest nationwide serological survey conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) showed 67.6% in the age group of 6 and above having COVID antibodies.

SBI says, "Different states have different levels of sero-positivity. Combining this with the population with double doses, the estimated susceptible population for our sample 14 states which includes Maharashtra, Kerala among others, comes to 20.4 crore. There is an urgent need to vaccinate these people immediately. To vaccinate these people, we need around 45-days for the first dose."

According to the report, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan have already given double dose of vaccine to a large percentage of population.

"Vaccination in rural areas has increased significantly for certain states including Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh and rural Indias share has also come down in total cases.

However, states like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra need to pick up momentum of vaccination in rural areas," the report says.

In about 80% of districts, 52% of eligible rural population has received single dose of vaccine as compared to 63% of eligible population in urban areas.

Most of the worst affected rural districts have vaccinated fewer people, SBI says, adding, "In the states where more than 50% of eligible population is vaccinated with a single dose, there the second wave cumulative fatality rate, on an average, is less than 1%."

"Nonetheless, the overall share of rural districts in new cases has declined to 38.7% in July from the peak of 53.6% in May," it added.

New cases in top 15 districts increased again in July 2021 and August 2021, pointing towards the concentration of new infections. "However, it is disturbing to see many rural districts from Kerala are now emerging in the top 15 worst affected districts," SBI points out.

According to the report, various indicators are showing improvement in economic activity in July 2021. The month-on-month (m-o-m) rural recovery in July (as per key leading indicators) is expected to be steady, if not exceptional, as compared with June 2021.

SBI business activity index shows significant improvement in activity since May-end with the latest reading for the week ended 9 August 2021 of 101.6.

It says, recovery is visible in labour participation rate, electricity demand, Google mobility and Apple mobility index. However, there is a slight dip in RTO revenue collection and vegetables arrival from last week.

The rural recovery is far better than the pre-second wave. Looking ahead, agricultural production and rural demand are expected to remain resilient, the report says.
Much has been and will be written about Justice Rohinton F. Nariman, who retires from the Supreme Court today.

Justice Nariman stepped into history on July 7, 2014, as the first judge to be appointed under the current National Democratic Alliance government, which assumed power on May 26, 2014.

Since then, many of us have noticed that the very idea of India has been under attack. The declared Hindutva agenda of the party in power was soon to have an impact on the kind of cases which would come before the courts.

As a sensitive judge belonging to a minority community, Justice Nariman could not have failed to notice these changes. Yet, given that the Indian Supreme Court does not sit en bloc but in benches, he could only address those issues that were specifically assigned to the Benches on which he was a party, or which he headed.

There are many ways to evaluate his contributions during his seven years tenure which, by any reckoning, would be considered a lengthy tenure.

Overview of a stellar career

Being a rare direct appointee from the Bar, much was expected of him. Known to be a headstrong senior advocate with dynasty and legacy on his side, there was some apprehension about how he would perform as a judge.

However, having established an identity for himself separate and distinct from his illustrious father, the noted jurist Fali S. Nariman, he found no difficulty in seeking out his own path, both as a lawyer and as a judge.

His career was diverse, spanning from his law practice in Bombay to his brief stint in New York at a maritime law firm, and later his practice in Delhi. He was appointed Solicitor General of India in 2011 on the recommendation of the late G.E. Vahanvati, the then-Attorney General of India. Soon to be disillusioned by the demands of the then Union Law Minister, he resigned after only eighteen months. But there is hardly any doubt that his experience equipped him to move onto greater heights.

On the Bench, he was transparent, interactive and forthcoming with members of the Bar; always expressing doubts and questions which he needed to be addressed. This quality of his endeared him to the Bar.

Landmark judgments

As a judge, his contribution to public good has been immense, and his commitment to liberty reflects in his judgments. One of the earliest judgments that he delivered was in the case of Mohd. Arif & Ors. vs. Registrar, Supreme Court of India & Ors. (2014) wherein he authored the majority judgment which established the requirement of addressing review petitions seeking the review of judgments imposing the death penalty in open court rather than in by circulation, that is, behind closed doors in judges chambers.

Two of his most often-quoted judgments, Nikesh Tarachand Shah and Tofan Singh , have come in the field of criminal law, in which he demonstrated the significance of constitutional law in deciding the validity of a criminal statute.

His landmark judgment in Shreya Singhal demonstrated his commitment to the right of free speech on the internet.

In his judgment in Shayara Bano , he got the opportunity to develop his concept of manifest arbitrariness, which he had consistently argued as a lawyer without success. He held that the practice of triple talaq was manifestly arbitrary and hence unconstitutional as being violative of Article 14 of the Constitution of India.

This judgment is particularly significant for it is perhaps the first in recorded Indian jurisprudence which grapples with the issue of the unconstitutionality of practice and procedure of uncodified personal laws.

Former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Dipak Misra constituted a constitution bench that decided several cases of great constitutional importance, such as the right to privacy case ( Justice K.S Puttaswamy ), the triple talaq case (Shayara Bano), the Sabarimalai temple case ( Indian Young Lawyers Association ), the case on the constitutionality of Section 377 IPC case ( Navtej Singh Johar )and the case on the constitutionality of the criminal offence of adultery ( Joseph Shine ), among others, of which Justice Nariman was a member. It was a golden period for Indian jurisprudence, in which there was near unanimity among the five judges of the bench regarding the basic constitutional concerns of liberty, equality, fraternity and dignity. This unprecedented phase in the functioning of the Supreme Court has not been repeated till date.

Controversies

Justice Nariman was a member of the bench which was constituted in the aftermath of the allegation of sexual harassment made by a female employee of the apex court against the then CJI, Justice Ranjan Gogoi, to deal with the suo motu petition titled In a matter of great public importance touching upon the independence of the judiciary. While on the bench, he concurred with the presiding judge Justice Arun K. Mishra that an inquiry should be made into the possibility of manipulation by corporate houses of the Supreme Court as an institution. An order was passed appointing Justice A.K. Patnaik to conduct an inquiry and submit a report to the court in this regard.

Although the report has been furnished to the Supreme Court, it has never been made public. Justice Nariman will perhaps be at liberty to tell the untold story of that report after his retirement.

The sexual harassment complainant has since been reinstated as a Supreme Court staffer, and Justice Gogoi has been appointed a Member of the Rajya Sabha. Recently, it was reported that the complainant and 11 of her family members were potential targets of the Pegasus spyware. This has arguably been the most unsavoury episode in the functioning of the Supreme Court, leaving many questions of propriety and legality unanswered.

In another incident relating to orders passed by his court, evidence had emerged that two court masters could have manipulated orders that were dictated in open court by the bench presided over by Justice Nariman. That too is an episode shrouded in mystery, since the court masters in question were sacked in 2019 by then CJI Justice Gogoi, before being pardoned in May this year by then CJI Justice S.A. Bobde.

While Justice Nariman may have been bound by an unwritten ethical code amongst judges not to speak about these issues during his tenure, one may look forward to his throwing light onto these two episodes in the interest of transparency in the functioning of the judicial system.

Justice Nariman along with Justice Gogoi was also a part of the special bench at the Supreme Court that heard the matter related to the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam. The bench passed crucial orders which led to the publication of the final NRC in July 2018.

Carved a legacy distinct from his distinguished father

Justice Nariman was born in the shadow of the legacy of his father Fali S. Nariman, who is one of the most distinguished lawyers this country has ever seen. Yet, he carved out an identity for himself and was not seen as just his fathers son. He is one of the youngest lawyers to be designated as Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court at the age of 37, and also served as Solicitor General of India.

As one of the most successful practicing lawyers at the Bar, he was known to be generous, having established several trusts for the welfare of the legal profession.

Life compelled him to be liberal in more ways than one, when his daughter decided to marry outside the Parsi community. He stood by her, treating all religions as one. Being an ordained priest , he authored a book on the Zoroastrian religion and would seek out friends who could enlighten him on all religions.

Postscript

For me, it was a singular pleasure to appear before him in person when I had challenged before the Supreme Court the manner and method of appointment of Senior Advocates by the higher judiciary. I received no encouragement in filing that petition but was determined to ensure that the method of designation is transparent and objective.

To the surprise of the members of the Bar, the three-judge division bench of Justices Gogoi, Nariman and Navin Sinha delivered a judgment putting in place an objective method, which I would say is a step in the direction of the reform of the legal profession and a step in the direction of ending the monopoly of senior advocates in the Bar.

(Indira Jaising is a human rights activist and senior advocate at the Supreme Court of India. She is also the co-founder of The Leaflet. The views expressed are personal.)
The unprovoked outburst by the Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal wherein he called India Inc's business practices as being against national interests, has left corporates baffled. While the corporates may be feeling 'helpless' since even the Confederation of India Industry (CII), an industry body, removed the video of Mr Goyal's 19-minute tirade from its website, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), however, has supported Mr Goyal.

One industrialist, who did not want to be named, says, "This exposes the mindset of this government, everything else is just headline grabbing at the event. And if this is not the government's mindset then Mr Goyal should either be sacked or asked to issue a public apology. Otherwise, bureaucrats will take this as a reflection of government attitude and continue to harass the business community."

According to a report from The Hindu , after the ministers remarks at the annual meet of the Confederation of India Industry stirred up a hornets nest in the higher echelons of the government, the CII was asked to pull down the video from its YouTube channel. An edited version was uploaded on Thursday night but this too was blocked by Friday evening.

Mr Goyal also expressed deep anguish that Tata Sons had opposed the rules framed by his ministry to help consumers, the report says.

Quoting Mr Goyal the report says, "Me, Myself, My company We all need to go beyond this approach...Kya aapke jaisi company, ek do aapne shaayad koi videshi company kharid li Uska importance zyaada ho gaya, desh hith kam ho gaya? (A company like yours, maybe you bought one or two foreign companies, now their importance is greater than national interest?)"

While delivering the keynote address, the minister says that 75 years ago we worked to get freedom; now, we must work in mission mode to become aatmanirbhar. "We have a never-before opportunity to take the country to the sphere of fast-track growth, development and prosperity. At 75, it is about time we look at how far we have come and the journey ahead," he added.

130 cr Indians reflect the possibilities that India has to offer. It's our USP, and should become our unlimited source of growth potential & prosperity. ~ Shri @PiyushGoyal, Minister @CimGOI, @TexMinIndia, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution at #CIIAnnualMeeting2021 pic.twitter.com/4Xc94Efs5F  Confederation of Indian Industry (@FollowCII) August 12, 2021

In a statement, CAIT hailed Mr Goyal for urging Indian corporates to prioritise national interest above self-interest. BC Bhartia, national president, and Praveen Khandelwal, national secretary general of CAIT say, "It is highly unfortunate that a reputed name like the Tatas is opposing the governments draft consumer protection rules for e-commerce which have been proposed to protect the consumers from the frivolous e-commerce companies as well as the large Indian and multinational e-commerce marketplace companies who manipulate end consumer pricing and do predatory/discriminatory pricing which may be attractive in the short run but will ultimately be against the interest of consumers."

Mr Goyal's outburst also evoked angry reactions on social media. Manish Tiwari, a member of Parliament (MP) and a senior national spokesperson of Congress commented, "You reap what you sow INDIA INC."
August 14, 2021

Afghanistan - Taliban Make New Peace Offer And Other Bits

More from Afghanistan where history now happens at a speed seldom seen before.

The current situation:

At least three more province capitals are now under Taliban control. In total 21 out of 34 provinces are now in Taliban hands. Most of the others are contested.

August 14 - Sharana (Paktika)

August 14 - Asasabad (Kunar)

August 14 - Gardez (Paktia)

I have modified the yesterday's Long War Journal map to reflect the confirmed changes in the southeast and east.

August 13



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August 14



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The Afghan Analyst Network just published a detailed report about the development in Paktia over the last years. It explains the Taliban's operational course of action:

The Domino Effect in Paktia and the Fall of Zurmat: A case study of the Taleban surrounding Afghan cities

A thread by Bilal Sarawary, who hails from Kunar, documents the recent development there.

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Taliban peace offer:

Yesterday the Taliban have opened a new path to real negotiations.

To understand its full meaning requires a bit of historic background.

The Jamiat-e-Islami party was founded in 1972 by Burhanuddin Rabbani. Its aim was to form an Afghan state based on Islam. Ahmad Shah Massoud and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar were both early followers of Rabbani, being Kabul University students at the time.

In 1976 Hekmatyar broke away from Jamiat to found his own party: Hezb-e Islami. Jamiat members were mostly ethnic Tajik while Hezb members were mostly Pashtun. Jamiat followed a gradualist approach to take over the state. Hezb-i-Islami took a uncompromising militant stand. It gained support from the Muslim Brotherhood, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

After the Soviet invasion both groups fought against the occupier. After the Soviet retreat both groups started to fight each other as well as the government. After the communist government fell in 1992 Jamiat took Kabul and installed its own government. Hezb, later joined by the Uzbek warloard Dostum, attacked Kabul with thousands of rockets. In 1994 Pakistan stopped financing Hezb and started to build the Taliban.

In 1995 the Taliban appeared and pushed both groups out of Kabul. The Hezb Dostum alliance fell apart. Dostum joined the Jamiat in the Northern Alliance. Hezb eventually took the Taliban side.

While fighting continued the Taliban were dominating until November 2001 when the U.S. supported the Northern Alliance to occupy the country. The warlords of the Jamiat have since held onto most of the offices in the various U.S. proxy governments in Kabul.

One of the Jamiat warlords is the Tajik Ismail Khan from Herat near the Iranian border. Khan was the governor of Herat when the Taliban last week took the city and province and arrested him.

In other times one would have expected that the Taliban would kill Ismail Khan. But that did not happen. Instead Ismail Khan received a phone call from Amir Khan Motaqay, a senior Taliban leader:

  @badri313_army - 15:48 UTC  Aug 13, 2021 This is a very historic call Essentially the TB rep greets Ismail Khan and asks him to ask the other Jamiat-i-Islami members like Atta, Salahuddin, Ahmad Massoud, Qanuni Saib to make a reconciliatory deal with the TB so that we can have peace after 40 years and give no reason for outsider to get involved in Afg affairs. Or even internal forces to start be dissatisfied. He also mentions that the TB have a policy not to insult any figures. Overall spoke to him in a respectful tone. Inshallah this leads to peace Bilal Karimi( ) @BilalKarimi21  Aug 13

Muttaqi Sahib's telephone contact with Ismail Khan https://pscp.tv/w/ ...

That the phone call was published proves that this is an official Taliban offer and request.

There is unconfirmed news that Ismail Khan is traveling to Kabul today to convince the other Jamiat members to agree to peace with the Taliban and to form a government with them.

The Taliban's only condition, as far as known, is to remove President Ashraf Ghani and his immediate followers. Everyone, including the U.S., will by now be ready to support that. Ghani has been a roadblock during the negotiations in Qatar. He is an academic and former World Bank bureaucrat who has spent most of his life in the U.S. He has little support in Afghanistan.

Ghani was expected to resign today but in a TV statement given earlier today he only promised to rally the defenses of Kabul. As he is unwilling to recognize the graveness of the military situation someone may well help him to leave the office.

With Ghani removed the two largest factions in Afghanistan, both coming from Islamic movements, could form a government and work out a new framework for the Afghan state.

This must have all along been the big plan behind the Taliban's current moves. Their military success puts enough pressure on the other side to agree to it.

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Other news bits from Afghanistan:

U.S. 'intelligence' is a joke. These tweets were a mere six hours apart.

Aron Lund @aronlund - 14:21 UTC  Aug 13, 2021 U.S. intelligence estimates for when Kabul could be overrun are now down to 30-90 days, report @barbarastarrcnn, @kylieatwood, and @jmhansler.

By my estimate as a professional estimate analyst, this still leaves time for two or three downward revisions.

CNN: Intelligence assessments warn Afghan capital could be cut off and collapse in coming months

Shashank Joshi @shashj - 20:16 UTC  Aug 13, 2021 US embassy in the 'burning documents' stage of preparation. "one diplomatic source telling CNN that one intelligence assessment indicates that Kabul could be isolated by the Taliban within the week, possibly within the next 72 hours."

CNN: US Embassy in Afghanistan tells staff to destroy sensitive materials

But don't despair. Someone did not get the memo. So help is underway.

Daybook @DaybookJobs - 14:01 UTC  Aug 13, 2021 Job Opportunity!

The U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan seeks a Public Engagement Assistant. The incumbent functions in an extremely sensitive political environment in which an ongoing insurgency adds to the urgency of accurate media reporting.

Daybook: Public Engagement Assistant At U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan

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The Afghan army has had seven corps. Five have now surrendered to the Taliban or dispersed. Only two, in Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif, are still operating. Neither of them is fairing well.

Babak Taghvaee -   -   @BabakTaghvaee - 11:00 UTC  Aug 14, 2021 #BREAKING: This just happed in #MaidanShahr, SW of #Kabul minutes ago. #Afghanistan National Army had sent its Special Operation Forces from #Zabul to secure the town but they surrendered to Taliban with their M1117 APCs! #Taliban will use them for attack to #Kabul on Monday! video

Paktawal @Paktyaw4l - 10:57 UTC  Aug 14, 2021 Warlord Ata & Dostum forces in the north just suffered a heavy blow, their commander Ali Sarwar ended up in an ambush after hour of negotiations, his men put up a short lived fight, many casualties now. Some of them reached MazarESharif most have been killed, incld the cmdr.

The defenses of Mazar-i-Sharif have been broken. The city is under attack.

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Professor Paul Robinson on how it came to this:

After 20 years & billions of dollars, the American defeat in Afghanistan is worse than the Soviet failure ... how has this happened?

Posted by b on August 14, 2021 at 16:51 UTC | Permalink

Comments

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Drilling activity continued its steady increase as the rig count recovers from the record low reached last August amid the COVID-19 shutdown.

Oilfield services company Baker Hughes and data analytics company Enverus reported Friday the US rig count jumped nine to 500 and is 256 rigs higher than the record low 244 at work a year ago.

The number of rigs seeking crude oil jumped 10 to 397 for the week and is 225 more than the 172 drilling for oil last year. There were 102 rigs drilling for natural gas, down one for the week but 32 more than the 70 drilling for gas last year.

Texas added three rigs for 232 at work statewide, 132 more than the 100 working across Texas last August. New Mexico added four rigs for 79. California and North Dakota joined Texas and New Mexico as producing states gaining rigs while Alaska, Louisiana and Oklahoma posted slight declines.

The Permian Basin reported 245 rigs at work within the region, up two for the week and 128 more than the 117 drilling across the Permian last August.

Lea County, New Mexico, remains the most active county in the Permian with 46 rigs, up one for the week. Eddy County, New Mexico, follows with 31 rigs, also up one for the week.

Martin County added three rigs  the biggest jump of the week  for 28 rigs while Midland County lost one rig for 27. Reeves County lost three rigs  the biggest decline of the week  for 23 rigs. Howard County and Upton County each reported 16 rigs, down one for Howard and up one for Upton. Loving County reported 14 rigs at work within county lines, down one for the week.

There was no activity in Borden or Hockley counties as their one rigs moved off. At the same time, Gaines and Terry counties saw renewed activity with the addition of one rig each and Yoakum County saw renewed activity with two rigs going to work inside the county.

Enverus Rig Analytics reported the number of rigs running in the U.S. rose by eight in the last week to a total of 575 as of Aug. 11. The count is up 7 percent on the month and up 104 percent on the year. Major plays with the largest week-over-week increases were in Appalachia and the Permian, each gaining three rigs for respective totals of 44 and 230.

So far in the third quarter, the Permian count has averaged 227 rigs, up from 219 in the second quarter and 194 in the first quarter. The most active counties as of Aug. 11 are Lea (41) and Eddy (32) in New Mexico and Martin (30), Midland (23), Loving (20) and Reeves (20) in Texas. When compared to this point in the second quarter  when 214 Permian rigs were running  there are two notable county-level changes, both in the Midland Basin. There are 14 more rigs running in Martin County, with Endeavor Energy Resources (plus five to seven), Pioneer Natural Resources (plus three to seven) and ExxonMobil (plus three to three) fueling the increase. ConocoPhillips (plus two), Ovintiv (plus two) and Occidental (one) reactivated rigs in the county as well.

Compared to this time in the second quarter, Midland County has 11 fewer active rigs. Pioneer reduced its Midland count to 10 from 18, and Endeavor Energy Resources went from four rigs to just one.

So far in the third quarter, the Appalachian rig count has averaged 43, compared to 44 in the second quarter and 41 in the first quarter. Most active as of Aug. 11 are Monroe County, Ohio, and Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, at four rigs apiece.
SEATTLE (AP)  Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz on Friday fired two police officers who authorities have said violated the law while attending events in Washington D.C. during the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Married officers Caitlin and Alexander Everett were fired because they crossed the outdoor barriers established by the Capitol Police and were directly next to the Capitol Building, Diaz said in a statement.

It is beyond absurd to suggest that they did not know they were in an area where they should not be, amidst what was already a violent, criminal riot," he said.

Diaz also called the officers' presence at the Capitol that day as "an attack on our profession and on every officer across the country.

Mike Solan, president of the Seattle Police union that represents officers, did not immediately return a telephone message seeking comment about the decision to fire them.

The officers, in a report released by Seattle's Office of Police Accountability, said they stayed on grass 30 to 50 yards (27 to 45 meters) away from the capitol building and never saw any signs of a disturbance.

Its not known if the officers are under criminal investigation by federal authorities for their actions.

The Everetts were among six Seattle officers in the nations capital for President Donald Trumps Stop the Steal rally.

The couple's trip became public after Caitlin Everett posted a photo on Facebook of her and Alexander Everett at the demonstration. Four other officers later admitted they were also there but said they were not involved in the riot.

Friday marked the first time that the Everetts have been named. The police department has not named the other four officers.

The Washington Supreme Court announced Thursday that it would hear a lawsuit filed by the officers against people who filed public records requests seeking to disclose their identities.

Last month's investigation by Seattle's Office of Police Accountability found that the Everetts violated the law by trespassing at the U.S. Capitol while rioters stormed the building. The police discipline report stated that they also lied about their activities.

Despite the Everetts' claim that they didn't see a disturbance, FBI photographs showed them directly next to the Capitol building at about 2:30 p.m.  about 30 minutes after the demonstration had been declared a riot, the police accountability report said.

The officers told investigators that they had no idea that the event had turned violent, the report said.

But nearby, and within your line of vision, numerous people were scaling a stone wall to the Capital steps, climbing the scaffolding, and crowds were surrounding the building, the report added.

Diaz said the Everetts' presence there was unacceptable: More than a hundred officers sustained serious injuries  some career-ending  through outright assault,

He added: Hundreds more, across all agencies called to respond, bear the physical and emotional scars of that day. The participation of these two officers in that crowd is a stain on our department, and on the men and women who work every day to protect our community, serve those in need, and do so with compassion and dignity.

Both officers came to Seattle after working with police departments in Texas.

The officers worked together at the Dallas Police Department as patrol officers before they were married, according to police reports released through a public records request.

Alexander Everett graduated from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor's Degree in criminal justice in 2008 and worked in Dallas for four years before taking a job as an officer in Round Rock, Texas.

Caitlin Everett worked for the Dallas police for four years under her maiden name Caitlin Rochelle, the records said.

It was not immediately know if the Everetts have a lawyer. The attorneys representing them and the four other Seattle officers in the public records case withdrew from the case after the accountability office investigation was completed last month.

_____

This story has been updated to remove an erroneous reference to Alexander Everett having worked for the U.S. Air Marshals.

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Associated Press writer Jake Bleiberg in Dallas contributed to this report.

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Follow Martha Bellisle on Twitter @marthabellisle
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  The fight over mask and vaccine mandates moved to the center of Californias looming recall election Friday, with candidate Larry Elder promising to swiftly roll back sweeping government orders while Democrats denounced the leading Republican as a science skeptic who would endanger public health.

Elder, in his first press conference since announcing his candidacy July 12, told reporters that if he replaces Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in the Sept. 14 election, then any mask or vaccine mandates in place at that time will be suspended right away.

Elder stressed during the online gathering that his remarks were focused on what he would do as governor regarding state employees, and private businesses would be free to set their own standards.

At the state level, Im not going to require any kind of public worker to wear masks, any kind of public worker to have a vaccine. I think thats an assault on freedom, Elder added.

Elder, a 69-year-old attorney, said he was vaccinated at the suggestion of his doctor, given a blood condition and other factors.

I believe vaccines work and I believe that if youre in a high-risk category, you should be vaccinated. But there are many Americans who disagree with me, feel that the vaccine was done too quickly, he said, referring to the emergency use authorization under which the vaccines were quickly approved by federal regulators.

Earlier this week, Newsom announced that California will require all teachers and school staff to get vaccinated or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing, amid growing concerns about the highly contagious delta variant.

Previously, the governor mandated that all health care workers must be fully vaccinated and required that all state employees get vaccinated or choose weekly testing. The weekly testing schedule is based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In San Francisco, Newsom depicted Elder as an extremist who doesnt believe in mask wearing and would presage a return to the depths of the pandemic by lifting requirements for hundreds of thousands of workers.

He made the remarks while visiting campaign volunteers, who were sitting at tables outside a restaurant sending text messages to voters urging them to oppose the recall that could remove Newsom from office.

He was joined by city Democratic leaders including Board of Equalization member Malia Cohen, who urged Democrats to unite to fight a much greater enemy ... the enemy of science deniers, an obvious swipe at Elder.

The friction over mask wearing and vaccines mirrors a national uproar that has highlighted ideological and political divides. In South Carolina, for example, Gov. Henry McMaster is threatening to withhold funding to schools in his states capital of Columbia over masking rules, while Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has vowed to enforce a similar order against mask mandates that could put him in conflict with Dallas and other large school districts.

In his remarks to volunteers, Newsom focused largely on Elder, who since joining the race has emerged as the front-runner in fundraising and polling, outdistancing 23 other Republicans on the ballot.

The first-term Democrat once seen as a likely presidential prospect issued an ominous warning about his possible ouster in the heavily Democratic state, saying the minimum wage would be eliminated and other progressive policies endangered. That, in turn, could domino around the country.

Larry Elder is running away with this on the other side, he said.

During his visit, Newsom sat down at a computer to take a turn connecting with voters he hopes will return their mail ballots, which already are reaching homes. Hell hold similar events around the state through the weekend.

In other campaign activity Friday, Republican businessman John Cox, who was defeated by Newsom in 2018, was in San Diego to promote his proposed $30 billion tax cut. When Im governor we are going to implement the largest tax cut in state history, he said in a statement.

Another Republican, former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, stopped in the Los Angeles suburbs to fault Newsom for spiking crime rates and the dire homeless crisis. Gavin Newsom has failed communities across our state. If we want things to change, we need a leader," Faulconer said.

___

Blood reported from Los Angeles.
Few would criticize Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw for not being conservative enough.

The second-term Texas congressman opposes abortion, trumpets his pro-gun stances and defended former president Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. In May, he launched a website inviting service members to blow the whistle on the military's diversity and inclusion programs.

"Enough is enough," he wrote in a May 28 Twitter post. "We won't let our military fall to woke ideology."

But at a GOP fundraiser in Illinois on Wednesday night, the Texan clashed with a fellow Republican after Crenshaw told the crowd the 2020 election was not stolen and the results would not be overturned. Trump falsely claimed he won the race long after the electoral college backed the winner, President Joe Biden, and dozens of judges rejected claims of election fraud.

"Don't kid yourself into believing that's why we lost. It's not," Crenshaw told the crowd.

Bobby Piton, a Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Illinois, disagreed. In a 54-second clip posted to his campaign's YouTube account, Piton can be seen interrupting Crenshaw, saying he has "plenty of proof" the presidential election was stolen and the outcome would be reversed.

"You're wrong," Piton said repeatedly, talking over Crenshaw. "You watch . . . you're going to see firsthand."

"I'm not wrong," the congressman responded. "Five different states? Hundreds of thousands of votes? You're kidding yourself."

Crenshaw's office did not respond to a request for comment Thursday night about the exchange.

The heart of Piton's campaign are the baseless claims that the presidency was stolen from Trump in a rigged election. After losing, the former president spent weeks attacking the results, leading to the Jan. 6 "Stop the Steal" rally and riot at the Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters.

More than seven months later, the false claims - often packaged as "election integrity" - continue to affect the Republican political landscape. As things gear up for the 2022 midterms, Piton is one of dozens of candidates echoing those claims.

In Piton's video description section on YouTube, his campaign called Crenshaw as a RINO, meaning a Republican in name only, a political slur used against GOP officials not considered conservative enough. The campaign lumped in Crenshaw with others Piton considers RINOs: Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, two Republican members of Congress who voted to impeach Trump because of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.

"Crenshaw . . . represents one of many intellectually dishonest Congressmen in our party who don't care about FREEDOM LOVING PATRIOTS," Piton's campaign wrote in the video's description.

The campaign, which did not respond to a Thursday night email from The Washington Post, also encouraged conservatives in Texas to defeat Crenshaw in the Republican primary when he is up for reelection next year.

On Twitter, Piton went further, saying Crenshaw - who served as a Navy SEAL and lost an eye in a bomb explosion in Afghanistan - seemed to be "crossing over to traitor status."

"I'm grateful I could expose yet another corrupt politician." Piton said on Twitter.

Piton is a managing partner at a financial planning and investment firm. After the 2020 election, he emerged as a key figure in the audit of ballots in Arizona, part of a campaign to amplify baseless claims of election fraud.

His campaign website claims his "stunning testimony" exposed "the fraudulent election results in Arizona." Piton also prides himself on participating in the production of "The Deep Rig," a movie about the supposed fraud.

Piton has also been linked to QAnon, the baseless theory that claims Trump is fighting Satan-worshipping pedophiles - including celebrities and prominent Democrats, though the candidate told the Daily Beast "he didn't know much" about the movement.

He is one of five Republicans running for the Senate seat held by Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat.
The energy industry in the United States is a powerhouse, and it has long been led by the innovators here in Texas. But recent actions and dysfunction in Washington seem almost designed to undermine that status and make us further reliant on foreign imports.

We all remember the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline earlier this year, which would have fortified North American energy security by strengthening our relationship with Canada and providing a more secure supply of heavy oil to Texas refineries.

The Biden administration also imposed a ban on new oil and gas leasing on federal lands, an action that a federal judge ruled illegal in June. The administration bizarrely claims to be complying with that court decision even though the illegal leasing ban remains in place.

Markets are complex, and there are many different grades of crude oil that are processed by different facilities. But its hard not to view these restrictions on North American energy alongside recent news that the U.S. is becoming more reliant on oil imports from Russia.

While were importing more barrels of oil from Russia, the White House also gave Vladimir Putin another win by dropping U.S. opposition to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. We cant build a pipeline to strengthen our relationship with Canada, but Russia gets the U.S. blessing to tighten its grip on the European natural gas market?

To add insult to injury, the Biden administration this week begged OPEC to increase oil production to presumably help U.S. consumers facing higher prices at the pump. After seven months of new executive orders and policy changes that have catered almost exclusively to environmentalists  even at the expense of union workers in some cases  the Biden administration is apparently only now recognizing that high energy prices hurt American families.

Now we have the $3.5 trillion spending plan that our lawmakers in Washington are considering, which contains a raft of policies that will penalize Texas oil and gas even further. Without question, the Green New Deal is in the DNA of this green budget resolution, said Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), one of the architects of the $93 trillion Green New Deal. All of the things that are in, we talked about in the Green New Deal.

I have to ask, have we lost our minds?

Oil and gas are responsible for nearly 350,000 Texas jobs, while supporting millions of additional indirect and spinoff jobs. The average annual salary for a Texan in oil and gas is almost $130,000. The industry pumps billions of dollars into our schools, infrastructure and other public services every year.

Every pipeline we cancel here in the United States is another opportunity taken away from working families who need to put food on the table. Every time our leaders in Washington endorse oil and gas projects overseas instead of expanding our domestic industry, its only encouraging our businesses to relocate where they actually can produce energy. Every barrel that we beg OPEC to produce is a barrel we could have gotten from here in North America.

Nearly 20 years ago, experts warned that the United States was running out of natural gas and would need to invest billions of dollars on new import infrastructure while chemical manufacturers relocated overseas. Oil prices were also on the rise, and we were increasingly at the whim of foreign countries.

Texas innovators stepped up to meet the challenge and helped usher in the shale revolution. Within a few years, the United States had become the worlds largest producer of oil and natural gas. Were not building gas import infrastructure, but rather a number of multibillion-dollar natural gas export facilities along the Texas and Louisiana coasts. Texas ports like Corpus Christi and Houston are booming with increased exports of Texas energy, helping developing countries lift their citizens out of poverty. Instead of sending our dollars overseas for oil and gas, our trading partners are lining up to buy our abundant supplies.

Texas innovation has also enabled our country to break oil and gas production records while significantly lowering greenhouse gas emissions intensity. A report from Texans For Natural Gas found that from 2011-2019, methane emissions intensity fell 77 percent in the Lone Star States Permian Basin, while production increased by more than 300 percent. In fact, if the Permian Basin  one of the most prolific production basins in the world - were its own country, it would rank far below other major oil producers such as Algeria, Russia and Iran, even as oil and gas operators in the Permian reported record production.

Texas has shown that if theres any energy crisis, well step up and lead our country out of it. We should be strengthening our status as an energy powerhouse, not trying to surrender it to Russia and OPEC.

--

Ed Longanecker is president of the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association.
CODA, a tender and stirring coming-of-age tale about the only hearing member in a deaf family, might be the crowd-pleaser of the year, but it was only a few weeks ago that director Sian Heder saw it with an audience.

For months after its lauded premiere at a virtual Sundance Film Festival in January (where the movie fetched a Sundance record $25 million acquisition price and won the top prize), Heder had heard from people who had watched CODA at home on a link about how the film moved them, how it made them cry, how important it is. But when she screened it in Gloucester, Massachusetts, where the film is set, she could finally hear something else: How big the laughs it gets are.

You dont really know that those work unless youre sitting in a room full of people, Heder says.

CODA, which arrived Friday in theaters and on Apple TV+, is poised to be something thats been hard to find in a year light on crowds: a bona fide, heart-bursting, tell-everyone-about-it crowd-pleaser.

Starring a trio of sensational actors who are deaf  Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur and Daniel Durant  CODA also is unlike most heart-on-its-sleeve movies before it. Its a crowd-pleaser that expands just whos in the crowd, enlarging a movie world that seldom depicts deaf lives dynamically or authentically. A landmark film in on-screen representation, CODA proves  with spirit and, yes, laughs  how much the movies have been missing.

It takes more than one person to understand to make actors who are deaf cast in films. A lot of people just arent in the know. They dont know that we can work just as easily as anyone else, Matlin says with an interpreter. I know  I dont hope  that CODA will change the landscape.

Matlin, the only deaf actor to win an Oscar (for 1986s Children of a Lesser God), knows something about watershed moments for the deaf community and Hollywood. And shes convinced CODA marks something momentous. After years of reading scripts that  if they showed deaf people at all  only characterized them in simple, stereotypical ways, CODA immediately jumped out at her.

I was overly excited, to the point that I called my team and said: Dont let this script get away from us. I have to do it, Matlin says.

In it, newcomer Emilia Jones plays the hearing daughter of a hardscrabble fishing family of two randy, funny, loving, deaf parents (Matlin, Kotsur) and her pugnacious, handsome, deaf brother, Leo (Daniel Durant). Her just-developing dreams of singing seem at first like teenage rebellion. If I was blind would you want to paint? her mother asks.

CODA, which stands for child of deaf adult(s), is based on the 2014 French film La Famille Belier, which used hearing actors to play the deaf parts. Heder, though, saw the potential to mine something more genuine from the story and to bring deaf actors to the forefront. She transferred the setting to the fishing town of Gloucester, Massachusetts, and made authenticity the abiding ethos. That meant shipping the cast out on fishing trips, but mostly it meant doing a lot of listening to the deaf community.

Heder worked with a master in American Sign Language while writing the script and spent months learning to sign. Matlin was the first person she cast.

I came into it knowing what I didnt know, Heder says. I was an outsider to this community. If I was going to be the person to tell this story, then I had to make sure that I was surrounding myself with people from this community and empowering their voices.

CODA was first set up at Lionsgate but Heder is relieved it ultimately was made outside the studio system. For her, the thought of casting hearing leads  a likely chance in a bigger production and once a possibility  was an empathic non-starter.

I was like: This is how Im making the movie. If its not with deaf actors then I dont want to make the movie at all so you guys can sit on that script and that can go nowhere and that can be a year of my life writing a script that will sit on a shelf, Heder says.

In the increased attention on inclusion in the film industry, equity for those with disabilities has sometimes been stuck in the margins  even though one in four people in the U.S. has some type of disability. Thats changed in part recently thanks to films like the Oscar-nominated Netflix documentary Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution and the A Quiet Place films, starring Millicent Simmonds. But for a longtime, tireless advocate for the deaf community like Matlin, its past time for others to help the cause.

The responsibility to speak on behalf of the deaf community is not mine, really, Matlin says. We all have a responsibility. Yes, my name is very well known. And, yes, Ill accept that. But I cant do the work alone. So maybe my voice is just one of many that can make a change, that can make noise, that can create the recognition that we all need. But again, not alone. I cant do it alone any longer.

CODA is hoping to be a part of that change, not just in how it was made but in how its being released. All screenings in the United States and United Kingdom will be presented in open captions. On Apple TV+, subtitles and subtitles for the deaf will available in more than 36 languages.

Im telling people: Turn the sound off when you watch those promotional materials. Think about what its like to be in the deaf community watching that trailer, says Heder, who will next direct a biopic on disability rights activist (and Crip Camp star) Judith Heumann.

I feel like my life has been enriched through my exposure to this community, Heder adds. I sign with my kids all the time now. Its become our secret family language when I want to tell my daughter something across the room.

Few had a steeper learning curve than Jones, who had to get familiar enough with sign language that she looked like shes done it all her life  all while learning a very foreign culture to the young British actor.

It was the most rewarding thing Ive ever done, Jones says. I had to be a fisher girl and Ive never stepped on a fishing boat. Sian sent us all out on that boat with fishermen for hours. And same with signing. I wasnt allowed to use an interpreter, which Im so grateful for because it made me learn faster. All of our interpreters on set were CODAs so it meant I could talk the in depth.

Hearing or not, the Rossis of CODA are one of the more believable families lately seen on screen. The connection between the actors seems uncommonly lived-in.

Thats something that as a director is very hard to create  like actual love on screen, Heder says. Those four people bonded in a way that I never could have expected and I think thats what people are feeling.

Only recently, though, while promoting the film, did the cast and Heder get to reunite, having not seen each other in person through the pandemic. Outside a Los Angeles hotel, they stayed up drinking margaritas by the pool.

It felt like the Rossis were back together again, Matlin says. Movies arent really real. But this really felt real to me.
MADRID (AP)  Spain set a new provisional heat record of 47.2 degrees Celsius (116.96 Fahrenheit) on Saturday as Southern Europe sweltered under a relentless summer sun. Italy put 16 cities on red alert for health risks and Portugal warned 75% of its regions that they faced a significantly increased risk of wildfires.

Data from Spains State Meteorological Agency said the potential new record was recorded at Montoro, Cordoba, at 5:10 p.m. If confirmed, that would exceed the country's previous record of 46.9 degrees Celsius (116.42 F), set nearby in July 2017.

The high heat comes only days after Sicily reported a temperature of 48.8 degrees Celsius (119.84 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, which is also awaiting verification and would be the highest ever recorded in Europe.

Europe's current heat record came in 1977 when Athens hit 48.0 Celsius (118.4 F).

In the southern Spanish province of Granada, where the mercury rose to 45.4 Celsius (113.7 F), few people ventured outside. Those who did sought shade and stopped to take photos of public thermometers displaying the rocketing temperatures. Ice cream parlors did a brisk trade and some restaurants installed sprinklers to spray mists of water over their guests.

Miriam Garcia, a student, wished she hadnt braved the heat.

It is very hot, we have to drink water and put on sun cream all the time, stopping to have a drink at a bar every so often, she said. It would be better to be at home than in the street, its so hot!

Dominic Roye, a climate scientist at the University of Santiago de Compostela, said the hot air from the Sahara Desert that has brought days of heat and fueled hundreds of wildfires across Mediterranean nations shows no signs of ending anytime soon.

The heat wave we are experiencing now is very extreme and a lot of people are saying that its normal, as we are in summer. But its not, not this hot, Roye said.

The World Meteorological Organization said temperatures being recorded in the Mediterranean region go well beyond the typical hot, dry August weather and instead are extreme, and what we might expect from climate change. 

With night-time temperatures forecast to exceed 25 degrees Celsius (77 F) in much of Spain, Roye worried about residents who cannot afford air conditioning and other vulnerable people, like the homeless or outdoor workers.

Spain's State Meteorological Agency noted that 24 heat waves have been recorded over the last decade, twice the number in each of the previous three decades.

It is important to stay in cool places and to stay hydrated, and to special attention to babies and elderly, vulnerable or otherwise dependent people. Extreme precautions should be taken to avoid starting forest fires,'' said Ruben del Campo, spokesman for the Spanish meteorological service.

Elsewhere on the Iberian Peninsula, Portugals government placed 14 of the countrys 18 districts on a state of alert through Monday night due to the significantly increased risk of wildfires, as temperatures were forecast to surpass 40 degrees Celsius. That would still fall short of Portugal's highest ever recorded temperature of 47.3 degrees Celsius (117.1 F) in the inland Alentejo region in 2003.

Italians sought respite at the sea and in the mountains from the aptly named Lucifer anti-cyclone that was bringing hot air from Africa during Italys peak summer holiday weekend. Authorities raised concerns about older adults and other people at risk as they expanded heat warnings to 16 cities.

Temperatures in Italy rose as high as 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 F) in Rome, Florence and Bologna, all places that the Health Ministry put on red alert.

High temperatures were forecast to continue through Sunday, the traditional Ferragosto holiday on the religious feast of the Assumption of Mary, which marks the annual summer holiday exodus from Italian cities.

In Rome, drinking fountains provided relief, while authorities kept tourists away from ornamental fountains like the famed Trevi Fountain, fearing imitators of Anita Ekberg's soaking in La Dolce Vita.

"I put my head under the water at each fountain, drinking a lot, staying in the shade as much as I can,'' said Alessia Pagani, who was visiting from the northern city of Brescia.

Storms in the north were forecast to bring the first signs of relief starting Monday.

More than anything else, fresh air from the Atlantic will bring a coolness and greater ventilation that will sweep away the humidity and make the air much more breathable, Lt. Col. Filippo Petrucci of the Italian air forces weather service told RAI state TV.

The heat wave has aggravated wildfires that have consumed forests in southern Italy, Greece, Turkey and North Africa.

Across the Mediterranean Sea, North Africa has been sizzling for days. Algerias National Office of Meteorology issued a special bulletin on Saturday saying temperatures in numerous regions across the north were above 44 C (115 F) with spikes up to 47 C (116.6 F), the online TSA news agency reported.

Climate scientists say there is little doubt that climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas is driving extreme events, such as heat waves, droughts, wildfires, floods and storms.

____

Colleen Barry in Milan, Fanuel Morelli in Rome, Elaine Ganley in Paris and Helena Alves in Lisbon contributed.

___

Follow AP's coverage of climate issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change
Thanks to the more infectious delta variant, now the dominant strain of the COVID-19 virus in the United States, herd immunity is no longer within grasp for the U.S. population or the world at large, according to experts.

Experts agree that there are several reasons why that goal  wherein overall immunity is achieved by a population and the spread of the virus is stopped  is not likely.

Sir Andrew Pollard, head of the Oxford Vaccine Group, one of the developers of the AstraZeneca vaccine, told British lawmakers Tuesday that COVID vaccines do not stop the spread of the virus entirely  as vaccinated people are still able to be infected with and spread the virus  and as such the idea of herd immunity is "mythical."

"I think we are in a situation here with this current variant where herd immunity is not a possibility because it still infects vaccinated individuals," Pollard said. "And that does mean that anyone whos still unvaccinated, at some point, will meet the virus. That might not be this month or next month, it might be next year, but at some point, they will meet the virus and we dont have anything that will stop that transmission."

There are other reasons achieving herd immunity when it comes to COVID-19 is much harder. That includes uneven vaccine rollouts, vaccine hesitancy and the continued mutation of the virus, which may also eventually produce a strain that overcomes current vaccines.

There is not yet an answer to how long immunity to coronavirus lasts, although there is now evidence that COVID-19 resistance gradually eases over time.

"I suspect that what the virus will throw up next is a variant which is perhaps even better at transmitting among vaccinated populations and so thats even more of a reason not to be making a vaccine program around herd immunity," Pollard told the U.K.'s All-Party Parliamentary Group on the coronavirus on Tuesday.

Previous herd immunities were achieved by getting 95% of the population vaccinated, as is the case with polio and measles. However, the measles vaccine stops people from being able to transmit the virus once they are vaccinated.

Vaccines still fulfill their primary role: protecting against the worst disease and side effects of the virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccinated people who catch the Delta variant are 25 times less likely to have a severe case or die due to coronavirus.
Larry Pippion didnt have a regular father-son relationship growing up with his father, Larry Earvin, but he knows he was a soft-spoken and intelligent man.

It wasnt until Pippion was a teenager that he learned his father was schizophrenic and bipolar.

He always came and got me, said Pippion, now 49. It was seventh grade when I was 13 and what not when he learned about his fathers mental health.

Because of his condition, Earvin decided to live elsewhere and battle life on his own away from his family in Chicago, Pippion said.

He was always in and out of facilities, Pippion said.

Pippion often would go years without hearing from his father, learning about how he was doing from family members.

It was 15 years or so that I didnt hear from him, he said.

But when he did hear about his father, usually from one of his cousins, it was a happy moment, Pippion said.

During one of Earvins hospital stays, he stole items from a hospital gift shop in Chicago that would change the course of his life.

He was charged with a $300 theft, Pippion said. He was sentenced to six years.

Pippion wishes authorities had known his father had mental health issues, he said, adding that a six-year sentence was too strict for the crime.

Its not even worth going to prison, he said. Six years.

Earvin, 65, was serving time at Brown Countys Western Illinois Correctional Facility when he was assaulted on May 17, 2018, while being transferred to another unit in the facility. He suffered multiple broken ribs, a punctured colon and other internal injuries. He died of those injuries on June 26, 2018.

Earvin was just months away from being released after serving his six-year sentence.

Three correctional officers were charged with the assault. Todd Sheffler of Mendon, Alex Banta of Quincy and Willie Hedden of Mount Sterling were indicted in connection with the death. Hedden since has pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges; Sheffler and Banta are scheduled for trial Nov. 3. Both are charged with conspiracy, deprivation of civil rights and obstruction of justice.

Pippion didnt even know his father was in prison.

The hospital had called saying he died because he was beaten up, Pippion said. I thought it was other prisoners but, when I found out it was correctional officers, I was angry.

Three years later, Pippion and his family still are seeking justice for Earvin, not for the settlement money but for pure justice.

No amount would make me happy. It would not bring my father back, Pippion said, adding that he has three grown children who will never have a chance to meet their grandfather. They want justice, too.

I just want justice  Pippion said. Just whatever the judge decides.

The frustration felt by Pippions family doesnt stop with him and his sons. Other family members share their anger about Earvins death, especially because they dont even know where he is buried.

I have an aunt in southern Illinois that knows the graveyard (where Earvin is buried), but when they went, the lady was so busy she didnt have time show them, Pippion said, adding that Earvin is buried with an unmarked headstone. To this day, no one knows  they did all this without notifying us.
Chinese police detain two in Alibaba sexual assault case View Photo

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP)  Two men were detained Saturday on suspicion of sexual assault in a case that shook Alibaba Group, the worlds biggest e-commerce company, Chinese police announced.

The men, identified by the surnames Wang and Zhang, were suspected of the crime of forcible molestation, police in the eastern city of Jinan said in a statement. It said they were under coercive measures, a euphemism for detention.

There was no evidence to indicate the men committed rape, a different charge under Chinese law, the police statement said.

Alibaba was shaken last week after a female employees complaint on an internal company website that she was sexually assaulted by a manager surnamed Wang became public. The woman complained Alibaba failed to act after she reported the incident to its human resources department.

The woman, surnamed Zhou, had flown into Jinan on July 27, the police statement said. Her team successfully signed a deal with Jinan Hualian Supermarket and decided to celebrate that night with a banquet. They invited a man surnamed Zhang from the supermarket as well as his colleagues.

The first assault took place at the dinner, after Zhou had to leave the room to throw up from drinking too much. Zhang from the supermarket chain accompanied her and molested her on the way back to the banquet room, police said.

Later, Wang, the womans manager at Alibaba, went with another female dinner guest to take the drunken Zhou back to her hotel. After dropping her off in her room, they went to call for taxis.

However, instead of leaving and going back to his hotel, Wang went back inside. He went to the front desk, holding Zhous national ID card, and had a key made for himself, police said. The hotel had called Zhou to get her consent before giving him the key.

Wang entered her room a total of four times that night. Police said he assaulted her after returning to her room alone. According to the investigation, he then ordered condoms online, but they did not arrive until later.

The next morning, after the woman, Zhou, had woken up she allegedly made a phone call to Zhang from the supermarket and told him her room number. Police said he came over to her hotel and assaulted her, taking her underwear and leaving a box of unused condoms in the room.

Zhou reported the assaults to Jinan police the same day after having checked out from the hotel. On July 29, the day after, police in Jinan said they had to extend the review period another 30 days before they could formally file a case, owing to its complexity.

After Zhou went public with her accusations and her story went viral, the police listed her case formally in the system as a sexual assault case.

Alibaba did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Women in China face a very steep uphill battle in trying to get justice for any form of sexual violence. Whether its sexual harassment or rape, victims often face the burden of evidence in court.

Its hard for many victims to win a sexual assault case in court, said Li Ying, a lawyer and director of the Yuanzhong Gender Development Center, told state-owned China Daily. Even if the victims have the evidence, they have to prove the perpetrator acted against their will.

Still, some have been heartened, after a limited #MeToo movement emerged in China in 2018. Then, young women went public with accusations against the men who had assaulted or harassed them, opening up the public conversation in a way that had not been seen before.

However, the movement faced a tremendous amount of pressure from local and central authorities, as well as extensive censorship, and was obstructed.

In response to the #MeToo movement, China codified sexual harassment in its civil code last year, but did little to lay out guidelines for enforcement. While the law provides protection for women against any form of sexual violence, enforcement remains difficult.

By HUIZHONG WU

Associated Press
Turkish flood deaths hit 57; dozens still missing View Photo

ISTANBUL (AP)  The death toll from severe floods and mudslides along Turkeys Black Sea coast has climbed to at least 57, the countrys emergency and disaster agency said Saturday, as authorities disputed reports that dozens more people were missing.

Torrential rains that pounded the Black Sea provinces of Bartin, Kastamonu and Sinop on Wednesday caused flooding that demolished homes, severed at least five bridges, swept away cars and rendered numerous roads unpassable. Turkish disaster agency AFAD said 48 people were killed in Kastamonu, eight in Sinop and one in Bartin.

Eight people remained hospitalized, according to the agency.

Speaking late Saturday in Kastamonu, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said 15 of the dead had not been identified yet. He slammed opposition parties, social media users and media for claims that hundreds could be missing. He said a total of 77 cases of missing persons remained in Kastamonu and Sinop but emphasized that doesnt necessarily mean they were dead. He added the previous number of missing persons was 143, including duplicate names and some reached alive.

The Kastamonu provincial governors office also said reports that there were 250 to 300 unidentified bodies were untrue. It did not specifically address how many people could be missing in the flooding.

Some residents in Kastamonu shared names and photos of missing people on social media since the floods began. The deputy chairman of Turkeys main opposition party, Engin Altay, said he was informed there were more than 300 people reported missing, adding the official numbers appeared to be lower. The state needs to be transparent, he said from Kastamonu hours before the interior minister spoke.

In Sinop, floodwaters almost completely wiped out the village of Babacay, leaving toppled homes, damaged bridges and rubble in their wake. A five-story apartment building constructed on a riverbed was destroyed, along with numerous homes.

Rescue teams and sniffer dogs kept up their painstaking task of trying to locate the missing. AFAD said 5,820 personnel, 20 rescue dogs, 20 helicopters and two search planes were at the disaster spots.

About 2,250 people were evacuated across the region amid the floods, scores of them lifted from rooftops by helicopters. Many are being temporarily housed in student dormitories.

Climate scientists unequivocally say that climate change is leading to more extreme weather events as the world warms because of the burning of coal, oil and natural gas.

Experts in Turkey, however, said human interference with rivers and improper construction also contributed to the massive flood damage.

Geologists say construction narrowed the river bed and the surrounding alluvial flood plain of the Ezine stream in Kastamonus Bozkurt district, where the damage was most severe, from 400 meters (1,312 feet) wide to 15 meters (49 feet). Residential buildings were also built along the waterfront.

During severe rains, the constricted stream can only overflow. Videos posted by residents showed water rushing downstream in Bozkurt as buildings and roads flooded. One geologist, Ramazan Demirtas, explained the river bed narrowing on Twitter and said humans were to blame for this weeks disaster.

Across the Black Sea, days of heavy rain also produced flooding in broad areas of southern Russia. Authorities in the Krasnodar region said Saturday that more than 1,400 houses flooded following storms that swept the area this week. About 108,000 residents of 11 settlements were left without power.

The regional Russian emergency headquarters said over 1,530 people have been evacuated. The Black Sea resort city of Anapa was among the worst affected. Officials have warned that heavy rain was expected for another two days.

The floods struck on the heels of wildfires in southern Turkey that devastated forests in the seaside provinces of Mugla and Antalya, which are popular with tourists. At least 16 people died in those wildfires  including eight emergency workers as their firefighting plane crashed Saturday  and thousands of residents and tourists were forced to flee.

___

Associated Press writer Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.

___

Follow APs coverage of climate change issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change

By ZEYNEP BILGINSOY

Associated Press
TxDOT

Drivers in the area will want to keep an upcoming highway closure in mind to avoid traffic.

The Texas Department of Transportation, better known as TxDOT, plans to close I-10 in Boerne the weekend of August 20 as the U.S. 87 bridge is set to be demolished. This means I-10 will closed from SH 46 to Scenic Loop Road in Kendall County from 9 p.m. on Friday, August 20 to 5 a.m. on Monday, August 23.
Yves here. Even though the annoyance with Biden undercuts this piece a bit, it still provides a useful high level tally of how has Biden has preserved many of Trumps foreign policies. Indeed, this article if anything averts its eyes from misguided moves, like the increase in eyepoking China, documented almost daily in Links, calling Putin a killer (what did that accomplish?), and blowing vaccine diplomacy. Im sure readers can add to this list.

By Barkley Rosser, Professor of Economics at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Originally published at EconoSpeak

We are now looking at a humanitarian disaster in Afghanistan. It looks like the Taliban will probably take control of Kabul and thus Afghanistan in the near future. Reports already show that where they control women cannot go to school and appear in public without a veil in public and much more. Many women there are unfortunately going to suffer greatly as a result of this. I am so very deeply sorry.

Yes, as an American who supported the original invasion of Afghanistan 20 years ago to overturn the Taliban and end support for al Qaeda who did the 9/11 attack two decades ago, I am also frustrated that we did not get the heck out once the Taliban were overthrown. But it remains unclear why we did stay then, especially given that the W. Bush admin turned to invading Iraq. Latest I have checked it seems that it was Rumsfeld who played the key role in deciding that that the US stay in Afghanistan, even as that admin basically gave up on getting bin Laden.

So this should not be a partisan issue in the US. Pres.Biden long ago, including as Obamas VP, led opposition to increasing efforts in Afghanistan. He accurately understood that this was an ultimately bad situation to get more deeply involved in, And he then made it clear he thought we should be getting out.

This was the position of Bidens predecessor, Trump, who also called for the US leaving Afghanistan. He steadily reduced the US troop presence, and negotiated a final full withdrawal. But various advisors held him back from effectuating the final withdrawal, leaving that to his successor. But what was left was not sustainable.

There are other areas where Biden seems to be following Trump policies. These include his reluctance to rejoin the JCPOA Iranian nuclear deal, which he promised to do, and he should have done. But now there is a new hardline president in Iran in reaction to just this, the failure of Biden to rejoin the deal. This is simply awful.

The list is long, and I frankly do not get why Biden has held back on so much of this. So, he has yet to remove almost any of the stupid garbage Trump tariffs. He has if anything made Trumps prohibition of receiving refugees from abroad harder. And he is all in on Trumps Afghanistan policy, which looks now to be a total humanitarian disaster. But the GOP is already falsely claiming the disaster will all be Bidens fault, not Trumps.
Yves here. Over the past decade plus, Wall Street has trotted out various climate change and dogoodery scams, from carbon trading to social impact bonds that did little to advance various causes but did provide nice fees and PR opportunities. So its not surprising to see that theyve put old wine in new bottles via sustainability-linked loans. However, in a refreshing change, activists calling out this gimmick appear to be getting more press than the NGOs feeding from the trough.

By Brett Wilkins. Originally published at Common Dreams

In the wake of this weeks publication of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report underscoring the imperative to quickly transition to a post-fossil fuel economy, activists in dozens of cities across the U.S. on Friday rallied outside the offices of major banks to denounce their funding of polluting projects including Enbridges Line 3 tar sands pipeline.

The activists targeted companies including BlackRock, JPMorgan Chase, and Liberty Mutual, which invest in, fund, and insure fossil fuel industry projects like Line 3.

On Monday, the IPCC released its first comprehensive study on the climate crisis since 2013. Hundreds of climate scientists collaborated on the report, synthesizing the findings of more than 14,000 studies, Stop the Money Pipelinea coalition of over 150 groups whose mission is holding the financial backers of climate chaos accountablesaid in a statement.

The conclusions were clear: We must immediately phase out fossil fuels, the group continued. The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, summed it up: This report must sound a death knell for coal and fossil fuels, before they destroy our planet. Yet, Wall Street banks are continuing to fund massive new oil pipelines like Line 3 that would lock in vast amounts of climate pollution for decades. Even worse, they are disguising their loans as sustainability measures.'

You cant build pipelines and be sustainable. A green pipeline is still a pipeline. Activists in Seattle are shutting down @Chase to protest the $1.5 BILLION it gave in sustainability loans to the company building the Line 3 pipeline.#StopLine3 #defundline3 pic.twitter.com/rzd7WiEn2t  Stop the Money Pipeline (@StopMoneyPipe) August 13, 2021



You cant build pipelines and be sustainable, Stop the Money Pipeline said in a tweet decrying greenwashing by JPMorgan Chase, which provided $1.5 billion in so-called sustainability loans to Enbridge.

Sustainability-linked loans sound good, but when you look more closely youll see theyre close to meaningless, Stop the Money Pipeline explained. Enbridges sustainability loans reward the company for reducing emissions from its buildings and vehicles, but do nothing to address the oil that flows through its pipelines and is responsible for 99% of its climate pollution.

In other words, the group said, according to Wall Street, so long as Enbridge uses electric vehicles and solar power to build their oil pipelines, thats fine.

BREAKING:

In Seattle 

Shutting down @chase to demand that they #DefundLine3. Line 3 would have the same climate impact as 50 coal plants, last month @Chase gave $1.5 billion in sustainability loans to the company building Line 3. Greenwashing is climate denial.#StopLine3 pic.twitter.com/W8erpJxnpW  350 Seattle (@350_Seattle) August 13, 2021



Jackie Fielder, communications director for the Stop the Money Pipeline coalition, told Common Dreams that were taking action to call out banks for supporting Enbridges greenwashed sustainability bonds while the Canadian-based oil company reimburses police for violent crackdowns on unarmed water protectors. These banks are now complicit in human rights abuses.

As Giniw Collective co-founder Tara Houska explained earlier this month:

Police officers are reimbursed for any costs associated with Enbridge Line 3 protests, and it seems like they welcome the opportunity. One police officer was actually grinning and smiling and said he had a great time and couldnt wait for us to come again. Theyve billed over $1.7 million to the Public Safety Escrow Trust, in which Enbridge is dumping millions of dollars to incentivize and encourage police officers to repress, suppress, surveil, and harass Indigenous people and our allies that are helping us try to stop this pipeline from happening in our treaty territory.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission required the trust to reimburse law enforcement when approving the project in 2018.

In NYC today, #XRNYC, @sunrisemvmtnyc, @riseandresistny & others protested @jpmorgan for funding Enbridges filthy Line 3 pipeline. If built, Line 3 would release as much greenhouse gas as 50 new coal-fired power plants. #DefundLine3 https://t.co/xRbGPbw7uG pic.twitter.com/wTB0DgCWM2  Extinction Rebellion NYC  (@XR_NYC) August 13, 2021



If built according to plan, Line 3 will carry up to 760,000 barrels of crude tar sands oilthe worlds dirtiest fueleach day from Alberta to a port in Wisconsin. The pipeline would traverse Anishinaabe treaty land without the consent of the Indigenous peoples who live there. Line 3s route would cross more than 200 bodies of water and 800 wetlands, raising serious concerns not only about its climate impact, but also about accidents and leaks that are endemic to pipelines.

State and local law enforcement officers have violently repressed #StopLine3 demonstrations in northern Minnesota while arresting hundreds of water protectors in recent months.

Folks went into @Chase tower today in Chicago & disrupted business by performing a skit that demonstrated how Chase Bank and Enbridge greenwash by using "sustainability bonds." You can't fund Line 3, a tar sands pipeline, and be green! #DefundLine3 https://t.co/KOQU959Ldg  #StopLine3 Rising Tide Chicago (@RisingTideChi) August 13, 2021



Meanwhile, Indigenous and green groups continue to pressure the Biden administration to honor Native American treaties and protect the environment and climate by stopping the toxic project like President Joe Biden canceled the permit for the highly controversial Keystone XL Pipeline in January.
Cute Experiment Reveals How Your Cat Probably Wants Its Meals Served Science Alert (Chuck L). I always made my cats sit up (as in stand on their hind legs briefly) to get dinner. But thats a lot less work than doing a puzzle.

Texas Policeman Spots 2 Hungry Horses on Hurricane-Devastated Property, Decides to Step In Epoch Times (furzy)

NY woman, 29, is cuffed and thrown in cell after cops caught her walking her dogs without a leash and she couldnt remember her new address Daily Mail. What is wrong with these Karens, um, people? This article takes up the NY Post spin, but reading between the lines, what got this woman in trouble was her making clear she intended to continue to defy the requirement to leash her dogs in the park. What do you think would happen if you were caught speeding and got all stroopy with the cops and told them youd do it again? Then when the police went to ticket her, she tried to get out of it by saying she didnt know her address (her offer to take them to her apt was playing the odds that they wouldnt bother or couldnt leave the park as park police).

A Mural-Making Spree Lifts Spirits in Buffalo Bloomberg (David L)

Instagram says sorry for removing Pedro Almodovar film poster BBC. One of my film buff friends points out, with some annoyance at the industry, that Almodovar is the only director to show frontal male nudity.

Fashion boom in recycled plastic comes with a price tag Financial Times. Including environmental.

July was worlds hottest month ever recorded, US scientists confirm Guardian (Kevin W)

A Sicilian Town Sends an Omen of a Much Hotter Future New York Times (furzy)

Amid Extreme Weather, a Shift Among Republicans on Climate Change New York Times. Just as they all become Keynesians when useful, as Richard Nixon pointed out.

Can AI Make a Better Fusion Reactor? Spectrum IEEE (David L)

Deleting unethical data sets isnt good enough MIT Technology Review (David L)

THE NEW ERA OF EXTRACTIVISM  AND HOW TO DEFEAT IT Foreign Policy in Focus

Existential Matters Point Magazine (Anthony L)

Loners help society survive, say Princeton ecologists EurekaAlert (David L)

#COVID-19

Science/Medicine

Asia

US

Finance/Economy

China?

Syraqistan

Assange

US Wins Right to Appeal Health Grounds on Assange Extradition Consortiumnews (UserFriendly)

Big Brother is Watching You Watch

One Bad Apple Hacker Factor. Important even if you arent an Apple person, since Apple is about to kick off a new race to the bottom. Paul R: It describes in detailed but I think not too technical terms how the scheme works, what its failings are, and why Apple wants to do the scans on your phone instead of on its own servers (answer: they cant access your files on their servers without a warrant, but somehow they *can* do it on your phone). Using AI to Scale Spear Phishing Bruce Schneier (David L)

The Vanishing Legacy of Barack Obama Matt Taibbi

Cuomo Defenestration

Nina Turners Defeat Wasnt Only About the Onslaught of Big Money Smears Status Coup (UserFriendly)

Meet The Democratic Socialist Holding Barack Obamas Old State Senate Seat Current Affairs (UserFriendly)

Making Sense of the Census Sardonicky (UserFriendly)

Contra Hanania On Partisanship Scott Alexander (UserFriendly)

Police State Watch

Squirrel Leaps Could Help Scientists Create Flexible, Jumping Robots Daily Beast (David L). As in Parkour-using robot dogs the better to chase suspects which have included protestors.

Reservation Dogs Breaks Comedy TV Ground With Its Indigenous Cast And Writers NPR (David L)

Portland Looks Like Shit. Whos to Blame? What Can be Done? Alex Beyman (furzy)

The end of Bretton Woods after fifty years Money Inside and Out (guurst)

Consumer sentiment measure falls to pandemic-era low, sees one of largest drops on record CNBC

Treasury yields slide as concerns over Delta virus knock US consumer sentiment Financial Times

Class Warfare

Zillow, Other Tech Firms Are in an Arms Race To Buy Up American Homes Vice. Paul R: I interviewed with Opendoor a few years ago and at the time they told me they were there to smooth out transactions for buyers; they werent there to flip houses or speculate. I guess that changed. Amazon Installs Huge Lockers On A Chicago Parks Sidewalk, Confusing And Frustrating Neighbors Block Club Chicago (Paul R). A new wrinkle on privatizing the commons.

Antidote du jour (Alan T):

And a bonus from AE90. That kitten is so calm!

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
In Hubei province, central China, more than 21 people were declared dead due to torrential downpour on the 13th of August. This came just weeks after record-breaking floods caused a massive destruction on the region.

Due to power outages and landslides following the rain, more than 6,000 residents lost their homes.

Torrential Rain

In recent months, unusual rains have battered China and experts say this extreme weather is very common because of global warming.

On Friday, heavy rains prompted power outages and landslides in Hubei, and it destroyed hundreds of homes and led to the evacuation of almost 6,000 people, the Emergency Management Bureau of the province said as reservoirs get to risky levels.

On Friday, state broadcaster Xinhua reported that "twenty-one people were killed and four others are missing as heavy rain lashed townships from Wednesday."

Videos reveals families wading in floodwaters that had nearly gotten to their hip level and holding necessary items in plastic bags in Yicheng, which on Thursday saw a record 19 inches (about 480 mm) of rain. Rescuers conveyed people to a safe place on bulldozers.

Also Read: Unpredictable Weather May Lead to Flash Flooding and Rain Hazards

Worst-hit Regions

A resident from one of the worst-hit regions in Suizhou city told local media that the water levels increased to around two to three metres yesterday and a neighboring house was totally destroyed.

The resident said they haven't witnessed so much rain in 20 or 30 years.

Ministry of emergency management in China said hundreds of firefighters and thousands of military and police have been sent to the worst-hit regions. Last weekend in the south-western province of Sichuan about 100,000 people were relocated as torrential rains led to several landslides.

The previous month, over 300 people lost their lives in central China's Henan province after record heavy rainfall released rain that can last for a whole year on a city in just three days.

Torrential rainfall could possibly continue until next week, with places along the Yangtze River with the inclusion of Shanghai, susceptible to flooding, China's Meteorological Administration warned.

How Does Rain Come About?

Different weather conditions can trigger extreme rainfall in an area. Tropical cyclones developed in some tropical and subtropical regions, especially during the summer and fall. When they arrive in the northwest portion of the Pacific Ocean or in the Atlantic Ocean and get to some kind of intensity, they are referred to as hurricanes.

Tropical cyclones can make great amounts of rain which prompts flooding and flash flooding immediately the storm gets to land.

Also, they are capable of sending a rush of water from the water bodies onto coastlines in an event referred to as storm surge, which floods low-lying places. Flash floods are very risky floods and can occur with little or no warning.

Related Article: 33 Dead as Heavy Rains and Flooding Turned Streets and Subways into Rushing Rivers in China

For more news, updates about torrential rains and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News!
Editors note: This story has been updated to reflect new information from Danbury police, including that the victim is 15 years old and that she was part of one of the groups involved in the altercation. For the latest information, follow this link .

DANBURY  Police said an altercation involving at least eight people Wednesday night at the Danbury Fair mall led to the shooting of a 15-year-old girl.

Danbury Police Chief Patrick Ridenhour said officers responding to a shots fired call found a 15-year-old girl suffering from a gunshot wound to her upper chest area around 7 p.m. He said the girl was conscious and alert.

Ridenhour said an altercation occurred inside the mall near the Macys entrance between two groups involving at least eight people. One person pulled out a gun and fired at least one shot, possibly two, aiming for someone in the group and wounding the girl, Ridenhour said.

She got in the way, Ridenhour said.

Ridenhour said a male, who may have been the intended target of the shooting, was seen running away with a hammer.

Ridenhour said video footage confirmed all of the people involved in the incident fled the mall quickly after the shooting. The suspect left in a vehicle, but Ridenhour was unable to immediately provide a description and no arrests had been made as of late Wednesday night.

When Danbury police arrived, the girl was found outside of the mall. Danbury Police Capt. Mike Sturdevant said she was taken to Danbury Hospital with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries. An update on her condition was not immediately known late Wednesday.

The mall was locked down immediately following the shooting.

Outside the mall, a large police presence was focused near the entrance to Macys. State, Danbury, Bethel and Brookfield police as well as the Putnam County Sheriffs Office from New York as well as the FBI were among those who responded to the scene. Some of the officers kept their weapons drawn outside of Macys.

About 50 people milled around the mall parking lot waiting to hear from family members or co-workers who were still inside late Wednesday.

People who were inside the mall were slowly permitted to leave around 8:30 p.m. as police cleared each of the stores. Shoppers and mall employees were still being released as of 10 p.m.

Jojo Keane, a Newtown resident, said she was inside Macys when the shooting occurred. As she was returning a suit for her son and looking at jewelry, Keane said she heard a loud noise. At first, she said, she thought something large fell from upstairs.

I dont know what I thought, she said.

Once she realized the noise couldve been a gunshot, she quickly left the store.

A mall employee said he heard the gunshot and started to lead people out of the building through a back door. He said he later saw police in tactical vests and assault rifles.

Olivia Navario, 16, was at Build-a-Bear Workshop making a stuffed animal when she heard the gunshot.

I just remember hearing boom, she said.

She then saw everyone running. She fled and hid in the back of another store.

State Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan, D-Danbury, said he was helping to serve as a resource for concerned parents of teens who work at the mall. He called the incident "unfortunate" and expected there will be an examination of the root causes of the shooting after the immediate crisis has been resolved.

"I'm allowing law enforcement to do their job," he said.

Anyone with information related to this shooting can submit a confidential tip by calling 203-790-TIPS (8477).

Lisa Backus contributed to this story.
NEW YORK (AP)  Larry Heinzerling, a 41-year Associated Press news executive and bureau chief who played a key role in winning freedom for hostage Terry Anderson from his Hezbollah abductors in Lebanon, has died after a short illness. He was 75.

Heinzerling, who passed away at home in New York on Wednesday night, served as AP bureau chief in South Africa during a time of popular revolt against apartheid and in West Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall. He was deputized by then-AP President and Chief Executive Officer Lou Boccardi to seek contacts with governments and international intermediaries to obtain the release of Anderson, the AP bureau chief in Beirut who had been kidnapped by the extremist group in 1985.

He worked behind the scenes for nearly seven years to win Andersons release in 1991.

At AP headquarters in New York, Heinzerling was director of AP World Services and later deputy international editor. He was the son of the late Lynn Heinzerling, a Pulitzer Prize-winning foreign correspondent for the AP in Europe and Africa.

Larry followed in the footsteps of his illustrious AP correspondent father but he walked his own widely admired path  reporter, editor, bureau chief, headquarters executive and, in one painful period in AP history, my personal envoy as we searched across the world for the key to freedom for Terry Anderson," Boccardi said in an email Thursday.

Larry epitomized the enduring values of honor, trust, grace under pressure and talent. He was a joy to have in the AP family."

Brian Carovillano, AP vice president and co-managing editor, said: Larry was a rock of the AP, someone who believed completely in our mission and the power and importance of eyewitness journalism. He also did as much as anyone to help transform this company into the global organization it is today. His impact on AP and its journalism will endure."

Heinzerling grew up partly in Elyria, Ohio, and partly overseas in Johannesburg, Geneva and London among other cities where his father was posted. His father was a World War II correspondent for AP and won his Pulitzer in 1961 for coverage of the 1960 Congo crisis as the country emerged from Belgian colonial rule.

Heinzerling graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University before joining the AP in Columbus in 1967, simultaneously acquiring a master's degree in international journalism at Ohio State.

After a stint at AP's New York international desk, Heinzerling was posted to sub-Saharan Africa, first in 1971 to Lagos, Nigeria, recently torn by civil war as West Africa correspondent, and then to Johannesburg as South African bureau chief in 1974. There he covered the 1976 Soweto uprising and ongoing cycles of violence and repression as the white minority government sought to maintain its racist system of apartheid.

In 1978, Heinzerling was named bureau chief in Frankfurt, West Germany, overseeing AP's newsgathering from central Europe and directing the large AP German service, then the second-largest news agency in Germany. Berlin was a divided city and East-West tensions seethed in Europe and in the country struggling to overcome the legacy of World War II.

His acumen at running a complex news and business operation resulted in his being called back to New York in 1983 to become deputy director and then director of World Services, the department that managed all of AP's non-U.S. businesses and the distribution of news and photos outside of the United States.

When Anderson was kidnapped in March 1985, one of a string of hostage-takings by Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants, Heinzerling became the AP's point man in secret, backdoor diplomacy to find a way to persuade the kidnappers to let Anderson go. In later years, he declined to talk about his efforts, honoring the promises of secrecy he made at that time.

Larry Heinzerling was an extraordinary man in a great many ways. He was a special person for me both for his efforts on my behalf during my captivity, and the friendship we enjoyed after my return, Anderson said. He also happened to be an excellent journalist, and a kind and gentle man. I will miss him, as will we all.

Ian Phillips, APs director of international news, agreed.

Larry was the type of boss you loved to work for, Phillips said. He had a contagious laugh that would resonate around the newsroom and elicit smiles even on the toughest of days. He had high standards, but also knew how to bring a sense of fun to the workplace and was held in such high regard by all. He had a global perspective and delighted in sharing stories from when he worked in the field in Africa and Europe.

Within the AP, Heinzerling was known for fostering dozens of careers over the decades, and tributes to him poured in from around the world at news of his passing. Longtime AP writer Maureen Johnson in London recalled when he hired her in 1977 in South Africa.

Larry was clever, a born journalist, a skilled linguist  and much else. He was kind, amusing, courageous and to me, who counted for nothing in the scope of his career, totally supportive. He gave me a crack at the many world class stories which Southern Africa served up at the time: the ending of Rhodesias bloody civil war and with it the collapse of white minority rule; the last years of apartheid strung with famous names: the Mandelas, Steve Biko, P.W. de Klerk."

He remained for me a guiding light," she said.

Sally Buzbee, AP's former executive editor, said Heinzerling was known to AP journalists around the globe for his commitment to front-line journalism and wide knowledge of the world.

He never lost his optimism, despite covering many terrible things, and his smile, friendliness and that optimism were appreciated by everyone he worked with, said Buzbee, who is now executive editor of the Washington Post.

Retiring from the news cooperative as deputy international editor for world services in 2009, Heinzerling spoke of his career.

I have had a wonderful career at AP and in no small way it has been my life, he wrote. I am thankful for a magical childhood in Europe and Africa as the son of an AP foreign correspondent, and I am even more grateful for the many exciting professional opportunities and adventures AP has offered me over the past 40 years. Where else can you travel the world, report historical events, work with great people every day in a common cause and be proud of what you do?

Heinzerling is survived by his wife of 20 years, Ann Cooper, the former director of the Committee to Protect Journalists and a retired Columbia Graduate School of Journalism professor.

After retirement, he and Cooper volunteered around the world to build homes for Habitat for Humanity and he taught journalism and mentored students as an adjunct assistant professor at Columbia's journalism school and its school of public and international affairs.

More recently Heinzerling was completing a history of the AP in Germany during and after Hitler's rule: Newshawks in Berlin: Nazi Germany, The Associated Press, And the Pursuit of News," with an AP colleague, investigative researcher Randy Herschaft. Set mostly in wartime Berlin, the book examines how the AP covered Nazi Germany with news and photos from inside the Third Reich throughout World War II.

Heinzerling's illness emerged suddenly in late June, after the couple finished a cross-country car trip to visit her son and his stepson Artyom (Tom) Keller in California. Heinzerling was diagnosed with cancer shortly after, complicated by an attack of pneumonia last week.

Cooper, Keller, and Heinzerling's two children, Kristen Heinzerling and Benjamin Heinzerling, were with him at his death. Other survivors include their spouses, Thomas Minty and Gabriela Lopez Heinzerling; two more stepchildren, Andreas Klohnen and Eva Klohnen; and five grandchildren. A son, Jesse Heinzerling, passed away earlier.
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)  The New York state Assembly will suspend its investigation of Gov. Andrew Cuomo once he steps down after its leader concluded the Legislature didn't have the clear authority to impeach a departed official, the chamber's top Democrat said Friday.

Cuomo announced Tuesday he planned to resign over sexual harassment allegations as it became clear he was almost certain to be impeached by the Legislature. He said his resignation was effective in 14 days, at which point he'll be replaced by Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Some lawmakers have urged the Assembly to press on with an impeachment proceeding, perhaps to bar Cuomo from holding state office in the future if he attempted a political comeback.

But Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said Friday that lawyers had advised the body's judiciary committee that the state constitution doesn't authorize the Legislature to impeach an elected official no longer in office.

Heastie had provided reporters a less definitive legal memorandum saying Assembly lawyers and outside counsel had concluded lawmakers probably lack the constitutional authority to do so, though the matter hasn't been settled definitely.

Let me be clear  the committees work over the last several months, although not complete, did uncover credible evidence in relation to allegations that have been made in reference to the governor, said Heastie, a New York City Democrat.

He said that included evidence related to the sexual harassment claims, possible misuse of state resources in conjunction with publication of the governors book on the pandemic, and improper and misleading disclosure of nursing home data."

This evidence  we believe  could likely have resulted in articles of impeachment had he not resigned," Heastie said.

When asked whether lawmakers could still release a report with findings to the public as originally planned, Heastie said: I guess it could.

The concern behind that is, if youre in the middle of an investigation and other law enforcement areas are looking at this, I dont know if we can, I dont want to have us step on their toes while there are criminal investigations going on," he said Friday on the news program Capital Tonight.

Heastie didn't explain how releasing a committee report could interfere with independent law enforcement investigations. He has previously said that hes asked the committee to turn over evidence it had gathered to the relevant investigatory authorities.

Heastie denied that he had reached any deal with Cuomo to let him resign without facing an impeachment trial or investigation.

There was no deal, Heastie said. Ive said that 150 times and Ill make that the 151st time.

Cuomos office and his lawyer, Rita Glavin, didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

The first woman to publicly accuse Cuomo of misconduct, Lindsey Boylan, called the Assembly leadership's decision to call off its separate investigation an unjust cop out.

The public deserves to know the extent of the Governors misdeeds and possible crimes. His victims deserve justice and to know he will not be able harm others, she tweeted.

Since March, outside lawyers have been helping the Assembly conduct a wide-ranging investigation on whether there were grounds to impeach Cuomo. The announcement that the inquiry would cease came on a day the Assembly had initially set as a deadline for Cuomos legal team to respond with any additional evidence refuting the allegations against him.

Cuomo faces ongoing probes from the state attorney general over his $5 million book deal and from federal prosecutors, who are scrutinizing his handling of nursing home deaths data. The states ethics commissioners, who could levy fines against Cuomo, are also looking into similar issues.

Heastie also cited active investigations by county district attorneys in Manhattan, Albany, Westchester, Nassau and Oswego concerning incidents of alleged sexual harassment by Cuomo. Several women have said the governor inappropriately touched them, including an aide who said he groped her breast.

Several committee members said Heastie's announcement took them by surprise.

Assembly Judiciary Committee Chair Charles Lavine, a Democrat, said Heastie alone made the decision to suspend the impeachment investigation.

Committee members were split in their reaction with some like Assemblymember David Weprin, also a Democrat, saying an impeachment trial would have been a tremendous waste of government resources. Latrice Walker, a Democrat, told NY1 on Tuesday that lawmakers have more important work to do than focus on Cuomos future career choices.

But others objected to the end of the Legislatures probe. Assemblymember Tom Abinanti, a Westchester Democrat on the committee, called the decision premature.

The governor has not even left office, he said. The committee should continue to meet and issue a public report to the people on the extensive investigation that the committee and its attorneys have conducted to date.

The Republican Minority Leader in the Assembly, Will Barclay, called it a massive disservice to the goals of transparency and accountability.

The Assemblys probe has already cost taxpayers at least $1.2 million, according to Lavine.

All six Republicans and nine out of 15 Democrats on the committee said the Assembly should at least release a public report on the findings of the impeachment investigation.

Lavine said he will be consulting with committee members about whether to do so, and will decide once Cuomo resigns.

Thats something I'm going to give full consideration to, Lavine said. I expect there will be a full report.

Legal experts this week said they had questions over both the legality and practicality of trying to impeach Cuomo after hed already left office.

Ross Garber, an attorney who's represented four recent U.S. governors facing impeachment proceedings in their respective states, had told The Associated Press his reading of state law is that a person must be in office at the time of impeachment.

Richard Rifkin, an attorney who's worked in state government for 40 years, including in the attorney generals office and as special counsel to former Gov. Eliot Spitzer, said the language in the state Constitution on impeachment was really quite vague" and that there wasn't definitive precedent saying whether impeachment could continue after Cuomo left office.

___

Attribution on a quote in this story has been corrected to reflect that it was said by Heastie, not Judiciary Committee Chair Charles Lavine. The story has also been corrected to reflect that federal, not state, prosecutors are investigating the handling of nursing home data.
Reporter

Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk).
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Sunny to partly cloudy. High 86F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds light and variable.
(Newser)  The first day of school is supposed to be filled with excitement for the new school year. At one California elementary school this week, that excitement was marred by violence after a parent attacked a teacher over face masks, reports NBC News. The incident at Sutter Creek Elementary School, located in Amador County, happened Wednesday, about an hour after school had let out for the day, per KCRA. Amador County Unified School District Superintendent Torie Gibson says that a male parent became agitated when he spotted his daughter walking out of school wearing a face mask and began verbally berating the school's principal. Gibson says that's when a male teacher intervened on the principal's behalf, which led to a physical altercation between the teacher and upset parent that left the teacher "bleeding."

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The teacher ended up with "lacerations on his face, some bruising on his ... face, and a pretty good knot on the back of his head," per Gibson. All students in the district's schools are required to wear a face covering indoors unless they have a medical exemption, per school district policy, which is based on California Department of Public Health requirements. Gibson sent a letter to parents after the incident, noting that when the school year starts up, "there are always hiccups along the way, especially during this trying time." She then added that "assaulting a staff member will never be tolerated on any school campus" and asked people to "take a breath, pause, listen, and walk away if necessary." Gibson says the parent has been banned from campus, a police report has been filed, and the school district is conferring with the DA's office to see what's next. "If it's appropriate to press charges, we will do that," Gibson says, per KCRA. "If they tell me it's not appropriate, I will trust them." (Read more face masks stories.)
(Newser)  Afghan President Ashraf Ghani delivered a televised speech on Saturday, his first public appearance since the recent Taliban gains, in which he vowed not to give up the "achievements" of the 20 years since the US toppled the Taliban following the 9/11 attacks. "We have started consultations, inside the government with elders and political leaders, representatives of different levels of the community, as well as our international allies," he said. "Soon the results will be shared with you," he added, without elaborating further, per the AP. The president had flown to Mazar-e-Sharif on Wednesday to rally the city's defenses, meeting with several militia commanders, including Abdul Rashid Dostum and Ata Mohammad Noor, who command thousands of fighters. They remain allied with the government, but during previous rounds of fighting in Afghanistan, warlords have been known to switch sides for their own survival.

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The Taliban have made major advances in recent days, including capturing Herat and Kandahar, the country's second- and third-largest cities. The insurgents have captured much of northern, western, and southern Afghanistan in a breakneck offensive less than three weeks before the US is set to withdraw its last troops, raising fears of a full militant takeover or another Afghan civil war. The insurgents now control 18 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, leaving the Western-backed government in control of a smattering of provinces in the center and east, as well as the capital of Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif. However, Hoda Ahmadi, a lawmaker from the province of Logar, said Saturday that the Taliban have reached the Char Asyab district, just 7 miles south of Kabul. The Taliban also attacked the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif from several directions, setting off heavy fighting on its outskirts, per a rep for the provincial governor.

(Read more Afghanistan stories.)
(Newser)  A child's visit to a Provincetown beach turned ugly on Wednesday evening. A coyote bit the unidentified youngster at North Herring Cove Beach, part of the Cape Cod National Seashore, around 8:30pm, sending the child to Cape Cod Hospital with what the National Park Service says were non-life-threatening injuries, reports CBS Boston. An NPS release notes that park rangers killed the coyote, and that on Thursday they found its body in vegetation within the dunes (they'd already assumed the coyote had died, based on all the blood they found after they'd shot it and it fled).

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In a Facebook update on Friday, the Cape Cod National Seashore reported the coyote had tested negative for rabies. CBS notes this isn't an isolated case of a coyote in the area: A couple of weeks ago, a woman was chased by a coyote on another Provincetown beach and had to fight it off with a stick until a pair of local fishermen came to her rescue. The NPS release notes that park rangers have dealt over the summer with multiple incidents of coyotes "acting assertively toward people in attempts to obtain food." That's why, the NPS warns, people shouldn't feed or otherwise attract wildlife, as animals will then become acclimated to humans (read: not fearful), leading to the animals behaving "unpredictably and aggressively, resulting in injuries to people and a sad ending for the habituated animal." (Read more coyote stories.)
(Newser)  Canada opened its doors to fully vaccinated Americans on Monday, causing cars to back up at the border for hours. On Friday, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra made a new travel-related announcement: By sometime this autumn, air travelers, cruise ship passengers, and those taking the train from province to province in Canada will need to show proof they've been vaccinated against COVID, reports USA Today. "As soon as possible in the fall and no later than the end of October, the government of Canada will require employees in the federally regulated air, rail, and marine transportation sectors to be vaccinated," Alghabra's office noted in a statement. "The vaccination requirement will also extend to certain travelers. This includes all commercial air travelers." Alghabra added that vaccinations will also be required for all workers for the federal government, the nation's largest employer, per CNBC.

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Although Canada currently enjoys one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, with nearly 64% of its population fully vaccinated, case numbers are going up again, with the nation's top health official, Dr. Theresa Tam, warning earlier this week that Canada has entered a fourth wave. "Cases are plotting along a strong resurgence trajectory," Tam told reporters on Thursday, per CTV News. The outlet notes there are now upward of 13,000 active cases, which is more than twice the number there were in July. Tam says the majority of the new daily cases are affecting those between the ages of 20 and 39. Air Canada, the nation's flagship airline, responded to Alghabra's announcement with a thumbs-up. "Although Air Canada awaits further details ... on mandatory vaccinations, it is a welcome step forward in the evolving measures to protect the health and safety of airline employees, customers, and all Canadians," the airline said in a statement, per USA Today. (Read more Canada stories.)
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers this afternoon. High 52F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low 43F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Concrete forms cover the most recently poured sections of the Blue Lake Dam expansion in Sitka, Alaska, Dec. 31, 2013. The $150 million project to raise the dam height 83 feet to increase power capacity is progressing ahead of schedule, according to Sitka's electric utility director. With recent heavy rains the lake level is to the height of the spillway.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

It was like a dream come true! Samar and her mother fought all those difficult days, pain and life-threatening moments fiercely and came out shining.

The most challenging phase in their lives is over. With tears of joy and a long hug, the family is now celebrating Samars graduation. It was a moment Samar always dreamed about - wearing the graduation gown. Now, she has it. Samar Ali Nasser Al-Sayegh of Al Wafa secondary school for girls graduated from high school with an average of 86%.

Recalling her rough days, Samar said: I went through a difficult stage in my life years ago, when I was diagnosed with cancer. My days were sad. I was depressed and felt lonely. I endured those times by clinging on to my faith and kept my patience. What mattered most during those times was the support of my family, she adds. It encouraged me to overcome the illness.

She also thankfully remembers the Ministry of Education and the School for all the help.

They helped me overcome my obstacles by providing all services and facilities. They ensured that I could continue my studies. Now, with Gods grace, I recovered completely. When asked about her plans, she said, I will continue my studies at the University of Bahrain in law. I always wanted that.

My goal is to become a lawyer, and I will work towards fulfilling that dream with determination, she said with a confidence-inspiring smile.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Hope Venture, the investment arm of Hope Fund, launched plans for yet another initiative to help entrepreneurs in the Kingdom, this time for those having social-media-based businesses. Hope had in July launched a tender for a show modelled on the widely popular American business reality television series Shark Tank.

The show, to be aired on national television and other media channels, would provide 12 business owners with the opportunity to pitch their business concepts to a panel of investors and judges, who decide whether to invest in their company or not.

According to the current tender document, the new venture, a three-week Instagram-based founders boot camp, targets early-stage founders on social media platforms. These early-stage founders face many barriers and challenges that prevent them from building a successful business model and which limits the growth of their business, says Hope.

More importantly, many of these founders lack general knowledge on the know-how of managing and growing their concepts and taking their concepts to the next stage beyond initial validation. The new project, Hope says, aims at providing these entrepreneurs with the knowledge and ability to evaluate their businesses, refine their concepts, establish a road map for expansion and commercialise their businesses.

The event targets social media businesses across sectors that have taken the initial steps of establishing their business or concepts and have a minimum viable product.

The boot camp, upon completion, will also provide entrepreneurs with the opportunity to pitch their idea to Hope or other potential investors for investment. Hope said it is seeking an experienced and reputable service provider to plan and execute the project. Those interested should make bids before the 1st of September 2021, with a BD500 bond and BD15 fee.
The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

I am pleased to convey heartfelt greetings to Pakistanis in Bahrain on the Independence Day of our beloved country, Pakistan. On this day in 1947, Pakistan emerged on the World Map as a sovereign state after the untiring efforts of our nation under the visionary leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

Pakistan is blessed with tall mountains, lush green valleys, freshwater natural springs and rivers, plateaus, fertile plain farmlands, deserts, and pristine beaches. With a population of over 220 million, Pakistan has a unique strategic location with natural resources like gold, copper, semiprecious stones, and hydrocarbons.

The four seasons of Pakistan make it suitable to grow almost every type of fruit, vegetable, and food grain. Pakistan is blessed with a talented human resource that has proven its worth the world over.

Pakistans unique geo-strategic location at the confluence of South Asia, Central Asia, West Asia, and Northern China, makes it a natural regional economic hub and energy corridor. Pakistan is connected to Western China through the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) under Belt and Road Initiative.

With an outlay of more than US$ 62 billion under CPEC, huge investments are underway in infrastructural projects. CPEC provides many investment opportunities for businesses and investors from friendly countries. In this regard, we are very keen to work closely with Bahrain and other regional countries.

The Government of Prime Minister Imran has undertaken transformational and infrastructural reforms to facilitate investors and ensure Ease of Doing Business. World Bank in its Annual Report on Doing Business 2020 has ranked Pakistan, among the most improved economies in Ease of Doing Business in the world and elevated its position by 28 places.

A pro-business investment policy ensures 100% equity ownership, full repatriation of capital, tax breaks, and customs duty concessions on the import of plant, machinery, and raw materials. Pakistan and Bahrain enjoy a long history of friendship and cooperation for mutual benefit.

The two help each other in different areas of mutual interest and closely consult each other at the international fora. The friendship between our two nations is exemplary and going from strength to strength. The Prime Minister of Pakistan paid a state visit to Bahrain on 16 December 2019 as a Guest of Honour on the National Day of Bahrain.

He came on the special invitation of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi visited Bahrain on 28 July to co-chair the Joint Ministerial Commission meeting. Now the Government and people of Pakistan look forward to welcoming His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa in Pakistan.

Pakistan International Airline and Gulf Air are operating flights to almost all major cities of Pakistan to boost our fraternal relations and extensive interaction between our two nations. To bring our people further closer, the Government of Pakistan has extended visa on arrival facilities to citizens of Bahrain.

The tourism sector of Pakistan is steadily opening after easing the COVID-19 situation, and I welcome Bahraini friends to explore the scenic beauty and hospitality of our country. The Pakistani community in Bahrain is at the heart of our strong bilateral ties. Pakistanis in Bahrain are recognized as loyal, law-abiding, hardworking, and friendly people. They are our goodwill ambassadors and source of pride.

They are contributing to the well-being of people here and back home. We are thankful to the Government of Bahrain for extending extraordinary support to Pakistani workers during challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the Ambassador of Pakistan and a friend of Bahrain, it will be my mission to work with my Bahraini colleagues to transform the close friendly ties into a mutually beneficial economic partnership.

I wish the people of Bahrain and Pakistan continued peace, progress, and prosperity on this special day. May Pakistan and Bahrains friendship live long!
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP)  A powerful magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck southwestern Haiti on Saturday, killing at least 304 people and injuring at least 1,800 others as buildings tumbled into rubble. Prime Minister Ariel Henry said he was rushing aid to areas where towns were destroyed and hospitals overwhelmed with incoming patients.

The epicenter of the quake was about 125 kilometers (78 miles) west of the capital of Port-au-Prince, the U.S. Geological Survey said, and widespread damage was reported in the hemisphere's poorest nations as a tropical storm also bore down.

Haiti's civil protection agency said on Twitter that the death toll stood at 304, most in the country's south. Rescue workers and bystanders were able to pull many people to safety from the rubble. The agency said injured people were still being delivered to hospitals.

Henry declared a one-month state of emergency for the whole country and said he would not ask for international help until the extent of the damages was known. He said some towns were almost completely razed and the government had people in the coastal town of Les Cayes to help plan and coordinate the response.

The most important thing is to recover as many survivors as possible under the rubble, said Henry. We have learned that the local hospitals, in particular that of Les Cayes, are overwhelmed with wounded, fractured people."

He said the International Red Cross and hospitals in unaffected areas were helping to care for the injured, and appealed to Haitians for unity.

The needs are enormous. We must take care of the injured and fractured, but also provide food, aid, temporary shelter and psychological support, he said.

Later, as he boarded a plane bound for Les Cayes, Henry said he wanted structured solidarity to ensure the response was coordinated to avoid the confusion that followed the devastating 2010 earthquake, when aid was slow to reach residents after as many as 300,000 were killed.

U.S. President Joe Biden authorized an immediate response and named USAID Administrator Samantha Power as the senior official coordinating the U.S effort to help Haiti. USAID will help to assess damage and assist in rebuilding, said Biden, who called the United States a close and enduring friend to the people of Haiti.

A growing number of countries offered help, including Argentina and Chile, which said it was preparing to send humanitarian aid. Once again, Haiti has been hit by adversity, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera said.

Among those killed in the earthquake was Gabriel Fortune, a longtime lawmaker and former mayor of Les Cayes. He died along with several others when his hotel, Le Manguier, collapsed, the Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste reported.

Philippe Boutin, 37, who lives in Puerto Rico but visits his family annually in Les Cayes, said his mother was saying morning prayers when the shaking began, but was able to leave the house.

The earthquake, he said, coincided with the festivities to celebrate the towns patron saint, adding that the hotel likely was full and the small town had more people than usual.

We still dont know how many people are under the rubble," he said.

On the tiny island of Ile-a-Vache, about 6.5 miles (10.5 kilometers) from Les Cayes, the quake damaged a seaside resort popular with Haitian officials, business leaders, diplomats and humanitarian workers. Fernand Sajous, owner of the Abaka Bay Resort, said by telephone that nine of the hotels 30 rooms collapsed, but he said they were vacant at the time and no one was injured.

They disappeared  just like that, Sajous said.

People in Les Cayes tried to pull guests from the rubble of a collapsed hotel, but as the sun set, they had only been able to recover the body of a 7-year-old girl whose home was behind the facility.

I have eight kids, and I was looking for the last one, Jean-Claude Daniel said through tears. I will never see her again alive. The earthquake destroyed my life. It took a child away from me.

The reports of overwhelmed hospitals come as Haiti struggles with the pandemic and a lack of resources to deal with it. Just last month, the country of 11 million people received its first batch of U.S.-donated coronavirus vaccines, via a United Nations program for low-income countries.

Richard Herve Fourcand, a former Haitian senator, rented a private plane to move injured people from Les Cayes to Port-au-Prince for medical assistance. He told The Associated Press that Les Cayes hospital was at capacity.

The earthquake also struck just over a month after President Jovenel Moise was killed, sending the country into political chaos. His widow, Martine Moise, posted a message on Twitter calling for unity among Haitians: Lets put our shoulders together to bring solidarity.

Rescue efforts were hampered by a landslide triggered by the quake that blocked a major road connecting the hard-hit towns of Jeremie and Les Cayes, according to Haitis civil protection agency.

Agency director Jerry Chandler told reporters that a partial count of structural damage included at least 860 destroyed homes and more than 700 damaged. Hospitals, schools, offices and churches were also affected.

The National Hurricane Center has forecast that Tropical Storm Grace will reach Haiti late Monday or early Tuesday.

This is likely to make matters worse since the country is on the verge of suffering the effects of two disasters in quick succession, a magnitude 7 earthquake and a looming storm, Chandler said.

Humanitarian workers said gang activity in the seaside district of Martissant, just west of the Haitian capital, also was complicating relief efforts.

Nobody can travel through the area, Ndiaga Seck, a UNICEF spokesman in Port-au-Prince, said by phone. We can only fly over or take another route.

Seck said information about deaths and damage was slow coming to Port-au-Prince because of spotty internet service, but UNICEF planned to send medical supplies to two hospitals in the south, in Les Cayes and Jeremie.

People in Port-au-Prince felt the tremor and many rushed into the streets in fear, although there did not appear to be damage there.

Naomi Verneus, a 34-year-old resident of Port-au-Prince, said she was jolted awake by the earthquake and that her bed was shaking.

I woke up and didnt have time to put my shoes on. We lived the 2010 earthquake and all I could do was run. I later remembered my two kids and my mother were still inside. My neighbor went in and told them to get out. We ran to the street, Verneus said.

Paul Caruso, a geophysicist with the USGS, said aftershocks likely would continue for weeks or months, with the largest so far registering magnitude 5.2.

The impoverished country, where many live in tenuous circumstances, is vulnerable to earthquakes and hurricanes. It was struck by a magnitude 5.9 earthquake in 2018 that killed more than a dozen people, and a vastly larger magnitude 7.1 quake that damaged much of the capital in 2010 and killed an estimated 300,000 people.

By Saturday night, the island had experienced four aftershocks stronger than 5.0 and nine above 4.0.

Claude Prepetit, a Haitian civil engineer and geologist, warned of the danger from cracked structures.

More or less intensive aftershocks are to be expected for a month," he said, cautioning that some buildings, "badly damaged during the earthquake, can collapse during aftershocks..

___

Associated Press writer Tammy Webber reported from Fenton, Michigan. AP writers Josh Boak in Washington, Trenton Daniel in New York and Regina Garcia Cano in Mexico City contributed to this report.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  Eva Kleinpeter, who turned 82 on Wednesday, started her education in a two-room segregated schoolhouse in rural Lafayette Parish. Ten years ago, she retired from a career as a schoolteacher and professor of education.

But she barely slowed down. And she never really stopped teaching.

Kleinpeter volunteers at schools and with civic organizations, and she gives cursive writing instructional workbooks  books that she wrote  to elementary schools.

Three years ago, when he became principal of Wildwood Elementary, Daniel Edwards met Kleinpeter through her work with Volunteers in Public Schools.

She really wants to make a contribution any way she can and stay engaged with kids, Edwards said. Im 56, so to be on the elementary campus, that keeps me rejuvenated and gives me energy and enthusiasm, and I think thats part of what keeps her coming. And Im glad to have her here.

Its a long way from where she grew up in rural Lafayette Parish and attended Mouton Switch School, a segregated, two-room school, and went on to graduate from Paul Breaux High School, the parishs only high school for Black students. Her parents were hardworking but poor, she said. The entire family picked pecans and did other odd jobs to help make ends meet.

I missed a lot of school to go wash dishes making $2 per day, but our teachers wanted us to get our education and convinced us to stay in school, she said. And I did.

She spent a semester at what is now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, married Milton Kleinpeter, moved to Baton Rouge and enrolled at Southern University, where she got her bachelors and masters degrees in elementary education and a masters in mass communication. She went on to do graduate and continuing education work at Southeastern Louisiana University and LSU, and earned a doctorate at Kansas State University.

Kleinpeter taught second grade at Southern Laboratory School for years, and she created a twice-weekly summer enrichment program for students at the Scotlandville Library. She challenged them with more advanced math and poetry memorization. Some of those students have gone on to earn advanced degrees.

Everybody thought I was crazy teaching computer to second graders, but everybody started coming in there, Kleinpeter said. I do not believe children are dumb.  I want my students to do everything they possibly can.

Kellee Knighten Hough, an actress and writer who also works as a part-time scientist at a Unilever lab in Connecticut, said Kleinpeter made these challenges enjoyable.

I didnt know at that time we were learning pre-algebra and stuff, Hough said. I just thought it was fun math stuff to do. We were 7-year-olds learning pre-algebra.

Kleinpeter, she said, was always a very encouraging instructor.

She was one of those teachers that once she saw you did well in something, she encouraged you to keep going, keep going, keep going, Hough recalled. And if there was something you struggled with, she would actually take the time to break it down and explain it to you in a way that your little-kid mind could grasp. She had the kind of faith in us that I truly, 100% believe that children need to succeed in life. She just made everything possible.

Kleinpeter, a professor in Southerns College of Education from 1975 until retiring in 2011, taught aspiring teachers like Sharon Thomas about graphic presentations like PowerPoint and critiqued them strictly.

That preparation came in especially handy the past two school years when teachers were forced to teach online classes because of the COVID pandemic, said Thomas, who is now principal at Highland Elementary School in Baton Rouge.

She was before her time, Thomas said.

When Kleinpeter wasnt teaching students or teachers professionally, she volunteered by teaching computer science through the Upward Bound organization, and she worked with Les Professionales, a cotillion-based program that taught young men the importance of education and social skills. Her education students volunteered to paint and make other improvements at Crestworth Elementary School.

Along the way, Kleinpeter saw that cursive writing wasnt being taught effectively as children did more of their work on computers. So she developed a method she calls Writing Made Easy, and wrote a workbook she prints at her own expense and donates to schools. Her method has received a patent, Kleinpeter said.

Its not so much about me, she said. Its about our young people and what they can do if we just work with them and for them.

Its amazing what I have witnessed in my life in the last 60 years, how people can make progress if we just give them support. To be honest, I never, never did dream that I would go to college and never did dream would happen in my life, she said. I have so many students who tell me the same thing. They would never have done that.
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP)  Paul E. Saylor left Johnson City in 1940.

Nearly 81 years later, he is returning home.

In 1940 he was a brand-new sailor in the United States Navy and had just completed boot camp in Norfolk, Virginia. He stopped in Johnson City to visit with his parents, friends and family while he was en route to California to join the ship he had been assigned to, the USS Oklahoma.

Just over a year after his visit, when Saylor was 21, the Oklahoma was moored at Ford Island in berth Fox 5 on Battleship Row of Pearl Harbor on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941; the ship was attacked by planes from the Japanese navys aircraft carriers Akagi and Kaga.

Saylors parents, his brothers and friends would never see him again.

Many of the bodies of the young men who died on the Oklahoma that morning, including Saylors, were recovered, but there was no way to identify most of them.

Now, thanks to decades of scientific advances in genetic research, those men have been identified, and Fireman First Class Paul E. Saylor will finally be taken from a grave marked unknown to be buried at Happy Valley Cemetery with his mother and father.

Also attending the ceremony on Aug. 20 will be a later generation of his family that Saylor never had the chance to know. They are coming from across the country to pay their respects and mourn a man they knew of, but had never known. Susan Saylor, Pauls niece, will be among those family members.

Susan Saylor said her family moved away from Johnson City when she was young, but her family made many trips to Johnson City for reunions with her grandparents and other family members.

She said they didnt talk too much about Paul during those reunions, but she did learn a lot about her uncle from the many letters he wrote home to his family during his year in the Navy. All of the letters had been saved in a shoe box the family had lovingly kept and which Susan would spend time reading during her holiday trips to Johnson City.

From those letters, she learned the admirable character of the young man, how hard he worked and how smart he was and how generous he was. Paul Saylor had been born in Bluff City to the Rev. Samuel and Mary Saylor. During Samuels ministry, the family would live in several areas in the region, including Unicoi County, Carter County and Samuel Saylors native Mitchell County, North Carolina, before settling in Johnson City.

Susan Saylor said her grandfather, Samuel, had been a self-ordained Free Will Baptist minster. She said Paul had three brothers. There was Lenard, who had been born in 1914, but had died at the young age of 12 in 1926. There was another older brother, Arthur, who was born in 1916. Then there was the younger brother, George, born in 1924.

Raising the family was probably a struggle for a Free Will Baptist minister during the Great Depression. Paul Saylor certainly showed his understanding of that financial burden in the letters that Susan read.

Although lower enlisted men received very little pay during the early 1940s, Susan said Paul was sending money home to his parents. She said the letters also revealed his drive to get ahead and his sense of responsibility.

He figured out early on that you could get promoted if you study hard and pass exams, Susan said. Even though he was only in the Navy for a little over a year before he was killed, he was quickly promoted and was a Navy fireman, first class, when he died.

She said the letters also showed his good sense in resisting temptation. She said he spoke about some money he had lost in a card game and how he vowed he would not be that foolish again.

The official Navy version of the final hours of so many men on the USS Oklahoma on Dec. 7, 1941 is a record of shock and surprise, as torpedoes slammed into her hull and Japanese planes strafed her crew. Men rushed to the anti-aircraft guns, only to find the firing locks were still stored in the armory that Sunday morning.

Most of the men were at battle stations below the waterline.

As the ship began to capsize, two more torpedoes slammed into her. In less than 12 minutes, she rolled over until halted when her masts touched the bottom, her starboard side above water, with part of her keel exposed. It is believed the ship absorbed as many as eight hits.

Many of her crew jumped from the decks 50 feet into the oil-covered burning hot water. Many others, including Paul, were trapped within the capsized hull.

Efforts to rescue them began within minutes of the ship capsizing, and continued well into the night. After three days, when no more knocking could be heard inside the hull, the rescue efforts ceased and the recovery efforts began.

In all, 429 men were listed as missing in action/unknowns. From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew. They were buried in Halawa and Nuuanu cemeteries.

In September 1947, the American Graves Registration Service disinterred the remain from the two cemeteries in an effort to identify these Pearl Harbor casualties. Only 35 men from the Oklahoma were identified at this time. The rest were reinterred at the Punchbowl in Honolulu.

It was not until 2015 that scientific advances made it possible for the Defense POW/MIA Accountability Agency to identify the sailors from the Oklahoma.

To identify Saylors remains, scientists from the agency used anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosome DNA analysis.

Saylors name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

Two other sailors from the Tri-Cities were on the Oklahoma on Dec. 7, 1941. They were Navy Seaman Second Class William Vane Campbell of Elizabethton, and Fireman Third Class Warren Harding Crim of Bristol.
NEW HAVEN  Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services is already receiving Afghan refugees and has put out the call for local individuals to come forward with affordable apartments as the process of relocation speeds up.

Anne OBrien, director of community engagement at IRIS, said six families, an estimated 20 people, are in New Haven, after being among the first wave to get out of that war-torn country and receive final processing at Fort Lee in Virginia.

This is unprecedented, Chris George, executive director of IRIS, said of the stepped up flights to get the Afghans, who assisted the U.S. military over the last two decades, and their families, out of Afghanistan.

As the situation quickly deteriorates in Afghanistan, with the Taliban continuing to take over provincial capitals, OBrien said all the aid agencies have been put on 24-hour notice to receive more families.

OBrien said 10 charter flights from that country to Dulles International Airport and then Fort Lee are expected through Sunday.

She said six staff members at IRIS have indicated an interest in going to Fort Lee to help with the situation, but the local agency has to find a balance between doing that and having staff here to properly establish the families it is assigned.

So many of our staff have worked overseas, this type of emergency is second nature to them. They think really well under pressure, she said.

As an example of housing needs, OBrien said one of the families with five children, who have a close colleague in West Haven, wanted to stay near them.

Because of the rushed nature of the evacuation out of Afghanistan, she said they have not identified all the housing needs and had to place them in a motel.

She said it is something they want to avoid because of the cost and also because it is not the best option for the families themselves.

All of the housing costs have gone up after the pandemic, OBrien said. She said, in addition to landlords, they are looking for individuals who could provide temporary housing for a week or two so the family doesnt have to cram into a hotel room.

We just dont know how many more families we will get. It could be zero, it could be 10 or 20, she said. She said they are also accepting donations.

This short term turnaround is going to be really really hard for us, OBrien said.

The Afghans are special immigrant visa holders because of their work as interpreters and other service providers for the past 20 years.

Gulabuddin Amiri / Associated Press

Some 3,500 of them are expected to be processed at Fort Lee with the first 200, which included babies, arriving on July 30, according to the Richmond Free Press.

They have already been vetted and are receiving health checkups and a final review at Fort Lee before they are sent to resettlement agencies around the country.

They are being evacuated as President Joe Biden sends some 3,000 troops back to Afghanistan and 4,000 to the region, according to the New York Times, to evacuate the estimated 4,000 staff members at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and other U.S. citizens.

Provincial capitals in Afghanistan are continuing to be taken over by the Taliban in a quickly deteriorating situation.

Afghans fear retaliation as American troops leave with all but a small presence by Aug. 31.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media file photo

George, in an earlier interview, said he expects IRIS to welcome close to 250 refugees to Greater New Haven this year and in 2022, as well as 100 refugees for settlement in Greater Hartford with 50 to be supported throughout the state with the help of private groups, usually organized by religious organizations.

Those numbers include refugees from across the world, not just Afghanistan.

Some 70,000 Afghans have re-settled in the U.S. under the special visa program since 2008, according to the Richmond Free Press.

The U.S. State Department this month announced another option to help Afghans fleeing the country.

Hearst Connecticut Media Group /

It is the Priority 2 program, or P-2. This is aimed at individuals who worked for humanitarian or media organizations or who have less than the amount of time of qualifying employment required by the special immigrant visa program.

OBrien said under that scenario they have to leave Afghanistan and go to a third country to begin the application process to come to the U.S. It seemed like a good option a few weeks ago, but with the Taliban advancing, the borders are closing.

George said even if they get to the capital in Kabul in time, the embassy would only have a skeleton staff to help them.

Everything is working against these people. There are Afghans here who are getting phone calls from their relatives pleading for help. They spend time  both ends of the phone conversation just crying. It is so tragic, George said.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  New Mexico health officials say an increase in hospitalizations across the state has prompted them to put out an urgent call for volunteer nurses to help boost the state's medical workforce.

The New Mexico Department of Health late Friday called on nurses or anyone with a medical license to volunteer to help because they believe hospitals could soon be overwhelmed with patients. They want recently retired health workers or anyone qualified to sign up for the state's Medical Reserve Corps.
NEW HAVEN  The Elm City has grown and become more diverse over the course of the past decade  a testament, according to Mayor Justin Elicker, to its efforts to welcome people into the community.

Elicker, Kica Matos, vice president of initiatives at the Vera Institue of Justice and former deputy mayor in the administration of John DeStefano Jr., and John Lugo, co-founder and community organizing director of Unidad Latina en Accion, shared their thoughts on the census results, saying the vibrancy of the city had been bolstered over the past decade as more people came to call it home.

New Haven grew from 129,779 people to 134,023 over the decade, according to the census data, with Hispanic and Latino residents becoming the largest racial and ethnic group in the city.

Thats a 3.3 percent growth rate, which outstripped the rest of Connecticut. As a whole, the state grew by 0.9 percent from 2010 to 2020  the fourth-lowest rate nationwide  and now boasts 3,608,298 residents.

The city now is roughly 30.6 percent Hispanic or Latino residents, 30.4 percent Black residents, 27.6 percent white residents and 6.7 Asian residents, not counting people of multiple races or ethnic backgrounds, according to the census data.

In 2010, it was about 33.4 percent Black residents, 31.8 percent white residents, 27.4 percent Hispanic or Latino residents and 4.5 percent Asian residents.

Matos said she was not surprised by the results. Recent administrations, she said, had made embracing diversity, celebrating our differences and making our city a welcoming city a priority.

When she and her husband were looking for a place to call home in 2001, she said, they were attracted to the economic and racial diversity of the city, settling in Fair Haven.

It was an appropriate place to raise their son, of Black and Puerto Rican descent, and be a part of a rich community, she said.

What you see when you drive down Grand Avenue is the result of a welcoming community, said Matos, noting the array of businesses and nationalities represented on the street..

The Latino population  people from Mexico, Guatamala, Puerto Rico and Ecuador, among other countries, Matos said  added to the fabric of life in New Haven over the course of the past decade.

She noted cultural examples  PRU is hosting music and dancing in Criscuolo Park Saturday; theres an annual Ecuadorian festival  the chance for economic opportunity, and the efforts of many immigrants during the coronavirus pandemic, as they were disproportionately likely to work front-line jobs and expose themselves to the virus.

Mayor Justin Elicker said it was exciting to see the citys growth, particularly in its diversity. He noted the increase in the number of Asian residents  there now are 9,044 Asian residents of New Haven, up from 5,864 in 2010  as well as the rise in the Latino population, which he noted mirrored a national trend.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Hispanic or Latino population across the nation grew 23 percent in the last decade, while the population that was not of Hispanic or Latino origin grew 4.3 percent.

The majority of students in New Haven schools are now Latino, Elicker noted, speaking to the importance of bilingual education in the coming years.

Lugo and Megan Fountain, also of Unidad Latina en Accion, also spoke to the importance of broadening efforts to include Latino and Hispanic residents in the city.

Its a call for the city of New Haven ... to include all these new people, said Lugo.

Among other priorities, the organization had suggested implementing wage theft protections, revitalizing the Elm City Resident Card program, enhancing bilingual and dual-language programs and support for immigrant students, affirming New Havens nature as an immigrant-friendly city, and adding more teachers of color to Elickers transition team, Fountain noted.

Lugo said he was not surprised to see Latino and Hispanic people become the largest racial and ethnic group in New Haven, given the number of Latino students in the school system and the pattern of change in the past, which has seen other groups come to the fore in the city.

Having the data, he said, drove home the importance of organizing to ensure that the voices of the diverse Latino community are represented in city politics.

Elicker on Friday noted he was returning from a press conference with U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Chris George, executive director of Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services, about the importance of protecting refugees.

He said he takes pride in the welcoming nature of the city. The diversity, he said, allows residents to grow in character, as they consider different perspectives and backgrounds.

That makes us stronger as a community, said Elicker. That allows us to be exposed to new ideas.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
PALATINE, Ill. (AP)  Officials at a suburban Chicago high school sent a freshman student home for refusing to put on a mask  a decision her mother said violates her daughter's rights.

Sheri Urlacher said her 14-year-old daughter was sent home from Fremd High School in Palatine on Friday after officials at the door of the school handed her a mask and asked her to put it on.

They repeatedly asked her to pull the mask up over her mouth and nose, and when she politely declined, they called me, Urlacher told the Chicago Tribune.

While the girl was back in school wearing a mask later in the day, the mother said she was bothered by the decision to send her home.

Shes OK, but she knows she has the right to make decisions about her own body, and its not the right of the school and government, said Urlacher, a single mother whose brother is former Chicago Bears star linebacker Brian Urlacher.

"As a matter of public safety, we are required to enforce the state of Illinois school mask mandate to minimize the risk of COVID virus transmission, Township High School District spokeswoman Erin Holmes said.

"A students refusal to wear a mask poses a potential threat to the safety of other students and staff as we return to full in-person instruction, Holmes continued. She declined to discuss any specific disciplinary decisions.

The incident comes days after Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said all students from preschool through 12th grade must wear masks to help slow the spread of the virulent delta variant that has surged in recent weeks.

Urlacher is one of several Illinois parents who have demanded that their children be allowed to attend school without wearing masks. On Monday, the father of one Illinois student filed a lawsuit against the governor contending that his mask mandate is government overreach.
The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Directorate of States, DOS, has suspended the every Monday sit-at-home order. IPOB had ordered its fo...

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Directorate of States, DOS, has suspended the every Monday sit-at-home order.

IPOB had ordered its followers and people of the Southeast to sit-at-home every Monday.

The move was aimed at prevailing on the Federal Government to release its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

However, IPOBs Head of DOS, Chika Edoziem announced the suspension of the action.

Edoziem said the sit-at-home would be declared whenever Kanu will be making appearance in court and not every Monday as earlier directed.

Speaking on their radio programme on Friday, Edoziem said: I wish to announce this very evening, that as directed by the highest command of this noble movement, our Monday Ghost Town or sit-at-home in Biafra land, stands suspended for now.

The weekly sit-at-home stands suspended, which means in the coming Monday, there will be no Ghost Town in Biafraland.

Our sit-at-home will be on each court date when our leader, Onye Ndu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will be appearing in court.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has dismissed claims of having personal disagreement with Uche Secondus, National Chairman of the Peopl...





Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has dismissed claims of having personal disagreement with Uche Secondus, National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Wike explained that he only speaks against the bad leadership in the party.

Featuring on African Independent Television, AIT, the Governor said that he would not be silent when things are going wrong, despite supporting Seconduss candidacy.

Everybody believed that whatever the national chairman was doing was dictated by Wike and must have the backing of Wike.

I believe when you support somebody, support him to succeed. But when things are also going wrong, if you dont speak out, people will believe you are part of it. Therefore, I owe it as a duty to say things are not going right, he said.

Lately, Secondus had been struggling to retain his position as PDP National Chairman.

Some members of the party had called for his resignation over his alleged failure.

Secondus, however, vowed never to resign.

Amid the call, the PDP National Chairman had alleged that a strong chieftain of the party was plotting to hijack the former ruling party from him.
Tunisian President Kais Saied on Friday dismissed US concerns over threats to democracy in the North African country more than a month aft...

Tunisian President Kais Saied on Friday dismissed US concerns over threats to democracy in the North African country more than a month after he suspended parliament, raising charges of a coup.

There is no reason to worry about the subject of freedom, justice and democracy in Tunisia, Saied said in a statement from his office during a visit by a high-level US delegation.

The president said he took the exceptional measures in July in line with the constitution to respond to the expectations of the people against a backdrop of political, economic and social crisis.

Jon Finer, the US deputy national security advisor, and Washingtons top diplomat for the Middle East, Joey Hood, met both Saied and civil society leaders in Tunis on Friday.

Finer delivered a message from President Joe Biden urging a swift return to the path of Tunisias parliamentary democracy, a White House statement said.

The White House advisor also discussed with President Saied the urgent need to appoint a prime minister-designate who would form a capable government able to address the immediate economic and health crises facing Tunisia, it added.

parliamentary immunity and sacked the prime minister along with other top officials.

The largest party in parliament accused him of staging a coup, charges dismissed by Saied.

His intervention came amid mounting economic and public health concerns triggered by one of the worlds worst outbreaks of Covid-19.

Tunisia was the birthplace of the Arab Spring revolts a decade ago and had often been described as the Arab worlds biggest success story in transitioning to democracy.





(AFP)
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Mainly cloudy. A few peeks of sunshine possible. High 84F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds light and variable.
The state of Mississippi is requesting a military hospital ship to increase capacity for treating a soaring number of COVID-19 patients  something Gov. Tate Reeves failed to acknowledge when the Sun Herald asked him twice Thursday afternoon what he would be asking of the federal government.

Instead, ABC News reported the development based on a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services planning document, according to a story Thursday.

A Mississippi health department official confirmed Wednesday that the state has requested that the federal government send a military hospital ship such as the USNS Comfort, which treated over 180 COVID-19 patients in New York City last year, the ABC story says.

Reeves, who was in Diamondhead earlier Thursday afternoon, told the Sun Herald that he would be talking later in the day with federal officials about the need for 920 additional health care workers for the state and other needs. When asked about those other needs, he did not mention the hospital ship.

GOV. REEVES DOWNPLAYS HOSPITAL BED SHORTAGE

Reeves has downplayed the severity of the states COVID-19 crisis by saying that hospitals have been fuller during the pandemic than they are now as the highly contagious delta variant leads to a record number of cases.

He said 1,444 patients were hospitalized earlier in the pandemic, with 1,400 hospitalized now.

He also said the media has overplayed the opening of a field hospital for COVID patients, including older children, at the University of Mississippi Medical Center on Friday. He said UMMC has used a field hospital at previous times in the pandemic.

Earlier in the pandemic, Reeves had said a field hospital could be set up at Camp Shelby, but the state does not currently have the medical personnel to staff it.

The Mississippi State Department of Health has requested a Disaster Medical Assistance Team for the UMMC field hospital and a total of 920 additional medical personnel to staff hospitals, which are down 2,000 nurses, Reeves told the Sun Herald.

Reeves said he expects some of those federal medical professionals to arrive Friday at the field hospital in Jackson.

Unlike Reeves, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs is sounding every alarm he can. He said the state has requested hundreds of nurses, dozens of doctors and and about 200 respiratory therapists. Hospitals are expected to see even more patients as COVID cases climb, reaching a record high of 4,412 on Thursday.

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Were willing to leave no stone unturned and that includes the USNS Comfort, Dobbs said during a late-afternoon news conference about UMMCs field hospital. The main thing we need is the personnel. Staffing is sort of our main bottleneck.

Its not necessarily that we need the ship, but we need personnel from anywhere we can get them and we will strive to.

He said he did not believe the ship would be coming during the height of hurricane season.

COVID PATIENTS STUCK IN ER AT MS COAST HOSPITAL

Coast hospitals are overtaxed, too, offering sign-on bonuses to attract nurses and respiratory therapists.

I am surprised that it has come to the point where the state of Mississippi is having to request a hospital ship to come to the Coast because we have not done what we needed to do to protect ourselves, said Richard Roberson, vice president of state advocacy at the Mississippi Hospital Association

The tools have been in place for a long time now. Weve had options. Weve had opportunities to practice social distancing, to wear a mask, to get a vaccine.

I think the data clearly shows that nearly all of the hospitalizations are attributable to nonvaccinated patients.

Memorial Hospital CEO Kent Nicaud confirmed the overcrowding at the Coasts largest hospital.

Right now, we have about 95 COVID patients in beds and are minus 23 beds needed, Nicaud said. That means I have 23 people in the ER right now waiting for beds.

Singing River Health System Lee Bond earlier in the day told Coast business leaders what he saw walking out of the ER a couple nights ago. Ambulances werent able to unload patients, people were on stretchers in the hallway, people were gasping for air in the waiting room, just sheer misery.

I wondered to myself, is this what it might look like in a world war?
Yesterday, Honor unveiled its first flagship hardware since splitting from Huawei, its former parent company. While the Watch GS 3 and V7 Pro are noteworthy in their own right, the Magic 3, Magic 3 Pro and Magic 3 Pro Plus were the stars of the show. Arguably, the Magic 3 Pro Plus is the most exciting smartphone that Honor has announced, mainly because of its so-called IMAX camera.

According to Android Authority, the Magic 3 series will receive at least two major Android updates, rather than the one that 9to5Google initially reported. Honor CEO George Zhao was quick to correct 9to5Google; such is the apparent importance of a smooth Magic 3 series launch for the company.

The Magic 3 series will ship with Magic UI 5, Honor's custom skin of Android 11. Hence, the Magic 3, Magic 3 Pro and Magic 3 Pro Plus should all receive Android 13, presumably Magic UI 7.

Unfortunately for Honor, two OS updates puts it at a disadvantage compared with its competitors. Even LG, a company with a dreadful reputation for delivering software updates, has committed to three OS updates for its newer smartphones. Hopefully, 'at least two major Android updates' becomes three, although we would not purchase a Magic 3 series handset on that basis.

Purchase the Honor Band 6 on Amazon
Ventura | $3.49 Million

A modern farmhouse built in 2005, with three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, on a 12.87-acre lot

Six of this propertys nearly 13 acres are planted with avocado trees, and there is a citrus grove, as well. The lot, nestled in the hills overlooking the coastline, is private, with no neighboring homes in sight. But it is well located for visiting surrounding areas: Rincon Point, a beach on the border of Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, with some of the countrys best surfing, is 20 minutes away; about 40 minutes in the opposite direction is Ojai, a popular resort destination and wine-industry hub.

Size: 2,275 square feet

Price per square foot: $1,534

Indoors: From the road, a driveway winds through the property, passing fruit trees, before it ends in front of the garage. A path leads to the front door, which opens into a foyer.

To the right is a bright living room with polished-concrete floors and a fireplace. Through the living room is an open dining area, with room for a long table in front of floor-to-ceiling windows facing an orchard and, beyond, the ocean. The dining area is open to the kitchen, which has Caesarstone countertops; stainless-steel appliances, including a dedicated beverage refrigerator; and a large, ocean-facing window above a farmhouse-style sink. Also on this side of the house is a powder room with an ash-wood vanity, as well as a laundry room.

Stairs in the entry lead to the second level, where there are three bedrooms, two of which have access to a balcony that partially wraps around the house. One of those bedrooms is the primary, reached by turning right at the top of the stairs. It has vaulted wood ceilings and an en suite bathroom with a large shower separated from the rest of the room by a glass wall. On the other side of the stairs are a smaller bedroom currently used as an office and a third bedroom large enough to hold a queen-size bed; they share a bathroom with a walk-in shower.
WASHINGTON  The Biden administration admonished the Republican governors of Texas and Florida on Friday for blocking local school districts from requiring masks or taking other measures to protect students from the coronavirus in the coming school year.

The secretary of education, Miguel Cardona, sent letters to the governors and their education commissioners, writing that he was concerned about recent executive actions taken by both governors.

Those orders, he wrote, prohibited districts from voluntarily adopting science-based strategies for preventing the spread of Covid-19 that are aligned with the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, like universal masking. The letters were made public late Friday.

The debate over whether local school districts should be able to require masks has become highly partisan. Republicans have cast mask rules as an infringement on parental rights, while Democrats have said they are a matter of public health.
After repainting  it took three tries to get the bedroom the perfect shade of murky gray, and the rest of the apartment is now an off-white thats neither too warm nor too cool  King started filling his space. From Cassina, he ordered a blocky white Utrecht armchair created in the 1930s by the Dutch designer Gerrit Rietveld; a velvet and walnut stool from Ben Bloomstein and Aaron Aujlas Green River Project in the East Village; a custom table lamp by the New York-based ceramist Danny Kaplan; and some vintage midcentury woven rattan Pierre Jeanneret chairs, which King borrowed from his friend the Chelsea gallerist Dobrinka Salzman. In the living room, he placed a hand-thrown Modernist vase by the early 20th-century British potter Lucie Rie next to an old mirror on the fireplaces mantel. Unlike his styling gigs, which often involve hurried deadlines, populating his apartment was a slower, more deliberate endeavor: I had time to listen to the space, he says. The result is stark but layered, weaving together disparate threads of 1970s Italian design, early American architecture and French Modernism with a subtlety that few young designers, who tend to experiment with wanton eclecticism, manage to pull off.

KINGS APARTMENT enshrines the minimalist aesthetic he has been fine-tuning for years, but not without a few detours. He and his twin brother grew up on a farm in rural Ohio where idleness was discouraged; there were always chores to do, and since they lived an hour from school, they rarely saw friends. As a teenager, King recalls being really self-conscious about his voice, he says, as if I came out every time I opened my mouth. But at 13, he discovered dance, and when he turned 18, he moved to New York to continue his jazz and ballet studies, though he soon found the reality of making it as a performer disheartening; on a whim, at 22, he moved to Los Angeles, where he faced the same frustrations: I was told, over and over, Youre too tall, youre too thin, youre not masculine enough  at some point, you have to take the hint. So he began working as a fitness instructor, followed by a brief stint as an estate manager, until he happened upon a job as a digital content producer with Consort, a design firm with a shop on Melrose Avenue. There, he was tasked with pulling merchandise from the shelves, styling and photographing a vignette and promoting it on social media. Finally, he had found something he was as passionate about as dance.
Were still digging into the data, she said. I think these improvements and changes could have also contributed to that. But its certainly a trend weve been seeing for the past several decades.

The result was a much more nuanced  and accurate  portrait of how Americans see themselves, social scientists said, even if part of the spike in the multiracial category was as much about reclassification as it was about real growth.

Richard Alba, a sociologist who has written about race categorization and the census, said that typically, a large share of Hispanic Americans check the box for white in the race question. Now, he said, they were given the chance to describe their backgrounds more fully, an addition, he said, that could have flipped them into the multiracial category.

Thats not a change in social reality, thats a change in the way social reality is being categorized, he said. In the long run we will probably be able to say more precisely to what extent is there a real change and to what extent is this a coding change.

However, the coding change was not simply a statistical blip. It was a meaningful widening of options people had to say who they felt they were.

For Mr. Watson, the fact that more Americans were identifying themselves as multiracial felt like a recognition by society that he had long craved.

I think it shows that theres more depth and breadth to us as people of color, he said. Its a testament that our society is moving in the right direction. It goes beyond just the color of our skin.
The governments power to ban evictions as part of its efforts fighting the pandemic has raised complex legal and political issues. The Biden administration had signaled that it intended to let an earlier version of the moratorium, which had by then already been extended several times, expire at the end of July after a Supreme Court justice warned that it was likely on legally shaky ground.

But as the Delta variant of the virus surged and Speaker Nancy Pelosi and progressive Democrats urged the White House to reverse course, the administration this month issued a new, narrower moratorium  even as Mr. Biden made clear in comments to reporters that he understood its chances of being upheld by the Supreme Court were dim.

The bulk of the constitutional scholarship says that its not likely to pass constitutional muster, he said on Aug. 3. But there are several key scholars who think that it may  and its worth the effort.

Signaling that the White House understands the moratoriums longer-term prospects are weak, Ms. Psaki on Friday called on state and local officials to take other steps that could mitigate a virus-spreading wave of mass evictions, including by imposing local moratoriums and by taking more aggressive steps to distribute $46.5 billion that Congress appropriated to serve as emergency rental assistance funds.

A temporary evictions moratorium for the pandemic began during the Trump administration. At times, Congress has explicitly authorized it. But when those periods lapsed, the C.D.C. has issued extensions of it under the 1944 law, which empowers the government to issue rules it deems necessary to slow the interstate spread of disease.

Unable to evict nonpaying tenants, landlords sued, raising the question of whether a nationwide evictions ban fell outside of the 1944 law.

In May, Judge Friedrich ruled that the plaintiffs were likely to prevail and issued an order that would enjoin the government from enforcing the ban while the litigation played out. But she also stayed that ruling while the government appealed it, and the appeals court declined to lift her stay  while also stating that, contrary to her view, the ban would most likely be found lawful.
As the Afghan government lost control of more than a dozen cities in a matter of days, Biden administration officials repeatedly urged its collapsing security forces to demonstrate leadership and will to defend Kabul, their capital  underscoring the stark reality that the United States has no intention of rescuing them as the Taliban storm across the country.

Echoing several other top U.S. officials in recent days, John F. Kirby, a Defense Department spokesman, noted to reporters on Friday that Afghan government forces had numerical and firepower advantages over the Taliban and suggested they should be able to stop the onslaught if only they tried hard enough.

We will do what we can from the air, but they have the advantage. They have greater numbers. They have an air force. They have modern weaponry, he said. Its time now to use those advantages.

A day earlier, Mr. Kirby was more explicit. No potential outcome has to be inevitable, including the fall of Kabul, he said. It doesnt have to be that way. It really depends on the kind of political and military leadership that the Afghans can muster to turn this around.
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan  The surrenders seem to be happening as fast as the Taliban can travel.

In the past several days, the Afghan security forces have collapsed in more than 15 cities under the pressure of a Taliban advance that began in May. On Friday, officials confirmed that those included two of the countrys most important provincial capitals: Kandahar and Herat.

The swift offensive has resulted in mass surrenders, captured helicopters and millions of dollars of American-supplied equipment paraded by the Taliban on grainy cellphone videos. In some cities, heavy fighting had been underway for weeks on their outskirts, but the Taliban ultimately overtook their defensive lines and then walked in with little or no resistance.

This implosion comes despite the United States having poured more than $83 billion in weapons, equipment and training into the countrys security forces over two decades.
THE DOPE

The Real History of the Mexican Drug Trade

By Benjamin T. Smith

It was a defining moment for the reluctant trinity of North American nations. Poor Mexico  described by the dictator Porfirio Diaz as so far from God  was drawing closer to the United States, Canada and the historic free trade deal that its Harvard-educated president was negotiating.

Then, on a Monday afternoon in late spring, 1993, a Mexican cardinal, dressed in clerical robes, a large crucifix hanging from a chain around his neck, was shot 14 times as he got out of his white Grand Marquis at the entrance to the Guadalajara airport. Mexican investigators concluded that the prelate, Juan Jesus Posadas Ocampo, had been caught in a shootout between drug lords, including one named Joaquin Guzman.

Just two weeks earlier, I had moved to Mexico to work as a foreign correspondent for this newspaper; my principal assignment: covering the upcoming North American Free Trade Agreement and reporting on Mexicos acceptance into the club of developed nations. The brazen attack lasted only minutes, but it abruptly ended the glowing bonhomie that Mexico had enjoyed until then. Besides introducing El Chapo Guzman to the world, the killing made all of us aware of the terrifying power of the cartels.

The initial investigation into the cardinals murder was deeply flawed, and the notion of an unlucky crossfire or mistaken identity gave way to sinister theories involving Mexican officials. Its unlikely the truth will ever be known, but the nexus between drug traffickers and the government has been laid out convincingly in many journalistic and academic works.
It can have devastating mental health effects. But avoiding burnout is not a priority for all companies. About 20 percent of U.S. workers in the private sector do not have access to paid vacation or holidays, according to the Labor Department. Companies in industries where retaining talent is difficult, such as technology, tend to see giving employees time to recharge as a worthwhile investment. Other companies consider turnover part of their business model because their data show that employees become less engaged over time.

Extra time off, though, is only a short-term coping strategy, says Christina Maslach, a researcher at the University of California, Berkeleys Healthy Workplaces center.

Its not preventing burnout and chronic stressors because those are still there in the workplace, she said. If those dont change, youre getting away from them, but then theyll start back again.

This is backed by research. A 2009 study published in the Journal of Occupational Health found that vacation led to modest decreases in exhaustion and health complaints and modest increases in life satisfaction. Within two to four weeks after resuming work, however, those benefits had vanished, according to Jessica de Bloom, a vacation researcher at the University of Tampere in Finland who was a co-author of the study. Other studies have shown that well-being lapsed to pre-vacation levels within the first week of resuming work.

This was especially true for a category of people prone to burnout: workaholics and perfectionists. A 2012 study in the Journal of Applied Psychology and a 2014 study by Dr. de Bloom and others in the journal Stress and Health found that workaholics and perfectionists gained more in terms of well-being than other workers, but they also lost more upon returning.

How companies can reduce burnout

When corporations have a problem, such as high attrition, and they dont know how to solve it, they tend to copy what competitors are doing, said Dan Wang, a professor at Columbia Business School. He believes thats part of the reason several companies are bulking up their vacation benefits this year. But given the relative lack of data on whether vacations are the best way to improve employee well-being at work, is it the best approach?

Leaders first priority should be to stop glorifying exhaustion, said Dr. Maslach of Berkeley. After that, she suggests that managers ask employees what they need, rather than assume that they know, since there is no one answer. For example, companies have sought to improve morale by installing a volleyball court on the rooftop of an office or by providing free food during the day. What may have made more of a difference to employees was receiving fewer emails from bosses during evenings and weekends.
I tried my best, but Ill always be at least a month late, she said.

With Thursdays ruling, landlords could technically start filing suits immediately to evict tenants, although it takes two weeks between sending a notice and executing an eviction. But the order does not block a tenants ability to mount a so-called hardship defense.

Its the difference between using just the declaration that the tenant provides and having a court do a fact-finding inquiry into whether the tenant has suffered financial hardship, said Sophie House, a lawyer and a researcher at the N.Y.U. Furman Center.

Randy M. Mastro, a lawyer for the landlords who had challenged the law, said that both tenants and landlords suffered from the pandemic, and this gives a level playing field, as a matter of fairness, so that both sides can be heard in court. Lawyers said the ruling essentially allows housing courts to operate as they used to before the pandemic.

A moratorium on evictions in areas of high transmission, issued earlier this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, offers some protection to tenants but does not prevent landlords from taking them to court. That moratorium is set to expire on Oct. 3.

Legislators are divided over what action to take next, given that tenants already have some protection, in the form of the Tenant Safe Harbor Act, which prohibits courts from evicting tenants who experienced financial hardship from accrued rent during the pandemic. Some lawmakers are waiting to see if an increase in evictions will turn into a full-blown crisis.

This is a serious setback for our efforts to protect tenants and all New Yorkers from the pandemic, said State Senator Brian Kavanagh, who was the lead sponsor of that bill. We think this was an effective and necessary tool, not just to protect the tenants from the economic hardship and danger of being hauled into court, but also to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

Advocates for tenants and landlords say that getting help from the $2 billion Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which has struggled to administer relief because of technical glitches, is vital to preventing an eviction crisis.
The party crystallized the caricature of the Democratic Party that Joe Biden had to fight against in order to get elected. It was as far from Flint and Scranton as you can imagine: an orgy of the 1 percent  private jets, Marthas Vineyard, limousine liberals and Hollywood whoring  complete with a meat-free menu.

The disinvitados, as one referred to them, were in four camps: Some didnt care, some pretended they didnt care, some were annoyed, and some were deeply hurt, especially loyal former staffers who felt they had contributed more to the Obama legacy than the likes of George Clooney, John Legend and Don Cheadle.

There were pop-up Plan B gatherings on the island and gallows humor among the iced. One joked that he would have liked to go mostly to see the old Obama gang from campaigns, except, oops, they werent there.

Colbert, who was disinvited, joked that he was axed because the president had to limit the guest list to only his closest Beyonces.

Only one person was thrilled to be disinvited, and you can guess who it was. When he got a call from the former presidents assistant, Larry David (who has a home on the island) figured he was going to be asked to perform. He went into a tailspin, trying to think of what routine he could come up with in three days.

I was pretty glum when I finally called back his assistant, David said in an email. When he told me I was eighty-sixed from the party, I was so relieved, I screamed, Thank you! Thank you! He must have thought I was insane. Then I hung up the phone, poured myself a drink and finished my crossword puzzle.

Whether the party was 500 or 300 or 30, Obama should have made sure to have the people there who made the moment possible, the ones who worked so hard to get him elected and cement his legacy.
Last summer, a flock of greenfinches brightened up the balcony of my apartment in Berlin. They were small birds with pale pink beaks and plumage the color of ripening bananas. The leading edge of their gray wings turned a brilliant yellow, like a steel blade heated in a forge. I never imagined such vivid colors when I filled the feeder I had purchased on a whim. I had expected only the company of the sparrows I saw daily on the streets.

The greenfinches showed up in noisy groups and sparred for perches on the feeder. There was one bird, however, who foraged spilled seeds from the ground. He was a pompom of puffed feathers who handled his seeds clumsily and took long drinks of water from a jar. He sometimes rested in my flowers and let me come so close I could have snatched him with my hand. It was only later, after the greenfinches went away in winter, that I began to read about their nesting behaviors and realized the little bird was showing signs of trichomonosis, an infectious disease that has killed millions of Europes greenfinches since 2005.

Nature has been an escape for many of us during the Covid-19 pandemic. The freedom of wild animals has seemed especially wonderful when our own movements and associations have been clipped. If you watch wildlife closely, however, you will eventually witness the uncontrolled spread of illness  the worst-case scenario we have spent more than a year of our lives now trying to avoid.

The sick greenfinch on my balcony was suffering from ulcers on his throat that made it painful to swallow. Probably he starved. Had I recognized his illness at the time, I should have dumped the water and taken down the feeder to prevent him from infecting other birds. Ever since the greenfinches returned to my balcony this spring, I clean the feeder every week, change the water daily and sweep fallen seeds from the ground. My relationship with birds has come to resemble the rest of my life, with its many routines and anxieties around the detection and avoidance of disease.
For much of this summer, Dylan Fogarty, 28, the director of academic partnerships for an education start-up, has been having a blast in Fire Island Pines: hosting pool parties at his four-bedroom house, making new friends at the Low Tea bar, and dancing at the Pavilion club till dawn to pop songs by Lady Gaga and Dua Lipa.

But when he got off the ferry two weeks ago, he saw something he hadnt seen for almost two months: a coronavirus testing site.

That wasnt the only thing that changed. Some people were wearing masks on the boardwalk again, hosts were asking guests if they had been vaccinated, and the bouncers at clubs and bars were once again screening for vaccination cards at the door.

Its because of the Delta variant, Mr. Fogarty said. All it takes is for one person in one room, and it spreads. I am always happy to show my proof of vaccination, and Im glad a lot of places did it last weekend.
Raven Sutton, a dancer and American Sign Language performer, stayed up for the midnight release of WAP, the raunchy hit by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. Ms. Sutton, who is deaf, then spent several hours translating the English into A.S.L., figuring out what signs to use and practicing her flow to match that of the artists.

The song is very hype, said Ms. Sutton, 26, from Riverdale, Md. Women empowerment, being proud of your body, all of that. So Im trying to figure out in my interpretation, how do I want to express that? I want to be sexy. I want to be able to move my body and show exactly what theyre talking about. (The interviews between the deaf subjects in this story and the reporter were conducted over video calls on Google Meet with an A.S.L. interpreter.)

Ms. Sutton, who later posted her interpretation on social media, is part of a growing community of Black deaf content creators who aim to educate people about deafness, highlight their own community and make music more accessible to deaf audiences.

This work doesnt come without challenges, including a common misunderstanding that deaf people cant enjoy music. They can, largely through vibrations and interpretations.
Its well established that you do have this domino concept, she said, where the energy released by one earthquake alters the stress patterns elsewhere along the fault line. But we dont have a crystal ball that tells us which domino is going to fall next.

Dr. Hough said seismologists had been concerned about a region of the fault zone to the east, closer to the 2010 rupture site. Now weve seen the segment to the west rupture, she said.

She said that the fault ruptured both vertically and laterally. Preliminary analyses suggested that the fault ruptured to the west, which would mean that most of the energy was directed away from Port-au-Prince and toward the more sparsely populated region along the Tiburon peninsula. If thats the case, then most of the aftershocks that inevitably follow a large earthquake would most likely occur to the west as well.

To the extent that anything could be good news for Haiti, those are good signs, Dr. Hough said.

At a magnitude of 7.2, Saturdays quake released about twice as much energy as the one in 2010, which was a magnitude-7.0 quake. That quake killed some 300,000 people. Jerry Chandler, head of Haitis Civil Protection Agency, said Sunday during a news conference that the latest earthquake had killed at least 724 people.
Strong Earthquake Rocks Haiti, Killing Hundreds The magnitude 7.2 quake severely damaged several cities, burying people in the rubble of collapsed buildings. It was more powerful than the 2010 quake, which killed more than 220,000 people. Follow our live coverage of the Haiti Earthquake here.

A powerful earthquake violently shakes Haiti. Hundreds are dead. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 1:10 - 0:00 transcript Hundreds Dead After Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake Hits Haiti The powerful quake leveled buildings, killed nearly 1,300 people and overwhelmed hospitals in at least two Haitian cities. So they are trying now, if they can save the people, because theres so much people down there. The powerful quake leveled buildings, killed nearly 1,300 people and overwhelmed hospitals in at least two Haitian cities. Credit Credit... Ralph Tedy Erol/Reuters PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti  A magnitude 7.2 earthquake violently shook Haiti on Saturday morning, a devastating blow to an impoverished country reeling from a presidential assassination last month and still recovering from a disastrous quake more than 11 years ago. The quake overwhelmed hospitals, flattened buildings and trapped people under rubble in at least two cities in the western part of the countrys southern peninsula. At least 304 people were killed and more than 1,800 injured, according to Jerry Chandler, the director general of the Civil Protection Agency. An untold number were missing. The streets are filled with screaming, said Archdeacon Abiade Lozama, head of an Episcopal church in Les Cayes, one of the afflicted cities. People are searching, for loved ones or resources, medical help, water.  The disaster could hardly have come at a worse time for the nation of 11 million, which has been in the throes of a political crisis since President Jovenel Moise was assassinated on July 7. The unsolved assassination, a leadership vacuum, severe poverty and systematic gang violence in parts of Haiti have left the government dysfunctional and ill prepared for a natural calamity. Much of the initial information about the quake came via social media postings and phone because of the security dangers in traveling to the affected area, which is at least four hours away by road from Port-au-Prince, the capital. The United States Geological Survey said the quake struck five miles from the town of Petit Trou de Nippes in the western part of the country, about 80 miles west of Port-au-Prince. Seismologists said it had a depth of seven miles and was felt as far away as 200 miles in Jamaica. The U.S.G.S. said it was a magnitude 7.2 quake, more powerful than the 7.0 quake that hit Haiti in 2010, which killed nearly a quarter-million people. The Saturday quake struck in a less densely populated area of the country, but it was impossible to assess the full scope of casualties. Haitis embassy in the United States said in a statement that the Haitian Government believes high casualties are probable given the earthquakes magnitude. The Biden administration, the United Nations and private relief agencies that operate in Haiti promised urgent help. aftermath of the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Haiti   pic.twitter.com/080yX6P9FJ  CARIBBEAN CULTURE  (@westindimade) August 14, 2021 At least two cities reported major devastation: Les Cayes and Jeremie. Phone lines were down in Petit Trou de Nippes, the epicenter of the quake, and no news emerged immediately from that city, leaving Haitian officials to fear for the worst. A landslide, triggered by the quake, cut off access to the road to Jeremie. Doctors said the two main hospitals in Les Cayes and the main hospital in Jeremie had been overwhelmed. Many houses fell. Many people are trapped under the rubble, said Widchell Augustin, 35, from Les Cayes, where he lives. Videos emerged of people still in their pajamas or bath towels, out in the street seeking refuge from their violently trembling homes. Entire three-story buildings were flattened to eye-level; another video showed a group of men sifting through rubble and trying to remove debris to extract someone stuck underneath. Dr. James Pierre, 38, a surgeon working at the general hospital of Les Cayes, also known as the Hospital Immaculee Conception, said the hospital was in need of the most basic supplies, including surgical gloves and intravenous needles. He added that he may be the only surgeon currently operating in Les Cayes, as many of his colleagues returned to Haitis capital for the weekend on Friday. He also said that a building housing medical students, hospital interns and two doctors had collapsed, trapping those who were most needed to provide aid. Gabriel Fortune, a powerful local politician and former mayor of Les Cayes, was among those killed when the hotel he owned collapsed during the quake, according to a local journalist who knew him, Jude Bonhomme. Maria Abi-Habib and

The latest Haiti earthquake was more powerful than the devastating quake in 2010. A satellite image showing the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault zone in Haiti in 2010. Credit... NASA The earthquake that struck Haiti on Saturday morning occurred on the same system of faults as the one that devastated the capital, Port-au-Prince, in January 2010. And the previous quake almost certainly made this one more likely to occur. Both quakes struck on an east-west fault line at the convergence of two tectonic plates, large segments of the Earths crust that slowly move in relationship to each other. At this fault line, called the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault zone, the Caribbean plate and the North American plate move laterally, or side by side, at a rate of about a quarter of an inch a year. The 2010 quake was centered about 30 miles west of Port-au-Prince. The quake on Saturday was about 50 miles further west. Caribbean Sea Area affected by earthquake and storm in Haiti Haiti Lower pop. Higher Damage reported Gonave Island Jeremie Port-au- Prince Petit-Trou-de -Nippes D.R. Beaumont Anse-a-Veau Very strong shaking Aug. 14 Epicenter of earthquake Strong Moderate Light Aquin Les Cayes Ile a Vache 20 miles Aug. 16, 8 pm Storm batters Haiti Aug. 17, 2 am Path of Tropical Storm Grace Aug. 16, 2 pm Haiti Area affected by earthquake and storm in Haiti Lower pop. Higher Damage reported Caribbean Sea Gonave Island Jeremie Port-au- Prince Petit-Trou-de -Nippes Beaumont Anse-a-Veau Very strong shaking Aug. 14 Epicenter of earthquake Strong Moderate Light Aquin Les Cayes 20 miles Ile a Vache Aug. 16, 8 pm Storm batters Haiti Aug. 17, 2 am Path of Tropical Storm Grace Area affected by earthquake v and storm in Haiti Lower pop. Higher Damage reported Very strong shaking Strong shaking Haiti Moderate shaking Light shaking Caribbean Sea 20 miles Port-au- Prince Aug. 14 Epicenter of earthquake Aug. 17, 2 am Path of Grace, now a tropical storm Aug. 16, 8 pm Storm batters Haiti Area affected by earthquake and storm in Haiti Lower pop. Higher Damage reported Very strong shaking Strong shaking Haiti Moderate shaking Light shaking Caribbean Sea 20 miles Port-au- Prince Aug. 14 Epicenter of earthquake Aug. 17, 2 am Path of Tropical Storm Grace Aug. 16, 8 pm Storm batters Haiti Susan E. Hough, a seismologist with the United States Geological Survey who studied the 2010 earthquake, said there was no doubt that it and the one Saturday were linked. Its well established that you do have this domino concept, she said, where the energy released by one earthquake alters the stress patterns elsewhere along the fault line. But we dont have a crystal ball that tells us which domino is going to fall next. Dr. Hough said seismologists had been concerned about a region of the fault zone to the east, closer to the 2010 rupture site. Now weve seen the segment to the west rupture, she said. She said that the fault ruptured both vertically and laterally. Preliminary analyses suggested that the fault ruptured to the west, which would mean that most of the energy was directed away from Port-au-Prince and toward the more sparsely populated region along the Tiburon peninsula. If thats the case, then most of the aftershocks that inevitably follow a large earthquake would most likely occur to the west as well. To the extent that anything could be good news for Haiti, those are good signs, Dr. Hough said. At a magnitude of 7.2, Saturdays quake released about twice as much energy as the one in 2010, which was a magnitude-7.0 quake. That quake killed some 300,000 people. Jerry Chandler, head of Haitis Civil Protection Agency, said Sunday during a news conference that the latest earthquake had killed at least 724 people. Damage and casualties from quakes depend on many factors besides magnitude. The depth and location of the rupture, the time it occurred and the quality of construction all can play major roles. In the 2010 earthquake, shoddy construction  especially poorly built masonry buildings  was blamed for many of the deaths and injuries. The fault zone extends west to Jamaica, which is also at risk of major earthquakes. In addition to the 2010 quake, the fault zone was most likely the source of four major earthquakes in the 18th and 19th centuries, including ones that leveled Port-au-Prince in 1751 and again in 1770.

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Haiti lies in the possible path of Tropical Storm Grace. A satellite image of Tropical Storm Grace, which formed in the eastern Caribbean on Saturday morning. Credit... NOAA As Haiti reeled from a devastating earthquake on Saturday, the threat of another natural disaster loomed over the island. Tropical Storm Grace, which formed in the eastern Caribbean the same morning, was on a path toward Haiti, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm was projected to pass over or near Haiti on Monday, the center said in an update on Saturday afternoon, adding that people on the island should monitor the path of Grace, and that tropical storm warnings for Haiti and other nearby islands could be required later on Saturday or on Sunday. Map: Tracking Graces Path A map showing the storms path as it heads across the Gulf of Mexico. Over Haiti, the storm could dump four to seven inches of rain, with isolated totals of up to 10 inches, the center said, adding that heavy rainfall could lead to flooding and potential mudslides on Monday and into Tuesday. Before the centers afternoon update, Robbie Berg, a hurricane specialist at the center, said the earthquake could increase the chance of mudslides. It could have shifted some of the ground and soil, which could make mudslides more common, he said. Dennis Feltgen, a spokesman for the center, said the storm was not expected to make landfall in Haiti, which means the center of the storm wouldnt cross over the island itself. However, he said, rain is centered all around the storm, so the center wont mean a whole lot. Grace is expected to strengthen over the next couple of days, and then weaken by Monday or Tuesday, the center said. Grace, which is the seventh named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, follows several days of floods and power outages unleashed this week by Fred. Alyssa Lukpat and

Here is what to know about the Haiti earthquake. The Sacred Heart church in Les Cayes was damaged in an earthquake on Saturday. Credit... Delot Jean/Associated Press What happened? An earthquake of 7.2 magnitude struck Haiti on Saturday morning. It was stronger than the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that devastated the Caribbean country in 2010. The United States Geological Survey said the quake struck five miles from the town of Petit Trou de Nippes in the western part of the country, about 80 miles west of Port-au-Prince, the capital. Seismologists said it had a depth of seven miles. It was felt as far away as Jamaica, 200 miles away. The U.S. Tsunami Warning Center reported a tsunami threat because of Saturdays earthquake, but later rescinded it. Aftershocks have rippled through the region, the U.S.G.S. said. What is the death toll? Haitis Civil Protection Agency said Sunday that at least 1,297 people had been confirmed dead. Among the dead was the former mayor of Les Cayes, Gabriel Fortune, who was killed when the hotel he owned collapsed during the quake, according to a local journalist who knew him, Jude Bonhomme. What parts of Haiti were affected? Two cities, Les Cayes and Jeremie, located in Haitis southern peninsula, have reported major devastation with people caught under rubble and buildings collapsed. Phone lines were down in Petit Trou de Nippes, the epicenter of the quake. No news emerged immediately from that city, leaving Haitian officials to fear for the worst. Caribbean Sea Area affected by earthquake and storm in Haiti Haiti Lower pop. Higher Damage reported Gonave Island Jeremie Port-au- Prince Petit-Trou-de -Nippes D.R. Beaumont Anse-a-Veau Very strong shaking Aug. 14 Epicenter of earthquake Strong Moderate Light Aquin Les Cayes Ile a Vache 20 miles Aug. 16, 8 pm Storm batters Haiti Aug. 17, 2 am Path of Tropical Storm Grace Aug. 16, 2 pm Haiti Area affected by earthquake and storm in Haiti Lower pop. Higher Damage reported Caribbean Sea Gonave Island Jeremie Port-au- Prince Petit-Trou-de -Nippes Beaumont Anse-a-Veau Very strong shaking Aug. 14 Epicenter of earthquake Strong Moderate Light Aquin Les Cayes 20 miles Ile a Vache Aug. 16, 8 pm Storm batters Haiti Aug. 17, 2 am Path of Tropical Storm Grace Area affected by earthquake v and storm in Haiti Lower pop. Higher Damage reported Very strong shaking Strong shaking Haiti Moderate shaking Light shaking Caribbean Sea 20 miles Port-au- Prince Aug. 14 Epicenter of earthquake Aug. 17, 2 am Path of Grace, now a tropical storm Aug. 16, 8 pm Storm batters Haiti Area affected by earthquake and storm in Haiti Lower pop. Higher Damage reported Very strong shaking Strong shaking Haiti Moderate shaking Light shaking Caribbean Sea 20 miles Port-au- Prince Aug. 14 Epicenter of earthquake Aug. 17, 2 am Path of Tropical Storm Grace Aug. 16, 8 pm Storm batters Haiti The full extent of the damage and casualties is not yet known. But doctors said hospitals were overwhelmed. A building housing medical students, hospital interns and two doctors had collapsed, trapping those who were most needed to provide aid, said Dr. James Pierre, a surgeon at the general hospital of Les Cayes, also known as the Hospital Immaculee Conception. The State Departments internal assessment of the earthquake was bleak. Up to 650,000 people experienced very strong tremors with an additional 850,000 affected by strong shaking, leaving thousands of buildings at risk of damage and possible collapse, according to the assessment, shared by a State Department official. What does this mean for the country? This earthquake could not have come at a worst time for Haiti, which never recovered from the 2010 earthquake that killed some 300,000 people and leveled much of Port-au-Prince. The southern peninsula, where the earthquake hit, is also still recovering from Hurricane Matthew, which hit the country in 2016. The country of 11 million is also recovering from political turmoil. Haiti has been in the throes of a political crisis since President Jovenel Moise was assassinated on July 7, and the government is not financially equipped to take care of repairs.

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The streets are filled with screaming: Scenes from Haiti after the quake. A home in Les Cayes damaged in Saturdays earthquake. Credit... Delot Jean/Associated Press Archdeacon Abiade Lozama of a regional Episcopal Church in Haiti was welcoming teachers and parents to discuss plans to return to school on Saturday when the earthquake struck Les Cayes. Everyone ran outside, looking for an open space free of trees or buildings that could collapse. He said he walked from the school to the town center and saw only a handful of houses that did not have damage. The streets are filled with screaming, he said. People are searching, for loved ones or resources, medical help, water. Les Cayes was hit hard by Saturdays earthquake, which came about a month after the assassination of Haitis president, Jovenel Moise, forced the country into a political crisis. People are sitting around waiting for word, and there is no word  no word from their family, no word on who will help them, he said. When such a catastrophe happens, people wait for word or some sort of confidence from the state. But theres nothing. No help. Archdeacon Lozama had planned for a joyous day to discuss pandemic reopenings but that was derailed. Today was supposed to be a day of hope, of meetings with teachers and students to plan for returning to school, Archdeacon Lozama said. In Jeremie, another area hit hard by the quake, the collapse of an old cathedral  a Haitian landmark  was a chilling throwback to 2010, when a cathedral in Port-au-Prince, the capital, was destroyed during an earthquake that has scarred the nation since. That cathedral, which has yet to be restored, is a symbol of the many devastations the country has faced and of the governments inability to help its own population, one of the most destitute in the world. The main supermarket in Les Cayes collapsed, leaving the population of about half a million with dwindling supplies and worries that eventually there would be looting and fighting over basics like drinking water. The local hospitals  already underfunded  were overwhelmed with casualties. The magnitude-7.2 quake snapped the underground pipes of Les Cayes, flooding the streets. Dr. Fatima Geralde Joseph said she tried to rush over to the clinic where she works to start helping, but she could not cross the flooded streets and eventually had to return home. Others interviewed said there were aftershocks as strong as magnitude 5.2 every 10 minutes, setting off panic among the population. Maria Abi-Habib and

Haitian Americans are making desperate calls to find out if their loved ones are safe. Damage caused by the earthquake on Saturday. Credit... Ralph Tedy Erol/EPA, via Shutterstock When Gepsie Metellus got the news from a cousin on Saturday morning that a powerful earthquake had rocked Haiti, she made a panicked call from her home in Miami to her husband, who had traveled to Port-au-Prince on Thursday for a visit. As she dialed his number, her thoughts returned in terror to the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that devastated Haiti 11 years ago. Its taking me back to visions of 2010, said Ms. Metellus, executive director of Sant La, a Haitian neighborhood center in Miami. Were just bracing ourselves, just bracing ourselves for really terrible news. She was able to contact her husband, who was safe, but for some, the agony of not knowing the fate of their loved ones continued through the day. Members of the Haitian diaspora in the United States spoke on Saturday of making anxious calls to relatives and friends in the Caribbean nation, and U.S.-based aid organizations were struggling to assess the scope of the damage and to connect with their people on the ground. All circuits are busy  circuits are really, really overwhelmed right now, said Elizabeth Campa, an adviser with Zanmi Lasante, a health care provider in Haiti, and a sister organization of the Boston-based organization Partners in Health. We are still trying to desperately get a hold of the staff, said Skyler Badenoch, chief executive of Hope for Haiti, a U.S.-based organization that works to reduce poverty in Haiti. By Saturday afternoon, the organization had been able to account for 45 of its 60 staff members in Haiti. Of those who reported themselves safe, many had experienced major damage to their homes. Commissioner Jean Monestime of Miami-Dade County said he had fielded calls all day from constituents desperately trying to reach family members in Haiti. People are still in disbelief that Haiti is experiencing yet another disaster, he said, adding that he and other Haitian American elected officials were working to organize response efforts. What the assessment has been so far in terms of casualty and the effort for search and rescue  theres not much that we are learning as of yet, Mr. Monestime said. For those watching anxiously from the U.S., the political turbulence in the weeks following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise of Haiti raised additional concerns about the prospect of recovery from Saturdays earthquake. All this against the backdrop of a country where gangs are running amok, a country with no functioning government, said Ms. Metellus, adding, Everyones feeling this collective sense of anxiety, of frustration, of fear, of deja vu.

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Social media posts from the quake-damaged area of Haiti help convey the disasters scope. A damaged building in Les Cayes on Saturday. Credit... Delot Jean/Associated Press With phone lines down and roadways disrupted or gang-controlled, news organizations and emergency officials scrambled to try to gain access to the parts of Haiti damaged by a powerful earthquake on Saturday morning. Port-au-Prince, the capital, is 80 miles west from the quakes epicenter, near Les Cayes  and some four and half hours away by car. The flight time from Port-au-Prince to Les Cayes is only 30 minutes. News services like The Associated Press tried to get reporters on medical or charter flights to document the state of the stricken region. News photographs and reports began filtering through by Saturday afternoon, but in the interim, social media became a pivotal source of information about the earthquakes devastation, supplying images and videos. One video being picked up by multiple reporters and media outlets online shows the destruction of multiple houses and buildings as people try to help those that might be caught under the rubble. #NEW: Images reveal mass destruction following the 7.2 earthquake in #Haiti. Similar in strength to the catastrophic earthquake that killed more than 160,000 people in the Caribbean country in 2010, according to a study. pic.twitter.com/1RYFlv31af  Leonardo Feldman (@LeoFeldmanNEWS) August 14, 2021 The posts show people still in their pajamas or bath towels, out in the street seeking safety after fleeing violently trembling homes. Entire three-story buildings were flattened to eye-level. One video showed a group of men sifting through rubble to try to extract someone buried beneath. This is not the first time that social media has filled an urgent news role in the Caribbean. Climate change has caused stronger storms and hurricanes that hit the area with more force, and suffering and paralyzing hits to infrastructure often hit social media first. Social media platforms also have sometimes served as a communications network, where families could connect with loved ones when phone lines went down and learn about relief efforts, according to reporting from The Pulitzer Center. That was true during Hurricane Maria in 2017 and also in 2010, when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, killing more than 220,000 people.

The United States and the U.N. promise to send aid to Haiti. A building in Les Cayes damaged in Saturdays earthquake. Credit... Ralph Tedy Erol/EPA, via Shutterstock Hours after the earthquake hit Haiti, the Biden administration, the United Nations and private relief agencies that operate in Haiti promised urgent help. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris received a briefing on Saturday morning about the Haiti earthquake while they were at a meeting discussing Afghanistan, according to the White House. The president authorized an immediate response, The Associated Press reported, and named the USAID administrator, Samantha Power, as the senior official coordinating the effort. Ms. Power said in a Twitter post that USAID was moving urgently to respond and that experts were on the ground assessing damage and needs. In a tweet, the United Nations secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, said that the U.N. is working to support rescue and relief efforts. There was no outline of what the responses might look like as damage on the ground continues to be evaluated and the death toll continues to rise. While it will take days to assess the full scale of the damage, it is clear that this is a massive humanitarian emergency, said Leila Bourahla, Save the Childrens Haiti country director. We must respond quickly and decisively. UNICEF, a branch of the U.N., said in a statement that it was working with government and non-goverment organizations to evaluate what was needed. The agency said it has offices in the south of Haiti and staff members on the ground were making assessments in order to prioritize urgent needs and provide assistance to affected populations. Much of the assistance right now seems to be medical. Les Cayes Immaculee Conception Hospital is overwhelmed. Mothers are waiting outside with their injured children.@UNICEFHaiti supports with medical items @uniceflac pic.twitter.com/wmP2s4R3eM  UNICEF Haiti (@UNICEFHaiti) August 14, 2021 Nonprofit organizations like Community Organized Relief Effort, or CORE, which was founded by Sean Penn in 2010 after another earthquake hit Haiti, are also on the ground. CORE deployed two teams Saturday, one of which is a mobile medical team, according to a statement from the organization. But getting aid to those who need it in Haiti isnt easy. An influx of foreign aid and peacekeeping forces after the 2010 earthquake appeared to only worsen the countrys woes and instability. The international community has pumped $13 billion of aid into the country over the last decade, and instead of the nation-building the money was supposed to achieve, Haitis institutions have become further hollowed out in recent years. The aid has propped up the country and its leaders, providing vital services and supplies in a country that has desperately needed vast amounts of humanitarian assistance. But it has also left the government with few incentives to carry out the institutional reforms necessary to rebuild the country, allowing corruption, violence and political paralysis to go unchecked.
Canada has promised to resettle more than 20,000 Afghan citizens from groups it considers likely targets of the Taliban, including leading women, rights workers and L.G.B.T.Q. people, as many nations scramble to evacuate their nationals and help Afghans flee.

Canadas immigration minister, Marco Mendicino, announced the resettlement process at a news conference on Friday, adding that Canada could not stand idly by as the Taliban seized control of cities and provinces. The rapid advance has prompted a surge in refugees and stirred fear among those who have worked with Western governments or organizations, or with the current authorities.

About 250,000 Afghans have been forced to flee their homes since late May, most of them women and children, according to the United Nations refugee agency.

Several European countries announced on Friday that they were withdrawing embassy workers and evacuating Afghan nationals who had worked for them. Most of them reiterated calls for their nationals to leave the country urgently.
The 10 family members from three generations shared a three-bedroom house in the farming village of Bulus Wetan about 10 miles south of the city of Yogyakarta. Kimis father, Mr. Debiyantoro, earned the equivalent of about $190 a month at his hotel job and would have gone unpaid had he taken sick leave.

Kimi had two benign growths on her neck called hemangiomas, which by themselves would not have made her susceptible to Covid. But the treatment she received for them might have left her more vulnerable to the disease.

Her parents didnt realize she was suffering from Covid until her hemangioma treatment, when the doctor recognized her symptoms.

I am strong but I didnt think about Kimi, who was still a baby and had an illness, her father said sadly. I only realized this after she was hospitalized.

When it came time to bury Kimi, other villagers were so fearful of the disease that they blocked the entrance to the cemetery with bamboo poles so she could not be interred there. Upset and angry, her parents buried her on adjacent land owned by a relative.

I hope it was only the body being rejected and that her soul is resting in peace, Mr. Debiyantoro said after praying over her grave. She has a final resting place even though shes all by herself. We didnt abandon her.
Such a group could still be backed by a state, or its name could be used as a cover for one, but Check Point and other experts said they had found no indication of that.

Ari Eitan, the vice president of research at Intezer, a New York-based company that specializes in the comparison of codes in different cyberweapons, also said there was a strong link between the tools and methods used in the July train hack and past hacks claimed by Indra.

They share code genes that were not seen anywhere else but in these attacks, and the files used last July are an updated and improved version of those used in 2019 and 2020, he said. Based on the code connections, its safe to assume the same group is behind all attacks.

Indra first surfaced on social media shortly before its first hacking claim in 2019 and has since posted in English and Arabic. It has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks targeting companies linked to Iran and its proxies, like Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group.

The groups Twitter account says its mission is to bring a stop to the horrors of QF and its murderous proxies in the region, referring to the Quds Force  the foreign-facing branch of the Revolutionary Guards  and the proxy militias it oversees around the Middle East.

On the day of the train attack, an announcement appeared on electronic timetable boards at railroad stations across Iran saying: Long delays due to cyberattacks. The message itself was the work of the hackers and, in a sardonic twist, it advised confused travelers to seek more information by calling 64411, the office number of Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

A day later, the Iranian Transportation Ministrys computer system was also hacked, severely disrupting operations. In both attacks, similar notices popped up on computer screens making clear that it was a hack, though there was no mention of Indra in the claims.
After decades of conducting business in Downtown Midland, Shortys Shoe Repair has closed its doors. Owner Marcie Rohde officially closed the business in late June and has moved operations to Rohdes Leather Shop in Bridgeport, Michigan, which she owns.

The decision was not an easy one for Rohde, but it was a long time in the making. Rohde first considered closing Shortys after her husband, Fred, died last June, but she didnt want to make any big decisions in haste. As the pandemic has worn on, rent on the Downtown Midland building increased, and the possibility of working closer to home looked more appealing.
Blessed Sacrament Parish is hosting an eight week group recovery process for men and women of all faiths dealing with divorce. Meetings take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays, starting Sept. 14, in the Blessed Sacrament Parish Center, 3109 Swede Ave., Midland. There is no fee to participate but participants are asked to call 989-835-6777 to register.
Exciting changes are coming to Midland's Center City next spring.

A quick look at Center Citys website shows a plethora of new concepts for a redevelopment plan from the Ashman Circle to the Saginaw Road corridor. Selina Tisdale, community affairs director for the City of Midland, said one of the goals for the two-phase redevelopment is to make Center City more friendly to pedestrians walking and cycling.

It is definitely a lot more of a motor-vehicle centric district than downtown, Tisdale said. We are trying to bring more elements of multimodal transportation.

Currently, Tisdale said, the city is raising funds for a South Saginaw streetscape project between the Ashman Circle and Patrick Street. This $5.1 million project will replace the current sidewalks to eight-foot-wide pathways along the road that can be walked or cycled on. New lighting and trees will also be added.

The current goal for the Saginaw streetscape project is to start in the spring of 2022 and finished by the end of that year. Tisdale said the city is two-thirds of the way through the fundraising phase for this project with the aim to finish this by the end of 2021.

Changes to the Ashman Circle are currently concepts, including making it a roundabout or turning it into a signalized intersection. Tisdale said there has been a conversation for a long time about making Ashman and Rodd streets two-ways. She said a community discussion and decision would have to take place before Ashman Circle plans can be further explored.

According to the citys website, the Center City Authority was gifted $1 million from Dow Chemical. In August 2019, the authority received approval from the Midland City Council to begin implementing the redevelopment plan.

Tisdale said this new project will also help support businesses in that area.

A lot of our friends and neighbors are already small business owners in that corridor, Tisdale said. (We're) continuing to support them, continuing to make where they have chosen to place their business an attractive area that people want to go and visit.
Fred Kelly/Midland Daily News

Michigan State Police, Computer Crimes Unit and the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force has announced the arrest of Austin Lucas Bennett, 25, of Gladwin, for possession of child sexually abusive material and using a computer to commit a crime.

The investigation was initiated when it was learned that Bennett accessed files of child sexually abusive material on the internet. After Bennetts electronic devices were seized and searched, the 80th District Court issued an arrest warrant for Bennett and he subsequently surrendered to the court.
TOKYO (AP)  Japan's defense minister on Friday visited a Tokyo shrine viewed by China and both Koreas as a symbol of Japanese wartime aggression to pray for the war dead just days before the nation marks the 76th anniversary of its World War II defeat.

Victims of Japanese actions during the first half of the 20th century, especially the Koreas and China, see the shrine as a symbol of Japanese militarism because it honors convicted war criminals among about 2.5 million war dead.

It is only natural in every country to pay respects to the spirits of the war dead, said Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, the younger brother of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, known for his denials of wartime atrocities.

I expressed my reverence and paid tribute to those who fought for the country and lost their lives in the last war, Kishi said after offering prayers. I also renewed my war-renouncing pledge and resolve to protect the lives and peaceful livelihood of the people.

He is the first serving defense minister to visit Yasukuni since Tomomi Inada, an Abe protege, visited in December 2016.

Abe stayed away from the shrine for seven years after a 2013 visit triggered outrage from China and the Koreas, but has regularly visited since he resigned as prime minister last year.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga donated a religious ornament during Yasukuni's spring festival in April but avoided visiting the shrine.

Economy and fiscal policy minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, in charge of pandemic measures, visited the shrine separately on Friday.

Kishi and Nishimura said they chose to visit the shrine to avoid crowds and pray quietly ahead of the Aug. 15 anniversary.

South Korea and China criticize offerings or visits by Japanese leaders to the shrine, urging them to face up to and reflect on Japans wartime aggression.

Many South Koreans hold strong resentment toward Japan for its 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. Relations between Seoul and Tokyo have sunk to their lowest levels in recent years due to disputes over compensation for Korean wartime forced labor and sexual abuse of so-called comfort women by the Japanese military.

South Koreas Foreign Ministry said it summoned the deputy chief of mission at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul to protest Kishis visit to Yasukuni, a site it described as beautifying Japans past colonial rule and war of aggression and honors war criminals. Seouls Defense Ministry released a statement saying Kishis visit was deplorable and expressed its serious concern and regret.

In China, which Japan invaded in 1931 and then occupied through the end of World War II, the Defense Ministry said it strongly opposed the latest visit to the shrine.

The Yasukuni Shrine is a spiritual tool and symbol of Japanese militarism and its invasion of foreign countries, and it honors 14 convicted Class-A Japanese war criminals from World War II who were directly responsible for its past aggression, Wu Qian, a Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson, said in a statement Friday.

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Associated Press writer Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul, South Korea and Huizhong Wu in Taipei, Taiwan contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden authorized on Saturday an additional 1,000 U.S. troops for deployment to Afghanistan, raising to roughly 5,000 the number of U.S. troops to ensure what Biden called an orderly and safe drawdown of American and allied personnel.

U.S. troops will also help in the evacuation of Afghans who worked with the military during the nearly two-decade war.

The last-minute decision to re-insert thousands of U.S. troops into Afghanistan reflected the dire state of security as the Taliban seized control of multiple Afghan cities in a few short days. The militant and fundamentalist movement gained control of key parts of the country it governed until being ousted by U.S. and coalition forces after the Sept. 11 attacks. Biden had set an Aug. 31 deadline for fully withdraw combat forces before the 20th anniversary of the attacks.

Biden attributed much of the chaos unfolding in Afghanistan to former President Donald Trump's efforts to end the war, which Biden said created a blueprint that put U.S. forces in a difficult spot with an emboldened Taliban challenging the Afghan government.

When I came to office, I inherited a deal cut by my predecessor  which he invited the Taliban to discuss at Camp David on the eve of 9/11 of 2019  that left the Taliban in the strongest position militarily since 2001," Biden said in a statement Saturday. I was the fourth president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan  two Republicans, two Democrats. I would not, and will not, pass this war onto a fifth.

In his statement Biden didnt explain the breakdown of the 5,000 troops he said had been deployed. But a defense official said in a media statement that the president had approved Defense Secretary Lloyd Austins recommendation that the lead battalion of the 82nd Airborne Brigade Combat Team assist in the State Departments drawdown.

Initially 1,000 troops were in place to aid with the withdrawal, and administration officials quickly judged that total to be insufficient. An additional contingent of Marines arrived in Kabul as part of a 3,000-troop force intended to secure an airlift of U.S. Embassy personnel and Afghan allies as Taliban insurgents approached the outskirts of the capital. The additional 1,000 troops approved Saturday appeared to bring the total to 5,000.

Officials have stressed that the newly arriving troops mission was limited to assisting the airlift of embassy personnel and Afghan allies, and they expected to complete it by months end. But they might have to stay longer if the embassy is threatened by a Taliban takeover of Kabul by then.

In a sign of fears that the Taliban could soon capture Kabul, U.S. Embassy personnel were urgently destroying sensitive documents, according to two U.S. military officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the situation.

As the situation in Afghanistan rapidly worsened, Biden, who was spending the weekend at Camp David, and Vice President Kamala Harris held a secure video conference on Saturday morning with national security officials before Biden announced the additional troops.

On Saturday, the Taliban captured Mazar-e-Sharif, a large heavily defended city in northern Afghanistan, and closed in on Kabul by taking the Logar province just to the south. The Taliban have made major advances in recent days, including capturing Herat and Kandahar, the countrys second- and third-largest cities.

Clearly from their actions, it appears as if they are trying to get Kabul isolated, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said, referring to the Talibans speedy and efficient takedown of major provincial capitals this past week.

Biden had given the Pentagon until Aug. 31 to complete the withdrawal of the 2,500 to 3,000 troops that were in Afghanistan when he announced in April that he would end U.S. involvement in the war. That number has dropped to just under 1,000, and all but about 650 were scheduled to be gone by the end of the month; the 650 were to remain to help protect the U.S. diplomatic presence, including with aircraft and defensive weapons at the Kabul airport.

But the decision in recent days to dispatch 4,000 fresh troops suggested that American forces and their allies were at risk. There was no discussion of rejoining the war, but the number of troops needed for security will depend on decisions about keeping the embassy open and the extent of a Taliban threat to the capital in coming days.

Having the Aug. 31 deadline pass with thousands of U.S. troops in the country could be problematic for Biden, who said he had no regrets about stopping the U.S. war by that date. Republicans criticized the withdrawal as a mistake and ill-planned, though there was little political appetite by either party to send fresh troops to fight the Taliban.

The president said Saturday his administration had conveyed to Taliban representatives in Qatar that any actions in Afghanistan that harm U.S. personnel will be met by a swift and strong military response. Biden also directed Secretary of State Antony Blinken to support Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and engage with regional leaders in the pursuit of a political settlement with the Taliban.

Ghani delivered a televised speech Saturday, his first public appearance since the recent Taliban gains, and pledged not to give up the achievements of the 20 years since the U.S. toppled the Taliban.

Despite the Taliban's gains, the Biden administration has said that Afghan security forces' air force and superior numbers could give them an edge against the insurgents. The statement served to highlight the lack of morale by Afghan forces to fight in a situation where the Taliban seemed to be speeding forward.

The State Department said the embassy in Kabul would remain partially staffed and functioning, but Thursdays decision to evacuate a significant number of staff suggested concerns about protecting American and Afghan lives as the Taliban progressed through the country. The Biden administration has not publicly ruled out a full embassy evacuation or possibly relocating embassy operations to the Kabul airport.

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Associated Press writer James LaPorta contributed to this report.
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan government has announced the lifting, effective Saturday, of the partial curfew imposed throughout the country as part of measures taken to fight against the coronavirus pandemic
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Earlier today Patently Apple posted a report titled "Apple's new Rebellious Culture is now Against their Company's decision to join the fight against Child Abuse Material (CSAM). In an update to that report we added the Wall Street Journal's video interview with Joanna Stern and Apple's VP of software Craig Federighi. It's an excellent interview we've added to this report.

This afternoon, we're learning that "Apple Inc. had warned retail and online sales staff to be ready to field questions from consumers about the companys upcoming features for limiting the spread of child pornography," according to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg.

The report added that "In a memo to employees this week, the company asked staff to review a frequently asked questions document about the new safeguards, which are meant to detect sexually explicit images of children. The tech giant also said it will address privacy concerns by having an independent auditor review the system." This weeks memo read:

"You may be getting questions about privacy from customers who saw our recent announcement about Expanded Protections for Children. There is a full FAQ here to address these questions and provide more clarity and transparency in the process. Weve also added the main questions about CSAM detection below. Please take time to review the below and the full FAQ so you can help our customers.

The iCloud feature has been the most controversial among privacy advocates, some consumers, and even Apple employees. It assigns what is known as as a hash key to each of the users images and compares the keys with ones assigned to images within a database of existing explicit material. If a user is found to have such images in their library, Apple will be alerted, conduct a human review to verify the contents, and then report the user to law enforcement."

For more on this, read the Mark Gurman report on Bloomberg that's found on Yahoo! Finance.
Patently Apple posted a legal report back in February 2019 titled "Apple Sued for Infringing 7 Patents originating from Samsung, LG and Panasonic over iPhones and the Apple Watch 4 using LTE." The company suing Apple was a group of patent trolls listed as: Optis Wireless; Optis Cellular Technology; Wired Planet; and PanOptis Patent Management. In August 2020 Apple lost their case and ordered to pay $506 million.

In April 2021 U.S. District Court Judge Rodney Gilstrap tossed the case stating that the jury should have been allowed to consider whether the royalty demand was consistent with a requirement that standard-essential patents be licensed on "fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory," or FRAND, terms.

Apple argued that the entire trial in the Optis case was tainted because the jury wasnt told of the patent owners licensing obligations. The issue wasnt brought before the jury because Optis asked that the judge, not the jury, to determine whether it was compliant with its FRAND requirements.

This afternoon Bloomberg is reporting that "Apple Inc. was told to pay $300 million in royalties after a retrial in a patent dispute over wireless technology used in its iPhones and other products, part of a global fight with a company that says it owns patents on the LTE cellular standard.

The jury in Marshall, Texas, said PanOptis Patent Management and its Optis Cellular and Unwired Planet units were owed that amount as a lump sum to cover past and future use of the technology. An earlier jury last year had awarded $506.2 million."

The Texas trial is part of an effort by Optis to collect as much as $7 billion from the iPhone maker. A U.K. court may decide to set a global royalty rate, prompting Apple lawyers in July to threaten that the company may pull out of the British market if forced to pay a "commercially unacceptable" amount.

Debates over how to value patents on so-called standard-essential technology have roiled the tech industry for decades, and have become more imperative as wireless inventions are incorporated in additional consumer products, like home appliances and automobiles. For more on today's verdict, read the full Bloomberg report on BNN Bloomberg.
Apple has been sued by Bell Northern Research (BNR) for patent infringement. Bell-Northern Research (BNR) was a telecommunications research and development company established in 1971 when Bell Canada and Northern Electric combined their R&D organizations. BNR was absorbed into Nortel Networks when that company changed its name from Northern Telecom in the mid-1990s. The company has rich history in the telecommunications sector that is further detailed in their formal complaint before the court.

The complaint claims that Apple's iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, iMacs, Mac Pros, Mac minis, Apple TVs, Apple Watches, and other mobile/computer products infringe on 10 of their patents. The patents cover a wide range of technologies from conserving battery power to 802.11a/g standards in relation to "OFDM" encoding to beamforming feedback. Below is a full list with links to the patents that Apple is accused of infringing.

10 Counts of Infringement

Bell Northern Research (BNR) claims that Apple is infringing on the following 9 patents that they own by assignment from Agere Systems, Broadcom Corp., LSI Logic and Renesas Mobile Corp. Only one of the 10 patents is an original from BNR.

8,204,554: "System and method for conserving battery power in a mobile station" (Agere Systems Inc)

7,319,889: "System and method for conserving battery power in a mobile station" (Agere Systems Inc )

RE 48,629: "Backward-compatible long training sequences for wireless communication networks" (Bell Northern Research)

8,416,862: "Efficient feedback of channel information in a closed loop beamforming wireless communication system" (Broadcom Corp)

7,957,450: "Method and system for frame formats for MIMO channel measurement exchange" (Broadcom Corp)

7,564,914: "Method and system for frame formats for MIMO channel measurement exchange" (Broadcom Corp)

6,963,129: "Multi-chip package having a contiguous heat spreader assembly" (LSI Logic)

6,858,930: "Multi chip module" (LSI Logic Corp)

7,039,435: "Proximity regulation system for use with a portable cell phone and a method of operation thereof" (Agere Systems Inc)

8,396,072: "Method and apparatus for channel traffic congestion avoidance in a mobile communication system" (Renesas Mobile Corp, Tokyo, JP)

For more details, read the Plaintiff's full complaint filed with the court in Waco Texas in the SCRIBD document below, courtesy of Patently Apple.

Bell Northern Research v Apple - Patent Infringement by Jack Purcher on Scribd
Today the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on the daughter of Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, and Lauren-Powell-Jobs, Eve Jobs. The report noted that "Eve, the youngest daughter of late Apple founder Steve Jobs, is coming into her own. On her Instagram account, which boasts a following of 221,000, she documents snippets of her well-lived life: graduating from Stanford with her friends, her equestrian career and her fancy holidays.

Born in 1998, Eve has two older siblings, Reed and Erin, as well as a half-sister named Lisa. Walter Isaacson, who wrote the biography Steve Jobs, describes her as growing up to be "a strong-willed, funny firecracker," according to Business Insider. The younger Jobs would even go to the extent of calling her fathers assistant to ensure she was put on his calendar."

On Instagram, Eve shows off her skills in horse jumping. Shes actually a star in the world of equestrian sports, and has even competed against Jennifer Gates, Bill Gates daughter. She has aced show jumping competitions in the Hamptons, Lexington and Kentucky in the US, as well as in Canada and the UK, and has earned thousands of dollars in prize money. According to Horse Sports, Eve ranks fifth out of the 1,000 best riders under 25 in the world. In 2019, Eve Job won the bronze metal at the Pan Am Games as noted in the image above.

(Click on image to Enlarge)

Like her parents, she recently graduated from Stanford, one of the most competitive universities in the world, where she majored in science technology and society. She posted on Instagram to celebrate the milestone, writing, thanks camp Stanford. In the comments, Jennifer Gates congratulated her and said she was proud.

For more on this, read the full SCMP Style section report.
Former US President, Donald Trump has criticized President Joe Bidens handling of the US troops withdrawal from Afghanistan, claiming the process would be much more successful if he was still in charge.



On Thursday, August 12, the Taliban gained control of 11 provincial capital cities and military experts believe Kabul, the country's capital which houses the government and also embassies and airports will fall to Taliban in the next one month.



The Taliban has now gained control of roughly two-thirds of the country.



The rise and onslaught of the Taliban comes after Biden went ahead with his promise to remove all American troops from Afghanistan after 20 years of war with the Taliban following the 9/11 attacks on the US Homeland.



Former U.S president, Trump slammed Biden saying the troop pull out of Afghanistan under his watch would have been a conditions-based withdrawal, according to the Washington Examiner.



Trump struck a deal with the Taliban for full withdrawal by May 1.

According to the billionaire businessman he personally had discussions with top Taliban leaders whereby they understood what they were doing now would not be acceptable.



It would have been a much different and much more successful withdrawal, and the Taliban understood that better than anyone, Trump said.



It would have been a much different and much more successful withdrawal,' former President Donald Trump said.



The Afghan government and military are unsure they can withstand the onslaught from the Taliban, with some saying defeat is imminent, according to the Washington Post. The government has even offered the Taliban a 50/50 stake in the government if they stop the attacks but the Taliban seem to be intent on militarily taking over the whole country.



Trump is not the only former president to criticize Bidens moves. Former President George W Bush said he would not have made the decision to pull the troops, saying last month that the consequences are going to be unbelievably bad.



Im afraid Afghan women and girls are going to suffer unspeakable harm after the troops complete their departure from Afghanistan on August 31, Bush said.



Its unbelievable how that society changed from the brutality of the Taliban.

















Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The middle-man, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Dalmook Al Maktoum and his SL Global, that were contracted by Ghana through the Ministry of Health to procure Sputnik-V vaccines for the country to help it fight the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic, has paid an amount of US$2,470,000.00 into the state treasury.



The money is a refund for 280,000 non-supplied doses of the Sputnik-V vaccines.



Deputy Majority Leader of the Parliament, Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, commenting on the development on Accra-based Oman FM, confirmed receipt of the refund payment of the non-supplied doses of the Sputnik-V vaccines.



He said Mr. Agyeman-Manu, all along, was candid in his responses, when he appeared before Committee, having entered into an agreement with a genuine businessman.



According to Hon. Afenyo-Markin, who is also the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Effutu, the refund of US$2,470,000 brings closure to the matter since there was no financial loss, believing that those calling for the head of the Minister of Health will now have a change of mind.



"As we speak today, H. H. Sheikh Al Maktoum has refunded the money in full. So, no financial loss was incurred," he noted.



Background



Ghana, had through the Ministry of Health, contracted the Emerati to supply her 300,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik-V vaccine at a contract sum of US$5,700,000. A dose of the Sputnik-V vaccine was cost the West African nation US$19.00.



The move was spurred by the difficulties in obtaining more COVID-19 vaccines having taking delivery of its first consignment of 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines developed by the Serum Institute of India through the COVIX Facility Initiative with logistical support from UNICEF.



However, the UAE businessman and his SL Global company, wrote a letter dated March 9, 2021, to Ministry of Health to terminate the contract with the excuse that they are unable to supply the quantities of doses as agreed in the deal.



Ad Hoc Committee



The attention of some Members of Parliament, especially, those on the Minority side, was drawn to the fact that the Ministry of Health had entered into a procurement contract for COVID-19 vaccines with the belief that some breaches were made.



Accordingly, the Minority Leader, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, moved a Private Members Motion for the House to set up a Committee to probe the matter and same was seconded by the Ranking Member of the Health Committee and MP for Juaboaso, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, on Thursday, July 8, 2021.



The motion was adopted by the House leading to the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee to investigate the Procurement contract between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and Sheikh Dalmook Al Maktoum and S. L. Global, for the supply of Sputnik-V COVID-19 Vaccines.



The Committee which was chaired by the Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, had held the view in its report that although the Minister of Health, Hon. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, breached the procurement processes and Article 181(5) of the constitution, he acted in good fate with clear intentions of saving lives in an emergency situation.



The Committee therefore recommended that Ministry of Finance to contact Sheikh Al Maktoum for a refund of US$2,470,000.00 being cost of the non-supplied Sputnik-V vaccines.



Hon. Agyeman-Manu, appearing before the Committee admitted that even though he did not seek Parliamentary approval as well as that of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) for the said deal, he was in the process of going to Parliament to ratify the Agreement.



He had also written to the PPA to also regularize the deal.



The findings of the Committee report has led a cross section of the public to demand for the head of Mr. Agyeman-Manu.



But Mr. Agyeman-Manu, in a letter dated August 2, 2021, responding to the contract termination by the Emerati Shiekh, also requested for a refund of the money paid for the purchase of the Sputnik-V vaccines, excluding the already supplied 20,000 doses.



Ghana had made an advance payment of 50% (US$2,850,000.00) of the total contract sum of US$5,700,000.00 for the purchase of the COVID-19 vaccines.



The Emerati in a letter dated August 5, 2021, acknowledged receipt of the Ministry of Healths letter and requested that the Ghanaian officials share with them bank details where the refund needs to be processed.



The request was duly complied with by the Ministry of Health.



On August 11, 2021, the Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum and his SL Global company again wrote to the Ministry of Health, announcing a refund into Ghanas treasury, an amount of US$2,470,000.00, representing 280,000 non-supplied doses of the Sputnik-V vaccines.



The requested amount of Two Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand United States Dollars (US$2,470,000) has already been refunded to the designated bank account, as communicated by you, the letter from the Emerati in part read.







Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Senior Data Engineer

WYMAGANIA

#IT #Developer #Data #Engineering



Would you like to work with Big Data? We are now looking for an Senior Data Engineer to develop, maintain, test and evaluate Big Data solutions within Nordeas next generation Big Data Platform.



In Nordea, were harnessing the power of technology to reinvent the future of banking. A tech revolution is underway  and you can make an impact. Though were a Nordic bank, were also one of the largest IT employers in Tricity and Warsaw. Working with international teams in an inspiring working environment, youll have lots of opportunities to expand your skills and advance your career.

About this opportunity



Welcome to the Capability Area Data Engineering. We add value by building distributed and highlyparallelized data processing pipelines which process a massive amount of data. We leverage Scala and Spark to enrich and transform corporate data to enable searching, data visualization andadvanced analytics. As a Senior Data Engineer, you will play a valuable role in creating high-performing, flexible, robust, scalable and easily maintainable global reporting solution for the Bank.



What youll be doing:



Building distributed and highly parallelized Big data processing pipeline which process massiveamount of data (both structured and unstructured data) in near real-time



Leverage Spark to enrich and transform corporate data to enable searching, data visualization,and advanced analytics



Working closely with analysts and business stakeholders to develop analytics models



Continuous delivery on Hadoop and other Big Data Platforms



Automate processes where possible and are repeatable and reliable



Work closely with QA team





Youll join a team where your personal development is our number one priority. In regular one on ones and quarterly feedback talks, you and your manager will identify possible paths for you to grow and the right amount of guidance needed to reach you. The role is based in Gdynia; Helsinki; Warsaw.





Who you are





Collaboration. Ownership. Passion. Courage. These are the values that guide us in being at our best and that we imagine you share with us.



To succeed in this role, we believe that you:



are collaborative and achieve your expectations through communication and teamwork



are curious, responsive and can understand the needs of others to ensure delivery of the desired results



work qualitatively and strive to always do things better



have a high level of self-motivation



Your experience and background:



Experience with working in Agile methodologies



Unit testing experience with framework ScalaTest or similar



Programming experience with Scala or Java and willingness to learn Scala



Experience with distributed data processing engines, like Spark



As an advantage, familiarity with one or more of the below technologies:



Robot Framework



Atlassian Suite: Confluence, JIRA



Hadoop ecosystem (sqoop, oozie, etc)



If this sounds like you, get in touch!

OFERUJEMY

Next steps





Submit your application no later than 09/04/2021.

At Nordea, we know that an inclusive workplace is a sustainable workplace. We deeply believe that our diverse backgrounds, experiences, characteristics and traits make us better at serving customers and communities. So please come as you are.



Please include permit for processing personal data in CV as following:



In accordance with art. 6 (1) a and b. Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) hereinafter GDPR. I agree to have: my personal data, education and employment history proceeded for the purposes of current and future recruitment processes in Nordea Bank Abp.



The administrator of your personal data is: Nordea Bank Abp operating in Poland through its Branch, address: Aleja Edwarda Rydza Smiglego 20, 93-281 odz. Your personal data will be processed for the recruitment processes in Nordea Bank Abp. You have a right to access your personal data, right to rectify and right to delete. Disclosing the personal data in the scope specified by the provisions of Polish Labour Code from 26 June 1974 and executive acts are mandatory. Providing personal data is necessary to conduct the recruitment processes. The request for the deletion of your personal data means resignation from further participation in recruitment processes and causes the immediate removal of your application. Detailed information concerning processing of your personal data can be found at: https://www.nordea.com/en/doc/privacy-policy.2021.pdf



We reserve the right to reply only to selected applications.

DODATKOWE INFORMACJE

https://www.praca.pl/senior-data-engineer_5312912.html
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Charleston's perennially creative poet laureate, Marcus Amaker, has a new project just in time for the school year. This one is meant expressly for the next generation of music enthusiasts.

"Black Music Is," a new illustrated book for children ages 8 to 12, represents a collaboration with Charleston artist Nathan Durfee. It was created as a love letter to African American music and history.

The book is the first to be published by Free Verse Press, a new independent publisher of poetry books in the Charleston area. The company also produces Charleston's Free Verse Poetry Festival.

Through rhythmic poetry and captivating visuals, "Black Music Is" mines Black music's role in culture around the world. And it does so through the ears of an engaging main character of the feline variety. In a nod to jazz, his name is Bebop the cat.

I am a music nerd, and I care a lot about what students are learning," Amaker said in a statement. "My hope is that this book deepens someones appreciation of what Black musicians have done for our global musical landscape."

To further illuminate the cultural journey, Amaker collaborated with acclaimed Charleston artist Nathan Durfee, whose pop-surrealist illustrations create a fanciful backdrop for the rhythmic poem.

Through transporting word and image, "Black Music Is" introduces pre-teen readers to five musical genres, all spun out by Bebop as he plays records by Black musicians. The genres include blues, hip-hop, rock, bluegrass and jazz. Every record takes the cat and readers to a different colorful, sonic world.

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Along the way, they learn about leading Black musical artists, among them Big Mama Thornton, BB King, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Max Roach, Prince and Alice Coltrane. The book also covers modern-day musicians, including Our Native Daughters, Saba, Rapsody, Big Joanie and Black Thought, among others.

Amaker, the recent recipient of a fellowship from the Academy of American Poets, has long demonstrated a creative skill set that spans artistic disciplines, among them poetry, music and design, and is well versed in merging art forms to expressive end.

This past year he collaborated on the classical album "Dreams of a New Day: Songs by Black Composers," the album release by Chicago baritone Will Liverman and pianist Paul Sanchez that quickly ascended Billboard's classical album charts. For it, Amaker worked with composer Shawn E. Okpebholo on a composition for the second part of the work "Two Churches," or "Movement 2: The Rain," which focused on the Emanuel AME Church massacre.

Durfee, another prominent player in the Charleston arts scene, is a fine artist known for his whimsical depictions of figures contenting with challenging situations. He's also a seasoned hand at children's book illustration.

To celebrate the start of the school year, Amaker is giving free copies of the book to 150 local schools.

Throughout the month of August, Amaker is making local appearances to celebrate the release of the book, including events at 1 p.m. Aug. 22 at Buxton Books, 4 p.m. Aug. 28 at itinerant literate and 9:30 a.m. Aug. 29 at Sightsee coffee shop.

Copies of the book can be purchased on Amaker's website, marcusamaker.com.
MYRTLE BEACH  As COVID-19 cases in Horry County rise at an alarming rate, area hospitals are taking added precautions and offering incentive pay for employees willing to work extra shifts.

They also are getting very crowded.

Over the past two weeks, Horry County recorded the most new cases in South Carolina, more than 2,500, and has the fifth-highest per capita rate of new cases, according to the latest S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control data.

Weekly cases in Horry County have risen 18-fold from two months ago.

While Georgetown County's recent new case rate is 40 percent less than Horry County, Georgetown's weekly cases also have spiked 18-fold in the past two months.

The influx of COVID-19 patients has pushed three hospitals to either surpass or approach capacity and caused at least one health system to rearrange staffing, shifting non-clinical nurses to frontline roles.

The number of COVID-19 related patients at Grand Strand Health rose by 75 percent in the past two weeks, spokeswoman Katie Maclay said, while the number of people on ventilators has tripled.

The influx has lengthened emergency room wait times, she said, and means some patients must stay in the ER until an inpatient bed is available.

The surge is causing Tidelands Health to open temporary respiratory clinics in Murrells Inlet and Georgetown beginning Aug. 16 to treat patients with coronavirus-like symptoms.

Tidelands also is rescheduling surgeries and supplementing frontline staff.

Tidelands went from no COVID-19 patients on June 30 to 43 on Aug. 12, including 12 patients in critical care and nine on a ventilator, the hospital said in a news release.

After one COVID-19 inpatient death in the months of June and July combined, Tidelands Health system has recorded seven COVID-19 inpatient deaths since Aug. 1.

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Both Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital and Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital are over 100 percent capacity, said Jane Arthur, spokeswoman for Tidelands.

Tidelands Health is postponing and rescheduling some surgeries that are not time-sensitive but require a hospital admission. Patients whose surgeries need to be rescheduled will be contacted by their physicians office.

Numerous steps are being taken to supplement clinical staffing at Tidelands.

Nurses who work in non-clinical roles are being temporarily reassigned to frontline care roles, and the health system is offering incentive pay for team members who work additional shifts. Clinicians caring for COVID-19 patients also receive supplemental pay. Efforts to secure additional travel nursing staff are underway.

Our region is back in a place wed hoped to never see again, Gayle Resetar, chief operating officer, said in a statement. The strategies were implementing will reduce pressure on our health care resources."

At Conway Medical, there were 35 COVID-19 positive patients hospitalized, 15 of them are in the intensive care unit and four of them on a ventilator, pushing their system to 87 percent capacity on Aug. 13, spokeswoman Allyson Floyd said.

"We ask that people arriving at our emergency department please be patient and we will get to them but wait times will likely be very long," Floyd said.

Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune said the Myrtle Beach Fire Department is offering a mobile vaccine clinic for businesses or neighborhoods with 10 or more people needing to get vaccinated.

"People taking personal responsibility is paramount," Bethune said.
Tropical Storm Grace formed the morning of Aug. 14 in the Atlantic Ocean while Fred weakened into a tropical wave on a path toward the Gulf of Mexico.

Fred was downgraded from a tropical depression in the late morning but is forecast to regenerate as a tropical cyclone over the Gulf of Mexico on Aug. 15, according to the National Hurricane Center. Fred will bring a risk of tropical storm conditions to portions of the northern Gulf Coast, including coastal Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle.

From Aug. 16 onward, heavy rain and possible flooding could extend into portions of the Southeast and into the southern and central Appalachians and Piedmont as Fred interacts with a front in the area, the center said.

Fred is not forecast to hit South Carolina. Weakened and forecast to swerve west of the state, Fred is unlikely to have much of an impact on local weather this week, said meteorologist Michael Stroz of the National Weather Service's Charleston Office.

"Not to say it's a nonfactor, but a very miniscule factor for us," Stroz said.

Stroz said the Charleston area is forecast to get 1 to 2 inches of rain in the next seven days, with 3 inches possible in some areas.

Tropical Storm Grace is the seventh named storm of the tropical season. The season will peak in mid-September, according to the Weather Service.

The center said in its 5 p.m. advisory that Grace was centered about 55 miles east-southeast of Guadeloupe. It was moving west at 26 mph with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, down from 45 mph earlier in the day.

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A tropical storm warning was issued for the British Virgin Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. A tropical storm watch was in effect for the Dominican Republic, which forecasters said Grace could reach by Monday.

Grace was forecast to bring 3 to 6 inches of rain to the Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico into Aug. 16. The current forecast has Grace approaching South Florida as a tropical storm by midweek.

Once a tropical storm, Fred weakened to a depression by its spin over Haiti and the Dominican Republic, where it knocked out power to some 400,000 customers and caused flooding that forced officials to shut down part of the country's aqueduct system, interrupting water service for hundreds of thousands of people. Local officials reported hundreds of people were evacuated and some buildings were damaged.

Tropical waves can contain winds and heavy rain, but do not circulate around a center point or an "eye" that a tropical storm or hurricane has.

Fred was expected to bring 3 to 5 inches of rain to the Keys and southern Florida through Aug. 16.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for the state's Panhandle region. It is not projected to reach hurricane strength.

No evacuations are planned for tourists or residents in the Keys. The county's emergency management officials are advising people in campgrounds, recreational vehicles, travel trailers, live-aboard vessels and mobile homes to seek shelter in a safe structure during the storm.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Berkeley County sheriff's deputy and a second person were injured after their vehicles collided in the early morning Aug. 14 in North Charleston.

The deputy was traveling west in a squad car on U.S. Highway 78, also known as University Boulevard, just after 2 a.m. when he collided with a 2017 Nissan Van, according to S.C. Highway Patrol Cpl. Matt Southern.

The van was headed east and attempting to make a left turn on Elms Plantation Boulevard when the collision happened, Southern said.

The deputy and the driver of the van were wearing seat belts, Southern said. They were both transported to Trident Medical Center, just down the road from the scene of the crash.

The Berkeley County Sheriff's Office identified the deputy as Joshua Whitmore, who joined the department in June.

The driver of the van has not been identified.

Whitmore had his emergency lights and sirens active and was responding to a disturbance call that involved firearms, the sheriff's office said.

Whitmore was seriously injured in the crash, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Highway Patrol is the investigating agency.
On Tuesday, Charleston City Council will receive the recommendations that the Special Commission on Equity, Inclusion and Racial Conciliation spent more than a year developing. My question: Has anyone outside the commission actually read this stuff?

A $100 million reparations fund for descendants of slaves and a guaranteed income fund indexed to the cost of living to all black residents who have lived in Charleston for 10 years or were born in the city. Zero-interest, zero-collateral loans that borrowers can pay back if theyre ever able.

And it goes on: Defund the police. Critical race theory for the schools. A board of public art review  think Board of Architectural Review for the arts  to consider what is acceptable and what is not, and a cultural reparations fund to support works from black and brown artists. And then a permanent version of this runaway commission to ensure it all gets done.

Documents like this should be read from the back. Get past the first 16 pages of talk of process and timelines, the message from the mayor and the executive summary that outlines admirable goals of eradicating racial inequity, and the proposed remedies read like the loony lefts wish list come true. While Charleston is a proud oasis of blue in a sea of South Carolina red, many of the recommendations would be nonstarters in Berkeley, Calif., and Cambridge, Mass. Maybe Havana  but theyre going nowhere here.

Black people in Charleston, like practically everywhere in America, have been left behind by almost every measure: wealth, health, education, the justice system. To cite just one statistic from the report: Black Charlestonians earned just 60% of their white counterparts. Inequality is a cancer eating at the soul of America.

But the commissions most radical ideas threaten to overshadow its good work and further divide Charleston, not bring us together.

Economic empowerment. A $100 million reparations fund, started with city dollars and grown over five years through matching private fundraising, would direct money to descendants of slaves and provide for guaranteed income for black residents who have lived in the city for 10 years or were born here. So those who had left, whether for North Charleston or for New York, could come home and qualify.

In addition, the city would allocate $15 million for 100 businesses  average loan $100,000  at zero interest and zero collateral until the borrower has the ability to start paying on the loan. Another $11.3 million would be set aside for a 90% guarantee fund for any type of real estate.

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Criminal justice reform. Examine Charlestons police budget for potential reallocation, savings, priorities and best practices in public safety and service delivery for example in areas of homelessness, addiction, mental health, victims services, school resource officers and re-entry. Due date for defunding the police is January. The commission report didnt note (but the police report did, at least until its defunded) that homicides doubled last year and violent crime spiked 24%. Both are up again this year.

Youth and education. No matter that the city has no role in running the schools, the commission recommends a more robust programmatic partnership with the Charleston County School District to help advance racial equity in local schools. Support cultural competency work and changes in curriculum, i.e. Critical Race Theory and 1619 Project. Implement racial equity training at all levels.

History and culture. Develop a board of public art review patterned on the BAR to consider all public art and monuments in the city. In addition, the commission recommends a cultural reparations fund to support under-represented groups, financed by a tax on either developers or tourists.

And theres more. Fortunately, there is a process to sort the good from the bad. City Council will formally receive the commissions report on Tuesday night and then assign the 125 or so recommendations to appropriate committees.

The citys apology three years ago for its role in slavery was appropriate and overdue.

There is, in fact, much to be done and much of value in the work the commission did on everything from housing to health care to climate change.

However, advocates assembling wish lists are the easy part; elected officials representing diverse constituents face a far more challenging job of finding consensus, workable solutions and, by the way, the money.

The real work is just beginning. Lets hope the mayor and City Council are up to the task.

Steve Bailey can be reached at sjbailey1060@yahoo.com. Follow on Twitter @sjbailey1060.
Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations.
Editorials represent the institutional view of the newspaper. They are written and edited by the editorial staff, which operates separately from the news department. Editorial writers are not involved in newsroom operations.
During Wednesdays Senate redistricting subcommittee hearing at Trident Technical College, at least two elected officials gave a variety of reasons for why widely expansive coastal Senate districts should stay as they are.

All citizens in the Lowcountry have a vested interest in the coastline, the environment and infrastructure, especially the municipalities just across the causeway from our beach communities.

They dont have very much in common with the farthest ends of these districts as theyre now drawn.

Mount Pleasant, for example, is the states fourth-largest municipality.

Why does the town not have a majority of registered voters in any of the three Senate districts that it is split between?

Given the growth we are experiencing and the challenges we are facing with infrastructure and transportation, would we not be better off with one state senator who doesnt have to divide focus between East Cooper and Beaufort, Georgetown, Murrells Inlet or Surfside Beach?

Even our mayor and Town Council agree, as they overwhelmingly passed a resolution stating as much in the spring.

Mount Pleasant deserves its own Senate district and consideration as a community of interest during the redistricting process.

TOWNER MAGILL

Outreach Lane

Mount Pleasant

Museum late to game

After 20-plus years of planning and more than $100 million in fundraising, the International African American Museums leadership has realized that artifacts should be included.

Too bad this realization comes so late. In the past two decades, while the museum was in the planning stages, it missed opportunities to secure authentic local artifacts.

Donations of artifacts are now being solicited by the museum and, as always, requests for money.

CAROL EZELL-GILSON

Broad Street

Charleston

Harris silent on border

Why have we not heard from Vice President Kamala Harris recently on the state of illegal immigration at our southern border?

President Joe Biden assigned her the responsibility of getting to the root causes of the problem and then coming up with solutions.

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The only feedback coming from this effort is that the root causes lie in the countries these people are emigrating from.

While that may be true, the fact is that Mexico is allowing them to travel through that nation with little or no resistance and when they arrive at the U.S. border, the U.S. is not doing enough to turn them around.

Vice President Harris should be looking to correct these immediate problems.

The administration is on the verge of issuing several restrictions via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the upswing in COVID-19 cases.

At the border, however, where thousands of immigrants are being released into the United States, some with COVID, there are few such restrictions.

Its time that the Biden team focus on the problems that it actually has some control over and can have immediate impact on rather than tilt at windmills in Central America.

JEFF WEINER

Pier View Street

Daniel Island

Support care network

Please join me in urging South Carolinas congressional delegation to invest in the needs of people with disabilities, the direct care workforce and families to recover from the COVID-19 crisis.

Medicaid home and community-based services are critical for people with disabilities.

Without access to services, family members are often left out of the economy because they are providing care. And people with disabilities dont have the services that they need to work in their communities.

The workforce that supports people with disabilities is underpaid and has been for far too long.

Investing in care infrastructure will aid in economic growth for people with disabilities, direct care workers and family caregivers.

COVID-19 has exposed the cracks and gaps that we urgently need fixed by Congress.

Urge our legislators to pass the Better Care Better Jobs Act to fund expanded access to Medicaid home and community-based services for people with disabilities who are on waiting lists and to address the direct care workforce crisis, including raising wages.

This effort will allow unpaid family caregivers who have been filling in the gaps of service for far too long to reenter the workforce.

DANNI BLOOM

Dreher Island Road

Chapin
COMMENTARY

After an epic pandemic, make way for a sea odyssey in the Aegean
RALLY: Demonstrators attend a rally calling for an extension of the state's eviction ban until 2022 and the cancellation of rent, in lower Manhattan, New York city on Aug. 11. Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images/Tribune News Service
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Fighting between pro-government forces and Taliban militants was reported in at least five Afghan provinces on Saturday, as the insurgents continue an onslaught that has put them in control of more than half of Afghanistans provincial capitals in just days.

Local officials told dpa that the Taliban were trying to advance toward the provincial capitals of Paktika, Paktia, Maidan Wardak, Balkh and Kunar. Eighteen of the countrys 34 provincial capitals have already been captured by the Taliban in a week-long onslaught.

The Taliban claimed in a statement that their fighters have entered the capital of Paktika province, Sharana. In neighbouring Paktia province, heavy fighting was reported near the capital, Gardiz.

In Maidan Wardak, about 35 kilometres from the Afghan capital, Kabul, where the Taliban already control the majority of districts, the insurgents were battling for the provinces capital, Maidan Shar.

The insurgents have attempted to enter the capital of Balkh province, Mazar-e-Sharif, in the north by attacking security checkpoints in a district near the city, but they were fiercely pushed back, according to two local politicians from the province.

Two powerful regional leaders, Atta Mohammad Noor and Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum, have formed a stiff resistance in the province.

The Taliban have encircled Balkh by overrunning surrounding provinces.

Afghan forces in Kunar province have retreated from at least three districts with little resistance or without fighting, a provincial councillor Abdul Latif Fazly said.

The situation began to deteriorate as the pace of withdrawal among U.S. and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces picked up in recent weeks. Overextended and demoralised government forces could expect little military backup.

(NAN)
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Muhammad, will finally, inaugurate Husseini Baba-Yusuf as the acting Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, on Monday, the National Judicial Council (NJC) said in a statement on Saturday.

Monday will make the 16th day since the office has been vacant after the sudden resignation of the former FCT Chief Judge, Garba Salisu.

President Muhammadu Buhari created the unprecedented vacuum in the FCT judiciary by embarking on a foreign medical trip to the United Kingdom without transmitting power to Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

In the absence of Mr Buhari who jetted out of the country with the reins of power on July 26, Mr Osinbajo could not give the constitutionally required approval for the appointment of the FCT Chief Judge.

PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported how Mr Buhari, who returned to Nigeria on Friday after spending 18 days in London, had created the unprecedented vacuum in the office of the FCT Chief Judge for 10 days as of Tuesday.

Lawyers, including human rights activist, Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who spoke with our reporter, criticised Mr Buhari for throwing the FCT judiciary into a state of needless uncertainties for over a week with his failure to hand over power to his deputy to handle exigencies such as the sudden vacancy in the FCT Chief Judges office.

The PREMIUM TIMES report detailed how Mr Buharis tardy handling of the appointment sits well with his pattern of lukewarmness towards many of NJCs recommendations on appointment and disciplinary matters.

Mr Buhari appears to have only given his approval hours after returning from the London trip.

The NJCs Director of Information, Soji Oye, said in a statement on Saturday that Mr Baba-Yusufs inauguration as the acting Chief Judge followed Mr Buharis approval based on the councils earlier recommendation.

The new acting Chief Judges appointment will be backdated to August 1, when the office became vacant, the NJC statement added.

The former Chief Judge, Mr Salisu, who was due for retirement before the end of the year, had suddenly resigned to take up an appointment as the Administrator of the National Judicial Institute, the Nigerian judiciarys training institute for judges and employees.

Incoming acting Chief Judge

The 59-year-old incoming acting Chief Judge, Mr Baba-Yusuf, was born in Ankpa Local Government Area of Kogi State on June 1, 1962

His profile share with our reporter by an official of the court shows that he attended LGEA Primary School, Ankpa, from 1966 to 1971.

He also attended St Charles College between 1972 to 1976.

He had his A Level education at the School of Basic Studies, Ugbokolo, Benue State, from 1977 to 1980.

He gained admission into the University of Lagos in 1980, and obtained the LLB in 1983.

He proceeded to the Nigerian Law School and was called to the bar 1984.

He thereafter underwent the national youth service organised by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) which he completed ib 1985.

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Mr Baba-Yusuf began his legal career by joinning the services of the Kogi State judiciary in 1985 as Magistrate Grade II and rose through the rank, becoming the Chief Registrar of the state High Courti in 1993.

He later joined the services of the FCT Judiciary on transfer of service same year, and was appointed High Court Judge in 1998.

He has since been on the FCT High Court bench and rose to become the most senior judge after Mr Salisus resignation.

Mr Salisus resignation paved the way for him to be appointed the acting Chief Judge

If eventually confirmed as the substantive Chief Judge and barring any unforseen events, the 59-year-old Baba-Yusuf will be the FCT judiciarys helmsman till his attainment of the retirement age of 65 in six years time.

He currently handles high-profile corruption cases, including the celebrated trial of the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, with others accused of diverting funds meant for arms procurement under the ex-President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

READ NJCs FULL STATEMENT:

13th August, 2021

PRESS RELEASE

President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has approved the appointment of Hon. Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf as the Acting Chief Judge of the High Court of Justice of the Federal Capital Territory on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council.

The Acting appointment takes effect from 1 August 2021.

Hon Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf will be sworn-in by the Honourable, The Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the National Judicial Council, Hon. Dr. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, CFR, on Monday 16 August 2021 by 10.00 am at the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
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The Nigerian police have confirmed that 22 people were killed and 14 injured during an attack on travellers in Gada-biyu, in the northern part of Plateau State.

The attack occurred on Saturday before midday and was carried out by a group of youth along Rukuba road in Jos North Local Government Area, the Plateau State police spokesperson, Ugah Garba, told PREMIUM TIMES.

The victims were in a convoy of five buses and were travelling from Bauchi State to Ikare in Ondo State when they were attacked in Plateau, the police said.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how the travellers, believed to be Islamic worshippers who are followers of a popular Islamic cleric, Dahiru Bauchi, were travelling in large groups from the Annual Islamic Zikr prayer in Bauchi State.

The police described the attack as a dastard act.

Upon receipt of the report, a team of Police personnel, the military and other sister agencies were immediately mobilised to the scene where twenty one (21) victims were rescued and six suspects arrested, the police said in a statement.

The Plateau State commissioner of police, Edward Egbuka, was said to have visited the scene along with military officers.

Mr Egbuka ordered a discreet investigation to fish out other perpetrators of the act.

He said normalcy has returned to the area assuring that those that incited the violence will be made to face the full wrath of the law.

Meanwhile, a son of the Islamic cleric, Sayyid Dahiru Bauchi, described the attack as saddening and shocking.

He told PREMIUM TIMES that the victims were innocent and were just travelling from a religious function.

We are praying to the Almighty to repose their soul and comfort their family, he said.
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Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State has condemned the recurring killings of innocent citizens through reckless driving by operatives of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) in the state.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how at least six people were killed Monday when a customs vehicle rammed into road users in Jibia Local Government Area.

Witnesses said the customs officials were chasing smugglers in the border community when the accident occurred. However, a customs spokesperson said the brake of the customs vehicle failed and they were not chasing smugglers.

In a Friday statement by his spokesperson, Abdu Labaran, Governor Masari said he would no longer condone such senseless killings.

Mr Masari extended his condolences to the families of the deceased and those who sustained injuries, warning that the government would no longer fold its arms to watch law-abiding citizens killed by government agents who are supposed to be protecting them.

The state government is considering legal action against the NCS to serve as a deterrent against future occurrence of the fatal incident, Mr Masari said.
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The national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, has expressed thanks to President Muhammadu Buhari for visiting him in London on August 12.

Mr Tinubu, in a statement Friday by his media aide, Tunde Rahman, said the visit was a friendly and welcome one that underscored the considerate and caring personality of our nations President and Commander-in-Chief.

By this gesture, Mr. President has, again, demonstrated his personal thoughtfulness and humility; defying the erroneous commentaries peddled by his critics.

Once again, Asiwaju thanks President Buhari for taking the time to visit him and wishes the President nothing but the very best as his administration continues to govern and lead the nation.

Mr Buhari had visited the APC leader on Friday shortly before departing London for Nigeria, after spending 19 days in the United Kingdom.

The president had attended a global education summit in the UK and used the remaining days for his medical check-up.

Mr Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, has been in the UK for about one month, as speculations continue to mount over his health status.

Two weeks ago, his media office denied he was hospitalised abroad following his conspicuous absence during the local government elections and APC ward congresses in the state.

Although he has not officially declared his intention, individuals and groups have continued their campaigns for Mr Tinubu to contest the 2023 presidential election.
Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State has received the report of the judicial panel set up to investigate the violent clashes in Effium Community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state.

In a brief remark during the presentation of the report, Mr Umahi said the government would meticulously study it for full implementation of the recommendations.

He commended the members of the panel for their diligence and commitment in executing the assignment.

The governor also restated the governments commitment to the resettlement of victims of the crisis, whose houses and other valuables were destroyed during the crisis.

He said the administration had earmarked N100 million to build houses for the widows and indigent victims of the unfortunate crisis.

It is a very complex situation and difficult even to start with the token of N100 million.

All over the country the problem we have been having is our leaders.

We are leaders and we do not think deeply about God bringing us to lead the people and to know that in a crisis of this nature, it is the less privileged, the old and the widow that are killed, he said.

The governor promised to rebuild the Effium Market to a modern standard before the end of his administration.

It is better to modernise it and if they want to destroy it let them go ahead. It is part of our campaign promises, Mr Umahi said.

The governor subsequently handed over the report to the Deputy Governor of the state, Eric Kelechi-Igwe.

He urged him to raise a small committee, composed of legal experts drawn from the southern zone of the state, to study the report for effective implementation.

He also said the state would take responsibility for the logistics necessary for the panel to discharge its assignment.

Earlier, Elekwe Omaka, the chairman of the panel, thanked the governor for the trust reposed in the panel to do the job.

Mr Omaka said the panel, inaugurated on February 8, worked in accordance with the mandate given to it and in line with the terms of reference.

READ ALSO: Umahi vows to prosecute officials linked to Ebonyi communal crisis

He said that part of the mandate was to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the crisis and proffer solutions to avert future occurrences.

He said the panel commenced public hearing on February 17 and received a total of 70 hard copies of written memoranda, while at least 40 persons gave oral testimony to the panel.

Mr Omaka said the panel, together with opinion leaders from Effium, Ezza-Effium and Eru-Effium, visited villages affected by the crisis for on-the-spot assessment.

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Meanwhile, the governor swore in two new special assistants  Stella Nwagu, for Adult and Non formal Education, and Chris Uchaji for Exco Matters.

Also sworn in was Ozomena Njoku as commissioner for Solid Minerals.

(NAN)
Market Dynamics

Factors such as surging demand for LEDs and increasing urbanization and changing consumer lifestyles will be crucial in driving the growth of the market. But the difficulties in keeping pace with changing customer demand will restrict the market growth.

The growing internet penetration and data traffic are expected to open multiple growth opportunities for players in the market. But the growing preference for gas generators might impact the business of vendors during the forecast period.

Company Profiles

The direct current power system market report provides complete insights on key vendors including ABB Ltd., Advanced Energy Industries Inc., AEG Power Solutions BV, Delta Electronics Inc., Eaton Corporation Plc, EnerSys, Heinzinger electronic GmbH, Huawei Investment and Holding Co. Ltd., Lite-On Technology Corp., and Vertiv Holdings Co.

Competitive Analysis

The report includes the competitive analysis which analyzes and evaluates the position of companies based on their industry position score and market performance score. Some of the factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc.

Market Segmentation

By end-user, the market is classified into telecom, industrial, commercial, and others. The market demand from the telecom segment will be significant during the forecast period.

By geography, the market is analyzed across North America , APAC, Europe , South America , and MEA. APAC will have the largest share of the market.

Related Reports on Industrials Include:

Global Motor Control Contactors Market - Global motor control contactors market is segmented by end-user (process industries and discrete industries), type (IEC standard and NEMA standard), and geography (North America, APAC, Europe, MEA, and South America).

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Global Inverter Market - Global inverter market is segmented by application (motor drive, renewable energy, and UPS) and geography (APAC, Europe, North America, MEA, and South America).

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Key Topics Covered:

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2020

Market outlook: Forecast for 2020 - 2025

Five Forces Analysis

Five forces analysis 2020 & 2025

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by End-user

Market segments

Comparison by End-user

Telecom - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Industrial - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Commercial - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Others - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Market opportunity by End-user

Market Segmentation by Type

Market segments

Comparison by Type

48V DC power system - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

0-24V DC power system - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

48V DC power system - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

More than 48V DC power system - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Market opportunity by Type

Geographic Landscape

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 APAC - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 MEA - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Key leading countries

Market opportunity by geography

Market drivers

Market challenges

Market trends

Vendor Landscape

Overview

Vendor landscape

Landscape disruption

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

ABB Ltd.

Advanced Energy Industries Inc.

AEG Power Solutions BV

Delta Electronics Inc.

Eaton Corporation Plc

EnerSys

Heinzinger electronic GmbH

Huawei Investment and Holding Co. Ltd.

Lite-On Technology Corp.

Vertiv Holdings Co.

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

Report: www.technavio.com/report/direct-current-power-system-market-industry-analysis

Newsroom: newsroom.technavio.com/news/direct-current-power-systemmarket

SOURCE Technavio
CHICAGO, Aug. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Illinois Medical District (IMD), with the support of 27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett Jr., today announced it will host a Community Job, Resource and Health Fair for Chicago residents on Thursday, August 19 from 10 AM to 4 PM at the IMD headquarters, located at 2100 West Harrison Street. The free fair, open to all Chicagoans, will connect attendees with local employers such as the Rush University Medical Center, Superior Air-Ground Ambulance Services, and Communities Empowered Through Construction for career and job opportunities in a festive atmosphere.

"The Illinois Medical District is proud to support Chicagoans in their pandemic recovery," said Kate Schellinger, Interim Executive Director of the Illinois Medical District. "Bringing the community together for the benefit of all has been part of the District's core mission from the start."

The fair will also offer residents COVID-19 vaccinations administered by Cook County Health.

"The COVID-19 vaccines are our best shot at returning to normal and reenergizing our local economy. The vaccines are safe, effective and the best way to protect yourself and those around you," said Cook County Health CEO Israel Rocha Jr. "CCH has administered more than 877,000 doses of vaccine across Cook County and we are proud to offer individuals the opportunity to walk up and get vaccinated at this event."

In addition, the Illinois Secretary of State's office will offer on-site license plate renewals stickers, renewals and corrections of Illinois driver's license and state ID's, and Organ/Tissue Donor registration for residents' convenience.

"I applaud the Illinois Medical District for their community service and the important work that they do, and I am honored to have my office participate in this wonderful event," said Secretary of State Jesse White.

Food trucks, giveaways and a live DJ will make the fair an inviting experience for everyone who stops by.

"Even as the pandemic has separated us, the needs of our communities have never been more urgent," said 27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett, Jr. "The Community Job and Resource Fair will be an effective and inviting space to connect Chicagoans with the resources they need."

Current CDC COVID-19 guidance will be followed at the event. Attendees who utilize services in the interior of the building will be required to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status.

Attendees who are seeking employment resources are encouraged to bring extra copies of their resume and a valid photo ID.

The following employers and community resource organizations are confirmed to attend the IMD Job Fair so far: 27th Ward Alderman  Walter Burnett, Jr., 10th District State Representative Jawaharial Omar Williams, Addus Homecare, American Red Cross, Anixter Center, Breakthrough, Carnivale Chicago, Carole Robertson Center for Learning, Central Plaza, Chicago Center for Arts and Technology, Chicago Children's Advocacy Center, Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, The Chicago Lighthouse, Children of Peace School, Chicago Urban League, Communities Empowered Through Construction, Cook County Health, CPS Parent University, Easterseals, Erie Family Health Centers, Ferrara Candy Company, Grow Greater Englewood, Illinois Action for Children, IMD Guest House Foundation, Malcolm X College, National Express, Olive-Harvey College, Rush University Medical Center, Superior Air-Ground Ambulance Services, Sword Bio, Thresholds, Urban Prairie Waldorf School, and Vertiport Chicago, with additional support from Aldermen Jason Ervin and Michael Scott, Jr.

About the Illinois Medical District

The Illinois Medical District is a community of health, technology and life science organizations in the heart of Chicago, two miles west of the Loop on 560 acres. Every day, more than 80,000 people visit the IMD, including more than 29,000 employees. With $220 million in annual research funding, the IMD generates $3.4 billion in economic activity each year. The IMD offers partners a unique ecosystem of knowledge, collaboration and resources, plus something more: the opportunity to impact the world's next great healthcare innovation district. Together, IMD partners accelerate discovery and commercialization that is reshaping the practice of all life sciences, generating prosperity for everyone.

SOURCE Illinois Medical District
TAIPEI and SAN DIEGO, Aug. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Senhwa Biosciences, Inc. (TPEx: 6492), a drug development company focused on first-in-class therapeutics for oncology, rare diseases, and coronaviruses, today announced that its novel oral drug, Silmitasertib, has been included in Taiwan's Center for Drug Evaluation: "CDE can Help: COVID-19 Regulatory Consultation Program". Senhwa and Taiwan's CDE have entered an agreement to facilitate the development of Silmitasertib for treating COVID-19 in Taiwan.

Taiwan's CDE is an instrumental partner of the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA), assisting in drafting regulations and guidance, while also maintaining professional connections with other regulatory agencies in major countries. In response to the urgent public health need, the "CDE can Help" program was launched to provide scientific consultation and guidance on the regulations at each stage of development for COVID-19 treatments. Taiwan's CDE holds regular weekly meetings with selected program participants, performing reviews and providing feedback, to accelerate the progress of potential COVID-19 therapeutics. The program was paramount in the first domestic COVID-19 vaccine being granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) on July 19th, 2021.

"Under the guidance of Taiwan's CDE, Senhwa plans to launch a COVID-19 clinical trial in Taiwan to further examine the safety and human efficacy of Silmitasertib in treating COVID-19. With this collaboration Senhwa's drug, Silmitasertib, will have a greater opportunity to obtain EUA from TFDA," said Tai-Sen Soong, Chief Executive Officer of Senhwa Biosciences.

Silmitasertib is already provided under compassionate use for patients with severe COVID-19 in Taiwan (treatment was initiated in June 2021). Currently two Phase 2 Investigator Initiated Trails (IIT) are enrolling moderate and severe COVID-19 patients, respectively, in the United States.

About Silmitasertib

Silmitasertib is a first-in-class small molecule drug that targets the CK2 (casein kinase 2) pathway and acts as a CK2-inhibitor. It is safe and well-tolerated in humans. In addition to COVID-19, Silmitasertib is currently under development in several oncology programs in adults and children with recurrent/advanced or metastatic cancer. To date, three Phase I trials and one Phase II trial of Silmitasertib in cancer patients have been completed; currently, there are two ongoing Phase II studies of Silmitasertib in cancer patients. US FDA granted Silmitasertib an Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma in December 2016, a Rare Pediatric Disease Drug Designation for the treatment of Medulloblastoma in July 2020, and an eIND for the treatment of a patient with severe COVID-19 in August 2020.

About Senhwa Biosciences

Senhwa Biosciences, Inc. is a leading clinical-stage company focusing on developing first-in-class, next-generation DNA Damage Response therapeutics for patients with unmet medical needs in oncology. Headquartered in Taiwan, with an operational base in San Diego, California, Senhwa is well-positioned to oversee the development of its compounds.

Silmitasertib (CX-4945) and Pidnarulex (CX-5461), both with novel mechanisms of action as anti-cancer drugs for the treatment of multiple indications, are the core products in Senhwa Bioscience's pipeline. Clinical trials are currently ongoing in Australia, Canada, United States, Korea and Taiwan.

Visit Senhwa Biosciences' website for more details: www.senhwabio.com

SOURCE Senhwa Biosciences, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.senhwabio.com


The digital blood pressure monitors market is driven by the increasing incidences of hypertension among the geriatric population, the growing demand for home-based digital blood pressure monitors, and the surging popularity of digital sphygmomanometers over conventional sphygmomanometers. These crucial factors are expected to trigger the digital blood pressure monitors market toward witnessing a CAGR of over about 4.05% during the forecast period. However, product recalls and stringent regulations as well as the presence of a large undiagnosed population are few factors that may impede the market's growth in the long run.

With the continuing spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic, organizations across the globe are gradually flattening their recessionary curve by leveraging technology. Building business resilience and enabling agility will aid organizations to move forward in their journey out of the COVID-19 crisis towards the Next Normal.

The recovery process involves various phases including:-

Recognizing the existing business model

Identifying potential disruptions

Conceptualize scenario-based planning to mitigate future crisis situations.

Fetch Pandemic-Driven Insights on Digital Blood Pressure Monitors Market

Key Considerations for Market Forecast:

Impact of lockdowns, supply chain disruptions, demand destruction, and change in customer behavior

Optimistic, probable, and pessimistic scenarios for all markets as the impact of pandemic unfolds

Pre- as well as post-COVID-19 market estimates

Quarterly impact analysis and updates on market estimates

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Emerging Opportunities with Key players

A and D Co. Ltd.

The company operates in key business segments including Measurement and Weighing Instruments Business; and Medical and Healthcare Business. The company offers digital blood pressure monitors such as UM-211, TM-2440, TM-2657P, TM-2917, and others.

Care Touch

The company offers digital blood pressure monitors such as VERSA, an intelligent pressure control monitor that provides accurate results, and comfortable cuff pressure.

ERKA. Kallmeyer Medizintechnik GmbH & Co. KG

The company offers digital blood pressure monitors such as Erkameter 125 PRO, that can be used in virtually ever routine medical situation.

Related Reports:

Blood Pressure Monitoring Device Market by Product and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025

Pressure Monitoring Devices Market by Product, End-user, and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2020-2024

Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring Systems Market by Product and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025

If you purchase a report that is updated in the next 60 days, we will send you the new edition and data extract FREE! Get report snapshot here to get detailed market share analysis of market participants during COVID-19 lockdown:

https://www.technavio.com/report/digital-blood-pressure-monitors-market-industry-analysis

Digital Blood Pressure Monitors Market 2021-2025: Segmentation

Digital blood pressure monitors market is segmented as below:

Type

Stand-alone



Integrated

Geography

North America



Europe



Asia



ROW

The stand-alone digital blood pressure monitors type segment was the largest revenue-generating segment in 2020. The segment is likely to continue gaining the largest market share throughout the forecast period. In terms of Geography, 35% of the market's growth will originate from Asia due to the growing demand for these monitors from emerging and advanced economies in the region including India and China.

Get Actionable Insights on each Contributing Segments. Download Free Sample Report:

https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR41645

Market Drivers

Market Challenges

Market Trends

Vendor Landscape

Vendors covered

Vendor classification

Market positioning of vendors

Competitive scenario

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio

Related Links

http://www.technavio.com/


Download free sample report

Key Highlights Offered in the Report:

Information on how to identify strategic and tactical negotiation levels that will help achieve the best prices.

Gain information on relevant pricing levels, detailed explanation on pros and cons of prevalent pricing models.

Methods to help engage with the right suppliers and discover KPI's to evaluate incumbent suppliers.

Get a free sample report for more information

Insights into buyer strategies and tactical negotiation levers:

Several strategic and tactical negotiation levers are explained in the report to help buyers achieve the best prices for the Dyes and Pigments market. The report also aids buyers with relevant Dyes and Pigments pricing levels, pros, and cons of prevalent pricing models such as volume-based pricing, spot pricing, and cost-plus pricing and category management strategies and best practices to fulfil their category objectives.

For more insights on buyer strategies and tactical negotiation levers, www.spendedge.com/report/dyes-and-pigments-market-procurement-research-report

Key Drivers and Trends Fueling Market Growth:

The pressure from substitutes and a moderate level of threat from new entrants has resulted in the low bargaining power of suppliers.

Price forecasts are beneficial in purchase planning, especially when supplemented by the constant monitoring of price influencing factors. During the forecast period, the market expects a change of 4.00%-8.00%.

Identify favorable opportunities in Dyes and Pigments TCO (total cost of ownership).

Expected changes in price forecast and factors driving the current and future price changes.

Identify pricing models that offer the most rewarding opportunities.

Some of the top Dyes and Pigments suppliers listed in this report:

This Dyes and Pigments procurement intelligence report has enlisted the top suppliers and their cost structures, SLA terms, best selection criteria, and negotiation strategies.

BASF SE

Huntsman Corp.

Clariant AG

DIC Corp.

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Table of Content

Executive Summary

Market Insights

Category Pricing Insights

Cost-saving Opportunities

Best Practices

Category Ecosystem

Category Management Strategy

Category Management Enablers

Suppliers Selection

Suppliers under Coverage

US Market Insights

Category scope

Appendix

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"Attending Pebble Beach is a dream for car fanatics," said Larry Webster, senior vice president of Hagerty Media. "But for those who can't be here this year, our livestream is a dream come true. We're excited to partner with the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance to help expand their reach."

During the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, a live event will air on Hagerty.com/media, as well as on the Hagerty Facebook page from 1:00 PM PT to 5:00 PM PT. The livestream is presented by WeatherTech, produced by the Torque Show, and is being broadcast in partnership with Hagerty Media. A co-branded microsite  pebble.hagerty.com  features a series of articles and videos covering all aspects of the event.

Hagerty's media operations include Hagerty Drivers Club magazine, which is one of the largest automotive magazines in the country; Hagerty YouTube, which is followed by more than 1.6 million subscribers; Hagerty.com/Media, which features automotive news, reviews and market trends; the Hagerty Community, where enthusiasts gather to talk cars; and Hagerty's popular social media platforms.

About Hagerty

Hagerty is an automotive enthusiast brand offering integrated membership products and programs. Hagerty is home to Hagerty Drivers Club, Hagerty DriveShare, Hagerty Valuation Tools, Hagerty Media, Hagerty Drivers Club magazine, MotorsportReg, Hagerty Garage + Social, the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, the Concours d'Elegance of America, the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance, the California Mille and more. Hagerty is the world's largest provider of specialty insurance for enthusiast vehicles. For more information, call (800) 922-4050 or visit www.hagerty.com.

SOURCE Hagerty

Related Links

http://www.hagerty.com


Prior to the luxury auction, Paradise Peninsula had been on the market for nearly 3 years, enjoying only 2 showings and failing to generate any offers. The Franklin County lakefront property entered the market at a price of $3.2 million and was then reduced to $2.85 million, still with no viable suitors. "Jodi and her team actually did a terrific job giving the property ample market exposure prior to luxury auction process," said Trayor Lesnock, Platinum's Founder and President. "We simply needed to add the proper sense of urgency and date-certainty to their existing formula." Lesnock added that Mrs. Gunther also represented 2 bidders in the auction, which he called "an exceptionally rare feat."

While the sales price will not be released until the transaction has closed (scheduled for the week of August 16, according to the auction's terms of sale), the auction firm reported that the sale landed within the predicted range. "The sales price landed right at the high end of the price range that was estimated 24 hours prior to the sale," added David Ashcroft, Platinum's Managing Director. He also noted the buyer was a New Yorker who plans to build a larger home on the property for his family.

Paradise Peninsula was affectionately given its name due to the peninsular shape that comprises much of the property's waterfrontage - a whopping 4,000 feet on the lake. Its 14 above-grade acres (not including another 23 acres of submerged area) also includes two small, "private islands" located within a short swim of the shoreline. Expansive lake vistas are afforded throughout the property's grounds, which also feature gently winding paths complete with various lookout clearings and firepit stations.

The camp's living structures include a main residence with 5 beds and 3 baths in addition to a large basement and garage perfect for a workshop or "man cave." There is also a 2-bed guest cabin and 3-bay garage.

In addition to this most recent sale, Platinum sold two lakefront camps on nearby Upper Saranac Lake - one each in 2019 and 2020 - in addition to a camp on Upper St. Regis Lake, also in 2020. The luxury auction firm will hope to increase its number of consecutive sales in the Adirondacks market area to 5 with its upcoming auction of Camp Limberlost this afternoon, August 14. Once asking $10.2 million, the 14-acre property on Upper St. Regis Lake will also be sold without reserve. More details are available at NewYorkLuxuryAuction.com, or by contacting Platinum's offices at 800.262.5132.

About Platinum Luxury Auctions: Platinum Luxury Auctions is responsible for developing the luxury auction concept and operating model for high-priced real estate auctions, and owns the trademark rights to the term "luxury auction." The firm specializes in the non-distressed sale of multimillion-dollar properties on behalf of private owners. Platinum's team has closed more than $1.05 billion in luxury real estate auction sales to date, while consulting on more than $2.65 billion in additional luxury property assets worldwide.

SOURCE Platinum Luxury Auctions LLC

Related Links

http://www.platinumluxuryauctions.com


San Francisco, Aug 14 : Facing widespread concerns over the potential misuse of its new child safety tool by the governments to spy on users, Apple has released a new paper to allay privacy fears around the plans to scan iCloud photos for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on iPhones and iPads.

Last week, Apple confirmed plans to deploy new technology within iOS, macOS, watchOS, and iMessage that will detect potential child abuse imagery.

In the new paper, Apple said that it will not rely on a single government-affiliated database like US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to identify CSAM.

"Apple generates the on-device perceptual CSAM hash database through an intersection of hashes provided by at least two child safety organisations operating in separate sovereign jurisdictions - that is, not under the control of the same government," the company stressed.

Apple said that it will only flag an iCloud account if it identifies 30 images as CSAM.

"Building in an additional safety margin by assuming that every iCloud Photo library is larger than the actual largest one, we expect to choose an initial match threshold of 30 images," the company informed.

"Since this initial threshold contains a drastic safety margin reflecting a worst-case assumption about real-world performance, we may change the threshold after continued empirical evaluation of 'NeuralHash' false positive rates," it added.

Apple earlier stressed that it will not allow any government to conduct surveillance via the tool aimed at detecting and curbing CSAM in iCloud photos.

Apple said it will not accede to any government's request to expand the technology.

"Apple will refuse any such demands. We have faced demands to build and deploy government-mandated changes that degrade the privacy of users before, and have steadfastly refused those demands. We will continue to refuse them in the future," the company had said in a separate document.

Apple said the tool does not impact users who have not chosen to use iCloud Photos.

"There is no impact to any other on-device data. This feature does not apply to Messages," the company noted.
Ankara, Aug 14 : As Turkish parents and students are eagerly waiting for the return of in-person classes from September, authorities are considering to lower the age limit for Covid-19 vaccination in the wake of a resurgence.

The main topic of conversation among parents these days is, without a doubt, if the schools are going to reopen as planned to face-to-face education in the first week of September, Xinhua news agency reported.

The summer vacation season and a long Muslim holiday in late July have caused massive mobility among the population, which contributed to the surge in COVID-19 cases.

Daily coronavirus cases are hovering at around 25,000, which is over five times higher than the numbers recorded before the start of a normalization process on July 1.

So far, Turkey has administered about 80 million doses of vaccine. However, only 36 per cent of the entire population is fully inoculated with a two-dose course, which is about half of the 70 per cent target to reach herd immunity in the country with 83 million population.

The nation has recently lowered the age of eligibility to the vaccine to 16, and further measures may be taken until September, according to experts.

Professor Sema Turan, a member of the Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Committee, told reporters on Friday that officials are considering widening the scope of the inoculation drive to children aged between 12 and 15 before the opening of schools.

"We aim to reopen the schools on September 6 as already planned, and our priority is to provide the necessary support to make the resumption of in-class education possible," Turan added.

While officials are still assessing how the education system is going to be back on track, Turkey has appointed Mahmut Ozer as new Education Minister.

"I will be doing everything to open the schools in September," the new Minister said, adding that "we have no luxury to keep them closed".

Experts are calling on the government to speed up the pace of the vaccination and thus reduce the spread of the coronavirus amid a vaccine hesitancy that officials are trying to address with more information on their efficiency.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, Aug 14 : Richa Chadha says an actor's motivation to sign a project can be different depending on the state they are in. The actress says she wants to work as she was hungry to be back on sets after the Covid-19 lockdown.

Talking about picking work in terms of quantity or quality, Richa told IANS: "Any actor's motivation to sign a project can be different depending on the state they are in their personal lives, headspace and careers." She added: "Sometimes you just want to work because after the lockdown I was just hungry to get back on set because it creates employment also and I was sick of sitting at home." For everyone, the motivation is different.

"Sometimes it is money, sometimes it is the fact that the dates are free and sometimes if you are really lucky it is something that is close to your heart and something that you believe in," she added.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Bengaluru, Aug 14 : It's 'Indira' vs 'Annapoorneshwari' in Karnataka. Renaming of government subsidized canteens in the state is turning out to be a high-voltage clash centre between the opposition Congress and ruling BJP.

Sources have confirmed that the ruling party is set to rename government canteens now known after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as Annapoorneshwari (the name of Hindu goddess) canteens.

BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel lashed out on social platforms that it is a sin to name a government facility after "a person who tried to destroy the fabric of democracy by imposing emergency on the nation".

"Siddaramaiah is scared that minorities will feel bad if the name of Indira canteens is changed to Annapoorneshwari. Siddaramaiah is trying to show false respect towards Indira Gandhi," he underlined.

Newly inducted minister for Energy, Kannada and Culture reacted that it is not auspicious to take food in the name of Indira Gandhi for the poor. "If he happens to take it in the name of goddess Annapoorneshwari wouldn't it look good and proper," he asked.

The debate on renaming of Indira canteens in the state began after national general secretary and former minister C.T.Ravi mooted the idea of changing the name of Indira Canteens in the state on lines of renaming Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award to Major Dhyan Chand award.

Union Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy, Chemicals and Fertilizers of India, Bhagavanth Khooba hailing from Karnataka has also supported the idea of changing the name of government run Indira canteens. Minister for Large and Medium Industries Murugesh Nirani and BJP MLA M.P.Renukacharya have also vouched for renaming the canteens after Annapoorneshwari.

Congress has warned that if BJP attempted to change the name, it would smear the name boards of BJP and RSS leaders black in the state. Ravi has stated that he would not bother if Congress opened hookah bars in the name of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. When the Congress strongly objected to it, he retorted that photos of former Prime Minister Nehru smoking hukka are available.

Minister for Water Resources Govind Karjol, however, has maintained that there is no proposal before the government to change the name of Indira canteens.
New Delhi, Aug 14 : For a fighter pilot, an aerial dogfight is the ultimate test of his flying skill to outwit and shoot down an enemy aircraft. That skill may soon be lost due to the evolution of advanced weapon systems, says Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd), who has authored a path-breaking book on 25 Air Aces from around the world who have left an indelible mark on the history of air warfare.

"Special fighter aircraft were developed and employed to achieve aerial superiority. While the opposing fighters almost matched in performance, it was the skill of the men in the fighter cockpits that made the difference in the outcome of aerial engagements. Aerial combat involved attacking the adversary by achieving surprise and skilfully manoeuvring the aircraft to its limits to achieve a 'kill'. Only exceptionally skilled pilots could win the battle in the skies," Chopra told IANS in an interview of his book, "Greatest Air Aces Of All Time" (Pentagon Press).

"A few dare-devil aces among combat aviators have historically accounted for the majority of air-to-air victories in military history. These pilots had great situational awareness, aggressive spirit and aerial shooting skills. Fighter aviation is agog with heroic deeds of pilots who exploited the extreme envelopes of their machines in order to impinge severe blow on their adversaries, occasionally falling during the call of their duty," he added.

Sadly, combat engagements would reduce in the present era of Beyond Visual Range (BVR) weapons. "Also the future is unmanned, and therefore era of Air Aces may gradually fade away," Chopra said.

The term Air Ace emerged in 1915 during World War I, at the same time as aerial dog fighting - a term intended to provide the home population with a cult of the hero in what was otherwise a war of attrition.

"The combat duels of Aces were widely reported and an image created of a chivalrous knight reminiscent of the bygone era. For a brief early period in the initial years, the exceptionally skilled pilot could shape the battle in the skies. Over the years, many books have been written on the lives and exploits of Air Aces. There are authorized biographies written with the permission, cooperation, and at times, participation of a subject or a subject's heirs. There are autobiographies written by the person himself or herself, sometimes with the assistance of a collaborator or ghostwriter. Being a fighter pilot, the stories of great air aces always enamoured me," Chopra explained of the research that went into the book, which features Aces from 12 nations - nine from Germany, four from the US, two each from the UK and the Soviet Union, and one each from India, Vietnam, Japan, Israel, Iran, Finland, France and Canada..

Lieutenant Indra Lal Roy was the only Indian Air Ace who flew as a pilot in the British Royal Flying Corps in WW I. He achieved 10 air victories in just 3 months and was shot and killed at a young age of 21. Manfred von Richthofen, the "Red Baron", is generally considered one of the top air aces ever, though he had only 80 air victories.

British Air Ace Douglas Bader (22 victories) flew the entire WW II with both artificial legs. Hans Joachim Marseille, also famously known as the "Star of Africa" achieved 17 kills in a single day, the highest by any pilot in a day.

The Soviets had dedicated all-women fighter and bomber squadrons. Lydia Lityak "White Lily" was the high (estimates vary from seven to 16 victories) .

Gerhard Barkhorn (302 victories), the second highest scoring German Ace, was the best man for the wedding of the leading Air Ace, Eric Hartmann (352 victories).

"They had unique exploits. They had operated across the globe in different wars, which includes the two World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, Arab-Israeli, and Iran-Iraq wars. There are Air Aces who have operated in different sectors, such as Western Europe, the Eastern front, North Africa, South East Asia, Pacific Ocean, West Asia, China among others," Chopra explained.

"A few famous Air Aces continued to fly and score aerial victories even after losing their limbs. Some of the dogfight tactics and firing solutions evolved by them continue to be followed even today. All the Air Aces were dare-devil pilots, and they were highly decorated and were national heroes," he added.

Was it by accident or design that no Indian pilots served on the Western front and were confined to the Eastern sector during World War II? "India was threatened by the Japanese when they came from South East Asia through Burma (later Myanmar). Therefore, the Indian Air Force was deployed to thwart Japanese advance. After the Japanese had been neutralised, some Indian pilots were sent to Europe to fight along with allied forces. Jumbo Majumdar was one such pilot. He initially was part of No.1 Squadron flying bombing missions. Majumdar was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, in November 1942. In 1943, Majumdar volunteered for a role in the European War. He flew the North American Mustang aircraft and flew reconnaissance missions. He was awarded the Bar to his DFC in January 1945. He thus became the most highly decorated Indian pilot of World War II," Chopra said.

What next? What's his next project? "Writing is a passion for me. I have over 600 published articles. Just ten months earlier, my book "China, The Rising Aerospace Power" was published. As Director-General of Centre for Air Power Studies, I am already writing extensively on air power and national security subjects. I plan to write a book on "Indo-Pacific - The Emerging Theatre of Great Power Rivalry", Chopra concluded.

(Vishnu Makhijani can be reached at vishnu.makhijani@ians.in)
Bengaluru, Aug 14 : Four youths have been taken into custody in Karnataka after a 32-year-old man killed himself after being blackmailed, the police told on Saturday.

The deceased was identified as Supreeth from Hassan. According to police, Supreeth, who worked as a clerk, consumed poison at a lodge in Bengaluru on Friday. He left a note alleging that four youths extorted money from him after capturing a private moment with his girl friend on their mobile.

The video was captured when Supreeth was having a private moment at a hill near Arsikere town in Hassan district. After shooting the video, the gang of four blackmailers approached Supreeth and started extorting money.

They threatened to make the video go viral on social media if he failed to pay up. As the victim started paying money, the gang's demand increased. They also forced him to share the number of his girlfriend.

Stressed over the development, Supreeth came down to Bengaluru and ended his life. The police in Upparpet rounded up the accused and further investigations were underway.
New York/New Delhi, Aug 14 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has asked the Taliban to "immediately halt" their offensive against the Afghan government forces and return to the negotiating table in good faith, "in the interest of Afghanistan, and its people".

Guterres told reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York on Friday that humanitarian needs were "growing by the hour" and the war-torn country was largely spinning out of control.

"Even for a country that has tragically known generations of conflict, Afghanistan is in the throes of yet another chaotic and desperate chapter - an incredible tragedy for its long-suffering people", he said, noting that more than 1,000 people have been killed or injured from indiscriminate attacks against civilians, notably in Helmand, Kandahar and Herat provinces, in just the past month.

The UN chief said the fighting between Taliban and Afghan security forces for control of cities and towns, was "causing tremendous harm".

At least 241,000 people have been forced to flee from their homes... Hospitals are overflowing. Food and medical supplies are dwindling. Roads, bridges, schools, clinics and other critical infrastructure are being destroyed, "he added.

"Continued urban conflict will mean continued carnage" Guterres said, with civilians inevitably paying the highest price.

"I call on all parties to take heed of the conflict's heavy toll and its devastating impact on civilians. They all must do more to protect civilians." Guterres said he was "deeply disturbed" by reports of the Taliban imposing severe restrictions on human rights in the areas under their control, particularly targeting women and journalists.

"It is particularly horrifying and heartbreaking to see reports of the hard-won rights of Afghan girls and women being ripped away from them." The UN chief called on the international community, to make clear to the Taliban that seizing power through military force, was "a losing proposition. That can only lead to prolonged civil war, or to the complete isolation of Afghanistan".

He said there was still potential for stalled intra-Afghan talks taking place in Doha, Qatar, supported by the region and the wider international community, which could lead to a negotiated settlement.

"Only an Afghan-led negotiated political settlement can ensure peace", he added, declaring that the UN was determined to contribute to a peace deal, "promote the rights of all Afghans and provide life-saving humanitarian help to the ever increasing numbers of civilians in need".

(Sanjeev Sharma can be reached at Sanjeev.s@ians.in)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Kabul, Aug 14 : Afghanistan's First Vice President Amrullah Saleh said the government will continue its fight against the Taliban by fully supporting the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) and the public uprising forces.

Taking to Twitter on Friday, Saleh said it was a key decision made by the government's security meeting chaired by President Ashraf Ghani.

"In today's meeting on national security chaired by President Ashraf Ghani, it was decided with conviction and resolve that we stand firm against Taliban terrorists and do everything to strengthen the national resistance by all means and ways." In another post, Saleh said that the Taliban will be defeated and that he will never surrender to the group.

He did not provide details on the reasons behind the current situation in the country but said he will not bow to any deal named peace with the nature of surrender.

"I will never accept Taliban domination on the people of Afghanistan under any deal that is dictated and imposed by Taliban," the First Vice President added.

But the Taliban, who overran at least 17 provincial capitals in the past one week, in a statement asked government officials to surrender and that they will be forgiven.

TOLO News reported that some politicians and lawmakers said that the current situation is due to the government's "wrong policies".

"The Presidential Palace or presidential advisers and minister should explain the situation," said Sayed Jawad Mohseni, a religious scholar.

"No where in the world, it is in a way that those who are responsible do not feel their responsibility towards the people and the government, and apply policies that do not favor national interests," former Vice President Ahmad Zia Massoud said.

"They were busy in taking seats and land grabbing and were seeking ways to fill their pockets," said Asif Sediqqi, a senator.

But an analyst blamed the US and other countries' policies towards Afghanistan.

"The main reason behind the current crisis and bloodshed in Afghanistan is the US and its close allies," said Shakib Muntazeri, a university lecturer.
Washington, Aug 14 : The iconic One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the US standing on the site of the 9/11 terror attacks, will be be lit up in the Indian flags tri colours to commemorate the 75th Independence Day on August 15.

"This initiative commemorates the world's largest democracy - India entering its 75th year of Independence," the American Bazaar news outlet reported on Friday citing the South Asian Engagement Foundation (SAEF), a community organisation, as saying in a statement.

As part of the celebrations, other installations of the Durst Organization in New York at One Bryant Park and One Five One,will also be lit up with the tricolours.

"We are proud to partner with the South Asian Engagement Foundation as it celebrates India entering its 75th year of Independence," said Mark Domino of The Durst Organization who oversees Spireworks.

"This is an historic moment commemorating India's Independence and most importantly the expression of love between the US and India," said Rahul Walia, Founding trustee of SAEF.

We hope to continue the tradition and enhance the experience for everyone with more imagery on the podium." The lighting would turn on at sunset (New York City time) on August 15 on the spire of the One World Trade Center, One Bryant Park and One Five One and remain lit until 2 a.m. the next day.

Additionally, the Indian tricolour would be visible on the podium of the World Trade Center.

The SAEF has encouraged the Indian diaspora community to visit the podium.
August 14 : After session court deferred his bail hearing till August 20, Raj Kundra has moved Bombay High Court for anticipatory bail. The businessman has been in custody since his arrest on July 19 in a pornography related case.

After session court deferred his bail, Raj Kundras custody was extended till August 20. The court's decision to defer the hearing came after the crime branch had reportedly listed out 19 reasons to oppose the businessman's bail appeal.

The Crime Branch informed the court that Raj Kundra was not cooperating. While investigation is still on, the Crime Branch informed that they still need to collect a several evidences in the case, and releasing the businessman on bail may lead to tampering of evidences. The Crime Branch has also informed the court that many witnesses and victims are also coming forward to record their statements.

Kundras associate Ryan Thorpe was also arrested on July 19 for allegedly making pornographic films and publishing them for mobile applications along with Raj Kundra.

Earlier, Raj Kundra had challenged the magistrates order rejecting his bail application on July 28. The magistrate court had held, If released, they will hamper the investigation and the alleged offence is detrimental to the health of society.

Raj Kundras petition mentions non-compliance of Section 41 A of the Criminal Procedure Code, where one can issue a notice directing the person against whom a reasonable complaint has been made.

Opposing Kundra's bail plea, the Crime Branch stated that he being an influential person, might tamper with the evidence and influence the witnesses as some of them are employees of his company. The Crime Branch also pointed out that if he gets bail he can escape the country as he holds British citizenship.

Meanwhile, a director of one of Raj Kundra's companies, Abhijeet Bomble, was reportedly arrested on Thursday in connection with the pornography case.
New York, Aug 14 : The Federation of Indian Associations (FIA), one of the largest community organisations in the US, has announced its plans to unfurl the biggest tricolour at the iconic Times Square in New York City on August 15 to commemorate India's 75th Independence Day.

The FIA announced that the 6 ft by 10 ft tricolour hoisted on a 25 feet pole will be unfurled on Sunday by the Consul General of India in New York, Randhir Jaiswal, reports the American Bazaar news outlet.

As part of the day-long celebrations to be organised by the FIA, the first India Day billboard at Times Square will also be displayed for 24 hours.

The event will conclude with a gala cruise on the Hudson River attended by top government officials, special guests and members of the Indian-American community.

An Independence Day message will also be displayed on the largest Jumbotron at Times Square for 24 hours, the FIA added.
Sanaa, Aug 14 : The Yemeni army killed 21 Houthi rebels when repelling attacks in the central province of Marib in the last 24 hours, a military source said.

In Al-Kasarah frontline northeast of western Sirwah district, "the army repelled Houthi rebel attacks from two directions on Malbodah heights that were recaptured by the army two days ago, killing 14 rebels and recapturing the highway linking Al-Kasarah with the northwestern district of Raghwan", the source in Marib told Xinhua news agency on Friday.

"The army also advanced onto the west of Al-Kasarah area, attempting to recapture Al-Makhdarah heights, west of Hilan mountain that overlooks the nearby southern frontline of Al-Mashjah." In the southwestern district of Rahabah, "the army repelled rebel attacks on the strategic mountain of Al-Abzakh that the army recaptured earlier this month, killing at least seven", the source said.

Meanwhile, the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV made no report on the ground fighting, but said the Saudi-led coalition warplanes launched 12 airstrikes on the Houthi positions in Sirwah and Rahabah.

The Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV reported that the coalition intercepted and destroyed a bomb-laden drone launched by the Iran-backed Houthi militia towards the Saudi city of Khamis Mushait.

Yemen's civil war flared up in 2014 when the Houthi group seized control of much of the country's north and forced the internationally recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa.

The Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in March 2015 to support Hadi's government.

The Houthi group has stepped up cross-border drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia since February when they launched a major offensive on Marib in attempts to seize control of the oil-rich province.

The US has warned that the offensive on Marib, which hosts nearly 1 million internally displaced people, could lead to a major humanitarian catastrophe.
New Delhi, Aug 14 : Amidst the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, millions of young people aged between 10-30 years from urban and rural India led commendable efforts such as conducting vaccination drives, linking marginalized communities to essential commodities, providing peer counselling, and debunking myths around Covid-19 and vaccines.

The 'Young Warrior' movement was launched in May 2021, and achieved significant scale, with 6.6+ million actions taken, said organisers in a statement.

Recently, its second phase 'Young Warrior NXT' was introduced by the Ministry of Youth Affairs (MoYAS), UN offices (UNICEF, UNFPA, UNDP, UNV, UN Women, UN AIDS, UNHCR, WHO, and ILO) and YuWaah (Generation Unlimited in India).

According to organisers, it has been envisioned to serve as an emergency response to the learning and skilling crisis compounded by Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdowns. Through this year-long initiative, it aims to equip the young people of India between the ages of 14-24 with key life and employability skills to enable them to pursue successful lives and careers. This will include five anchor life skills of Self-Awareness, Collaboration, Problem-Solving, Communication, and Decision-Making, and Employability Skills that cover vocational training and job-readiness skills.

Recognising the psycho-social impact of Covid-19 on the learner community, the program will also include initiatives that address mental health and emotional well-being.

According to Usha Sharma, Secretary (Youth Affairs), Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, "the youth of our country are drivers of change. It is important to provide them with the tools and skills needed to embrace the rapidly-changing needs of the 21st century workplace and society, key to which is life and employability skills." UNICEF Representative in India, Yasmin Ali Haque and Co-Chair, YuWaah, adds: "India is the youngest country in the world and will continue to be so for the next 20 years. #YoungWarriorNXT provides an avenue for young people to learn essential life skills that supplement their academic knowledge. Young people can learn these skills through a simple feature phone, smartphone or DIY home kits." BVR Mohan Reddy of YuWaah notes that the pandemic has affected young people, but their contribution towards rebuilding India is awe-inspiring. "However, we need to focus on the learning and skilling gap of young people and prepare them with key essential and employability skills for their future." (Siddhi Jain can be contacted at siddhi.j@ians.in)
New Delhi, Aug 14 : From searching how to make sweets online to themed birthday cakes, the character of the Mighty Little Bheem has authentically captured India's culture through the adventures from cooking Pongal to flying kites in his village, since its premiere in 2019. Now, Netflix and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) have announced coming together to celebrate India's rich cultural heritage through the homegrown series.

Over the next year, a series of fun short videos themed 'One Country, Incredible Diversity' will shine a light on India's cultural journey, including monuments, living heritage, performing arts, social practices, rituals and festivals such as Dussehra, Diwali and Holi. UNESCO seeks to encourage the identification, protection, and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity, they announced.

The short videos to be released on UNESCO New Delhi's Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter pages, will demonstrate how cultural history enriches people's everyday lives by covering everything from food and traditions to languages and storytelling.

The first video was released ahead of the 75th Anniversary of India's Independence (Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav), a day that brings the entire country together.

Monika Shergill, VP, Content, Netflix India, tells IANSlife: "We are excited to partner with UNESCO to celebrate India's rich cultural heritage through our beloved preschool animated series, Mighty Little Bheem. At Netflix, we want to make stories that are compelling, meaningful, memorable and resonate around the world for authentic representation of their respective cultures." Eric Falt, Director and UNESCO Representative to Bhutan, India, Maldives and Sri Lanka, adds, "We are pleased to partner with Netflix to take you through a journey of India's rich cultural diversity. In today's interconnected world, culture's power to transform societies is clear. Its diverse manifestations -- from our cherished historic monuments and museums to traditional practices and contemporary art forms -- they all enrich our everyday lives in countless ways." The series is created by Green Gold Animation

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)
Tehran, Aug 14 : Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Hossein Salami, said that the country has secure all of its borders, including the eastern frontiers with Afghanistan, where the Taliban are making rapid advancements.

Salami said on Friday that the IRGC forces, Iranian Army and the Police have full control over the border areas and are controlling the situation, Xinhua news agency reports.

The comments by the Iranian senior commander came after the Taliban seized control of Herat, Afghanistan's third-largest city and a strategic provincial capital located near the Iranian border.

On Friday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh expressed concerns over the escalation of conflicts in Afghanistan which have led to the displacement of large number of people.

He also urged full security of Iran's diplomatic mission in Herat after Taliban's claim to gain control of the city.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, Aug 14 : It is time to impose targeted travel and banking sanctions on the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Pakistani army officers involved in supporting the Taliban and other terrorist groups, says American expert Michael Rubin.

Rubin said the American defeat to the Taliban and, by extension, Pakistan is a humiliation rooted not in a US military failure but the corrosiveness and short-sightedness of Washington's own political debate.

"It is a blow the US might have avoided, but should not take without a response. Simply put, it is time to sanction Pakistan," said Rubin, who is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute where he specialises in Iran, Turkey, and the broader Middle East.

"Simply put, all sales of military and dual-use technology to Pakistan by the United States and its allies should cease immediately. The United States and its allies, many of whom have also suffered because of Pakistani duplicity, should withdraw support for loans for Pakistan from the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and Asian Development Bank." The US State Department has long been reluctant to impose sanctions on Pakistan. Perhaps senior diplomats believed they might better compel Pakistan with carrots rather than sticks, but the net result of US inaction was a sense of impunity in Islamabad and an emboldened Taliban. American credibility is also at stake, Rubin said.

The US and its allies must also support adding Pakistan to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) black list; this Pakistan remains on the grey list signals to Pakistani leaders that they can finance terror and launder money with impunity.

"Afghanistan is in freefall. The Taliban conquer city after city with impunity. The State Department leads with the Taliban to spare its embassy. A repeat of Saigon 1975 looms," he added.

It need not have been this way. President Joe Biden decided to withdraw forces to honour a peace agreement his and predecessor Donald Trump's Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad hashed out with the Taliban, never mind that the Taliban never abided by the terms of the agreement, Rubin said.

As for the Afghan military's failure to fight, Afghans are correct to point out that the fight would have been far easier if the US had not forced theKabul government to release imprisoned Taliban fighters.

Rubin said the real problem, however, is not Afghanistan but rather its neighbour Pakistan.

"Simply put, if Pakistan had not taken the decision to support, co-opt and control the Taliban, Afghanistan would never be in such a dire situation."
Chennai, Aug 14 : The life insurance business models have changed over the last decade driven by the customers/policyholders.

"If we now build a robust customer consent architecture, we would see businesses moving into the next generation of customer-centricity," Vibha Padalkar, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, HDFC Life Insurance Company Ltd told IANS.

Padalkar, qualified as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales in 1992, and is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

Prior to her appointment at HDFC Life, she worked in varied sectors, such as global Business Process Management, global FMCG, and in an international audit firm.

With India set to celebrate 75th Independence Day on Sunday, Padalkar shares her big ideas of transformation relating to her sector in an interview.

India will be celebrating its 75th Independence Day. How do feel about it? August 15th arguably marks the most patriotic day we celebrate together as a country. The idea to see a free India was a transformative one that gave birth to the independence struggle and changed the lives of Indians forever. On the occasion of our 75th Independence Day, it is only fair for us to think of the next generation of transformative ideas in our respective domains as we look to build a promising future for our nation.

What is your transformative idea for the life insurance sector? When I look at transformative ideas from the perspective of the life insurance sector, I would unequivocally vote for customer centricity. It is an idea that has already shown its disruptive power in many sectors and I believe the insurance industry is also at the cusp of leveraging it to transform itself. Customers today are different from their predecessors. Their demands are shaping the course of businesses - the higher extent of personalization, digital purchasing platforms, door-step delivery, 24/7 servicing, amongst others.

What is happening at HDFC Life on this aspect? At HDFC Life we had already started the fundamental transition from being product-centric to becoming customer-centric. We recognised that we needed to put the customer at the center of our business model, leverage the vast amounts of customer data that is being generated and provide specific offerings suited to their unique needs. And in addition, we needed to be available anytime-anywhere - which implied our services needed to be built digital-first! And how was this made possible?

All of this became possible since technologies have matured, there is an explosion of customer data, and legacy problems are being tackled by both insurers and insurtechs working in tandem.

On looking forward...

Now, as we look ahead, one of the transformative ideas that can now help propel customer centricity to the next level is a customer consent architecture that cuts across sectors. Imagine the customer as the sole authority who decides when, how and with whom to share her data.

This could be data related to her health, her finances, her identity, her location, her driving records and anything else that is being generated (only) basis her consent. While multiple authorities and entities could be acting as the custodians of this data, they are not the owners - that power would rest solely with the individual.

With such an architecture, insurers would be able to personalize, price better and even serve better! A customer who gives an insurer access to her medical data on an ongoing basis can be given rewards for improving her health metrics or maintaining her health metrics better than the average customer.

Similarly, someone who shares her driving data can look forward to discounts on motor insurance on the back of her safe driving. The insurance industry is awash with such use cases that would fructify overnight if we are able to get this idea to reality! (Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in)
New Delhi, Aug 14 : Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is set to visit Kerala and Assam to review the Covid-19 situation in the two states.

In Kerala, Mandaviya on August 16 is expected to meet Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and will hold a meeting with the state's Health Minister and other officials engaged in managing the pandemic.

He will be accompanied by the Director of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and other senior officials of the Health Ministry.

Covid continues to rage in Kerala and on Friday the state reported over 20,000 new cases.

A statement issued by the Chief Minister said 20,452 new new cases was registered after 1,42,501 samples were sent for testing in the past 24 hours, and the daily Covid Test Positivity Rate (TPR) was 14.35 per cent, the third successive when it was above 14 per cent.

There were also 16,856 recoveries, while the number total active cases stood at 1,80,000.

As Covid cases are on surge in the northeastern region, Mandaviya will do a ground review of the situations with Health Ministers during his Assam visit on August 17.

Assam's Covid-19 tally mounted to 5,78,733 on Friday as 763 more people tested positive for the virus, while 20 fresh fatalities pushed the death toll to 5,471, the National Health Mission (NHM) said in a bulletin.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Chandigarh, Aug 14 : Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday ordered mandatory full Covid-19 vaccination or negative RT-PCR report for all those entering the state from Monday, with strict monitoring particularly of those coming from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu, which are showing increased positivity.

Amid reports of Covid cases in schools, the Chief Minister has also directed that only fully vaccinated teaching and non-teaching staff, or those recently recovered from Covid, should physically teach in schools and colleges, with online learning option to remain available to all children.

He further ordered prioritisation of teachers and non-teaching staff for vaccination, with special camps to be held to ensure that all are covered with the first dose within this month and those due for the second dose to be also prioritised.

Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu suggested reducing the gap between the two doses to prioritise second dose for teachers and other school staff.

The directives came at a Covid review meeting chaired by Amarinder Singh, who expressed concern about the positivity in Himachal Pradesh and other parts of the country, which has caused positivity in Punjab to also increase marginally to 0.2 per cent in the last week, with RO going up to 1.05 per cent.

The Cambridge study has also predicted that cases are likely to double in the next 64 days, he warned, announcing new restrictions in addition to those already in force.

The Chief Minister has ordered at least 10,000 test samples of students and staff from schools to be undertaken every day. Districts and cities where positivity is above 0.2 per cent have been asked to shut down physical education for class 4 and below until the situation improves.

The rule on full vaccination or negative RTPCR report will apply to all those entering Punjab by road, rail or air, announced the Chief Minister, adding that if a person is found to not have either of these, RAT testing shall be mandatory, unless he/she has recently recovered from Covid.

On schools, which have recently reopened for certain classes in the state, the Chief Minister said while there were some reports of high positivity in schools, the fact was that intensive testing had shown that the positivity amongst school students is 0.1 per cent against overall positivity of 0.2 per cent in the past one week.

Since August 9, at least 41 students and one staff member in government schools have tested positive.

Calling for strict vigil, he directed the departments concerned to ensure that only fully vaccinated teaching as well as non-teaching staff shall physically teach in schools and colleges.

In case the whole teaching staff is not fully vaccinated, those who are fully vaccinated can attend to the students in the school and virtual classes can be taken by teachers who are not fully vaccinated.

The number of students should be suitably curtailed if enough fully vaccinated teachers are not available, ordered the Chief Minister, directing schools to allow seating of only one child per bench.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Chennai, Aug 14 : Tamil Nadu's Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare M.R.K.Panneerselvam on Saturday presenting the state's first budget for agriculture said it is dedicated to the farmers protesting in Delhi protesting against the three farms laws of the central government.

The DMK government headed by Chief Minister M.K.Stalin had announced that a separate budget for agriculture will be presented by the government earlier.

This is the first time a separate budget for the agriculture sector is being presented.

"There are more challenges viz., decrease in cropped area due to conversion of agricultural lands into real estate, depletion in soil nutrition, declining of water resources due to over-exploitation; reluctance among youngsters to take up farming, deprivation of remunerative price for agricultural produce, enhanced cost of cultivation, post-harvest loss, etc. Farmers are shouldering these hard challenges in agriculture like Atlas," he said.

According to Panneerselvam a total of Rs 34,220.65 crore has been allocated for the agriculture and allied sectors for the year 2021-22.
Copenhagen, Aug 14 : Danish politician Morten Messerschmidt has been convicted of forgery and misuse of the European Union's (EU) funds and was given a six-month suspended sentence, a local court said.

Currently the deputy Chairman of the Danish People's Party (DF) and also a member of the Folketing (Parliament), Messerschmidt was found guilty on Friday by the court in Lyngby of defrauding the EU of just over 98,000 Danish kroner ($15,500) and forging documents surrounding a conference that never took place.

Messerschmidt said he intends to contest the court's ruling, reports Xinhua news agency.

"I am of course surprised and have throughout believed that I would be acquitted. That is why we are appealing," he told local media outside the court following the verdict.

According to court records, the case concerned a Danish political party's summer group meeting in 2015.

Messerschmidt had applied for EU funds to hold an event on behalf of the Movement for a Europe of Liberties and Democracy (MELD) in connection with the annual summer group meeting of DF.

But the MELD event did not take place as planned, and now Messerschmidt was found guilty of receiving unjustified payment of the related EU funds.

Messerschmidt, 40, received a six-month conditional sentence, which means he will only serve jail time if he commits a new crime within the next two years.

In response to the verdict, DF Chairman Kristian Thulesen Dahl said Messerschmidt would still be able to continue his political work within the party.

"In our country, one is innocent until proven otherwise. And since Morten wants to appeal (the verdict) at the National Court, it is only when the National Court has assessed the case that we have a final result," Dahl added.
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 14 : The much awaited revamp of the Congress organisational structure at the top of the Kerala unit of the party is finally taking shape as the state's top brass is in Delhi meeting Rahul Gandhi and party president Sonia Gandhi.

The revamp that has to be cleared, include the 51-member apex body of the party, besides the 14 district party presidents.

Those who are in Delhi include State party president K.Sudhakaran his three deputies besides Leader of Opposition V.D.Satheesan.

In the past week, the top faction leaders Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala were in Delhi and conveyed their wish list to the Gandhis.

Following the April 6 assembly polls debacle when Congress was expecting to regain power, the party high command stepped in and Chandy and Chennithala, who for the past two decades had reigned supreme in the state unit, had to side-step.

The party sprang a surprise when Sudhakaran and Satheesan were annointed new leaders.

Speaking to the media in Delhi on Saturday, Sudhakaran said the talks have been smooth.

"The discussions will continue and we are sure that the decision will be made soon and the list would be announced," said Sudhakaran.

Hitherto, the 14 district president's post has always been shared between Chandy and Chennithala and perhaps the sitting president also would get one or two of his aides, likewise it was the way the members to the apex body was selected.

But with the high command putting its foot down, all eyes are on if the practice of Chandy and Chennithala sharing the posts will happen this time.

A media critic on condition of anonymity said with Rahul Gandhi continuing to have a strong say in all party decisions in Kerala, he will play his cards carefully and is sure he will not displease Chandy and Chennithala.

"But that does not mean, the two faction leaders will be given a free hand. Overall there is a feeling this time the list will contain more young faces as the need of the hour is to build the party at the grassroots and it's here the youth power is needed," said a critic.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Rome, Aug 14 : Most Italian regions showed data consistent with a moderate Covid-19 pandemic risk while three regions have the most probability of moving to a higher risk level, the country's National Health Institute (ISS) announced.

Eighteen of 21 regions and autonomous provinces were classified at moderate risk in the latest monitoring report issued by the ISS and the Health Ministry, Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday.

Only the central Lazio region, and northeast autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano were assessed as at low risk.

The incidence of new infections on the overall population slightly grew to 73 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the week August 2-8, compared to 68 cases per 100,000 in the previous week, the report revealed.

However, some regions registered an incidence rate much above the national average, especially Sardinia (141.8 cases per 100,000), central Tuscany (129.9), and southern Sicily (127.2).

According to the country's parameters, the incidence rate is consistent with a low-risk scenario when it stays below the threshold of 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

While still classifying them as at moderate risk in the report, the ISS specified Tuscany, Sicily, and Apulia were the regions with the most probability of moving to a higher level of risk.

In the report, the ISS confirmed the Delta variant was widely prevalent in the country.

An encouraging positive signal came from the latest COVID-19 reproduction number (R), which was at 1.27 in the week August 2-8, down from 1.56 in the previous week, according to the report.

The R number is an indication of how fast the virus spreads among the population, and a value above one means one infectious person would averagely transmit the infection to more than one other person.

Assessing the latest results, ISS experts noted the rate of bed occupancy by Covid-19 patients, which since late July has become the key parameter to decide whether any region has to be moved to a higher level of risk, has remained low nationwide.

"The bed occupancy in normal wards and in intensive care is around 5.2 per cent and 3.4 per cent, respectively," Giovanni Rezza, Director of Infectious Diseases Department at the National Health Institute, said.

"It means we are still well below the critical threshold at national level." As of Saturday, Italy's registered Covid-19 caseload and death toll stood at 4,427,827 and 128,379, respectively.
New Delhi, Aug 14: Although the Taliban has been denying the presence of fighters from different foreign militant groups, the monitoring group of the UN has estimated about 8,000-10,000 militants mainly from Central Asia, the north Caucasus region of the Russian Federation and Xinjiang Uyghur region of China.

As far as terrorists from Pakistan are concerned, the number could be around 10,000 because thousands of militants from Pakistani based terror organisations like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Taliban Pakistan have heavily embedded with the Taliban.

According to UN reports, most of the fighters in Taliban ranks were asked to wear masks to hide their identities. Afghan intelligence sources have reported that they have seen foreign fighters in the ranks of the Taliban descending on new cruisers. Rahmatullah Nabil, Former Director of National Directorate of Security (NDS) shared a few pictures of these foreign militants.

"Taliban have taken territories in Northern #AFG specifically Badakhshan with the help of Al-Qaeda & ETIM fighters. Qari Faseehuddin has the support of foreign elements. Jaish ul Nasr brigade of Al-Qaeda & others are fully active. Haji Furqan is leading ETIM in the North," he said in a series of posts.

"Remnants of IMU aligned with Taliban commanded by the son of Tahir Yaldshev are actively engaged in battle. ETIM was also instrumental in the first fall of Kunduz in 2015. Taliban rely on advisory & training role of foreign elements.The supplies are through Shah Salim pass. Haji Furqan is of the ETIM or commonly known as TIP," Nabil said.

The rapid and lightning advancement of the Taliban in the last seven days is due to active support of the Pakistani army and ISI and these foreign militant groups, mainly with the support of Al-Qaida and allied groups, including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), a Uyghur Muslim rebel group; Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP); and Central Asian militant outfits such as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and Jamaat Ansarullah, militants outfit also known as the Tajik Taliban.

Despite repeated denial by the Taliban that they don't have any foreigners in their rank, an UN Security Council report on July 21 noted that, "the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) consists of several hundred members, located primarily in Badakhshan and neighbouring Afghan provinces. A number of Member States identify this group as the Turkistan Islamic Party, which is a widely accepted alias of ETIM. Many Member States assess that it seeks to establish a Uighur state in Xinjiang, China, and towards that goal, facilitates the movement of fighters from Afghanistan to China".

"The Taliban and Al-Qaeda remain closely aligned and show no indication of breaking ties," the report says. This nexus continues despite the US-Taliban deal signed in 2020, which called for severing ties with the group.

Officials in Kabul told Nikkie Asia that the alliance of transnational militants has helped the Taliban cement their territorial gains. "Highly trained members of Al-Qaeda or its allied groups embed with Taliban units to act as military advisers in key operations, and train them in planting explosives and other types of makeshift mines." Senior Afghan officials claimed that ETIM fighters, led by their commander, Haji Furqan, working with Jamaat Ansarullah, have helped the Taliban seize territory in northern Afghanistan.

Last month, The Taliban recently assigned Tajik leaders from Jamaat-e-Ansarullah to monitor Afghanistan's northern border with Tajikistan.

In the last 24 hours social media platforms are filled with horrifying videos of the Taliban hanging people to death. Afghans have been pleading and begging to the US, UN for help. While the US has "stopped" worrying about Afghanistan, the UN chief is saying, "following escalation in fighting 'with deep concern,". The Secretary General AntAnio Guterres expressed hope that discussions between the Government of Afghanistan, Taliban and regional and international envoys underway in Doha "will restore the pathway to a negotiated settlement of the conflict", underscoring that the UN "stands ready to contribute to such a settlement".

The world leaders are apprehensive about the bleak future of 35 million Afghans but they have left them to fight on their own.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
Tripoli, Aug 14 : The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) announced that there are currently 42,210 registered refugees and asylum-seekers in Libya.

So far in 2021, a total of 20,799 refugees and immigrants have been rescued at sea and returned to Libya by the Libyan Coast Guard, Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday citing the UNHCR as saying.

Meanwhile, a total of 19,393 illegal migrants, including women and children, have been rescued, while 360 died and 570 went missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route.

"The number of people returned to Libya in July 2021 has more than tripled compared to the same period last year, which may be attributed to the periodic easing of movement restrictions for Covid-19, as well as calmer sea conditions," the Agency added.

Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, which makes the North African country a preferred point of departure for illegal migrants who want to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores.

Up to 90 per cent of people crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe depart from Libya.

Rescued migrants end up inside overcrowded reception centres across Libya, despite repeated international calls to close them.

There are currently 223,949 internally displaced Libyans, according to the UNHCR.
New York, Aug 14 : The New York state Assembly will suspend its impeachment investigation against Governor Andrew Cuomo upon his resignation taking effect on August 25, it was announced.

Cuomo announced his resignation on Tuesday, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Governor's resignation answers the directive of the impeachment investigation, which was to determine whether Cuomo should remain in office, New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said on Friday.

In addition, the constitution of New York state does not authorise the legislature to impeach and remove an elected official who is no longer in office, according to Heastie.

Heastie added the investigation by the Assembly Judiciary Committee in the last several months has uncovered credible evidence in relation to allegations that have been made in reference to Cuomo.

"This evidence concerned not only sexual harassment and misconduct but also the misuse of state resources in relation to the publication of the Governor's memoir as well as improper and misleading disclosure of nursing home data during the Covid-19 pandemic," Heastie said in a statement.

This evidence could likely have resulted in articles of impeachment had Cuomo not resigned, according to Heastie.

Cuomo resigned after a report by independent investigators appointed by New York Attorney General Letitia James concluded that he sexually harassed multiple women from 2013 to 2020.

Once seen as a rising political star from the Democratic Party, Cuomo has been working as New York Governor since January 2011 and his third term will end at the end of 2021.
Sydney, Aug 14 : New South Wales (NSW), the worst-hit state in Australia's current Covid-19 outbreak, reported 466 new local cases on Saturday, a new peak and a nearly 20 per cent jump from the 390 infected recorded the previous day.

The state also recorded four deaths, which brought the total number of fatalities in the latest outbreak to 43, reports Xinhua news agency.

Facing the deteriorating situation, the authorities announced a couple of tougher restrictions.

From Monday, the radius of movement for residents in Greater Sydney and surrounding areas were reduced from 10 km to 5 km.

From August 21, people will need a permit to travel to regional NSW.

People who breach the rules, such as self-isolation, lying on a permit or lying to a contact trace, will face an increased on-the-spot fine of A$5,000 ($3,685).

People who do ot adhere to the two-person outdoor exercise rules, or enter into regional NSW for inspecting real estate and travelling will face a fine of A$3,000.

Residents in those local government areas on concern cannot get out of home for outdoor recreation, such as gathering in a park or outside take-away shops or cafes.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said there will be a stronger police presence, especially in those local government areas of concern, to clamp down on people breaching the restrictions.

An additional 500 Australian Defence Force will join those who were already in NSW to help local police ensure people's compliance with the restrictions.

"The increased fines and heightened police presence are about ensuring people who are doing the wrong thing are caught and punished appropriately," she said.

The premier also extended the lockdown on Armidale, an area in the northern part of NSW to prevent the spread of the virus.
New Delhi, Aug 14: There is a chilling sense of Deja vu as the Taliban closes in on Herat, Irans 3rd largest city.

Iranian diplomats are once again holed up in their consulate in Herat, a situation that triggers bitter memories of a similar incident that took place in 1998, and ended in unforgivable tragedy.

On August 8 in 1998, eight Iranian diplomats and a correspondent of IRNA were trapped in the consulate building in Mazar-e-Sharif, after the Taliban stormed into the city. They were tragically murdered in the building -- a fact that the Iranians known for their long memories have never forgotten. The embers of the sorrowful incident are still aglow.

On Sunday, the Iranians have once again bugled that, from their side, there is no closure to the tragedy.

"August 8 marks one of the most bitter days for the diplomatic arm of the Islamic Republic of Iran," read an Iran foreign ministry statement released a day earlier.

It added: "23 years ago, on such a day, Iranian diplomats and an Iranian reporter were martyred at the country's consulate general in the Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif, in an act of cowardice and in violation of commitments made to Tehran as well as international regulations and treaties and the human and Islamic common sense." Unsurprisingly, the foreign ministry vowed that it will not rest till all dimensions of the incident are revealed. The Islamic Republic of Iran "pledges to pursue the issue as an obvious demand of the Iranian government and nation until the hidden aspects of the incident come to light," the statement said. It stressed that Tehran "honours the memory of the martyrs of this incident and, once more, strongly condemns the executed act of terrorism".

Analysts say that Iran's fury is directed at Pakistan as the hand of the Pak-based hard-line Sunni organisation Sipah-e-Shahaba Pakistan (SSP) is suspected in the execution of the murders.

It is widely acknowledged that the SSP, with links to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), is the mothership of a number of internationally proscribed terror groups, including the ultra-radical lashkar-e-Jahangvi (leJ).

But 23 years later, the Iranians are staring at a similar predicament in Herat. The Director General of West Asia at Iran's Foreign Ministry on Friday said that Iranian diplomats are inside Iran's consulate general in Herat and the officials are keeping in constant touch with them, IRNA reported.

"The Consul General, diplomats, and personnel of the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran are inside the premises," Rasoul Mousavi wrote in his Twitter account.

He added that the city's governing forces have committed to the full security of Iran's consulate, its diplomats, and personnel.

But given the historical precedent, coupled with the never-again sentiment, it is natural that Tehran would be keeping all options open to prevent the repeat of the incident that took place more than two decades ago.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
Kabul, Aug 14 : Taliban militants have captured Warsaj district, the last bastion of the Afghan government in Takhar province and further consolidated their position in the country's northern region, an official said on Saturday.

"Warsaj district collapsed to the Taliban fighters on Friday evening and the security forces based there retreated to Panjshir province," the official told Xinhua news agency.

The Afghan government is yet to confirm the development.

With the capture of Warsaj district, the Taliban have completed its grip on northern Takhar province.

In addition, the armed group, which captured 17 provinces over the past nine days, have been fighting to overrun Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, and Maimana of Farah province to complete its grasp in Afghanistan's northern provinces.
New Delhi, Aug 14 : A day after former Congress President Rahul Gandhi slammed social media site Twitter alleging it of taking sides in the politics of the country, the US based company said that the accounts have been unlocked after the Congress leader submitted a copy of the formal consent letter to use the referenced image via its India Grievance Channel.

Besides Rahul Gandhi, Twitter on Saturday also unlocked the accounts of the Congress and several other party leaders after temporarily blocking it for violating its policy. After the party's account was unlocked, the Congress said: "Satyamev Jayate." According to Twitter, Rahul Gandhi's account was locked after the Congress leader 'violated' its rules by posting pictures of the family of a nine-year-old victim of alleged rape and murder in Delhi. The Congress has alleged that it was being done at the behest of the government.

In a statement, a Twitter spokesperson said, "As part of the appeal process, Rahul Gandhi has submitted a copy of the formal consent letter to use the referenced image via our India Grievance Channel." The US based company spokesperson said, "we have followed the necessary due diligence process to review the appeal in order to protect the safety and privacy of the affected individuals".

"We have updated our enforcement action based on the consent provided by the people depicted in the image. The Tweet is now withheld in India and the account access has been restored," the spokesperson said.

"As explained in our Country Withheld Policy, it may be necessary to withhold access to certain content in accordance with valid legal provisions under the Indian law(s). The withholding actions are limited to the specific jurisdiction or country where the content is determined to be unlawful and remains available elsewhere. Details of the withheld content is published on Lumen notice," the spokesperson said.

Commenting on other accounts that were blocked, the spokesperson said, "As explained, based on the written consent provided by the people depicted in the image, our teams initiated the necessary due diligence process for review. We have now updated our enforcement action and the Tweets are now withheld in India and the access to the accounts has been restored. Details of the withheld content is published on Lumen." Rahul Gandhi on Friday released a video statement slamming Twitter for blocking his account and alleged that the social media platform was taking sides in the politics of the country. "By shutting down my Twitter they are interfering in our political process. A company is making its business to define our politics. And as a politician I don't like that. This is an attack on the democratic structure of the country. This is not an attack on Rahul Gandhi." He said that he has 19-20 million followers and they have been denied the right to an opinion.

"So, this is not only patently unfair, this is their breaching the idea that Twitter is a neutral platform. And for the investors this is a very dangerous thing because taking sides in the political contest has repercussions for Twitter," he added.

Rahul Gandhi alleged that the democracy is under attack, opposition was not being allowed to speak in Parliament and the media is controlled. "And I thought there was a ray of light where we could put what we thought on Twitter. But obviously, that's not the case. It's obvious now that Twitter is actually not a neutral, objective platform. It is a biased platform. It's something that listens to what the government of the day says," he added.

"As Indians, we have to ask the question: Are we going to allow companies just because they are beholden to the Government of India to define our politics for us? Is that what this is going to come to? Or are we going to define our politics on our own? That's the real question here," Rahul Gandhi said.

Twitter had temporarily locked accounts of several Congress leaders a week ago for sharing a photograph of the family of the nine-year-old rape victim in Delhi. Accounts of Congress leaders like Randeep Singh Surjewala, Ajay Maken, Sushmita Dev, and Manickam Tagore were among those that were temporarily locked.
Kabul, Aug 14 : US troops have started arriving in Kabul to assist in the evacuation of the American Embassy personnel from the war-torn country where the Taliban is gaining ground against security forces, a media report citing an informed official said on Saturday.

The TOLO News report cited the official as saying that the troops' arrival will continue till Sunday.

On Thursday, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price had announced that the country will deploy thousands of troops to the Kabul airport to support the American Embassy staff drawdown as the security situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate.

Price said that the Embassy will remain open, and the US plans to continue diplomatic work in the country.

Also on Thursday, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters that three infantry battalions, about 3,000 troops, will be deployed to Kabul airport within 24 to 48 hours.

In addition, around 1,000 personnel of a joint US Army and Air Force support team will be sent to Qatar to facilitate the processing of Afghan applicants for Special Immigrant Visas (SIV).

An infantry brigade combat team will arrive in Kuwait next week in case additional forces are needed.

Saturday's development comes as the Taliban militants have continued to make rapid military advances across the country.

Earlier in the day, Taliban claimed to have captured two more provincial capitals of Tirin Kot(Uruzgan) and Firoz Koah (Ghor).

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid also said that most parts of Pul-e-Alam, the capital of Logar province, has fallen to the Taliban, adding that clashes continued at an intelligence agency office and two army bases in the city.

Pul-e-Alam, about 60 km south of the national capital of Kabul, has witnessed heavy clashes since early Friday when Taliban stormed the city from different locations.

In the past one week, the insurgents overran more than 10 provincial capitals, including Herat, Kandahar and Ghazni cities.

The situation in the war-torn country has been worsening since the withdrawal of US-led troops starting on May 1.

Many Afghan cities and about half of the country's 34 provinces in recent weeks have witnessed heavy battles and intense fighting between Afghan forces and Taliban militants.

US President Joe Biden ordered the American military to end its mission in Afghanistan by August 31.

Earlier this month, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani blamed the speedy withdrawal of US-led troops for the worsening violence in his country.
Chennai, Aug 14 : Encouraging agriculture graduates to turn into entrepreneurs, farmers to produce millets/pulses/oilseeds, converting fallow lands into cultivable ones, focus on organic farming, are some of the major points of the Tamil Nadu's first agriculture budget.

The budget was presented by Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare M.R.K. Panneerselvam in the assembly on Saturday.

According to Panneerselvam, a total of Rs 34,220.65 crore has been allocated for the agriculture and allied sectors for the year 2021-22.

He dedicated the budget to the farmers protesting in Delhi against the three farms laws of the central government.

The Minister also announced the procurement price of paddy Grade-A varieties at Rs 2,060/- per quintal and common varieties at Rs 2,015/- per quintal.

About six lakh farmers will be benefited and the government will be incurring an additional expenditure of Rs 99.38 crore.

The DMK government headed by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had announced that a separate budget for agriculture will be presented by the government.

"There are more challenges viz, decrease in crop area due to conversion of agricultural lands into real estate, depletion in soil nutrition, declining of water resources due to over-exploitation; reluctance among youngsters to take up farming, deprivation of remunerative price for agricultural produce, enhanced cost of cultivation, post-harvest loss, etc. Farmers are facing these challenges in agriculture like Atlas," he said.

Panneerselvam said during the current fiscal the cultivable land will be increased by creating water sources in about 2,500 villages so as to increase the farmer's income. A total sum of Rs 1,245.45 crore has been allocated for the scheme.

He said Stalin has given three targets - a) to bring in additional 11.75 hectares for cultivation (b) an area of 10 lakh hectare cropped area to be doubled in 10 years and (c) Tamil Nadu to be brought within the first three positions in the country in agricultural productivity in crops like foodgrains and commercial crops such as coconut, cotton, sunflower, and sugarcane.

The government plans to convert 11.75 hectares of fallow land into cultivable land over the next ten years and the crops like millets, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables and fruits will be grown to increase the net sown area to 75 per cent, Panneerselvam said.

A cluster of 100 hectare of rainfed lands will be identified wherein summer ploughing, rainwater harvesting systems such as farm ponds and contour bunding will be created, bio-fertilizers and quality seeds of nutri-cereals, pulses and oilseeds will be distributed at subsidised rates.

The farmers who adopt organic farming will be encouraged with provision of inputs subsidy. The noble project of "Organic Farming Development Scheme" will be implemented during the current year.

According to Panneerselvam, traditional paddy variety seeds will be multiplied in 200 acres in State Seed Farms to distribute them to the farmers.

He also said the government will focus on making agricultural graduates into entrepreneurs and also make efforts to nurture the impression that agriculture is a noble profession so that educated youth take farming to the next level.

With the demand for millets increasing, Panneerselvam said a Millet Mission will be implemented to increase its production.

Value addition in minor millets will be encouraged to ensure remunerative price to farmers. Minor Millet rice will be procured by Co-operative societies and distributed through Public Distribution System in Cities like Chennai and Coimbatore, he added.

The other highlights are: *Use of satellite data on cropping for implementation of crop insurance

*Developing Tiruchirapalli - Nagapattinam as Agro Industrial Corridor

*Cultivation of long staple cotton in 25,000 hectare adopting integrated methodologies

*Intensive coconut cultivation

*Integrated Farming System will be implemented during 2021-2022 to benefit 13,300 farm families.

*Establishment of an Agriculture Museum at State Level in Chennai to showcase the glory of agriculture to the younger generation *Conversion of Uzhavar Sandhai/farmer's market waste into manure

*Establishment of Modern Cold Storages

*Farm to Home- Sale of Farm fresh vegetables and fruits through Mobile Shops

*Establishment of pepper processing centre at Kolli hills, Namakkal District

*Special Export Zone for Moringa to be set up

*Getting geographical indication tage for Unique crops of Tamil Nadu

*Setting up of turmeric research centre in Erode District

*Nammazhvar Organic Farming Research Centre
Kabul, Aug 14 : Taliban militants have seized Pul-e-Alam city, the provincial capital of Logar province, located 60 km south of Kabul, as the insurgents continue their fight against government forces, a local official said on Saturday.

The official confirmed the fall of the city, but did not provide any further details, reports Xinhua news agency.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in his Twitter account "Abdul Qayum Rahimi, the governor for Logar province has joined the Mujahidin" and the city of Pul-e-Alam is in control of the insurgent group.

With the capture of Pul-e-Alam, the number of provincial capitals seized by the Taliban militants has reportedly reached 18, including the cities of Herat, Kandahar and Ghazni.

The Afghan government is yet to comment on the development.

Earlier in the day, the Taliban claimed to have captured two more provincial capitals of Tirin Kot (Uruzgan) and Firoz Koah (Ghor).

Also on Saturday, the militants captured Warsaj district, the last bastion of the Afghan government in Takhar province.

The group is now continuing its fight to overrun Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, and Maimana of Farah province.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Jammu, Aug 14 : Ahead of Independence Day a major tragedy was averted after a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) module was busted and four terrorists were arrested in Jammu, officials said on Saturday.

Police said JeM terrorists and their associates have been arrested by Jammu Police in a drive to root out presence of terrorists in Jammu.

"They were planning collection of arms dropped by drones and supply to active terrorists of Jaish-e- Mohammed in Kashmir valley; planting a vehicle based IED in Jammu before 15th August and reconnaissance of important targets in other parts of the country," police said.

Sharing details, police said Muntazir Manzoor alias Saifulla, resident of Prichoo Pulwama, a member of terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed was the first to be arrested in this chain and from him one pistol, one magazine, eight live rounds and two Chinese hand grenades were recovered. His truck used for transporting weapons to the Kashmir valley was also seized.

Subsequently three more Jaish terrorists were arrested. They have been identified as Ijahar khan alias Sonu Khan, resident of Mirdan Mohalla Kandala Shamli (UP).

"He disclosed that the Jaish commander in Pakistan by the name of Munazir alias Shahid had asked him to collect weapons from near Amritsar which would be dropped by a drone. He was also asked by Jaish to do reconnaissance of Panipat oil refinery which he did and sent videos to Pakistan. He was then tasked to do the reconnaissance of Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi but was arrested before he could accomplish this task," police said.

Police said Touseef Ahmed Shah alias Showket and Adnan, resident of Jeff, Shopian was tasked by Jaish commander Shahid and another Jaish terrorist by the name Abrar in Pakistan to take up an accommodation in Jammu which he did. He was then asked to procure a second hand motorcycle for causing an IED blast at Jammu. The IED for this purpose would be dropped by a drone. Touseef was arrested before he could complete this task.

According to police, Jahangir Ahmed Bhat, resident of Bandzoo Pulwama has been arrested in the case. He was the fruit merchant from Kashmir who was constantly in touch with Shahid of Jaish in Pakistan and had introduced Ijahgar Khan to him. He was further doing recruitment for Jaish in Kashmir Valley and in the rest of the country.

Police said further investigation on the remaining module is in progress.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
New Delhi, Aug 14 : Param Vir Chakra awardee Subedar Major (Honorary Lieutenant) Yogendra Singh Yadav, has been awarded with Honorary Captain rank on Saturday, on the eve of 75th Independence Day.

Yadav was just 19 when he was awarded the country's highest military award for his bravery during Kargil conflict.

As many as 337 serving non-commissioned Indian Army personnel were awarded with Honorary Captain and 1,358 were awarded with Honorary Lieutenant ranks.

The Indian Army's Honorary Commission (Honorary Captain and Honorary Lieutenant) is granted to serving Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) on Independence Day and Republic Day in their last year of service as recognition of their exemplary service and contribution.

The ratio for grant of Honorary Commission since 1984 has been 12:1000 for Honorary Lieutenants and proportionate vacancies for Honorary Captains.

Acknowledging the contribution of JCOs, the ratio has now been revised to 15:1000 for Honorary Lieutenants.

"This will provide enhanced opportunities to Junior Commissioned Officers to become Honorary Commissioned Officers prior to their superannuation," Indian Army said.
Mumbai, Aug 14 : It took an invisible Covid-19 virus to suddenly expose how the Indian education system was throttled by the pandemic and apparently lacked in effectively rising to changing needs and challenges of the modern AI-driven era, says globally-acclaimed Maharashtra teacher, Ranjitsinh Disale.

As India takes the first step from its Platinum to the Centennial year of Independence in (2047), Disale feels that education must form the "strongest foundation" for the country to confront the upcoming new challenges effectively.

"Currently we have students of the '21st Century' being taught by teachers of the '20th Century', relying on a '19th Century' curriculum with '18th Century' teaching techniques... All this must change, if India has to not simply march, but race ahead of all other nations," Disale, 33, told IANS.

The winner of the Varkey Foundation-UNESCO's top 'Global Teacher Prize-2020', worth $1 million (Rs 7.50 crore), the Solapur-based teacher rued how in the pandemic, the country was barely able to cope with the trials of 'Learn From Home' (LFH) for students from the big metros to the remotest hamlets in different corners of the country.

With schools/colleges downing shutters for over a year now, students virtually had to fend for themselves at LFH during the past 18-months of the Coronavirus pandemic, Disale said.

Needless to say, limited financial resources or tech-access like SmartPhones, computers, erratic Internet and other constraints left both the teachers and students in many regions feeling utterly handicapped and frustrated.

"Having learnt this lesson, we must now start preparing our teachers for the 21st Century... The students of today are probably 'more aware' than at any point in the past 75 years of Independent India largely due to television, mobiles, computers, Internet, etc," Disale pointed out.

While lauding the objective of the landmark 'Right To Education (RTE) Act, 2009', he said now, the law can be amended to incorporate 'Right Education' and 'Right Way of Education' for the benefit of the students, the teachers and the country at large.

Disale said the new breed of teachers must be adequately trained, equipped and empowered to cater to and handle not only the well-informed modern students but also nurture the eager gen-next, especially if encountered by a LFH-like situation ever again...

"These very teachers and students will help build a New India... They will have more confidence, ability to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the world as humanity hurtles to the mysterious but fascinating tech-driven future, where only Sky's the Limit," smiled Disale.

To realize this, he urged the corporates to invest more in the technological aspects of education like computers, mobiles, Internet connectivity, smart classrooms, etc, alongside the government efforts, to catapult Indian education at par with the international standards.

Disale pointed out that in turn, this will boost another critical sector of the Indian agro-economy on which 75 percent of the population depends, and with adequate knowledge-based technological inputs, agriculture outputs can soar to new heights.

A humble teacher for 11 years at the Paritewadi Zilla Parishad School in Solapur, Disale is credited with transforming education by using QR codes, audio-poems, video-lectures and other innovations to impart lessons which helped drastically reduce dropout rates, especially among the girl students, and other benefits, grabbing the world's attention.

Earlier, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella had recognised Disale's work in his book, 'Hit Refresh', while the Indian government had honoured him with the 'Innovative Researcher of the Year-2016' and the National Innovation Foundation's 'Innovator of the Year-2018' awards.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, Aug 14 : Actor Pranay Pachauri plays the role of rifleman Yashpaul Sharma, the youngest member of Captain Vikram Batra's team, in the biopic 'Shershaah' released recently. The actor recalls training with NSG commandos for the film.

The actor marked his acting debut in the digital space with 'Time Out' and went on to do 'Tere liye bro', 'Trip 2', 'Tathaastu', and many other web series.

Talking about bagging the role in 'Shershaah', Pranay told IANS: "Well it was pretty much an audition that bagged me the role. I got a call from Jogi, the casting director, he wanted me to audition for the role of Yashpaul Sharma. Two weeks later I was locked for the role." "I didn't know how to react as doing an army film was always on the cards but doing an army film with Dharma Productions that too on the legendary Param Vir Chakra awardee Captain Vikram Batra was unexpected yet at the same time such a thrilling project to be a part of." Parnay and other actors got their training from actual Army officers for the film.

Talking about the intense training, he said, "We had to shoot at 12,000-13,000 feet in Kargil and for that, we had to be mentally and physically fit. We were trained for a month with NSG commandos, so you can understand the level at which we were trained, from 4 am to 9 am we were at it, working on our physical strength to our mental strength." "From learning how to dismantle, clean, and reassemble our rifles to all the sign languages used to communicate actions. We were trained to be lethal, stealthy, trained to fight which helped us get into the skin of our characters." Mentally, the actor did a lot of preparation to be in the skin of the character.

"I have a lot of friends from an Army background, a lot of friends in the Army now. I've spoken to them at length about the stories of the Kargil war to help me build a world inside my head. What really helped us was interacting and hanging out with jawans on set and hearing their stories, their experiences, and just how they are as people. The two high-ranking Army officers were on the set to guide us. They were extremely helpful and insightful which in turn helped us build our body language, psyche, and characters," he said.

As Pranay plays the role of the most crucial frontline warrior of Captain Vikram Batra, played by Siddharth Malhotra, the actors shared a bond on the sets of the film.

Talking about his co-actor Siddharth, Pranay told IANS, "He was extremely professional and we all bonded like school kids, pulling each other's leg, sharing stories, laughing at the silliest of jokes but it all resulted in an amazing camaraderie on set. We all did our own stunts at the most extreme terrain. Sid used to make sure all of us were in the best of health and spirits. We all spent two months in Kargil shooting and by the end of it we were all buddies." Pranay has interesting projects in his kitty like 'Crash Course', 'Kingmaker' and 'Guilty Minds'.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Kabul, Aug 14 : In an address to the nation amid the continued violence between the Taliban and Afghan government forces, President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday vowed to prevent further bloodshed in the country, adding that measures were underway for the remobilisation of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF).

"Under the current situation, remobilising of the security and defence forces is our top priority and required measures are underway for this purpose," TOLO News quoted Ghani as saying.

"I know that you are concerned about your present and future but I assure you as your president that my focus is to prevent further instability, violence and displacement of my people.

"To do this, I have started widespread consultations within and outside the government, with political leaders and international partners and I will soon share the results with the people," the President added.

Ghani said he will not allow the ongoing war to claim more lives, loss of the gains of the last 20 years, destruction of public property and continued instability.

His remarks come as the Taliban is gaining ground across Afghanistan and has so far captured some 18 provincial capitals, including the key cities of Herat, Kandahar and Ghazni.

The security situation in the country started to deteriorate since the withdrawal of the US-led forces which began in May.

The group is now continuing its fight to overrun Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, and Maimana of Farah province.

The violence has killed and displaced thousands of Afghans across the country.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Amaravati, Aug 14 : A British diplomat's eulogy of Visakhapatnam city turned out to be music for the ears of ruling YSRCP leaders, giving a shot in the arm to Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's three capitals pet project.

Senior YSRCP leader and Rajya Sabha member V. Vijayasai Reddy readily embraced the British Deputy High Commissioner Andrew Fleming's praise for Visakhapatnam to bolster the state government's plans to make the port city the executive capital.

"The British Deputy High Commissioner praised that the executive capital Visakhapatnam is better than 100 world cities he visited," said Reddy on Saturday.

He expressed happiness at the diplomat's comments that the port city is favourable for investments and well suited for the southern state's development.

According to the MP, Fleming said that he feels like returning to Vizag or Visakhapatnam again and again after visiting it just once, and added that the city is "no less than" places located in Brazil and Spain.

The Deputy High Commissioner was on a whirlwind tour of the southern state recently, visiting multiple places in and around Vijayawada, including calling on Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Fleming also met politicians and business leaders.

However, his comments on the executive capital assume significance as some sections of the media rang alarm bells on the choice of the capital, saying parts of the city face the threat of getting inundated in the future as observed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Reddy slammed these media houses "for seizing on the opportunity to allegedly spew venom" on the choice of Jagan Mohan Reddy's executive capital city.

Fleming is not a new admirer of Vizag. Before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in February 2020, he appreciated Vizag's roads for being some of the best in the country.

The Chief Minister has trifurcated the capital into three: Vizag as executive capital, Amaravati as legislative capital and Kurnool as judicial capital, earning the wrath of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and others.

The TDP is opposing the capital city trifurcation tooth and nail.

However, Jagan Mohan Reddy is still operating from Amaravati for the time being.
Panaji, Aug 14 : A day after Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant vowed to use police force to deal with villagers protesting the Indian Navy's initiative of hoisting a national flag at the St Jacinto island in South Goa, the naval authorities in a statement said that after the "slight misunderstanding" a flag hoisting ceremony was conducted peacefully on Saturday.

"After a slight misunderstanding yesterday (Aug 13), a team from Goa Naval Area and residents amicably participated in National Flag hoisting at St Jacinto island," the Indian Navy statement said.

"The residents also sang the National Anthem along with the Naval team during the event," it also said.

On Friday, villagers of St Jacinto island, led by state Nationalist Congress Party president Jose Phillip D'Souza had gathered in the church square on the island to protest against the flag hoisting ceremony planned by the naval authorities.

"Navy officers came here and they said that they will hoist the flag on August 15. I want to say that whether they are from the Navy, government or any private company, we do not give this right to anyone (to hoist a national flag). The villagers are united against this. If the Navy, state and central government try to capture our island, then local villagers will never allow this," D'Souza had said.

Following the protest the Chief Minister had said that such "anti-India" activities would be dealt with an iron fist.

"It is unfortunate and shameful that some individuals at St Jacinto Island have objected to the hoisting of the national flag by the Indian Navy on the occasion of India's Independence Day. I condemn this and want to state on record that my Government will not tolerate such acts," Sawant tweeted on Saturday.

"I have requested the Indian Navy to go ahead with their original plan and have assured full cooperation from Goa Police. These attempts of anti-India activities shall be dealt with an iron fist. It will always be 'Nation First'," Sawant also said.

Flag hoisting events are undertaken on island across the nation to instill a sense of patriotism and celebrate the run up to the 75th year of Independence, as part of the Defence Ministry's 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' initiative.
New Delhi, Aug 14 : The Standing Committee on the Ministry of Home Affairs, in its latest report, has asked the Ministry to include the offenders and criminals proliferating in cyber space who are repeatedly engaged in cyber pornography, cyber blackmailing, cyber stalking or bullying in the National Database of Sexual Offenders (NDSO).

The NDSO has been created by the Home Ministry for the use of the Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) to identify repeat offenders, receive alerts on sex offenders as also to help in investigations.

The panel, headed by Congress MP Anand Sharma, observed that it was essential to strengthen the investigation machinery for the identification and tracking of offenders committing cybercrimes, particularly against women and children.

The Committee also observed that it was very important to conduct a nationwide campaign to create awareness amongst all sections of the society regarding the use and misuse of cyber space and also about the evolving technology which is being leveraged to commit different and new types of cyber crimes. It is also very important to protect minor children/juveniles from indulging in crimes like talking, online-trolling, molesting, it added.

The report also expressed concern regarding the growing use of online streaming sites, apps showing sexually abusive content in movies, serials and felt that appropriate regulation thereof was required to save society from its deleterious impact.

The Standing Committee's 233rd report on action taken by the Government on atrocities and crimes against women and children was presented in Parliament on August 10, 2021.

The Committee observed that dependency on cyber space has been growing exponentially with the constant adoption of digital services, tools and applications. This has also led to an increase in cybercrimes and associated challenges.

"To address the challenges, a targeted approach from different angles is needed which will include imparting proper training to law enforcement agencies, investing in the right cyber security solutions, evolving dynamic prevention methods and raising mass awareness on the use and misuse of the cyberspace", the panel said.

The panel also recommended that cyber safety lesson plans should be included in the educational institutions to make students aware of internet safety and its responsible use. Further, the educational institutions should be instructed to hold sessions with parents to make them identify at an early stage any signs of their children being victims of any of the cybercrimes, the report added.

The MHA informed the Committee that a 'Handbook on cyber safety for adolescents, students' has been released and a soft copy of this booklet has been made available online at www.cybercrime.gov.in and at the Home Ministry website.

This booklet has also been circulated to all ministries, departments, states and Union Territories. It has been holding regular meetings with educational institutes to discuss the further course of action to increase awareness amongst students in prevention of cybercrimes, the MHA added.
Mumbai, Aug 14 : Actor Vidyut Jammwal expressed gratitude on Saturday with his film 'Khuda Haafiz' completing a year of its release.

The Faruk Kabir directorial also starring Shivaleeka Oberoi had released digitally on August 14 last year where Vidyut essayed the role of a common man fighting tooth and nail for the love of his life.

The lead actors of the film, Vidyut and Shivaleeka along with filmmaker Faruk Kabir brought in the celebration of its first anniversary with a cake during the shoot of its sequel, 'Khuda Haafiz Chapter II Agni Pariksha' in Lucknow.

Expressing his gratitude, Vidyut shared: "Khuda Haafiz felt like a breath of fresh air when it came to me. I remember being very excited when I heard the script and I was told about the scale at which it was meant to be shot. When the film streamed digitally, viewers embraced it and gave it so much love." Talking about the sequel, the actor added: "It feels great to be shooting its sequel and celebrating one year of the memorable film that inspired the one I am shooting for right now." "Khuda Haafiz is a wonderful chapter in the lives of those who were involved in its making. My gratitude to the viewers for making it bigger with their love and we hope to reciprocate it with its sequel," director Faruk Kabir said.

'Khuda Haafiz Chapter II - Agni Pariksha' written and directed by Faruk Kabir, produced by Panorama Studios, Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak and co-produced by Sanjeev Joshi, Aditya Chowksey and Hasnain Hussaini, is currently on the floors in Lucknow.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, Aug 14 : Lara Dutta Bhupathi made her debut in Bollywood 18 years ago in 'Andaaz' starring Akshay Kumar and she cannot stop praising the actor. The actress tags the 'Khiladi' star as her "forever hero".

"I always maintain that Akshay is my friend, philosopher and guide. He is not just my first hero, he is literally a forever hero," Lara told IANS.

Lara revealed that it was Akshay who encouraged her to take up the role of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in their upcoming movie 'Bell Bottom', which is slated to release on August 19.

"The amount of faith Akshay has in me is tremendous. He has offered me roles in the last few years where we have worked together that have really challenged me. Before anybody saw it he saw the potential that I could do this (play Indira Gandhi)," added the actress.

It was the same for her character in 'Singh Is Bliing'.

Lara added: "He is constantly pushing me. He has been pushing me ever since we did our first film together. He always encouraged me to remain hungry, continuously challenging myself. He is my biggest supporter and encourager." 'Bell Bottom' is an espionage thriller, which also stars Vaani Kapoor and Huma Qureshi.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, Aug 14 : Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Joint Director Manoj Sashidhar, who has investigated some high profile cases like the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal, Vijay Mallya bank fraud case and former Maharashtra Home Minister and NCP leader Anil Deshmukh case has been awarded the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service on the occasion of Independence Day.

Besides Sashidhar, 29 CBI officers have also been awarded the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service and Police Medal for Meritorious Service by President Ram Nath Kovind.

According to CBI officers, Sashidhar, a 1994 batch IPS officer of the Gujarat cadre and a native of Kerala, has handled some of the most high profile and sensitive cases.

They include the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, Anil Deshmukh bribery allegation case and Vijay Mallya bank fraud case.

Sashidhar was also instrumental in the recovery of Rs one crore from a railway officer recently. He was also involved in the probe against a former engineer of the railways from whom the agency recovered Rs 4 crore deposited cash and over 25 kg of gold bars.

An official said that in Gujarat, Sashidhar has held several important posts. He had held the position of Commissioner of Police in Surat, head of the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), Head of the Ahmedabad Crime Branch and ADG of the Gujarat State Intelligence Bureau.

The official added that Sashidhar was also the chairman of the Committee that was formed to revise the Gujarat Police Manual.

Ramavtar Yadav, who is currently posted as Additional Superintendent of Police in the CBI and is the investigating officer in the AgustaWestland case has been awarded the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service.

Seema Pahuja, Dy SP of the CBI, who probed the Guriya rape and murder case of Himachal Pradesh and also assisted in the Hathras gang rape case, has been bestowed the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service.

Besdies Sashidhar, Yadav and Pahuja, CBI's Additional SP Kaptan Singh Lohchab posted in ACB Ghaziabad, Naresh Kumar, Assistant Sub Inspector posted in New Delhi and Laxmi Chand, Head Constable posted in the national capital have also been awarded the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service.

The President's Police Medal for Meritorious Service has been awarded to Devendra Singh Chauhan, Dy SP, CBI, STB, New Delhi, R. Purushotham, Dy SP, CBI, SU, Kolkata, Naresh Talwar, Dy SP, ACB, Raipur, Ravinder Kush, Dy SP SCB, Chandigarh, Harjeet Singh Sachan, Dy SP, SCB, Lucknow, Ajeet Singh, Dy SP, EO-I New Delhi, Satish Chandra Jha, Dy SP, EO-VI, Ranchi.

Besides them, CBI Inspectors Ganesha Lingaiah, P. Muthukumar, M. Sasirekha, Jyoti Ranjan Barik are also on the list of the awardees.
Guwahati, Aug 14 : A total of 63 endangered turtles belonging to five species, which were rescued in Pune, have been brought to their native habitat in northeast India after an 18-hour-long flight journey.

The endangered species have been housed at the Assam State Zoo in Guwahati, officials said on Saturday.

According to Shailendra Singh, Director of Turtle Survival Alliance's (TSA) India programme, the turtles, including the endangered Spotted Pond Turtle and Crowned River Turtle, were confiscated by the Pune Forest Division between 2019 and 2020 from poachers and illegal traders.

"The Spotted Pond and the Crowned River species were recently added to the Red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature," Singh told IANS.

He said that following months of meticulous planning and onerous administrative clearances, 63 endangered turtles were finally flown to Assam on Friday from Pune.

Building on the past success of similar translocation operations carried out by the TSA, the expertise of the Alliance was again pressed into service by the forest departments of Maharashtra and Assam, he said.

Singh said that after the seizure, the turtles were kept in the interim facilities of Indian Herpetological Society and Resq Charitable Trust in Pune.

He said that the survival of these species of turtles, which are not found in Maharashtra, were threatened by climate fluctuations and unsuitable weather conditions.

"Subsequently, flying the turtles back to their native river systems in Assam remained the only viable option. In the absence of such repatriation measures, the turtles are either released in in-appropriate wetlands or remain in captivity for their entire life," said Singh.

"Apart from the lengthy Covid restrictions and unavailability of any direct flight between Pune and Guwahati, other complications of turtle translocation also had to be accounted for before embarking on the journey, which ended successfully on Friday.

"The translocation was done as part of the zoo-to-zoo transfer practice. Necessary due diligence would be done before releasing the turtles into the wild," said the conservationist.

Singh said that each turtle was inspected thoroughly before packing them in padded plastic cartons for their 18-hour flight via Delhi.

TSA researcher Pawan Pareek had rushed to the Delhi airport from Lucknow to examine the consignment during its night-long stay at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

"During his inspection, Pareek ensured that the turtles were healthy, not stressed by transit, and most importantly, the hydration levels are maintained," Singh said.

After the turtles were received in Guwahati by a joint team of Assam State Zoo and TSA, they have been housed at the Assam State Zoo under observation for an eventual rehabilitation into the wild.

"The entire repatriation process was proactively supported by the wildlife officials of Maharashtra and Assam, including Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Rahul Patil, Aswini Kumar and his team at the Assam State Zoo, and Air India officials," Singh said, adding that the TSA experts would closely monitor the behaviour and health of the turtles before they are released.

(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in)
New Delhi, Aug 14 : Russia is interested in involving India within the framework of the expanded Troika talks on Afghanistan.

"We are interested in Iranians also getting involved, and then other countries as well, in particular, India," Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told journalists on Friday in the Rostov region, Tass reported.

"Of course, international mediators can play a more significant role here than in other conflict situations. Our efforts of the so-called Troika - Russia, the US, China - and within the framework of the expanded Troika engaging Pakistan are directed precisely at this", Lavrov said.

According to Lavrov, Russia maintains contact with all political forces in Afghanistan. "We are talking with all the more or less significant political forces in Afghanistan: both with the government and with the Taliban and with the representatives of Uzbeks, Tajiks, with everyone. We see how difficult it is for the Afghan society to develop consensus," he noted.

The Russian Foreign Minister emphasized that an emergency session of the UN Security Council that Afghanistan's representatives are requesting would be useful only if it helps launching the negotiations on the situation in that country.

"This will be useful only in case it convenes not just to talk about [the situation] and, so to say, take it out on each other but if it convenes with a prepared result which will help launching the negotiations and not trying to maneuvre," he pointed out.

Russia supports the political settlement in Afghanistan based on the decisions of the UN Security Council and regrets that the Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia) is attempting to resolve the situation in the country by using force, Lavrov said.

"We support the Afghan settlement happening with the participation of all political, ethnic, confessional forces of the country. We support the processes approved at the UN Security Council which have now unfortunately slowed down. The state delegation has not been particularly interested in resuming talks for about year and a half - two years already. Against this background, again, regretfully, the Taliban decided to attempt to settle the situation through military force. They are taking over more and more cities and provinces. All of this is not good, it's wrong," he said.
Islamabad, Aug 14 : The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has rejected as misleading a report released by the government declaring political opponents and journalists as 'anti-state' elements on the basis of 'assumptions'.

Speaking at a press conference here, senior PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that the so-called "Anti-State Trends Deep Analytics Report" has been released to divert the attention of the nation from the real problems facing the country, including the government's failure on economic and diplomatic fronts, the Dawn reported.

He said the voices of dissent have been branded as anti-state on the basis of data of a Canadian company, which said it never sold them to Pakistan.

He said the names of politicians known for raising their voices for the supremacy of the Constitution, including Afrasiab Khattak and Farhatullah Babar, have been mentioned in the report.

He said even the former wife of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Reham Khan, has not been spared.

Abbasi said speaking about corruption within the government and talking about scandals have become a national security issue.

"Under martial law, political leaders and journalists are called traitors... What is the difference between [martial law] and a political government that brands political parties and patriots as anti-state," Abbasi asked.

He said the document claimed that three million tweets were posted, but it failed to mention what were they about and did not even indicate whether the tweets were against the country or pro-Pakistan.

"A large portion of the report is against Pakistan's political parties," he said, adding that the report failed to determine whether the tweets were in favour of the country or against its interests.

"Struggling for democratic rights and talking about supremacy of the Constitution and freedom of expression have been declared as anti-state acts," he said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, claimed that nobody from Pakistan has been declared anti-state in the analytic report of the Digital Media Wing (DMW) of the Information Ministry, issued just a couple of days ago.

The DMW in its report provided data of 150 trends running on Twitter, he said, adding that a total of 3.7 million tweets were posted to build an anti-Pakistan narrative.
New Delhi, Aug 14 : As India is all set to cheer the 75th Independence Day on August 15, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awardee Dr Ashok Seth underlines the health agenda ahead.

"We should now consolidate on this trust and confidence to strengthen our four pillars of healthcare delivery ie. infrastructure augmentation at all levels, enhance indigenous manufacturing of healthcare consumables, greater government participation, and support for research and development, adequate education and training and support for healthcare professionals including doctors and nurses. This is the opportunity to sit on the same side of the table for all stakeholders, he opined." He said the Covid pandemic has brought together the public and private healthcare sectors of India who have worked shoulder to shoulder to fight the virus. "The Government has been commendably proactive with its policies and has successfully protected the huge population of India." Asked how the health infrastructure should take it further to provide treatment to every citizen including those in the lowest strata of society, Seth added, "Healthcare infrastructure needs to be augmented to a much greater degree at the primary care and district levels where standards of care and treatment for all diseases should be available at affordable costs. This is where 70% of India's population resides. The opportunity is there for more robust public-private partnerships".

Talking about the doctor-patient relationship, he said, "While we increase the number of doctors and nurses coming out through our medical colleges, their respect, care, and morale are of utmost importance. HCWs are our most important healthcare resource." On the threat of a third Covid wave, Seth pointed out that the Covid waves are inevitable and will continue for some time and with regional outbreaks till the nation gets effectively vaccinated. However, the severity of the wave relates to how the virus behaves or mutates or how we as a public behave.

"Preventing the severe wave is in our hands. The Government and policymakers have worked diligently and non-stop for one and a half years to do all that can be done to protect us. It is also now our responsibility. Double vaccination, removing vaccine hesitancy, double masking when going out, not going out unnecessarily, avoiding crowding, hand sanitation, doing everything to avoid virus spread is now in our hands. We need to be responsible for ourselves and others around us to not spread coronavirus" he said.

"We need to unite to fight this single common enemy and together I am sure we will defeat it. Everyone should make this a 75th Independence Day pledge" said Seth.

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Mumbai, Aug 14 : Actor and YouTuber Prajakta Koli popularly known as 'MostlySane' will be representing India at Google.org, the charitable arm of Google.

The organisation is committing $25 million in grants to non-profits addressing economic inequities faced by women and girls, as its next 'Impact Challenge'.

Prajakta will be joined by 28 other women leaders from diverse sectors and geographies such as artist Shakira, first US National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, athlete Naomi Osaka, and Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu Tum, among others.

Having recently won an Emmy Award for the 'Creators For Change' documentary, Prajakta said: "Google has always been such a cheerleader for creators like me. This is another such occasion where they have included me in a conversation that affects so many of us." Prajakta will be one of the expert panelists who will screen the applicants and help Google.org make the most informed funding decision.

She added, "It's an absolute honour to be in a list that features such powerful global female leaders from around the world. I am very grateful to lend to a cause that advances equity for women and girls around the world and creates pathways to prosperity." Impact Challenges are a way for Google to give money and support to non-profits with ideas for working toward solving problems. Past Impact Challenges have covered topics such as artificial intelligence and climate change.

Each selected organisation will receive between $300,000 and $2 million in funding as well as non-monetary support like mentorship from Google. The selected organisations will be announced in late 2021.

Sharing the vision behind the initiative, Jacquelline Fuller, President, Google.org, said: "Gender inequity is one of the most urgent challenges we face as a society, and COVID-19 has put the economic future of women and girls at even greater risk. We want to support organisations helping women and girls turn their economic potential into power: From programmes addressing systemic barriers to economic equality, to those cultivating entrepreneurship, developing financial independence, and more." On the work front, Prajakta is currently shooting for 'Mismatched' season 2 and her debut film 'Jug Jugg Jeeyo'.
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 14 : Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan on Saturday released pictures of unruly behaviour of three Left Rajya Sabha members from Kerala, early this week on the floor of the Upper House.

Muraleedharan said the behaviour of the Left MPs from Kerala -- Elamaram Kareem, V. Sivadasan and Binoy Viswam has left the heads of Malayalees hanging in shame.

"Kareem claims to be the leader of the working class and it was he who was seen pushing the neck of the 'marshals' in the house. Both Viswam and Sivadasan were standing on the table. These people were trying to recreate the 'Sivankutty model' in the parliament, but under no circumstances would it be allowed," said Muraleedharan.

Kerala Education Minister V. Sivankutty, who along with five other then legislators in 2015 created a ruckus on the floor of the Kerala Assembly, have now been asked by the apex court to face trial in a case of vandalism which left the Kerala Assembly then suffer a damage of Rs 2 lakh.

"Be it the assembly or the parliament which is considered as the temple of democracy, it has become a habit of the CPI-M to unleash trouble. We do not have to learn the principles of parliamentary democracy from the CPI-M," added Muraleedharan.

However, Kareem told the media that everything is there to be seen in the visuals of the Upper House.

"If a proper probe is conducted by examining all the visuals, it will be clear. Now they have visuals only from certain angles. We have done no wrong," said Kareem.

These statements come at a time when there is every chance of all those who have violated elementary discipline in their personal conduct in the Upper House to face some sort of action, as everyone saw Chairman of the Upper House M. Venkaiah Naidu breaking down while addressing the house, over the improper conduct of some opposition members.
Amritsar, Aug 14 : At an emotionally charged event on Saturday evening as Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh inaugurated the Jallianwala Bagh Centenary Memorial Park on the eve of India's 75th Independence Day, in the memory of all those known and unknown people martyred in the massacre on April 13, 1919.

With families of many of the martyrs looking on, the Chief Minister dedicated the memorial to the people of Punjab, saying this second memorial at the site of the gory massacre was a tribute to all those unknown martyrs who laid down their lives during the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, while the original memorial had been built to remember those who were known to have been killed at the site in this tragedy.

Nobody knows the exact number of lives lost, although the Deputy Commissioner's office has the names of only 448 who fell to the bullets of the British, led by General Dyer, who fired on the orders of the then Governor of Punjab, Michael O' Dwyer, said Amarinder Singh, adding with 1,250 bullets fired on that day, the number would actually have run in thousands.

The memorial has been built over 1.5 acres at a cost of Rs 3.5 crore at Amrit Anand Park in Ranjit Avenue. Soil from villages around the state was brought to the site for the construction of the memorial to fill the space below the sacred platform as a befitting tribute to them.

The Chief Minister said a special research team of historians and research scholars has been constituted by Guru Nanak Dev University for carrying out research on martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh and freedom fighters who were imprisoned at Cellular Jail in Port Blair.

Once the research is completed, the names of more martyrs might be discovered, he said, adding sufficient space has been kept on the columns of the memorial to incorporate more names in the future.

Currently, the names of the officially known 488 martyrs have been inscribed on the black and grey granite stone walls of the memorial.

Recalling that he had laid the foundation stone of the memorial on January 25, 2021 and had promised to complete it by August 15, the Chief Minister congratulated the Departments of Cultural Affairs, Architecture and the PWD for designing the park and completing the construction in the promised timeline.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister paid floral tributes to the unsung heroes and honoured 29 family members of the martyrs who died in the massacre.

He also posed for a group photo with them. He appreciated the mural designed by Bengali artist Moloy Ghosh to portray the historic massacre.

The newly inaugurated memorial consists of five white stone pillars rising upwards. The pillars symbolize the spirit of the martyrs rising towards the sky. The different heights of the five pillars correspond to various age groups of martyrs -- children, teenagers, youth, middle aged and the elderly.

They also signify the five fingers of the hand and the cohesive power of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the nation. The white colour of the stone is a symbol of the purity of their sacrifice. The central black stone on a circular platform from where these pillars arise symbolize the empty space and the void created by the sacrifice of these martyrs.
Colombo, Aug 14 : Sri Lanka's Catholic Church has alleged that a section of the military intelligence had connections with 2019 Easter Sunday suicide bombers who were suspected to have links with Syria's ISIS.

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the head of the Archdiocesan of Catholic Church, complained that the connection between the military intelligence and suicide bombers that was revealed during the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into the multiple bomb blasts has not been investigated by the government, which has kept it a secret so far.

"The Directorate of Military Intelligence has had dealings with Zaharan Hashim's outfit. We have to wonder what those dealings were - dealings that were conducted through the person known as Army Mohideen, which was brought up at the PCoI. Were these investigated," questioned Cardinal at a press conference in Colombo.

Hashim led a group of suicide bombers that exploded themselves on April 21, 2019 at three churches, three hotels and a guesthouse, killing 269 people and injuring over 500 others.

The Cardinal had said last month that Indian intelligence agencies had passed detailed information about the attack, including the date, but the Sri Lankan military did not take any action to prevent the massacre.

He also alleged that the PCoI report and other information he received have confirmed that a Sri Lankan military intelligence officer, referred to with the codename 'Sonic-Sonic', through a local agent and an unspecified person in Indonesia had forced ISIS to claim responsibility for the Easter Sunday attacks.

"Why was such an attempt made to place the responsibility on the ISIS? This means someone who was responsible for the attack here had tried to do it. Why was that? We don't know if it was an attempt to prevent the discovery of who was actually behind the attack. That means someone here tried to hide it," said Cardinal Ranjith.

Few days after the attack, the media reported that the Amaq news agency, a news outlet linked to the ISIS, had in fact claimed responsibility for the attacks but it did not offer evidence of its connection in the blasts.

On April 23, 2019, the international media had quoted Amaq news, which had released photos and a video which allegedly showed eight attackers pledging allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

The Cardinal also complained that the identity of a military intelligence officer, who allegedly had dealings with one of the suicide bombers, Jameel, who had attempted to attack the Taj Samudra Hotel in Colombo before seemingly changing his mind, was also unclear.

On July 13, Cardinal Ranjith had also alleged that the government is hiding the 'grand conspiracy' and trying to sweep the truth behind the Easter Sunday attack under the carpet.

In a 20-page letter signed by eight bishops, including Cardinal Ranjith and some Catholic priests, the church demanded legal action against former President Maithripala Sirisena and action be taken against former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for their soft approach towards Islamic terrorism.

Cardinal Ranjith claimed that the Sri Lankan intelligence ignored the comprehensive information given in advance by the Indian intelligence agencies on the series of attacks.

On August 11, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's Director Legal, Hariguptha Rohanadheera responded to Cardinal Ranjith in a letter and informed that the Attorney General (AG) had indicted 25 accused on 23,370 charges.

Criticising the government's response and action to prosecute 25 accused of the murder of 269 church goers and guests at three star class hotels, the Cardinal on Friday said that he has suspicion that only "small fish" are caught in the investigators' net while the "big fish" were let go.

Cardinal Ranjith stated that facts have been already presented. They are mentioned in the PCoI report, but the government has selectively taken the outcome for its political advantage.

"We cannot allow the incident that shook the entire nation to be brushed under the carpet. Until then we will not stop this protest movement," he said and urged all Sri Lankans as a sign of protest to raise a black flag on their houses and vehicles on August 21, the day which marks the 28th month of Easter Sunday attack on April 21, 2019.
Mumbai, Aug 14 : Actor Tanuj Virwani, known for his role of 'Vayu Raghavan' in the web series 'Inside Edge', plays one of the central characters in upcoming action-drama 'Cartel' where he injured himself during a sequence.

Tanuj, who plays 'Major Bhau' in the series, happened to slit the sides of his fingers while shooting for a crucial action sequence for the show.

Tanuj's character 'Major Bhau' is a man with integrity who hails from an army background however now he serves his family.

Speaking about the action sequences, the actor mentioned: "Before 'Cartel', I haven't done many action scenes on screen. And it was fascinating because we had a lot of gunfights, street chases, hand-to-hand combat, knife fights, and such action. So it required us to step up. Even though we did a lot of rehearsals and choreography, it all boils down to what happens on the day." While talking about the time when he was hurt badly on the set, Tanuj recalled: "During one of the main sequences I had to stab one of the goons with the knife. It was a pocket knife with a little button on the side, and I accidentally pressed the button which led to the sharp side opening on the other side. It went right back into the side of my finger and slit me badly. I was in acute pain and it was pretty nasty. But we had to complete the sequence since it was the final take."
New Delhi, Aug 14 : A faster growth in private sector spending would be required to spur economic growth in the 2020 decade, Motilal Oswal Financial Services (MOFSL) said.

The MOFSL research note cited limitations in government revenues to support growth in the decade ahead.

Moreover, the Centre has provided a revised fiscal roadmap to bring down its deficit from 9.5 per cent in FY21 to 6.8 per cent of GDP in FY22 and further to 4.5 per cent of GDP by FY26.

Notably, government spending is seen as a major catalyst for economic growth over the next few years.

"However, our opinion drastically differs from the market consensus. While the GoI has relaxed and revised its deficit target, it projects large consolidation of 0.5 percentage point (pp) of GDP every year up to FY26," the note said.

"It failed to bring down its deficit to 3 per cent of GDP before Covid and was able to reach a fiscal deficit of 3.5 per cent in FY19. Moreover, higher off-budget transactions meant that actual consolidation was even lower versus the reported numbers suggested during the pre-Covid period," it added.

Besides, the note said that from the economic growth perspective, apart from the qualitative policies to encourage private investments, "what matters is the (quantitative) growth in fiscal spending".

"In fact, with slower growth than earlier, this means faster growth would be needed in private spending to achieve the same GDP growth rate. Within the private sector, as we discussed earlier, household finances have deteriorated further due to Covid-19, indicating likely deceleration in private consumption as well.

"The entire burden of achieving similar GDP growth (let alone higher growth), thus, has to be borne by the corporate sector. To our mind, it seems like a tall task," the note suggested.
Bhubaneswar, Aug 14 : After a gap of more than three months, the Swargadwar at Puri in Odisha has been allowed to reopen for observance of the funeral rites of the deceased belonging to other districts and States from August 16.

"The funeral rites of the deceased (non-Covid death) belonging to other districts/States as well as of Puri district is allowed at Swargadwar, Puri with strict adherence to Covid-19 safety protocols," Puri district collector Samarth Verma said in an order on Saturday.

The district authority has taken the decision in view of the decreasing trend of Covid-19 positive cases in the Puri district as well as in Puri Municipality area.

However, the cremation of only the dead body of non-Covid persons will be allowed at the Swargadwar. The relatives will have to submit the necessary documents relating to non-Covid death at the reception counter of Swargadwar Seva Samiti, the order said.

Maximum 10 persons will be allowed to accompany the deceased. The relatives of the deceased will have to strictly follow the Covid appropriate behaviour such as use of face mask properly, hand sanitisers and maintenance of social distancing, etc.

The Puri sub-collector has been asked to keep close surveillance along with strict implementation of the order and to take appropriate action in case of difficulties, officials said.

On April 25, the district administration had imposed restrictions for observance of the funeral rites of the deceased belonging to other than Puri district at the Swargadwar as well as immersion of ashes at Mahodadhi in order to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the district.

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San Francisco, Aug 14 : Online vacation rental company Airbnb has announced that it will update its terms of service to drop arbitration provisions for sexual assault or harassment claims made by the guests or hosts.

"We are announcing that arbitration provisions will no longer apply to sexual assault or sexual harassment claims by hosts or guests in the next iteration of Airbnb's Terms of Service," the company said in a blogpost.

"This aligns with a commitment we made in late 2018 to no longer require Airbnb employees to use arbitration in cases involving sexual harassment," it added.

The company said that this upcoming change in terms will codify a practice they have already had in place.

Since January 2019, the company has not asked a court to force any of the very few cases involving sexual assault or sexual harassment claims by hosts or guests into arbitration.

"Until the next update to our terms is launched, we will continue not to enforce our arbitration provisions as they relate to these cases. We currently expect this update to the terms to be ready in the Fall," the company said.

"We believe that survivors should be able to bring claims in whatever forum is best for them. We encourage our industry peers within the travel and hospitality space to consider taking similar steps for their respective communities," it added.

According to the company, incidents of sexual assault are extremely rare on Airbnb, but in these rare cases, Airbnb's highly-trained safety team works with the survivors to put their wellbeing first.

This team has undergone training in trauma-informed methodology and it prioritises supporting and empowering the survivors in their healing process.

Many of Airbnb's community safety policies and workflows were informed by the counsel of expert organisations, such as Vital Voices.

"Our goal is to make Airbnb the safest and most trusted way to travel. Paramount to building trust is doing the right thing in the rare instances where things go wrong," the company said.

"We will continue investing in the right people, systems and policies to prioritise safety on our platform and within the communities we serve," it added.
Chennai, Aug 14 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday said his government is fulfilling the poll promises made by his party, the DMK step by step.

Speaking in the assembly, Stalin said the poll promises are being fulfilled step by step and they will be fulfilled.

"There is no change in that," he said.

He also said on the 100th day of his government, the state's first agriculture budget has been presented.

Referring to the state budget presented in the assembly on Friday, Stalin said the government has presented a tax free budget and allocations have been made to different departments.

According to him, the government has just started and the poll promises will be fulfilled in phases and nobody needs to doubt that.

Stalin said the state's financial condition is worrisome and there is confidence that it would be set right.

Earlier in the day, former Chief Minister and AIADMK Coordinator O. Panneerselvam said the DMK party, which came to power on the campaign theme 'towards a new dawn', has with its first budget pushed the people in Tamil Nadu "towards frustration".

He said the DMK had made over 500 poll promises like a Rs 100 subsidy for cooking gas cylinders, monthly power meter reading, senior citizen pension increased to Rs 1,500, write off education/jewel loans, monthly Rs 1,000 to women and several other promises.

Comparing the budget presented by Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan with the DMK's poll manifesto, it is clear that the party has cheated the people, said Panneerselvam.

Despite knowing the financial situation of the state government, the DMK made false promises to capture power, he added.
Jaipur, Aug 14 : Setting up Constitution parks in the universities can impart constitutional values like fundamental rights and duties to the youth, Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra said while talking about one big idea that can take India on a growth charter.

"In Rajasthan, we have called for and implemented the idea of establishment of Constitution parks in the universities of the state and in the Raj Bhavan as well.

"This can be emulated in all the universities of India so that the younger population can benefit at large and can become better citizens," Mishra said on the eve of India's 75th Independence Day.

The Constitutional parks will have all the details about preamble, fundamental rights and duties etc., so that every youth becomes aware about the Constitution of India, he added.
Toronto, Aug 14 : A Punjabi truck driver has been arrested here for smuggling about 83 kg of cocaine from the United States into Canada.

Gurdeep Singh Mangat, 46, from the Punjabi-dominated city of Brampton in Toronto suburbs was arrested when he drove his commercial truck into Canada at the Blue Water Bridge entry point from the US.

When his truck was referred for a secondary inspection, Canadian border agents discovered and seized about 83 kg of cocaine from his truck.

Mangat was arrested and charged with importing banned drugs in violation of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and possessing banned drugs for the purpose of trafficking.

He will appear in court on August 19.
Toronto, Aug 14 : Canada will admit 20,000 vulnerable Afghans, including Sikhs and Hindus, as Taliban fighters gain control of major parts of the war-torn nation.

"Our teams there, here and across the world are working around the clock to bring as many people as possible to safety," a government statement said on Friday.

"We're redoubling our efforts to help 20,000 Afghans refugees -- who remain vulnerable wherever they go -- find safety here. The situation in Afghanistan is heartbreaking, and Canada will not stand by idly," said Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino.

The Canadian government said that it is expanding its partnership with the Manmeet Singh Bhullar Foundation in Alberta to resettle hundreds of persecuted Afghan Sikhs and Hindus in Canada.

The foundation was started in 2014 by late Alberta minister Manmeet Singh Bhullar, who died in a road accident in 2015 at the age of 35, to resettle Afghan Sikh and Hindu families in Canada with the support of the Indo-Canadian community.

The foundation has already brought dozens of Hindu/Sikh families from Afghanistan.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said, "People around the world know that they can count on Canada to support them in times of need, and Canada will be there for vulnerable Afghans." There were over 200,000 Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan before the Taliban took over the country in the mid-1990s. Subjugation, forced conversions and deadly attacks forced thousands to flee Afghanistan.
Kolkata, Aug 14 : Though street art is common in the US, Australia and Europe, it has not been tried and tested in that manner in this country.

In an effort to add some colour to the City of Joy, an art campaign is being initiated on Independence Day where all the walls of the Tram Depots will be painted in different colours by the West Bengal Tramways Company.

The whole idea is to add some colour to the mundane streets. The campaign has been started by the West Bengal Transport Corporation. The art, celebrating Kolkata and its famous citizens, will be done on WBTC depot walls, mostly located in the heart of the city. The art works have been curated by WBTC in collaboration with a city-based artist, Mudar Patherya.

The initiative - 'Colours of Kolkata', is an effort to celebrate the diversity of Kolkata. This year also marks the 100th birth anniversary of Satyajit Ray and the 160th of Rabindranath Tagore. To begin with, street art has begun with these two stalwarts. The location is Park Circus; on the wall of a WBTC Tram Depot.

"A lot of times people spit and deface our depot walls. It looks bad. This would add an artsy touch to the art capital of India and also maybe discourage people from spoiling the walls," said MD of WBTC Rajanvir Singh Kapur.

"In future, eminent artists of Kolkata will be invited to help in creating such public art at prominent locations to make the City of Joy even more beautiful," said Kapur.

The Colours of Kolkata has already started from Park Circus and will cover the walls of most of the depots till Durga Puja. The next places in line are Tollygunge Tram Depot - opposite Tolly Club and then it will be extended to the Gariahat Depot, near Ballygunge Phari. The Gariahat Depot also houses the Tram World.

The Tram World was launched in December 2020 commemorating the 140th anniversary of the foundation of Calcutta Tramways Company in London. It's one of a kind tram museum in the whole world.

"The objective of #coloursofkolkata is to utilise the public walls of the city to send out a singular message - that Kolkata is artistically and aesthetically one of the most vibrant cities of the country. I am thankful to WBTC for giving me this opportunity and the movement is intended to attract a variety of artists to help put the city's best face forward," said Patherya.

Once completed over all depot walls, this would be a one-of-its-kind initiative anywhere in an Indian city. Kolkata is known as the art capital of India and this will only add to its glory.
Karachi, Aug 14 : Karachi Press Club President Fazil Jamili has declared Pakistan Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry's statement regarding the Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) Bill "contrary to facts", Geo News has reported.

Chaudhry had claimed in a statement that all press clubs of the country favour the bill.

Jamili, in response to this said on Saturday that Chaudhry's statement could not be farther from the truth, since he does not support the bill.

Lahore Press Club President Arshad Ansari also demanded that the proposed bill be revoked, terming it to be "against media freedom", "unconstitutional", and "oppressive".

In a statement issued by the press club, Ansari said that the bill is "another tactic of the government to tighten its grip on the media" and to "constrain it".

"The Lahore Press Club stands in solidarity with APNS, CPNE, PBA and PFUJ on the matter," the statement said.
Chennai, Aug 14 : With the Dubai authorities non-renewal of its license for not complying with the solvency requirements, Indian reinsurer General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) has decided to shift its operations to GIFT City in Gujarat.

The GIC Re is a Government of India company, the national reinsurer and listed on Indian stock exchanges.

In a regulatory filing GIC Re said during the quarter ended June, it has decided to place its Dubai branch into run off because of non-renewal of license by Dubai authority, non-compliance in solvency requirement and others.

"Decision to place the Dubai Branch into run off, has been informed to IRDAI vide letter dated 6th July 2021. Board of GIC Re also accorded its approval and to carry out suitable statutory requirements if any on 7th July 2021 by circular resolution," the company said.

"GIC Re India will continue the activity/operations relating to Dubai branch from GIFT City, India," GIC Re added.
Patna, Aug 14 : Amid the rift between the BJP and the JD(U) over caste based census, the former seems to have softened its stand on the issue. Bihar's deputy chief minister Renu Devi on Saturday said that the state government can conduct a caste based census on its own.

Renu Devi, during the Sahyog program on Saturday said: "The Karnataka and Odisha governments have conducted caste based census at their own expense. The Bihar government is also independent on opting for the same. Though, the central government has a clear stand of not to conduct caste based census in the country." Earlier, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar while advocating a caste based census, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to consider the same. Some JD(U) ministers have openly said that if the Centre would not conduct a caste based census, the Bihar government is capable of doing that at its own expense.

Besides Renu Devi, Ram Surat Rai, another minister in the Nitish Kumar government under the BJP quota, advocated a caste based census in Bihar.

The Bihar legislature has twice passed a resolution for a caste based census unanimously -- on February 18, 2019 and February 27, 2020.

The JD(U) has support from the opposition RJD and another ally of the NDA -- the Hindustan Awami Morcha (HAM) -- on the issue.

The BJP has however supported caste-based census only for SC/ST, which constitute only 15 per cent of the total population.
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 14 : Tamil actress Meera Mitun, who was earlier booked for her reported casteist remarks on social media, has been arrested by the Cyber Crime Wing of Tamil Nadu Police from Kerala.

Mitun was arrested after she failed to appear before the police on August 12.

The case against her was registered based on a complaint filed by Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader and former MP Vanni Arasu. The Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front had also filed a complaint against Mitun.

She was booked under seven provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Prevention of Atrocities Act for the casteist remarks she made in a Twitter video, which had gone viral.

In the video, Meera purportedly said, "I am not speaking ill about members of the SC community. However, the members of the community face problems mostly because of their involvement in illegal activities and crimes." She had also said that in the movie industry, SC directors and other people from the community do "cheap things".

"It is time to chuck out all the SC directors and other people from the film industry," she said.

VCK chief and MP Thol Thiruvamavalavan had shared the video on his Instagram and stated that both the actor and her interviewer should be booked by the police.

In a video taken before her arrest, Mitun can be heard purposefully screaming and alleging that she's been tortured and all the men in the room were police officers.

She also screamed in front of the camera and asked as to why a woman is being tortured. The actor alleged that the cops were harassing her.
New Delhi, Aug 14 : On the eve of 75th Independence Day celebrations, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday called upon the armed forces to be prepared for any challenge that may come their way.

He asserted that the dimensions of security are constantly changing in the evolving environment and the Indian government is always ready for it.

He also said that the government has always been aware to meet the armed forces' operational requirements.

In the Union Budget for 2021-22, for the modernisation of the defence sector, the capital outlay has been increased from Rs 1.13 lakh crore to Rs 1.35 lakh crore which is 18.75 per cent higher than the previous financial year.

"I want to assure you that the government will take every step to protect the country," he said.

During his radio address to the armed forces, Singh said: "I assure you (soldiers) that the government is ready and will continue to always meet the needs of you and your loved members." The Defence Minister remembered the soldiers who laid down their lives in securing India's sovereignty, and assured their family members that not only all the Indians are with them, but the grateful nation will always remember their sacrifice.

"While non-violence is our ultimate duty, protecting the integrity of the nation is also equally important. Therefore, we are ready to sacrifice anything for the unity and integrity of the nation," he said.

Singh asserted that to maintain peace and prosperity in the country, it is necessary that the armed forces remain alert and aware in protecting the nation wherever they are -- in water, land or sky.

Speaking about Eastern Ladakh, he said that efforts are being made to resolve the differences along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) through talks with China.

He said that that the process of disengagement has been completed in some places.

Coming to Jammu and Kashmir, the minister said that the situation along the Line of Control (LoC) has remained under control in the last one year due to strict vigilance and indomitable valour of the forces.

He also lauded Indian Army Subedar Neeraj Chopra for winning the first gold medal for India in a track and field event at the Olympics. Javeling thrower Chopra had created history last Saturday by clinching the gold at Tokyo Olympics.

Speaking about air power, the minister said that to maintain the operational edge of the Air Force, the Centre had signed government-to-government agreement with France for the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft and so far 26 of them have arrived in India.

He also lauded the Union Cabinet's decision to procure indigenous fighter aircraft 83 LCA Tejas MK-1A for the Air Force at a cost of Rs. 45,696 crore.

MK-1A is a fourth-generation state-of-the-art fighter aircraft designed and developed in India.

"Hindustan Aeronautics Limited will manufacture these aircraft in India itself. This is a remarkable example of strengthening the aim of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' in the field of defence," Singh added.

The minister also said that on August 8, indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) Vikrant completed its four-day maiden sea voyage, which is a big achievement towards self-reliant India.

IAC Vikrant has been built with more than 76 per cent indigenous material.

Singh also lauded the project worth over Rs 40,000 crore for the construction of six conventional submarines -- Project 75 (India) -- for the Indian Navy.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, Aug 14 : A total of 56 officials from the Border Security Force (BSF) have been conferred with Police Medals on the occasion of 75th Independence Day.

Out of the 56 medals, four officials have been awarded with Police Medals for Gallantry -- Deputy Inspector General Saroj Kumar Singh, Assistant Sub-inspector Lakhwinder Singh and late Constable Gurnam Singh for meticulous operational planning, exemplary combat audacity, operational acumen and flawless conduct of operation.

These three officials were instrumental in the elimination of dreaded Hizbul Mujahideen commanders in an operation launched in the general area of Bhagwanpura, Jammu & Kashmir, BSF officials said.

The fourth PMG award was given to Constable Anisur Rohman of 64 Battalion for his unparalleled and gallant action, soldierly spirit, exemplary courage, high level of professionalism, and selfless devotion to duty while deployed along the Indo-Bangladesh border.

Rohman not only foiled a smuggling bid, but also protected his colleague, Constable Ashwani Kumar, who was encircled by 25 miscreants and smugglers without caring for his own life.

Rohman displayed exemplary courage and reacted promptly to protect his colleague and forced the criminals to abandon the sinister design.

The BSF also got five President's Medals for distinguished services.
In the 75 years since Independence, India has recorded significant improvements in healthcare. Life expectancy has doubled from 35 years in 1950 to 70 years today. Most infectious diseases have been brought under control. Many key indicators of rural healthcare have also improved: The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) has reduced from 161 per thousand in 1960 to less than 30 per thousand today.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic has underlined the urgent need to build a better and more resilient national healthcare system. To leapfrog its healthcare system to meet future challenges, India will need to deploy technology in a big way and transform every stage of healthcare delivery so that it is more accessible, empowering and effective.

Digital technology has already enabled India to develop a mega population database with an Unique Identification Number-based system covering over a billion people. Aadhaar, as this world's largest digital endeavour has been christened, reflects the foundational power of digital technology that can be leveraged for social governance from direct cash benefits to healthcare and beyond.

The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) based on Aadhaar has truly democratised payments and helped the cause of financial inclusion. The pandemic has also seen the most effective use of Aadhaar in creating comprehensive and reliable databases for RT-PCR tests and vaccination at a scale and sophistication that is not seen anywhere in the world.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the National Digital Health Mission on August 15, 2020 wherein every Indian will be eligible to voluntarily sign up for a Health ID, which can serve as a unified interface for all the healthcare records of an individual.

The digital health ID initiative can help India develop a universal healthcare system based on electronic health records (EHRs) and e-Health Centres. Digital technology can provide innovative and effective solutions to help maintain good health in patients of chronic disease after the diagnosis is made or surgery is done.

Availability of longitudinal EHRs will make it easier for doctors and healthcare workers to get a good and customized view of each individuals' journey. Investing in building a robust digital architecture will support healthcare platforms and networks across the country.

Technology can be a game-changer for the Indian health sector. It will enable the government to usher in a transformation wherein we can enhance quality and compliance in healthcare, widen reach and enable data integrity. This will entail policy changes to facilitate strong private innovation, which is deployed on public digital infrastructure for overall societal good.

This transformational idea can thus help fulfil the vision of the national health policy of promoting wellness, universal access and affordable care to all Indians.

(The writer is the Executive Chairperson, Biocon & Biocon Biologics)
Kohima, Aug 14 : Nagas fought both against the British and the Mughals and prevented the British conspiracy to make the northeast region of India a part of Pakistan, Nagaland Governor R.N. Ravi said on Saturday, on the eve of the India's 75th Independence Day.

The Governor said that in the autumn of their rule, when the British conspired to divide India and give away the northeast region to Pakistan, the leaders of Naga Hills stood in solidarity with the rest of the country and thwarted the diabolical colonial conspiracy.

Naga leaders played significant roles in the constitutional evolution of India, he said.

Ravi, who is also the Central government's interlocutor for the Naga peace talks, said that the British, in furtherance of their divide and rule policy, mischievously created a false narrative of perpetual conflict and warfare between the people of Naga Hills and plains.

The Governor said that when Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose while leading the Indian National Army launched a military campaign to drive the British out of India, thousands of Nagas had joined him.

"A large number of them suffered and many died fighting the British. Naga peoples' love for Netaji and their immense sacrifices for India's freedom lives today in the vibrant folk songs which have become a part of their tradition. Several monuments of Netaji's war against the British are preserved with pride by the Naga villagers." He said that Nagas made glorious contributions to the movement against the British and thousands of Nagas were martyred and scores of villagers suffered worst oppressions resisting the British colonisation.

According to the Governor, beginning in the early 19th century when the British entered northeast India and looked up the Naga Hills, Naga warriors fiercely fought and defended every inch of the territory.

"The British launched numerous military expeditions and inflicted massive devastations during the century-old intrusion into and colonisation of the Naga hills to subdue the continuing resistance," Ravi said.

Referring to the Nagas' close bondings with the princely ruled Assam, the Governor said that marriages, including those between the Ahom Royals and the families of Naga chiefs, were not uncommon.

"Kan Seng, born of an Ahom princess and a Naga chief, held the top most position of Barpatra Gohain, popularly called Naga Gohain in Ahom administration.

"Ahom king Gadadhar married Watlong, a Konyak princess. When the Mughal invaded Assam, several thousand Naga warriors fought and died to repel the invaders," he added.

Ravi said that in the pre-colonial days, the Naga Hills produced and traded a range of goods.

"Cotton, silk, lac and agar were among the most traded commodities. Silk products of Naga Hills found markets not only in the rest of India but also in China and Tibet. Kavoch Kapor, a kind of sophisticated embroidered silk of Naga Hills, was considered so precious and auspicious that Ahom warriors never missed donning it before going to war," he added.
Today, CellaBeauty LLC, a skincare company at the forefront of ethical and inexpensive stem cell solutions for aging skin, have announced the official launch of their entire line.

Having seen overwhelming success with plant stem cells extracted from an apple found only in a remote town in Switzerland, Europe, which they call Eternal Extract, CellaBeauty has made 3 formulas immediately available.

Facial Regeneration Cream for wrinkles and sagging skin, Intensive Eye Solution for aging eyes and Deep Rejuvenating Serum for a brighter complexion are now all available across the US.

With two of the countrys top dermatologists more than happy to endorse the range based on the initial results, CellaBeauty hopes to help over 100,000 women fight back against aging over the next 12 months.

Plans to launch in Canada and spread the word about what Eternal Extract can do for epidermal aging (one of the main causes of aging skin) are already underway, with a further information expected shortly.

About CellaBeauty LLC: CellaBeautys mission is to make aging a choice with the help of the latest plant-based science. Their founders, doctors and spokespeople are driven to bring new solutions at prices everyone can afford.
I am honored to be recognized on this years DE&I 101 list and am committed to continually promoting diversity within the channel and everyday life. Thank you to Channel Futures for honoring me on this years list, said Monroy.

George Monroy, CEO of Monroy IT Services, is among the honorees on the inaugural Channel Futures DE&I 101 list. The list recognizes individuals from a wide spectrum of multicultural backgrounds who are driving diversity, equity and inclusion in the technology channel through their words, actions and leadership.

I am honored to be recognized on this years DE&I 101 list and am committed to continually promoting diversity within the channel and everyday life. Thank you to Channel Futures for honoring me on this years list, said Monroy.

The Channel Futures DE&I 101 list was created to turn a spotlight on the dedicated and determined individuals working to eliminate discrimination in the industry. The need for DE&I has been acknowledged in the information and communications industries for many years. But while any number of tech organizations have received attention for the DE&I programs theyve launched, its the people at the grassroots level who get things started and keep the momentum going. And too often their efforts go unacknowledged.

The publication of this list represents a milestone for the industry and channel in raising the visibility of individuals who are truly at the center of change in the industry, said Robert DeMarzo, vice president of content, Informa Tech Channels. These individuals are propelling their organizations forward when it comes to innovation, business growth and customer/supplier connections. The Channel Futures team is proud of its role in bringing this list, spearheaded by Managing Editor Buffy Naylor, to market recognizing such a great group of individuals.

Nominations for the premiere DE&I 101 list were solicited on the Channel Futures website. Between April 15 and June 15, individuals could nominate themselves or others for the list. Applications were open to managers, leaders and individual contributors. All submissions were thoroughly reviewed by members of the Channel Futures editorial team with input from advisory board members.

Its been proven that a diverse workforce can make a company more innovative, productive and profitable, said Kelly Danziger, general manager, Informa Tech Channels. Our industry is constantly evolving to keep pace with advances in information and communications technologies and the workplace structure. Its essential that the industry and the channel also evolve in step with the workplace demographics. Beyond making good business sense, its the right thing to do.

About Monroy IT Services

Since 2007, Monroy IT Services has been a leading provider of IT support and consulting, focusing on small and medium-sized businesses in the greater San Antonio and Hill Country areas. We have helped hundreds of businesses increase productivity and profitability by making IT a streamlined part of operations. We equip our clients with customized technology solutions for greater operational value and to reduce risk. To learn more, visit monroyitservices.com.

About Channel Futures

Channel Futures is a media and events platform serving companies in the IT channel industry with insights, industry analysis, peer engagement, business information and in-person events. Our properties include Channel Futures MSP 501, recognizing the most influential and fastest-growing providers of managed services in the technology industry, Channel Futures DEI 101, honoring and celebrating those who have often been under-represented in tech channels; Channel Partners Events, delivering unparalleled in-person events, including Channel Partners Conference & Expo, The MSP Summit, and Channel Evolution Europe; and DEI Community Group, our initiatives to educate, support, promote, and sustain diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the IT channel industry. Channel Futures is part of Informa Tech, a market-leading B2B information provider with depth and specialization in the Information and Communications (ICT) Technology sector. Every year, we welcome 7,400+ subscribers to our research, more than 3.8 million unique visitors a month to our digital communities, 18,200+ students to our training programs and 225,000 delegates to our events. Channel Futures is where the world meets the channel; We are leading Channel Partners forward. More information is available at channelfutures.com.

Media Contact

Buffy Naylor

Managing Editor, Channel Futures

buffy.naylor@informa.com
Today, Retina Consultants of America (RCA), a comprehensive physician management services organization, welcomes another esteemed retina group, North Carolina Retina Associates (NC Retina Associates) to its national consortium. The addition of NC Retina Associates marks RCAs first entry into the North Carolina market. NC Retina Associates is the largest retina practice in North Carolina with nine locations from Chapel Hill to Greenville including Raleigh, and Wake Forest.

We are delighted to have our neighbors at NC Retina Associates join RCA. Historically, patients with retinal problems were cared for at one of the major university medical centers around the Research Triangle, said W. Lloyd Clark, MD of Palmetto Retina Center, an existing RCA partner practice located in Columbia, South Carolina with six clinical locations. NC Retina changed the paradigm, delivering efficient and convenient care of the highest quality throughout Raleigh and eastern North Carolina. We are excited to partner with them in our region to provide top quality patient care and access to the latest medical and surgical advancement.

North Carolina Retina is honored and excited by the opportunity to work with all of the renowned practices that make up RCA, said Raynor C. Casey, MD, NC Retina Associates. We look forward to our partnership which will enhance our continued growth in North Carolina and the southeast, allow us to participate in national clinical trials, better serve our eye care provider community, and, most importantly, provide the best possible care for our patients.

The physicians of NC Retina Associates apply cutting edge technology to continually advance current treatment options available for patients. Their doctors have lectured extensively and have a great presence at leading scientific congresses both nationally and globally. They are published in leading peer-reviewed journals as well as providing CME accreditation to doctors.

NC Retina Associates is not only a leading medical and surgical retina treatment facility in the greater Raleigh area; but they also donate compassionate time and expertise to retinal care globally in countries such as Honduras, Dominican Republic, and Nepal.

With existing partner practices in New York, Florida, South Carolina, Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Minnesota, and California and plans for further geographic expansion, the addition of NC Retina Associates furthers RCAs goal of providing the highest quality retinal care to patients across the U.S.

Formed by Webster Equity Partners and based in Southlake, Texas, RCA is partnering with leading retina specialists who seek a strategic partner with the capital resources and expertise to invest in their practice infrastructure and position them for continued growth in their markets. RCA is unique in offering the first horizontal alliance in the eye-care field focused solely on retinal care.

If interested in learning more about a partnership with Retina Consultants of America, contact Robert Grabow, (972) 779-0794.

About Retina Consultants of America

Retina Consultants of America is a network of leading retina specialists with the mission of saving sight and improving patient lives through innovation and the highest quality care. Through RCAs physician-centered practice management model, physicians continue to drive clinical care and practice culture, while benefitting from the business expertise, resources, and shared best practices available through RCA. For additional information on Retina Consultants of America please visit

http://www.retinaconsultantsofamerica.com

About Webster Equity Partners

Webster Equity Partners has invested in RCA along-side its physician partners. Founded in 2003, Webster Equity invests in healthcare services companies with high impact growth strategies that deliver the highest quality care and extraordinary service. Webster is currently investing out of its fourth fund with $875 million of committed capital. For additional information on Webster Equity Partners, please visit http://www.websterequitypartners.com.
Escape room operator Callie must work with the prince of hell to stop the apocalypse in Bonds Not Your Average Hot Guy (Griffin, Oct.).

What inspired this premise?

The idea for this book actually is kinda funny. I went to a YA book festival in Murfreesboro and there was an escape room business next to the hotel. So, I talked a group of authors into going over with me to do the escape room. And on the drive home I basically had this entire idea. I started the book when I got home, and the first chapter I didnt change very much at all, which is very unusual.

Each of the novels three sections begins with a quote from Alices Adventures in Wonderland. What role did Carrolls book play in your process?

When I was developing Callies character, that was gonna be one of her touchstone books. And I knew that I would be taking her out of the real world and stepping down the rabbit hole so to speak. Honestly, its bizarre, I never do epigrams first, but those epigrams were in there from the time that I started the book.

Despite being the son of the Devil, Luke displays many characteristics that could be considered good. Tell me how you balanced good and evil in his character.

I myself am drawn to more of a Beta hero. Those are the guys I know, those are the men in my life. Luke is basically going through the motions of being a bad boy, but I dont think thats actually who he is. I think the classic thing about rom-coms is that theyre about two characters who meet and make each other better versions of themselves. So that was something I definitely wanted to do with these two. Luke is fun to write, because he doesnt understand himself at all. He has a bigger arc in the second book of the duology. Its mostly about him figuring out who he is and what he wants in life.

The romance is relatively light and sweet. How did you decide on the heat level?

It just felt like these two characters would only go as far as they do in the book this quickly. There is definitely a higher heat level in the second book because theyve known each other longer and their relationship is escalating to a more serious level. Its nice to have two books worth of them so that they can get to that place. But I personally think that the character dictates [heat level]. I read romances of all different heat levels, and Callie in particular is a character who felt like someone that would be a little bit reserved at first. I think that rushing them into anything wouldnt have felt right for these two characters. But I definitely do enjoy writing the romance, and its a lot of fun.

 christopher rowe
Broadway fans know Sutton Foster as a two-time Tony Award winner for her lead performances in the musicals Thoroughly Modern Millie and Anything Goes. TV viewersand publishing folkmay recognize her from her starring role on Younger, set in a heightened-reality version of the book trade. In her forthcoming memoir, Hooked (Grand Central, Oct.), she reveals another persona: devoted crafter. Foster spoke with PW about the similarities between writing and crafting, the best part of any project, and how Younger did and did not prepare her for the publishing process.

How did you land on the structure of this book?

I have all these different interests and I was trying to find the common thread, pun intended, so I was like, Okay, whats been the thing thats been constant throughout my life? Crafting. The book is a collection of essays based around things that Ive made. When I was going through my divorce, I was in such a powerless situation, so I turned to the only thing I knew how to doI made a blanket. Now, I make things for my daughter and its not filled with sadness and pain; its filled with love and caring. Each piece is a window into a specific time in my life.

You write that crafting is a meditative practice that helps ground you. How so?

I turn to crafting as a way to handle situations, handle stress. Im in London now, in rehearsals for a show, and I could feel my anxiety level going up because we havent done this in so long. My brain was working on overdrive, and I thought, Im going to bring my crochet to rehearsal. Lets shift that energy into something tangible.

Did the writing process offer similar benefits? Could you approach it with a crafters mindset?

Yes and yes. I worked with an amazing collaborator [journalist Liz Welch] and its like making anything: this will take time and every day well add a little bit more to it, and one day well go, Oh my god, look, its done! Weve made a book! It was a two-year process. We originally wrote it chronologically, and then we revamped the whole thing. That happens with any type of project. You look at it and you go, oops! and you start undoing rows.

Did working on Younger ready you to publish a book of your own?

It prepared me a little for pitch meetings, I guess. I had no idea. The first time I ever stepped into a publishing house is when I stepped in to pitch this book. I walked into Grand Central Publishing and I was like, Ohmigosh, its like the set of Younger! I wouldnt say that with Younger I knew all the nuances of book publishing, but at least I was able to keep up with some of the lingo.

Whats your favorite part of crafting?

Its the beginning of the project I get really excited about. Ill have multiple projects going on at the same time, because I might get tired of one, so I switch to another. I have blankets or projects that I havent touched in years, but then all of a sudden, Ill go, Oh, Ill pick that back up and finish it. I have bags of half-finished things. So its not the finishing, its the starting that gets me excited.

Back to the main feature.
DEAL OF THE WEEK

Jamison Re-ups at Little, Brown Bestseller Leslie Jamison (The Empathy Exams) struck a two-book, North American rights agreement with her standing publisher, Little, Brown. Ben George bought a nonfiction work titled Splinters, as well as a novel, Risk, in a deal brokered by Jin Auh at the Wylie Agency. George said Splinters is a blend of memoir and criticism exploring single motherhood in the wake of divorce, as well as the intertwining of parenting and art. Risk, he added, is about the fraying marriage of a Brooklyn couple who permit themselves ever-escalating forms of sexual and emotional freedom in their relationship as a means of holding it together.

Flatiron Buys Brashearss Cotton

House of Cotton by Monica Brashears was preempted by Flatiron Books executive editor Nadxieli Nieto, in a North American rights deal brokered by Hafizah Geter and PJ Mark at Janklow & Nesbit. The publisher said the debut is a Black Southern gothic about a woman who is offered a modeling gig by the owner of a funeral parlor. The job calls for the woman, at the behest of white families, to take on the identities of their dead. Set for winter 2023, House of Cotton melds fairy tales and Black humor to complicate what it means to be poor, Black, and a woman in the God-fearing South in the era of Netflix and Onlyfans. Flatiron said Brashears is an Affrilachian writer currently attending Syracuses MFA program.

WD Vouches for Birds Character

In a world rights agreement, Matt Bird sold The Secrets of Character: Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love to Marian Lizzi at Penguin Random Houses Writers Digest imprint. Inkwell Managements Stephen Barbara represented the author and said that the book is a writers guide focusing on strategies that will help writers immediately bond readers to their main characters. Bird, who has an MFA in screenwriting from Columbia, runs the blog The Secrets of Story and has written a book and hosts a podcast of the same name. The Secrets of Character is slated for April 2022.

S&S to Tell Anne Franks Last Secret

Simon & Schusters LaSharah Bunting preempted world English rights to Joop van Wijk-Voskuijl and Jeroen De Bruyns The Last Secret of the Secret Annex. The book, S&S said, tells the story of Bep Voskuijl, a Dutch woman who was Anne Franks closest confidante and protector while she was in hiding from the Nazis. It reveals, among other things, insights on who may have betrayed the Frank family to the Germans, which led to their arrest. Van Wijk-Voskuijl is Voskuijls son and De Bruyn is a Belgian journalist; they were represented by Peter Bernstein and Amy Bernstein at Bernstein Literary Agency.

Schillings Memoir Goes to Viking

Terezia Cicel at Viking bought world rights to journalist Vincent Schillings memoir Unspoken: The Systemic Effort to Cut Out the Native Tongue. Michael Longclaws at Javelin represented Schilling, who is an enrolled Akwesasne Mohawk and works for the news organization Indian Country Today. He also cohosts the Indigenous online radio program Native Trailblazers. Unspoken, Javelin said, is a powerful family memoir that uses the experiences of Schillings grandmother at a boarding school to delve into a larger story about the history of efforts to extinguish Native languages and cultures, and todays desperate race to preserve them.
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September 26th 2021 - Everything up for vote on Berlins extraordinary election day

Bild: imago images/Emmanuele Contini/Colourbox

14.08.21 | 19:59 Uhr

Three elections and one referendum make Sunday 26th September unique in the history of Berlin. Here is an overview of the main facts. By Agnes Sundermeyer

Every five years, Berlin elects its representatives of the people at the state and district level. Specifically, elections are held for the Abgeordnetenhaus (House of Representatives) and for the twelve Bezirksverordnetenversammlungen (District Assemblies). But thats not all. This year, the election for the Bundestag  i.e. the Federal Parliament  falls on the same date. Moreover, the electorate is able to vote on whether it should be possible to expropriate large real estate corporations, with the referendum "Expropriate Deutsche Wohnen and Other Corporations". In total, there are six boxes that each voter can cross. But before all this gets confusing, lets cover the facts one by one:



dpa/Uwe Anspach Grafik: rbb|24 Super-Wahltag 26. September 2021 - Jeder dritte Berliner hat gar kein Wahlrecht 1,3 Millionen Berliner:innen durfen bei der Wahl zum Abgeordnetenhaus und zum Bundestag sowie beim Volksentscheid nicht wahlen. Seit Jahren steigt die Zahl der Stadtbewohner ohne politische Reprasentation. Von Dominik Ritter-Wurnig



WHO CAN VOTE?

All Germans  i.e. people with German nationality and who are at least 18 years of age on the election day  have the right to take part in the elections for the Abgeordnetenhaus. There is also the requirement that they have been domiciled in Berlin for at least three months, without interruption, and are not excluded from the right to vote. The same goes for the Bundestag election. In this case, voters must have lived in the Federal Republic of Germany for at least three consecutive months. Germans living abroad can also take part in the vote. Those excluded from the right to vote include people whose right to vote has been denied by court ruling. Only eligible voters may participate in the referendum as well.



Regarding the elections for the Bezirksverordnetenversammlungen, citizens of other member states of the European Union (EU) with a registered domicile in Berlin are also entitled to vote, in addition to German nationals. The minimum age for voting in the Bezirksverordnetenversammlungen elections has also been lowered to 16 years.



WHEN AND HOW TO VOTE?

The polling stations are open on Sunday 26th September from 8 am to 6 pm. The votes will then be counted in a public process that you can even watch. Those unable to go to a polling station in person have the option to submit a postal vote [bundeswahlleiter.de] in the six weeks prior to the election. Postal voters need a ballot paper in this case. Voters can request this in writing from the local authority of their main domicile; telephone requests are not possible. There is also a printed form on the reverse of the polling card that every voter receives by post, which can be completed and returned  including by email. Alternatively, the polling card features a QR code; by scanning it, all personal details for the ballot paper will already be entered.



All five ballots for all elections need to be placed in the same ballot envelope. Otherwise, electoral secrecy will not be guaranteed and the vote will be invalid.



WHO AND WHAT CAN I VOTE ON?

1. The election for the German Bundestag



The role of the Bundestag is to pass legislation and oversee the government. It is elected for a period of four years.



53 parties are running [bundeswahlleiter.de] in this parliamentary election. Voters have a first and second vote. They can use the first vote to vote for a candidate of a party who runs in a constituency. All of Germany is divided into 299 constituencies. The candidate who receives the majority of the vote in their constituency enters the Bundestag.



The second vote is used to vote for a party. In order for the Bundestag to reflect how successful the parties were in the election, each party receives as many seats as they are entitled to according to this result.



dpa/Gregor Fischer Landes- und Bezirkslisten - Diese 34 Parteien treten bei der Berlin-Wahl an 34 Parteien, so viele wie noch nie seit 1990, sind vom Landeswahlausschuss fur die Abgeordnetenhauswahl am 26. September zugelassen worden. Hier finden Sie Steckbriefe aller bei der Berlin-Wahl antretenden Parteien.



2. The election for the Berlin Abgeordnetenhaus The Abgeordnetenhaus is the state parliament in Berlin. It creates laws and forms the state government, which it also oversees. Citizens can vote for both parties as well as individual candidates running for parliament. Voters have two votes: one for a party at the state level and one for the direct candidate in the constituency. In order to enter the Abgeordnetenhaus, a party needs to receive five percent of the vote.



The number of representatives who then sit in the Berlin Abgeordnetenhaus after the election is not the same in every legislative period. Strictly speaking, there are 130 seats for parliamentarians in the Abgeordnetenhaus. Depending on how much of the vote the parties receive, they are allocated seats in parliament on a proportionate basis.



However, as is the case for Bundestag elections, there is also the first vote in addition to the second vote used to vote for a party. This allows candidates to be elected directly. If someone wins here who is placed at the end of the party list or not placed on the party list at all, overhang mandates are available for them. This means that a party may end up with significantly more seats in the Abgeordnetenhaus. In order for the balance of power between the parties in the entire assembly to be maintained, other parties may then also be allocated additional seats. This is also the reason why the current parliament comprises 160 representatives.



The election also marks the end of the legislative period as well as the office of the Governing Mayor Michael Muller (SPD) and his senators as well as the district mayors. Muller will not run for this office again but is campaigning instead for the German Bundestag.

rbb Datenanalyse | Abgeordnetenhaus - So hat Berlin seit 1990 gewahlt Am 26. September wird das Abgeordnetenhaus gewahlt  zum achten Mal seit 1990. Die Analyse zeigt, wie der Ruckhalt der Regierungsparteien bei den Wahlerinnen und Wahlern gesunken ist und die Volksparteien ihre Dominanz verloren haben. Von Christoph Reinhardt (Text) und Gotz Gringmuth-Dallmer (Daten)

3. The elections for the Bezirksverordnetenversammlungen



The Bezirksverordnetenversammlungen (BVV) are the communal parliaments of the districts of Berlin, comparable with town councils and municipal assemblies in other federal states. There are twelve districts in Berlin: Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Lichtenberg, Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Mitte, Neukolln, Pankow, Reinickendorf, Spandau, Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Tempelhof-Schoneberg and Treptow-Kopenick.



The BBV district assemblies take decisions on institutions or areas for which only the district is responsible. For instance, this includes district parks, school buildings and youth institutions as well as universities and libraries. It also encompasses the organisation of youth welfare offices and regulatory agencies. Each of the twelve districts in Berlin has a BVV. They are elected every five years, on the same day as the Abgeordnetenhaus. In the BVV elections, candidates are not elected directly. Instead, voters give their single vote to a party or voters association in their district. To enter the BVV, a party needs three percent of the vote. The factions in the BVV are then allocated seats according to their share of votes. The BVV assemblies comprise no more than 44 district representatives. The number of district representatives may also be reduced in the Bezirksverordnetenversammlung. If there are few candidates on the list of a party who are able to enter the BVV, these seats will remain empty. The strongest faction in the BVV is typically represented by the district mayor. Sometimes, other parties that received fewer votes may join electoral associations to field a candidate.



dpa/Christophe Gateau "Deutsche Wohnen und Co. enteignen" - Berliner Senat beschliet Stellungnahme zum Enteignungs-Volksentscheid Der Senat sagt Ja zur Bewirtschaftung von mehr Wohnraum durch offentliche Gesellschaften. Eine ausdruckliche Unterstutzung der Enteignungsforderung des Volksentscheids will sich Rot-Rot-Grun aber nicht zu eigen machen.

4. The referendum Now we are left with the vote on the referendum initiative "Expropriate Deutsche Wohnen and Other Corporations". This vote does not concern the election of parties or representatives. Here, Berliners are able to vote on whether it should be possible to expropriate real estate corporations that have more than 3,000 flats, in exchange for compensation. For the referendum to be successful, two conditions need to be met. Firstly, the majority of voters have to vote "Yes". Secondly, what is known as the quorum has to be fulfilled: at least one quarter of all eligible voters must vote "Yes". This currently equates to just over 617,000 votes.



Whether the path to expropriations is then clear remains uncertain. The Senate would only be "called upon" to enact a bill, but it is not legally bound to implement the plans of the initiative. The final decision on a new law will then be taken by the newly elected Abgeordnetenhaus


President Biden has just sent combat forces back into Afghan to evacuate American civilians at the embassy and Afghans who have assisted us in the war effort. The 3,000 American forces will then presumably shoot their way out as they depart.
Sometime in the not-so-distant future, probably after next years midterm elections, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will announce that shes stepping down. Her top deputies, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, aspire to her job, but theyre also in their early 80s, and most Democrats in and out of Congress are counting on them to step aside too. Of course, they all have stock responses denying that anyone is ever going anywhere.
Out of the thousands of congressional staff and members working on Capitol Hill, fewer than two dozen are likely aware that elements of little-known international agreements, called Compacts of Free Association (COFA), are due to expire at the end of FY23 and FY24. The pacts are between the United States and three countries in the Pacific  the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Together, these strategically located countries represent an area the size of the lower 48 states, have enormous exclusive economic zones, and are clearly a prime target for Chinese influence.

FY23/24 might seem like a long way off but, given the importance and complexity of these agreements, the congressional and budget process, and significant outstanding items, action needs to occur immediately in order to meet these deadlines. The current compacts were approved in 2003 and the economic assistance portions expire in 2023 for RMI and FSM, and 2024 for Palau.

In April, Sens. Joe Manchin and John Barrasso, the chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, urged Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to take action given the strategic importance of these countries to the U.S. and our allies in the region, and the emerging assertiveness of the Peoples Republic of China. It is clear they want the administration to deliver to Congress the renewed COFA agreements for their consideration.

Hawaiis delegation in Congress is certainly focused on this issue. Reps. Ed Case and Kai Kahele, and Sens. Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono have expressed concerns about the negotiations, and especially the significant social costs to Hawaii (and Guam) of Compact migrants.

These agreements emerged after the end of the United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands period following World War II. In general, the COFA provides that in exchange for exclusive and unrestricted U.S. military access to the region, the U.S. will provide financial assistance, access to certain domestic federal programs, visa-free travel to the U.S. to work and live, and military protection. According to the Government Accountability Office, more than 94,000 Compact migrants are now living and working in the United States.

The U.S. financial commitment to the three COFA states is currently about $4 billion over 20 years, or about $200 million per year. However, agency heads are already making decisions on their FY23 budget requests. Those decisions will be locked in next month with OMB beginning its review after Labor Day.

Yet several major items remain outstanding in the negotiations, including: Who pays and who manages the program  Interior or State? And of interest to Hawaii and the Pacific Territories, how is the U.S. going to provide for the increased costs of Compact migrants? Also, how will the U.S. deal with new items brought up by the COFA countries, such as nuclear legacy costs and environmental contamination? Finally, is the U.S. going to continue providing U.S. Postal Service to the region? These are not easy matters to settle.

After former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the initiation of formal Compact negotiations in August 2019, staff from the National Security Council, the Departments of State, Interior, and Defense and other agencies worked on this matter. Two principal co-negotiators were appointed: U.S. Ambassador Karen Stewart and me (as assistant secretary for insular and international affairs at Interior). Yet my former position remains unfilled. In contrast, I was nominated by President Trump in June of 2017 and confirmed by the Senate in September.

The Biden administration should:

First, immediately nominate and seek confirmation of the next Interior assistant secretary for insular and international affairs. This is the only assistant secretary position at Interior unfilled by the administration.

Second, complete the negotiations with the COFA countries and submit the proposed legislative package to Congress as soon as possible.

Finally, the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee should hold a joint hearing with all parties to resolve these problems.

The United States has had an investment in the Pacific region since WWII. In return, the region has enjoyed 75 years of peace. The people of Palau, RMI, and FSM are our friends and allies. We owe it to them to complete these agreements on time as U.S. funding is critical to their health, education, and development budgets. If we do not maintain this relationship, China will step in.
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 08/09/2021



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MIKE AND NATALIE

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ELIZABETH AND ANDREI

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KALANI AND ASUELU

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TIFFANY AND RONALD

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JOVI AND YARA

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ANGELA AND MICHAEL

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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

: Happily Ever After?'s sixth-season finale featured Tiffany Franco saying her marriage to Ronald Smith is "over," Natalie Mordovtseva dumping Mike Youngquist and moving out, Angela Deem deciding it's not feasible to carry a baby with Michael Ilesanmi Andrei Castravet getting into a physical brawl with Elizabeth Potthast 's brother Charlie, Asuelu Pulaa asking Kalani Faagata to move to Samoa, and Yara Zaya contemplating a move back to Ukraine during Sunday night's episode on TLC.The Happily Ever After? season stars Season 8 couples Mike, a 35-year-old from Sequim, WA, and Natalie, a 36-year-old from Kyiv, Ukraine; Julia Trubkina, a 27-year-old go-go club dancer from Krasnodar City, Russia, and Brandon Gibbs, a 28-year-old pest-control technician who helps to run his parents' farm in Dinwiddie, VA; and Jovi Dufren , a 29-year-old from New Orleans, LA, and Yara, a 25-year-old from Ukraine.The show also stars three returning Happily Ever After? Season 5 couples: Angela, a 54-year-old Hazlehurst, GA, and Michael, a 32-year-old from Lagos, Nigeria; Kalani, a 32-year-old from Washington, UT, and Asuelu, a 25-year-old from Utulaelae, Samoa; and Elizabeth, a 30-year-old from Tampa, FL, and Andrei, a 34-year-old from Chisinau, Moldova.In addition, : The Other Way Season 1 couple Tiffany, a 29-year-old from Frederick, MD, and Ronald, a 31-year-old from South Africa, are Season 6 Happily Ever After? cast members.Happily Ever After? documents married couples navigating life, hardships, family, children and unexpected obstacles.The new season has already featured cultural differences, family arguments, scandals, confrontations and tears.Below is the latest on several couples, according to the final episode of : Happily Ever After?'s sixth season.Natalie came home from her friend Juliana's house with a suitcase in her hands, which made Mike's heart "sink."Natalie worried Mike was going to make her feel guilty or try to convince her to stay. She said guilt may stop her from leaving and she wanted to do what she felt she had to do.Natalie explained to Mike that she wanted to stay with Juliana since they fought so much and so her plan was to pack some clothes."So you're saying you're leaving?" Mike asked."I just feel like we came to the point where it's terrible. I'm suffering a lot. I don't want us to fight anymore. I'm tired [of trying to prove] anything and I can't be here," Natalie responded. "I don't have anyone here.""Apparently not even me, huh?" Mike asked with clear frustration in his voice.Natalie seemed happy despite the breakup and whispered sweet nothings into her little mouse Pulya's ears while Mike sat there upset and defeated."Get your sh-t. Whatever. I don't care," Mike told Natalie, before telling the cameras he couldn't believe she was going to walk away from him when he never asked for a separation or divorce.Mike had been hoping to figure things out, and so he accused Natalie of throwing away their relationship."I don't deserve it," Mike said in a confessional.Natalie said she was "100 percent committed" to what she wanted to do -- and so she was "out."Mike told his wife that this wasn't the right way to make a change and she was either "in" their marriage or "out." When Natalie didn't respond, he said it looked like she was out.Natalie explained how she couldn't take any more, and Mike replied, "Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya."Mike told the cameras that Natalie was officially Juliana's problem now, and Natalie accused Mike of being in denial that she was never going to return to their life together and that situation.Natalie said it wasn't hard for her to leave Mike because she had pushed her into feeling this way after calling off their first wedding, "neglecting" her feelings and believing his mother Trish over her. Natalie told the cameras there was no point in talking to him.Natalie claimed to feel "emotionally bankrupt" and insisted she didn't care anymore.Mike refused to chase Natalie because he said he had poured his heart out to her and she refused to listen.Juliana then entered Mike's house and awkwardly asked to use the bathroom. Juliana told Mike that she could feel for him but everything was going to be okay, and she gave him a hug."I was definitely taking it one step at a time when Natalie came over here on the K-1 visa, and I have put a lot of love and dedication into this. I never gave up, and I just don't feel like Natalie loves me," Mike lamented in a confessional."It really hurts me to say that, it really does. I honestly thought she had love for me, but maybe it was just bullsh-t."Natalie said she felt lost, like a bird that had been shot and must wait to heal in order to fly again.Elizabeth and Andrei headed to an adults-only family cookout at Chuck's house. Chuck was hoping his family members could hit a re-set button and start fresh, but Andrei said he wasn't going to keep his mouth shut if one of Elizabeth's siblings came at him.Andrei called Elizabeth's sisters Jenn and Becky "b-tches," which upset Elizabeth, and he complained about how Elizabeth's brother Charlie's behavior "disgusting."Andrei said his intention was to be there for Chuck and support him as a business partner. Andrei noted Chuck was the only reason why he had chosen to attend the barbecue, and Andrei insisted to Chuck that he was "not the problem" in the family.Chuck said he loved Andrei's energy and was blown away by his work ethic, and so Chuck confirmed how he certainly didn't view Andrei as the problem in his family.Becky told the cameras that Chuck stirred the pot and once the water was about to boil over the pot, her dad walked away and let things explode. Once Jenn arrived, Becky pointed out how Chuck hadn't called her in a while to ask her advice on an investment property.Jenn said it was becoming increasingly more obvious that Chuck was pushing his own children out of the family business, and arguing immediately erupted between Elizabeth's sisters and Andrei.Elizabeth admitted her nerves were "through the roof" and she couldn't even eat, and then Charlie stepped into the party and apparently said, "I'm here, call the cops."Andrei told Charlie to sit down since it was clear he had no intention to reconcile, and Charlie yelled at Andrei that he couldn't tell him what to do and wasn't running the place.The two men then got in each other's faces and physically brawled! It appears Andrei tackled Charlie to the ground, and the women had to break up the fight as Chuck repeatedly yelled, "Stop!"Elizabeth then yelled at Charlie's wife to shut up, calling Megan "a little b-tch" and "a dumb b-tch" after Megan allegedly pushed Elizabeth and scratched her face with her long nails.Megan called Andrei "trash" and started swearing in Chuck's face, and Chuck said he was about to have a heart attack. Everyone screamed and swore at each other, and Andrei challenged Charlie from a distance."You fight with my son and we're done," Chuck told Andrei. "You'd better settle down right now."Andrei "woke up a little bit" as a result and walked away from the fight. Chuck then broke down crying and said, "This is my worst nightmare. I thought I was going to see my family together and heal tonight, but it got worse."Megan told Chuck he had allowed "a piece of sh-t" to destroy his family, and Chuck cried about how he didn't care about the business and only cared about his family.Jenn told Charlie that he had issues and it wasn't okay for Megan to scratch Elizabeth's face. She wasn't sure it made sense to stay in a business when family relationships were being torn apart because of it.Andrei yelled at Charlie that he hits "like a woman," and then Charlie scolded Chuck for being okay with having a son-in-law who asks for $100,000 and then attempts to fight his children.As Andrei continued to scream at Charlie while being held back physically, Chuck decided to kick Andrei out of his house.Becky said Charlie had started the fight but both her brother and Andrei were to blame. She said drama had never been so bad in her family before, and Becky's husband said he wanted nothing to do with the family going forward.Becky intended to leave the family business and said her family would never be the same again.Elizabeth called Charlie "a loser" before she stormed out of Chuck's house, and then Charlie and Megan proceeded to yell at Chuck for seemingly taking Andrei's side. Charlie told Chuck that he had his head up Andrei's ass and let all of this happen.Chuck called the night "traumatic" and was sad his family was unable to unite.Elizabeth questioned if she and Andrei should just move and get away from everything, but Andrei said he was now stable in Chuck's business and the two of them were going to continue working with each other no matter what.Meanwhile, Charlie threatened to take down Andrei in the future."He got me on the ground this one time, but I'll be back," Charlie told the cameras after leaving Chuck's house.After Asuelu, Kalani and Kolini got into a huge fight with Asuelu's mother Lesina and sister Tammy over the topic of Kalani getting pregnant again, the family was trying to recover.Kalani told Asuelu that his baby-blanket gift for Christmas was inappropriate and had made things "so uncomfortable," but Kalani didn't seem to want to pick a fight since Asuelu already appeared upset and depressed over his failing relationship with his family members.Kalani admitted to Asuelu that she didn't want to have a relationship with Lesina and Tammy anymore, and she hoped he would back away from them too since all they seemed to do was stress him out."If he's fighting with them, then he's very short with me and doesn't really want to talk. And that brings a lot of sh-t into my marriage, so I just don't want to deal with it," Kalani explained in a confessional.Asuelu felt sad about the idea he may never see his mother again given she was traveling back to Samoa, but Kalani assured her husband that he had done everything he could to salvage his relationship with her.Asuelu told Kalani that he appreciated her and her loved ones, and Kalani's mother said she was proud of her son-in-law for growing and being a good husband and father.Kalani's mother Lisa then revealed how being separated from Kalani's father Low, who had been working in California, was just too much for them to deal with. Lisa therefore planned to sell the house so she could move and be closer to California.Kalani and Asuelu acknowledged being kicked out of Lisa and Low's home, essentially, was "horrible timing." The couple wasn't ready to get a place of their own, but Kalani intended to put a brave face on for her mother.Asuelu's family had accused him of losing his culture and being more American than Samoan.Family is apparently everything to people from Samoa, but Asuelu was upset about his mother advising him to leave Kalani and divorce her to find another woman who would be willing to give him more children.Asuelu also wasn't sure he had enough money to send back home considering he had bills to pay and needed to take care of his two sons, Oliver and Kennedy.After seeing advice from his Samoan friend Tui, Asuelu began questioning if moving to Samoa would solve all of his problems because Kalani could see how people live there and maybe come around to understanding Lesina and Tammy's perspective.Asuelu also wondered if Kalani would be more likely to have another child if she's living in Samoa and would have fewer financial responsibilities.Asuelu wanted to give his mother another chance, but Kalani found that annoying because she felt "entitled" to everything that Asuelu owned and didn't think Lesina truly cared for her son.Asuelu then suggested to Kalani they could move to Samoa and build a house there, but she quickly replied, "No. I'd be away from my home and my family, and I don't feel comfortable."Asuelu said he had lived in America for several years and changed drastically while accusing Kalani of not doing anything or trying to compromise. He said she should be open to the idea of becoming "a real Samoan girl."Asuelu wanted Kalani to have more kids, respect his mother and speak his language, but Kalani believed she's a real Samoan woman no matter what given she's rooted in the culture and is half Samoan.Kalani said she'd like to learn more about Samoan culture but wanted to figure things out in the United States. Kalani also wanted their children to be deeply tied to Samoan culture, and so she agreed to travel to Samoa and check it out.Kalani told the cameras she and Asuelu are simply "completely different people" but she'd be willing to compromise and have a long month or two visit to Samoa. Kalani said Asuelu needed to adapt to American culture and shouldn't act like he was still living on an island.Tiffany and Ronald's couples' counseling session didn't go well and pretty much backfired. Ronald said Tiffany couldn't accept her faults and always blamed him for everything."What is she Queen? It's a two-way [street], man," Ronald complained.Tiffany said with a laugh how Ronald couldn't accept a woman who stands on her own two feet, and Ronald saw Tiffany giggling from a distance and then yelled at her for not taking things seriously.Tiffany wasn't okay with how Ronald spoke to her, and she lamented, "At this point, it makes me feel like there's nothing else we can do for us, like, I don't know where else we can go productively from here."Tiffany called Ronald "a f-cking psycho" but said his anger didn't scare her. Tiffany said Ronald's outbursts didn't indicate he's a manly-man. Instead, she said people who react immediately with anger aren't very smart and lack emotional intelligence."To me, it's directly linked to stupidity," Tiffany complained to a producer, adding, "All he does is disappoint me and do dumb sh-t like this. But I married him, so I guess that's on me. Whatever."Once the pair reunited in Ronald's home, she called him an "idiot," and he asked her what she was even doing in his place.Tiffany told Ronald that he had acted like "an assh-le," and Ronald seemed desperate for his wife to take some responsibility in the argument. Ronald decided he was going to sleep alone, and then Tiffany smiled and called Ronald "a f-cking loser."Ronald said he was trying to keep his marriage together and also keep himself composed even though he was going through a lot, and he began questioning whether it was all worth it because he could only take so much.Ronald realized in that moment he had a lot of emotions bottled up and was much more upset with Tiffany that he had initially thought. Ronald said, however, he was going to fight for his children to stay in South Africa, even if it meant Tiffany flying back to the United States alone."I know it's not right to keep the kids away from their mother, but unfortunately, the mother has forced me [into this situation]," Ronald said. "Now it's my turn."Ronald's mother was watching the kids while Ronald and Tiffany fought, and Tiffany woke up the next morning expecting a genuine apology from her husband, whom she claimed was very wrong.The couple argued again in the morning, with Tiffany saying Ronald had mistreated her and she wasn't going to act like "a little b-tch" and let him walk all over her. Tiffany threatened to walk away from him and their relationship, and Ronald said Tiffany acted like she's royalty."You can literally go back to America," Ronald said, before accusing Tiffany of being "controlling" and telling her to get the "f-ck out" of his house.Tiffany thought the amount of tension she had with Ronald was just "crazy," and he also admitted to having enough.Tiffany said she felt very unwelcome and was ready to pick up her kids, leave, and get "out of this situation.""I have it pretty good back home. I have zero need to accept his behavior. Our marriage is over," Tiffany noted.Jovi and Yara apparently slept apart, in different hotel rooms, after their fight at a stripclub in Miami, FL. Yara told Gwen that she had been trying to make Jovi happy but he ultimately destroyed her night.It was apparently Jovi's idea to sleep in a different room, and Gwen told Yara that she never should have agreed to go to a stripclub to begin with. Gwen was also upset her son had behaved that way, saying he had more growing-up to do.Jovi told the cameras he decided to stay in a different room so he and Yara wouldn't fight in front of their baby, Mylah.Jovi told Gwen that Yara had slapped him in the face when she wanted to go to the stripclub to begin with, and Gwen advised the couple to talk things out and "talk a lot." Gwen liked Yara and thought she had good intentions, and so she wanted the couple to work things out."Now I'm starting to worry that Jovi wasn't the one who's ready... Grow up, Jovi," Gwen scolded her son before leaving the couple alone to hash things out.The couple then walked to the beach, and Yara said she wasn't sure whether her husband wanted to be single.Jovi told Yara that she seemed to want to make a fight out of everything and she didn't seem happy in America. Jovi said Yara had failed to make friends and never seemed happy when he arrived home from work."Everything changed when you got to America," Jovi said.Yara explained that everything was new to her and she was in a brand new country -- so of course things changed. The new mom also said if Jovi didn't accept her for who she is, he should leave and go find someone else to be with, someone who could make him happy."I don't want to be with anyone else. I want to be with you. We have a daughter to raise together now. I want to make changes. I want everything to be good," Jovi said.Yara said Jovi needed to stop partying and going to the club as a result, but Jovi wasn't about to change his whole personality for his wife.Jovi hoped to compromise because he didn't want to give up everything about himself for the sake of keeping his relationship going. Jovi wanted to raise Mylah in a healthy and happy family.The couple agreed to try to make things work, but Yara said Jovi needed to try harder to make her happy. Yara didn't want Mylah to see her sad and crying all the time."If Jovi doesn't change, then I will need to put my happiness first and take Mylah back to Ukraine. Because if [I'm] there, my life will be much [easier]... I will [not be] stressed... My life in America is really a challenge," Yara explained, adding, "Who wants the Green Card when you live like this?!"Yara had to leave her family and friends behind in Ukraine to be with Jovi in New Orleans, and so she said Jovi needed to show her that he could love and respect her and not be so childish.Angela admitted she was totally unsure about whether she wanted to have another baby. While she wanted to give Michael the chance to be a biological father, she just had weight-loss surgery done and wanted to be healthy for her kids and grandchildren.Michael's tested sperm apparently came back as viable, and so Angela brought Skyla to a fertility clinic with her. Angela was apparently still hoping Skyla would give her one of her eggs so Angela could get pregnant through in vitro fertilization."Mama, you're not getting my egg," Skyla confirmed before meeting with the doctor.Skyla told the doctor that she was just with Angela for support and hoped her mother would discover carrying a baby wasn't the right thing to do. Skyla hoped Angela at age 55 would put her foot down and tell Michael that having a baby was no longer an option.Angela learned IVF is a very complicated process but could be done with a surrogate.Angela and Skyla were told that the process to donate an egg can cause headaches, nausea, weight gain, and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome -- when ovaries swell and can cause pain and bleeding.The syndrome apparently happens five percent of the time and can put a woman in the hospital."I was only thinking about myself, but now, I really don't think it's right pressuring Skyla after hearing the risks from the doctor. I don't want to jeopardize Skyla's health for something that Michael wants," Angela explained.The doctor also warned Angela that her baby would be Skyla's half-sibling and aunt/uncle at the same time if Skyla opted to donate her egg. Angela would also be the baby's mother and grandmother simultaneously, which completely creeped Angela out.The whole process can cost over $100,000 for just the medical requirements, and Angela also faced the risk of not having a healthy pregnancy due to her advanced maternal age. If Angela attempted to tote a baby, she could develop high blood pressure as well as diabetes."Mom, you don't want to go through all this... You're trying to get your health together, and this would honestly set you all the way back," Skyla explained to her mother.Angela worried about disappointing her husband, but the doctor explained how Angela would have no guarantee about having a baby even with in vitro fertilization.Angela wanted to make Michael happy, but after talking to a doctor about the cost and the risk and how getting pregnant could affect her weight-loss journey, she decided it didn't make sense to have a baby."Maybe he'll want to get divorced," Angela said. "That would be devastating if he divorced me."But Angela acknowledged she can't make miracles happen and nature had taken its course."I'm too f-cking old," Angela said."I'm a ball of nerves just thinking about telling Michael. I mean, honestly, I dread it. I'm just praying he doesn't get too mad, and I hope he understands why. But it's not right to keep secrets and we're going to have this conversation."Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage!
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 08/13/2021



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

star Katie Thurston has revealed she was shocked Blake Moynes proposed at the end of her season and why she didn't see it coming.Katie entered process hell-bent on getting engaged at the Final Rose Ceremony, but Blake joined Season 17 a few weeks late and the pair essentially played a game of catch-up until Katie realized during her Fantasy Suite with Blake that he's The One."I truly actually did not think he was going to propose," Katie revealed during a recent appearance on Good Morning America."And so when he actually got down on one knee and proposed, my reaction is actual shock."Katie confessed to doing a little investigating at the Final Rose Ceremony, as she was in search of a clue Blake may or may not ask for her hand in marriage."That day, he had tight pants on, and I looked at the pockets and there was no box," Katie recalled."I was like, 'Oh no!' And so when he said the line, 'I can't give you what you came here for,' I was just trying to, like, not give away that I was so sad."Blake, however, was keeping the ring in his back pocket, and Katie joked, "They were too tight in the front [for a ring box]."Blake's proposal went off without a hitch, but he seemed hesitant or reluctant to propose marriage when picking out the oval Neil Lane diamond engagement ring currently on Katie's finger.Blake confirmed he was "freaking out" earlier that day in New Mexico, knowing he was about to pop the question to the love of his life.But something about Katie gave Blake the confidence to show up on her season late, possibly face rejection on national television, and then pour his heart out to her on the last day of their televised journey."She just was everything that I thought she was going to be," Blake noted. "She was just bold and confident and made decisions, was decisive, and I was just like, 'It's hot, I love that!'"But before Katie and Blake could cross the finish line into happily-ever-after, Katie was dumped by her apparent frontrunner, Greg Grippo , who left the show because Katie had refused to provide him with the validation and reassurance he needed after hometown dates.When asked how her emotional and seemingly devastating breakup with Greg felt in-person vs. watching it back on TV, Katie explained, "It's day and night different.""In the moment, you see it, I'm apologizing and I feel bad and I'm confused. And seeing the way that he spoke, I was mad. I was pretty mad ," Katie said, adding that it was nice to confront Greg on After the Final Rose because it gave her "the closure [she] needed."Katie also revealed how she had arrived at the decision to continue on with process after losing Greg."When I really took the time to reflect, like, 'Okay, was Greg my actual person? Would we have worked out, outside of this?' And I think had I been with him watching this all back, I don't know that we'd be sitting on a couch together [still dating]," Katie admitted.Now that Katie and Blake are able to start the next chapter of their lives in public as a happily-engaged couple, Katie said it feels as though "a weight has been lifted off our shoulders.""It's been long. It feels like a year, honestly. First thing I'm trying to figure out is, like, what's it like driving together in a car?" Katie said with a laugh. "What's it like getting coffee together?"Katie and Blake are therefore in no rush to tie the knot, although Katie said she has "no doubt" marriage is in their future."At some point, there is certainly a wedding. There's no doubt about that," Katie acknowledged.The pair both confirmed, however, that neither one of them wants roses at their wedding."I don't want to give her another rose!" Blake declared with a big smile.Katie and Blake also shared on Good Morning America that they're currently in the process of deciding where to live. Katie is getting a new place in San Diego, CA, and Blake has a home in Canada and so they're going to try to enjoy both homes for the time being.They plan on figuring things out one day at a time together.When Blake proposed marriage to Katie on Monday night's finale, he said being Katie's last man standing felt like a fairy-tale and they had a connection that initially seemed too good to be true."I know how great of a wife you're going to be and mother you're going to be. But I know there's things that scare you," Blake told Katie."I know that you in the past have talked about how you've had to compromise who you are to make relationships work, and I don't want you to do that. But I can't give you what you came her for.""Because you deserve a lot more than that. You deserve the world, and I'm excited to support you and be there for you every day moving forward... Will you marry me?"Katie shouted in reply, "Yes!"Interested in more The Bachelor news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 08/12/2021



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

star Katie Thurston has finally revealed Blake Moynes ' group-date painting called "Life" that ABC censored with a big black box on the show.Katie posted a photo of Blake's masterpiece, which she is displaying on her mantle at home, in as Instagram Stories posting on Tuesday.The artwork depicts white swimming sperm on a black background.The framed NSFW painting apparently rests next to a small clock, a tiny plant, and a much larger black-and-white painting of a nude woman's backside."Omg is that his painting from the show? And is that what we think it is?!?!?????" one fan asked Katie about the photo.Katie replied, "Yes 100 percent."Katie also confirmed the painting's subject matter by posting an animated sperm moving and celebrating along with her response.Blake, a wildlife specialist from Canada, explained his inspiration for the piece during 's July 19 episode."This is just a physical visual representation of one of the most amazing, beautiful things that humans are able to do on a daily basis," Blake said on the group date of his censored creation, which was supposed to represent his relationship with Katie in some intimate way."Not a lot of species can do that. That magic. These [censored] are also the beginning of life."Many fans were so disappointed they couldn't see Blake's artwork that they signed a Change.org petition for ABC to unveil his painting, according to Us Weekly.People on Twitter also discussed Blake's painting, with some users begging for Blake to show it online.Blake wrote in response to one tweet, "I think there's a right time, place and maybe price for charity."It's not a surprise Blake's painting involved sperm when he and Katie are both sex-positive and very open about their sex lives.During a Monday night appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live with actor and comedian David Spade serving as guest host, Blake and Katie actually announced how many times they've had sex in their somewhat short relationship.During a "Newly-Engaged Game" in which David tested how well Katie and Blake know each other, the upcoming Bachelor in Paradise 7 guest host asked, "Over the course of your short relationship, how many times have you made whoopee?"David joked that having sex and making love both count and he hoped Katie and Blake would guess numbers within 10 of each other.Katie wrote down "43" on her little whiteboard, to which David shouted, "No chance!"Blake then revealed his answer of "30."David seemed shocked considering they had both given such high numbers, and Blake explained, "Yeah, we're in that realm, we're in that realm!"After Katie's apparent frontrunner Greg Grippo quit 's seventeenth season, Katie decided to continue the process and enjoy an overnight Fantasy Suite date with Blake.It was during that date when Katie decided she loved Blake and only wanted to pursue a relationship with him going forward.Prior to entering the Fantasy Suite, Blake told Katie in tears, "It's scary to say because I promised myself that I wouldn't say it to anybody unless I'm sure, but I've been telling you all along that I have been. I love you and I'm f-cking really excited about a life with you."Katie had been waiting to say "I love you" to one man at the end of the show, but she apparently learned her lesson that she should be vulnerable and open considering her guarded nature and secrecy about her feelings is what prompted Greg to break up with her."It's a huge word," Katie told Blake. "And as much as I want to be stubborn, and just like you, it's scary and it's crazy -- but I f-cking love you so much, and I couldn't be happier that you're here! I'm so glad."Katie subsequently told the cameras that Blake completes her, and so she dumped Justin Glaze before their next date.Katie gushed about Blake being "caring, supportive, confident and passionate," and she claimed she had fallen "head over heels" in love with him despite being so heartbroken about Greg only a day or two beforehand.Blake seemed hesitant or reluctant to propose marriage when picking out an engagement ring, but the Final Rose Ceremony ended with Blake down on one knee and committing himself to star.Blake said it felt like he was dreaming and living out what felt like a fairy-tale.Blake said they had a connection and understanding that seemed too good to be true but he always knew it would be the two of them together in the end."I know how great of a wife you're going to be and mother you're going to be. But I know there's things that scare you," Blake told Katie."I know that you in the past have talked about how you've had to compromise who you are to make relationships work, and I don't want you to do that. But I can't give you what you came her for.""Because you deserve a lot more than that. You deserve the world, and I'm excited to support you and be there for you every day moving forward... Will you marry me?""Yes!" Katie shouted.Katie gushed Monday night on : After the Final Rose that her relationship with Blake is better and stronger than ever and she's truly and madly in love with him.Interested in more The Bachelor news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group
Pottsville, PA (17901)

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Mainly cloudy. A few peeks of sunshine possible. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 82F. Winds light and variable..

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Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds light and variable.
With Independence Day around the corner, the air of the nation is filled with patriotism. India celebrates its biggest victory in history and remembers the freedom fighters who fought for the entire nation. The country also celebrates the contribution of armed forces, who work day and night for the safety of the citizens. While staying safe at home is also a priority of this Independence Day, cinema is one of the best ways to celebrate the brave hearts protecting the nation. Here are some patriotic films available on several OTT platforms to binge-watch this Independence Day.

Shershaah on Amazon Prime

Shershaah is the heroic saga of Kargil martyr Captain Vikram Batra. The film revolves around Vikram Batra's early days and his time in the Indian Army. He led one of the toughest operations in mountain warfare in 1999. He lost his life while leading the operation and was awarded India's highest gallantry award Param Vir Chakra. The film Shershaah stars Sidharth Malhotra as Captain Vikram Batra and Kiara Advani as his fiance Dimple Cheema. The film was released on August 12, 2021, on the OTT platform Amazon Prime Video.

Raazi on Amazon Prime Video

Alia Bhatt starrer Raazi is the story of an undercover RAW agent who marries a Pakistani officer. She finds out Pakistan's plan of attacking India. Reportedly, the film is based on a real-life story. It is also an adaptation of the book Calling Sehmat by Harinder Sikka. It is currently streaming on Amazon Prime. It also cast Vicky Kaushal, Jaideep Ahlawat, Soni Razdan, Shishir Sharma, and Rajit Kapur in pivotal roles.

Lakshya on Netflix

The 2004 film Lakshya is an apt movie to celebrate the brave hearts of India. The film revolves around a college-going boy who does not have any clear aim in his life. However, he ends up joining the Indian Army and leads an important mission for the nation. The film stars Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta and Amitabh Bachchan. It currently streams on the OTT giant, Netflix.

Mangal Pandey: The Rising on Disney+ Hotstar

Mangal Pandey: The Rising is a 2005 war-drama film based on the true story of revolutionary Mangal Pandey. The film, which is set in the 1850s, revolves around the revolutionary Mangal Pandey, who revolted against the East India Company for forcing the soldiers to use objectionable cartridges in rifles. The film stars Aamir Khan in the lead role. It is available on Disney+ Hotstar.

Uri: The Surgical Strike on Zee5

Uri: The Surgical Strike is a perfect movie to set the Josh high on Independence Day. The film is based on India's 2018 surgical strike on Pakistan after the Uri attack. The film stars Vicky Kaushal in the lead role. It is available on Zee5.

IMAGE: SHERSHAAH FILM, VICKY KAUSHAL AND RAAZI'S INSTAGRAM
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams sent her greetings to Indians and Indian-Americans to celebrate the occasion of Indias 74th Independence Day. She said, "NASA and ISRO have cooperated in many different areas, including Earth and space science. Additionally, NASA has provided deep space communication and navigation support for ISROs missions to the Moon and Mars". She heaped praise towards ISRO and said that she was looking closely at Indias first human spaceflight mission, the Gaganyaan mission. She said, "Exploring space is a global enterprise where we all need to work together. I am especially interested in following the progress of Gaganyaan..

Top American senators, Democrat Mark Warner and Republican John Cornyn, also sent their wishes to Indians. Democrat Warner, Co-Chair of the powerful Senate India Caucus said, I want to congratulate the people in India on 75 years of Independence. The strength of the relationship between the world's two biggest democracies is more important now than ever.". Democrat Warner chairs the largest bilateral caucus in the United States Senate. Cornyn said he understands the importance of the first-hand importance of a strong relationship between the United States and India. He said, I'm proud to see how our ties have strengthened over the recent years. It was 74 years ago that India emancipated itself from British rule and began a long and storied journey toward becoming the biggest democracy in the world.

About Sunita Williams

Sunita Williams' paternal family is from the Mehsana district in Gujarat. Her maternal great-grandmother, born in Slovenia, immigrated to America as an 11-year-old with her mother. Sunita Williams joined NASA as an astronaut in 1998 and was a part of two space missions Expeditions, 14/15 and 32/33. Williams is currently training for the first post-certification mission of Boeings Starliner spacecraft, which is the second crewed flight for the spacecraft and it will be her third long-duration mission aboard the International Space Station. Along with her crewmates, Williams is closely working with Boeing to engineer their new aerospace system. They are looking to develop a system that will provide roundtrip crew transportation services to the International Space Station and add the ability to launch humans into space from America using SpaceXs CrewDragon.
Amid uproar and massive protests, the Assam Assembly passed the Assam Cattle Preservation Bill 2021 on August 13, Friday. The bill prohibits the sale and purchase of beef in areas inhabited by non-beef-eating communities and within a radius of 5 km of a temple or a monastery in the state. After being turned down on demand for the select committee's intervention, the opposition staged a heavy protest and later walked out of the Assembly. "Cows are not endangered animals; why are laws being made for conservation?," asked AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam. He added that the cattle bill needs at least 75 amendments and should be handed over to a select committee.

While speaking to ANI, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "As the bill was passed today, henceforth, no slaughter or sale of beef can take place within a 5 km radius of any temple/monastery. Wherever there are non-beef-eating people-Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, even if Muslims are living, they will not consume beef". He further explained, saying, "There was an intervening period of 30 days. We were ready to consider amendments, but the opposition could not come up with proper facts. The Cattle Slaughter Prevention bill (passed today) is nothing but an improvement of what was done by Congress in the late 1950s".

Why did Assam government introduce the Bill?

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma told ANI that most of the communal violence in the last five years happened due to beef consumption, and one must respect the sensitivity of the non-beef eating community. The state has now completely banned the transportation of cattle beyond a district. It can not go from one district to another district for slaughter, said. Notably, Assam's Governor, Jagdish Mukhi, first proposed implementing the Cattle Prevention Act in the state. Assam is one of the leading states in cow slaughter and cattle smuggling. Animals here are often transported to neighbouring Bangladesh via the states' border in the Karimganj, Dhubri, and Salmara areas of Assam. The smuggler also uses other routes of Meghalaya and West Bengal to transport cattle to slaughterhouses. Meanwhile, many BJP-ruled states have also imposed the same law in their respective states in the last five years.

Opposition's take

The opposition leaders in the Assam assembly created a huge uproar and a protest-like situation on Friday. The opposition leaders opposed the newly introduced bill, claimed it was biased, and stated that it needed at least 75 amendments. They even demanded to hand over the bill to the select committee of the Assam House. The opposition leaders, including Congress, AIUDF, and CPI (M), also walked out of the house after Speaker Biswajit Daimary passed the cattle bill amid the slogans of "Jai Shree Ram" and "Bharat Mata ki Jai".

The AIDUF legislator, Aminul Islam, opposed the cattle bill, saying Assam has around 1,09,09,327 cows, which means cows are not an endangered species and need no strict law for protection. He added that the law would cause harm to the poor people who rear cows and criticized the 5km rule in the bill and called it inappropriate.

Image Credit: PTI/ANI

(With ANI Inputs)
Lithuanian officials say the influx of Iraqi and other migrants into the Baltic European Union member through allegedly conniving neighbour Belarus looks to have halted.

But with anger rising among local communities near migrant camps and a pile of asylum bids to be processed, Lithuania now faces an unfamiliar challenge in addressing the crisis.

The UN refugee agency's representative in the region said the "emergency phase" seemed to be over, and Lithuania must now focus on the wellbeing of those inside detention centres and on assessing their claims for international protection.

"It is a bit of a race against time in terms of (the coming) winter and the cold months," Henrik M. Nordentoft told The Associated Press on Friday.

So far this year, more than 4,000 migrants from 40 countries, mostly Iraq, have illegally crossed from Belarus into the nation of just under 3 million.

That's 50 times more than in the whole of 2020.

Lithuania is erecting a border fence, and has built temporary tent camps in the area.

Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite said on Friday that some 1,500 asylum requests are being processed, and a few people have accepted voluntary repatriation.

Lithuania, like neighbouring EU members Latvia, Estonia and Poland, sees the influx as retaliation by Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko to increased EU sanctions on his country over Belarus forcing a passenger plane to land in Minsk so authorities could arrest a dissident on board.

Since his re-election to a sixth term in an August 2020 vote that the West had denounced as rigged, Lukashenko has cracked down on opposition protests in his country.

Many Belarusians have sought shelter abroad, including opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya  who is in Lithuania.

Poland says its border with Belarus is also under control now, despite reports of Iraqis and Afghans seeking to cross.

Border guards have detained nearly 900 people this year trying to slip in from Belarus, according to Polish media  up from 122 last year.

Associated Press interviewed with people in Lithuanian camps over several weeks highlight their diverse backgrounds and reasons for attempting to enter the EU.

Juel Fomejuel came from Cameroon, where conflict has killed thousands and displaced at least 700,000 people.

"I just pray that European Union gives me the protection that I need," he told AP, saying that he could not "go back" to his country.

The countries bordering Belarus have denounced the crossings as a "hybrid war," a source of concern for the UNHCR's Nordentoft.

"Hybrid war involves the thoughts of soldiers, weapons," he said.

Nevertheless, tensions have been rising in recent weeks among communities near migrant camps, resulting in sometimes violent protests.

Groups blocked roads for delivery vehicles and were removed only clashes with riot police.

Residents of areas where camps were planned held protest rallies outside the Lithuanian government building in Vilnius and in several local municipalities.

On Wednesday evening, the AP followed a small group of villagers from Rudninkai near the border as they patrolled the streets in high visibility jackets in search of escaped camp residents.

Earlier, 20 migrants had fled but were detained by police the same night.

Another 28 escaped another camp, police said Friday.

"Two weeks ago, Rudninkai was very quiet. But when a huge amount of migrants arrived this calm was disturbed. These people have a completely different culture," said local resident Kristina Slovenska. "We are worried about our safety."

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
On the eve of India's 74th Independence Day, let us have a look at the countries that never celebrate Independence Day. Is there a reason why some countries don't celebrate independence? Or were they never under a foreign sovereign? Or do they celebrate something else instead? Here is a list of countries that have not reserved a day to mark the anniversary of their freedom:

Nepal

Nepal was never colonised by any country, despite being a small country. It has always remained a sovereign nation and acted as a buffer between Imperial China and British India in the past. Therefore, it does not celebrate any form of Independence Day. Nepal is also one of the oldest countries in South Asia.

Thailand

Thailand never celebrated Independence Day as it never had to fight for its freedom from a foreign ruler. In 2014, Thailand started celebrating December 5 as its National Day as it was the king's birthday. Unless a new king takes charge of the crown in Thailand, King Phumiphon's birthday will be considered the National Day of Thailand.

China

The Chinese were never fully colonised and were ruled by monarchs. After the Chinese Revolution of 1949, Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong declared the creation of the People's Republic of China (PRC). It celebrates National Day and not Independence Day. The Chinese Communist Party was victorious in the Chinese Civil War, which resulted in the Kuomintang retreat to Taiwan and the Chinese Communist Revolution. This is when the People's Republic of China replaced the Republic of China.

Canada

Canadians do not celebrate Independence Day, but on July 1 they celebrate the anniversary of Confederation. This day marks the day the British North America (BNA) Act was signed in 1867. This act created the Dominion of Canada, only some parts of the country were included and Indigenous Peoples had no say in the decision. However, the BNA Act meant that the Dominion of Canada was a self-governing entity and the country gained freedom from direct oppression. According to the BNA Act, parts of the country called Canada were no longer under British control. Instead, the new dominion could create a parliament and make laws of its own along with the responsibility to fund and defend itself.

Denmark

Denmark is one of the very few countries in the world which does not celebrate Independence Day and instead celebrates Constitution Day on June 5. This day marks the anniversary of when their constitution came into power. Danish history is full of Viking expeditions and their raids across the world. Therefore, the Viking kingdoms used to fight amongst themselves for power, which is why there was never a major attempt of capturing Denmark by a foreign force.
Voices from around the world are increasingly calling for tough economic sanctions against Pakistan for its proxy war in Afghanistan, said reports. According to a report by The Hill, Islamabad has been aiding the terror group on all fronts.

Sanction Pakistan trends on Twitter

Thousands of individuals across the world, including many from Afghanistan, have started an anti-Pakistan campaign on social media to oppose Islamabad's intervention in the war-torn country. On social media, enraged Afghans began using the hashtag sanction Pakistan, which quickly became popular.

Afghans who used the hashtag #sanctionPakistan were enraged not just by the West's dismissive attitude toward their homeland, as seen by the sudden troop pullout, but also by Pakistan's infallibility in Washington's eyes. According to The Hill, Afghans were demanding tough economic penalties against Pakistan for its proxy war in Afghanistan, as the hashtag suggests.

Thousands of postings have been shared on Twitter and other platforms with the hashtag #sanctiononpakistan in the last four days, with the goal of drawing public attention to allegations of Pakistani assistance for the Taliban, which Pakistani officials deny, reported TOLO News.

Voices from across the world as Taliban batters Afghanistan

According to social media experts, the hashtag "sanctiononpakistan" was the most popular trend on Twitter in Afghanistan for several days and was the second most popular trend in Pakistan just a few days ago. Users from all across the world took part in the campaign via social media. SanctionPakistan, Stop Proxy War, and Stop Supporting terrorist groups are among the most popular hashtags.

According to The Hill, professionals such as former Canadian Minister Chris Alexander, historians such as Christine Fair, and former Pakistan Ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani have been raising the warning for years. The Pakistani government, on the other hand, continues trying to quiet them. The Pakistani consul general recently wrote to the Conservative Party of Canada and the head of the opposition in Canada, urging them to take action against Alexander for his tweets on Pakistan's support for the Taliban.

Canadian minister Chris Alexander on Twitter

Countries that invade other countries must face sanctions. Period.#SanctionPakistan  Chris Alexander (@calxandr) August 14, 2021

Taking to Twitter, former Canadian minister Chris Alexander tweeted, "#SanctionPakistan isnt just a hashtag trending on Twitter. It reflects the determination of Afghans, Pakistanis & citizens of many other states to live in peace  free from invasion, proxy war & terrorism."

"Pakistans forever war against Afghanistan began in the 1970s & has never ended. Disregarding it further only drives more Afghans into a meat grinder of death & destruction. We need bold action now under Chapter VII to stop this remorseless invasion," added Chris.

This social media effort comes as violence in Afghanistan has increased dramatically, and just days after Afghanistan's UN ambassador, Ghulam Isaczai, pleaded with members of the UN Security Council to encourage the Taliban to join in peace talks.

(with inputs from ANI)

Picture Credit: Twitter-@UNSRCulture/@calxandr/AP/PTI
The PM Imran Khan-led Pakistan Government on August 13 commenced negotiations for importing 70 to 100-megawatt Iranian electricity to power up Gwadar Port located on the shores of the Arabian Sea opposite Oman as even Tehran has been granted surplus. Gwadar Port is owned by the government-owned Gwadar Port Authority and operated by China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC), a state-run Chinese firm. The decision surfaced during the Cabinet Committee on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CCoCPEC) session under the chairmanship of Pakistan's Federal Minister for Development.

Gwadar Port is set to be completed by 2023 and is delayed owing to a set of reasons, especially COVID-led disruptions. Provision of electricity to the deep seaport as the 300 MW power plant is under construction, and a transmission line of 220KV would be constructed to connect with the national grid in the coming years. The meeting observed that the only available option was importing 70 to 100 MW power from Iran. Tehran was earlier providing electricity to Balochistan, but after witnessing a decrease in its hydel production, it suspended it in the last couple of years.

Land dispute between Pakistan Coast Guard and Pakistan Navy

The meeting between CCoCPEC and Pakistan's Ministry did not take up the land feud between the Pakistan Coast Guard and Pakistan Navy as the land of 50 to 70 acres would be provided to a Chinese entity for developing Gwadar Master Plan. The verification of land records was underway in the constitution with the Defence Ministry, and this issue would be resolved. Out of 2,500 acres of land, the Chinese company had possession of 70 to 75 per cent of the land.

Pakistani authorities also elucidated on the international investors who are keen to relocate industries into Gwadar Free Zone. Also, Chinese entities informed the CCoCPEC meeting that provisions such as electricity, clean drinking water and other infrastructure requirements would contribute to luring investment into Gwadar Free Economic Zone. Without basic facilities, the expectation of attracting investors would remain a pipe dream, the meeting noted.

Projects under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

Numerous projects undertaken by the CPEC, including those in the power sector, have witnessed delays due to the pandemic. The CPEC multi-billion-dollar economic aegis has not completed projects in three years and could not maintain impetus that delivered a series of power plants and other infra-projects across phases of the CPEC implementation.

Regarded as one of the significant components of the USD 60 billion Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), CPEC has faced opposition from political parties and unions in Pakistan. Furthermore, the hype instigated by the Pakistan government by projecting CPEC as a remedy to all crises has lost its steam. Due to disputes over debts and China's hegemony in BRI contracts, the Communist regime has face backlashes by multiple countries forced China to stall various projects.

Image Credit: AP
In a bid to strengthen its COVID-19 vaccine campaign across the country, China is gearing up to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with neighbour Bangladesh for the co-production of COVID-19 vaccines. Earlier, the Minister-Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka said, "We shall soon be coming for vaccine co-producing,". A day ago, Yan Hualog, through a Facebook post, said that, as a gift to Bangladesh, 10 lakh Sinopharm vaccines from China were sent to Bangladeshi brothers and sisters from Tianjin International Airport. As a part of the UN's COVAX program, earlier, China had sent 1.7 million Chinese Sinopharam vaccines to Bangladesh. So far, Dhaka has received a total of 4 vaccine consignments from Beijing. While speaking to media people, Bangladesh Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said the country has not yet reached its vaccination target. The country needs 276 million vaccine doses to achieve its target of vaccinating over 138 million people.

China Bangladesh COVID-19 vaccine co-production

According to media reports, Chinese-based company Sinopharm and Bangladesh's Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd will join hands in the production of COVID-19 vaccines. Bangladesh is aiming to lower the price of the COVID-19 vaccine, making it cheaper for wider use. The media reports state that Dhaka-based pharmaceutical companies will purchase raw materials in large quantities from China and undertake bottling, labeling, and finishing of the vaccine locally to make it cheap and widely available.

COVID-19 situation in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is one of the majorly COVID-19 affected countries in the world. According to a press release issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Bangladesh has recorded a total of 23,810 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, with as many as 197 cases of fatalities. The total number of COVID-19 cases has been tallied at 14,05,333. The reports also state that the country has administered both doses of vaccine to more than 5.22 million people. While 15.31 million people have received the first dose of the vaccine. Earlier, when Bangladesh was suffering from a severe COVID-19 crisis, India had extended help by gifting 1.2 million vaccine doses to Dhaka along with 109 well-equipped ambulances.

IMAGE: PTI/ANI
The workers' union at Chile's Escondida copper mine, which produces the largest amount of copper in the world, announced that a consensus has been reached with Anglo-Australian giant BHP to avoid a strike. The union, comprising of over 2,000 members, claimed that it had received almost unanimous support for a new collective agreement proposed by the management, quashing a strike notice which was filed last month on July 31. The Union also said it has completed all the necessary formalities regarding the new collective contract, which includes all the achievements made in the collective bargaining process. It further added that the negotiated conditions will be in force for the next 36 months.

BHP holds 58% stake and manages mining operation

According to a report by local media, the agreement included a bonus for each union member of $23,000, as well as nearly $4,000 for extra days, worked, in addition to other provisions. After their demands for a one-time bonus to acknowledge their work during the Coronavirus outbreak were not met, workers at the Escondida mine had announced their intention to strike. It is to be noted here that Escondida workers had staged a 44-day strike in 2017, the longest ever in the Chilean mining industry, resulting in a whopping loss of $740 million to BHP and also incurred a 1.3 per cent fall in the country's GDP. BHP manages the mining operation and holds a roughly 58 per cent stake while other investors include Rio Tinto PLC and Japans Mitsubishi Corp. The mining operation is already facing challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chilean copper mines hit by COVID-19 pandemic

BHP has been running its Chilean copper mines, including Escondida, with a limited workforce because of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As per reports, copper prices also reached a new high earlier this year on expectations of a continued global economic recovery and a mushrooming energy transition that needs lots of copper for electric vehicles and renewable power. It is pertinent to mention here that with an annual production of 5.6 million tons of copper, or 28% of global output, Chile is the worlds greatest copper producer. It exports the majority of it to China which is the world's largest consumer of copper. Also, mining accounts for 10-15% of Chiles GDP and half of the countrys annual exports.

Image Credits: Losandescopper/Twitter
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced that the launch of Orbital Flight Test-2 to the International Space Station is also postponed due to a technical snag in the CST-100 Starliner propulsion system. Due to a vexing valve problem, Boeing's astronaut capsule is grounded for months. According to NASA's latest statement, it was the mutual decision of the space agency and Boeing, an American multinational corporation that deals with the designs, manufactures, and sells aeroplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. NASA informed that the engineering teams have been working to restore functionality to several valves in the Starliner propulsion system. It is worth mentioning that the Starliner propulsion system did not open as designed during the launch countdown on August 3 this year.

Here is the official tweet of NASA Commercial Crew:

Alongside @BoeingSpace, we have decided to postpone the launch of the Orbital Flight Test-2 mission.



Teams will now move Starliner back to the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility for deeper-level troubleshooting on the service module's valves: https://t.co/BdNpjsWzZN pic.twitter.com/VA6VPKLxqz  NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) August 13, 2021

Boeing astronaut capsule was scheduled to carry a mannequin

According to the reports, the Boeing Astronaut Capsule was scheduled to carry a mannequin but no astronauts  when the trouble arose. Software issues plagued a similar capsule in 2019 that prevented it from reaching the space station. "We made a lot of progress to open the valves from inside the Vertical Integration Facility, and the NASA-Boeing teams did a great job doing everything we could to get ready for this launch opportunity, said Kathryn Lueders, associate administrator for NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. "Although we wanted to see Starliner fly in this window, its critical that our primary focus is the safety of the crew transportation system  for the safety of the space station and the crew members that will be flying on these vehicles. Well only fly this test when we think we are ready and can complete the mission objectives."

Yet to announce next launch

The NASA officials said that the teams will now begin moving Starliner back to Boeings Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility in Florida for deeper-level troubleshooting. Though the next launch date is yet to announce, John Vollmer, vice president and program manager, Boeings Commercial Crew Program said that the "mission success" in human spaceflight would depend on thousands of factors coming together at the right time. "Well continue to work the issue from the Starliner factory and have decided to stand down for this launch window to make way for other national priority missions."

NASA's 'Perseverance Rover' fails to collect samples of Martian rock

Earlier the space agency announced making final preparations for its Perseverance Mars rover to collect its first-ever sample of Martian rock; on August 7, it told that the sample tube was empty when received on the Earth. This came after NASA shared pictures of the borehole drilled to the proper depth of nearly 3 inches (8 centimetres) by the Perseverance rover, which is considered the most advanced astrobiology lab ever sent to space. However, when it reached the blue planet with an empty tube, the engineers concluded that the rock was weak to produce a core sample. They also noted that powdery fragments remained in the hole or ended up in the cuttings pile- or both.

(With inputs from NASA statement)

(Image Credit: AP)
President Joe Biden departed his home in Wilmington, Delaware Friday and took off aboard Marine One to Camp David, Maryland.

With security rapidly deteriorating in Afghanistan, the United States planned to send in 3,000 troops to help evacuate some personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.

The onslaught represents a stunning collapse of Afghan forces after the United States spent nearly two decades and $830 billion trying to establish a functioning state.

Peace talks in Qatar between the Taliban and the government remain stalled, though diplomats are still meeting, as the U.S., European and Asian nations warned that battlefield gains would not lead to political recognition.

Domestically, President Biden was bolstered, at least temporarily, as a federal judge refused a request by landlords to put the Biden administrations new eviction moratorium on hold, though the judge made clear she thinks it's illegal.

U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich on Friday said her hands are tied by an appellate ruling the last time courts considered the evictions moratorium in the spring.

Alabama landlords who are challenging the moratorium are likely to appeal.

IMAGE: AP

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Wildfires in California continue to threaten rural towns while the West sees a continuing bout of dangerously hot, dry weather.

Those conditions turned the Dixie Fire in Northern California into a furious blaze that last week burned down much of the small town of Greenville in the northern Sierra Nevada. The fire that began a month ago has destroyed some 550 homes.

The fire had ravaged more than 800 square miles (well over 2,000 square kilometers) - an area larger than the city of London - and continued to threaten more than a dozen rural and forest communities.

Containment lines for the fire held overnight, but it was just 31% surrounded and fire officials warned temperatures in the region would again reach triple digits Friday, bringing potentially critical fire weather in the afternoon.

Isolated thunderstorms in the Sierra Nevada could bring some moisture, but also gusty and erratic winds that could help spread the fire, Cal Fire officials said. Lightning could spark new blazes even as crews try to surround a number of other forest fires that were ignited by lightning last month.

Climate change has made the U.S. West warmer and drier in the past 30 years and will continue to make the weather more extreme and wildfires more destructive, according to scientists.

More than 6,000 square miles (almost 15,000 square kilometers) have been burned in the U.S. so far this year. That's well ahead of the amount burned by this point last year, but below the 10-year average, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

Parts of Europe also are burning including in Greece, where where a massive wildfire has decimated forests and torched homes, and was still smoldering 10 days after it started.

IMAGE: AP

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Troy Price, who resigned as chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party after a disastrous leadoff caucus in 2020, is taking a new job in the fellow first-in-the-nation state New Hampshire.

Price will become executive director of the New Hampshire Democratic Party on Monday as it gears up for the 2022 elections and 2024 primary, officials said Friday.

Price resigned in February 2020 after a meltdown in tabulating results from the lead-off presidential caucuses led to a dayslong delay in reporting the results, inconsistences in the numbers and no clear winner.

The embarrassing episode also threatened Iowas cherished status as the first caucus of the presidential nomination season. But there was no mention of that in the press release announcing his hiring in New Hampshire, which typically holds the first primary. There, he received unanimous support from both a selection committee and the party's executive committee, officials said.

New Hampshire Democrats are building an all-star team of experienced leaders to ensure that we organize and mobilize voters in every corner of the state, said New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley.

Buckley told WMUR-TV, which was first to report Prices hiring , that Iowas problems were confined to the caucus process and have no relevance to the New Hampshire primary.

Price became the national face of the 2020 Iowa caucuses colossal meltdown after a digital app designed to streamline reporting results from individual caucus sites failed. The technical failure on caucus night prompted hundreds of precinct-level caucus leaders to attempt to telephone in their results, resulting in a backlog of calls that kept the state party from announcing final results for more than a week.

Final results were announced six days after the Feb. 3 Democratic caucuses  long after the immediate impact mattered given the caucuses typical value as a show of momentum.

Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders fought to a near tie, though The Associated Press opted not to call a winner because of lingering concerns about whether the results as reported by the party were fully accurate. An audit later blamed the national Democratic Partys involvement in the Iowa caucuses for the problems, but said the state party should have bolstered its backup phone system.

Price had been a veteran of Iowa Democratic politics, working on Barack Obamas 2012 and Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaigns, in the administration of former Democratic Gov. Chet Culver and was executive director of One Iowa, an LGBTQ advocacy group.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
The United States has backed Lithuania amid its row with China over Vilnius decision to establish the Taiwan representative office. While China recalled its ambassador to Lithuania and expelled the Baltic nations top representative to Beijing as the Baltic nation allowed self-governing Taiwan to open an office under its own name, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R Sherman spoke with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis on August 13. As per the official statement by US Department of State, Sherman and Landsbergis discussed China and elevating US-Lithuania relations.

The statement read, Deputy Secretary Sherman and Foreign Minister Landsbergis emphasized the strength and breadth of the U.S.-Lithuanian bilateral relationship, which is grounded in our NATO Alliance; strengthening U.S.-EU cooperation, including on China; and our common commitment to advance peace, prosperity, security, democracy, and human rights in the Transatlantic region and across the globe.

Deputy Secretary Sherman reiterated the United States is resolute in our solidarity with our NATO Ally and EU partner Lithuania, including standing with them in the face of the Peoples Republic of Chinas recent coercive behaviour in response to Lithuanias decision to develop mutually beneficial ties with Taiwan, it added. Earlier, while speaking with reporters, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price had said, We firmly stand in solidarity with our NATO ally Lithuania and also condemn China's recent retaliatory actions, including the recall of Beijing's ambassador to Vilnius and demanding Lithuania recall its ambassador to Beijing.

China Foreign Ministry on Lithuanias decision

Chinese Foreign Ministry had said in a statement, Despite numerous notes and warnings from the Chinese side, the Lithuanian government recently announced that it would allow the Taiwanese administration to open a representative office on behalf of Taiwan, which became a gross violation of the communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries.

Even though Lithuania expressed its regret over Chinas decision to recall its diplomats, the Baltic nation said that it is determined to have mutually beneficial ties with Taiwan. Taiwans representative office in Vilnius was announced by the self-ruled democratic island in July. However, Lithuania and Taiwan do not have any diplomatic ties as of now. The relations between both nations, however, are extremely friendly.

IMAGE: AP


As several parts of the United States are reeling under the highly contagious delta variant of coronavirus, Oregons Governor Kate Brown sought the help of the national guard troops in order to assist the hospital workers. On August 13, Friday, Brown, took to the microblogging site to inform about the current COVID situation in the state. The governor said that the hospitals are overwhelmed with coronavirus cases, with 733 Oregonians have been hospitalized with severe cases of COVID-19, including 185 in intensive care. In a videotaped message, Brown said that the current situation is frustrating as the state was performing well in the summer while the delta variant has changed the entire circumstances in the state.

Here is the official announcement by the Oregon governor:

As of this morning, there are 733 Oregonians hospitalized with severe cases of COVID-19, including 185 in the ICU.



I cannot emphasize enough the seriousness of this situation, which is why I am deploying up to 1,500 @OregonGuard members to support hospitals across the state. pic.twitter.com/U2M69PPXbk  Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) August 13, 2021

Oregon COVID-19: Cases soar despite high vaccination

It is worth mentioning that 2.5 million Oregonians were vaccinated against COVID-19 till Friday. Despite, high vaccination, the highly contagious variant has ravaged the region, noted Brown. According to a report by The New York Times, hospitalizations have risen nearly 130 per cent in Oregon and 140 per cent in Hawaii in the last two weeks. Earlier on August 13, Oregons governor made the indoor mask compulsory for everyone older than five. While those aged below two years have to wear masks on public transportation.

Joe Biden directs the military to vaccinate

Earlier this month, the US administration directed the US military to get the COVID-19 vaccine beginning next month under a plan laid out by the Pentagon and endorsed by President Joe Biden. In memos distributed to all troops, top Pentagon leaders said the vaccine is a necessary step to maintain military readiness. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the mid-September deadline could be accelerated if the vaccine receives final FDA approval or infection rates continue to rise. I will seek the presidents approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon licensure by the Food and Drug Administration whichever comes first, Austin said in his memo sent on Monday, warning them to prepare for the requirement. The Pentagon plan provides time for the FDA to give final approval to the Pfizer vaccine, which is expected early next month.

(Image Credit: @OregonGovBrown/Twitter)
Human Rights Watch documents how governments and companies involved in the Lower Sesan 2 Dam dismissed the concerns of affected people.

A China-financed hydropower project in Cambodias northeast has uprooted thousands of local indigenous and ethnic minority people since its completion in 2018, and the developer and the Cambodian government ignored their ethical responsibilities to facilitate its completion, Human Rights Watch said in a report this week.

The Lower Sesan 2 dam, one of Asias widest, created a flood basin in Stung Treng province, out of the convergence of the Sesan and Srepok Rivers in, both tributaries of Southeast Asias mightiest river, the Mekong. In the process, nearly 5,000 people who had lived near the dam site for several generations were relocated.

In Underwater: Human Rights Impacts of a China Belt and Road Project in Cambodia, Human Rights Watch (HRW) details how economic, social and cultural rights were all ignored to disastrous effect on the people living near the dam, as well as on the livelihoods of other people both upstream and downstream from it.

The Lower Sesan 2 dam washed away the livelihoods of Indigenous and ethnic minority communities who previously lived communally and mostly self-sufficiently from fishing, forest-gathering, and agriculture, said John Sifton, HRWs Asia advocacy director in a statement.

Cambodian authorities need to urgently revisit this projects compensation, resettlement, and livelihood-restoration methods, and ensure that future projects dont feature similar abuses, Sifton said.

According to the report, the dams developer and Cambodias government were aware that they were ignoring the concerns of the affected residents, even pressuring them to accept compensation packages that were lower than they should have been and offering them inadequate housing and services at resettlement zones.

The report also said that people whose livelihoods were affected in other communities received no compensation at all.

The Sesan 2 dam is part of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Beijings worldwide infrastructure plan that it says is aimed at enhancing regional connectivity, but which critics say could saddle poorer nations with long term debt.

According to HRW, Many of these projects in Asia and elsewhere have faced criticism for lack of transparency, disregard of community concerns, and negative environmental impacts.

Sesan 2 is owned and operated by the China Hwaneng Group, a large Chinese state-owned company which also built the dam at a cost of U.S. $800 million, paid for through financing from Chinese government banks. A Vietnam state-owned company and Cambodias Royal Group own minor stakes.

Cambodian government and company officials failed to genuinely consult with affected communities and made no attempt to obtain the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous peoples, as specified in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, HRW said.

According to the report, between 2011 and 2018 citizens opposed to the project lodged complaints with the company, the government, Prime Minister Hun Sen, and elsewhere, but their concerns were dismissed. As the government refused to discuss alternatives, it threatened and even jailed people who objected to the project.

There were objections from us all. We told them that we didnt want to see the development of the dam, a villager living near the dam told HRW in the report.

In the consultation, they determined things for us. They didnt ask us what we want or need, the villager said.

At the dams completion ceremony in 2018, Hun Sen further dismissed their concerns, saying, I wish to emphasize that the majority of local villagers here support the dams construction. Only a few people have caused trouble for this project. Those troublemakers have been incited by foreigners.

Many people not displaced by the dam who rely on river fishing for their income are reporting drastically decreased catches as it prevents migration of certain species for spawning.

Now fish are so scarce, said a resident who lives nearby.

We used to get fish for eating and selling, but [now] it has completely decreased. We sometimes dont even have enough to eat.

The expensive fish species have disappeared, he said. We are left with cheaper and smaller fish we end up getting enough fish just for the family to eat, said another.

People who have relocated also complain that they have seen a drop in agricultural production because their new lands are less fertile.

Cartoon by Rebel Pepper. Credit: RFA

Additionally, the developer did not establish a system for how disputes or complaints would be resolved, HRW said. None of the parties performed any meaningful benefit and impact assessment either.

Though they claimed the project could produce 1,998 gigawatt hours per yea, or 1/6 of Cambodias electricity production, tax revenues suggest that its actual production is closer to 1/12, according to the report.

The developer in May published a sustainability report that acknowledged many of the problems surrounding the Sesan 2 project but largely downplayed them, the HRW report says, even concluding baselessly that it improved the lives of the people it displaced. The sustainability report completely omitted any discussion about the effects on people either upstream or downstream from the flood basin.

The Chinese government needs to drastically reform Belt and Road infrastructure development financing to prevent abuses in other projects undertaken in countries like Cambodia, where the government has a long track record of violating its citizens rights, Sifton said.

The Cambodian government needs to reform its laws to require meaningful impact assessments for development projects and put in place more effective measures to prevent abuses.

In the report, HRW recommended that the developer renegotiation resettlement and compensation packages for all impacted communities with transparency at the forefront of all plans.

It called on the Cambodian government to put pressure on the developer to that effect, as well as to enforce Cambodian laws for development projects and for the rights of minorities and indigenous people, while making efforts to ensure human rights and environmental protections.

For China, it recommended a transparent audit of the project, as well as standardizing regulations for Chinese companies operating outside of China. HRW also called for human rights to be part of the criteria for overseas investment.

HRW also recommended that the international community provide assistance to civil society groups and NGOs, as well as to the affected communities, and assist Cambodia with enforcing its own development laws.

Net Pheaktra, spokesman for Cambodias Environment Ministry, said the report was a destruction of human rights and geopolitical interest aimed at hindering Cambodian development.

"[The report] is an attempt to nurture conflict to serve a real political agenda. The construction of the Sesan 2 dam has brought many positive benefits to the national economy and the people of Cambodia, such as the projects ability to generate 400 megawatts of electricity, said Net Pheaktra.

It is a large hydropower plant that considers renewable energy and encourages the use of such energy, he said.



The dam has indeed improved the lives of the people it displaced, Stung Treng provincial administration spokesman Men Kung told RFA.

"Obviously, the people have moved to new places where their lives are easier and their livelihood is better, Men Kung said.

Separately, a small number of people who did not go to live in the new villages, had asked the Royal Government, as well as provincial, district and commune authorities to live in a location nearby and we allowed them to live decently there, he said.

The HRW report said that the government had harassed this group of people when they refused to relocate.

There were no human rights violations there. There was no force to accept compensation. But we encourage people to participate in development, to accept what the Royal Government as well as the provincial impact committee determined, Men Kung said.

Residents of an affected village became disheartened when the government demolished five of their houses, and floated their remains down the river.

Provincial and district authorities said they have dismantled the houses and they will hand over building materials to the people, Foot Khoeun a citizen representative told RFA.

Some of the people who saw their own houses floating away cried, according to Foot Khoeun, and authorities have yet to deliver on their promises.

They didnt bring us any wood from the houses. They just floated them away in the water, he said.

In response, Stung Treng provincial hall spokesman Men Kung told RFA that the demolition of the houses did not result in any affect on the lives of the people, because the houses had already been submerged in the water and people did not live there.

China has stepped in to wield significant influence in Cambodia in recent years as relations between Phnom Penh and Western governments have cooled amid concerns over the countrys human rights situation and political environment following a broad crackdown on the political opposition in 2017.

Chinese investment has meanwhile flowed into Cambodia, but Cambodians regularly chafe at what they call unscrupulous business practices and unbecoming behavior by Chinese businessmen and residents.

Reported and translated by RFA's Khmer Service. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
When a newly arrived Russian module sent the International Space Station spinning and nearly knocked it off its orbit, experts and longtime space watchers held their breath, and then exhaled when no lasting damage was detected.

Observers also wondered what else might knock the longtime partnership between NASA and Roskosmos further off its already wobbly trajectory.

That answer might be a lurid anonymous allegation published by Russian state news agency TASS involving a still-unexplained incident on the orbiting station in 2018. Senior NASA officials dismissed the allegation, saying the U.S. space agency does not consider it credible.

The incident involved a mysterious hole that was discovered in the hull of one of the station's Russian-built modules. In the TASS story published on August 12, an unnamed "high-ranking official in the Russian space industry" was quoted as saying that there were in fact eight man-made holes discovered, not just one.

Without providing evidence, the Russian official asserted that a NASA astronaut on board at the time, Serena Aunon-Chancellor, had experienced a medical problem involving blood flow that "could have provoked an acute psychological crisis" which, in turn, might have led her to seek a way to return to Earth before the mission was over.

NASA declined to comment directly to RFE/RL, but pointed to a tweet on August 13, by the head of NASA's human spaceflight program, Kathy Lueders, who said that NASA astronauts including Aunon-Chancellor "are extremely well-respected, serve their country, and make invaluable contributions to the agency."

"We stand behind Serena and her professional conduct," Lueders said. "We do not believe there is any credibility to these accusations."

NASA chief Bill Nelson, also on Twitter, said that he wholeheartedly agreed with Lueders's statement, adding, "I fully support Serena and I will always stand behind our astronauts."

The TASS article also said the anonymous commentary "quite clearly reflects the Russian leadership's vision of the current situation." Asked if the article reflected Roskosmos's official position, the state-run company's press service declined comment.

Earlier, when asked about the status of the investigation into the hole incident, a NASA spokesman directed questions on the subject to Roskosmos.

Space Cooperation Under Strain

The comments come as the three-decade relationship between Moscow and Washington in the area of space exploration is increasingly under strain, stretched both by unrelated geopolitical tensions but also major transformations in how space is being explored and exploited.

A state-run corporation that was formed a decade ago as part of an internal reorganization of Russia's venerable space industry, Roskosmos has itself been battered by a series of scandals and mishaps.

The most recent came last month when Roskosmos launched a new module carrying new scientific equipment for the international crew on the station.

The Nauka module first suffered problems in its flight to the station. Then, after it docked with the station, an apparent computer glitch caused the module's engines to continue firing, causing the station to do an entire rotation.

Engineers were forced to turn on engines in two other modules at the station to prevent an uncontrolled spin, and bring the station under control.

"Space Suspense," said the European Space Agency, in a press statement after the situation was brought under control. "It has been an emotional time -- years of delays, a tense countdown, a mighty launch, and then hiccups in orbit" for the Nauka, said the agency, which contracted with Roskosmos to bring a new multimillion-euro robotic arm to the space station.

NASA, for its part, has said little about the Nauka mishap, in large part because control of the module's thrusters was almost entirely in the hands of Russian engineers. In a blog post on its website on August 12, the agency said that "an investigation team" was being formed.

"The team will focus on analyzing available data, cooperating with our Russian colleagues for any information they require for their assessment, and coordinating with the other international partners," it said.

Cosmonaut Demotion

Prior to the Nauka mishap, Roskosmos had been battered by embarrassing headlines in the Russian media involving a well-regarded veteran cosmonaut. Sergei Krikalyov was reportedly demoted after he complained about a plan championed by Roskosmos's chief executive, Dmitry Rogozin, to send a well-known TV director and a famous actress to shoot a feature film on the orbiting station. Rogozin was named as a co-producer.

Krikalyov could not be reached for comment on the reports.

For his part, Rogozin, who was a former nationalist lawmaker and ambassador to NATO known for sharp bureaucratic elbows before taking over as Roskosmos chief, has been subject of years of grumbling about his leadership.

Since the Soviet era and the start of the Space Age, Moscow's main space launch facility has been at Baikonur, in Kazakhstan. After the Soviet collapse, Russia continued leasing the facility, but later moved to build a new replacement facility called Vostochny in the Far Eastern region of Amur.

The $7.5 billion construction project, which began in 2011, has been plagued by delays, wage disputes, and reports of rampant corruption.

Prosecutors have opened a series of criminal investigations into the construction companies, amid allegations that money has been siphoned off to offshore accounts.

Aleksei Kudrin, the head of the government's Audit Chamber and a former longtime finance minister, told President Vladimir Putin earlier this year that auditors had turned up 30 billion rubles ($400 million) in financial irregularities at Roskosmos in 2020.

And just eight launch attempts have taken place from Vostochny. At the inaugural launch in April 2016, which Putin attended, engineers canceled blast-off minutes prior.

Roskosmos's biggest vulnerability at present, experts say, is the loss of steady revenue from NASA, which has for nearly a decade paid Russia to shuttle U.S. astronauts and cargo to and from the space station.

The advent of private, mainly U.S.-based space companies like SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, and Blue Origin, however, has deprived Roskosmos of a reliable cash flow. Following the March 2020 delivery of U.S. astronauts to the space station by a SpaceX craft, NASA moved to end the purchase of seats on Soyuz flights for U.S. astronauts.
The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on an alleged oil smuggler and companies it said provide support to the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

The sanctions target Mahmood Rashid Amur al-Habsi, an oil trader from Oman, and a network of businesses, two based in Oman, one based in Liberia, and one based in Romania, the Treasury Department said in a statement on August 13.

The action freezes any U.S. assets of those blacklisted and generally bars Americans from dealing with them.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the Quds Force used revenues from sales of Iranian petroleum to fund its "malign activities" and used foreign intermediaries to obscure its involvement.

The United States "will continue to expose and disrupt those supporting such efforts," Blinken said.

The United States has designated the Quds Force a foreign terrorist organization, and in January 2020 killed its leader, General Qasem Soleimani, in a drone strike.

The sanctions come as efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal with world powers have stalled, with indications that Washington is losing patience over Tehran's delays in returning to the talks in Vienna.

Negotiations to seek a way to bring both sides back into full compliance began in April. The last round took place on June 20.

A senior European Union official said last week that Iran is ready to resume the talks as soon as early September. Iran's new president, Ebrahim Raisi, took office earlier this month.

Based on reporting by Reuters and dpa
Russia has refused to renew a visa for a BBC journalist in Moscow, effectively expelling her from the country.



The BBC on August 13 called the move against Sarah Rainsford "a direct assault on media freedom," while the British government urged Moscow "to reconsider this retrograde step against an award-winning BBC journalist which can only do further damage to media freedom in Russia."



The move comes as the authorities crack down on the opposition and independent media before parliamentary elections in September.



Russian state news channel Rossia-24 said authorities had rejected extending Rainsford's accreditation to work as a foreign journalist beyond the end of this month when her visa expires, meaning she'll have to leave the country.



The decision was a response to London's treatment of Russian journalists from state-backed Russian broadcaster RT and news outlet Sputnik, both of which have had issues getting accreditation to cover international events, Rossia-24 said.



Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow had warned London about the issue many times and that it will take "corresponding measures" in response to its treatment of Russian journalists.



"We have made regular statements, urging the British to end persecution of Russian journalists," she said. She added that BBC representatives had been at the ministry in recent days and that everything had been explained to them in detail.



The U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office rejected Moscow's claim of discriminatory action against Russian journalists based in Britain and insisted that "Russian journalists continue to work freely in the U.K., provided they act within the law and the regulatory framework."



Rainsford described the news as "devastating."



"Being expelled from Russia, a country I've lived in for almost 1/3 of my life -- and reported for years -- is devastating," she wrote on Twitter.



"The expulsion of Sarah Rainsford is a direct assault on media freedom, which we condemn unreservedly," BBC Director-General Tim Davie said in a statement. "Sarah is an exceptional and fearless journalist. She is a fluent Russian speaker who provides independent and in-depth reporting of Russia and the former Soviet Union. Her journalism informs the BBC's audiences of hundreds of millions of people around the world."



Rainsford is part of a team that provides the British public service broadcaster's English-language outlets with content about Russia and the former Soviet Union. The BBC also operates a Russian-language service.

With reporting by AFP, BBC, and Reuters
Some say the next Iranian foreign minister's views are as hawkish as the fiercest hard-line elements within Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and that improving relations with Western countries will be difficult.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian's selection as Tehran's top diplomat appears to present myriad challenges to already deeply frayed relations in the Middle East and beyond, amplifying a hard-line consolidation with the new presidency of Ebrahim Raisi.

But analysts of Iran's foreign policy establishment suggest Amir-Abdollahian's conservative credentials could also boost clarity on a handful of key international questions, from talks to revive a hobbled nuclear deal to confronting Iran's persistent efforts to project strength in the region.

Amir-Abdollahian is a senior diplomat and foreign policy adviser to the speaker of Iran's parliament who enjoys the support of the powerful IRGC. Most observers expect a parliament dominated by fellow hard-liners to confirm his nomination, which was submitted along with the rest of Raisi's cabinet on August 11.

No Interest In Warmer Ties?

The appointment comes at a sensitive time.

Talks in Vienna aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal abandoned by U.S. President Donald Trump have stalled amid the transition of power in Tehran, while tensions have increased between Iran, Israel, and Western powers in the Persian Gulf, where Tehran has been accused of organizing a deadly drone attack on a commercial tanker and of hijacking another vessel.

The 57-year-old Amir-Abdollahian is suspicious of the West and a vocal supporter of the so-called "axis of resistance" against Israel. As deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs from 2011 to 2016, he helped implement regional policies enforced by the IRGC's Quds Force, whose commander was assassinated in a U.S. drone strike in January 2020. He was also involved in historic but largely failed talks in Baghdad in 2007 with U.S. officials on efforts to stabilize Iraq.

Amir-Abdollahian's nomination hints at plans by Raisi to focus on Iran's Middle Eastern neighborhood and a potential lack of interest in serious engagement with the West, analysts say.

During Raisi's August 5 inauguration ceremony, representatives of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Lebanese Hizballah -- groups blacklisted by the United States and the European Union -- were seated in the front row, while senior EU diplomat and nuclear mediator Enrique Mora was conspicuously seated behind them.

"Amir-Abdollahian's nomination also reflects Raisi's narrow focus on the region and disinterest in improving political or economic ties with the West," Henry Rome, a senior Iran analyst at the Eurasia Group in Washington, told RFE/RL.

Greater Clarity, At Least

But Raisi, who observers say owes his rise to power to his loyalty to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also vowed at his inauguration to support diplomacy aimed at removing the U.S. sanctions that have crippled Iran's economy.

"Sanctions against the nation of Iran must be lifted. We will support any diplomatic plans that will realize this goal," Raisi said.

Outgoing President Hassan Rohani -- a relative moderate whose team successfully completed the original 2015 nuclear agreement trading curbs on certain nuclear activities for sanctions relief -- reportedly complained recently in Vienna that his government lacked the authority to reach a deal.

Six rounds into the negotiations with world powers and indirect talks with the United States aimed at resuscitating the accord, the fate of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) seemingly hangs in the balance.

In reaction to Washington's exit from the deal in 2018, Iran has gradually decreased its JCPOA commitments while ratcheting up sensitive nuclear work. But some believe Raisi and his team could be in a better position to renegotiate the deal due to their full alignment with Khamenei, who has the last say in all state affairs in the country.

Ali Vaez, director of the Iran project at the International Crisis Group think tank, told RFE/RL that while dealing with Amir-Abdollahian is likely to prove difficult for Western countries, the hard-line diplomat could be in a better position to follow through on progress.

"Amir-Abdollahian's views on the West are as hawkish as the hard-line elements within the Revolutionary Guards," Vaez said. "That renders him a more difficult interlocutor for the West but a more capable one, as he will face much less internal resistance to his initiatives as his predecessor did."

'Revolutionary Diplomat'

Amir-Abdollahian, who will replace the U.S.-educated Mohammad Javad Zarif, has a doctorate in international affairs from Tehran University and is said to be fluent in Arabic, while his English appears to be limited.

Praised by hard-liners as a "revolutionary diplomat," he has boasted in media interviews of his close ties to assassinated Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani. "Whenever I was involved in sensitive and important negotiations about the region, the last person I consulted with was General Soleimani," he said in a recent interview with the semiofficial Fars news agency.

Such consultations with Soleimani would allow him to enter talks "with full hands," he said.

"Amir-Abdollahian will bring an IRGC attitude to the top of the Foreign Ministry," analyst Rome said. "He is steeped in Arab politics and has spent much of his diplomatic career implementing or defending Iran's aggressive regional policy -- and he will continue doing so as foreign minister."

He has risen politically against a backdrop of friction not just over the nuclear deal but also with Iran helping to defend Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during that country's brutal civil war, which drew other foreign powers into the fighting.

"Most regional states remember Amir-Abdollahian's tone and attitude during the Syrian crisis and associate him with Iran's power projection in the region," Vaez said. "If he is to rectify that image he needs to strike a much more conciliatory tone and match it with confidence-building measures."

A 'New Balance'

Raisi has said that he aims to improve ties with neighbors in what appears to be a signal to Iran's regional rival, Saudi Arabia. Those two countries have been engaged in recent months in talks aimed at curbing tensions in the region.

Yet both Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian have been vague about Iran's foreign policy approach or any expected shift.

In a June interview with the Italian daily La Repubblica, Amir-Abdollahian said the Americans still had not proven they are serious in the negotiations and that "the mistakes" of the past will not be repeated. It appeared to be a thinly veiled reference to Trump's withdrawal from the JCPOA and his reimposition of economic sanctions that have ravaged Iran's currency and economy.

"Returning to the JCPOA agreement is in the Iranian national interest as long as the counterparties respect their commitments," Amir-Abdollahian said.

He also suggested that Raisi would work to find a balance in ties with the East and the West.

Amir-Abdollahian said Rohani's government had prioritized ties with the United States and the West, while Khamenei had urged him to pay greater attention to different regions around the world.

"I believe that Dr. Raisi will find a new balance," Amir-Abdollahian said. "This does not mean that we do not want to pay attention to Europe and the West."
A top U.S. diplomat has called on Belarus to stop allowing migrants to illegally cross into Lithuania and other neighboring countries.



Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman raised the migrant situation along Lithuania's border with Belarus in a call on August 13 with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, the U.S. State Department said in a statement.



Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka should "immediately halt a campaign of orchestrating irregular migrant flows across its borders," Sherman said during the call, according to the statement.



Sherman also reaffirmed U.S. support for the Belarusian pro-democracy movement.



Lithuania since last month has seen a surge of mostly Iraqi migrants crossing the border with Belarus. In recent weeks Latvia and Poland have witnessed a similar wave, prompting authorities in the EU member states to beef up their border security and start pushing back illegal migrants.



Poland, the Baltic states, and EU officials have said the migrant flows are being orchestrated by Lukashenka in retaliation for EU sanctions over his government's crackdown on the country's pro-democracy movement.



The European Union said on August 10 that it hopes for a stabilization of the situation after Iraq suspended flights from Baghdad to Minsk.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on August 13 signed a decree that calls for deploying members of the armed forces to the border to counter the increase in illegal migration.



Nauseda signed the decree expanding the powers of the military in the border area after a request from parliament, the Baltic News Service reported.



The move allows the military to stop and search people and vehicles and permits the use of unspecified "special equipment."



Some 4,026 individuals have illegally crossed into Lithuania from Belarus this year, the Lithuanian Interior Ministry said on August 3. That compares with only 74 in all of last year.

With reporting by Reuters and dpa


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Literary historian Charles Reade described William Howitt as a "traveller with a painters eye". A noted, well-versed author and journalist, Howitt received an education in Germany and England. When news of the gold discoveries reached England however, Howitt saw a chance, to not only visit his brother in Melbourne, but to join the rush with his two sons. Australian literature was given one its more important histories through this venture.



A collection of letters written to Howitts wife and contemporaries in England, Land Labour and Gold: or two years on Victoria with visits to Sydney and Van Diemans Land provides a vital insight into life during the gold rush of the early 1850s. Howitts focus on the Bendigo diggings unravels many tales from that era.



Dispelling the rose water romancing Howitts observations recorded the many details of travelling throughout the colony. Detailing encounters with people, the Australian landscape and his fortunes as a digger. Howitts memoirs, like many at the time, were written with the intention to later be published, in order to document this momentous moment in colonial history.



Howitt however, was writing specifically to draw a clearer picture for English readers, redefining their understanding of life in Australia. He was particularly interested in dispelling much of the "rose water romancing" that Australian newspapers used to describe their new gold rich colony. "All this sludge and filth and confusion, swarms of people, many of them gentlemen of birth and education, all labouring as for life. When you have seen this, you begin to have a truer notion of what gold digging is, than from the rose water romancing of the Australian papers." Howitt did however go to great lengths to describe many of his experiences in an English context, especially those at Bendigo. "There is an appearance of a more thorough mining population here than I have seen at any other digging... huts and people all busy among the hills, reminding you a good deal of the lead mines of Derbyshire". Out of the very roots of the grass we shake the gold Some of Howitts more valuable observations are those of the Australian landscape. Relaying countless tales of its extraordinary diversity and beauty, patient and meticulous records of the surrounding scenery are littered throughout the book. However, these notes are often marked by Howitts sadness, as the rush for gold often turned much of the remarkable countryside upside down. "We have begun to destroy the beauty of this creek. It will no longer run clear between its banks, covering with wattles and tea trees, and amongst its shallow parts overgrown with foreign looking shrubs, flags and cyress-grass. A little while, and its whole course will exhibit nothing but nakedness, and heaps of gravel and mud. We diggers are horribly destructive of the picturesque."

Deserted diggings, Spring Creek

Sun pictures of Victoria: the Fauchery-Daintree collection

Courtesy of the La Trobe Collection

State Library of Victoria

H84.167/31



"Neither the snows of Canada or the heats of India present any obstacles to them" William Howitt was able to capture the essence of many of the characters he encountered. Noting with particular detail some of the more desperate characters that raced to any news of gold and fortune, Howitt gives an invaluable sketch of the population at the diggings. "Others had nothing but a pick and shovel. These you see are rough fellows, who can live any how, and who can lie out of doors in winter pretty much like horses and cows. The lighter they travel the faster they go". In addition to many of these characters, Howitt also makes mention of the rampant drunken lawlessness of many of the diggers on the gold fields. "Drunkenness therefore goes on in reality on the diggings uncontrolled... you can not avoid running your heads against crowds of drunken diggers, your noses against the fumes of vile rum and your ears against the din and uproar of dozens of the dens of debauch." The New Aristocracy Howitt was often struck by the lack of class displayed by many of the wealthy diggers who had become the "New Aristocracy". It seemed to Howitt that these diggers had very little concept of how to handle "sums of money that they hitherto had no conception of". One such incident provides an intriguing insight into the impact of the nouveau riche on the Colony. "One of them the other day asked the fare for a cab for the day. Perhaps more than you like said the Jarvie, for the digger was a very common looking fellow. What is it? asked the digger. Seven pounds for the day, There is ten, said the fellow; you can light your pipe with the difference". The flamboyance of these diggers, Howitt noted, was beginning to have an affect on local Melbourne society as well. "A gentleman high in government, told me the other day that he was about to take one of these carriages for some distance; but the man said We dont drive the likes of you now a days. Well but what is the fare? My money is as good as anothers I suppose, oh! replied the fellow hesitating I dont know  in fact we dont drive the likes of you now! And that was all he could get out of him." Howitt was of course not with out his own judgment of these matters, considering the new aristocracy "...or more properly hairystocracy  for hairy enough they are in all conscience".



After two years with reasonable success on the gold fields, William Howitt returned to England, leaving behind his son Alfred, who was to become a well-noted Australian adventurer and explorer. Deeply touched by his Australian experience, Howitt was instrumental in having Australian gum trees planted in the Campagna in Rome, Italy, where he found his final resting place in 1879.



Credits By Ben Hoban



References:

William Howitt, Land labour and Gold: or two years in Victoria with visits to Sydney and Van Deimans Land, Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans, 1855.



Nancy Keesing, History of the Australian Gold Rushes: by those who were there, Lloyd ONeil, 1967.



A.W. Howitt, Monash University website.




Pediatric hospitals in COVID-19 hot spots around the country are filled to the breaking point.

In Dallas, County Judge Clay Jenkins told reporters on Friday that intensive care beds for children are at capacity in the region, and ventilators are no longer available. Your child will wait for another child to die, he said. Broward County officials in Florida echoed the message, saying pediatric units were overburdened, as doctors at Childrens Hospital Colorado also reported an alarming uptick in child COVID cases.

In the Bay Area, however, while coronavirus cases have surged among children as well as adults because of the highly contagious delta variant, the numbers look much more manageable  with COVID patients often in the single digits at pediatric hospitals.

No children who are San Francisco residents are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19, the citys department of public health told The Chronicle on Friday.

At UCSFs two childrens hospitals  one in San Francisco and the other in Oakland  numbers have risen recently, but remain in the single digits. As of Aug. 13, nine children were hospitalized with COVID-19, UCSF said, compared with two on July 13 and four on June 13.

At the Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital at Stanford, the number of pediatric patients hospitalized with COVID has fluctuated from three to six in the past two weeks, according to spokesperson Erin Digitale. Thats up from mid-May through July, when the numbers hovered from zero to two, but still below the winter surge.

Its totally manageable in terms of bed capacity, she said, adding that while the hospital is not doing daily tracking of MIS-C cases  a malady children can get involving inflammation of multiple organ systems long after the initial coronavirus infection has passed  the numbers have been quite low throughout the pandemic.

The Bay Areas good record on hospitalizations is likely because of high vaccination rates of adults  which help protect children when the under-12s cannot get shots yet  and mask mandates. But Dr. Donna White Carey, a pediatrician who runs a community-based contact tracing program through her parish, True Vine Ministries, noted that hospitalizations lag a rise in cases, and children are vulnerable when they catch multiple respiratory infections, more likely in the fall.

As we move into the winter ... were going to see kids hospitalized more,  White Carey said.

San Francisco public schools will open for the first day Monday.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Dr. Vincent Tamariz, director of pediatric emergency medicine at California Pacific Medical Centers Van Ness campus, said he was seeing a rise in children with coughs and respiratory symptoms who are testing positive for the virus. Most dont need to be admitted to the hospital.

He and others said the moment calls for vigilance.

The jury is still out over whether delta is more virulent in children, Tamariz said. There will be more kids hospitalized if more kids are getting sick.

Julie Johnson, Ryan Kost and Aidin Vaziri are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: julie.johnson@sfchronicle.com, rkost@sfchronicle.com, avaziri@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @juliejohnson, @RyanKost

Correction: An earlier version of this article misspelled Lucile in the Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital at Stanford.
A San Jose woman and her two teenage children have been charged with murder and attempted murder in connection with the killing of a 13-year-old boy who was bashing one of their vehicles with a baseball bat in East San Jose on Wednesday, authorities said.

Margarita Santillan, 38, and her 16-year-old daughter and 17-year-old son each face murder and attempted murder charges, district attorney officials said.

San Jose police said the killing happened during a confrontation between the victims group and the residents living on the 2900 block of Little Wood Lane. A police summary of the incident said the shooting happened on the same day a fight between Santillans daughter and another juvenile fell through, prompting a group to drive to Santillans home that afternoon.

Four people, including the 13-year-old boy, identified as Steve Gutierrez, got out of the car, and Gutierrez struck a pickup parked in the driveway with a bat, the document said.

While the boy was striking the truck with the bat, someone in the home opened fire, a witness told police.

The gunfire prompted the group to return to their vehicle, where one group member was seen in surveillance footage appearing to raise a handgun and fire multiple shots at the residence, according to the document.

It is clear in the video that none of the subjects who arrived in the Honda sedan fired a gun until that moment, the police summary reads.

The victim got into the car and said he had been shot, police said.

A surveillance video reviewed by police showed what appeared to be at least one person who left the Little Wood Lane home firing a weapon down the street, where the vehicle was fleeing, according to the police summary.

The people who fled in the vehicle took the boy to Regional Medical Center, just over one mile away in San Jose, where he died, police said.

His death marks San Joses 24th homicide in 2021. No one else was injured in the shooting, according to the police Statement of Facts.

Alex Adams, the deputy district attorney who is handling this case told The Chronicle that the forensics investigation is still ongoing into who fired the fatal shots.

Investigators found multiple spent bullet casings of different calibers in front of the house, in the driveway, and in the street in front of the house, according to the Statement of Facts summary compiled by police.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

After the shooting, Santillan told police that she saw a boy hitting her pickup and another person with a firearm, telling police that prompted her to get her own guns. When she was getting her firearms, she told police that she heard gunshots from the front of her home and believed the person was firing at her residence, according to the police summary. She said she then began firing her weapon.

Santillans son told police that he fired a .40 caliber firearm. Her daughter told police that she ran into her mothers room to find her mother holding a gun, so she grabbed an A.R. firearm and emptied the entire clip, according to a police summary. The teen told police that she believed someone was shooting at her family, so she fired from her mothers bedroom, the document says.

Santillan did not appear to have an attorney as of Friday afternoon, district attorneys officials said.

The juveniles cases will be heard in juvenile court, district attorneys officials said.

Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter:

@ByLHernandez
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)  U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm plans to spend two days in Alaska traveling with Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski to showcase what Granholms office calls the state's status as Americas living laboratory.

The visit coincides with the recent passage of the bipartisan infrastructure deal and is intended to show how investments and research and development funding will bring jobs and help build the states clean, secure energy future, Granholm's office said.

Americas Last Frontier is leading the way to advance technologies that will make our clean energy transition possible, Granholm said in a statement I look forward to joining Senator Murkowski to witness this innovation.

The visit starts Sunday in Fairbanks, where Granholm and Murkowski plan to tour the National Renewable Energy Labs Cold Climate Housing Research Center. The centers work in training a local workforce to build and rapidly deploy shelter for climate-threatened communities in an effort to reduce the need for relocation will be highlighted.

Also Sunday, they will tour the Permafrost Tunnel Research Facility, where scientists study the impact of thawing on above-ground structures. They also plan to attend the Chena Hot Springs Renewable Energy Fair, where they will give brief remarks before touring Chena Hot Springs.

On Monday, plans call for visiting the Alaska Center for Energy and Power at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, where researchers are developing ways to achieve 100% renewable power for rural villages.

Granholm and Murkowski will then fly to Anchorage and participate in a discussion with Malcolm Woolf, president of the National Hydropower Association.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

The visit is set to conclude with a meeting with students and alumni of the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
MADRID (AP)  Spain set a new provisional heat record of 47.2 degrees Celsius (116.96 Fahrenheit) on Saturday as Southern Europe sweltered under a relentless summer sun. Italy put 16 cities on red alert for health risks and Portugal warned 75% of its regions that they faced a significantly increased risk of wildfires.

Data from Spains State Meteorological Agency said the potential new record was recorded at Montoro, Cordoba, at 5:10 p.m. If confirmed, that would exceed the country's previous record of 46.9 degrees Celsius (116.42 F), set nearby in July 2017.

The high heat comes only days after Sicily reported a temperature of 48.8 degrees Celsius (119.84 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, which is also awaiting verification and would be the highest ever recorded in Europe.

Europe's current heat record came in 1977 when Athens hit 48.0 Celsius (118.4 F).

In the southern Spanish province of Granada, where the mercury rose to 45.4 Celsius (113.7 F), few people ventured outside. Those who did sought shade and stopped to take photos of public thermometers displaying the rocketing temperatures. Ice cream parlors did a brisk trade and some restaurants installed sprinklers to spray mists of water over their guests.

Miriam Garcia, a student, wished she hadnt braved the heat.

It is very hot, we have to drink water and put on sun cream all the time, stopping to have a drink at a bar every so often, she said. It would be better to be at home than in the street, its so hot!

Dominic Roye, a climate scientist at the University of Santiago de Compostela, said the hot air from the Sahara Desert that has brought days of heat and fueled hundreds of wildfires across Mediterranean nations shows no signs of ending anytime soon.

The heat wave we are experiencing now is very extreme and a lot of people are saying that its normal, as we are in summer. But its not, not this hot, Roye said.

The World Meteorological Organization said temperatures being recorded in the Mediterranean region go well beyond the typical hot, dry August weather and instead are extreme, and what we might expect from climate change. 

With night-time temperatures forecast to exceed 25 degrees Celsius (77 F) in much of Spain, Roye worried about residents who cannot afford air conditioning and other vulnerable people, like the homeless or outdoor workers.

Spain's State Meteorological Agency noted that 24 heat waves have been recorded over the last decade, twice the number in each of the previous three decades.

It is important to stay in cool places and to stay hydrated, and to special attention to babies and elderly, vulnerable or otherwise dependent people. Extreme precautions should be taken to avoid starting forest fires,'' said Ruben del Campo, spokesman for the Spanish meteorological service.

Elsewhere on the Iberian Peninsula, Portugals government placed 14 of the countrys 18 districts on a state of alert through Monday night due to the significantly increased risk of wildfires, as temperatures were forecast to surpass 40 degrees Celsius. That would still fall short of Portugal's highest ever recorded temperature of 47.3 degrees Celsius (117.1 F) in the inland Alentejo region in 2003.

Italians sought respite at the sea and in the mountains from the aptly named Lucifer anti-cyclone that was bringing hot air from Africa during Italys peak summer holiday weekend. Authorities raised concerns about older adults and other people at risk as they expanded heat warnings to 16 cities.

Temperatures in Italy rose as high as 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 F) in Rome, Florence and Bologna, all places that the Health Ministry put on red alert.

High temperatures were forecast to continue through Sunday, the traditional Ferragosto holiday on the religious feast of the Assumption of Mary, which marks the annual summer holiday exodus from Italian cities.

In Rome, drinking fountains provided relief, while authorities kept tourists away from ornamental fountains like the famed Trevi Fountain, fearing imitators of Anita Ekberg's soaking in La Dolce Vita.

"I put my head under the water at each fountain, drinking a lot, staying in the shade as much as I can,'' said Alessia Pagani, who was visiting from the northern city of Brescia.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Storms in the north were forecast to bring the first signs of relief starting Monday.

More than anything else, fresh air from the Atlantic will bring a coolness and greater ventilation that will sweep away the humidity and make the air much more breathable, Lt. Col. Filippo Petrucci of the Italian air forces weather service told RAI state TV.

The heat wave has aggravated wildfires that have consumed forests in southern Italy, Greece, Turkey and North Africa.

Across the Mediterranean Sea, North Africa has been sizzling for days. Algerias National Office of Meteorology issued a special bulletin on Saturday saying temperatures in numerous regions across the north were above 44 C (115 F) with spikes up to 47 C (116.6 F), the online TSA news agency reported.

Climate scientists say there is little doubt that climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas is driving extreme events, such as heat waves, droughts, wildfires, floods and storms.

____

Colleen Barry in Milan, Fanuel Morelli in Rome, Elaine Ganley in Paris and Helena Alves in Lisbon contributed.

___

Follow AP's coverage of climate issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change
LaGRANGE, Ga. (AP)  A Georgia man has been arrested and charged with murder in the deaths of two men found floating in a lake.

Troup County Sheriff James Woodruff announced Friday that 39-year-old Joshua Nutt of LaGrange was arrested Thursday. He's charged with two counts of murder, two counts of robbery and one count of possessing a gun while committing a felony.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP)  Iran says it will impose a six-day-long general lockdown in cities across the country after being hit by what it describes as its fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, state media reported Saturday.

The lockdown includes all bazaars, markets and public offices, as well as movie theaters, gyms and restaurants in all Iranian cities.

The lockdown will begin on Monday and will last through Saturday.

The national coronavirus taskforce, which issued the decision, also ordered a travel ban between all Iranian cities from Sunday to Friday.

Also on Saturday, Iran reported 466 deaths and 29,700 new cases of coronavirus patients in a single day. That brought the total pandemic death toll to 97,208, and total confirmed cases to 4,389,085.

Last week, Iran hit a record in both its single-day death toll and confirmed new cases of COVID-19, with 42,541 new coronavirus cases and a daily death toll of 588.

Iran is struggling to vaccinate its people against the pandemic. Like much of the world, it remains far behind countries like the United States in vaccinations, with only 3.8 million of its more than 80 million people having received both vaccine doses.

Many front-line medical workers have been vaccinated with Irans locally produced shots, or the Chinese state-backed Sinopharm vaccine that may be less effective than other inoculations.

Irans government announced that its homemade vaccine provides 85% protection from the coronavirus, without disclosing data or details. Iran also imports Russias Sputnik V vaccine, as well as the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot through the United Nations-backed COVAX program.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

So far, authorities have avoided imposing heavy-handed rules on a population badly equipped to bear them. Iran, which has suffered the worst virus outbreak in the region, is reeling from a series of crises: tough U.S. sanctions, global isolation, a heat wave, the worst blackouts in recent memory and ongoing protests over water and electricity shortages.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, in January slammed shut any possibility of American or British vaccines entering the country, calling them forbidden.

For now, the majority of Iranians receiving vaccines rely on foreign-made shots. A health ministry spokesman said that Iran could import Western vaccines as long as theyre not produced in the U.S. or Britain.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  James Hormel, the first openly gay U.S. ambassador and a philanthropist who funded organizations to fight AIDS and promote human rights, has died. He was 88.

Hormel died Friday at a San Francisco hospital with his husband, Michael, at his side and while listening to his favorite Beethoven concerto, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, praised Hormel as a civil rights pioneer who lived an extraordinary life."

I will miss his kind heart and generous spirit. Its those qualities that made him such an inspirational figure and beloved part of our city, she said.

In 1997, then-President Bill Clinton nominated Hormel to become U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg. Conservative Senate Republicans blocked the nomination. But two years later, Clinton used executive privilege to appoint him during the Congressional recess.

The process was very long and strenuous, arduous, insulting, full of misleading statements, full of lies, full of deceit, full of antagonism, Hormel said during a West Hollywood, California, bookshop visit in 2012 to promote his memoir, Fit to Serve."

He never received confirmation through a Senate floor vote but ultimately a great deal was achieved," he told the audience. Ultimately, regulations were changed in the State Department. Ultimately, other openly gay individuals were appointed without the rancor that went into my case.

Khue Bui/AP

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who is openly gay, has said that as a teenager he was inspired by Hormel's confirmation fight.

I can remember watching the news," he said after his nomination by President Joe Biden. And I learned something about some of the limits that exist in this country when it comes to who is allowed to belong. But just as important, I saw how those limits could be challenged.

Hormel held the ambassadorship from June 1999 through 2000.

Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, said they were deeply saddened by Hormels death.

Jim devoted his life to advancing the rights and dignity of all people, and in his trailblazing service in the diplomatic corps, he represented the United States with honor and brought us closer to living out the meaning of a more perfect union, the Clintons said in a statement.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who officiated at Hormel's wedding to his husband, said Hormel made it his mission to fight for dignity and equality for all and noted his philanthropic contributions to health, artistic and educational organizations.

When the AIDS epidemic descended upon San Francisco, he called on our conscience and rallied the city to help our neighbors suffering from the ferocious disease, Pelosi said in a statement. His work served as a model for national policy to defeat HIV/AIDS and improve the lives of all affected.

Hormel was an heir to the Hormel Foods fortune. Born in Austin, Minnesota, Hormel married his college sweetheart, Alice McElroy Parker, and had five children before divorcing in 1965. He moved to San Francisco in 1977.

He was a former dean of students at the University of Chicago law school, where he received a degree.

Hormel co-founded the Human Rights Campaign and helped fund many activities geared to arts, education and human rights, including a gay and lesbian center at the San Francisco Public Library; the National AIDS Memorial Grove; the American Foundation for AIDS Research; and the American Conservatory Theater.

In addition to his husband, Hormel is survived by five children, 14 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
San Franciscos public schools have long been run by central office administrators and school board members. But when the COVID-19 pandemic struck and those groups let parents down big time  brushing off their concerns about distance learning harming their children  parents found a group that wanted to listen. They found each other.

Parent advocacy group Decreasing the Distance  founded in the thick of the pandemic drew thousands of fellow fed-up parents to sign petitions demanding schools reopen safely, attend protests, advocate on social media and call in to endless and endlessly frustrating school board meetings to voice their discontent.

Supporters, including Mayor London Breed, hailed their advocacy in a city that was among the last in the country to welcome back any of its students  and will only now, on Monday, fully open middle schools and high schools for the first time in 17 months. Opponents, including some school board members and teachers union leaders, waved them off as adversarial complainers. But, lets be real, when it came to the school district, there was a lot to complain about.

The group became so controversial, somebody even hurled eggs at parents and kids marching near City Hall on the first anniversary of schools closing.

Well, this parent group doesnt consider its work complete just because San Francisco has finally decreased the distance between kids and their teachers. In fact, its only just begun.

The group has formed a nonprofit called the San Francisco Parent Coalition. It will have a paid staff after it finalizes funding from undisclosed education foundations. It is developing a fiscal sponsor in Community Initiatives to provide infrastructure like human resources and payroll support. It has an impressive and diverse board of directors. It has members from 85 schools and is seeking more; membership is free.

And it intends to ensure parents play a far bigger role in district decision making  like, for example, making sure the district communicates with parents before making unilateral changes such as its recent overhaul of scores of school start times and early dismissals on Wednesdays with no parent input.

There was something missing in San Francisco, and that is parents voices, said Yvette Byes Edwards, a board member and mother of two boys in the district. We answer only to our children. We answer to no one else.

Thats how the coalition differs from the Parent Advisory Council, a group of parent volunteers thats supposed to advise the school board, but can only participate if members get pre-approved by the same people theyre supposed to advise.

The school board in February famously rejected the nomination of Seth Brenzel, a gay dad who would have been the Parent Advisory Councils only man and only member of the LGBTQ community. The board declined to appoint him because hes white and the 10-member council already had three other white people. Nobody else applied.

Well, Brenzel is now a board member for the San Francisco Parent Coalition instead. Hes also pulled his daughter from the school district, and she will start fifth grade at a private school. He said he still wants to help the school district improve because all San Franciscans should care about the public schools, not just those who have kids in them.

Theres so much work to be done, and we should be uniting and working together, he said.

Parents for Public Schools is another nonprofit in San Francisco, but it mostly seeks to help families navigate the confusing enrollment process and stays out of politics.

I met most of the new coalitions board members outside the school district headquarters on Franklin Street the other day, as school board members arrived for a meeting. The parents and board members, whove clashed repeatedly in the past year, said hello, and the coalition said it wants to work with everyone who puts kids needs first.

Whether that commitment goes the other way remains to be seen. Board President Gabriela Lopez didnt return a request for comment. Neither did a spokesperson for the school district.

Faauuga Moliga, vice president of the school board, said he always welcomes more parental involvement.

I appreciate the work they did as Decreasing the Distance, and I look forward to working with them as the San Francisco Parent Coalition, he said.

Cassondra Curiel, president of the United Educators of San Francisco, said, We would hope that the rebranding and move to permanency indicate a commitment to work collaboratively with all students, families and educators, which would be a refreshing shift.

Many parents are die-hard supporters. Chanel Blackwell, whose son, a 10th-grader, hasnt been inside a classroom since March, 2020, said he didnt pay attention in Zoom school, spent his time playing video games and grew sad.

When Blackwell learned about Decreasing the Distance, she formed a chapter of sorts at her sons school, learning how to read up on the latest public health guidelines and speak at school board meetings. They showed me how to get stuff done, Blackwell said.

Amy Osborne/Special to The Chronicle

The coalitions to-do list is long. The group will weigh in on who should be the new superintendent to replace Vince Matthews, whos retiring and with whom the group meets monthly.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Members also want to help to ease the shortage of aftercare slots, bridge the academic achievement gap and curb the enrollment drop.

Beth Kelly, another public school mom and member of the coalition, keeps an eagle eye on the districts enrollment and budget documents. In February, Moodys downgraded the districts bond ratings and called its financial outlook negative in part because of poor governance.

There needs to be structural reform of SFUSD, and nobodys thinking about it, Kelly said. And all the while, theyve been denigrating parents and totally disregarding them.

Edwards knows that denigration well. She said she was shocked by the opposition toward Decreasing the Distance, particularly those on social media who claimed only white parents wanted their kids back in the classroom. Edwards is Black and saw her sons struggle academically and emotionally during the pandemic.

It got wildly, unexpectedly political, Edwards said. Conversations related to race, class and sometimes the nastiness directed at us was something I dont think Ive ever experienced in my entire adult life.

The coalition has formed so it will have the ability to make political endorsements, but it hasnt taken a stand on the recall attempt of three school board members. That campaign has now gathered 51,500 signatures, just slightly more than the required number to get on the ballot. But its unlikely all of those are valid, and the group seeks to collect 19,000 more signatures by its deadline of Sept. 7.

The coalition said it will educate voters about school board candidates, but all members recoiled when asked if they personally would run.

Next question! joked Cliff Yee, a board member and father of two kids in the district.

Theres time for that. First, theyre focused on a safe and successful return to the classrooms for all students. Its been a long time coming.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Heather Knight appears Sundays and Wednesdays. Email: hknight@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hknightsf
Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal is asking Gov. Jay Inslee to make vaccination against COVID-19 a condition of employment for all employees working in Washingtons K-12 public schools.

The move comes just days after Inslee issued such a mandate for hundreds of thousands of state employees and private-sector health care workers. Those employees have until Oct. 18 to show proof of vaccination to their employer. If theyre unable to, they could be fired.



Reykdal is essentially asking for a carbon copy of the mandate. He said the medical and religious exemptions allowed under Inslee's mandate  which Reykdal is seeking for the school mandate  should assuage concerns among employees who are hesitant to get vaccinated but don't want to lose their jobs.



"It is a false narrative to say that it's a choice between getting a vaccine and losing your job, " Reykdal said at a Friday news conference. "There are exemptions, and that's important."



Reykdal said protocols for applying for a medical or religious exemptions are still being discussed. While issuing his mandate for state employees and health care workers, Inslee said applications for exemptions would be rigorously vetted and exemptions for personal and philosophical reasons are not permitted under that mandate.

Katy Payne, a spokesperson for the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, said roughly 140,000 school employees would be subject to the mandate if Inslee agrees to Reykdals request.



In a letter sent to Inslee on Thursday, Reykdal said Washingtons spiking COVID case count  fueled by the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, which is rapidly spreading through unvaccinated communities  prompted him to make the ask.



(Students) losing precious time learning in-person with their educators and peers because of quarantine or, potentially, school building closures is a real threat," Reykdal wrote. "Especially after a year and a half of remote and hybrid learning, a continuity of in-person instruction will be more important this year than ever."



A spokesperson for the governors office, Tara Lee, said Inslee did not include K-12 employees in this weeks mandate because his office was focused on cabinet level state employees and those who work in private health care. But she noted that Inslee does have the authority to issue a separate order for school employees.



As with all this around COVID, we continue to look for ways to ensure the health and safety of all Washingtonians. We believe that as many people as possible should be vaccinated, especially those who work with vulnerable populations, Lee said in an email. We will continue to look at policies to increase the vaccination rate, but we do not have plans to make any new announcements today.

The states teachers union, the Washington Education Association (WEA), said it will support a mandate if health experts say its the right move.

"All along we have said that we will follow the guidance of public health experts," spokesperson Julie Popper said in an email. "If it is the opinion of public health experts that a vaccine mandate is the next best step to take to control this pandemic, WEA will support that position."



On Thursday, Seattle Schools Interim Superintendent Brent Jones said that all non-union employees in the district need to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18 or they would face dismissal. Similar to Inslees earlier mandate, the districts mandate will allow for limited medical and religious exemptions.



"Parents and caregivers are entrusting their childrens lives to us. Half of our students are not yet eligible for vaccination, and likely wont be for many months. We must do everything within our power to support healthy and safe schools. It is our obligation," Jones wrote in a statement.



Children under 12 are not yet eligible to be vaccinated.



Jones also said he was directing his central office team to immediately begin bargaining with the districts labor partners to establish a mandate for all its union employees. While the superintendent has the authority to mandate vaccines, such an order is still subject to bargaining with unions that represent the districts teachers and classified staff.



The National Education Association also endorsed COVID-19 vaccine requirements for school workers on Thursday.

"We believe that such vaccine requirements and accommodations are an appropriate, responsible, and necessary step to ensure the safety of our school communities and to protect our students," Association President Becky Pringle said in a statement.

However, if schools employees dont get vaccinated, they should have to submit to regular testing instead of being fired, Pringle said.

When Inslees office issued its mandate for state employees and health care workers, it said it chose to fire uncooperative employees instead of asking them to take regular tests because that process costs millions, does not work well in "congregate care settings such as (correctional) facilities and long-term care, and has not reduced the spread of COVID."

Seattle schools are slated to start next month. Officials at Seattle Public Schools said last week that the districts 104 schools are expected to start on time despite the surge in state COVID cases.

Data from the state Department of Health shows that the state is averaging more than 2,600 new COVID cases a day and hospitalizations have increased by 70% over the last two weeks. Recent studies have shown that the emergence of the Delta variant has coincided with a rise in the number of children getting sick. The American Academy of Pediatrics said that children accounted for 19% of new COVID cases in July, up from 14% earlier in the year.
Say til the spire! in normal conversation and youll get some pretty strange looks. Say it at the Black Spire Outpost in Star Wars: Galaxys Edge and  well, you might still get some weird looks. It all depends on the level of fan youre talking to  and whether they know the secret language of Batuu.

When Disneylands Imagineers dreamed up the new Star Wars land, they envisioned a land that took place outside of the story line of the Star Wars movies, that was contemporary to Star Wars: The Force Awakens but wasnt contingent on any of the action in the older or still-to-come movies. That meant they couldnt rely on many of the franchises beloved characters to create a true sense of Star Wars-ness.

What they could tap into, though, was that the galaxy far, far away had vast  and as of yet unexplored  reaches.

Courtesy of Disneyland

So, they invented a planet no Star Wars fan had ever seen before. A planet with a village that serves as a trading outpost for local Batuuans and visitors from a galaxy far, far away  as far as, say, Frontierland. (What the Imagineers actually envisioned at first was Tatooine  but which then-Disney CEO Bob Iger, according to the Star Tours episode of Behind the Attraction, nixed in favor of theming it to the seventh Star Wars movie, which at that time didnt even have a script yet.)

With this brand new land, the Imagineers didnt just invent a story line and two rides that put you inside some of the most iconic pieces of Star Wars intellectual property. They didnt just give you Ronto Wraps and the ability to debate between the blue milk and the green milk. They created an entire new language.

Cast members in Galaxys Edge speak Batuuese (the spoken language of Batuu, not to be confused with Aurebesh, the written language in the land).

Courtesy of Disneyland

In Batuuese:

Bright suns means good morning

Rising moons means good afternoon or good evening

May the spires keep you is a phrase of well-wishes

Til the spire means goodbye

Padawans or younglings are little kids

Refreshers are restrooms

Hydrators are where you refill your water bottle

Data pads are cellphones

Ignite the spark is how you greet people in the Resistance, who then reply Light the fire

There are a handful of other phrases, mostly to ease the awkwardness of cast members not being allowed to acknowledge Disneyland as a place  so when youre in another part of the park, youre off planet, not riding Pirates of the Caribbean or getting a churro.

The problem is, though, almost nobody speaks it.

Of all the times Ive been to Galaxys Edge, both in Disneyland and Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, Ive only heard one cast member once wish me rising moons as I was leaving a store. It was also a time that I was asking him to point out some Easter eggs I was looking for, which was very hard for that poor man to do while not being allowed to talk about a significant portion of the Star Wars universe  so he may have sensed that I was a person who would understand some of the language. To be fair, Ive never gone to Galaxys Edge dressed as a Resistance fighter, so I dont know if theres more lingo being tossed around if you show up presenting as a bigger Star Wars fan than I have. I've also heard there are lots of Batuuese drops in Savi's Workshop, where you can build your own lightsaber. (I haven't. If I'm spending that kind of cash in Galaxy's Edge, it's going to be on space cocktails at Oga's Cantina.)

Courtesy of Disneyland

If you want to test this out for yourself, the Disney Food Blog has a printable guide to Batuuese that you can bring with you. The Disney Play app that you can download on your data pad also has some translation in it.

To me, though, the lack of Batuuese being tossed around speaks to whats missing in the land  the beloved characters who would provide the sense of nostalgia that has always been so crucial to Disneylands success and popularity. (This is an issue Disney aims to fix in their immersive, so expensive Galactic Starcruiser hotel slated to open at Walt Disney World next year.)

In Galaxys Edge, youll see beloved Resistance fighters Chewbacca and Rey, as well as First Order villains like Kylo Ren and stormtroopers. While you can put yourself inside the Millennium Falcon and pretend youre playing dejarik, that holochess game they play in the movies, you wont see Luke, Leia or Han Solo on the ship. (You also cant actually play space chess, which is a huge miss, imo  but even just having some fake holographic pieces on the board would have been so cool.)

Courtesy of Disneyland

Yet the commitment to Batuus sense of place is so strong that cast members wont make references to the original Star Wars heroes, and none of the merchandise that celebrates the first trilogy is for sale there. To get those I love you and I know Han and Leia shirts, youll have to go to Tomorrowland. As for the mice in charge of the theme park, well, theyre totally off limits. As far as the Batuuans are concerned, Disneyland isnt even in their galaxy.

There are definitely other characters hanging around, though, and hidden references to the original trilogy. Look closely inside Black Spire Outpost and youll see an R2 droid repurposed as a grill, or a dianoga hidden inside the water fountain (err, hydrator) nearby. The cargo ship above Docking Bay 7 restaurant has the numbers 77, 80, 83 in reference to the years the original three movies premiered.

Inside Dok-Ondars Den of Antiquities  a store filled with more Easter eggs and Star Wars references than I could ever hope to decode  theres even a reference to another fandom altogether.

Julie Tremaine

The tiniest, hardest-to-find hidden Mickey in all of Galaxys Edge is somewhere inside.

In a land where cast members are not even allowed to identify Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse by name, that there are hidden Mickeys at all is a big deal. So big, in fact, that Im not going to tell you where it is. Youll just have to venture to the outpost to find it yourself.

Ignite the spark, friends.
Santiago Mejia/AP

As polls show a tight race in the Gavin Newsom recall election, national Democrats are reportedly growing concerned over the contest's implications for control of the United States Senate.

In the event of a Senate vacancy, the governor holds the power to appoint a new senator to serve until the next statewide election. CNN reports that publicly, national Democrats project confidence that Newsom will not be replaced by a Republican who could fill a vacancy should the 88-year-old Dianne Feinstein leave her seat prematurely. Privately, however, "many acknowledge that it's entirely possible."
NEWTON, N.C. (AP)  Two men who pleaded guilty to three counts of murder and to assault for shootings outside a western North Carolina restaurant four years ago have been sentenced to at least 64 years in prison.

Greydon Hansen and Dontray Tyrell Cumberlander, both 28 and from Hickory, entered their pleas for shooting into a vehicle parked outside of J. McCroskeys Irish Pub and Grill in April 2017, the Hickory Daily Record reported.
BENNINGTON, Vt. (AP)  Vermont's storied Bennington Battle Day holiday is being celebrated this weekend in Bennington.

The events are returning this weekend after most were canceled last year because of the pandemic.

Saturday's events include a parade on Bennington's Main Street. Historical re-enactors set up a Revolutionary War era military encampment near the Bennington Battle Monument in Bennington on Friday night.

The Bennington Banner reports the re-enactors will provide living demonstrations of technology and customs of the colonial era throughout the day on Saturday.

On Sunday, the Bennington Historical Society will offer a free walking tour of Old Bennington. There will be other events as well.

Bennington Battle Day commemorates the Aug. 16, 1777, battle fought in nearby Hoosick Falls, New York, when colonial soldiers defeated a British force that had been sent to seize weapons and other supplies that were stored in Bennington.

Monday, the actual anniversary of the battle, is a state holiday in Vermont.
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP)  Two men were detained Saturday on suspicion of sexual assault in a case that shook Alibaba Group, the worlds biggest e-commerce company, Chinese police announced.

The men, identified by the surnames Wang and Zhang, were suspected of the crime of forcible molestation, police in the eastern city of Jinan said in a statement. It said they were under coercive measures, a euphemism for detention.

There was no evidence to indicate the men committed rape, a different charge under Chinese law, the police statement said.

Alibaba was shaken last week after a female employees complaint on an internal company website that she was sexually assaulted by a manager surnamed Wang became public. The woman complained Alibaba failed to act after she reported the incident to its human resources department.

The woman, surnamed Zhou, had flown into Jinan on July 27, the police statement said. Her team successfully signed a deal with Jinan Hualian Supermarket and decided to celebrate that night with a banquet. They invited a man surnamed Zhang from the supermarket as well as his colleagues.

The first assault took place at the dinner, after Zhou had to leave the room to throw up from drinking too much. Zhang from the supermarket chain accompanied her and molested her on the way back to the banquet room, police said.

Later, Wang, the woman's manager at Alibaba, went with another female dinner guest to take the drunken Zhou back to her hotel. After dropping her off in her room, they went to call for taxis.

However, instead of leaving and going back to his hotel, Wang went back inside. He went to the front desk, holding Zhou's national ID card, and had a key made for himself, police said. The hotel had called Zhou to get her consent before giving him the key.

Wang entered her room a total of four times that night. Police said he assaulted her after returning to her room alone. According to the investigation, he then ordered condoms online, but they did not arrive until later.

The next morning, after the woman, Zhou, had woken up she allegedly made a phone call to Zhang from the supermarket and told him her room number. Police said he came over to her hotel and assaulted her, taking her underwear and leaving a box of unused condoms in the room.

Zhou reported the assaults to Jinan police the same day after having checked out from the hotel. On July 29, the day after, police in Jinan said they had to extend the review period another 30 days before they could formally file a case, owing to its complexity.

After Zhou went public with her accusations and her story went viral, the police listed her case formally in the system as a sexual assault case.

Alibaba did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Women in China face a very steep uphill battle in trying to get justice for any form of sexual violence. Whether it's sexual harassment or rape, victims often face the burden of evidence in court.

"Its hard for many victims to win a sexual assault case in court," said Li Ying, a lawyer and director of the Yuanzhong Gender Development Center, told state-owned China Daily. Even if the victims have the evidence, they have to prove the perpetrator acted against their will.

Still, some have been heartened, after a limited #MeToo movement emerged in China in 2018. Then, young women went public with accusations against the men who had assaulted or harassed them, opening up the public conversation in a way that had not been seen before.

However, the movement faced a tremendous amount of pressure from local and central authorities, as well as extensive censorship, and was obstructed.

In response to the #MeToo movement, China codified sexual harassment in its civil code last year, but did little to lay out guidelines for enforcement. While the law provides protection for women against any form of sexual violence, enforcement remains difficult.
VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP)  Clark County, Washington, has agreed to pay $72,000 to settle a civil rights lawsuit filed by a man who said an argument with a deputy led to deputies harassing and arresting him over several months.

Steven Klug, a 54-year-old U.S. Marine Corps veteran, said the run-ins with deputies stemmed from an August 2017 argument with Deputy Jack Phane while Klug checked his vehicles oil at a gas station, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported. The deputy then pulled Klug over and gave him a traffic ticket.
LOCKPORT, N.Y. (AP)  A driver has died after his car plowed into a house in western New York, destroyed the home and trapped a man in a bedroom, the Niagara County Sheriff's Office said Saturday.

The driver, 63-year-old John Kindig, died at a Buffalo hospital where he was flown after the crash in Lockport late Thursday, the sheriff's office said in a release.
GARDONY, Hungary (AP)  Lake Velence, a shallow, freshwater lake in central Hungary, is a haven for over 100 types of birds, dozens of species of fish and throngs of tourists who come to bathe in its waters for relief from the hot summers.

But many of the lakes visitors, both animal and human, have disappeared as extreme heat has brought the water to dangerously low levels, something activists and environmental experts say threatens the countrys third largest natural lake with an economic and ecological crisis.

They say climate change and insufficient infrastructure are colliding, with devastating effect. The lake has lost nearly half of its water in the past two years as hot, dry summers have led to accelerating evaporation and deteriorating water quality.

We are talking about years of rainfall deficit, drought and a continuous water shortage, said environmental management engineer and activist Tibor Horanyi. For years weve seen what role global warming is playing in our lives, and its clearly connected to this low water level.

The optimal water level for Lake Velence (pronounced 'VEH-len-tseh) in August is 150 centimeters (5 feet), according to the local water authority.

But on Thursday, the water level stood at 80 centimeters (2 feet 7 inches), an amount of water that Horanyi called critical.

Hot, dry weather can result in as much as 1 centimeter per day evaporating from Lake Velence, according to official measurements. Those decreased levels have meant water temperatures are rising faster, causing diminished oxygen content, increased proliferation of algae and reduced water quality.

Following a long, cold spring, Hungary experienced its third hottest June since 1901 and then the hottest July on record, according to the national meteorological service.

The extreme heat caused the water temperature in the lake to rise by 10 degrees Celsius (18 F) within a week in June, Horanyi said, resulting in the death of more than four tonnes (8,800 pounds) of fish that were then removed by volunteers.

Otto Balogh, a local fisherman, told The Associated Press that the conditions in the water were clearly visible, and had impacted his catch.

There are no fish. In the last three weekends that Ive come here, this is the first time I caught anything, Balogh said.

Shallow marshlands on the lake's western end have dried up completely, and many of the birds normally seen in the lake's bird sanctuary have disappeared.

There arent any water birds now. Theyve gone somewhere else to find food, I suppose, Balogh said.

In July, the local public health department ordered the closure of four beaches on Lake Velence, citing water quality samples that did not meet required standards.

While most of the beaches have since reopened, few bathers venture in the water, which due to the low levels scarcely reaches their waists even if they wade more than 100 meters (yards) out.

The low water levels, dying fish and closed beaches have led to a dramatic decrease in tourism at local restaurants, bars and hotels, said Peter Vas, a local resident and activist, threatening further hardship for a local economy already hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A lot of money has been invested here by traders, restaurateurs and holidaymakers to make it a great place to enjoy themselves, Vas said. This lake has to be saved.

Activists have urged Hungary's government to take action to protect the lake from further deterioration, and to provide the resources necessary to bring the water back to minimum levels.

But continuing hot weather and infrastructural deficiencies have prevented a quick fix to the crisis.

Two reservoirs were built in the 1970s to provide water to the lake if levels dropped too low. But a spokesperson for the national water authority said that drought and extreme heat had caused low water levels in those reservoirs as well, leading to high algae content which makes the water unsuitable for remedying the lake's water deficit.

Zoltan Tessely, the government commissioner responsible for the development of Lake Velence, told local television station Fehervar TV last week that he had submitted a proposal to the government for replenishing the water in the lake  but that the government had rejected the $133 million price tag, saying it needed the funds to support economic recovery after the pandemic.

Vas, the local activist, acknowledged that the lake has dried out before, noting that in 1863 the Hungarian hussars trained with their horses in the lake bed.

"But now it's the 21st century," he said. "We must have the ability to save this natural protected area.

With no immediate solution in sight and only warm, dry weather in the forecast, only political will can avert an environmental disaster at Lake Velence, he said.

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Follow AP's coverage of climate change issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP)  A former teacher in South Carolina has admitted to contacting a Georgia girl who was under 18 with the intention of engaging in sexual activity, federal prosecutors said.

Jonathan Eugene Grantham, of Graniteville, South Carolina, pleaded guilty Wednesday to coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, federal prosecutors said in a news release. When he was arrested in February, he was a teacher at Ridge Spring-Monetta High School in Ridge Spring, S.C. He has since been fired.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  The husband of Tennessees former vaccinations director says they are planning to move out of the state this fall amid growing tension over efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Their move to northern Virginia was in the works before a contentious school board meeting that he took part in Tuesday to discuss mask mandates, Brad Fiscus told WPLN-FM.

Fiscus is a school board member in Williamson County, where protesters held signs with messages saying, I will not let you muzzle my child, and My child, my choice. Some had to be escorted out by law enforcement. The county is just south of Nashville.

Fiscus said the meeting was another example of why they feel they have to move  that public health has become more political in Tennessee during the pandemic.

His wife, Dr. Michelle Fiscus, was fired this summer amid Republican outrage over her push to inoculate teenagers against COVID-19.

Brad Fiscus said the move is bittersweet because they had planned to stay in their home in Franklin, Tennessee, until retirement. But the move to Virginia will give his wife more opportunities to continue working in public health, he said.

Michelle Fiscus formerly served as medical director for vaccine-preventable diseases and immunization programs at the Tennessee Department of Health. She said the states elected leaders put politics over the health of children by firing her for her efforts to get more Tennesseans vaccinated.

A July letter from the states chief medical officer said Michelle Fiscus should be removed due to complaints about her leadership approach and her handling of a letter explaining vaccination rights of minors for COVID-19 shots, an effort that had GOP lawmakers fuming. Michelle Fiscus issued a point-by-point rebuttal to the letter.

Fiscus also noted consistent praise for her job performance, including years of performance reviews deeming her work outstanding, most recently for October 2019 through September 2020.

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Follow more of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
CRESSON, Pa. (AP) 

As Jason Cole and Ally Held moved on a recent Saturday through the former State Correctional Institution at Cresson, they paused often to comment on the propertys state of decay or set up the perfect photo, noting how fascinating it was to see the deserted buildings up close  and legally.

Ive always been someone thats been into hiking, and Ive dragged him along, Held said.

It was the Danville couples second trip to explore the old prison that now features paid tours organized by Big House Produce, which operates at the facility.

Held and Cole sported Nikon D3500 cameras with 18- to 55-millimeter lenses and wandered from one building to another  stopping frequently to document the abandoned rooms, crossing paths with other explorers and stopping to wonder about who might have passed through the same areas they currently occupied.

You come here ... and you get a taste of what life might have been like, Cole said.

With each building they walked into, it became more and more obvious that several years had passed since anyone had inhabited the prison. Paint peeled away in large chunks from the walls, the smell of dampness invaded every room, ceiling tiles had collapsed to the floor and broken glass filled doorways.

I think when you go through the buildings, some give you a somber sort of feeling, Held said.

The couple became interested in urban exploration  the act of investigating abandoned areas  last year after watching videos of other enthusiasts on YouTube.

They decided to try their hand at it and started searching for nearby places to do so, which is how they came across the old prison in Cresson, which was closed by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections in 2013, with the property sold in 2016 to Carl Weaver, of Smicksburg, for $600,000.

Big House Produce

Lauren Freeman and her husband, K.C., have a lease to own agreement with Weaver to provide their hydroponic business, Big House Produce, a permanent home. The Freemans started their farm in 2019 at the old prison and run it with their familys help.

The prison buildings are perfect for controlled environment agriculture, Lauren Freeman said.

Thats because the buildings are tight and easily temperature-controlled.

The familys plan was initially to grow lettuce, but they saw the demand for varying crops and have moved in a more diverse direction  including hemp. Opening the old jail cells and associated structures to tourism wasnt in their plans until Bedford County native Beth Price contacted them.

Lauren Freeman said a large portion of the first year was spent keeping away trespassers and vandals who were drawn to the abandoned facility. After discussing the matter with Price, the Freemans decided to provide those interested in exploring the area the opportunity to do so.

I call this place my Disneyland, Price said.

Price, who goes by Urbexphotomom on Instagram, said shes interested in exploring and studying history, which is why she wanted to visit the former SCI-Cresson. Shes become a regular visitor and also volunteers to help with registration and cleanup.

The others offered the same reasons for why they signed up.

Before it was a prison

The property hasnt always housed inmates. Previously, it was a tuberculosis hospital that opened in 1913 and later a state school for the mentally handicapped, with the prison beginning operations in the 1980s.

Price found that information fascinating and convinced the Freemans to let others who shared her vision onto the property.

The first open tour was held in May.

Visitors have to sign waivers and register for their tours at www.bighouseproduce.com, then show up at their designated time. They can spend an hour to several hours roaming the 34 acres, and the cost is dependent on the time they spend there. The only place thats off-limits is the former juvenile building, because thats where the farming operation is.

At the first event, it just blew up, Lauren Freeman said of the level of interest.

From all over

Since May, explorers from all parts of the country and beyond have signed up for the monthly tours, including guests from Oregon, New York, Louisiana and Ontario, Canada.

I did not expect to have an underground tourist attraction, Lauren Freeman said.

Shayne and Audra Oliver, from The Dank Team Explorers, made the 10-hour trip from Massachusetts to explore the abandoned buildings.

Its pretty cool, Shayne Oliver said.

The two travel all over the East Coast, investigating deserted areas. They were mostly looking forward to seeing the old cells in Cresson.

More people should do this, Audra Oliver said.

Another out-of-state visitor was Matt Zinzi, who goes by The.IZ on Instagram. He also was drawn to the old prison and has become a regular and volunteer.

Seeing dozens and dozens of people come in is mind-blowing, Zinzi said.

On Saturday, from about 9:30 a.m. on, vehicle after vehicle pulled up to the main gate and parked in the nearby lot until nearly all of the spaces were full.

Lauren Freeman said they average around 140 visitors when they give tours and keep the groups to about 65 guests through staggering times to avoid overcrowding. The most shes seen since starting the venture is 300 people in one weekend.

Future tours in September and October include those hosted by Ghost Hunts USA, who visited the property in July.

There are also plans to convert one of the buildings into a museum and another into a bed and breakfast, as well as expansion of the hydroponic operation.

___

Online:

https://bit.ly/3At6hd6
ESPANOLA, N.M. (AP)  Cora Martinez submitted an application July 1 asking the First Judicial District Court to cancel a restraining order against her son accusing him of domestic abuse.

She wrote in the application, my son Erick has no place to go. I want to support him, and let him know that he has a home to come to. I feel that he has been in a lot of pain and hard times.  If I dont help him, nobody else will.

Erick Martinez, 43, was released from the Santa Fe County jail seven days later, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported. Within less than a month, his mother was beaten to death in her home in Espanola, and her son was charged with murder.

The death of Cora Martinez, a generous, giving person, has been difficult for the family  especially for her twin sister, Olivia Rael, who felt deeply connected to her, and her 5-year-old grandson, whom she had legally adopted, said Dennis Tim Salazar, Raels son-in-law and an Espanola city councilor.

Both were in the home when she was killed, he added.

Erick was always known to fight, and I heard he had a very hard punch, Salazar said. It sickens me when I think about that.

Rael, who is legally blind and relied on her twin for aid, described a terrifying ordeal, he added.

Erick Martinez arrived at the home sometime around 9 p.m. Aug. 1 and immediately began to argue with his mother, according to the familys account.

As the argument escalated in the kitchen, Salazar said, Cora Martinez asked for Rael and her 5-year-old grandson  Erick Martinezs biological son  to go into a bedroom. Rael went, but the little boy stayed.

Erick Martinez asked his mother for money and the use of her car. She denied both requests. Then he began accusing her of loving her other children more than him, Salazar said.

From the bedroom, Rael heard Cora Martinez pleading with her son to calm down and telling him she loved him. Then Rael heard the sounds of her sister being struck and the young boy crying.

Shortly after, Erick Martinez shouted, Why God? Why? and began pleading for forgiveness, Salazar said.

Rael estimated Erick Martinez was in the home for hours after the attack, until around 5 a.m. Aug. 2. Eventually, Salazar said, he entered the bedroom and told her and the boy not to go anywhere. He said he was leaving but would return.

Rael, unsure where to find her sisters cellphone and fearing her nephew would return, stayed in the home until her daughter arrived that afternoon and called police.

Espanola officers responding to the call found Cora Martinezs body in her bed, tucked in blankets. Reports said she had been beaten and had bruises all over her body.

Erick Martinez, who had taken his mothers car when he left the home, was arrested later that night. He confessed to police he had changed his mothers clothes and thrown water on her face to wake her up after the attack. But he claimed he did not mean to kill her, according an arrest warrant affidavit filed in Rio Arriba County Magistrate Court.

Police told him his mothers death could not have been an accident. They said they had found text messages on his cellphone, with photos of his mothers beaten face, that he had sent to another person as a threat, according to the affidavit.

In addition to first-degree murder and two counts of criminal sexual penetration, Erick Martinez is charged with tampering with evidence, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle and resisting arrest. A hearing is scheduled Aug. 16 to determine if he poses a danger to the community and should remain held at the Santa Fe County jail without bond until his trial.

Despite Cora Martinezs violent and tragic death, Salazar said, his memories of her remain full of light.

When I first met Cora, I saw this very friendly, happy lady talking to everybody, he said. I would assume if someone is in a bad mood and they see her, you cant help but smile.

Originally from the tiny community of La Villita, just north of Alcalde, Cora Martinez worked for years as a custodian for Espanola Public Schools and the former Espanola Military Academy. She was in a loving marriage with her husband, Richard Martinez, for nearly 40 years before he died in 2009, Salazar said.

He noted he thought of Cora Martinez as his aunt, adding she and Rael embraced him as a member of the family.

She always had time for other people and would always try to look for the positives in life, he said.

She even tried to help her son Erick.

Despite the order of protection, Salazar said, Erick Martinez often would come by her house  asking for money, sleeping on her lawn or asking to borrow her car.

Erick Martinezs extensive criminal history dates back to 2004, when he was charged with assault on a household member but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of trespassing. Throughout the years, hes been charged with disorderly conduct, criminal damage to property of a household member, resisting an officer, battery on a household member and false imprisonment.

Many of the domestic violence charges he faced stemmed from relationships with previous girlfriends, Salazar said.

Erick, hes always kind of been that way, he said. To me, over the years it just seems to have gotten worse.

Erick Martinez was charged in April with violating his mothers order of protection. He was jailed again in early July on another charge. After his release, he cut off his court-ordered GPS ankle monitoring device.

Cora Martinez had received full custody of her grandson in 2016, when he was an infant. Both of his parents struggled with heavy drug use, and Erick Martinez wrangled with anger issues, court records show. She had raised the child as her own.

When removing the boys clothing from Cora Martinezs home, the family discovered she had washed and ironed all of his back-to-school clothes. She had everything ready for him  books, notebooks, everything was set, Salazar said. It was really tough to see.

Salazar said the family members, including Cora Martinezs two other children, are trying to figure out how to pick up the pieces and move forward following her death.

Shes a source of comfort, of stability, he said, and at this point, that core is not there.
CHICAGO (AP)  Funeral services for the Chicago police officer who was shot to death earlier this month will be held next week, officials announced.

In a statement, the police department said a wake will be held for Officer Ella French on Wednesday at St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel on the city's South Side between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. and the funeral service will be held at at 10 a.m. Thursday at the same church.
ATLANTA (AP)  A judge has ruled that a federal agency doesn't have to revise its plans for how it operates dams along the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers, another win for Georgia in its struggles with Florida and Alabama over the water that flows into the Apalachicola River.

Environmental groups and the state of Alabama had sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2017, saying the agency's plans held too much water in reservoirs in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint basin and that it should release more for hydropower and wildlife.

It's the second win for Georgia, after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Florida's effort this spring to cap how much water Georgia could use.

Lake Lanier northeast of Atlanta and the Chattahoochee River supply drinking water to much of metro Atlanta.

For metro Atlanta, what was at stake was really our ability to withdraw water from Lake Lanier, Katherine Zitsch, manager of natural resources at the Atlanta Regional Commission, told WABE-FM.

The commission intervened in the case, siding with the Corps of Engineers along with the state of Georgia and metro Atlanta water agencies.

U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Thrash dismissed the claims, ruling that the corps had acted within its powers in making the water use decisions on how reservoirs should be operated until 2050.

The decision was not arbitrary or capricious, Thrash wrote. The plaintiffs have not met their burden of showing that this delicate balance should be upset.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the federal template gives metro Atlanta virtually all the water it needs for the next 30 years from the ACF basin.

We will continue to be good stewards of our water resources, and we are proud to have obtained a positive resolution on behalf of all Georgians, Gov. Brian Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr, both Republicans, said in a joint statement Thursday.

Some or all of the plaintiffs could appeal to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The plan will further starve the Apalachicola ecosystem of vital freshwater flows, especially during the critical breeding, spawning and flowering seasons for many species, Georgia Ackerman, executive director of the environmental group Apalachicola Riverkeeper, said in a statement.

Florida's Apalachicola Bay, which relies on the rivers for freshwater flows, saw its once prolific oyster fishery collapse after a drought. Environmental groups say that's the most visible harm to a fragile environment from Georgia sucking up too much water.

Georgia, Florida and Alabama and have been fighting over water for more than 30 years. Alabama is also suing the corps over how it divided up waters in the separate Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa river basin. The headwaters of that system are in north Georgia.

At the end of his decision, Thrash became the latest in a long line of judges to encourage the states to settle their differences outside the courtroom.

Decades of deferral and delay due to litigation should end, he wrote.
DETROIT (AP)  A gun rights advocacy group based in Detroit is holding its annual free firearm shooting lessons for women interested in learning about guns and personal protection.

The lessons are scheduled Aug. 21-22 at target ranges in Taylor, southwest of Detroit. Pre-registration is required.
GARDNER, La. (AP)  You can find the Carol and Jim Cortazzo Little Free Library snuggled in a cozy little wooded nook about 11 miles west of Alexandria on David Burns Road near Gardner.

A gravel path on the edge of the road leads to the little box full of books that sits in Tom and Terri Harmeyers yard. Behind it is a bench under a shaded tree where people can sit while they read. Or, they can take their books with them.

The closest libraries are the Westside Library in Alexandria and the Hineston Library, both part of the Rapides Parish Library, said Tom. Each are 11 miles away from where the Harmeyers live. And there are no bookstores around this area. Anyone in that area who wanted or needed a book would have to drive somewhere else to get one.

The Little Free Library was created as a family project to honor the legacies of Carol and Jim Cortazzo, Terris parents. Jim died thirty years ago and Carol died in June. Little Free Library is a non-profit seeking to inspire readers and create access to books through a network of little libraries.

So we started it after her passing, said Jackson Harmeyer, Carols grandson. We thought it was the perfect thing to remember their legacies.

Jean Dresley, a longtime family friend and neighbor, built the box housing the library. She, her husband Joe and daughter Nora were on hand for a small, informal dedication.

The Little Library in the Grove, as Tom calls it, not only honors the Cortazzos legacies but the lifelong work of his and Terris adult children, Jackson and Emilie. Jackson is in his second year of a masters program in library science at Indiana University and Emilie is a naturalist and environmentalist who works for the non-profit Shreveport Green.

This library is in such a beautiful and natural setting here just outside of Alexandria. said Emilie at small, informal dedication.

It also represents access to education which she said is one of the things many take for granted.

Books open our world, expand our minds, give us an opportunity to imagine things that we wouldnt otherwise get to see  both real things and things authors that have imagined for us, she said. A lot of us  we love books. We cherish books. But we sometimes take the access to books for granted.

The nearest access to books is about a 12-15 minute drive to Alexandria, said Emilie, so this Little Free Library gives the neighborhood and surrounding community the advantage of having a nearby resource for books.

A library is really a public good, said Jackson. Its something that serves the whole community.

When public libraries were first established in the U.S., they consisted primarily of personal collections, explained Jackson.

Very much like the Little Free Libraries are these days, said Jackson, nodding to the little box full of books. They are a collection that someone has accumulated, has curated themselves and want to share with their friends and neighbors. And I think we are doing that with this library.

Books and libraries were always a big a part of the Cortazzos lives which they spent building collections to share with family and friends.

We actually called my grandmother Booka, said Jackson. Shes always read books to her grandchildren.

She had a large collection of books that were recently brought up from New Orleans and those have been integrated with those given to them by neighbors and friends. Many have donated books in her honor as well. Donations have come in from Colorado, South Carolina and Boston in addition to the local community.

Some of Carols books that can be found in the Little Library are classics, best sellers, childrens books, religious books and books about New Orleans  a lot of different things, said Jackson.

As children, she raised us to be readers, said Terri. And during the summertime, we would all get on our bikes and go the library daily and pack as many books as we could in the baskets of our bikes.

Terri recalled her father had a habit of reading several books at time.

There would be books scattered throughout the house, she said. One in the den. One in the kitchen. One in the living room. And wherever he was he would just pick up and continue to read that book.

She used to find it strange that he could do that but now, she finds herself doing the same thing.

I remember many times going over to Bookas house and finding a book left on the steps for my mom to pick up and my mom would leave one for one of the aunts to pick up, said Jackson.

Carol worked in the religious studies department at Loyola University in New Orleans where she would pick up books from professors. She took classes as well.

Prior to the Little Librarys dedication, it had been open for a couple of weeks. Many have brought books by but very few have been taking one with them.

We still want to get the word out that you bring a book and also take a book with you, said Tom.

Among those who have been using the Little Library include the U.S. Postal worker who delivers their mail and a young neighbor, Paris Mitchell, 11, and six-grader at Alexandria Country Day School.

Im actually very blessed to have this in our neighborhood because the library is very far away, said Paris. So Im glad that I can take just a little drive and just get books I want to read that I can take an AR (Accelerated Reading) test on.

Her mother found out about the Carol and Jim Cortazzo Little Free Library on Facebook and passed the information on to Paris.

And when she sent it to me, I got very interested, she said. I got a lot of my old books that I had when I was little and I donated them to this library.

Paris is a fan of adventure books and funny chapter books. One Crazy Summer is a book she likes a lot.

And I actually got a book from here, called Sand Dollar Summer and I actually really love that one so far, she said.

Paris likes the calm feeling she gets when she reads. And she likes to read outside, especially in the woods because its natural and calming.

Paris had left a note earlier for the Harmeyers thanking them for putting the Little Free Library in their neighborhood and extending her condolences for which Terri was very appreciative.

We were raised to be readers and it has served me well, said Terri. And I think I have passed that love on to both of my children.

The Carol and Jim Cortazzo Little Free Library is the seventh Little Free Library in the area. There are two each in Alexandria, Pineville and Grant Parish.

The Harmeyers also handed out copies of a childrens book they had written, Coyotes on My Floaties.

Paris was the first one to get a copy.

We moved here and the first thing we did was build a swimming pool in the backyard, said Tom. And all of a sudden, the forest animals started showing up in our swimming pool. So thats what inspired that story. Emilie did the artwork.
CROWN POINT, Ind. (AP)  A northwestern Indiana man has been sentenced to 55 years in prison for killing a man outside a Gary nightclub and shooting at a police officer at the scene.

A Lake County judge ordered the prison sentence on Friday for 32-year-old Fredrick Craft Jr. of Hammond. A jury convicted Craft in April on murder and attempted murder charges for the September shooting, during which prosecutors said Craft fired more than 80 gunshots into a crowded parking lot while wearing a bulletproof vest.
WEST NYACK, N.Y. (AP)  A suburban New York school board called off a meeting this week after attendees angrily bucked being told to wear face masks, according to a news report.

The episode  one of a number of clashes over masks and vaccinations that have disrupted school board meetings around the country this summer  happened Thursday night at a Clarkstown school board meeting in West Nyack. The school district had previously announced that masks are required indoors in all school buildings.

Amid a national rise in coronavirus cases fueled by the highly infectious delta variant, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended late last month that everyone wear masks inside schools, regardless of vaccination status.

But when audience members at the Clarkstown meeting were told to mask up so the session could start, the room erupted in laughter and jeers, according to The Journal News. Video shot by the newspaper shows unmasked people in the audience shouting at the masked school board members and officials.

It's theater! You're all fools! one man hollers, to applause.

Some masked attendees, meanwhile, yell at other people to cover their faces: It's simple! Put it over your nose!

Let's have a civil meeting here, Board President Walter Litvak says at one point.

He ultimately announced the meeting wouldn't go forward, the newspaper said.

With that, some attendees flocked outside to voice their complaints about masks and other issues, taking turns to step up and speak from a picnic table and a lawn.

Im not going to school with a mask on, so I'm putting my foot down on this," said 8-year-old Madison Maggino, who is going into third grade. Her mother, Karalyn Maggino, said Madison had struggled through a year of remote learning and going to school in a mask.

The school board went on to hold a hastily scheduled meeting Friday with a stripped-down agenda, scrapping the public comment period and other items.

Another meeting is scheduled for Thursday in the Clarkstown district, about an hours drive north of New York City.

Earlier in the week, the school board in the Albany suburb of Guilderland adjourned a meeting for 15 minutes after tensions flared over mask policy for the coming school year, WNYT-TV reported.
MIAMI (AP)  Judge Bertila Soto has given this kind of tour for years now, a hands-on demonstration of the decay inside Miami-Dade Countys civil courthouse. In her hands at this moment: a wedge of painted plaster from a 1928 tower subject to chronic leaks and basement flooding.

You can peel off pieces of the wall, Soto said from an emptied-out storage room on the 25th floor of the courthouse at 73 W. Flagler St. This has been happening since 2013.

Once the centerpiece of municipal architecture in downtown Miami, with columned walls at the base and a ziggurat roof, the countys 27-story courthouse now offers a case study in deferred maintenance and daunting deterioration. Repairs needed for a legally required building recertification have been delayed under two Miami-Dade mayors.

AFTER POST-SURFSIDE INSPECTION, MIAMI-DADE COURTHOUSE CLOSES

The low point arrived July 9, when Chief Judge Nushin Sayfie ordered all court offices closed in the building after Miami-Dade turned over a July 6 inspection report by Miami engineering firm U.S. Structures Inc.

The analysis, ordered up after the Surfside condo collapse on June 24, urged the county to clear out the upper floors and quickly shore up an excessively corroded column on the 25th floor. The recommendation to keep some floors empty but allow the courthouse to remain occupied didnt sit well with court administrators, who wanted the entire building closed for repairs.

In an abundance of caution we are going to evacuate ALL court personnel, Sayfie wrote July 9 in a staff email obtained through a records request, until we are satisfied that the building is safe.

LATEST COUNTY REPORT: CIVIL COURTHOUSE SAFE, READY TO REOPEN

A more extensive inspection report performed by a different engineering firm later in July found the courthouse safe to reopen without significant repairs. Even so, the courthouse remains out of compliance with Miami-Dades own requirement for structural and safety certifications every decade once a building reaches its 40th year.

The courthouse reached that milestone in the 1960s, but Dade County didnt enact its recertification law until 1975, following the collapse of a federal building in Miami. Theres no record of Miami ever granting the building the required recertification documents, and in 2014 a city inspector affixed a violation notice on the courthouse entrance.

A 2016 report by Miami-Dades Inspector General found county building administrators had failed to secure recertifications for multiple county buildings  ignoring a local law thats gotten national attention after Surfside as making Miami-Dades building code tougher than most when it comes to older structures.

It is also unfortunate that the recertification requirements of the Courthouse and other older County buildings somehow fell off the Countys radar, the report states.

As one of the oldest government buildings in Miami-Dade, maintaining the courthouse has been a challenge for years. Its a building so old it still has a working wooden water tank on its top floor and the original brass on the elevators that would have taken Al Capone to his 1930 perjury trial on the sixth floor.

In June 1987, structural engineer O.J. Jorgensen wrote about his recent inspection of basement columns as the county pursued a city recertification that was never completed. Jorgensen described deterioration in most of the columns, and problems with inner steel cores in some. This presents a serious structural deficiency, and demands prompt attention, Jorgensen wrote in a letter published in the Inspector General report.

Investigators spoke to one of the engineers involved in the late 1980s, who said the repairs were completed even if the county never obtained the recertification paperwork from Miami.

About 25 years later, Miami-Dade was again pursuing a city certification and an engineer produced a warning about basement support structures.

Most columns have mid level damage, with some columns showing low levels and others exhibiting severe damage, engineer Gerald Zadikoff, of the Miami firm G.M. Selby, wrote in a December 2013 inspection report to county building administrators. It is also imperative the structural repairs commence as early as possible, as the deterioration is migrating up the columns.

That report concluded the building was safe for occupancy. But it warned that even a minor hurricane could do serious damage, sparking a county routine of post-storm inspections of the building that remains in place. GM Selby believes the building does not need to be condemned, Zadikoff wrote, however, in the event of a category one hurricane, the building should be evacuated entirely as there is a possibility of ... partial collapse.

FOR MIAMI-DADE COURTHOUSE, DECADES BEHIND 40-YEAR RECERTIFICATION

Seven years after its first recertification violation in 2014, Miami-Dade still hasnt completed all of the repairs engineers said are needed. In 2015, crews repaired 14 columns in the basement vulnerable to flooding from ground water, and an extensive resealing of the exterior walls the following year significantly reduced rainwater leaks, Soto said. But more column work remains in the basement.

That work was supposed to start three years ago, with Miami-Dade issuing a solicitation in 2018 for contractors to repair dozens of columns and conduct other basement work to prevent flooding by ground water.

But with multiple bidders disqualified for not meeting the countys small-business hiring requirements and other bids too high, Miami-Dade scrapped the process with plans to start again, according to a June 20, 2018, memo from the countys top building administrator at the time, Internal Services Director Tara Smith.

Smith wrote that, after a meeting with judges, Miami-Dade planned on getting new bids for the basement work in parallel with the sale and disposition of the historic courthouse.

But while construction is underway on a modern civil courthouse next door on Flagler Street, Miami-Dade hasnt moved ahead with selling the existing historic building  a deal expected to eventually offset construction costs for the new facility.

Internal Services also didnt ask for new bids on the basement repairs. The department, now under director Alex Munoz, expects the new solicitation to go out this month. A site visit for potential bidders is scheduled for Friday.

Munoz, appointed in May, said he didnt have an explanation for the delay in repairs that were supposed to start in 2018.

Im looking into it, said Munoz, the former head of Miami-Dades Animal Services Department who received his latest appointment from Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, elected in November. I want to know if there was a budgetary decision, or what the decision was.

Judges were pressing Munoz and his staff for answers on the basement work after the Surfside collapse, when the county hired U.S. Structures Inc. to inspect the courthouse for any structural issues.

We have also repeatedly asked about the status of the basement column and foundation repairs and were promised an update, Judge Jennifer Bailey wrote Juan Silva, head of facilities for Internal Services, on July 9. We need to know the status of the repairs and the countys plan regarding completion of the balance of the work, which was supposed to have been completed in 2020.

AFTER SURFSIDE, A SCRAMBLE TO INSPECT THE COURTHOUSE

The Surfside collapse pushed the courthouses deficiencies into the spotlight. On June 28, Soto, whose term as chief judge was expiring June 30, wrote court administrators and judges an email shortly after 8 a.m. about the downtown civil courthouse.

We need to get an inspection immediately, she wrote, based on Surfside incident.

By then, Munoz had already told his staff he wanted action on overdue recertifications of county buildings, according to county emails, and an Internal Services administrator requested an inspection of the courthouse on June 25. On the same morning Soto wrote her email, Munoz had forwarded Internal Services administrators a Miami Herald article quoting a Surfside building official as saying Champlain Towers South was in very good shape in 2018.

What is the status of the Old Courthouse? Munoz wrote. Please prioritize and advise.

NEW COURTHOUSE SCHEDULED TO OPEN IN 2024

Soto helped lead the two efforts to replace the countys troubled civil courthouse. The first failed, and the second succeeded.

Miami-Dade County would probably already have a new civil courthouse if not for a failed bond referendum in 2014. County voters rejected the proposed increase to Miami-Dades debt levy, a special property tax that funds borrowing approved by referendum. The ballot item would have raised $390 million for a new courthouse and repairs to rehabilitate the 1928 building, but 64% of voters rejected the proposal.

Eugene Stearns, the Miami lawyer who helped lead the failed referendum campaign, said the attention on the courthouses poor condition built pressure on commissioners to approve construction financing outside of property taxes. We persuaded people it had to be done, he said. It just cost us four or five years.

The leading voice for rejecting the referendum was lawyer Raquel Regalado, then a school board member and now a county commissioner. My concern then was the plan was half baked, Regalado said in a recent interview. The plan they have now for the new courthouse is much more detailed.

If all goes as planned, Miami-Dade will have a new courthouse in 2024, when a replacement building going up next door is scheduled to open.

At the urging of Soto and her fellow judges, Miami-Dade commissioners in 2019 approved the deal negotiated under then-Mayor Carlos Gimenez to pay developer Plenary Group $852 million over 34 years to build, operate and maintain a new 23-story courthouse. Its the countys first P3 deal (for public-private partnership) and includes financial penalties if Plenary fails to maintain the new building, as Miami-Dade did with the old one.

Miami-Dade owes its first $25 million payment in 2024, and the courthouse expenses contribute to deficits in the countys long-term budget forecasts.

Meanwhile, its not clear when the current courthouse will reopen.

Engineers from the Miami office of EXP, hired by Miami-Dade for a more thorough inspection of the courthouse in mid-July, found significant cracks on the 25th floor and corroded rebar throughout the building. But after digging into the column flagged in the U.S. Structures report, EXP reached a different conclusion.

There is no evidence of structural distress or an impending failure of the structural elements of the 25th Floor, EXPs July 23 report states, and the recommended shoring (of the column) is not warranted at this time.

The firm also said court employees could return to work safely and disagreed with the U.S. Structures advice to clear out offices above the 15th floor. The EXP team did not observe any conditions that support this recommendation, the report states.

So far, the favorable report hasnt reopened the courthouse doors. Levine Cava said the administration will defer to Sayfie to decide when to bring staff back into the building.

Reopening will likely depend on the countys short-term plan to complete the work needed for recertification, Munoz said. He said judges told him they want assurances the county can complete the required work without significant disruption to the offices and courtrooms, and that plan must wait until repair bids come back.

Were not there yet, he said. We want to make everybody feel comfortable with the process.

Munoz took over Internal Services this spring after Levine Cava parted ways with Smith, the Internal Services director under Gimenez. Levine Cava was elected mayor after six years on the county commission, when the courthouses disrepair and need for replacement was a frequent topic.

I am certainly working on systems of greater accountability, Levine Cava said. We are not going to let things slip through the cracks.
HAMILTON, Mont. (AP)  Three years ago, Hamiltons Dennis Moore found a Montana treasure.

The 1940 Lincoln Zephyr convertible that transported dignitaries for Glacier Transportation Company on scenic drives through the national park had been hidden away in a Helena garage since 1960.

The man who had purchased it had planned to restore the car to its formal glory, but never got around to it. His daughter told Moore that its main use had been the place where Christmas presents were hidden each year.

Moore purchased the car at an estate sale in October 2018 with the idea that he would complete what its former owner had hoped to accomplish.

This week, he and his son, Matthew, drove the car 1,400 miles to take part in the prestigious 70th annual Concours dElegance car show in Pebble Beach, California.

It was in excellent shape for an 80-year-old car, Moore told the Ravalli Republic. The auctioneer told me the only thing it didnt have was an air cleaner.

Last year, when so many people decided to take up a project during the heart of the pandemic, Moore decided his would be something that he could be quite sure no one else on the planet was doing.

Most known for its Red Jammers that packed tourists up and over the Going-to-the-Sun Road, the Glacier Transportation Company owned one Lincoln Zephyr.

Lincoln first introduced the model named after the Greek god of the west wind in 1935. With its prow-like front grille, low-raked windscreen, integrated fenders and streamline aerodynamic design, the model helped to reignite sales in the late 1930s.

For collectors, old cars fall into two categories.

I had to make a decision after I purchased it, Moore said. Would I let it fall into the survivor category and keep it as was or would I do some restoration?

Fortunately, the upholstery had been protected and looked almost brand new. Moore decided to have it painted and its V12 engine gone through. The biggest challenge turned out to be the electrical work needed to turn the parking lights into turn signals.

I knew that I was going to drive it to California, he said. I think 95 percent of the population doesnt know what it means when you stick your arm out the window to do a hand signal.

The car had been through three engines.

The original V12s werent the greatest motors in the world, Moore said.

The owners originally replaced the engine with a V8 in the late 1940s and opted to go back to a V12 in the mid-1950s. Moore learned a lot about his Lincoln after hearing about a Canadian author who is writing a book on the old Red Jammers.

When Moore caught up with him on the telephone, the man told him he knew everything there was to know about the car.

He told me what its serial number was, Moore said. He had all the history, even down to when its oil had been changed. He told me it was used to transport special guests around Glacier Park. The dignitaries would sit in the back seat and enjoy the view.

Moore hopes to find photos of the car while it was in use in Glacier National Park.

Its been a labor of love to bring it back to its glory.

The motor was in good shape, he said. We took it down the block. It was kind of unique in that a lot of things in the car ran off a vacuum. Its rear end is a three-speed transmission with six forward speeds that work off a vacuum. And, of course, the windshield wipers do too.

Much of the road trip to California this week was made with a convoy of 15 vintage vehicles headed for the car show. Included in that group was a one-of-a-kind Ferrari worth an estimated $15 million and a 1910 Peerless that had to drop out due to motor troubles.

We get a lot of comments wherever we stop, Moore said. Im sure well get a lot of them when we drive the 17-mile loop around Pebble Beach. There will be literally thousands of people along the drive. This is the biggest car show in the United States and most prestigious.

Overall, Moore said the trip has been quite an adventure.

It could be a little stressful, he said. The car has run well, but its a little weak on power  Some of the roads are kind of tortuous, especially those cliffs along Highway 1. You have to take a run at some of those hills. It definitely keeps you on your toes.
SEDALIA, Mo. (AP)  Mostly unmasked crowds packed into the Missouri State Fair shoulder-to-shoulder this week as it opened in Sedalia amid soaring numbers of new COVID-19 infections.

Fair officials decided in the spring to bring back the full fair after replacing it with a much smaller youth livestock show last year because of safety concerns, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Were not seeing any kind of slowdown in attendance and are expecting an average to good year, said State Fair Director Mark Wolfe, adding that his staff estimate up to 340,000 people will attend the event before it closes Aug. 22.

Unlike the state fair in neighboring Illinois, masks are optional.

Among the unmasked was Brian Eggers, a 55-year-old farmer who lives outside Chillicothe. He lost a close neighbor as well as aunts and uncles to COVID-19. He said he hasnt got around to getting vaccinated.

Im not anti-vaccine, but I havent gotten it myself yet, he said, as he watched a youth livestock show, adding: If God wants to take me, thats his choice.

On the other edge of the fair near a building displaying quilt work and other crafts, Kelly Alexander and her husband, of Lees Summit, were the only ones in the crowd wearing masks. They are also vaccinated.

My son and daughter-in-law arent vaccinated and got the virus just a few weeks ago, she said. My husband was in the hospital earlier this year and is high risk, so Im just terrified if he ever gets sick, so yes Im going to wear a mask, even if Im the only one.

Jessica Miller, who manned the fairs vaccination station, said five patients had come in for shots in the fair's first 2.5 hours of operation. Some told Miller that their jobs were going to require the vaccine or that they would be allowed to not wear a mask if they got vaccinated.

Miller, a respiratory therapist who is trained to run ventilator machines used in the most dire COVID-19 cases, worked for eight weeks in Long Island, New York, last spring when the virus was raging and overcrowding hospitals in the area.

I had to be there when they gasped their way to death alone without their family, Miller said, recalling that she was disappointed when she returned home to Sedalia and was met with skepticism and indifference about the virus.

Now, with cases surging and the vaccination rate still low, Miller says she fears more people will die in her community because of vaccine resistance. As she spoke, a group of young unmasked women passed the booth, sneering at the vaccine effort.

Yeah, thats been happening, Miller said, unfazed. I dont let it bother me. Were here if anyone is ready to get the vaccine and weve already done five. Thats what matters.
MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. (AP)  A prisoner has been charged with stabbing another inmate to death at a middle Georgia prison.

Brandon Hill, 27, is charged with murder, malice murder and felony assault in the Wednesday death of 21-year-old Jamari Charell McClinton at Baldwin State Prison near Milledgeville.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP)  Illinois schools will be prohibited from issuing rules regarding hairstyles historically associated with race and ethnicity, such as braids and twists, under a new law signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

The measure approved by the Legislature this spring and signed by Pritzker on Friday aims to end discrimination based on students' hairstyles. It is known as the Jett Hawkins Law after Gus Jett Hawkins, a Black student who at age 4 was told to take out his braids because the hairstyle violated the dress code at his Chicago school.
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP)  The great guessing game heading into fall used to center on how big a check Alaska residents would get from the states oil wealth fund. This year, it's at zero due to legislative disputes that remain unresolved ahead of a third special session this year.

A budget plan that emerged from House and Senate negotiators in June called for a roughly $1,100 dividend, with money cobbled together from various sources, including a reserve fund that requires three-fourths support in each chamber to access. The vote failed, leaving the dividend at $525, an amount Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy called a joke and vetoed.

The agenda for the special session starting Monday doesn't include an appropriations bill for a dividend. Dunleavy, who set the agenda, said in an interview with The Associated Press that he wants lawmakers to take up his proposal to restructure the oil wealth fund and place in the state Constitution a new dividend formula. Then, he said, we can look at other things that need to be looked at.

Dunleavy spokesperson Jeff Turner has said budget issues, including a dividend, can be addressed at the appropriate time by adding an appropriation bill to the agenda.

Senate Finance Committee co-chairman Bert Stedman, a Sitka Republican, sees that approach as an attempt to try to leverage the dividend, and I dont think the Legislature is going to deal very well with it.

Normally, when you have a special session, you work out the details with the leadership teams, and you come up with a rough idea of what the outcome's going to be and then you have a special session, he said. When you don't do that, your special sessions normally end up with just consuming a lot of people's time and a lot of state money, and they don't accomplish anything. And I think that's what is likely to happen in this special session.

House Minority Leader Cathy Tilton, a Wasilla Republican, said her caucus would like to see movement on a fiscal solution before maybe feeling comfortable with moving onto some kind of appropriations bill. But she said a resolution on a dividend for this year is needed. Alaskans expect a dividend, and ensuring they receive one is a priority, she said.

Senate President Peter Micciche, a Soldotna Republican, said lawmakers and Dunleavy need to work together on a dividend and budget issues. He also said he's hopeful for progress on a fiscal plan and toward ending the perennial dividend debates.

I think if I were to say that we must leave special session with 100% of a fiscal plan hammered out and passed, I would be sort of painting an extremely unrealistic picture, he said.

For years, dividends were calculated using a formula, but in 2016, then-Gov. Bill Walker cut the amount available for checks amid budget deficits. The Alaska Supreme Court later ruled that without a constitutional amendment, the dividend must compete for funding like other programs.

Debate over the check size in recent years has become politically charged and overshadowed other issues.

Dunleavy has gotten support from lawmakers in wanting to resolve the debate, but lawmakers have yet to coalesce behind a specific approach. A working group that includes two members from each legislative caucus has been tasked with making recommendations for a fiscal plan for the special session.

Lawmakers in 2018 began using oil wealth fund earnings, long tapped to pay dividends, to also help pay for government, and they sought to limit what can be withdrawn each year for those purposes. Dunleavy is proposing rolling the earnings into the fund's principal and calling for a limited withdrawal  one that's split 50/50 between dividends and government.

He outlined the approach in May, after arguing for years that the longstanding dividend formula should be followed until it's changed. Proposed constitutional amendments require two-thirds support in each the House and Senate to advance to the ballot, and Dunleavy wants a vote on his plan.

We're going to do our best to present as many options as possible to try and get them to bring something to the floor so the people of Alaska at least can see where people stand on the issues  but more importantly to try and solve them," he said.

Revenue Commissioner Lucinda Mahoney presented the working group with a list of revenue measures she said Dunleavy would support if lawmakers supported them, including a sales tax, legalized gambling and raising the motor fuels tax.

Dunleavy told the AP that he would consider possible revenue if they were part of a package that included a meaningful constitutional spending limit.

Senate Minority Leader Tom Begich, an Anchorage Democrat, said he doesnt see the will for a 50/50 plan in the Legislature.

Some lawmakers are concerned with the costs, and some don't think the dividend or a dividend formula should be in the state Constitution.

I think this session lands us on the shoal that shows that were not going to get 50/50 and were not going to get 80/20, Begich said, referring to a proposal that would designate 20% of a draw to dividends.

That would leave lawmakers to work from there later this year or during the next regular session in January, he said.

Dunleavy, who has spent much of his term under threat of a recall effort initially fueled by public anger over proposed budget cuts, filed a letter of intent to seek reelection Friday.
NORWALK, Conn. (AP)  Norm Bloom enjoys watching his 5-year-old grandson, Jack, out on one of their oyster boats dressed in his little waders, helping the crew as they pull in dredge cages full of the shellfish from the bottom of Norwalk Harbor.

He'd be out there on deck all day every day if he could, Bloom said, during a recent harvesting trip with his son, Jimmy. Or maybe it will be Jack's little sister Grace; she loves to get dirty. She might end up being the next oysterman in the family.

Whatever the case, Norm and Jimmy Bloom are confident that Copps Island Oysters, the family's 12,000 acre (4,856 hectare) oyster farming business that has been in Norwalk since the 1940s, will have a next generation.

That wasn't always clear. Connecticuts oyster industry is once again thriving, about 25 years after it almost disappeared, decimated by MSX, a parasitic disease that attacks oysters. Government and private efforts to clean up Long Island Sound, develop disease-resistant shellfish and find new markets have helped aquaculture become a $30 million a year business in Connecticut, with oysters accounting for about half of that, state agriculture officials said.

Were the Napa Valley of oysters, Gov. Ned Lamont said last month, while signing a bill that will give tax breaks to the industry, treating oystermen much like farmers on land.

There are aquaculture farms up and down the Connecticut shoreline, where ideal habitats exist, especially at the mouths of rivers where the fresh water spills into Long Island Sound.

They are all helped by the state of Connecticut, which maintains more than 17,500 acres (7,081 hectares) of natural shellfish beds. Oystermen get permits to work those public beds, harvesting seed oysters to transplant to their own grounds. It's a system that helps keeps the industry going, even in bad years, agriculture officials said.

And there have been bad years, when parasites have killed oysters. Large storms like Sandy and Irene have overwhelmed sewage systems, polluting the harbors while churning up shellfish beds and burying them under silt, where the oysters suffocate and die.

Over the past three decades, the state has been working with municipalities, industry experts, local harbor management and shellfish commissions and environmental groups such as Harbor Watch to monitor and improve the water quality of the Sound, the rivers that flow into it and their estuaries.

Dick Harris, who founded Harbor Watch, monitors the water quality in seven harbors for Blooms company. He said frequent testing and subsequent investigations have led to the closure of numerous illegal connections to storm drains, where companies had been dumping raw sewage into the water.

That has meant cleaner water and far fewer days that oystermen have had to suspend operations because of high bacteria counts.

When I first started this thing, Norwalk Harbor was a disaster, Harris said. Low oxygen levels, multiple fish kills every year because of the lack of oxygen, extremely high bacteria counts. Today were in a position where the counts in the outer reaches of the harbor on a normal day are zero.

But the industry continues to face threats, from old sewage infrastructure to climate change.

Tessa Getchis, an aquaculture specialist with Connecticut Sea Grant, a University of Connecticut-based program that supports the aquaculture in Long Island Sound, said the biggest concern she hears from oystermen is the increase in frequency of extreme storms and the associated closing of shellfish harvest areas because of runoff and contamination.

Even a moderate storm can wreak havoc on businesses, she said. Not only can there be extended harvest area closures, but in many cases, boats and equipment may need to be temporarily relocated to avoid impacts."

But modern farming techniques are helping with that, she said. The Blooms, for example, are building an oyster hatchery in New Haven, which will help make sure their farm always has a steady supply of seed shellfish.

Last year, when restaurants closed due to the coronavirus pandemic , the oyster market dried up. But some companies were able to adapt. At Indian River Shellfish, a small oyster company on the Madison-Clinton line, owners Mike Gilman and George Harris opened a fish stand so they could sell directly to customers, helping to make up lost revenue.

UConn's Sea Grant also helped keep oystermen afloat by hiring them to rehabilitate the state's natural beds. They would find oyster shells that had been buried in silt and mud and relocate them to areas where oyster larvae could attach to them and begin growing.

More than 1,800 acres of those beds were rehabilitated in 2020, officials said.

Gilman is pushing the state to do more to help small operations such as his. This years aquaculture legislation included funding for a shellfish council and money for marketing.

Id like to the state establish an oyster trail, like the wine trail they already have, Gilman said. That way people can go up and down the coast from place to place, sampling all the different oysters we have. Then wed really be the Napa Valley of oysters.
NORFOLK, Va. (AP)  A former pharmacy technician on Friday pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining some 50,000 doses of opioids and other prescription medications.

Raj Parekh, acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said Justin Feliciano Agloro stole a large supply of prescription medications from a hospital that were intended for the treatment of deserving patients.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  DNA has linked a suspect to three separate assaults that occurred 28 years ago in New Orleans, authorities said.

U.S. Marshals and the New Orleans Police Department's Violent Offender Warrant Squad arrested Bobby Parker, 57, on Friday on two counts of first-degree rape, second-degree rape and three counts of second-degree kidnapping, New Orleans police said. Parker is being held without bond at the Orleans Parish Prison. It was unknown if he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Israel on Saturday condemned Polands approval of a law that restricts the rights of Holocaust survivors or their descendants to reclaim property seized by the countrys former communist regime and announced it was recalling its top diplomat in protest.

The move ignited a diplomatic crisis between Israels new government and the nationalist conservative government in Poland. After years of close ties under former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israels new government, which includes top officials who are the children of Holocaust survivors, has taken a far more confrontational approach.

Polish President Andrzej Duda earlier in the day signed the law, which addresses appropriations done by the communist government that ruled Poland from the end of World War II until 1989.

The law itself says nothing about the Holocaust or World War II. Instead it establishes that any administrative decision issued 30 years ago or more can no longer be challenged, meaning that property owners who had their homes or business seized in the communist era can no longer get compensation.

It is expected to cut off for all time the hopes of some families  both Jewish and non-Jewish  of reclaiming property seized during that era.

Both the U.S. and Israeli governments had strongly urged Poland not to pass the law and Israel had warned it would harm ties.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called Duda's signing of the law a shameful decision and disgraceful contempt for the memory of the Holocaust and said Poland has chosen to continue harming those who have lost everything.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said that he had instructed Israel's charges d'affaires in Warsaw to return home immediately and that the new Israeli ambassador to Poland, who was scheduled to leave for Warsaw, will remain in Israel.

The Israel Foreign Ministry also said it was recommending that the Polish ambassador, who is on vacation home, not return to Israel.

Poland today approved  not for the first time  an immoral, anti-Semitic law, said Lapid, whose late father was a Holocaust survivor.

Defense Minister Defense Minister Benny Gantz, noting that he was the son of Holocaust survivors, said he was deeply disturbed."

Property restitution is a small yet significant part of the process to fulfill the rights of those who have survived and to acknowledge those who have perished in one of the worlds biggest genocides, Gantz said.

Duda said Saturday that he had analyzed the matter carefully and decided to sign the law to end legal uncertainty and fraud linked to properties whose ownership remains in doubt decades after their seizure.

The law does not distinguish between Jewish and non-Jewish claimants, and Duda said he strongly objected to anyone suggesting that the law was directed specifically against Jews who survived the Holocaust.

I unequivocally reject this rhetoric and say it with all my strength," Duda said. Linking this act with the Holocaust raises my firm objection.

Before World War II, Poland was home to Europes largest Jewish community of nearly 3.5 million people. Most were killed in the Holocaust and their properties confiscated by the Nazis.

Some of the small numbers of Polish Jews who survived faced violence and persecution at Polish hands after the war, driving many to emigrate to countries including the United States and Israel, which was founded as a sanctuary for Jews after the Holocaust and which today is home to tens of thousands of aging Holocaust survivors.

Polands post-war communist authorities seized many of those properties, along with the property of many non-Jewish owners in Warsaw and other cities.

When communism fell in 1989, it opened up the possibility for claimants to try to regain family properties. Some cases have been resolved in courts, but Poland has never passed a comprehensive law that would regulate restituting or compensating seized properties.

Complicating the matter, some criminal groups in past years have falsely claimed to represent rightful owners, obtaining valuable properties though fraud, and later evicting tenants from the properties.

I am convinced that with my signature the era of legal chaos ends  the era of re-privatization mafias, the uncertainty of millions of Poles and the lack of respect for the basic rights of citizens of our country. I believe in a state that protects its citizens against injustice, Duda said.

The legislation was widely supported across the political spectrum in Poland.

The last major diplomatic crisis between Israel and Poland erupted in 2018 when Warsaw introduced a law that many in Israel viewed as an attempt to suppress discussion of crimes that Poles committed against Jews during the German occupation of World War II. The law was eventually watered down and has not been applied.

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Federman reported from Jerusalem.
HONG KONG (AP)  Hong Kong police are reportedly investigating the group that organizes an annual protest march marking the semiautonomous territory's handover to China for possible violation of the national security law.

Police are gathering evidence and could take action against the Civil Human Rights Front, which holds the July 1 march each year and also organized some of the bigger political protests that roiled the city in 2019, Police Commissioner Raymond Siu Chak-yee told Ta Kung Pao newspaper in an interview published Friday.

Siu told the newspaper that the group never formally registered with the government nor the police since it was established in 2002.

Anyone who violates the law, they better not think they can escape, Siu was quoted as saying.

A spokesperson for the Hong Kong Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The group would be the latest target of a sweeping crackdown on dissent that has followed Beijing's imposition of the national security law on the territory last year. The legislation outlaws secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign collusion and has been used to arrest more than 100 pro-democracy figures since it was first implemented a year ago as well as the closure of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily.

The crackdown has virtually silenced opposition voices in the city  and drawn sanctions from the U.S. against Hong Kong and Chinese government officials.

The South China Morning Post newspaper reported Friday that the Civil Human Rights Front had decided to disband, but did not publicly announce the decision. The group did not respond to requests for comment through their social media sites, while a public email for the group returned an error message.

The group organized massive protests in June 2019 against a proposed extradition law that would have allowed suspects in Hong Kong to stand trial in mainland China, where the judicial system is opaque and often criticized as abusive. The proposed law was seen as further infringement from Beijing on the freedoms the former British colony was promised it could maintain following the 1997 handover.

Although the proposed bill was eventually withdrawn, the massive protests later burgeoned into broader calls for greater democratic freedoms, leading to months of demonstrations that at times turned violent between police and protesters.

Since the national security law was enacted, many unions, associations and political organizations have disbanded amid concerns that the law could be used to target them. The citys largest teachers union  widely seen as pro-democracy  disbanded earlier this week, citing drastic changes in the political landscape.

Siu said in the interview that the Civil Human Rights Front had held multiple rallies in the past year that possibly violated the security law, even as authorities previously said that the national security law was not retroactive.

The organization was previously part of a police probe in April over the legality of their operations.

Some of the most prominent members of the Civil Human Rights Front, including former leaders Figo Chan and Jimmy Sham, are currently in jail on charges related to their activism.

Chan was convicted of organizing an unauthorized assembly, while Sham has been remanded in custody since March over his involvement in an unofficial primary election last year that the authorities say was part of a plot to paralyze the government.
BERLIN (AP)  Luxembourg has rejected an application by Russian state broadcaster RT for a license to distribute its German-language service via satellite.

Authorities in the grand duchy said Friday they concluded that Luxembourg wasn't the right jurisdiction to rule on the request because RT's German service is based in Berlin and a significant part of its workforce is in Germany.
The Latest developments on Afghanistan, where a weeklong Taliban offensive is now approaching the outskirts of the capital, Kabul, after the insurgents captured most of the north, west and south of the country, just weeks ahead of the final pullout of all U.S. and NATO troops:

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WASHINGTON  A defense official says President Joe Biden has authorized an additional 1,000 U.S. troops for deployment to Afghanistan.

That raises to roughly 5,000 the number of U.S. troops to ensure what Biden calls an orderly and safe drawdown of American and allied personnel. U.S. troops will also help evacuate Afghans who worked with the military during the nearly two-decade war.

The Pentagon said earlier that 3,000 troops are being sent to Kabul to join the nearly 1,000 already there. Biden's statement on Saturday didnt explain the breakdown of the 5,000 troops he said had been deployed.

But a defense official tells The Associated Press that the president has approved Defense Secretary Lloyd Austins recommendation that the lead battalion of the 82nd Airborne Brigade Combat Team assist in the State Departments drawdown.

The situation in Afghanistan has worsened in recent days with the Afghan government losing control of many parts of the country.

The statement also says Biden has directed Secretary of State Antony Blinken to support Afghan President Asraf Ghani and engage with regional leaders in the pursuit of a political settlement with the Taliban.

The administration also conveyed to Taliban representatives in Qatar, where the insurgents maintain a political office, that any actions in Afghanistan that harm U.S. personnel will be met by a swift and strong military response.

-- Robert Burns and Josh Boak in Washington;

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MORE ON THE CRISIS IN AFGHANISTAN:

 Taliban approach Kabuls outskirts, attack north Afghan city

 As Taliban tighten their grip, Kabul airport only way out

 Longest war: Were Americas decades in Afghanistan worth it?

 More Marines arrive in Kabul to aid urgent embassy airlift

 Costs of the Afghanistan war, in lives and dollars

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HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

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KABUL, Afghanistan  The Taliban have appointed a hard-line cleric as the womens affairs minister in Herat, a province they captured earlier in the week in their blitz across Afghanistan.

The development indicates Taliban intentions to install Islamic rule, or Sharia, in the part of Afghanistan under their control. The Taliban offensive has been unstoppable and they are now approaching the countrys capital, Kabul.

A prominent womens activist told The Associated Press that the insurgents named Mujeeb Rahman Ansari to the post on Saturday. The activist, who declined to be identified by her name for fear for her safety, spoke from Kabul.

She described Ansari as an extremist cleric who had some following in western Herat.

She said he was strongly against womens rights after rising to prominence around 2015. The activist says Ansari became infamous for the dozens of billboards he installed all over Herat province demonizing those who would promote womens rights. His billboards told women to wear the Islamic headscarf, or hijab.

Kathy Gannon in Guelph, Canada;

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WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have held a secure video conference on Saturday morning with national security officials in response to the worsening situation in Afghanistan.

A White House official says they discussed efforts to reduce the number of U.S. civilians in Afghanistan, evacuate Afghans who worked with the U.S. government and the fast-moving changes on the ground. The official insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations.

The discussions came as a fresh contingent of Marines arrived in the Afghan capital on Saturday as part of a 3,000-troop force intended to secure an airlift of U.S. Embassy personnel and Afghan allies as Taliban insurgents approach the outskirts of the capital.

The last-minute decision to re-insert thousands of U.S. troops into Afghanistan reflects the dire state of security and calls into question whether Biden will meet his Aug. 31 deadline for fully withdrawing combat forces.

Joshua Boak in Washington;

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PRAGUE  Czech Republics Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhanek says he has decided to immediately evacuate Czech diplomats from the Czech Embassy in the capital of Afghanistan to Kabuls international airport.

Kulhanek says the decision was based on information from the allies and the Czech ambassador.

Czech leaders will meet later on Saturday to discuss what to do next due to the serious situation in Afghanistan where a Taliban offensive has now encircled Kabul.

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BERLIN  The Green partys candidate to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor in next months election has accused Germanys government of abandoning Afghans who worked for the German army.

Annalena Baerbock said during a campaign event in Hannover on Saturday, that many people in Afghanistan did everything they could to support the Bundeswehr mission as interpreters, by building infrastructure or as drivers.

Its really disastrous that these people have been abandoned in recent days, she said, calling for those Afghan workers now fearing for their lives to be rescued.

Germanys foreign minister announced on Friday that his country is preparing charter flights to bring German diplomats and local staff out of Afghanistan.

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ROME  Italy is preparing for the possible evacuation of its embassy employees as the Taliban continue its advance, pushing closer to the Afghan capital of Kabul.

If it is necessary, we will quickly bring everyone to safety in Italy, with the important help of the Defense Ministry, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio told Corriere della Sera in an interview published Saturday.

In that case, he said that funds that so far have been used to secure Afghan operations could be redirected to provide protection to Afghans who have worked with Italian military and civilian officials there.

Di Maio acknowledged the specter of increased migration ahead of the Talibans advance, as well as the risk of terrorist infiltration. He said the threat needed to be managed by working with other countries to control flows.

Italy formally withdrew its troops from Afghanistan in June.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP)  A new trial date has been set for this fall in the trial of a former Alabama nurse charged with murder in the death of her husband, who authorities say was poisoned.

A judge scheduled the trial of Marjorie Nikki Cappello, 35, to begin Oct. 4, WHNT-TV reported. The case already has been delayed several times.
OLATHE, Kan. (AP)  The most populous county in Kansas is requiring its employees to submit to weekly COVID-19 testing if they aren't vaccinated.

With the sharp increase of the delta variant, we want employees to be safe, Johnson County Manager Penny Postoak Ferguson said in a statement. Vaccination is one of the best tools we have to help prevent serious illness or passing the virus on to our colleagues or the people we serve.
LAS VEGAS (AP)  The owner of a Las Vegas hotel that was fined a year ago for defying state coronavirus pandemic restrictions and hosting a beauty pageant and a faith-based Donald Trump campaign rally has lost a court challenge of the governors directives that limited meeting sizes.

State Attorney General Aaron Ford said Fridays ruling against Ahern Hotel and Convention Center amounted to a finding by a court that emergency orders issued by Gov. Steve Sisolak after COVID-19 emerged in March 2020 balance the rights and safety of state residents.

Today, the court recognized what we already knew  the state has a responsibility to protect the lives of Nevadans, Ford said.

Attorney Sigal Chattah, representing the hotel owned by construction equipment business mogul Don Ahern, was traveling Friday and unavailable for immediate comment about whether they would appeal.

In a verbal ruling, Clark County District Court Judge Nancy Allf decided the lawsuit filed in August 2020 was moot because there are no more occupancy limits imposed by the state, Ford said. The city of Las Vegas and its planning director also were named as defendants.

Ahern acquired the hotel in 2019 after it opened in 2016 as the Lucky Dragon and quickly closed.

The property, doing business as 300 West Sahara LLC, was fined nearly $11,000 after holding an Evangelicals for Trump event at which a city employee tallied more than 1,100 attendees  far more than the 50-person limit Sisolak has ordered for public and private events at the time.

Organizers of the Mrs. Nevada America pageant held days later removed spectators to comply with crowd limits.

The lawsuit said there was no rational basis that a hotel or convention center should be treated differently than restaurants and casinos, which at the time were allowed to operate at 50% capacity.
LAS VEGAS (AP)  As a Las Vegas physician, wellness advocate and lifestyle blogger, Dr. Audrey Sue Cruz is a lot of things. And now she's a Barbie doll.

Toy company Mattel chose her as a role model for one of six new Barbies honoring women the company identified as heroes during the coronavirus pandemic.

Cruz, the 31-year-old mother of a young son, recalled playing with Barbie dolls as a child. She told the Las Vegas Sun she was in shock when Mattel contacted her.

I was just in shock, she said. I was like, What? Im just this person. I dont think that Im special. I dont feel like my story is that unique.

During the pandemic, Cruz worked as a front-line worker in hospital and clinic settings for Intermountain Healthcare in Las Vegas.

Her doll has long, brown hair and is wearing a white doctors coat, blue scrubs, stethoscope and tiny mask.

Cruz also blogged about her life as a doctor, posted wellness content and collaborated with other Asian-American physicians during a rise in anti-Asian-related crime to create a video accompanied by the hashtag #IAmNotAVirus.

We wanted to use our voices to speak up for this population that may not necessarily be able to speak up for themselves or dont have the platform that we do, said Cruz, a Filipina American.

Mattel credits her with fighting racial bias and discrimination.

Cruz has made a positive impact in her community, inspiring current and future generations for years to come, a news release from the company said.

Im so incredibly honored to be a Barbie Role Model, shining a light on the commitment and compassion all frontline workers exhibited over the past year and a half and every single day, Cruz said in a statement reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Cruz and Amy OSullivan, a registered nurse from New York who helped treat the first COVID-19 patient at Brooklyns Wyckoff Heights Medical Center and contracted the virus, were the only U.S. models for dolls.

Other honorees are Canadas Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa, professor Sarah Gilbert of the United Kingdom, Dr. Jaqueline Goes de Jesus of Brazil and Dr. Kirby White of Australia.

Mattel Inc. called the women experts in their fields who have shown unprecedented courage during a challenging time, and inspirations for current and future generations.

Cruz began blogging during her medical residency at Loma Linda University in California. She now has more than 112,000 Instagram followers.

She told the Sun she didnt know what to expect when she returned to work from maternity leave in March 2020, just as COVID-19 restrictions brought the world to a standstill.

Cruz recalled daily 12-hour shifts with little personal protective equipment and hospitals across the country filling near capacity.

She sent her infant son, JJ, to live with her parents to protect him from potential exposure to the virus.

We didnt have the vaccine. We had to wear the same N95 masks for like a whole week, Cruz said. But it was reassuring because I knew that he was kind of out of harms way or out of my exposure circle.

Cruz made a positive impact in her community, inspiring current and future generations for years to come, the company said in a statement.

Cruz was 5 when her father moved the family from Hawaii to Las Vegas for a job at Nellis Air Force Base. She has electrical engineering and medical degrees from the University of Nevada, Reno.

She called her blog a therapeutic outlet to talk about her experiences as an internal medicine physician and mother. But she also posts tips about fitness and wellness.

I really use it to help motivate and inspire others  that they can do it too  because I didnt have something like that when I was younger, and I definitely wish I did, she said.

Mattel said it will donate $5 for each of the limited edition dolls sold at Target stores to the First Responders Childrens Foundation. The charity provides college scholarships, grant and funeral expenses, and paid for hotel rooms to help first responders self-isolate.
MIAMI (AP)  A young mother had just celebrated her first wedding anniversary and was one of six members of a Jacksonville church to die over a 10-day span.

Another Florida woman had just given birth to her first child, but was only able to hold the newborn girl for a few moments before dying.

A California man died a few weeks shy of his 53rd birthday while his wife was on a ventilator at the same hospital in Oakland, unaware of his passing on Aug. 4.

The COVID-19 death toll has started soaring again as the delta variant tears through the nation's unvaccinated population and fills up hospitals with patients, many of whom are younger than during earlier phases of the pandemic.

The U.S. is now averaging about 650 deaths a day, increasing more than 80 percent from two weeks ago and going past the 600 mark on Saturday for the first time in three months.

Data on the the age and demographics of victims during the delta surge is still limited, but hospitals in virus hotspots say they are clearly seeing more admissions and deaths among people under the age of 65.

Florida hospital officials are seeing an influx of young, healthy adults filling their wards across the state, many requiring oxygen. In the past week in Florida, 36% of the deaths occurred in the under-65 population, compared with 17% in the same week last year when the state was experiencing a similar COVID surge. Florida is the national leader in coronavirus deaths, averaging more than 150 a day in the past week.

The younger patients mark a shift from the elderly and frail, many living in nursing homes, who succumbed to the virus a year ago before states made seniors a priority to get inoculated first. More than 90 percent of seniors have had at least one shot, compared to about 70 percent for Americans under 65.

At a predominantly Black church in Jacksonville with a hipster vibe, contemporary music, and a strong social media presence reflective of its young, energetic congregation, six members died over 10 days starting in late July. All were under the age of 35.

They were all healthy, all unvaccinated, laments Pastor George Davis of Impact Church, who knew each one personally and has struggled with his own grief at the funerals. He's held two vaccination events for his congregation of about 6,000 where over 1,000 received shots.

Among the church members who died were a 24-year-old man Davis watched grow up since he was a toddler, and a woman from his worship team who celebrated her first wedding anniversary only weeks before she died. Her husband recovered.

Davis said the young woman was just the picture of health, vibrant.

There is a sense among younger people that they are somehow invincible, said Dr. Leana Wen, public health professor at George Washington University and former Baltimore Health Commissioner. Unfortunately, though, some people who are hospitalized are going to die and thats going to mean some people who are younger; and as youve seen these are people in some cases who are leaving behind young children.

Among those parents are Kristen McMullen, who had decorated her babys room with rainbows and suns, fully embracing her favorite season, summer  after which she would name her first child.

The 30-year-old woman fell ill three weeks before her due date and was admitted to a hospital in Melbourne, Florida, with COVID-19.

After an emergency cesarean section, McMullen was able to hold her baby girl for a few moments before being rushed off to an intensive care unit, where she later died.

She would say that she was scared and that she didnt want to die, her aunt Melissa Syverson said, struggling to talk in between sobs. She was fighting to get back to the baby.

McMullens aunt said her family did not want to disclose whether McMullen was vaccinated.

Carlos Reyes was skeptical of the vaccine and so was his wife, Maria  until they and their two teenage children had to be rushed to the hospital in Oakland.

Their 14-year-old son, Sergio, did not need to stay after getting oxygen while 19-year-old Emma joined her parents in the intensive care unit. She was released after a few days, and the parents were put on ventilators.

Their 32-year-old daughter who has an auto-immune disease was the only one vaccinated when they fell ill.

"We were all just a little hesitant at the beginning," said the couple's oldest daughter, Jasmine Rivas Fierro, 34.

Their four children didnt want to break their mother's heart by telling her while she was still in intensive care that Carlos had died a day after their 22nd anniversary.

She loved him so much," Rivas Fierro said of her mother, who is still in the hospital.

The family is telling people that they must be fully vaccinated to attend Carlos' funeral next week.

Cindy Dawkins also left behind four children, ranging in age from 12 to 24. She died Aug. 7, less than a week after she celebrated her 50th birthday with her family at Universal Studios in Orlando. She had a cough and seemed tired that day before her condition quickly deteriorated and she had to be rushed to the hospital in an ambulance.

Her family believes she contracted the virus at her waitressing job at a bistro in their hometown of Boynton Beach, Fla., where her coworkers have also tested positive. She was healthy and had been getting tested regularly but was still mulling over getting the vaccine.

Maybe the vaccine would have helped fight it, but I dont know if it would have completely stopped it," her 20-year-old son, Tre Burrows, said.

As the family wrestles with grief and sorts out guardianship of Dawkins' youngest children, they are also saddened by what could have been. Dawkins came to the U.S. from the Bahamas when she was in high school and her children say she was close to becoming an American citizen, an event the family planned to celebrate with a trip over Thanksgiving.

Everything was finally going right, her daughter Jenny Burrows said. And then this happened.

___

This story has been updated to correct that the hospital where McMullen died is in Melbourne, Florida, not West Melbourne.

__

Dazio reported from Los Angeles.
QUINCY, Calif. (AP)  Johnnie Brookwood had never heard of a road named Dixie when a wildfire began a month ago in the forestlands of Northern California.

Within three weeks, it exploded into the largest wildfire burning in the U.S., destroying more than 1,000 homes and businesses including a lodge in the gold rush-era town of Greenville where she was renting a room for $650 per month.

At first (the fire) didn't affect us at all, it was off in some place called Dixie, I didn't even know what it means," Brookwood, 76, said Saturday. Then it was Oh no we have to go too? Surely Greenville won't burn, but then it did and now all we can see are ashes.

Firefighters faced another critical day" as thunderstorms pushed flames closer to two towns not far from where the Dixie Fire destroyed much of Greenville last week.

The thunderstorms, which began Friday, didn't produce much rain but whipped up wind and created lightning strikes, forcing crews to focus on using bulldozers to build lines and keep the blaze from reaching Westwood, a town of about 1,700 people. Westwood was placed under evacuation orders Aug. 5.

Wind gusts of up to 50 mph (80 kph) also pushed the fire closer to Janesville, a town of about 1,500 people, east of Greenville, said Jake Cagle, the operations chief at the east zone of the fire.

Very tough day in there yesterday in the afternoon and the night (crew) picked up the pieces and tried to secure the edge the best they could with the resources they had, he said in a briefing Saturday.

With a similar forecast of thunderstorms Saturday, firefighters faced another critical day, another challenging day, Cagle said.

The fire was among more than 100 large wildfires burning in more than a dozen states in the West seared by drought and hot, bone-dry weather that turned forests, brushlands, meadows and pastures into tinder.

The U.S. Forest Service said Friday its operating in crisis mode, fully deploying firefighters and maxing out its support system.

The roughly 21,000 federal firefighters working on the ground is more than double the number of firefighters sent to contain forest fires at this time a year ago, said Anthony Scardina, a deputy forester for the agencys Pacific Southwest region.

More than 6,000 firefighters alone were battling the Dixie Fire, which has ravaged nearly 845 square miles (2,100 square kilometers)  an area the size of Tokyo  and was 31% contained.

The size is unimaginable, its duration and its impact on these people, all of us, including me, is unbelieve, Brookwood said while staying in her third evacuation center.

The cause of the fire has not been determined. Pacific Gas and Electric has said the fire may have been started when a tree fell on its power line.

There also was a danger of new fires erupting because of unstable weather conditions, including extreme heat across the northern half of the West and a chance of thunderstorms that could bring lightning to Northern California, Oregon and Nevada, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

A fast-moving fire broke out Saturday afternoon east of Salt Lake City, shutting down Interstate 80 and prompting the evacuation of Summit Park, a mountain community of 6,600 people. Fire officials said the blaze was burning about 3 square miles (8 square kilometers) and threatening thousands of homes and power lines.

In southeastern Montana, firefighters were gaining ground on a pair of fires that chewed through vast rangelands and at one point threatened the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation.

The fires were caused by heat from coal seams, the deposits of coal found in the ground in the area, said Peggy Miller, a spokeswoman for the fires.

Mandatory evacuation for the tribal headquarters town of Lame Deer remained in place due to poor air quality, she added.

Smoke also drove air pollution levels to unhealthy or very unhealthy levels in parts of Northern California, Oregon and Idaho, according to the U.S. Air Quality Index.

Hot, dry weather with strong afternoon winds also propelled several fires in Washington state, and similar weather was expected into the weekend, fire officials said.

In southeastern Oregon, two new wildfires started by lightning Thursday near the California border spread rapidly through juniper trees, sagebrush and evergreen trees.

The Patton Meadow Fire about 14 miles (23 kilometers) west of Lakeview, near the California border, exploded to 11 square miles (28 square kilometers) in less than 24 hours in a landscape sucked dry by extreme drought. It was 10% contained.

Triple-digit temperatures and bone-dry conditions in Oregon could increase fire risks through the weekend.

Climate change has made the U.S. West warmer and drier in the past 30 years and will continue to make the weather more extreme and wildfires more destructive, according to scientists.

Dozens of fires also are burning in western Canada and in Europe, including Greece, where a massive wildfire has decimated forests and torched homes.

___

This story was corrected to show the Dixie Fire was likely caused by a tree falling onto a power line, according to PG&E, not by lightning.

___

Nguyen reported from Oakland, California. Matthew Brown in Billings, Montana, Olga R. Rodriguez in San Francisco and Gillian Flaccus in Portland, Oregon, contributed to this report.
Decades of rising homelessness in the Bay Area and across California may lead many to conclude that its a problem we cant solve. Its a false conclusion. The causes of homelessness are manifold and often complex. But they are well known to us and well within our grasp to address. Where we have failed is achieving the scale necessary to solve the problem and deploying our resources in a more efficient and tightly coordinated way.

At a federal level, we have dramatically defunded housing assistance programs like Section 8 designed to prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place. At the state, regional and local levels, we have come up woefully short in changing restrictive housing policies that have made much of California unaffordable for many residents and, in particular, those at the greatest risk of falling into homelessness. And at all levels, including in the private sector, we have failed to break down political, administrative, bureaucratic and other barriers that keep us from achieving scale.

A recent report by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute highlights the many causes and painful human consequences of doing too little, moving too slowly and acting with little coordination. But the report also offers a path forward. We need to scale up funding, scale up policy solutions and scale up coordination among the disparate government and nongovernmental organizations responsible for tackling our homeless problem. With California lawmakers recently committing $12 billion over the next two years to address homelessness and affordable housing, the time is now to strike.

There can be little question homelessness is a major problem. The nine-county Bay Area had an estimated 35,118 homeless individuals in 2020, the third largest concentration of homelessness in the U.S. and up 24% in just three years. Since 2017, nearly a quarter of all new homelessness in the U.S. has occurred in the Bay Area. We are dead last nationally in unsheltered homelessness. An incredible 77% of Bay Area homeless residents lack access to basic shelter, the highest percent in the U.S. and far higher than most regions.

Our high rate of homelessness is consistent with other U.S. regions with expensive rental markets. This helps explain why expensive places like San Francisco and New York City have large homeless populations while places with inexpensive housing markets  like Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama  do not despite having high rates of poverty.

Insufficient regional and state coordination undermine the Bay Areas ability to make progress. The Bay Areas nine counties and 101 municipalities lack the ability to each independently address a problem that simply does not respect jurisdictional boundaries.

Add to these other challenges facing all U.S. cities, including substance abuse, mental health and shrinking federal support for affordable housing, and you have all the ingredients for our current crisis. The Bay Area Council Economic Institute estimates it would cost about $9 billion in one-time costs, and $2.5 billion annually, to scale up the regions inventory of shelters, permanent housing and prevention programs to meet current needs.

Thankfully, Californias record budget surplus and new leadership in Washington, D.C., makes that seemingly fanciful objective closer than ever. In addition to the state funding, including $2.5 billion for the Bay Area-based on population, federal legislation by Rep. Maxine Waters would commit Congress to fully funding the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program and extending rental assistance to the 8.2 million households that currently qualify but receive no benefits because of lack of funding. By fully funding Section 8, Congress can help ensure the Bay Areas 267,000 extremely low-income residents, 85% of whom dont receive any housing assistance whatsoever, obtain and remain housed.

Yet the state and federal government cannot solve this problem on their own. The Bay Area should utilize existing tools like the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority, or BAHFA, to create a regional pool of funding to build housing opportunities for high-risk households in all corners of the Bay Area. Revenue measures passed using BAHFA would, for the first time, create regional funding for the construction and preservation of new housing and shelters for very low-income and homeless Bay Area residents.

These investments must be paired with common-sense (and free) policy reforms to help prevent homelessness in the first place. State lawmakers should approve pending legislation that would make it easier to build affordable housing options like duplexes and accessory dwelling units, and to further reduce local barriers to building emergency shelters to ensure nobody sleeps outdoors.

The Bay Areas homelessness crisis was decades in the making, but the time to solve it is now. Thats why were urging leaders in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., to act, and why were committed to helping the region do its part to bring this tragic chapter in our history to a close.

Libby Schaaf is the mayor of Oakland, a member of Gov. Newsoms Council of Regional Homeless Advisors and co-chair of the bipartisan Mayors and CEOs for U.S. Housing Investment. Paul Markovich is the president and CEO of Oakland-based not-for-profit health plan Blue Shield of California.
California officially reopens Tuesday after 15 months of restrictions and lockdowns for the COVID-19 pandemic.

California has done a great job in vaccine distribution and uptake, surpassing President Joe Bidens desired metric of 70% eligible residents receiving their first dose on May 31. However, the general perception that more restrictive measures throughout the pandemic kept Californians safe is not reflected in our difficult third surge, nor the mental health effects on Californias children of prolonged school closures. On this reopening day, it is important to reflect on three mistakes California made in the hopes that more data-driven approaches can be applied to guide us safely out of the pandemic completely.

School closures

California to this day officially has the lowest number of children back to full in-person learning of all 50 states. We have not budged from this last-place position despite data from multiple countries and places in our own (Wisconsin, North Carolina, Utah, Chicago, New York City) demonstrating the safety of in-person learning with mitigation procedures for children and staff. Even in households, children have a threefold lower chance of catching COVID-19 than adults and, if they do, are about half as likely to spread it. Unfortunately, despite article after article by California-based scientists on the safety of in-person learning (in local and national periodicals), almost 80% of our students have not seen the inside of a classroom since March 2020.

The depressing contrast of watching Californias private schools reopen safely for nearly the entire year while public schools remained shuttered underscored the inequities that were deepened by basing decisions off models and metrics that did not reflect the true risk to students and educators. California students with the means to pay tuition or form private learning pods had a school year that approached normal. Those families who did not went without.

The most recent article we wrote from UCSF last week in the Wall Street Journal about school closures detailed the tragic mental health costs of this mistake California made towards our children. Data from hospitals in the Bay Area showed a 66-75% increase among 10- to 17-year-olds screening positive for active or recent suicidal ideation from last year. California Department of Public Health (CDPH) data showed 134 youth under age 18 in California died by suicide in 2020, up 24% from 108 in 2019, and well above totals from 2017 and 2018. Adult suicide rates were down by 11% concomitantly, speaking to additional stressors among children beyond the pandemic from losing support structures in schools. Our data was reflected in national CDC data released last week showing a 50% increase in emergency department visits for suicide attempts among American adolescents (mainly girls) during the pandemic.

Despite publishing a blueprint that detailed metrics for normal school openings for the fall in the New York Times  which are metrics that we have already reached in California  the Los Angeles Unified School District proposed this week twice weekly testing and masking of children and teachers in the fall. Asymptomatic testing of children is not recommended in the yellow tier in California, and we exited the tier-based system in our state today. The CDC recommends masking indoors only in areas of high community transmission and already indicated a plan to likely discontinue mask requirements for children indoors in the fall if community transmission stays low. California continuing the same mistakes around schools for the fall and signaling abnormal to our children may lead to ongoing mental health effects.

Closing the outdoors

On Dec. 3, during our third surge, California issued another stay-at-home order which closed large areas of the outside, including outside playgrounds and outdoor dining. However, closing the outdoors, based on how this virus disseminates, is not scientifically based. In fact, SARS-CoV-2 viral particles disperse effectively in the outside air.

A study in Wuhan, China, which utilized careful contact tracing, discovered that just one of 7,324 infection events investigated was linked to outdoor transmission. An extensive review reported that the risk of outdoors transmission of the coronavirus is about 20 times lower than inside. In another analysis of over 232,000 infections in Ireland, only one case of COVID-19 in every thousand was traced to outdoor transmission. And an extensive review from the University of Canterbury last fall concluded that outdoor transmission is rare, citing the opportunity costs of not encouraging the public to congregate outdoors for the potential impact on physical and mental health and wellbeing.

Closing events like outdoor dining may have driven people inside during the holiday season, and California had a terrible third surge over the winter holiday. Many places, like British Columbia, kept the outside open as much as possible to allow for congregation and socialization. The principle of harm reduction is to reduce infections from a contagious pathogen by also acknowledging the real-world conditions that may require essential work to continue or people to want to see loved ones. California took a lockdownist approach, rather than one of harm reduction, which may have harmed small business owners and increased social isolation in our state more than others.

Unmasking and embracing the effectiveness of vaccines

The revised CDC mask guidance May 13 stated that vaccinated people no longer needed to mask, inside or out. Although not messaged well, the backlash to this response and the hesitation by the public to embrace it is partially the fault of Californias messaging around vaccines and masks.

Masks, distancing, ventilation, testing and contact tracing are tools for COVID-19 mitigation. Vaccines and increasing population immunity are the solution. California not only has one of the highest rates of vaccination in the country, but, unfortunately, has natural immunity from our terrible third surge. One of the most comprehensive seroprevalence studies performed in the U.S. was performed by the CDPH and showed a 38% seroprevalence rate after our winter surge and before vaccines were being rolled out to the general population. Natural immunity and vaccinations are contributing to population immunity in our state, which is keeping our case and hospitalization rates low even as we graduate to less restrictive tiers. Low community transmission keeps our unvaccinated children safe, although our summer camp and school guidance has children down to the age of 2 still masking with low cases and hospitalizations for months across our state.

Despite having some of the most amazing immunology-related research coming out of California (at La Jolla Institute for Immunology and UCSF) showing the durability of the immune response to COVID-19 and the effectiveness of the immune response against variants, California continues to message alarm over variants and test asymptomatic individuals after vaccination, despite the CDC recommending following symptomatic breakthroughs. The way through this communication challenge in California around the CDC guidance on May 13 was to message simply and with optimism. Vaccines work. Continuing to message fear undermines trust in the data we have around vaccine effectiveness, even against variants, and prevents people from returning to pursuing normal lives.

The signaling of abnormal will continue to have effects on our schools and personal anxieties and California should step forth with optimism and confidence on the power of immunity to get us through this pandemic on this day of opening.

Interested in submitting an op-ed to SFGATE? Click here.
New fear-based headlines are popping up every day about the SARS-COV-2 delta variant, now the dominant strain in the U.S., with the focus on evidence of its increased transmissibility, questions about its particular ability to break through vaccine protection and the impact that the variant may have on a return to school.

The recent divergence of the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance around mask-wearing has contributed to confusion, as have recent recommendations by Los Angeles County for fully vaccinated individuals to mask indoors. Although it might feel like weve been here before with other variants, the situation in the context of high vaccination rates is totally different.

In the Bay Area, nearly 80% of the population over 18 has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and more than 60% are fully vaccinated. There are similar seroprevalence numbers statewide in California, especially when we consider the significant pool of natural immunity in areas that were tragically hit hard by the virus this past winter. COVID-19-related hospitalizations  the original catalyst for the public health emergency in the United States  are increasingly being decoupled from case rates.

The significance of this decoupling cannot be overstated. There are about 300 patients requiring ICU-level care for COVID-19 in the entire state  tragically among the unvaccinated  and hospitalizations are far below any level seen since the start of the pandemic. Therefore, the public health emergency of the pandemic as we knew it in California has entered a new stage.

We are now in a control phase in our state. Vaccines provide a force field of immunity in our communities that leave mainly unvaccinated, high-risk individuals (and those without prior COVID-19 infection) vulnerable to serious disease. That number is getting smaller every day (despite some hand-wringing over the pace of vaccinations), and the epidemiology is clear that children are not at high-risk for severe disease. There is no evidence that children have served as vectors for transmission of the virus, have worse long-term outcomes or that the delta variant has led to higher rates of hospitalization in children. In fact, we are seeing exactly what we would expect to see with a successful vaccination campaign: As more adults gain immunity, children are protected, too.

This is particularly important as plans for school reopening in the fall reach high gear. The negative health and educational impacts of school closures on children are now abundantly clear. The WHO Europes guidance should be taken to heart by state and local officials here in California: In-person restrictions and school-closure should be a measure of last resort only when there is sustained, high rates of community transmission. In most California counties, we can now follow clear metric-based guidelines to encourage school reopening and attendance.

Messaging heightened anxiety and new masking guidelines around the delta variant also sends a confusing message about vaccines and their effectiveness. One reason the vaccines are modern miracles of science is that they teach our immune system to create lasting protection against variants by harnessing the power of our B cells and T cells.

If you are vaccinated with one of the three vaccines approved in the U.S., your memory B cells can adapt and produce antibodies for whatever variant it sees, while your T cells prevent severe disease, even when your immune system has not seen the delta variant before. If the virus manages to make it past these barriers and you develop symptomatic COVID-19, it is likely to be a mild case. In fact, current data from the ground in Israel reports that the country is not seeing more severe breakthrough infections with delta.

This remarkable ability of the vaccines in preventing hospitalizations (as we have seen in the U.K., Canada and Israel) should drive messaging on school openings, masking, gathering and re-engaging in normal life in communities with high rates of immunity.

On the other hand, implementing public health guidelines that rely heavily on rates of positive PCR tests (that dont incorporate cycle threshold values) in communities with widespread immunity decreases confidence in the vaccines by making them appear less effective than they are. This could slow uptake among the skeptical and does not communicate the idea that asymptomatic, positive PCR tests with high cycle thresholds are not cases."

One of the ironies of a successful vaccination campaign is that the more people who are vaccinated, the more cases there will be among that same population. In a perfectly vaccinated world, 100% of cases would be among vaccinated individuals until the virus no longer has a pool of hosts in which to survive. This is expected and should not be considered evidence of failure or cause for fear about new variants being detected among breakthrough cases.

It follows that we must gauge variants not by their dominance but rather by whether they have the ability to overwhelm local health systems. Californias health system is not at risk of being overwhelmed by the delta variant. Instead, pockets of nonimmune individuals are at risk, and we must focus on targeted, local vaccination campaigns for vulnerable communities and those with questions about vaccine safety and efficacy.

Finally, given the astonishing inequity of the worldwide vaccination campaign, we should expect new variants to emerge as long as there is a lack of collective action to address the vast majority of the worlds population who remain at risk. We know that bringing vaccines directly to people works and we know that Californias vast resources can be put towards assisting the global fight against COVID-19 in places where there is little, if any, immunity. Advancing global vaccine equity  at this stage of the pandemic  as the U.N. secretary general said in February is the biggest moral test before us at this time.

Given that California ranks 50th out of 50 states in resumption of in-person learning during the pandemic, we believe that California should message confidence in the vaccines to persuade remaining holdouts and focus on the public health impact of school closures at this time, even in light of the delta variant.

Interested in submitting an op-ed to SFGATE? Click here.
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Self-proclaimed wellness visionary Therese Kerr - mother of supermodel export Miranda - has long been a public advocate for the benefits of natural medicine and warned of the impact of chemicals on our bodies.

But since the coronavirus pandemic swept across the world, Kerrs wellness philosophy has veered into promoting anti-vaccination material on her social media accounts. Just dont call her an anti-vaxxer. Please know I am not Anti-Vaccination, I am Pro-Vaccination Safety, she posted on Facebook last year.

Miranda Kerr with her mother Therese, a self-proclaimed wellness visionary.

Amid the governments recent push to boost vaccination rates to beat Delta, and speculation employers may be able to mandate vaccines for their workers, Kerr has shared a viral petition for alternate treatment options for COVID-19.

The petition claims to be on behalf of the millions of Australians against the push to force hastily approved and poorly tested novel vaccines on the population, when adequate long term safety data is unavailable.
When the annual Tasmanian Whisky Week concludes today, the state will mark another year as the byword for Australian whisky. Since Lark opened in 1992, becoming the nations first new non-mass-production spirit distiller in a century, Tasmania has led the way in production  currently two-thirds of Australian craft whisky  and reputation.

Victoria is, however, catching up. Since selling its first bottle in 2013, Starward has been a notable exception to our southern neighbours dominance. And the inaugural Melbourne Whisky Week which, lockdowns permitting, begins on Friday, highlights that we have more than one horse in the race. A coming of age for Victorias whisky scene, this series of masterclasses, tastings, tours and more enables the states lesser known distillers to showcase their wares.

M chatted with three of Melbourne Whisky Weeks local participants: all family-owned distilleries experiencing growth spurts, years after starting in circumstances worthy of tales told over a wee dram. Its been a remarkable 21 years for the mainlands first craft distillery, Bakery Hill (bakeryhill.com). Even more astonishing is founder David Bakers admission that when I started making whisky Id never drunk it in my life.

David and Andrew Baker of the Bakery Hill Distillery. Credit:

The then chemistry teacher had perused the odd whisky magazine, though. They all had the premise that the only place in the world you could make whisky was Scotland, because of air and water, recalls Baker. As a chemist I said no, its a process. If you modify for local conditions its possible ... Ill prove you wrong.
Local planning panels were created to stamp out corruption, but councillors from across the political spectrum say they favour developers and undermine democratic accountability.

Liberal mayors have joined Labor and Greens councillors in criticising the NSW planning system.

Woollahra Liberal mayor Susan Wynne said the democratic process was significantly reduced when the planning panel system was introduced by the NSW government.

As a councillor it is frustrating to not be able to support our community and advocate on their behalf with regards to concerns related to development applications, she said. As locals we understand our community better than anyone and we are acutely aware of the impact of poor planning outcomes.
A very hot potato has been left firmly in the hands of individual businesses. Loading They are in an awkward position. The advantage of having their workplaces vaccinated is obvious. But the legal position is unclear. In the absence of a public health order, they would be relying on directions to employees being judged lawful and reasonable. Inevitably, there would be court challenges. In advice published on Thursday, the Fair Work Ombudsman said: In some cases, employers may be able to require their employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Employers should exercise caution if theyre considering making COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory in their workplace and get their own legal advice. ACTU secretary Sally McManus doubts the legality, short of public health orders, of employers forcing vaccinations and says support and encouragement for employees is the better way to go.

Even apart from any court challenge, some businesses would face division among their workers, and potential dismissals and voluntary departures. When Western Australia made vaccination compulsory for quarantine workers  surely a very reasonable requirement  it lost some of them. ACTU secretary Sally McManus doubts the legality, short of public health orders, of employers forcing vaccinations. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui Simon Longstaff, head of The Ethics Centre, points to the distinction between vaccination being compulsory or a condition for doing something. Vaccination could be a condition for a person working in a company, just like donning safety equipment is for certain jobs, Longstaff says. If they are not prepared to accept the condition, then they may choose not to work for an employer imposing such a condition. But conditions form a continuum. For example, having to be vaccinated to work in a hospital is very different to the jab being required to keep a job that involves minimal risk.

This takes us to the various ways of skinning the cat  and to vaccine passports. The government already has the beginnings of a vaccine passport scheme, although it wont use that name  because its base doesnt like the idea. It calls it a certificate. The vaccine passport is the iron-fist-in-velvet-glove approach to imposing vaccinations. Loading Once we reach the 70% or 80%, and people are registered as being vaccinated, evidence of having had the jab will be the gateway to freedoms. Looked at the other way, lack of the passport would restrict what people could do. A vaccine passport could be as necessary for international travel as a national passport. At a more mundane level, it could be required to eat at a restaurant just as, currently, people are told to sign in. Similarly, it could be needed to attend music or sporting events. Or to enter Parliament House.

Forcing people, directing or indirectly, to have a COVID vaccination involves sometimes competing rights  your right to choose whether to accept a vaccine, my right to be safe in the workplace and the communitys right to protection from a very serious and potentially fatal disease. Loading It is not as simple as no jab no pay for the vaccination of children, which only denies government benefits. In the COVID-19 case were talking, in the extreme, about peoples access to jobs and livelihoods. So where are we left? When people are dealing with the vulnerable  most obviously in aged care  the rights of those being cared for clearly come ahead of the workers right to choose. National cabinet was correct in supporting the mandating of vaccinations of the aged care workforce.

Workers in quarantine, disability, and health care are, or should be, treated similarly by whoever employs them. There are many other frontline workers, including those in supermarkets and hospitality. While this gets us back to the compulsion issue, it could be tackled, especially in occupations where there is high turnover, by giving preference in hiring to the vaccinated. This would be harsh, but less harsh than firing workers. When everyone eligible has been offered the vaccine, we will have a better idea of the size of the minority of unvaccinated people were dealing with. Its important during the rollout to minimise this pool  to make sure as many as possible of the apathetic have been motivated and the hesitant persuaded. The latest government vaccine sentiment survey, released on Thursday, had 79 per cent of Australians intending to get vaccinated, or already done. According to rollout chief Lieutenant-General John Frewen, of the rest 14 per cent were making up their minds and only 7 per cent were saying they wont get vaccinated.
Premier Gladys Berejiklians attempt to police NSW out of the pandemic is a desperate and ill-considered kick in the teeth to millions of Sydneysiders who have obeyed the lockdown rules for nearly two months without any reward.

It is made worse by two factors: the Premiers admission yesterday that many of these harsher restrictions are not based on direct evidence of COVID-19 transmission but a sop to NSW Police, and her ongoing failure to make it clear where transmission is actually occurring and what her government is doing to stop it.

Police state: NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Police Commissioner Mick Fuller. Credit:Rhett Wyman

With daily cases soaring to a record 466 on Saturday, it is tempting for the government to look for scapegoats. Certainly some people are breaching the public health orders but the crackdown announced on Saturday screams of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut  and not even the right nut.

Under questioning by The Sun-Heralds Tom Rabe, Ms Berejiklian conceded there was no strong evidence about outdoor transmission of COVID-19. Yet for weeks Sydneysiders in the worst-hit local government areas have had outdoor activity limited to a five-kilometre radius, and now people in areas with low or no cases are under the same restriction.
Tens of thousands of immigrants are calling time on Australia and heading back overseas because of the prolonged border closure and uncertainty over when they will see their loved ones again.

Department of Home Affairs figures show that between July 2020 and May this year, 34,200 residents left Australia with the intention to be away for more than a year.

That included 20,933 Australian citizens (including dual nationals) and 13,267 non-citizen residents (including permanent residents and long-term visa holders). The trend is growing, with long-term resident departures averaging 3500 a month so far this year, compared with 2780 a month last year.

Marissa Parkin, Ian Stephen and their daughter Zadie will move to Britain as there is no end in sight for Australias restrictions. Credit:Rhett Wyman

Social researcher Mark McCrindle said Sydney and Melbourne were global cities filled with educated professionals from around the world who were used to being able to fly in and out. Until we open up again, these global professionals are finding Australia is not compatible with their particular lives, he said.
Victorias dental system faces a pandemic-fuelled crisis that has left patients in parts of the state waiting more than three years for treatment, key services for children shelved, and some dentists being forced to close their businesses.

Days after doctors warned about emergency departments being so stretched that lives were being put at risk, new figures reveal dentistry is also under immense strain as waiting lists blow out to record levels amid fears of long-term dental disease problems for years to come.

Victorias dental system is under enormous strain. Credit:Justin McManus

From a practitioner perspective, its as challenging as anything Ive known in 25 years in terms of the uncertainty and stress in the profession, said Associate Professor Matthew Hopcraft, chief executive of the Australian Dental Associations Victorian branch.

And from a patient point of view, the ongoing limited access to care is definitely having an impact on oral care, with some dentists saying theyre seeing the worst [teeth] problems theyve ever seen ... Were pushing towards a crisis.
But as Victoria prepares itself for another election next year, troubling questions hang over this project. Politicians, planning experts and experienced advisers say that by designing and committing to it behind closed doors the government failed to make the transport, planning and financial cases for it.

By the time the Facebook video was posted the project had its final name: the Suburban Rail Loop. A 90-kilometre orbital rail line, this mammoth project was estimated to cost $50 billion but is expected by insiders to finally land at twice that amount. It is the largest and most expensive transport project conceived by a state government.

Originally codenamed Operation Halo, this was an infrastructure project so secret that board members of the government agency responsible for its delivery knew nothing about it until it was announced and the senior transport bureaucrat working on its design was legally gagged from telling his boss. All but a handful of government ministers were also kept in the dark.

As the music (composed by Mark Petrie, a New Zealander who specialises in trailers for Hollywood blockbusters) swelled, the narrator informed Victorians it would carry 400,000 passengers a day, create 20,000 construction jobs and link to more than a dozen suburban stops.

The slick two-minute government advertisement opened with a Lego-like animation showing passengers moving around a brand new underground station. The biggest public transport project in history is coming to Victoria, a womans voiceover claimed.

At one minute past 7am on August 28, 2018, as people were boarding trains for their morning commute, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews Facebook page lit up with plans for an ambitious new rail project.

The Age has traced the likely genesis of the Suburban Rail Loop to a conversation between three men held at 30,000 feet in the business-class galley of a Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong in 2015. At the bar that day were MacKenzie, businessman Sir Rod Eddington and retired public servant Terry Moran.

It was, according to RMITs centre for urban research director Jago Dodson, a bald political decision to spend at least $50 billion on the basis of effectively no planning whatsoever.

Transport experts question whether the loop is the best way to spend transport dollars. Its timelines, budgets and ambitions are even now not clearly spelled out. Why did the government prefer to entrust the citys transport planning to a small coterie of consultants when it has an entire bureaucracy dedicated to that task?

But within Development Victoria, the governments development arm, the Facebook video hit a jarring note. The public agency was charged with overseeing the project, but the board was left out of its planning and only a few trusted insiders were aware it was coming. Among the inner circle were Labors go-to board director James MacKenzie, former Labor political adviser Tom Considine and a personal friend of Daniel Andrews, then PricewaterhouseCoopers chief, Luke Sayers.

For a can-do Premier and a government eager to promote its Big Build infrastructure program heading into the 2018 election, the promotional video was on-brand. And politically, it worked. The project is considered by analysts to have been the most popular single policy leading into an election that Labor won in a landslide.

This was not a new idea. Successive government plans for the city have argued that if Melbourne is to cope with a doubling of its population to a forecast eight million by 2051, jobs and key business centres need to be spread around the city. The citys latest planning blueprint, Plan Melbourne , identified Werribee, Sunshine, Bundoora, Heidelberg, Clayton, Parkville, Dandenong and Fishermans Bend as precincts to be prioritised for jobs, housing, urban renewal and integrated transport links.

Moran argued that the flaw in Eddingtons contentious East West Link  a road tunnel supported by the Napthine government but rejected by Labor  was that it directed more traffic in and out of the city centre. The key to Melbournes future liveability was developing suburban hubs, reducing pressure at the centre. As their plane travelled north above the Pacific, he explained that the cost of building those hubs could be met partly by capturing the value of developing the land around them.

Eddington believed then, as he does now, that to remain liveable, Melbourne needed an urban rail network comparable to the London Underground, Paris Metro or Hong Kongs MTR. In the midair conversation, he reflected that the Metro Tunnel , first proposed in his 2008 report, was intended as the first of multiple lines in an underground rail system to be built over 30 or 40 years.

What began as three friends sharing a fine bottle of wine at the pointy end of an Airbus A330 became a wide-ranging discussion about the future shape of Melbourne, then nearing a population of 5 million, and how to ease the citys growing pains. An orbital rail loop was not discussed, but Eddingtons and Morans independent recollections suggest that, between them, they planted the seed in MacKenzies mind. MacKenzie has since confirmed this to people involved in the project.

Moran, Bracks public service chief and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary under Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard, is one of the nations most respected bureaucrats . Like Eddington, hed known MacKenzie for many years.

Eddington, the chairman of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia and inaugural chairman of Infrastructure Australia, was hand-picked by Victorian premier Steve Bracks a decade earlier to find a way to move people and freight between Melbournes eastern suburbs and its fast-growing west. His 2008 report recommended construction of the Metro Tunnel , the Regional Rail Link  an extension of V/Line railway tracks through Melbournes outer west  and the East West Link. Eddingtons report set the states infrastructure and transport agenda for a generation.

In the eyes of Victorian Labor, James MacKenzie is a proven quantity and a safe pair of hands. A former chair of the Transport Accident Commission and president of the Victorian Arts Centre Trust, he was the businessman chosen by Labor to publicly assess its 2014 campaign costings.

At least that was how it started off.

Its construction would stimulate development of many of the suburban hubs identified by Plan Melbourne, with new stations proposed for Monash, Deakin and La Trobe universities and a single, continuous underground loop running through Sunshine and Werribee.

MacKenzie, who declined to be interviewed for this story, disembarked from that Cathay Pacific flight with two clear takeouts: the need for more underground rail and better suburban hub development. Multiple sources involved in Operation Halo say the idea for the Suburban Rail Loop was to solve both those problems.

As the coronavirus pandemic prompts a shift away from the once-bustling CBD, planners say these objectives have become even more pressing.

At the meeting in the PwC building MacKenzie emphasised the need for absolute secrecy. It was understood that if anyone leaked their plans, they could be sacked.

In mid-2017, MacKenzie called a meeting with PwC partners and PwC chief executive Luke Sayers to request a preliminary business case. It was little more than a tyre-kicking exercise  the government had then estimated a full business case would take three years and at least $15 million to develop.

When the project was conceived in early 2017, a small team at PwC was commissioned to do a months work on what the construction of a new orbital rail line could mean for real estate values and economic activity. A route was devised and thought given to the role of capturing the value from the development. To Considine and MacKenzie this was much more than transport; it was about transforming Melbourne into a polycentric city.

Is it a precinct project or a transport project? If its a transport project there are a hell of a lot of better ways to spend your money.

A shrewd political operative, Considine is genuinely interested in big ideas. At Development Victoria, with the firm backing of MacKenzie, he was given full rein to indulge both passions and a broad remit to explore the feasibility of a city-changing project like the Suburban Rail Loop. He flew to London and New York with MacKenzie on a taxpayer-funded trip to investigate the railways in these mega-cities, two months before the 2018 poll. Operation Halo was Considines baby.

When Andrews was leading Labor in opposition, Considine coordinated the partys policies for the 2014 election. After that poll he worked as a chief of staff to Treasurer Tim Pallas. Government sources say that in that role Considine remained the eyes and ears of the Premier.

MacKenzie is not as personally close to Daniel Andrews as he was to Bracks but when it came to seeking government support for the Suburban Rail Loop he didnt need to be. One of his senior executives at the newly-formed Development Victoria, Tom Considine, was a former top adviser to Andrews.

On the 20th floor of the Skyscraper Centre, PwCs glass-and-steel headquarters in Southbank overlooking the Yarra, 25 to 30 consultants from PwC and Aurecon worked on Operation Halos design and economic feasibility. Each was required to sign a non-disclosure agreement barring them from discussing their work with anyone outside the project team, including their bosses. They worked in designated offices on the partners floor, separate from the main open-floor office area for six months, on a part-time basis. No documents were to leave the locked rooms.

Corey Hannett, director-general of the Major Transport Infrastructure Authority, was brought in to provide additional engineering and design advice, but he too was required to sign a non-disclosure agreement. This had the effect of concealing the project from the person he was supposed to report to: departmental secretary Richard Bolt.

Bolt, who declined to be interviewed for this story, and the states head of transport, Gillian Miles, both left the newly-named department shortly after the Suburban Rail Loop helped re-elect the Andrews government.

Richard Bolt in 2016. Credit:Eddie Jim

In an interview with The Age, Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan said measures taken to keep the rail loop project secret were in line with normal Cabinet procedures. Any leaks would have raised the risk of land speculation.

This project was developed in the usual way that respected Cabinet confidentiality," Allan said.

Politics first

Normally, the sprawling super-department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, then run by Bolt, is where a government would turn for apolitical, expert advice on rail construction and urban development and a cost-benefit analysis of what a project like the Suburban Rail Loop might bring.

But documents obtained by the Opposition under freedom of information show the first mention of the project in Development Victoria board correspondence was the morning of the announcement, when a phone hookup was hastily organised under the title Suburban Rail Loop Collateral.

Development Victoria directors who dialled into the meeting describe a mixture of bemusement and angst as MacKenzie explained why they had been kept in the dark. One board member said it was clear from the discussion that support for the rail loop had come from on high. Everyone understood that MacKenzie, the chair of union-friendly law firm Slater and Gordon and the Victorian Fund Management Corporation responsible for $69.4 billion in public sector assets, had a direct line to the Premier.

Even inside the Andrews government, information about what was being cooked up in the PwC tower was known to only a handful of ministers. Tim Pallas and Gavin Jennings, Daniel Andrews Special Minister for State who managed the governments relationship with senior public servants, were the first to be told. Then the Premier, then Major Projects Minister Jacinta Allan and finally, Deputy Premier James Merlino were briefed.

Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan, Deputy Premier James Merlino and Treasurer Tim Pallas. Credit:Scott McNaughton

Not by coincidence, this gang of five also formed Labors Policy Group responsible for developing the policy basis of its campaign for re-election the following year.

From the moment the Suburban Rail Loop was embraced by this group, it was treated as an election promise first and government policy second. This is the justification cited by senior government sources for using consultants and Development Victoria, rather than Bolts department, to plan it.

But keeping a $50 billion project a secret required extraordinary steps. Annual reports reveal that government money to pay for consultancy work was funnelled from the Department of Premier and Cabinet to Development Victoria, with the contracts personally signed by then Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Chris Eccles. Evidence of these payments appear in the Development Victoria annual reports as a $1.36 million payment from DPC in 2017-2018 for a civic infrastructure project and a further $2 million for project cost recovery the following year.

Eccles put bureaucratic responsibility for the project in the hands of Simon Phemister, a fast-rising deputy secretary within DPC. After Bolt left in 2018, Phemister  a protege of Eccles who developed a close relationship with the Premiers key staffers  was given his job. Hannett, the head of the agency overseeing the Metro Tunnel and West Gate Tunnel projects, was the governments leading expert on tunnels and the most senior transport bureaucrat brought into the project. Hannett reported directly to Allan.

But within the gang of five ministers, a turf war was brewing.

Transport v urban development

Multiple sources close to the government said Jennings, as the Minister for Priority Precincts, was sold on the conception of Operation Halo as an urban development project that would stimulate the growth of suburban hubs and believed the project came under his portfolio.

But Jacinta Allan, then-minister responsible for major projects and public transport, saw the SRL as essentially a transport project firmly within her realm, according to the sources.

Jennings abruptly quit the government in March 2020. He has never spoken about what made him quit, and he declined to be interviewed for this story. Allan was immediately handed Jennings precincts portfolio and two months later was given the newly created role of Suburban Rail Loop Minister. Allan would not be drawn on the alleged rift between the ministers in questions from The Age.

Gavin Jennings. Credit:Darrian Traynor

The two competing conceptions of the rail loop played out in multiple name changes for the project. In 2017, Halo first became the Urban Development Program, reflecting its more ambitious, city-building goals. This was subsequently changed to simply Orbital Rail. In early 2018 the government settled on Suburban Rail Loop. The debates were also played out in questions over where it would run, where it would stop and when it would be built.

Initial plans drawn up by consultants were for a continuous loop and possibly, several  a highly interconnected rail network modelled on those in other world capitals, with multiple cross-city options at stations that also served as centres for shops and high density apartments.

The route needed to be carefully chosen and the implications for local planning and development considered. This would require time, patience and, once the project went live, extensive community and stakeholder consultation. Construction could not reasonably start until 2026.

In August 2018, Premier Andrews made the call. It would be a single rail line, its alignment set, and its construction to begin in 2022.

A consultant who worked on Operation Halo questioned what Victoria had been left with: Is it a precinct project or a transport project? Because, if it is a transport project, there are a hell of a lot of better ways to spend your money.

Meanwhile, most of those who advocated for the Loop in secret have consolidated their influence. MacKenzie was handpicked to chair the authority established to build the project. In 2020, he brought Considine in as interim chief executive of the authority, which has since hired seven former Andrews government ministerial advisers or DPC staffers.

Considine has since left the Suburban Rail Loop Authority to become a partner at Sayers consulting firm. Industry sources say the firm is bidding for work on the project, but when contacted by The Age, Sayers said he was unable to comment on client-related matters and the government said the firm was not a prospective contractor.

In June this year, Considine was appointed to the board of Victorian Funds Management Corporation, chaired by MacKenzie. That same month, MacKenzie was appointed as co-chair of a separate board overseeing the redevelopment of the Melbourne arts precinct.

Growing scepticism

If the Suburban Rail Loop delivers what it was originally designed to do  and what the launch-day brochure claimed  it will be a transformative project that makes it easier for people to live, work and commute in the city.

Changing the citys 19th century spoke-and-wheel rail system by building an orbital link would reduce cross-city train commutes, as people would no longer need to travel into the city to get around it. It would be a circuit breaker for decades of car-oriented transport planning in Melbourne, freeing up congested freeways with desperately needed railway stations finally built in Doncaster, Burwood and the Monash University Clayton campus, where buses are bursting at the seams.

Allan says the loop delivers the calls of Plan Melbourne to respond to forecast population growth by boosting density in the suburbs and creating better public transport links that ease the pressure on constrained roads.

The radial rail network was not going to deliver the public transport network that was needed for a city that was going to be the size of London by the late 2050s. We needed a game changer, Allan said.

Plan Melbournes aspiration is to have a city of centres and thats what the Suburban Rail Loop realises.

This vision captured the hearts and minds of voters in 2018, with an average primary vote swing of 6.3 per cent to the ALP in the 11 electorates where stations were promised, compared with a 4.75 per cent statewide average. Of the eight seats Labor picked up at the 2018 election, three  Box Hill, Burwood and Mount Waverley  were electorates where new stations were planned.

While the policys political success is difficult to quantify with precision, strategists from both sides say the pitch had broad appeal to voters wanting better transport, and fitted with Andrews image as a can-do premier.

But if the rail loop is as compromised as Labor insiders and transport and some planning experts fear, it could end up as an underused rail line that starts at Southland and ends abruptly at Box Hill. If this happens, it may well share the fate of its ill-conceived predecessor, the Outer Rail Circle, built for Marvellous Melbourne in the 1890s. That train line failed to attract customers and shut three years after opening. Its remnants can still be found in the wilds of Kew.

Now, three years after it committed to the project, the government is preparing to release an 800-page investment case, which will reveal the cost of building the first stage  a 26-kilometre tunnel through the south-east and eastern suburbs  and detailed transport and financial modelling.

Some transport experts argue that, for a fraction of the cost, orbital buses or light rail could be prioritised over underground rail, making it possible to build multiple loops rather than just one. They question how an underground rail line through the suburbs could be deemed financially viable, given the citys low densities and relatively low public transport use.

RMITs Jago Dodson says city-shaping transport plans require years of analysis, discussion and consultation of the kind the Suburban Rail Loop did not get.

Its very difficult to think of a comparable example of a project of this scale that has been announced with virtually no public discussion, no analysis, no preliminary deliberations or planning documentation, Dodson said. What level of demand will there be for the Suburban Rail Loop? Thats a pretty fundamental question.

An artist's impression depicting stage one of the Victorian government's proposed Suburban Rail Loop.

In bypassing the states transport department or Infrastructure Victoria  an independent advisory set up by Premier Andrews to depoliticise infrastructure building  the government cut out of the loop those who could help answer these questions, and abandoned the usual bureaucratic checks and balances.

Its the sort of criticism levelled recently at the Morrison governments controversial commuter car parking program.

The Grattan Institutes cities and transport director Marion Terrill says these two projects reflect a growing tendency to rush out mega-projects at election time, leading to rash decisions and cost blowouts. One third of the countrys mega projects that were announced without proper planning account for three-quarters of all project cost overruns, Terrills research shows. Whose job is it to say actually theres a better way to do this, or a cheaper way? Terrill asks of the rail loop. Its got to be someones job.

But Terry Moran says splashing cash on projects before an election is the reality of modern politics.

The only way to get things done is to get the government to commit themselves to spending the money and the only way to do that often is taking something into an election, Moran said. If the government is re-elected, it can say it has legitimate political support to proceed.

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But there are costs. The Suburban Rail Loop risks overshadowing projects outlined in 30-year transport plans, including the construction of an underground rail line connecting Newport with Clifton Hill via Fishermans Bend, the long-awaited Rowville rail line, and electrification of tracks to the fast-growing western suburbs.

A government insider with knowledge of the project said that even before it was announced, the Andrews governments infrastructure project pipeline was too large and ambitious for the construction industrys capacity to deliver.

We were over-cooking the books as it was. There is no way we should have been trying to get away all these projects simultaneously. There were too many of them and the construction industry was ripping us off unmercifully.

There is growing scepticism, within government and outside, that the Suburban Rail Loop will ever be built. A project completion date of 2050 means future Victorian premiers will have the task of building the largest section of Andrews rail line  possibly more than 60 kilometres  while juggling construction projects of their own.

If the 2018 election promise slips through the cracks, all that will be left is a glossy brochure, a slick video and an epic soundtrack in our ears.
Kabul: The US Embassy staff in Kabul, Afghanistan, has been told to start destroying anything with American logos or flags that could be used in propaganda efforts as the Taliban surge comes within 12 kilometres of Kabul, following the capture of the neighbouring province of Logar on Saturday.

The Taliban captured all of Logar and detained its provincial officials, Hoda Ahmadi, a lawmaker from the province, said on Saturday. She said the Taliban have reached the Char Asyab district, just 11 kilometres south of the capital, Kabul.

Murals are seen along the walls at a quiet US embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. Credit:Getty Images

Earlier Saturday, the insurgents launched a multi-pronged assault on Mazar-e-Sharif, a major city in northern Afghanistan defended by powerful former warlords.

Afghanistans President Ashraf Ghani said he was in urgent talks with local leaders and international partners, but in a televised address he gave no sign of responding to a Taliban demand that he resign ahead of any ceasefire or political settlement.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson led calls for the issue of how Davison came to legally own a gun to be properly investigated. He said he was appalled by the misogynistic views that were espoused online and said that this is something that will undoubtedly be part of the investigation into the killings. The attacks came after years of online rants during which Davison described himself as a depressed virgin who struggled to attract women and shared violent videos glorifying gun violence. In his final video blog, he spent 11 minutes ranting about how his life had hit a dead end before declaring I am a terminator. A Whitehall source said that the Home Office produced papers in 2019, via the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, that classified incel culture as a threat, defining it as political violence and terrorism. Campaigners urged police on Friday to reverse a decision not to treat the killings as terrorism.

Laura Bates, of the Everyday Sexism project, said that we are talking about an individual radicalised online into an extremist belief system who then acted on those beliefs to massacre people. This is terrorism. It is extremism. It is radicalisation. Loading Repeated news reports, police and politicians all saying this is not terror related. This is shocking and shameful. Extremist misogyny, male supremacy, sees women die all over the world, including repeatedly in incel massacres. We cannot tackle it if we do not name it. A Whitehall source said the government should consider the shooting an act of terrorism and should look to formally proscribe incel groups, treating incel websites with the same severity as Islamist and right-wing extremism. Officials are also under pressure to tighten gun laws.

The Gun Control Network, the successor organisation to the Dunblane Snowdrop campaign that helped ban handguns, said: The important question is how did he get the gun and why was he given a licence. It is not about his motivation but what was wrong with the system that we can put right. Loading The comments were backed by Luke Pollard, a Plymouth MP, who called for a full investigation into him and whether the firearms licence was properly and correctly issued. Friends of Martyn added: If he had issues why the hell was he allowed to have a shotgun? The incident was the worst mass shooting in Britain since 2010, when Derrick Bird also used his legally held firearm to killed 12 people in Cumbria.

To obtain a licence Davison would have been assessed by a specialist officer who would have been required to visit his home to ensure that he had somewhere to safely store the weapon. The shooting raised questions about the decision to return the weapon, despite claims that Davisons family had contacted the local NHS mental health services to ask for assistance. A source close to the family said: Apparently, he hasnt been well for quite a bit, mentally, and also beat up his father a couple of months ago. The police took his gun licence from him, but then gave it back to him. There are about 1.4 million licensed shotguns in England and Wales, and 546,000 shotgun licence holders. The fee for a five-year licence is 80 ($150).
Washington: When Joe Biden appeared at the White House last month to explain his decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan, he insisted that a Taliban takeover of the country was not inevitable.

The Afghan army, Biden said, had 300,000 troops compared to 75,000 for the Taliban. And he claimed that the Afghan government troops were as well-equipped as any army in the world.

While few things in life are inevitable, a speedy Taliban takeover following Americas withdrawal looked highly possible even then.

Now, with the Taliban gaining control of provincial capitals at stunning speed, it looks extremely probable.
Mexico City: Representatives of the Venezuelan government and the opposition have begun a round of talks in Mexico City aimed at ending a five-year political impasse and addressing the South American nations economic collapse, which has caused millions to flee.

Unlike previous negotiation efforts, the talks will include more than a dozen countries, among them the Netherlands, Russia, Bolivia, Turkey and Norway, which will act as the facilitator.

At the National Museum of Anthropology, the parties agreed to a memorandum of understanding containing the road map that will guide the dialogue process.

In the MOU, the parties agreed to discuss, among other topics, a schedule for elections with international observers, lifting of sanctions on Venezuela and the restoration of the right to use Venezuelan frozen assets abroad.
STAMFORD  Along with all the new buildings, the new people and the new businesses, newly released data from the 2020 census shows yet another new change for Connecticuts fastest-growing city.

For the first time, the citys white residents no longer make up a majority of the people who live there, according to figures released by the federal Census Bureau Thursday.

Down from 53.3 percent of Stamfordites in 2010, white people now comprise about 48 percent of the local population, though the total number of white residents stayed almost the same. The proportion of Hispanic residents in Stamford jumped from 24 percent to 28 percent over the same period, a trend in line with changes observed throughout Connecticut.

Stamfords Asian population also increased by 19 percent and now accounts for about 9 percent of the city residents, according to the data. The number of residents who classified themselves as multiracial or other reported significant gains, 122 and 123 percent, respectively.

The marked increase in multiracial residents, a national trend, is likely due to changes in how the Census Bureau collects its data on top of an evolving population, something it explained upon releasing the data.

As the country has grown, we have continued to evolve in how we measure the race and ethnicity of the people who live here, said Nicholas Jones, director and senior adviser for race and ethnicity research and outreach at the Census Bureau. The improvements we made to the 2020 census yield a more accurate portrait of how people self-identify in response to two separate questions on Hispanic origin and race, revealing that the U.S. population is much more multiracial and more diverse than what we measured in the past.

The citys overall population increased from 122,643 residents to 135,470, or 10 percent, which codified official expectations about how Stamford has changed and made it the second biggest city in Connecticut behind Bridgeport.

As a whole, the state is also becoming more diverse, with the white population shrinking in every town but Somers. Researchers attribute this to Asian, Hispanic, and Latino populations being younger and having more children, whereas the opposite has been true for white populations. Those trends are expected to continue.

Though more granular data about specific age groups in Stamford wont be available for at least several more weeks, preliminary observations about the number of children and adults in the city could give clues about who is coming to  and leaving  Stamford.

The citys Black and white populations both stayed relatively the same between the 2010 and 2020 censuses. The number of white Stamfordites shrunk by less than 1 percent, whereas Black Stamfordites grew by less than one percent.

Despite those relatively conservative fluctuations, both groups lost a significant number of children overall. The number of white children dropped by 23 percent; the number of black children by 16 percent. Those trends could mean that Black Stamford residents also have fewer children like their white counterparts.

You have to think back 10 years, said Mark Abraham, executive director of data analysis collaborative DataHaven. There were more children and families were probably younger 10 years ago on average. ... People who were children like 10 years ago, they may have moved out in some cases. But also, older adults may have moved into the city from the New York area.

The number of Hispanic or Latino children in Stamford tells an entirely different story. Though the overall group saw gains in Stamford, growth among Hispanic children was even more prominent. According to the census, the number of Hispanic children grew from 7,574 to 10,431, or by 38 percent. Huge gains were also documented among children who identified as multiracial (up 69 percent) or who selected the other designation (up 104 percent).

Statewide, the number of children took a hit. The Census Bureau found 10 percent fewer kids in Connecticut in 2020 than it did in 2010. In Stamford, the child population grew by 1 percent. Danbury, the only large municipality to gain more children over the last decade, reported 7 percent more kids.

Like with children, census data showed the number of people who identified with more than one race  or some other race  also shot up.

veronica.delvalle@hearstmediact.com
LONDON (AP)  When global health officials created COVAX, a U.N.-backed effort to share coronavirus vaccines, it was supposed to guarantee the worlds most vulnerable people could get doses without being at the mercy of unreliable donations.

It hasnt worked out that way. In late June, COVAX sent more than 530,000 doses to Britain - more than double the amount sent that month to Africa, where fewer than 2% of the population is immunized.

While poor countries joined COVAX to receive donated doses, higher-income countries were enticed to join as an insurance policy in case their private vaccine deals fell through. Most rich countries have declined to buy COVAX doses after acquiring enough shots through private deals. But some, including the U.K. and Canada, tapped into the initiative's meager supply even after reserving most of the world's coronavirus vaccines.

The result is that poorer countries have landed in exactly the predicament COVAX was intended to avoid: depending on the whims and politics of rich countries for donations.

If we had tried to withhold vaccines from parts of the world, could we have made it any worse than it is today? asked Dr. Bruce Aylward, a senior advisor at the World Health Organization, during a public session on vaccine equity.

The U.S. never got any doses through COVAX, although Saudi Arabia, Australia and New Zealand did. Canada got so much criticism for taking COVAX shipments that it said it would not request more. In the meantime, Venezuela has yet to receive any of its COVAX doses. Haiti has received less than half of its share, Syria about a 10th.

British officials confirmed the U.K. received about 539,000 COVAX vaccines in late June and that it has options to buy another 27 million. Both Britain and Canada noted that COVAX was also open to higher-income countries.

However, Brook Baker, a Northeastern University specialist in access to medicines, said it was unconscionable that rich countries would dip into COVAX supplies at a time when its biggest supplier, the Serum Institute of India, stopped exporting vaccines to deal with a surge of cases on the subcontinent. That left nearly 60 countries with few options. So far, the initiative has delivered less than 10% of the doses it promised.

COVAX is run by the World Health Organization, the vaccines alliance Gavi and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. The program is now trying to regain credibility by getting rich countries to distribute donated vaccines through its system, Baker said, adding that many donations are aimed at currying political favors.

With the exception of China, donations are coming in tiny fractions of whats been pledged, an Associated Press tally of vaccines promised and delivered has found. Dr. Christian Happi, of Nigerias Redeemers University, said donations from rich countries are completely unreliable, as they have already hoarded the global supply and are now moving on to inoculating children and planning booster shots.

We cannot just wait for them to come up with a solution, he said.

COVAX is well aware of the problem. During its last board meeting in June, officials conceded they had failed to achieve equitable distribution. But they decided against blocking rich countries from getting more vaccines, reasoning that without them, it would be difficult to secure deals with some manufacturers.

During a subsequent call with partners, Gavi CEO Dr. Seth Berkley said COVAX intended to honor the agreements it had made with rich countries but would ask them to adjust their allocated doses to request fewer vaccines, according to a meeting participant who spoke about the confidential call on condition of anonymity. Among the reasons Berkley cited was the potential risk to its balance sheet. In the last year, Britain alone has given more than $860 million to COVAX.

In response to an AP request for comment, Gavi said the initiative aims to deliver 2 billion doses by early 2022 and that the vast majority of the COVAX supply would go to developing countries.

Gavi said COVAX now has enough money and pledged donations to one day cover 30% of the population in the worlds poorest countries. But it has made big promises before.

Back in January, COVAX said it had secured volumes totaling 640 million doses to deliver by July 2021. By last month, COVAX had only shipped 210 million doses.

With COVAX sidelined, vaccine donations have become a political contest. China has already exported 770 million doses and last week announced its own goal of sending 2 billion doses to needy countries by the end of the year  exactly the same amount as COVAXs initial plan.

Thats far ahead of the rest of the world, according to the AP tally. Britain has delivered just 4.7 million doses of 30 million pledged, and the European Union has given 7.1 million and another 55 million through COVAX contracts.

The U.S. has so far delivered 111 million doses, less than half of what was promised. Several U.S. lawmakers argued Wednesday that the government should seize the opportunity for diplomacy by more aggressively seeking credit for the doses it ships overseas.

We should have the American flag on every vial, Rep. Juan Vargas, a Democrat from California, said at a hearing on the state of the pandemic in the Middle East.

U.S. President Joe Biden, in announcing the U.S. donations, described the doses as a way to counter Russia and China influencing the world with vaccines.

The key to strengthening vaccine cooperation and building the Great Wall of immunization is to ensure equitable access, Wang Xiaolong of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said last week after China hosted a forum on fair vaccine distribution.

The COVAX board has agreed to go back to its basic assumptions about vaccinating the world before the end of the year. High on its list: An updated definition of fair and equitable access.

___

Hinnant reported from Paris. Ken Moritsugu in Beijing; Huizhong Wu in Taipei; Cara Anna in Nairobi; Jon Gambrell in Dubai; and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed.
GREENWOOD, S.C. (AP)  No one drove to Old Mount Zion Baptist Church in the 1920s. Instead, Juanita Griffin remembers families walked to church together.

Born in 1921, Griffins 100 years of living have only strengthened her love for the Lord. She was told as a girl that her great-great-grandfather was the Rev. Ned Starks, the churchs first pastor. She was baptized by his successor, the Rev. James Foster Marshall.

The church was a wooden structure then, nothing like the brick building today at 3107 S.C. Highway 248.

Lord have mercy, it was a whole lot different than it is now. I remember my parents went to church, and as we got older, theyd carry us to church too, Griffin said. It was full of people. If you didnt show up to church early, you couldnt get in.

Revivals in August brought churches from throughout the county, and while Griffin has been to others, Old Mount Zion is the only church shes been a member of in her life. Each member is a part of her extended family.

Services these days dont look the same as they did in Griffins childhood. Masks are required during the COVID-19 pandemic, and worshippers have their temperatures checked at the door, with church staff keeping a log of everyone who comes in.

Some things never change, though. Among the hymns the choir sang during the Aug. 1 service was Hold to Gods Unchanging Hand, written in the early 1900s before Griffin was born. Heritage is important to Old Mount Zion. Its baked into the churchs history.

They were slaves who gathered here, amen, the Rev. Danny Webb said at the start of the service. For 160 years, Old Mount Zion has been a beacon of hope for this Epworth community. ... Here we are, 160 years later  amen  testifying all over Greenwood that God is good.

Old Mount Zion celebrated its 160th anniversary on Aug. 8. The event was already at capacity a week earlier, with church members making shirts to celebrate and promote the event.

The church was founded by a group of enslaved people in 1861, before the emancipation proclamation went into effect at the start of 1863, freeing enslaved people in the rebelling Confederacy. The hope and newfound freedom fueled the churchs founders, and strengthened their faiths, Webb said.

Webbs service celebrated the fact that worshippers come to the church today because a group of enslaved people decided to do what it took to worship. While Webb and the church historian havent found any evidence the original founders were actually freed from slavery, he said he knows they intertwined their original African faiths with the Christianity of slave-owners. The result was a church that was acceptable to slave-owners while still providing fulfilling worship for its members.

Historically, slaves would worship with their masters, and to be able to come together and have a place to worship that they could at least, in theory, call their own, Webb said. It had to be, in a word, liberating.

Its an expressive form of worship, Webb said, one that exalts an often-oppressed people and channels their love of God into service for their communities.

We have not forgotten a God who made it possible for us to be free today, he said.

Its not hard to see that legacy shine through in Benjamin E. Mays, who laid the intellectual groundwork for the civil rights movement and was a spiritual mentor to Martin Luther King Jr. His family is buried on the church grounds, and one of the buildings stained glass windows features a dedication to his parents.

Celebrating that legacy was made easier because there was no shortage of volunteers to set up for last weekends anniversary.

We grew up in the church. This is where our grandparents, our parents, aunts and uncles, cousins and siblings were baptized and got married, said Vivian Archie, who was on the anniversary committee. This is a united church. If you ask, they step up without hesitation.

Last Sunday, church members gathered to celebrate the anniversary enjoyed outdoor activities, an inflatable bounce house for the children, games and prizes, along with a visit from the police and fire departments and a group of bikers coming to show off their motorcycles, said Bishop Henry Watts. Behind the fun, the committee has been proudly celebrating the churchs scholarship programs, civic groups, health ministry and other outreach arms.

I look at it like family  the church is my family, Watts said.

His strength is my strength, my strength is his strength, Archie replied. We all build off of each other.
Here's what 19-year-old Lance Cpl. William Bee felt flying into southern Afghanistan on Christmas Day 2001: purely lucky. The U.S. was hitting back at the al-Qaida plotters who had brought down the World Trade Center, and Bee found himself among the first Marines on the ground.

Excitement, Bee says these days, of the teenage Bees thoughts then. To be the dudes that got to open it up first.

In the decade that followed, three more deployments in America's longest war scoured away that lucky feeling.

For Bee, it came down to a night in 2008 in Afghanistan's Helmand province. By then a sergeant, Bee held the hand of an American sniper who had just been shot in the head, as a medic sliced open the mans throat for an airway.

After that it was like, you know what  Fk these people, Bee recounted, of what drove him by his fourth and final Afghan deployment. "I just want to bring my guys back. Thats all I care about. I want to bring them home.

As President Joe Biden ends the U.S. combat role in Afghanistan this month, Americans and Afghans are questioning whether the war was worth the cost: more than 3,000 American and other NATO lives lost, tens of thousands of Afghans dead, trillions of dollars of U.S. debt that generations of Americans will pay for, and an Afghanistan that in a stunning week of fighting appears at imminent threat of falling back under Taliban rule, just as Americans found it nearly 20 years ago.

For Biden, for Bee and for some of the American principals in the U.S. and NATO war in Afghanistan, the answer to whether it was worth the cost often comes down to parsing.

There were the first years of the war, when Americans broke up Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida in Afghanistan and routed the Taliban government that had hosted the terrorist network.

That succeeded.

The proof is clear, says Douglas Lute, White House czar for the war during the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations, and a retired lieutenant general: Al-Qaida hasnt been able to mount a major attack on the West since 2005.

We have decimated al-Qaida in that region, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Lute says.

But after that came the grinding second phase of the war. U.S. fears of a Taliban rebound whenever Americans eventually pulled out meant that service members such as Bee kept getting sent back in, racking up more close calls, injuries and dead comrades.

Lute and some others argue that what the second half of the war bought was time  a grace period for Afghanistan's government, security forces and civil society to try to build enough strength to survive on their own.

Quality of life in some ways did improve, modernizing under the Western occupation, even as the millions of dollars the U.S. poured into Afghanistan fed corruption. Infant mortality rates fell by half. In 2005, fewer than 1 in 4 Afghans had access to electricity. By 2019, nearly all did.

The second half of the war allowed Afghan women, in particular, opportunities entirely denied them under the fundamentalist Taliban, so that more than 1 in 3 teenage girls  their whole lives spent under the protection of Western forces  today can read and write.

But it's that longest, second phase of the war that looks on the verge of complete failure now.

The U.S. war left the Taliban undefeated and failed to secure a political settlement. Taliban forces this past week have swept across two-thirds of the country and captured provincial capitals, on the path of victory before U.S. combat forces even complete their pullout. On many fronts, the Taliban are rolling over Afghan security forces that U.S. and NATO forces spent two decades working to build.

This swift advance sets up a last stand in Kabul, where most Afghans live. It threatens to clamp the country under the Taliban's strict interpretation of religious law, erasing much of the gains.

Theres no mission accomplished,'" Biden snapped last month, batting down a question from a reporter.

Biden quickly corrected himself, evoking the victories of the first few years of the war. The mission was accomplished in that we ... got Osama bin Laden, and terrorism is not emanating from that part of the world, he added.

Richard Boucher, assistant secretary of state for Central Asia during much of the wars first decade, says the criticism was largely not of the conflict itself but because it went on so long.

It was the expansion of war aims, to try to create a government that was capable of stopping any future attacks," Boucher said.

America expended the most lives, and dollars, on the most inconclusive years of the war.

The strain of fighting two post-9/11 wars at once with an all-volunteer military meant that more than half of the 2.8 million American servicemen and women who deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq served two or more times, according to the Costs of War project at Brown University.

The repeated deployments contributed to disability rates in those veterans that are more than double that of Vietnam veterans, says Linda Bilmes, a senior lecturer in public policy at Harvard University.

Bilmes calculates the U.S. will spend more than $2 trillion just caring for and supporting Afghanistan and Iraq veterans as they age, with costs peaking 30 years to 40 years from now.

Thats on top of $1 trillion in Pentagon and State Department costs in Afghanistan since 2001. Because the U.S. borrowed rather than raised taxes to pay for the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, interest payments are estimated to cost succeeding generations of Americans trillions of dollars more still.

Annual combat deaths peaked around the time of the war's midpoint, as Obama tried a final surge of forces to defeat the Taliban. In all, 2,448 American troops, 1,144 service members from NATO and other allied countries, more than 47,000 Afghan civilians and at least 66,000 Afghan military and police died, according to the Pentagon and to the Costs of War project.

All the while, a succession of U.S. commanders tried new strategies, acronyms and slogans in fighting a Taliban insurgency.

Kandahar's airstrip, where Bee was quickly put to work digging a foxhole for himself over Christmas 2001, grew into a post for tens of thousands of NATO troops, complete with Popeyes and Burger Kings and a hockey rink.

Over the years, fighting forces such as Bee's 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit moved into hot spots to fight the Taliban and build ties with local leaders, often only to see gains lost when their unit rotated out again. In Helmand province, which proved the turning point for Bee in 2008, hundreds of U.S. and other NATO forces died fighting that way. Taliban fighters recaptured the province on Friday.

Bee's Afghanistan tours finally ended in 2010, when an improvised explosive device exploded 4 feet from him, killing two fellow service members who had been standing with him. It was Bee's third head injury, and for a time left him unable to walk a block without falling down.

Was it worth it?

The people whose lives we affected, I personally think we did them better, that theyre better off for it, answered Bee, who now works for a company that provides autonomous robots for Marine training at North Carolina's Camp Lejeune and is co-writing a book about his time in Afghanistan.

But I also wouldnt trade a handful of Afghan villages for one Marine," he added.

Ask the same question in Afghanistan, though, and you get different answers.

Some Afghans  asked that question before the Taliban's stunning sweep last week  respond that it's more than time for Americans to let Afghans handle their own affairs.

But one 21-year-old woman, Shogufa, says American troops' two decades on the ground meant all the difference for her.

The Associated Press is using her first name only, given fears of Taliban retribution against women who violate their strict codes.

When still in her infancy, she was pledged to marry a much older cousin in the countryside to pay off a loan. She grew up in a family, and society, where few women could read or write.

But as she grew up, Shogufa came across a Western nonprofit that had come to Kabul to promote health and leadership for Afghan girls. It was one of a host of such development groups that came to Afghanistan during the U.S.-led war.

Shogufa thrived. She deflected her familys moves to marry her off to her cousin. She got a job and is pursuing a bachelor's degree in business administration.

For Shogufa today, the gratitude for what she's gained is shadowed by her fears of all that she stands to lose.

Her message to Americans, as they left and the Taliban closed in on Kabul? "Thank you for everything you have done in Afghanistan, she said, in good but imperfect English. The other thing was to request that they stay with us.

___

Knickmeyer covered the 2001 Afghan Northern Alliance and U.S. air campaign that routed the Taliban, and the first weeks of the U.S. military presence at Kandahar in 2002.
The U.S. Navy has found a breakthrough naval weapon with its new Block 5 Virginia class SSNs (Nuclear powered attack subs). Just like the battleship revolutionized naval power a few years before World War I (1914-18), along with ocean-going submarines during that war and, by the 1930s, aircraft carriers, the new Virginia can carry a lot more guided missiles, high-tech torpedoes and naval mines than ever before because all these weapons on an SSN have proved to be a decisive weapon. SSNs can travel at high speed underwater to trouble spots and deliver massive firepower and get there before the aircraft carriers can. As the Block 5 Virginias begin to enter service, so will a lot of new, or renewed, guided missiles and smart mines that became available as the first Block 5s get closer to their first appearance.

The Navy is already spending a lot of money on its new SSNs. The Navy has twenty Virginia class SSNs in service with 60 to 70 or more to be eventually built, depending on how much money is available and how well the substantially improved Block 5 models do. Over the last five years the speed of construction has increased as well as the rate of delivery, which is (now one or two a year, in order to replace the aging Los Angeles class boats.

Each block of Virginias represents improvements, some of them substantial. There are currently five subclasses of Virginia, each identified by a Block number. There are four Block 1s, all in service by 2008. Th six Block 2s were all delivered by 2013. Eight Block 3s were all in service by 2020 and ten Block 4s, with three in service by 2021 and the rest by the mid-2020s. The ten Block 5s wont all be in service until the early 2030s and future Blocks will be based on the larger and more heavily armed Block Vs.

The Navy currently expects to build 66 Virginias but the importance of the large and more heavily armed Block Vs may increase that to over 70 subs with most of those based on the Block 5. Blocks 1-4 of Virginia are all armed the same way but eight of the ten Block 5s have additional space to store and launch missiles and can carry 65 missiles and torpedoes, 75 percent more than earlier Virginias. This is accomplished by adding a VPM (Virginia Payload Module) to the current design. This adds 25.6 meters to the length of the sub and increases displacement to 10,400 tons. The VPM adds four more of the large launch tubes that can hold different sizes of missiles. For example, each of launch tubes can carry seven Tomahawk cruise missiles or a smaller number of new missile designs in development, like the hypersonic missile. Earlier Virginias already had older individual launch tubes forward of the sail (conning tower). The VPM is added behind the sail. The VPM design was not ready when the first block 5 began construction so the first two Block 5s will lack the VPM and be the same size as earlier Virginias. These two Block 5s will have all the other additional features common to all Block 5s. This includes improved electronics and sensors and it is believed that the passive sonar in these model Virginias have much longer and accurate detection ranges. The Block 5 will also receive a large number of other equipment upgrades.

The additional missile capacity of Block 5 and subsequent Virginias is also meant to replace the cruise missile capacity being lost as the four Ohio-Class SSGNs (cruise missile carrying subs) are retired. These four boats are SSBNs (ballistic missile carrying subs) that were converted so their 24 ballistic missile launch tubes could carry seven tomahawks each. Two of the missile tubes were dedicated to carrying navy SEAL gear but the others carried 154 Tomahawks. The success of the Ohio SSGNs led to the VPM, although it will require 22 VPM equipped Virginias to replace the Tomahawk carrying capacity of the SSGNs. This was seen as an advantage because there were few instances where an SSGN had to fire all or most of their Tomahawks. The VPM does not turn the Virginia into an SSGN because all Virginias are still attack boats.

The Block 1-4 Virginias cost about $2.2 billion each. They displace 7,800 tons and are 114.9 meters (377 feet) long and 10.36 meters (34 feet) wide. Top speed is over 50 kilometers an hour, max depth is more than 250 meters (over 800 feet). The Block 1-4 Virginias are armed with twelve Tomahawk cruise missiles (in vertical launching tubes) and four 53.3 cm (21 inch) torpedo tubes that can fire MK 48 torpedoes or naval mines. The Block 5s with the VPM will cost about $3.5 billion each.

More important are the large number of electronic systems carried. These make the Virginias more difficult to detect, which enables these subs to be more effective at espionage and scouting. The electronics can also quickly detect and identify incoming torpedoes and rapidly use countermeasures. The passive (listen only) sonar system is backed by a huge library of sounds. Virginias are also designed to operate in shallow waters and carry a SEAL Delivery Vehicle (sort of a minisub for getting SEALs ashore) outside the sub. With a dozen or so SEALs on board, a Virginia will be carrying nearly 150 people.

Virginias nuclear reactors are a new type that does not have to be refueled, having sufficient nuclear material to last 33 years. The reactors generate enough heat to provide 40,000 horsepower, as well as ample electricity for all the electronics. The block 2 models used less costly construction techniques, while the eight Block 3 boats have some design changes and new technology. The most dramatic improvements came with Block 5.

Development of Block 5 was accelerated by the appearance of new weapons for Virginia. In 2018 the navy returned the ENCAP (encapsulated in a container that is fired from a torpedo tube) Harpoon anti-ship missile to active service. The Navy withdrew the ENCAP Harpoon in 1997 but in 2018 test fired one of them, apparently refurbished for the occasion, and found they still worked as they were supposed to. The ENCAP Harpoons were initially replaced by an anti-ship version of the Tomahawk, which was to be withdrawn but remained in service with more upgrades. With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the major naval adversary of the United States soon disappeared. The smaller Russian state could not afford to maintain, much less operate, the huge Soviet fleet. Now China is replacing the Soviet fleet as a major naval threat and new ship designs and weapons are back in favor.

By American 1999 subs were just carrying land attack Tomahawks, not just because the Soviet navy was gone but also because for either Harpoon or Tomahawk you have to have a general idea of where the target is before you fire the missile, which has its own terminal guidance system for locating a ship nearby and hitting it. But the subs rely on stealth for protection and that means few transmissions while underwater. For the ENCAP Harpoon, the 1990s passive sonar could, under the right conditions, locate a surface target out to about a hundred kilometers. Half that was needed, in most cases, for the Mk48 torpedo, which also had a terminal guidance system and could, at slow speed, reach a target out to about a hundred kilometers.

Since the 1990s there have been major improvements in the passive (just listening) sonar the subs use most of the time, as well as the tech used for a submerged sub to receive, or, less frequently send, electronic information. When receiving data the sub does not reveal its position to anyone monitoring that area of the ocean for transmissions. Sending data, even briefly, exposes the subs general location to being discovered.

Subs now have many more periscope capabilities. The conventional optical periscope has been replaced by devices that can be sent to the surface tethered by cable. These tethered devices can receive satellite and other electronic messages, as well as send. That means a sub could send up its sat receiver so many times a day when in a combat zone to receive updates on enemy activity. These could include firing orders for distant ships (or land targets) to be fired on using missiles. The latest version (Block II+ER) Harpoon has a 300-kilometer range and much better terminal guidance and countermeasures. But it is still a slow (800 kilometers an hour) missile while the most modern anti-ship missiles have terminal attack speeds of more than three times that. Then again for a surprise attack Harpoon can be useful as it comes in very low (sea skimming) often avoiding enemy radar. One possible situation would have an enemy ship detected by satellite or UAV with location information sent to a sub within Harpoon range (or able to move into range) which could then fire one or more ENCAP Harpoons and then go hide. ENCAP Harpoons blasting from the sea surface makes a lot of acoustic and visual noise. Another option is the ENCAP UAVs proposed for subs. These can be launched more quietly and spend several hours searching an area for any targets and sending the sub brief message bursts with the location of any targets. One version of ENCAP UAV has been developed that be launched from the smaller countermeasure launchers,

The navy is not spending a lot of money on bringing the ENCAP Harpoon back into service. It is going to upgrade some older Harpoons and ship them as ENCAP weapons for possible use under the right conditions. The navy, as expected, isnt providing details and the details may involve some new tech or tactics that are best kept secret.

Another new weapon is the Hammerhead mobile mine. Hammerhead are encapsulated bottom mines that use a Mk 54 lightweight torpedo, which is normally carried by ASW helicopters and aircraft. Mk 54 has a range of ten kilometers and a guidance system that is regularly updated. Hammerhead is being used in a similar fashion to a larger version of this used during the Cold War that was deployed by surface ships and used the larger Mk 48 torpedo. In 1983 the navy introduced an earlier version of the Hammerhead concept as the Mk 67 SLMM (submarine launched mobile mine) that carried the older Mk 37 torpedo. The Mk 37 was a late World War II design that was used into the 1970s. By 1987 there were still some in storage and they were adequate for SLMM. The SLMM was out of service by the 1990s with the end of the Cold War. Hammerhead is an encapsulated system equipped with improved passive sensors to detect and identify submarines and surface ships and attack specific types of targets, like diesel-electric subs or larger warships or commercial ships. Hammerhead is not only being carried by the Virginias, especially the Block 5 but also by the new Orca autonomous diesel-electric sub that can carry and deploy a dozen Hammerheads.

The U.S. currently has three classes of SSN. Most are the 6,900-ton Los Angeles-class SSNs. Sixty-two of these submarines were built and 28 are still in service. Armed with four 53.3 cm torpedo tubes, they carry twenty-six weapons for those tubes (either the Mk 48 torpedoes or BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles). The last 31 Los Angeles-class SSNs added the Mk 45 vertical-launch system (VLS), which carried another twelve Tomahawks. If built today these late model Los Angeles class boats would cost about $1.5 billion each. The first of these entered service in 1976, and the last one in 1996. These boats can last 30-35 years before they must be retired or undergo extensive (over half a billion dollars worth) of refurbishment and refueling. This can take 4-5 years and will keep the sub going for another 10-15 years. But theres barely enough money to keep building Virginias and no time or cash to refurb elderly Los Angeles class boats. That was why the number of Virginias planned was increased to 66 and the tempo of construction speeded up. This means the American SSN fleet will not shrink from 55 in 2013 to under 45 by 2030. The current building plan keeps the SSN numbers at or above fifty and, with all of the new Virginias based on the Block 5s, the new SSN fleet will be a lot more capable than the old one.

The first attempt at doing that failed. Twenty-nine 9,000-ton Seawolf-class SSNs were supposed to replace the Los Angeles boats but Seawolf proved too expensive. Only three were built. The Seawolf was designed for the Cold War, carrying fifty weapons (torpedoes, cruise missiles, or Harpoon anti-ship missiles) for its eight 660 mm (26-inch) torpedo tubes. Seawolf was fast (top speed of over 60 kilometers an hour) and much quieter than the Los Angeles boats. To replace the un-built Seawolfs the Virginia-class was designed. Think of it as a Los Angeles size hull with a lot of Seawolf technology installed. The Virginia class boats ended up costing about half as much as the Seawolfs. But that was largely possible because the Virginias used a lot of the new technology developed for Seawolf.
Naval Academy Parents Weekend marks the first time most plebes get to see their parents since Induction Day at the beginning of the summer. While it started on Thursday, activities pick up on Friday and continue through Sunday. (Kenneth D. Aston Jr./U.S. Navy)

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (Tribune News Service)  Emma Single wiped tears from her eyes as she greeted her family on the grass behind the statue of Tecumseh.

The plebe was hardly the only one. Parents and plebes alike had glistening eyes as they exchanged hugs for the first time in six weeks.

Parents Weekend marks the first time most plebes get to see their parents since Induction Day at the beginning of the summer. While it started on Thursday, activities pick up on Friday and continue through Sunday.

On Friday, shortly before the loud gongs announced the noon hour, each company lined up in formation in front of Bancroft Hall. Detailers had their plebes recite passages and sing Navy and Marine songs.

Then, after detailers reported all plebes were accounted for, the plebes were released to their waiting families.

Single, from Millersville, had been counting down the days since her parents brought her to the academy.

She had corresponded with her family through letters, and she had recently seen them during a sponsors day. Single asked her parents to register as sponsors so she would be able to bring her friends home when they have leave.

Still, the day was special, she said.

Plebe Summer has been difficult, especially the first two weeks, Single said, but she has made strong bonds with her company mates and is learning every day.

About two weeks in, Single called her mother Robin and was tearful. Robin Single was worried, but five days later, she received a letter from Emma saying that something finally clicked and she was doing much better. Another letter came saying she was happy at the academy and the call to her mother was the last time she cried.

Robin Single already can see differences in her daughter. Her stature is better. She speaks differently. But she is still the same storyteller that Robin sent to the academy.

The Singles would come on the Yard during plebe summer and watch their daughter and the other plebes from afar, Robin said.

When they met up for the sponsors day, Emma filled them in on all of the stories from her weeks at the academy.

Emma notices a difference too, she said. When the detailers yell at her, she no longer takes it personally. She understands why they are correcting her.

Her voice is more hoarse than when she arrived, in part from the yelling plebes are required to do.

Plebe Summer was a bit of a reality check for her, she said. It was physically and mentally challenging, more than she anticipated. But she has enjoyed some of the trainings, especially ones led by recent graduates.

Most families live out of state and could not come on the Yard or become sponsors like the Singles. When Keri Regnier dropped off her daughter Elizabeth, it was like she ripped her heart out

The past six weeks were tough, but their faith got them through it, Regnier said.

Elizabeth Regnier, of Westfield, Massachusetts, has wanted to go to a service academy since sixth grade. The Naval Academy was her first choice.

The summer was the first time she was away from her family, and that was difficult for them all. She was overwhelmed seeing her family again. She had been looking forward to it since she stepped foot on the Yard.

Shes been adjusting to the military life and the amount of work during Plebe Summer.

The days are long, she said, but the weeks are short. There have been plenty of ups and an equal amount of downs as she trained.

Its been challenging, but her time at the academy has reinforced that she wants to be there.

Fellow New Englander Daniel Barber has also experienced the hardships from Plebe Summer. After six weeks, hes used to the push-ups required for the plebes.

And the screaming. He knows now that the detailers are working to build them up as midshipmen, but that did not make the first week any easier.

But as much as he has been pushed physically, the hardest part of the summer was the distance from his friends and family back home. Hes stayed in touch via letters, but it was wonderful to see his family in person.

He is looking forward to the academic year and having a bit more independence, he said.

That does not surprise his mother, Lisa, who said that she worried about her son attending a service academy. As a child, he always wanted to do things his own way.

Its been hard for Lisa Barber. She has two older children who have gone to college. One even studied abroad in Japan. Even then she could always communicate with her children, something she could not do with Daniel.

Daniel is thankful for his mother, especially after going through Plebe Summer. She never accepted any excuses when she raised him.

That discipline helped during the past few weeks, he said. The detailers did not take excuses, either.

Plebes will have one more week before the rest of the brigade reforms, allowing them to meet their other company mates and start the academic year.

___

(c)2021 The Capital (Annapolis, Md.)

Visit The Capital (Annapolis, Md.) at www.hometownannapolis.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during an interview in Caracas, Venezuela, on June 14, 2021. (Gaby Oraa/Bloomberg)

Representatives of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the U.S.-backed opposition launched talks in Mexico City on Friday aimed at restoring democracy and easing a humanitarian crisis in the South American country.

This time, the authoritarian leader appears to have the upper hand.

The talks brokered by Norway - which has long sought to spur an accord - mark the fourth time in five years that the opposition has sought a deal with Maduro, who was internationally condemned for claiming victory in tainted 2018 elections. All previous attempts failed.

In a significant change from past talks, however, more international players are set to be at the table this time: Russia is joining Maduro's camp, and the Netherlands is aiding the opposition. A broader group of about 10 other nations - including the United States, Canada, Britain, Turkey and Bolivia - is designated as key actors, according to three people familiar with the talks who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

"Am I overly optimistic? No," said Leopoldo Lopez, mentor to opposition leader Juan Guaido and a coordinator for one of the four major opposition parties. "But I think the process has the capacity to succeed, so we've put all our efforts into this. I think this is a space where everyone can meet and it has the capacity to align the international community on a solution to the crisis - free and fair elections."

Heads of both delegations met Friday night to sign a memorandum of understanding containing the details of the agenda. Mexico's foreign minister and the head of the Norwegian delegation were invited to sign the document. Political rights, electoral guarantees, the lifting of sanctions against Venezuela, human rights and policies to protect the economy are among the seven points that will be discussed. Each delegation will have nine members and will make "efforts to include women," said Dag Nylander, head of Norwegian delegation.

The objective, he said, is to reach an agreement on every point, although partial agreements can be reached and later included in the final document.

Gerardo Blyde, head of the opposition delegation, said this is the most solid process they've had. "Today we are beginning the second stage of a negotiation process that we know will be complex," he said. "We come to seek agreements on all the issues that we are going to discuss."

For the Venezuelan government, the process is urgent and intensive. "It has been complex," said Jorge Rodriguez, a prominent political figure of Maduros regime and head of the delegation representing the government. "We've had months and months of conversations to reach the memorandum of understanding that speaks to all of us."

Key observers remain skeptical of a breakthrough that could restore democracy. Maduro's government is heading into the talks in its strongest position in years.

In 2019, the last time serious talks were attempted, Maduro had suffered an assassination attempt and other alleged plots against him. Guaido, then the elected president of Venezuela's National Assembly, had emerged to challenge his rule - and won recognition from the United States and more than 50 other countries as Venezuela's legitimate leader. The Trump administration was turning up the heat on Caracas with harsh new sanctions.

And yet Maduro survived, consolidating his grip on power while Guaido's popularity and ability to mobilize the masses dramatically waned. The Lima Group - a collection of nations that were pressuring Maduro to step aside - is now in tatters, with its host country, Peru, abandoning it following the election there of it's anew, far-left president. Many Venezuelans now blame the Trump-era sanctions for making their lives worse while failing in their fundamental purpose: forcing Maduro out.

Reflecting the new reality, the starting point for the opposition has changed. Its negotiators have dropped demands that Maduro immediately step down. An agenda was still being hammered out, but opposition officials say they will push for shorter-term deals to stem the humanitarian crisis, which has sent millions fleeing a collapsed health-care system and high levels of malnutrition, and to set a timetable for free and fair parliamentary and presidential elections.

Analysts have low expectations. Perhaps the most likely positive outcome, they say, could be incremental agreements on access to coronavirus vaccines, the release of political prisoners, and a more level playing field for local and regional elections in November.

"If the opposition and international community had the power to remove Maduro, they would simply be negotiating his departure right now," said Luis Vicente Leon, director of the Caracas-based Datanalisis polling agency. "That is not what is happening here."

The United States, the opposition's strongest backer, will not be sitting at the negotiating table, a decision opposition operatives say was made to avoid the Cold War optics of Washington and Moscow staring each other down in Mexico City. But the United States will be critical to any deal. Maduro is unlikely to budge on much unless he achieves his primary objective: an easing of the U.S. sanctions that have isolated his government financially and made him increasingly dependent on Russia, China and Iran.

Last month, the Biden administration offered a small olive branch, allowing Venezuela's state oil company to restart imports of cooking gas from the United States amid a major domestic shortage. But U.S. officials say any significant sanctions relief would depend on irreversible changes to re-democratize the country and a firm commitment to free and fair elections - a standard that observers see as a high bar.

"I think it's a pragmatic approach, but that doesn't mean we're necessarily going to lift pressure, lift sanctions," said a senior U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "Biden is not just going to give in to a dictator. That's not going to happen."

Maduro says the government has seven specific demands.

"We hold them firm," he told reporters this week in Caracas. "First of all, the immediate lifting of all criminal sanctions against the Venezuelan economy and society."

The pathway to any broader deal is a minefield of issues that have blown up past negotiations - including whether and how amnesty would be granted to Maduro and his inner circle, who stand accused of narcoterrorism and crimes against humanity. The 58-year-old leader is seen as unlikely to surrender power as long as it leaves him vulnerable to arrest and prosecution at home or abroad.

But the power structure in Venezuela is complicated, and some in the opposition think that major players in Maduro's inner circle and the military could push for a deal to secure their own political futures. That calculus, however, hasn't worked in the past.

In 2016, an effort backed by the Vatican fell apart before talks even began. In 2017 and 2018, after months of street demonstrations in which dozens of people were killed by government forces, talks in the Dominican Republic brokered by former Spanish prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero ended without a deal. In 2019, talks organized by Norway in Oslo and Barbados after several months of political and social unrest broke up without an agreement.

Even if a deal isn't reached, the talks could still serve two purposes in line with opposition goals. European allies have been pressing for dialogue, and the U.S. decision to effectively sanction that approach keeps the international coalition against Maduro intact, at least for now.

In addition, the simple fact that representatives of the major parties and Guaido's interim government are sitting at the table amounts to a reaffirmation from the international community - and a nod from Maduro - that they remain a credible political force in Venezuela.

- - -

The Washington Post's Vanessa Herrero reported from Caracas.
People wade through a road flooded by heavy rain in Kurume, Fukuoka prefecture, western Japan, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. Torrential rain continued to trigger floods Saturday in wide areas of southwestern Japan, damaging homes and disrupting transportation. (Kyodo News via AP)

FUKUOKA/TOKYO  The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a special rain warning in four prefectures on Saturday morning, as record rainfall continued in western and southwestern Japan, causing riverbanks to burst and flooding in residential areas.

The agency issued a special warning for Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki and Hiroshima prefectures, citing the imminent risk of a serious disaster.

According to the JMA, up to 912 millimeters of rain fell in Ureshino, Saga Prefecture, in the 72-hour period through 10 a.m. Saturday, 848.5 millimeters in Mt. Unzen, Nagasaki Prefecture, and 712.5 millimeters in Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture. All were record highs.

In some places, rainfall over the three-day period was more than three times the amount that usually falls in the entire month of August.

In Takeo, Saga Prefecture, the Rokkaku River overflowed its banks on Saturday, flooding homes and forcing residents to seek refuge.

The heavy rain was triggered by weather conditions similar to those seen during the rainy season in early summer, experts said. The problem is that the phenomenon has emerged in mid-summer.

A Pacific high-pressure system, which usually means sunny summer days across Japan, has stayed in the southern part of the archipelago, according to the JMA, which has attributed the widespread rainfall to a front between the Pacific high-pressure system and another high-pressure system to the north.

In Kyushu, warm and humid air around the edge of the Pacific high-pressure system and air flowing along the westerly winds are coming in from two directions, making the front active. The JMA said that heavy rains are likely to continue until the middle of next week.

"The pressure pattern is similar to that seen at the end of the rainy season, but in August, when temperatures are high, the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere tends to increase, raising the risk of heavy rain," said Haruhiko Yamamoto, a professor at Yamaguchi University. "High-risk zones might expand in August so vigilance is needed across widespread areas," Yamamoto said.
President Biden leaves the East Room after delivering remarks on the Afghanistan drawdown on July 8. 2021. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post )

WASHINGTON  Twenty years ago, when the twin towers and the Pentagon were still smoldering, there was a sense among America's warrior and diplomatic class that history was starting anew for the people of Afghanistan and much of the Muslim world.

"Every nation has a choice to make," President George W. Bush saidon the day that bombs began falling on Oct. 7, 2001. In private, senior U.S. diplomats were even more explicit. "For you and us, history starts today," then-Deputy Secretary of State Dick Armitage told his Pakistani counterparts.

Earlier this month, as the Taliban raced across Afghanistan, retired Lt. Col. Jason Dempsey, a two-time veteran of the war, stumbled across Armitage's words. To Dempsey, the sentiment was "the most American thing I've ever heard" and emblematic of the hubris and ignorance that he and so many others brought to the losing war.

"We assumed the rest of the world saw us as we saw ourselves," he said. "And we believed that we could shape the world in our image using our guns and our money." Both assumptions ignored Afghan culture, politics and history. Both, he said, were tragically wrong.

The near-collapse of the Afghan army in the space of just a few stunning weeks is prompting the military and Washington's policymakers to reflect on their failures over the course of nearly two decades. To many, the roots of the disaster go back to the war's earliest days, when the Taliban were first driven from power and the United States, still reeling from the shock of the 9/11 attacks, set about building a government in Kabul.

Some two dozen prominent Afghans met in Bonn, Germany, with officials from the U.S. government, NATO and the United Nations to form a new Afghan government crafted in the image of the United States and its European allies.

"You look at the Afghan constitution that was created in Bonn and it was trying to create a Western democracy," said Michele Flournoy, one of the architects of President Barack Obama's troop surge in Afghanistan in 2010. "In retrospect, the United States and its allies got it really wrong from the very beginning. The bar was set based on our democratic ideals, not on what was sustainable or workable in an Afghan context."

Flournoy acknowledged in hindsight that the mistake was compounded across Republican and Democratic administrations, which continued with almost equal fervor to pursue goals that ran counter to decades - if not centuries - of the Afghan experience.

By 2009, when Obama took office, it was clear to just about everyone that the United States was losing the war.

To reverse Taliban momentum and give U.S. officials a chance to build up the Afghan government and security forces, Obama signed off on a surge of troops that more than doubled the size of the American force in Afghanistan.

Flournoy said she was initially hopeful that the plan could work. On trips to Afghanistan, she met frequently with young Afghans, including women's groups, who shared America's vision for the country. They wanted to send their daughters to school, serve in government, start businesses and nonprofits. They wanted women to be full participants in society and craved a predictable political and legal system. "We found all kinds of allies," she said.

But those individuals were no match for the rot that had permeated the Afghan government. She and other U.S. officials understood that with all the U.S. money floating around in Afghanistan, there would be "petty corruption," she said. What U.S. officials discovered in 2010, after the surge was already underway, was a corruption that ran far deeper than they had previously understood and that jeopardized their strategy, which depended on building the legitimacy of the Afghan government.

"We realized that this is not going to work," Flournoy said. "We had made a big bet only to learn that our local partner was rotten."

Now, as Taliban fighters race toward Kabul and the Afghan military crumbles, Flournoy said her thoughts often turn to the Americans who sacrificed for the mission and to those "wonderful allies" who shared the U.S. hopes for a democratic Afghanistan. "That's what makes me so sick to my stomach," she said. "We invested in this whole generation that is about to suffer through this very horrible chapter."

Meanwhile, current and former U.S. officials are trying to make sense of why a government and security forces built over two decades at a cost of more than $100 billion dollars are collapsing so quickly.

Carter Malkasian, a longtime adviser to U.S. commanders in Afghanistan, has pegged the weakness of the Afghan forces on their lack of a unifying cause that resonates with Afghans, as well as their heavy dependence on the United States. By contrast, the Taliban were fighting for their culture and Islam. They "exemplified something that inspired, something that made them powerful in battle, something closely tied to what it meant to be an Afghan," Malkasian writes in his new book, "The American War in Afghanistan."

It's an observation that speaks to the limits of American power and raises the broader question of how the catastrophic and embarrassing failure in Afghanistan might constrain U.S. foreign policy moving forward.

"We know what happens when we fall to imperial hubris. What does one do with imperial heartbreak?" asked John Gans, who served as a civilian in the Pentagon during the Obama administration.

So many of today's rising military commanders and foreign policy experts were drawn into government service by the 9/11 attacks and the war in Afghanistan. After the relatively low-stakes peacekeeping missions of the 1990s, America and U.S. foreign policy suddenly seemed to be at the center of the world in the years after 2001. A whole generation of leaders driven "by ambition, ego and a desire to shape world events" ran toward the action, Gans said.

Their numbers include lawmakers such as Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., who joined the CIA, and Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who signed up for the infantry, as well as top Biden foreign policy officials, such as Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines.

It seems certain that in coming years the use of military force will be informed by this searing experience. U.S. foreign policy will be guided by more modest ambitions, especially when weighing the use of military power. Flournoy imagines a future in which military force is limited to more sharply defined objectives and informed by far greater humility when it comes to spreading democracy or changing societies.

In many cases, it's a vision in which force is used to manage chronic problems, rather than solve them.

Another possibility is a U.S. foreign policy that is increasingly focused more on issues such as pandemics or climate change, which require U.S. leadership and a global response. Gans noted that more than 600,000 Americans have died of covid-19, far more than the number of U.S. lives lost to terrorism and war over the past 20 years.

For now, though, it seems unlikely that these threats will take center stage in U.S. foreign policy. The Pentagon, with its $740 billion budget, still sucks up a larger share of discretionary spending than any other government agency. Meanwhile, the foreign policy establishment has shifted its focus increasingly to the competition with the likes of Russia and China.

"After 9/11 everyone raced to become a Middle East or counterterrorism expert," said Gans. "After covid, you don't see many foreign policy people racing to become global health experts."

On one subject most foreign policy experts agree: America needs to temper its faith in its armed forces. "We had so much faith in our military that we were inevitably going to overstep," said Dempsey, the Afghanistan veteran. "A military bureaucracy unchecked never yields good outcomes."
The U.S. Embassy buildings, center, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. After an advance group of Marines arrived on Friday, more flowed into the Kabul international airport on Saturday, said Navy Capt. William Urban, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command. (Rahmat Gul/AP)

WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden authorized on Saturday an additional 1,000 U.S. troops for deployment to Afghanistan, raising to roughly 5,000 the number of U.S. troops to ensure what Biden called an "orderly and safe drawdown" of American and allied personnel.

U.S. troops will also help in the evacuation of Afghans who worked with the military during the nearly two-decade war.

The last-minute decision to re-insert thousands of U.S. troops into Afghanistan reflected the dire state of security as the Taliban seized control of multiple Afghan cities in a few short days. The militant and fundamentalist movement gained control of key parts of the country it governed until being ousted by U.S. and coalition forces after the Sept. 11 attacks. Biden had set an Aug. 31 deadline for fully withdraw combat forces before the 20th anniversary of the attacks.

Biden attributed much of the chaos unfolding in Afghanistan to former President Donald Trump's efforts to end the war, which Biden said created a blueprint that put U.S. forces in a difficult spot with an emboldened Taliban challenging the Afghan government.

"When I came to office, I inherited a deal cut by my predecessor  which he invited the Taliban to discuss at Camp David on the eve of 9/11 of 2019  that left the Taliban in the strongest position militarily since 2001," Biden said in a statement Saturday. "I was the fourth president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan  two Republicans, two Democrats. I would not, and will not, pass this war onto a fifth."

In his statement Biden didn't explain the breakdown of the 5,000 troops he said had been deployed. But a defense official said in a media statement that the president had approved Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's recommendation that the lead battalion of the 82nd Airborne Brigade Combat Team assist in the State Department's drawdown.

Initially 1,000 troops were in place to aid with the withdrawal, and administration officials quickly judged that total to be insufficient. An additional contingent of Marines arrived in Kabul as part of a 3,000-troop force intended to secure an airlift of U.S. Embassy personnel and Afghan allies as Taliban insurgents approached the outskirts of the capital. The additional 1,000 troops approved Saturday appeared to bring the total to 5,000.

Officials have stressed that the newly arriving troops' mission was limited to assisting the airlift of embassy personnel and Afghan allies, and they expected to complete it by month's end. But they might have to stay longer if the embassy is threatened by a Taliban takeover of Kabul by then.

In a sign of fears that the Taliban could soon capture Kabul, U.S. Embassy personnel were urgently destroying sensitive documents, according to two U.S. military officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the situation.

As the situation in Afghanistan rapidly worsened, Biden, who was spending the weekend at Camp David, and Vice President Kamala Harris held a secure video conference on Saturday morning with national security officials before Biden announced the additional troops.

On Saturday, the Taliban captured Mazar-e-Sharif, a large heavily defended city in northern Afghanistan, and closed in on Kabul by taking the Logar province just to the south. The Taliban have made major advances in recent days, including capturing Herat and Kandahar, the country's second- and third-largest cities.

"Clearly from their actions, it appears as if they are trying to get Kabul isolated," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said, referring to the Taliban's speedy and efficient takedown of major provincial capitals this past week.

Biden had given the Pentagon until Aug. 31 to complete the withdrawal of the 2,500 to 3,000 troops that were in Afghanistan when he announced in April that he would end U.S. involvement in the war. That number has dropped to just under 1,000, and all but about 650 were scheduled to be gone by the end of the month; the 650 were to remain to help protect the U.S. diplomatic presence, including with aircraft and defensive weapons at the Kabul airport.

But the decision in recent days to dispatch 4,000 fresh troops suggested that American forces and their allies were at risk. There was no discussion of rejoining the war, but the number of troops needed for security will depend on decisions about keeping the embassy open and the extent of a Taliban threat to the capital in coming days.

Having the Aug. 31 deadline pass with thousands of U.S. troops in the country could be problematic for Biden, who said he had no regrets about stopping the U.S. war by that date. Republicans criticized the withdrawal as a mistake and ill-planned, though there was little political appetite by either party to send fresh troops to fight the Taliban.

The president said Saturday his administration had conveyed to Taliban representatives in Qatar that any actions in Afghanistan that harm U.S. personnel will be met by a "swift and strong" military response. Biden also directed Secretary of State Antony Blinken to support Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and engage with regional leaders in the pursuit of a political settlement with the Taliban.

Ghani delivered a televised speech Saturday, his first public appearance since the recent Taliban gains, and pledged not to give up the "achievements" of the 20 years since the U.S. toppled the Taliban.

Despite the Taliban's gains, the Biden administration has said that Afghan security forces' air force and superior numbers could give them an edge against the insurgents. The statement served to highlight the lack of morale by Afghan forces to fight in a situation where the Taliban seemed to be speeding forward.

The State Department said the embassy in Kabul would remain partially staffed and functioning, but Thursday's decision to evacuate a significant number of staff suggested concerns about protecting American and Afghan lives as the Taliban progressed through the country. The Biden administration has not publicly ruled out a full embassy evacuation or possibly relocating embassy operations to the Kabul airport.

Associated Press writer James LaPorta contributed to this report.

previous coverage First of three US battalions arrives in Kabul to assist the evacuations of American diplomats, Afghan refugees
Lawton, OK (73501)

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Partly cloudy with isolated thunderstorms possible. High around 95F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

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Officials of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have shown support for NASA astronaut, Serena Aunon-Chancellor, after a Russian news service made claims about her behavior aboard the International Space Station (ISS) back in 2018.

Russian news service TASS claimed that the NASA astronaut had an emotional breakdown aboard the ISS and even damaged a Russian spacecraft in order to be allowed to go back to Earth early.

According to a report by Ars Technica, TASS is a news service that "speaks with the authority of the Russian government."

NASA Astronaut Had Emotional Breakdown: TASS

NASA astronaut Serena Aunon-Chancellor allegedly suffered an emotional breakdown in 2018 while aboard the ISS, according to claims by TASS. TASS also alleged that the NASA astronaut damaged a Russian spacecraft in order to be allowed to go back to Earth.

The Russian spacecraft in question is the Soyuz spacecraft. In 2018, a hole on the Russian spacecraft caused a leak in the space station.

The Soyuz Spacecraft Incident

After conducting a spacewalk to determine the cause of the hole on the Russian spacecraft, Russian astronaut Sergey Prokopyev said that the hole had been drilled from inside the ISS capsule.

Related Article: Russian Cosmonaut Sergei Prokopyev Says Hole Drilled From Inside Space Station Capsule

NASA Astronaut Drew Feustel, the commander of the ISS at that time, denied that he or any member of the crew had deliberately sabotaged the Soyuz spacecraft.

In addition, NASA also knew exactly where the American astronauts were before and during the leak, according to the report by Ars Technica.

Per the Ars Technica report, "None of the US astronauts on the station were near the Russian segment where the Soyuz vehicle was docked."

However, this did not stop Russian news service TASS from claiming that Aunon-Chancellor was the culprit behind the leak. In fact, the report is "the first to name Aunon-Chancellor, to disclose a private medical condition, and then to make the incendiary claim that this condition led her to sabotage the space station."

NASA Officials Show Support for Astronaut

NASA officials have shown their support for Aunon-Chancellor ever since the claims against her have been made by TASS. Their show of support follows a bland initial statement from NASA that is said to have caused frustration over the lack of support for the NASA astronaut.

Kathy Lueders, NASA's chief of human spaceflight, emphasized that NASA astronauts are well-respected and have made valuable contributions to the American space agency as part of their service to the country. Her statement adds that NASA is standing behind Aunon-Chancellor and that the agency does not find any credibility in the accusations meant against her.

Bill Nelson, NASA's administrator, has also shown his support for the NASA astronaut in a post on Twitter. His statement says that he agrees with Lueders and that he will always stand behind the NASA astronauts.

Also Read: NASA And Roscosmos Issue Joint Statement Addressing ISS Air Leak

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Isabella James

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Of the 6,203 LSU students who have sent their coronavirus status to campus so far, 94% of them have reported being fully or partially vaccinated against the virus, LSU President William F. Tate IV said Thursday.

Students have until Aug. 22  the day before fall classes begin  to submit their coronavirus information to LSU. They must provide provide proof of vaccination, proof of a negative coronavirus test within five days of arriving on campus or proof of a positive coronavirus test result within 90 days of arriving on campus.

About a fifth of students have sent in that information so far, Tate said Thursday during an editorial board meeting with The Advocate | The Times-Picayune.

LSU COVID plans: Students will need to prove one of three things before arriving on campus LSU announced more details on its plan for starting classes in the midst of a massive surge in COVID cases in a letter sent to students Monday.

The universitys coronavirus protocols have led to heated debate between faculty members and LSU administrators, as wide swaths of faculty have called for LSU to immediately mandate that all students be vaccinated against the virus. Louisianas frontline health care workers and public health officials say the state is facing its worst outbreak yet of the coronavirus as hospitals run out of space, staffing and medicine to keep up with the delta-variant surge.

All leading health officials across the state have called for robust vaccination among the public, saying vaccines are the only way for Louisiana to avoid mass death from the coronavirus and also avoid overwhelming the hospital systems.

Despite the warnings, just 37% of Louisianans have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. The numbers have appeared even more abysmal among students: when Tate arrived at LSU last month, just 26% of students said they were vaccinated through a voluntary reporting system.

But now that students are required to submit information about their vaccination status to LSU, the numbers appear to be changing. Tate sees the latest figures as a sign that welcome week  as students move onto campus and into dorms  will be safer than many predicted, with 5,817 of the 6,203 students being vaccinated.

Tate has said several times that LSU will mandate the vaccine once it receives full approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

If the FDA came out and said vaccines are approved today, there will be a vaccine mandate at LSU, Tate said.

In the absence of mandating vaccines, LSU faculty members have called on LSU to do more to protect them and their students from the virus. A group wrote to Tate at the beginning of the month asking for options in the way they teach for the upcoming semester by letting them choose to either teach remotely, in-person with 50% occupancy models or through a hybrid approach of both online and in-person.

The situation in Louisiana is more dire now than at any point since the spring of 2020, when LSU went entirely remote because of the dangers posed by the pandemic, wrote the group of professors led by Inessa Bazayev, the Faculty Senate representative for the College of Music and Dramatic Arts.

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It is unconscionable that you would ask faculty, staff and students for a full return to campus under these conditions when we know these alternative options are available and that they work.

LSU announced at its Aug. 6 board meeting that professors with classes larger than 100 students can use a hybrid approach to teaching during peak infection periods.

Tate has defended his approach, saying that combination of required masks, COVID testing, ventilation systems in classrooms, plexiglass in classrooms and wastewater testing across campus has built in several stop gaps to catch and prevent widespread transmission of the virus.

Students who are not vaccinated also have to show proof to LSU that theyve been tested for COVID at least once a month. The monthly required testing has also been a point of contention, many other institutions have mandated testing far more frequently.

Tulane University, for example, has mandated the coronavirus vaccine on campus. But even vaccinated Tulane students must test for COVID three days before arriving on campus, and again within their first week of arrival if they are living on campus. For unvaccinated Tulane students  such as those who have received medical or religious exemptions  testing will be required weekly. And random samples of vaccinated faculty, students and staff will be tested twice a month.

Tate, however, said that doing monthly testing at LSU is enough.

Theyre coming in and theyre testing regularly within the 30-day period, so you literally have a sampling strategy going on, while, simultaneously, LSU has one of the best wastewater testing strategies in the United States, Tate said. People are calling us asking us, how are we doing it and can they take it.  We can go in a hot zone and isolate and quarantine based upon wastewater testing and/or contact tracing from a 30-day surveillance.

Tate said LSU learned last year that it can hold in-person classes while mitigating the risk of the virus spreading.

In the SEC, there was not one documented case of COVID transmission in the classroom, he said.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards is scheduled to address the continued surge in coronavirus cases, fueled by the highly-transmissible delta variant and low vaccination rates, in a 1:30 p.m. press conference Friday.

Since the start of Louisiana's fourth coronavirus wave, hospitals in the state have become overwhelmed with the amount of COVID patients requiring treatment as hospitalization numbers continue to break records. Coronavirus deaths in the state are beginning to skyrocket and younger people -- almost all unvaccinated -- are beginning to make up a larger percentage of hospitalizations and deaths.

+3 More cash incentives for COVID vaccines: 75,000 students to receive gift cards for vaccines Just seconds after announcing a $1 million grand prize for the Louisiana COVID vaccine lottery along with five $100,000 scholarships, Gov. Joh

Dr. Joseph Kanter, the state health officer, said Tuesday that if the spread doesnt begin to slow down soon, additional restrictions may need to be considered.

On Friday, the Louisiana Department of Health reported 4,337 more confirmed cases and 43 new confirmed deaths. The statewide total for hospitalizations is now 2,907.

Watch and follow the press conference live below.

Can't see the module? Click here.
Thousands of LSU students started moving into campus housing on Friday. But along with the usual commotion of freshmen settling in and parents saying their goodbyes, undergraduates had to either show documents required by the school's COVID protocol or let a nurse swab their nose to test for the virus.

A gravel parking lot on River Road served as a staging area, drawing long lines of cars transporting incoming students. When they reached a checkpoint, students had to show staff an email from LSU affirming that they followed the pandemic protocol the school developed just days beforehand.

According to LSU rules, they had three options.

They could upload a record of their vaccination if they got the shot. If not, they could show a negative COVID test result within the past five days. Or, to prove they have some natural immunity, they could show a positive test result from the last 90 days.

LSU COVID plans: Students will need to prove one of three things before arriving on campus LSU announced more details on its plan for starting classes in the midst of a massive surge in COVID cases in a letter sent to students Monday.

The vast majority of vehicles passed through without a hitch.

Students who couldn't meet one of those three criteria were directed to a nearby tent for a COVID test.

Catherine David, LSU's associate director of communications for residential life, said students who failed to provide proper documentation must get tested immediately.

And that meant putting them in limbo for a couple days or more until the results came through, she said.

When we direct them over to the tent, David explained, that means they cant move in today.

That came as news to some students who got swabbed.

Elandra Marsalis, a nursing assistant at the testing tent, said a few students cheered after getting their nostrils plunged, thinking that would clear them to go to their dorms.

The reality was more complicated.

As LSU students return to campus, higher numbers than before report receiving COVID vaccine Of the 6,203 LSU students who have sent their coronavirus status to campus so far, 94% of them have reported being fully or partially vaccinat

We dont know what students are supposed to do after they leave us, Marsalis said. We just get their names, swab them and let them know theyll get results in 48 to 72 hours.

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Apparently, staff got mixed messages.

When The Advocate asked for clarification about the testing policy later in the day, David said she shared incorrect information earlier. Instead of turning away students until test results came through, she said the school immediately put them back with everyone else in the move-in line.

When asked if that policy risked coronavirus transmission by sending people back in the mix before ruling out whether they carried COVID, David said she would have to refer the question to LSU administrators or health experts.

A website explaining the universitys COVID entry procedure, meanwhile, failed to mention what students would need to do if they didnt bring proper paperwork.

Staffers werent the only ones unclear about protocol.

Mackenzie Hinerman, an interior design freshman set to move into East Laville Hall, looked confused as she left the testing site late afternoon Friday. She and her parents conjectured over where they could bide time until they got the diagnosis.

I dont know if I can move in today, Hinerman said. They told me I cant get into my dorm, but I dont know what to do next.

Thankfully for Hinerman, shes a Baton Rouge native with a home close enough to return to while awaiting her results. I guess Im supposed to come back if my results are negative, she said.

School officials said that of the 1,800 students who checked in by late afternoon Friday, nine had to postpone their move-in plans. LSU expects 5,000 students to check-in on campus this weekend.

Marsalis said she tested incoming students for COVID in the 2020-21 school year, and was impressed with how prepared they seem to be this go-round.

Theyre making our jobs easy, she said. Barely anyone has shown up to us, and weve seen hundreds of cars move through here. It shows that theyre getting vaccinated and doing what they have to to come back to school.

Wesley Bourg, political science freshman, moved into North Hall on Friday, two days after he got immunized against coronavirus.

His mother, Kathleen Hotard, said she opposes vaccine mandates but advised her son to get the shot anyway to avoid the monthly tests LSU requires for unvaccinated students. We know LSU is going to mandate the vaccine at some point, which I dont believe in, Hotard said. I think it infringes on my sons rights.

Her son said he was more preoccupied with starting his first year of college than getting vaccinated. I dont care either way, Bourg said. As long as I can move in today.

Editors note: This story has been updated with additional comments from Catherine David, who said she previously shared incorrect information about LSUs testing policy.
The word disingenuous is usually taken to mean somebody who says something they dont really mean.
Once you have crypto networks up and running, with currencies pulling in users, you can build all kinds of things on top of them. So the second phase of crypto has followed from the first: Now that there really is digital money, where anyone can verify the transactions, shouldnt there be truly digital financial services, built around contracts anyone can write, enforced by code rather than banks or law? Thats the theory behind decentralised finance, or DeFi. The hope is you can replace financial intermediaries like banks and title insurers with self-executing contracts built atop the various crypto network ledgers. According to some estimates, there are about $US100 billion worth of assets being held in DeFi applications right now, up from almost nothing just four years ago. I think were one-tenth of 1 per cent into the development of DeFi, Ehrsam told me. But its the third phase when crypto advocates become most starry-eyed: They believe crypto is the basis for a better internet, what some now call Web 3.0. Think about it this way: The internet we have allows for the easy transfer of information. We costlessly swap copies of news articles, music files, video games, pornography, GIFs, tweets and much more. The internet is, famously, good at making information nearly free. But for precisely that reason, it is terrible at making information expensive, which it sometimes needs to be. What the internet is missing, in particular, are ways to verify identity, ownership and authenticity  the exact things that make it possible for creators to get paid for their work (for more on this, I highly recommend Steven Johnsons article Beyond the bitcoin Bubble).

Thats one reason the riches of the web havent been more widely shared: You get rich selling access to the internet or by building companies that add convenience and features to the internet. So Facebook got rich by building a proprietary infrastructure for identity and Spotify created a service in which artists could eke out payment from works that were otherwise just being pirated. The actual creators who make the internet worth visiting are forced to accept the exploitative, ever-changing terms of digital middlemen. Loading This is the problem that the technology behind crypto solves, at least in theory: If the original internet let you easily copy information, the next internet will let you easily trade ownership of digital goods. Crypto lets you make digital goods scarce, which increases their value; it lets you prove ownership, which allows you to buy and sell them; and it makes digital identities verifiable, as thats merely information you own. Together, they unlock the potential for a true economy for digital goods, where creators actually get rewarded for what they make. I will admit to some scepticism that this is how itll play out, because many of the financiers funding crypto also founded and sit on the boards of the companies that set the terms of todays internet, but well see. To the extent this new economy for digital goods is visible now, its in the strange, frothy market for NFTs  non-fungible tokens, like the digital art being sold for tens of millions of dollars. But as people begin to spend more and more time in online metaverses  yes, all these sentences are as weird to write as they are to read  were going to see an explosion of online economies with goods and services that no one can currently predict. The key words there, however, are going to. These are nascent technologies. Regulating them would be, in the eyes of the crypto community, disastrous. And some in Congress agree. Which brings us to the fight over the infrastructure bill.

Who trusts the Treasury department? Lets recognise if we gathered all 100 senators in this chamber and asked them to stand up and articulate two sentences defining what in the hell a cryptocurrency is, that you would not get greater than five who could answer that question, Republican senator Ted Cruz said. His point was simple: Congress doesnt understand crypto, so it shouldnt regulate it. The Senate is a ridiculous institution, run by ridiculous rules. But this is the beginning of what will be, for better and worse, a long relationship between the government and the crypto community. Ill be generous and say Cruz has this one half right. Congress doesnt have the expertise to directly regulate the crypto markets, but then, Congress isnt proposing to directly regulate the crypto markets. Its empowering the Treasury Department to do so. Tucked inside the trillion-dollar infrastructure bill is a provision reinforcing the Treasury Departments authority to force tax compliance from the brokers who are part of those transactions. This was a rare bit of tax policy members of both parties could agree on. It was added to the legislation by Republican senator Rob Portman and backed by the Biden administration.

The tax enforcement agenda the president has put forward is focused on  and this is basic  having people pay the taxes that are owed under current law, David Kamin, a deputy director of the National Economic Council, told me. Disproportionately, there is evasion when it comes to those at the top, often because their sources of income are more opaque. Loading And no market is more opaque right now than the crypto markets. Portmans proposal gave the Treasury Department broad authority to define brokers in the crypto markets, and compel them to issue 1099s and comply with the tax code. The proposal was too broad, in the eyes of the crypto community, which mounted a furious lobbying effort against it. I dont know how Treasury will use that authority, said Jerry Brito, executive director of Coin Center, a pro-crypto advocacy group. I fear theyll use it in a way that has unintended consequences because they dont understand the technology.

Democrat senator Ron Wyden along with Republican senators Cynthia Lummis and Patrick Toomey, agreed and fought to sharply narrow who could be defined as a broker. If 20 years ago everyone wouldve come in with all this inept regulation, you would have lost some of the real opportunities to have the internet grow and prosper, Wyden told me. I think the same thing is true here. Playing catch-up But many in Washington, far from feeling like theyre regulating crypto networks too soon, think theyre entering, if anything, too late. We spent, to my memory, no time on crypto at the White House from 2009 to 2017, Jason Furman, who led President Barack Obamas Council of Economic Advisers during his second term, told me. Im sure there were conversations happening within Treasury and within the regulators, but virtually nothing came out of them. So Washington is really behind in dealing with this industry.

For all the gauzy stories of what crypto could become, theres the simple reality of what it mostly is right now: A financial market in which highly volatile assets are traded, where scams and hacks and broken promises abound, and with DeFi, where complex derivatives and financial instruments are being invented and swapped. One worry many in the government have is that these markets are thriving through the avoidance of taxes and regulations. This is a story weve seen before: Amazon got an early advantage by dodging sales taxes for years, and Uber and Lyft evaded transportation and labour regulations until they got powerful enough to essentially rewrite those rules themselves. But there are particular dangers to financial instruments designed to skirt oversight. Anyone who lived through the 2008 financial crisis knows the threat of shadow banking sectors. It is untenable to allow an unregulated, unlicensed derivatives market to compete, side-by-side, with a fully regulated and licensed derivatives market, Dan Berkovitz, the commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said in a June speech. In addition to the absence of market safeguards and customer protections in the unregulated market, it is unfair to impose the obligations, restrictions, and costs of regulation upon some market participants while permitting their unregulated competitors to operate wholly free of such obligations, restrictions and costs. Still, when I talked to staff members at the Treasury Department, they seemed a bit shellshocked by the past week. To them, the mobilisation against Portmans language was a bizarre overreaction to a modest provision that would be followed by a multiyear rule-making process, where the crypto industry would have plenty of say. The language of the bill was expansive not because the Treasury Department wants to force everyone who touches a blockchain to produce a 1099, but because it doesnt want to prejudge how the crypto networks were structured. Crypto advocates keep saying that they shouldnt be regulated until theyre better understood, but thats precisely, from the Treasury Departments point of view, why Congress shouldnt tie its hands before it can go through a full regulatory process.

Of course, the crypto world saw the effort differently. The language was overbroad, and it still is, Katie Haun, a co-chair of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitzs crypto fund, told me. It could be read to encompass software developers and miners. A possible reading  and where theres a possible reading, it chills activity  is whether, on every transaction, youd have to make a filing. Treasury says thats not what they were intending to capture, but that left uncertainty, and uncertainty chills innovation and moves it offshore. The oddity of reporting this story is that all sides swear they want the same things. All the people I spoke to in the crypto universe agreed that there needed to be tax compliance; they just didnt want to see software developers or blockchain miners caught up in an IRS dragnet. All the people I spoke to on the government side said that they were just trying to get the information necessary for tax compliance, and that they had no intention of bothering software developers and blockchain miners who werent actually brokering transactions. I am, of course, being a bit purposefully naive here. The truth is that theres some mixture of misunderstanding, mistrust and regulatory jockeying on all sides. The crypto industry wants to be lightly regulated and undertaxed, just as every industry does, and many of its key players are deeply hostile to the government  the genesis of the technology, after all, is an effort to wrest the control of currencies away from governments, even if the money flooding into the sector has ensured that crypto will be intimately entwined with governments. The federal government, for its part, wants broad authority, in part because it believes that carve-outs will be used for tax and regulatory avoidance. It fears a future in which crypto is big enough to pose risks to the financial system, and it doesnt have the tools or reporting to see and manage those risks, just as was true in the derivatives markets in 2007.

There is an irony in this. The cryptocurrency boom was partly a reaction to the collapse in trust toward governments that followed the financial crisis. But that same sector is now going to be scrutinised by governments that, after the financial crisis, have become much more sceptical of young whiz kids who are making wild profits from new, highly complex and volatile assets and financial instruments. You have to ask yourself: Do you think, in general, finance is an area thats over or under regulated? Furman told me. Are you more concerned all sorts of cool products dont exist because of regulation or are you worried people are being ripped off and taken advantage of? I know which side of that Im on. Loading The bill ultimately passed the Senate with the crypto language unchanged. There was a compromise proposal that both sides supported, but for procedural reasons too inane to go into here, it needed unanimous consent, and Republican Richard Shelby blocked it in order to try to get $US50 billion in unrelated military spending added to the bill. Shelby failed, but he took the crypto compromise down with him. As Ive said before: The Senate is a ridiculous institution, run by ridiculous rules. But this is the beginning of what will be, for better and worse, a long relationship between the government and the crypto community. After all, this was just about tax compliance. How to track and minimise financial risk in the crypto markets is going to be much harder, but that fight is still to come. What I like about the infrastructure bill is this showed a recognition on the part of the 67 senators who voted for the bill that crypto is here to stay, Haun told me. This is an industry thats maturing. Its not in the shadows.
The publishers statement comes as it has emerged one of Zonfrillos former landlords is suing him for unpaid rent.

The memoir, Last Shot, released in late July, depicts a rollicking life story involving heroin use, a period of homelessness and a move from Scotland to Australia, where Zonfrillo became renowned for his use of indigenous ingredients in his now defunct Adelaide restaurant, Orana. In 2020 he became a co-host on TV cooking show MasterChef.

The publisher of chef Jock Zonfrillos new memoir has hit back at a recent Good Weekend profile, saying a statement by acclaimed British chef Marco Pierre White challenges many of the magazines claims.

In the feature White said he did not recall seeing much of Zonfrillo when he worked in his London kitchen for a very short time. Nor did he recall him being homeless, or see any evidence of his heroin addiction. Jock is not a bad man, White told Elliott. He has a natural intellect and hes very nice. The only problem is that almost everything he has written about me is untrue. Good Weekend is published by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Loading

Whilst not recanting anything he was quoted on in Good Weekend, nor referring to it specifically, White said in the Saturday statement from Simon & Schuster: Over the years many things have been written and said about Jock Zonfrillo, some of them kind and some very unkind. It saddens me when my words and my quotes have been taken out of context. The truth is he is one of the most talented chefs in Australia today and his contribution to gastronomy has been enormous.

The publishers statement came as Zonfrillo was being sued for more than $200,000 by landlords of one of his failed Adelaide dining businesses. At one stage Zonfrillo operated three different food and wine businesses in Rundle Street Adelaide: Bistro Blackwood, Orana and Mallozi.

Rundle East Company is seeking damages from Zonfrillo for $224,000 in unpaid rent and other property charges associated with his wine bar Mallozi, according to the Adelaide Advertiser and independently verified by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
Federal Liberal MP Dave Sharma is among those in Canberra who do not believe NSW can reach zero transmission. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said lockdowns, rather than vaccination, are the way out of NSWs outbreak  a markedly different emphasis from Premier Gladys Berejiklians focus on rapid vaccination over recent weeks. With over 100,000 jabs now being administered each day, Ms Berejiklian has estimated NSW will hit 70 per cent double-dose vaccination by late October and 80 per cent by mid-November. Under the national four-phase reopening plan based on the Doherty Institute modelling, lockdowns would be unlikely but possible and targeted at 70 per cent vaccination then highly targeted only with minimum baseline restrictions at 80 per cent. Domestic border closures would also become unnecessary.

Nic Rebuli, a researcher at the University of NSW School of Population Health who worked on the Doherty Institute modelling, said in his view anything above 100 cases a day was probably too high to consider moving beyond border closures and lockdowns, even at 70 per cent vaccination. NSWs hope is if they can get vaccines to more at-risk areas such as essential workers, they can bring transmission down while also increasing vaccination rates. Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley emphasised on Saturday that moving to a world without lockdowns was only possible with zero or low cases nationwide. Victoria has to do its bit. Queensland has to do its bit. Every state and territory has to do its bit. The biggest challenge is clearly NSW, he said. Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley emphasised zero or low cases were required in the reopening plan regardless of vaccination rates. Credit:Justin McManus

I would encourage NSW to take all the measures it needs to, to drive those numbers down ... we cant have that level of confidence until all of us have achieved the preconditions that the Doherty modelling is predicated on. Melbourne University epidemiologist Professor Tony Blakely said that even with a stage 4, statewide lockdown it was difficult to see NSW returning to zero cases before November or December given the extent of transmission. From there, there is a question over whether they might just choose to live with it. When vaccination coverage is higher it is easier, we believe, to achieve elimination then, as it tips the balance your way, he said. Michael Lydeamore, an infectious-diseases modeller at Monash University who also worked on the Doherty Institute modelling, said it was clear opening up at a higher base level of cases would accelerate new infections.

If you open up at 70 per cent vaccination with 30 cases, by the time you get to 80 per cent vaccination you may have 100 infections per day, for example. If you open up with 400 cases, youre well over the 1000 mark after the same period, Dr Lydeamore said. Everything gets riskier the more cases you start with  a lot riskier, really. University of NSW mathematician Jason Wood, another co-author of the Doherty Institute modelling, said it forecast two scenarios: zero or low cases versus an unchecked epidemic. In the latter, an initial high number of daily cases puts an increasing strain on testing, tracing, isolation and quarantine safeguards, allowing 385,000 cases to be recorded over six months. In reality, however, government measures such as lockdowns and border closures would prevent the epidemic reaching those heights. Sydney police patrol Bondi Beach as the government tightened restrictions on Saturday. Credit:Steven Siewert

Professor Nancy Baxter, the head of Melbourne Universitys School of Population and Global Health, said the most important thing for NSW to do in the short term was to reduce the R0  the reproduction rate of the virus  to below one to ensure the spread of the virus was slowed. Loading The relevant question is what we do to get reproduction under one because otherwise its not 500 cases a day, its 5000 cases. It doesnt take too long once reproduction is over one to get to a shocking number of cases, she said. Can NSW get to zero cases? I dont know. It will take longer than two months. They have to impose all the things theyve resisted until now because it maybe wont make a difference  they need to impose them now, try them. Mr Foley conceded Victorian authorities had growing concerns about Victorias outbreak, which grew by 21 cases on Saturday, with only 11 in quarantine during their infectious period.

The acquisition source remains unknown for eight cases recorded over the past week, spread across eight local government areas. Victoria set a new daily record for COVID-19 vaccine doses with 29,490 administered on Friday, but concerns remain about more wastewater detections across the state. Carlton, Glenroy-Broadmeadows, the Sunshine West industrial area, Camberwell and the Truganina-Williams Landing areas in Melbourne all showed positive detections. While some of those suburbs already have COVID-19 cases, the chief health officers update on Saturday night said the detections were from parts of those suburbs without cases. The Carlton wastewater detection was identified as coming from a public housing estate with health officials contacting residents directly and CoHealth setting up onsite testing at the estate.
In Sydneys winter sunshine, theres every reason to be out and about. From paragliders to surfers, dog walkers to people watchers, fresh air and exercise was the name of the game around the citys beaches on Saturday.

Most beachgoers were ambivalent as news filtered out that restrictions on travel and outdoor activity would be tightened, limiting peoples movement for shopping and exercise to within their local government area or five kilometres from home.

Police patrolled Bondi Beach on Saturday following the announcement of a crackdown on the enforcement of restrictions. Credit:Steven Siewert

Oh, [its] probably about time, said Sean Lawrence as he carried his daughter Neves surfboard off Mona Vale beach.

It wont impact on me any more than it already has. The five-kilometre limit, they should have done it a long time ago. It will stop people travelling around.
Suicide did not increase in Victoria in the first 47 weeks of the pandemic, but a new study of those who died found one in 10 of the 634 deaths was linked to COVID-19 stress.

State Coroner John Cain said the overall suicide rate between the end of February 2020 and January 31 this year was consistent with past trends but common themes among 60 pandemic-influenced suicides were a disturbance to peoples sense of self, their relationships with others and social connections.

Disruption and loss of contact with familiar daily life was a stressor to some in the pandemic. Credit:Scott McNaughton

Factors also included the individual feeling personally thwarted by the consequences of COVID-19, restrictions on freedom of movement, feeling resigned to privation and increased worry for physical and mental health.

The study, COVID-19 as a context in suicide: Early insights from Victoria, Australia, a collaboration between the Coroners Court of Victoria, Melbourne and Monash universities and St Vincents and Mercy hospitals, found numerous people also worried about pre-existing health problems intensifying.
A central role of the federal government is to look for potential headwinds and adjust policy accordingly. There is little doubt about the future of fossil fuels, so why is the government last in the queue to plan for a transition out of these industries?

Australian banks, insurers and investors are voting with their feet to dump coal assets ( Financial pressure heats up on miners , The Age, 13/8) and pressure is increasing from our trading partners (and international institutions such as the United Nations) to reduce our carbon emissions from coal and fossil fuels.

The government refuses to use an efficient, market-based approach such as a carbon tax but is happy to prop up these industries using taxpayer funds and wait for new technology.

These industries will decline along with associated jobs, so why not minimise the economic damage and be in front of the queue for a change?

Jane Robins, Moonee Ponds

Beware of this power

Electricity companies should be very careful about any plans to charge solar panel owners to input the grid. In these days of instant social media, at a time of peak demand it wouldnt be too hard for a co-ordinated withdrawal of solar power.

James Young, Mount Eliza

Hes not listening to us

It was so pleasing to see the article Health Minister hunted as local voices clamour for independents (The Sunday Age, 8/8).

For too long we have had our phone calls and emails to our local member discounted. In my case I feel he is not listening. The MP should not be focused on his own ideas of issues and staying in power and should listen to his constituents.
On need, Professor Nolan said that even with the Delta variant there was little evidence children were getting seriously ill. Theres no evidence yet in Australia that theres an epidemic of kids who are in hospital, he said. That doesnt mean its not worth preventing, especially if youve got a safe and effective vaccine that will work  then of course children should be considered for it. The Doherty Institutes modelling for the federal government found that including 12 to 15-year-olds in the vaccine program did not have much impact on herd immunity either. And on priority, vaccine supplies remain tight. All the experts agreed those doses should be going to the more vulnerable groups first, and then those younger adults who are more likely to transmit it.

Ultimately, we want supply to open up so that we can get cracking with the 20 to 40-year-olds and move on to all children really soon, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute vaccination expert Associate Professor Margie Danchin said. Loading I fully accept that they do come after the young people, the 20 to 40-year-olds, but that doesnt mean theyre not a priority. Part of what makes those calculations more complicated with children is there is a lack of good data around children and these vaccines, Professor Curtis said. The risk of developing severe disease also appears to be lower, but the long-term impact of the coronavirus was unclear. Research is currently being conducted in Australia on so-called long COVID and children.

But one aspect thats more difficult to quantify is the importance of schools, Associate Professor Margie Danchin said. That actually is something that we need to try and quantify better. And we need to factor into the decision-making more, she said. One of our big challenges now is to correct it, collect more concrete data on the mental health and wellbeing impacts for kids separate to their learning impacts, so that we try and quantify the huge, detrimental impact of lockdown and home learning on children. Labor MP Dr Mike Freelander said while it appears children have a lower risk of developing serious illness from COVID, it was important to include them in the vaccine rollout. We really do need to ramp it up, because it looks like this virus is not going to go away in a hurry, he said. And we may well get variants that affect children even worse, we just dont know. So I think the sooner we can start vaccinating kids, particularly at-risk kids, the better.

Currently, the Pfizer vaccine is approved for use in everyone aged 16 and over. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation has approved its use in vulnerable children aged 12 to 15, including those with underlying health conditions and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The group has flagged it will look at expanding eligibility to all 12 to 15-year-olds within the next two months. Jennifer tried to get her daughter vaccinated, and booked in for the year 12 vaccination push being run in NSW at Qudos Bank Arena. But after hours of waiting and despite previously being told otherwise, when it came to Emmas turn Jennifer was told she could not accompany her daughter. Loading Shes had times where shes had vaccinations before and had a seizure. They didnt even know what type of seizures she had, so how would they know whether this is just par for the course, or whether, you know, shes having a reaction to a vaccination? Jennifer said. What then if she had a massive meltdown in there because shes scared, she doesnt understand whats going on, and she doesnt know where her mother is?
Five hundred homes worth of timber destined for Melbourne has been abandoned at a Shanghai dock because a shipping company accepted a lucrative offer to divert course to Los Angeles.

The Master Builders Association of Victoria (MBAV) said 50 containers carrying timber had been dumped in China and warned the incident could worsen Australias timber shortage and lead to unfinished homes.

Trade minister Dan Tehan visiting Washington last month. Credit:Sarah Barker

The shipment of European timber arrived in Shanghai in late July. The shipping company was then offered 60 per cent more to use its shipping containers, according to the MBAV, prompting the ship to dump the timber at the Chinese port and leave for the US with new goods on board. It is unclear how the company was able to take this action, given it had a contract to deliver the goods to Australia.

Global demand and prices for building products such as timber and steel have risen steeply this year. There is also a worldwide shortage of shipping containers, according to federal Trade Minister Dan Tehan who told The Age the government was investigating the economic impact of the shipping disruption. Industry leaders said a perfect storm of booming demand and tight supply had caused shipping costs to spike threefold.
MONTGOMERY, Ala., Aug. 12, 2021 Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) leadership, team members, and special guests today celebrated the 5 millionth vehicle built at Hyundais U.S. assembly plant. HMMA reached the 5 million mark in less than 17 years, starting production in May 2005.

The 5 millionth vehicle was a Hyundai Santa Cruz Sport Adventure Vehicle that was built on July 27, 2021. To reach this achievement, HMMA has produced 2,562,880 Sonatas, 1,489,568 Elantras, 908,779 Santa Fes, 36,989 Tucsons, and 1,784 Santa Cruzes.

The 5 millionth vehicle represents a tremendous achievement for Hyundai Motor North America. We could not have achieved this success without the strong leadership and commitment of our team members in Alabama. Hyundai will continue to invest and grow throughout the region, said Jose Munoz, Global COO of Hyundai Motor Company and president and CEO of Hyundai Motor North America.

Reaching todays milestone in HMMAs storied history in Alabama would not have been possible without the energy and enthusiasm of our valued team members, the dependability of our supplier network and unwavering support of state and local governments, said HMMA President and CEO Ernie Kim.

HMMA recently completed a plant expansion to support the addition of its fourth and fifth models, the Tucson and Santa Cruz, that joined Sonata, Elantra and Santa Fe. The addition of these models further enhances HMMAs ability to adjust its vehicle production with market demand.

Quotes from Alabama Officials

Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama is an integral member of not only the River Region, but the entire state of Alabama. Im thrilled to celebrate the 5 millionth vehicle rolling off the line in our great state. Alabama has become a major player in the automotive industry and todays milestone proves we will maintain our status as an industry leader. Congratulations to the HMMA family on an incredible achievement! said Alabama Governor Kay Ivey.

I am so pleased to celebrate with the team members and leadership of Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama for having produced 5 million vehicles right here in Montgomery, said Rep. Sewell. Over the last two decades, HMMA has become an essential part of our community, and I applaud their continued commitment to growing our local economy and creating jobs for hard-working Alabamians. I wish them success on this momentous occasion and for years to come!

Congratulations to Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama on the tremendous accomplishment of producing 5 million vehicles here in Montgomery. We pledge to help HMMA and the supplier network achieve continued success. It is an honor to have forged a lasting partnership with Hyundai and we are grateful for their sincere commitment to our community, said Montgomery Mayor Steven L. Reed.

It has been over 15 years since Hyundai realized our shared dream of opening its first North American manufacturing facility in Montgomery, Alabama. Tremendous success has followed, and we want to take a moment to celebrate the amazing achievement of producing 5 million vehicles in Montgomery, and the incredible team members that have made it possible. We are honored to be Hyundais home and part of the Hyundai family, said Montgomery County Commission Chairman Elton N. Dean.

Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai Motor America focuses on Progress for Humanity and smart mobility solutions. Hyundai offers U.S. consumers a technology-rich lineup of cars, SUVs and electrified vehicles. Our 820 dealers sold more than 620,000 vehicles in the U.S. in 2020, and nearly half were built at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. For more information, visit www.HyundaiNews.com.
6 US Companies Owned by China That You Didnt Know About

Maybe you havent heard, but some of the most iconic American brands are actually owned by Chinese firms.

And some of these Chinese firms are linked to the Chinese regime or serve its strategic goals.

In this special episode, we look at six American companies whose ownership has sparked controversy.

The Chinese Communist Partys fingerprints are on your screens, in your grocery stores, and in companies holding technology critical to this countrys national security.

Check out our latest special report on Epoch TV to learn more.

Have other topics you want us to cover? Drop us a line: chinainfocus@ntdtv.org

And if youd like to buy us a coffee: https://donorbox.org/china-in-focus

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more first-hand news from China.

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Afghan President in Urgent Talks, Vows to Rally Defenses, Amid Taliban Blitz

The president of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, said Saturday he was holding urgent talks with local leaders and international partners while vowing to continue mustering the countrys security forces as a Taliban offensive edged closer to the countrys capital, fueling fears of a return to hardline Islamist rule.

Ghani made the remarks in a brief televised address that followed the Talibans taking of a town south of Kabul, which the terror group could use as a springboard to launch a much-feared assault on the capital.

As your president, my focus is on preventing further instability, violence, and displacement of my people, Ghani said, adding that he was consulting next steps with numerous parties.

We have started consultations, inside the government with elders and political leaders, representatives of different levels of the community as well as our international allies, Ghani said.

He gave no sign of responding to a Taliban demand that he resign as a pre-condition for talks for a ceasefire and a political settlement of the decades-long military conflict. The president said his priority remained on consolidating the countrys security and defense forces to oppose the Taliban blitz.

Serious measures are being taken in this regard, he said, without elaborating.

Smoke rises after fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel in the city of Kandahar province south of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 12, 2021. (Sidiqullah Khan/AP Photo)

Afghan officials told The Associated Press that the Taliban seized two more provinces on Saturday and launched a multi-pronged assault on Mazar-e-Sharif, a major city in northern Afghanistan that was being defended by former warlords.

Ghani traveled to Mazar-e-Sharif on Wednesday, where he met with several government-allied militia commanders in a bid to rally the citys defenses.

Taliban forces have captured swathes of territory in a whirlwind offensive that came after President Joe Biden announced a timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops by the end of August.

In the face of the Taliban blitz, U.S. Embassy staff in Kabul have been ordered to destroy sensitive documents and other materials, a move that came after the Department of State announced it would draw down its embassy staff to a small group. The Pentagon said it would deploy about 3,000 military troops to assist the departure.

The security breakdown has driven tens of thousands of Afghans to flee their homes, with many fearing a return to the Talibans harsh rule or another civil war.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Apple Announces Limits to Child Sex Abuse Image-Scanning System After Privacy Backlash

Apple on Aug. 13 provided new details of how its planned child sexual abuse material (CSAM) detection system would work, outlining a range of privacy-preserving limits following backlash that the software would introduce a backdoor that threatens user privacy protections.

The company addressed concerns triggered by the planned CSAM feature, slated for release in an update for U.S. users later this year, in a 14-page document (pdf) that outlined safeguards it says it will implement to prevent the system on Apple devices from erroneously flagging files as child pornography, or being exploited for malicious surveillance of users.

The system is designed so that a user need not trust Apple, any other single entity, or even any set of possibly-colluding entities from the same sovereign jurisdiction (that is, under the control of the same government) to be confident that the system is functioning as advertised, the company said in the document.

Apples reference to possibly-colluding entities appears to address concerns raised by some that the system could be abusedfor instance, by authoritarian regimesto falsely incriminate political opponents.

This is achieved through several interlocking mechanisms, including the intrinsic auditability of a single software image distributed worldwide for execution on-device, a requirement that any perceptual image hashes included in the on-device encrypted CSAM database are provided independently by two or more child safety organizations from separate sovereign jurisdictions, and lastly, a human review process to prevent any errant reports, Apple stated.

People walk past an Apple retail store in New York on July 13, 2021. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

Besides ensuring that the database of child sexual abuse imagery that Apple will check against is not controlled by a single entity or government, Apples other technical protections against mis-inclusion include choosing a high match threshold so that the possibility of any given account being flagged incorrectly is lower than one in one trillion. At the same time, Apple said the system would prevent privacy violations by never learning any information about iCloud-stored images that dont have a positive match to the CSAM database.

Another guardrail is a secondary threshold that must be met by comparing visual derivatives of suspect images against a second, independent perceptual hash for an account to be flagged, a process that would then be followed by a human review before final confirmation.

The reviewers are instructed to confirm that the visual derivatives are CSAM. In that case, the reviewers disable the offending account and report the user to the child safety organization that works with law enforcement to handle the case further, Apple stated.

Other security and privacy requirements meant to protect against abuse of the system include preventing the CSAM database or the matching software from being altered surreptitiously or that it must not be possible to target specific user accounts with different encrypted CSAM databases or with different software performing the matching.

Apple insists the guardrails would work in tandem to safeguard against both human and technical error, as well as adversarial attacks against its perceptual algorithm, which could potentially cause non-CSAM images to exceed the match threshold and result in false positives.

Since news of Apples plan first broke on Aug. 11, thousands have signed an open letter criticizing the CSAM system, saying the proposal introduces a backdoor that threatens to undermine fundamental privacy protections for all users of Apple products.

Experts around the world sounded the alarm on how Apples proposed measures could turn every iPhone into a device that is continuously scanning all photos and messages that pass through it in order to report any objectionable content to law enforcement, setting a precedent where our personal devices become a radical new tool for invasive surveillance, with little oversight to prevent eventual abuse and unreasonable expansion of the scope of surveillance, the letter said, which cited a number of security and privacy experts detailing their concerns.

One of the experts cited in the letter, John Hopkins University professor and cryptographer Matthew Green, had a mixed reaction to Apples announcement of the CSAM system.

This sort of tool can be a boon for finding child pornography in peoples phones, Green wrote on Twitter. But imagine what it could do in the hands of an authoritarian government?

Green wrote, If you believe Apple wont allow these tools to be misused [crossed fingers emoji] theres still a lot to be concerned about, noting that such systems rely on a database of problematic media hashes that you, as a consumer, cant review.

The expert told The Associated Press that hes concerned Apple could be pressured by authoritarian governments to scan for other types of information.

Apple has strongly pushed back against the concern that its system could be taken advantage of by entities such as governments to tread on user privacy.

Craig Federighi, Apples senior vice president of software engineering, told The Wall Street Journal in an interview that privacy would be protected by multiple levels of auditability.

We, who consider ourselves absolutely leading on privacy, see what we are doing here as an advancement of the state of the art in privacy, as enabling a more private world, Federighi told the outlet.

It comes as Apple and other tech companies have faced pressure from governments and other entities to act more decisively to combat child pornography.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona testifies before the Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Capitol Hill on June 16, 2021. (Jim Watson / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden Admin to Repay Schools Defying DeSantis With Mask Mandates

The Biden administration stated on Aug. 13 that itll step in to reimburse Florida schools that are openly defying Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis by requiring students to wear masks.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a letter (pdf) to DeSantis that the Biden administration will ensure that any school district that has its state funding reduced as punishment by the Republican governor can draw on $7 billion from the pandemic relief measure approved by Congress in 2021.

I am deeply concerned about Floridas July 30 Executive Order prohibiting school districts from adopting universal masking policies consistent with CDC guidance, Cardona wrote. The Department stands with these dedicated educators who are working to safely reopen schools and maintain safe in-person instruction.

In an executive order issued on July 30, DeSantis prohibited Florida school districts from imposing blanket mask mandates on students. The states health and education departments subsequently issued rules to enforce the order, including a clause that requires school districts that impose mask mandates to allow parents to opt their children out of the rule.

Three counties are currently in open defiance to the governors order: Alachua, Leon, and Broward. Two of the counties, Alachua and Leon, have been put on notice by Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, who sent a letter warning officials that hes investigating whether theyre in violation of Florida law. The mandates in Alachua and Leon require parents to obtain a health professionals signature to opt children out of the mask mandates, a provision DeSantiss office views as in violation of the spirit of the executive order.

The DeSantis administration has threatened to withhold state funding from the counties in the amount of the salaries of the commissioners and superintendents who backed the mandates.

The state does not, and has never, managed the payroll for local officials. These superintendents and school board members arent state employees, Christina Pushaw, the governors press secretary, told The Epoch Times. Therefore, the only way the state could ever tailor the financial penalties to hold accountable the few officials who made the decision to break the law, would be to withhold state funding in the exact amount of those officials salaries.

The move by Cardona isnt the first time the Biden administration has inserted itself into Floridas affairs. President Joe Biden and officials in his administration have repeatedly singled out Florida recently, noting that COVID-19 cases there account for a significant portion of the new cases across the country.

Just two states, Florida and Texas, account for one-third of all new COVID-19 cases in the entire country. Just two states, Biden said on Aug. 3.

Look, we need leadership from everyone. And if some governors arent willing to do the right thing to beat this pandemic, then they should allow businesses and universities who want to do the right thing to be able to do it. I say to these governors, Please, help. But if you arent going to help, at least get out of the way of the people who are trying to do the right thing.

DeSantis responded at a briefing in Florida, noting that while campaigning, Biden vowed to shut down the virus.

And what has he done? DeSantis said on Aug. 4. Hes imported more virus from around the world by having a wide-open southern border. You have hundreds of thousands of people pouring across every month.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
A chicago police plaque fixed unto the Chicago Police Department headquarter building in Chicago, Ill. on May 26, 2021. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times)

Chicago Police Officers Ratify Eight-Year Union Contract

CHICAGOChicago police officers on August 13 voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new eight-year contract with the city at an approval rate of 79 percent, paving way for the city council to vote on the contract in September.

The new contract proposes an incremental pay raise totaling 20 percent over eight years, including a 10.5 percent retroactive pay raise from July 2017 to December 2021, and another 9.5 percent raise from 2022 to 2025, according to data provided by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP).

For example, within the rank of patrol police officers, for those who have been on the job for more than a year, annual pay increases to $76,124 in 2021; for those who have been on the job for over 25 years, annual pay increases to $106,571 in 2021. Chicago patrol officers, numbering about 9,000, are the backbone of the police department.

The retroactive pay raise through the end of 2021 costs taxpayers around $377 million, according to director of public affairs at Office and Budget and Management Rose Tibayan in an email to The Epoch Times. The pay raise in 2022 alone costs around $165 million.

As for disciplinary protection, officers will have the right to request arbitration before any anonymous complaints against them turn into a formal investigation. If the arbitrator decides a complaint lacks objective evidence, the case is closed and no record stays on the accused officers disciplinary history.

Anonymous complaints against police officers are allowed under the sweeping police reform passed in January by Illinois lawmakers. Prior to the reform, for a complaint to trigger a formal investigation against a Chicago officer, the complainant must sign an affidavit (or in rare cases, an affidavit must be approved by the management).

In Chicago, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) investigates most of the complaints against police officers, including improper search or seizure, excessive force, verbal abuse, bias, and taser discharge.

In the second quarter of 2021, COPA received 427 complaints against officers, two out of three having to do with improper search or seizure and excessive force, according to data published by COPA.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the police union FOP board reached a contract agreement in July, almost four years after the last contract expired on June 30, 2017, under former Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

A major sticking point had been the city wanting to strip away more disciplinary protections in exchange for a raise in pay, according to Chicago FOP President John Catanzara in a previous interview.

FOP mailed out about 11,000 ballots to voting police officer members three weeks ago, urging members to turn out in large numbers to send the city a strong message.
Chinese Authorities Detain Teacher Who Suggested that China Should Try to Coexist with CCP Virus

Chinese authorities recently detained a teacher for 15 days after he suggested that the country should try to coexist with the CCP Virus.

The detention had the effect of deterring what had been lively online debate between netizens on whether the Chinese regime should abandon its zero-tolerance approach to outbreaks of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the country grapples with the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant.

Since early 2020, the Chinese regime has adopted strict lockdown and quarantine policies in attempts to control the spread of the CCP Virus. These severe restrictions have resulted in many citizens being deprived of basic living needs and support.

On July 31, Zhang Wenhong, one of Chinas top COVID-19 experts and director of the infectious disease unit at Shanghai Huashan Hospital, posted an article on his blog in which he warned that the CCP virus will remain present for a long time, like the Spanish flu. He called on the authorities to find the wisdom to coexist with the virus.

Zhang didnt oppose the CCPs strict control methods, but suggested an open mind to face the facts.

On Aug. 7, state-run Peoples Daily posted an essay from Gao Qiang, Chinas former health minister and general counsel at the Chinese Health Economics Association, in which he criticized Zhangs suggestion to coexist with the virus. He said that the regime should launch even stricter control measures to eliminate the virus by human force.

Gao argued that the coexist policy was being used by the United States and other democratic countries use, and criticized them as a misstep in COVID decision-making caused by the deficiencies in their political mechanism and the result of upholding individualism.

[Humans should] use a strict isolation method to cut off the viruss transmission as quickly as possible. This can quarantine the virus in a small space and let it [the patients] self-eliminate [the virus] or self-destruct, Gao wrote. I think the relationship [between the virus and humans] is that only one of the two can exist, or you have to die to make sure I am alive.

To support his theory, Gao claimed: Theres been no coexistence with viruses in the long term across human history, without mention of the Spanish flu (influenza) and other viruses that have existed in the world for decades.

He also suggested that China close its borders more tightly to avoid the virus reentering.

In support of Gao, a senior researcher at Beijing think tank Kunlunce claimed on Aug. 8 that the coexistence theory is capitulationism.

Faced with the worsening outbreak in China, many Chinese people couldnt buy into Gaos logic, fueling the online debate for several days. That ended when the teacher was detained.

Please Dont Criticize Me

The teacher, Zhang Guoliang, was detained on Aug. 11. The city police bureau announced that the middle school teacher from Fengcheng city in eastern Chinas Jiangxi Province would be held for 15 days.

The arrest was over Zhangs comment on a report in state-run media The Paper about the severe outbreak in Yangzhou city in eastern Jiangsu Province on the Chinese social media platform Toutiao on Aug. 10.

He wrote: Yangzhou isnt big in area or in population. Is it possible for [the regime] to test the coexist with virus model in Yangzhou, which means release the strict controls. Then we can see the consequences, which can help [the regime] modify its virus control measures. This is just a suggestion. Please dont criticize me!

Zhang deleted his comment on Aug. 11 and posted, I sincerely regret the fault I made  I eagerly beg your pardon and accept the punishment from the bottom of my heart.

When other Chinese media reported that Zhang was just one of the Chinese netizens detained for their social media post, The Paper quoted two lawyers from Shanghai who said Zhang didnt violate any law or rule because he had just proposed a potential solution that he thought was good.

The Paper then presented the lawyers opinion to the Fengcheng City Government and the Fengcheng City Political and Legal Affairs Commission on Zhangs behalf, but both refused to change their stance and simply answered: We will read the case documents.

Economic Impact

Health workers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) work at the entrance to the Legendale Hotel in the Wangfujing shopping district in Beijing, China on July 29, 2021. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images)

Since the CCP virus emerged in Wuhan in late 2019, the Chinese regime has not paid stimulus checks to its people. When the regime locked down residential compounds, the regime didnt supply basic needs to the residents.

The COVID Zero policy has badly damaged the Chinese economy, which experts say isnt reflected in the official data published by the regime. Reuters reported on Aug. 9 that Chinas loans in July were about half of what they were in June because of the strict lockdown policies that started on July 20.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, political chief of Afghanistan's Taliban, in Tianjin, China, on July 28, 2021. (Li Ran/Xinhua via Reuters)

Chinese Regime Seeks Advantage in US Departure From Afghanistan

News Analysis

Beijing is taking full advantage of the U.S. and NATO forces imminent departure from Afghanistan.

President Biden announced in early July that U.S. forces will leave Afghanistan by Aug. 31, a deadline moved up from Sept. 11.

The Taliban is rapidly increasing its advances in Afghanistan as the American drawdown nears.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby announced on Aug. 9 that the U.S. forces continue to host conversations with Pakistan, underscoring the role of Pakistan as a key mediator as the conflict continues after the U.S.NATO departure. Kirby said the U.S. government is deeply concerned about the growing security crisis from the Talibans bold onslaught, noting the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan.

Anticipating a power shift in the region, the Chinese regime recently hosted a delegation of the Taliban in the city of Tianjin. The regimes Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with senior Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and eight other Taliban representatives on July 28, signaling Beijings recognition of the group as a legitimate political force in the country.

Beijing-Taliban Meeting

During the meeting, Wang sought assurances that the Taliban wouldnt harbor Islamic extremists who may launch attacks in Chinas far west Xinjiang region, according to a Beijing foreign ministry statement. Baradar agreed, saying that the Taliban never allow any force to use the Afghan territory to engage in acts detrimental to China, according to the statement.

China shares a 47-mile border with Afghanistan and has long been concerned about a possible Islamic insurgency in Xinjiang, a region housing 13 million Turkic Muslims.

While Beijing has publicly pushed for the Taliban to pursue a peace agreement with the U.S.-backed central government, experts believe the regime is bracing for a Taliban-led Afghanistan to push forward the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) development plans in Central Asia.

It is becoming increasingly obvious that the Taliban will be back in poweror at least that it will be reestablished as the dominant political force in Afghanistanvery soon after the U.S. withdrawal is completed, Srdja Trifkovic, a jihadism expert and foreign relations fellow of the Charlemagne Institute, told The Epoch Times.

Therefore it stands to reason that China should seek to establish some relations with [the Taliban], especially in view of Beijings geopolitical interests in the region, first and foremost the Baluchi port of Gwadar, which is a key feature of the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor and absolutely essential to the B&R [Belt and Road] initiative.

Economic Interests

The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a massive China-facilitated Pakistan infrastructure project that falls under the umbrella of Chinese leader Xi Jinpings Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI is a global infrastructure investment project aimed at transforming Chinas economy into a superpower.

Gwadar Port in southwestern Pakistan has been called a super link to the CPEC by Beijings media because of its geographic location. The CPEC project in Gwadar has come under the control of the CPEC Authority and the Center of Excellence CPEC, organizations aimed at getting the project back off the ground after a stalling period. The final project will build a road from Chinas Xinjiang region to the seacoast of Pakistan.

Trying to have a Taliban-dominated Afghanistan favorably disposed to this [the CPEC] and other projects is both prudent and attainable from Chinas point of view, Trifkovic said.

As the U.S. and NATO troops leave the country, regional experts have warned about the consequences of leaving an unsettled, unstable Afghanistan to the Talibans political force.

The void left behind by the U.S. is being filled by China. The Talibans direct talks with Beijing signals that China is assuming the duties of peace brokering in war-torn Afghanistan, said Azeem Qureshi, a lecturer in Middle East-China relations with COMSATS and Quaid-i-Azam Universities Islamabad.

If Beijing successfully cultivates good ties with the Taliban, gets the trust of the Afghan government, and gets a peace deal done, Beijing will be the biggest winner.

But Beijing is reliant on Pakistan, with whom it already has close ties, to achieve this.

The Chinese dont really understand Afghanistan very much, something that makes them look toward Pakistan, said Muhammad Shoaib, an assistant professor of international relations with the National Defense University, Islamabad.

For both Islamabad and Beijing, peace and stability in Afghanistan is the main goal.

Chinese companies investing heavily in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran know the huge potential of business in the region, and peace is their ultimate desire as it equals huge profits. China can get an easier route to CARs via Afghanistan and Pakistans CPEC, Qureshi said, referring to the Central Asia Republics bloc.

Courting the Taliban, however, isnt a fail-safe strategy for either Beijing or Pakistan. Pakistan has struggled in its recent diplomacy efforts with the Taliban, an unpredictable player in regional politics.

U.S. experts warn that the Taliban, while having promised that it has changed fundamentally, is treacherous. Previous reform agreements with the Taliban leadership have gone sour. Unreliable or unstable Taliban behavior, coupled with the presence of warring militias in the region, leaves the peace process to continue on shaky ground.

The Biden administration has warned that it will isolate the Taliban if the military group takes over Afghanistan by force.

Uyghurs

Another overriding priority for Beijing in the Central Asian region is to use its influence to repatriate Uyghur Muslims, a Turkic-speaking ethnic group, back to Xinjiang.

In the region of Xinjiang, the CCP has detained more than 1 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in internment camps, where theyre subjected to torture, forced labor, and political indoctrination. Outside of the camps, the regions Muslim inhabitants face pervasive surveillance through a network of checkpoints, AI-enhanced CCTV cameras, and biometric collection. The repression has been designated a genocide by the U.S. government and other Western legislatures.

But the CCP hasnt only focused its repression in Xinjiang. Wherever they may be in Central Asia, Beijings ultimate goal for the Uyghur diaspora from Xinjiang is to annihilate them; to bring them home and to snuff them out, according to Ethan Gutmann, China Studies Research Fellow with the Victims of Communism Foundation.

These nations [of Central Asia] are under an extreme amount of pressure from China to give up their Uyghurs. This isnt a rational policy, Gutmann said, noting that the pressure to extinguish the Uyghur culture and race has no real bearing on the Belt and Road Initiative.

This maximum pressure campaign on Central Asian nations to deport or return Uyghurs has reached as far as Istanbul, where Turkish President Erdogan was accused of agreeing to deport Uyghurs in exchange for China-made Sinovac CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus vaccines.

That was a real deal, Gutmann said. If not for the pushback of the Uyghur and of Erdogans opposition, that would have happened.

Abduweli Ayup, an Uyghur language specialist who was detained by the Chinese regime in 2013, said that many Uyghurs escape to nearby Central Asia because they believe theyll be safe among other Muslims.

While in detention, Ayup met several Uyghurs who had been sent back from countries like Kazakhstan and Pakistan.

We had seen that Turkey deported some Uyghurs first to Tajikistan and then to China. Some Uyghurs that I know were deported to Uzbekistan first and then to China. Those countries have been directly and indirectly cooperating with China on deporting Uyghurs, Ayup said, noting that these deportees have been sentenced to die since as early as 1997.

In Ayups view, this cooperation is shameful under any cultural standard, because in Islamic tradition, betraying other Muslims goes against their beliefs, while the deportation of refugees goes against international law.

They are committing genocide there, Ayup said, referring to the Chinese regimes campaign in Xinjiang.

Gutmann noted that the Talibans dialogue with Beijing is mainly about getting backing from a powerful, wealthy ally as the United States leaves the region.

If the Taliban, in an effort to curry favor with Beijing, caves to pressure to send Uyghurs back to China, itll likely draw the wrath of Western democracies. But Gutmann noted that there isnt a large population of Uyghurs living in Afghanistan or Pakistan, because Uyghurs tend to gravitate to areas with large populations of Turkic peoples and make for Istanbul to start a new life free of the Chinese regime.
Compton City Council member Isaac Galvan presents Ice Cube with a "Celebration of Life" award from the City of Compton, in Los Angeles on June 14, 2018. (Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Dream Hollywood)

Compton Councilman Charged With Election Fraud After Winning by 1 Vote

A Compton city councilman and five others have been charged with election fraud stemming from a June runoff that led to the councilman winning by one vote.

Councilman Isaac Galvan won his seat when he defeated candidate Andre Spicer 855 to 854. It was later alleged that Galvan conspired with others to steal the election.

Galvan was charged with conspiracy to commit election fraud on Aug. 13 along with Jace Dawson, Kimberly Chaouch, Toni Morris, Barry Reed, and Reginald Streeter.

The councilman and former council candidate Dawson allegedly conspired to secure illegal votes for Galvan in District 2, according to a statement by the Los Angeles District Attorneys Office.

The district attorneys office also stated that Galvan attempted to bribe a registrar worker while she was counting ballots on the night of the election.

District Attorney George Gascon said in the statement that elections should be free and fair and need to be protected.

We must do everything in our power to protect the integrity of the electorate process and to ensure that elections are free and fair, he said. The people of Los Angeles County expect and deserve a government that is free of political corruption at every level.

Morris, Reed, Chaouch, and Streeter were accused of illegally voting in the election while registered to vote at Dawsons address and living elsewhere.

Dean Logan, Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder, said in a statement that county records along with registration records and mail-in ballots helped to identify the unusual and suspicious activity that occurred in Comptons city council election.

My office immediately notified law enforcement of our concerns and then fully cooperated in the investigation, Logan said.

These charges and the activities alleged in this case are serious and strike at a time when public confidence in our electoral process is in decline and misinformation about the security of voting is rampant.

Galvan and Dawson pleaded not guilty on Aug. 13 in the courtroom.
Democrats Double Down on Election Laws

News Analysis

Shortly before going into August recess, Senate Democrats gave approval for the For the People Act (S.1) to move out of committee for future debate. While the issue has been harshly debated for nearly a year now, it is likely to be near the top of Democrats docket after they return.

For some congressional Democrats like Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), advancing election bills through both chambers is a top priority. In an opinion piece published in the Montgomery Advertiser, Sewell argued that state-level voter integrity laws are putting the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965 in peril. Sewell compared the state-level effort to restrict the right to vote to modern-day Jim Crow attacks. On top of this, Sewell criticized the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) for having dealt a series of disastrous blows to the VRA, gutting key provisions and rendering it all but toothless.

Speaking about the same subject on the House floor, Sewell referenced two such disastrous blows by SCOTUS.

First, she pointed to the 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder (pdf), when SCOTUS struck down a section that required federal approval for states to change their voting laws. SCOTUS ruled that the situation had changed so dramatically between 1965 and 2013 that the extraordinary measures employed by the bill could no longer be justified.

She also mentioned Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee (2013). Arizona was brought before SCOTUS to defend two laws relating to mail-in or absentee ballots. The first banned anyone other than a legal relative or caregiver from collecting these ballots; the second required that ballots cast in the wrong precinct be discarded. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) argued that these laws constituted an attempt to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color and were a violation of the VRA. SCOTUS sided 6-3 with Arizona, determining that neither rule was enacted by the state with discriminatory intent and thus was not a VRA violation.

Speaking on the House floor, Sewell decried these state laws: [they] would restrict the right to vote  by subjecting voters to longer lines, inaccessible polling places, strict voter ID requirements, broken voting machines, purges of voter rolls, and voter registration complications.

In response to this, Sewell says she has introduced a bill in the House called the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, (H.R. 4) that will restore key provisions of the VRA that were gutted by the Supreme Court. Further, the bill would once again prohibit any state or jurisdiction with a history of discrimination from implementing any election changes without receiving preclearance from U.S. Department of Justice.

Avoiding the Filibuster

Sewells allegations and proposed legislation point to a larger trend in the Democratic Party.

H.R. 4 is only one of many Democratic proposals for election bills. Sen. Jeff Merkleys (D-Ore.) For the People Act (S.1) is the frontrunner among these proposals, having been moved out of committee for later debate; Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) introduced the same bill in the House (H.R. 1). Back in the Senate, Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) introduced the Right to Vote Act (S.2615).

Some Democrats are looking to avoid Republican efforts at filibustering elections bills by changing Senate rules. Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) in an interview with Mehdi Hassan added his opinion that the filibuster should not be allowed in order to block these kinds of legislation. Constitutional rights questions should not be subjected to a filibuster, Clyburn explained. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) was asked about changing the filibuster to enact election legislation and said that she was in favor of reforming or eliminating the rule, explaining at some point you gotta get things done.

A few challenges make this unlikely to happen however. First, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a White House press conference that President Biden does not support the elimination of the filibuster because it has been used as often the other way around. Second, moderate Democrats in the Senate like Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) have said that they would not end the filibuster.

But the Biden administration does have plans to use executive power in response to these allegations. Vice President Kamala Harris said in a press conference that we are going to assemble the largest voter protection team we have ever had to ensure that all Americans can vote. It is not yet clear what this voter protection team will entail, but it is a clear sign of the administrations position.

However, studies are inconclusive about whether voter ID and other security measures disproportionately affect minorities. A 2017 study by the University of Chicago determined that strict identification laws have a differentially negative impact on the turnout of racial and ethnic minorities in primaries and general elections. But this conclusion was challenged in a follow-up study by researchers at Yale, Stanford, and the University of Pennsylvania. They ruled that poor methodology and analysis in this study skewed the result, and that results were inconclusive when these errors were corrected. A Harvard study was even more confident that voter ID laws have no negative effect on registration or turnout, overall or for any group defined by race, gender, age, or party affiliation.

It is nevertheless likely that congressional Democrats will continue to push the issue after they return from their recess. Despite their majority, they will face many challenges to first passing and then upholding this legislation. The first major challenge to these efforts will likely come in the Senate, where Republican opponents may filibuster any proposed legislation. If Senate Democrats try to change the filibuster rules as Clyburn and Klobuchar suggested, the bill may squeak through by a thin party-line votebut Democrats cant spare a single defection. The second challenge for Democrats will likely come from the courts. Affected states are sure to try and take the matter to the Supreme Court. And given SCOTUS earlier rulings, it is unclear whether any of these bills would be able to survive the challenge.
Scott Rickard (L), production manager at Lassonde Pappas and Company at the "$18 per Hour and Beyond" job fair in Fletcher, in western North Carolina on Aug. 10, 2021. (Matt McGregor/EpochTimes)

Employers at a Western North Carolina Job Fair Report an Ongoing Labor Shortage

FLETCHER, North CarolinaA western North Carolina job fair promoting employment opportunities with wages starting at $18 per hour revealed an ongoing need for local businesses to hire workers.

This job fair is being offered due to outcry from local employers from all sectors who are begging for workers, Barbara Darby, one of the job fairs organizers, told The Epoch Times.

Darby, the regional business services coordinator for the Mountain Area Workforce Development Board (MAWDB), an employment center in Asheville, North Carolina, said the job fair consists of 70 companies from seven surrounding counties.

In partnership with the Asheville Area, Brevard/Transylvania, Henderson County, and Madison County Chamber of Commerce, the MAWDB hosted the $18 per Hour and Beyond job fair on Tuesday, Aug. 10 at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center in Fletcher, North Carolina.

We are just trying to provide an opportunity for both the job seeker and the employer population in our area, said Darby.

In North Carolina, the maximum one can draw for unemployment is $350 a week.

Enhanced federal benefits are $300 a week. Those benefits expire in September.

According to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, at the end of June there were 10.1 million job openings in the country.

According to an Aug. 9 press release from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, that number is a record amount of job openings.

In addition, the chamber reported that the 10.1 million job openings are 590,000 more than in May, which itself was a record, however, the growth of openings is picking up.

Businesses have created 3.3 million openings since the beginning of 2021, the chamber reported in the press release. Openings continue to grow because job takers are simply not keeping up with openings. The quit rate was 2.7 in June, which is also historically elevated.

In June there were 9.5 million unemployed workers, down from the peak in April 2020 when there were more than 23 million out of work, the chamber reported.

There are now 589,000 more job openings than there are unemployed workers, according to the chamber.

A New Experience for Veteran Business Owners

Ive been a businessman for 40 years, and I have never seen it this bad before, Bruce OConnell told The Epoch Times at the job fair.

Bruce O Connell (R), owner at Pisgah Inn at $18 per Hour and Beyond job fair in Fletcher, North Carolina on Aug. 10, 2021. (Matt McGregor/EpochTimes)

OConnell owns and operates Pisgah Inn, a restaurant and resort that sits at an elevation of 5,000 feet on Mt. Pisgah within the Pisgah National Forest off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

We cant find anyone to work, OConnell said.

People fill out applications, get hired, then disappear, OConnell explained.

Its been going on since the unemployment benefits increased and the free money giveaways started, and that correlates with the beginning of the pandemic, of course, but certainly people dont have an incentive to come to work anymore, and I fear people are getting out of the habit of having to work, OConnell said.

With the federal and state government giving extra money, he said, potential hires apply, work for a brief time, then quit to get benefits again.

The whole mindset of working seems to be disappearing in this country, OConnell said, adding that its not about pay rates, either.

Look at what we are doing here, OConnell said. This is an $18 and beyond concept, and nobodys getting any action.

OConnell said the cause is partly political, adding that he doesnt understand why anyone would want to undermine the country like this.

The economic climate has motivated OConnell, a Republican, to run for Congress against Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) in North Carolinas 11th Congressional District, OConnell said.

Im running as a businessman with a businessmans approach, not a politician, OConnell said. Im not going to take a salary and Im committing to no more than three terms of congress, then Im out.

A believer in small government, OConnell said he also believes in common sense and fiscal responsibility.

Ive run a business for 40-plus years under contract with the federal government in a national park, OConnell said. Ive got experience not only with the business-side of things, but also in dealing with the National Park Service, which is a part of the Department of the Interior, so that makes me qualify, and I want to take this approach to Washington.

Not Business as Usual

Scott Rickard, a production manager at Lassonde Pappas and Company, Inc., a juice manufacturing company in Hendersonville, North Carolina, was offering a $1,000 sign-on bonus at his companys booth.

He told The Epoch Times that in over 30 years of manufacturing, hes never seen a workforce situation like the current one.

This is definitely not business as usual, Rickard said. As you can see, events like this dont take place when employees are readily available and actively looking.

As to its cause, Rickard speculated that there could be a variety of factors, from unemployment benefits to a reduction in childcare options, leaving one parent having to stay home.

Jen Grabo, a human resources director at Snow Creek Landscaping in Arden, North Carolina, said Snow Creek is offering a $400 sign-on bonus that would be paid out within the first 90 days of employment, along with a $550 referral bonus, as well as incentive programs, such as appreciation days consisting of cookouts and raffle giveaways to help ease the stresses of being short-staffed.

Ive been doing this for 20 years, from across California to the east coast, and I havent seen anything like this before, Grabo said. Ive seen it bad, but Ive never seen it this bad.

Grabo said the running theory of the workforce shortage is that its the result of the pandemic shutting down the economy, however, other factors could be that, with the time at home, people reconsidered what their purpose was, and made changes in their lives and careers.

And thats great, but hurtful to the economy, Grabo said, adding that she thought the stimulus checks and other payouts have hurt the economy as far as getting people back into the workforce.

Legislation

There had been a bill in the North Carolina General Assembly that would have given people returning to work re-employment bonuses of $1,500 to workers who accepted jobs 30 days after the bill became law.

Workers who accepted jobs up to 60 days after it passed would have received $800.

The money would have been provided through the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program if the U.S. Department of Labor were to approve it, but the bill went unsigned by Gov. Roy Cooper.

In a June press release, Republican N.C. Senator Chuck Edwards said that the restaurant and lodging industry has been devastated by the workforce shortage.

But they are not alone, Edwards said. Every industry has reported to me they are direly concerned that they cannot hire people they need. Manufacturers are now sending jobs abroad, and we see prices on almost everything skyrocketing.
Facts Matter (Aug 13): Election Materials Demanded from 2 Counties; Lawmaker Issues Official Subpoenas

A Wisconsin lawmaker issued official subpoenas to 2 different counties requesting that they turn over all ballots and election equipment to enable a cyber-forensic investigation.

A Pennsylvania state senator is likewise working to get official subpoenas issued for 3 counties that refused to comply with his earlier request.

Similarly, in Michigan, a county that requested to have its own audit was denied by the States Election Bureau. However, the director of the Bureau said that there was an alternative path.

The New York Supreme Court just ruled in favor of Project Veritas in their case against the New York Times. This means that staff members of the New York Times will now be deposed, under oath. We speak with James OKeefe, the founder of Project Veritas, who explains the implications of the matter.

Resources:

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Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testifies before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 26, 2021. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

GOP Demands Action on Border Crisis After Alleged Leaked Audio of DHS Secretary Surfaces

GOP members urged the Biden administration to address the border crisis after leaked audio of Alejandro MayorkasSecretary of Department of Homeland Security (DHS)surfaced, which shows him calling the border situation unsustainable.

Glad Secretary Mayorkas agreesthe situation at the border is unsustainable. Now what is their plan to fix it? House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) wrote on Twitter Friday.

In leaked audio obtained by Fox News, Mayorkas allegedly told Border Patrol agents in Texas that the border crisis is unsustainable and were going to lose if borders are the first line of defense.

We cant continue like this, our people in the field cant continue, and our system isnt built for it, Mayorkas allegedly said in the audio Thursday, the same day he told reporters that the numbers of illegal aliens encountered are unprecedented.

On Thursday, Mayorkas announced 212,672 encounters in July, a 13 percent jump from 188,934 in June. It also marked the highest monthly total since March 2000.

A group of more than 350 illegal immigrants waits for Border Patrol after crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico into Del Rio, Texas, on July 25, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, called on Mayorkas to resign following the surfacing of the audio.

With his comments, Secretary Mayorkas demonstrated that he fully understands the catastrophe playing out at the border, and yet he lacks the skill, ability, and will to address it adequately, Ducey said in a statement.

A defeatist is not what we need when it comes to fighting for border security. It is time for Secretary Mayorkas to resign, and for him to be replaced with someone who will tell the American people the truth publicly, stand up to the radical activists inside the Biden-Harris administration, and once and for all end the crisis at the southern border, the statement reads.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) called the alleged remarks of Mayorkas as the most honest words.

These are the most honest words Ive heard from the mouth of Secretary Mayorkas. [President] Joe Biden has totally lost control of the border, Hawley posted on Twitter.

For once I agree with @SecMayorkas the border crisis is unsustainable and were going to lose.' Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton took to Twitter. Im glad they are acknowledging what I have been saying all along.

Paxton has been fiercely fighting with the Biden administrations border and immigration policies. As of July 14, Paxton has sued the Biden administration on behalf of Texas 11 times since Inauguration Day. Five of them are immigration-related.

Response from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was, Joe Biden and [Vice President] Kamala Harris are the root cause.

Cruz said that the Biden administration brought back the catch and release policy, halted construction of the border wall, and ended the Remain in Mexico policy.

Mayorkas has been facing growing pressure recently.

On Monday, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and 19 GOP House members sent a letter of inquiry to Mayorkas, demanding that the department provide more information on the border crisis or face compulsory action.

Chip has filed articles of impeachment against Mayorkas, Justthenews reported. He is seeking to hold the Secretary responsible for the border crisis.

DHS didnt immediately respond to a request from The Epoch Times for comment.

Mayorkas once again blamed former President Donald Trump for the border crisis in his Thursday speech.

Tragically, former President Trump slashed our international assistance to Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Slashed the resources that we were contributing to address the root causes of irregular migration, Mayorkas said. Another reason is the end of the cruel policies of the past administration and the restoration of the rule of laws of this country that Congress has passed, including our asylum laws that provide humanitarian relief.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is seen at the U.S. Capitol on June 28, 2021. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

House Aides Can Make More Than Lawmakers Due to New Pelosi Order

Top House of Representatives staffers can make nearly $200,000 per year due to a new order from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Pelosi said on Aug. 12 that her order means staffers can make as much as $199,300 per year.

Thats more than virtually all House and Senate members make. Most receive $174,000 per year, although Pelosi, as speaker. earns $223,500 annually and the minority and majority leaders, along with the Senates president pro tempore, earn approximately $193,400 per year, according to the Congressional Research Service.

This order will help the Congress recruit and retain the outstanding and diverse talent that we need, as it also helps ensure parity between employees of the House of Representatives and other employees of the Federal Government, Pelosi wrote in a letter to colleagues.

The order delinks staff pay from the compensation for members, which was recommended by several Democrats, including Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), the chairwoman of the House Administration Committee.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and House Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) also recommended an increase in pay for House staffers earlier this year.

Salaries and benefits that are not competitive with the private sector hinder Congresss ability to compete for talented and experienced staff. As a result, Congressional staffers are more likely to leave after just a few years, and this brain drain and accelerated staff-turnover impact our ability to effectively serve the American people, Hoyer said.

Think tank New America said in a 2020 report that the annual exodus of some of the most talented staffers stemmed in part from paltry salaries and lengthy work hours.

Kylie Carpenter, a Democratic staffer for the House Administration Committee, wrote on Twitter that she hopes entry-level staffers, in addition to senior staffers, see a bump in pay from Pelosis order.

We need to make sure entry-level staff see these funds as well. Nobody should have to work 60+ hour work weeks at $30k. Especially nobody working for Congress, she wrote.

The average pay for most positions in House offices fell from 2001 to 2019, according to another Congressional Research Service report from 2020. The median pay for communications directors dropped by 13.36 percent, while office managers saw their effective salary cut by nearly a quarter.
Judge Lets Texas County Temporarily Mandate Masks, Defying Governors Order

A judge in Texas on Friday granted Harris Countys request for a temporary restraining order to block Gov. Greg Abbotts order that bans mask mandates, thereby allowing the county to temporarily issue mask mandates in public schools.

Abbotts order bans government entities such as county, city, school district, or public health authorities from requiring people to wear face masks and get vaccinated. It follows a similar order Abbott issued in May, which came just days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that vaccinated people can stop wearing masks.

Judge Jan Soifer of the 345th Civil District Court in Travis County granted the request after Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Thursday announced a mask mandate for all county schools and daycares.

It also comes a day after the countys attorney, Christian D. Menefee, filed a lawsuit against Abbotts order. The lawsuit was filed some hours before Hidalgo announced the mask mandate.

In a statement Friday, Menefee said that Harris County fought alongside school districts across the state over the matter.

While this decision is temporary, its a victory for residents in Harris County who are concerned about this public health crisis, Menefee said in a separate statement on Friday, reported the Houston Chronicle. We need every tool at our disposal to stop the spread of COVID-19, including masks and other measures that are proven to slow the spread.

The Epoch Times has reached out to Abbotts office for comment.

Menefee in a statement on Thursday accused Abbott of having repeatedly misused his authority under Texas disaster laws. He said that Abbotts order bans any meaningful action to address the spread of the Delta variant of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus in the region.

Other local counties have also sued Abbott, including Dallas and Bexar counties, which have seen judges rule in their favor to go ahead with their local mask mandates.

Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday issued a joint statement saying, Any school district, public university, or local government official that decides to defy the order will be taken to court.

The Texas Disaster Act clearly states that the Governor has the power to guide the state through emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, they also said.
A group of illegal immigrants crosses the Rio Grande from Acuna, Mexico, to Del Rio, Texas, on July 25, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Judge Orders Biden Administration to Resume Remain in Mexico Policy

The stoppage of the policy has contributed to the border crisis, ruling says

The Biden administration must reinstate a policy that forces asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico until their immigration case is heard, a federal judge ruled on Aug. 13.

The Department of Homeland Security failed to consider several critical factors before reversing the Trump-era Remain in Mexico policy, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee, found.

That included ignoring how the program led some immigrants with asylum claims that lacked merit to voluntarily return home, he wrote in a 53-page ruling.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on June 1 formally ended Remain in Mexico, though in practice it was stopped when President Joe Biden entered office on Jan. 20. In a memorandum (pdf) to top immigration officials, Mayorkas said a review determined the policy does not adequately or sustainably enhance border management in such a way as to justify the programs extensive operational burdens and other shortfalls.

Over the course of the program, border encounters increased during certain periods and decreased during others. Moreover, in making my assessment, I share the belief that we can only manage migration in an effective, responsible, and durable manner if we approach the issue comprehensively, looking well beyond our own borders, he wrote.

The memo fails to mention some of the primary benefits of the program, which is known as MPP, Kacsmaryk said.

At the very least, the Secretary was required to show a reasoned decision for discounting the benefits of MPP. Instead, the June 1 Memorandum does not address the problems created by false claims of asylum or how MPP addressed those problems. Likewise, it does not address the fact that DHS previously found that approximately 9 out of 10 asylum claims from Northern Triangle countries are ultimately found non-meritorious by federal immigration judges, and that MPP discouraged such aliens from traveling and attempting to cross the border in the first place, he said.

That made the policy change both arbitrary and capricious, the judge added. The Administrative Procedure Act states that agency actions that are arbitrary, capricious, or an abuse of discretion are ripe for being overturned by courts.

Kacsmaryk ordered the Biden administration to resume MPP, though he stayed his order for seven days to let the federal government seek emergency relief at an appeals court.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican who brought the lawsuit with the state of Missouri, said the ruling showed the Biden administration unlawfully tried to shut down the legal and effective Remain-in-Mexico program.

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, another Republican, described the ruling as a huge win for border security and the rule of law.

The Biden administration didnt respond to requests by The Epoch Times for comment by press time.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is seen at a Customs and Border Protection processing facility in Donna, Texas, on May 7, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

The Trump administration established MPP in 2019 to deal with a surge in illegal immigration. Former President Donald Trump successfully partnered with Mexico to start the program, which saw the United States send some asylum-seekers back to Mexico until their claims were heard.

Kirstjen Nielsen, who served as Homeland Security secretary during the Trump administration, said when the program was first implemented that it was in response to a security and humanitarian crisis on the Southern border.

MPP will help restore a safe and orderly immigration process, decrease the number of those taking advantage of the immigration system, and the ability of smugglers and traffickers to prey on vulnerable populations, and reduce threats to life, national security, and public safety, while ensuring that vulnerable populations receive the protections they need, she said in a statement at the time.

Biden and top officials this year have reversed or altered a number of key Trump-era immigration policies. The United States has seen a leap in illegal border crossings, culminating in a new 21-year-high in July.

Mayorkas, Biden, and others have repeatedly blamed Trump, claiming his administrations policies were inhumane and needed changing. That process takes time, theyve said.

Speaking about the border crossings during a visit in Texas last week, Mayorkas said one reason for them was the end of the cruel policies of the past administration, and the restoration of the rule of laws of this country that Congress has passed, including our asylum laws that provide humanitarian relief.

Trump slashed our international assistance to Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, slashed the resources that we were contributing to address the root causes of a right of irregular migration, he added.

Stephen Miller, a top immigration adviser to Trump during the previous administration, called Mayorkas a pathological liar in response.

He inherited the most secure border& the most effective enforcement regimein history, Miller wrote on Twitter. The *sole* cause of the present border disaster was Bidens decision to reverse the Trump program & replace it with sovereignty-erasing catch-and-release.
A number of people gather outside UCHealth of the Rockies to protest the health care system's decision to terminate employees who refuse the vaccine in Loveland, Colo., on Aug. 13, 2021. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

Colorado Rally Says No to Mandated COVID-19 Vaccines

More than 250 people from all over Colorado gathered Friday outside UCHealth of the Rockies in Loveland to protest against mandatory COVID-19 vaccines for health care workers.

The rally was the third sponsored by Nurses and Healthcare Workers United, a grassroots organization of medical workers that opposes the vaccine mandates.

With the announcement of three major area health systems now requiring mandatory COVID-19 vaccines, many healthcare workers are concerned that the rights to medical freedom and bodily autonomy are being eroded and ignored, the group said in a press release.

Being threatened with losing your job for not participating in a medical procedure that you do not consent to is not honoring autonomy. We are advocates for our patients right to autonomy and now unfortunately we are having to advocate for our own.

A protester holds a sign expressing the iron of yesterdays front-line heroes becoming todays unemployed healthcare workers because of their opposition to mandated COVID-19 vaccines in Loveland, Colo., on Aug. 13, 2021. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

Earlier this month, UCHealth announced it will require employees in its 12 facilities to be vaccinated for COVID-19 by Oct. 1 or be fired, unless they are granted an exemption on religious or medical grounds.

After fighting COVID-19 for more than a year, and as the dangerous Delta variant has become the dominant strain in Colorado and elsewhere, it is clear that vaccination against this disease is essential to protect our employees, along with out patient and visitors, said Elizabeth Concordia, president and CEO of UCHealth in a company statement.

Stephanie Thorpe, a registered nurse at UCHealth and an organizer of Fridays rally, said the vaccine mandate goes against the idea of informed consent and bodily autonomy.

Part of our goal [Friday] is we wanted to make sure there were health care workers who know they are not alone, said Thorpe, who opposes the vaccine based on her religious beliefs.

I just think its about the freedom to choose what goes inside your body, she told The Epoch Times.

Thorpe said she too will lose her job if she isnt vaccinated by Sept. 30 absent an authorized exemption. The deadline to file is Aug. 27, she said.

Of course, Im worried. I like my job. Im not trying to be difficult, but I have moral objections, Thorpe said.

UCHealth of the Rockies was the scene of a protest against mandatory COVID-19 vaccines for health care workers in Loveland, Colo., on Aug. 13, 2021. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

Michelle Barron, UCHealths Senior Director of Infectious Diseases, said that 90 percent of UCHealths 26,000 employees have received the vaccine and that must support the companys decision to mandate the shots.

We have a different standard. I feel like we have to be the ones that are the extra level to make sure that everybody is safe, Barron said in a zoom video to The Epoch Times.

Barron said there is a large body of evidence to suggest that the vaccines are both safe and effectiveand necessary, given an increasing number of cases of the Delta variant in Colorado.

The nursing staff was really happymost of them, about receiving the vaccine, she said. There will always be some with differences of opinion.

Thorpe said Fridays 13 p.m. rally on the neutral police rotunda included many local health care professionals and others who oppose mandated vaccinations.

It was loud and noisy, Thorpe said of the rally. A lot of people are fearful that they may not know the long-term effects [of the vaccines], and thats part of their decision as well. Mine is more because of my religious beliefs.

Thorpe said many people believe that long-term studies have not been done to show the vaccines are safe and effective.

A growing number of adverse reactions, such as blood clots, among the vaccinated has not helped to allay fears that the vaccines are anything but safe and effective, she said.

I really dont believe in any kind of forced medicine. I did kind of see this coming when I saw the whole pandemic coming, Thorpe said.
Sacred Heart church is damaged after an earthquake in Les Cayes, Haiti, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Delot Jean)

At Least 1,200 Killed, Thousands Injured After 7.2 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Haiti

Update on Sunday Aug. 15: The death toll from a magnitude 7.2 earthquake in Haiti soared to at least 1,297 Sunday as rescuers raced to find survivors amid the rubble ahead of a potential deluge from an approaching tropical storm. Saturdays earthquake also left at least 2,800 people injured in the Caribbean nation, with thousands more displaced from their destroyed or damaged homes.

At least 304 people have died after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Saturday.

Prime Minister Ariel Henry said he was rushing aid to affected areas, where some towns were destroyed and hospitals were overwhelmed with wounded people.

Red alert for shaking-related fatalities. High casualties are probable and the disaster is likely widespread, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

The quake struck about 5 miles from the town of Petit Trou de Nippes, which is 93 miles west of the capital Port-au-Prince, at a depth of 6 miles, the USGS said. Tremors were felt across the Caribbean.

A regional tsunami wave warning was issued, according to the U.S. Tsunami Warning System, waves up to 10 feet above the tide level are possible along some of the countrys coast.

Forecasters noted that there is no tsunami threat to the U.S. East Coast, Gulf Coast, or the Caribbean islands at this time.

Initial images from the earthquake posted on social media by witnesses appear to show that several buildings collapsed in the region along with rubble in the streets.

MANY COLLAPSED BUILDINGS & Homes Per Reports, First Pictures Of Haiti M7.6 Quake Damage 08/14/2021 pic.twitter.com/a3iUoXGFVR  AwareMap (@AwareMap) August 14, 2021

Naomi Verneus, a 34-year-old resident of Port-au-Prince, said she was jolted awake by the earthquake and that her bed was shaking.

I woke up and didnt have time to put my shoes on. We lived the 2010 earthquake and all I could do was run. I later remembered my two kids and my mother were still inside. My neighbor went in and told them to get out. We ran to the street, Verneus said.

Haiti is still recovering from a major earthquake that struck close to the capital 11 years ago that killed approximately 250,000, flattened swathes of buildings, and left about 1.5 million homeless.

Sacred Heart church is damaged after an earthquake in Les Cayes, Haiti, on Aug. 14, 2021. (Delot Jean/AP Photo)

Also on Saturday, an earthquake of similar strength struck off the coast of the Alaskan Peninsula just hours before Haiti was hit, the USGS reported.

No tsunami warnings were issued as the magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck just before 4 a.m. at a depth of 6 miles. Tremors were felt in Chignik, Cold Bay, Kodiak, and Bethel.

The closest place to the epicenter was Perryville, home to a little more than 100 people, about 85 miles northwest.

The USGS says that 75 percent of all earthquakes that happen in the United States with a magnitude over 5 occur in Alaska.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

From NTD News
McConnell: US Should Launch Airstrikes to Stop Taliban Advance in Afghanistan

The United States should utilize airstrikes to stop the Taliban from gaining more ground in Afghanistan, the Senates top Republican said Saturday.

It is not too late to prevent the Taliban from overrunning Kabul. The Administration should move quickly to hammer Taliban advances with airstrikes, provide critical support to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) defending the capital, and prevent the seemingly imminent fall of the city, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said in a statement.

If they fail to do so, the security threat to the United States will assuredly grow and the humanitarian cost to innocent Afghans will be catastrophic, he added.

Other Republicans also called on Biden to take decisive action, warning there will be consequences if he does not.

I ask you to commit U.S. air support to blunt the Taliban offensive. Taliban forces are exposed on the ground much as they were in 2001. Air support will give the Government of Afghanistan and ANSF time to regroup and turn the tide of battle. They are doing the fighting and dying on the ground, but American air support will bolster their resolve and change the battlefield psychology, Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) said in a letter to the president on Friday.

Taliban fighters were approaching Kabul Saturday, a day after American troops started evacuating Americans from the U.S. Embassy. The embassy warned Americans this week to leave immediately, and Biden authorized approximately 3,000 troops to aid the evacuation in what the Pentagon described as a narrowly focused mission to help safeguard an orderly reduction of civilians.

The Taliban has quickly taken a slew of provincial capitals following the recent U.S. withdrawal, and is poised to unseat the sitting government if the progress continues.

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani said he was holding talks with local leaders and international partners as the Taliban threatened Kabul. In a public address, he told Afghanis that he is focused on consolidating the countrys security and defense forces to oppose the Taliban blitz.

The U.S. withdrawal was triggered by former President Donald Trump. President Joe Biden decided after taking office to continue the withdrawal, but pushed back the pullout date several months, shattering an agreement with the Taliban.

Republicans have blamed the rapid Taliban advancement on Biden, alleging his administration could have planned the withdrawal better.

Taliban fighters sit on the back of a vehicle in the city of Herat, west of Kabul, Afghanistan on Aug. 14, 2021, after seizing the province from the Afghan government. (Hamed Sarfarazi/AP Photo)

An Afghan policeman speaks to a commuter in a car at a checkpoint along the road in Kabul, Afghanistan on Aug. 14, 2021. (Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images)

A general view of the consular section at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan on July 30, 2021. (Stringer/Reuters)

I have long called for a deliberative, planned, vetted, and secure withdrawal from Afghanistan while maintaining maximum leverage. Wars should have ends. That is the opposite of what President Biden has pursued, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said Friday.

The world is watching in horror as the Taliban takes over Afghanistan in response to President Bidens disastrous withdrawal of U.S. troops. The Presidents failure to develop a plan or execute coherent operations in Afghanistan not only erases the successes of the United States and our allies, but it emboldens terrorist groups like al Qaeda and ISIS and invites future attacks against the United States like we experienced on 9/11, added Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.).

Biden has defended his decision to complete withdrawal, telling reporters on Tuesday that the Afghani troops have got to fight for themselves, fight for their nation.

The United States, Ill insist we continue to keep the commitments we made in providing close air support, making sure their Air Force functions and is operable, resupplying their forces with food and equipment, and paying all their salaries, he added. But theyve got to want to fight. They outnumber the Taliban.

We are closely watching the deteriorating security conditions in parts of the country, but no particular outcome, in our view, is inevitable, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters the following day.

Biden has not commented on the situation since Tuesday. He went to his house in Wilmington, Delaware, on Thursday, with plans to go to Camp David in Maryland over the weekend. Biden did not answer questions as he was departing.

Earlier today, the President was briefed by members of his national security team on the ongoing efforts to safely drawdown the civilian footprint in Afghanistan. He will get further briefings later today, the White House said on Friday.

Tom Ozimek contributed to this report.
A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, following a small boat incident in the Channel on June 6, 2021. (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Nearly 600 People Cross English Channel to UK in New Daily Record

Nearly 600 people made the perilous trip across the English Channel on a single day this week, a new daily record.

On the day an Eritrean man lost his life trying to reach the UK, at least 592 people were rescued or intercepted when making the dangerous crossing, latest figures show.

The 27-year-old died after he and four others jumped overboard as their boat started to sink in the Dover Strait on Thursday.

A manslaughter investigation is now under way in France following the death.

Latest figures provided by the Home Office on Friday night say at least 592 people were rescued or intercepted in their bids to cross to Britain on Thursdaya new record for a single day.

At least 155 people were intercepted by French authorities and returned to the continent on Thursday.

The new high mark eclipses the previous record of 482 set just over a week earlier on Aug. 4, according to data compiled by the PA news agency.

More than 11,000 people have now succeeded in crossing the Dover Strait aboard small boats in 2021, PA data shows.

Thursdays loss of life did not stop more people from attempting the journey on Friday, with individuals seen being brought into the port of Dover in Kent after crossing the Channel.

The Home Office said 25 people reached the UK aboard one boat on Friday while others were returned to France.

Home Secretary Priti Patel and her department have repeatedly vowed to make the Channel route unviable, but crossings have continued to rise.

By Michael Drummond
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces he will resign in this screen grab taken from a video released by the Office of the NY Governor, in New York, U.S., August 10, 2021. Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo/Handout via REUTERS

Cuomo Impeachment Inquiry Suspended by NY Assembly

The impeachment inquiry of Gov. Andrew Cuomo by New York Assembly lawmakers has been suspended after Cuomo recently said he will step down from his post.

Speaker Carl Heastie, the chambers top Democrat, said Friday that the bodys judiciary committee was advised by lawyers that the state constitution does not authorize lawmakers to impeach an elected official if the person is no longer in office.

Lawmakers were told they probably lack the constitutional authority to impeach, although the matter wasnt settled definitely, per a legal memorandum Heastie had provided reporters.

Heastie pointed out another reason for ending the impeachment inquiry, saying in a statement, The purpose of the Assembly Judiciary Committees impeachment investigation was to determine whether Governor Cuomo should remain in office. The governors resignation answers that directive.

The New York Assembly had opened an impeachment investigation in March after at least two former staffers publicly accused Cuomo of having sexually harassed them.

The impeachment inquiry was also probing the Cuomo administrations underreporting of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes, as well as possible misuse of state resources in relation to a book he published about his handling of the pandemic.

Let me be clearthe committees work over the last several months, although not complete, did uncover credible evidence in relation to allegations that have been made in reference to the governor, Heastie said Friday, adding that had Cuomo not resigned, the evidence could likely have resulted in articles of impeachment.

When asked whether lawmakers could still release a report with findings to the public as originally planned, Heastie said, I guess it could.

Cuomo, a Democrat, announced on Aug. 10 that he will resign as the states governor amid multiple sexual harassment allegations. The resignation is effective on Aug. 24, at which point Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will become governor.

His announcement came after the state attorney general concluded in a report on Aug. 3 that Cuomo had broken state and federal law by sexually harassing 11 women, including aides and a state trooper, and that his staff had mishandled allegations against him.

Cuomo, 63, continued to deny the various allegations of sexual harassment made against him, and said the claims were politically motivated. On Aug. 10, he said that a likely impeachment trial would send New York into turmoil amid the pandemic, so it was best for him to step aside and let government get back to governing.

Heastie denied that he and Cuomo had agreed on any deal to let Cuomo step down without facing impeachment proceedings.

All six Republicans and nine out of 15 Democrats on the Assemblys judiciary committee said the Assembly should at least release a public report on the findings of the impeachment investigation. Assembly Judiciary Committee Chair Charles Lavine, a Democrat, said that taxpayers have footed at least $1.2 million for the probe.

Lavine said he will speak to committee members about whether to do so, and will decide once Cuomo resigns. I expect there will be a full report, he said.

With reporting from The Associated Press
Oregon Deploys up to 1,500 National Guard Troops to Aid Hospitals Amid COVID-19 Surge

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown on Aug. 13 deployed up to 1,500 National Guard troops to help the states hospitals facing a rising number of hospitalizations amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.

An initial deployment of 500 troops will take place on Aug. 20 to assist hospitals around the state with logistics, handling materials and equipment, administering tests, and other hospital operations.

I know this is not the summer many of us envisioned, with over 2.5 million Oregonians vaccinated against COVID-19. The harsh, and frustrating reality is that the Delta variant has changed everything. Delta is highly contagious, and we must take action now, Brown said in a statement.

Oregon logged a record 635 COVID-19 hospitalizations on Aug. 10, prompting Brown to reinstate a statewide indoor mask mandate. The number of patients hospitalized with the virus has grown every day since then, reaching 784 on Aug. 13, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

The Delta variant, which became the dominant strain of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus in July, is driving a meteoric rise in cases across a number of hot spots around the country. The variant constituted an estimated 97.4 percent of all CCP virus cases in the United States for the week of Aug. 17, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) genomic surveillance program.

Brown encouraged Oregonians to wear masks when going out in public and to take one of the CCP virus vaccines, which she said are safe, effective, and widely available.

The effectiveness of the two most widely used COVID-19 vaccines in the United States has dropped significantly in July, according to a new study.

The shots from Moderna and Pfizer were highly effective in preventing transmission of the CCP virus between January and June, researchers with the Mayo Clinic and the Massachusetts-based data analytics company nference discovered.

However, the efficacy of Modernas vaccine dropped to 76 percent in July, with Pfizers plummeting to 42 percent, the researchers said.

A CDC advisory panel on Aug. 13 voted 110 to recommend COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for individuals with weak immune systems. The decision applies only to those who have received two doses of the messenger RNA-based vaccines made by Moderna or Pfizer.

Nearly 167.7 million Americans, or just over half, were fully vaccinated against the virus as of Aug. 13.

More than 81 percent of counties in the United States reported high levels of transmission of the CCP virus as of Aug. 12, according to the CDC.

Jack Phillips and Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
Paralyzed Woman Told She Would Never Walk Again Proves Doctors Wrong on Her Wedding Day

A woman who was told she would never walk again after a severe spinal injury due to an ATV crash has proved her doctors wrong by walking down the aisle on her wedding day.

On July 10, escorted by her father, 26-year-old Brittney Hitchcock of Indiana rose from her wheelchair and walked to meet her groom at the altar, with the help of a frame. It was the result of four years of hard work and rehabilitation.

I knew that I wanted to walk down the aisle, Brittney told The Epoch Times in an interview, so I had to practice getting more strength in my upper body, and my legs, and my core, to stand up and walk.

In 2017, Brittany and her son were in an ATV accident. Brittany pulled the boy on top of her, taking the blunt force; he escaped with only scratches on his back, but Brittany suffered bruising and burst the first lumbar vertebra in her spine.

She had rods placed in her back and suffered three seizures in the hospital. Seizures prevented her from starting therapy, and the force of the convulsions displaced the rods in her spine. Brittany underwent further surgery.

The doctor told [my family] that I was never going to walk again. There was no chance at all,' she recalled. When my family saw that I was making strides, they just kept pushing me and saying, You got this, you got this, dont give up. And I just never gave up. I had to do what I had to do for my kids.

Entering rehabilitation, Brittany started to feel movement in her legs. Hope returned, and kept her motivated.

When Brittanys partner, Glen, who she met on Facebook, proposed in the hospital in front of her entire family, the couple set a date for the following year, allowing Brittany time to work on her legs and upper body strength. She attended therapy up to three times a week.

Describing her wedding day as the most perfect day ever, Brittany told The Epoch Times that nerves consumed her before the big moment. I didnt want to trip or fall, she said. But I did it, and it was just seeing everyones reaction that had never seen me walk before.

(Courtesy of Brittney Hitchcock)

Glen had only seen videos of Brittanys most recent progress, since work kept him from attending every therapy session. Seeing his shocked, tearful response as his bride walked down the aisle was really, really magical, said Brittany.

Something else that Brittanys doctors said would never happen again for her was another pregnancy. However, she is pregnant and will be welcoming the baby at the end of this year.

The newlywed mom credits her family and husband for providing a rock-solid support system throughout her recovery. Brittany claims Glen helped motivate her through moments of hopelessness: He stood by my side, he just never left.

She also recalls being pushed to the limit by her therapistsa group of experts who are like family to herand welcomed the challenge. Initially worried about how the outside world would perceive her, she now welcomes questions and the opportunity to educate others about life as a wheelchair user.

Brittany even has hope that she will walk more in the future.

For some, Brittany reflected, the journey is simply a little harder than for others. She advises other people, Its okay to struggle, but dont give up.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
Possible Home Equity Tax on Primary Residences Very Concerning for Average Homeowners: Taxpayers Advocate

Indications that the federal government is considering introducing a potential capital gains tax on the sale of primary residences should be of great concern to Canadians, says the B.C. director of a taxpayers advocacy group.

We think people really need to pay attention to the potential for either a capital gains tax or a form of a home equity tax on the sale of your primary residence, Kris Sims, British Columbia director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF), told The Epoch Times.

So what that means is the house youre living in right now, if its your only house, when you sell that the federal government is seriously thinking about nailing you with a brand new tax.

Sims points to research paid for by the government through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CHMC) to the tune of $250,000 to examine a possible tax on principle residences, first reported by Blacklocks Reporter last July.

The objective is to identify solutions that could level the playing field between renters and owners, the article quoted CMHC spokeswoman Audrey-Anne Coulombe as saying.

The research was conducted by a group called Generation Squeeze through the University of British Columbias School of Population and Public Health. A self-described lobby group for younger Canadians, Generation Squeeze released a report on housing affordability in 2019 titled Straddling the Gap that described capital gains from principal residences as tax shelters [that] have encouraged the commodification of housing in Canada.

In the wake of Blacklocks article, then-CMHC chief executive officer Evan Siddall denied the claim that the CMHC was funding a study looking at a home equity tax.

However, Sims said the CTF obtained documents under the Freedom of Information Act that support the claim, including emails between CMHC and Generation Squeeze. The Epoch Times saw the email records.

Policy adaptations that will receive attention include opportunities to shift from some current or future taxation of earnings toward more taxation of housing wealth, reads an email from Generation Squeeze founder Paul Kershaw to Siddall on June 19, 2019.

The projects charter, which was signed by Generation Squeeze and the CMHC in March of 2020, also directly refers to an examination of tax policy.

So we do have evidence that [the Liberals] are seriously thinking about it, Sims says.

We think that Canadians should be very concerned about this, because the federal government [is] spending money left, right, and centre with no regard to the fact that theyre deepening us into debt and deficit spending, and so theyre going to be sniffing around for money.

In an email response to The Epoch Times, a CMHC spokesperson referred to a Twitter post dated July 17, 2020, about ongoing misinformation that the corporation was funding research on a home equity tax. A home equity tax is NOT the focus of the upcoming #housing research, the post said.

The post included a statement noting that the CHMC had contributed $250,000 to Generation Squeeze for an 18-month project that will examine issues relating to housing, wealth, and inequality.

The CMHC didnt directly respond to questions regarding the emails between Sidall and Generation Squeeze, nor did it comment on whether the federal government is considering a capital gains tax on principal homes.

Not Surprised

Philip Cross, an economic analyst and senior fellow at the Fraser Institute who noted in a recent Financial Post commentary that property tax is a form of wealth tax, says a capital gains tax on primary homes is difficult to carry out in practice.

It sounds very tempting, but just like with a wealth tax, when you come down to actually designing it in a way that raises revenue, governments have found that in practice its very difficult to design something that raises significant revenue, Cross said in an interview.

An example he gave was France scrapping its wealth tax after concluding that it would only force the wealthy to flee the country. Germany ruled a wealth tax to be unconstitutional, while Austria abolished its wealth tax due to high administrative costs and the burden it put on small businesses.

Cross says hes not surprised Ottawa is looking at ways to increase revenue.

I bet theyre thinking about an awful lot of taxes because theyve got quite the deficit problem to solve and they dont seem very interested in solving it through spending restraint, so automatically theres going to be tax increases, he said.

Theres a lot of challenges with government spending and we should be looking at ways to slow down. Instead, we seem to be going in the opposite direction.

Proceeds from the sale of a primary residence have always been exempt from federal taxes. Sims said if a home equity tax is in fact introduced, it could lead to more housing affordability problems.

A capital gains tax on principal residences could take away thousands of dollars from Canadian familiesmoney that could be used to support the livelihoods of seniors after retirement, or help younger generations pay for post-secondary tuition, she noted in a recent Toronto Sun commentary.

If homeowners know theyre going to get nailed with a big tax if they sell, they could stay put and not sell, taking that starter home off the market. Or they could just tack that new tax cost on to the listing price, making the home more expensive, Sims wrote.

Lower supply and higher prices doesnt make housing more affordable.

The CTF has launched a petition calling on the federal government to drop plans for a home equity tax, and Sims encourages Canadians to sign it.

We but we can fight back. We live in a democracy. Politicians are responsive, especially if their jobs are on the line.
In this photo Illustration, hands type on a computer keyboard in Berlin on June 22, 2016. (Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images)

Snopes Retracts Dozens of Articles After Review Finds Co-founder Plagiarized

David Mikkelson, often writing under a pseudonym, copied and pasted entire paragraphs from news websites

Snopes, a fact-checking website, has retracted at least 54 articles after finding that its co-founder and CEO had repeatedly plagiarized content from other websites.

David Mikkelson, co-founder of Snopes, has been suspended as the website completes an internal review of the issue.

The review has so far uncovered 54 stories that Mikkelson wrote using the pseudonym Jeff Zarronandia or that were published under a generic Snopes Staff byline, Snopes senior management said in an Aug. 13 statement.

The stories used appropriated material, the management said.

Mikkelson plagiarized entire paragraphs from news websites for the articles, according to an Epoch Times review of some of the articles.

For example, a 2015 story about Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis denying requests from gay couples for marriage licenses, matches a Reuters article about the development nearly word for word.

A 2016 story under Mikkelsons name about the death of boxer Muhammad Ali pulled a paragraph from an NBC article.

Readers who attempt to go to the Snopes articles in question are met with an alert that the content has been retracted.

The post was retracted because some or all of its content was taken from other sources without proper attribution, the pages state.

Each page now includes a link to the stories from which Mikkelson plagiarized.

The plagiarism was first identified by BuzzFeed News, which contacted Snopes, triggering the internal investigation.

Mikkelson, who didnt respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment, told BuzzFeed that his actions stemmed from not having formal journalism training.

I didnt come from a journalism background, he said. I wasnt used to doing news aggregation. A number of times I crossed the line to where it was copyright infringement. I own that.

Representatives from Snopes didnt respond to a request for comment by press time.

The Snopes writing staff released a joint statement condemning Mikkelsons plagiarism.

No writer participated in this behavior, nor did any editorsDoreen Marchionni, Camille Knox, and David Emerysupport or encourage these practices. We have all been held to very high journalistic standards, both by our editors and by our audience. Although none of us [were] to blame for the actions of Snopes co-founder, we empathize with the journalists whose work was appropriated. This simply should never have happened, the statement reads.

Marchionni and Green said in a statement that staff members have launched a comprehensive review of the websites archives, focusing initially on the author archives, to identify any other discrepancies or room for improvement. Theyre also developing a policy on bylines and reevaluating Snopess decision to not allow the websites stories to be archived on the Wayback Machine.

Let us be clear: Plagiarism undermines our mission and values, full stop. It has no place in any context within this organization. We invite readers to let us know here if they find any other examples of plagiarized content so that we can apply the same treatment as above, they said.

Brooke Binkowski, a former Snopes managing editor, said that shes been trying to call attention to the websites editorial strategy for some time.

In 2020, she shared an email on social media that she said was sent from Mikkelson to another former Snopes employee. The email called for the writer to mine similar sites for anything of interest and mine political sites for items about Hillary Clinton that we havent covered yet in a bid to keep traffic levels up.

The email also instructed the writer to copy stuff from any of the plethora of viral items of the day sites and post it to Snopes.

Binkowski also posted fact checks from Truth and Fiction on topics that Snopes appeared to cover hours later.

Heres the editorial strategy that I was pushing back against at Snopes (an email from my old boss David to my now-employee Kim, in his own words.) Weve been reluctant to do this, because we wanted to give the benefit of the doubt and not drag the reporters into it, she wrote at the time.

However, we also know how the editorial department is run. Its not the fault of the reporters. Its management, and it starts at the top.
A Department of Health and Human Services employee holds a COVID-19 vaccine record card in Washington on Nov. 13, 2020. (EJ Hersom/DoD)

Two Hawaii Tourists Arrested for Allegedly Using Fake COVID-19 Vaccination Cards

Two men who flew into Hawaii recently were taken into custody upon landing for allegedly using fake COVID-19 vaccination cards, authorities said.

Norbert Chung, 57 and Trevor Chung, 19, were arrested on Aug. 8 at Daniel K. Inouye Airport in Honolulu, the Hawaii Department of the Attorney General said in a statement to news outlets.

The Chungs are accused of violating Hawaiis Safe Travels Program, which forces visitors from the mainland to quarantine for 10 days unless they present proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.

The pair was arrested after authorities received a tip they were using fake vaccination cards, according to the state Department of the Attorney General.

Attorney General investigators are committed to ensuring all such leads are investigated and thank the community for their assistance and support, the department said in its statement. Along those lines, the Department of the Attorney General will investigate and prosecute those who cheat the Safe Travels program, which was established to keep our islands safe.

The Chungs were arraigned on Aug. 10. They could be fined up to $5,000 and sent to jail for up to a year if convicted.

The defendants could not be reached. Hawaiis court system was undergoing maintenance early Saturday; it was unclear if the Chungs had retained a lawyer.

They are the first people charged in Hawaii with falsifying vaccine cards, authorities said.

A growing number of states, counties, and businesses are requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter areas or establishments.

That has led to an explosion in fake vaccination cards, researchers said this month.

Several people have been arrested in California for allegedly falsifying their credentials.

A California bar owner was arrested in May after allegedly selling fake cards. Also in California, a licensed naturopathic doctor was taken into custody in July over an alleged scheme to distribute fake cards to customers. And that same month, Canadian authorities fined two passengers from a flight that originated in the United States close to $16,000 each for allegedly presenting false information related to proof of vaccination credentials.

People who buy, sell, or use fake documents that bear the seal of a federal agency can be sentenced up to five years in prison if convicted. COVID-19 vaccination cards have the logo of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention on them. People who receive vaccines get the paper card.
Forensic officers in Biddick Drive in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident Thursday evening, in Plymouth, England, on Aug. 13, 2021. (Ben Birchall/PA)

UK Launches Investigation Into Plymouth Gunmans Possession of Shotgun

An investigation has been launched into Plymouth gunman Jake Davisons possession of a shotgun and a firearms licence, which were returned to him in July after being removed at the end of last year.

Davison, 22, killed his mother on Thursday in the Keyham area of the city before going on to shoot dead four more people, including a three-year-old girl, and injure two others.

Undated photo of Jake Davison, posted on his facebook page, who has been named in reports as the suspect in the shooting in the Keyham area of Plymouth where five people and the suspected gunman have died. (Jake Davison/Facebook/PA)

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) announced on Friday it will investigate Devon and Cornwall Polices decision-making in relation to Davisons possession of the weapon and certificate.

The move came amid an outpouring of grief for the victims of the atrocity, with hundreds attending a candlelit vigil close to where the incident took place.

The IOPC said on Friday evening it had launched an investigation following a mandatory referral from Devon and Cornwall Police which contains preliminary information that Davisons firearm and licence were returned to him in early July this year.

A police cordon is seen where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident in the Keyham area of Plymouth, England, on Aug. 13, 2021. (Ben Birchall/PA)

The certificate and shotgun had been removed by police in December 2020 following an allegation of assault in September 2020, the watchdog said.

According to reports, Davisons firearms licence was returned after he attended an anger management course.

IOPC regional director David Ford said the referral related to Thursdays events as well as police contact with Jake Davison prior to the incident, including the forces role and actions regarding firearms licensing.

He said: We will examine what police actions were taken and when, the rationale behind police decision-making, and whether relevant law, policy, and procedures were followed concerning Mr Davisons possession of a shotgun.

It will also look at whether the force had information concerning Davisons mental health and if this was appropriately considered.

No investigation will take place into the forces response to the shootings, he added.

Hundreds of people placed flowers and candles in North Down Crescent Park on Friday evening.

Plymouth Sutton and Devonport MP Luke Pollard tweeted images of the vigil and the victims names, writing: Tonight our community came together to remember the victims of the shooting in #keyham.

Davison shot his 51-year-old mother Maxine Davison, also known as Maxine Chapman, at a house in Biddick Drive before he went into the street and shot dead Sophie Martyn, aged three, and her father Lee Martyn, aged 43, in an attack witnessed by horrified onlookers.

He killed Stephen Washington, 59, in a nearby park, before shooting Kate Shepherd, 66, on Henderson Place. She later died at Derriford Hospital.

Davison also aimed and shot at two local residentsa man aged 33 and a 53-year-old womanwho are known to each other, in Biddick Drive.

They suffered significant injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for the issue of how Davison came to legally own a gun to be properly investigated and described the shooting as an absolutely appalling incident.

Witness Peggy Holliday told how she had just finished having a tattoo and was walking to a shop when she heard screaming.

She told ITV News West Country: A couple of the gunshots went off and I ran opposite a pub and the owner came out and he shouted at me get in here, get in here now.

She said she literally clung underneath one of the pool tables for dear life before she froze.

It literally felt like a living nightmare, she said.

Devon and Cornwall Police received multiple calls about the incident at 6.11 p.m., with armed and unarmed officers arriving at the scene within six minutes and Davison found dead by 6.23 p.m.

Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer told Sky News that those present had faced some of the most challenging scenes.

It is believed that the mass shooting, which police are yet to establish a motive for, began with a domestic-related incident between Davison and his mother.

Weve never in my time had homicide followed by a rampaging firearms attack on random members of the public and then taking ones life, Mr Sawyer said.

That is without precedent in my time as chief constable.

Mr Sawyer described members of the public who witnessed what happened as extremely traumatised and said they were being supported by specialist officers.

Davison was one of thousands of people in the Devon and Cornwall Police area to have a firearms licence granted to him, the chief constable said on Friday.

Mr Sawyer said Davisons licence would form part of the police investigation into the incident, including when it was granted, whether it was granted correctly, and whether it was ever removed and then restored.

Detectives are also examining Davisons social media output and phone use, police confirmed.

Social media posts and interactions offered insight into the mind of a man who was interested in guns and America, while his social media use suggests an obsession with the incel culture, meaning involuntary celibate , a culture which has amassed a following online among some men who feel they are being oppressed by women due to a perceived lack of sexual interest.

On Friday, forensic officers in protective clothing could be seen conducting fingertip searches at the scene, while a coroners ambulance was filmed leaving the area.

A large yellow tent was set up in the area, with several uniformed officers posted around the cordon.

Dozens of flowers, cards, and soft toys have been left in tribute to the victims near the scene.

One note read: Rest in peace. Thoughts and prayers with you all. A tragic loss. Such beautiful souls. Love to all.

Flags in Plymouth are being flown at half-mast following the atrocity, while Smeatons Tower was lit up as a mark of respect to the victims on Friday night.

A minutes silence will be held on Monday at 11 a.m. and books of condolence are available for the public to sign at several locations.
The building of the Washington Post newspaper headquarter is seen on K Street in Washington on May 16, 2019. (Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images)

Washington Post Article Published With Reckless Disregard of the Truth: Judge

The Washington Post published an article last year with a reckless disregard of the truth, a federal judge said this week.

The article primarily dealt with the selection of Michael Ellis to be general counsel of the National Security Agency, but included portions about Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.). Ellis is a former chief of staff for Nunes.

The article, penned by Ellen Nakashima of the Post, stated that Nunes in March 2019 was given access at the White House to intelligence files that Nunes believed would buttress Trumps baseless claims of the Obama administration spying on Trump Tower.

Nunes sued the paper, alleging Nakashima and the Post defamed him, and didnt properly update the defamatory statements in a correction.

Nunes said he never believed that the Obama administration spied on Trump Tower, which is in New York.

Nakashima made up facts out of whole cloth, including that Plaintiff believed that intelligence files at the White House would buttress his baseless claims of the Obama administration spying on Trump Tower. Nakashima did not have one shred of evidence to support her statement about Plaintiffs belief because, in truth, she completely fabricated the accusation, his lawsuit states.

In fact, in March 2017, the Post reported that Nunes challenged Trumps claim that former President Barack Obama had ordered a wiretap of Trump Tower.

The paper said in its motion to dismiss that its correction erased any claims to malice, but U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols rejected that argument.

A newspapers own prior (and correct) reporting that is inconsistent with its later (and incorrect) reporting could certainly give the paper reason to seriously doubt the truth of its later publicationjust as a sources pre-publication recantation may be evidence that a publisher had reason to doubt the sources original claims, Nichols, a Trump nominee, wrote in his Aug. 11 decision.

Later in this case, Nunes will have to establish by clear and convincing evidence that, even in light of the corrections the Post did issue, it published its statements with actual malice. But for now, he has sufficiently pleaded that, in November 2020, the Post published its article with at least reckless disregard of the truth that it had previously reported, he added.

The ruling rejected the Posts attempt to dismiss Nunes complaint.

That means the case will move forward instead of being thrown out.

This is a major step toward holding irresponsible media outlets accountable for spreading fake news, Nunes told The Epoch Times in an email. We now get to bring the Washington Post into discovery to see how they put together this phony story. These are no longer news outlets, theyre Pravda-style propaganda artists and character assassins, and the courts are our best hope to force some sense of responsibility on them.

A spokeswoman for the paper declined to comment.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP)  Troy Price, who resigned as chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party after a disastrous leadoff caucus in 2020, is taking a new job in the fellow first-in-the-nation state New Hampshire.

Price will become executive director of the New Hampshire Democratic Party on Monday as it gears up for the 2022 elections and 2024 primary, officials said Friday.

Price resigned in February 2020 after a meltdown in tabulating results from the lead-off presidential caucuses led to a dayslong delay in reporting the results, inconsistences in the numbers and no clear winner.

The embarrassing episode also threatened Iowas cherished status as the first caucus of the presidential nomination season. But there was no mention of that in the press release announcing his hiring in New Hampshire, which typically holds the first primary. There, he received unanimous support from both a selection committee and the party's executive committee, officials said.

New Hampshire Democrats are building an all-star team of experienced leaders to ensure that we organize and mobilize voters in every corner of the state, said New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley.

Buckley told WMUR-TV, which was first to report Prices hiring, that Iowas problems were confined to the caucus process and have no relevance to the New Hampshire primary.

Price became the national face of the 2020 Iowa caucuses colossal meltdown after a digital app designed to streamline reporting results from individual caucus sites failed. The technical failure on caucus night prompted hundreds of precinct-level caucus leaders to attempt to telephone in their results, resulting in a backlog of calls that kept the state party from announcing final results for more than a week.

Final results were announced six days after the Feb. 3 Democratic caucuses  long after the immediate impact mattered given the caucuses typical value as a show of momentum.

Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders fought to a near tie, though The Associated Press opted not to call a winner because of lingering concerns about whether the results as reported by the party were fully accurate. An audit later blamed the national Democratic Partys involvement in the Iowa caucuses for the problems, but said the state party should have bolstered its backup phone system.

Price had been a veteran of Iowa Democratic politics, working on Barack Obamas 2012 and Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaigns, in the administration of former Democratic Gov. Chet Culver and was executive director of One Iowa, an LGBTQ advocacy group.

___

Associated Press Writer Tom Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report.
DALLAS (AP)  A Texas man who was scheduled for trial on a murder charge this week was instead granted release on bond amid temporary concern that material in his case might be among troves of police data lost from the Dallas departments computer system.

A Dallas County judge granted Jonathan Pitts bond Thursday after prosecutors asked the judge to delay his trial as they worked with police to determine whether case material was part of the information lost while the Dallas Police Department was moving data from a computer network drive. It was not immediately clear when Pitts would be freed from jail.

The release of Pitts, who is charged in the 2019 shooting of Shun Handy, was ordered as authorities race to determine how many cases may have had evidence vanish in the eight-terabyte data loss. Prosecutors told Judge Ernie White Thursday that they needed more time to work with police to audit the materials in Pitts case to determine whether anything was lost.

The district attorney's office had reached out to the homicide detective on the case Thursday to confirm all evidence was available for trial, the police department said in a statement. The detective said he would need more time to confirm.

By the time the detective confirmed all the evidence was available, at 9:50 a.m. Thursday according to police, the district attorney's office had to file a motion of continuance with the court.

On Friday evening, Dallas Police Sgt. Warren Mitchell said that all the evidentiary items and data are available for prosecution on this murder case.

White granted Pitts release without paying bail because state law requires a person be freed if prosecutors arent ready at the time of the trial, his defense attorney, George Ashford III, told The Dallas Morning News. The paper first reported Pitt's so-called personal recognizance bond.

Mayor Eric Johnson said the release underscored the seriousness of the data loss.

The people of Dallas deserve answers about what happened, why top city staff kept it quiet for months, and what can be done to resolve these critical issues that affect public safety, Johnson said in a statement.

City information technology officials became aware of the problem on April 5. But the police and city IT departments did not reveal it to the district attorneys office until last Friday, after prosecutors inquired why they could not find computer files on pending cases.

The lost data included images, video, audio, case notes and other information gathered by police officers and detectives, police said in an earlier statement. A city IT employee was moving the files, which had not been accessed for the previous six to 18 months, from an online, cloud-based archive to a server at the citys data center. The employee failed to follow proper, established procedures, resulting in the deletion of the data files, police said.

Ashford did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
China rejects need for further WHO coronavirus origins probe

BEIJING: China yesterday (Aug 13) rejected the World Health Organizations (WHO) calls for a renewed probe into the origins of COVID-19, saying it supported scientific over political efforts to find out how the virus started.

ChineseCoronavirusCOVID-19deathhealth

By AFP

Saturday 14 August 2021, 12:30PM

China has been testing residents of Wuhan for COVID-19 after a new outbreak in the city where the virus first emerged. Photo: AFP

Pressure is once more mounting on Beijing to consider a fresh probe into the orgins of a pandemic which has killed more than four million people and paralysed economies worldwide since it first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

A delayed and heavily politicised vist by a WHO team of international experts went to Wuhan in January 2021 to produce a first phase report, which was written in conjunction with their Chinese counterparts. It failed to conclude how the virus began.

On Thursday the WHO urged China to share raw data from the earliest COVID-19 cases to revive its probe into the origins of the disease.

China hit back, repeating its position that the initial investigation was enough and that calls for further data were motivated by politics instead of scientific inquiry.

We oppose political tracing... and abandoning the joint report issued after the WHO expert teams Wuhan visit in January, vice foreign minister Ma Zhaoxu told reporters. We support scientific tracing.

That report said the virus jumping from bats to humans via an intermediate animal was the most probable scenario, while a leak from Wuhans virology labs was extremely unlikely.

Ma rejected suggestions of new lines of investigation.

The conclusions and recommendations of WHO and China joint report were recognised by the international community and the scientific community, he said.

Future global traceability work should and can only be further carried out on the basis of this report, rather than starting a new one.

Lab leak theory

In the face of Chinas reluctance to open up to outside investigators, experts are increasingly open to considering the theory that the virus might have leaked out of a lab, once dismissed as a conspiracy propagated by the US far-right.

Even WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said that the initial probe into Wuhans virology labs had not gone far enough, while President Joe Biden in May ordered a separate investigation into the virus origins from the US intelligence community.

A WHO call last month for the investigations second stage to include audits of the Wuhan labs infuriated Beijing, with vice health minister Zeng Yixin saying the plan showed disrespect for common sense and arrogance towards science.

Meanwhile, Danish scientist Peter Ben Embarek, who led the international mission to Wuhan, said a lab employee infected while taking samples in the field falls under one of the likely hypotheses as to how the virus passed from bats to humans.

He told the Danish public channel TV2 that the suspect bats were not from the Wuhan region and the only people likely to have approached them were workers from the Wuhan labs.

Ben Embarek previously acknowledged in an interview with Science magazine that politics was always in the room with us during the Wuhan trip, which was mired in delays after China initially stalled approval for the international researchers entry.
Before we continue with the top-10 pop hits of the 1960s, with artists and groups starting with the letter B, another YouTube channel recommendation.

Any fan of the Beatles who has not done so already should drop everything they're doing and subscribe to the Parlogram Auctions channel. The host, Andrew Milton, presents beautifully produced videos about the unique aspects and sound quality between the various formats, and pressings, of Beatles albums. He tackles reel-to-reel, cassettes, LPs and CDs, whether they are original pressings and reissues from the UK, the American pressings with mix alterations done by Capitol Records' Dave Dexter Jr. on the early U.S. albums, the merits of the 1973 pressing of the German Magical Mystery Tour LP (superb, apparently, and all true stereo for the first time up to that year), and special releases, such as the apparently sonically sublime Nimbus UK LP pressing of the stereo version of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, although Milton generally prefers the album's mono mix.

Milton, for copyright reasons, cannot actually play snippets of Beatle songs when he analyzes sound quality, so he presents a detailed analysis and comparison of waveforms.

This channel is an absolute must and will whet the appetite for various Beatles LP pressings.

And now to the top-10 hits:

Bee Gees- I've Gotta Get A Message To You, I Started A Joke: This group's 1960s hits were Beatles-lite, with even more orchestration, and very appealing. But I'm shocked that the far superior and soulful To Love Somebody, apparently a top favourite of Bee Gee Barry Gibb, only hit #17. To me, that song is as immortal Bee Gees-wise for the 1960s, as Staying Alive is immortal Bee Gees-wise for the 1970s.

Archie Bell and the Drells- Tighten Up, I Can't Stop Dancing: Tighten Up is a superb, ultra-tight funk hit that is best heard in its single edit, in which the song begins with some superb drumming. The stereo mix, which starts with some whispering and laughing, has a weaker sound. The follow-up, which is pretty good, sounds a fair bit like Tighten Up.

Tony Bennett- I Left My Heart in San Francisco: One would have expect that such an icon's best known song, which is also one of the best known songs in musical history, would have hit the top 10. But one would be mistaken  it only hit #19 in 1962. Which means a song's immortality transcends chart positions.

Brook Benton- Baby (You've Got What It Takes), A Rockin Good Way (To Mess Around and Fall In Love) (both with Dinah Washington), Kiddio, The Boll Weevil Song, Hotel Happiness: Benton's hits are a mite old fashioned and are close to being '50s hangovers (most of his biggest hits are from the early 1960s), but his smoky voice is a constant pleasure.

Chuck Berry- No Particular Place To Go: It's interesting how one of the architects of rock and roll had several very deserved top-10s in the 1950s, only one in the 1960s, and his only #1 in the 1970s with the live and ribald novelty song My Ding A Ling, which he didn't write. Berry, whose 1960s revival came at a time of increased visibility when the Beatles and Rolling Stones were covering his hits, should have been even bigger with such quality songs as Nadine (#23), You Never Can Tell (#14) and Promised Land (#41), all from 1964.

Mr. Acker Bilk- Stranger on the Shore: A charming, old-fashioned instrumental that was also a UK import two years before the Beatles stormed the States.

Billy Joe and the Checkmates- Percolator: If you think this cute instrumental sounds like a coffee commercial, you'd be right, as it was based on a commercial jingle for Maxwell House.

Bill Black's Combo- White Silver Sands: Bill Black is best known as Elvis Presley's bassist during the 1950s, but his own group's instrumental hits never were my cup of tea.

Jeanne Black- He'll Have to Stay: One fair-sized phenomenon of the 1950s and 1960s were songs that were responses to previous big hits, and this one was a response to Jim Reeves' He'll Have To Go. This was one of the better answer songs, with a very appealing vocal.

Next time: Billy Bland and others.
LONDON (AP)  An international system to share coronavirus vaccines was supposed to guarantee that low and middle-income countries could get doses without being last in line and at the mercy of unreliable donations.

It hasn't worked out that way. In late June alone, the initiative known as COVAX sent some 530,000 doses to Britain  more than double the amount sent that month to the entire continent of Africa.

Under COVAX, countries were supposed to give money so vaccines could be set aside, both as donations to poor countries and as an insurance policy for richer ones to buy doses if theirs fell through. Some rich countries, including those in the European Union, calculated that they had more than enough doses available through bilateral deals and ceded their allocated COVAX doses to poorer countries.

But others, including Britain, tapped into the meager supply of COVAX doses themselves, despite being among the countries that had reserved most of the world's available vaccines. In the meantime, billions of people in poor countries have yet to receive a single dose.

The result is that poorer countries have landed in exactly the predicament COVAX was supposed to avoid: dependent on the whims and politics of rich countries for donations, just as they have been so often in the past. And in many cases, rich countries don't want to donate in significant amounts before they finish vaccinating all their citizens who could possibly want a dose, a process that is still playing out.

If we had tried to withhold vaccines from parts of the world, could we have made it any worse than it is today? asked Dr. Bruce Aylward, a senior advisor at the World Health Organization, during a public session on vaccine equity.

Other wealthy nations that recently received paid doses through COVAX include Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, all of which have relatively high immunization rates and other means of acquiring vaccines. Qatar has promised to donate 1.4 million doses of vaccines and already shipped out more than the 74,000 doses it received from COVAX.

The U.S. never got any doses through COVAX, although Canada, Australia and New Zealand did. Canada got so much criticism for taking COVAX shipments that it said it would not request additional ones.

In the meantime, Venezuela has yet to receive any of its doses allocated by COVAX. Haiti has received less than half of what it was allocated, Syria about a 10th. In some cases, officials say, doses weren't sent because countries didn't have a plan to distribute them.

British officials confirmed the U.K. received about 539,000 vaccine doses in late June and that it has options to buy another 27 million shots through COVAX.

The government is a strong champion of COVAX, the U.K. said, describing the initiative as a mechanism for all countries to obtain vaccines, not just those in need of donations. It declined to explain why it chose to receive those doses despite private deals that have reserved eight injections for every U.K. resident.

Brook Baker, a Northeastern University law professor who specializes in access to medicines, said it was unconscionable that rich countries would dip into COVAX vaccine supplies when more than 90 developing countries had virtually no access. COVAXs biggest supplier, the Serum Institute of India, stopped sharing vaccines in April to deal with a surge of cases on the subcontinent.

Although the number of vaccines being bought by rich countries like Britain through COVAX is relatively small, the extremely limited global supply means those purchases result in fewer shots for poor countries. So far, the initiative has delivered less than 10% of the doses it promised.

COVAX is run by the World Health Organization, the vaccine alliance Gavi and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, a group launched in 2017 to develop vaccines to stop outbreaks. The program is now trying to regain credibility by getting rich countries to distribute their donated vaccines through its own system, Baker said. But even this effort is not entirely successful because some countries are making their own deals to curry favorable publicity and political clout.

Rich countries are trying to garner geopolitical benefits from bilateral dose-sharing, Baker noted.

So far, with the exception of China, donations are coming in tiny fractions of what was pledged, an Associated Press tally of vaccines promised and delivered has found.

Dr. Christian Happi, an infectious diseases expert at Nigerias Redeemers University, said donations from rich countries are both insufficient and unreliable, especially as they have not only taken most of the worlds supplies but are moving on to vaccinate children and considering administering booster shots.

Happi called on Africa, where 1.5 percent of the population is fully vaccinated, to increase its own vaccine manufacturing rather than rely on COVAX.

We cannot just wait for them to come up with a solution, he said.

COVAX is well aware of the problem. During its last board meeting in late June, health officials conceded they had failed to achieve equitable distribution. But they still decided against blocking donor countries from buying up supplies themselves.

At a subsequent meeting with partners, Gavi CEO Dr. Seth Berkley said COVAX intended to honor the agreements it had made with rich countries but would ask them in the future to adjust their allocated doses to request fewer vaccines, according to a meeting participant who spoke about the confidential call on condition of anonymity.

Among the reasons Berkley cited for Gavis reluctance to break or renegotiate contracts signed with rich countries was the potential risk to its balance sheet. In the last year, Britain alone has given more than $860 million to COVAX.

Meeting notes from June show that Gavi revised COVAXs initial plan to split vaccines evenly between rich and poor countries and proposed that poor countries would receive about 75% of COVID-19 doses in the future. Without rich countries involvement in COVAX, Gavi said it would be difficult to secure deals with some manufacturers.

In response to an AP request for comment, Gavi said the initiative is aiming to deliver more than 2 billion doses by the beginning of 2022 and described COVAX as an unprecedented global effort.

The vast majority of the COVAX supply will go to low- and middle-income countries, Gavi said in an email about its latest supply forecast. For many countries, it said, COVAX is the main, if not the only source of COVID-19 vaccine supply.

Spains donation to four countries in Latin America  its first via COVAX  reflects how even rich countries with a lot of vaccines are donating a minimum. Spain, which has injected 57 million doses into its own residents, shipped 654,000 the first week in August. The delivery totals 3% of the 22.5 million doses Spain has promised, eventually, to COVAX.

Gavi said COVAX now has enough money and pledged donations to one day cover 30% of the population of the worlds poorest countries. But it has made big promises before.

In January, COVAX said it had secured volumes totaling 640 million doses to deliver by July 2021, all of them under signed agreements, not donations. But by last month, COVAX had only shipped 210 million doses, 40% of which were donated.

With COVAX sidelined, vaccine donations have become something of a political contest. China has already exported 770 million doses and last week announced its own goal of sending 2 billion doses to the rest of the world by the end of the year  exactly the same amount as COVAXs initial plan.

Thats far ahead of the rest of the world, according to the AP tally of doses. Britain has delivered just 4.7 million, far short of the 30 million pledged, and the European Union has given 7.1 million and and another 55 million through COVAX contracts.

If the donors are not stepping forward, the people who continue to die are our people, Strive Masiyiwa, the African Union special envoy on COVID-19 vaccine procurement, said.

The United States has so far delivered 111 million doses, less than half of what was promised. Several U.S. lawmakers from both parties argued Wednesday that the government should seize the opportunity for diplomacy by more aggressively seeking credit for the doses it ships overseas.

I think we should make vaccines available throughout the Middle East, but I also think we should have the American flag on every vial, said Rep. Juan Vargas, a Democrat from California, at a hearing on the state of the pandemic in the Middle East.

Even the European Unions foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, recently decried Europes lagging in donations in geopolitical terms as a loss to China. U.S. President Joe Biden, in announcing the U.S. donations that have finally come through, similarly described the doses as a way to counter Russia and China influencing the world with vaccines. The White House said the United States has donated more than 110 million vaccine doses, some via COVAX.

In addition to its planned vaccine exports, China announced plans to donate $100 million to COVAX to buy more doses for developing countries.

The key to strengthening vaccine cooperation and building the Great Wall of immunization is to ensure equitable access, said Wang Xiaolong of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, speaking Friday after China hosted an online forum on fair vaccine distribution.

The COVAX board has agreed to go back to its basic assumptions about vaccinating the world before the end of the year. High on its list: An updated definition of fair and equitable access.

___

Hinnant reported from Paris. Ken Moritsugu in Beijing; Huizhong Wu in Taipei; Cara Anna in Nairobi; Jon Gambrell in Dubai; and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed.

__

This version corrects the affiliation of law professor to Northeastern University, not Northwestern.
HAVANA (AP)  Tropical depression Fred was moving along Cuba's northern coast and could regain tropical storm status as it moves towards the Florida Keys on Saturday and southwest Florida on Sunday, forecasters said.

Meanwhile, still east of the Caribbean Sea, forecasters were watching a tropical depression that they said would likely become Grace, the seventh named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. A tropical storm warning was in effect for several islands including Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy. A tropical storm watch was in effect for the British Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center said Fred had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kph) and was dropping heavy rain over parts of Cuba, where the main threats were rain and flooding. A tropical storm warning was discontinued Friday night for a portion of the Florida Keys, including Florida Bay. The warning remained for the Florida Keys west of the Seven Mile Bridge to the Dry Tortugas.

Forecasters said little change in strength was expected in coming hours, though Fred could regain tropical storm status again on Saturday.

The hurricane center said 3 to 6 inches (7.5 to 15 centimeters) of rain were expected across the Florida Keys and southern peninsula by Monday, with isolated maximums of 8 inches (20 centimeters).

No evacuations are planned for tourists or residents in Monroe County, Keys officials said Friday. The countys emergency management officials are advising people in campgrounds, recreational vehicles, travel trailers, live-aboard vessels and mobile homes to seek shelter in a safe structure during the storm.

Once a tropical storm, Fred weakened back to a depression by its spin over Haiti and the Dominican Republic, where it knocked out power to some 400,000 customers and caused flooding that forced officials to shut down part of the country's aqueduct system, interrupting water service for hundreds of thousands of people. Local officials reported hundreds of people were evacuated and some buildings were damaged.

Fred's center was about 150 miles (245 kilometers) south-southeast of Key West, Florida, and about 45 miles (75 kilometers) southeast of Varadero, Cuba. It was headed west at 12 mph (19 kph).

The system was expected to produce 2 to 5 inches (5 to 12.5 centimeters) of rain across portions of Cuba, as well as 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.5 centimeters) across the Bahamas.

Fred became the sixth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season late Tuesday as it moved past the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Here's what 19-year-old Lance Cpl. William Bee felt flying into southern Afghanistan on Christmas Day 2001: purely lucky. The U.S. was hitting back at the al-Qaida plotters who had brought down the World Trade Center, and Bee found himself among the first Marines on the ground.

Excitement, Bee says these days, of the teenage Bees thoughts then. To be the dudes that got to open it up first.

In the decade that followed, three more deployments in America's longest war scoured away that lucky feeling.

For Bee, it came down to a night in 2008 in Afghanistan's Helmand province. By then a sergeant, Bee held the hand of an American sniper who had just been shot in the head, as a medic sliced open the mans throat for an airway.

After that it was like, you know what  Fk these people, Bee recounted, of what drove him by his fourth, and final, Afghan deployment. "I just want to bring my guys back. Thats all I care about. I want to bring them home.

As President Joe Biden shuts down the U.S. combat role in Afghanistan this month, Americans and Afghans are questioning whether the war was worth the cost: more than 3,000 American and other NATO lives lost, tens of thousands of Afghans dead and trillions of dollars of U.S. debt that generations of Americans will pay for. After a stunning week of fighting, Afghanistan appears at imminent threat of falling back under Taliban rule, just as Americans found it nearly 20 years ago.

For Biden, for Bee and for some of the American principals in the U.S. and NATO war in Afghanistan, the answer to whether it was worth the cost often comes down to parsing.

There were the first years of the war when Americans broke up Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida in Afghanistan and routed the Taliban government that had hosted it.

That succeeded.

The proof is clear, says Douglas Lute, White House czar for the war under the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations, and a retired lieutenant general: Al-Qaida hasnt been able to mount a major attack on the West since 2005.

We have decimated al-Qaida in that region, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Lute says.

But after that came the grinding second phase of the war. U.S. fears of a Taliban rebound whenever Americans eventually pulled out meant that service members like Bee kept getting sent back in, racking up more close calls, injuries and dead comrades.

Lute and others argue that what the second half of the war bought was time  a grace period for Afghanistan's government, security forces and civil society to try to build enough strength to survive on their own.

Quality of life in some ways did improve under the Western occupation, even as the millions of dollars the U.S. poured into Afghanistan fed corruption. Infant mortality rates fell by half. In 2005, fewer than 1 in 4 Afghans had access to electricity. By 2019, nearly all did.

The second half of the war allowed Afghan women opportunities entirely denied them under the fundamentalist Taliban, so that more than 1 in 3 teenage girls  their whole lives spent under the protection of Western forces  today can read and write.

But it's that longest, second phase of the war that looks on the verge of complete failure now. The Taliban's stunning advance in the past week sets up a last stand in Kabul, where most Afghans live. It threatens to clamp the country under the Taliban's strict interpretation of religious law, erasing much of the gains.

Theres no mission accomplished,'" Biden snapped last month, batting down a question from a reporter.

Biden quickly corrected himself, evoking the wins of the first few years of the war. The mission was accomplished in that we ... got Osama bin Laden, and terrorism is not emanating from that part of the world, he added.

America expended the most lives, and dollars, on the more inconclusive years of the war.

Annual combat deaths peaked around the time of the war's midpoint, as Obama tried a final surge of forces to defeat the Taliban. In all, 2,448 American troops, 1,144 service members from NATO and other allied countries, more than 47,000 Afghan civilians and at least 66,000 Afghan military and police died, according to the Pentagon and to the Costs of War project.

Was it worth it?

The people whose lives we affected, I personally think we did them better, that theyre better off for it, answered Bee, who lives in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and is co-writing a book about his time in Afghanistan.

But I also wouldnt trade a handful of Afghan villages for one Marine," he added.

Ask the same question in Afghanistan, though, and you get different answers.

Some Afghans  asked before the Taliban's stunning sweep  respond it's more than time for Americans to let Afghans handle their own affairs.

But one 21-year-old woman, Shogufa, says American troops' two decades on the ground meant all the difference for her.

The Associated Press is using her first name only, given fears of Taliban retribution against women who violate their strict codes.

When still in her infancy, she was pledged to marry a much older cousin in the countryside to pay off a loan. But as she grew up, Shogufa came across a Western nonprofit that had come to Kabul to promote health and leadership for Afghan girls. It was one of a host of such development groups that sprang up in Afghanistan during the U.S.-led war.

Shogufa thrived. She deflected her familys moves to marry her off to her cousin, got a job, and is pursuing a bachelor's degree in business administration.

For Shogufa today, the gratitude for what she's gained is shadowed by her fears of all that she stands to lose.

Her message to Americans, as they left and the Taliban closed in on Kabul? "Thank you for everything you have done in Afghanistan, she said, in good but imperfect English. The other thing was to request that they stay with us.

___

Knickmeyer covered the 2001 Afghan Northern Alliance and U.S. air campaign that routed the Taliban, and the first weeks of the U.S. military presence at Kandahar in 2002.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  The Taliban on Saturday captured a large, heavily defended city in northern Afghanistan in a major setback for the government, and were approaching the capital of Kabul, less than three weeks before the U.S. hopes to complete its troop withdrawal.

The fall of Mazar-e-Sharif, the country's fourth largest city, which Afghan forces and two powerful former warlords had pledged to defend, hands the insurgents control over all of northern Afghanistan, confining the Western-backed government to the center and east.

Abas Ebrahimzada, a lawmaker from the Balkh province where the city is located, said the national army surrendered first, which prompted pro-government militias and other forces to lose morale and give up in the face of a Taliban onslaught launched earlier Saturday.

Ebrahimzada said Abdul Rashid Dostum and Ata Mohammad Noor, former warlords who command thousands of fighters, had fled the province and their whereabouts were unknown.

Noor said in a Facebook post that his defeat in Mazar-e-Sharif was orchestrated and blamed the government forces, saying they handed their weapons and equipment to the Taliban. He did not say who was behind the conspiracy, nor offer details, but said he and Dostum are in a safe place now

The Taliban have made major advances in recent days, including capturing Herat and Kandahar, the countrys second- and third-largest cities. They now control about 24 of Afghanistans 34 provinces, leaving the Western-backed government with a smattering of provinces in the center and east, as well as the capital, Kabul.

On Saturday, the Taliban captured all of Logar province, just south of Kabul, and detained local officials, said Hoda Ahmadi, a lawmaker from the province. She said the Taliban have reached the Char Asyab district, just 11 kilometers (7 miles) south of the capital.

Later, the insurgents took over Mihterlam, the capital of Laghman province, northeast of Kabul, without a fight, according to Zefon Safi, a lawmaker from the province.

On Saturday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani delivered a televised speech, his first public appearance since the recent Taliban gains. He vowed not to give up the achievements of the 20 years since the U.S. toppled the Taliban after the 9/11 attacks.

The U.S. has continued holding peace talks between the government and the Taliban in Qatar this week, and the international community has warned that a Taliban government brought about by force would be shunned. But the insurgents appear to have little interest in making concessions as they rack up victories on the battlefield.

We have started consultations, inside the government with elders and political leaders, representatives of different levels of the community as well as our international allies, Ghani said. Soon the results will be shared with you, he added, without elaborating further.

Hours later, his forces suffered one of the biggest setbacks since the Taliban offensive began.

Mazar-e-Sharif, home to a famous blue-tiled Muslim shrine, was a stronghold of the Northern Alliance, ethnic militias who helped the U.S. topple the Taliban in 2001.

In 1997, as many as 2,000 Taliban fighters were captured and killed by forces loyal to Mohammed Mohaqiq, a Shiite Hazara leader, and his ethnic Uzbek allies. The following year, the Taliban returned and killed thousands of Hazaras in Mazar-e-Sharif in a revenge attack.

Several makeshift camps had sprung up around Mazar-e-Sharif where mostly ethnic Hazaras had taken shelter after fleeing their homes in outlying areas. They said the Taliban had detained relatives who sought to leave their districts and in some cases burned schools.

Tens of thousands of Afghans have fled their homes, with many fearing a return to the Talibans oppressive rule. The group had previously governed Afghanistan under a harsh version of Islamic law in which women were forbidden to work or attend school, and could not leave their homes without a male relative accompanying them.

Salima Mazari, one of the few female district governors in the country, expressed fears about a Taliban takeover earlier Saturday in an interview from Mazar-e-Sharif, before it fell.

There will be no place for women, said Mazari, who governs a district of 36,000 people near the northern city. In the provinces controlled by the Taliban, no women exist there anymore, not even in the cities. They are all imprisoned in their homes.

The Taliban appointed hard-line cleric Mujeeb Rahman Ansari as womens affairs minister in Herat, according to a prominent womens activist from the city who did not want to be identified because she fears for her safety. She described Ansari as being strongly against womens rights. He rose to prominence about 2015 and became infamous for dozens of billboards he installed in Herat that told women to wear Islamic hijab and demonized those who would promote womens rights.

The Taliban also captured Paktika province and small Kunar province, both bordering Pakistan, as well as Faryab province in the north and the central province of Daykundi, lawmakers from those areas said Saturday.

Sayed Hussan Gerdezi, a lawmaker from Paktia province, said the Taliban seized most of its local capital, Gardez, but battles with government forces were still underway. The Taliban said they controlled the city.

The withdrawal of foreign troops and the swift collapse of Afghanistan's own forces  despite hundreds of billions of dollars in U.S. aid over the years  has raised fears the Taliban could return to power or that the country could be shattered by factional fighting, as it was after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989. It's also prompted many American and Afghan veterans of the conflict to question whether two decades of blood and treasure was worth it.

Afghans have been streaming into Kabul's international airport in recent days, desperate to fly out, even as more American troops have arrived to help partially evacuate the U.S. Embassy.

U.S. President Joe Biden has authorized an additional 1,000 U.S. troops for deployment to Afghanistan, according to a statement from a defense official. That raises to roughly 5,000 the number of U.S. troops to ensure what Biden calls an orderly and safe drawdown of American and allied personnel. U.S. troops will also help in the evacuation of Afghans who worked with the military during the nearly two-decade war.

The first Marines arrived Friday. The rest are expected by Sunday, and their deployment has raised questions about whether the administration will meet its Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline.

The U.S. Air Force has carried out several airstrikes to aid its Afghan allies on the ground but they appear to have done little to stem the Taliban's advance. A B-52 bomber and other warplanes traversed the country's airspace Saturday, flight-tracking data showed.

The U.S. invaded shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks, which al-Qaida planned and carried out while being sheltered by Taliban. After rapidly ousting the Taliban, the U.S. shifted toward nation-building, hoping to create a modern Afghan state after decades of war and unrest.

Earlier this year, Biden announced a timeline for the withdrawal of all U.S. troops by the end of August. His predecessor, President Donald Trump, had reached an agreement with the Taliban to pave the way for a U.S. pullout.

Biden's announcement set the latest offensive in motion. The Taliban, who have long controlled large parts of the Afghan countryside, moved quickly to seize provincial capitals, border crossings and other key infrastructure.

The security situation in the city is getting worse," said Kawa Basharat, a resident in Mazar-e-Sharif, hours before the city fell. "I want peace and stability; the fighting should be stopped.

___

Rahim and Akhgar reported from Istanbul and Krauss reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Kathy Gannon in Guelph, Canada; and Robert Burns and Josh Boak in Washington, D.C, contributed to this report.
Westerly, RI (02891)

Today

Cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. High near 80F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable.
Former pensions minister, Lord Myners, calls Vectura's decision to back the bid from Marlboro tobacco giant Philip Morris a 'garage sale' and one that stinks.

At Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation, chief executive, Sarah Woolnough, says it's an outrage.

So do more than 20 other public health bodies, including the Royal College of Physicians, which have written to the board demanding it reject the deal, claiming that it is absurd that Philip Morris can make more money from providing treatments to the people they made ill in the first place.

Kicking the habit?: Should investors believe Philip Morris's stated ambition that it wants to buy Vectura as part of its switch away from tobacco

They also warn that Vectura's research capabilities and recruitment would be damaged by the association with big tobacco.

Even for the silly season of mid-August, emotional responses being provoked by Bruno Angelici's move to back the 1.1billion bid Philip Morris International over that from Carlyle, the private equity fund, are quite something to behold.

In the coming weeks, Vectura's investors will have to decide whether Angelici and his fellow directors are right to be selling out at 165p a share  a 10p premium to the rival Carlyle offer  or to reject the bid.

What should they do? Should they listen to the outraged medics who argue that handing over Vectura's inhalers business  devices created to deliver drugs for illnesses caused by cigarettes  would constitute nothing short of blasphemy? Or should they believe Philip Morris's stated ambition that it wants to buy Vectura as part of its switch away from tobacco, helping it with its long-term plan to be a wellness company. Is that credible? It's certainly a contrarian view and maybe not such a foolish one.

Randeep Somel, portfolio manager at M&G Investments, put the point well when he compared what Philip Morris aims to do by switching from tobacco to inhalers to how big oil has invested in renewables, as BP has done with solar and wind.

Like big oil, the tobacco giants have the capital to invest in new and healthier areas. It's also good business, as these companies know that regulations can only get stricter and they will have to find new areas of growth or wither away.

Shareholders have an alternative: reject the bid and allow Vectura to exist as an independent company. Such a route would be in line with the pressure being placed on asset managers  most recently from the PM and the Chancellor  to back the UK's long-term potential as part of an 'investment big bang' to boost growth and drive recovery.

Vectura has all the right credentials: founded by University of Bath students, it was a spin-out which then floated on AIM, and then graduated to the FTSE 250 Index as business grew fast in the respiratory disease market.

But if you dig a little deeper into Vectura's corporate history, you will see that lately it has not had the easiest of rides. It has gone through at least three mutations of its business model as its big pharma customers have switched from respiratory diseases into more lucrative areas of healthcare such as oncology.

Two years ago, Peel Hunt analyst Amy Walker described it as 'a cash stream in search of growth opportunities' and earmarked the company as a 'strategic takeover' with a target price of 122p on the stock.

Paradoxically, investors might take the view that despite the bizarre ethical situation, Vectura will help Philip Morris withdraw from its nasty addiction.

Shire delight

Great news for Tolkien fans. Middle-earth is moving back to the other side of the Earth, back to where Lord Of The Rings was first conceived, in rural Britain.

It's not yet known where in the UK the new series  which is set more than a 1,000 years before the books  is to be filmed. But wherever they are located, the sets are bound to become a massive tourist attraction as they have been in New Zealand.

On the move: Middle-earth is moving back to the other side of the Earth, back to where Lord Of The Rings was first conceived, in rural Britain

The move by Amazon to produce its next Lord Of The Rings TV series in the UK will bring a much-needed boost to the creative industries which have been so savaged by the pandemic. And it could be rather a nice boost too  Amazon is said to have spent $465m on the first series, which is due to be shown on Prime next September.

While Amazon is too politic to say so directly, industry sources suggest that Jacinda Ardern's tough, zero Covid policy has made filming impossible on several levels, despite the most generous grants.
The global shortage of a vital component, found in items as diverse as toasters and MRI scanners, could serve as an alert to update your portfolio  as long as you have a taste for technology and geopolitical risk.

The scarce commodity in question is the microchip, also known as a chip or semiconductor.

Chips are the heart of the ever-increasing array of electronic devices on which our lives depend, including toasters and MRI scanners, but also washing machines, laptops and mobile phones.

Shortage: Chips are the heart of the ever-increasing array of electronic devices on which our lives depend

Chips are also essential for artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, robotics and 5G infrastructure which are all set for vast expansion. As one would-be wit put it: 'It's chips in everything.'

The multiplicity of uses helps explain why the crisis in supply, sparked by the pandemic, was dubbed 'Chipmaggedon'.

As Covid spread, some chip companies cut output, even as people raced to buy new gadgets. Subsequently manufacturers have also been hampered by factors like drought (their processes require lots of water).

The resulting rise in chip prices has been good for shares in semiconductor companies. But the automotive industry has suffered.

Infineon, the German semiconductor group, estimates there is an average of $434 of content in a petrol car and $834 worth of semiconductors in an electric vehicle.

Unable to secure sufficient chips, motor manufacturers may lose an estimated $110billion in sales this year. To offset this, they are raising the cost of some models  one reason why car hire is more expensive this summer.

The availability of chips may be slightly improving, but a fall-off in demand is not expected.

Instead, the mighty Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) forecasts a 'structural and fundamental increase' and is planning $100bn in capital expenditure over the next three years.

TSMC is the world's largest 'fabricator' or manufacturer. It controls 84pc of the market in the most sophisticated chips.

TSMC made its stock market debut in 1997 when there were about 28 other major fabricators, as Michael Flitton co-manager of the Cerno Pacific fund explains: 'As a result of inexorable consolidation, there are three today  TSMC, Samsung in Korea and Intel from the US. We own TSMC and Samsung because these companies have deep economic moats, making it difficult for others compete, given the multi-million cost of lithography machines from ASML.'

Shares in this Dutch group, the world's number one in its field, have soared by 57 per cent this year.

Mounting excitement over the prospects for ASML and TSMC lie behind the 57 per cent rise over the past year in the PHLX Semiconductor Index of companies in every semiconductor activity. Most analysts are bullish. But anyone venturing into the sector must be aware that its geopolitical background is as complicated as any video game (yes, another thing that needs microchips).

The stance of governments is set to have even more of an influence on the direction of share prices: the possible threat posed by China to Taiwan is key to understanding TSMC's strategy, for example.

How and where politicians will become involved is impossible to predict. The fate of Arm, the British semiconductor designer, is a case in point. Arm, owned by the Japanese conglomerate Softbank, is being snapped up by Nvidia, the Californian group. But the Government is yet to intervene, although it is again reviewing another less controversial deal  the Chinese takeover of Newport Wafer Fab, the chip producer.

Chris Ford of the Sanlam AI fund, which holds some semiconductor stocks, warns of the potential impact of tensions between superpowers with the sector becoming 'something of a battleground between the US and China'.

An extra political dimension makes any investment even more interesting for me. Investors who feel the same  and can contemplate a gamble  can gain some exposure to semiconductors through two exchange traded funds: Invesco Dynamic Semiconductors and VanEck Vectors Semiconductor.

US banks are particularly enthusiastic about the prospects for semiconductors. Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs rate Samsung and TSMC, while Bank of America likes ASML, Applied Materials, NXP Semiconductors and ON Semiconductor.

The last two supply auto manufacturers which, like so many other industries, can go nowhere without semiconductors since they are the building blocks of our future. If you'd like to know more about the science behind this, ASML's website provides an intelligible guide.
Another key defence business was sold off yesterday as Babcock International offloaded a consultancy that does work on nuclear submarines and weaponry for Royal Navy warships.

The defence giant is selling Frazer-Nash Consultancy to American aerospace group KBR in a deal worth nearly 300million.

The deal will raise concerns that UK industry is rapidly losing companies and assets after the Covid crisis triggered a downturn in the aerospace sector.

Sell-off: The defence giant is selling Frazer-Nash Consultancy to American aerospace group KBR in a deal worth nearly 300m

It comes amid a wave of bids for key UK defence assets, with Meggitt and Ultra both being circled by American firms. The Government has been encouraged to step in to block the deals on national security grounds.

Frazer-Nash employs 900 people and has operations in Plymouth, Bristol and Glasgow. Its sale surprised some as it sits in the marine division of Babcock, which builds warships for the Royal Navy, including new aircraft carriers and Type 31 frigates, and which services the submarine fleet.

Frazer-Nash is also a lucrative double-digit margin consultancy. KBR will be getting a business that before the pandemic was making annual profits of 17m on revenues of 101m. The sale means Britain's second-largest defence contractor is steaming ahead with turnaround plans unveiled just two weeks ago.

Chief executive David Lockwood, who joined last year, said he was aiming to raise 400million from selling off various divisions that were less connected to its core work.

The FTSE250 company is a key contractor for the Ministry of Defence and is tasked with maintaining the UK's fleet of nuclear submarines, operating the Devonport naval dock at Plymouth and training Royal Air Force pilots.

The sale of Frazer-Nash Consultancy for 293million means Babcock has secured most of money it needs to meet its goal.
Millions of pounds could be flowing out of the UK every week as a result of private equity firms' reliance on tax havens, analysis shows.

The top ten largest private equity groups operating in Britain all have links to offshore financial hubs, research by the Labour Party found.

Cinven, Paperchase-rescuer Permira, Apax and the recently listed Bridgepoint, which was spun out of Natwest Bank in 2000, all use complicated corporate structures that involves them having funds or holding companies in the likes of Guernsey and Luxembourg.

Offshore: Firms use complicated corporate structures that involves them having funds or holding companies in the likes of Guernsey (pictured) and Luxembourg

Private equity firms claim they use them because it is an easier way to manage the array of companies they often own or fund around the world.

But campaigners and politicians say the structures make it difficult to know how much tax revenue the Treasury is missing out on.

These missing revenues could be used to fund the UK's recovery from Covid, which has seen the Government plough billions into support programmes to keep the country and businesses functioning.

James Murray, shadow financial secretary to the Treasury, said: 'The Treasury are standing by when they should be cracking down on millions leaving their coffers.

'The Chancellor has been turning a blind eye as British businesses face being undermined by tech giants who don't pay their tax, or being taken over by risky private equity companies.

'We want the Government to change course.'

HG and former Rolls-Royce investor Invest Industrial both have links with Luxembourg, BC Partners with Guernsey, and Triton, Vitruvian and IK Invest with Jersey.

Robert Palmer, executive director of campaign group Tax Justice UK, said: 'Private equity companies often asset strip when they buy British businesses, while at the same time finding very clever ways of paying little or no tax.

'This reduces money flowing into the Treasury and can often destroy good companies,' he said.

'The Government should be closing tax loopholes that allow this behaviour.

'Right now the Government is working out how to build back from the pandemic and it seems to me that private equity is ripe to be paying more in tax.'
Richard Branson has sold 216million in Virgin Galactic stock, tapping his biggest listed asset again to prop up his business empire during the pandemic.

The billionaire offloaded 10.5million shares  about 4 per cent of the space-travel firm  leaving him with an 18 per cent stake.

The proceeds will support Branson's travel and leisure businesses, as well as help develop new ventures.

Light headed: Sir Richard Branson remains Virgin Galactic's biggest shareholder

Branson, 71, remains Virgin Galactic's biggest shareholder. The company's shares fell 1.5 per cent in New York in early trading. Last weekend Virgin Atlantic, the airline majority-owned by Branson's group, said it was considering a public offering in London as the company searches for more sources of funding.

The airline has been one of the hardest hit in the pandemic due to its reliance on flights to the US. Last year it put administrators on stand-by before the firm was rescued with a 1.2billion package, which required a 200million injection from Branson.

Virgin hopes it can persuade investors it will bounce back once transatlantic travel starts up again.
WASHINGTON (AP)  With a robust vote after weeks of fits and starts, the Senate approved a $1 trillion infrastructure plan for states coast to coast on Tuesday, as a rare coalition of Democrats and Republicans joined together to overcome skeptics and deliver a cornerstone of President Joe Bidens agenda.

Today, we proved that democracy can still work, Biden declared at the White House, noting that the 69-30 vote included even Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.

We can still come together to do big things, important things, for the American people, Biden said.

The overwhelming tally provided fresh momentum for the first phase of Bidens Build Back Better priorities, now heading to the House. A sizable number of lawmakers showed they were willing to set aside partisan pressures, at least for a moment, eager to send billions to their states for rebuilding roads, broadband internet, water pipes and the public works systems that underpin much of American life.

The vote also set the stage for a much more contentious fight over Biden's bigger $3.5 trillion package that is next up in the Senate  a more liberal undertaking of child care, elder care and other programs that is much more partisan and expected to draw only Democratic support. That debate is expected to extend into the fall.

With the Republicans lockstep against the next big package, many of them reached for the current compromise with the White House because they, too, wanted show they could deliver and the government could function.

Todays kind of a good news, bad news day, said Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, one of the negotiators. The good news is that today we really did something historic in the United States Senate; we moved out an infrastructure package, something that we have talked about doing for years. The bad news, she said, is whats coming next.

Infrastructure was once a mainstay of lawmaking, but the weeks-long slog to strike a compromise showed how hard it has become for Congress to tackle routine legislating, even on shared priorities.

Tuesday's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act started with a group of 10 senators who seized on Bidens campaign promise to draft a scaled-down version of his initial $2.3 trillion proposal, one that could more broadly appeal to both parties in the narrowly divided Congress, especially the 50-50 Senate.

It swelled to a 2,700-page bill backed by the president and also business, labor and farm interests. Over time, it drew an expansive alliance of senators and a bipartisan group in the House.

In all, 19 Republicans joined all Democrats in voting for Senate passage. Vice President Kamala Harris, as presiding officer, announced the final tally.

While liberal lawmakers said the package doesnt go far enough as a down-payment on Bidens priorities and conservatives said it is too costly and should be more fully paid for, the coalition of centrist senators was able to hold. Even broadsides from former President Donald Trump could not bring the bill down.

The measure proposes nearly $550 billion in new spending over five years in addition to current federal authorizations for public works that will reach virtually every corner of the country  a potentially historic expenditure Biden has put on par with the building of the transcontinental railroad and Interstate highway system.

Theres money to rebuild roads and bridges, and also to shore up coastlines against climate change, protect public utility systems from cyberattacks and modernize the electric grid. Public transit gets a boost, as do airports and freight rail. Most lead drinking water pipes in America could be replaced.

Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, the lead Republican negotiator, said the work demonstrates to the American people that we can get our act together on a bipartisan basis to get something done.

The top Democratic negotiator, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, said rarely will a piece of legislation affect so many Americans. She gave a nod to the late fellow Arizona Sen. John McCain and said she was trying to follow his example to reach bipartisan agreements that try to bring the country together.

More poetically, Democrat Mark Warner of Virginia called the agreement a little balm to the psychic soul of the country.

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Drafted during the COVID-19 crisis, the bill would provide $65 billion for broadband, a provision Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, negotiated because she said the coronavirus pandemic showed that such service is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity. States will receive money to expand broadband and make it more affordable.

Despite the momentum, action slowed last weekend when Sen. Bill Hagerty, a Tennessee Republican allied with Trump, refused to speed up the process.

Trump had called his one-time Japan ambassador and cheered him on, but its unclear if the former presidents views still carry as much sway with most senators. Trump issued fresh complaints hours before Tuesday's vote. He had tried and failed to pass his own infrastructure bill during his time in the White House.

Other Republican senators objected to the size, scope and financing of the package, particularly concerned after the Congressional Budget Office said it would add $256 billion to deficits over the decade.

Rather than pressure his colleagues, Senate Republican leader McConnell of Kentucky stayed behind the scenes for much of the bipartisan work. He allowed the voting to proceed, and may benefit from enabling this package in a stroke of bipartisanship while trying to stop Bidens next big effort.

Unlike the $3.5 trillion second package, which would be paid for by higher tax rates for corporations and the wealthy, the bipartisan measure is to be funded by repurposing other money, including some COVID-19 aid.

The bills backers argue that the budget offices analysis was unable to take into account certain revenue streams that will help offset its costs  including from future economic growth.

Senators have spent the past week processing nearly two dozen amendments, but none substantially changed the framework.

The House is expected to consider both Biden infrastructure packages together, but centrist lawmakers urged Speaker Nancy Pelosi to bring the bipartisan plan forward quickly, and they raised concerns about the bigger bill in a sign of the complicated politics still ahead.

After the Senate vote, she declared, Today is a day of progress ... a once in a century opportunity.

Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, No. 2 House Democratic leader, announced that the chamber would return from recess Aug. 23 to vote on the budget blueprint for the larger bill and perhaps other measures.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP)  New Zealand has long been associated with The Lord of the Rings but with the filming of a major new television series suddenly snatched away, the nation has become more like Mordor than the Shire for hundreds of workers.

In a major blow to the nation's small but vibrant screen industry, Amazon Studios announced Friday it would film the second season of its original series, inspired by the books of J.R.R. Tolkien, to Britain.

The shift from New Zealand to the U.K. aligns with the studios strategy of expanding its production footprint and investing in studio space across the U.K., with many of Amazon Studios tentpole series and films already calling the U.K. home, the company said in a statement.

The move came as a blow to many in New Zealand. The production is one of the most expensive in history, with Amazon spending at least $465 million on the first season, which just finished filming in New Zealand, according to government figures.

The series employed 1,200 people in New Zealand directly and another 700 indirectly, according to the figures.

This is a shock to everyone, said Denise Roche, the director of Equity NZ, a union representing performers. I really feel for all the small businesses, the tech people who invested in this for the future. Nobody had any inkling.

Roche said people feel let down by Amazon, although she added that the industry was resilient.

Amazon said the as-yet untitled series takes place on Middle-earth during the Second Age, thousands of years before the events depicted in Tolkiens The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books and the subsequent films directed by Peter Jackson.

Filming began last year but was delayed due to the coronavirus. Post-production on the first season will continue in New Zealand through June before the show premieres on Prime Video in September next year.

The move to Britain comes just four months after Amazon signed a deal with the New Zealand government to get an extra 5% rebate on top of the 20%  or $92 million  it was already claiming from New Zealand taxpayers under a screen production grant.

Many locations around the world compete for productions by offering similar, generous rebates.

At the time of the deal, New Zealand's Economic Development Minister Stuart Nash said the production would bring economic and tourism benefits to the country for years to come and create an enduring legacy for our screen industry.

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Nash said Friday the government had found out only a day earlier that Amazon was leaving and he was disappointed by the decision. He said the government was withdrawing the offer of the extra 5%.

Amazon said it no longer intended to pursue collecting the extra money. But it will still walk away with at least $92 million from New Zealand taxpayers.

The international film sector is incredibly competitive and highly mobile. We have no regrets about giving this production our best shot with government support," Nash said. However, we are disappointed for the local screen industry."

New Zealand became synonymous with Tolkien's world of orcs, elves and hobbits after Jackson directed six movies in the South Pacific nation. The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit trilogy combined grossed nearly $6 billion at the box office.

When Amazon Studios first announced it would film in New Zealand, it said the pristine coasts, forests, and mountains made it the perfect place to bring to life the primordial beauty of early Middle-earth.

The large ensemble cast includes Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Sophia Nomvete and Lloyd Owen.
The St. Luke's on The Hill Episcopal Church, 40 McBride Road, Mechanicville, hosted their third annual bed build with the local chapter of Sleep In Heavenly Peace. SHP is a national not-for-profit that has over 268 chapters in the U.S., Canada, Bermuda and the Bahamas. SHP has been around since 2012, and in 2018 St. Luke's started working with the local chapter by collecting new twin size bedding, pillows, sheets and comforters. Since the first build with SHP, St. Luke's has built more than 75 beds and hundreds of bedding sets and new mattresses for local kids in the Capital District.

If you would like to request a bed, please go to shpbeds.org. You can also follow the local chapter on their Facebook page at Sleep In Heavenly Peace NY, Mechanicville. You can also make a monetary donation through the link on their Facebook page or mail a check to PO Box 664 Mechanicville NY 12118.
The 1989 flick Field of Dreams isnt Doug Poseys favorite movie (that accolade goes to Requiem For a Dream), but perhaps it should be. After all, the films forever-famous tagline, If you build it, they will come, has applied itself uncannily to Poseys business ethos ever since he set foot on the five-acre field in Wallkill that is home to Audreys Farmhouse.



I just knew, Posey says of his conviction towards what their first property could become. I just had this confidence. And this was the same confidence I would go to the bank with  with no history of taking out commercial loans of this size  and say if they just gave me the money, we could build the place. I knew if I just made one of those dominos fall, the rest would follow  we could build the place and people would come.

The domino effect is apparent today. In addition to Audreys Farmhouse, Posey and his wife Sally Watkinson opened The Greenhouses at Audreys Farmhouse in 2018 and the Old Mill Guesthouse in July. But back then, the couple was only focused on a 1740s Dutch farmhouse inn owned for decades by Audrey and Don Leff.

Posey and Watkinson, then a corporate visual merchandiser, made the trip up from Brooklyn one weekend in 2015 with their dogs. The pair had been hunting for property in the Hudson Valley, where then-attorney Posey was looking to run a sleepy weekend-only B&B, cooking up breakfast for his guests and enjoying life outside of the New York City rat race.



The five-room home (which also boasted an on-site caretakers cottage) had been lovingly managed by the Leffs for over 30 years, gaining a reputation in the area for being a cozy, dog-friendly retreat (a rarity at the time). The propertys charming original features  including hand-hewn wood beams, wide plank floors, and several fireplaces  quickly wooed Posey and Watkinson, who were just as taken by the homes charming potential as they were with the propertys expansive view of nearby Shawangunk Ridge.



You walk onto the property and theres just something special about it, says Posey. Its a really unique place, and we were definitely drawn in by that.



The pair moved quickly on the opportunity, soon finding themselves closing on the farmhouse shortly ahead of welcoming their first child. Fate dealt them the ultimate hand when, upon signing the papers, the pair were informed that the inn had committed to hosting several weddings that season.



Were at the closing and all of a sudden the sellers say to us, Oh, you know, by the way, we booked these weddings. Theyre going to start happening in a couple of months, explains Watkinson. And we were just like  huh?



Courtesy Audrey's Farmhouse

The pair couldnt afford to be paralyzed by shock for long. They quickly got to work stripping back the interior of the home, returning the centuries-old charmer to its more minimalistic roots and adding even more character thanks to Sallys keen eye for design. Quirky additions like taxidermy antelopes and ink-black walls mingled with period-appropriate details like a planked dining table, cast iron tubs, and goose-neck lamps.



Soon after the husband-and-wife team got the inn running under their tutelage, the fields abutting Audreys were abuzz with wedding vendors setting up for summer celebrations. What at first felt like a fire they were unwittingly thrown into began to take new form, hinting at its income potential.



Running the inn took so much work, and we couldn't really afford to keep doing just that, Posey explains. Along the way, we learned that most traditional bed and breakfasts are kind of losing money slowly. You pay less to live than you otherwise would, and thats part of the draw, but you're not really cash cows by any means. We really didnt have any money to lose, and we knew that weddings would generate more income. It quickly became an integral part of our business plan.

Entering the wedding industrial complex

The duo spent their first wedding season learning the ropes, observing outside contractors milling about their property, and dreaming up ways to better serve this facet of their clientele. Thanks to a harrowing experience with their own nuptials (they lost their venue two months before the big day and spent the next several weeks replanning their whole event in a harried frenzy), the pair knew that they wanted a business structure that allowed them to be a one-stop-shop for couples looking to wed in the Hudson Valley.



At that time, we didn't know that the industry was such an industry  we had no reason to, says Posey. We really just took our cues from our own wedding. We were like, What if someone would have just done it all for us? Wouldn't that have been awesome?

Soon, Audreys Farmhouse became a soup-to-nuts wedding destination for couples, helping to-be-wed pairs coordinate everything from their tent rentals and catering contracts to helming day-of details.

Eventually, Posey and Watkinson also found a way to offer couples a choice of more than one venue, year round, with more room for guests.



When we first purchased Audreys, the property across the road was an old greenhouse that had been overgrown and sitting there abandoned for at least 10 years, recalls Watkinson. Our neighbor who owned the land invited us over to tour it pretty early on, and I looked at Doug and said, How pretty would it be to have a dinner party here? really thinking nothing of it.

She should have known better. That one small spark of an idea was enough to light a veritable flame in her husband, who immediately started planning how the two would transform the unused space. He looks at me and says, This is how we grow  this is our future.



Poseys blueprint for the space was simple and succinct: Taking inspiration from the dilapidated greenhouse that once stood tall on the land, theyd build a barn and event space fit for hosting multi-season weddings, along with on-site lodging for 30 additional people.

Opening the Greenhouses was a quantum leap for our business, says Posey, who spent time observing other wedding venues in the Hudson Valley region to figure out where their property could fit in.



They would soon take another leap, since the property can house just a fraction of the guests that attend the 100-plus-person-weddings they host. But the size, and the pairs boots-on-the-ground approach to ownership, makes a stay at the Greenhouses reminiscent of a pair of cool city ex-pats who are hosting you for a weekend at their home (if said home happened to include a glittering, glass greenhouse, airy white barn, and a slew of impeccably designed guest rooms).

I always tell our team that were warm and welcoming  everyone on this property needs to feel like this is their home, says Watkinson. Were here every day not because we have to be, but because we want to be  this is what feeds our kids, and this is what makes us happy.

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And then there were three

Courtesy Old Mill Guesthouse

Finding a home for more guests  and more events  was in the back of Posey and Watkinsons minds when they were approached about a listing for a multi-family farmhouse in need of a lot of TLC.

Early on in their rehabilitation of the property, Posey and Watkinson felt it had the legs to stand not just as a wedding-adjacent overflow property, but a celebration destination in its own right. With 24 sprawling acres, a saltwater pool, and event space for 200 revelers, there is room for 50 of your nearest and dearest, spread over a collection of cottages, carriage houses and the main, renovated farmhouse.

This latest addition to their portfolio, the Old Mill Guesthouse, opened last month just 20 minutes away from the flagship Audreys Farmhouse. Like all of their properties, it is open for anyone to book whenever there is not a wedding or other event reserved. Already, the rest of August at the Old Mill is fully booked, but a few of the guest houses are open in September for a two-night stay. (Pets are always welcome, just as they are at Audrey's Farmhouse.)

Helming yet another hospitality business (in another 1800s farmhouse, no less) would seem nearly insurmountable for many. But for Posey and Watkinson, it was a logical wager.



Wed already bet the house once and didnt lose, says Posey of their gutsy journey from inn owners to hospitality entrepreneurs. And, against our better judgment, we keep saying to ourselves, Lets do that again, he laughs.
LONDON (AP)  An international system to share coronavirus vaccines was supposed to guarantee that low and middle-income countries could get doses without being last in line and at the mercy of unreliable donations.

It hasn't worked out that way. In late June alone, the initiative known as COVAX sent some 530,000 doses to Britain  more than double the amount sent that month to the entire continent of Africa.

Under COVAX, countries were supposed to give money so vaccines could be set aside, both as donations to poor countries and as an insurance policy for richer ones to buy doses if theirs fell through. Some rich countries, including those in the European Union, calculated that they had more than enough doses available through bilateral deals and ceded their allocated COVAX doses to poorer countries.

But others, including Britain, tapped into the meager supply of COVAX doses themselves, despite being among the countries that had reserved most of the world's available vaccines. In the meantime, billions of people in poor countries have yet to receive a single dose.

The result is that poorer countries have landed in exactly the predicament COVAX was supposed to avoid: dependent on the whims and politics of rich countries for donations, just as they have been so often in the past. And in many cases, rich countries don't want to donate in significant amounts before they finish vaccinating all their citizens who could possibly want a dose, a process that is still playing out.

If we had tried to withhold vaccines from parts of the world, could we have made it any worse than it is today? asked Dr. Bruce Aylward, a senior advisor at the World Health Organization, during a public session on vaccine equity.

Other wealthy nations that recently received paid doses through COVAX include Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, all of which have relatively high immunization rates and other means of acquiring vaccines. Qatar has promised to donate 1.4 million doses of vaccines and already shipped out more than the 74,000 doses it received from COVAX.

The U.S. never got any doses through COVAX, although Canada, Australia and New Zealand did. Canada got so much criticism for taking COVAX shipments that it said it would not request additional ones.

In the meantime, Venezuela has yet to receive any of its doses allocated by COVAX. Haiti has received less than half of what it was allocated, Syria about a 10th. In some cases, officials say, doses weren't sent because countries didn't have a plan to distribute them.

British officials confirmed the U.K. received about 539,000 vaccine doses in late June and that it has options to buy another 27 million shots through COVAX.

The government is a strong champion of COVAX, the U.K. said, describing the initiative as a mechanism for all countries to obtain vaccines, not just those in need of donations. It declined to explain why it chose to receive those doses despite private deals that have reserved eight injections for every U.K. resident.

Brook Baker, a Northeastern University law professor who specializes in access to medicines, said it was unconscionable that rich countries would dip into COVAX vaccine supplies when more than 90 developing countries had virtually no access. COVAXs biggest supplier, the Serum Institute of India, stopped sharing vaccines in April to deal with a surge of cases on the subcontinent.

Although the number of vaccines being bought by rich countries like Britain through COVAX is relatively small, the extremely limited global supply means those purchases result in fewer shots for poor countries. So far, the initiative has delivered less than 10% of the doses it promised.

COVAX is run by the World Health Organization, the vaccine alliance Gavi and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, a group launched in 2017 to develop vaccines to stop outbreaks. The program is now trying to regain credibility by getting rich countries to distribute their donated vaccines through its own system, Baker said. But even this effort is not entirely successful because some countries are making their own deals to curry favorable publicity and political clout.

Rich countries are trying to garner geopolitical benefits from bilateral dose-sharing, Baker noted.

So far, with the exception of China, donations are coming in tiny fractions of what was pledged, an Associated Press tally of vaccines promised and delivered has found.

Dr. Christian Happi, an infectious diseases expert at Nigerias Redeemers University, said donations from rich countries are both insufficient and unreliable, especially as they have not only taken most of the worlds supplies but are moving on to vaccinate children and considering administering booster shots.

Happi called on Africa, where 1.5 percent of the population is fully vaccinated, to increase its own vaccine manufacturing rather than rely on COVAX.

We cannot just wait for them to come up with a solution, he said.

COVAX is well aware of the problem. During its last board meeting in late June, health officials conceded they had failed to achieve equitable distribution. But they still decided against blocking donor countries from buying up supplies themselves.

At a subsequent meeting with partners, Gavi CEO Dr. Seth Berkley said COVAX intended to honor the agreements it had made with rich countries but would ask them in the future to adjust their allocated doses to request fewer vaccines, according to a meeting participant who spoke about the confidential call on condition of anonymity.

Among the reasons Berkley cited for Gavis reluctance to break or renegotiate contracts signed with rich countries was the potential risk to its balance sheet. In the last year, Britain alone has given more than $860 million to COVAX.

Meeting notes from June show that Gavi revised COVAXs initial plan to split vaccines evenly between rich and poor countries and proposed that poor countries would receive about 75% of COVID-19 doses in the future. Without rich countries involvement in COVAX, Gavi said it would be difficult to secure deals with some manufacturers.

In response to an AP request for comment, Gavi said the initiative is aiming to deliver more than 2 billion doses by the beginning of 2022 and described COVAX as an unprecedented global effort.

The vast majority of the COVAX supply will go to low- and middle-income countries, Gavi said in an email about its latest supply forecast. For many countries, it said, COVAX is the main, if not the only source of COVID-19 vaccine supply.

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Spains donation to four countries in Latin America  its first via COVAX  reflects how even rich countries with a lot of vaccines are donating a minimum. Spain, which has injected 57 million doses into its own residents, shipped 654,000 the first week in August. The delivery totals 3% of the 22.5 million doses Spain has promised, eventually, to COVAX.

Gavi said COVAX now has enough money and pledged donations to one day cover 30% of the population of the worlds poorest countries. But it has made big promises before.

In January, COVAX said it had secured volumes totaling 640 million doses to deliver by July 2021, all of them under signed agreements, not donations. But by last month, COVAX had only shipped 210 million doses, 40% of which were donated.

With COVAX sidelined, vaccine donations have become something of a political contest. China has already exported 770 million doses and last week announced its own goal of sending 2 billion doses to the rest of the world by the end of the year  exactly the same amount as COVAXs initial plan.

Thats far ahead of the rest of the world, according to the AP tally of doses. Britain has delivered just 4.7 million, far short of the 30 million pledged, and the European Union has given 7.1 million and and another 55 million through COVAX contracts.

If the donors are not stepping forward, the people who continue to die are our people, Strive Masiyiwa, the African Union special envoy on COVID-19 vaccine procurement, said.

The United States has so far delivered 111 million doses, less than half of what was promised. Several U.S. lawmakers from both parties argued Wednesday that the government should seize the opportunity for diplomacy by more aggressively seeking credit for the doses it ships overseas.

I think we should make vaccines available throughout the Middle East, but I also think we should have the American flag on every vial, said Rep. Juan Vargas, a Democrat from California, at a hearing on the state of the pandemic in the Middle East.

Even the European Unions foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, recently decried Europes lagging in donations in geopolitical terms as a loss to China. U.S. President Joe Biden, in announcing the U.S. donations that have finally come through, similarly described the doses as a way to counter Russia and China influencing the world with vaccines. The White House said the United States has donated more than 110 million vaccine doses, some via COVAX.

In addition to its planned vaccine exports, China announced plans to donate $100 million to COVAX to buy more doses for developing countries.

The key to strengthening vaccine cooperation and building the Great Wall of immunization is to ensure equitable access, said Wang Xiaolong of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, speaking Friday after China hosted an online forum on fair vaccine distribution.

The COVAX board has agreed to go back to its basic assumptions about vaccinating the world before the end of the year. High on its list: An updated definition of fair and equitable access.

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Hinnant reported from Paris. Ken Moritsugu in Beijing; Huizhong Wu in Taipei; Cara Anna in Nairobi; Jon Gambrell in Dubai; and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed.

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This version corrects the affiliation of law professor to Northeastern University, not Northwestern.
GUILDERLAND  The national debate over masks in schools arrived with force in Guilderland.

A school board meeting on Tuesday night was heated and emotional, with many speakers reacting angrily to the district's plan to impose a mask mandate for its children when schools open in the fall. After the meeting, several board members even received what they perceived as threats.

Now, I'm not going to the MSNBC thing here and paint all the parents who opposed having children wear masks as rubes. Some of the arguments made against masks were thoughtful, and it was clear many of the parents opposed to the policy had thought long and hard about the issue.

For example: Amanda Stygar, a blood cancer survivor, stressed she was not asking the board to throw caution to the wind, but chided the board for simply following the easiest path.

"We have the ability to come up with a creative yet safe way to open schools that would still afford our children some normalcy," said Stygar, parent of a soon-to-be kindergartner, adding that schools could, as restaurants have, adopt a hybrid approach  masks in common areas, no masks at distanced desks.

"That's common ground I'd be willing to stand on," Stygar said. "Can you meet me there?"

Another: David Fraterrigo, whose mother is on the board but was absent for the meeting, said his five-year old is terribly shy and needs social cues.

"This can be a smile, a laugh, anything to put him at ease," Fraterrigo said. "Obviously, masks prevent this."

Those are reasonable points, I think, centered on how masks might be impacting education and stunting the emotional needs of smaller children in particular  topics school districts and parents are wise to discuss. We could likewise debate the merits and limits of parental choice and responsibility.

Unfortunately, though, the Guilderland meeting was marred by the ugly heckling of board members and parents who supported the mandate. (I watched video of the meeting and did not attend in person.) The over-the-top aggression led the board to adjourn the meeting after about 50 minutes.

It's embarrassing it came to that, but par for the course, I suppose, in a country that has forgotten how to disagree and is evermore likely to see opposing opinions as motivated by malice.

In a subsequent letter to the Altamont Enterprise, which first reported on the meeting, seven of the board's nine members decried "rancorous and aggressive arguing between community members that threatened to devolve to violence" and noted "there appeared to be targeting of people of color for the worst vitriol."

The letter also reminded that the state Health Department  tarred by scandal, I'll add, and headed by a commissioner who should be fired  declined to issue rules or even recommendations on how schools should open, forcing school boards and districts across the state to make difficult decisions on their own.

"By not doing what I consider to be their job, they're leaving us as sitting ducks," Guilderland board President Seema Rivera told me Friday. "None of us are experts. None of us are qualified to make this decision."

So, the board planned for Guilderland to adopt guidelines from the Centers of Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics, which advise that teachers, staffers and students wear masks this fall, regardless of vaccination status.

What else would we expect a board of volunteers, none of whom are epidemiologists, to do? (One member is a pediatrician.)

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I generally argue that decisions are best left to local, elected officials instead of state bureaucrats. But there are limits to what we can expect from school boards  and a complicated, shifting pandemic tests those limits more than anything I can imagine.

A speaker at Tuesday's meeting said this: "None of you are properly educated enough to insist that an entire district of children need to put these things on. None of you. Not one."

The woman, a dental hygienist, intended that as an insult but was, in a sense, inadvertently justifying the board's decision. After all, if members aren't educated enough to make the call, wouldn't it be the height of hubris to ignore even an admittedly fallible CDC? Let's at least acknowledge that school boards have been put in a difficult position.

And in Guilderland, that difficulty was heightened by emails sent to some on the board after the meeting. Member Blanca Gonzalez-Parker, in particular, was alarmed by what she interpreted as threats, leading a police cruiser to guard her family's home overnight. (Gonzalez-Parker is married to a Times Union copy editor.)

She also criticized the Health Department's abdication of responsibility, telling me the decision was "reckless."

A new but non-binding state Education Department guidebook that echoes CDC recommendations may take some of the pressure off school boards. And Kathy Hochul, the lieutenant governor soon to take over for you-know-who, has said mask mandates for schools are likely.

But for now, at least, the decision rests with the men and women on school boards. So here's a suggestion: Take it easy on them, be generous and sympathetic. They didn't ask for this.

cchurchill@timesunion.com  518-454-5442  @chris_churchill
WASHINGTON (AP)  A federal judge on Friday refused landlords' request to put the Biden administrations new eviction moratorium on hold, though she ruled that the freeze is illegal.

U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich said her hands are tied by an appellate decision from the last time courts considered the evictions moratorium in the spring.

Alabama landlords who are challenging the moratorium, which is set to expire Oct. 3, are likely to appeal her ruling.

In discussing the new moratorium imposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention because of COVID-19, President Joe Biden acknowledged last week there were questions about its legality. But he said a court fight over the new order would buy time for the distribution of some of the more than $45 billion in rental assistance that has been approved but not yet used. The Treasury Department has said that only about $3 billion of the first slice of $25 billion had been distributed through June.

As of Aug. 2, roughly 3.5 million people in the United States said they faced eviction in the next two months, according to the Census Bureaus Household Pulse Survey.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement Friday that the administration believes the CDC moratorium is legal. We are pleased that the district court left the moratorium in place, though we are aware that further proceedings in this case are likely, Psaki said.

Friedrich, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, wrote that the CDC's new temporary ban on evictions is substantially similar to the version she ruled was illegal in May. At the time, Freidrich put her ruling on hold to allow the Biden administration to appeal.

This time, she said, she is bound to follow a ruling from the appeals court that sits above her, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. A panel of three judges appointed by President Barack Obama rejected the landlords' plea to enforce Friedrich's ruling and allow evictions to resume, saying it believes the CDC moratorium falls within a 1944 law dealing with public health emergencies.

If the D.C. Circuit doesn't give the landlords what they want now, they are expected to seek Supreme Court involvement.

In late June, the high court refused by a 5-4 vote to allow evictions to resume. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, part of the slim majority, said he agreed with Friedrich, but was voting to keep the moratorium in place because it was set to expire at the end of July.

Kavanaugh wrote in a one-paragraph opinion that he would reject any additional extension without a new, clear authorization from Congress, which has not been able to take action.

Biden and his aides initially said they could not extend the evictions ban beyond July because of what Kavanaugh wrote. But facing pressure from liberals in Congress, the administration devised a new order that it argued was sufficiently different.

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The old moratorium applied nationwide. The current order applies in places where there is significant transmission of the coronavirus.

But Friedrich noted the moratorium covers roughly ninety-one percent of U.S. counties, citing the CDC's COVID-19 data tracker.

The minor differences between the current and previous moratoria do not exempt the former from this Courts order," that the CDC lacks authority to order a temporary ban on evictions, she wrote.

She also noted that Kavanaugh's opinion and decisions by other courts that either questioned or also found the earlier moratorium illegal raise doubts about the D.C. Circuit's decision.

For that reason, absent the D.C. Circuits judgment, this Court would vacate the stay and allow evictions to resume, Friedrich said. But she said she was not free to do that.

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Associated Press writer Michael Casey contributed to this report from Boston.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  Students returning to class this month may be interacting with an unknown number of police officers in Indiana schools that havent been specially trained for the job.

Chase Lyday, director of the Indiana School Resource Officers Association, is on a mission to change that.

Lyday wants mandated school resource officer training so that all police who work in school environments understand the basics of the job, including adolescent brain development, working with students with special needs and de-escalation techniques.

But so far, Lydays push to get lawmakers to agree with him has been unsuccessful.

The current state statute mandates that any officer claiming to be an SRO must undergo a 40-hour basic SRO training from the National Association of School Resource Officers, the Indiana Law Enforcement Training Board or another program approved by that board.

But there are police officers working in Indiana schools who have not received this training, Lyday said, and theyre not required to so long as they dont claim the title of SRO.

Spokespeople for both the Indiana Department of Education and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security say the state does not track how many officers in schools have or have not received basic SRO training. Lyday said the lack of a training mandate has resulted in a piecemeal approach to school policing.

For example, the Indianapolis Public Schools Police Department provided the 40-hour basic SRO training to half of the agencys 38 sworn officers in June, according to IPS Police Chief Tonia Guynn. She said, prior to the training in June, about a quarter of the departments officers had received the training.

I actually had SRO training years ago, like when I first came into the department, but there were many officers that hadnt, Guynn said. She said the agency plans to train the rest of its officers by the end of next year.

Lyday applauded IPS Police for providing the training to its officers, but he said there should be consistency across school corporations.

Without that mandate, right now, the decision is left to the individual school districts and police departments on whether or not to train their officers, Lyday said.

The number of police in schools has skyrocketed over the last four decades. In 1975, only 1 percent of schools nationwide reported having officers in their buildings, and by 2018, about 58 percent reported having at least one law enforcement officer present. As of 2019, at least 28 states have some statutory training requirement for police or other security personnel in schools, but what is included in the training and who must undergo it varies widely across the country.

In Indiana, its unclear how large the police presence in schools is, because the number of officers in schools is collected but not disclosed to the public.

Police in schools have come under scrutiny in recent years for their treatment of students, particularly children of color. An analysis of student arrest data from the Indiana Department of Education shows that Black students in Indiana were arrested at more than twice the rate of white students across the school years 2016-17 through 2019-20.

School resource officers like me and those I work with get so frustrated to answer questions about data showing disparity, data showing disproportionality, high arrest rates, because many school resource officers in the state who have been trained appropriately are being lumped in with some officers who have not been and have a much different philosophy on school based policing, Lyday said.

In recent years, Indiana lawmakers have twice tried to pass legislation that would mandate basic SRO training for all police working in schools. A bill authored by Republican Sen. Travis Holdman died in committee earlier this year; and lawmakers rejected a similar bill authored by Republican Sen. Michael Young in 2020, citing concerns about the availability of the training and fears that such a mandate would lead to a drop in the number of cops in schools.

Im certainly for more training, its just the way things fell. It just didnt happen, said Republican Sen. Jeff Raatz, who worked with Lyday on the issue.

Raatz said its been a comedy of unintentional differences of opinion and pieces of legislation that have passed that caused us to get to where we are today.

In 2012, the Indiana General Assembly established the Secured School Fund, which allowed schools to use grant funding to pay for SROs. And in order to be certified as a SRO, law enforcement officers needed to complete the 40-hour basic training.

But during the 2020 legislative session, the Secured School Fund was modified to allow schools access to grant money to pay for a certified SRO or a law enforcement officer.

This change was designed to help rural schools who want to have a trained law enforcement officer in their school, but dont have any certified SROs in the area who could serve in that role, wrote David Hosick, a spokesperson for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, in an email. IDHS manages the states Secured School Safety Grant Program.

Raatz said hes in favor of the training requirement, but that he also needs to do more research on the subject.

We need to take a serious look at the different things we are doing today and come to a comprehensive plan for uniformity, Raatz said.

The NASRO method of school-based policing hinges on training officers in whats called a triad model, said D.J. Schoeff, board president of NASRO, a sergeant with the Carmel Police Department and a SRO for Carmel Clay Schools.

The triad model includes three main job duties of the SRO: acting in a law enforcement capacity to ensure safety of students and staff on campus, serving as a guest speaker in classrooms educating students about safety and the law, and providing informal mentorship and counseling to students.

Schoeff said both school administrators and officers may lack an understanding of this triad model and what his organization views as the correct role of the SRO. It frustrates him when hears about police officers who interject themselves in a law enforcement capacity when they should be serving as mentors for students, or when school administrators call upon school-based cops to intervene in a discipline issue.

Thats not our role, Schoeff said. Our role is not to deal with school discipline. Our role is to try to help our kids make good decisions.

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Both Lyday and Schoeff say its unreasonable to expect an officer trained to patrol streets to be able to understand the role of an SRO without specialized training. Schoeff said no one would question the need for specific training for SWAT officers or detectives  beyond whats taught in the police academy.

Lyday said part of the problem in Indiana lies in the different models schools use to get police into their buildings. He said its harder to ensure officers are properly trained if they arent employed by a school district or if their assignment in the district isnt covered under a memorandum of understanding with a municipal police department.

The models of school-based policing in Indiana are:

 A school corporation employs its own police department. Example: Indianapolis Public Schools Police Department.

 A school corporation enters into an memorandum of understanding with a municipal police department to assign officers to work inside school buildings. Example: Carmel Clay Schools and the Carmel Police Department.

 Off-duty police officers sign up for shifts inside school buildings on a daily basis.

 Reserve police officers, retired police officers, or special deputy officers who work regularly in schools as private contractors.

Models where different officers rotate in and out of school buildings lack consistency and you also run the risk of having those officers come in who are very good at patrol activities, but dont have the training, understanding or the desire to be around kids all the time, Lyday said.

He said models in which reserve or off-duty officers contract directly with school districts can also create problems if schools cant ensure those officers are trained or how to hold them accountable for their actions while serving the school district.

There are some police departments who have officers who work every day in the district, but have never been trained (as an SRO), Lyday said.

The Department of Education has partnered with NASRO to provide the 40-hour basic SRO training in regions of the state that are underserved with trained SROs (ranging from rural to urban and everywhere in between), according to Holly Lawson, a spokesperson for the Indiana Department of Education. Lawson said the state will fund training for up to 180 officers over the next two years. She said IDOE is still in the process of determining underserved regions of the state where these trainings will take place.

Schoeff, with NASRO, said the partnership with the IDOE sends the message this kind of training is valuable and important.

Still, he agreed with Lyday that it will take action from state lawmakers to correct the problem.

If officers continue to work in school settings without SRO training, Schoeff said he worries that will lead to increased arrests of students, among other problems.

Police come in and they respond for the sake of keeping peace. And theres more physical altercations, if you will, between law enforcement and more injuries, more problems, more litigation. You know, it just goes on and on and on when youre not trained the right way, Schoeff said.

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Source: WFYI
HOUSTON (AP)  Several South Texas school districts along with the state's most populous county won temporary legal victories on Friday as they seek to override Gov. Greg Abbotts ban on mask mandates, which they argued is making the COVID-19 pandemic worse.

After a two-hour hearing in Travis County, a judge granted temporary restraining orders to Harris County and the South Texas school districts, including Brownsville, La Joya and Edinburg, allowing them to keep mask mandates they have put in place in defiance of Abbotts executive order.

Harris County and the South Texas school districts are part of a group of cities, counties and school districts from around the state who have sued Abbott in the wake of a dramatic rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations around the state due to the highly contagious Delta variant. They have sought to put the mandates in places as students  many who are still too young to be vaccinated  return to classroom instruction this month.

The governor not some county judge, not some school board member is the leader, the focal point of the states response to a statewide emergency, Todd Dickerson, a lawyer with the Texas Attorney Generals Office, said during the hearing.

But Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee argued Abbott was not fulfilling his duty to protect Texans as he was preventing local communities from taking measures to protect their residents.

The governor cannot use executive orders in a way that demonstrably makes the disaster worse, Menefee said.

Benjamin Dower, another lawyer with the Texas Attorney Generals Office, said school districts dont have the authority to ignore state law and that Abbotts executive order was the same as state law.

Abbotts executive order doesnt prevent anyone from wearing a mask but restores the ability of individuals to make that decision for themselves and their children, Dower said.

In describing the current state of the pandemic in Texas, Dower said, We are transitioning out of the worst of it.

On Friday, state health officials reported 11,261 COVID-19 hospitalizations in Texas, the most since Jan. 29. In the past month, hospitalizations have increased by 347%. The state is quickly approaching its highest number of hospitalizations during the pandemic  14,218 on Jan. 11, when Texas was in the throes of a winter surge. State health officials reported 144 deaths on Friday, the most since Feb. 26.

Officials from hospitals around the state say their facilities are overrun with COVID-19 patients and many dont have enough nurses and other personnel to adequately staff intensive care unit or ICU beds. They say their staff is experiencing burnout, frustration and depression as younger individuals are getting sick and some hospitals have been forced to set up tents outside their facilities to handle the overflow of patients. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said Friday during a news conference that ICU beds for children were full in the 19-county area in and around Dallas.

David Campbell, an attorney representing the South Texas school districts, said when Abbott did issue a mask mandate in July 2020, during last years summer surge, the state had fewer hospitalizations, between 6,000 and 7,000.

I got four kids ... They dont like wearing masks. No one does but, they have gotten used to it. It is a minor inconvenience to address a very serious risk, Campbell said.

Before she granted the temporary restraining orders, state District Judge Jan Soifer said she was troubled that Abbotts executive order was prohibiting a requirement that the schools and the local authorities and the people who generally Texas relies on to make decisions for its citizens think are necessary.

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Harris County, where Houston is located and which has 4.7 million residents, has joined Bexar, Dallas and Fort Bend counties along with San Antonio in getting temporary restraining orders against Abbotts ban on mask mandates.

On Friday, the Galveston school district joined a growing list of Texas districts that have put in place mask mandates. Others include school districts in Austin, Crowley, Dallas, Hidalgo, Houston, La Joya, San Antonio and Spring. Fort Worths school district had also put in place a mask mandate but a judge on Friday granted a temporary restraining order blocking it.

Similar lawsuits by school districts i n other states have also been filed.

But the legal victories by the Texas counties and school districts might be short lived.

The lawsuits were expected to end up before the all-Republican Texas Supreme Court, which has often ruled in favor of Abbott.

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Associated Press writer Jill Zeman Bleed in Little Rock, Arkansas, contributed to this report.

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Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70
The Latest developments on Afghanistan, where a weeklong Taliban offensive is now approaching the outskirts of the capital, Kabul, after the insurgents captured most of the north, west and south of the country, just weeks ahead of the final pullout of all U.S. and NATO troops:

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WASHINGTON  A defense official says President Joe Biden has authorized an additional 1,000 U.S. troops for deployment to Afghanistan.

That raises to roughly 5,000 the number of U.S. troops to ensure what Biden calls an orderly and safe drawdown of American and allied personnel. U.S. troops will also help evacuate Afghans who worked with the military during the nearly two-decade war.

The Pentagon said earlier that 3,000 troops are being sent to Kabul to join the nearly 1,000 already there. Biden's statement on Saturday didnt explain the breakdown of the 5,000 troops he said had been deployed.

But a defense official tells The Associated Press that the president has approved Defense Secretary Lloyd Austins recommendation that the lead battalion of the 82nd Airborne Brigade Combat Team assist in the State Departments drawdown.

The situation in Afghanistan has worsened in recent days with the Afghan government losing control of many parts of the country.

The statement also says Biden has directed Secretary of State Antony Blinken to support Afghan President Asraf Ghani and engage with regional leaders in the pursuit of a political settlement with the Taliban.

The administration also conveyed to Taliban representatives in Qatar, where the insurgents maintain a political office, that any actions in Afghanistan that harm U.S. personnel will be met by a swift and strong military response.

-- Robert Burns and Josh Boak in Washington;

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MORE ON THE CRISIS IN AFGHANISTAN:

 Taliban approach Kabuls outskirts, attack north Afghan city

 As Taliban tighten their grip, Kabul airport only way out

 Longest war: Were Americas decades in Afghanistan worth it?

 More Marines arrive in Kabul to aid urgent embassy airlift

 Costs of the Afghanistan war, in lives and dollars

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HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

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KABUL, Afghanistan  The Taliban have appointed a hard-line cleric as the womens affairs minister in Herat, a province they captured earlier in the week in their blitz across Afghanistan.

The development indicates Taliban intentions to install Islamic rule, or Sharia, in the part of Afghanistan under their control. The Taliban offensive has been unstoppable and they are now approaching the countrys capital, Kabul.

A prominent womens activist told The Associated Press that the insurgents named Mujeeb Rahman Ansari to the post on Saturday. The activist, who declined to be identified by her name for fear for her safety, spoke from Kabul.

She described Ansari as an extremist cleric who had some following in western Herat.

She said he was strongly against womens rights after rising to prominence around 2015. The activist says Ansari became infamous for the dozens of billboards he installed all over Herat province demonizing those who would promote womens rights. His billboards told women to wear the Islamic headscarf, or hijab.

Kathy Gannon in Guelph, Canada;

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WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have held a secure video conference on Saturday morning with national security officials in response to the worsening situation in Afghanistan.

A White House official says they discussed efforts to reduce the number of U.S. civilians in Afghanistan, evacuate Afghans who worked with the U.S. government and the fast-moving changes on the ground. The official insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations.

The discussions came as a fresh contingent of Marines arrived in the Afghan capital on Saturday as part of a 3,000-troop force intended to secure an airlift of U.S. Embassy personnel and Afghan allies as Taliban insurgents approach the outskirts of the capital.

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The last-minute decision to re-insert thousands of U.S. troops into Afghanistan reflects the dire state of security and calls into question whether Biden will meet his Aug. 31 deadline for fully withdrawing combat forces.

Joshua Boak in Washington;

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PRAGUE  Czech Republics Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhanek says he has decided to immediately evacuate Czech diplomats from the Czech Embassy in the capital of Afghanistan to Kabuls international airport.

Kulhanek says the decision was based on information from the allies and the Czech ambassador.

Czech leaders will meet later on Saturday to discuss what to do next due to the serious situation in Afghanistan where a Taliban offensive has now encircled Kabul.

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BERLIN  The Green partys candidate to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor in next months election has accused Germanys government of abandoning Afghans who worked for the German army.

Annalena Baerbock said during a campaign event in Hannover on Saturday, that many people in Afghanistan did everything they could to support the Bundeswehr mission as interpreters, by building infrastructure or as drivers.

Its really disastrous that these people have been abandoned in recent days, she said, calling for those Afghan workers now fearing for their lives to be rescued.

Germanys foreign minister announced on Friday that his country is preparing charter flights to bring German diplomats and local staff out of Afghanistan.

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ROME  Italy is preparing for the possible evacuation of its embassy employees as the Taliban continue its advance, pushing closer to the Afghan capital of Kabul.

If it is necessary, we will quickly bring everyone to safety in Italy, with the important help of the Defense Ministry, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio told Corriere della Sera in an interview published Saturday.

In that case, he said that funds that so far have been used to secure Afghan operations could be redirected to provide protection to Afghans who have worked with Italian military and civilian officials there.

Di Maio acknowledged the specter of increased migration ahead of the Talibans advance, as well as the risk of terrorist infiltration. He said the threat needed to be managed by working with other countries to control flows.

Italy formally withdrew its troops from Afghanistan in June.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The upcoming 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks as well as approaching religious holidays could inspire extremist attacks, the Department of Homeland Security said in a terrorism alert issued Friday.

DHS did not cite any specific threats in the National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin. But it noted that the U.S. is in a heightened threat environment," fueled by factors that include violent extremists motivated by racial and ethnic hatred and resentment of restrictions imposed during the pandemic.

DHS issues the warnings to alert the public as well as state and local authorities. They reflect intelligence gathered from other law enforcement agencies.

The bulletin is an extension of a similar one issued in May that expired on the day the new one was issued. DHS says domestic extremists remain a national threat priority for U.S. law enforcement and will for at least the remainder of the year.

The agency noted that al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula recently released the first English-language edition of its Inspire magazine in four years, apparently to mark the upcoming anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The anniversary and the approaching holidays could serve as a catalyst for acts of targeted violence, it said.

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DHS also noted that domestic extremists motivated by religious and ethnic hatred have in the past attacked houses of worships and other gatherings, but it said there aren't any credible or imminent threats identified to these locations.

As in previous bulletins, DHS expressed concern about both domestic extremists, motivated by personal grievances and extremist ideological beliefs, and foreign influences.

The agency said Russian, Chinese and Iranian government-linked media outlets have helped spread conspiracy theories about the origins of COVID-19 and the effectiveness of vaccines and have in some cases amplified calls for violence against people of Asian descent.
This past Tuesday was a sad day for me. I got a text in the middle of a morning meeting that Gov. Andrew Cuomo had resigned. Actually, the text said, Andy resigned.

I was a victim myself of sexual assault and of workplace harassment  when I was a state employee, right there in the Empire State Plaza in Albany. Still, I couldnt help think of the many meaningful things the governor had accomplished. Same-sex marriage, $15 dollar minimum wage, gun control laws.

But to be honest, one of my first thoughts was What am I going to do with all my photos?

For 31 years, I was the director of the Legislative Correspondents Associations annual show at the state Capitol, the oldest political satire revue in the country. With an auspicious history, the show, a roast put on by the Capitol press corps for state legislators, staffers and assorted political bigwigs, dates back to when Teddy Roosevelt was governor of New York.

When I started directing the LCA show, as its known, Andrews father, Mario, was governor. I continued as the director through George Pataki, Eliot Spitzer, David Paterson, and of course, Andy. The governor in office, along with other notables, would come back to the dressing rooms and take photos with the reporters who were parodying them onstage.

Since I was the show biz ringer, I tended to be neutral on the politics of the moment. I was just as happy to take a photo with a Republican leader as a Democratic one. When Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno did the rebuttal speech one year, his office hired me to direct his sketch. Wearing a big cowboy hat, he rode into the convention center on a horse to the Bonanza theme. Then he got off his horse, and at my suggestion, pulled out an enormous comb and pretended to run it through his ample, gray mane. Everybody laughed. Gee, he really liked me. Every year after that hed hug and kiss me backstage and tell me how much he appreciated me. Someone always took a photo. Then he was convicted on federal corruption charges (though acquitted at a second trial).

Malcolm Smith, the state senator who served as Senate majority leader in 2009 and was asked to speak at our show, also hired me to direct him. He liked me, too. Sent me a beautiful, handwritten thank-you note. Then he was sentenced to seven years on federal corruption charges. Guess that photo has to come down.

Then theres Eliot Spitzer. Sigh. I met Spitzer when he was attorney general and came to the show. Then when he was governor he always greeted me so warmly, talked to me at length, waved to me from afar in the Capitol. I always loved having my picture taken with him. What a charming guy. Well, we all know how that turned out.

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Of course theres Patterson. I tried to direct his rebuttal sketch but we parted ways when his chief of staff insisted I be paid under the table, and since Im a professional that didnt seem appropriate. Or legal. Fortunately, he wasnt that interested in me. No photos taken.

And now, Andy, my Andy. Photos of him and me are all over my office. Andy and me when he was attorney general. Andy and me when he became governor. Andy and me  well, you get the picture. I have to say, he behaved the same with me as with a number of the women profiled in the attorney generals report. Hed hold my hand with his two big paws, put his arm around me, kiss me on the cheek. I thought he liked me. I thought he was being warm. Friendly. Attentive. But then, I didnt work for him. He was in my office . Backstage at my show. So I never felt intimidated or harassed or intruded upon.

And yet, when I read the report  and I did read it cover to cover  it all sounded hauntingly familiar. Spot on, really.

So, with sadness, some regret and empathy for those 11 women, Im taking those photos down, too.

Helena Binder, of Vermont, is a stage director for opera and theater. Shes the former Blanche Blotto of the rock band Blotto.
ALBANY  Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, forever tarnished by the sexual harassment allegations that engulfed him midway through his third term, will leave office prematurely this month with a muddled legacy of significant political triumphs too often sullied by a dictatorial leadership style that left him with more enemies than friends.

Indeed, the brash quality that had come to define Cuomo  for whom "New York Tough" was more than just a pandemic motto  contributed to his undoing. Many observers and some who dealt with him say the power of the office may have warped Cuomo's perception of decency. He managed through intimidation, and was especially harsh on those he viewed as vulnerable.

In his final months, it became clear the 63-year-old governor also had lost the respect of some in his inner circle and those involved in his daily activities, including the state troopers who guarded him and his family.

The governor knows whos weak and whos not  so the people who are weak he treats like s__; the people who are stronger, he respects, said a former member of Cuomos State Police Protective Services Detail, who spoke on condition of anonymity. If you show confidence he doesnt do anything.

The person recounted an incident before the pandemic struck in which Cuomo, angered that his State Police driver had become lost as they drove in New York City, ordered that the trooper pull over and get out of the SUV. Vincent Straface, the detail commander, climbed into the drivers seat and pulled away.

There was a tail car that day but it had become separated from the vehicle transporting the governor, the person said. That meant the trooper  a Black officer who had joined the agency in 2016  was left standing along the highway and needed to be picked up by another trooper.

In other instances, the person said, Cuomo was demanding  ordering his pilots to fly in bad weather and unhappy if his State Police chaperones did not use lights, sirens and a heavy foot on the gas, even if he was only going to his hairstylist in Manhattans financial district.

Another time, the person said, Cuomo was enraged that three troopers guarding the Executive Mansion did not inform him that a house down the street in Albany had burned to the ground. After he learned about it from another source and became embarrassed, the troopers were reassigned.

When one of Cuomos daughters asked him why the troopers were no longer there, he allegedly told her it had nothing to do with him, the person said.

Hubris and history

Bennett Liebman, who worked in Gov. Mario Cuomos administration and served for the first three years of his sons administration as a senior adviser on horse racing and gaming, said that Andrew Cuomos legacy would also be a lesson in political hubris.

Its more a case of the limits of the governors belief that If youre explaining, youre losing, No matter how great a political tactician he is  and he is uncanny  he could not give up the notion that you dont explain to the public your unpopular positions or your weaknesses, said Liebman, the interim director of the Government Law Center at Albany Law School. Do you explain nursing home policy, book-writing procedures  or harassment questions? No, the answer is that you have to attack your enemies. You had to attack (former aide and sexual harassment accuser) Lindsey Boylan. You had to attack the investigators.

After a decade as governor and effectively a quarter of a century in government, theres a limit to the modus operandi that you win by constantly attacking your perceived enemies, Liebman said. You end up only with real enemies.

Robert Chiles, who teaches history at the University of Maryland and has written extensively on New Yorks political history, said that while the long view on Cuomo will take years or even decades to formulate  and more facts are bound to come out  this governor would likely not be recalled as a visionary on the level of DeWitt Clinton, who pushed for development of the Erie Canal in the early 1800s, or Alfred Smith, the progressive firebrand who overhauled the structure of state government a century ago.

I think that if you look at the factors for judging a governor  especially a governor of a great and important state like New York  their legacy is going to depend a lot on their ability to not only come in with an agenda or to hold office for a certain number of terms, but also, are they transformative? Chiles said. Are they somebody who not only delivers for the people who entrusted them with power, but also makes life better? And then  because its New York, such an important state  does that then project across the nation?

And I dont think that necessarily Gov. Andrew Cuomo is going to be up to that standard, he continued. You could look at the (resignation) speech that he gave on Tuesday: There was a lot of facts in the resume that he articulated, and achievements that I think he can be proud of  marriage equality in 2011, the $15 minimum wage, and the compact of states getting back into Paris Climate Accords. But in all of these cases  he was doing what a good leader would do, which is delivering what people wanted  but he wasnt making change.

History will also have to contend with the overlapping scandals that grew over Cuomos final year in office, Chiles noted.

The governor is leaving in disgrace, and that is going to be part of the legacy, Chiles said. The sexual misconduct scandal obviously hurts a lot  because if youre going to be a governor who was for a more inclusive New York, who champions the rights of marginalized people, it sort of stains and undermines that legacy.

While his father was not known as a builder, Andrew Cuomo leaves behind high-profile projects such as Manhattans Moynihan Train Hall and a remade LaGuardia Airport.

Infrastructure is a big deal, especially in our time when theres so much inability to get anything built anymore, Chiles said. I had my first experience walking through Moynihan Train Hall a couple of weeks ago. And Ill admit I didnt think of Andrew Cuomo when I was walking through there  and thats probably not fair.

The historian pointed to one piece of big infrastructure that people are likely to associate with the Cuomo name at least for the foreseeable future: the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge  and not simply because its named after the current governors father.

People will probably think of (Andrew Cuomo) when they go over the bridge, Chiles said, because I hear everybody from the region grumbles how its really the Tappan Zee Bridge.

In what may be a prelude of things to come, a bill was introduced last week that would strip the elder Cuomos name from the bridge.

Brutal style

The response was swift and frequently severe from many of Cuomos former allies when the state attorney generals report concluded Cuomo was a serial sexual harasser. They called for his resignation.

The broad coalition of unions, businesses and the Democratic Party establishment abandoned him. Perhaps worst of all was party chairman Jay Jacobs call for his resignation a day after the report came out.

Jacobs statement explicitly aimed for a glowing historic view even as it called for Cuomos departure: It is my hope that the legacy of the progressive change he brought to our people and the renewal of infrastructure he brought to our state will outshine the darkness of this sorry episode.

Lawmakers who had to work with the governor painted a different picture.

I think his brutal style will overshadow anything substantive, said state Sen. Michael Gianaris, the chambers second-highest ranking Democrat. After a decade in the Assembly, he joined the Senate the same year Cuomo became governor. What I will remember most was how his autocratic, tyrannic style colored everything about him  including how he treated people in the workplace.

Gianaris viewed Cuomo as an impediment to building a true Democratic majority due in part to the governors tacit approval of the breakaway Independent Democratic Conference, a breakaway coalition that partnered with Republicans. Once Democrats won a clear majority in 2018  the same year most members of the IDC were voted out of office  Gianaris saw Cuomo try a new tactic: Foment Democratic division, and then present yourself as the only person to heal it.

His legislative agenda was built around that, said Gianaris, who like the governor hails from Queens. Keep the Legislature divided so that he could be able to control the agenda and take credit for it.

Gianaris recalled how the 2011 Marriage Equality Act was viewed as Cuomos signature accomplishment, even though state Assemblyman Daniel J. ODonnell  the first openly gay member of the Legislature  had been pushing for it for years. ODonnell ended up without his name on the bill.

Alphonso David, Cuomos former counsel and now president of the Human Rights Campaign, spoke to the Times Union in June about retooling the marriage equality bill. David, who became Cuomos chief counsel and one of his most trusted advisers, said the administration did much of the work on the landmark win.

David sidestepped when asked how he balances Cuomos same-sex marriage achievement against the allegations of sexual harassment.

Im not sure Im the best person to answer it, David said, adding that he was deeply proud of the years that I spent in state government and specifically in the governors office.

David is now under investigation by the HRC for his role in the sexual harassment scandal. The attorney generals report describes him fielding requests from other Cuomo aides for the personnel file of former aid Lindsey Boylan, who in December had publicly accused the governor of sexual harassment. The file was mined for material that the Executive Chamber hoped would undercut Boylans credibility.

Executive powers

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, while putting clear distance between her and the governor in her first news conference since Cuomos resignation announcement, nevertheless acknowledged a strong legacy of accomplishment by his administration that included raising the minimum wage and boosting paid family leave.

Many Democrats have done their best to look ahead by focusing on aiding Hochul and turning the page; others have lifted any censor they once had to express their disdain for Cuomo.

The state Republican party and the leading GOP candidate for governor, U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin of Long Island, have for months demanded the removal of King Cuomo.

But Cuomo had earned praise from Republicans in the past, and worked hand-in-hand with them on issues such as a property tax cap that benefited suburban homeowners and development projects in their districts.

This is not some Machiavellian novel, said Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, a moderate Republican who was defeated by Cuomo in the 2018 gubernatorial race. This is real government, and he destroyed good governance in the state of New York.

The former state assemblyman rejects the widely accepted view of Cuomo as a hard-eyed pragmatist; Molinaro called the governor politically selfish.

Other than poetic justice, there is no poetry in this chapter of New York states history, Molinaro said, referencing Mario Cuomos famous line about campaigning in poetry and governing in prose. Hes left behind  personal and public victims. That isnt just something you can brush aside because there were other successes.

He noted that when Republicans were in the majority in the Senate, Cuomo was known as the broker between the two parties, sometimes favoring the GOP over Democratic policies in exchange for political leverage.

As a Republican  some of the successes that we celebrate are because he leveraged people against each other, Molinaro said. It doesnt mean thats the way it should work.

Molinaro and other political scholars hope that Cuomos exit can clear ground for possible changes that would, for example, reduce what they see as a structural imbalance in the executive branchs power over the state budget process.

That ought to be the focus  and New Yorkers wont appreciate it now, Molinaro said. It wont put your name on a bridge, but at the end of the day it will reestablish the right kind of government and the checks and balances that are necessary to protect yourselves from an abusive thug.

In the pantheon

Richard Azzopardi, a senior adviser to the governor who would often scream at reporters in defense of Cuomo, is among those top aides who will depart when Cuomo leaves  with no hope of being offered a job in Hochuls administration.

At the end of the day people are going to look back, and any sober-eyed analysis will say that New Yorkers have more rights, they have more freedoms and they have more protections than the day before Andrew Cuomo became governor, Azzopardi said. I truly believe that.

The day Cuomo took office in January 2011, he opened up to the public the second-floor corridor outside his suite of offices after years of limited access. He later turned what he branded as the Hall of Governors into a more museum-like space, rearranging the portraits of past governors into chronological order and adding exhibits such as Al Smiths innovative organizational chart for state agencies.

The paintings, according to a welcome sign attributed to Cuomo, will inspire visitors as well as our future leaders, who will someday be part of New Yorks magnificent history.

Tourists will find the portrait of Gov. William Sulzer at the end of the hallway. Abnormally tall in shape and rather dark in palette, it depicts him in a power stance staring piercingly at the viewer. The first sentence on his placard notes that he was the first and only governor to be impeached.

Around the hallway is Mario Cuomos portrait, an image he had resisted for almost two decades before his son and a group of former aides commissioned it.

The elder Cuomo sits with his hands crossed, flanked by American and New York flags. The placard describes the Queens native as a progressive governor who believed in the power of government to improve peoples lives while taking a pragmatic approach to fiscal issues.

There is no portrait of Eliot Spitzer, who resigned in disgrace in 2008 amid a prostitution scandal just 15 months after taking office.

For now, it remains unclear what fate awaits the legacy of Andrew Cuomo in the Hall of Governors, or what any portrait would depict.
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[August 13, 2021] HOEGH ALERT: Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is Investigating Hoegh LNG Partners LP on Behalf of Hoegh Stockholders and Encourages Investors to Contact the Firm

Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C., a nationally recognized stockholder rights law firm, is investigating potential claims against Hoegh LNG Partners LP ("Hoegh" or the "Company") (NYSE: HMLP) on behalf of Hoegh stockholders. Our investigation concerns whether Hoegh has violated the federal securities laws and/or engaged in other unlawful business practices. Click here to participate in the action. Hoegh is an international company that owns a fleet of ships that offers services to the liquefied natural gas ('LNG') industry world-wide. Specifically, Hoegh, which claims to be one of the most experienced operators of LNG carriers, owns and operates floating LNG import terminals and floating storage and regasification units ('FSRU'). On July 27, 2021, after the market closed, the Company announced that it had cut its quarterly common unit distribution by 98% in order to conserve cash to address near-term refinancing issues. Specifically, Hoegh disclosed the collapse of the Company's refinancing plans fr its FSRU Lampung facility, after the charterer of the vessel challenged the Company's new credit facility and the charter agreement with Hoegh and announced its intent to commence arbitration to terminate the charter and/or seek damages from the Company. Hoegh also announced that its parent company, Hoegh LNG Holdings, will no longer provide financial support to the Company.



On this news, Hoegh's stock price fell $11.57 per share, or approximately 64%, to close at $6.30 per share on July 28, 2021, thereby injuring investors. If you purchased or otherwise acquired Hoegh shares and suffered a loss, are a long-term stockholder, have information, would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Brandon Walker, Melissa Fortunato, or Marion Passmore by email at investigations@bespc.com, telephone at (212) 355-4648, or by filling out this contact form. There is no cost or obligation to you.

About Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.: Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is a nationally recognized law firm with offices in New York, California, and South Carolina. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in commercial, securities, derivative, and other complex litigation in state and federal courts across the country. For more information about the firm, please visit www.bespc.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210813005423/en/

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Everton inquire about Man United's Pereira

| Saturday, 14 August 2021



According to Sky and Guardian contributor Fabrizio Romano, the Blues are among a number of clubs tracking the Belgium-born midfielder but would prefer to take him on loan.

United would rather sell the 25-year-old which could prove to be a stumbling block for Everton unless they can offload players beforehand.

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Critics of COVID masks argue that face coverings help this town's criminal class conduct their various misdeeds.

We didn't pay much attention to this theory but a recent update from police offers a glimpse at public health orders conflicting with public safety . . . On the bright side, the request for community info hopes locals can look beyond the protective gear and help to make a positive ID.



Deets and just a bit of correlation from the KCPD Busted page . . .

"These six (6) suspects were involved in a shoplifting at Ulta Beauty, 8600 Ward Parkway through out the day on July 28, 2021. If you recognize the suspects, please contact Det. Danielle Kincaid, Metro Property Crimes Section, at 816-581-0679"

Developing . . .
Normally, we admit that former newsman and blogger Bill is a much more thoughtful and articulate scribe than most of the hacks in Kansas City; this blog included.



However, we're having a hard time following along with his logic about the MAGA connection to the Kung-Fu fighting Tibetan monks and their plight which peaked with hipster college d-bag t-shirts in the 90s.



In describing the crackdown on an exotic theocracy and other religious oppression . . . Blogger Bill shares this insight:

"Knowing all of that makes me all the more eager to preserve and protect our democratic republic here in the U.S. and to work against the kind of people who sought to destroy it on Jan. 6."

Huh?

First of all, former Prez Trump didn't even know how to properly pronounce our the country's name. He said the word with an uncomfortably hard G and the way he kept pounding away at G-HINA (!!!) was kind of cringe-y.

Anyhoo . . . Whilst the analogy wasn't very skillful, it still deserves consideration.

Read more . . .


Ukraine convened a meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) for the peaceful settlement of the situation in Donetsk and Luhansk regions over the killing of a civilian in eastern Ukraine, but the Russian side refused to meet.

Representative of certain areas of Donetsk region to TCG from Ukraine Tetiana Ivanova said this in a comment to Dom TV channel.

According to her, killing of a civilian in eastern Ukraine by illegal armed formations and increased shelling of Ukrainian military positions were to be discussed at the extraordinary meeting of the TCG.

"It was expected that Russia would refuse. And so, I think that the next step, and what I expect as a representative of the Ukrainian delegation to the TCG, is the statement made by OSCE as coordinator. Now it depends on the OSCE how quickly the parties will be able to gather and how organized can be the work of the coordinator. Russia will block this process as Russia now shows everyone that it is not a party to the negotiations, trying to prove it. Ukraine will never agree to such a position," Ivanova said.

According to her, "there is no such party as representatives of unrecognized formations" in the TCG negotiations.

"Therefore, Ukraine will insist that the Minsk talks take place in accordance with the agreements in the Normandy format and in Minsk. Ukraine will stand on this," Ivanova stressed.

As a reminder, the Russian side continues to insist that Russia is not a party to the conflict, so there is allegedly no point in discussing the aggravation of the situation with it. At the same time, Ukrainian intelligence reports that Russia delivers fuel and weapons to its puppets to the temporarily uncontrolled territory in eastern Ukraine.

ol
The World Bank will assist Ukraine in setting up an efficient climate fund that will co-finance decarbonization and modernization programs through transparent procedures.

As the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine reports, the agreement was reached during an online meeting between Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine Roman Abramovsky, Arup Banerji, the World Bank Regional Country Director for Eastern Europe (Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine), Kseniya Lvovsky, the World Bank Practice Manager for Environment, Natural Resources, and Blue Economy in Europe and Central Asia, and Baher El-Hifnawi, Program Leader for World Bank's Infrastructure and Sustainable Development programs in Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova.

The World Bank is a reliable partner of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources in a number of projects, and we hope for their successful continuation and expansion, especially in setting up an efficient climate fund. It is a new financial institution that will co-finance the decarbonization and modernization programs through transparent procedures. It is very important for us to get such a reliable partner in the development of climate finance, which accumulates the experience of world countries in creating optimal algorithms of operation of such funds, Abramovsky said.

The minister informed the World Bank members about the steps already taken by the Ministry in the context of the main priorities related to climate change  climate policy, forest development, waste management, and nature reserves.

The World Bank welcomes Ukraines success in climate policy and the implementation of sustainable forest management. We are pleased to state that the agenda that Ukraine is currently performing is extremely important. Today we have efficient and promising cooperation and plan to launch new projects, provide expert assistance in the legislative process," said Kseniya Lvovsky.

According to her, there can be many areas of cooperation, but now the priority areas in which we can share experience are climate finance, forestry, waste management, industrial waste pollution prevention, and biodiversity development.

Following the meeting, the parties agreed to cooperate in the preparation of an analytical report on climate goals and economic development. This document will be a thorough study of the effect of the implementation of climate protection measures to ensure the economic development of countries. Ukraine has become one of the 25 key countries for which such a report will be prepared. It was also agreed to draft a partnership strategy between Ukraine and the World Bank, which will consist of short- and long-term projects on climate policy, forestry reform, waste management, development of nature reserves, and biodiversity conservation for the next five years.

The creation of the Ukrainian climate fund, conduct of technical discussions on a number of bills, continued joint analytical and legislative work, development and implementation of large-scale institutional forestry reform were also arranged for.

ol
Prosecutor General of Ukraine Iryna Venediktova discussed the Crimea Platform and the competition for senior positions at the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office with U.S. Charge d'Affaires in Ukraine Kristina Kvien.

"Crimea is Ukraine, and the whole world unites around it. The Crimea Platform was discussed with U.S. Charge d'Affaires in Ukraine Kristina Kvien. Support of our international partners and their proactive actions to de-occupy the peninsula, as well as a strong condemnation of human rights violations and military crimes being committed there, are a guarantee of returning temporarily occupied territories and bringing the perpetrators to justice," Venediktova posted on Facebook on August 13.

According to her, "the ways of liberating Ukraine from its internal enemy  corruption  were not overlooked. An independent and fair competition for senior positions at the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office is extremely important in this context. The fight against corruption and its prevention is the task of all government institutions in Ukraine."

As noted, the parties focused on cooperation in the development of the prosecutor's office as a whole.

Venediktova informed that internal transformations were underway after the personnel reshuffles: specialization of prosecutors, development of performance standards, digitalization, and de-bureaucratization of the institution.

Photo: Facebook account of Iryna Venediktova

ol
The total number of participants in the inaugural summit of the Crimea Platform has risen to 42.

"The launch day is approaching. We had 40 participants in the morning. In the afternoon, their number rose to 42," Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba posted on Facebook on August 13.

The Crimea Platform is a new consultative and coordination format initiated by Ukraine to step up the efficiency of international response to the occupation of Crimea, respond to growing security challenges, increase international pressure on Russia, prevent further human rights violations, protect victims of the occupation regime, and achieve the main goal: to de-occupy Crimea and restore Ukraines sovereignty over the peninsula.

The Platform is to operate at several levels: heads of state and government, foreign ministers, inter-parliamentary cooperation, expert network.

The activity of the Crimea Platform will be officially launched at the inaugural summit in Kyiv on August 23, 2021.

ol
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba informs that the first part of Ukraines aid arrived in Lithuania.

Following President Zelenskys decision, the first part of Ukraines aid arrived to Lithuania. Ukraine and Lithuania will always have each others back when it comes to defending the state border. To this end, we have one barbed wire for two of our nations today, Kuleba posted on Twitter on August 13.

On August 12, Ukraine sent humanitarian aid to the Republic of Lithuania to strengthen the protection of its border from illegal migrants.

In late May, Alexander Lukashenko said that Minsk would no longer restrain illegal migrants trying to enter the European Union through Belarus. In early July, Vilnius declared a nationwide state of emergency in the country. Lithuania was the first to accuse Minsk of hybrid aggression.

Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine

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TASHKENT (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th August, 2021) All five political parties registered in Uzbekistan will be able to nominate their candidates for the presidential election scheduled for October 24, the Central Election Commission (CEC) told Sputnik on Saturday.

"Today, all the five political parties registered in Uzbekistan were allowed to participate in the presidential elections in Uzbekistan.

Registration certificates and forms of standard signature lists will be handed out to them," a CEC official said.

The Green Party of Uzbekistan, the People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan, the Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (O'zlidep), the Uzbekistan National Revival Democratic Party (Milliy Tiklanish), and the Adolat must nominate their candidates from August 20 until September 9. The registration of the candidates will be over on September 19.

The election campaign was launched on July 23.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

The BBC's Moscow correspondent said Saturday she was told by the Russian authorities that she "can't ever come back to Russia" after her visa was not renewed and she was effectively expelled from the country

London, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Aug, 2021 ) :The BBC's Moscow correspondent said Saturday she was told by the Russian authorities that she "can't ever come back to Russia" after her visa was not renewed and she was effectively expelled from the country.

Moscow told veteran correspondent Sarah Rainsford that she would have to leave the country when her current visa expires in August, at a time of simmering tensions between Russia and the West and a crackdown on independent media.

"This is not a failure to renew my visa, although technically that's kind of what it is. I'm being expelled, and I've been told that I can't come back ever," Rainsford told BBC Radio 4.

The journalist called the decision "devastating personally" and "shocking." "It's not just any old place" she said.

"It's almost a third of my life that I've lived in Russia... I've really loved trying to tell the story of Russia to the world, but it is increasingly a difficult story to tell.

" The BBC on Friday accused Russia of "a direct assault on media freedom" and said Rainsford was an "exceptional and fearless journalist." Rainsford said Moscow had told her the move was a reaction to Britain's decision not to renew the visa of a Russian journalist.

"The 90s was a time of new and exciting freedoms for Russia, and I suppose my career here as a journalist has charted the path through which those freedoms have been reduced and reduced and reduced," she said.

The BBC, which is publicly funded through an annual licence fee of all television set holders but editorially independent of government, is regularly accused of political bias at home.

But it also comes under fire abroad, including in China, where in March this year one of its senior correspondents left for Taiwan, after facing pressure over his reporting.

jwp/spm
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th August, 2021) Securing humanitarian access, establishing a political dialogue process, as well as releasing those detained after the coup d'etat, are vital to a democratic Myanmar, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Friday.

"I talked today to Brunei FM and @ASEAN Special Envoy for Myanmar Erywan Yusof. Violence must stop, all those detained following the coup should be immediately released, humanitarian access be assured & a genuine political dialogue process be established for a democratic #Myanmar," Borrell tweeted.

The tweet of the EU high commissioner for foreign affairs comes as the UN envoy in Myanmar estimated earlier this week that more than 962 people had been killed since the coup d'etat in the Asian country.

On February 1, following a general election in which the National League for Democracy party, led by then-leader of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi, won by a landslide, the military seized all control of the country, imprisoned elected leaders and declared a year-long state of emergency. The coup triggered massive demonstrations across the nation that have been met with a violent crackdown.
HAVANA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th August, 2021) The fourth Russian plane within three weeks has landed in the Cuban capital of Havana to provide the country with humanitarian aid, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Saturday.

The humanitarian aid includes 38.2 tonnes of medical equipment and 2.2 tonnes of wheat flour.

In July, the Russian Military Transport Aviation dispatched two An-124 Ruslan aircraft to Cuba with over 88 tonnes of food, personal protective equipment and more than a million medical masks. The third plane with Russian aid arrived in Cuba a day ago.

The humanitarian situation in Cuba remains difficult not only because of the COVID-19 pandemic but also due to the ongoing US sanctions pressure.Bolivia, Mexico and Nicaragua have also sent humanitarian aid to Cuba.
Slovakia sent 4 tonnes of humanitarian aid valued at some $44,700 to Lithuania on Saturday morning to help the Baltic country equip camps for migrants coming from neighboring Belarus, the foreign ministry said

PRAGUE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th August, 2021) Slovakia sent 4 tonnes of humanitarian aid valued at some $44,700 to Lithuania on Saturday morning to help the Baltic country equip camps for migrants coming from neighboring Belarus, the foreign ministry said.

The first such batch was delivered on August 2.

"Earlier Lithuania addressed the EU countries asking for a material help for receiving illegal migrants crossing the border with Belarus. On Saturday, the second shipment to Lithuania was sent from Slovakia, scaling 4 tonnes and worth about 38,000 Euros [$44,737]. It includes tents, sleeping bags, folding beds with mattresses, folding tables and chairs, rugs, and lighting devices," the ministry said in a statement.

The total value of the two freights was estimated by the foreign ministry at 123,000 euros ($144,808). The EU covered 75% of the transportation cost.

"This humanitarian freight is sent as a sign of solidarity of Slovakia and Lithuania for providing camps for illegal migrants while their requests for asylum in the EU are being considered," the ministry said.

In the last few months, Lithuania faced a record number of illegal crossings on the border with Belarus. In July, a total of 1,416 migrants entered the Baltic country being the EU member, according to the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service. Minsk says it is no longer capable of deterring migrants from the EU border due to the impact of sanctions.
A cameraman films a bouquet of flowers placed at the Montfortian community where Fr. Maire was murdered (AFP or licensors)

Catholics across France are mourning the death of Fr. Olivier Maire, SMM, who was allegedly murdered by a Rwandan immigrant whom he had been assisting.

By Devin Watkins

The Catholic Bishops and religious of France have expressed their immense sadness and horror at the murder of Father Olivier Maire, Provincial Superior of the Montfort Missionaries.

The body of the French priest was found at his home in Saint-Laurent-Sur-Sevre, in the western Vendee region.

A 40-year-old Rwandan immigrant handed himself in to police, confessing to Fr. Maires murder. He is being treated as the prime suspect in the investigation.

The man, who had been refused political asylum, was already under investigation for setting fire to the Cathedral of Nantes last June. Fr. Maire had been offering the man assistance and housing him in the Montfortian community since the end of May.

Reactions to Fr. Maires murder

The French Catholic Bishops Conference and Conference of Religious released a statement on Monday in response to the killing.

They assure Fr. Maires parents, family, Montfort Missionaries, community of the Basilica of St. Louis-Marie Grignon de Montfort in Saint-Laurent-Sur-Sevre, and the entire Montfortian religious family of their prayers.

French President Emmanuel Macron took to Twitter to pay tribute to the slain priest. He wrote that Fr. Maires generosity and love for others were reflected in his facial features.

Man of peace

Speaking to Vatican News Olivier Bonnel, Sister Veronique Margron said the religious community of France feels great pain to think that a man of peace was murdered in the name of hospitality.

In addition to the fear, there is also a feeling of incomprehension and powerlessness, added the Dominican nun, who serves as the president of the Conference of Religious in France.

She said the Montfortians had offered the Rwandan man shelter out of evangelical concern.

Now is not the time to add fuel to the fire with calls for his expulsion, since he was not deported because he was in the midst of a judicial process, said Sr. Margron. This situation was truly not the problem of the brothers who welcomed him.

Hospitality and Paschal mystery

The late Fr. Maire took in the man who would allegedly become his murderer, an act which recalls the Paschal mystery, according to the nun.

We must remember that the virtue of hospitality is the greatest and first of the biblical virtues, she said. There is no higher virtue in the whole of the Old Testament.

Sr. Margron added that the Montfortians were not naive in taking the man in. They did this with full knowledge of the facts, welcoming advice; yet no one told them that this man could be so dangerous.

Generosity in action

Christians in France, concluded the Dominican nun, should gather spiritually round those connected with Fr. Maire, sharing their sorrow and recalling his generosity.

The Bishop of Lucon, Francois Jacolin, also expressed his appreciation for the work of the slain priest.

He was a victim of his generosity, said the Bishop. We hope that this tragedy might not destroy the ideal of hospitality and sharing.
On August 9, Senate Democrats unveiled their $3.5 trillion budget resolution plan. The budget resolution sets out the congressional budget for a specific year. It is not presented to the president nor does it have the force of law. Through the budget resolution, Congress establishes its annual total spending, revenues, deficit or surplus, and public debt.

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Sen. Bernie Sanders released the budget plan and stated that Democrats aim to use budget reconciliation to pass it. Through the budget reconciliation parliamentary procedure, Democrats can override filibuster rules in the Senate that require a 60 vote supermajority for a bill to be passed. Instead, Democrats will now only need a 51 vote majority to pass the bill.

The Senate is currently split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans. If 51 votes cannot be secured, Vice President Kamala Harris will come in to break the tie, which will inevitably be in the interest of Democrats. So, as long as Democrats get their 50 senators to support the $3.5 trillion budget resolution plan, it will be passed through the Senate.

Democrats plan to push through the $3.5 trillion budget resolution even without Republican support. (Image: Proulain via Pixabay)

In a letter to Democrat members, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that the Senate will immediately consider the budget resolution with reconciliation instructions once the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package is passed.

Schumer revealed that he and Sanders are in regular contact with House Speaker Democrat Nancy Pelosi and Chairman of the House Budget Committee Democrat John Yarmouth. They are working closely to prepare the instructions for reconciliation.

The Budget Resolution provides a target date of September 15th to the committees to submit their reconciliation legislation. We will work towards this goal and meet, as a caucus, during the week of the 15th to review the bill, the letter said. These are several of the major elements included in the budget resolution:

$726 billion for Health, Labor, Education, and Pensions Committee, with instructions to address some of the Democratic Partys top priorities like (a) childcare for working families, (b) universal pre-K for three and four-year-olds, (c) funding for historically black universities and colleges, (d) tuition-free community college, and (e) expanding the Pell Grant for higher education.

$332 billion for the Banking Committee, with the funds expected to be invested in public housing, the Housing Trust Fund, community land trusts, and housing affordability.

$198 billion allocated for the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, mostly to be used for clean energy development.

$135 billion is set aside for the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, to be used to address reduction in carbon emissions, forest fires, and droughts.

$107 billion for the Judiciary Committee for addressing the lawful permanent status for qualified immigrants.

Democrats plan on paying for the budget by increasing taxes on wealthy individuals and corporations. Senators Angus King and Elizabeth Warren are soon expected to unveil a proposal to tax corporations seven percent on profits above the first $100 million reported to investors. The tax rule will apparently collect $700 billion from 1,300 companies, according to a Warren aide.

Opposition, debt limit

The budget reconciliation plan has met with resistance from members of the Democratic Party. Last month, Senator Kyrsten Sinema announced her disapproval of the bill.

I have also made clear that while I will support beginning this [budget resolution] process, I do not support a bill that costs $3.5 trillion, Sinema said.

Democrat Joe Manchin said that he isnt making any promises as to whether he will support the $3.5 trillion bill. He said that the bills climate change provisions need to move through the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that he chairs. Democrat Mark Warner from Virginia isnt sure how moderates within the party will vote on the budget.

Senate Minority Leader Republican Mitch McConnell calls the $3.5 trillion plan reckless. He has warned Democrats against attempting to pass it without Republican support.

If our colleagues want to ram through yet another reckless tax and spending spree without our input, if they want all this spending and debt to be their signature legacy, they should leap at the chance to own every bit of it So let me make something perfectly clear: If they dont need or want our input, they wont get our help with the debt limit increase that these reckless plans will require, McConnell said in a speech on the Senate floor.

The Democrat budget resolution plan does not mention raising Americas debt limit. Currently, the debt limit is set at $28.5 trillion. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has called for hiking the ceiling on a bipartisan basis rather than via budget reconciliation. Raising the debt limit will allow the Treasury to pay for existing debts and expenditures. Failure to do so would result in irreparable harm to the American economy and its people, Yellen warned.

Increasing the debt ceiling without budget reconciliation would require 60 votes in the Senate. Ten Republicans would have to support it. If both parties cannot raise the debt ceiling by September 30, the U.S. could end up defaulting on loans and the government might be forced to shut down.

In recent years Congress has addressed the debt limit through regular order, with broad bipartisan support. In fact, during the last administration, Democrats and Republicans came together to do their duty three times. Congress should do so again now by increasing or suspending the debt limit on a bipartisan basis, Yellen said in a statement.
As the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic drags on, the governments of the United States and Europe have increasingly forced citizens to provide proof of vaccination or follow standard operating procedures in an attempt to curb the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus amongst the working community.

The topic remains highly controversial and is criticized by many as a violation of human rights. Moreover, a recent preprint study of patients in the Mayo Clinic Health System found that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was only 42% effective at preventing COVID-19 cases in July 2021. The Moderna vaccine was only 76% effective.

Nevertheless, citing the spreading of the Delta variant, the U.S. government announced that federal workers are required to either get inoculated or undergo regular testing, wear masks in virtually all settings, and adhere to social distancing guidelines. State employees in California are required to be vaccinated or undergo weekly testing, while New York City requires proof of vaccination for customers and staff at restaurants and gyms. In recent weeks, a surge in fake vaccination certificate sales has been observed.

Fake certificates in the U.S.

Government investigators and cybersecurity experts reported that several schemers have been offering fake certificates on social media sites, messaging apps like Telegram, and on the dark web. Fake vaccination cards supposedly presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have emerged on marketing sites.

A bar owner in California was arrested on charges of identity theft, forgery of government documents, and medical record falsification, after being implicated in the sale of fake cards for twenty dollars each.

A licensed homeopathic doctor in the same state was arrested for selling Covid immunization pellets, providing fake CDC cards stating that patients had received the Moderna vaccine and giving blank cards with instructions on how to fraudulently fill them out.

According to security experts, the white CDC-issued cards are easy targets for forgery, while a single federal digital card would be easier to verify.

Situation in Europe

The European Unions digital certificate is more secure, with a dedicated QR code for each person. However, fake versions of the certificate are still being distributed. Italian police commander Ivano Gabrielli said that about five hundred copies have been sold in the past few months, mainly through Telegram.

The sellers try to get the word out by posting vague information on well-known social-media platforms, but their goal is to get you to migrate over to an encrypted messaging app, said Mr. Gabrielli. Despite efforts by Telegram to shut down channels selling fake certificates, new channels continue to crop up.

Mr. Gabrielli stated that sales intensified when Italy introduced a new digital certificate required for some events and travel. Hackers were potentially able to gain access to the national vaccination database and alter data, posing a serious cybersecurity threat.

In France, prosecutors confirmed that six suspects were charged for fraud, as they were implicated in making and selling fake vaccination cards, a crime punishable with a fine of up to 45,000 euros and three years in prison. Four hundred buyers were identified, but the French police believe that the actual number could be three times as high.

Miro Dittrich, a researcher at the Center for Monitoring, Analysis and Strategy in Germany, stated that fake certificates are also being offered on the dark web, but buyers have not fallen for the trap so far. Due to the restrictions imposed by the government, sellers have moved to Telegram, and the demand for certificates has skyrocketed.

Dmitry Galov, a researcher of cybersecurity firm Kapersky, said, For years, people have sold counterfeit documents of all types  things like diplomas or medical certificates Some of the scams were seeing offering codes or certificates are similar to old ones, in that they often dont deliver anything  they just leave users without money or documents.
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User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale

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Les Cayes Haiti (44.2 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 20-30 s : I was on the toilet and struggled to stay on haha. At first I thought my imagination was playing with me cause the bathroom shifted so visibly. | 27 users found this interesting. This is serious. I see stupid people posting ridiculous comments. If you have nothing good to say then you should not post anything. Pray for the people of Haiti. All other ignorant people don't say anything. This is no joking matter. God Bless Haiti. The United States to the rescue. Louisiana stands in solitude with you Haiti / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 20-30 s

Jarabacoa / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : Senti un temblor constante pero no muy fuerte, por unos 30 segundos mas o menos | 24 users found this interesting. "Moderate shaking, chandeliers swaying, dogs confused, pool water sloshing, lasted 10-15 seconds, strongest we've felt since the 2010 earthquake." Who wrote this and where ?

Moderate shaking, chandeliers swaying, dogs confused, pool water sloshing, lasted 10-15 seconds, strongest we've felt since the 2010 earthquake. / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

Guantanamo Bay (241.6 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : Weak shaking, no items fell. Dog was entertained. First time Ive felt one. | 24 users found this interesting.

Jacmel, Haiti (107.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : I was upstairs when it started. We quickly went into the yard and watched the house and all the trees in the yard swaying | 17 users found this interesting.

Half Way Tree, St. Andrew (351 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Was asleep, woke up to the bed shaking side to side, heard windows, doors, other stationary objects rattling | 14 users found this interesting. I was sitting on the bed and the bed was shaking so hard and the doors. / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Kingston (352.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Tree was unearthed | 13 users found this interesting.

guantanamo bay cuba (241.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s : Felt like riding in boat with waves | 12 users found this interesting.

Les Cayes / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 20-30 s : I was sleeping when this happened. Once i felt the vibrations on the bed, i immediately go outside where my family was at this moment. Many houses in the neighborhood were destroyed and some cases of death are related. In the downtown, i cant truly tell the consequences that occurred but according to what other people said theres a lot of damages. For now, people are outside and waiting for further indications from the government. | 8 users found this interesting. / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 20-30 s

Sosua, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic (346.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Lamps swinging, felt like my head was spinning, we were on 3rd floor. | 12 users found this interesting.

Detroit / not felt : Was on the phone with my wife. She lives in Thomassin 32, just outside Petionville Haiti (just S. of Port Au Prince). At 8:30 she said "Hold it....earthquake!!!" I could hear her and many others screaming. They ran into the street along with many neighbors. She said she could feel it, it felt strong. She could see the houses shaking but did not see any damage or, within 10 minutes of the quake, hear of any injuries. She said it was strong enough that everyone felt it. | 9 users found this interesting.

San Cristobal (355.1 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 20-30 s : Felt more like light swaying. I live on the second floor and was sitting on my office chair with wheels on hard flooring. My wife who was drying her hair did not feel it. | 6 users found this interesting.

Half Way Tree, St. Andrew (351.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : Was sitting outside. Thought I was having a dizzy spell and realized the ground was swaying. Inside ceiling fan was swaying back and forth. | 5 users found this interesting.

Kingston / Weak shaking (MMI III) : from yesterday the house was creeking making sounds, I was also walking and feeling like I was tumbling down. I believe we can predict earthquakes and need to find means to do so. Thus my sleep was very uncomfortable and I just could not firgure out why I felt so uncomfortable. The earthquake tells me that is why. My body had also changed its position away from the wall strangely as I had been sleeping by the fan to the wall. This as I had experience with seizures so know very well how shaking i | 7 users found this interesting.

Guantanamo Bay navy base near ferry landing. / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Shook the hooch for at least 15 seconds probably closer to 20. Definitely the biggest quake I've ever felt after living in Oklahoma and Kansas all my life! | 7 users found this interesting.

La Vega / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Fue muy fuerte hasta la cuna de mi bebe se movio y yo vivo en una tercera y se sintio asi de fuerte | 5 users found this interesting.

Sosua / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 10-15 s : Thought I was tripping. Sat up straight in the chair and thought... damn these antibiotics are strong! | 6 users found this interesting.

petion-ville / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 1-2 minutes : Live on 5th floor, left the building as quick as possible | 6 users found this interesting.

Licey al Medio, Santiago (322.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : It was really long! | 5 users found this interesting.

Bella Vista, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (372 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I've received some pictures and videos from Haitian friends who live here. How can I send you these pictures and videos? | 3 users found this interesting. You can email them to info AT volcanodiscovery dot com - thank you! / not felt

Guantanamo bay (241.2 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Watched entire house shake. | 5 users found this interesting.

Cap-Haitien (200 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s : All the housse was shaking. Ans everybody go out | 4 users found this interesting.

Cabarete / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Swaying motion side-to-side. Pool water started sloshing against side of pool | 4 users found this interesting.

Moca / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Temblooo | 4 users found this interesting.

Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (312.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : It made us all dizzy in my house. | 3 users found this interesting.

Half Way Tree, St. Andrew (353.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : Moving left to right then right to left watching objects moving | 3 users found this interesting.

Santiago (309.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 20-30 s : Feeling dizzy | 3 users found this interesting.

Petionville, Arrondissement de Port-au-Prince, Ouest (129.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s Meubles et fenetres bougent | 3 users found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s

Mandeville Manchester (420 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes : My bed was shaking and by clothes inside my closet and my furnitures | 3 users found this interesting.

Montego bay (465.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s : Bed shaking | 3 users found this interesting.

In bed / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 1-2 minutes : Mi did feel like mi deh pan a bad road | 3 users found this interesting.

Moa, Cuba / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s : Wall and hanging objects shaking. Got motion sickness | 3 users found this interesting.

Kingston Jamaica (350.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Was lying down on my stomach and I felt like someone was shaking me or trying to ruse me to wake up, then the bed started shaking and it lasted a pretty long time | 3 users found this interesting.

In bed in my home near the US embassy in Port sur / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes : The house shook hard for a couple minutes | 3 users found this interesting.

Ensanche Naco, Santo Domingo, D.N. / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 1-2 minutes : All pending lamps were rotating like an oscillation. Table shaking. | 3 users found this interesting.

sea horse ranch / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 15-20 s : the water in the put was moving to the right and coming out of the pool and chandelier was moving i didnt feel anything else it looked like someone was jumping in the pull making waves | 3 users found this interesting.

Ocho Rios (417.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Light swaying; wavy like in Ocho Rios | 3 users found this interesting. It was slidy / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Pueblo Viejo, Provincia de Azua (287.5 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Nothing | 2 users found this interesting.

Concepcion de la Vega, La Vega, La Vega (323.9 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 1-2 minutes : Woke me up from my sleep. Floors, walls and lamps where shaking | 2 users found this interesting.

Ciudad Nueva, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (376.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s : Long lasting shaking of hanging lamps an glassware | 2 users found this interesting.

Miragoane, Nippes (34.6 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 30-60 s : The entire house oscillating... ground moving.... | 2 users found this interesting.

Portmore (365.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 30-60 s : The bed and fam was shaking. | 2 users found this interesting.

Haiti, Caracol (209.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Light shake | 2 users found this interesting.

Montego Bay Jamaica (464.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Felt a shift in my body positioning and the water in the pool was swirling and splashing out | 2 users found this interesting.

Santa Cryz (446.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling : Shaking the lamp | 2 users found this interesting.

Kingston (358.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s : Swaying going back and forth. Doors and girll were shaking | 2 users found this interesting.

Yallahs, Saint Thomas (336.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Felt swinging feeling | 2 users found this interesting.

Golden springs estate, st. Ann Jamaica (456.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : The bed I was on indoors, rocked slightly laterally for a few seconds | 2 users found this interesting.

San Juan (241.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 20-30 s : Movimientos suaves, pero rapido a | 2 users found this interesting.

Runaway Bay, Parish of Saint Ann (411.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : The bed shaking and my cousin said the house was too | 2 users found this interesting.

Tamboril, Santiago (320 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : All chandeliers were moving side to side | 2 users found this interesting.

Ocho Rios, Jamaica (383.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Swaying | 2 users found this interesting.

Downtown Miami Florida / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / very short : I came out of the bathroom and all the blind chains were smashing against the walls - I am on the 35th floor of a high-rise looking out over South Beach. | One user found this interesting.

San Antonio, Cacao Barrio, Quebradillas (688.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s Estaba acostado despierto en la cama y senti un leve movimiento lateral que duro de 1 a 2 segundos. (reported through (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

San Antonio, Cacao Barrio, Quebradillas (688.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s Estaba acostado despierto en la cama y senti un leve movimiento lateral que duro de 1 a 2 segundos. (reported through (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

Old Harbour, Saint Catherine (387.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I felt my bed swaying as if I was floating on a windy day and the water was taking me side to side. Then felt it again. I thought my child was u der the bed playing.

Falmouth, Trelawny (436.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s : I was laying in bed, and was hearing a squeak from my bed, I thought this was my wife moving in her sleep but when I looked she was not moving.

Santiago (321 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s : Senti como me balanceaba mientras dormia y me desperte y luego vi mi puerta y la ropa dr mi closet sacudiendose.

Spanish Town, St. Catherine, Jamsica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 minutes : Was lying in the sofa-chair when it started to shake like someone was pushing it. Then I saw the mirror on the wall shaking. I called out to my daughter in her room who felt the bed she was lying on shaking too. That was approximately 7:30am and stop at 7:33am. I was a bit frighten as I didn't know whether to move or not. Thanks be to God | 2 users found this interesting.

Kingston, Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : It was long and frightening. | 2 users found this interesting.

Sosua / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : I only noticed because the pool was splashing. | 2 users found this interesting.

Santiago (314.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s : Chair shaking | 2 users found this interesting.

Port au prince haiti / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Was sleeping in the bed all a sudden I felt a shake jumped up and ran outside where I seen other neighbors | 2 users found this interesting.

Juan Lopez (Moca) / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Estaba acostada y senti que me movian la cama,por otro lado, la ropa del closet se movia. | 2 users found this interesting.

Portmore jamaica / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : I felt the bed swimming and going around with me then I noticed the ceiling fan swinging | 2 users found this interesting.

Santo domingo oeste / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging : Sentia como si me estuvieran sacudiendo | 2 users found this interesting.

St Thomas jamaica (465.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Like the bed was swinging | 2 users found this interesting.

Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica (417.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 15-20 s : Bed moved up and down about three times. | 2 users found this interesting.

Ocho Rios (383.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short : Bed shaking and doors swinging weakly. Myself and my son felt it in different rooms. | 2 users found this interesting.

near May Pen, Clarendon (401.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : My bed was shaking for quite some time and i heard persons outside saying are you feeling thag? | One user found this interesting.

Kingston and St Andrew (351.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s : Everything was shaking | One user found this interesting.

Portmore (365.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : The bed was vibrating | One user found this interesting.

Santiago (322.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Mareado | One user found this interesting.

Kingston st andrew / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 minutes : I felt and saw the house shaking for a few minutes all the frames on my wall was shaking things like this always scares me i hope no one got hurt by it this morning smh

Airport area / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : It was so unexpected that i chose to stay put. It was strong in the beginning than became lighter and regular in movement. Lasted a while

Port sun prince / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Near the airport of port au prince the car was shaking left to right. Every one is outside their house

Kingston Jamaica / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Earthquake felt in Jamaica all over the island ...trees rocking ...buildings vibrating and swinging no significant structural damage on my premises.

Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 15-20 s : Vivo en un nivel 5, me encontraba sentada en un sofa de mi dormitorio y los espejos del gabetero comenzo a pegar con la pared y luego vi que lampara pesadas que tengo oscilaban.

Santiago de los caballeros, urbanizacion Miami. / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : I was on my bed and i felt the movement for a significant moment and It started increasing until stpoed.

Croix-des-Bouquets Duval 30 / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s : I felt my head my head was turning the house balanced side ways for about 10 seconds by the time I reached downstairs it stopped probably 5.0

Spanish Town, St. Catherine Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : The bed was swaying, the doors of book stand were rattling. I could still walk and do other things during the shaking .

Portmore / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 1-2 minutes : I was on my bed and it kept on shake very hard I could even see it shaking as well as the door and the fan.

Delmas 41 / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : Lasted for maybe 50 seconds and was quite strong | 2 users found this interesting. do the best to save lives in Haiti / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

may pen, clarendon, jamaica / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : I was sitting at the dining table and a strong swaying motion was felt. Realized it was an earthquake after noticing the curtains moving and objects on the wall swinging like a pendulum. | One user found this interesting.

Kingston 19 Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : It was quiet. I normally hear quakes. Seemed longer than usual. My first impression was that I was dizzy. | One user found this interesting.

Jamaica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Was in the bathroom and felt the like I my head was spinning when I notice the door moving and a basin with water on the bed and the water moving | One user found this interesting.

Cite militaire delmas Haiti (143.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : People are still on the street | One user found this interesting.

Plantation Drive, St Andrew Jamaica (360.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Was just sitting in my living room when it started. Thought I was just tired after an all nighter til I saw the light fixtures swaying and pictures rattling. | One user found this interesting.

Ochos Rios Jamaica (381.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 minutes : Sitting by the pool area having coffee and the swaying began and was rocking water out of the pool. | One user found this interesting.

Kingston Jamaica (355.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Very weak swinging from side to side. Felt like my bed was floating in water. Very faint Rocking like a baby cradle | One user found this interesting.

Gloucester District, Thompson Town, Clarendon (414.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 30-60 s : The vibration felt strong. I was on the bed and felt lateral swinging (pendulum-like) movement. I moved to a doorway and positioned myself there. It felt both vertical and horizontal at that point. The shaking lasted longer than with previous earthquakes I have felt. I felt like it was right below me. | One user found this interesting.

Panama y senti una vibracion. / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Senti como cuando un rayo cae cerca de la casa y la casa vibra. Le dije a mi familia que era un temblor . | One user found this interesting.

Cuba / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Un sonido fuerte y movimiento. Perdi el equilibrio | One user found this interesting.

Kingston / st.andrew, Jamaica (354.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 20-30 s : Wasnt strong but my dog was still alarmed and barking at moving objects, we live in a 3 story and everyone on each story felt it. items were going to fall. Furniture like beds, sofas and tables shook. People around surrey report feeling it. | One user found this interesting.

Patrick City, St. Andrew, Jamaica (375.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 2-5 s : A gentle roll. Felt disorientated. Shaw trees moving gently from side to side. No breeze. The whole tree moved as one unit but gently. Leaves weren't moving. | One user found this interesting.

Kingston, Jamaica (357.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Earth tremor felt in St Andrew , Patrick City. 7:30am Last for 10 seconds and the vibration was noticeable to cause movements in fans and chandeliers. | One user found this interesting.

Kingston / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / several minutes : Jumped out of bed and stood under a doorway | One user found this interesting.

kingston jamaica (350.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : slow and gentle movement maybe a 1 | One user found this interesting.

Santo Domingo / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : My chair moving from side to side | One user found this interesting.

Mejoramiento Social / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : It was horizontal and long | One user found this interesting.

Jarabacoa / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Forma de mareo | One user found this interesting.

Santiago de los caballeros (318 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : It was weak, I was on the bed

Croix-des-Bouquets, Ouest (130.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 30-60 s

Croix-des-Bouquets, Ouest (130.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 30-60 s

Oviedo, Pedernales (229.4 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (315.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s

Mirebalais, Centre (151.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes

Atascocita, Harris, Texas (2549.2 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt Nothing (reported through (reported through our app / not felt

Pittsburg, Crawford, Kansas (2955.2 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Orlando, Florida (1386.8 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Ingenio, Sabana Seca Barrio, Toa Baja (765 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Was working outside at the time near Levittown, PR.. Didnt feel this earthquake

Santiago de Cuba (302.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : The bed was shaking sideways and woke us up. It is solid metal bed that doesn't move easily.

Bridgetown, Saint Michael (1593.9 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Titusville, Brevard, Florida (1360.2 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Minot, North Dakota / not felt : Though I did not feel anything at all-I live just 50 miles south of the Canadian border- my heart felt a sudden and severe pain upon learning of this earthquake. I can only imagine the profound damage that has, yet again, befallen Haiti and its people. To be violently shaken in such a manner as to cause death is beyond belief, yet very real.

Samoset, Manatee, Florida (1367.2 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Holetown, Saint James (1588.4 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Mavis Bank, St. Andrew (333.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 30-60 s

Leon Valley, Bexar, Texas (2838.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Punta Cana, Higuey, La Altagracia (535.5 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Old Harbour Bay, Saint Catherine (386.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Bella Vista, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (373.3 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Nothing at all

Aquin, Arrondissement d'Aquin, Sud (8.4 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 minutes

Fond Parisien, Arrondissement de Croix des Bouquets, Ouest (158.4 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Bay doors of warehouse shaking and rattling but nothing more

near Luling, Caldwell, Texas (2745.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Petionville, Arrondissement de Port-au-Prince, Ouest (124.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Petionville, Arrondissement de Port-au-Prince, Ouest (121.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s It was really shaky, it Woke me UP from sleep (reported through (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s

Gainesville, Alachua, Florida (1541.2 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Terrenas, Samana (425.8 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Mandeville (426.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (315.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

near Punta Cana, Higuey, La Altagracia (532.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Puerto Rico, San Juan Antiguo Barrio, San Juan (781.3 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Burlington, Chittenden, Vermont (2899.9 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s

Georgetown, Demerara-Mahaica (2102.6 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Le Gosier, Guadeloupe, Guadeloupe (1300.4 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Oviedo, Pedernales (229.4 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Kingston (351.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (310.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 15-20 s : Shaking. I thought I was dizzy

near Santo Tome de Guayana, Municipio Caroni, Bolivar (1613.9 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

La Julia, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (374 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Miragoane, Nippes (33.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 30-60 s

Sosua, Cabarete, Sosua, Puerto Plata (346.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

San Carlos Park, Lee, Florida (1240.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

La Julia, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (374.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s

Baitoa, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (315.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s

Old Harbour Bay, Saint Catherine (392.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I was sleeping I guess that's why I did not felt anything.

Guaynabo (779.1 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Did it feel it

near Lionel Town, Clarendon (390.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / several minutes

near Santiago de Cuba (295.5 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 30-60 s : in Santiago de Cuba wake up me

near Las Matas de Farfan, San Juan (226.3 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Bamboo,Saint Ann,Jamaica (397.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Santo domingo (372.1 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Thats it

Petit place cazeau (127.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : It

St. Catherine, Jamaica (366.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s

Santiago, sector Hato Mayor (316 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : That earthqueke, olmost everybody felt it, it kep by a long moment, en the building was moving.

Portmore, Braeton, Saint Catherine (363.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Villa Gonzalez, santiago (309.5 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 30-60 s : Se sintio muy fuerte y de mucha duracion

Port Maria (369.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Spanish, Jamaica (370.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 15-20 s : swaying from side to side

Kingston, Jamaica (551.2 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 1-2 minutes

Lyssons st thomas (312.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 30-60 s : Bed shaking, floor vibrating, open cracks in concrete opening wider

Portmore, Braeton, Saint Catherine (363 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

near Porus, Manchester (407.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

Portmore Jamaica (342.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 15-20 s

Santiago (315.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : I felt a slight dizziness

San Antonio del Sur (230.9 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 30-60 s

Guantanamo (265.3 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s

Jamaica (334.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s

San Juan De La Maguana (240.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Santo Domingo (373.1 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Republica Dominicana Santiago (314.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Lecheria (1316.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Portmore (400.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : Shaking I had to get up from the bed as it was uncomfortable

Jamaica (353.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

La Julia, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (374.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : L

Kingston Jamaica (347.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s

Spanish Town, Saint Catherine (365.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : My bed vibrating

Jimani, dominican republic (162.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s : Light shaking and felt dizzy

Kingston, Jamaica (354.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s : the bed and all the furniture was shaking for a very long while.

Mao, Valverde (281.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating

Delmas 83 (125.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 15-20 s : N/A

Barahona (251.4 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

St Andrew (352.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating : Shook bed and table lightly

Bog Walk, Saint Catherine (378.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : A mild shake left to right for about 1 minute. Gave me that dizzy feeling.

San Cristobal, Republica Dominicana (355.3 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s

Falmouth, Trelawny (436.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Santo Domingo (373.6 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s

Jamaica (352.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

Uwi, Kingston (348.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s

St. Elizabeth Jamaica (456.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Felt my bed swaying looked up and saw my clothes hangers shaking along with my belts

Bella Vista, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (372 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 minutes : The bed started to shake and the closest door started to shake.

Kingston Jamaica (354 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Felt a swaying I my chair but wasn't certain at first then it changed directions

Portmore, Jamaica (367.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Portmore, Jamaica (361.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Santiago de Cuba, Cuba (303.5 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

May Pen (402.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s Saw my fan shaking. (reported through (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Carrefour, Arrondissement de Port-au-Prince, Ouest (109.3 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s

Cap haitien Haiti (200.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s : We safe in the north part so fr

Portmore, Jamaica (363.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Clothes on hangers swaying, seemed to go on longer than usual

Spanish Town, Saint Catherine (368.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : I was sitting and the seat felt like it was swaying

Cap Haitien, Okap, Nord (198.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Santiago, Dominican Republic (280.9 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

santiago de los Caballeros (316.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 30-60 s

Kingston, Jamaica (355.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Saint Marc (109.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : Felt like a big truck going by the house

Licey al Medio, Santiago (319.3 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Yallahs, Saint Thomas (334.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Shaking

Santiago de los caballeros, Republica Dominicana (303.5 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 20-30 s

Kingston, Jamaica (349.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Felt bed sway, light fittings swung slightly, cats disturbed and confused

San Francisco de Macoris, Duarte (351.5 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : I feel it like 5 times

near Aquin, Arrondissement d'Aquin, Sud (24.9 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 1-2 minutes

St. Ann Jamaica (429.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

Ocho rios (382.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s

Ouest (124.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Thant Crescent, Bridgeport, St Catherine, Jamaica (363.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Light swaying of building. Woke from sleep due to movement

near Jarabacoa, La Vega (304 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 30-60 s : .

Las Matas de Farfan (212.5 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vibration and rolling / 15-20 s

Santo domingo (344.6 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

near Portmore, Braeton, Saint Catherine (371.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

guantanamo bay (247.5 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction)

St.Catherine (379.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Santiago de Cuba, Cuba (304.6 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 20-30 s

Kingston Jamaica (396.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Santiago de Cuba (303.1 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 10-15 s

Kingston, Jamaica (358.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : I felt the house swaying for approximately less than 3 mins.

Clarendon, Jamaica (401 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 10-15 s : Yes I felt the earthquake, gentle swaying of furniture, building, trees

Cabarete, Sosua, Puerto Plata (353.7 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Yallahs,st.thomas (332.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Baracoa (240.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 30-60 s

Monci (269.3 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Santiago, Dominican Republic (320.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : The bed and house moving

Santiago de los caballeros (318 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : It was weak, I was on the bed

Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (318.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump

Kingston, Jamaica (349.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (314.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 1-2 s

Bella Vista, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (373 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : The bed and the fan where moving sideways.

Kingston, Jamaica (348.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s Light shaking for about 20 seconds (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Spanish Town, Jamaica (401.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Gonaives, Haiti (140.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s

MONTECRISTI (259.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

La Julia, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (372.7 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Uf

Jamaica (363.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

Moca, Republica Dominicana (329.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes

Bonao, Dominican Republica (343 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Bed moving

Puerto Plata (330.5 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s

Santo Domingo Oeste (364.1 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Croix-des-Bouquets, Ouest (130.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 30-60 s

Gordon Town, St. Andrew (348.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Port Antonio (321.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 30-60 s

MayPen (401.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Felt like the house was rocking back and forth, loose wires started making sounds.

Kingston, Jamaica (352.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Gordon Town, St. Andrew (346.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Las Matas de Farfan (212.3 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 15-20 s

Cabarete (353.9 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s

Puerto Plata (329.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Kingston (358.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

La vega, los pomos (323.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 30-60 s

Tenares (345.9 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Fue muy fuerte

Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (317.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (318.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Concepcion de la Vega, La Vega, La Vega (322.3 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s : Se movio

Kingston (356.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : Light shaking, for about a minute

Cuba (252.3 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Delmas 33/Delmas (123.6 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

Delmas (125.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 5-10 s

Ensanche espaillat Distrito nacional (378.5 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s

Haiti (107 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s

Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (316.5 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 15-20 s

Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (315.9 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Bog Walk, St. Catherine (371.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 30-60 s

Santiago De Los Caballeros (315.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Castillo (374.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Manchioneal, Portland (301.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Ciudad Nueva, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (377.5 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Hayes Clarendon Jamaica (402.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short

Greater Portmore (St. Catherine) (365.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Mandeville Manchester (443.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Shaking while lying in bed. Clothes swinging for 2 mins

Spanish Town, Saint Catherine (365.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : My bed vibrating

Grangwav, Leyogan, Ouest (73.1 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Moca, Dominican Republic (328.8 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s : Bed was vibrating back and forth ceiling fan moving side to side

near Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth (437.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s

Charlestown Portland Jamaica (353.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Felt the ground shake.

Dominican republic (302.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : I was sleeping and the swing woke me up

Jamaica (449 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake

Barahona, Dominican Republic (249.7 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : The house was moving

Puerto Plata (330.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / very short : So nervios

Boscobel, St. Mary (368.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Santiago (316.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s

santo domingo (398.7 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 30-60 s

Dajabon (227.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 1-2 minutes

Guantanamo (258.6 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Delmas (130.6 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s

Pigeon Forge TN (2164.8 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Santiago de Los caballeros (318 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Portland (321.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

St Ann's Bay (390.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

26 km of Guantanamo (241.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s

Hope Pastures Kingston (618.3 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s

Barranquilla (836.9 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s

Licey al Medio, Santiago (322 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Kingston, Jamaica (419.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Jamaica (366.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Port au prince, Haiti / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s : Dead bodies only are happy,their graves shook with them but they didn't know what's happening, so they don't care for those alive like us and undoubtedly, they're laughing at us. It's real bad feeling ,from left to right and front to back. | One user found this interesting.

Saint-Marc, Haiti / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 10-15 s : The quake was very quick

Les Cayes (36.2 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Violent shaking (MMI IX) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 30-60 s

Kingston, Jamaica / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s

Cartagena / not felt

Tabarre / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s

Delmas / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : I was seating on my bed while my foot remain on the floor and i feel my feet are shaking and i tell to myself no its not a sign of weakness .. im not weak.. Then i had a bottle of water and i see it is started shaking and i run out of my room to go outside. Its a bad feeling...

San San, Portland, Jamaica / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes : The biggest tremor I have felt on North coast of Jamaica in the last 30 years. Made my tummy go queezy! Quite alarming!

Boutilliers, near Laboule 12, Commune of Petion-V / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes

In bed (374.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Santo Domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

San Nicolas, Aruba (764.7 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Turks and Caicos (421.9 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Lots of waves Saturday

Santiago / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s : Bed and lamp moving kind of circular

Brooklyn, New York (2468.9 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Marituba (3522.9 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Port au prince / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / several minutes

Delmas / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : I was seating on my bed while my foot remain on the floor and i feel my feet are shaking and i tell to myself no its not a sign of weakness .. im not weak.. Then i had a bottle of water and i see it is started shaking and i run out of my room to go outside. Its a bad feeling...

Santiago / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating

Mao, Republica Dominicana / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / several minutes : Movimiento de la cama, lamparas, sensacion de inestabilidad por mas de 4 minutos

Mao, Republica Dominicana / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / several minutes : Movimiento de la cama, lamparas, sensacion de inestabilidad por mas de 4 minutos

Swannanoa (2104.3 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Croix-des-bouquets / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Maryville, Tn (2186.1 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Barbados (1597.2 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Santiago de los caballeros / not felt

Portau prinseport au prince / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Los Algarrobos Chiriqui, Panama (1465.6 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Kingston / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / several minutes : I felt the floor swaying like, dizzy like my eyes turning like I was about to pass out. Door shook as well

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (528.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I did not feel anything

Whitehouse jamaica (477.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / several minutes

Espaillat (331.7 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / 1-2 minutes (reported through our app / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / 1-2 minutes

millville nj / not felt

Kingston / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Felt like undulations. House creaking. Felt be rocking from side to side. Strong but not jerky. Smooth movement.

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. (310.6 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Santiago De Los Caballeros (314.7 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 30-60 s

Kingston Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) : It felt like the building was dancing with a roaring sound

Antilla cuba / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 20-30 s

santiago (315 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 10-15 s

Petion Ville haiti / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 20-30 s

Santo Domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / several minutes : Bed was rocking light fixtures were swaying

Nasssu, Bahamas / not felt : Notified by a friend in Jamaica

Cazaou, port au prince / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Santo Domingo (370.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Port au Prince / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Side to side shaking of couch and string on ceiling fan moving

Durham, NC (2031.2 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Charlotte (1991.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Lakeland Florida / not felt

Japan / not felt

Delmas / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : I was seating on my bed while my foot remain on the floor and i feel my feet are shaking and i tell to myself no its not a sign of weakness .. im not weak.. Then i had a bottle of water and i see it is started shaking and i run out of my room to go outside. Its a bad feeling...

St ann, jamaica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 20-30 s : Felt like I was sliding, like a ship getting ready to move out in the water6

Dixon Illinois USA (3017.2 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Caguas, Puerto Rico (788.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Santiago (313.5 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : The bed was moving slightly back and forth

Cap haitien haiti / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s : Light movement, cars shaking, gates swinging

Santo Domingo Oeste / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / several minutes : I felt it but thats wild because was in at the morning how 4 am

Tallahassee, Florida / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I was leaning against the kitchen counter and felt the weak vibrations.

Dominican Republic / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / very short : I was in bed. When i feel it moving

Ormond Beach Fl 32174 / not felt : Poor people !! OMG

Oregon, Dane, Wisconsin (3110.1 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt I didn't feel the 7.1 Magnitude Earthquake that happened in Haiti in Oregon Wisconsin (reported through (reported through our app / not felt

Delmas 31 / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 20-30 s

Trelawney, Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : The bed on which my sister and I was in was shaking and making a rattling sound. We just lay there and watched it until it was finished. I really took us by surprise.

Dominican republic Santo domingo / not felt

Desirade (1341 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Santiago de Cuba / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

Santiago Republica Dominicana / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Maimon, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic / not felt : I realized there was I quake after I read the news.

Delmas 3 (122.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Santiago, dominican republic / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Delmas / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s

Madison WI (3122.2 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Off turks &caicos (1201.3 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s

Miami, FL / not felt : At hone

Thomassin mountains / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 30-60 s : Everything shook

G3FG+QP5, Ensanche Naco, Santo Domingo, Dominican (374.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 1-2 minutes : I have a ceiling lamp with many pendants that were oscillating in a perfect imaginary circle of about 2cm of diameter. Glass table was jumping. My feeling was my body was moving one side to the other. All of that happened during about one minute.

Ocho rio, Jamaica (389.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / several minutes : I way laying in bed and felt the bed shake for a few minutes.

Issaquah / not felt

Constanza, Republica Dominicana (293.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

st james / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 20-30 s

St. Andrew Jamaica / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 2-5 s : Woke me from dead sleep. The sensation of violent shaking back and forth. Loud deep roar. Shaking felt different to what I'm accustomed to. Most times I feel the sensation of up/down movement or side to side movement. This time the shaking was very strong but had less focus, so I guessed that it was larger in scale and reach.

Cabarete / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : It was like being on a boat

Kingston Jamica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 10-15 s : I felt at first I was fainting but then the chair beside me start shaking and I could see the house swaying side to side. The lights in the ceiling was shaking. I heard a slight rumbling.

Port au Prince / Violent shaking (MMI IX) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Punta Cana (542.6 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Welling, Oklahoma (2851.2 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I didn't feel the earthquake but it did slosh the water in my well badly.

Petit Goave, Haiti / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : The ground was shaking, the trees were swaying.

Santo Domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

Punta cana / not felt

Puerto plata, DO / not felt : Nothing

Portland Jamaica / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 10-15 s : I see the house shaking, then it feels like it was shaking on water, this cause me to feel dizzy

Petion-ville, freres (129.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Santo Domingo , Dominican Republic / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 10-15 s : I was at the 11th floor of a building in an apartment in Bella Vista, while talking on the phone with a family member in Haiti , she starts saying she felt an earthquake and 2 seconds after it starts shaking in the apartment during a 10 to 12 seconds we felt it

Jupiter, Florida, USA 33458 (1164.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : suspended chandelier swaying. Movement here corresponded within minutes of posted time of event. Took nearly half an hour to completely stop moving.

Red Hills St. Andrew, Jamaica (146.4 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Port-au-Prince / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s : It wasn't no strong, but we feel it

Myrtle Beach (1775.9 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Treasure Beach, Jamaica (541.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : I was sitting in a chair that started rocking from side to side

Manchester, NH (2740.7 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Port-au-prince / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 30-60 s : My comment is in French. Il a secoue pendant pres d'une minute. Ma voiture a bouge de haut en bas. Les repliques continuent au moment ou j'ecris. I feel scary.

Kingston / Light shaking (MMI IV)

/ not felt

Port au Prince / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 20-30 s

Bog walk st. Catherine Jamaica At home / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Felt like the house was floating. Furniture shaking.

West Norbrook Heights / not felt : I was asleep. My wife felt it and said it felt like the bed was shaking.

Jamaica / not felt : I saw message in my watsap group asking if anyone felt that quake

Portmore jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s : Was in bed, woken by slight rocking from side to side for several seconds

Port-au-Prince,at home / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating : I felt shocked

Kingston (358.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

Santocko / not felt

Florida PR / not felt

Kingston, Jamaica (402.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 30-60 s : Length was significant for me to be concerned

Thomassin mountains / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 30-60 s : Everything shook

sosua (348.8 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

OCHO RIOS , ST. ANN, JAMAICA / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s : Was sitting amd felt the chair shaking. It was as if I was having a severe dizzy spell and lost all equilibrium. Tried to stand and was swaying

Santa Cruz Aruba (755.3 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Kingston Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes : In Kingston Jamaica. Lying down felt the bed shaking and saw the door swinging for about 2 minutes

St. Louis Missourj (2765.8 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Montego Bay (469.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : House move for couple of second saw fans in ceiling and clothes in closet swinging. It woke me up.

Kingston jamaica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s

Turks and caicos / not felt

Port-au-Prince (122.3 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s

Kingston Jamaica (350.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Kingston Jamaica / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Bed moved, window blinds shook, walls shook.

Santiago / not felt

Kingston, jamaica (350.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Spanish Town, Jamaica / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 2-5 s : Bed was swaying like ship on sea. It was more sustained than others.

Spanish town (374.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : house and ceiling shaking for a few seconds

Kingston, Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Gentle horizontal pushing back and forth

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (528.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I did not feel anything

Santiago, Dominican Republic / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Las Terrenas Dominican Republic (424.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Carrefour (116.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 20-30 s

Petionville (127.3 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 10-15 s

Kingston / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : It was more of a swaying movement that was felt. Movement lasted for about 10 seconds.

Cabarete DR / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Kingston, Jamaica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Fairly gentle swaying

Santiago, Dominican Republic (317.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Woke from sleep. Building shook.

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada / not felt

San cristobal, Dominican Republic (351.6 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Treasure beach, St.Elizabeth, Jamaica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 30-60 s

Jamaica (341.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

Runaway Bay, Jamaica / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / complex motion difficult to describe : Strong shaking

Cap haitien haiti / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s : Light movement, cars shaking, gates swinging

Negril, Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 10-15 s : I felt it

Kingston, jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Sosua domminican republic (341.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 30-60 s : I was having coffee, i felt swaying, I never felt an earthquake before, but I was swaying in my chair, i knew it was an earthquake, and i knew it had to be big to feel it where i was

Kingston (353.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 20-30 s

Constanza / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s : Movimientos y vibraciones

Metropolis, Illinois / not felt

Port-au-Prince Haiti / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Jamaica (374.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Mild shaking in Jamaica

Turks and Caicos / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Woke me up because the bed was vibrating.

port au prince / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 30-60 s : scary

North Fort Myers, Florida USA / not felt

Kingston, Jamaica (373.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging

Santo Domingo / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : Asleep, woken up by shaking.

Jamaica, St. Anns (371.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : If felt like I was on a water bed and the waves passing underneath, the open doors started to swing

Palma Soriano (333.3 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Yo estaba durmiendo y movio tan fuerte la cama que me desperte de un salto cai en la calle

Santo Domingo Oeste / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s

Puerto plata / not felt

Port-de-Paix, Haiti (183.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Montego Bay Jamaica (463.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

Madrid / not felt

Fundacion Barahona (242.3 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : Se sintio como un resbalon fuerte en la manana de este sabado mientras que todo estaba de izquierda a derecha.

Pignon, Haiti / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / very short

Baracoa, Guantanamo, Cuba (237.7 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Me desperte alarmado, mareado, la cama se mecia fuertemente, me puse ropa y mascarilla, sali de la casa y aun se movia la tierra

Kingston Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Nauseated briefly.

Kingston, Jamaica (354.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : It was more of a swaying from left to right

Eltham View, Spanish Town, Jamaica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

Guantanamo / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Cables moviendose,muebles temblando

Caracol, Haiti / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s : im now on defensive , just only care of whatever upcomming event.

Jamaica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : Felt like the house was swaying gentle...ITEMS on the dresser kept moving.

San German, PR (683.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I read that it could be felt in Puerto Rico but we felt nothing. Im in San German PR

Kingston, Jamaica (351.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : The bed was shaking

Delmas, Haiti / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating

Kingston Jamaica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 15-20 s

Baracoa, Guantanamo, Cuba / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Jamaica (389.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating

Kingston / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Bed shaking

Santo Domingo (374.4 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Kingston, Jamaica / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Horizontal swing. Not a shake. Could see the bed and lights swaying

Licey al medio Santiago / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) : Horrible

MONTEGO BAY Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 1-2 minutes : Tremor for at least 3 minutes

Kingston Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : Checked time, definitely lasted at least 1 minute

Santiago / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : I feel it strong

Tabarre / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Wasn't scared but I was working I went out to see the best position I could take.

Sleeping in Kingston, Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s : Felt bed shaking. Door making sound. Quake woke me.

Port de paix, Nord Ouest, HTI / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

St.Catherine Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Kingston jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : My bed swinging

Kingston / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 20-30 s : The shaking was obvious enough to be alarming but not intense enough to knock anything down.

Moca / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 20-30 s

Guantanamo bay Cuba / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s

Montego bay / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Windows rattled, bed started shaking, woke me up

Jrabacoa / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 20-30 s

Port-au-Prince / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

santo domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : i m feel it very strong in santo domingo dominican republic

san Jose de Ocoa / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short
User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale

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Spanish Town, Saint Catherine (361.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I was lying in bed sleeping when I felt my body lightly swaying. I thought I was dreaming but when I popped open my eyes I noticed that my hanging stethoscope was swinging. Thats what confirmed for me that I had just felt an earthquake. | 4 users found this interesting.

Trelawny, Jamaica (417.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : The bed rocked and my husband was on the couch asking me how I was shaking his sofa! Lamp shades were shaking and pendulumights were swaying - last about 1-2 minutes | 3 users found this interesting.

Half Way Tree, St. Andrew (341.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : The bed feels like it was swinging side to side and vibrates objects on the wall vibrate n swings movements of the roof could be seen | 2 users found this interesting.

fort Lauderdale Florida / not felt : walked outside to see the skies and wind from fred and saw my pool moving back and forth. thought it was the wind but was not moving right it was like your walking with a bucket of water but not coming out of its rim this was around 8am 8/14/2021. | 3 users found this interesting.

Ocho Rios Jamaica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 5-10 s : Was at Breakfast table having coffee and all of a sudden everything started moving up an down. | 3 users found this interesting.

Yallahs st. Thomas Jamaica (309.8 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / several minutes : Felt the house shaking saw trees, fence and other out doors shaking | 3 users found this interesting.

St. Andrew Jamaica / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / complex motion difficult to describe / 20-30 s : Bed was shaking. Others in house felt off balance like vertigo. Pool water splashing out, dogs frightened and shaking also trees and plants moving. No visual damage to house etc. | 2 users found this interesting.

Yallahs st. Thomas Jamaica / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s : It was more like the place was swaying. I felt I was going to fall. It lasted about 5 to 10 seconds. | 2 users found this interesting.

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (212.5 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Awakened by what felt like someone pushing/pulling on bed frame. | 2 users found this interesting.

St.Ann Ocho Rios (482.1 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : Felt the bed moving back & forth, fan moved with the vibration as well. | 2 users found this interesting.

Jamaica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : Bed shook for about half a minute, ceiling fan shook from side to side. | 2 users found this interesting.

Lafito port au prince / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : The floor was shaking strongly. It was scary. | 2 users found this interesting. / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Marcus Garvey Drive, New Port West, Kingston, Jama (342.3 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Sitting on a wooden chair i felt myself get dizzy and felt the chair moving and then i saw everything moving side to side twice | 2 users found this interesting.

Baracoa / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Fuertes sacudidas | 2 users found this interesting.

Runaway Bay, Parish of Saint Ann (386 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : House shook front door grill swinging, hanging objects swinging | One user found this interesting.

Port Antonio Jamaica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 20-30 s : Water in swimming pool became choppy | One user found this interesting.

Spanish town St Catherine / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I was on the bed, for a brief moment it felt like was in a boat rocking. It happened around 7:30am this morning it was not a major shake just slight movements. | One user found this interesting.

Old Harbour, St. Catherine Jamaica / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : Chair slightly rocked sideways. | One user found this interesting.

Santiago, Dominican Republic / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : I felt strong horizontal movement | One user found this interesting.

Port-Au-Prince, Haiti / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 20-30 s : Mild shaking. Wilding slightly swayed and I could see glass flexing but not breaking. Lasted about 30 seconds and felt like standing on waves. | One user found this interesting.

Saint Ann (368 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : Quiet vibration on the floor lasting for about 15 to 20 minutes. | One user found this interesting.

Kellits, Clarendon (382.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

near Lionel Town, Clarendon (382.1 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Was awaken from my sleep by the shaking wasn't sure what it was at the time.

Constant Spring, St. Andrew (340.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Portmore, Braeton, Saint Catherine (346.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Santiago de Cuba (276.5 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / single lateral shake / 20-30 s

Duncans, Trelawny (416.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s

St. Andrew Jamaica / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / complex motion difficult to describe / 20-30 s : Bed was shaking. Others in house felt off balance like vertigo. Pool water splashing out, dogs frightened and shaking also trees and plants moving. No visual damage to house etc.

Kingston / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Jamaica (388.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Place was just shaking all around me

St Thomas (826.5 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Others felt very mild shaking.

Portland jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : The floor swinging side to side

Portland jamaica / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s

Negril, Jamaica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Bed was swaying side to side for a couple seconds. It stopped, then repeated again. My son was in a bathroom and felt the room moving side to side.

Montego bay / not felt

KINGSTON / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Kingston, Jamaica (342.5 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Portmore Jamaica / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 1-2 minutes

St. John, USVI / not felt : No indication of earthquake

Kingston, Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 30-60 s : Gentle vibration of building that lasted way too long for comfort.

Montego bay / not felt

Yallahs, jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

Aruba (789.6 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Trelawny, Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Guantanamo / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / very short : Shaking

Kingston / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s

Kingston Jamaica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s

St. Catherine, Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s : It felt like how the earth usually

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic / not felt : Slight ground vibration but nothing more

Haiti

Lucea, Jamaica / not felt : Nothing

Cuba / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s

Old harbour St catherine Jamaica / not felt : I was in a taxi on my way to work. But persons at home said they didnt feel it

Santo Domingo / not felt

PHILUS MERCIDIEU/AEROPORT (139.6 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 30-60 s

Delmas (144.3 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s

Santa Cruz Aruba (786.3 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Herradura costa rica (1548.9 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Ciudad de Guatemala (1850.5 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Kingston, Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 minutes

Santiago de cuba Cuba / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s

Port Au Prince / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Santiago de Cuba (283.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 20-30 s

Trelawny/Falmouth, Jamaica - Royalton Resorts / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 30-60 s
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Les Cayes Haiti (44.2 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 20-30 s : I was on the toilet and struggled to stay on haha. At first I thought my imagination was playing with me cause the bathroom shifted so visibly. | 27 users found this interesting. This is serious. I see stupid people posting ridiculous comments. If you have nothing good to say then you should not post anything. Pray for the people of Haiti. All other ignorant people don't say anything. This is no joking matter. God Bless Haiti. The United States to the rescue. Louisiana stands in solitude with you Haiti / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 20-30 s

Jarabacoa / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : Senti un temblor constante pero no muy fuerte, por unos 30 segundos mas o menos | 24 users found this interesting. "Moderate shaking, chandeliers swaying, dogs confused, pool water sloshing, lasted 10-15 seconds, strongest we've felt since the 2010 earthquake." Who wrote this and where ?

Moderate shaking, chandeliers swaying, dogs confused, pool water sloshing, lasted 10-15 seconds, strongest we've felt since the 2010 earthquake. / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

Guantanamo Bay (241.6 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : Weak shaking, no items fell. Dog was entertained. First time Ive felt one. | 24 users found this interesting.

Jacmel, Haiti (107.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : I was upstairs when it started. We quickly went into the yard and watched the house and all the trees in the yard swaying | 17 users found this interesting.

Half Way Tree, St. Andrew (351 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Was asleep, woke up to the bed shaking side to side, heard windows, doors, other stationary objects rattling | 14 users found this interesting. I was sitting on the bed and the bed was shaking so hard and the doors. / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Kingston (352.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Tree was unearthed | 13 users found this interesting.

Sosua, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic (346.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Lamps swinging, felt like my head was spinning, we were on 3rd floor. | 12 users found this interesting.

guantanamo bay cuba (241.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s : Felt like riding in boat with waves | 12 users found this interesting.

Les Cayes / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 20-30 s : I was sleeping when this happened. Once i felt the vibrations on the bed, i immediately go outside where my family was at this moment. Many houses in the neighborhood were destroyed and some cases of death are related. In the downtown, i cant truly tell the consequences that occurred but according to what other people said theres a lot of damages. For now, people are outside and waiting for further indications from the government. | 8 users found this interesting. / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 20-30 s

Detroit / not felt : Was on the phone with my wife. She lives in Thomassin 32, just outside Petionville Haiti (just S. of Port Au Prince). At 8:30 she said "Hold it....earthquake!!!" I could hear her and many others screaming. They ran into the street along with many neighbors. She said she could feel it, it felt strong. She could see the houses shaking but did not see any damage or, within 10 minutes of the quake, hear of any injuries. She said it was strong enough that everyone felt it. | 9 users found this interesting.

Kingston / Weak shaking (MMI III) : from yesterday the house was creeking making sounds, I was also walking and feeling like I was tumbling down. I believe we can predict earthquakes and need to find means to do so. Thus my sleep was very uncomfortable and I just could not firgure out why I felt so uncomfortable. The earthquake tells me that is why. My body had also changed its position away from the wall strangely as I had been sleeping by the fan to the wall. This as I had experience with seizures so know very well how shaking i | 7 users found this interesting.

Guantanamo Bay navy base near ferry landing. / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Shook the hooch for at least 15 seconds probably closer to 20. Definitely the biggest quake I've ever felt after living in Oklahoma and Kansas all my life! | 7 users found this interesting.

San Cristobal (355.1 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 20-30 s : Felt more like light swaying. I live on the second floor and was sitting on my office chair with wheels on hard flooring. My wife who was drying her hair did not feel it. | 6 users found this interesting.

Sosua / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 10-15 s : Thought I was tripping. Sat up straight in the chair and thought... damn these antibiotics are strong! | 6 users found this interesting.

Half Way Tree, St. Andrew (351.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : Was sitting outside. Thought I was having a dizzy spell and realized the ground was swaying. Inside ceiling fan was swaying back and forth. | 5 users found this interesting.

La Vega / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Fue muy fuerte hasta la cuna de mi bebe se movio y yo vivo en una tercera y se sintio asi de fuerte | 5 users found this interesting.

petion-ville / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 1-2 minutes : Live on 5th floor, left the building as quick as possible | 6 users found this interesting.

Licey al Medio, Santiago (322.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : It was really long! | 5 users found this interesting.

Guantanamo bay (241.2 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Watched entire house shake. | 5 users found this interesting.

Bella Vista, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (372 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I've received some pictures and videos from Haitian friends who live here. How can I send you these pictures and videos? | 3 users found this interesting. You can email them to info AT volcanodiscovery dot com - thank you! / not felt

Kingston Jamaica (350.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Was lying down on my stomach and I felt like someone was shaking me or trying to ruse me to wake up, then the bed started shaking and it lasted a pretty long time | 3 users found this interesting.

Cap-Haitien (200 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s : All the housse was shaking. Ans everybody go out | 4 users found this interesting.

sea horse ranch / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 15-20 s : the water in the put was moving to the right and coming out of the pool and chandelier was moving i didnt feel anything else it looked like someone was jumping in the pull making waves | 3 users found this interesting.

Cabarete / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Swaying motion side-to-side. Pool water started sloshing against side of pool | 4 users found this interesting.

Moca / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Temblooo | 4 users found this interesting.

Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (312.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : It made us all dizzy in my house. | 3 users found this interesting.

Half Way Tree, St. Andrew (353.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : Moving left to right then right to left watching objects moving | 3 users found this interesting.

Santiago (309.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 20-30 s : Feeling dizzy | 3 users found this interesting.

Ocho Rios (417.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Light swaying; wavy like in Ocho Rios | 3 users found this interesting. It was slidy / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Petionville, Arrondissement de Port-au-Prince, Ouest (129.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s Meubles et fenetres bougent | 3 users found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s

Mandeville Manchester (420 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes : My bed was shaking and by clothes inside my closet and my furnitures | 3 users found this interesting.

Montego bay (465.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s : Bed shaking | 3 users found this interesting.

Spanish Town, St. Catherine, Jamsica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 minutes : Was lying in the sofa-chair when it started to shake like someone was pushing it. Then I saw the mirror on the wall shaking. I called out to my daughter in her room who felt the bed she was lying on shaking too. That was approximately 7:30am and stop at 7:33am. I was a bit frighten as I didn't know whether to move or not. Thanks be to God | 2 users found this interesting.

Port au prince haiti / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Was sleeping in the bed all a sudden I felt a shake jumped up and ran outside where I seen other neighbors | 2 users found this interesting.

Plantation Drive, St Andrew Jamaica (360.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Was just sitting in my living room when it started. Thought I was just tired after an all nighter til I saw the light fixtures swaying and pictures rattling. | One user found this interesting.

Kingston Jamaica (355.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Very weak swinging from side to side. Felt like my bed was floating in water. Very faint Rocking like a baby cradle | One user found this interesting.

Gloucester District, Thompson Town, Clarendon (414.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 30-60 s : The vibration felt strong. I was on the bed and felt lateral swinging (pendulum-like) movement. I moved to a doorway and positioned myself there. It felt both vertical and horizontal at that point. The shaking lasted longer than with previous earthquakes I have felt. I felt like it was right below me. | One user found this interesting.

Kingston / st.andrew, Jamaica (354.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 20-30 s : Wasnt strong but my dog was still alarmed and barking at moving objects, we live in a 3 story and everyone on each story felt it. items were going to fall. Furniture like beds, sofas and tables shook. People around surrey report feeling it. | One user found this interesting.

Patrick City, St. Andrew, Jamaica (375.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 2-5 s : A gentle roll. Felt disorientated. Shaw trees moving gently from side to side. No breeze. The whole tree moved as one unit but gently. Leaves weren't moving. | One user found this interesting.

Kingston, Jamaica (357.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Earth tremor felt in St Andrew , Patrick City. 7:30am Last for 10 seconds and the vibration was noticeable to cause movements in fans and chandeliers. | One user found this interesting.

In bed / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 1-2 minutes : Mi did feel like mi deh pan a bad road | 3 users found this interesting.

Moa, Cuba / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s : Wall and hanging objects shaking. Got motion sickness | 3 users found this interesting.

In bed in my home near the US embassy in Port sur / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes : The house shook hard for a couple minutes | 3 users found this interesting.

Ensanche Naco, Santo Domingo, D.N. / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 1-2 minutes : All pending lamps were rotating like an oscillation. Table shaking. | 3 users found this interesting.

Pueblo Viejo, Provincia de Azua (287.5 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Nothing | 2 users found this interesting.

Concepcion de la Vega, La Vega, La Vega (323.9 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 1-2 minutes : Woke me up from my sleep. Floors, walls and lamps where shaking | 2 users found this interesting.

Santiago (314.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s : Chair shaking | 2 users found this interesting.

Ciudad Nueva, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (376.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s : Long lasting shaking of hanging lamps an glassware | 2 users found this interesting.

Miragoane, Nippes (34.6 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 30-60 s : The entire house oscillating... ground moving.... | 2 users found this interesting.

Portmore (365.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 30-60 s : The bed and fam was shaking. | 2 users found this interesting.

Haiti, Caracol (209.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Light shake | 2 users found this interesting.

Montego Bay Jamaica (464.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Felt a shift in my body positioning and the water in the pool was swirling and splashing out | 2 users found this interesting.

Santa Cryz (446.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling : Shaking the lamp | 2 users found this interesting.

Kingston (358.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s : Swaying going back and forth. Doors and girll were shaking | 2 users found this interesting.

Yallahs, Saint Thomas (336.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Felt swinging feeling | 2 users found this interesting.

Golden springs estate, st. Ann Jamaica (456.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : The bed I was on indoors, rocked slightly laterally for a few seconds | 2 users found this interesting.

St Thomas jamaica (465.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Like the bed was swinging | 2 users found this interesting.

Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica (417.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 15-20 s : Bed moved up and down about three times. | 2 users found this interesting.

Ocho Rios (383.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short : Bed shaking and doors swinging weakly. Myself and my son felt it in different rooms. | 2 users found this interesting.

San Juan (241.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 20-30 s : Movimientos suaves, pero rapido a | 2 users found this interesting.

Runaway Bay, Parish of Saint Ann (411.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : The bed shaking and my cousin said the house was too | 2 users found this interesting.

Tamboril, Santiago (320 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : All chandeliers were moving side to side | 2 users found this interesting.

Ocho Rios, Jamaica (383.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Swaying | 2 users found this interesting.

Downtown Miami Florida / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / very short : I came out of the bathroom and all the blind chains were smashing against the walls - I am on the 35th floor of a high-rise looking out over South Beach. | One user found this interesting.

may pen, clarendon, jamaica / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : I was sitting at the dining table and a strong swaying motion was felt. Realized it was an earthquake after noticing the curtains moving and objects on the wall swinging like a pendulum. | One user found this interesting.

Kingston 19 Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : It was quiet. I normally hear quakes. Seemed longer than usual. My first impression was that I was dizzy. | One user found this interesting.

Jamaica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Was in the bathroom and felt the like I my head was spinning when I notice the door moving and a basin with water on the bed and the water moving | One user found this interesting.

Panama y senti una vibracion. / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Senti como cuando un rayo cae cerca de la casa y la casa vibra. Le dije a mi familia que era un temblor . | One user found this interesting.

San Antonio, Cacao Barrio, Quebradillas (688.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s Estaba acostado despierto en la cama y senti un leve movimiento lateral que duro de 1 a 2 segundos. (reported through (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

G3FG+QP5, Ensanche Naco, Santo Domingo, Dominican (374.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 1-2 minutes : I have a ceiling lamp with many pendants that were oscillating in a perfect imaginary circle of about 2cm of diameter. Glass table was jumping. My feeling was my body was moving one side to the other. All of that happened during about one minute.

San Antonio, Cacao Barrio, Quebradillas (688.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s Estaba acostado despierto en la cama y senti un leve movimiento lateral que duro de 1 a 2 segundos. (reported through (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

Jupiter, Florida, USA 33458 (1164.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : suspended chandelier swaying. Movement here corresponded within minutes of posted time of event. Took nearly half an hour to completely stop moving.

Old Harbour, Saint Catherine (387.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I felt my bed swaying as if I was floating on a windy day and the water was taking me side to side. Then felt it again. I thought my child was u der the bed playing.

Falmouth, Trelawny (436.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s : I was laying in bed, and was hearing a squeak from my bed, I thought this was my wife moving in her sleep but when I looked she was not moving.

Sosua domminican republic (341.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 30-60 s : I was having coffee, i felt swaying, I never felt an earthquake before, but I was swaying in my chair, i knew it was an earthquake, and i knew it had to be big to feel it where i was

Baracoa, Guantanamo, Cuba (237.7 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Me desperte alarmado, mareado, la cama se mecia fuertemente, me puse ropa y mascarilla, sali de la casa y aun se movia la tierra

Santiago (321 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s : Senti como me balanceaba mientras dormia y me desperte y luego vi mi puerta y la ropa dr mi closet sacudiendose.

Kingston, Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : It was long and frightening. | 2 users found this interesting.

Sosua / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : I only noticed because the pool was splashing. | 2 users found this interesting.

Juan Lopez (Moca) / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Estaba acostada y senti que me movian la cama,por otro lado, la ropa del closet se movia. | 2 users found this interesting.

Portmore jamaica / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : I felt the bed swimming and going around with me then I noticed the ceiling fan swinging | 2 users found this interesting.

Santo domingo oeste / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging : Sentia como si me estuvieran sacudiendo | 2 users found this interesting.

Cite militaire delmas Haiti (143.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : People are still on the street | One user found this interesting.

Port au prince, Haiti / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s : Dead bodies only are happy,their graves shook with them but they didn't know what's happening, so they don't care for those alive like us and undoubtedly, they're laughing at us. It's real bad feeling ,from left to right and front to back. | One user found this interesting.

near May Pen, Clarendon (401.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : My bed was shaking for quite some time and i heard persons outside saying are you feeling thag? | One user found this interesting.

Ochos Rios Jamaica (381.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 minutes : Sitting by the pool area having coffee and the swaying began and was rocking water out of the pool. | One user found this interesting.

Kingston and St Andrew (351.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s : Everything was shaking | One user found this interesting.

kingston jamaica (350.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : slow and gentle movement maybe a 1 | One user found this interesting.

Portmore (365.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : The bed was vibrating | One user found this interesting.

Santiago (322.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Mareado | One user found this interesting.

Delmas / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : I was seating on my bed while my foot remain on the floor and i feel my feet are shaking and i tell to myself no its not a sign of weakness .. im not weak.. Then i had a bottle of water and i see it is started shaking and i run out of my room to go outside. Its a bad feeling...

San San, Portland, Jamaica / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes : The biggest tremor I have felt on North coast of Jamaica in the last 30 years. Made my tummy go queezy! Quite alarming!

Delmas / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : I was seating on my bed while my foot remain on the floor and i feel my feet are shaking and i tell to myself no its not a sign of weakness .. im not weak.. Then i had a bottle of water and i see it is started shaking and i run out of my room to go outside. Its a bad feeling...

Kingston / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / several minutes : I felt the floor swaying like, dizzy like my eyes turning like I was about to pass out. Door shook as well

Kingston / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Felt like undulations. House creaking. Felt be rocking from side to side. Strong but not jerky. Smooth movement.

Delmas / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : I was seating on my bed while my foot remain on the floor and i feel my feet are shaking and i tell to myself no its not a sign of weakness .. im not weak.. Then i had a bottle of water and i see it is started shaking and i run out of my room to go outside. Its a bad feeling...

Trelawney, Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : The bed on which my sister and I was in was shaking and making a rattling sound. We just lay there and watched it until it was finished. I really took us by surprise.

St. Andrew Jamaica / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 2-5 s : Woke me from dead sleep. The sensation of violent shaking back and forth. Loud deep roar. Shaking felt different to what I'm accustomed to. Most times I feel the sensation of up/down movement or side to side movement. This time the shaking was very strong but had less focus, so I guessed that it was larger in scale and reach.

Kingston Jamica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 10-15 s : I felt at first I was fainting but then the chair beside me start shaking and I could see the house swaying side to side. The lights in the ceiling was shaking. I heard a slight rumbling.

Santo Domingo , Dominican Republic / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 10-15 s : I was at the 11th floor of a building in an apartment in Bella Vista, while talking on the phone with a family member in Haiti , she starts saying she felt an earthquake and 2 seconds after it starts shaking in the apartment during a 10 to 12 seconds we felt it

Port-au-prince / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 30-60 s : My comment is in French. Il a secoue pendant pres d'une minute. Ma voiture a bouge de haut en bas. Les repliques continuent au moment ou j'ecris. I feel scary.

OCHO RIOS , ST. ANN, JAMAICA / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s : Was sitting amd felt the chair shaking. It was as if I was having a severe dizzy spell and lost all equilibrium. Tried to stand and was swaying

Fundacion Barahona (242.3 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : Se sintio como un resbalon fuerte en la manana de este sabado mientras que todo estaba de izquierda a derecha.

Kingston st andrew / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 minutes : I felt and saw the house shaking for a few minutes all the frames on my wall was shaking things like this always scares me i hope no one got hurt by it this morning smh

Airport area / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : It was so unexpected that i chose to stay put. It was strong in the beginning than became lighter and regular in movement. Lasted a while

Port sun prince / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Near the airport of port au prince the car was shaking left to right. Every one is outside their house

Kingston Jamaica / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Earthquake felt in Jamaica all over the island ...trees rocking ...buildings vibrating and swinging no significant structural damage on my premises.

Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 15-20 s : Vivo en un nivel 5, me encontraba sentada en un sofa de mi dormitorio y los espejos del gabetero comenzo a pegar con la pared y luego vi que lampara pesadas que tengo oscilaban.

Santiago de los caballeros, urbanizacion Miami. / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : I was on my bed and i felt the movement for a significant moment and It started increasing until stpoed.

Croix-des-Bouquets Duval 30 / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s : I felt my head my head was turning the house balanced side ways for about 10 seconds by the time I reached downstairs it stopped probably 5.0

Spanish Town, St. Catherine Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : The bed was swaying, the doors of book stand were rattling. I could still walk and do other things during the shaking .

Portmore / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 1-2 minutes : I was on my bed and it kept on shake very hard I could even see it shaking as well as the door and the fan.

Delmas 41 / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : Lasted for maybe 50 seconds and was quite strong | 2 users found this interesting. do the best to save lives in Haiti / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Cuba / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Un sonido fuerte y movimiento. Perdi el equilibrio | One user found this interesting.

Kingston / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / several minutes : Jumped out of bed and stood under a doorway | One user found this interesting.

Santo Domingo / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : My chair moving from side to side | One user found this interesting.

Mejoramiento Social / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : It was horizontal and long | One user found this interesting.

Jarabacoa / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Forma de mareo | One user found this interesting.

Les Cayes (36.2 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Violent shaking (MMI IX) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 30-60 s

Santiago de los caballeros (318 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : It was weak, I was on the bed

In bed (374.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Croix-des-Bouquets, Ouest (130.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 30-60 s

Croix-des-Bouquets, Ouest (130.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 30-60 s

San Nicolas, Aruba (764.7 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Oviedo, Pedernales (229.4 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Turks and Caicos (421.9 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Lots of waves Saturday

Brooklyn, New York (2468.9 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (315.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s

Marituba (3522.9 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Mirebalais, Centre (151.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes

Atascocita, Harris, Texas (2549.2 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt Nothing (reported through (reported through our app / not felt

Pittsburg, Crawford, Kansas (2955.2 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Orlando, Florida (1386.8 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Swannanoa (2104.3 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Maryville, Tn (2186.1 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Barbados (1597.2 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Los Algarrobos Chiriqui, Panama (1465.6 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (528.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I did not feel anything

Ingenio, Sabana Seca Barrio, Toa Baja (765 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Was working outside at the time near Levittown, PR.. Didnt feel this earthquake

Whitehouse jamaica (477.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / several minutes

Espaillat (331.7 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / 1-2 minutes (reported through our app / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / 1-2 minutes

Santiago de Cuba (302.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : The bed was shaking sideways and woke us up. It is solid metal bed that doesn't move easily.

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. (310.6 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Santiago De Los Caballeros (314.7 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 30-60 s

santiago (315 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 10-15 s

Santo Domingo (370.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Durham, NC (2031.2 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Charlotte (1991.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Bridgetown, Saint Michael (1593.9 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Dixon Illinois USA (3017.2 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Caguas, Puerto Rico (788.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Santiago (313.5 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : The bed was moving slightly back and forth

Titusville, Brevard, Florida (1360.2 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Minot, North Dakota / not felt : Though I did not feel anything at all-I live just 50 miles south of the Canadian border- my heart felt a sudden and severe pain upon learning of this earthquake. I can only imagine the profound damage that has, yet again, befallen Haiti and its people. To be violently shaken in such a manner as to cause death is beyond belief, yet very real.

Samoset, Manatee, Florida (1367.2 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Holetown, Saint James (1588.4 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Desirade (1341 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Mavis Bank, St. Andrew (333.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 30-60 s

Leon Valley, Bexar, Texas (2838.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Punta Cana, Higuey, La Altagracia (535.5 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Delmas 3 (122.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Madison WI (3122.2 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Old Harbour Bay, Saint Catherine (386.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Bella Vista, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (373.3 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Nothing at all

Off turks &caicos (1201.3 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s

Ocho rio, Jamaica (389.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / several minutes : I way laying in bed and felt the bed shake for a few minutes.

Constanza, Republica Dominicana (293.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Aquin, Arrondissement d'Aquin, Sud (8.4 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 minutes

Fond Parisien, Arrondissement de Croix des Bouquets, Ouest (158.4 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Bay doors of warehouse shaking and rattling but nothing more

near Luling, Caldwell, Texas (2745.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Punta Cana (542.6 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Petionville, Arrondissement de Port-au-Prince, Ouest (124.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Welling, Oklahoma (2851.2 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I didn't feel the earthquake but it did slosh the water in my well badly.

Petionville, Arrondissement de Port-au-Prince, Ouest (121.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s It was really shaky, it Woke me UP from sleep (reported through (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s

Petion-ville, freres (129.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Gainesville, Alachua, Florida (1541.2 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Terrenas, Samana (425.8 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Red Hills St. Andrew, Jamaica (146.4 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Mandeville (426.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Myrtle Beach (1775.9 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (315.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Treasure Beach, Jamaica (541.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : I was sitting in a chair that started rocking from side to side

Manchester, NH (2740.7 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Kingston (358.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

near Punta Cana, Higuey, La Altagracia (532.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Puerto Rico, San Juan Antiguo Barrio, San Juan (781.3 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Kingston, Jamaica (402.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 30-60 s : Length was significant for me to be concerned

Burlington, Chittenden, Vermont (2899.9 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s

sosua (348.8 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Santa Cruz Aruba (755.3 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

St. Louis Missourj (2765.8 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Montego Bay (469.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : House move for couple of second saw fans in ceiling and clothes in closet swinging. It woke me up.

Port-au-Prince (122.3 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s

Georgetown, Demerara-Mahaica (2102.6 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Kingston Jamaica (350.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Kingston, jamaica (350.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Le Gosier, Guadeloupe, Guadeloupe (1300.4 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Spanish town (374.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : house and ceiling shaking for a few seconds

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (528.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I did not feel anything

Las Terrenas Dominican Republic (424.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Oviedo, Pedernales (229.4 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Kingston (351.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Carrefour (116.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 20-30 s

Petionville (127.3 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 10-15 s

Santiago, Dominican Republic (317.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Woke from sleep. Building shook.

San cristobal, Dominican Republic (351.6 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Jamaica (341.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (310.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 15-20 s : Shaking. I thought I was dizzy

near Santo Tome de Guayana, Municipio Caroni, Bolivar (1613.9 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Kingston (353.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 20-30 s

La Julia, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (374 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Jamaica (374.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Mild shaking in Jamaica

Miragoane, Nippes (33.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 30-60 s

Sosua, Cabarete, Sosua, Puerto Plata (346.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Kingston, Jamaica (373.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging

San Carlos Park, Lee, Florida (1240.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Jamaica, St. Anns (371.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : If felt like I was on a water bed and the waves passing underneath, the open doors started to swing

Palma Soriano (333.3 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Yo estaba durmiendo y movio tan fuerte la cama que me desperte de un salto cai en la calle

La Julia, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (374.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s

Port-de-Paix, Haiti (183.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Montego Bay Jamaica (463.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

Baitoa, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (315.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s

Kingston, Jamaica (354.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : It was more of a swaying from left to right

Old Harbour Bay, Saint Catherine (392.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I was sleeping I guess that's why I did not felt anything.

San German, PR (683.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I read that it could be felt in Puerto Rico but we felt nothing. Im in San German PR

Kingston, Jamaica (351.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : The bed was shaking

Jamaica (389.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating

Guaynabo (779.1 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Did it feel it

near Lionel Town, Clarendon (390.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / several minutes

Santo Domingo (374.4 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

near Santiago de Cuba (295.5 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 30-60 s : in Santiago de Cuba wake up me

near Las Matas de Farfan, San Juan (226.3 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Bamboo,Saint Ann,Jamaica (397.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Santo domingo (372.1 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Thats it

Petit place cazeau (127.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : It

St. Catherine, Jamaica (366.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s

Santiago, sector Hato Mayor (316 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : That earthqueke, olmost everybody felt it, it kep by a long moment, en the building was moving.

Portmore, Braeton, Saint Catherine (363.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Villa Gonzalez, santiago (309.5 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 30-60 s : Se sintio muy fuerte y de mucha duracion

Port Maria (369.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Spanish, Jamaica (370.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 15-20 s : swaying from side to side

Kingston, Jamaica (551.2 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 1-2 minutes

Lyssons st thomas (312.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 30-60 s : Bed shaking, floor vibrating, open cracks in concrete opening wider

Portmore, Braeton, Saint Catherine (363 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

near Porus, Manchester (407.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

Portmore Jamaica (342.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 15-20 s

Santiago (315.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : I felt a slight dizziness

San Antonio del Sur (230.9 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 30-60 s

Guantanamo (265.3 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s

Jamaica (334.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s

San Juan De La Maguana (240.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Santo Domingo (373.1 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Republica Dominicana Santiago (314.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Lecheria (1316.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Portmore (400.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : Shaking I had to get up from the bed as it was uncomfortable

Jamaica (353.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

La Julia, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (374.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : L

Kingston Jamaica (347.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s

Spanish Town, Saint Catherine (365.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : My bed vibrating

Jimani, dominican republic (162.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s : Light shaking and felt dizzy

Kingston, Jamaica (354.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s : the bed and all the furniture was shaking for a very long while.

Mao, Valverde (281.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating

Delmas 83 (125.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 15-20 s : N/A

Barahona (251.4 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

St Andrew (352.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating : Shook bed and table lightly

Bog Walk, Saint Catherine (378.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : A mild shake left to right for about 1 minute. Gave me that dizzy feeling.

San Cristobal, Republica Dominicana (355.3 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s

Falmouth, Trelawny (436.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Santo Domingo (373.6 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s

Jamaica (352.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

Uwi, Kingston (348.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s

St. Elizabeth Jamaica (456.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Felt my bed swaying looked up and saw my clothes hangers shaking along with my belts

Bella Vista, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (372 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 minutes : The bed started to shake and the closest door started to shake.

Kingston Jamaica (354 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Felt a swaying I my chair but wasn't certain at first then it changed directions

Portmore, Jamaica (367.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Portmore, Jamaica (361.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Santiago de Cuba, Cuba (303.5 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

May Pen (402.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s Saw my fan shaking. (reported through (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Carrefour, Arrondissement de Port-au-Prince, Ouest (109.3 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s

Cap haitien Haiti (200.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s : We safe in the north part so fr

Portmore, Jamaica (363.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Clothes on hangers swaying, seemed to go on longer than usual

Spanish Town, Saint Catherine (368.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : I was sitting and the seat felt like it was swaying

Cap Haitien, Okap, Nord (198.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Santiago, Dominican Republic (280.9 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

santiago de los Caballeros (316.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 30-60 s

Kingston, Jamaica (355.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Saint Marc (109.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : Felt like a big truck going by the house

Licey al Medio, Santiago (319.3 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Yallahs, Saint Thomas (334.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Shaking

Santiago de los caballeros, Republica Dominicana (303.5 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 20-30 s

Kingston, Jamaica (349.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Felt bed sway, light fittings swung slightly, cats disturbed and confused

San Francisco de Macoris, Duarte (351.5 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : I feel it like 5 times

near Aquin, Arrondissement d'Aquin, Sud (24.9 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 1-2 minutes

St. Ann Jamaica (429.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

Ocho rios (382.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s

Ouest (124.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Thant Crescent, Bridgeport, St Catherine, Jamaica (363.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Light swaying of building. Woke from sleep due to movement

near Jarabacoa, La Vega (304 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 30-60 s : .

Las Matas de Farfan (212.5 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vibration and rolling / 15-20 s

Santo domingo (344.6 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

near Portmore, Braeton, Saint Catherine (371.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

guantanamo bay (247.5 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction)

St.Catherine (379.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Santiago de Cuba, Cuba (304.6 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 20-30 s

Kingston Jamaica (396.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Santiago de Cuba (303.1 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 10-15 s

Kingston, Jamaica (358.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : I felt the house swaying for approximately less than 3 mins.

Clarendon, Jamaica (401 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 10-15 s : Yes I felt the earthquake, gentle swaying of furniture, building, trees

Cabarete, Sosua, Puerto Plata (353.7 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Yallahs,st.thomas (332.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Baracoa (240.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 30-60 s

Monci (269.3 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Santiago, Dominican Republic (320.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : The bed and house moving

Santiago de los caballeros (318 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : It was weak, I was on the bed

Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (318.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump

Kingston, Jamaica (349.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (314.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 1-2 s

Bella Vista, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (373 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : The bed and the fan where moving sideways.

Kingston, Jamaica (348.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s Light shaking for about 20 seconds (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Spanish Town, Jamaica (401.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Gonaives, Haiti (140.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s

MONTECRISTI (259.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

La Julia, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (372.7 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Uf

Jamaica (363.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

Moca, Republica Dominicana (329.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes

Bonao, Dominican Republica (343 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Bed moving

Puerto Plata (330.5 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s

Santo Domingo Oeste (364.1 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Croix-des-Bouquets, Ouest (130.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 30-60 s

Gordon Town, St. Andrew (348.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Port Antonio (321.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 30-60 s

MayPen (401.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Felt like the house was rocking back and forth, loose wires started making sounds.

Kingston, Jamaica (352.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Gordon Town, St. Andrew (346.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Las Matas de Farfan (212.3 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 15-20 s

Cabarete (353.9 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s

Puerto Plata (329.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Kingston (358.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

La vega, los pomos (323.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 30-60 s

Tenares (345.9 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Fue muy fuerte

Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (317.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (318.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Concepcion de la Vega, La Vega, La Vega (322.3 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s : Se movio

Kingston (356.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : Light shaking, for about a minute

Cuba (252.3 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Delmas 33/Delmas (123.6 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

Delmas (125.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 5-10 s

Ensanche espaillat Distrito nacional (378.5 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s

Haiti (107 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s

Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (316.5 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 15-20 s

Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (315.9 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Bog Walk, St. Catherine (371.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 30-60 s

Santiago De Los Caballeros (315.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Castillo (374.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Manchioneal, Portland (301.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Ciudad Nueva, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (377.5 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Hayes Clarendon Jamaica (402.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short

Greater Portmore (St. Catherine) (365.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Mandeville Manchester (443.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Shaking while lying in bed. Clothes swinging for 2 mins

Spanish Town, Saint Catherine (365.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : My bed vibrating

Grangwav, Leyogan, Ouest (73.1 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Moca, Dominican Republic (328.8 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s : Bed was vibrating back and forth ceiling fan moving side to side

near Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth (437.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s

Charlestown Portland Jamaica (353.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Felt the ground shake.

Dominican republic (302.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : I was sleeping and the swing woke me up

Jamaica (449 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake

Barahona, Dominican Republic (249.7 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : The house was moving

Puerto Plata (330.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / very short : So nervios

Boscobel, St. Mary (368.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Santiago (316.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s

santo domingo (398.7 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 30-60 s

Dajabon (227.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 1-2 minutes

Guantanamo (258.6 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Delmas (130.6 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s

Pigeon Forge TN (2164.8 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Santiago de Los caballeros (318 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Portland (321.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

St Ann's Bay (390.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

26 km of Guantanamo (241.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s

Hope Pastures Kingston (618.3 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s

Barranquilla (836.9 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s

Licey al Medio, Santiago (322 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Kingston, Jamaica (419.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Jamaica (366.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Saint-Marc, Haiti / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 10-15 s : The quake was very quick

Kingston, Jamaica / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s

Cartagena / not felt

Tabarre / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s

Boutilliers, near Laboule 12, Commune of Petion-V / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes

Santo Domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Santiago / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s : Bed and lamp moving kind of circular

Port au prince / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / several minutes

Santiago / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating

Mao, Republica Dominicana / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / several minutes : Movimiento de la cama, lamparas, sensacion de inestabilidad por mas de 4 minutos

Mao, Republica Dominicana / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / several minutes : Movimiento de la cama, lamparas, sensacion de inestabilidad por mas de 4 minutos

Croix-des-bouquets / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Santiago de los caballeros / not felt

Portau prinseport au prince / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

millville nj / not felt

Kingston Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) : It felt like the building was dancing with a roaring sound

Antilla cuba / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 20-30 s

Petion Ville haiti / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 20-30 s

Santo Domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / several minutes : Bed was rocking light fixtures were swaying

Nasssu, Bahamas / not felt : Notified by a friend in Jamaica

Cazaou, port au prince / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Port au Prince / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Side to side shaking of couch and string on ceiling fan moving

Lakeland Florida / not felt

Japan / not felt

St ann, jamaica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 20-30 s : Felt like I was sliding, like a ship getting ready to move out in the water6

Cap haitien haiti / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s : Light movement, cars shaking, gates swinging

Santo Domingo Oeste / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / several minutes : I felt it but thats wild because was in at the morning how 4 am

Tallahassee, Florida / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I was leaning against the kitchen counter and felt the weak vibrations.

Dominican Republic / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / very short : I was in bed. When i feel it moving

Ormond Beach Fl 32174 / not felt : Poor people !! OMG

Oregon, Dane, Wisconsin (3110.1 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt I didn't feel the 7.1 Magnitude Earthquake that happened in Haiti in Oregon Wisconsin (reported through (reported through our app / not felt

Delmas 31 / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 20-30 s

Dominican republic Santo domingo / not felt

Santiago de Cuba / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

Santiago Republica Dominicana / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Maimon, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic / not felt : I realized there was I quake after I read the news.

Santiago, dominican republic / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Delmas / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s

Miami, FL / not felt : At hone

Thomassin mountains / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 30-60 s : Everything shook

Issaquah / not felt

st james / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 20-30 s

Cabarete / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : It was like being on a boat

Port au Prince / Violent shaking (MMI IX) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Petit Goave, Haiti / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : The ground was shaking, the trees were swaying.

Santo Domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

Punta cana / not felt

Puerto plata, DO / not felt : Nothing

Portland Jamaica / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 10-15 s : I see the house shaking, then it feels like it was shaking on water, this cause me to feel dizzy

Port-au-Prince / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s : It wasn't no strong, but we feel it

Kingston / Light shaking (MMI IV)

/ not felt

Port au Prince / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 20-30 s

Bog walk st. Catherine Jamaica At home / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Felt like the house was floating. Furniture shaking.

West Norbrook Heights / not felt : I was asleep. My wife felt it and said it felt like the bed was shaking.

Jamaica / not felt : I saw message in my watsap group asking if anyone felt that quake

Portmore jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s : Was in bed, woken by slight rocking from side to side for several seconds

Port-au-Prince,at home / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating : I felt shocked

Santocko / not felt

Florida PR / not felt

Thomassin mountains / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 30-60 s : Everything shook

Kingston Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes : In Kingston Jamaica. Lying down felt the bed shaking and saw the door swinging for about 2 minutes

Kingston jamaica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s

Turks and caicos / not felt

Kingston Jamaica / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Bed moved, window blinds shook, walls shook.

Santiago / not felt

Spanish Town, Jamaica / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 2-5 s : Bed was swaying like ship on sea. It was more sustained than others.

Kingston, Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Gentle horizontal pushing back and forth

Santiago, Dominican Republic / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Kingston / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : It was more of a swaying movement that was felt. Movement lasted for about 10 seconds.

Cabarete DR / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Kingston, Jamaica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Fairly gentle swaying

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada / not felt

Treasure beach, St.Elizabeth, Jamaica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 30-60 s

Runaway Bay, Jamaica / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / complex motion difficult to describe : Strong shaking

Cap haitien haiti / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s : Light movement, cars shaking, gates swinging

Negril, Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 10-15 s : I felt it

Kingston, jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Constanza / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s : Movimientos y vibraciones

Metropolis, Illinois / not felt

Port-au-Prince Haiti / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Turks and Caicos / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Woke me up because the bed was vibrating.

port au prince / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 30-60 s : scary

North Fort Myers, Florida USA / not felt

Santo Domingo / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : Asleep, woken up by shaking.

Santo Domingo Oeste / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s

Puerto plata / not felt

Madrid / not felt

Pignon, Haiti / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / very short

Kingston Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Nauseated briefly.

Eltham View, Spanish Town, Jamaica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

Guantanamo / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Cables moviendose,muebles temblando

Caracol, Haiti / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s : im now on defensive , just only care of whatever upcomming event.

Jamaica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : Felt like the house was swaying gentle...ITEMS on the dresser kept moving.

Delmas, Haiti / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating

Kingston Jamaica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 15-20 s

Baracoa, Guantanamo, Cuba / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Kingston / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Bed shaking

Kingston, Jamaica / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Horizontal swing. Not a shake. Could see the bed and lights swaying

Licey al medio Santiago / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) : Horrible

MONTEGO BAY Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 1-2 minutes : Tremor for at least 3 minutes

Kingston Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : Checked time, definitely lasted at least 1 minute

Santiago / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : I feel it strong

Tabarre / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Wasn't scared but I was working I went out to see the best position I could take.

Sleeping in Kingston, Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s : Felt bed shaking. Door making sound. Quake woke me.

Port de paix, Nord Ouest, HTI / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

St.Catherine Jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Kingston jamaica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : My bed swinging

Kingston / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 20-30 s : The shaking was obvious enough to be alarming but not intense enough to knock anything down.

Moca / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 20-30 s

Guantanamo bay Cuba / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s

Montego bay / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Windows rattled, bed started shaking, woke me up

Jrabacoa / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 20-30 s

Port-au-Prince / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

santo domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : i m feel it very strong in santo domingo dominican republic

san Jose de Ocoa / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short
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La esperilla, Santo Domingo / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Todo daba vueltas | One user found this interesting.

Santo Domingo Este (118.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

La Julia, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (105.6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Caribbean Sea (21.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Jarabacoa, La Vega (166.5 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : it was awesome

El Carril, Bajos de Haina, San Cristobal (101.5 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : No lo senti

Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (205.7 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake

Concepcion de la Vega, La Vega, La Vega (179.9 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Swinging. While in bathroom, towels were swaying.

Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (212.5 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Esperanza, Valverde (229.2 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 10-15 s

Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago (206.8 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Paya, Bani, Provincia de Peravia (77.5 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s

Puerto Plata / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : I was surprised

Puerto Plata / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : I was surprised

Santiago / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Santiago / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Santo domingo este / not felt

Cabarete (241.3 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Sosua, La Mulata 3 / not felt : We watched the water in our pool swaying!!! (About 10 cm, for 10 minutes..) There was no obvious reason for that.. but then we heard about the earthquake.

Puerto Plata / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Movimientos transversales

Santo domingo / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s : I was lying in the bed and I felt moving a little bit

Santo domingo / not felt : Although I live close to the caribbean shore, I didn't felt a thing

Bavaro / not felt

Santiago / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling

Dominican Republic / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short : Moca Dominican Republic

Santiago (212.7 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Santiago de los Caballeros / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating

Valverde / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Santo Domingo norte / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Santo Domingo / not felt

Santiago de los caballeros (211.6 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Un desbalance y postes electricos moviendose

santo domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Dajabon (240.5 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : Me senti nerviosa

Santiago De Los Caballeros / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short

Puerto plata, Republica Dominicana (239.5 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging : Senti como si la tierra fuera un huevo cuando lo parten

1 (111.9 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : I feell. 3.5

San Cristobal / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s : Duro mucho en San cristobal

San juan de la maguana, dominican republic / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : The quake woke me up... I live in a formalet building, prefabric concrete.

Santiago de los caballeros en el residencial dinoa (207.7 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s

Jarabacoa Republica Dominicana / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down)

Las Matas de Farfan (186.8 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 15-20 s

Villa lobos abajo (Monte Cristi) / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s

Santiago de los Caballeros / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 20-30 s

Santiago / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling

229.8 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

San Juan / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Santi domingo / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Santiago De Los Caballeron / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling

Azua / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Light shaking like if someone was rocking you

Puerto Plata / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : I was surprised

Casa / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : Leve temblor por 10 segundos.

Azua / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : Solo mareo

Puerto Plata / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Movimientos transversales

San Francisco de Macoris (153.4 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

San Francisco de Macoris / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Azua / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 10-15 s : Senti una fuerte sacudida en la cama, todo se sacudio y corri con mis ninos aun dormidos, me provoco mareo y dolor de cabeza.

Laguna salada, Valverde mao / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

La Vega, Dominican Republic (191.7 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Villa Garcia, montecristi / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Sto Dgo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Living in 16 story building. Bed swayed back and forth, as did the walls of the room.

Santiago (201.8 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Distrito nacional (105.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

santiago de los caballeros / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : sideways vibrating

209.2 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

147.7 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Bisono / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating

Santiago / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s

San Cristobal / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Senti que estaba muy mareada

San juan de la maguana, dominican republic / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : The quake woke me up... I live in a formalet building, prefabric concrete.

Santiago / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Santo Domingo / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : I was in bed when my body started shaking side to side.

santiago / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 20-30 s

211.1 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt

Boca chica / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

150.4 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Santiago (204.9 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : I think I wasn't 3.3 cuz it was more strong.

La Vega, Republica Dominicana / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Vi temblar todo, Me maree, mi mama tambien lo sintio.

Santo domingo oeste / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

San Juan de la Maguana (162 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s

Ensanche espaillat Distrito nacional / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s

Santiago de los Caballeros / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump

Santiago de los caballeros / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s

209.9 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Swinging side by side while sitting in my bed.

Santiago / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 10-15 s

Santiago / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 20-30 s

Ssntiago de los Caballeros (204 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : I woke up because of the shake. I live in an apartment on the 5th floor and my bed and every object around me was shaking for a few seconds. When I woke up it had already started so Im not sure if it was longer or not.

Santiago (208.2 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) : Sacudida horizontal

Mao / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / very short : Moviendome

Santiago de los caballeros (205.3 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Santiago / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 20-30 s : It was very rare situation

283.8 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : What happened?

Santiago / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s

Santo Domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Swaying back and forth

SANTO DOMINGO NORTE / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

San Cristobal (91.9 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Santiago de los Caballeros / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake : Scary

Santiago / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s

San Juan / Light shaking (MMI IV)

/ Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s

Licey al Medio (203.4 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Santo Domingo D.N / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Se movio de un lado a otro y el ventilador tambien

San Juan / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Santo Domingo, Naco / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 15-20 s

Santiago de los Caballeros / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating

Santiago (217.2 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Dajabon (251.1 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 15-20 s

santo domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s : TEMBLOR MODERADO

Av las carreras (208.5 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling : .

105.3 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Scary

244.2 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Haina (86.3 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)
Alabama hospital ICU beds are nearly filled as another Covid spike hits the country and the state extra hard due to low vaccination rates, the lowest in the nation.

The next two or three weeks are pivotal, President of Alabama Hospital Association Dr. Don Williamson told WAAY 31 Friday as available ICU beds, statewide, drop to 5 percent.

Worst-case scenario projections show nearly 8,000 inpatients could soon find themselves in an Alabama hospital, that would swamp the already overwhelmed system.

The dire warning about what health care workers are planning for now. And even if they have bed space for inpatients, the issue could be finding staff to take care of those people.

Our staffs are fatigued, we may end up calling on federal response to come help out, Williamson said.

In a little more than a months time, Alabama has experienced a seven-fold increase in hospitalizations.

This major increase fueled by that Delta variant that spreads much easier than the original virus and is making younger people sicker.

Williamson says this is not the same as we experienced last year when we saw spiking cases. This is much worse.

Hospitals across North Alabama are already putting the brakes on elective surgeries, and re-opening Covid wings.

But health care workers have learned through past spikes new ways to treat patients suffering from Covid. A major tool health care workers are relying on as they try to keep people from ending up on a ventilator: monoclonal antibodies.

They are made inside a laboratory. these proteins mimic the immune system's ability to fight back again Covid.

We are pushing really hard on right now is the use of monoclonal antibodies. They could be a game changer given early they keep people out of the hospital, given in people who have been exposed, given post exposure they can actually keep you from ever even developing covid, Williamson explained.

Health care workers say right now the best thing people can do to keep from becoming sick is to wear a mask and if you are not vaccinated, get the shot now.
Dyanna Volek was never someone who dreamed of becoming a mother.

From an early age, she knew deep down that she didn't want children. Maybe it stemmed from seeing her mother sacrifice her dream of becoming a flight attendant and work three jobs to raise two kids alone. Or maybe it was that other endeavors interested her more.

"I'm always looking forward to the next thing," said Volek, who works in local government in San Francisco. "Being a parent was never one of them."

Still, the idea of not having children seemed taboo, so she didn't dwell on it much. It wasn't until a few years ago when she started getting serious with her partner that she really reckoned with her feelings. By the time she and her husband got married last November, they had reached a conclusion: They didn't want kids.

Volek is now 37, and doesn't see herself changing her mind.

Not having children gives her a sense of freedom that her friends who are parents don't have. Now that they're vaccinated, she and her husband have been able to eat at restaurants, attend concerts and travel without worrying about risking their child's safety.

They can work toward retiring early, a goal that would be otherwise unattainable in a city as expensive as theirs. And in their day-to-day life, they have plenty of time for themselves.

Volek is one of a growing number of women in the US who are opting not to have children -- part of a trend that has been underway for more than a decade.

Since 2007, the nation's birth rate had been declining about 2% each year on average. Despite early speculation about a pandemic baby boom, the coronavirus crisis accelerated the decline even further, with births falling by 4% last year.

It was the largest annual decline in the number of births since 1973, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Demographers point to a number of factors driving this phenomenon: economic insecurity, political uncertainty, shifting gender norms and a lessening stigma around the choice to remain child-free. Though the pandemic laid bare just how little support families in the US receive from the government when it comes to childcare and other obligations, some women had already made up their minds before then.

Here are some reasons why some women are choosing not to have kids.

They don't want the responsibility

Cecilia Sanders, a 32-year-old project manager in Chicago, was sure early on that she didn't want children. It felt like too great of a responsibility, and the idea of pregnancy scared her.

Still, she says she felt pressured to feel differently, as though she would be disappointing others by not having kids. For about a year, she tried to force herself to change her mind, talking to friends who were parents about their experiences and how they made time for themselves.

As it turns out, her friends often didn't have time for themselves. Their kids, they said, came first.

Sanders realized that sacrificing her own needs to fulfill her duty as a parent would be especially taxing for her. She grapples with anxiety and depression, and when those conditions flare up, even taking care of herself becomes challenging.

The thought of raising children while still preserving her mental health seemed near impossible.

"After a year of really thinking about it, I was like, 'No. If I do this, I'm lying to myself,'" she said.

They fear a lack of support

For some, how the US treats mothers is reason enough not to have children.

Amy Blackstone, a sociologist at the University of Maine and author of "Childfree by Choice: The Movement Redefining Family and Creating a New Age of Independence," says the lack of family-friendly policies in the US is one explanation behind the declining birth rate in recent years -- something that the pandemic made even more clear.

Over the last year, parents have had to continue working, often without childcare or while having to help their children learn remotely. The situation has left people stressed and depleted, and perhaps more likely to delay or reconsider having more children.

"The pandemic has really revealed to us how poorly we support parents in the US," Blackstone said. "We've come to see the truth that we've always known but never speak out loud, which is that parenting is really hard. And we don't really support parents in that role."

That was certainly a consideration for Yana Grant, a 24-year-old in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who decided last year to not have children. The US offers no national, paid parental leave program. Child care can be expensive or hard to find. And women are still more likely to shoulder the brunt of parenting responsibilities and household tasks.

"As soon as you find out that you're pregnant, you have to be a mother first and then a woman," Grant said. "Men get to be men and then a father, it seems like."

As a Black woman, Grant has other things to worry about, too. Black women are more likely than women of any other race to die of pregnancy-related problems. They're also more likely to have their concerns dismissed, their pain untreated and their experiences disbelieved.

For Grant, those worries are rooted in reality. A few years ago, she felt her heart beating fast and her throat swelling, and went to see a medical professional. She says the doctor told her to stay hydrated and sent her home without checking her thyroid. When she saw another physician for the same symptoms about a year later, she was diagnosed with Graves' disease, an autoimmune disorder that causes an overactive thyroid.

If she got pregnant and something were to go wrong, Grant fears her symptoms and complaints might be similarly dismissed.

"I feel like as a Black woman, you don't have a lot that is yours," she said. "And so me keeping that part of me is the only thing I know I have control of. [I can] say that I made that conscious decision to save myself because more than likely, no one else is going to do it."

They like their life as it is

While Jordan Levey focused on law school and building her career, she assumed a "maternal instinct" would eventually kick in. Once she found a partner, she figured, they'd settle down and perhaps decide to have kids.

Now that she's 35 and has been married for four years, Levey says she and her husband have realized they prefer their current lifestyle. They own a condo and are loving parents to their dog. And though they both earn a comfortable living, they'd rather spend their money on the things they love.

"We are really happy in our life. We love to travel, we love to cook, we both really value our alone time and that self-care," she said. "I think we would be perfectly fine parents -- I just don't think we would enjoy it."

For Sanders, not having kids allows her time to pursue all of her interests: writing, playing guitar, hiking, traveling and rescuing animals. It also means that she can focus more on her career, which for her is "the most important thing."

"I definitely feel I probably wouldn't be as far in my career as I am now and [I wouldn't be] able to just live my normal life and pursue my hobbies and passions," Sanders said. "I wouldn't be living my fullest life."

That women like Levey and Sanders feel empowered to choose a lifestyle without children is significant, says Blackstone.

In the past, women who could have been inclined to remain childfree might have given birth anyway because that is what society expected from them. In recent decades, though, those norms and attitudes have changed.

"We're having more conversations about the reality that parenthood is an option, not something that everybody has to do," she said.

But they're still judged for their choice

It's perhaps more socially acceptable than ever for women not to have children. Even so, women who choose to remain child-free say they still feel like they constantly have to explain their choices to others.

They've been called selfish, accused of hating kids and told they'll regret their decision later in life when they find themselves alone.

Volek says she feels child-free people like herself are judged as superficial or not having grasped the enormity of the decision they're making, when that couldn't be further from the truth.

"People who choose to be child-free think a lot about it -- I would argue even more than people who have children," she added.

The assumption that child-free women don't care about children simply isn't true either, some say. Volek loves playing with her friends' kids. Levey enjoys spending time with her niece and nephew.

Grant is in a relationship with a man who has a son and is perfectly happy to hang out with the youngster one on one.

"I will ask if he wants to go see 'Boss Baby 2.' I will take him to some of the Smithsonians," said the Oklahoma resident, who plans to move with her partner to Washington, DC. "But that's as far as I will go."

Blackstone, who has interviewed countless people about their decision to remain child-free, says that the people she's spoken to acknowledge that it's possible they may one day regret making the choice that they have.

But she said they'd rather not have kids and regret it later than have kids and regret it later.

The-CNN-Wire

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The heads of some of the largest minority business advocacy groups on Capitol Hill are praising key elements of the latest infrastructure bill, which is currently being debated in the House after passing with bipartisan support in the Senate on Tuesday.

"This was a win for us in a big way that may not necessarily be known by most people," US Black Chambers of Commerce president and CEO Ron Busby Sr. told CNN Business.

Busby's organization advocates on behalf of 143 Black chambers of commerce in the United States and a total of 380,000 Black business owners in the US, Canada and parts of Africa. It's one of several national groups that have spent most of the year pushing lawmakers and the Biden administration to include provisions in the infrastructure package to help Black, Hispanic and Asian-American entrepreneurs.

As a result of their lobbying, the final version of the Senate bill includes a bipartisan amendment that would make the Minority Business Development Agency a permanent part of the federal government and expand its budget from $42 million to $110 million, according to a copy of the measure obtained by CNN Business.

What is the MBDA and why does it matter?

The MBDA is one of the only federal agencies focused exclusively on developing and advocating for minority-owned businesses. The Nixon administration established it in 1969 as a division of the US Department of Commerce. Because its creation was never authorized by Congress, the agency has been required to ask the presiding US President for new funding each year.

"We believe as a separate agency, it'll be given more power to support minority businesses without feeling like it's a foster child, if you will, or less of a priority," Ramiro Cavazos, president and CEO of the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, told CNN Business.

The infrastructure bill's MDBA amendment would expand the agency's geographic reach by granting it resources to open regional offices and rural business centers. Those facilities would be administered through historically Black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions, or MSIs, according to the office of Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, who co-sponsored the measure with Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina.

Cardin said the MBDA is one of the federal government's best tools to address the historic barriers to small business ownership faced by minority entrepreneurs.

Studies show small business owners of color have been disproportionately impacted by both the Covid-19 pandemic and the widespread shut downs of nonessential businesses.

The pandemic also exacerbated preexisting inequalities between White and non-White business owners.

"We wanted to increase the resources going into this agency so we can get more entrepreneurship in minority communities," Cardin told CNN Business. "For our economy to perform at the level it needs to, we need everyone to have opportunity in this country."

The Senate infrastructure bill's MBDA amendment would also give financial assistance for both public and private sector development, provide additional grants to nonprofits that support minority business enterprises, and create a new program to promote entrepreneurship at HBCUs and MSIs.

What else does the infrastructure bill do for minority entrepreneurs?

The bill also includes provisions that would break up large infrastructure projects into smaller contract deals and allow minority-owned businesses to make exclusive bids on those projects to ensure greater racial equity, according to Busby.

Minority business owners have historically been systemically excluded from securing often lucrative federal contracts for infrastructure work, such as building bridges and highways, according to a 2016 MBDA report.

That's due in part to the limited size and scale of most minority-owned construction companies and other service providers as well as the burden of financing up front operating costs. Busby says federal contracts typically delay payment until after jobs are completed, which can take months if not years.

"The government is notorious for paying late," Busby said. "It's one thing to get a contract. It's a whole other thing to get paid."

That unbundling of large project contracts is the most critical aspect of the bill, according to Susan Au Allen, president & CEO of the US Pan Asian American Chamber Of Commerce. Allen says the senate bill could help restore the number of minority-owned businesses to their pre-pandemic levels and beyond, but emphasized that strong oversight is needed to ensure its policies are executed properly.

"If there are teeth to ensure open and fair implementation of the legislation and accountability, it could accelerate minority businesses to their pre-Covid-19 growth trajectory, and greatly increase the number of minority businesses in the marketplace," she said.

Obstacles ahead

The infrastructure bill is already facing an uphill battle in the House. Progressive Democrats and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have vowed not to support their own version of the measure unless it is coupled with a House version of the Senate's $3.5 trillion budget resolution bill, which Democrats passed with a 50-49 party-line vote on Wednesday.

But Democratic moderates in the House have threatened to withhold their support for the budget resolution until Pelosi allows a vote on the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill.

Cardin said he expects the stalemate to last until September after House committees have had a chance to work on the budget resolution.

"Those who are saying we must have one before the other, we'll have that opportunity," he said.

It's also an open question as to whether the infrastructure bill's minority business proposals can survive both political and constitutional scrutiny, according to Busby.

In June, a federal judge in Wisconsin issued a temporary restraining order blocking the US Department of Agriculture from issuing payments to Black farmers under a policy established in the $1.9 billion stimulus bill signed by President Joe Biden in March.

That debt relief program was designed to help socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers who have historically been "subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice because of their identity as members of a group without regard to their individual qualities," according to a House code.

The judge's order was issued after a group of White farmers known as the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty filed a lawsuit challenging the program. Busby said he expects the infrastructure bill will face similar judicial challenges if signed into law in its current form.

"Yes I believe it will be challenged, but that's nothing new," he said. "We've always been ready for the fight and many times we win the fight."

Cardin said he expects the infrastructure bill's minority business owner provisions will survive, pointing out the courts also have a long history of supporting federal policies such as Affirmative Action that are designed to help disadvantaged groups.

"We've had preferences in our laws for decades to try to provide opportunities for underserved communities," Cardin said.

The-CNN-Wire

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'I'm not a no-vax, I'm not vaccinated because I still have antibodies and the doctor recommended I don't do it.'

That's how Virginia Raggi, mayor of Rome, running for a second term, expressed herself regarding the possibility of compulsory vaccination in an interview with In Onda on La7.

"Everyone must listen to their doctor and do what he advises - added Romes mayor, who had contracted Covid a few months ago - The issue of vaccination must be a medical issue, politicians should not start to make battles of principle and make it an election issue. If it becomes an electoral issue, it means that there are no other issues to talk about".

And then, she added: "I do not feel like saying whether I'm for or against, I think these are issues that should be decided by doctors. Should I appeal to people to vaccinate? I dont think I should. I feel like saying ask your doctor and do what he says ".

The words of the leading member of the Five Star political party, however, ignited a political debate. The first to attack was the governor of Lazio, Nicola Zingaretti, saying: "Until today we knew the position of the No Vax groups. The mayor, in her last month of office in our beloved capital, has just created a new group, the `Ni Vax, meaning I havent made a decision about this, just as I havent made a decision in the last five years. And the Romans pay.

Carlo Calenda, leader of the Azione Party and in the race for mayor of the capital also chimed in, saying "It is really serious that the mayor of Italys capital, in the midst of a tough battle to secure the country, expresses themself in this way.

Ph: Repubblica
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Bendigo winemakers Paul Greblo, 73, and Karen Sorenson, 71, had a courtship that spanned a quarter of a century and the entire globe. Then Paul and the American-born Karen decided to actually meet in person.

Karen Sorenson and Paul Greblo: I kept Pauls letters but my mother tossed them out in 1987. I wish I still had them. Credit:Josh Robenstone

Paul: Growing up in Bendigo, we always had people from other countries staying with us: my father was an Italian immigrant who wanted to help others get started in Australia. In 1964, when I was in year 11, I decided I wanted an overseas pen pal, so I signed up for one in Parker Pen magazine. I asked for a girl because I didnt think a guy would write often enough.

Karen, who lived in Brooklyn, started writing to me later that year. Her letters were friendly and chatty, detailing all her activities and schoolwork tasks. The post was excellent in those days: her letters took five days to arrive from New York. We wrote to each other every week.

She married at 22 and wrote about her new life with her husband. I confided that I was scared of being drafted [to Vietnam]; I didnt want to sacrifice years of my life. There were times when she didnt say as much, though, like when her marriage broke down seven years later, in 1979.
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During the Standing Rock protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline in the United States in 2016 and 2017, a Lakota phrase became synonymous with the movement: Mni Wiconi, or water is life.

During the Standing Rock protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline in the United States in 2016 and 2017, a Lakota phrase became synonymous with the movement: Mni Wiconi, or "water is life."

Water is life. Water is sacred. Those ideas are at the heart of Naadohbii (To Draw Water), a new, tri-national exhibition opening today at the Winnipeg Art Gallery that explores and reflects on Indigenous worldviews on water.

Onespace Gallery Untitled fabric work by Quandamooka artist Elisa-Jane Carmichael

Curated by Jaimie Isaac, the former curator of Indigenous and contemporary art at the WAG, along with Reuben Friend and Ioana Gordon-Smith, director and curator, respectively, at Pataka Art + Museum in Wellington, New Zealand, and Kimberley Moulton, senior curator of South Eastern Aboriginal Collections at Museums Victoria, Australia, Naadohbii features contemporary interdisciplinary artwork by more than 20 Indigenous artists from across Turtle Island (North America), Australia and Aotearoa (New Zealand).

Naadohbii also marks the inaugural Winnipeg Indigenous Triennial. Every three years, the WAG-Qaumajuq will present a large-scale Indigenous exhibition.

"The curators found parallels between Anishinaabe knowledge and international Indigenous narratives about water," says Julia Lafreniere, head of Indigenous initiatives at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. The throughline was clear: "The international Indigenous stories all have climate protection and land protection and water protection ingrained in them."

Sean Pathasema / Collection of the Binningham Museum of Art, Alabama Marianne Nicolsons Waterline, 2014. Glass, wood, shell inlay, LED light, mechanism.

Naadohbii arrives during a devastating, once-in-150-years drought, and a UN climate change report issuing a "code red for humanity." Many Indigenous communities in Canada have been under boil-water advisories for decades; water inequalities exist in Australia and New Zealand as well. According to a recent article in The Conversation, Indigenous peoples hold less than one per cent of Australias water rights.

Lafreniere highlights a work in the exhibition called Oh my Murray Darling by Nici Cumpston, a curator and educator from Australia. "Cumpston comes from the Barkindji people, and they are the people of the Barka, which is also known as the Darling River in Australia," Lafreniere says.

The Murray-Darling basin is one of the most vital water systems in Australia, and its ecosystem is in crisis. Indigenous people have been sounding the alarm about the Darling for years; in 2019, the river saw multiple devastating mass fish deaths due to drought and overextraction.

Scott Brammer Photography / Audain Art Museum Rebecca Belmores Body of Water was commissioned by the 16th Istanbul Biennial. Produced with support from the Canada Council for the Arts. Courtesy of the Artist.

"(Oh my Murray Darling) pays tribute to (Cumpstons) ancestors, who knew how to sustain the environment," Lafreniere says. "And she says, One way we can nurture the rivers is to humanize them so that they can be empowered to have rights that protect them from harmful human intervention."

Supplied A still from Jeremy Leatinuus video work Taonga tuku iho, a collection of stories about water.

In the face of a changing climate, its important that Indigenous perspectives and voices on water are not only heard, but heeded.

"The Indigenous nations of the world have been keepers of the land and keepers of the water since time immemorial," Lafreniere says. "They know the stories of the water and the land and the history of it. And not only that, but the exhibition explores ways that Indigenous nations have humanized the water, to take care of it in the way that allows for the water to speak for itself, and to have its own autonomy. So, to have that respect for it allows the Indigenous nations to protect it properly."

Supplied Israel Birchs Rerenga Wairua is a video installation projected onto a satellite that considers the role of the ocean in moving between realms.

Naadohbii responds to both the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as well as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canadas Calls to Action, using art to open dialogue and effect change. "Art allows us to have conversations outside of the scope of language," Lafreniere says. "And I think thats what makes it most powerful, is that it can connect communities in that way, and perhaps, articulate ideas in a different way."

The name of the exhibition, Naadohbii (pronounced nah-doh-bey), is Anishinaabemowin for "to draw/seek water" and a gift from elder Mary Courchene.

Having Indigenous names is "an important way to take up space in colonial institutions," Lafreniere says. "Its important to, I think, title exhibitions in this way, because oftentimes, the concepts of these different Indigenous exhibitions arent necessarily something thats captured in English. In this case, Anishinaabemowin illustrates that concept perfectly in one in one word: Naadohbii."

Naadohbii (To Draw Water) is on view until Feb. 5, 2022.

jen.zoratti@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @JenZoratti
The Alberta government is walking back its decision to eliminate isolation requirements for people who test positive for COVID-19 after weeks of pressure from local leaders, physicians and families.

Alberta chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw updates media on the Covid-19 situation in Edmonton on Friday March 20, 2020. Hinshaw and Education Minister Adriana Lagrange are to provide an update on COVID-19 and back-to-school guidance later this morning. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

The Alberta government is walking back its decision to eliminate isolation requirements for people who test positive for COVID-19 after weeks of pressure from local leaders, physicians and families.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province's chief medical officer of health, said the United Conservative government will also extend a masking mandate for public transit and continue testing for any symptomatic individuals as cases spike.

All public health restrictions were to lift Monday, but will now stay in place for another six weeks.

"We are not going backwards. We are pausing to monitor and assess before taking a step forward, Hinshaw said Friday.

"If monitoring confirms our original expectations that a rise in cases will not lead to high levels of hospitalizations and we do not see evidence of increased risk for severe disease for children, we will proceed with implementing this next set of changes after Sept. 27."

Hinshaw said an unexpected rise in hospitalizations and emerging data from the United States on pediatric cases linked to the highly contagious Delta variant are behind the pause.

Based on internal modelling, Hinshaw said they expected 90 cases in hospital at this time compared with the 143 people in hospital  an increase of 62 per cent, as of Thursday.

Hinshaw said the initial plan to remove all restrictions was partly based on evidence from the United Kingdom on the Delta variant, but emerging data from the U.S. shows different outcomes.

"In the U.S., unfortunately, hospitalizations in children have started to rise, most significantly in states with lower overall immunization rates," said Hinshaw.

"It seems most likely that the reason for the difference between these two settings is the level of adult immunization, which is protective for children by reduced household and other community transmission."

Alberta's adult vaccination rate falls between that of the U.K. and poorly performing U.S. states, she said.

Many in the province have expressed concerns about children returning to classrooms in September, especially since those under the age of 12 are not yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccines.

"I want to further monitor these trends," said Hinshaw. "To date, we have not seen a similar rise in severe cases in youth here in Alberta. Since July 1, we have only had seven cases in hospital under the age of 18."

Other than a six-week time frame, the province did not outline specific benchmarks that need to be met in order to initiate the final lifting of restrictions.

David Shepherd, the Opposition NDP health critic, said clear indicators are necessary.

"I'm concerned that the (Jason) Kenney government is simply kicking the can down the road and Alberta may be back in the same absurd position in late September if cases, hospitalizations and ICU admissions continue to rise," said Shepherd.

Alberta currently has the highest active COVID-19 case count in Canada with 4,438 infected after 582 new cases were reported Friday.

Hinshaw also said the province will make vaccines available to students in grades 7 to 12, and staff, through temporary school clinics starting Sept. 7.

The province will not mandate masks in classrooms and there will be no requirement for Alberta Health Services or schools to alert others of positive cases, she said.

Hinshaw said schools will have the ability to implement additional safety measures, such as masking or physical distancing, if they choose.

Jason Schilling, president of the Alberta Teachers' Association, said he's pleased the government kept some public health measures but that it is unfairly passing on responsibility to school boards.

"We know that this issue has become unnecessarily divisive and political," said Schilling, noting school boards will now have to "make tough decisions and take the heat."

The government should have developed a provincewide plan based on public consultation, he said.

Critics of the provinces plan have included the Canadian Paediatric Society, federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu and the Alberta Medical Association. There have also been protests.

Rallies continued in three cities Friday, calling for additional resources for schools.

We know that (the) provincial government still has not done enough to mitigate risks in schools, Support Our Students Alberta, an advocacy group behind the recent protests, said in a statement. They are still lifting protocols such as masking, distancing and cohorting.

Changes that took effect on July 29 remain in place.

Close contacts of people who test positive for COVID-19 are not mandated to isolate and they aren't being alerted by contact tracers. Asymptomatic testing is also no longer recommended.

The province has said Albertans must do their own contact tracing if they are infected outside a high-risk setting.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13, 2021.
For years, Cody Baptiste would watch his older brother spend his summers fighting wildfires in Manitoba.

For years, Cody Baptiste would watch his older brother spend his summers fighting wildfires in Manitoba.

It's a path he knew he eventually wanted to follow.

For the first time this year, he gets to blaze his own path in the field and, at the age of 15, he may be one of the youngest firefighters in the province.

Cody is from Berens River First Nation along the east side of Lake Winnipeg, about 330 kilometres north of Winnipeg.

Wildfires and smoke forced members from the community in July to leave for Winnipeg and Brandon. Growing wildfires on the eastern edge of the province also forced three other nearby First Nations to evacuate -- for a total of more than 2,000 residents living in hotels.

That was when Cody was called to action.

A month earlier, the teenager had completed a training course where he learned the ins and outs of operating a water pump and hose, as well as important safety measures. He didn't know at the time that he would be putting his newfound skills to use a few weeks later.

"I was excited (and) I actually like firefighting now," Cody said in an interview earlier this month.

Cody's older brother Aaron Hudson, 27, started firefighting about four years ago. Hudson urged Cody and their other brother Brody Baptiste, 17, to look into careers as firefighters. Cody tried to get training last year but was told he was too young.

The age to become a seasonal firefighter with the province is 16, but Cody's mother said she signed a waiver giving him permission to work at his age. She said having two teenage sons firefighting doesn't come without worries.

"They're so young. First thing when you get up in the morning you want to worry about them and you want to see how they're doing," said Monica Patrick.

But she said it was important for her to instill a good work ethic in her children. She said she's happy to see the boys make their way in the world and follow in their older brother's footsteps.

"They make me really proud and I'm really glad that they love what they're doing," Patrick said.

The province recently welcomed 100 South African firefighters to help battle wildfires. They join more than 400 local firefighters, as well as other crews from across the country.

Hot and dry conditions linked to climate change have made this year one of the worst wildfire seasons in Manitoba. There have been roughly 430 wildfires this year compared to the average of 370 for this time of year.

Cody spent about two weeks working with his brother Brody and three other men trying to suppress wildfires near Bloodvein First Nation, about 250 kilometres north of Winnipeg.

Four separate fires in the area eventually merged together to form one of the largest single wildfires on record in the province.

Being part of the crew tackling a fire of this proportion was both exciting and scary, he said.

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Working in the heat was sometimes unbearable, "when there were big open flames you had to go rush to them very quickly to make sure it doesn't spread," Cody recalled.

An unfortunate tumble in the field has since sidelined Cody. He had to go to Brandon to stay with family in a hotel to nurse a sprained ankle, but he said he's itching to join his brothers again.

"I'm just trying to protect our elders and the other communities," he said.

Residents from Berens River and Bloodvein were able to return home this week, along with two other First Nations, after community leaders determined it was safe.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 14, 2021.

_The Canadian Press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  The fight over mask and vaccine mandates moved to the center of Californias looming recall election Friday, with candidate Larry Elder promising to swiftly roll back sweeping government orders while Democrats denounced the leading Republican as a science skeptic who would endanger public health.

FILE - In this Aug. 11, 2021 file photo, California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a news conference at the Carl B. Munck Elementary School in Oakland, Calif. While talking to reporters during an online interview, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021, Republican Larry Elder promised that if Newsom is ousted in the Sept. 14 election, any mask or vaccine mandates in place at the time "will be suspended right away" (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP, Pool, File)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  The fight over mask and vaccine mandates moved to the center of Californias looming recall election Friday, with candidate Larry Elder promising to swiftly roll back sweeping government orders while Democrats denounced the leading Republican as a science skeptic who would endanger public health.

Elder, in his first press conference since announcing his candidacy July 12, told reporters that if he replaces Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in the Sept. 14 election, then any mask or vaccine mandates in place at that time will be suspended right away.

Elder stressed during the online gathering that his remarks were focused on what he would do as governor regarding state employees, and private businesses would be free to set their own standards.

At the state level, Im not going to require any kind of public worker to wear masks, any kind of public worker to have a vaccine. I think thats an assault on freedom, Elder added.

Elder, a 69-year-old attorney, said he was vaccinated at the suggestion of his doctor, given a blood condition and other factors.

I believe vaccines work and I believe that if youre in a high-risk category, you should be vaccinated. But there are many Americans who disagree with me, feel that the vaccine was done too quickly, he said, referring to the emergency use authorization under which the vaccines were quickly approved by federal regulators.

Earlier this week, Newsom announced that California will require all teachers and school staff to get vaccinated or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing, amid growing concerns about the highly contagious delta variant.

Previously, the governor mandated that all health care workers must be fully vaccinated and required that all state employees get vaccinated or choose weekly testing. The weekly testing schedule is based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In San Francisco, Newsom depicted Elder as an extremist who doesnt believe in mask wearing and would presage a return to the depths of the pandemic by lifting requirements for hundreds of thousands of workers.

He made the remarks while visiting campaign volunteers, who were sitting at tables outside a restaurant sending text messages to voters urging them to oppose the recall that could remove Newsom from office.

He was joined by city Democratic leaders including Board of Equalization member Malia Cohen, who urged Democrats to unite to fight a much greater enemy ... the enemy of science deniers, an obvious swipe at Elder.

The friction over mask wearing and vaccines mirrors a national uproar that has highlighted ideological and political divides. In South Carolina, for example, Gov. Henry McMaster is threatening to withhold funding to schools in his states capital of Columbia over masking rules, while Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has vowed to enforce a similar order against mask mandates that could put him in conflict with Dallas and other large school districts.

In his remarks to volunteers, Newsom focused largely on Elder, who since joining the race has emerged as the front-runner in fundraising and polling, outdistancing 23 other Republicans on the ballot.

The first-term Democrat once seen as a likely presidential prospect issued an ominous warning about his possible ouster in the heavily Democratic state, saying the minimum wage would be eliminated and other progressive policies endangered. That, in turn, could domino around the country.

Larry Elder is running away with this on the other side, he said.

During his visit, Newsom sat down at a computer to take a turn connecting with voters he hopes will return their mail ballots, which already are reaching homes. Hell hold similar events around the state through the weekend.

In other campaign activity Friday, Republican businessman John Cox, who was defeated by Newsom in 2018, was in San Diego to promote his proposed $30 billion tax cut. When Im governor we are going to implement the largest tax cut in state history, he said in a statement.

Another Republican, former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, stopped in the Los Angeles suburbs to fault Newsom for spiking crime rates and the dire homeless crisis. Gavin Newsom has failed communities across our state. If we want things to change, we need a leader," Faulconer said.

Blood reported from Los Angeles.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden's administration on Friday offered its full-throated support for local cities and school boards in Texas and Florida that are defying orders by their Republican governors that prohibit mask-wearing mandates in schools.

In this Aug. 10, 2021, photo, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis answers questions related to school openings and the wearing of masks in Surfside, Fla. Top Republicans are battling school districts in their own states urban, heavily Democratic areas over whether students should be required to mask up as they head back to school. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden's administration on Friday offered its full-throated support for local cities and school boards in Texas and Florida that are defying orders by their Republican governors that prohibit mask-wearing mandates in schools.

In a pair of open letters from Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, the administration condemned the orders from Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida which contravene public health guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cardona also noted that federal COVID-19 relief funds for schools could be used to fill any financial gaps caused by penalties imposed on local school districts by state leaders.

The Department stands with these dedicated educators who are working to safely reopen schools and maintain safe in-person instruction, Cardona wrote.

The two states are experiencing some of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the nation, driven by the spread of the more transmissible delta variant among their unvaccinated populations. The two states alone accounted for 40 percent of hospitalizations from the virus over the last week, the White House said Thursday.

Both Abbott and DeSantis have said they believe parents should decide whether their children wear masks in school. The CDC earlier this month recommended universal mask-wearing in K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status, to slow the spread of the variant.

The letters mark the sharpest-yet pushback by the Biden administration to the state policies, and come days after the president indicated he did not believe he had direct authority to overturn the governors' actions.

I say to these governors: Please help. But if you arent going to help, at least get out of the way, Biden said earlier this month. The people are trying to do the right thing. Use your power to save lives.

Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran has said he may recommend the states Board of Education withhold the salaries of the superintendent and school board members of districts that have instituted mask-mandates.

Cardona wrote that any threat by Florida to withhold salaries from superintendents and school board members who are working to protect students and educators (or to levy other financial penalties) can be addressed using (federal virus relief) funds at the sole and complete discretion of Florida school districts.

In addition to prohibiting mask mandates, Abbott's administration has said that schools do not need to conduct contact tracing for potential COVID-19 infections. Cardona's letter makes clear that federal funds can also be used for contact tracing.
Travelling into the U.S. with a young Danish visitor a few years back took a little longer than we expected after border officials took her aside to investigate whether her intentions were truly just shopping in Grand Forks.

Opinion

Travelling into the U.S. with a young Danish visitor a few years back took a little longer than we expected after border officials took her aside to investigate whether her intentions were truly just shopping in Grand Forks.

"They even asked me if I was a terrorist," she said after she emerged. "When I came into Canada, all they asked is whether Id been on a farm recently."

We laughed about it then, but in reality, its no laughing matter.

Canadas agricultural sector is highly dependent on people entering Canada answering that question truthfully, as well as other questions about any imported food products  even if it does involve inconvenient delays.

Inadvertently bringing a foreign animal disease into Canada on our shoes or stuff were packing could cost the livestock sector billions in losses and containment costs, lost export markets and the destruction of millions of animals.

The threat of foreign animal diseases getting into domestic herds and flocks is one that has farmers, industry organizations and governments in a constant state of alert.

Efforts kicked into high gear this summer with the discovery of African Swine Fever (ASF) on farms in several provinces of the Dominican Republic, which puts the disease in the Western Hemisphere for the first time in decades.

Canada doesnt trade in pork products with the Dominican Republic but it is a popular holiday destination for many Canadians. As well, it shares the same island as Haiti, which raises the spectre of the disease becoming endemic throughout the Caribbean.

Even before the discovery in the Dominican Republic, ASF was a top-of-mind concern. While not a risk to human health, the disease is usually fatal to any pig it touches. Even if the animal survives, it is usually destroyed because it can still be a carrier.

Officials dont know how it got into backyard hog herds in the Dominican Republic, which is part of the problem. This disease is quite adept at hitchhiking. In African countries, where it is endemic, it is spread by ticks.

Since 2007, it has been making its way through central Asia before it surfaced in China for the first time in 2018, with devastating results. Germany recently reported its first on-farm cases, although there have been previous reports of it circulating in the wild pig herds of Europe.

It can transfer from pig to pig or through contact with infected carcasses or body fluids. It can survive for several months in fresh and processed pork products. It can be transferred on contaminated farm equipment, vehicles, clothing, commercial livestock feed as well as food scraps fed to backyard flocks or consumed by wild pigs rummaging through waste dumps.

The wild boar population is the back door into the Canadian domestic herd industry officials fear the most, and the reason why they have been watching the growing populations on the Prairies with alarm. Imported three decades ago as a diversification strategy, wild boars either escaped or were turned loose by disillusioned producers.

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Theyve proven remarkably adaptable to the harsh Prairie winters, so much so that its becoming questionable whether eradication is even an option. Unrestricted hunting has proven ineffective because all it does is disperse the herds and make them harder to track.

But while industry, federal and provincial governments officially began co-ordinating efforts to keep ASF out of Canada and to deal with it if it gets here through a Pan-Canadian action plan announced last November, no such collaboration is in place for managing the wild boar population.

The Manitoba Pork Council is calling on governments to pull together on this front as well, with co-ordinated programs and resources. "All western provinces have programming aimed at addressing the wild pig problem, but each jurisdiction is approaching the issue a little differently," said Manitoba Pork Council general manager Cam Dahl in a recent opinion piece. "An effective wild pig eradication program should be co-ordinated across the region."

Unfortunately, no one has yet figured out what that looks like.

In the meantime, their best defence is vigilance at the border and the farmgate.

Laura Rance is vice-president of Content for Glacier FarmMedia. She can be reached at lrance@farmmedia.com
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  Oregons governor said Friday she will send up to 1,500 National Guard troops to hospitals around the state to assist healthcare workers who are being pushed to the brink by a surge of COVID-19 cases driven by the Delta variant.

FILE - In this May 21, 2021 file photo, a sign reminds customers to wear their masks at a bakery in Lake Oswego, Ore. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021 announced a statewide indoor mask requirement due to the spike in COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases, warning that the state's health care system could be overwhelmed. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus, File)

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  Oregons governor said Friday she will send up to 1,500 National Guard troops to hospitals around the state to assist healthcare workers who are being pushed to the brink by a surge of COVID-19 cases driven by the Delta variant.

Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, said the first group of 500 Guard members will be deployed next Friday to serve as material and equipment runners in the most stricken hospitals and to help with COVID-19 testing, among other things. Troops will be sent to 20 hospitals around Oregon.

There are 733 people hospitalized with the virus in Oregon as of Friday, including 185 people in intensive care units  more than 60 people more than just a day before and nearly double what the number was two weeks ago.

I cannot emphasize enough the seriousness of this crisis for all Oregonians, especially those needing emergency and intensive care, Brown said, reiterating that message. When our hospitals are full with COVID-19 patients, there may not be room for someone needing care after a car crash, a heart attack, or other emergency situation.

The Delta variant now makes up 96% of all samples tested, up from just 15% six weeks ago, according to Oregon Health Authority data.

FILE - In this June 28, 2021, file photo Oregon Gov. Kate Brown visits the Bly Fire Camp, on the southern edge of the Bootleg Fire, in Klamath County, Ore. Oregon's governor said Friday, Aug. 13, 2021 she will send up to 1,500 National Guard troops to hospitals around the state to support healthcare workers as the COVID-19 surges amid the rapid spread of the Delta variant. The first group of 500 Guard members will be deployed next Friday to serve as material and equipment runners in the most stricken hospitals and to help with COVID-19 testing. (Arden Barnes/The Herald And News via AP, File)

The harsh, and frustrating reality is that the Delta variant has changed everything," the governor said.

Oregon, once viewed as a pandemic success story, has seen that progress slip away in recent weeks as the highly contagious Delta variant gains a foothold in counties with lower vaccination rates. The state kept an indoor mask mandate and social distancing rules in place until June 30, shut down restaurants, bars, gyms and other businesses repeatedly since March 2020 and had strict indoor capacity limits for businesses long after other states had returned to near-normal.

Amid the surge, Brown has mandated masks for all students and staff in K-12 schools when classes resume later this month regardless of vaccination status and a new statewide indoor mask mandate took effect Friday.

But earlier this week, hospitals warned that Oregon's record-setting virus hospitalization numbers were pushing them to capacity and some have already had to start delaying care for non-COVID conditions. Several counties in southern Oregon, where fewer than half of eligible adults are vaccinated, are particularly hard hit.

All hospitals in Jackson and Josephine counties, in the state's southwest corner, are at capacity, with patients on gurneys in hallways and emergency rooms overflowing. The counties teamed up to ask the state to set up a medical tent for non-COVID patients. They are awaiting a response.

This is the worst condition our hospitals have seen, likely ever. I dont know that anyone could recall a time where weve had this much pressure on our health care system, Josephine County Public Health Manager Michael Weber told reporters Thursday on a conference call.

Oregon Health & Science University said dire projections show the state will have 1,000 hospitalized COVID-19 patients on Labor Day if nothing changes, leaving Oregon short 400 to 500 hospital beds.

This is the worst-case scenario that Oregonians worked so hard to avoid in March 2020," the hospital said in a statement. Its a shocking number, and one that was repeatedly checked against other available data and the effects of the current surge observed in other states.

There were 1,785 new or presumed cases statewide Friday and seven deaths. Other deaths this week included a 19-year-old woman in the state's rural northeastern corner.

About 29% of adults in Oregon are unvaccinated and more than 102,000 vaccine doses have been thrown away because of non-use. More than 70% of eligible residents have had at least once shot, and 65% are fully vaccinated, according to state data.

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Associated Press Writers Andrew Selsky in Salem, Oregon and Sara Cline in Portland contributed to this report.

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Follow Gillian Flaccus on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/gflaccus.
GARDONY, Hungary (AP)  Lake Velence, a shallow, freshwater lake in central Hungary, is a haven for over 100 types of birds, dozens of species of fish and throngs of tourists who come to bathe in its waters for relief from the hot summers.

People enjoy the sunny day in the Lake Velence in Agard, Hungary, Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021. Activists and environmental experts in Hungary say the effects of climate change and insufficient infrastructure are colliding to threaten the countrys third largest natural lake with an economic and ecological crisis. Lake Velence has lost nearly half of its water in the last two years as hot, dry summers have led to increased evaporation and deteriorating water quality. (AP Photo/Laszlo Balogh)

GARDONY, Hungary (AP)  Lake Velence, a shallow, freshwater lake in central Hungary, is a haven for over 100 types of birds, dozens of species of fish and throngs of tourists who come to bathe in its waters for relief from the hot summers.

But many of the lakes visitors, both animal and human, have disappeared as extreme heat has brought the water to dangerously low levels, something activists and environmental experts say threatens the countrys third largest natural lake with an economic and ecological crisis.

They say climate change and insufficient infrastructure are colliding, with devastating effect. The lake has lost nearly half of its water in the past two years as hot, dry summers have led to accelerating evaporation and deteriorating water quality.

We are talking about years of rainfall deficit, drought and a continuous water shortage, said environmental management engineer and activist Tibor Horanyi. For years weve seen what role global warming is playing in our lives, and its clearly connected to this low water level.

The optimal water level for Lake Velence (pronounced 'VEH-len-tseh) in August is 150 centimeters (5 feet), according to the local water authority.

But on Thursday, the water level stood at 80 centimeters (2 feet 7 inches), an amount of water that Horanyi called critical.

Hot, dry weather can result in as much as 1 centimeter per day evaporating from Lake Velence, according to official measurements. Those decreased levels have meant water temperatures are rising faster, causing diminished oxygen content, increased proliferation of algae and reduced water quality.

Following a long, cold spring, Hungary experienced its third hottest June since 1901 and then the hottest July on record, according to the national meteorological service.

The extreme heat caused the water temperature in the lake to rise by 10 degrees Celsius (18 F) within a week in June, Horanyi said, resulting in the death of more than four tonnes (8,800 pounds) of fish that were then removed by volunteers.

Otto Balogh, a local fisherman, told The Associated Press that the conditions in the water were clearly visible, and had impacted his catch.

There are no fish. In the last three weekends that Ive come here, this is the first time I caught anything, Balogh said.

Shallow marshlands on the lake's western end have dried up completely, and many of the birds normally seen in the lake's bird sanctuary have disappeared.

There arent any water birds now. Theyve gone somewhere else to find food, I suppose, Balogh said.

In July, the local public health department ordered the closure of four beaches on Lake Velence, citing water quality samples that did not meet required standards.

While most of the beaches have since reopened, few bathers venture in the water, which due to the low levels scarcely reaches their waists even if they wade more than 100 meters (yards) out.

The low water levels, dying fish and closed beaches have led to a dramatic decrease in tourism at local restaurants, bars and hotels, said Peter Vas, a local resident and activist, threatening further hardship for a local economy already hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A lot of money has been invested here by traders, restaurateurs and holidaymakers to make it a great place to enjoy themselves, Vas said. This lake has to be saved.

Activists have urged Hungary's government to take action to protect the lake from further deterioration, and to provide the resources necessary to bring the water back to minimum levels.

But continuing hot weather and infrastructural deficiencies have prevented a quick fix to the crisis.

Two reservoirs were built in the 1970s to provide water to the lake if levels dropped too low. But a spokesperson for the national water authority said that drought and extreme heat had caused low water levels in those reservoirs as well, leading to high algae content which makes the water unsuitable for remedying the lake's water deficit.

Zoltan Tessely, the government commissioner responsible for the development of Lake Velence, told local television station Fehervar TV last week that he had submitted a proposal to the government for replenishing the water in the lake  but that the government had rejected the $133 million price tag, saying it needed the funds to support economic recovery after the pandemic.

Vas, the local activist, acknowledged that the lake has dried out before, noting that in 1863 the Hungarian hussars trained with their horses in the lake bed.

"But now it's the 21st century," he said. "We must have the ability to save this natural protected area.

With no immediate solution in sight and only warm, dry weather in the forecast, only political will can avert an environmental disaster at Lake Velence, he said.

Follow AP's coverage of climate change issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change
Opinion

Last year I wrote a series of articles focused on helping businesses create a winning game plan.

A major component of creating a winning game plan is building off the business fundamentals of taking care of your customers and your employees. While a focus on fundamentals is always a good approach, I want to dive deeper into where you can find untapped gold from your customers and employees who can help you create additional success.

Your front-line staff deal with customers on a regular basis. These interactions result in valuable insights and anecdotes that can help an organization understand how their product or service assists their customers to get their jobs done. People dont buy a product or service just because they like it. It is because they have some type of job to be done. Needs arent vague and unknowable, they are how customers measure success when getting a job done. Are you collecting this data to build an improved understanding of your customers wants and needs based on the job they need done?

In my experience, one of the reasons that unsuccessful companies do not capture this data is that senior leaders do not believe what the front-line staff are saying. This is somewhat reminiscent of the news correspondents that were in Vietnam during that war.

Many of these journalists were situated in the centre of the action and wrote their first-hand accounts based on these experiences. Yet, the U.S. commander, General William Westmoreland, was not convinced of the accuracy of these reports and did not listen to his front-line leaders, who were providing their input based on direct interactions with the enemy. Westmoreland convinced President Lyndon Johnson that his assessment was correct, not what was being written in the papers or described by legendary newsman Walter Cronkite after he toured the action.

Business leaders can serve their customers and their employees better if they get out of their offices and personally see what is going on, listen to employee input, and read the customer feedback. My recommendation is to do this humbly and as objectively as possible. Park your ego and see what you can uncover from the front lines.

You can host a session with your employees and listen to the feedback they have received from customers about what they need, and what job they may be trying to do. Be genuine and human as you listen and only ask questions for clarification. The objective is for you to learn something that a financial statement would not tell you.

The best staff are the most helpful and ask questions first and listen before they suggest. They want to understand what the customer really needs done, and they want to make sure that the problem is being solved. Their clarification questions are their approach to doing this. And the exceptional staff make it easy for the customer to get the right product or service.

You can also host a customer roundtable discussion. Again, your approach should be to listen and only ask questions when needing to clarify. Another option is to mystery shop your own company or hire an outside firm to perform this task.

You will be amazed at the strength of your employees and how well they deal with customers. You may also be surprised when you learn your policies or procedures are not customer-friendly.

Great companies also know that validating sales or financial data with real customer data is essential to ensuring a holistic view of the business. Collecting this feedback from multiple data points can inform the strategic planning process so that a sound and well-executed strategy is formed around helping customers get their job done. Failing to validate the data that most organizations build their strategy around will lead to a "credibility gap." This gap is created when the data used in their plan is not complete. A bleaker situation will occur if their data is wrong.

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A customers actions based on a need will create a sale. Understanding this need is essential for any organization to increase their sales. Analyzing trends in sales results will not provide the necessary insight to know what customers need in the future. When your business fundamentals include a strong understanding of the job the customer needs done, the better positioned you are for future success. Trust your employees to help provide this insight because they deal with customers every day.

Tims bits: Strong leadership requires care and listening skills with customers and employees. Seek first to understand before jumping to conclusions or trying to validate your opinion.

A Forrester research study found that 91 per cent of leaders believe their organization is customer-focused.

However, only 10 per cent of customers believe these same companies are customer-focused. Since it costs about six times as much to acquire a new customer than to keep a current customer, you should focus on listening to employees to help better serve current customers.

Here is a business fundamental reminder  whats good for the customer is good for the business.

Tim Kist is a Certified Management Consultant, authorized by law, and a Fellow of the Institute of Certified Management Consultants of Manitoba.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The first forces of a Marine battalion arrived in Kabul at week's end to stand guard as the U.S. speeds up evacuation flights for some American diplomats and thousands of Afghans, spurred by a lightning Taliban offensive that increasingly is isolating Afghanistan's capital.

A Taliban fighter stands guard over surrendered Afghan security member forces in the city of Ghazni, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. The Taliban have completed their sweep of the countrys south on Friday, as they took four more provincial capitals in a lightning offensive that is gradually encircling Kabul, just weeks before the U.S. is set to officially end its two-decade war. (AP Photo/Gulabuddin Amiri)

WASHINGTON (AP)  The first forces of a Marine battalion arrived in Kabul at week's end to stand guard as the U.S. speeds up evacuation flights for some American diplomats and thousands of Afghans, spurred by a lightning Taliban offensive that increasingly is isolating Afghanistan's capital.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said elements of a battalion were now in Kabul, the vanguard of three Marine and Army battalions that the U.S. was sending to the city by the end of the weekend to help more Americans and their Afghan colleagues get out quickly.

The Taliban, emboldened by the imminent end of the U.S. combat mission in the country, took four more provincial capitals Friday, heightening fears they would move soon on the capital, which is home to millions of Afghans. Clearly from their actions, it appears as if they are trying to get Kabul isolated, Kirby noted at a Pentagon briefing.

The Pentagon also was moving an additional 4,500 to 5,000 troops to bases in the Gulf countries of Qatar and Kuwait, including 1,000 to Qatar to speed up visa processing for Afghan translators and others who fear retribution from the Taliban for their past work with Americans, and their family members.

The remainder  3,500 to 4,000 troops from a combat brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division  were bound for Kuwait. Kirby said the combat troops would be a reserve force on standby in case we need even more than the 3,000 going to Kabul.

The temporary buildup of troops for U.S. evacuations highlights the stunning pace of the Taliban takeover of much of the country, less than three weeks before the U.S. is set to officially end nearly 20 years of combat in Afghanistan.

President Joe Biden has remained adamant about ending the U.S. mission on Aug. 31, insisting the American and NATO mission that launched on Oct. 7, 2001, has done what it could to build up a Kabul-based Afghan government and military that could withstand the Taliban when Western troops finally withdrew.

Friday's latest significant blow was the Taliban capture of the capital of Helmand province, where American, British and other allied NATO forces fought some of the bloodiest battles in the past 20 years. Hundreds of Western troops died there during the course of the war, in fighting that often succeeded in knocking back Taliban fighters locally, only to have the Taliban move back in when a Western unit rotated out.

The State Department said the embassy in Kabul will remain partially staffed and functioning, but Thursday's decision to evacuate a significant number of embassy staff and bring in the thousands of additional U.S. troops is a sign of waning confidence in the Afghan government's ability to hold off the Taliban surge. The Biden administration has not ruled out a full embassy evacuation.

The U.S. had already withdrawn most of its troops, but had kept about 650 troops in Afghanistan to support U.S. diplomatic security, including at the airport.

The Biden administration warned Taliban officials directly that the U.S. would respond if the Taliban attacked Americans during the stepped-up deployments and evacuations.

Americans are preparing a military base abroad to receive and house large numbers of those Afghan translators and others as their visa applications are processed. The Biden administration has not identified the base, but earlier was talking with both Kuwait and Qatar about using U.S. bases there for the temporary relocations.

As of Thursday, the U.S. had flown 1,200 Afghans  former American employees and their families whose visas are farthest along in the approval process  to Fort Lee, Virginia.

State Department spokesman Ned Price said the U.S. soon will have evacuation planes flying out daily, for those Afghan translators and others who manage to reach the Kabul airport despite the fighting.

The number of Afghans flown out under the special visa program is going to grow very quickly in the coming days, Price said Thursday.

The viability of the U.S.-trained Afghan army was looking increasingly dim. A new military assessment says Kabul could come under Taliban pressure as soon as September and, if current trends hold, the country could fall to the Taliban within a few months.

Shortly before Price's announcement of the evacuation of some embassy staff, the embassy urged U.S. citizens to leave immediately  reiterating a warning it first issued Saturday.

The latest drawdown will further limit the ability of the embassy to conduct business, although Price maintained it would still be able to function. Nonessential personal had already been withdrawn from the embassy in April after Bidens withdrawal announcement that same month, and it was not immediately clear how many staffers would remain on the heavily fortified compound. As of Thursday, there were roughly 4,200 staffers at the embassy, but most of those are Afghan nationals, according to the State Department.

Apart from a complete evacuation and shuttering of the embassy, Price said other contingency plans were being weighed, including possibly relocating its operations to the airport.

Britain also was sending 600 troops to Afghanistan on a short-term basis to help its nationals leave the country.

Canada was sending special forces to help Canadian staff leave Kabul, a source familiar with the plan told The Associated Press. That official, who was not authorized to talk publicly about the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity, did not say how many special forces would be sent.

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Associated Press writer Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.
EILAT, Israel (AP)  The Red Sea reefs off the Israeli resort of Eilat host some of the greatest coral diversity on the planet.

A group of scuba divers prepares to exit the water after diving in the Red Sea near t the Europe-Asia Pipeline Company (EAPC) oil jetty in Israel's southern city of Eilat, Thursday, Aug, 5. 2021. A secretive oil deal between EAPC, an Israeli government-owned corporation, and MED-RED Land Bridge, a joint Israel-Emirati venture, would bring dozens of tankers alongside the coral reefs. (AP Photo/Noa Siti Eliyahu)

EILAT, Israel (AP)  The Red Sea reefs off the Israeli resort of Eilat host some of the greatest coral diversity on the planet.

A symphony in splendid technicolor, the reefs are among the worlds most resilient coral colonies against warming seas. They have also become an unlikely battleground, caught between Israeli diplomatic and business interests, and ecological groups that fear this natural treasure could be in danger.

A clandestine oil deal struck last year as part of the historic agreement establishing formal diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates is turning Eilat into a waypoint for Emirati oil headed for Western markets.

Initially hailed as a move that could cement fledgling diplomatic ties and further Israels energy ambitions, the deal is now in question after Israels new government opened a review. The decision has upset investors and risks a diplomatic spat with Israels Gulf allies.

The UAE and Israel, which normalized relations last year as part of the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords, have since signed over $830 million in trade deals and inked numerous trade and cooperation agreements.

But the deal between the Europe-Asia Pipeline Company, an Israeli government-owned corporation, and MED-RED Land Bridge, a joint Israel-Emirati venture, remains a secret.

Senior officials in former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government  including his former energy, foreign and environment ministers  said they didn't know about the deal until it was announced last September, after the accords were signed at the White House.

The pipeline company, known as EAPC, was founded in the 1960s to bring Iranian oil to Israel when the countries had friendly relations. Its operations are shrouded in secrecy, ostensibly for security reasons.

Israeli environmental groups have asked the country's Supreme Court to halt oil shipments, citing EAPCs questionable safety record and the risk posed by parking supertankers alongside Eilats fragile coral ecosystems.

A scuba diver swims alongside the Europe-Asia Pipeline Company (EAPC) oil jetty in Israel's southern city of Eilat, Thursday, Aug, 5. 2021. A secretive oil deal between EAPC, an Israeli government-owned corporation, and MED-RED Land Bridge, a joint Israel-Emirati venture, would bring dozens of tankers alongside the coral reefs. (AP Photo/Noa Siti Eliyahu)

As for an oil spill, it's not a question of if it will happen, but when it will happen, said Assaf Zvuloni, a Nature and Parks Authority ecologist in Eilat. Even a small rupture or human error would have disastrous consequences, he said.

Israel suffered its worst ecological disaster in February, when a spill in the eastern Mediterranean coated virtually all of its 270-kilometer (170-mile) coastline with oil. The petitioners  three Israeli environmental groups  argued that incident would be dwarfed alongside a massive oil spill off Eilat.

Israel long lacked natural resources. But that began to change after the 2009 discovery of natural gas in the Mediterranean Sea and Israel's first exports.

The deal with the UAE would expand this fledgling energy sector, with oil shipped across Israel in a pipeline to the Mediterranean port of Ashkelon and on to European markets.

Yona Fogel, executive of one of the Israeli partners in the project, told public broadcaster Kan in June that the UAE deal will produce for EAPC earnings of hundreds (of millions) and perhaps billions of dollars without raising the risk to the environment whatsoever.

Ksenia Svetlova, an ex-lawmaker and director of Mideast relations with the Mitvim Institute, an Israeli think tank, said the project is especially appealing because it provides an alternative to the Suez Canal. The canal, the main waterway for Gulf exports to the West, was paralyzed early this year when a massive tanker ran aground there.

The Emiratis are gaining a cheaper, alternative route, something that they can use in case they need to divert some of the tankers to this direction, she said.

But opponents say the potential cost is irreversible damage to a natural wonder.

The EAPC terminal dominates a stretch of Eilat shoreline a kilometer (half mile) north of Israel's Coral Beach Nature Reserve. Its cranes and pipes jut into the Red Seas aquamarine and navy blue waters. The air reeks of petroleum.

For now, multitudes of corals still bloom on neighboring reefs, attracting fish in kaleidoscopic abundance.

A senior government official said Prime Minister Naftali Bennetts office asked the Supreme Court for additional time to respond to the environmentalists' challenge. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

Israels new environment minister has pledged to scrap the pipeline altogether and her ministry has frozen the companys planned expansion of operations, pending a government decision.

The Gulf of Eilat is in real danger because of the Med-Red pipeline, and the state of Israel doesnt need to be the oil bridge for other countries, Tamar Zandberg said upon taking office in June. Her office declined interview requests.

No less important is a future spills impact on tourism, Eilats lifeblood. Meir Yitzhak Halevi, a freshman lawmaker who was Eilats mayor from 2003 until June, said he was left in the dark about EAPC's operations and called for complete transparency.

An ecological disaster would also likely impact the ecosystems of Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, all of which share the gulfs waters.

We have a real potential loss to humanity and to global biodiversity, said Gidon Bromberg, head of the cross-border EcoPeace environmental group.

EAPC dismissed environmental concerns as unfounded, claimed the inherent danger in the arrival of tankers is zero and contended that hundreds of tankers docked at the adjacent Jordanian port of Aqaba in the past decade.

The company refused interviews, as did Emirati officials. But Hebrew daily Israel Hayom recently quoted unnamed Emirati officials as saying canceling the deal is definitely a violation of diplomatic agreements and could damage relations.

Meanwhile, EAPC has confirmed it has initiated operations. At least eight oil tankers moored in Eilat in 2021, up from an average of one every five years, according to the court petition, which contends the agreement could bring over 100 oil vessels each year.

EAPC has had a poor safety record. A 2014 pipeline rupture spilled millions of gallons of crude oil in a desert nature reserve. In the 1970s, a series of spills nearly eradicated Eilat's coral reefs.

Yossi Loya, a marine biology professor at Tel Aviv University, said the reefs managed to recover over the past decade  a rare exception to the deterioration of reefs worldwide.

This is one of the diamonds in the crown, and therefore its very important to protect them, he said.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  The Taliban on Saturday captured a large, heavily defended city in northern Afghanistan in a major setback for the government, and were approaching the capital of Kabul, less than three weeks before the U.S. hopes to complete its troop withdrawal.

A market is shuttered closed over security fears during fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel, in Kandahar, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Sidiqullah Khan)

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  The Taliban on Saturday captured a large, heavily defended city in northern Afghanistan in a major setback for the government, and were approaching the capital of Kabul, less than three weeks before the U.S. hopes to complete its troop withdrawal.

The fall of Mazar-e-Sharif, the country's fourth largest city, which Afghan forces and two powerful former warlords had pledged to defend, hands the insurgents control over all of northern Afghanistan, confining the Western-backed government to the center and east.

Abas Ebrahimzada, a lawmaker from the Balkh province where the city is located, said the national army surrendered first, which prompted pro-government militias and other forces to lose morale and give up in the face of a Taliban onslaught launched earlier Saturday.

Ebrahimzada said Abdul Rashid Dostum and Ata Mohammad Noor, former warlords who command thousands of fighters, had fled the province and their whereabouts were unknown.

Noor said in a Facebook post that his defeat in Mazar-e-Sharif was orchestrated and blamed the government forces, saying they handed their weapons and equipment to the Taliban. He did not say who was behind the conspiracy, nor offer details, but said he and Dostum are in a safe place now

Afghan military and officials leave Kandahar city during fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel, in Kandahar, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Sidiqullah Khan)

The Taliban have made major advances in recent days, including capturing Herat and Kandahar, the countrys second- and third-largest cities. They now control about 24 of Afghanistans 34 provinces, leaving the Western-backed government with a smattering of provinces in the center and east, as well as the capital, Kabul.

On Saturday, the Taliban captured all of Logar province, just south of Kabul, and detained local officials, said Hoda Ahmadi, a lawmaker from the province. She said the Taliban have reached the Char Asyab district, just 11 kilometers (7 miles) south of the capital.

Later, the insurgents took over Mihterlam, the capital of Laghman province, northeast of Kabul, without a fight, according to Zefon Safi, a lawmaker from the province.

Smoke rises after fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel, in Kandahar, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Sidiqullah Khan)

On Saturday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani delivered a televised speech, his first public appearance since the recent Taliban gains. He vowed not to give up the achievements of the 20 years since the U.S. toppled the Taliban after the 9/11 attacks.

The U.S. has continued holding peace talks between the government and the Taliban in Qatar this week, and the international community has warned that a Taliban government brought about by force would be shunned. But the insurgents appear to have little interest in making concessions as they rack up victories on the battlefield.

We have started consultations, inside the government with elders and political leaders, representatives of different levels of the community as well as our international allies, Ghani said. Soon the results will be shared with you, he added, without elaborating further.

The U.S. Embassy buildings, center, are seen in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. The last-minute decision to send 3,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan to help partially evacuate the U.S. Embassy is calling into question whether President Joe Biden will meet his Aug. 31, deadline for fully withdrawing combat forces. The vanguard of a Marine contingent arrived in Kabul on Friday and most of the rest of the 3,000 are due by Sunday. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

Hours later, his forces suffered one of the biggest setbacks since the Taliban offensive began.

Mazar-e-Sharif, home to a famous blue-tiled Muslim shrine, was a stronghold of the Northern Alliance, ethnic militias who helped the U.S. topple the Taliban in 2001.

In 1997, as many as 2,000 Taliban fighters were captured and killed by forces loyal to Mohammed Mohaqiq, a Shiite Hazara leader, and his ethnic Uzbek allies. The following year, the Taliban returned and killed thousands of Hazaras in Mazar-e-Sharif in a revenge attack.

Internally displaced Afghans from northern provinces, who fled their home due to fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel, take refuge in a public park Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. The Taliban have completed their sweep of the country's south on Friday, as they took four more provincial capitals in a lightning offensive that is gradually encircling Kabul, just weeks before the U.S. is set to officially end its two-decade war. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

Several makeshift camps had sprung up around Mazar-e-Sharif where mostly ethnic Hazaras had taken shelter after fleeing their homes in outlying areas. They said the Taliban had detained relatives who sought to leave their districts and in some cases burned schools.

Tens of thousands of Afghans have fled their homes, with many fearing a return to the Talibans oppressive rule. The group had previously governed Afghanistan under a harsh version of Islamic law in which women were forbidden to work or attend school, and could not leave their homes without a male relative accompanying them.

Salima Mazari, one of the few female district governors in the country, expressed fears about a Taliban takeover earlier Saturday in an interview from Mazar-e-Sharif, before it fell.

Internally displaced Afghans from northern provinces, who fled their home due to fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel, take refuge in a public park Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. The Taliban have completed their sweep of the country's south on Friday, as they took four more provincial capitals in a lightning offensive that is gradually encircling Kabul, just weeks before the U.S. is set to officially end its two-decade war. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

There will be no place for women, said Mazari, who governs a district of 36,000 people near the northern city. In the provinces controlled by the Taliban, no women exist there anymore, not even in the cities. They are all imprisoned in their homes.

The Taliban appointed hard-line cleric Mujeeb Rahman Ansari as womens affairs minister in Herat, according to a prominent womens activist from the city who did not want to be identified because she fears for her safety. She described Ansari as being strongly against womens rights. He rose to prominence about 2015 and became infamous for dozens of billboards he installed in Herat that told women to wear Islamic hijab and demonized those who would promote womens rights.

The Taliban also captured Paktika province and small Kunar province, both bordering Pakistan, as well as Faryab province in the north and the central province of Daykundi, lawmakers from those areas said Saturday.

Internally displaced Afghan boy from northern provinces, who fled his home due to fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel, take refuge in a public park Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. The Taliban have completed their sweep of the country's south on Friday, as they took four more provincial capitals in a lightning offensive that is gradually encircling Kabul, just weeks before the U.S. is set to officially end its two-decade war. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

Sayed Hussan Gerdezi, a lawmaker from Paktia province, said the Taliban seized most of its local capital, Gardez, but battles with government forces were still underway. The Taliban said they controlled the city.

The withdrawal of foreign troops and the swift collapse of Afghanistan's own forces  despite hundreds of billions of dollars in U.S. aid over the years  has raised fears the Taliban could return to power or that the country could be shattered by factional fighting, as it was after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989. It's also prompted many American and Afghan veterans of the conflict to question whether two decades of blood and treasure was worth it.

Afghans have been streaming into Kabul's international airport in recent days, desperate to fly out, even as more American troops have arrived to help partially evacuate the U.S. Embassy.

Internally displaced Afghans from northern provinces, who fled their home due to fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel, take refuge in a public park Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. The Taliban have completed their sweep of the country's south on Friday, as they took four more provincial capitals in a lightning offensive that is gradually encircling Kabul, just weeks before the U.S. is set to officially end its two-decade war. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

U.S. President Joe Biden has authorized an additional 1,000 U.S. troops for deployment to Afghanistan, according to a statement from a defense official. That raises to roughly 5,000 the number of U.S. troops to ensure what Biden calls an orderly and safe drawdown of American and allied personnel. U.S. troops will also help in the evacuation of Afghans who worked with the military during the nearly two-decade war.

The first Marines arrived Friday. The rest are expected by Sunday, and their deployment has raised questions about whether the administration will meet its Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline.

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The U.S. Air Force has carried out several airstrikes to aid its Afghan allies on the ground but they appear to have done little to stem the Taliban's advance. A B-52 bomber and other warplanes traversed the country's airspace Saturday, flight-tracking data showed.

Internally displaced Afghans from northern provinces, who fled their home due to fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel, take refuge in a public park Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. The Taliban have completed their sweep of the country's south on Friday, as they took four more provincial capitals in a lightning offensive that is gradually encircling Kabul, just weeks before the U.S. is set to officially end its two-decade war. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

The U.S. invaded shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks, which al-Qaida planned and carried out while being sheltered by Taliban. After rapidly ousting the Taliban, the U.S. shifted toward nation-building, hoping to create a modern Afghan state after decades of war and unrest.

Earlier this year, Biden announced a timeline for the withdrawal of all U.S. troops by the end of August. His predecessor, President Donald Trump, had reached an agreement with the Taliban to pave the way for a U.S. pullout.

Biden's announcement set the latest offensive in motion. The Taliban, who have long controlled large parts of the Afghan countryside, moved quickly to seize provincial capitals, border crossings and other key infrastructure.

The security situation in the city is getting worse," said Kawa Basharat, a resident in Mazar-e-Sharif, hours before the city fell. "I want peace and stability; the fighting should be stopped.

Rahim and Akhgar reported from Istanbul and Krauss reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Kathy Gannon in Guelph, Canada; and Robert Burns and Josh Boak in Washington, D.C, contributed to this report.
OTTAWA - The Trudeau government is promising to resettle 20,000 refugees who have already fled Afghanistan even as months of frustration turn to outright fear over the fate of hundreds of former interpreters and their families still stuck in the country.

Taliban fighters stand guard inside the city of Ghazni, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. The Canadian government is facing urgent calls to speed up its effort to save hundreds of former Afghan interpreters and their families as Western countries step up plans to evacuate Afghanistan after 20 years of war. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Gulabuddin Amiri

OTTAWA - The Trudeau government is promising to resettle 20,000 refugees who have already fled Afghanistan even as months of frustration turn to outright fear over the fate of hundreds of former interpreters and their families still stuck in the country.

Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino led a hastily called news conference late Friday afternoon with three other Liberal ministers announcing the new resettlement plan, less than 24 hours after reports Canada was sending special forces troops to Afghanistan.

The deployment of those troops coincides with growing indications Canada and other Western countries are preparing to leave Afghanistan as the Taliban have captured a growing number of provincial capitals with lightning speed.

Those revelations and the speed of the Taliban advances have sparked alarm and confusion among already frustrated and desperate Canadian veterans who have been working tirelessly to help hundreds of Afghans who supported Canada over the years.

They have also prompted calls for the government to act with more urgency after announcing three weeks ago that immigration officials would expedite the resettlement of potentially thousands of former interpreters and their families.

Yet rather than announcing new measures to help those who helped Canada in Afghanistan over the past 20 years, Mendicino and the other ministers announced the government would also be helping Afghans who have already fled the country.

Those refugees face an uncertain and volatile future in neighbouring countries, and Canada is here to help them as well, Mendicino said during the news conference with Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and Minister of Women Maryam Monsef.

In an initial effort to alleviate the emerging humanitarian crisis in the region, Canada will build on our earlier special immigration program to welcome over 20,000 vulnerable Afghan refugees in total.

Those refugees will include women leaders, human rights activists, journalists, persecuted minorities and members of the LGBT community, Mendicino added, as well as the family members of former interpreters who have previously fled to Canada.

The refugees will come through the United Nations as well as family and private sponsorships, with Sajjan saying one Sikh group in Canada had already signed an agreement with the government sponsoring several hundred Sikh and Hindu families that have fled Afghanistan.

Mendicino and the other ministers meanwhile insisted immigration officials were continuing to process the applications of what Canadian veterans say are hundreds of former interpreters, cultural advisers, drivers, cleaners and others who helped Canada and are now in danger.

A military plane carrying Afghans to Canada had arrived in Toronto only hours earlier, Sajjan said, the fourth such flight to arrive since the government announced three weeks ago that immigration officials would expedite the resettlement of former interpreters.

The defence team remains ready to support the whole-of-government effort to get these Afghan nationals out of harm's way, Sajjan said.

The Canadian Armed Forces will provide additional flights as required, and DND will continue to support the vetting process and advise on contingency plans for a range of scenarios as our government monitor the evolving security situation in Afghanistan.

Yet the ministers would not provide much in the way of details about the state of the Canadian Embassy in Kabul, including whether it remains open or closed, citing operational security reasons.

Garneau did say Canada is working with Afghan officials to find a way around a requirement that anyone leaving the country have a passport, a requirement that veterans and grassroots groups say is a major obstacle to getting many of the interpreters and their families out of Afghanistan.

But the ministers also sidestepped criticisms that the government has largely sidelined those same groups despite their role in pressuring Ottawa to act in the first place, and have been working for months and years to identify and vet people who need help.

Andrew Rusk, the co-founder of advocacy group Not Left Behind, said hundreds of interpreters and other workers are now stuck in Taliban-controlled territory and are being hunted due to their service to Canada.

Todays announcement doesnt address the imminent danger facing this group, which has worsened over the past weeks due to Canadas delays and inaction, said Rusk, whose sister-in-law Nicola Goddard was killed in combat with the Taliban in May 2006.

Another one of those calling for more urgency for the interpreters is retired major-general Denis Thompson, who commanded Canadian troops in Afghanistan in 2008-2009 and was one of three former two-star generals who wrote a letter last month urging Ottawa to act.

Prior to Fridays news conference, Thompson told The Canadian Press that while he is grateful the government agreed last month to expedite the resettlement of Afghans who helped Canada, he was frustrated by the pace of the effort and the lack of information from officials.

Yes, I'm a bit frustrated, he said. I'm happy that they actually acted, and that there's a process in place. But that process needs to be considerably accelerated or we're really going to be faced with a disaster, which I don't think any Canadian would be willing to accept.

Thompson questioned not only the governments refusal to say how many people have been rescued so far, which stands in contrast to the more open approach in the United States and elsewhere, but its refusal to provide any information about what is going on now.

There needs to be more communication with these legitimate Canadian organizations that are connected to the Afghans who supported us in Kandahar, Kabul and across the country so that we can communicate the plan to them and speed the process, he said.

Retired corporal Dave Morrow of the Canadian-Afghan Interpreters group also called for urgent action, including the deployment of military aircraft, but expressed fears time had all but run out for those still stuck in the country because of government foot-dragging.

We could have done so much more, Morrow said. It's hard for me just to think about those that I know that are still there. What do I say to them now?  What are all the other veterans going say to their interpreters? Sorry? Good luck?

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13, 2021.
VANCOUVER - Pacific salmon can no longer access hundreds of kilometres of spawning streams or floodplain habitat after decades of urban, agricultural and resource development around British Columbia's Lower Fraser River, a study has found.

Stuart LePage, of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, sprints to place a salmon in a vessel to be lifted by a helicopter and transported up the Fraser River past a massive rock slide near Big Bar, west of Clinton, B.C., Wednesday July 24, 2019. Pacific salmon can no longer access hundreds of kilometres of spawning streams or floodplain habitat after decades of urban, agricultural and resource development around British Columbia's Lower Fraser River, a study by researchers at the University of B.C. has found. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

VANCOUVER - Pacific salmon can no longer access hundreds of kilometres of spawning streams or floodplain habitat after decades of urban, agricultural and resource development around British Columbia's Lower Fraser River, a study has found.

The study and mapping by researchers at the University of B.C. focused on 14 populations in the lower stretch of Canada's most productive salmon river.

It maps where an estimated 85 per cent of floodplain is dried up or inaccessible to salmon due to dikes, along with 1,700 kilometres of streams thought to be "completely lost" due to in-filling and barriers such as dams and road culverts.

The study used earlier research from the University of B.C. that examined surveyors' notebooks detailing vegetation in the late 19th century to map floodplain areas that would have been available to salmon, said Riley Finn, the study's lead author and a research assistant at UBC's conservations decisions lab.

Such vegetation-rich habitat is crucial for salmon species that remain in fresh water for some time after eggs are hatched, such as chinook and coho, Finn said.

"When those waters come up on an annual basis, it provides terrestrial insect input, so that's a new food source they can go and forage after. It also provides protection from predation. So it's really important in this juvenile rearing phase," he said.

Finn's study, published in the journal Ecosphere in July, identified the vegetation that was likely to withstand annual flooding and compared it to current dike mapping.

Just over 100 of an estimated 659 square kilometres of historical floodplain habitat remains accessible, with some variation for different salmon populations, it found.

Sumas Lake, for example, is currently kept dry to support farming through a series of canals and pumps after being drained in 1924, the study says. It considers the dry lake historical floodplain habitat due to accounts of wide variation in water levels, ranging from nine feet deep during winter to 36 feet deep in the spring.

It's another question altogether whether the floodplains would be accessible today had dikes never been built, said Finn, as salmon are struggling with other pressures, including the impacts of the climate crisis on their freshwater and marine habitats.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced in June the closure of nearly 60 per cent of commercial salmon fisheries during this year's season, saying in a statement "Pacific salmon are in a long-term decline, with many runs on the verge of collapse."

The department attributed the declines to "a complex combination of climate change, habitat degradation, and harvesting impacts," and added that "bold action (was) needed now to stabilize and rebuild the stocks before it is too late."

The study also mapped and estimated the extent of blocked and lost salmon streams, finding over 1,200 barriers interrupting 2,200 kilometres of streams, with 1,700 kilometres thought to be entirely lost from the landscape.

Overall, that represents about 64 per cent of the estimated 6,118 kilometres of streams that would otherwise be naturally accessible in the Lower Fraser, it says.

The 14 salmon populations considered in the study include two that have been assessed as endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, three that are considered threatened and one of "special concern."

Tara Martin, a professor at the University of B.C.'s faculty of forestry who leads the conservations decisions lab, said if salmon don't have sufficient habitat to breed and complete their life cycle, then other conservation efforts won't matter.

"Given the magnitude of habitat loss in the Fraser, large-scale habitat protection and restoration is a key component in efforts to restore wild populations."

The new study provides a foundation for Finn's ongoing work at the lab to identify priority areas where removing in-stream barriers and restoring salmon habitat would be feasible and produce the greatest benefits for salmon recovery, he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 14, 2021.

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his part in a brazen, smash-and-grab gun store heist that landed 37 firearms in the hands of Albertas criminal underworld.

A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his part in a brazen, smash-and-grab gun store heist that landed 37 firearms in the hands of Albertas criminal underworld.

Gage Fletcher, of Alberta, was convicted after trial of conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, break, enter, and theft, and weapons trafficking offences.

Fletcher was one four people arrested following a dramatic November 2018 theft at newly opened Dominion Outdoors in Winkler.

Nearly three years later, 30 of the stolen firearms remain unaccounted for, provincial court Judge Tony Cellitti said Friday.

"Guns of the sort stolen in this case have a high street value," Cellitti said. "It really is not a stretch that tremendous harm comes from stealing guns and selling them such that they end up in the hands of people who cause harm and death and mayhem."

Co-accused Brett Kehler, 24, and his 21-year-old step-brother Corbin Seniuk, both of Winkler, were previously sentenced to eight years in prison. A fourth accused, Valera Plaksin, of Alberta, received partial immunity in exchange for his co-operation and was previously sentenced to probation.

Court has heard Plaksin and Kehler were responsible for stealing a truck for the break-in, while Fletcher provided a clean getaway vehicle, his own Ford Escape.

After Plaksin drove the stolen truck through the front window of the gun store, Kehler and Seniuk ran inside and began smashing display cases. Ninety seconds later, they were gone. The take: 34 handguns and three rifles.

Fletcher was convicted as a party to the gun heist as he did not steal the firearms himself.

Crown attorney Mike Desautels argued the fact Fletcher didnt actively steal the firearms wasnt evidence of reduced involvement but of his smarts.

"Who are the brains behind the operation?" Desautels said. "Is it the two dumb-dumbs robbing a gun store from the same town they (live in), or is it the guys from out of province?"

According to an agreed statement of facts provided to court at Kehlers sentencing, Plaksin told police the plot was hatched some time earlier when Plaksin, Seniuk and Fletcher were visiting Fletchers mother in Brooks, Alta.

"Plaksin explained that Fletchers mother gave them the idea to break into a gun store and that she had people she could sell the guns to," says the agreed statement of facts.

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The agreed statement of facts says the woman told the men she could get up to $2,000 per gun and agreed to pay them $30,000 up front.

Months later, "after the money dried up," the woman told the men she had a sale lined up for the rest of the guns. When the men returned to the womans home looking for payment, she was nowhere to be found.

The investigation into the gun theft remained stalled for five months until a man who had helped the four accused temporarily stash the weapons, upset that he was never paid, went to police.

Dominion Outdoors had only recently opened at the time of the theft and was only insured for $2,500.

"This is a small-town Manitoba, family-owned business," Desautels said Friday. "These kinds of hits hurt."

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca
Manitoba Liberals and Indigenous leaders are pushing the province to officially designate Sept. 30 a statutory holiday to reflect on the harm caused by residential schools.

Manitoba Liberals and Indigenous leaders are pushing the province to officially designate Sept. 30 a statutory holiday to reflect on the harm caused by residential schools.

The provincial Liberal caucus said in a news release Friday that MLA Cindy Lamoureux has written to Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Relations Minister Alan Lagimodiere to "make this happen."

"Making this a statutory holiday will mean that Manitobans will be able to reflect on Canadas troubled (past) and commit to reconciliation," Lamoureux said in the release.

On June 3, federal legislation to recognize the day as a statutory holiday passed after receiving royal assent. Beginning this year, all federal government and federally regulated workplaces will observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Manitoba must pass its own legislation to push forward the stat holiday, otherwise known as a general holiday, in the province.

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak acting grand chief Shirley Ducharme said in an email Friday the organization wants the province to follow Ottawa on the matter.

"With the continued uncovering of unmarked graves at residential schools across the country, there could not be a better time for the province to step up and show their support for the survivors and families of children who were forced to attend residential schools," said Ducharme.

Manitoba Metis Federation president David Chartrand applauded the Liberals call.

"As Canada grapples with the reality of the harms of the residential and day school system, having a day for Manitobans to reflect on this tragedy will help ensure that nothing like this ever happens again in our country," he wrote.

Southern Chiefs Organization Grand Chief Jerry Daniels also supports the addition of a Manitoba statutory holiday. "The timing for the creation of a day such as this, could not be more fitting."

Freeing up time for Manitobans to focus on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation could provide an important opportunity for non-Indigenous people to show support for residential school, 60s Scoop survivors and the Indigenous community at large, said Katherine Legrange, director for 60s Scoop Legacy of Canada.

"It would be really great if non-Indigenous people would organize events in honour of Indian residential school survivors and those who were affected by the 60s Scoop and day schools and whatnot, because it really becomes our labour then if were organizing these things," she said.

An open day would offer built-in time for people to educate themselves about residential schools, or perhaps to enrol in workshops offered by various organizations supporting survivors around the city, she added.

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However, Legrange said shes doubtful the province will act, based on its past dealings on Indigenous issues, but "its the bare minimum that the Pallister government could do."

Wayne Mason seconded that sentiment. The executive director at Wa-Say Healing Centre, an organization that supports survivors of residential schools, also offered support for instituting a statutory holiday Sept. 30.

"I think all the provinces should recognize it because its a special day right across Canada," he said. "Some people dont understand the importance of the recognition They talk about reconciliation  heres an opportunity."

Theres no one thing that can repair the damage done, but if society takes many little steps, perhaps the situation can improve, said Mason. Wa-Say will hold a public powwow at St. Johns Park on Sept. 30, whether or not its a provincial holiday.

A government spokesperson did not directly answer Friday whether there are plans to legislate the statutory holiday: "Indigenous reconciliation and northern relations is working with all departments to find meaningful options to commemorate the day."

cody.sellar@freepress.mb.ca
A Winnipeg firefighter who was the target of a probe into allegations of racism within the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service has filed a defamation lawsuit against a paramedic who made the accusation.

A Winnipeg firefighter who was the target of a probe into allegations of racism within the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service has filed a defamation lawsuit against a paramedic who made the accusation.

In a statement of claim filed Monday, firefighter Kelcey French is suing paramedic Nishanth Jayaranjan for $600,000 in damages and seeking an order that he remove "all defamatory words or images" from his social media accounts.

A third-party probe completed last February found French and another firefighter ignored repeated requests from Jayaranjan to help provide medical treatment to a 23-year-old Indigenous woman who had stabbed herself in the throat with a broken beer bottle on Oct. 7, 2020.

A 78-page report by Laurelle Harris of Equitable Solutions Consulting found the firefighters failed to provide medical care to the patient and delayed her transportation to the hospital. It also found they conspired to lie to the investigator hired by the city to review the incident.

Harris said the firefighters conduct was likely motivated by "racial animus" and "implicit racial bias."

Harris ruled the firefighters likely refused to help the patient in an attempt to retaliate against Jayaranjan (also a person of colour) for having filed complaints about racism within the WFPS.

French was the first responder on scene to examine the patient, other than police, and found she was "alert and responsive" and that her wound did not appear to be bleeding, alleges the statement of claim.

French accompanied the patient in an ambulance, along with Jayaranjan, who, the statement of claim alleges "was immediately hostile and aggressive towards him." French alleges Jayaranjan insulted him with profanity and slurs and falsified a patient-care report "to make it appear as if care was not promptly provided to the victim."

The following day, Jayaranjan sent an email to Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Chief John Lane, copied to 10 other city and union representatives, falsely claiming French refused to provide treatment to the patient and that his refusal to help was "racially motivated," alleges the statement of claim.

A copy of the email was shared with a Free Press reporter with a news story detailing the allegations appearing a week later.

"The tone and substance of the article implied that French was racist and had refused to render care to the patient because they were a member of an Indigenous community," alleges the statement of claim. "French pleads that the source of the email, as sent to the Winnipeg Free Press was quite obviously Jayaranjan."

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While the news story did not name French, other descriptors made it easy for those within the fire-paramedic community to identify him, the statement of claim alleges.

The statement of claim alleges Jayaranjan, using a pseudonym, posted on Reddit last February falsely accusing French of harassing him at his home and implied he was involved in a break-in to his parents home. Jayaranjan filed a police report for both alleged incidents, says the statement of claim.

"The police complaint was dismissed after the police learned that at the time Jayaranjan alleged that French was at his home, he was at work," alleges the statement of claim.

French alleges the false claims resulted in union representatives requesting that he be fired.

A statement of defence has not been filed. The allegations have not been proven in court.

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca
HILDA Anderson-Pyrz wants to know what someone would do if their daughters pleas for help were ignored after a brutal assault.

HILDA Anderson-Pyrz wants to know what someone would do if their daughters pleas for help were ignored after a brutal assault.

Anderson-Pyrz, manager of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanaks missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls liaison unit, was reacting to the case in which an Indigenous teenager, raped in a downtown alley in 2019, was ignored by other women when she sought help in a downtown public washroom after the attack.

At the sentencing hearing Wednesday for Andrew Okemow, Crown attorney Shannon Benevides told court the victim was hysterical after the assault and fled to a washroom at Cityplace mall to seek help.

Okemow, 49, has pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault.

"They just looked at her and walked away," Benevides said of the passersby in the mall washroom. "People treating her like garbage because of what she looked like. And why? (She) felt and her impression was that this was because she was Indigenous."

A woman who works for the Bear Clan was in one of the washroom stalls when she heard the girl cry for help and came to her aid, Benevides said. That woman called 911 and stayed with the victim until police arrived.

"Would you not want others to care, to show this young Indigenous girl who was victimized that theres people who care out there, that theyre willing to step up and help in a situation that obviously will ultimately scar her for life?" Anderson-Pyrz said.

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She said racism leads to Indigenous women being undervalued in society.

"Theres so much racism within this country, and that Indigenous women have been viewed as less than, that many individuals see us as if we dont matter. But we do matter, were sacred," she said.

She said Indigenous women and girls need better support in society.

"Its very unfortunate that were still having to have these horrific experiences and experience violence at alarming rates  its 2021, we really need to reflect as governments, as institutions, as organizations and as Canadians on how we can be part of the solution, supporting pathways of Indigenous women and girls, reclaiming who they are," the advocate said.

"As a society, we have to recognize the alarming rates of violence against Indigenous women and girls and how many systems that are currently in place continue to perpetuate that violence."

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca
After being raped by a stranger in a feces-strewn back alley, an Indigenous teens pleas for help were ignored after she sought refuge in a downtown mall washroom, a Winnipeg court heard this week.

After being raped by a stranger in a feces-strewn back alley, an Indigenous teens pleas for help were ignored after she sought refuge in a downtown mall washroom, a Winnipeg court heard this week.

"She was hysterical and she was asking women in the washroom for help," Crown attorney Shannon Benevides told court at a sentencing hearing Wednesday. "They just looked at her and walked away."

A woman who works for the Bear Clan was in one of the washroom stalls when she heard the girl cry for help and came to her aid, Benevides said.

The woman "was in her stall (and) she could hear the girl frantically asking other women for help and no one would help her," she said.

The woman called 911 and stayed with the girl until police arrived.

"She said it was particularly upsetting to her because of the way this victim was treated in the bathroom," Benevides said. "People treating her like garbage because of what she looked like. And why? (She) felt and her impression was that this was because she was Indigenous."

Andrew Okemow, 49, has pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault for the July 2019 attack.

"This (offence) is about as morally degrading as you can get."  Crown attorney Shannon Benevides

"This (offence) is about as morally degrading as you can get," Benevides told provincial court Judge Heather Pullan.

"When you are talking about the offence of sexual assault, its hard to fathom something worse than this," said Benevides, who urged Pullan to sentence Okemow to as long as 10 years in prison, the maximum penalty allowed by law.

Court heard the then 17-year-old victim had left home early that morning after an argument with her mother when she crossed paths with Okemow and three other men on Ellice Avenue near Portage Place mall and asked them for a smoke.

After some conversation, the men "told her they were elders and that they would help her," Benevides said. The girl followed the men to a nearby parkade where they drank mouthwash and everyone but Okemow passed out.

Okemow roused the girl and had her follow him to a back alley on the north side of Portage Avenue, across from Canada Life Centre (formerly Bell MTS Place). There Okemow pushed the girl to the ground behind a dumpster in an area strewn with human waste and raped her.

"She described how all during the incident all she could smell and taste was s---," Benevides said.

While raping her, Okemow told the girl "you should respect your elders and what we give to you."

"Thinking about what happened broke me. The elder comments made me trust them, and then (they) violated it."  Victim

A woman saw the attack and told Okemow to stop, which he did briefly, but she walked away without helping the girl, Benevides said.

Okemow resumed the assault, after which the girl ran to City Place mall, with Okemow in pursuit. The girl ran to a washroom and pleaded for help while Okemow remained outside.

Okemow fled before police arrived and was arrested days later.

"Thinking about what happened broke me," the girl later told justice officials. "The elder comments made me trust them, and then (they) violated it."

Court heard Okemow has eight prior convictions for violence, including a sexual assault in 1998, and has spent 12 years on probation. A pre-sentence report prepared for court outlined a personal history marked by parental neglect and physical abuse, sexual abuse by a family friend, and decades of substance abuse.

Okemow told court it was only after he was arrested for assaulting the girl that he started addressing his own past sexual abuse.

"The lowest part of my life was when I hurt someone the same way I was hurt as a child," he said. "The cycle has to end somewhere I understand I need help, serious help."

Okemow will be sentenced at a later date.

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca
Two recent events caused me to reflect on the potentially influential role that political staff play in Manitoba politics and government, and whether there is sufficient guidance and accountability for their behaviour and its consequences.

Opinion

Two recent events caused me to reflect on the potentially influential role that political staff play in Manitoba politics and government, and whether there is sufficient guidance and accountability for their behaviour and its consequences.

The first event was a report from the ombudsman documenting a situation in which neutral public servants were enlisted to prepare communications that had partisan, political overtones. That action was inappropriate. It is not the job of public servants to help "sell" government policies.

The second development was Free Press columnist Dan Letts blockbuster revelation that the premier used Progressive Conservative party funds to hire a detective to gather negative information for the purpose of attacks against Wab Kinew, leader of the NDP opposition. The campaign was directed by high-level political staff in the executive council. It was probably not illegal, but it was sleazy and unethical.

Let me try to explain why these developments are seriously worrisome:

To begin, our constitutional system of cabinet-parliamentary government assigns responsibility and accountability to two main groups of actors: relatively transient politicians and mostly permanent career public servants. Political staff do not fit neatly into this divided universe; instead, they occupy a kind of constitutional twilight zone. In principle, their behaviour falls within the scope of ministerial responsibility, but premiers and other ministers typically do not accept meaningful personal accountability for their actions.

In Manitoba, the premier appoints individuals who are loyal to the governing party to the executive council and to the offices of other ministers, sometimes based on the recommendations of individual ministers. Political staff, including those serving opposition parties, are paid from public funds. This is a recognition that politicians, especially ministers, could not perform their demanding jobs without various types of assistance.

Put simply, the role of political staff is to advance the interests of the politicians they serve and, in the case of the governing party, the agenda of the government. They do this in both substantive and procedural ways.

Policy advisers perform an array of activities, such as: proactively providing policy ideas; filtering advice from the public service; preparing/reviewing communications material; actively participating in meetings with departmental officials and external stakeholders; performing a "bridging" role to promote co-ordination on issues that transcend the boundaries of individual departments; and giving directions and monitoring the implementation of decisions within departments.

Political staff are not granted formal authority. To uphold accountability, they are meant to act at all times based on instructions from the premier or a minister. However, in a relatively small environment such as the Manitoba government, where face-to-face interaction is possible, this important principle can be ignored in the rush to respond to the pressures for immediate action.

This is why political staff, especially senior advisers, need to understand their place in the constitutional order and must demonstrate mature judgment in how they perform their roles.

The private investigation scheme is an example of "oppo research," a phrase that refers to the practice by political parties of gathering intelligence on the strengths and weakness of their political opponents mainly by combing public records. Sometimes opposition research is based on a candidates past policy missteps, at other times it focuses on personal indiscretions.

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While opposition research has been around for decades, after the Watergate scandal in the U.S. in 1971 it became a more commonplace tactic and gave rise to a profitable consulting industry that included private investigators. This trend spread to Canada, but with less ferocity and less use of "dirty tricks."

The fact the scheme to gather dirt on Kinew was initiated by the premier, orchestrated by senior political staff in the executive council and involved the hiring of a detective  reportedly with PC party funds  makes it an unprecedented violation of constitutional norms. Narrow, partisan scheming should not be part of day-to-day government decision-making, which should focus exclusively on the business of serving the public.

The case illustrates the limits of written codes of conduct as constraints on ethically problematic behaviour by political staff when they work for a premier, and in a culture, that emphasizes winning at almost any cost. The revised 2019 code of conduct for the public service contained, for the first time, an annex on how political staff should relate to the public service. Unfortunately, the injunctions about not compromising the impartiality of the public service are highly general, and there is no mention of how enforcement will occur.

To the best of my knowledge, there is no ethical education provided to incoming political staff and no safe forum in which ethical dilemmas can be discussed on ongoing basis. This means that harebrained schemes, such as hiring a PI to gather dirt on a "political enemy," are allowed to proceed.

It was the latest in a series of dubious tactics that changed, broke or bent the established rules of political competition to gain an advantage. Hopefully, the next leader of the PC party will make a strong commitment to fairness and integrity in political life.

Paul G. Thomas is professor emeritus of political studies at the University of Manitoba.
MY fathers idea of fun included taking stuff apart to see how it worked. I once watched him disassemble an old-fashioned radio, his workbench covered with an array of tubes, wires, a speaker and screws, all the parts arranged meticulously on a white cloth so none was lost.

Opinion

MY fathers idea of fun included taking stuff apart to see how it worked. I once watched him disassemble an old-fashioned radio, his workbench covered with an array of tubes, wires, a speaker and screws, all the parts arranged meticulously on a white cloth so none was lost.

A pertinent detail to note in this example is that there was no need to repair the radio. Everyone in our home who wanted a radio already had one that got better reception than the relic my father had probably found at a garage sale. He did it only to see for himself how a radio operated.

A machinist and millwright by trade, he was a fix-it guy who was adept at necessary household repairs. But more than that, his hobby was to deconstruct unfamiliar items and investigate their inner workings. Items he took apart included an outdated Polaroid camera, the engine from a broken lawn mower, a video game the kids no longer wanted and a microwave oven that had been replaced by a newer model.

In his quest to understand how everyday items functioned, he could have researched sources such as owners manuals and internet sources, but like crossword-puzzle buffs who dont peek at the answers, he enjoyed the challenge of figuring it out for himself, hands-on.

Dad died in 2008, but he would have enthusiastically supported a growing Canadian protest against companies that make it difficult, if not impossible, to take apart and repair many household items. The corporate agenda is often to force consumers to buy new products instead of repairing ones they already own.

Parliament voted on June 2 in favour of the second reading of a Canadian Right to Repair law, a private members bill by Liberal MP Bryan May. The bill is part of a pro-repair movement that targets companies that refuse to sell spare parts and tools, or provide the information needed to repair the items they sold. For example, iPhone maker Apple has a proprietary five-point screw in its phones that cannot be opened by anyone but Apple or its authorized service centres.

Many laptop computers now come with components glued together, or perhaps the hard drive and memory are integrated into the motherboard, so its impossible to send an individual piece away for repair. It increase the chances the consumer will buy a new computer rather than replace a single faulty part.

Some devices even have stickers warning that warranties are void if the item is opened. Consumer advocates say this is often a bluff on behalf of the manufacturer, and legal challenges in the U.S., under a federal law called the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, have ruled warranties must be honoured.

If owners of electronic devices are frustrated, theyre sharing the pain of farmers, backyard mechanics and independent vehicle-repair shops that have long been stymied by companies that wont disclose product information and repair procedures. It makes vehicle and equipment owners deal with the manufacturers authorized dealers, often at a higher cost.

The Canadian Right to Repair bill, which would remove copyright liability for consumers who try to repair their devices, is likely to be opposed by lobbyists for manufacturers.

For their part, the company spokespeople typically argue do-it-yourself repair is too difficult in modern devices with advanced electronics, especially anything with a computer chip. They also say tampering with devices can be dangerous, prompting such incidents as the one in which an airplane passengers smartphone caught fire during a flight.

As advocates look to the current Canadian bill as a welcome step, other countries are further along the pro-repair road. The United Kingdom mandates manufacturers must make spare parts available for electrical appliances. The European Commission is planning right-to-repair rules for smartphones, tablets and laptops. Most American states have proposed right-to-repair bills, and Massachusetts has a law that makes vehicle manufacturers share diagnostic and repair information with third parties, including owners.

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The worldwide concern is about consumer rights, but its also environmental. When we cant repair items, many more electronic goods are sent to landfills. E-waste disposed of improperly can leak mercury, beryllium, cadmium and lead.

Pro-repair advocates in different countries list similar demands: make parts and diagnostic tools available; offer access to manuals and schematics; unlock software; and design devices in ways that make repair possible.

It was encouraging that the Canadian Right to Repair bill got unanimous support in parliament (330-0), but perhaps its not surprising, because voting against this bill would be voting against common sense.

When we pay for a product, its ours. When we want to fix our stuff, we shouldnt be thwarted.

carl.degurse@freepress.mb.ca

Carl DeGurse is a member of the Free Press editorial board.
If it all goes as expected, this is the weekend Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will call a federal election in a bid to turn his current minority mandate into a majority. But do Canadians really want an election on Sept. 20, as current predictions indicate?

If it all goes as expected, this is the weekend Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will call a federal election in a bid to turn his current minority mandate into a majority. But do Canadians really want an election on Sept. 20, as current predictions indicate?

And, perhaps more importantly, is an election more than two years in advance of the normally prescribed (2023) date something Canadians need?

Going into this pivotal weekend, public opinion was inconclusive. Although the Liberals have a comfortable lead in most public opinion polls  enough that a majority may be within reach  support for an election is less robust.

A poll by Mainstreet Research suggests the only region of the country that really wants an election is the Prairies, where Conservative support, and an appetite to punish the Liberals, runs highest. On the other hand, an Abacus poll showed eight out of 10 respondents would not be sufficiently upset about an election to take it out on Mr. Trudeau.

Support for snap elections tends to be lowest beforehand; once an election is called, voters tend to put aside concerns about timing to focus on the issues at hand. In most instances, that is.

Liberal leader John Turner lost a snap election to rookie Progressive Conservative leader Brian Mulroney in 1984. Ontario Liberal premier David Petersons snap-election miscalculation in 1990 catapuled Bob Raes NDP to power. And in 2015, then-Alberta PC premier Jim Prentice called an election nobody wanted, allowing Rachel Notley and the NDP to capture perhaps the most surprising provincial election win in modern Canadian history.

Not all snap elections backfire, however. Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister made a very surprising election call in 2019 and managed to hang on to his majority mandate.

Who or what will determine the outcome of Mr. Trudeaus earlier-than-required election? The result will depend largely on whether the opposition parties present any real alternatives. At present, that remains unclear.

Erin OTooles leadership of the federal Conservative Party is a hot mess. He seems virtually unable to do or say anything that is not dismissed by critics and immediately set upon by members his own party.

The federal NDP has the benefit of arguably (or so some polls have told us) the most respected leader in the country, Jagmeet Singh. However, notwithstanding Liberal scuffles and Tory discord, the NDP has  once again  been unable to translate disapproval for the two main parties into significant additional support.

Whatever his rationale, the Liberal leader owes it to Canadians to explain why, in the looming shadow of a fourth pandemic wave, he is subjecting us to the stress, bother and expense of a snap federal election rather than following the usual cycle and waiting until 2023.

So, is Mr. Trudeau calling this election now because he is convinced the opposition cannot present a legitimate alternative to the Liberals, warts and all? The answer is probably that, as well as support for the Liberals pandemic response.

Whatever his rationale, the Liberal leader owes it to Canadians to explain why, in the looming shadow of a fourth pandemic wave, he is subjecting us to the stress, bother and expense of a snap federal election rather than following the usual cycle and waiting until 2023.

Mr. Trudeaus government has done a capable job at the helm of the national pandemic response, particularly when it comes to vaccines. Federal procurement has put us in the enviable position of being one of the most vaccinated nations on Earth. Liberals also support such measures as a vaccine passport for international travel, an idea that is likely to resonate with voters.

Is all that enough to overcome the inherent cynicism of holding an election now?

With current polling so inconclusive, it seems well have to wait until Sept. 20 to learn whether Mr. Trudeaus snap decision was a good idea.
The Irtysh River, the chief tributary of the Ob River, traces its headwaters to the glaciers of the Altai mountains of the Xinjiang province of China near Mongolia. It then flows northwest into Kazakhstan, and finally joins the Ob near the Khanty-Mansiysk city in western Siberia, Russia, to drain into the Arctic Ocean. The entire course of the river covers a distance of around 4,248 km. Together, the Ob-Irtysh form the 7th longest river system in the world. A number of major cities of China, Kazakhstan, and Russia lie along the banks of this river. The river serves as an important route for the transport of people and goods of the countries through which it flows and also houses a number of high capacity hydroelectric power stations.

Historical Significance

The Irtysh River was the site of ancient civilizations of the Mongol and Turkic peoples. One of the many famous battles fought along this river is the Battle of Irtysh River, which was fought in 657 between the Tang dynasty and the Western Turkic Khaganate. With the battle resulting in the defeat of the latter, it was one of the key events leading to the supremacy of the Tang over the Turks in the region for some time to come. Over the years, different dynasties have fought numerous wars with each other to establish their power in the Irtysh River basin. Currently, however, the river is shared by the 3 countries of China, Kazakhstan and Russia.

Significance Of The River Today

"Red Dragon" bridge and frozen Irtysh river in Khanty-Mansiysk.

In modern times, the waters of the Irtysh River support the needs of millions living along its banks in China, Kazakhstan, and Russia. In Chinas Xinjiang province, the Irtysh is utilized for industrial needs, agricultural purposes, fishing, and water consumption. In Kazakhstan and Russia, the river serves as a significant transport route for maritime war machines, passenger ships and cargo ships during the ice-free season. A large number of hydroelectric power stations have been built along the Irtysh in China, Kazakhstan, and Siberia to meet the electricity needs of the human settlements based near the river.

The River Ecosystem

The Irtysh River flowing through forested mountains in Kazakhstan.

The Ob-Irtysh River forms a part of the polar freshwater habitat in the countries of Kazakhstan and Russia. A largely continental climate prevails in the region drained by the Irtysh. The vegetation pattern along the banks of the river vary greatly, moving between steppes, coniferous forests, and marshy wetlands. Commercially important fish species like the pikeperch, roach, sturgeon, burbot, and tschirr are found in the waters of the Irtysh. Siberian moles, minks, elks, foxes, and wolves, as well as a large number of avian species, can be found inhabiting the areas along the course of the river as well.

Threats To The Irtysh

A heavily industrialized region along the Irtysh River.

Industrial development near the source of the Irtysh River in the Altai Mountains in Chinas Xinjiang province, have adversely affected the quality of water in the river. Water pollution due to the release of hazardous chemicals into the river along its course is a major issue threatening the aquatic life of the river. The growing population of China and its industrial needs are also responsible for extracting large amounts of water from the Irtysh. In 2010-2011 alone, 30% of the water stock of the river was consumed by the Chinese population. Such rampant exploitation of river could ultimately lead to serious water shortages downstream in Kazakhstan and Russia. The lack of proper trans-border cooperation among these nations regarding the issue of water shortages and pollution control holds the potential for provoking serious future disputes.
Popular disaffection is rising across Southeast Asia as millions of people, mostly impoverished, suffer the worsening impact on lives and livelihoods of the failure of capitalist governments throughout the region and worldwide to protect society from COVID-19.

Home to more than 650 million people, Southeast Asia has become an epicentre of the global Delta surge that has resulted from the corporate profit-driven policies by which governments have refused to impose, or prematurely lifted, safety restrictions, allowing more virulent mutant strains to spin out of control.

Across the region, the disaster has been compounded by the near-collapse of chronically underfunded health care systems, lack of access to vaccines and widespread losses of jobs and incomes.

People wait to have medical oxygen tanks refilled outside the Naing oxygen factory at the South Dagon industrial zone in Yangon, Myanmar, Wednesday, July 28, 2021. (AP Photo)

One of the most severely affected countries, Indonesia, last week passed a damning milestone100,000 officially confirmed COVID-19 deaths.

Just days earlier, President Joko Widodo eased restrictions on July 29, allowing small businesses and some shopping malls to reopen. To appease the financial elite, Widido lifted the already limited lockdowns, even in the worst-hit areas, such as Jakarta and Bali, despite warnings by health experts that this would lead to a resurgence of infections.

Virologists also warned of the potential for new variants to emerge, which has occurred when the virus has been allowed to run rampant in countries with large populations. The decision doesnt seem to be related to the pandemic, but to economics, Pandu Riono, an epidemiologist at the University of Indonesia, told Reuters.

It took 14 months for Indonesia to exceed the 50,000-death mark at the end of May, and just over nine weeks to double it. Despite a fall from Julys peak of more than 57,000 new daily infections, the Health Ministry is still recording more than 1,700 new deaths of COVID-19 every day.

As in other countries, these figures are believed to be a substantial undercount. Low testing rates and a lack of contact tracing means many thousands of deaths are going unrecorded.

Since the beginning of June, more than 2,800 people have died at home, according to LaporCOVID-19, a non-government virus data group. Some of those deaths were counted in official figures but others were not.

They were rejected by the hospitals, so they went back home and did the self-isolation at home with limited access to medicine, no oxygen and no monitoring from doctors until they died, Ahmad Arif, one of LaporCOVID-19s founders, told Associated Press (AP).

The World Health Organisation said hospitals remained in need of isolation rooms, oxygen supplies, medical and personal protective equipment, as well as mobile field hospitals and body bags. Indonesias vaccination rate remains at less than 8 percent.

The worlds fourth most populous country has now recorded more than 3.6 million COVID-19 cases since March 2020. An immense social crisis is developing. East Javas child protection agency revealed last week that 5,082 children in that province alone had lost one or both parents to the virus. Some estimates suggest that figure nationally could be as high as 35,000.

About 30 percent of Indonesias 277 million people are officially regarded as living in poverty as a result of the pandemic, soaring from less than 10 percent in 2019.

In Thailand, facing a rising tide of opposition to its calamitous pandemic response, the military regime of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha is trying to use emergency decrees to outlaw dissent.

Last week, as the countrys confirmed infections and deaths hit record highs, the regime moved to block online reports that may instigate fear, even if true. Alleged offenders could be jailed for up to two years.

The health ministry said the new cases had exceeded 20,000 per day for the first time, with deaths nearing 200 daily. By last Wednesday, total cases had reached 672,385 and 5,503 deaths.

The public healthcare system is breaking down. As hospitals filled up, the authorities scrambled to set up ad hoc isolation wards in airport terminals, warehouses and decommissioned railway carriages. One hospital resorted to renting freight containers to store dead bodies after its morgue ran out of room.

Only about 6.5 percent of Thailands 70 million people were fully vaccinated as of Thursday. In recent weeks, protests have demanded Prayuths resignation. In July, police used rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon against demonstrators in Bangkok.

The regime last week tightened partial containment measures in the capital Bangkok and several high-risk provinces, and said the rules were likely to remain in place until the end of August.

There is a political crisis in Malaysia, which reported 20,889 new COVID-19 cases last Friday, breaking its record for daily infections for a third consecutive day. The cumulative total number of infections now stands at 1,224,595, according to the health ministry.

This figure is also far below the reality. Deputy health director-general Chong Chee Kheong said 80 percent of COVID-19 cases who were brought in dead were never diagnosed with the disease. Out of the 1,000 deaths reported weekly, about 80 to 100 were brought in dead and the number of such cases had been rising over the past few weeks.

Thousands of contract doctors staged a walkout on July 23, demanding permanent postings and better pay. Almost 150 medical staff have resigned this year because they are fatigued with the current system, a doctor told Reuters at a protest in the capital Kuala Lumpur. The doctors said an offer by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to extend their contracts did not go far enough.

Facing growing unrest, the government last week said it would no longer use the number of recorded daily infections as a metric to ease safety curbs for states once they entered the second phase of a national recovery plan.

Muhyiddin has refused to quit, despite losing the support of some members of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the biggest bloc in his unstable ruling alliance, and faces a no-confidence vote in parliament next month.

The Delta variant is also ravaging Myanmar. Daily cases, taken as an average over seven days, have risen from around 5,000 to 6,000 over the past month, and deaths have reached about 350 a day, but limited testing indicates that this is a gross underestimate. The share of tests that return positive results has exceeded 35 percent since mid-July, which suggests widespread, uncontrolled transmission.

Officially, just over 7,500 people have died from COVID-19 since the February 1 military coup, but few people are treated at public hospitals, so the real death toll is unknown. In recent weeks funeral homes and crematoriums have been overwhelmed.

The inability of many people to work safely, coupled with a shortage of oxygen, medicine and a properly functioning hospital system, is fuelling the health crisis. Exacerbating it is the arrest of more than 150 doctors and nurses, who have been at the forefront of a civil disobedience movement. Another 600 medics are estimated to have stopped working after the junta issued warrants for their arrests.

After having contained the virus for much of the pandemic, Vietnam is facing its worst outbreak, with Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding provinces accounting for most new infections.

The government reported 8,324 new infections last Friday, up from 7,244 cases on Thursday, taking the pandemic total above 193,000. It reported 296 additional coronavirus deaths on the same day, raising the countrys death toll to 3,016.

Only 820,000 people have been fully vaccinated, or less than 1 percent of the countrys 98 million population, according to official data.

About a third of Vietnams 63 cities and provinces are under coronavirus restrictions. The capital Hanoi will extend them until August 22, its health ministry said last Friday, warning of new clusters of infections detected in the city of more than 8 million people.

In the Philippines, cases are now averaging about 8,000 a day, with deaths rising to around 200 a day. Chaos overtook several COVID-19 vaccination sites in Manila last Thursday as thousands of people tried to receive a shot before the capital headed back into a partial lockdown for two weeks.

With around 1.6 million COVID-19 cases and more than 28,000 deaths, the country has the second-worst record in Southeast Asia after Indonesia. Just 9.3 percent of the 110 million population have been fully vaccinated. In an attempt to divert blame from his government, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to arrest people who do not get a vaccine.

Many people are out of work, unable to buy food and other essential items to survive, but the government has offered only paltry support payments of $US20 to $80 per fortnight to low-income households.

The utter indifference and nationalist program of governments in the imperialist centres has been epitomised by the Australian governments offer of limited assistance to neighbouring Indonesia. Canberra has promised just 2.5 million vaccine doses and $A12 million worth of ventilators, oxygen cylinders and testing kits. During the past five years, Australias development budget to Indonesia has more than halved, from around $600 million in 201415 to less than $300 million this year.

The catastrophe throughout Southeast Asia underlines the worldwide character of the public health crisis and the necessity for workers everywhere to unify their struggles, across national borders, and take control out of the hands of the ruling capitalist classes that have allowed this disaster to spread worldwide.
Andrew Cuomo resigned as New York state governor Tuesday, effective in two weeks, as the result of a filthy and flimsy sex scandal. Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will take over the office, becoming the states first female governor.

The three-times elected governor of the fourth most populous state in the US, Cuomo has been forced out of office on the basis of allegations detailed in a 165-page report issued August 3 by Attorney General Letitia James. Not one of the complaints has been legally tested or validated.

Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks during a news conference in New York, Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021 as he resigned over a barrage of sexual harassment allegations. (Office of the Governor of New York via AP)

In a public statement, Cuomo argued that the most serious allegations made against me had no credible, factual basis. In a brief reference to what might lie behind the drive to remove him, the governor suggested that in a highly political matter like this, there are many agendas and there are many motivations at play. If anyone thought otherwise, they would be naive, and New Yorkers are not naive.

Im a fighter, he proclaimed, and my instinct is to fight through this controversy because I truly believe it is politically motivated. Cuomo described the James report as unfair and untruthful, further asserting that if he could communicate the facts through the frenzy, New Yorkers would understand. However, he remarked, the situation, by its current trajectory, will generate months of political and legal controversy. That is what is going to happen. That is how the political wind is blowing. It will consume government. It will cost the taxpayers millions of dollars. It will brutalize people.

Given the circumstances, the governor said, the best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing  This transition [to a Hochul administration] must be seamless.

As usual, a Democratic Party politician allows himself, masochistically, to be eradicated rather than alert the population to the anti-democratic implications and dangers of such an action. In the end, Cuomo was no doubt convinced to resign on the grounds that this was the most favorable course of action available to the section of the ruling elite associated with the Democrats. They want to put this crisis behind them, while at the same time encouraging the feminist and identity politics base. The Democratic Party has become dependent upon an affluent constituency that demands ritual sacrifices.

Once again, a transparently manufactured and insubstantial sex scandal has been used to settle scores and promote an undisclosed political agenda. Democratic officials in New York and Washington have responded enthusiastically to Cuomos departure, so beholden are they to their upper-middle class base. The driving out of New Yorks governor solidifies the image and role of the Democrats as the #MeToo party.

This is another generous political gift to Donald Trump and the Republican Party, who warm their hands over these dirty affairs and posture as the party of ordinary Americans disgusted by such carryings-on.

From Joe Biden on down, the Democrats are incapable of acting against a single one of the conspirators in the Trump administration and Congress who organized a coup attempt on January 6 aimed at establishing a dictatorship in the U.S. However, the opportunity to burnish their credentials in the fight against sexual harassment and, in the process, divert the public from the resurgence of the pandemic and other social disasters is an opportunity not be passed up.

The James report detailing the claims by the various women proved to be the nail in Cuomos political coffin. A ludicrous document, repetitiously and scrupulously documenting a series of alleged micro-aggressions, which Cuomo denies committing, it unleashed a torrent of attacks on the governor from fellow Democrats, including in the New York state legislature, which he was finally unable to withstand.

The rush to judgment here, the demand by the New York Times and the rest of the media that Cuomo resign before any serious investigation of the misdemeanors, had a certain logic. Better remove him before anyone looks too closely at the allegations!

One of the few voices of sanity in the sea of self-righteous hysteria, Jim Zirin, a former federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, commented in the New York Daily News: As a lawyer and former federal prosecutor, I am alarmed by the total lack of due process here. James based her devastating conclusions in part on interviews with 179 unnamed witnesses, of whom just 41 were under oath...'

A minimal concern for due process in such a case, Zirin continued, would mean notice and hearing, confrontation with accusers who are willing to come forward, opportunity for cross-examination, and a disinterested investigation by someone other than James, who may be herself a candidate for governor.

Zirin noted that the report has 11 accusers. Of those named, two did not work for the State of New York at the time of the alleged misconduct. There are none who reported Cuomos transgressions to the relevant New York State agency dealing with sexual harassment complaints. Yes, I know, they say they feared retaliation. But this is an area that might be probed in cross-examination.

Cuomos lawyer, Rita Glavin, began publicly subjecting the complainants and their complaints to scrutiny at two press conferences last week. She presented significant facts about one of the most prominent accusers, Lindsey Boylan, a former official in the Cuomo administration.

The information suggests that Boylan, after she resigned her post at Empire State Development because of complaints about her systematic bullying of subordinates, felt that Cuomo had taken an action injuring her future political hopes. Boylan sent texts to the governors senior aides that warned, among other things, I will find a way to respond. Life is long. And so is my memory. And so are my resources. Later, she came out with her claims of sexual harassment.

Boylan became more and more unhinged as time passed. In March 2021, she tweeted, Resign you disgusting monster, @NYGovCuomo. That same month, the New Yorker carried an interview with Boylan conducted by none other than Ronan Farrow, one of the arch-scoundrels of the #MeToo sexual witch-hunt, conveying her inflammatory accusations.

At a last-ditch press conference Tuesday, not long before Cuomo announced his resignation, Glavin noted that following the issuing of James report, dozens of people called for Cuomos resignation, but that he had no opportunity to respond The investigators acted as the prosecutors, judge, and jury of Gov. Cuomo. Nobody vetted the report. This is the reality of American politics at present.

Cuomos attempts to defend himself fell on deaf ears, or worse, were denounced for daring to call into question the veracity of his accusers, whose fragile psychological states might be further damaged by his comments. Maureen Dowd of the New York Times, in one of her characteristically unhinged and stupid outbursts, suggested that Melissa DeRosa, Cuomos imperious top adviser, and others among his female advisers or defenders were Quislings, in reference to Norwegian collaborators with the Nazis during World War II.

Other questions arise. Prominent among the governors accusers is Trooper #1, who, the James report notes, described a series of interactionsboth comments and physical touchingthat she found to be inappropriate and offensive. Who is this anonymous state policewoman?

Following the release of the attorney generals report, the New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association (NYSTPBA) issued a statement expressing indignation over the allegations. Im outraged and disgusted that one of my members, who was tasked with guarding the governor and ensuring his safety, could not enjoy the same sense of security in her work environment that he [Cuomo] was provided, NYSTPBA president Thomas H. Mungeer told the media.

The NYSTPBA, like all police unions, is a right-wing outfit that defends every police killer whose crimes happen to come to light. In 2020, the New York state cops' organization endorsed Donald Trump for re-election. The same Mungeer told the ultra-right New York Post at the time that Trump has our back. President Trump has supported us when so many people have turned against us.

Mungeer explained to the Post that he sent a letter to the governor in June complaining that Cuomo offered zero support by not addressing attacks directed at troopers during the early protests following [George] Floyds death.

Cuomo undoubtedly has made enemies within the Democratic Party, but extreme right-wing elements may be at work as well.

Hochul, a former congresswoman, is meanwhile getting on with business. CNBC reported last week, prior to Cuomos resignation, that a group of New Yorks most influential political donors in the business world was encouraging her to run for governor. Hochuls conversations with financiers in recent weeks have focused in part on her political future, the business news channel reported.

Weeks prior to the release of James report, John Yurtchuk, the chairman and owner of Buffalo-based tech company Calspan Corp., got a call from Hochul, he said in an interview on Monday. The wealthy Yurtchuk explained that he told Hochul, Youd be a great governor. Im just letting you know, so she knows where her supporters might lie. Id step up for her.

Cuomo is a veteran and, up to now, trusted political agent of the ruling elite. We have no special concern for his personal fate, but we are concerned with the fate of democratic rights, threatened on all sides by a rotting political and economic system. We are not indifferent as to the means by which Cuomo is removed or by whom.

The transfer of power in a palace coup through a degrading scandal drags political life as a whole further to the right, encouraging every reactionary political element. At the same time, the big questions of disease and poverty, the fascist threat, the danger of war, are deliberately pushed into the background and cheap, vicious middle class moralizing and gossip-mongering come to the fore.

The electoral process in the US, on the verge of collapse, is increasingly circumvented by various means--sex scandals, voter suppression, phony recounts, armed attacks and more. Only a break with the two-party system and the building of a mass socialist movement offers a way out of the present impasse.
At least 69 people have died in Algeria, according to the latest reports, as forest fires and record temperatures ravage the north of the country and the entire Mediterranean basin. It is the greatest loss of life in this series of wildfires which now stretch from Turkey and Greece across the Balkans, Italy and Spain to Algeria.

In this photo taken Wednesday, Aug.11, 2021, smoke invites the mountains after wildfires in the village of Larbaa Nath Irathen, neat Tizi Ouzou, in the mountainous Kabyle region, 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of Algeria's capital of Algiers. Wildfires in Algeria that already have killed at least 69 people burned through the mountainous Berber region as the North African country contended Thursday with a heat wave like the ones fueling fires in Southern Europe. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

In Algeria, the fires are concentrated primarily in Kabylia, east of the capital, Algiers. The Algerian regime has given partial details on military losses, while many villages are surrounded by vast walls of flame in the mountains.

It is with great sadness that we learned of the deaths of 25 members of the National Popular Army (ANP), after they managed to save over 100 citizens from forest fires in the Bejaia and Tizi Ouzou areas, Algerian President Abdelmajide Tebboune declared Tuesday. The National Defense Ministry added that 18 of the deceased soldiers and six other badly burned soldiers came from the 57th Light Infantry Battalion stationed at Ichelladhen. Seven other wounded soldiers, four of whom are severely burned, are of the 4th Independent Infantry Battalion.

ANP and local authorities are finding many civilian victims, often rural laborers who died while trying to protect their crops and livestock. Yesterday, 26 people were found dead in the village of Agulmim.

Wednesday morning, Algerias General Directorate of Civil Protection counted 69 active fires in 14 wilayas (police prefectures) of the country. The Tizi Ouzou wilaya, the worst-hit, had 24 of these fires; since August 9, it has seen 116 forest fires in total.

Already staggered by the 2019 hirak protests, a mass movement of youth and workers against the military regime, the Algerian ruling class felt forced to criticize the lack of equipment and preparation to fight the fires. The Berber-nationalist Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD) and the Workers Party (PT), close to the Algerian regime, both criticized the lack of firefighting planes. Already in June, forest fires in the Khenchela areas had underscored the urgent necessity to acquire such aircraft.

Yesterday, in a nationally-televised speech, Tebboune announced that aircraft had arrived that could bring the fires under control. Until then, Algerian authorities were forced to rely on military helicopters to drop water on the fires.

Tebboune declared, I instructed the prime minister, as the fires began, to request aircraft from our European partners, but unfortunately no country responded favorably to our requests, as all the aircraft were already deployed to fight fires in Greece and in Turkey. But two French aircraft have arrived today, two Spanish aircraft are due to arrive tomorrow, and a further Swiss aircraft should arrive in the next three days. With all these planes, it will be possible to get the forest fires under control.

Tebboune added that the military had been designated to coordinate the purchase by the Algerian state of firefighting aircraft from international aircraft manufacturers.

Yesterday, French firefighting aircraft began operations, dropping loads of water on the region of Bejaia. French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted: In the face of the tragedies facing the friends of France, our solidarity is without limit. To the Algerian people, I would like to bring all our support. As soon as tomorrow, two firefighting aircraft and a command airplane will be deployed to Kabylia, which faces violent fires.

In fact, the fires devastating Algeria and the entire region expose above all the lack of international preparation and coordination in the face of climate change. Responsibility for this lies above all with the European imperialist powers. While European countries are spending billions of euros on military spending increases, and while Paris sends fighter-bombers and drones to wage war in Mali and across the Sahel region south of Algeria, the most essential equipment and infrastructure for fighting fires is lacking.

Extreme heat and drought are affecting large parts of the Mediterranean basin. A heat wave is beating all record temperatures, with Sicily, Turkey and Tunisia all recording temperatures of 49C (120F).

These conditions facilitate the eruption of gigantic fires. In eight days, Greece has seen 586 fires that claimed three lives. Hundreds of fires in Turkey have claimed at least eight lives, and over 500 fires in Italy have claimed four lives and led to the declaration of a state of emergency in Sicily. In the former Yugoslavia, North Macedonia has also declared a state of emergency due to fires, which are also devastating the border region between Bosnia and Croatia.

In the final analysis, the cause of these disastrous events is the incapacity and the refusal of the capitalist classes around the world, over several decades, to plan an environmental policy that could halt global warming. According to several investigations and environmental models produced by climate scientists, this warming will violently impact the Mediterranean.

Its going to be a desert climate all around the Mediterranean by the end of the century, Levent Kurmaz, of Istanbuls Bogazici University, told the British Independent. The newspaper added that by then, the climate in southern Turkey, southern Greece and southern Italy will be similar to that of Cairo and the southern Iraqi city of Basra now.

Tebboune and other Algerian officials are claiming that all the forest fires are the work of criminals and have launched a wave of arrests, supposedly to identify the arsonists. Djamel Bensmail, aged 35, died in a lynching in Larbaa Nath Irathen on Tuesday, after a crowd falsely identified him as an arsonist while he came from the city of Miliana to help fight the fires. Yesterday, inhabitants of the town presented an apology to his father.

In reality, it is apparent that the fundamental cause of these fires, and especially of their massive scale, is global warming and the disastrous oversight of the economy by the ruling class.

Yesterday, Abdelkader Benkheira, the former Director for Fauna and Flora of Algerias General Forestry Directorate, explained to Middle East Eye the vulnerability of Mediterranean forests to fire and its link to global warming. He said, The forest materials have a great deal of resin and are very flammable. There is also a great deal of other living material such as underbrush and scrub in which there are trees, including oak and olive trees.

Weather conditions like the current ones, he added, provoke fires and even explosions in such areas. Forests are living environments, trees and resin in particular sweat and give off gases called terpenes. These virtually inflammable gases play a major role in propagating such fires and are even capable of provoking explosions inside large forest bodies, especially in uneven terrain, when proper air circulation is lacking. Then one has a process of gas concentration that can lead to spontaneous explosions.

Global warming, which also intensifies conditions of drought in the region, can set off mega-forest fires, Benkheira explained.

He said, Caused by global warming, water stress is bearing down with enormous force on Mediterranean forests, reinforced by rising temperatures and growing frequency and strength of heavy winds.  This water stress leads to a reduction of humidity in the soil. This unwatered soil leads to stressed vegetation, which is almost completely dry, and so is easily flammable. And then there are the periods of violent winds.

As the deaths of millions of people worldwide in the COVID-19 pandemic points to the failure and the political criminality of capitalist ruling elites, the Mediterranean forest fires again show the urgent necessity for workers to overthrow them in an international socialist revolution that can impose rational health and environmental policies.
Over the past several weeks vicious slanders have been published in the ultra-right press against Florida COVID-19 whistleblower Rebekah Jones. An openly McCarthyite denunciation appeared in magazine National Review, libeling her as a Propaganda tool of the Chinese Communist Party.

Rebekah Jones (Source: Facebook)

Jones was fired in May of 2020 from her position as a COVID monitor manager in the Florida Department of Health. Her termination was a result of her refusal to distort data that would support the back-to-work and back-to-school campaigns led by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.

The media attacks are aimed at discrediting Joness year-long effort to expose the state governments manipulation of COVID case data and her scientific findings revealing the health dangers resulting from the campaign to reopen schools. They are triggered by the explosive rise in infections and hospitalizations throughout Florida, which has vindicated her concerns that the state government has been responsible for suppressing even the most limited safety precautions, including within schools, meant to curb the spread of the virus.

The National Review, whose ties to semi-fascist tendencies in American politics go back 70 years, released a defamatory story August 7 headlined, Rebekah Jones, Propaganda tool of the Chinese Communist Party. Author Charles Cooke blames Jones for an article published in Chinas state-run Global Times newspaper, which reports her charges that Florida officials hid or deleted information related to 171 hospital patients suspected to have contracted the virus before March 2020.

A similar article in the ultra-right Washington Examiner was headlined China uses Rebekah Jones conspiracies to criticize DeSantis and spread COVID-19 lies. This article echoes the National Review by denouncing Jones for the mere fact that her exposure of the Florida governor has been reported in the Chinese press. Jones is cast as an instrument being wielded by China to push their own narrative, and to undermine and discredit DeSantis.

Cookes commentary combines smears of Rebekah Jones with promotion of the conspiracy theory that COVID-19 originated in a leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the prestigious research institution that was one of the first to analyze the genetic structure of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the deadly illness.

He refers to a previous National Review article, written by Matt Shapiro in June, which attempted to debunk findings by the Miami Herald , analyzing health data in the early months of the pandemic, that pointed to evidence of possible community spread in Florida in the months leading up to March of 2020.

However, Shapiros article is dubious at best, with barely, if any, credible evidence to substantiate the insufficient answers provided by DOH officials on the 171 suspicious patients that had been discovered in the Herald article.

The Herald article pointed to data that it had downloaded and searched in the early days of the pandemic. This data was presented under the event date field of a computer program designed by epidemiologists to track the timetable of COVID cases. Shapiro claims that some of these early event date variables reflected data-entry mistakes, without elaborating on what these mistakes were or, more importantly, how many possible patients were affected.

Neither the National Review nor DOH officials have been able to provide a convincing explanation for the flat-out dismissal of possibly hundreds of patients that demonstrated COVID-19 symptoms in January and February of 2020. Shapiro gives no legitimacy to the very likely scenario that the states rejection of findings in the media and the audit itself represented a politically motivated attempt to cover up the massive spread of COVID-19 infections and subsequently manipulate, i.e., hide or delete data that would have been a roadblock for the homicidal reopening strategy that was concocted by the DeSantis administration in the summer of 2020.

In an interview with National Public Radio in June of 2020, Jones alleges that in the week before Phase One of the states reopening plan, there was a lot of manipulating things and a lot of back and forth with the epidemiologists, who remained extremely uncomfortable with the departments policies.

She said in less than an hour after the data was taken down, she was asked to place it back up and was removed from the dashboards operation the next day. She confirmed her belief that she was dismissed from the project because of her refusal to manipulate the data and asserted that officials wanted her out of the way so that they could do whatever they wanted, show whatever they wanted and create an inaccurate image of the states infection numbers improving.

The ferocious attacks being levied against Jones are in response to widespread condemnations of DeSantiss criminal handling of the catastrophic resurgence of the pandemic. Florida has set several new daily records for current hospitalizations over the past week. The number of in-patient beds used for COVID-19 rose by 1,192 in a single day. More worrisome is the health risks facing children and the prospect of schools being major vectors of community transmission for the disease.

Most Florida children are returning to schools this week or next week in areas where COVID-19 outbreaks are far more intense than they were in the semester of fall 2020. In most Florida counties, cases are at least four times higher than a year ago, a USA Today analysis of Johns Hopkins University data revealed. There are at least five counties reporting a more than tenfold increase in infections.

Demonstrating his contempt for both science and human life, Governor DeSantis issued an executive order last month banning Florida counties from mandating mask requirements in schools. On Monday, DeSantis went even further, with his office threatening to withhold the pay of superintendents and school board members who choose to ignore the governors order against masks.

It is under these conditions that the reactionary character of the assault on Jones from both the media and DeSantis himself becomes ever clearer. After Jones constructed a new COVID monitor in opposition to the corrupt state-run tracker and revealed the true scope of sickness throughout the US, Florida state police bulldozed into Joness home last December and conducted a Gestapo-like raid aimed at intimating and suppressing her work. The officers seized her technology, and she was later handed an arrest warrant, preventing her from continuing to publish data on COVID-19 outbreaks.

With the pandemic crisis deepening every day, the science-based approach that has been offered by Jones in opposing the unsafe reopening of schools and workplaces is being absolutely vindicated. The purpose behind the efforts to silence her is bound up not only with the sociopathy of DeSantis but is geared above all towards serving the profit interests of the capitalist class at the expense of the health of the population.
Walt Disney Co. faced off with investors Thursday, just weeks after Scarlett Johansson launched a lawsuit against Disney Studios, leading to a squabble over Hollywood star payments that turned very public.

During the investors conference call, Disney CEO Bob Chapek defended his companys decision to release films, including "Black Widow," simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ during the COVID-19 pandemic  and stood by the company's handling of pay issues that have arisen as streaming releases gain prominence.

"As weve done many times as the business has evolved and transformed, weve figured out ways to fairly compensate our talent, so no matter what the business model... everybody feels satisfied," said Chapek. "Since COVID has begun, weve entered into hundreds of arrangements with our talent, and by and large, theyve gone very, very smoothly."

Chapek said he expected "that will be the case going forward," not mentioning the "Black Widow" suit by name.

Johansson isn't alone in defending her contract in an evolving industry. Here's how the "Black Widow" star and others have fared in similar pay disagreements.

More: 'Shang-Chi' star Simu Liu fires back at Disney CEO who dubbed Marvel movie an 'experiment'

Scarlett Johansson:Agent calls Disney response to 'Black Widow' suit 'a direct attack on her character'

Patty Jenkins (left) and star Gal Gadot on the set of "Wonder Woman 1984."

Gal Gadot, director Patti Jenkins, 'Wonder Woman: 1984'

At the height of the global lockdown in November, Warner Bros. Studios approached the agents for Gal Gadot and director Patti Jenkins to inform the filmmakers of its revised plan for the Christmas Day release of the much-anticipated "Wonder Woman: 1984," according to The New York Times. The DC Comics tentpole sequel would be released simultaneously in theaters and on the streaming service HBO Max.

Reps for the filmmakers argued Gadot and Jenkins (among others) needed to be paid what they most likely would have received had the sequel been released in a traditional theatrical manner, according to the Times. After tense negotiations, the Times reported Warner Bros. agreed that Gadot and Jenkins would each get more than $10 million.

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"It's OK to demand or to ask what you're worth  and that we shouldn't be shy about it," Gadot told USA TODAY in December about finding her voice in Hollywood. "That it's OK to say, this is my value, and this is what I want."

The deft Warner Bros. handling has become the industry gold standard.

"That was a pretty square deal, perfectly handled," says Jeff Bock, box office analyst for Exhibitor Relations. "You would have thought Disney would have taken a cue from this."

What to watch this weekend: Ryan Reynolds is a 'Free Guy,' Jennifer Hudson plays Aretha in 'Respect'

Director/writer John Krasinski, left, and star Emily Blunt on the set of "A Quiet Place Part II."

John Krasinski and Emily Blunt, 'A Quiet Place II'

Director/producer John Krasinski and "A Quiet Place Part II" star, wife Emily Blunt, negotiated behind the scenes for their follow-up to their wildly successful 2018 horror film "A Quiet Place."

Paramount originally gave the anticipated sequel a March 2020 release date, which was scrapped with the COVID-19 theater shutdown. After multiple delays, the film was released May 28, 2021, with the biggest opening weekend of the COVID-19 pandemic, ultimately earning $295 million worldwide.

But Paramount cut the film's exclusive run in theaters to 45 days  half the traditional 90-day run  to speed up the online release on fledging streaming service Paramount+.

Blunt and Krasinski sought to have their box office based-contracts with Paramount restructured to accommodate for the difference caused by the truncated theater run, according to Bloomberg News. Asked how those studio talks had resolved, Blunt told The Hollywood Reporter in July: "We had a solely theatrical release. We were given a 45-day theatrical window. We got everything we wanted."

USA TODAY reached out to Blunt and Krasinski's representatives for further comment. Paramount declined to comment.

Summer films were 'absolutely necessary.' What to know about moviegoing heading into an unstable fall

Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick, 'Trolls World Tour'

NBCUniversal didn't just shock theater owners in March 2020 by not notifying them in advance that it was going to offer "Trolls World Tour" in theaters and on digital platforms (at $20 a pop) a month later.

The studio also caught its own superstar voice talent, Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick, off guard with the move, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The report stated that the stars reps asked to be compensated for the loss of box office performance bonuses. But these reports disappeared amid a record "Trolls" opening, described by The Wall Street Journal as a three-week haul of $100 million.

"There was a kerfuffle and then it was stomped out pretty quickly," says Bock. "It behooves a studio not to air their dirty laundry out."

Timberlake and Kendrick's reps, along with Universal Studios, did not respond to a request for comment.

More: Jessica Biel gives rare update on birthing 'secret COVID baby' with Justin Timberlake

Scarlett Johansson, 'Black Widow'

The "Black Widow" conflict turned legal on July 29 when Johansson's lawyers filed a Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit against Walt Disney Studios.

The lawsuit contends Johansson's contract was breached when "Black Widow" landed on the Disney+ Premier Access streaming service at the same time as its $80 million theatrical debut (making another $60 million for Disney).

"The Avengers" mainstay said her agreement with Disney's Marvel Studios guaranteed an exclusive release in movie theaters and her salary was based in large part on box-office performance, diluted by the ultimate release plan. The lawsuit further claims Johansson wanted to renegotiate her contract after learning of the "Black Widow" Disney+ release strategy but Disney and Marvel were unresponsive.

Disney responded immediately and with surprising vigor, attempting to salary shame its star by revealing Johansson's $20 million payout. A spokesperson called the lawsuit "especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic."

The company insisted it "fully complied" with Johansson's contract and that the Disney+ release "has significantly enhanced her ability to earn additional compensation on top of the $20 million she has received to date."

Bryan Lourd, co-chairman of powerhouse Creative Artists Agency and Johanssons agent, issued a blistering response, saying Disney "shamelessly and falsely accused Ms. Johansson of being insensitive to the global COVID pandemic, in an attempt to make her appear to be someone they and I know she isnt." He called the statement "a direct attack on her character" that's "beneath the company."

Disney came out on the losing end of this pubic relations tussle, which could explain Chapek's assurances Thursday. "This debate hasn't look good at all in the public eye for Disney, trying to make their star look like a bad person," says Heather Hansen, a trial lawyer and author of the self-help book "Advocate to Win."

Johansson's representatives did not respond to a request for comment.

Hot docs: 15 must-see docs this summer, including Val Kilmer and 'Lost Leonardo'

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Scarlett Johansson sues Disney: Other stars who reworked deals
The two largest film studios in Ireland  Ardmore Studios and Troy Studios  have been sold to Hackman Capital Partners and Square Mile Capital Management, a joint venture that owns complexes including Culver Studios and Silvercup as part of the worlds largest independent studio and media portfolio.

Ardmore and Troy will both continue to operate with their existing branding, and will maintain their current staff, led by Elaine Geraghty as CEO. Based in Limerick, Troy is Irelands largest studio complex, with 100,000 square feet of stage space and 250,000 square feet for production support, including the largest sound stages in the country. Ardmore Studios, in Wicklow has more than 140,000 square feet of sound stages and about 160,000 square feet of support buildings. Recent projects shot at Troy Studios and Ardmore Studios include Ridley Scotts The Last Duel as well as Foundation from Apple TV Plus and Winx from Netflix.

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We are delighted to have Hackman Capital Partners, Square Mile Capital and The MBS Group join the Irish screen content production community, Geraghty said. Their industry acumen and global footprint will preserve the legacy of the studios as well as ensure the continued success of Irelands two most significant studios. Ireland has a long history of filmmaking and todays announcement solidifies the ambition of the industry, and will bring new opportunities in line with the government ambition to establish Ireland as a global hub for the production of film, TV drama and animation. The demand for high-end TV series is exponential. We compete globally to attract inward productions and valuable investment to Ireland and todays announcement is momentous to enable further growth of the industry in Ireland.

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Ireland is a superb destination for production, with the richness of its natural landscape, its indigenous content industry and its skilled production crews, said Michael Hackman, CEO of Hackman Capital Partners. We look forward to building upon this great history and are committed to growing both indigenous and international production activity in Ireland, by investing in and forging strong links with local talent and communities and by promoting further inward investment from international content creators.

Craig Soloman, CEO of Square Mile Capital, added, The extraordinary global growth in demand for high quality studio facilities and services continues unabated. Our partnership remains focused on opportunities to participate in the growth in this sector, on behalf of our investors. We are excited to grow our platform by establishing a presence in Ireland, which we view as a premier and growing global production market. While we have now established strong presences in several of the worlds top production centers, we will continue to look for additional opportunities.

Hackmans portfolio also includes The Culver Studios, Sony Animation Culver City, Television City Studios, and Silvercup Studios NYC.

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Mount Palomar Winery from above

Courtesy of Mount Palomar Winery

Although the Napa and Sonoma Valleys are the most celebrated regions of California wine country, a hidden gem wine region is tucked away in the heart of Southern California  every bit as worthy of recognition. A seemingly endless expanse of coastline, soaring mountain ranges, and a mostly temperate climate account for Southern California's ideal growing conditions for some wines of equal caliber to those of Napa and Sonoma.

Still, if you haven't heard much about it, you're not alone  but winemakers in Southern California are trying to change that.

Southern California comprises the South Coast American Viticultural Area (AVA)  another name for an officially recognized wine region  which includes sub-AVAs like Temecula Valley AVA, Ramona Valley AVA, and Malibu Coast AVA, to name a few. Because the pervasive myth held about Southern California's inland wine region is that it is mostly a dry, desert climate and could never produce wines with the same complexity and nuance as Napa and Sonoma, the wineries have often gone overlooked by out-of-state visitors and more serious wine aficionados.

Related: 7 Best Small Towns on the West Coast for Wine Tasting, Whale Watching, and Beautiful Views

However, in the South Coast AVA  most notably home to Temecula Valley's expansive 33,000 acres of vineyards  award-winning wineries produce wines in a climate that nearly mimics the conditions of world-renowned wine regions like France's Rhone Valley, as well as various parts of Tuscany. With its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, Temecula Valley's microclimate can even be likened to that of the Mediterranean, making it an ideal area for growing grapes such as Chardonnay, Vermentino, Sangiovese, Syrah, and Viognier. When paired with its rolling hills and soil content, the low-pressure systems combine to create sunny days and cool nights that complement its granitic, mineral-rich soil  all of which help the grapes to retain higher acid content and tannins.

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Southern California, once a wine region without the winemaking wisdom it now possesses, may have previously been stigmatized as a newer, still-developing area that needed time to grow and mature. Nonetheless, today, winemakers have experimented in such a way that distinguishes Temecula Valley wines in a category uniquely their ownwith new advanced technologies implemented and grape varietals that are beginning to thrive in Temecula Valley's terroir. In due time, as has been the case with Napa and Sonoma wines, Temecula wines will most certainly grow into and express their fullest potential.

Must-visit Wineries in Southern California

As nearly 50 wineries comprise the Temecula Valley AVA alone, there are ample opportunities to discover new wineries and new expressions of your favorite wines. Here are just a few wineries worth checking out:

Lorimar Vineyards and Winery

Lorimar Vineyards and Winery, a Tuscan-style winery in Temecula Valley, is a 22-acre estate vineyard, in which the first vines of Cabernet Sauvignon were planted in 2000. An inviting patio area allows for visitors to take in the surrounding views while enjoying a tasting. Stop by here for a red wine flight for two and sample their award-winning, fruit-forward Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon wines.

Robert Renzoni Vineyards

Robert Renzoni Vineyards  with its Tuscan villa-style tasting room and picturesque hilltop views of Temecula Valley  has a long-standing family history of winemaking in Italy, which dates as far back as 1886. Its 12-acre vineyard contains classic Bordeaux and Italian grape varietals, 10 acres of which include Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese, and Barbera.

Maurice Car'rie Vineyard

Maurice Carrie Winery

Courtesy of Maurice Carrie Winery

Known predominantly for its award-winning Sauvignon Blanc and Gewurztraminer wines, Maurice Car'rie Vineyard was among the first vineyards planted in the Temecula Valley region in 1968; today, it has more than 70 acres of vines. Visitors can enjoy a tasting flight of wine outdoors with live music on the estate's Victorian-style farmhouse paired with its famous baked brie in garlicky sourdough bread.

Mount Palomar Winery

Founded in 1969, Mount Palomar Winery was one of the first wineries to take on the trend of cultivating Mediterranean grape varietals in Temecula Valley. Today, Mount Palomar Winery produces a range of wines in the classic Bordeaux and Italian styles from their 55 acres of estate grapes and 16 different grape varietals.

Milagro Winery

Traveling further south from Temecula Valley, Milagro Winery in the Ramona Valley AVA boasts more than 10,000 vines with 11 varietals of grapes on its 110-acre estate, and its wines are crafted with 100% estate-grown grapes. The drought-resistant vines are planted on the sloping hills in Ramona and are cultivated in mineral-rich soil. Fun fact: Milagro's winemaker was trained in Bordeaux and is a highly sought after winemaker in Mexico.
Brittainy Newman / AP Exchange

One of the two laws the New York Legislature passed regulating pandemic evictions was struck down.

The majority of the court found that one of the laws violated landlords' right to due process.

Because the landlords did not challenge the Tenant Safe Harbor Act, it remains in place.

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In a 6-3 decision on August 12, the Supreme Court ruled that the rights of five New York landlords and one landlords' association were violated by the state's eviction moratorium, which resulted in one of the laws provisions being struck down.

During the pandemic, the New York Legislature passed two laws regulating evictions: the Tenant Safe Harbor Act (THSA) and the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2020 (CEEFPA). The court blocked the latter, which barred the eviction of any tenant who filed a financial hardship declaration with their landlord, because it violated the landlords' right to due process, according to the order.

"While I respect the US Supreme Court as a separate judicial entity, I am deeply disappointed in the injunction issued yesterday that invalidates eviction protections for hundreds of thousands of tenants and denies New Yorkers this still necessary public health measure," state Sen. Brian Kavanagh, who authored CEEFPA, said in a press release.

Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Stephen Breyer, who authored the dissenting opinion, cited several reasons they wished to keep CEEFPA in place, including the fact that the state is still distributing federal aid to landlords that would alleviate the need for evictions.

Although the order left TSHA intact, all protections under the New York eviction moratorium are set to expire on August 31. Only 55 New York households received financial assistance by the end of July and the state still has $2.35 billion in federal funds and $100 million in state funds left to distribute, according to a press release from state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi.

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New Delhi: Renowned designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee recently collaborated with a multinational clothing brand H&M for a collection together. Although fans were excited about this collaboration and the opportunity to wear Sabyasachi's collection at the cheap price of H&M clothes, when the collection was released, a lot of them were disappointed.

While some were angered by the fact that the collection sold out in minutes, others were expressed disapproval of the overpriced collection. Two clothing items caught many netizens' attention - a saree and a brown shirt and trousers. One netizen compared the saree to her grandmother's saree and jokingly said at least her grandmom didn't have to sell a kidney to buy the saree.

The brown shirt and trousers were compared to an autowala or bus driver's attire in India. Needless to say, people had a meme fest on Twitter over this collection.

Check out the funniest memes by netizens:

sabyasachi x h&m is so embarrassing aint no way its gonna cost $70 to look like an Indian bus driver pic.twitter.com/j2BW1Sba38  neha (@nehadantuluri) August 10, 2021

I'm pretty sure my grandmother had a very similar saree in 1970s which didn't cost her a kidney pic.twitter.com/RWphJoNHGw  agila ulaga powerstar (@currdfriedrice) August 10, 2021

This almost looks like a shakha uniform #SabyasachixHM pic.twitter.com/WRnd86hVRQ  Tilak Mithrabettu (@tilak365) August 11, 2021

I'm sorry but poverty isn't an aesthetic!!!! people going in slums for photoshoot is j bottom tier behavior

these picture screams capitalism#SabyasachixHM pic.twitter.com/k5PdOSbEX5  Jeevika (@littlemommiee) August 13, 2021

Talking about why he did the collection, he wrote in an Instagram post, "I want to take a moment to speak to the young fashion community in India. For the longest time, my pet peeve was that globally we are considered a manufacturing company. I always wanted to break that glass ceiling, but on my own terms and in my own way. Where Designed in India would stand strong alongside Made in India."

He further said, "When H&M first came to me with the idea of the collaboration, I was very excited that I could finally reach out to the massive Sabyasachi tribe worldwide, even if it was just this once. I knew that they had the power and distribution to make it happen. And it happened."

In the same post, he apologised to his fans about the collection selling out too soon and says he hopes that next time the process can be smoother.
New Delhi: The Assam Assembly on Friday (August 13, 2021) passed a bill that prohibits the slaughter or sale of beef within a 5 km radius of any temple. The Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021 was passed amid a walkout by the opposition parties in protest against the government's refusal to forward the legislation to a select committee.

The legislation seeks to ensure that permission for slaughter is not granted to areas that are predominantly inhabited by Hindu, Jain, Sikh and other non-beef eating communities or places that fall within a 5 km radius of a temple, satra and any other institution as may be prescribed by the authorities. Exemptions, however, might be granted for certain religious occasions.

Transportation of bovines through the state without valid documents has also been sought to be checked by the Bill and all offences under this new legislation shall be cognizable and non-bailable.

The ruling BJP members shouted 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Jai Shree Ram' slogans and thumped desks as soon as Speaker Biswajit Daimary announced the was passed.

"I'm sure this will deal a heavy blow to the illegal cattle trade & transit through Assam, ensuring due care of cattle as practised in our tradition for ages," Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

Extremely happy and proud to fulfill our poll promise with the passing of historic Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021. I'm sure this will deal a heavy blow to the illegal cattle trade & transit through Assam, ensuring due care of cattle as practised in our tradition for ages. pic.twitter.com/9RZ4z4iCYd  Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) August 13, 2021

"There was an intervening period of 30 days, we were ready to consider amendments but the Opposition could not come up with proper facts. Cattle Slaughter Prevention bill is nothing but an improvement of what was done by Congress in the late 1950s," Sarma added.

He also said, "We have completely banned transportation of cattle beyond a district. It cannot go from one district to another district for slaughter. Permission is required for farming activities."

Sarma said that the bill had no bad intention and claimed it will strengthen communal harmony.

"The legislation doesn't intend to stop anyone from consuming beef, but the person who eats so must also respect the religious sentiments of others," the Assam CM said.

"I would like it more if you (referring to Muslim MLAs in the House) do not eat beef at all, though I can't stop you from it. I respect your right. Conflict starts when we stop respecting other's religions," Sarma said.

The BJP leader added that it can't be that only Hindus are responsible for maintaining communal harmony, Muslims must also reciprocate.

The Bill was introduced by Sarma in the House on July 12 and states that slaughter of cattle will be prohibited unless a necessary certificate issued by the registered veterinary officer of a particular area has been obtained. It further says that the veterinary officer will issue a certificate only if he is of the opinion that the bovine, not being a cow, is over 14 years of age. Also, a cow, heifer or calf may be slaughtered only if it is permanently incapacitated.

(With agency inputs)

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New Delhi: The flood situation has worsened in Bihars capital city, Patna after water from the river Ganga entered into some more localities on Friday (August 13, 2021).

According to an IANS report, the water level in river Ganga has increased in the last 24 hours, leading to a flood situation in Didarganj region located on the eastern side of the state capital. Sonama panchayat, Khaspur, Jethuli and Punadih panchayat, among others are the most affected places.

Additionally, the report added that the residents of these villages were seen using boats to buy essential daily needs.

"We are struggling to buy food and other essential domestic items. Our cattle and pet animals are at the stage of starvation. The water has entered into our ground floors now," said Saroj Kumar, a resident of Khaspur village.

Another villager, Rahul Sharma, said, "Patna Sahib MP Ravi Shankar Prasad visited our village on Thursday but he did not provide any assurance to facilitate the delivery of food and other domestic items. But besides him, no other public representatives have visited the flood-hit areas of the region."

"The electricity supply in this region has snapped for the last few days and the residents of these villages are facing huge shortage of drinking water. Even the state government is not distributing chlorine tablets to purify the water for consumption," said Radhe Shyam Sharma, a resident of Sonama panchayat.

"We immediately need government assistance for survival. More than 35,000 people have been affected by the floods," Sharma said.

The states disaster management authorities revealed that over 28 districts have been affected by floods in north and central Bihar this season, which also includes Patna. The other affected districts are East and West Champaran, Supaul, Araria, Madhepura, Sheohar, Saharsa, Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnea, Vaishali, Gopalganj, Siwan and Saran.

(With IANS inputs)
New Delhi: Police in the national capital on Saturday (August 14) have stepped up security measures to ensure a smooth flow of events for today and tomorrows Independence day celebration at the Red Fort.

The Police also issued a traffic advisory that lists the roads that will be closed for the duration of the events at the Red Fort.

Delhi Police are also checking vehicles and identity cards of commuters as security tightened in the national capital ahead of IndependenceDay celebrations

Officials also are conducting searches at several locations with the help of sniffer dogs, news agency ANI reported.

Delhi Police check vehicles & identity cards of commuters as security tightened in the national capital ahead of #IndependenceDay celebrations Officials also conduct searches at several locations with the help of sniffer dogs pic.twitter.com/K9SQSqwTqn  ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2021

The police have issued two types of passes for the invitees -- a triangular and a square pass. Vehicles with a triangle pass will be allowed inside the Red Fort complex while those with a square pass, will be permitted in the parking lot away from the Red Fort.

Delhi Traffic Police will close many roads on August 15 from 4 am to 10 am.

These include Netaji Subhash Marg from Delhi Gate to Chatta Rail Chowk, Lothian Road from GPO Delhi to Chatta Rail Chowk, S.P.Mukherjee Marg from H.C.Sen Marg to Yamuna Bazar Chowk, Chandni Chowk Road from Fountain Chowk to Red Fort, Nishad Raj Marg from Ring Road to Netaji Subhash Marg, Esplanade Road and its Link Road to Netaji Subhash Marg, Ring Road from Rajghat to ISBT and Outer ring Road from ISBT to IP Flyover i.e. Salimgarh Bypass.

Adequate informative signages will be displayed for the guidance of vehicular traffic destined for the Red Fort at all important traffic junctions, said Delhi Traffic Police in an official statement.

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First identified in Europe in March this year, the delta plus variant is gradually starting to worry experts in India and around the globe. With Maharashtra on Friday (August 13, 2021) confirming five deaths due to the Delta Plus variant, it is evoking third wave scare among many.

Delta Plus  which refers to the three subtypes AY.1, AY.2, and AY.3  looks very similar to the original Delta variant, which emerged in India, but there are some changes in the variant.

India has dubbed Delta Plus a 'Variant of concern'. While currently there's no evidence suggesting that Delta Plus is going to become more problematic than Delta, some scientists still worry that the mutation, coupled with other existing features of the Delta variant, could make it more transmissible.

The Delta Plus variant of SARS-CoV2 has been detected in 86 samples in the country so far and it has not led to any exponential surge in cases, the government said. "We found the Delta Plus variant in 86 (genome) samples (sequenced)," Sujit Singh, head of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), said at the health ministry's press briefing earlier this week.

How transmissible is Delta Plus variant?

A sub-lineage of the Delta variant first detected in India, the Plus variant has acquired the spike protein mutation called K417N, the same mutation is also found in the Beta variant, which was first identified in South Africa. Some scientists fear that the mutation combined with other existing features of the Delta variant could make it more transmissible. While there are no confirmations yet on the level of transmissibility, studies are going on in India and globally to test the effectiveness of vaccines against this mutation.

Some experts worry that Delta Plus would inflict another wave of infections in India, after the Delta caused havoc in April-May in India's devastating second wave. Some are also concermed that the new mutant variant may just be capable of dodging immunities, both from COVID-19 vaccines as well as from earlier infections. This is because the Delta plus variant not only has all the symptoms that the original Delta variant had, but also carries symptoms from its partner Beta variant (K417N mutation), reported Reuters.

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New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate has arrested Raman Bhuraria, CA for his assistance and complicity in Rs 3269 crore bank fraud of Shakti Bhog Foods Limited.

He was booked under the provisions of the Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002 from Delhi on August 13.

This arrest was in continuation of the rejection of his anticipatory bail by the Honble Special Court and searches conducted by the Department on various locations pertaining to the arrestee.

During the search action various incriminating documents & digital evidence have been recovered.

ED initiated money laundering investigation on the basis of FIR registered by CBI against Shakti Bhog Foods Limited and others, for criminal conspiracy, cheating and criminal misconduct.

The allegations against the accused include his active assistance and involvement in the bank fraud by way of round tripping through related entities.

Siphoning of the funds was being done through fictitious sales and purchases through various dummies and other entities.

After arrest, he was produced before the Honble Special Court on August 13 and the Honble Court granted his custody to ED till August 20.

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New Delhi: Uttar Pradeshs Ghaziabad was adjudged the second most polluted city out of the 50 'most polluted cities' in the world in 2020 by a report prepared by British company HouseFresh. Ghaziabad reported an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 2.5 particulate matter (PM) in 106.6g/m3, the report said.

Preceding Ghaziabad, Chinese city of Hotan in Xinjiang province has been named the most polluted city with a PM2.5 of 110.2g/m3. The report attributed the air pollution in Hotan to sandstorms resulting from its closeness to the Taklimakan Desert, which is the largest shifting sand desert in the world.

For Ghaziabad, the cause of pollution has been assigned to traffic volumes in the gateway to Uttar Pradesh.

PM2.5 is defined as fine particulate matter suspended in the air that is two and a half microns or less in width.

Manikganj in Bangladesh stood third in the list of 'most polluted cities' in the world with a PM2.5 of 80.2g/m3. As one of the fastest developing countries around the world, with its industrial sector growing at a rate of 13% per year, vehicles and industrial emissions are the major contributors to air pollution in this country of 165 million people, WION quoted the study as saying.

Bangladesh, China, India and Pakistan contribute to 49 out of the 50 most polluted cities worldwide. According to the report, Bangladesh was the most polluted country across the world in 2020, followed by Pakistan, India and Mongolia.

Meanwhile, Judbury in Australia bagged the top position in the list of cities with the cleanest air with a PM2.5 level of 2.4g/m3. Kailua Kona in Americas Hawaii and Muonio in Finland with PM2.5 concentrations of 2.6g/m3 and 2.8g/m3 respectively were the next top cities of 2020 with clean air.

Another report by Swiss Air Quality expert IQAir places 22 Indian cities including Bulandshahr, Bhiwandi, Noida, Greater Noida, Kanpur, Lucknow, Delhi, Faridabad and Meerut in the top 30 most polluted list.

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New Delhi: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant warned the residents of Sao Jacinto island in South Goa after an incident of islanders stopping the Indian Navy from raising the national flag in the area. Sawant said that such "anti-India activities" would be dealt with an "iron fist".

Further, he told the naval authorities to continue with the scheduled programme of unfurling the tricolour there. The Navy had cancelled the plan as the locals were objecting to it.

Naval officials said that the Ministry of Defence had planned unfurling of the national flag on islands across the nation between August 13 and 15 as part of the 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' to commemorate 75 years of Independence.

A spokesperson of the Navy's INS Hansa base near Dabolim said that a team from the Goa Naval Area visited the islands of the state when the incident happened.

"However, the plan at Jacinto island had to be cancelled due to the objection by local residents," he said.

The residents, however, said that they were against the unfurling of the flag, but were afraid that the Navy's function scheduled on Sunday could be the beginning of Centre taking over the island under the Major Ports Authorities Bill, 2020 in the future.

(With inputs from PTI)
New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind addressed the nation on the eve of India's 75th Independence Day today (August 14). The President remembered all freedom fighters and paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi.

President Kovind said, "Independence Day is a festival of freedom for us. Our dream of freedom was realized through the struggle of many generations of known and unknown freedom fighters. They made great sacrifices. I bow in respect to the pious memory of those brave martyrs."

The President said that India is home to a "plurality of traditions" and the world looks up at this "miracle". "The world looks up at the miracle of India, home to the plurality of traditions and yet the biggest and most vibrant democracy," ANI quoted him as saying.

Highlighting the significance of this year's Independence Day, he added, "This year's Independence Day has special significance because from this year onwards we all are celebrating the Amrit Mahotsav of Independence on the occasion of 75th anniversary of our independence."

Expressing condolences for those who lost their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, the President said, India is still fighting the coronavirus pandemic. I regret that many people lost their lives during the second wave of the pandemic, but we have been able to save more lives."

Kovind urged all eligible citizens to get vaccinated at the earliest and also inspire others.

Addressing the youth of Jammu and Kashmir, Kovind said, "A new dawn is rising in Jammu and Kashmir. I urge the people, especially the youth, of Jammu and Kashmir to utilise this opportunity and work on realising their aspirations through democratic institutions."

Giving a new mantra for the development of the nation, the President said, "All of us should imbibe the motto 'Mera har kaam, desh ke naam as a mantra and work with full devotion and dedication for the development of the nation."

Further, he acknowledged the armed forces for their services to the nation. "I extend my greetings especially to the members of the armed forces, who have guarded our freedom, valiantly and gladly making supreme sacrifice when necessary," the President said.

Talking about the Central Vista project, Kovind said it is a "great pride for all Indians that our Parliament will soon be housed in a new building".

While congratulating the nation on the eve of 75th Independence Day, Kovind said he could not stop from "imagining a powerful, prosperous and peaceful India of 2047 when we will celebrate 100 years of our independence."

(With agency inputs)

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Uttarakhand: Superintendents of Police of all districts in Uttarakhand on Saturday (August 14) have been instructed to be vigilant ahead of independence day, Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Kumar informed.

"All our 15 August programmes will be celebrated in the capital city Dehradun as well as in others districts. Police chiefs have been instructed to be alert and to keep stringent vigil so that ceremony happens happily and peacefully," said Kumar.

He also added that every year alerts have been issued on 15 August.

Talking to ANI, the DGP said that vigil has been increased in the entire state in view of specific inputs and Independence Day. He said the movement of drones will not happen without permission.

Meanwhile, President Ram Nath Kovind will address the nation on Saturday on the eve of the 75th Independence Day.

The address will be broadcast from 1900 hours on the entire national network of All India Radio (AIR) and telecast over all channels of Doordarshan in Hindi followed by the English version.

The broadcast of the address in Hindi and English on Doordarshan will be followed by broadcast in regional languages by regional channels of Doordarshan.

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New Delhi: 75 years ago, India got independence from imperial British rule. But it was not easy to achieve this independence as the British had ruled India for 190 years before exiting the country. August 15 is an important date for the world as many nations have got independence. As the country approaches its independence day, let's take a look at nations that share joy and liberty with the Republic of India.

Bahrain:

The British government announced the withdrawal of their troops in the east of Suez in the early 1960s. Bahrain declared independence from British rule on August 15, 1971.

Although August 14 is the actual date on which Bahrain gained its independence from the British, the kingdom does not celebrate or mark that date. Bahrain celebrates December 16 as its National Day.

Lichtenstein:

Liechtenstein celebrates its National Day on August 15. It has been celebrated since 1940. It is closely connected to the birthday of Prince Franz-Josef II on August 16.

North and South Korea:

August 15 is the National Liberation Day of Korea. It is a holiday celebrated annually in both North and South Korea. It commemorates the 'Victory over Japan Day'. It is the day when Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II.

The US and Soviet forces ended the long-lasting Japanese occupation of Korea. Apparently, it is the only Korean public holiday celebrated by both North and South Korea.

Republic of Congo:

The Republic of Congo got independence on August 15. The nation was colonised for over 80 years by French rule. The Republic of Congo received its independence in 1960. It is also known as 'Congolese National Day'.
New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind will address the nation on Saturday (August 14) on the eve of the 75th Independence Day.

The address will be broadcast from 1900 hours on the entire national network of All India Radio (AIR) and telecast over all channels of Doordarshan in Hindi followed by the English version.

The broadcast of the address in Hindi and English on Doordarshan will be followed by broadcast in regional languages by regional channels of Doordarshan. AIR will broadcast regional language versions at 21:30 hours on its respective regional networks.

Meanwhile, 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' is an initiative taken by the Central Government to commemorate 75 years of India`s Independence. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he flagged off Dandi March from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad on March 12.

For instilling a sense of pride and confidence among citizens that the Indian Army is committed to protecting the country in all types of terrain and climate, the teams of the Army will scale 75 mountain passes to mark this momentous occasion.

The passes include Saserla Pass in the Ladakh region, Stakpochan Pass in the Kargil region, Satopanth, Harshil, Uttarakhand, Phim Karnla, Sikkim and Point 4493, Tawang region of Arunachal Pradesh.

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New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi's Twitter account was unlocked on Saturday (August 14, 2021), a week after it was 'temporarily suspended' over his tweet that revealed the identity of the family members of a nine-year-old victim of alleged rape and murder in Delhi. The microblogging site had deemed it as a violation of its rules.

As per the latest reports, Twitter accounts of some of the other Congress leaders who had shared the same picture have also been restored.

Twitter interfering in political process

Rahul Gandhi on Friday had slammed Twitter and had accused it of 'interfering in the national political process'. The Congress chief also said that shutting down of his handle amounted to an 'attack on the country's democratic structure'.

"It's obvious now that Twitter is actually not a neutral, objective platform. It is a biased platform. It's something that listens to what the government of the day says," Gandhi said in a YouTube video statement titled "Twitter's dangerous game".

NCPCR summons Facebook officials over Rahul Gandhi's post

The NCPCR has summoned Facebook officials for not responding to its notice flagging Rahul Gandhi's Instagram post revealing the identity of the family members of the rape and murder victim. The latest NCPCR communication to Facebook, which owns the photo and video-sharing social networking platform Instagram, follows its notice seeking action against Gandhi's profile for posting a video of the family.

The country's apex child rights body has asked Facebook officials to appear at 5 pm Tuesday in person at the NCPCR Office in Janpath or through video conferencing along with the details of the action taken.

Twitter India MD Manish Maheshwari transferred

Twitter on Friday moved its India MD Manish Maheshwari to a new role at the company's headquarters in the United States. Maheshwari who joined Twitter in 2019 is now moving into a new role based in San Francisco as Senior Director, Revenue Strategy and Operations focused on 'New Market Entry'. His departure comes amid criticism from Congress against Twitter after the microblogging site blocked the official accounts of Rahul Gandhi and other senior party leaders.

Earlier, Twitter had also briefly blocked the official accounts of former IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor.

Maheshwari also had an FIR against him which was registered in Uttar Pradesh in connection with a probe related to a video of an alleged hate crime.

(With agency inputs)

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State Bank of India invited application from eligible candidates for its SBI SO Recruitment 2021 which is for Specialist Cadre Officers. As per the job notification, the bank invited application for 69 posts on the official website from August 13. Candidates can apply start applying now and can do so till September 2 on sbi.co.in.

To get selected for SO posts, the candidates need to appear for a round of interview. After candidates clear that, it is only then that they will be recruited in State Bank of India.

As per the notification, the vacancies are available for posts such as Assistant Manager, Assistant Manager for Marketing & Communication, Deputy Manager/Relationship Manager/Product Manager and Circle Defence Banking Advisor.

SBI SO Recruitment 2021: Vacancy Details

- Assistant Manager- Engineer (Civil) 36

- Assistant Manager- Engineer (Electrical) 10

- Deputy Manager (Agri Spl) 10

- Relationship Manager (OMP) 6

- Product Manager (OMP) 2

- Assistant Manager(Marketing & Communication) 4

- Circle Defence Banking Advisor 1



SBI SO Recruitment 2021: Salary package

AM  Basic: 36000-1490/7-46340-1740/2-49910-1990/7-63840

Circle Defence Banking Advisor  19.50 lac p.a

Deputy Manager (Agri Spl)  Basic: 48170-1740/1-49910-1990/10-69810

Relationship Manager (OMP)  Basic: 63840-1990/5-73790-2220/2-78230

Product Manager (OMP)  Basic: 63840-1990/5-73790-2220/2-78230

SBI SO Recruitment 2021: Eligibility Criteria

Assistant Manager- Engineer (Civil)- Candidates need to have Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering with 60% or above marks.

Assistant Manager- Engineer (Electrical)- candidates need to have Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering with 60% or above marks.

Assistant Manager (Marketing & Communication)  candidates need to have full time MBA (Marketing)/ Full time PGDM or its equivalent with specialisation in Marketing from Institutions recognised / approved by Govt.

Deputy Manager (Agri Spl)  candidates should have MBA/ PGDM in Rural Management or MBA/PGDM in Agri Business / Post Graduate diploma in Rural Management/ Postgraduate in Agriculture as a full-time course from recognised Institute/ University.

Relationship Manager (OMP)  Candidates need to have B.E./ B. Tech along with MBA/PGDM or equivalent degree (as full-time course) with specialisation in Marketing. Minimum 5 years of total experience as on 01.07.2021.

Product Manager (OMP)  Candidates should have B.Tech/ B.E. in Computer Science/ IT/ Electronics & Communication along with MBA/ PGDM or equivalent degree (as full-time course). The institute should be recognised/ approved by Govt. bodies/ AICTE Certification will add value: Certified Scrum Product owner (CSPO)/ Product Manager/ Product Owner. Minimum 5 years of total experience as on 01.07.2021.

Circle Defence Banking Advisor  The applicant must be a retired Major General or Brigadier from Indian Army, or from comparable ranks from Indian Navy or Air Force.

SBI SO Recruitment 2021: Age Limit

AM  30 years

Deputy Manager,Relationship Manager (OMP)and Product Manager  25 to 35 years

Circle Defence Banking Advisor  60 years

SBI SO Recruitment 2021: Selection Process

AM  The selection of candidates will be on the basis of Online Written Test and Interview.

AM (Marketing & Communication)and Circle Defence Banking Advisor  The selection will be based on shortlisting and interview

Deputy Manager,Relationship Manager (OMP)and Product Manager  The selection will be based on shortlisting and interview

SBI SO Recruitment 2021: Heres how to apply

1. Go to the official site sbi.co.in/careers.

2. Click on the notification that reads about Recruitment of Specialist Cadre Officers or the post for you which you want to apply.

3. Alternatively, candidates may click on the direct links given here for various posts- Online Link to Apply for Assistant Manager Posts, Link to apply for Assistant Manager Marketing & Communication, apply here for Deputy Manager/Relationship Manager/Product Manager and apply here for Circle Defence Banking Advisor.

4. A new window would open.

5. Start with a new registration by entering your mobile number and email id.

6. Login using the credentials now and start filling the online application process for the post youre applying.

7. Upload all the documnents and pay the application fee if mentioned there.

8. Click on Submit.

9. Your SBI SO Recruitment 2021 form has been submitted. Download and save it for future references.

SBI SO Recruitment 2021: Application fees

General/ EWS/ OBC candidates  Rs. 750/-

SC/ ST/ PWD candidates  No Fee

For Circle Defence Banking Advisor  No Fee
New Delhi: Serum Institute of India (SII) chairman Dr Cyrus Poonawalla on Friday (August 13, 2021) expressed strong disapproval over the usage of two different COVID-19 vaccines for better efficacy. While addressing the reporters at an award function in Pune, the SII chairman clearly said he is not in favour of mixing vaccines.

When asked about a recent ICMR study that a cocktail of Covishield and Covaxin could generate better immunity, Poonawalla said, "I am against the mixing of two different vaccines. There is no need to mix two different vaccines.

Vaccine cocktail

"If cocktail vaccines are administered and if the result is not good, then SII may say that another vaccine was not good, vice versa, the other company might say that since you mixed Serum's vaccine, it did not give desired results," Poonawalla added.

He further stated that the efficacy of this approach has not been proven in field trials involving thousands of participants.

If such combination of doses did not work, each vaccine manufacturer will blame the other company, he said. Later, in a statement to clarify his remarks, Poonawalla said such mixing can be resorted to if a particular vaccine is not available at the time of the second dose.

Booster dose

"After six months, the antibodies go down and that is why I have taken the third dose. We have given the third dose to our seven to eight thousand SII employees. For those who have completed the second dose, it is my request to take a booster dose (third dose) after six months," he said.

Gap between two doses

SII chairman revealed that he believes that the ideal gap between two doses of Covishield is two months though the Union government increased it to three months because of dose shortage.

Export of vaccine

Poonawalla also termed the Centres decision to ban the export of COVID-19 vaccines as a very bad move.

"My son asked me not to open my mouth (on the issue). But it is my view that exports ought to be opened, he said, adding that over 150 countries are dependent on the Serum Institute for COVID-19 vaccines and are blaming the company for stopping the supply during a crucial period.

Meanwhile, SII chairman also hailed the Modi government saying that red-tapism and licence raj have come down under its rule while recalling the hardship the vaccine industry used to face once in securing permissions and 'harassment from bureaucrats' 50 years ago.

(With Agency inputs)

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New Delhi: In a brutal incident, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) youth leader was killed in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district by unidentified assailants. Ranajoy Kumar Shrivastava, 33, was shot dead near Sandhya Cinema on B T Road in Titagarh in Khardah police station area early on Saturday (August 14) when he was returning home in his car, police said.

Five people have been arrested so far in connection with the murder, PTI cited police as saying. Shrivastava was a close aide of winner from Khardah assembly seat Kajal Sinha who died from COVID-19.

Unidentified persons stopped the vehicle of Shrivastava, who was the chief of the Hindi cell of TMC's youth wing, and hurled bombs and fired a few rounds at him, a police offer said.

Shrivastava was taken to a hospital in the locality, and succumbed to his wounds while being shifted to another medical establishment in Kolkata, the officer added.

TMC and BJP have started a war of words on the killing of the youth leader. TMC North 24 Parganas chief Jyotipriyo Mullick has alleged that the saffron party masterminded the attack to "instil fear among ruling party workers in the area". TMC Panihati MLA Nirmal Ghosh accused that BJP workers killed Shrivastava as he had left BJP to join TMC ahead of this year's state Assembly elections.

Meanwhile, BJP has refuted TMCs claims and alleged that Shrivastava was murdered as a consequence of infighting within the ruling party in the state. Barrackpore's BJP MP Arjun Singh, laying aside TMCs allegations, claimed that Shrivastava was never a part of the saffron party and the killing was a fallout of "infighting over extortion". Further, he claimed that the five arrested people are TMC members close to Ghosh.

(With PTI inputs)

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Kolkata: The West Bengal government on Saturday (August 14) announced that all shops and business establishments including bars and restaurants to remain open till usual working hours but not beyond 10.30 PM.

The relaxation will come into effect from Monday onwards. The state administration had on Thursday extended the existing COVID restrictions till August 31 but reduced night curfew timings by two hours, imposing it from 11 PM to 5 AM, according to news agency PTI.

It allowed outdoor government programmes with strict adherence to COVID protocols. The state administration also permitted theatres, auditoriums and open air theatres to operate with not more than 50 per cent of their respective seating capacities.

"Stadiums and swimming pools may remain open with 50 per cent of their respective at a time," the order stated.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced the extension of COVID restrictions along with night curfew relaxations on Thursday.

A decision in this regard was taken following a review of the prevailing situation by the executive committee of the state disaster management authority.

Meanwhile, the state's COVID-19 tally rose to 15,37,185 as 739 more people tested positive for the infection, while eight fresh fatalities pushed its coronavirus death toll to 18,276, a health bulletin said.

North 24 Parganas district recorded the highest number of new cases at 89, followed by 88 in Kolkata. North 24 Parganas also registered the highest number of fresh fatalities at four, followed by three in Kolkata.

Live TV
New Delhi: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday (August 14, 2021) announced that people who wish to enter Punjab will have to carry either a full COVID-19 vaccination certificate or a negative RT-PCR report. This new rule will come into effect from Monday (August 16, 2021).

Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh orders mandatory full Covid vaccination or negative RTPCR report for all those entering the state from Monday, with strict monitoring particularly of those coming from Himachal Pradesh & Jammu, which are showing increased positivity, said the state government in a release.

Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh orders mandatory full Covid vaccination or negative RTPCR report for all those entering the state from Monday, with strict monitoring particularly of those coming from Himachal Pradesh & Jammu, which are showing increased positivity: State Govt pic.twitter.com/ykXdGmLSwD  ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2021

Earlier, Punjab Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan issued directions for conducting at least 10,000 Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) tests daily at schools in the state, according to a statement.

The chief secretary also asked deputy commissioners to ensure that only fully vaccinated staff is allowed to attend the schools. Asking the departments concerned to step up RT-PCR testing, Chief Secretary Mahajan said the target of 40,000 samples per day in the state must be achieved.

Meanwhile, Punjab on Friday reported 89 new cases of the COVID-19, taking the infection count to 5,99,846, as per the medical bulletin. With no new COVID-related death reported on Friday, the toll stood at 16,334 and the number of active cases in the state stood at 568.

(With Agency inputs)

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New Delhi: Ahead of Independence day, Mumbai police on Saturday (August 14, 2021) instructed all the districts to be vigilant. "All police stations will maintain high alert in the form of static deployment and patrolling to prevent any untoward incident on Independence Day", informed Mumbai Police.

The Anti-Terror Cell (ATC) and beat officers have been activated in all police stationsm to gather intelligence in the city.

"Bandobast will be kept at important govt offices such as Mantralaya for government function of flag hoisting, along with Anti-Sabotage measures such as Frisking of persons and checking of premises with Bomb Detection and Disposal Squads (BDDS)", Police added.

Mumbai Police further added, "Special Branch, Crime Branch, Protection and Security branch including BDDS and QRT will be on their toes".

Meanwhile, Delhi Police also stepped up security measures to ensure a smooth flow of events for today and tomorrows Independence day celebration at the Red Fort and in the national capital. The Delhi Police also issued a traffic advisory with a list of the roads which will remain closed for the duration of the events at the Red Fort.

The Police in the national capital is also checking vehicles and identity cards of commuters as security tightened in the city ahead of Independence Day celebrations.

Additionally, other states including Uttarakhand have also increased the security in the region. All our 15 August programmes will be celebrated in the capital city Dehradun as well as in other districts. Police chiefs have been instructed to be alert and to keep stringent vigil so that the ceremony happens happily and peacefully," said Uttarakhand Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Kumar.

(With Agency inputs)

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New Delhi: Veteran actor Anil Kapoor's younger daughter Rhea Kapoor is all set to marry her longtime partner Karan Boolani on August 14, 2021. Reports suggest that the intimate wedding is going to take place at Kapoor's Juhu bungalow.

According to a report in the Times of India, the wedding will be solemnised in the presence of family and close friends. The Kapoors have remained tight-lipped about the upcoming event and nothing has been officially announced as yet.

A few photos of decorations underway at Anil Kapoor's residence flooded the internet, hinting at the wedding.

Neither Rhea nor Karan have commented on the impending wedding as yet.

Rhea is a producer and stylist, meanwhile, Karan is into direction. He has been associated with several ad commercials, reportedly.

Last month, sister Sonam Kapoor landed back in the bay from London and now hubby Anand Ahuja is also in India for the big day in the family.
New Delhi: Actress Rhea Chakraborty, who is all set for the theatrical release of her upcoming film Chehre, has faced many ups and downs post the death of her ex-boyfriend and actor Sushant Singh Rajput on June 14, 2020. He was found dead at his Bandra pad.

Though the actress had a challenging year on the personal and professional front, she had a few people who stood like a rock for her in her crucial time.

Director Rumy Jafry, who took Rhea in his film Chehre post the controversy, believes that her presence in the film will not affect the film as she is a great human being.

In an interview with The Times of India, Jafry said, I dont think the film will suffer because of Rheas personal life controversy. I will admit that I felt it would have affected the film, had it been released last year. Everyone knows what a furore the media caused with the whole Sushant Singh Rajput case and Rheas arrest. Last year, she was a witch, a gold-digger and what not; this year she was declared as the 'most desirable woman'. This shows there has been a change in the perception of people. So, I really dont feel the film will have an adverse effect because of what happened with Rhea last year.

He also said she belongs to a nice family and her role will get lot of appreciation from everyone as she has done justice to it and will come out with flying colours.

For the unversed, Rhea was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on the charges of procuring drugs along with Sushant after her WhatsApp chat surfaced online. Sushants family accused her of financially cheating their son, and also of mentally harassing him that led to his death.

Although the investigation is still underway, after staying in police custody for almost a month, Rhea was granted bail by Mumbai High Court.

Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his Mumbai apartment on June 14, last year.

Chehre will witness Amitabh Bachchan and Emraan Hashmi in lead roles. The film also stars Annu Kapoor, and Krystle DSouza in pivotal roles.
New Delhi: Anil Kapoor's younger daughter Rhea Kapoor is all set to tie the knot with longtime beau Karan Boolani today and so the preparations are happening in full swing.

As per recent reports, the marriage is taking place at Kapoors Juhu bungalow and so the house is all decked up and since morning the decorative items, as well as bouquets, are being carried inside the house.

Although, its heavily raining in Mumbai but nothing is stopping the preparations as all the festivities will be done with great pomp and show.

Several celebs paparazzi groups are sharing videos on their official Instagram handle where the preparations can be seen taking place.

Last night, the groom-to-be Karan was seen exiting the Kapoors residence where all the events will be taking place.

According to a report in the The Times of India, the wedding will be solemnised in the presence of family and close friends. The Kapoors have remained tight-lipped about the upcoming event and nothing has been officially announced as yet.

Neither Rhea nor Karan have commented on the impending wedding as yet.

For the unversed, Rhea is a producer and stylist, meanwhile, Karan is into direction. Rhea is the younger daughter of veteran actor Anil Kapoor and Sunita Kapoor. She also has two siblings- sister  Sonam Kapoor and brother Harshvardhan Kapoor, both of them are actors by profession.

Last month, Sonam landed back in the bay from London and now her hubby Anand Ahuja is also in India for the big day in the family.
New Delhi: Amid Taliban insurgents capturing more cities in Afghanistan, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday (August 14, 2021) said that the war-torn country is spinning out of control. He said that the fighting between Taliban and Afghan security forces is causing 'tremendous harm' and called on all parties to take heed of the conflict's devastating impact on civilians.

The UN chief also warned that directing attacks against civilians is a serious violation of international and humanitarian law and amounts to a war crime.

"Afghanistan is spinning out of control. Every day, the conflict is taking a bigger toll on civilians, especially women and children. I remind all parties of their obligation to protect civilians and I call on the Taliban to immediately end the offensive and return to the peace table," Antonio Guterres said.

Afghanistan is spinning out of control. Every day, the conflict is taking a bigger toll on civilians, especially women & children. I remind all parties of their obligation to protect civilians & I call on the Taliban to immediately end the offensive & return to the peace table.  Antonio Guterres (@antonioguterres) August 13, 2021

"I am extremely disturbed by reports from areas captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan. It is horrifying that hard-won rights are being ripped away from Afghan girls and women. The UN is determined to promote the rights of all Afghans and provide life-saving humanitarian support," he added.

I am extremely disturbed by reports from areas captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan. It is horrifying that hard-won rights are being ripped away from Afghan girls & women. The @UN is determined to promote the rights of all Afghans & provide life-saving humanitarian support.  Antonio Guterres (@antonioguterres) August 14, 2021

ALSO READ | Why Afghanistan is facing wrath of Taliban; a brief history of dreaded extremist group

He also informed that at least 2,41,000 people have been forced to flee from their homes and humanitarian needs are growing by the hour.

"Perpetrators must be held accountable," the UN chief stated.

"I call on all parties to take heed of conflict's devastating impact on civilians. They must do more to protect civilians. Directing attacks against civilians is a serious violation of international and humanitarian law and amounts to a war crime," he said.

The United Nations Secretary-General's comments came amid the Taliban seizing Afghanistan's second and third-biggest cities. A government official confirmed that Kandahar, the economic hub of the south, was under Taliban control as US-led international forces complete their withdrawal after 20 years of war. Herat in the west also fell to the hardline Islamist group.

Meanwhile, a US defence official has said there was concern that the Taliban - ousted from power in 2001 after the September 11 attacks on the United States - could make a move on Afghanistan's capital Kabul within days.

The Taliban has reportedly taken control of 14 of Afghanistan's 34 provincial capitals since August 6.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: Canada on Friday (August 13, 2021) said that it will resettle 20,000 vulnerable Afghans who have been threatened by the Taliban and have been forced to flee Afghanistan. To help address the growing humanitarian crisis, the announcement was made by Canada's Minister of Immigration Marco Mendicino.

"Offering refuge to the world's most vulnerable speaks to who we are as Canadians, particularly in times of crisis. As more Afghan refugees continue to seek shelter in Canada, we're redoubling our efforts to help 20,000 Afghan refugeeswho remain vulnerable wherever they go find safety here. The situation in Afghanistan is heartbreaking, and Canada will not stand idly by," Mendicino said.

This afternoon, we welcomed a flight of Afghan refugees to Canada. These refugees are part of the 20,000 vulnerable Afghans threatened by the Taliban and forced to flee Afghanistan that Canada will assist in resettling. pic.twitter.com/2duObWTaZG  IRCC (@CitImmCanada) August 14, 2021

Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Marc Garneau said he is been following the situation in Afghanistan very carefully and that Afghans have put their lives at great risk to support Canada in helping Afghans achieve significant democratic, human rights, education, health and security gains over the past twenty years.

"We owe them a debt of gratitude and we will continue our efforts to bring them to safety," he expressed.

ALSO READ | Why Afghanistan is facing wrath of Taliban; a brief history of dreaded extremist group

Meanwhile, Taliban insurgents have seized Afghanistan's second and third-biggest cities, local officials said on Friday. A government official confirmed that Kandahar, the economic hub of the south, was under Taliban control and so was Herat.

A US defence official said there was concern that the Taliban - ousted from power in 2001 after the September 11 attacks on the United States - could make a move on Kabul within days.

ALSO READ | Afghanistan spinning out of control, says UN chief Antonio Guterres as Taliban captures more cities
New Delhi: The Afghan Taliban on Saturday (August 14, 2021) tightened their territorial stranglehold around the country's capital, Kabul as US Marines returned to oversee emergency evacuations and refugees rushed to safety.

As Afghanistans second and third largest cities having fallen into Afghan Taliban hands, Kabul has effectively become the besieged. According to AFP reports, the Taliban fighters are camped just 50 kilometres (30 miles) away from Kabul and this development has prompted many nations, including the US and India, to airlift their nationals out of Afghanistans capital city.

In recent developments, the United States has taken a last-minute decision to send 3,000 US troops to Afghanistan to help partially evacuate the US Embassy. Officials have stressed that the newly arriving troops' mission is limited to assisting the airlift of embassy personnel and Afghan allies.

Meanwhile, other nations, including Britain, Germany, Denmark and Spain, also announced the withdrawal of personnel from their respective embassies on Friday. Switzerland will also withdraw its three remaining staff in Kabul "as soon as possible" as the security situation in Afghanistan worsens, said the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday.

As per AFP reports, tens of thousands of Kabul residents have sought refuge in Kabul in recent days. "We don't know what is going on," one resident, Khairddin Logari, told AFP.

Read more about Taliban here: Taliban's History

Additionally, in his first and strongest appeal to the Islamic militant group, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was deeply disturbed by early indications that the Taliban are imposing severe restrictions in the areas under their control, particularly targeting women and journalists.

Guterres said, It is particularly horrifying and heartbreaking to see reports of the hard-won rights of Afghan girls and women being ripped away from them."

This is the moment to halt the offensive, Guterres said. This is the moment to start serious negotiation. This is the moment to avoid a prolonged civil war or the isolation of Afghanistan.

ALSO READ: Is Taliban now seeking India's support? Appreciates country for helping Afghanistan

The fast and widespread effect of the Talibans advances has shocked Afghans and the US-led alliance that poured billions into the country after toppling the Taliban in the wake of the September 11 attacks nearly 20 years ago.

Despite the frantic evacuation efforts, the US continues to insist that a complete Taliban takeover is not inevitable.

While acknowledging that the Taliban is "trying to isolate" the capital city, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby on Friday said, "Kabul is not right now in an imminent threat environment."

Kirby also said that most of the troops shepherding the evacuation would be in place by Sunday and "will be able to move thousands per day" out of Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, a Kandahar resident Abdul Nafi told AFP that the city was calm after government forces abandoned it. "I came out this morning, I saw Taliban white flags in most squares of the city," he said. "I thought it might be the first day of Eid."

Additionally, pro-Taliban social media accounts have boasted of the vast spoils of war captured by the Taliban insurgents fighters.

(With Agency inputs)

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Houston: Greg Abbott, the Governor of the US State of Texas, has issued a proclamation in recognition of 75 years of India's independence.

Governor Abbott signed the proclamation at a celebration ahead of Indian Independence Day on August 15 where he was joined by Consul General of India Aseem Mahajan.

Highlighting the strong bond between India and Texas and looking forward to working closely to deepen the multifaceted India-US partnership, Abbot said, "India is our largest democratic ally in the world".

Presenting the proclamation to Consul General Mahajan, Abbot announced that at this occasion the Governor's Mansion will be lit orange and green on Sunday, for India's Independence Day, to commemorate the 75th anniversary.

"After generations of subjugation under British rule and a long campaign of nonviolent protests led by Mahatma Gandhi, the 1947 Indian Independence Act ushered in a new age of freedom for the people of India," reads the Governor's proclamation.

"Across Texas, communities of Indian immigrants and Americans of Indian descent have long called our state home and have played an important role in making Texas the best place to live, work, and raise a family. I have no doubt that this global partnership will continue to ensure the future successes of our people for generations to come. First Lady Cecilia Abbott joins me in wishing the best to all on this momentous occasion.

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Kabul: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani delivered a televised address, his first public remarks since the Taliban made major gains in recent days. Ghani's last public appearance was on Wednesday (August 11) in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, where the insurgents launched a multi-pronged attack early Saturday. Afghan president vows not to give up 'achievements' of last 20 years, says 'consultations' underway amid Taliban blitz.

Ghani said that the top priority remains the remobilization of the country's armed forces as Taliban continues its assault on the nation. Ghani said that his aim is to prevent further instability, violence and displacement of people. He said that he won't let Afghans be killed and their properties destroyed in an imposed war, thus losing on the gains made in last 20 years.

The Taliban have captured much of northern, western and southern Afghanistan, and are now battling government forces just 11 kilometers (7 miles) south of the capital, Kabul.

The lightning advance comes less than three weeks before the US is set to withdraw its last forces after nearly 20 years of war. Ghani and other top officials in the Western-backed government have been largely silent on the insurgents' recent gains.

Also read: Why Afghanistan is facing wrath of Taliban; a brief history of dreaded extremist group - in pics

Meanwhile, the Taliban pushed closer to Kabul on Saturday, capturing a key city near Afghanistan's capital as American troops flew in to help evacuate embassy personnel and other civilians. Continuing a rapid advance, the insurgents took Pul-e-Alam, around 70 km (40 miles) from Kabul and the capital of Logar province, a local provincial council member said.

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